Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Queen’s Consort by Leia Rice
Erotica short story ebook published by Spice Briefs 01 Jul 11

Pour a glass of wine into me and I’ll wax poetic about how erotica isn’t “just about sex.”  That in “good erotica,” written predominantly for a female readership, the sex is a catalyst for the heroine’s journey.  Yeah, I know – blah, blah, blah.  Listen, not all erotica is created equal.  Pour a second glass of wine into me and I’ll admit that some erotica?  Yeah, is all about the sex.  But you know what?  That’s not always a bad thing.  If nothing else, it adds a whole other definition to the expression “reading for pleasure.”

Arabelle is a royal maid for Marie Antoinette and has been getting her kicks of late watching the queen be pleasured by her consort.  During one such spying adventure she makes a little too much noise, and while navigating the secret passageways in the palace, the consort catches up to her.  It doesn’t exactly take a rocket scientist to know what happens next.

If you’re looking for serious naughty times in your erotica, you don’t get much naughtier than Louis XVI royal court prior to the French Revolution.  There’s oodles of palace intrigue and more hanger-ons than at a hip-hop awards show.  However, this is a short story, and an erotic one at that – so the author really glosses over the horrors of the Revolution.  Admittedly, I wasn’t terribly wild about this treatment, but crimes against humanity is definitely not the tone the author was shooting for.

Now, that being said, if you just want sexy times and don’t necessarily care (or want) some deep, angsty treatment of the time period?  By all means, this short story might be for you.  You’ve got a hero who can probably set a world’s record for stamina and horny-ness.  You’ve got a heroine who is so lusty that she lets a total stranger deflower her, and then after she’s done?  She goes back to her quarters to have encounters with other maids!  Chinese New Year doesn’t have this many fireworks.

It all boils down to what the reader wants.  If you want a hot short story with wall-to-wall, (I’ll just say it) skanky shenanigans?  Oh man, drop everything and download this right now.  But if you’re looking for a more highfalutin’ form of erotica that you can shove in the faces of all those naysayers out there?  Probably not this short story.  However, that doesn’t make this a “bad” story and it doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the heck out of reading it.

Yeah, I just said that – and I totally own it.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Royal maid Arabelle fantasizes about taking the queen’s place, but not for power or riches. She wants to be pleasured by the queen’s secret consort. Watching them together arouses cravings that her trysts with other men and her sensual encounters with her fellow maids cannot satisfy. She longs to be given licentious commands from the mysterious man, and to give orders in return.

Then, in the secret halls of Versailles, Arabelle’s fantasy comes true—with even more wicked pleasures than she imagined….

No excerpt available.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Earl Takes a Lover by Georgia E. Jones
Historical erotica digital short story published by Spice Briefs 01 Jul 11

I’m a sucker for historicals with an erotic edge, so whenever I see one pop up in the Spice Briefs line, I always take a closer look.  Georgia E. Jones is a writer I’ve never read before, and the back cover blurb sounded enticing, so I gave it a whirl.  I wish I could say I fell madly in love – but sadly, not so much.

Penelope Montague makes her way in the world as a companion for an elderly lady.  Educated in a convent, what nobody is aware of is that young Penelope is the daughter of a prostitute and, for the first few years of her life, was raised in a brothel!  Not only that, she’s the author of the scandalous A Woman’s Handbook, which has ladies in a swoon and gentlemen in a lather.

It’s in her duties as a companion that she meets the new Earl of Thanet, Robin Sackville Tufton.  Robin is a rake of the first order, but now that he has inherited the title he finds himself thwarting off various matchmaking mamas.  When he spies Penelope, he knows that he must have her.  But what will happen when he discovers one taste is not enough?  As an Earl, Penelope is so far beneath him she might as well be hanging out with The Mole People.  And sure as shootin’, she ain’t content to be no man’s mistress.

While the sexy times were certainly sizzling, everything else about this story didn’t work for me.  While born to a prostitute and raised in a brothel, Penelope is still, conveniently, a virgin. Frankly, this smacked of the author wanting to have her cake and eat it too.  Especially since Penelope apparently “knows” enough about Sexy Times to write a book, but not enough so that Robin can still “educate” her.  Bah humbug.  We’re also to believe that when the patrons of said brothel begin to take notice of young Penelope, the madam ships her off to convent school.  OK, I’m calling shenanigans on this one.  What self-respecting madam in early 19th century London is going to ship off a potential money-making bonanza?  No hooker has a heart of gold that pure, let alone a madam who is, (hello?!) essentially, a pimp.  Don’t they kick you out of the Big Pimpin’ Union for that sort of thing?

Even if you’re willing to roll with Penelope’s background, there’s the small matter of the ending.  Um, there isn’t one.  This story just stops.  The resolution to the conflict?  Yeah, there isn’t any.  It just….stops.  This might not be totally disconcerting in a straight-up erotic story, but I viewed more than one romance road sign over the course of my reading.  So to have things just….stop?  With no real resolution?  Frustrating doesn’t even begin to cover it.  Bah humbug indeed.

Grade: D

Summary:

London, 1801

No one could have guessed that virginal companion Penelope Montague is the author of the scandalous manual A Woman’s Handbook. Society believes she was educated in a convent, unaware she spent the first half of her life raised by the ladies of the famous Black Swan brothel.

Only rake Robin Sackville Tufton, Earl of Thanet, sees the sensual woman behind Pen’s proper exterior. From the moment he sees her, he wants her more than anything else. But Pen isn’t fit to be an earl’s wife, nor can he simply take her—despite her passionate response to his touch. Can Robin and Penelope rein in their desire…or will they find a way to indulge it?

No excerpt found.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Taking Her Boss (Glory Tales #1) by Alegra Verde
Contemporary erotica digital short story published by Spice Briefs 01 Apr 11

When someone asks me why I read erotica, my flippant answer is “because like it.”  All the reasons why I like it cannot truly be condensed down in a two-second sound bite, but one aspect of it?  I get off (hardy har har) on erotic stories that challenge.  Not just my own personal notions of what is sexy or “erotic,” but even those notions that are held by “polite society” – for lack of a better description.  In other words, no, it’s not all about the sex.  The sex in “good” erotica serves as a catalyst for some larger issue.

Glory James likes her job as personal assistant to ad executive Bruce Davies.  Although apparently not enough to keep from boinking a client in her office.  When Bruce catches them in the act, Glory expects to get, if not fired, reprimanded.  So imagine her surprise when Bruce confesses an attraction to her and drops the bombshell that he likes to be given orders in the bedroom.  Whatever shall they do now?

I’ll be honest and disclose that I picked up this story because I enjoy reading about dominant heroines.  I wasn’t really looking for earth-shattering depth here, just something different from the prevailing hero = Dom, heroine = submissive that seems to dominant (ha!) the genre.  The reader does have to get past the set-up of the story, but what follows is some very intriguing fallout.

Glory proceeds to enter into a relationship with Bruce, but it’s not without consequences.  Bruce seems to be able to go about his business at the office, flip the switch, and pretend nothing is going on outside.  Glory?  Yeah, not so much.

This is a dicey story, and one that I have a hard time recommending out-right to all readers of erotica.  At one point during their play-time, Glory calls Bruce a nasty slur that will very likely offend some readers.  Also, later in the story, when Glory finds herself distancing herself from the situation, Bruce comes off kind of stalker-ish.  All of this leads to a slightly uncomfortable ending, where things are still very much up in the air.  Which hopefully means more Glory Tales to follow.  Because even as uncomfortable as this story made me at times?  Yeah, I don’t want to be done yet.  This probably says nothing good about me, but you know what?  I don’t rightly care.

Grade: B-

Summary:

When Glory James’s boss catches her having sex with a client at the office, she expects to get reprimanded, not Bruce Davies’s revelation that he wants her, too.Even more shocking is his confession that he likes to be told what to do in bed—and that Glory is aroused by the idea…

No excerpt found.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s Quick Quack Reviews of Three Spice Briefs by Anne Calhoun, Elisa Adams and Destiny D’Otare
Contemporary erotic romance, contemporary erotica and historical erotic romance ebook short stories released by Spice Briefs Mar – Aug 2010

The amount of titles I currently have loaded on my Sony Reader is reaching Defcon 5, so that must mean it’s time for me to plow (heh heh, I said “plow”) through some a naughty Spice Briefs.  I tend to buy and read these stories in a totally random way, so it was just dumb luck that two of them feature rather dominant heroes.  Also dumb luck that I found the historical offering not only lacking, but just plain wrong.

What She Needs by Anne Calhoun
Contemporary erotic romance ebook short story released 1 Aug 10

The heroine (you know, I don’t think her name is ever mentioned), has a long-standing arrangement with a guy named Jack.  When he’s ready for her company, he calls her and tells her to meet him in the hotel bar.  If she agrees to meet him, she does everything he asks of her.  She’s free to say no to the invite, but if she says yes?  Jack is running the show.  And our heroine?  Always accepts the invitation.

Starting this story I pretty much knew where it was going, but that didn’t make it any less of a smokin’ hot read.  Calhoun does a wonderful job of writing anticipation, building it to a fever pitch.  And while the power dynamic in this relationship did make me a wee bit uncomfortable, that ending I knew was coming (no pun intended)?  Yeah, I can see a lot of female readers relating to it in a “OMG! Did this author just read my mind?” sort of way.

Grade: B

Summary:

When Jack calls and tells me to meet him at the hotel bar, I know two things: he wants to sleep with me, and I will let him.

That’s the rule. If I meet him, I do what he asks, when he asks. I’m free to decline his invitation, but if I accept, I’ll do what I’m told.

I always accept.

Read An Excerpt

For Your Pleasure by Elisa Adams
Contemporary erotica ebook short story released 1 Jun 10

Callie has a hunky new neighbor.  A neighbor who hasn’t put up curtains in his bedroom yet.  For two weeks she has been suitably entertained, although she wishes he’d look her way.  Then one evening, he does!  And it turns out the lusty feelings are mutual.  Ooo la la!

This story straddles the line between erotica and erotic romance.  There’s a nice, positive, and realistic ending, but not quite “final” enough to tip the romance scales.  Again, there is a lopsided power dynamic here, but one that’s easy to roll with considering Callie likes being “punished” for spying on the hero.  A well done tale with some voyeuristic kink.

Grade: B

Summary:

For two weeks Callie has been watching—and lusting after—the sexy neighbor she can spy changing in his bedroom. Even though she knows nothing else about it him, all of Callie’s fantasies have revolved around him since the first time she saw him. It’s too bad he never looked her way. Or so she thought….

On a steamy summer night, her neighbor catches her enjoying his private strip session—and comes over for a visit. And Callie soon learns that the only thing better than watching is being part of the show….

No Excerpt Found.

Knightley’s Tale by Destiny D’Otare
Historical erotic romance ebook short story released 1 Mar 10

Maeve and Devlin are a happily married couple who like to tell each other naughty stories.  This time out Maeve challenges Devlin to slut up one of her favorite Jane Austen novels.  His response to this challenge?  Knightley chases after Emma when she takes off to attend a debauched costume ball.  Emma’s plan?  Seduce Knightley.

I must have been asleep at the wheel the day I bought this story, because had I realized it was essentially fan fiction, I wouldn’t have bothered.  I’m hardly an Austen purist, but everything about putting these characters in this scenario screamed, “Ack! Wrong, wrong, wrong!” to me.  It doesn’t help matters that Knightley chooses a laughably absurd location to deflower Emma, and that Emma compares Knightley’s “Little Knightley” to a palm tree.

Hand to God, a frackin’ palm tree.

I read erotic stories to get the hell away from silly virgins, but that’s me.

This didn’t work for me so much that I’m tempted to slap it with an F, but honestly?  I do think there is an audience for this out there.  Maybe the same folks who want to read about Harry, Ron and Hermione having a threesome, but an audience nonetheless.

Grade: D-

Summary:

Maeve and Devlin are back with another erotic tale—this time featuring two of Maeve’s favorite characters as you’ve never seen them before….

Mr. Knightley is shocked that his beloved Emma would risk her reputation by visiting the scandalous pleasure garden where the ton’s sexual fantasies came to life. He’s even more astounded—and aroused—by Emma’s transformation into a sensual goddess intent on being initiated into the secrets of love…by him!

Read An Excerpt

Other stories in series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s Quick Quack Reviews of Three Spice Briefs by Eden Bradley, Riki Kaye and Ruthie Michaels
Erotic romance and erotica ebook short stories released by Spice Briefs Feb – May 2010

There’s nothing like reading “short” for deluding myself into thinking that I’m actually making progress on my Harlequin e-book backlog.  Also, I figure since Harlequin keeps publishing the naughty Spice Briefs line, that I cannot possibly be the only one who has a minor addiction to buying them.  Oh, and reading them.  I might be willing to concede that I have a problem, but how can reading these tasty morsels be anything other than right?

Night Moves by Eden Bradley
Erotic romance ebook short story released 1 May 10

Kate’s got a thing for trains.  I mean, our girl really has a thing for riding (tee hee) the rails.  She tends to travel at night, waits for everyone to get tucked in, and then she scurries off to a private place to uh…take matters in her own hands.  Although this time around she finds her erotic moment of self-love interrupted by sexy surfer dude, Ian.  Oh my.  Whatever shall they do?

What we have here is the ol’ Hot Sex With A Hot Stranger trope.  The author makes it sizzle, incorporating two characters who are intelligent, willing to make small talk, and succumb to the spontaneity of the moment.  The resolution to this story felt a bit rushed to me, but the author ends this tale on an upbeat note.  I was left wanting more, which in the case of an erotic short story, is not necessarily a bad thing.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Something about trains had always brought out Kate’s wild side. So far it had been her own dirty little secret—until a sexy stranger catches her sneaking into his compartment looking to indulge her fantasy. But instead of throwing her out, Ian is turned on…and he’s ready to give Kate the ride of her life!

No Excerpt Found

Special Delivery by Riki Kaye
Erotic romance ebook short story released 1 Apr 10

Michael has been pulling long hours at the office, and when he gets home in the evenings he has no energy left for his wife.  Megan is starting to find this pattern of behavior annoying, and eventually decides it’s time to take matters into her own hands.  So she dons a skimpy outfit, grabs a pizza, and heads to hubby’s office for a lunch time quickie.

While Spice Briefs aren’t necessarily known for being “sweet” – this story kinda is.  Michael has been Megan’s one and only lover, and while she adores sex, she’s never been much of an instigator.  Her showing up at the office is definitely something new, and Michael?  Well, Mikey likes it.  A lot.  A quick sizzling read about a happily married couple who have hit a bump in the bedroom road.

Grade: B

Summary:

With her husband’s busy work schedule, Megan barely got a chance to have dinner with her husband, let alone make love. After three long weeks with no sex, she’s had enough. It’s time to take matters into her own hands…by visiting his office dressed as a sexy delivery girl and giving him a lunch break he’ll never forget…

No Excerpt Found

Tuscan Freedom by Ruthie Michaels
Erotica ebook short story released 1 Feb 10

Lily is in a rut, so when her college BFF, Gianna, asks her to come visit her in Italy, she’s all for it.  When she gets to Gianna’s villa who should she discover but two very sexy, and eager young men.  And wow – Gianna sure looks happy.  Wonder what that’s all about?  Ha!

Of my recent Spice Briefs reads, this one was definitely the naughtiest.  Lily has herself a grand ol’ time thanks to Gianna’s “hospitality” and the author pretty much explores all the options that two guys and two girls could possibly partake in.  However, this is very much a fantasy-laden read.  Readers looking for examination into multiple partner relationships, or those who need those safe sex moments in their erotic stories, are probably not going to be all that fulfilled here.  But it firmly fit my “erotica as fantasy” requirements, and Michaels certainly delivers with the sizzle.

Grade: B

Summary:

Lily’s normal life was dull and unchallenging—and seriously lacking in exciting sex! But when she goes on vacation in Italy, Lily finally feels free to explore a whole new side of herself…with the help of her hostess, Gianna. Before her trip is over, Lily will experience things she never imagined—such as a scandalous tryst with a stranger, a night of pleasure with her fellow houseguests, and so much more….

No Excerpt Found

Liviania’s review of Poison Kissed (Shadowfae, Book 3) by Erica Hayes
Urban fantasy/erotica released by St. Martins 28 Sept 10

Erica Hayes’s prose in the Shadowfae novels reminds me of Francesca Lia Block, particularly the Weetzie Bat books.  It’s hallucinatory dreamy and often has a strong sense of rhythm, due to repetition or anaphora or other techniques.  I like it, but she does change up her style a little for each narrator.  Mina, the narrator of Poison Kissed, is more straightforward and thinks more straightforwardly than most of the other characters.

Mina has a fairly simple goal: find the man who killed her mother and kill him.  That and convince her boss Joey to sleep with her.  Joey, unfortunately, misreads all the signs of Mina’s desire as disgust since he’s a snake-shifter and doesn’t go all the way back to human in his bipedal form.  This is the third book Mina and Joey appear in and his inability to see what every other character sees is annoying.  He manages to decide that Mina backing off during a make-out session is because she realized she didn’t want to touch him at all, when really is was just going too fast for her.

In her quest to find her mother’s killer, Mina manages to implicate herself as a traitor to Joey and lose her banshee powers.  This works pretty well to alleviate some of my annoyance with Joey, as he manages to trust Mina quite a bit despite the evidence to the contrary.  Mina also wavers between trusting Joey or not.  It builds the emotional side of their romance fairly well.

Hayes hasn’t sold me on erotica.  The sex is well-described, but most of the sex is either between people who don’t like each other, interrupted, or later regretted.  I think I’d like the sex more if the characters enjoyed it more.

Poison Kissed is my least favorite of the series so far.  Mina and Joey are on the opposite side of the protagonists of the previous two books, who all worked for Kane.  Kane is the demon who controls Melbourne despite all the others who’d like his slice of the pie.  Thus, the Kane storyline, which ties the books together, seemed disconnected from the rest of the action and slowed things down when it interrupted.  Usually, it pushes the rest of the story forward.

I am going to continue reading the Shadowfae series even though I thought Poison Kissed was a weaker entry.  I find the overarching storyline intriguing and I like Hayes’s writing style.  (I was a fan of the Weetzie Bat books as a teenager.)  Okay, and I like fairies.  Hayes’s has done well in shaping a city of supernatural beings who can do almost anything they want since the demon-in-charge wants his people focused on their desires.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She’s beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother’s death…
When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother’s murder, fury threatens to spill out of her note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she’s not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him—or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns her blood…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Birthday Present (The Countess Trilogy #3) by Alison Richardson
Historical erotica short story ebook released by Spice Briefs 01 Nov 2009

What can I say?  Sometimes it’s an intriguing writing style that keeps me coming back for more, even when I logically know that a story shouldn’t work for me in the slightest.  Which is why I decided to finish out the trilogy, and get some closure, for Richardson’s lusty, wicked and snobby heroine, Countess Anna von Esslin.

It’s been two years since the events of An Impolite Seduction and Anna is now living in Munich.  What is truly troublesome is that she’s been celibate this whole time.  Part of this is because Anna has found her tastes have grown more refined with age (not just any willing young buck will do), but also because her rival, that low-born Scot, James McKirnan has been steering any man remotely desirable away from her salon.  So she’s well and truly desperate when her cousin Robert offers her a birthday present.  A mystery lover who will only take her while she is blind-folded and who is so skilled that he soon has Anna panting after him.

Yeah, we all know where this is going right?

Richardson’s writing style continues to deliver most of the goods here.  Where there were a few instances of tell over show (especially in regards to dialogue), readers once again get a delightful first person narration from Anna’s point of view, and several wicked observations that induce some laughs.

The characters continue to be somewhat of an issue – most notably Anna.  While I do not subscribe to the school of thought that the heroine has to be “likeable” – there has to be “something” there for the reader to grasp on to.  While the author wraps up the saga of James and Anna in a neat package by the end, I’m still left with the question of why, as the reader, I should care what happens to either of these two.  James at least has moments where he’s not totally debauched and vile – and while it’s certainly historical accurate, Anna’s snobbery and scheming can wear very thin in short order.

At the end of this third and final story, I find myself continuing to ponder this series.  Richardson can write, of that there is no question.  These stories have been erotic, evocative, delightful, and even amusing.  If the author were to publish a full-length novel, or even more short stories, I would no doubt happily buy and read them.  All the while, praying that the heroine will be someone who truly deserves any positive outcomes that play out over the course of the story.  Frankly, I was never sure that Anna did.

Grade: C+

You can read reviews for all three stories by clicking on the series tag.

Summary:

Countess Anna von Esslin has done something very uncharacteristic: she hasn’t taken a lover in over two years! None of the men in Munich meet her standards…especially her rival, James McKirnan.

Then the Countess is given a surprising birthday presents—a mystery lover who will only see her when she is blindfolded. He fulfills Anna’s every desire…but when the blindfold comes off, will she like what she sees?

No excerpt found

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian’s review of The Countess’s Client (The Countess Trilogy #1) by Alison Richardson
Historical erotica short story ebook released by Spice Briefs 1 Sep 09

I’m a complete sucker for historically-set erotic stories.  Which means I do a lot of impulse buying.  This first book in what is being dubbed as “The Countess Trilogy” was the type of story that started out good, got really intriguing, and fell totally flat by the ending.  I’m still not quite sure what to make of it, but I know enough to say it didn’t really work for me. 

Anna von Esslin is the daughter of a Prussian army general, a young widow, a countess, and incredibly horny.  However she’s well aware of the double-standard that women must endure when it comes to sex.  Men can whore around all they want, brag up a storm about it, and no one shuns them.  Oh no.  But if you’re a woman?  You have to be discreet.  Your very existence depends on it.  Which means hooking up with men who will not brag about the interlude (yeah, good luck with that) or men no one will believe if they do spill the beans.

She’s in Paris visiting with her cousin, and is very bored.  But she hits upon an idea.  Her cousin is a regular visitor to a brothel and all the girls there are sick to death of servicing an uncouth, boorish client.  Anna is so desperate, she agrees to take the man on.  Not realizing, of course, that the Scotsman, James, while being of lowly birth, is actually moving around quite freely in some of her social circles.  He thinks she’s a common whore, and she thinks he’s a mere mechanic.  When the truth comes out, it makes for some unpleasant surprises.

While I found the writing style very engaging in this book, and Anna’s attitude towards sex deliciously scandalous, I have a hard time reading about snobs.  Anna, her cousin, pretty much everyone in this story is a snob.  Certainly this is very historically accurate, but even so, it’s hard to give a damn about the main character when she’s such a selfish snobbish bitch.  James worked a lot better for me, but I tend to like guys with dirt under their nails, and I felt sorry for him getting roped in with this woman who ultimately sniffs haughtily at him and acts as if he doesn’t matter in the least.

I was very curious to see how it would all turn out, but the ending takes a bit of a bizarre turn, James takes an “unlikeable” turn and I felt like it didn’t truly end at all.  Nothing is resolved in the least, and I found it all really unsettling.  Also, I can’t seem to find any “clues” as to where this story is going to go.  Since this is a “trilogy,” are Anna and James going to be in the next two stories?  Or is the author going to move on to different characters?  Honestly, with the way the ending is set up, it could go either way.  As it is, the author doesn’t have a web site (Grrrr!), so I’ll have to wait and see in October when the author’s next Spice Briefs, An Impolite Seduction is released.

Grade: D+

Summary:

“The practice of genuine virtue leads to a life of odious boredom.”

So feels widowed young countess Anna von Esslin, who is denied her normal erotic pursuits while staying with relatives in Paris. Without her usual opportunities for pleasure, the countess resorts to visiting a local brothelbut not as a client. To get the satisfaction she craves, the countess must masquerade as one of the girls….

No excerpt found.

Update: CONTEST will close Sunday 8/30/09 @ midnight CST. Post a link to your review for either Hell’s Eight Book in the comments (Caine’s Reckoning, Sam’s Creed) and I will enter you twice (info in the comments).

Have we got a treat for you today!  In celebration of The Great Western Drive, we have ourselves a tasty excerpt from Sarah McCarty‘s next book, Tucker’s Claim, which is due out on October 1, 2009! 

But wait, there’s more!  More, you ask?  What could be cooler than a tasty excerpt?  Well how about a chance to win a copy of the book.  Thanks to the fine folks at Harlequin, we’ll be giving away one copy of Tucker’s Claim to one random commenter on this post.  Please note: This will be a final copy of the book (not an ARC) and will be sent to the winner closer to the book’s publication date.  Read on, comment, and good luck!

TUCKER’S CLAIM
Copyright © 2009 by Sarah McCarty
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.

Sally stood in front of her mirror, studying her reflection. Tucker McCade was waiting for her out in the woods. The illicit thrill that went through her was very much out of place, but exciting. Staring at the mirror, she wondered what he saw in her. She was a plain woman with plain ways, wearing a plain dress. She had nothing frilly under her dress, such as the saloon girls wore to entice a man. No fancy scents to please his senses. She was just Sally Mae Schermerhorn, widow of Jonah Schermerhorn, mother to none, daughter to none. A woman who’d come west in the hope of finding the sense of belonging that she’d never had, even amidst the accepting arms of the people who had taken her in when she was ten. Even in the arms of her husband.

She touched the demure white cap she always wore over her coronet of braids. Nothing like what was worn by the other women Tucker had known, she was sure. Tucker, with his big bones, big muscles and bold face with the aggressive slash of his cheekbones beneath his incredible silver eyes was a harshly exotic, handsome man. There was nowhere he went that women’s eyes didn’t follow. A dart of insecurity pierced her anticipation. Which meant he could have his pick.

She pulled the cap off slowly, watching in the mirror as it revealed the tightly pinned braids. Suddenly she hated the hairstyle and all it represented. Conformity. Control. Acceptance.

Tonight, she wanted to be the woman that Tucker imagined. Someone as fanciful as a moonbeam. She studied the cap, her image. Tonight, for whatever reason, he wanted her. And tonight she wanted to be more than plain Sally Mae. Tonight she wanted to drown in the attraction between them and just bury the pain that festered inside beneath some sort of joy. Since that horrible night when the sheriff had brought her Jonah’s bloody body, along with his last words, she’d been silently screaming. She didn’t want to be silent anymore, locked in her mind with her screams. And tonight she didn’t have to be. Tonight she could give Tucker what he wanted and take a little for herself. No promises would be made. No one would be hurt. Just two bodies coming together to satisfy separate needs. And when it was over, she’d go back to her silence and plain ways and Tucker would go about his wild ones. There was no worry that he would gossip. The added benefit of taking a man with Indian blood as her lover was that he wouldn’t—couldn’t—say a word for fear of being strung up. She didn’t personally care about his heritage. God created all men and women equally, but societal issues did offer her that guarantee.

Another pause as she considered how selfish she was being, using a man to relieve pain. But then she remembered the look in Tucker’s eyes as he’d stood in the back of the cemetery on one of her recent visits. He had stalked over the rise like some wild cougar, his torn-off shirtsleeves and leather vest showcasing his massive chest and powerful muscles, giving him a primitive intimidation, making everyone and everything else seem insignificant. The ever-present bullet hanging on the leather thong around his neck completed the image of a cold, lethal predator. Until his silver gaze met hers. There hadn’t been any sympathy there. No pity. But as she stared into his eyes, understanding arced across the distance between them, and she saw the pain he, too, felt.

Sighing, she put the cap on the polished vanity top. She was going to take a lover. A man not of her race, not of her beliefs. A man who, supposedly, was built of nothing but violence and darkness. Sally knew there was a wildness in her that could match the wildness in Tucker, but knowing it and experiencing it were two different things. Raking her teeth across her lips to give them a bit more fullness and color, she turned away from the mirror. She would have to do as she was. Jonah had always enjoyed taking her hair down for her. Maybe Tucker would enjoy it, too. Smoothing her skirts, she headed down the stairs and into the sweetness of the night.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Afternoon Delight by Kayla Perrin
Erotica short story eBook released by Spice Briefs 1 Jun 09

I’m a big fan of erotica as escapist fun, and Kayla Perrin’s latest Spice Briefs story certainly fits that mold. I’ll be honest, I could nit-pick this plot to death, but I’m not inclined to. I had too much fun reading it to be bothered. [Ed.Gwen: Except holy shite! could the female cover model be any more anorexic?! I think her shoulder could serve as a deadly weapon!"]

Marissa is on vacation in Cancun with her best friend. They’re staying at a perfectly respectable “family friendly” resort, which is starting to bore Dyanne. So she suggests they upgrade to the adults-only Temptation resort. Marissa isn’t so sure, but she’s on vacation to help forget a Mr. I Can’t Commit and Dyanne is hot to trot for a vacation booty call. So they go for it, and Marissa soon learns that the hot guy she’s had her eye on at the family-friendly resort is also taking advantage of the upgrade. Trevor certainly seems just as interested in her, and it’s not long before these two are burning up the sheets.

My first thought upon reading this set-up was that the Temptation resort sounded like a lawsuit waiting to happen. Naked pool parties? Beds outside for couples to lounge around in? It’s very much an atmosphere where just about anything goes. But once I shut off the nagging part of my brain, I was able to roll with it. It also didn’t hurt matters that the sexual encounter between Marissa and Trevor is hot enough to melt steel, and it’s very much about her pleasure. Oh sure, Trevor is getting something out of this deal, but it’s really about pleasing Marissa. I’ll admit it, the feminist in me stood up and gave a little cheer. A snappy, fun, escapist read.

Grade: B

Summary:
.
Marissa isn’t exactly sure what she wanted on her trip to Cancun–until she ends up at the adults-only resort Temptation with the sexy man she’s been admiring from afar for days. Trevor is certainly the type of guy to help Marissa forget her troubles back home…and it’s clear he wants her, too.
.
In a place where inhibitions are left at the reception desk, it’s time for Marissa to give into temptation and have a vacation she’ll never forget…
.
No excerpt found.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Ménage On A Train by Alice Gaines
Erotica ebook short story released by Spice Briefs 1 Apr 09

Travel is a popular theme often explored in erotic romance and erotica. Makes me wonder if there’s a travel agency somewhere that specializes in these sorts of getaways: 5 days, 4 nights, and your own personal horny cabana boy! In Alice Gaines’ latest story for Spice Briefs, the heroine finds herself ditching the Mile High Club in favor of a luxury train through eastern Europe.

Cass Weston’s idea of fun isn’t getting off in a cramped airplane bathroom (and seriously, who could blame her?). So she leaves behind her home in California for a train trip through Europe. Better yet? This particular train boasts a ride through a particularly long, dark tunnel, ideal for sexual escapades and trysts. Heck, the train has such a notorious reputation, that those looking for an anonymous hook-up even have a signal.

Cass has found her man, a guy named Tom, and is all set for some fun when his friend, Nigel, shows up. Without a “date” of his own, the two men suggest to Cass that she double her pleasure – and after a split-second of “Did they just ask me what I think they just asked me?” she agrees wholeheartedly.

Enjoyment of this story requires the reader to check reality at the door. If the reader needs that condom moment in the story? Um yeah, just keep on walking. And if you’re looking for a realistic, in-depth analysis of a ménage relationship? Yeah, you’re not going to find it in this short story. This is all about the fantasy, and it fills that role amiably with a couple of sexual encounters that are hot enough to singe off your eyebrows.

Ménage On A Train is ideal for readers looking for a quick, hot, fantasy-fueled read and for those who cannot get enough of the M/M/F dynamic. However, this probably isn’t going to work for readers who need a healthy dollop of reality, and condoms, in their spicy reads.

Grade: B

Summary:
.
Cass Weston hated the idea of joining the mile high club. After all, who wanted to grope in a crowded airplane bathroom when you could have the erotic trip of a lifetime on a luxury train through the Eastern European mountains? Especially when the journey boasted a long, dark tunnel that provided the perfect opportunity for sex with a stranger. Make that strangers. The man Cass set her sights on also had a friend without a partner of his own. Lucky for them that Cass is up for a little adventure….
.
No excerpt found.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Tonight, My Love by Tracie Sommers
Erotica short story ebook released by Spice Briefs 01 May 2009

I’ve always felt that an author succeeds when they can illicit a strong reaction from the reader. Nobody remembers the ho-hum stories, but they do remember the stories they loved beyond all reason, and the ones that had them tearing their hair out. On that score, Tracie Sommers not only gets the gold star, but probably deserves some sort of erotica writing award. This story turned me on and repulsed me in equal measures. I can honestly say this has never happened to me before. A first, in my ten-plus years of reading erotica.

Andrew and Isabelle are trolling around Whitechapel looking for a whore willing to have a good time. Andrew is letting Isabelle pick, and she chooses a particularly fetching girl. Franny finds herself out on the streets after she’s fired by her former mistress. So she figures she might as well make some money doing what her former master was getting from her for free. She’s hesitant , at first, to go with the fine gentleman and lady, what with Jack The Ripper being on the prowl. However the promise of a bath, some food, and quite a lot of money convinces her take the risk.

What follows is an erotic encounter that damn near set my Sony Reader a-blaze. Certainly the F/F/M pairing in menage a trois stories doesn’t seem quite as popular among romance readers as the M/M/F stories – but Tracie Sommers seems determined to win over some converts. Holy cow!

That being said, it all slides south rather quickly with the ending, which is so repulsive that I’m sorry I read this story on my lunch break. Part of me admires Sommers (a self-described “dark erotic fantasy” writer) for taking such a huge risk, and the other part of me is just plain disgusted. Which makes writing this review extremely hard. In the end though I’m left with the feeling that as brave and massively mind-warping as this story is, that the path the author takes is decidedly “un-sexy.” And that’s pretty much what readers are looking for out of Spice Briefs. Sexy. Fast. Maybe even a little fun. Not a story that will have them wishing that Brain Bleach actually existed and could be picked up at the nearest convenience store.  Oh wait….I think they call it vodka…..

Grade: D-

Summary:
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“Tonight, my love, the choice is yours,” Andrew Campbell tells Isabelle as they ride through the streets of Whitechapel to select a prostitute to join them in bed. Her choice: Franny, a pretty young girl hesitant to go with the genteel couple with Jack the Ripper on the loose.
.
Yet the lure of money and food is too strong for Franny. Before long, she is in their bed…with Andrew and Isabelle fulfilling their promise to take Franny to the height of sexual ecstasy.
.
But once their pleasure is complete, Andrew and Isabelle have another surprise in store for her….
.
No excerpt found.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Twice The Pleasure by Portia Da Costa
Erotica short story ebook released by Spice Briefs 1 May 09

What is it about high school reunions that seem to inspire so many different types of stories? Whether it be the heroine who wants a hunky fake fiance’ on her arm to show up the “mean girls” or the heroine who wants to reconnect with the boy who drove her hormones wild as a teenager, high school reunions certainly seem to jump start a writer’s imagination. Portia Da Costa’s latest short story for Spice Briefs definitely falls on the naughty side of the spectrum. A heroine who wants to relive a fantasy interrupted.

Caitlyn is now a successful caterer and only agreed to take the job of supplying the food at her ten year high school reunion because she’s curious about Drew Hartley. Ten years ago, after witnessing a fight between Drew and his friend, Steve, in the gym, Caitlyn almost hooks up with Drew in a secluded equipment closet. Unfortunately for her, and her teenage hormones, Steve interrupts the interlude! She flees the scene, embarrassed, and worse yet – still horny. Even though both young men end up apologizing to her, Caitlyn still can’t help but think what might have been.

Sending her heart (and other body parts) aflutter, Drew does show up at the reunion and corners Caitlyn in the very same equipment closet. But darn it all! Wouldn’t you know? Just as the going starts to get really good, there’s Steve, once again interrupting them. Or is he? Hey, ten years later, maybe good ol’ Steve wants to join in on the fun?

What I enjoy about Da Costa’s stories is that there is a playfulness to them. Her characters never seem to take themselves too seriously, and her heroines are always ready to have a good time. Such is the case here, a fairly conventional menage a trois story that is made memorable by Da Costa’s engaging first person narration style, and a heroine who finds herself taking the blinders off in regards to Drew and Steve. A fast and sexy read.

Grade: B

Summary:
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In high school, Caitlyn once got the chance to make out with her crush Drew Hartley in the gym storeroom…until they were interrupted by Drew’s friend, Steve.
.
Now at their ten-year reunion, Caitlyn finds herself sharing another passionate encounter with Drew—with Steve arriving on-scene once again. But this time he’s not going to stop them. He’s there to join in….
.
Read an excerpt.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Flower Arrangement by Adelaide Cole (no author site found)
Historical erotica ebook short story released by Spice Briefs 1 Mar 09

While perusing the eHarlequin ebook site, Flower Arrangement caught my eye for a couple of reasons: 1) It’s a shorter read, and I’m a bit of a ‘ho for short reads; and 2) it’s an erotic historical story set in 1903 London. When I actually opened the story to start reading, I noticed a couple of things.  First, when they say Brief, they mean it; this story clocks in at 27 pages on my Sony Reader.  And second, the story is strictly erotica.  Anyone hoping for an “erotic romance” is going to be sorely disappointed.

Emma is an independent-minded girl with ambition. Selling flowers on street corners had been a somewhat lucrative gig, until her supply dries up. So she lands herself a job as a maid in an affluent household where she hopes to save enough money to open her very own flower shop. She quickly develops a lustful crush on the man of the house, Master Riggs, and assumes it’s strictly a one-way fantasy. Imagine her surprise with the handsome master takes a shine to her, and proposes an “arrangement.” Satisfy his carnal desires and she’ll be that much closer to realizing her dreams.

Basically what we have here is the 1903 version of the young woman who works as an escort to pay for grad school. It’s hard to not think of Emma as a prostitute – because essentially she’s trading her sexual services for money and a ticket to a better life. The story did supply my one basic requirement for erotica – and that’s that the heroine has control over her own destiny. Certainly Emma enters into this adulterous affair to “get ahead” [Gwen ed.: heh] – but one never feels like she couldn’t have told Master Riggs to go screw himself, that she couldn’t be bought. Emma wants to have some fun with the man, and why not use him to get where she wants to go?

And that’s going to be the stumbling block for a lot of readers. If you’re looking for a (very) quick, hot read that’s straight-up erotica, this story is certainly going to fit the bill. However, if you’re a reader who needs the romance to go along with the hot sexing? Yeah, keep on walking. Nothing to see here.

Grade: C

Summary:
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London, 1903
.
Emma is a maid with ambition. She dreams of opening her own flower shop one day, determined never to lose her independence…or the pleasure she finds in lifting her skirts for a handsome boy.
.
Emma also dreams of what it would be like to share that pleasure with the master of the house—a fantasy that Master Riggs apparently shares. For when hears about Emma’s plans, he proposes an arrangement: he will help Emma achieve her ambition if Emma will help satisfy his desires in exchange…
.
No excerpt found.

This is one of those statements that come up – again and again (sorry, bad pun)

The old ‘Hey pRon is awesome I likes it, you know you likes it… why you gots to call it erotica? Why ‘pretty it up?’. My deal is if you like porn, you go on with your badself. I have NO issue with it at all. But the PORN = EROTICA case does not float with me.

At. All

I think it is insulting, most likely all the way around, regardless of if you are in the porn industry or write erotica. And EROTICA does NOT equal EROTIC ROMANCE. Or am I wrong? Do tell me…

This is the post I am still going huh, what? over.

My Comment, which as of right now doesn’t show on the blog because it is moderated, is as follows:

Porn is all well and good. Some will think it’s bad, some love it, some have no issue with it. Your view is your view and it is awesome the internetz provide us with a chance to voice that.

Erotica and Erotic Romance does not equal porn. There is much more to it, starting with plot, character development, emotion….

You could NOT take any porn movie and call it erotica. It is not a way for Jane General Public to make porn A’OK. If you watch a porn movie, you can’t say a blanket statement that you have read erotica. My question would be have you done either? Because if you watch a porn and read an erotic or erotic romance novel it fairly jumps out at you that they are not the same thing.

Tossing in the term romance (which as a hella lot of subgenre’s all on its own) is beyond uninformed. Romance does not equal erotica does not equal porn does not…. you are completely comparing apples to oranges. It seems you are doing so while saying ‘not that I have read it’. An informed opinion won’t hurt you – promise.

I know lil to nothing about comics but I am going to assume comics does not a graphic novel make… and that there are different audiences, skill and themes involved.

Going by what you say Batman = Garfield = X-Man = Snoopy… they are all stories told with pretty pictures so they must all be alike and speak to the same audience. There are no genres or intelligence involved.

::blink::

Even knowing NOTHING about it, I would not make such an assumption. Or are you going for – stupid, blanket statements bring traffic and the ‘haters’ out? If this is an example of your writing, fuck it, it isn’t that good. And if you want to create change or make an impact – start with being informed.

===========

What is your take?  Am I completely wrong?  Lil wrong? Do you agree?  I would go as far as to say some erotica goes into pornolious territory but to say erotica/erotic romance is nothing more than ‘prettying’ up porn so lil women can feel ok reading it… feels wrong.  Wrong. Wrong.  Then again I hate blanket statements.

It is very rare that an action, feeling or reaction is ALWAYS.  Or maybe that is just me…

LauraD’s review of Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica by 20 Authors, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
Erotica Anthology released by Cleis Press 28 Jul 08

I’d ask y’all to guess what this collection of erotic short stories is about, but somehow I think you’d get it on the first try! Rachel Kramer Bussel has gathered 20 authors’ work about one of my favorite erotic subjects, so I marched on down to the Big Box store and nabbed a copy of Spanking and a latté.   [Ed.: Very pretty cover - wish my ass looked like that.]

There is a little bit of everything in this anthology: both women and men get spanked by both men and women. Hands, hairbrushes, paddles, crops and other implements and toys are used. Some stories are playful, some are thoughtful. While I enjoyed some more than others, they were all well written. Rather than try and do one line reviews of 20 stories, I’ll just mention a few favorites.

Perfect Bound by Shanna Germain

This is the story of a bookstore owner and the young men she collects. The tale of a tightly wound woman who happens to have some special uses for typewriter ribbon is really seductively written. The quiet surrender of Stephan to her special bondage was lovely.

Tied Down by Andy Ohio

This story is actually more of a BDSM story than a spanking story, but it worked for me because “Andy” is struggling with his feelings as he switches from bottoming to topping-and being a hard top at that. Helena wants to be dominated, it turns Andy on, but he feels a little guilty-and he kind of wants to have a relationship, not just sex.

Daddy’s Girl by Teresa Noelle Roberts

This story involves not just the physical part of roleplay, but the psychological aspects of roleplay; and a very controversial pairing. “Daddy” and “Cherise” are actually Mike and Kaitlyn, and “Daddy’s Girl” explores the use of roleplay to allow oneself to try new things or to escape everyday pressures. Mike and Kaitlyn find that they’ve used the roleplay long enough, and they can accept the formerly taboo spanking play into their sex life without fictional characters. (I realize that even the idea of adults roleplaying daddy/daughter might squick some readers out, it’s a very short part of one story in the book.)

If you’re already a fan of spanking erotica, or if you are curious about it, this is definitely a book for your bedside library! Rachel Kramer Bussel encourages women to embrace their sexuality, complete with the taboos and fetishes. Twenty good strokes, er, stories, well delivered.

Overall Grade: A

Summary:

Erotic spanking – whether giving or receiving – is one of the most exciting, arousing, and sensual experiences to enjoy. In this enticing collection, spanking enthusiast Rachel Kramer Bussel has assembled 22 tales of red-cheeked arousal. Whether being disciplined for naughtiness or simply because they crave the sting of a hand against flesh, the men and women in these stories revel in being bent over, paddled, punished, and possessed by their spankers. Those delivering the blows find extreme pleasure in pushing their bottoms’ buttons, making them – and the reader – tremble and quiver in anticipation as they await the next smack.

Featuring stories by Alison Tyler, Sage Vivaint, Lillian Ann Slugocki, Stan Kent, Elizabeth Coldwell, Thomas Roche, and others, this sizzling collection offers tales so breathtakingly vivid that readers might find their own cheeks sore just from reading it.

Read an excerpt.

Limecello’s review of L is for Leather by Alison Tyler
Erotic anthology published by Cleis Press 21 Jan 08

I’m not much of one for erotica, but I was asked to write a review for one, and I happened to have this book lying around, so I decided to read it. I admit to being intrigued, but still somewhat unsure. This was a good , and rather clear that the majority of the stories were written by women. I find the contrast very interesting.

The stories we well written, and perfect for this format. There are 13 stories in only 137 pages. Of course, some are longer than others, but there’s a wide variety, and I’m pretty sure any reader of erotica would find something to fit their taste. Especially a leather fetishist.

Personally, I like leather. It makes me a bit sad how it’s made/what it comes from… but shoes, purses etc – sometimes leather is best. That being said, leather played a greater or lesser role in each of these stories, but it was a focus. It came in all forms and had varied uses throughout the anthology, and many I’d never read before.

I was definitely impressed with some of the novellas, how the author managed to write such a powerful story in only 4 pages. Others, didn’t appeal to me as much. It’s just not my thing to read girl/girl action, and strap-ons. I don’t really understand what is so compelling about them, but I haven’t though about them much. Even so, the stories are provocative, and there’s a good flow to them.

This book is also perfect as a “short bite” – you can read a few and put it down, or read the whole thing in an hour or so. If you like erotica, and especially leather, this is definitely a book you should look into. For those of you who like erotica, or simply want to try it, this book, or any in the Erotic Alphabet series might be something you’d like to look into. (I haven’t read the others, but each has a main theme or subject, and with 27 different ones to choose from, there should be something for everyone.)

Grade: C

Is it better in leather?

Leather chaps, combat boots, black leather gloves, stilettos, belts and hoods all give way to kinky stories of leather adventures. Zip yourself into a skin-tight full-length coat, redolent with the feral fragrance of animal passion. Meet a cowboy after church who knows a good trick with leather belt. Luxuriate in the sensuous texture of gloved hands on tender skin. Fell the collar snap shut around your neck. Sit down, strap it on, L is for Leather will make your skin tingle and your senses awaken.

Teddypig’s review of Skin by Bernadette Gardner
Paranormal erotic romance ebook released by Ellora’s Cave 25 Jan 08

First off, I would like to say GOOD JOB! to Les Byerley for the most excellent cover of this eBook. Les is more! (so to speak) It has been a long time since I could say that to an Ellora’s Cave cover artist.

Now, for the rest of the story…

Tattoo-less and clue-less Makena Brady walks in the door of SkIntense Body Art and into the arms of Darq Stone tattoo artist with the Verakos veins.

Bernadette Gardner did a fantastic job with the sex scenes in this book. We are talking tattoos not just being sexy, but getting one sounds like a masochistic wet dream. So as far as sex scenes go for an Erotic Romance, this book rocked.

But… there should be more than just sex scenes here and that is where we get into trouble.

“I like it here. This world is too crowded for the Gemii to find us. We’re almost indistinguishable from six billion other souls here.”
Heath paced the kitchen. “Almost isn’t good enough. I know you think I worry too much, but I’m old enough to remember what the Gemii did to the crèche. You’re not.”
“You’ve told me about the massacre enough times.”
“Then you should take the threat of being found more seriously.”
Darq finished his coffee, set the cup in the sink and braced his hands on the counter. Even with his back to his partner, he knew his aura would tell Heath what he was thinking. “I’m getting tired of running, but I’m not foolish enough to think we’ve outsmarted the Gemii for good. I’ll be ready to go when the time comes.”
“Good. As long as you’re aware the time may come sooner than you think.”

There was tons of talking scenes like this between Darq Stone and Heath Gyland and *All you do to me is talk talk* is all you are gonna get here. No real threats pop up that I can see, no real evidence that there really truly are strange dangerous beings from another world hunting them down.

“I’m giving her the choice. If she chooses me, I’m staying here. I’m not moving on with you.”
Heath stepped back, dropping his hand. His eyes flared with indignation. “That’s not your right. What about the Gemii?”

What about me? What about my needs as a reader? What have you done to prove these bad guys are still after you? What have you done to make me believe this crazy story you keep gabbing about? *All you do to me is talk talk, When every choice that I make is yours, Keep telling me what’s right and what’s wrong*

So at the end Heath Gyland throws a hissy fit and runs off to worlds unknown *or so he says* and Darq gives Makena an ink job and I am left wondering if Heath just wants Darq’s hot magically delicious body for himself because the man definitely was following Darq’s sex life just a bit too close for comfort there boyyyy.

Grade: D

Blurb:

Her body is his canvas.

When Makena Brady walks into SkIntense Body Art, she expects nothing more than a little prick, and a small tattoo to satisfy her quest for independence from her “good girl” lifestyle. What she gets instead is a sensual awakening.

Darq Stone is an artist and Makena’s body is the perfect canvas. He works his magic on her, bringing her to the edge of reason with a temporary tattoo airbrushed on her inner thigh.

Enthralled by the excitement of lying nearly naked while he paints on her, Makena yearns for more, but can she handle the real thing? Darq is much more than he seems and once he brands her with a permanent mark, she’ll be drawn into his world forever.

Read an excerpt.

Read more from Teddypig at The Naughty Bits.

Finn’s review of Beg Me (Teresa Knight, Book 2) by Lisa Lawrence
Erotica released 29 May 07 by Delta

Beg Me is the second book of the adventures of Teresa Knight, a female private detective with a thing for kink. This book takes you from Bangkok, to New York, to Africa, and back to New York after Teresa is hired by Ah Jo Lee to investigate the murder of his sister, Anna. A sister who was in a BDSM cult in Manhattan that Teresa must infiltrate to find the murderer.

It would take some pretty heavy begging to get me to read this book again. Ugh! The first half of the book book is chaotic. It jumps from location to location, with so many place names and history lessons, it’s confusing.  The actual investigation into Anna’s murder doesn’t start until half way through the book, after I already wanted to stop reading it!

When Teresa final gets into the cult, the story takes off and reads well. The ending wraps everything up nicely – we learn who Anna’s killers are and Teresa stops a mass killing.

Overall, I say don’t bother with this unless you want to read the kink in the second half of the book.

Grade: D

Summary:

     It’s the ultimate erotic experience: a handpicked group where every man’s craving can be satisfied. But for Teresa Knight, it’s also a place where sensual adventures can spiral dangerously out of control. Hired to probe a suspicious death, the part-time investigator enters the sizzling New York fetish scene—a seductive, uncertain world that will test the limits of her own sexuality with every potential lover she meets. For gaining entry into this elite BDSM cult means that Teresa must let down her defenses—in more ways than one.

Her search for answers brings her into contact with an enigmatic businessman who takes her to the brink of her own untapped desires even as he enlists her help in solving a crime that dates back forty years and crosses continents. From exotic Bangkok to gleaming Manhattan, Teresa finds herself locked in a sensual power struggle with a shadowy man who has a deadly agenda. What she uncovers is a shocking conspiracy of murder that will imperil her life while giving a whole new meaning to going all the way.

Read an excerpt.

Sandy M’s review of Bound in Moonlight (Hidden Grotto Book 2) by Louisa Burton
Erotica novel published 26 Dec 2007 by Bantam Books

I wasn’t sure what to make of this book when I first started it. The back cover blurb didn’t quite make it clear to me what the the book is comprised of, leading me to believe I would be reading about three couples and their erotic escapades all in one story. However, it wasn’t until the abrupt end of what I suddenly realized was the first story and start of the second that it hit me this book is comprised of three short stories all revolving around a couple of common denominators.

Tutelage

The first story is conveyed through letters from Emmaline Townsend to her lover, Remy, who is still in France while she recuperates from a skiing accident in the United States. The main story is taken from the book Emmaline herself wrote when she found her fiancé at Grotte Cachee engaging in acts of carnal knowledge that the castle is famous for.

You get a hint that secondary characters Inigo and Elic, plus the reclusive Darius, are not exactly what they seem and that’s all you get for quite sometime. They do know how to please a woman, though. Emmaline becomes a woman who, because of her unfaithful fiancé, discovers she loves to have sex any way she can get it and vows never to marry. Hence, her continuous declining of Remy’s proposals.

I have to admit the end of this story was a twist I didn’t expect and it was a little abrupt.

Slave Week

The next story revolves around Caroline Keating, a young woman down on her luck and disowned by her father. After a botched suicide attempt, Caroline finds herself in the hands of David Childe, Lord Rexton, barrister and procurer of women to be auctioned as sex slaves for a week at Chateau de la Grotte Cachee. Caroline is aghast as such a thing, but later, when her options are nil, she relents and makes her way to the castle.

Rexton slyly outbids a lecher for Caroline’s company. Caroline later discovers that Rexton doesn’t want anything intimate from her. When they are in mixed company they follow the rules of the game, but Rexton doesn’t embarrass her as the other men do their slaves.

Caroline eventually lets Rexton know she is willing to learn more about what goes on between a man and woman and wants to do it with him. They have intense sex and Caroline’s feelings begin to grow for Rexton and he notices her change. Warning her that he is not what he seems, he continues to push her away until his last act leads to near-tragic results.

This story had a very satisfying ending.

Magic Hour

In the third and last story we meet the owner of Chateau de la Grotte Cachee, Adrien Morel, and the daughter of the castle administrateur, Isabel Archer.

Even though it’s been 20 years since she’s visited the castle, nothing has changed. Isabel arrives early and walks in on a ménage à trois in the library. This is where we see Inigo and Elic, et al., once again and we also find out their story.

Isabel discovers her father is ill and is putting things in order, making Isabel the administreur after he’s gone. Isabel refuses the job. She knows she can’t spend more time in Adrien’s company because he was the reason she fled years ago. And, just as it happened then, Adrien pulls away from Isabel after becoming too close.

The ending to this story irritated me. I turned the page expecting the story to continue, but that was it. Nothing more. Huh? I was so baffled I got online to check Ms. Burton’s website to see if perhaps there’s another book on the way that will tie things up. Nothing.

Once I got over this – as best I could anyway – I still enjoyed the book. I liked the common denominators that meshed all three stories together, and the characters were all very likable and interesting.

Grade: B

A sheltered heiress is horrified by the licentiousness she encounters at Grotte Cachée, until the beguiling Inigo frees her from her Gilded Cage by tutoring her in the arts of love.

A rector’s daughter, in despair over being ruined and impoverished, allows herself to be sold at a slave auction for a week as the sex slave of an aristocratic master with kinky tastes in exchange for enough money to turn her life around.(Read an excerpt.)

The daughter of Grotte Cachée’s administrateur, long-smitten with its gardien, Adrien Morel, arrives at the chateau to find a porn film being shot there.

Gwen’s review of Next Floor Naughty by Ann Cory
Erotic romance eBook published 18 Apr 07 by Ellora’s Cave

This short novel is about a young woman in a loving but unsatisfying relationship. She decides to explore her darker side at a BDSM party. Her fiance finds out she’s planning this and decides to turn the tables on her by attending the same party and, unbeknownst to her, acts the part(s) of her Dominant throughout the party.

What I liked about this book – it was light. It was a silly little book that touched on some BDSM elements, but was relatively harmless. There was no “darker” side to the book to speak of – a very mild dungeon scene was the extent of it.

Here’s what I didn’t like. Liam was a clueless idiot. Davian was an uncommunicative blockhead. The author hints toward the end of the book that there were darker events in the heroine’s history that locked her down emotionally, but it was too little, too late. This little novel was well-written enough, I just wanted more than the sex and the superficial emotional development it contained.

I am becoming weary of the lack of character development in these erotic tales. Shiloh said it best here. I know it is possible – I’ve recently read short, erotic tales that were very satisfying emotionally. What would it hurt to have three or four more pages of character dev before you get into the nitty gritty? Perhaps a lot of paper is left on the floor after the editors finish with these novels. I’d like to think that, rather than think the author just didn’t bother.

If you’re looking for a titillating little tale, you may like this. I found myself doing a lot of eye-rolling throughout, though.

Grade: C

Davian arrives at a BDSM party, unsure of what to expect. She loves her fiance, but the ongoing lack of sizzle in the bedroom raises some serious questions and makes her desperate for answers. Inside the Bentley Mansion, the atmosphere is charged with lurid sex, reminding her of a twisted adult version of Alice in Wonderland. Shown into a hallway, she is told to ride the Domwaiter, an old dumbwaiter with a kinky flair. Four floors of ultimate satisfaction guaranteed, how could she refuse?

When Liam finds the party invitation under Davian’s pillow, he questions the validity of their relationship. Refusing to let another man touch the woman he loves, Liam gains access into the mansion and makes a deal with the owner of the house. With his identity a secret, Master Liam meets Davian at every floor. His mission is to make all her fantasies a reality and prove once and for all that he is the only man she’ll ever need.

Reader Advisory: Contains light female/female exploration. [Gwen's edit: very light exploration.]

Read an excerpt

It annoys me (again from Karen Fox):

Audrey LeFehr buys contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, thrillers and Aphrodisia. Aphrodisia is actually erotica, not romance. They are called erotic romance for the booksellers. They’re always looking for talent. You can query Audrey in email, then send in entire manuscript if requested.