Sandy M’s review of Ecstasy by Bella Andre
Contemporary Romance erotic short story ebook published by Bella Andre 1 Aug 11

When I read the first few paragraphs of this book, I kept thinking, “Shades of Romancing the Stone” – that first adventure scene where you end up being relieved it’s not really the movie but an excerpt from Joan Wilder’s manuscript. So when reading Charlie Gibson’s erotic story at the beginning of this book, I held my breath, waiting to find out what Bella Andre intended to do. Boy, was I ever surprised!

I’m happy to say Ms. Andre gives readers a fun story with equally fun characters. That isn’t to say there aren’t a couple of issues, but for the most part I enjoyed getting to know Charlie and Candace through their relationship with each other and through their writing.

Deciding to make a change in her writing, Candy wants to write erotic romance novels. She’s finding that a little difficult in more ways than one. The writing group she joins is disgusted with her porn, and her dates only want to get into her pants when they find out what she does for a living. Attending an erotic romance conference changes her life all the way around. All she had to do is bowl over and fall on top of Charlie Gibson, successful erotic writer.

Charlie has suffered pretty much the same fate: when women find out he writes sexy and sensual books, they simply walk out on him, thinking he’s perverted and the scum of the earth. He’d give anything to find that one woman who wouldn’t look at him in such a light. When he’s bowled over by Candace, his destiny is about to change. Agreeing to mentor her during the conference, Charlie comes up with a lesson plan that will teach her all she needs to know to get her words on paper for publication. He’s taken by surprise when Candace takes those lessons a step further.

Lesson by lesson they become lovers, each falling for the other but afraid to say anything due to the circumstances of their attraction. Both vow to tell the other how they feel after the mentoring is over. In the meantime, Candace’s writing has taken on a whole new light, and she even enters her story in a contest just to see how it goes over with the judges. Yes, she wins the contest, but will she lose Charlie when he finds out what she’s really done?

While I definitely enjoy Charlie and Candace as they get to know one another in every carnal way possible, I also want to know more about them personally. They never really talk to each other to learn those little things lovers find out. I think that’s mostly due to this being a short story, but even a short scene or two would make me happy. And I’m a tad irritated with Candace not thinking about Charlie in terms of the erotic contest she enters. I mean, he is an erotic writer, after all. That she doesn’t put two and two together just doesn’t sit right.

But, all in all, Ecstasy is an entertaining romp that will keep you turning the pages to see what these two are up to next.

Grade:B-

Summary:

Candace, a newcomer to writing erotica, is thrilled when Charlie, a veteran of the industry, agrees to be her mentor.  But neither of them ever expected that Charlie’s lessons on new positions, using toys, varying locations and role playing would spiral from verbal instruction into hot, hands on education.  Unfortunately, Candace’s deception about the new erotic romance she’s writing–where Charlie plays the starring role–is about to threaten their one chance at true love.

No excerpt available.