Jennifer
When I first saw this guy on Cyn Mistress Kitty's profile, he immediately made an impression. And as I began to read “Hearts in Darkness”, I knew in an instant who my Caden was:
My Makenna:
I'll admit, I was initially drawn to the premise of this story. Two strangers trapped in a dark elevator together? Sounds delicious. And let's not forget that the guy on the cover is pretty delicious, too. But I soon discovered this story is so much more than a quick, illicit tryst in an elevator.
Rarely do I feel such a deep connection between two characters who've only known each other as short a time as Caden and Lacey, but the author really made it realistic and believable. “Hearts of Darkness” packs an unexpected punch, both emotionally and in terms of steam factor.
Caden has a deep set fear of dark, confined spaces, and the more I learned of his tragic story, the more my heart broke for him. My favorite kind of story is one where the characters come alive on the page, and the best way to accomplish that (for me, at least), is to tug at the heart strings and emotions. I truly felt Caden's pain.
I was so happy that Lacey felt it too, and that she felt compelled to reach out to this stranger, this man she'd never even laid eyes on. In the darkness of the elevator, time seemed to stand still as this pair shared something raw and genuine. By the time the lights kicked back on and they had to return to the “real” world and go back to being strangers, I was rooting for this couple to find their HEA.
“Peace was not an emotion with which he was much familiar, but with Makenna, he had it. And he didn't know how he'd ever give it up.”
And it was utter bliss when they did.
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.
3.75 to 4 stars
I loved the characters in this story.
The hero, Damon, was wicked and not very likeable at first. He used intimidation as a weapon, but you soon discover that he also hides behind it, shielding the real Damon from being exposed for the tortured, abused and unloved little boy he'd been who'd grown into a lonely man.
The heroine Gwyneth was feisty and determined,and wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with Damon for the sake of her cause, even if it meant getting her hands dirty. She was compassionate and kind, and she saw Damon for who he really was and loved him despite his attempts to push her away. When he finally admitted his love for her and accepted her love in return, it was beautiful and sweet and brought a tear to my eye. Sigh I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again: I LOVE a story where a tortured hero finds healing and peace in the arms of a good woman who loves and accepts him for who he is.
I found the storyline to be very interesting, as it takes place mainly aboard a prison ship that Damon is the Captain of. So the theme is different than the norm and I quite enjoyed it. The author really sucked me into the world and with her creative writing, had me smelling the stench and imagining the horror of the prison ship and its unfortunate inhabitants. The vivid descriptions had me cringing and holding my breath, so kudos to the author for breathing such life and realism into the story.
There were a few things that bugged me, such as numerous POV; also overuse of certain words in certain chapters, but certainly nothing that kept me from ultimately enjoying the story.
“Wicked at Heart” is also light on steam. There is one love scene at the very beginning that occurs between the hero and another woman, one failed love scene between the H/h that is interrupted, and then one full love scene between the H/h. I prefer my stories to contain a much higher steam level, so that did knock my rating down some.
When I purchased, the kindle version was only 99 cents, and well worth the read at that price! Recommend, especially if you enjoy your stories more on the tamer side as far as steam level.
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.
Currently only 99 cents! http://amzn.to/1LxHHti
As a lover of fairytales and a true romantic at heart, I was very excited to discover this book, a re-telling of Cinderella. But not just ANY retelling. An EROTIC retelling. ;-) Because as much as I love a romantic story, I love an erotic one even more. big grin
On both counts, “A Midnight Dance” did not disappoint.
The story had some elements of Cinderella, but didn't follow the traditional story exactly, but that's ok. It was a wonderful story, and kept me interested and entertained, and gave me a beautiful happily ever after ending. sigh
The sex was pretty awesome! Wonderfully descriptive, and the first scene happens right out of the starting gate. While sometimes this could ruin a story for me, as I generally prefer to get to know the characters a bit more and feel that sexual tension build, in this case it was an integral part of the storyline and wasn't gratuitous. It also didn't kill the tension either, at least in my humble opinion.
While this definitely isn't bdsm, there was a bondage scene that was pretty damn hot and a bit of dirty talking going on. (LOVE me a dirty talkin' man!)
Important- Do NOT overlook reading the very, very end!! But don't read it first, either, or you'll spoil the story, lol. ;-)
5 stars for this wonderful story, and I can't wait to read more of Lila's work!
It really is a shame that Emma Holly stopped writing historicals, because a good erotic historical is hard to come by.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Holly's writing style, which is very detailed. I prefer authors who paint scenes in a descriptive way instead of a more simplistic style.
The storyline was good...I felt the chemistry between Edward and Florence and it certainly had me hurrying through to get to the good stuff. ;-)
The sex was good as well. There were only a couple of words or phrases that made me snicker, lol.
There is one sex scene at the very beginning of the book between the Hero and his mistress, but don't get concerned—the hero isn't a cheater. Once he gives his heart to Florence, he remains faithful to her.
On the whole an excellent read if you love historicals with a bit more steam than average.
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
I bought this book on a whim, having no idea what to expect, but boy, am I glad I did! I couldn't put it down, and it's been awhile since I've read a romance THAT good. “A Candle in the Dark” is, hands down, one of the best romances I've ever read.
First of all, the setting. This is NOT another boring romance set in Regency England, which, quite frankly, I've grown rather tired of. “A Candle in the Dark” takes you from New York to the lush, exotic jungle of Panama, and I enjoyed every single minute of it!
Your heart breaks for both the hero and heroine, as you quickly discover that they are both broken individuals in desperate need of someone to love. Both have given up on such a frivolous notion. Ana, the heroine, is a prostitute who goes by The Duchess...the ice princess who never melts for anyone, and hides her heart behind a protective wall. After killing the man who is abusing her, she desperately needs to disappear, and she hires Cain D'Alessandro to help her. Cain is a doctor, but is haunted by his past failures and the complete lack of faith his parents had in him. He's turned to alcohol to drown out the memories and dark voices in his head. He is a SERIOUS alcoholic...the kind that gets physically ill if he doesn't get his next drink.
Together this couple learn to trust and love, and it is SO sweet when they do.
The steam level on this book is much lower than what I usually prefer, but the story was SO good I didn't care one whit. There is only one love scene, but it has an agonizingly sweet buildup, and the scene definitely delivers. It's erotic and sensual, while still being incredibly tender.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something different than the norm, and who enjoys books with tortured heroes (and tortured heroines as well!) who find healing in each other. There is plenty of emotional angst, but the ending is definitely sweet and satisfying.
An awesome read, and as I said, probably one of the best romances I have ever read. Seriously, it's THAT good!
4 1/2 stars
What can I say.....my blood was pumping when I read the premise of Morning Song. An older, more experienced stepfather seducing his newly acquired 18 year old innocent stepdaughter? How scandalous.......and delicious. Although it's definitely “forbidden love”, it's not quite as taboo as it initially sounds. The hero is married to the heroine's witch of a stepmother, not her biological mother, and he doesn't come on the scene until she's 18, so it's not like he raised her. Also, for those of you who hate cheating heroes (as in, cheating on the heroine), Clive is not that as his relationship with his wife is strained and has been long before he seduces Jessie.
Clive McClintock is devastatingly handsome and charming, and it doesn't take long for me to fall for him right along with the innocent young Jessie Lindsay. He's also a rake with a nasty temper and a penchant for swearing at ladies. Still, he redeems himself as time and time again he shows tenderness and sympathy for Jessie when most everyone else around her rejects and ridicules her. It's not hard to see why sweet, naïve little Jessie falls for her stepfather and why he awakens a sexual curiosity in her that she's never felt before. Jessie is young and innocent, and she's had a hard life since her father died, but she hasn't let the circumstances of her life beat down her spirit. She's a bit wild and feisty, and I enjoyed watching her transform from awkward child to beautiful young woman.
I was not disappointed with the level of passion in this story, because there's heat and plenty of it. The scandalous nature of their relationship as well as some serious sexual tension that builds up for quite some time before their first love scene makes Morning Song quite a steamy and satisfying read. I was a bit disenchanted with the ending of the story though, as I felt the romance was a bit lacking. Clive's rough treatment of Jessie and the hurtful things he says to her towards the end left me a bit cold. There is a “happy ending” for this interesting couple, it's just not quite as warm and fuzzy as I would have liked it to be. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too high. After all, this is a romance about a rakish older stepfather who takes the virginity of his young, innocent stepdaughter. How romantic did I think this story was gonna be, lol? After all, I didn't pick this book because it sounded romantic......I picked it because it sounded like it would get my heart pounding and my pulse racing, and that, it most definitely did. If you're looking for a scandalously sexy story about forbidden love, this is your book. If you want hearts and flowers, I'd look elsewhere.
