Thursday, September 30, 2010
A Taste of Temptation by Michelle Lauren
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Loving Lydia by Berengaria Brown
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Reclaiming Isis by Selena Blake
Title: Reclaiming Isis
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Shared Legacy by Mary Davenport
Title: Shared Legacy
Author: Mary Davenport
Publisher: Cobblestone Press
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60088-542-6
Genre: Historical romance
Length: Short novella
Rating: 5 DiamondsHeat Level: Erotic
Other: Ménage, oral play
Reviewer: Starla Kaye
Love can be a complicated, painful matter…especially among friends.
Lord Randall Wyatt loves his wife with all his heart and will do anything to make her forever happy. She deserves to have a baby; they deserve to have a child to raise together. Injuries from the war have made it so he can’t give her a baby. But he knows his best friend is in love with her, too. Randall swallows his pride and asks his friend for a serious favor, a precious gift.
Lady Simone has lusted after and fantasized about Ashton, her husband’s long-time friend, but she would never act on her feelings. She loves her husband and would never hurt him. She would like to have a child, but it is doubtful that he can give her one. Then he comes up with a plan to possibly let her become a mother, an amazing, selfless plan.
Captain Ashton Cooper would never do anything to hurt his best friend, would never come between Randall and the woman both men love. He can’t stay here and suffer the anguish of watching Simone be with Randall any longer. It is time to leave the country and forget them both. And then they ask him for an unimaginable favor, a difficult one to agree to, and yet…
For such a short story, this was amazing. The characters were developed enough that the reader understood their frustrations, their needs, their conflicts. Tough choices. Deep emotions. Hot, hot, hot, too.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
The Robber Wife by Verona St. James
Title: The Robber Wife
Author: Verona St. James
Publisher: Whispers Publishing
Publication Date: June 2010
Genre: Erotic contemporary
Length: 18 pages
Rating: 4 Diamonds
Heat: Erotic
Reviewer: Valerie Mann
Date: 9/18/2010
Jon’s wife, Cassie, left him when she found out he killed people for a living. To pay back for the lies and the, you know, dead people, she stole all his money and cleaned out their apartment down to the last tube of toothpaste. After three years he’s still got it bad for the woman who broke his heart and plundered his wallet. So when she breaks into his apartment one night hoping for a reconciliation— or maybe another chance at his cash— all Jon has to decide is whether he’s going to kill her… or kiss her.
It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed because I just don’t have the time anymore. But this little number caught my eye when it landed in the review site inbox and before I knew it, I was halfway through!
I really enjoyed this Erotiquick story. Though the story was super-short, the characters are well drawn and their conflicts realistic. It’s difficult to have conflict and resolution in such a limited space but the author pulls it off well. The sex is hot and I loved how Jon and Cassie slipped right back into their relationship with nary a stumble…there’s something to be said for familiarity. The only thing I would have liked to know is why Cassie came back ~ that piece of the puzzle was left unanswered. I think that was the author’s intent, but I’m a nosy reader! Otherwise, 4 diamonds and 2 thumbs up!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Driving Miss Devin by Stephanie Adkins
Title: Driving Miss Devin
Author: Stephanie Adkins
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59578-697-5
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 32 pgs
Author Email: authorstephanieadkins@yahoo.com
Rating: 5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Spicy erotic
Other: Anal/oral play, light bondage
Reviewer: Starla Kaye
Date: 9-17-10
Starting over after being cheated on and dumped by your husband of nineteen years isn’t easy. Learning to trust again in the love of another man is harder.
Devin Malone never expected her marriage to end so badly, to be so humiliated. Yet, in looking back, she knows the signs of imperfection in their marriage were always there. Her ex-husband had never really known her or even cared enough to learn the little things about her likes and dislikes.
Cole Braxton has watched over her for years, has been there when she needed someone, has been a true friend, and knows what she likes. But he wants more than to be just her friend. He wants to be there to help her pick up the pieces of her life. He wants to convince her to turn to him and let him love her like she deserves to be loved. But he’s her chauffeur, and he’s much younger. How can he possibly get what he wants?
For such a short story, it was beautifully written. I was pulling for both of the main characters from the beginning. I was angry at her ex right along with Devin. I was hoping she would let him love her right along with Cole. And when they do finally come together… Oh my!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Cambio by Anthony Stevens
Author: Anthony Stevens
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60435-761-5
Genre: Erotic Romance/Paranormal/Shifters
Length: 14,838 words
Author Email: masteranthonysteves@gmail.com
Rating: 3 Diamonds
Heat Level: Sweet to curiously sensual
Other: Shifters
Reviewer: S. K. Fero
Date: 9-10-10
Shifter Series: Book Two
This is a story of young romance and of discovery.
Sapphire Samuels is a teenager and, as if that isn’t hard enough, she is discovering shifting abilities she didn’t know she had. She has always felt different and now she is learning why.
Marco Martinez meets the troubled Sapphire and instantly recognizes another shifter. He also realizes she doesn’t know who and what she really is and that he can help her.
The story is short and is a romance in the very early stages, with the focus being more on discovering shifting abilities. The characters are slightly developed and the conflicts there, but all could have been stronger.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Sapphire and Gold by Penny Rader
Title: Sapphire and Gold
Author: Penny Rader
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: 1-60154-475-8
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novel
Author Email: penny@pennyrader.com
Rating: 5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Sensual
Reviewer: Starla Kaye
Date: 9-9-10
“Alexandra’s mine and mine alone!...no one will thwart my wedding…The underlying menace in Bartholomew’s tone sent chills slithering down Alexandra’s spine.” I was hooked from this point on and had to know about this unwanted wedding, about this evil-sounding man.
Alexandra Whittaker isn’t who she thought she was. The news comes out of the blue and changes her world and her life. Fleeing from the horrors she overheard, her life becomes even more complicated when she is rescued while fleeing by a dashing Sea Captain.
Derek Tremaine has felt guilt for years after losing a small girl left in his care. He has never stopped searching for her. While searching in Philadelphia for more possible answers, he saves an unconscious woman in the river. Her resemblance to the mother of the missing girl startles him even as he is drawn to her, and he helps her hunt for answers to her life. The journey they go on together isn’t easy, nor is getting along. But they grow together and their romance grows steadily as well.
The characters are very well developed, the backgrounds complex, the obstacles and conflicts enough to pull the reader through the story. Overall, this was an excellent read.
The Queens of Merab: The Journey by Violet Summers
Title: The Queens of Merab: The Journey
Author: Violet Summers
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59596-810-4
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Short Story
Author Email: violetsummers@yahoo.comRating: 4.5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic, hot
Other: Gay
Reviewer: S. K. Fero
Date: 9-9-10
Book 5 in The Queens of Merab series
Book 1: Temair’s Fyre
Book 2: Temair’s Rayne
Book 3: Temair’s Aire
Book 4: Temair’s Earth
By this book in the series, Queen Temair has her four Consorts and is married to all of them. The first two, Miach and Dathan, are sent on a mission to investigate a problem in the war of the Male Rebellion.
Miach hates being away from Temair and is uncomfortable being alone with Dathan. There is a mutual attraction between them that worries Miach. He feels brotherly toward the other two Consorts, but much more than that to Dathan. “The push and pull of his feelings for Dathan…almost giddy with lust.”
Dathan has been drawn to Miach since the first time he saw him. He wants Miach even more now. They both love their wife, but can they love each other as well?
I really wish I had read the first four parts of this series, and I will. The cast of characters is wonderful, the conflicts mainly internal in this story, but the heat is seriously hot.
Miach, Lord Fyre: powerful magician
Dathan, Lord Rayne: equal in power to Miach
Zevan, Lord Aire: vicious and dirty fighter, strategist
Elan, Lord Earth: gentle, nonjudgmental
Rescuing Natacha by Selena Blake
Title: Rescuing Natacha
Author: Selena Blake
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60521-471-9
Genre: Sci-Fi/Interracial
Length: Novella
Author Email: selenablake@gmail.com
Rating: 4.5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: Oral
Reviewer: Starla Kaye
Date: 9-9-10
Natacha has been unaware of anything beyond persistent passion and overwhelming needs for too long. She is confused as a strange man rescues her. As she suffers deep lust, a side effect of withdrawal from the gases used on her when she was a prisoner, she makes Halyn’s life a kind of personal hell. She wants him; he struggles to resist. But as time goes on…
This is a follow-up book to Deep Space Encounters: Reclaiming Isis, which I, unfortunately, have not read yet. I enjoyed the characters in this book, their unusual conflicts, and definitely the intense heat they struggled with. For a short novella, it was a great read, a hot read.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Betrayed by Love by Marilyn Lee
Title: Betrayed by Love
Author: Marilyn Lee
Publisher: Red Rose ™ Publishing
Publication Date: August 26, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60435-751-6
Genre: Erotic
Length: 32,438 words
Author Email: Mlee2057@aol.com
Rating: 4 Diamonds
Heat Level: Spicy
Other: BBW, Contemporary, Interracial/Multicultural
Reviewer: Reena Jacobs
Date: 9/2/2010
Linea Hills is an attractive, confident, full-figured woman in full control of her heart and her life—until she falls into lust with her best friend's husband. Then her life is turned upside down as she feels betrayed by love that hits her at the wrong time and with the wrong man. Her precarious situation worsens when her friend tries to draw her into the marital games she and her husband play.
Grant West is an eligible bachelor with a job that keeps him on the road and a charm that ensures he has his choice of companionship from a succession of women—none of whom can expect a commitment from him. Then he meets Linea and falls for a woman who is determined not to surrender what he wants most from her—her heart.
The cover of this book immediately attracted me. So how did judging a book by the cover work for me? Not bad.
I wouldn’t exactly call this a romance, as the story between Linea and Grant did not always take precedence. In fact, it seemed more on the lines of erotic women’s fiction or chick lit. That little tidbit didn’t put me off though, as the storyline kept me engrossed.
Sex was a central theme in Betrayed by Love and included frequently. And though the novella is labeled as an erotic and the language was coarse enough to bring a blush to some, the scenes were not detailed enough to make the steam truly rise. Even so, that aspect didn’t make the read any less enjoyable, just an observation.
The storyline was told completely from Linea’s first person POV, except for one oddball scene in Grant’s third person POV. The style was quite interesting. It had a Forrest Gump-type feel with Linea narrating her journey of love as if the reader was right there with her.
I found it easy to relate with Linea. Her struggle to balance right from wrong and reconcile her self-perception with her impulses kept me engaged. Above all, her views on love versus lust hit the nail on the nose (in my opinion), and because if it, the storyline was realistic. I’d recommend this novella to readers who enjoy lusty stories which examine aspects of interracial dating.
About Last Night by Rhonda Leah
Title: About Last Night
Author: Rhonda Leah
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Publication Date:
ISBN: 978-1-61650-180-8
Genre: contemporary, romance
Length: 71 pages
Author Email: rhondaleah@cox.net
Rating: 4.5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic
Other:
Reviewer: Gabrielle
Date: 9/5/2010
When Misty, a strong willed woman, finally decides to try and garner Tanner’s attention once again it seems that fate has other ideas. Tanner is a life long friend and an honorable man who may think of Misty in more than a brotherly fashion, but that is just what is stopping him from acting on those feelings. He could never betray his best friend and Misty’s older brother by starting a relationship with her.
When Tanner is awakened by a phone call for help from Misty the fun begins. For days both Tanner and Misty fight their feelings for each other. Passion flares between the two yet they never get very far due to outside interference. As you read Misty and Tanner’s story one can only hope that these two finally get together and just listen to their feelings instead of fighting them.
Not only is the reader treated to Misty and Tanner’s story in this book but we get to meet other characters such as Misty’s brother that endear themselves to the reader as well. Rhonda Leah writes a story with characters that are full of emotion and depth. She takes the reader on a great ride pulling you in and keeping you there and entertained all the way through. This is a wonderful book that should not be missed and I know that this reader is eagerly awaiting her next one.
The Princess's Bride by K.T. Grant
Author: K.T. Grant
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
ISBN: ISBN-13:978-1-60777-356-6
Genre: Historical
Length: Novel
Buy Link
Author Website
Author Email
Rating: 4.5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: oral play, GLBT
Reviewer: Sky
Date: 9/5/10
Anyone who says a princess the housekeeper’s daughter can’t be together haven’t met Chelsey and Daisy. Although they come from different worlds, these two share a heart. But when Daisy’s daddy, the exiled king, finds out, he drives Chelsey away, and the two are separated by years and oceans. Which changes the equation to: can a princess and a pirate be together?
I enjoyed this story. K.T. Grant’s characters are likeable people, who I would love to know. Their devotion to each other under circumstances which are difficult at the very least, is charming, and the reader will feel their pain when they are separated. The villain, who I shall allow the reader to meet for herself, is a very bad person, and the backdrop of kingdoms and pirate ships will makes for a fun read. The reader will root for these women to find a way to be together, against all odds.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
L'Auberge Pipistrelli: Pleasure a la Carte by Madeleine Oh
Title: L’Auberge Pipistrelli-Pleasure a la Carte
Author: Madeleine Oh
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60521-317-0
Genre: Paranormal/Vampire/Werewolves
Length: Novella
Author Email: website contact
Rating: 3.5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: Oral
Reviewer: S. K. Fero
Date: 9-4-10
Passion, potential mates, and prejudice…Book four in the L’Auberge Pipistrelli series has all of it.
Maria Mannaro, the younger sister of two older Alpha wolf brothers, is continuing with a secret love affair with a vampire and interfering in one of her brothers’ lives. She is friends with a werewolf, Elaine Vargas, from another book, who wants to mate with Luc. Elaine returns to try and convince Luc that they can have a future in spite of their differences.
Luc Mannaro feels strongly about Elaine but his prejudices run deep. He is a descendant of an ancient race of werewolves who have long inhabited this Italian state as proprietors of an inn that is the winter home for a colony of vampires. She is of a lesser lineage.
The characters were fairly well developed, but I was a bit lost in their background. Romances begun in other books of the series continue, but it would be a good idea to read the first three books before this one. I couldn’t tell if the series was going to continue or not. I hope so, because there seemed to be many loose ends.
Bloody or Nothing: Sudsy by Kate Hill
Title: Bloody or Nothing: Sudsy
Author: Kate Hill
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60521-384-2
Genre: Paranormal/Vampire
Length: Novella
Rating: 4.5 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: Gay
Reviewer: Starla Kaye
Date: 9-4-10
This is not your everyday vampire story, not almost comic-sweet or dark and heart-stopping. I enjoyed it more than I expected to when I first started reading the novella.
Esteban “Sudsy” Waters is one of the oldest vampires, owns a vampire hotel in Las Vegas, and has been protecting both humans and vampires for centuries. More than that, he is an ass-kicking beauty when in drag and hotter-than-hot when in vampire crime-fighting mode. He has made it a rule not to get romantically involved with mortals, but when a gorgeous singer in trouble crosses his path…
Julian, a mortal human, has worked hard to build his music career and, after his relationship with an old friend, martial artist lover falls apart, he plans to focus only on his career. But life gets even more complicated when he gets attacked by “friends” of his ex-lover. The attack threatens his life as well as causes problems for his career. And then he meets a stunning drag queen who is so much more than that. He has never been drawn to men in drag before, but Sudsy is different. Sudsy is…irresistible. Beyond that, Sudsy is involved in something he keeps secret from Julian, something that can ruin their relationship…or get one or both of them killed.
The characters were very well developed. Their internal conflicts were believable within the genre. The emotions and setting details were nicely handled. And the external obstacles were enough to keep the reader pulling for them. Overall, this was a wonderful read. I am anxious to read the next story in the series.
Foxes' Den by Teresa Noelle Roberts
Title: Foxes’ Den: Duals and Donovans: The Different Book 2
Author: Teresa Noelle Roberts
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60928-149-6
Genre: paranormal romance
Length: 103
Author Email: Teresa@teresanoelleroberts.com
Rating: 4 Diamonds
Heat Level: explicit
Other: m/f/m, m/m, oral, anal, double pen
Reviewer: Brecken Stevens
Date: September 4, 2010
Akane should have learned her lesson about sorcerers and humans years ago when she was cursed to walk as a human instead of her true form. But when she meets sorcerer Paul Donovan and his adorable husband, fox dual Taggart Ross, she not only asks them for help with her curse, but ends up falling for each. When Taggart is kidnapped, Akane feels the distress though she is thousands of miles away. Loving mortals is dangerous to her, but not loving them isn’t an option either.
“Foxes’ Den” has a lot going for it. The three main characters are markedly different, especially the two men, so the relationship has real dynamic. The sex scenes start intense with more ritualistic, spell related couplings, but as the story progresses, the affection and love between the characters show much more and is wonderful to see. It’s a quick, sexy read with action and just enough back story for me to really want to go pick up the first story and get in line for the 3rd when it’s ready. Paranormal lovers who enjoy some sexy ménage will really enjoy this one.
Devlin and Garrick by Cameron Dane
Title: Devlin and Garrick (A Seeking Redemption Novel)
Author: Cameron Dane
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Publication Date: June 7, 2010
ISBN: 978-1595787088
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Length: 169 pages
Author Email: on website
Rating: 3.25 Diamonds
Heat Level: Erotic
Other: Oral, anal, rimming, light bondage, spanking
Reviewer: Finn
Date: 9/4/10
Devlin Morgan and Gradyn Connell have one thing on their minds when they meet in a bar one Friday night in San Francisco. One good, hard fuck. After the hell he’s been through, Gradyn knows the young man sitting at the end of the bar--with his sweet nervousness and beautiful face--is just what he needs. And Gradyn has absolutely no problem getting up to say hello. Devlin knows inviting muscle-bound, tattooed Gradyn to his motel room is the riskiest thing he’s ever done, but there’s something in the man’s warm green eyes that tells Devlin everything will be all right.
One explosive encounter in Devlin’s motel room is the plan. Only, it turns out one hot fuck isn’t enough for either man. Dinner afterward leads to another round in bed, and what follows is a weekend together that stirs more emotions than either Devlin or Gradyn ever expected to feel.
Things are not always what they seem….
Cameron Dane has always had a wonderful flow with words and this book is no exception. You genuinely feel for the characters and take the journey with them as you watch the story unfold. Especially in this book, the encounter talked about in the part of the blub above between the two men is actually told through a series of flashbacks and boy, is there a lot of “encounter”. If you’re looking for hot male loving, this is the story for you. It’s hot and enjoyable, that’s for certain, but there was a few places where it seemed like the story had become all about that—the sex. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it detracted from the plot a bit. I’d get pulled into what happened before and forget about what was happening currently. Still, a very well told story that draws you in and takes you for a delightful ride with the men.