Lost (And Now Found) Reviews

Cupid's Shaft - Desiree Holt

2007-05-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Cupid’s Shaft
AUTHOR: Desiree Holt
ISBN: 9781419908934
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Blog Special / Very Good

BUY CUPID’S SHAFT HERE

Jessie Rawlins is spending Valentine’s Day alone - again - after being dumped for a leggy blonde - again. But she has her toys, a vacation cabin and the determination to have a very pleasurable time. She hadn’t counted on getting snowed in – or on having an unexpected visitor courtesy of the storm. A hot, hunk-a-li-cious visitor, who could just see all her fantasies realized. But will they be together for one night or for much longer?

Desiree Holt’s Cupid’s Shaft is HOT HOT HOT! I’ll let you find out on your own the origins of the title, but I have to say…ingenious! Jessie is a sweet woman, full of insecurities. Riley is a fabulous man who appreciates a voluptuous woman – and is set on making Jessie realize just how desirable she is. Cupid’s Shaft is a tale of sexual blossoming and discovery, with few ‘taboos’ safe from being explored. There is oral, anal and light bondage in addition to ‘vanilla’. There are also a variety of toys, all courtesy of Jessie’s as yet unfulfilled adventurous side. Jessie’s timidity in using her toys demonstrates just how important trusting your sexual partner is. Each character is endearing and fairly well developed. The plot is, admittedly, consumed by sex, but emotions are packed into the tale making for an enjoyable novella that you cannot help but be delighted with. This Valentine Vixen is not just suited to Valentines Day! Oh no! Enjoyable year round – pick up your copy today and see!

Playing With Fire - Judith Rochelle

2007-04-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Playing With Fire
AUTHOR: Judith Rochelle
ISBN: 1-60186-091-9
PUBLISHER: Triskelion Publishing
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Blog Special / Very Good

BUY PLAYING WITH FIRE HERE

Cassie Fitzgerald has returned to Stoneham to bury her mother and perhaps finally lay to rest the demons that have plagued her. Though Cassie has a good life and is pursuing her dream job, there will always be something missing. Cassie’s memories of her family and her hometown are not fond ones. Her difficult relationship with her family never improved. It never had the chance to. Five years ago her wild sister, Diane, was murdered, just three months after her marriage. Shortly after her father committed suicide. But Cassie’s heart had already been shattered, when three months prior to Diane’s death Diane had married the man Cassie loved, who had promised Cassie his heart and his future: Cole Martin. Upon her return to town, Cassie cannot leave the mystery of Diane’s death unsolved. And no matter how she wants to stay away from Cole, she finds she cannot.

Cole ran with a wild gang as a young man, only cleaning up his act when faced with impending fatherhood. Whilst he wanted nothing more than to have Cassie for his own, he couldn’t turn his back on his child. To come so close to having Cassie but to loose her to his past stupidity nearly brook him, but he had little choice. Five years later, he is still viewed with suspicion. An outcast, the whole town believes he murdered Diane. His airtight alibi is the only thing between him and jail. But maybe now he has a second chance with Cassie, the woman of his dreams. But secrets hang heavy over the town, secrets some don’t want revealed. Secrets Cassie is determined to uncover – but which someone will do anything to protect. Will Cole get his second chance with Cassie, or will they lose each other just as they once again find one another?

Judith Rochelle’s Playing With Fire is a fabulous tale that will surely widen your eyes in delight and get your pulse pounding hard and fast. My favorite part of the plot is the suspense laden mystery. I swear, this kept me glued to this book. I had not a single clue as to how the mystery would unfold. Judith Rochelle kept the secrets of the story very well – and when the secrets were disclosed they were done so in an excellent and unforeseen manner. Of course, the mystery is not the only aspect of the book that will see a raise in your pulse. There are love scenes, not all graphically depicted but all fit in with the storyline and build on the strong chemistry that is evident between these two excellent characters. The plot is rather engaging, made real by excellently developed characters and the feeling of being a part of the story. The depiction of the town…Wow! Talk about feeling like there is a conspiracy. For an enjoyable romance between two lost loves, with a riddle to be solved, your best bet is Playing With Fire. Be sure to collect your copy soon!

Stranger In The Night - Lacey Diamond

2007-03-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Stranger In The Night
AUTHOR: Lacey Diamond
ISBN: 1-58608-987-0
PUBLISHER: New Concepts Publishing
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Blog Special / Very Good

BUY STRANGER IN THE NIGHT HERE

Kim’s dreams are what fantasies are made of. Since she moved into her new house, her nights have been filled by a magnificent stranger, a stranger who knows how to use his hands, his lips and his body to bring Kim an ecstasy she has never known. When her dream lover appears in person, will Kim’s days be as fulfilling as her nights? And why is Kim’s best friend, Jill, so wary about her house – and so adamant that Kim not send her lover on his way?

Lacey Diamond’s Stranger in The Night is a mysterious novella that is full of secrets. I never foresaw any of the plotline, in part undoubtedly because the synopsis gives away so little. The opening scene is sure to grab your attention, as it did mine. Throughout your imagination will be held hostage, especially when it comes to the history of the house (about which I’ll be saying no more *evil cackle*). Kim’s character was well developed, though the development of the other characters was limited so as to provide the tale with its mystique (which worked wonderfully). The sex between Kim and Tyler (Kim’s lover) is described in detail and is fairly adventurous. Dessert toppings and popsicles are put to good use, though not in the way the manufacturer had likely intended *g*. The ending came around fairly quickly, but rather than being a happily-ever-after it was more of a potential happily-ever-after. The future was not definitively put to the reader by the author, but rather left to the reader’s imagination. Stranger In The Night is a good read, great if you want something very mysterious and completely unforeseeable.

2007-03-04T04:31:00.000-08:00

This blog contains reviews that are inaccessible anywhere else on the web.

All the reviews on this blog have been archived. To view them please scroll to the archive section. They are also viewable using the other links (E.G. Enchanted In Romance Reviews).

Red Heart Bowl - Bobby Michaels

2007-03-04T04:11:00.000-08:00

TITLE: Red Heart Bowl
AUTHOR: Bobby Michaels
ISBN: 978-1-59632-403-9
PUBLISHER: Loose ID
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic M/M
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Blog Special/Very Good

BUY RED HEART BOWL HERE

Dan is in love with his best friend. Well, ex-best friend, now. He and Mike grew up together, sharing everything from birthdays to family life – and showers. They went their separate ways after high school, Mike to a football scholarship and Dan to the Marine Corps, but kept in touch. Dan was ecstatic when his dream of being with Mike came true two years after high school – until Mike shattered his dream and his heart. Now, several years later, Mike has made an offer to Dan. But is it an offer Dan can accept? Will his heart end up broken – again?

Red Heart Bowl is a great novella, if not exactly what I was expecting. The tale begins in the present, then for about the first half of the story the lead character, Dan, is reflecting back on his relationship with Mike and their maturing years, from boys to high school, to the Marine Corps to teacher. Told by Dan, the reader has access only to Dan’s thoughts and emotions, completely unaware of where Mike may be coming from. Red Heart Bowl is full of turmoil. Dan is disappointed repeatedly, the ending is always uncertain. There is sex between Mike and Dan. There is also mention of sex between Dan and other men, though this isn’t depicted in as great a detail as that with Mike. Red Heart Bowl is very light on romance. Rather, it is more a journey of how two friends become more to one another, only to fail in securing a long term relationship – entirely due to Mike, as you will find out when you read the tale (you’ll surely want to hit him a time or two). And read the tale you must. Any fan of M/M is sure to love Red Heart Bowl, because whilst it cannot be labeled an erotic romance, per se, it has much to recommend it. Excellent characters, very well developed. A great storyline, both smooth flowing and engaging. And great sex! There are some romantic gestures, which are very tender and help make the story the enjoyable read that it is. My second Bobby Michaels has not been a disappointment. I look forward to the next!

Friday's Temptation - Cynthia VanRooy

2006-08-01T05:06:00.000-07:00

Title: Friday’s Temptation
Author: Cynthia VanRooy
Publisher: Currently Unavailable
Genre: Romance; Contemporary
Reviewed For/Rating: FAR/5 Angels

Taylor Sloane is a popular novelist, though he keeps to himself and hates being disturbed by fans. He doesn’t like depending on anyone else thanks to his childhood experiences. He counts few as his friends and is closest to his dog, Caesar. Caesar is not only a pet; he is also a guard dog. His intimidating size is enough to keep most people at bay, which suits Taylor just fine. Taylor now finds himself in the position of needing to depend on another person, being temporarily blind from a fall. He struggles to come to terms with his disability, though the doctors advise his condition to be impermanent. On the advice of a friend, Stan, he hires Jill Fiori, never suspecting that he could become closer to her than anyone else in living memory. Never believing he could long to be with one person. Never even considering the possibility that he could fall in love. With his determination never to expose himself to the potential for hurt and betrayal, is there any chance for a relationship beyond the physical between Taylor and Jill?

Jill Fiori needs a place to stay whilst she finishes her dissertation. The building going on next to her apartment makes it impossible for her to get any work done unless she gives up sleeping. When her friend and mentor, Stan, tells her of an opening working for Taylor, she is quick to snap it up. Though she would not ordinarily live with a stranger, thanks to her avid reading of his novels she feels she knows him. Besides, he and his fictional character play starring roles in her more risqué fantasies. It seems, however, that Stan left one or two important details out. Like the fact that Taylor is a stickler for good home cooked meals – and he has a dog. Jill really does not like dogs, as well Stan knows. Neither is she that good of a cook. It seems that Stan may have had a bit of matchmaking on his mind. There is certainly a sizzle between Jill and Taylor, which sparks and flames into a hot physical relationship, but whilst Jill’s feelings are deepening for Taylor, are his also developing for her? Is there any reason for Jill to hope for a more permanent relationship than a transient bodily one?

This is my first tale by Cynthia VanRooy and I have enjoyed it very much. Friday’s Temptation is a fairly unusual story in that the hero is blind, albeit temporarily. It is rare to find such a character in a novel, indeed to come across a hero or heroine with any disability in a story. The two characters are quite different from one another; yet seem to suit each other well. The draw between them is strong, though Taylor knows not what Jill looks like. The path to a long-term relationship between them is not smooth and at first appears to be a dead end. They each have to grapple with themselves, most especially Taylor, before they can engage in a relationship. There is sex in this tale, but there is no explicit language used nor are their any taboo sexual acts engaged in. Friday’s Temptation is very enjoyable and one I’d advise you to watch out for.

Precious Things - Gail R Delaney

2006-08-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

Title: Precious Things
Author: Gail R Delaney
Publisher: Currently Unavailable
Genre: Romance; Contemporary
Reviewed For/Rating: FAR/5 Angels And A Recommended Read Angel

Jewell Kincaid is going to Bulwark Mutual Funds for a job interview, hoping to land the position that'll get her $6,000 a year more than where she works now. She doesn't expect to come across BP Roth, a fund manager who makes his employees flinch when he turns to them and reduces them to tears when they need clarification on his instructions. Luckily, the position she is applying for is with a different fund manager - until she sticks up to BP Roth and he becomes determined to have her work for him, instead. The good news is that this station will have the responsibilities she has become accustomed to, which the previous placement she was applying for did not have. It also pays more, a lot more. $16,000 a year more than her current work - that's $10,000 a year more than the job she was originally applying for. For that amount of money, she'll put up with almost anything, even the short tempered Benjamin Prescott Roth. She faces just one problem. It doesn't seem to matter to her body that BP Roth is gruff and impatient. The attraction she feels towards him is strong, and keeping a professional distance is increasingly difficult. But surely there can be no future for them? He's her boss, she is his employee. There are already too many rumors making the rounds about them. Adding to them would be career suicide...

Benjamin Prescott Roth comes from an old money family. Not that he parades this fact about for everybody to see. Benjamin is a hard man, one who does not believe in love, except when it comes to his little sister, Victoria - the only person in his family who has ever shown him this emotion. His father is an abusive drunk, and his mother a spineless woman who never stuck up for her children. Even though his family is wealthy, Benjamin has made his own way in the world. After his father ranted he would always be a financial burden, he never took a single cent from him following graduation, gaining full academic scholarship and working his way through graduate school. His father hates him, and shipped him off to boarding school when he was a child so he wouldn't have to look at him. Why? Because Benjamin is deaf. He has been since he was born. He has learned sign language, how to speak and how to lip read. He has made a huge success of his life. His disability has not held him back. When he meets Jewell, he admires her gumption in standing her ground against him. This, combined with her qualifications and her knowledge of sign language, make him determined to gain her as his executive assistant over the current inept woman who currently fills that role. It is only later, once the deal is done, that he comes to realize that hiring her on as his assistant was a stupid thing to do. She is the best assistant he has ever had, but it has long been his policy never to get involved with an employee. His attraction to Jewell is putting his strength of will to the test - and it seems inevitable that his desire for her will eventually win out...

Precious Things, the first tale I have read by Gail R Delaney but rest assured not the last, is a fabulous story with brilliantly developed characters that come to life on the page. Benjamin is a man scared by his past, unwilling to trust in love, even as his feelings for Jewell grow ever deeper. Jewell herself is not someone without her own painful background, though she comes from a loving and protective family that anybody would love to be a member of. This story is unusual in that the hero is deaf. I have not yet read a novel where a main character had a disability/impairment, but the way in which this was detailed as an integral part of the storyline by Ms. Delaney not only got and kept me interested in the story, but also wondering whether she has some form of first hand experience with deafness herself. The problems faced by Benjamin due to his impairment are numerous and well detailed, yet the reader is not allowed to feel pity for this man, for he has become a very successful despite his disability. Besides which, he is not a man who would not want your sympathy. Tragedy dogs his footsteps, which will strike a resounding pang in your heart. Will he let Jewell through his walls, or will he turn from her in his time of need, hurting them both in the process? Precious Things is thoroughly enjoyable and a credit to Ms. Delaney!

Regulating Archimedes - Brenda Bryce

2006-08-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Society 1: Regulating Archimedes
AUTHOR: Brenda Bryce
ISBN: 1-59632-142-3
GENRE: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: Loose ID
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Blog Special/Excellent

BUY REGULATING ARCHIMEDES HERE

Angela Heissman, a scientist, lives a fairly ordinary life - though some would think her occasional absentmindedness and preoccupation with her laboratory work slightly strange. She lives for her work and is currently trying to compile a serum that would be able to identify certain blood ailments. This particular task is very close to her heart, as her mother died at a young age from anaemia. She is frustrated that her current experiments keep going awry, not to mention her superior keeps stealing her work and taking the credit for it. Her life is fairly simple and little out of the ordinary ever happens to her. With the arrival of Stephen Westlake in her laboratory, however, this quickly changes. Finding out her boss has once again stolen her work, this time the serum she is trying to develop, is the last straw: she quits her job and shortly after this is kidnapped. She is unable to understand what the kidnappers want from her but is ecstatic to escape them. Could the kidnapping have something to do with her serum? What is Stephen’s place in all that happens? What of the attraction she feels towards him, the likes of which she has never felt towards another man?

Stephen Westlake is a nine hundred year old vampire. Having recently been appointed The Society’s Regulator, a new position created by the new leader of the vampires, his first task was to investigate those holding key positions in The Society, to find out whether they were straight or crooked. Most were clean; all bar The Society’s Archimedes. Having dealt with the threat he posed, The Society is now in need of a new Archimedes. This is his second assignment. Provided with a list of five potential scientists who could fill the position, he now needs to identify which of the five is best suited for the placement. He decides to start with Angela Heissman, who seems to be the odd one out on the list. The only female being considered, she is not an expert in her field, unlike the four men, two of whom are Nobel Prize winners. Thinking it will be easy to eliminate her, he is understandably rather confused when it turns out that the serum the previous Archimedes was going to use to harm the new leader is hers. It seems there is more than meets the eye to this female scientist, after all. With an unknown vampire out to capture her, it is up to Stephen to keep her from harm whilst finding out all he can about the unknown vampire, the serum and what Angela has to do with everything that is going on. All the while, he has to contend with the strong attraction he feels towards her – the likes of which he has never experienced but was told to expect by his father when he met his mate. Angela can’t be his mate, though – can she?

Wowee! Talk about a refreshing, action-packed, sensual vampire romance! Brenda Bryce’s The Society 1: Regulating Archimedes is a fabulous tale that is most certainly not your average vampire romance. Containing more than its fair share of intrigue, this is one storyline you will find yourself completely immersed in. Never a boring moment in this story, you will be unable to stop reading from start to finish. I love the characters, all of whom are very well developed. Several events in the plot are completely unexpected, with the story taking twists and turns that enriches the plot and keeps it interesting. Love scenes in this tale are fairly detailed but not explicit, occasionally bringing a smile to my face. Brenda Bryce has me hooked. I crave more and celebrate the contracted second in the series - and the third that is in the works. They cannot be published soon enough.

Rubies, Sapphires And Ivory - JJ Massa

2006-07-30T04:22:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Rubies, Sapphires And Ivory
AUTHOR: JJ Massa
ISBN: 1-60054-079-5 (Old VP ISBN:1-59836-21-4)
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: 1st release Venus Press, 2nd release loveyoudivine
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: JJ Massa's Newsletter/Very Good

BUY RUBIES, SAPPHIRES AND IVORY HERE (NB. This title is now a bonus story that comes with Love Like Blood)

Niccolo Ascosi is a vampire, over two hundred years of age. A rich man, he owns many businesses but does not have the one thing he desires above all else, the one thing he has been searching for for centuries. A companion. A mate. When first seeing Ivory, he feels a reaction to her he cannot explain and he acts totally out of character, inviting her to join him at his table and share his wine. He quickly decides that she will be his sustenance that night, both her blood and her body, a combination he has rarely partaken of. Little does he know, she may be just what he has been searching for for so long. Will she fulfil all the desires of his heart? Or will she take his heart and shatter it, leaving him facing a pain that is greater than any he has ever experienced?

Rubies, Sapphires and Ivory is an engaging tale told from both characters perspectives that is no less than what I have come to expect from JJ Massa. Exceedingly well written, this is a heart warming story of a man who has long searched for that special someone with little hope of ever finding her and a woman with many personal problems who never thought to find someone who would love her for herself. My enjoyment of this story was only marred by the occasional editorial error. I would have liked to see the characters slightly more developed, but with all JJ Massa has packed into this fairly short story, I am delighted to say that this is a great tale, well worth taking the time to purchase and read. Rubies, Sapphires and Ivory would make a great addition to your ‘forever collection’.

The Hired Hand - Melissa Schroeder

2006-07-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Hired Hand
AUTHOR: Melissa Schroeder
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Whisky Creek Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Sasha's Ezine/Excellent

BUY THE HIRED HAND HERE

What would you do if your best friend arranged for you to get laid by a ‘professional’? Or if you were mistaken for a hired gigolo? The Hired Hand by Melissa Schroeder is a tale with a humorous beginning that deals with just these eventualities.

Marlow is a petite woman whose ingrained manners prevent her from leaving anyone, even a hired gigolo, sitting in a bar all night waiting for her to turn up. What follows goes against all her intentions and beliefs.

Humour is plentiful from beginning to end. The story begins very light-hearted but the ending will find you wearing a very happy expression, though perhaps slightly tearful from its poignancy. You will feel a whole range of emotions whilst reading this tale, from humour to happiness to righteous indignation to anger to sadness to empathy and several others besides.

Marlow’s friends are extremely likeable; you will wish they were your own. Marlow herself is a focused woman whose life centers on pleasing her parents, whom she loves very much, and her job. Liam is a man who has more than his fair share of woman, an outrageous flirt and someone who gave little thought to ever settling down.

Apart they are fabulous characters; together they are pure dynamite. The characters are all well developed, you feel as if they could be real, people you know and count amongst your own circle of friends. The chemistry between Marlow and Liam is explosive and implodes at every opportunity. Though the language is not overly graphic and the characters do not engage in any of the more ‘taboo’ sexual activities, this is one hot, sexy read that’ll keep you reading till either you finish or your eyes drop closed against your will. If you are not a Schroeder fan yet, upon reading this you will be.

What's Love Got To Do With It? - Susie Charles

2006-07-30T04:15:00.000-07:00

TITLE: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
AUTHOR: Susie Charles
ISBN: 1-59279-252-9
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3.5 Unicorns

BUY WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? HERE

Nick Matheson and Kate Sinclair have been dating for six months but have not yet had sex, though Kate has the hottest body that Nick has ever seen and he is desperate to get into her pants. Having been hurt by a man who professed to love her, Kate is taking things slowly. Now, though, neither can resist the attraction between them, particularly after such a long dry spell. Nick asks Kate to go away with him for the weekend, and she accepts. Their planned weekend of hot sex turns into much more than either of them planned. But with all the mishaps and confusion between them, how will their relationship turn out?

I have previously read a story by Ms Charles and enjoyed it very much. After the plot line and the author caught my eye, I decided to give What’s Love Got To Do With It? a try. Though not up to the standards of the previous story, this novella demonstrates the author’s ability to write detailed and sizzling sex scenes. Due to the shortness of the tale, the characters are not as developed as I would have liked, but considering the amount of detail that Ms Charles has managed to successfully include within this story, this is not something I focused on or minded very much. Just enough detail is given about the characters lives, with an emphasis on their emotions, to make them seem like real people. Please be aware that there is some light bondage in this tale. Though neither character is looking for love, it is something they both find, regardless. What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything.

Well Hung - ML Rhodes

2006-07-30T04:12:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Well Hung
AUTHOR: ML Rhodes
ISBN: 1-59279-226-X
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY WELL HUNG HERE

Jen Hunter has won a kitchen makeover from Dream Room, a television show that completely renovates the winner’s kitchen in the space of a day, and then broadcasts the results of the hard work of the team. Jen has never watched the show; her ex-boyfriend took the pictures of her kitchen and entered her in the competition, partly for revenge but also to try and present his idea for a TV show to the directors. Having not watched the show, Jen is unaware of just who the carpenter is, the man a whole nation of women have been drooling over. After unsuccessfully trying to cancel her win, when the team of Dream Room arrive to set up the cameras and get to work, Jen finds herself face to face with a blast from her past – the man she rejected, but has never forgotten.

Gabriel Jackson, the carpenter for Dream Room and the man Jen has always regretted leaving, has found fame and fortune on the TV show, something that had never been in his plans. Now he’s going to renovate Jen’s kitchen. But has he forgotten the pain she caused him? And does he have a hidden agenda when he goes to Jen’s bungalow?

Well Hung has been extremely well written and is a credit to the author, ML Rhodes, and its publisher, Amber Quill press. The plot works really well in this short story, the tale of a love once rejected, never forgotten and blooming once again when the chance to do so is presented. The sex scenes are inventive and detailed, both inside and outside Jen’s home (caught your attention there, didn’t I?). Well hung is definitely a worth-while. Having enjoyed this so much, I shall most certainly be on the lookout for more of Ms Rhodes work.

Truth Or Bare - Sally Apple

2006-07-30T04:10:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Truth Or Bare
AUTHOR: Sally Apple
ISBN: 1-59632-057-5
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Loose ID
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY TRUTH OR BARE HERE

Melvin – Mel to his friends - has a really high sex drive. In his opinion, both his heads have minds of their own, with the smaller of the two tending to rule everything. No matter the circumstances, in nearly any sexual situation, it will perk up, showing its interest and standing tall. Mel finds it really embarrassing that he has no control over his own lower extremities, but this latest incident really takes the cake. Going to his ex-girlfriend’s house on Halloween in a bid to make up after their quarrel, he is stunned by the scene he walks in on, but his (as he calls it) Pogo stick arises. Being dumped by his girlfriend is the latest in a string of disasters for him: he lost his mother and then became so involved in making funeral arrangements he didn’t check in at his job – so the company gave his job to someone else. Coming across a Laura Spear in his late mother’s address book, he phones her – and finds out he has a living relative he never knew about. She persuades him to visit her, and since he wants to know more about his mother when she was younger and was planning to go on a road trip to get away from everything anyway, he agrees to go. And boy is he grateful he did. It’s a good job she’s not a blood relative, because he is having many lusty thoughts about her. But will his plain old-fashioned lust develop into something more?

Dr Laura Spear has been searching for her adopted sister for years. Only now she finds out it’s too late – her sister has passed away. Eager to meet the son of her beloved sister, she invites him to visit, but is unprepared for her reaction to him. She has never responded to a man the way she does to him. But it’s wrong. He is her nephew, after all...well, kind of. Besides which, she is much immersed in her current project - disproving the thesis that an athletes abstinence from sex boosts their performance and increases their stamina - and does not have time for a sexual relationship. Indeed, it has been quite a long spell for her. Will she be able to resist Mel’s overtures, a man ten years her junior? Or will she succumb...and fall in love?

Sally Apple is very daring. Detailed in Truth Or Bare are certain scenes that I have never come across. This daring on the part of the author shows either a confidence that readers will like and find humour in what she writes, or a determination to write what she likes regardless of what some readers may not like. Whilst originally surprised by the opening scenes, I quickly grew to like this author’s style. I have read very few stories where the woman is older than the man, but this is definitely the most refreshing and original of the bunch. The characters are both rather well-developed, with the story being told in third person from both their points of view. Both characters have their insecurities, but when they develop feelings for one another it is up to Mel to make their relationship all it can be. Please be aware that this tale contains both threesome and anal sex scenes. Truth Or Bare is a very good read, and I would very much like to read more of Sally Apple's work.

Virgo - Emma Bruce & Keira Ramsey

2006-07-30T04:06:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Zodiac Series: Virgo
AUTHOR: Emma Bruce and Keira Ramsey
ISBN: 1-59578-146-3
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY VIRGO HERE

Fateful Fieldtrip – Emma Bruce

Suzanne Tate is a museum curator. Her favourite exhibit is the astrology section, where the different signs hang suspended from the ceiling. A Virgo herself, she follows the horoscopes and really knows her stuff about each of the signs. Having had a bad relationship, she is somewhat wary of getting emotionally close to someone again, though her ex was an Aquarius. That should have told her something. An Aquarius is the worst possible match for a Virgo. When she meets Tim Mitchell, a substitute teacher escorting ten years olds on a museum trip, she helps him when he has a dizzy turn in the journey through the birth process display room. Though many people tend to feel nauseated at the display, Suzanne doesn’t help them, leaving aid to the technicians. Why she helps Tim is a complete mystery to her, as is the strange feeling she has towards him and the way they seem to just…click. She invites him back to museum that night, where they have a picnic – and scorching hot sex – beneath the Constellations and Zodiac display. But whilst the attraction between them sizzles, will any possible relationship between them fizzle out before the morning sunrise?

Blink Of An Eye – Keira Ramsay

Cassidy Thompson owns her own business, Cassidy’s Cuppa Cafe, in Oklahoma. Having lost her fiancé Brian years ago in the Murrah bombings, she has been determined not to get emotionally involved with another man for fear of being devastated in the same way again. When Scott Carnes walks into her coffee shop late one stormy night near closing, she is knocked for a loop by the attraction she feels towards him – especially since he is significantly younger than her. Sensing he has suffered through some trauma, though not in the least put off by his missing an eye, she is unprepared for the flirtation he engages her in. Feeling more attracted to him than anyone in years, she does something she never has before – she has a one-nighter with a stranger. The sex is scorching and wears them both out. She is unsurprised, though slightly hurt, when he creeps out before she awakens in the morning without so much as a goodbye. But is this the end for this pair, one older in years, one aged beyond his years through his experiences as an Air Force Para-rescuer? Will a natural disaster show them the way forward?

Fateful Fieldtrip and Blink Of An Eye are both a part of The Zodiac Series, this sign being Virgo. Though rather short, they are nevertheless still rather enjoyable. I have found great entertainment as I read the series in finding out how the individual authors link their stories to the series. Some of these ways are pure inventiveness on the part of the author. In this particular anthology one couple get down and dirty under the Zodiac signs in a museum display (highly unusual and original in the series). The other is linked by way of the character reading their horoscope, which is used more commonly throughout the series, each author putting together their own unique horoscope to foretell the character’s romantic chances. In both of these tales, the characters had some obstacle to get past, be it age difference or wariness of a relationship. Though seemingly small, these problems are not always surmountable. Thankfully, these very likeable characters, who are all reasonably developed, break past their insecurities to give a long term relationship a try. Both tales have a happy ending; I especially love the insight given four years down the line into how Cassidy and Scott are doing. Virgo is a great edition to The Zodiac Series. Anyone following this set of linked tales should make this an addition on their to buy list.

Libra - Michelle Hoppe & Lavender Wilde

2006-07-30T04:02:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Zodiac Series: Libra
AUTHOR: Michelle Hoppe and Lavender Wilde
ISBN: 1-59578-152-8
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY LIBRA HERE

Tipping The Scales - Michelle Hoppe

In Tipping The Scales by Michelle Hoppe, the Benevolent Order of Heavenly Souls, designed by God to replicate King Arthur’s Round Table, come up with a highly unusual plan to restore love to earth by Valentine’s Day. Namely by having Cupid match people using their astrological signs. In human form, Cupid needs to work his ‘magic’ on Earth, not using a bow and arrow but the horoscopes. Divided as to whether this new method will work, the Order is confident that Cupid will succeed in his mission. Well, most of them. OK, some of them. Cupid renames himself Eugene, gets works in a deli, and begins his first matchmaking attempt – Mary, as indicated by the Order. His initial opinion of her from their first meeting as clumsy gradually changes as he comes to know her. The first attempt to pair her up is disastrous, partly because he doesn’t think to tell her that he is setting her up with someone, rather than asking her out himself. Boy, you can just imagine the scene when she figures it out. But by this point, his feelings for her have developed into something much more meaningful than matchmaker, than friend. His feelings for her are tender, caring. But surely not love? After all, he is cupid and she is, well, human. There is no possible way that they can have a relationship – or is there? Was it on the cards all along?

Jasmine’s Reality - Lavender Wilde

Jasmine’s Reality is the story of Jasmine Barone, who has agreed to take part in a reality TV show competition. The prize money of $100,000 would be enough to pay her school fees and stop her from going into debt for her education. The show is focused on relying on the kindness of strangers. For a total period of six weeks Jasmine and the other contestants are allowed no contact with their family, no access to their own resources and no ID. The existence of the competition is not known to the general public, and Jasmine occasionally feels guilty over deceiving the kind strangers who help her. She is always careful to try and give something back to them, hating the idea of using them for her own gain (unlike some of the other contestants). They are left by themselves in various areas, their clothes and character having been predetermined by their ‘handler’. What sustenance and shelter they need to survive they have to get from strangers. They also need to complete certain tasks. Jasmine’s time in New Orleans is the main focus of the tale, where Jasmine develops a relationship with Jack, who was originally the stranger identified by the group for her to seek aid from. Her feelings for him quickly spill over into unmanageable; her attacks of conscious about using him multiply tenfold as the relationship goes on. Eventually she must leave him, doing so by creeping out in the middle of the night without a goodbye or explanation. But is this the end for this pair? Just what does Jack know that he has kept from Jasmine?

The Libra anthology by Michelle Hoppe and Lavender Wilde makes another great addition to The Zodiac Series, these tales being focused around the star sign Libra. Both stories are idiosyncratic and original. All of the characters are very likeable, with a good development. Information is given about their backgrounds and families, as well as descriptions of their feelings. Each contain a twist that was unforeseen by the reader; both vary somewhat from the synopsis provided by the publisher. The sex in these tales is fairly detailed, though it must be said emotions play a greater part in the plotline than the sexual occurrences between the characters. This anthology is great fun; followers of The Zodiac Series will not be disappointed.

Leo - Rae Monet & Jodi Lynn Copeland

2006-07-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Zodiac Series: Leo
AUTHOR: Rae Monet and Jodi Lynn Copeland
ISBN: 1-59578-145-5
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY LEO HERE

Chantilly’s Lace - Rae Monet

Chantilly’s Lace features the story of Scott and Chandra. Scott is a very successful businessman, and he is now looking to acquire Chantilly’s Lace, a lingerie outfit, which is on the verge of bankruptcy after expanding too rapidly. Whilst at the annual Apparel Conference in New York, Scott is seduced by Chandra, who promises only one night of no questions asked sex. Unbeknownst to Scott, Chandra is trying to disprove her ex-boyfriends accusation that she is a cold fish. She responds to Scott in a way she has never responded to another man. Also unknown to Scott is that Chandra is the owner of Chantilly’s Lace. When they finally find out who each other really is, will the sparks still be flying between them? Or will it be business as usual for the pair?

Eve's Interlude - Jodi Lynn Copeland

Jodi Lynn Copeland’s story, Eve’s Interlude, details the turbulent relationship between Eve and Adrien. Eve’s brother is trying to coerce her into marrying a rival businessman, who he views as perfect husband and father material. She decides to rebel and does so by breaking company policy and having sex with a guest. Only, in a case of mistaken identity, she has hot sex with Adrien, the estranged twin of the man she thought she was going to be having sex with. Neither is looking for a relationship, but each is drawn to the other in a way that neither of them can understand. Will these two commitment phobic people fall deeply enough for each other to take a chance at a long term commitment? Or will Adrien race out of town after their weekend of absolute bliss?

This alliance between Rae Monet and Jodi Lynn Copeland is simply superb. These tales are linked together in a few ways, which are discernible early on in the stories. Both have been written very well, their focus as much on the emotional aspects as the physical. In many ways, the male characters are very similar. Each has difficulty expressing themselves in words. Both are not looking for the relationship that sneaks up on them and bites them on the behind. There is also a more personal connection between the pair that I will leave you to find out for yourself. The use of horoscopes in the storyline is rather unique, and I now intend to read the others in The Zodiac Series. I hope I enjoy those tales as much as I have enjoyed these.

The Stars Look Down - Leigh Ellwood

2006-07-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Stars Look Down
AUTHOR: Leigh Ellwood
GENRE: Contemporary Erotica
PUBLISHER: Silks Vault
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/2 Unicorns

BUY THE STARS LOOK DOWN HERE

The main female character, an amateur artist whose name is not given, is out hiking along the New River Gorge when she happens across a good looking man, with long dark hair and a great physique, sitting on a blanket with a picnic basket. They talk about various things and become comfortable with one another, after some confusion on the woman’s part, then gradually get closer and have sex. Is the man a figment of her imagination? Does he really exist? Or was the whole experience a dream?

The Stars Look Down is a very short story. Little background information is given on the characters, particularly the man. It may be the case that this was done to give an air of anonymity to the two strangers who have sex on a cliff. Quite well written, Leigh Ellwood shows promise of being able to write much better work. For what it is, this story is alright. The sex scene is detailed and well worded and the story contains a twist at the end that was completely unexpected. Do not buy this tale thinking it is a romance. The man and woman do not get together, nor do they know one another in the slightest. This is purely erotica; the central storyline being a one night stand with a stranger on a cliff.

Sweet Temptations - Marilyn Lee

2006-07-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Sweet Temptations
AUTHOR: Marilyn Lee
ISBN: 1-932866-23-X
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance Anthology
PUBLISHER: Triskelion Publishing
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3.5 Unicorns

BUY SWEET TEMPTATIONS HERE

Sweet Temptations is an anthology comprised of three short stories, each the tale of friends.

In Sister’s Keeper, Kelly is once again sorting out the mess her identical twin sister left behind. She has to tell her sister’s current boyfriend that she has eloped with her ex-fiancé. But when she meets Damon, she finds he embodies all the qualities she has ever looked for in a man. The problem is he thinks she is her sister, Karen – and determined to get her man through any means necessary, she doesn’t correct him. Does she get her man? Does he really believe her to be Karen? What wicked delights do they get up to?

In Addicted, Lena meets Marc at a friend’s wedding. He saves her from a persistent co-worker, then leads her out of the reception to his SUV, where they have scorching hot sex on his backseat. He takes her back to his apartment where they engage in an all-nighter. He drops her off in the morning, but she can’t get him off of her mind. Then she finds out he’s involved with another woman. Brought up by parents with strict morals regarding the right behaviour, Lena has already stepped outside the bounds, having sex before marriage. Will she become ‘the other woman’? Can there possibly be a happy ending for anyone in such a triangle?

In Sweet Surrender, Bethnae is determined to make a move on her boss, whom she has been secretly in love with for five years. Taking a leaf out of her friend’s books, she is going to risk it all for the chance of happiness with him. Does he return her overtures at their weekend business getaway? Did he have his own agenda in mind?

I haven’t read Marilyn Lee before, and am not averse to doing so in the future, but I am going to have to choose my stories carefully. Expecting a sweet trilogy, what I got was a trio of very erotic novellas which many may find offensive and morally objectionable. In particular, in Addicted Lena gets involved with a man who is seriously involved with another woman, who then cannot make up his mind which woman he wants. Going further, Lena actively throws herself at him, even though she knows he has no feelings for her, is highly unlikely to make any sort of commitment and is in a serious relationship with another woman. I liked neither of these characters, believing Lena to be the clichéd weak woman and Marc a double timing bastard. I found this novel rather distasteful, though I did appreciate the graphic sex scenes, being an erotica fan. Though the others do not contain circumstances that are as potentially objectionable as this, they also to some degree have events you may find abhorrent. All three novels are extremely erotic. All contain graphic depictions of sex and all have anal sex in the storyline, which again is expounded on. If you dislike sexual encounters in your stories, particularly if they go into detail or the encounters happen when the characters barely know each other, then this is one to avoid, since contrary to its title, this book is not ‘sweet’. If, on the other hand, you consider yourself an erotica fan and very little offends you, then quite possibly this is one to give a go. The detailed sex scenes are the best parts of these novels; some of the storylines leaves something to be desired.

Strip-O-Gram - Ellie Marvel

2006-07-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Strip-O-Gram
AUTHOR: Ellie Marvel
ISBN: 1-59279-388-6
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY STRIP-O-GRAM HERE

Kitty Bradshaw is facing eviction from her apartment; if she doesn’t pay her rent her landlord will kick her out. So, when her best friend, Sandra, asks her do a birthday strip-o-gram for a guy at work, for which she will be paid, she agrees. After all, it’s not that different to what she did in college, though admittedly that was children’s parties with a different ‘uniform’ involved entirely. It helps that the strip-o-gram is part of her friends plan to show the louse up for what he is; a man who is flouting company policy of no inter-employee relationships, for which he had Sandra put on probation and the other employee she was seeing fired. Anyway, she’ll be wearing a mask and no one will recognise her, since she doesn’t work at the company. Only when she turns up to do the strip-o-gram, she comes face to face with the man she got to know intimately at Sandra’s office Christmas party. How could her instincts have been so off-course about him? Or were they?

Nathan Guillaume was stunned when a woman came into his office, proclaiming herself to be his birthday present from a co-worker – then proceeded to strip, sing and dance for him. No longer a teenager, it’s been years since he got an instant hard-on, but this is the second time in recent months. The first time was at his office Christmas party, before he messed things up. Now, with his entire office watching, he gets one to rival the first – especially when she starts in with the private moves only he can see. But there’s something niggling at the back of his mind. She seems familiar, somehow. Will he remember before she leaves his life again?

Strip-O-Gram is the story of two people who tried to get it on when first they met at an office Christmas party, but due to a lack of necessary precautions, went their separate ways without even exchanging names, let alone a means of contacting one another, with uncompleted business between them – something they both always regretted, each not having been able to get the other off their mind.

Strip-O-Gram has been beautifully crafted by Ms Marvel. The characters engage in rather risky intimate activities, tending to be so into each other they end up in places where their intimate acts risk exposure by someone finding them in a very compromising position. Strip-O-Gram is a really enjoyable story about two people who unknowingly fell for each other when first they met but did not fully seize the opportunity presented to them, and have now been presented with a another chance to get their act together – and get together. This is one I suggest you try out, definitely one to add to your light summer reading pile.

Prodigal Son - Mary Winter

2006-07-30T02:38:00.000-07:00

TITLE: StarMyst: Prodigal Son
AUTHOR: Mary Winter
ISBN: 1-4199-0333-0
GENRE: Paranormal Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3 Unicorns

BUY PRODIGAL SON HERE

At the age of sixteen, Jacy Duwards gave her virginity to Te Mulligan, her twenty year old foster brother. Doing so released the lussor inside her – and broke her heart. Leaving her with only a note, Te left their home, StarMyst, and has not returned for ten years. Only now, when the foster father they both love so much lay very close to death, dying from cancer, does Te return to StarMyst. Jacy denies, even to herself, that she still has any feelings for Te, even though her ex-fiancé, Jarrod, accused her of still being in love with him. It’s not long before the pair are sleeping together, although the first time was in the Ritual of Healing, an attempt to heal their foster father, Edwin, who has been the leader of the Conclave for many years. Does Jacy still love Te, or is it just sexual attraction? Does Te love her? Will he leave her – again? Will he assume his position as Second in the Conclave?

Te has always loved Jacy. At twenty, with the weight of her teenage adoration and his responsibilities as Second in the Conclave resting heavily on his shoulders, he was unable to cope and took the easy way out – running. Now a security consultant, he has kept updated on StarMyst business via phone calls with his beloved foster father and leader, Edwin. He always asked after Jacy, until she became engaged and asking became too painful. Now Edwin has phoned him and asked him to return to StarMyst and assume his role as Edwin’s Second, as Edwin lay dying of cancer with little time left to live. Te returns, hoping against hope that Edwin will recover, but is shocked by the condition he finds him in. Having thrown away what he had with Jacy all those years ago, he now wants a second chance with her. But trying to win Jacy’s heart will not be easy; her mistrust of him runs deep and at this point in time she is entirely focused on Edwin. Does Te win her heart? Did he ever lose it? Does he take over his duties from his foster brother Kade, who is power hungry and a threat to them all? Can he protect Jacy and the other members of the Conclave from the threat within – and without?

Prodigal Son is the first story by Mary Winter that I have read. At times I have found it difficult to follow and do not have a clear cut understanding of what a lussor is, apart from some sort of power the characters need to control that which resides inside them. I have found this story quite complex and do not believe it is for me. Having said that, the way in which the author writes makes it clear that she knows what she wants to write and knows also the direction she wants the story to take. Her sex scenes are detailed, though not explicit. The insecurities of both characters, particularly Jacy’s, shine through the story. I am open to reading more from Mary Winter, but won’t rush to buy any more of this series, should they be published.

Sexual Healing - Tawny Taylor

2006-07-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Sexual Healing
AUTHOR: Tawny Taylor
ISBN: 1-4199-0265-2
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY SEXUAL HEALING HERE

Lara Woods is well known for her honest and fair book reviews for Detroit’s largest newspaper. Her latest book review, however, is her most stringent one to date. It is so critical of The Sex Plan, which claims sex is a great cure for many varied health problems, she has difficulty convincing her editor and friend to publish it. Of course, that could be because there is a possible conflict of interest. Although not a well known fact, Lara and the author, Adam Roy, were an item in college – until he cut her loose so he could focus more on his studies. When Lara comes into contact with Adam again, the sparks fly. He manages to convince, or maybe trick would be a more suitable word, Lara to let him prove his theories to her. Of course, the only way for him to do this is for him and Lara to test his claims - personally. With the sexual pull between them stronger than ever, this is no hardship – for either of them.

What would you do if you had cut the person you loved most out of your life and were desperate to get them back? Undoubtedly, what you would not do would be to spend fifteen years putting together a master plan which, had Adam really thought about it, could do more harm than good. Namely, setting up a publishing house (Power Publishing) and writing a book bound to be scorned by Lara, all in an attempt to get close enough to her for her to fall in love with him and trust him again. But will this seemingly ridiculous plan work? Did she ever really stop loving him? And will his claims about sex being the cure for all that ails you turn out to be a justified claim, after all?

Tawny Taylor's Sexual Healing is a rather original tale. Adam found the love of his life in college, but broke up with her to focus more on his studies, believing she would move on soon enough, not imagining the great hurt breaking up with her would cause her. Regretting doing this almost since the day he did so, he put in place an intricate plan to get her back, his pride too strong to just approach her and beg her forgiveness. That he invested fifteen years to get her back is really romantic and makes me sigh. That he did so because his pride got in the way of simply approaching her makes me want to hit him over the head for his stupidity in allowing all those years when they could have been together go to waste. Sexual Healing draws the reader into the storyline, so that they can empathise with the characters, and feel they know them enough to want to chastise them for their foolishness. With very detailed, erotic sex scenes that scorch the monitor, Sexual Healing is a story that is easy for me to recommend to everyone.

Polly's Perilous Pleasures - Daisy Dexter Dobbs

2006-07-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Polly’s Perilous Pleasures
AUTHOR: Daisy Dexter Dobbs
ISBN: 1-4199-0294-6
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/5 Unicorns

BUY POLLY'S PERILOUS PLEASURES HERE

Polly is a curvaceous red head with low self esteem. Her long-time relationship with her semi-fiancé – semi since she caught him in bed with another woman during a surprise trip several months ago – is most definitely on the rocks. Not only because he has continually put her down and been unfaithful at least once, but also because her attraction to her personal trainer is very close to boiling over. Having been convinced by her slimy semi-fiancé it is her fault that he strayed, Polly took to comfort eating and piled on the pounds. Not hard to do when her business, Polly’s Provisions, specialises in decadent foods. Finding out her weight focused fiancé is to arrive home in ninety days after an absence of over a year, she has very little time to shed the weight she had put on and was quick to sign up to the Apollo Health and Fitness Club, who provide a personal trainer free for three months to those who sign up for three years. Her personal trainer is Nikolas Kokoris. He is a Greek God personified. This Greek born hunk has most definitely got Polly’s creative juices flowing...and other fluids besides. My, my, my...the fantasies she has spun about the two of them. Of course, she’ll never act on them...Until a bottle of Ouzo releases her inhibitions and loosens her tongue at the celebratory dinner she cooks and shares with Nick at her home, after she reaches her thirty pound weight drop target with days to go before her semi-fiancé arrives. But what exactly happens during that steamy night after she admits she feels more towards Nick than friendly? Does Nick feel the same attraction towards her? What is she going to do about the man that she considers herself unofficially engaged to? Will Nick find out exactly what a Merry Widow is?

Nick, joint owner of the Apollo Health and Fitness Club with his twin brother, Yorgo (George), has had a semi hard-on for the past three months thanks to the most gorgeous woman he has ever met – Polly Patrick. She is everything he has ever wanted in a woman. There is just one little problem – she is at his fitness club to tone her body for another man, her fiancé at that. Nick despairs that she’ll ever see him as more than a friend, and so he acts as if friendship is all he wants – until he finds out differently at the end of their three months together as trainer and trainee. Now it’s a whole different ball game. But there is still a fly in the ointment – on the night he finds out about Polly’s attraction to him and they share some of the most amazing sex he has ever experienced in his life, Polly is still semi-engaged. Unable to share the woman he is secretly in love with with another man, he tells her to make her choice – and he can’t be more delighted when she chooses him over a wastrel of a fiancé. Thus follows their steamy courtship as the couple get to know one another as lovers, as well as friends. But are Polly’s feelings for him as deep and all consuming as his are for her? Can this younger man keep up with his older lover’s insatiable sexual appetite? What is to come of Polly’s ‘curiosity’ about a threesome with his identical twin brother, George?

Polly’s Perilous Pleasures will most definitely have you reaching for the fire extinguisher to put out the fire created in you and the flames consuming your computer monitor. Polly’s Perilous Pleasures is hot, hot, hot! Ms Dexter Dobbs has created many sizzling and detailed love scenes in this tale which is undoubtedly a contemporary erotic – very erotic – romance. Polly’s love of role playing in her sex life is brilliantly described and brought to life in many a scene, all of which will leave you panting, some of which may leave you laughing and others of which will make you wish you had her stamina – and ability to bring your man’s jungle vine to full attention even after a vigorous workout for yet another go around. The threesomes towards the end of the novel are just as steamy and...satisfying as those with only Polly and Nick, though if threesomes aren’t your scene, even with identical twins who are identical in every way, then you might want to give this one a miss, since the threesomes are not casually mentioned but are as detailed as the steamy encounters between just Polly and Nick. I’ve never read a story with role playing before, but this heroine’s love and enthusiasm for this method of sexual play definitely got my attention. Polly and Nick are very well developed characters who each have their own insecurities, desires and wants, though some of these are very similar. Whilst they seem total opposites, their chemistry – on the screen and between them – makes them extremely well suited to each other. Overall, Polly’s Perilous Pleasures is a brilliant novel that, whilst having a large focus on the physical side of a relationship, also fully and eagerly addresses the emotional, making Polly’s Perilous Pleasures one to add to the keeper collection and Ms Dexter Dobbs an author to look out for.

Playing The Game - Megan Hart

2006-07-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Playing The Game
AUTHOR: Megan Hart
ISBN: 1-59279-118-2
GENRE: Contemporary Erotica Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/5 Unicorns

BUY PLAYING THE GAME HERE

Josie and Jack are the best of friends; they’ve known each other all their lives, through school, college, dating, job losses and more. For many years, since Josie claimed she could predict the reactions of women to Jack, they have been playing The Game. They usually go to The Vault, a local bar, to play The Game. They each accumulate points based on the sexual responses and invitations they receive from the opposite sex; for example a hair toss, an offer for a drink or a dance, and an offer to go home with someone. They can also gain points by betting on or predicting someone’s sexual reaction to each other.

It’s been awhile since they played The Game – over a year, but Jack wants to cheer Josie up. It’s been three months since she broke up with her last boyfriend. She is still upset and has not gotten back into the dating scene. But this time when they play The Game, Josie responds in a different way to Jack’s overtures, which are designed to gain the attention of the opposite sex. In fact, Josie’s been feeling differently toward Jack for some time now – years if she’s honest with herself, and this has left her feeling very confused. Why is she having sexual feelings for her best friend? Are her feelings, in reality, on a deeper plane than the sexual?

Jack has always had the most success with The Game – usually winning by default, as he often left the bar with a woman. But this time something is different. Have Jack’s feelings towards Josie changed? What has he been keeping from her for so long now?

Playing The Game is, quite simply, brilliant! Never having read any of Megan Hart's work before I did not know what to expect, but wow! I felt like fanning myself at various points during this rather short story. The author has been very successful in building the sexual tension in this novella, from beginning to climaxing end. I particularly like the dance scene towards the beginning of this story, and when you read it yourself you will definitely see why. The chemistry between the characters is electric; they complement each other beautifully. The storyline works really well, even though so much has been put into rather such a short tale. I applaud Megan Hart, and confess I am eager to read more of her work.

Overnight Sensation - Christy Gissendaner

2006-07-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Overnight Sensation
AUTHOR: Christy Gissendaner
ISBN: Triskelion Publishing
GENRE: Romance; Contemporary
PUBLISHER: Triskelion Publishing
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY OVERNIGHT SENSATION HERE

Kerri Manley is twenty-four and a size eighteen. Very conscious of her size, she is always on a diet. She does not believe herself to be someone people would spare a second glance, though the men she has dated are not hesitant to get into bed with her. Whilst on a lunch date with best friend Lisa, a men’s magazine centrefold model who is stick thin and whose figure Kerri covets, Kerri notices a man, obviously visiting the city, at a table in the café. She doesn’t know who he is, but he stands out. When her best friend has to leave unexpectedly, Kerri soon learns that he is Armand D’Sandro, owner and founder of a plus-sized woman’s clothing chain. What’s more, he wants her as a model for the company! It is not a hard decision to make. Her current life with a minimum wage job and a non-existent social life, or a complete career change with all the perks that come with modelling. Quick to say yes, she is unprepared for the world she is catapulted into, almost overnight.

She instantly likes her new roommate, Jasmine, another new model for D’Sandro’s, who takes her out on the town her first night in New York, the city she is to call home. Shocked that she is going to Caliente Club, a popular but fairly exclusive club where the rich and famous can be seen, Kerri is even more stunned when she spies Griffin Davies, a gorgeous male model she has had a crush on for years – and who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. When he comes over to her, starting up a conversation and bringing her a drink, Kerri cannot understand why he came to her, when there was a bevy of gorgeous beauties surrounding him. On the dance floor, she feels his attraction is very real, and they are soon making out rather heavily on the couch. Soon they leave Caliente Club – for Griffin’s place. Talk about a dream come true! After one glorious night, during which Griffin proved his stamina five times, Kerri is ecstatic that he promises to call – then beyond disappointed when she realizes he doesn’t even know her name, let alone her number.

Leaving for a shoot in Las Vegas to launch the new Look of Love campaign, Kerri has little time to contemplate what might have been as her career is suddenly on the fast track. In the elevator of the hotel she is staying in, there is a man whom she at first believes to be Griffin, and she gives him something of a telling off for the way he used her, only to find it is not Griffin – but his brother Cole! They quickly become friends, and an attraction flares between them. But who is Kerri really in love with - Griffin or Cole? Is she using Cole as a substitute? Or is it Cole she is really in love with? After all, she doesn’t really know Griffin, but she now knows Cole very well. When Griffin turns up in Vegas, things get even more complicated. Who does she choose? What does she realize about herself during this love triangle?

Overnight Sensation is a brilliantly written story that keeps the reader guessing as to which man Kerri is going to end up with. Nothing happens as expected, everything comes as a surprise. This story is full of characters, of a mixture I have not seen before. Kerri’s character is the most developed; her insecurities about her shape and her looks really come across in this tale and are vulnerabilities that a lot of women can identify with. Getting a dream job, and meeting her dream man, was something Kerri never expected; when it does, she has moments of happiness, but most of the time is consumed by different worries, as we would be if we found ourselves thrust into her position. This story is fairly sexually graphic; please be aware there is anal sex and homosexuality is also a part of the plotline. If these are not your cup of tea, then this tale may not be for you, which is a real shame because it is very well written, thoroughly enjoyable and a credit to the author, Ms Gissendaner. Highly recommended!

Outback Sizzle - Alexis Fleming

2006-07-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Outback Sizzle
AUTHOR: Alexis Fleming
ISBN: 1-59596-209-3
GENRE: Erotic Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Changeling Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY OUTBACK SIZZLE HERE

Cassie Mitchell is twenty-five, has a degree in psychology and has just gotten her first job at a medical facility next to the university, thanks to the help of the college dean. About to start her Master’s thesis, her dean suggests either infertility in older women or impotence in men under stress. When her friend, Maisie, phones up and confides that she thinks her son, Chase, has a sexual, ahh...problem, Cassie sees her chance to gain the subject for her thesis. Of course, this is the excuse she gives Maisie. In actuality, Cassie has been in lust with Chase for four years, ever since first seeing the picture of him her brother, Jason, had taken. Jason and Chase have been best friends since rooming together for two years during college. Every time Jason came home, Cassie hung on his every word for news of Chase. Now she finally has the chance to work him out of her system. After all, having a relationship with a man who lives halfway around the world would be impossible – wouldn’t it? Besides which, surely you can’t fall in love with a photograph?

Chase O’Connor’s livelihood is sheep grazing and wool gathering. He owns his own large farm, inherited from his departed father, putting in long hours. With his best friend due to arrive any day, his workload is currently that of two people. The farm keeps him extremely busy, so much so that unless a woman really catches his eye, he doesn’t take the time to pursue her – even then he is only interested in short term relationships. Or it could be he desires to avoid all women, having grown tired and increasingly exasperated by his mother’s attempts to get him settled down with a family. When he first sees Cassie, he is instantly attracted to her, even though he is unaware of who she is (though she seems familiar to him somehow) and wanting to know exactly what this uninvited woman is doing on his land. Her explanation completely stuns him. His mother has hired a paid companion for him because she thinks his equipment is, uhh...malfunctioning? When he finds out that both women are deceiving him, he decides to play along. After, Cassie is one good looking lady and he has been without sex for months. How can a man who is supposed to have erectile problems keep up the pretence? Or can’t he? Will he be able to keep his emotions under lock and key?

Outback Sizzle is a charming story full of humorous events that will surely bring a smile to your face! Each character is hiding something from the others – even a character we don’t know much about! There is much more to their situation than the reader is first allowed to see, and when finally revealed is something that comes as a complete surprise. This is the first time I have read a tale by Alexis Fleming, I have found myself enjoying it immensely, particularly the misunderstandings that occur because of all the secrets being kept. Though this tale contains very few characters, this works as the setting is isolated – a huge farm in the Australian Outback. This has given Alexis Fleming the chance to develop and concentrate on her storyline and plot, which has been done very well, particularly for a tale that is only ninety pages. I shall be looking out for more tales from this author in the future!

Red Hot Secrets - Lisa Renee Jones

2006-07-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Office Games: Red Hot Secrets
AUTHOR: Lisa Renee Jones
ISBN: 1-4199-0338-1
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY RED HOT SECRETS HERE

Lauren Reynold’s has worked extremely hard to get where she is. She put her career on hold to look after her mother when she got cancer, but things are finally starting to look up. She hasn’t had sex in two years, and thanks to her favourite soap, Red Hot Secrets, her body is clamouring for sexual release. When her friend orders her to come out for a night on the town, she puts up only token resistance. She makes up her mind to have a one night stand, something she has never done before in her life. The perfect man finds her, rather than her finding him. They end up back at his place, where Lauren has the hottest night of her life. In the morning she sneaks out whilst he is still asleep, confident that she will never meet her fantasy man again. Then a year later, after being headhunted for a huge business named Carlson, she finds he is her new boss. Neither had planned this occurrence in any way. Lauren still feels the attraction she felt to him when first they met. But he’s her boss. Sleeping with him would be suicidal career wise – and could further break her heart. But she can’t resist him. Can anything come of their relationship? Are Lauren’s fears regarding her career well founded? Do they come to pass?

Matt Monroe has never felt about a woman the way he feels about Lauren. When he first met her on that long ago night, he had a feeling she was different, and did something he never had before: he took her to his home that very night. When he woke to find her gone, he was beyond disappointed. He has spent the last year looking for her, unable to get her off his mind. When she pretty much falls into his lap, having been headhunted for his business, he can’t believe his luck. He is determined to pursue a relationship with her, knowing not where it can lead, but having a gut feeling that what happens with her will be significant. When he realises he is in love with her, he faces the greatest challenge of his life: overcoming Lauren’s fears about what a relationship between them could cost her career wise – and convincing her to take a risk on him. Does he succeed? Or is he left more alone and lonesome than he has ever been before?

Ms Jones has written a great story about two characters who come alive on the page. Lauren’s fears are based in reality, and put forward in such a way as to make the reader empathise with her difficult situation, knowing her fears are all too real, but at the same time hoping that she will give Matt, who epitomises tall, dark and handsome (and rich!) a chance. The biggest wedge between them is his position as her boss – followed closely by their difference in social status. These are two great obstacles to overcome, and the tale grips the reader as the characters grapple with these two possibly defeatist obstacles that are in the way of a truly fulfilling relationship between them. The sex scenes are described in detail, and there is not anything in the scenes that some readers may find potentially offensive, such as anal sex and so forth. It is pretty much straightforward love making, though not all happens in a bed – or in missionary position! The characters show a tenderness towards each other that is truly touching. They really appeal to the reader and a happy ending is most certainly the desired outcome. Having read Ms Jones before, I was familiar with her style, and can confide that all of her stories are simply superb; none will let you down, most especially this one. I cannot wait for more from the Office Games Series, and would love to have Bret’s (best friend to Matt) story told. Red Hot Secrets is a brilliant story; well worth the read.

Maverick's BlackCat - Maggie Casper & Lena Matthews

2006-07-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Maverick’s BlackCat
AUTHOR: Maggie Casper and Lena Mathews
ISBN: 1-4199-0375-6
GENRE: Erotic Romance; BDSM Elements
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY MAVERICK'S BLACK CAT HERE

Catarena has felt compelled to write for years. Her stories have always been turned down by publishing houses, labelled as too politically incorrect. Having read an erotic fiction tale, Caterena believes she has finally found her niche. She wants to begin by writing a BDSM novel. There is only one obstacle in her way: she knows nothing about her intended subject matter. To complete the tale she is keen to write, Caterena will have do research – a lot of research. She begins by going to Fetish.com, hoping to find someone willing to tell her about the lifestyle, instead finding all sorts of people who want to engage in various acts that Caterena finds very off putting. She is beginning to become very disheartened when she comes across a man who seems different from the others, who offers to teach her what he knows in exchange for her submission to him. Caterena agrees, and though some of his requests give her a moment's hesitation, she finds she is enjoying herself and her cyber relationship very much. All in the name of research, of course. And then she sees his face via the webcam he had sent her. The webcam over which he had just viewed her orgasm. The man is not only familiar to her, but someone she knows. She pulls the plug on the webcam instinctively, to protect her identity. But will she be able to keep her identity a secret from him?

Mason is very successful. He owns his own business, Broderick Inc and does not lack for female companionship. Lately though he has grown tired of the simpering, clinging women he gets involved with. They are too easy to tame. When he logs in to Fetish.dom to meet up with an acquaintance, he is surprised to find a woman worthy of a second look. With her sarcastic comebacks, he knows she will not be so easy to tame. Drawn to her in an inexplicable way, he makes her a deal: his knowledge for her submission. So begins a very unusual relationship over which Mason does not have complete control, a first for him. When she pulls the plug on their relationship, Mason nearly goes mad trying to understand why, determined to find out who she is. When he does find her, he is stunned by her identity – stunned but not put off. He initiates her into his world, though she is resistant of becoming involved with him because of who he is. With her determination not to be controlled by him outside of the bedroom, will this man with an unquenchable thirst for control manage to make a compromise and salvage their relationship?

This collaboration by Maggie Casper and Lena Mathews flows seamlessly. They have obviously worked together, very well and very closely, to line up all the various points of this tale. Maverick’s Black Cat is highly erotic. Contents include anal sex sex/play, spanking, handcuffs, mention of ‘golden showers’ and a very domineering man. Whilst this novel is unmistakably of the BDSM genre, it is not ‘heavy’. What I mean by this is that there are no situations that are hardcore BDSM, featuring for example flogging or bondage. This makes it perfect for those who would like to dip their toes into the BDSM genre, but want to start with something that is not too hardcore. Don’t, however, make the wrong judgement that this tale is typical of this genre. On the contrary, the BDSM genre is vast and varied; not all plotlines will be for everyone. The struggle between the characters to find a balance that works for them was brilliantly developed – and a struggle it was. Caterena is a feminist, a woman who believes that women are equal to men but is also excited at the thought of her pleasure being controlled by a man in the bedroom. Mason is a man who needs to be in control at all times; this need spreads to all areas of his life. Though this need for control is great, his need for Caterena is greater. His struggle within himself to find a balance he can live with is endearing. Though not for those who dislike the thought of men and women being on unequal footing in any respect, including the bedroom, Maverick’s Black Cat is a true gem.

The Rogue Prince - Michelle M Pillow

2006-07-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Lords Of The Var: The Rogue Prince
AUTHOR: Michelle M Pillow
ISBN: 1-58608-632-4
GENRE: Sci-fi Romance
PUBLISHER: New Concepts Publishing
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/5 Unicorns

BUY THE ROGUE PRINCE HERE

Jasmine St Claire, married the past four years to a verbally and physically abusive husband, is very unhappy in her marriage and is looking for a chance to leave the rich doctor who will not grant her a divorce. Her whole life is picture perfect on the outside, but is nothing more than a sham. At the medical conference, she finds her means of escape. Although none of the other doctors would help her, she believes the visiting Var Ambassadors would be willing to, in exchange for the medical booth she won. She approaches the one named Reid, whom she believes to be in charge of the craft. Disappointed when he turns her down, she returns to her suite to be greeted by her angry husband. She escapes lightly, mostly because they are interrupted by another doctor. Overhearing the conversation, she decides she must leave him immediately. To that end, she creeps onto the Var craft, and is not discovered until well after take off. Suspecting her to be a victim of abuse, the Var Princes and crew decide to help her, for which she is very grateful. Will she escape her husband, and his network of friends and associates? Could she fall in love with Reid, after her experience with her husband, which left her determined to be free from men?

Prince Reid attended the medical conference to acknowledge the scientist who died on his home planet, Qurilixen, when he was helping to rid the planet of biological warfare. After the conference, he is approached by Jasmine. Believing she wants to sleep with him, he is unprepared for her request of safe passage off the planet. Believing this to be a ploy to spend more time with him, possibly to develop a long lasting relationship, he turns her away. He spends a sleepless night, dreaming of what could have been. Strange, he has not dwelt on women he hasn’t slept with before – though those are few and far between. Stunned to find out she is aboard the ship, he is quick to take advantage of the situation. When he begins to fall for her, something he had been determined never to do, he finds himself unable to control his feelings. But will he be able to convince her of his love, particularly with his track record? Will his love be enough to get her to love and trust him, after her experience with her husband? How will he come to terms with the fact that he desires and wants another man's wife, something which is morally abhorrent to him? Can he keep her safe from the threats facing her?

The Rogue Prince, fourth in the Lords of the Var series by Michelle M Pillow, is a great read and an excellent addition to this wonderful series, making me crave more, more, more! Hopefully, the linked series of the Dragon Lords and Galaxy Playmates will quench some of this thirst, though I still cannot wait for the next brother’s story and hope Ms Pillow will also do the next generations tales. The Rogue Prince contains sensitive social issues, that are dealt with very well, and circumstances some may find offensive, particularly the use of adultery in the plot, though I doubt any of you would want Jasmine to remain in her abusive relationship, but rather legally unentangle herself before entering another relationship. Few in this story all is as it seems; the many twists and turns, making for unexpected occurrences, keep the reader intrigued and involved. The characters are strongly developed, and it is brilliant to see Reid’s arrogance with regards his sex appeal to the opposite sex take a real hitting. Action, romance and sex aplenty, this will get your pulse racing. I have no worries or concerns about recommending The Rogue Prince to you to read, particularly if you are a huge fan of futuristic erotic romance.

Is It Written In The Stars? - Linda Wisdom

2006-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Is It Written In The Stars?
AUTHOR: Linda Wisdom
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Currently Unavailable
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3 Unicorns

For the past five years Jill has been co-author of a very successful children’s series about a young gorilla named Hairy Harry. Whilst she and her co-author Greg have their apartments and work rooms in the same house (thanks to Jill seeing and falling in love with said house and convincing Greg it ideally suited their needs), their relationship is strictly platonic. Surprising, since there is an attraction bubbling beneath the surface that is apparent to everyone but them - including their numerous lovers and close friends. Their working relationship led to a close friendship. It is because of this that Greg is the first person Jill calls when she is struck by an intense pain in her stomach, which causes her to collapse in her apartment, having just returned from a business trip. It being very late in the night doesn’t matter; neither does Greg having his current lover in his bed prevent him from rushing to Jill's aid - and rushing her into hospital. She is diagnosed with a hot appendix and undergoes surgery immediately. Having had his own appendix removed as a child, Greg is sympathetic to her plight. He anxiously awaits news from the doctor on Jill's condition. Immensely relieved when Jill comes out of surgery with no complications, Greg takes on the role of nursemaid to help Jill get back to full strength. It will be six weeks before Jill can resume her normal activities. During her recovery period tempers fray, their attraction over boils, and disappointments abound. Just where will their relationship go? Onto a greater plateau? Or the end of their working relationship?

Is It Written In The Stars? by Linda Wisdom was a story that I found extremely hard to get into. I don't know why. The characters are reasonably developed, there is plenty going on in the story. Both characters are put through their paces. Several intimate encounters are described, adding a sensual level to the tale. The struggle the characters experience, trying to resist the force drawing them together is put together well. There were several editorial errors that were annoying, like a fly buzzing around one's ear. On the whole it was an OK story, but I was bored by it and it took me days to finish when I usually finish a story of this length in less than a day. Is it Written In The Stars? did not do much for me, but who knows? Maybe for you it could, particularly if you like your romances sweet.

Hot Off The Presses - Trixie Stilletto

2006-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Hot Off The Presses
AUTHOR: Trixie Stilletto
ISBN: 1-59426-506-2
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Phaze
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/5 Unicorns

BUY HOT OFF THE PRESSES HERE

Samantha comes from a long line of farmers. In her family, she’s something of an oddity. The land and the life of farming do not call to her as they do to her family. It is the newspaper business that thrives in her blood. Whilst her family do not understand her career or her vocation, they support her because they love her and want her to be happy. This does not stop her mother from nagging Samantha to produce grandchildren. Samantha does not have the time in her life for a man, let alone children, though she loves her nieces and nephews dearly. As sports editor for The Planet, the main newspaper in the town of Buffalo where she lives and works, Samantha is always on the go; it is not unusual for her to put in a sixty hour week, even with two assistants. But on her thirtieth birthday Samantha gives in to her body’s urges when she meets a man whom her body is instantly attracted to. The sex in the back of the limo is superb – but when she meets the mystery man again she finds out he is her new boss. Oh, dear. With Samantha’s rule of not to mix business and pleasure, is there any possibility that any type of relationship will develop between Samantha and Kurt? Or is the intense attraction between them doomed to be forever resisted?

Kurt has something to prove – to his father, that is. His father has a finger in every media pie and is well known for not taking fools gladly. Even his own son doesn’t get a free pass, so to speak. Kurt is determined to get a seat on the Board of Directors, but his father keeps refusing, informing Kurt he is irresponsible and only looking for a good time. This has some truth to it, as thus far Kurt has followed a motto of ‘it it feels good, do it’. But now Kurt’s determination means it has to be out with the old motto, and in with a new one. To get a seat on the Board of Directors, he is going to have to become responsible for his actions, keep his libido under control and make a success of The Planet, a newspaper his father has owned for going on three years. To do this, he has to turn The Planet into the cash cow his father expects it to be – which it currently isn’t. On his first night in town, however, he doesn’t exactly stick to his plan to control his libido. Instead, he picks up a gorgeous woman in an Athena Warrior outfit and has sex with her in the back seat of his limo. Granted, the sex was superb. But now he can’t get her off his mind, he has broken his plan to remain celibate and he is not into long term relationships. Then he finds out that his mystery lady is the sports editor at The Planet and has strong ideas about what is – and isn’t – acceptable in the workplace. But he has made up his mind. He is going to keep to his plan to turn The Planet into the cash cow his father wants it to be, whilst carrying on an affair with the luscious Ms Cruise – even though she is resistant to the very idea. With the sexual attraction between them close to boiling over every time they come into contact with one another, it won’t be hard to convince her to enter into a sexual relationship with him. But will either of them develop deeper feelings for one another? What will Samantha’s reaction be when she finds out about Kurt’s agenda for The Planet? Is there any chance at all that these two will enter into a long-lasting, loving relationship with all such a relationship entails?

Though this is the first story I have read by Ms Stilletto, it surely won’t be the last. I have thoroughly enjoyed Hot Off The Presses. Kurt is a man who is used to getting what he wants. Samantha is a professional career woman who has strong ideas about the rights and wrongs of one's behaviour, particularly in the workplace. Apart, they are two strong independent people; together, their chemistry sizzles. Hot Off The Presses is a steamy novel, with descriptive sex scenes, including an anal sex scene towards the end of the story. The characters are very well developed, both the main characters and also the other characters in the story. I loved the way the story centres on a newspaper. It seemed that Ms Stilletto had really done her homework; the technical knowledge about how a newspaper runs was all in the story, in terms that the reader can follow, even if they themselves have no experience of working for a newspaper. Brilliantly written, this is definitely a story you must read. I will soon voraciously consume more of Ms Stilletto’s tales and going on the quality of this one, I doubt I’ll be disappointed by any of them.

Under You Spell - Willa Okati

2006-07-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Agency Of Extraordinary Mates: Under Your Spell
AUTHOR: Willa Okati
ISBN: 1-59596-179-8
GENRE: Erotic Fantasy
PUBLISHER: Changeling Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY UNDER YOUR SPELL HERE

Nico is a gay sorcerer. A rather selfish one, at that. He takes what he wants with no thought to the repercussions or feelings of others. Everything he owns he has taken from others, all things that don’t belong to him. His thievery doesn’t bother him; nor does it plague his conscious. Now he wants a mate, someone he can control, whom he calls pet in his own mind. He wants someone with whom he can be Master, and they can be Slave. He casts a spell, for the one destined to be his mate to come to Chimera Island, a mystical island situated in the midst of the Bermuda Triangle that Nico stabilises using his magic. The spell takes away the free will of his mate, leaving him unable to make his own choices, wanting to do whatever Nico, his Master, tells him. A link is made between the two, symbolised by a silver chain. But Nico had been unable to finish his lessons in magic and much knowledge is missing. His understanding of the threefold rule is limited and not something he has had much experience with. Just how will things work out with his mate? Will this magician, who has always been the one in control, retain his dominance in the relationship? Will he learn a new lesson, that there are some things more precious than even the silver chain binding his mate to him?

Jamie is an investigative reporter. He is bewildered as to why he would be invited to a place that is listed in no holiday brochure, but which checks out as legitimate. He is further bewildered by the way in which his member seems to have developed a mind of its own. Lately, he has been unable to get his mind off sex, and has had a continual semi hard-on at all times. He also cannot understand why he is drawn to Chimera. On his journey there, he has some peculiar dreams that may provide the answer to his questions...dreams that may just set up the rest of his life. Just what is going on? Who is the man he dreams about? Is he real? And what part does the energetic, extrovert woman he is travelling with have to do with his experiences?

Willa Okati's Under Your Spell is undoubtedly a fantasy tale, with much of the story occurring on an alternate plane to the physical. A dreamscape, if you will. This in itself is rather unusual and the first of its type that I myself have come across. It is also undisputable that this is a very erotic novel. From the very beginning, there are detailed, explicit sex acts and scenes between two males, a Sorcerer and a Human. Nico is a man used to being the one in control, but he is to learn that being equals with his mate, allowing his mate his own free will, will bring him more pleasure than he has ever known. Jamie is to find someone who feels as if he is the missing part of his soul, someone who completes him, but to be completely happy he must not let Nico be the dominant one in the relationship all the time. Under Your Spell is most definitely not for anyone who dislikes erotica, or those who dislike a romance of two men. For those of you, however, who like a tale where two people find the loves of their lives against all odds, with the help of a mystical force with other fantasy elements interwoven, then this is one you should seriously consider giving a go.

Matchmaker - Aubrey Ross

2006-07-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Agency Of Extraordinary Mates: Matchmaker
AUTHOR: Aubrey Ross
ISBN: 978-1-59596-235-5
GENRE: Erotic Fantasy
PUBLISHER: Changeling Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY MATCHMAKER HERE

Marissa is a halfling, part faery, part elf. Abandoned at a young age, she was adopted by a Dark Elf family at which point her life dramatically improved. For the past year, she has been a field agent, or matchmaker, for the Agency of Extraordinary Mates, of which her adoptive family is a founder. She has never failed in her matchmaking, and is determined not to do so now. She will not let her attraction to Sam or Thane stand in the way of finding them their bonded mate. But when she reacts to both of them in a way that she has to no other and cannot get them out of her head, she begins to confront her suspicion that she may be their bonded mate, an eventuality she is not sure she desires. Is it possible that she need look no further than herself to find the mate Sam is seeking?

Sam and Thane are Dichotomies. Thane is Nocturnal, whilst Sam is the ‘day-dweller’. At dawn and dusk, for one hour, both of them have a physical form. After this Sam has a physical form during the day whilst Thane exists as a form of pure energy, and vice versa for the night. They are only fertile with their bonded mate, so need to find her to have a family and find happiness. After their one disastrous attempt, however, Thane does not even want to look. Tired of Thane’s attitude, Sam takes matters into his own hands, even though the Nocturnal Dichotomy is dominant. He hires a matchmaker – whom he is instantly attracted to. When Thane unexpectedly meets someone, unaware that it is Marissa in disguise or of what his brother has done, he knows instantly that she is the one he wants. When he finds out what his brother has done, what will his reaction be? Will his being left out of the loop have an effect on the relationship he could have with Marissa?

Matchmaker is a great story that features an unusual plotline. Two men in one great package – a Dichotomy. Fantasy material or what, Ladies? Thane and Sam are the opposites of one another, yet to have and love one, you need to love and accept the other. Marissa is a faery, though she is also part elf. Looked down upon by many others for being a halfling (a derogatory word that can be likened to mudblood in Harry Potter), she is nevertheless rather cheerful, confident and determined to succeed. Matchmaker takes several unexpected turns, and Marissa finally finds out the whole truth of her painful past. Their love for one another is put under strain, harsh words are exchanged but they work together in times of hardship. They complement each other beautifully. Sam’s character is the least developed, though this may have been done deliberately. It definitely gave me a sense of Thane being the more dominant one, with Sam as the easy going one. Aubrey Ross has written a story to be proud of; I can’t wait to get my hands on more of her Dichotomy tales. Matchmaker lives up to the high standards set by the other stories in the Agency of Extraordinary Mates Series!

Heat Wave - Eden Bradley

2006-07-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Heat Wave
AUTHOR: Eden Bradley
ISBN: 1-59426-535-6
GENRE: Contemporary Erotica
PUBLISHER: Phaze
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY HEAT WAVE HERE

Leigh Novack’s temperature has long since boiled over – and not just from the heat wave that Southern California is experiencing! Since her neighbour moved in, she has kept an appreciative gaze on him. He is a large man, just as Leigh likes ‘em, and he is the current man featuring in Leigh’s fantasies. His popping over to ask to borrow a bottle opener is the catalyst for hot, steamy sex sessions which neither of them can get enough of. But with him due to leave at the end of the summer, to travel further afield in his job as a famous photojournalist, what’s to become of the feelings that Leigh is developing for him, though she tries not to? What, if any, are his feelings towards her?

Wowser! Though Heat Wave is a fairly short story, Eden Bradley manages to cram a lot into such a small space, and whilst normally this may not work out very well, in this instance it works superbly. You know what they say about small packages, don’t you? Definitely true in this case. The focus of this story is most definitely physical; scorching hot scene followed by scorching hot scene. Love the use of ice cream, a water hose and a beach blanket! Brought forth by this tale is quite a mix of emotions; spine-tingling arousal, happiness, sorrow... Great story, brilliant value, most definitely worth a read. I look forward to reading more from Eden Bradley.

Challenged - Lori O'Clare

2006-07-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Cariboo Lunewulf: Challenged
AUTHOR: Lorie O’Clare
ISBN: 1-4199-0316-0
GENRE: Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY CHALLENGED HERE

Ali Bastien is twenty-two and dreams of excitement and adventure, which she knows she will not find with any member of her pack, none of whom interest her anyway. She still lives in her parent’s den, where she was brought up in a loving family amongst her littermates, with parents who are very much in love and who are very protective of their offspring. Her sire, Jonathon, rules the den with a firm hand; in his den, his word is law. Ali has always obeyed, and has rarely even considered going against his wishes – until she meets and falls in love with Stone McAllister. She first meets Stone at the tavern where she works, quickly deciding that this strong, experienced werewolf is just the one who can help her get some adventure and excitement. Flirting shamelessly with him, she gains his sexual interest and his agreement to take her some place nicer when she gets off work. Quickly falling head over heels for him, she pines for him when he leaves – though he soon returns. She is determined to have him as her mate, but to say he’s a bit resistant to settling down would be an understatement. Not to mention that her sire is against a mating between them, believing Stone to be too wild for her. Will Ali get her man (or should I say werewolf?) Will she be able to convince her family and her pack that Stone is the one for her? Not to mention she has to convince Stone himself.

Stone is a lone wolf; he is not on the market for a mate. Indeed, he’s only ever been tempted once. He keeps his emotions close to his chest, allowing few to touch his heart or get to know who he is underneath the surface. Popular with the bitches, Stone plays the field, forgetting those he sleeps with as soon as he’s done with them, leaving them sated and soaking. Meeting Ali, he knows she’s too young for him. He knows she’s using him to gain excitement and adventure. He knows she’s a virgin – and he’s well aware of Cariboo pack law regarding their virgins. Nevertheless, he can’t resist her, but neither can he get her out of his head afterwards, a first for him. He quickly returns home to Prince George, but returns three days later after volunteering to drive a truckload of timber there, the reasons for which he cannot fathom. It takes him awhile, but he finally realizes that he loves her. But is he willing to fight for her when another male wants to claim her for his own? Will he protect her from all who threaten to harm her? Is he as wild as Jonathon believes? Will he share her with his twin, as his twin shared his mate with him, as they share everything of importance to each other?

Challenged, indeed the whole Cariboo Lunewulf Series, is quite original. In Ms O’Clare’s world, there are two types of werewolf; the Lunewulf and the Cariboo Lunewulf, the main difference being the Cariboo are more aggressive. Based on this, there have been two separate series written, though some of the same characters make appearances in both series. This story is the third and last in the Caribboo Lunewulf Series, the three tales of which are the three McAllister littermates (Marc, Gabe and Stone). All have been well-written, with considerable thought and effort being put into them. With this story in particular, I really liked the determination of Ali to get her man, no matter the odds. Stone’s determination not to mate is originally frustrating, but his capitulation when put on the spot had me applauding him for facing up to the facts: he is in love, it’s a done deal, now it’s time to claim the woman he loves as his mate. There’s no room left for his previous determination to avoid mated life. The whole series contain scorching sex scenes, with Gabe’s and Stone’s stories including threesomes hot enough to set the monitor ablaze, so keep the fire extinguisher at the ready. Please note that this tale contains fight scenes and violence, but also enough action and plot twists to keep the storyline fresh and interesting. As stand alone stories, they are each brilliant. As a series, they are a must read, particularly for paranormal and shape shifter fans.

Too Many Brides - Brit Blaise

2006-07-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Cave Creek Cowboy: Too Many Brides
AUTHOR: Brit Blaise
ISBN: 1-59279-419-X
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3.5 Unicorns

BUY TOO MANY BRIDES HERE

Kresley has had a crush on Mike since she was fifteen, when he kissed her in a game of spin the bottle. He didn’t know it was her, but that kiss has lived in her memories ever since. Nothing can ever come of her crush on him. He is five years older than her and for a reason unknown to her her family hate his. Whilst in Vegas for a rodeo and a friend’s wedding, they both get drunk – and get married. Only, when Mike wakes up in the morning, he cannot even remember the ceremony – nor who he married. Surrounded by six naked women, Mike finds himself in an extremely awkward position. When does he find out who his bride is? What made Kresley’s family so antagonistic to Mike’s? Can they resolve the problems between them?

This is the fourth in the Cave Creek Cowboy Series by Brit Blaise. If you have not read any so far in the series I do not recommend starting with this one. All the stories need to be read in order, since as you move through the series; each tale misses out part of the history from previous tales which is vital to the storyline. Those who have read the previous stories will notice gaps and may not like how events from previous stories are given no description in this, and in the previous, tales. That said the Cave Creek Cowboy Series as a whole is quite enjoyable, particularly if you don’t like complicated storylines. I love the closeness of the Cave Creek community, and the friendships that exist. That Mike wakes up with six naked women is probably something most guys dream of, but in this instance it is embarrassing for Mike and undoubtedly an experience he could have done without. If you are a follower of this series, then you need to read this tale. If you would like to try this author, do not read the tales out of order, you may loose some parts of the plots. Too Many Brides is very likeable, though due to the plots simplicity not to everyone’s taste.

Another Cave Creek Cowboy - Brit Blaise

2006-07-29T13:02:00.001-07:00

TITLE: Cave Creek Cowboy: Another Cave Creek Cowboy
AUTHOR: Brit Blaise
ISBN: 1-59279-392-4
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY ANOTHER CAVE CREEK COWBOY HERE

Alicia Moore has been in love with Brett for years. For the past ten, her dream has been to marry him. Only now that dream has to be scrapped, since his best friend caught her dangling from the rafters having sex with two men, though admittedly they were the second and third lovers in her entire life. Now she is trying to find a way to tell him about this, the most singular embarrassing moment of her life, before his best friend does. Meanwhile, she takes the bull by the horns and seduces him. His picture of her as a little miss innocent is then shattered – totally. But will anything further develop? And will Brett ever be told about ‘the incident’?

Another Cave Creek Cowboy is a very enjoyable story, the second in the Cave Creek Cowboy Series. Alicia is a young woman with childhood issues, not the least of which is abandonment by her father and her mother being a prostitute. Brett is the man eight years her senior, whom she has loved for years but who has always seen her as too young for him, and too innocent besides – until she removes the blinders from his eyes. As with the first, this is well written and covers a range of situations, which is done very well, particularly as this is a fairly short story. There is a large focus on the physical side of things – sex scenes are hot, hot, hot! That’s not to say the emotional side is neglected. This is also dealt with really well. I look forward to reading more from Brit Blaise, especially the others in the Cave Creek Cowboy Series.

Cave Creek Cowboy - Brit Blaise

2006-07-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Cave Creek Cowboy: Cave Creek Cowboy
AUTHOR: Brit Blaise
ISBN: 1-59279-377-0
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY CAVE CREEK COWBOY HERE

Ten years ago, Holly shattered Ridge when she slept with his best friend, bragged about it and then left to become a model in New York, never to be seen again – until now. She has returned home to Cave Creek, following the death of her grandfather. But why? Does she still have feelings for Ridge? And did the events ten years past really pan out as she would have Ridge believe?

Ridge’s heart has always belonged to Holly, even though she hurt him really badly. Even his attempt at marriage failed because there were effectively three people in the marriage, sharing his thoughts and his bed – himself, his wife, Billie Jo, and Holly. Having been hurt so badly by her, why is it that he still responds to her as he always has? Why is he unable to feel any lasting anger towards her for the great pain she caused him? Why does he want to try for a second chance with her?

Ms Blaise has interwoven an unexpected but poignant aspect to Cave Creek Cowboy. I began to suspect that all was not as it seemed fairly early on in the story, gaining an inkling of why Holly had left and hurt Ridge so badly all those years ago towards the middle of the story. When my suspicions were confirmed, I felt a sharp pang of sorrow for Holly for what she had done to try to protect Ridge, the man she loves with all her heart, when they were still teenagers. Ms Blaise has introduced and very successfully handled a very delicate issue, which rarely finds a mention in a romance novel, and for this she is to be congratulated. The sex the characters engage in, both present and past, is fairly detailed and very inventive. Who knew a horse could be used in such a way? Also, please note there is a voyeuristic scene involving Holly and a threesome at an abandoned property on Holly’s grounds, which is detailed and sets the scene for the following tale, Another Cave Creek Cowboy. I really recommend you read this, how much I simply cannot express. As for myself, I hope to soon be able to get my hands on more men, uhh... tales, from the Cave Creek Cowboy Series.

Ashes In The Wind - JJ Massa

2006-07-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

TITLE: The Weather Series: Ashes In The Wind
AUTHOR: JJ Massa
ISBN: 1-59836-030-2
GENRE: Contemporary / Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: Venus Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY ASHES IN THE WIND HERE

At twenty six, Ashlynn Doucette is different from other young women. She comes from a tight knit family, each of whom have certain abilities. Her brother Storm has the power to make it rain and thunder; her parents can communicate mentally with one another wherever they are. Ashlynn has the power of fire. Mostly, she is able to control her gift, as long as she isn’t upset or afraid. Whilst she loves her family, they tend to molly coddle her. She finds this frustrating, especially since she is a grown woman, an agent for the Treasury Department. Her latest case has brought her to Gabe’s parish, the man she has always had something of a crush on, even though he is eighteen years her senior and her Uncle’s best friend. Gabe is a Sheriff, as is her father (of the next parish over), and her Uncle Deke is Deputy Sheriff of the Bayou. A member of Gabe’s Parish is suspected of money laundering, but it turns out he is into much more than that. Ashlynn will need more than just herself to solve and get out of this case alive. With the relationship between herself and Gabe unexpectedly heating up, can Ashlynn remain focused long enough to survive? Is her unique gift able to aid her?

Sheriff Gabriel Theroit has watched Ashlynn grow up from a child to the beautiful young woman she is today. It was not until she turned eighteen that he saw her in a light other than that of child and niece of his best friend. He has managed to keep his attraction and love for her under wraps, even from his best friend Deke. When he finds her in a Bar Room brawl, the encounter is unexpected to say the least. He wishes she had at least let him know she’d be in the area on a case. When she is injured, he is furious and his protective instincts come to the foreground. After he takes her home to his place, he releases himself from the constraints he has lived with when he sees she is attracted to him. Shocked to find she is a virgin, he becomes even more determined to marry his little spitfire. When the case she is involved in takes a turn nobody expected, can he aid her with the case and keep her out of trouble at the same time? Is he able to convince her of his love and gain her love in return?

JJ Massa has produced yet another great story that will surely hook you on her if you haven’t been hooked already. I have not yet read the first in this series, but having read this tale I shall most certainly endeavour to with all due haste. The first I read of Ms Massa was her Montgomery Family Series, of the shape shifter genre. They hooked me completely and up until now it was only their further releases from Ms Massa that I anticipated with great yearning. With this story, Ms Massa has demonstrated a clear cut ability to write convincing and enjoyable stories from yet another (sub) genre, this one being magic/paranormal. This story has a few tense moments that really grip the reader, including the opening scene. I really liked the communication abilities of the family, as well as Ashlynn’s and Storm’s powers. This tale is fairly short, but nevertheless very enjoyable, fairly well written with a good character development. Keep up the good work, Ms Massa! I can’t wait for more in the The Weather Series to make their appearance.

All Night Inn - Janet Miller

2006-07-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Hollywood After Dark: All Night Inn
AUTHOR: Janet Miller
ISBN: 1-4199-0216-4
GENRE: Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Cerridwen Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/5 Unicorns

BUY ALL NIGHT INN HERE

Sharon Colson is flat broke, alone and stranded in the small coastal town of Los Ninos de la Noche. Locked out of her boarding room for being a week behind in the rent, all she has are the clothes she is wearing. She desperately needs a job, but the only place in town hiring on is the All Night Inn, a bar that is in need of a bar tender. Sharon has the experience, but the All Night Inn is no ordinary bar. Its proprietor is Jonathon Knottmann, a known vampire. Her desperation, however, compels her to apply for the position, and not even finding out that bearing his mark and becoming his companion is the only way he will hire her, a human, sways her determination, though it does cause her a moments hesitation. Due to the All Night Inn’s eclectic patrons, the mark is for her own safety, as she learns within a few weeks, but there are many strings attached to being a companion that Sharon does not learn of straightaway. When will she find about what being a companion entails? What will her reaction be? What are the secrets she is keeping? How have these secrets affected her past and present? How are they to impact her future?

Jonathon is a nightwalker (the politically correct term for vampire). He has lived for over three hundred years, the past several of which he has spent as the owner of a bar in Los Ninos. He has but one companion, Marcus, and also gains nourishment from humans he terms ‘clients’. He is doubtful at first as to whether to hire Sharon on, particularly when she adamantly refuses a mind link with him. Her obvious desperation and his desire for her, however, make him mark her without the mind link, though doing so is very painful for Sharon. He realises she has secrets but rather than force her to reveal them, he decides to bide his time and gain her trust, hoping that she will then allow the mind link and share all of her secrets. But what about the secrets he himself harbours? Why has he kept himself in relative isolation? Will he share all with Sharon? Will he gain her trust? For that matter, will he come to trust her, when he himself has difficulty trusting both others and himself?

Janet Miller, who also writes as Cricket Starr, is a brilliant and imaginative writer. Her storylines are her own. Though there are many tales in the paranormal genre, Ms Miller has created several terms that are fairly unique to her writing, including nightwalker, bloodmate, companion and spellcaster to name but a few. This is the second of her e-books that I have read, the first being Fangs For The Memories, a story that is linked to this one but which takes place after this story. Both tales can be read as stand alones, but reading them both will increase your reading pleasure. Hopefully, many more linked stories are soon to follow. Both characters will capture your heart, with their difficulty in trusting others and the pain their respective secrets cause them. Love scenes are steamy and detailed, though not too explicit. It is a great pleasure to read this author’s writings. I look forward to reading more from Janet Miller, both more from the Hollywood After Dark series and also of unrelated works.

A Stable Relationship - Sandi Haddad

2006-07-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

TITLE: A Stable Relationship
AUTHOR: Sandi Haddad
ISBN: 1-59279-126-3
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY A STABLE RELATIONSHIP HERE

Cassy Collins is twenty five and a paediatric nurse at Community Hospital. Though she loves her job, particularly on slow days when she can spend time with her patients, she is also now fulfilling her lifelong dream of horse riding. Ever since she was a little girl, she has wanted to learn how to ride, but her parents discouraged her because it was a competitive sport and also because her mother was bitten by a horse at a young age and has been afraid of them ever since. Since moving to the area a year ago, Cassy has been learning to ride at Greenwood Stables, where she boards her horse, General. She has now signed up for David Carlyle’s clinic. He is an ex-champion show jumper turned very much in demand riding instructor, following a horrific accident which killed his horse and left him seriously injured. Though their first meeting is not what Cassy would have wished, she learns much from his clinic and her riding skills improve considerably – no thanks to the distraction of her attraction to him. When she finds out he returns her attraction, she eagerly waits the end of the clinic so they can explore it, not wanting to become involved whilst she is still his student for fear of criticism from others for favouritism and unprofessionalism. But when the end of the clinic rolls around, things are not all as they should be. What stands in the way of a real relationship between them?

David has been attracted to Cassy from first he saw her, no matter that she was covered in mud. Though desiring a relationship with her, he held back, not willing to date a student. When the clinic ends, so do his restraints. At first unsure of what type of relationship he wants with her, since he may be leaving in a few weeks, he holds himself back. He quickly comes to realise that he wants Cassy as more than a girlfriend or partner – he wants her as his wife. But having been burnt before, some things are easily misconstrued. Will he be able to sort through his feelings and confront his past, leaving a clear path to develop a relationship with Cassy?

Having read A Stable Account, I was eager to read this linked tale, the story of Cassy and David. Whilst I did not enjoy this as much as I did the other, there can be no denying that Sandi Haddad is a very good author, who most definitely knows her stuff when it comes to all things equestrienne. This is a rather straightforward romance, suitable for all, particularly those who dislike sex scenes in their tales. Once again Ms Haddad has demonstrated that a romance need not contain explicit sex scenes to be enjoyable. These characters are fairly well developed, with attention being paid to their jobs and friends as well as to the world of horse riding. Both characters continually misinterpret each others actions and make assumptions about one another that to a large extent are unfounded or based on previous bad experience. Their relationship is a difficult one; though the attraction and possibility for love are there, their busy schedules result in their spending little time together, which does have a negative impact on their relationship. At times a future for this pair is in doubt, but A Stable Relationship is most definitely desired for the characters by the reader.

A Stable Account - Sandi Haddad

2006-07-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

TITLE: A Stable Account
AUTHOR: Sandi Haddad
ISBN: 1-59279-156-5
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/5 Unicorns

BUY A STABLE ACCOUNT HERE

Maggie Newman left Magnolia Cove years ago when she eloped with her boyfriend, Chad Newman. Now she is moving back, pregnant and widowed. Her husband was killed in a road accident several months ago whilst going to see his brother during a storm. Her late husband’s family are unaware that she is expecting Chad’s baby, since she did not realise she was pregnant until after her husband’s funeral. She has been unable to contact Chad’s parents since the funeral, as they are on holiday. One of Maggie’s reasons for returning to the town she left so long ago is so that they can be a part of their grandchild’s life. Upon her return, she plans to open up a tack shop and live above it. Unfortunately, the living space over the shop is much too small to use as living quarters, especially for a woman beginning the third trimester of pregnancy. Her niece, Jenny, asks her father, Daniel, and Maggie why she can’t stay at their ranch with them; after all, they have plenty of room. But Maggie wants to try to get a place of her own before she moves to Magnolia and decides to keep looking. When she takes over the care of Jenny whilst Daniel is immersed in tax season, a busy time for him in his job as a self-employed accountant, Daniel asks Maggie to move in for the duration. As she is looking after Jenny and needs somewhere to live for the time being, as she still hasn’t found anywhere suitable, she accepts Daniel’s offer. What she hadn’t counted on was her growing attraction to her brother-in-law. Or her change in feelings towards him. But will her attraction and growing love lead anywhere? Or will the memory of her late husband remain a barrier between them?

Daniel has loved Maggie for years. Through his growing up years, through her dating and marriage to his brother, through his own marriage to his ex-wife. But she chose Chad, and he decided against fighting for her, instead playing childish pranks in an attempt to break them up, which didn’t work. When she married his brother, he put his feelings to one side, rarely visiting her and his brother during their marriage. But now she has moved back to Magnolia, alone and pregnant. Despite himself, hope flairs. Hope that maybe he has a chance with her. Hope that she’ll need him. Hope that she will love him, as he loves her. Having her move into his home enables him to get close to her, giving him much needed contact with her. But his guilt over his feelings towards the woman he still views as his late brother’s wife prevents him from acting on his feelings, along with his uncertainty that she feels anything for him in return other than sisterly. Will this pair ever get together? Will Jenny gain a loving step-mother, in addition to a loving aunt and a new cousin? Will Daniel’s parents accept them as a couple?

Sandi Haddad has written a heart-warming story about two people who are faced with a second chance at a love that they passed up the first time around. The basics of this storyline are classic romance: boy loves girl, girl has feelings for boy, boy doesn’t act on his feelings and girl ends up with someone else, then years later they both get together, having found one another again. Being a die-hard romance fan, this is just my type of story. This more traditional tale, whilst different to the new plotlines making their entrances on the e-book scene, deserves just as much attention and accreditation. Beautifully written, Ms Haddad’s characters are well developed and easily related to. The way in which they continually misinterpret each others actions and the assumptions they make about each others feelings towards one another makes you want to kick them in the behind and tell them to get their act together. What seems so obvious to you, that they are destined to be together, they are wholly oblivious to (yes, I know this is fiction *sigh*). Ms Haddad successfully proves that a romance need not contain explicit sex scenes to be all that we want a romance to be. It is not hard to understand why Ms Haddad is an award winning author.