Jennifer
The following refers to Seduced by Starlight by Charlotte Featherstone:
LOVED this little story about Matthew and Jane's daughter Blossom and Lindsay and Anais' son Jace! (From “Sinful” and “Addicted”)
It was so fun to see Matthew as the doting, over-protective father. Well, well, Wallingford, it seems some of the rakishness of your youth came back to bite you, LOL.
I found it quite hilarious when Matthew and Lindsay spoke of their own ravishment of virgins back in the day. Somehow it hadn't seemed quite as scandalous back when they were the ones doing the ravishing as it does now that they are older. I guess being the FATHER of a beautiful young virgin being ravished changes your perspective a bit, heehee. ;-)
Overall it was a beautiful story, I just wish it could've been longer and could've contained more sex, but hey, it's a story in a compilation, so that's probably no fault of the author.
Didn't read the other two stories, so have no idea if they are good or not.
I absolutely loved “Sinful”, so how delighted I was to discover another little snapshot of Matthew and Jane's life together.
This story takes place three months after the birth of their second child. Jane feels insecure about her body and Matthew doesn't understand why his wife has pulled away from him.
As the mother of three children, I understand completely all of Jane's concerns and anxiety over pleasing her husband. But the way Matthew assured Jane that his desire for her was as strong as ever...SO sweet and sigh worthy! I loved how he told her that the body she now had was because of him, because of the life they'd created out of their passion.
Charlotte Featherstone knows how to write beautifully sensual erotica, and this short story is no exception!
http://www.themysticcastle.com/pdf/a_very_sinful_valentine.pdf
Lucy is a fiesty heroine if ever there was one, and it was a true delight watching her attempts to get under the Hero Jeremy's skin. She did a damn good job of it too, in more ways than one. The poor man was tortured by the flesh-and-blood Lucy during the day and by lustful dreams of her at night. The warbdrobe scene...oh my god. HOT.
SO GOOD!!! I've been excited since book 1 for Thorne and Kate's story, and it was even better than I imagined! Tessa Dare gave this sweet couple a past connection I had not expected and it, along with their love, was absolutely perfect. 5 amazing stars!
I feel like my heart has just been put through the wringer. Wow.
There are two versions of Redeeming Love: the original 1991 version, and the 1997 version that was sanitized to remove the coarse language and (very) mild love scenes to make it fit for the Inspirational market. I bought the original 1991 version, but even with it being the original, the story still has a strong religious bent, and the love scenes are not explicit but more implied.
To be honest, I put off reading this for a very long time, thinking I wouldn't enjoy it as I don't normally read Inspirational. You have only to browse my bookshelves to know I prefer books with a bit more...spice. ;-) But after reading a friend's review, and learning about the 1991 version, I became interested enough to click buy. I have to say, I'm so glad I took a chance on this one! It's such a beautiful, angst-filled, heart-wrenching love story, and I know it will stay in my memory for a very long time.
Angel has known nothing but a life of pain from the day she was born. At a very young age, she was sold into prostitution, and from that point on, lives through unspeakable horrors, at times barely surviving and often asking herself why. “Why was I even born?” is a question that often goes through her mind, and after reading about the unspeakable things and situations she's forced into time and time again, I honestly couldn't blame her.
Enter Michael Hosea.
From the moment Michael sees the beautiful golden-haired angel walking by, he knows she's the one. The one that would be his wife. How is he so certain? God tells him so.
Michael is a man of faith, and his faith is what carries him through during the duration of this story and his heartbreaking relationship with Angel. And it's his faith and steadfastness through betrayal after betrayal and hurt after hurt that finally shows Angel that he's unlike all of the other men she's known before him. He doesn't want to use her, hurt her, or take advantage of her...he only wants to love her, and have her love him back.
Having never known the true love of any man, it takes Angel a very long time to believe Michael's love is real, and even longer for her to feel she's worthy of it.
Redeeming Love is a deeply emotional roller coaster. Just when you think it can't get any worse...it does. Be prepared for some hard-core angst. Be prepared to cry. But in the end, my tears of pain turned to tears of joy as Michael and Angel walked through fire and came out strong on the other side.
A dirty talking blacksmith with arms the size of tree trunks. Yes, please! I loved this so much...wish it had been longer!
Even better than the first in the series! Laugh out loud funny in places, while tender in others. Great sexual tension and well written love scenes. Loved it!
Delightfully humorous! I haven't laughed this much during reading a romance novel in a while. Tessa Dare is now one of my new favorite authors.
5 amazing stars!! This book is now one of my favorites by Lisa Kleypas. Zachary is the perfect hero. Big and brawny, a fighter, a self-made man, but also one who has a genuine compassion for those less fortunate, a man who hasn't forgotten his roots. I adore him.
So quite to my surprise, the book I was least excited about turned out to be my favorite of the entire wallflower series. Daisy and Matthew's story was perfection from beginning to end.
I appreciate that Kleypas didn't pretend the encounter between Daisy and Cam in Devil in Winter never happened. That's why I wasn't so excited about reading this book, because I was disappointed to find out they didn't end up a couple after that steamy exchange. But I love Matthew. He and Daisy are great together.
I've said it many times, but my favorite trope is the older man introducing the innocent young girl to the ways of the flesh. Really revs my engine, if you know what I mean. ;-) Needless to say, I loved this book!
Our hero is 52 and the 19 year old heroine's godfather. I love me some forbidden love, now!
There was one F/F/M scene that I was not expecting, though, which sort of threw me off a bit. I'm all for people loving who they love...I just personally don't find that arousing, so I was ready for it to be over, haha.
The story as a whole did feel a bit rushed, but it's a novella, so that's to be expected. It was great for what it was! Can't wait to read the rest of this series.
ETA: I realize now that the reason the age thing struck me as so “off” is because I quite often read May/December romances, where the heroine is much, MUCH younger than the hero in a Historical setting. That sort of pairing seems quite common back then, so it was a bit startling to have so much emphasis put on a mere four years, lol. It appears we have a double standard. (what else is new?!) Anyway, I'll admit I don't often read about the woman being older, as I prefer the opposite, so I will defer to the author here. ;-D
Historical Erotic Romance is my favorite genre, so I was excited to start this one. I had read Ask For It by the same author, which is SUPER hot, so I expected this to be the same.
Have to say, I was a tiny bit disappointed. Yes, there is sex and it's quite explicit, there just wasn't as much of it as I'd expected. Perhaps the scenes there were just weren't long enough. Yeah, that could be it. I like me some long drawn-out lovin', now. ;-D And again, I did go into it with a certain mindset having already read Ask For It.
That aside, there was one minor annoyance that drove me a bit crazy. Throughout the book, there is constant mention of how Isabel is older than Gray. At one point she is shocked by her strong reaction to him physically, thinking herself past the point of such desire...there's several mentions of her possibly being too old to bear children...
Isabel is FOUR years older than Grayson. FOUR. For the majority of the book, he's 26 and she's 30. Sorry, but I thought that such a minor age difference as not to merit all the brouhaha. I know women got married really young back then, and in fact, if you weren't married by your early twenties you were considered an old maid. I get that. I guess I still think there should've been a slightly larger age gap between them for the big fuss. Like 7-10 years. That would have made it more believable, imo.
Isabel and Grayson were both very likable characters, and I did enjoy the rocky path they took from strangers to lovers, and finally to true companions who were desperately in love. They both had their reasons for keeping their distance at first, so it takes them awhile to get there. (Otherwise, there'd be no book, right?) ;-)
There was a side story with Isabel's brother Rhys and a charming girl named Abby that I REALLY loved. I adored this couple so much I wish they could've had their own story!
To sum it up, I enjoyed this book, but it's not one of my absolute favorites. Definitely worth a read, though!
Updated review with a re-read)
I started this book looking for something HOT, and it definitely delivers.
The sex scenes are VERY sensual and deliciously explicit, just how I like ‘em. ;-) There is M/F/M but also M/M. I love the dynamic of the relationship between the three main characters. Anje (F) dominates Trey (M), while Brin (M) dominates Anje, or Trey, or BOTH.
The alternate world the author has created is a bit over the top but it works. Lots of mention of pleasure slaves, and when you have an orgasm, it's an offering to the goddess, etc.
An entertaining read that sizzles!
This is light on romance, although there is a storyline, as well as a HEA. But if you're expecting our “hero” to be monogamous throughout the story, sorry to disappoint. ;-) He has a ton of sex with a myriad of different women. (Part of this story takes place in a brothel, if that gives you an idea.)
The sex scenes in this book are some of the hottest I've ever read. Very vivid, explicit descriptions and titillating scenarios burn up the pages. There's one group scene where a woman is shared between several men while even more men watch the action...uh, yeah. clears throat
My rating is for the sex scenes and not for the plot.
The heartbreaking story of the Choctaws in Mississippi and of the men who attempted to “civilize” and “Christianize” them. A very detailed and informative account of the religious and political climate of the Choctaw Nation in the years leading up to their removal. It's a story that echoes that of countless other American Indian nations...of a people who have their culture, traditions and beliefs slowly and systematically stripped from them in the name of progress and religion.
The culprits? White missionaries, the U.S. government, and even some of their own leaders, as in the final years prior to removal the Choctaw Nation was on the verge of civil war, their loyalties firmly divided between the full blooded chiefs who held to the old ways and the half white, much younger leaders who for their own political gain asserted themselves into positions of power.
5+ stars!
AMAZING story, even better than the first in this duet.
I loved that Nic was instantly attracted to Merry, and saw her unique beauty, despite her not being what was “normally” considered pretty. He loved things she hated about herself, such as her hair. His constant building her up and getting on to her when she would tear down her looks endeared him to me and I really respected him for that.
The sexual tension was off the charts...these two have an immediate connection that only intensifies as their feelings for one another grow.
Emma Holly has a way with words, and when it came to the sex scenes she did not disappoint. Hot, erotic perfection.
Top it off with a feel good happy ending, and you have the perfect book, and a love story I'll remember with fondness.
*Note: Merry has a small role in Book 1, Beyond Innocence. While reading Book 1 first will give you a bit of insight on the character of Merry, it's not essential. Helpful, certainly, but not a MUST read in order to enjoy this story.
Fan-FUCKING-tastic! That's all there is to say. If you like hot and smutty, this is the hottest and smuttiest of them all. Plus older man/younger woman = out of the ballpark for me. The bdsm element is very well written...the author claims to be a submissive herself and after reading this, I believe it 100%. She really knows her shit.
From her blog I ascertained she plans to publish this as original fiction, and I applaud her decision wholeheartedly. I can't wait to support her future endeavors as I hope she writes many more!
Read it. Trust me.
Short and sweet. I loved the idea of two perfect strangers being trapped for an indefinite amount of time and getting close as the result. Mild BDSM play (spanking, etc.) Nothing too crazy. ;)
