Liviania’s review of Private Places by Robin Schone, Claudia Dain, Allyson James, and Shiloh Walker
Historical Erotic Romance Anthology released by Berkley Trade 5 Aug 08

Private Places gathers together four talents in erotic romance for a strong anthology. Each has a different style and theme, but all but one fit together well. Walker’s is a nice palate-cleanser. Only one of the novellas disappointed me, though I’m sure there are many who would enjoy it.

The Decidedly Devilish Duke by Allyson James

Years ago Michael and Amelia might have married, but their pride got in the way. Now Michael finally has the chance to marry her since her husband died and left her dependent on a despicable relative. But someone is claiming that Michael’s wife is not really dead. James doles out the secrets of their past at a good pace and develops them well. The plot involving Michael’s wife seems more rushed since most of the character’s actions to bring about the resolution occur off-screen. While I found A Night at the Theater to be a better story, I think Michael and Amelia were a better couple.

Grade: B+

Summary:
A wickedly erotic card game has high stakes: marriage. And a cunning widower and a desperate young widow learn that passion is the ultimate wild card . . .
Read an excerpt here

A Night at the Theater by Claudia Dain

Zoe lost her position as an actress to Miranda and wants revenge. Experienced courtesan Sophia knows how to do it: set Zoe up with Miranda’s former lover Duke Aldreth. He’s also rich enough to keep Zoe well if she pulls of the seduction. Sophia wants to convince Lord Dalby (enemy of her former lover Lord Westlin) to marry her. Dain includes a number of entanglements among the characters and two relationships but makes it all work. Sophia and Zoe are practical woman and very different from the normal romantic heroine. I enjoyed watching Sophia’s plots unfold as the night progressed. Definitely my favorite of the anthology.

Grade: A-

Summary:
Revenge is on the playbill for two young courtesans attending the theater in London. And far more entertaining than the play is the off-stage drama of a very public seduction or two . . .
Read an excerpt here

Hunter’s Mercy by Shiloh Walker

Shape-shifter Jack returns home to take care of his dead best friend’s sister, Mercy. In the since he left other creatures moved into his territory and killed her husband, causing her to hunt them despite being severely outclassed. I liked Jack’s voice and enjoyed the story, but it seemed a little out of place in this anthology. It’s both the only paranormal and the only one not set in London. However, Walker manages some worldbuilding in about one hundred pages and develops interesting supporting characters. My favorite was former slave Lydia who knows a more about what’s happening than she let’s on.

Grade: B

Summary:
In America’s early days, a woman is out to kill the demons who destroyed her life. But when she becomes the prey, a shape-shifter turns up to save her. Now, if only she could think of a way to repay him . . .
Read an excerpt here

The Men and Women’s Club by Robin Schone

Robin Schone headlined the anthology but I found her entry the least satisfying. Joseph Manning lost his virginity to Ardelle Dennison and wants to repeat the experience, now that their club for talking frankly about sex has been discovered. Ardelle has a number of demons to work through regarding her sexual history and she gets over them too quickly for my taste. It’s also hard to tell what is going on with the club since it isn’t actually featured in the story. Apparently a widow in it told her son about it and is not on trial (with Ardelle and Joseph witnessing against her – Schone goes for subtle, but hits obtuse (in my opinion). I didn’t care enough about the characters to read it again and try to follow the plot.

Grade: D

Summary:
Their private vice is a club that explores the boundaries of passion – but when it’s exposed in an 1887 London trial, a man and a woman learn how very dangerous desires of the flesh can be . . .
Read an excerpt here

Overall Grade: B-

Overall Summary:
Four all-new hot tales of yore, by the queens of erotic fiction.

USA Today bestselling author Robin Schone shares a tale of a man and a woman in a notorious club, who learn how very dangerous desires of the flesh can be. Claudia Dain heats up this collection with the story of two voyeuristic young courtesans who might just take part in a very public seduction at the theatre. Allyson James has a card-playing, cunning widower and a desperate young widow learn that passion is the ultimate wild card. And finally, Shiloh Walker introduces a short story of a woman saved by a shapeshifter. Now, if only she could think of a way to repay him…

Rarely does such blush-worthy, heated erotica exist—and almost never all in one book.