Liviania’s review of What She Craves by Lacy Danes
Erotic historical romance single-author anthology released by Aphrodisia 1 Mar 07
I remember this cover from a “bad covers competition.” I can see why it was nominated – too much contrast, terrible hair, the weird red wash, the nipple showing, the odd pose. (Just look at his lower hand!) The cover doesn’t do much to depict the contents, as I would never look at it and think, “I bet this is set in the nineteenth century.” Of course, at the same time it describes them pretty well. Bad.
Lust’s Vow
Hannah and her dead husband had a terrible sex life (while he was alive). She followed ye olde advice of “lie back and think of England” and it turned out he wanted something more active. Not that she worked on this with him. He just had mistresses instead. But now, armed with knowledge from erotic texts, she’s prepared to learn how to please a man. She starts by observing a ménage a trois in secret. How she knew just where to go is a mystery.
Then, Kenneth Walker, whom she gave a handjob to before she got married, discovers her masturbating to the sight. He hasn’t seen her in years and didn’t know she’d been widowed, but all these years he’s been secretly obsessed with the girl who jerked him off despite the large amount of kinky sex he’s had in the intervening years.
The plot is terrible, the sex fairly silly (Hannah leaks fluid like a broken car part and doesn’t mind someone just sticking a finger in her anus despite her inexperience), and the premise icky. This isn’t “What She Craves.” The person who talks about craving is Kenneth. Hannah’s greatest desire is to please a man. Not to please someone and be pleased in return. Just to please a man. Ugh.
Grade: F
Checkmate
This is the best story of the bunch. Dominatrix Cora actually prefers to be a submissive, but was hurt badly by a lover. She’s kept herself on the other side to prevent it from happening again. But now she’s finally giving in. Rupert Roland wished to hire her in the past, and is surprised to find her at a party thrown by his society. There’s not much plot, as is fitting for erotica, but what plot exists is coherent. There’s a brief lesbian scene, which might bother some readers. The bit that bothered me was Cora using a large marble dildo. Hard, cold stone? Not sexy.
Grade: C+
Night of the Taking
Jessica just arrived in town, in time for the Festival of Catus, where catmen and women (called Felis singularly, Catus plural for some reason) round up virgins for a ritual, since they can’t reproduce without virgin humans. It turns out Jessica is destined to be the queen. Abysis, the future king, can only get an erection and orgasm with her. Despite this, the Catus ritual (as illogical as the one in Lust’s Vow) gives the other males a chance to take her instead. That’s really poor planning. In fact, most of the other males try to take Jessica.
Coon wanted to provoke him. As would Haven the next male before him, but Haven would push him farther, he always did.
No, Coon and Haven aren’t given motivations. To add to the illogical, the last three queens apparently didn’t enjoy sex. What’s the point of a mystical soulmate who doesn’t like sex? Other couples only thought their mystical hoo-ha sucked. The paranormal elements as a whole are terribly used. The sheer purpose of the Catus being catpeople is so they can have a bizarre ritual.
Grade: F
Lacy Danes has potential, but these stories suffer from terrible plots and paper thin characters. I don’t expect erotica to be great literature but I do expect it to make some sense. Her subsequent work may show improvement, as this was her debut, but I recommend avoiding What She Craves.
Overall Grade: D-
The Summary:
In first time author Lacy Danes’ sizzling erotic stories, adventurous women are willing to do anything, risk everything, and break all the rules for a taste of sensual bliss…
A beautiful courtesan skilled at pleasing others finds a man who can satisfy her hidden desires… At the season’s most decadent orgy, a prim widow learns how to give-and receive-the ultimate pleasure… In a mysterious erotic ritual in a small English village, a young woman is chosen by a wickedly seductive green-eyed male to be his mate-and his queen…Checkmate
Courtesan Cora Durand longs to find a man to satisfy her own hidden desires. Rupert Roland has dreamed of having beautiful, defiant Cora at his carnal mercy,and when each gets their wish, the outcome is pure ecstasy….Lust’s Vow
Hannah Rosworth’s late husband claimed that she was too sexually inexperienced for his tastes. But Kenneth Walker, an infamous rake, can see the fire beneath her sedate exterior. And at the season’s most decadent orgy he’ll show her how to give — and receive — the ultimate pleasure…Night of the Taking
At the Festival of Catus in a small English village, local virgins take part in a mysterious, erotic ritual. Jessica can hardly believe she’s been chosen, but the irresistible green-eyed male who claims her will use any wickedly seductive means to rove that she is his mate — and his queen…Read an excerpt here.
