What Happens In Vegas

by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast

UPDATED: Lauren Dane has picked a winner for the copy she is giving away of What Happens in Vegas! Yes this is just how lazy sybil really is . Congrats Liviania!

Contests are fun. Especially when a random commenter on this post with the excerpt from Anya Bast’s part on the anthology, gets a signed copy of the book (signed by Anya Bast)! Makes me want to go to Vegas. . .even though I haven’t read it yet. . .

Our lucky winner is Dina!!

Be sure you email Syb at redwyne@gmail.com with your physical address so you can get your signed copy (signed by Anya Bast) of What Happens in Vegas!

Book Summary:

Winning it big.

That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on the roll of the dice and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away for free.

Meanwhile Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high

Limecello’s review of What Happens In Vegas by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast
Erotic Romance anthology released by Harlequin Spice 1 May 08

Drum roll, please, for LC’s first evah review for TGTBTU…

Hot For You by Jodi Lynn Copeland

I hate to say it, but I didn’t really like this story. I actually read this book out of order, and am glad I didn’t start with this novella. Something didn’t click, and Hot For You simply didn’t work for me. [I know, that’s a lot of “didn’t”s – but nothing else works.] I love the premise of it, but too many things just don’t come together. I felt that the author tried too hard with her character. Carinna is supposed to be a badass bad girl, who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em – queen of the one night stand. However, the uncertainties and indecisiveness within her character just don’t fit her personality.

This story is written in the first person. I’m not sure if that explains some of my dislike, but it’s much too wordy, and the obvious is often stated. Rhetorical questions are answered, and there are some writing issues. I found myself noticing editing mistakes, such as the word “mew” being used when it should have been “moue.” I was distracted by things I shouldn’t have been.

Hot For You is hot, but the emotional connection between Carinna and Jack came too late for me. When they open up, the story comes together. There’s a scene near the end I probably would not have liked otherwise, but turns into my favorite part due to the Carinna and Jack’s relationship truly emerging. I didn’t enjoy this novella, but this is an author I would try again and if you like 1st person point of view, it might work for you.

Grade: D

Stripped by Lauren Dane

I really enjoyed this novella. It starts out with Dahlia performing her number at the Dollhouse, the burlesque lounge where she works. Stripped draws you in from the start, and you can almost see Dahlia’s dance. There are a few minor kinks in the novella, but they’re easily forgiven.

Dahlia Baker is a graduate student at UNLV, and lives like one. Nash Emery is a business man, who comes from money. A lot of it. He propositions her after seeing her dance, and she shoots him down fantastically.

The reader follows Nash pursuing Dahlia, and her capitulation. Both characters have a lot to work on. Dahlia has hang ups about the class differences between them. She doesn’t want everyone to think she’s a gold digger, or that she’s easy because of her looks. Nash has to understand that Dahlia’s concerns are real to her, and that he has to be sensitive to her needs and emotions.

I loved how genuine this story was. The characters are very well written. Nash and Dahlia are very human, and had flaws that they work through. I liked how each could admit they were being silly or unreasonable, suck it up, and move on. I felt that I had a true grasp as to what made Dahlia and Nash tick, and could really believe that they were a couple who would make it work.

I’ve read a few of Ms. Dane’s books, and I would say that Stripped is my favorite by far. I’m looking forward to her upcoming books.

Grade: B+

Red Handed by Kit Tunstall

Red Handed was ok, but certain parts rubbed me the wrong way. It starts with Roan interrogating Amy, and punching her out – he thinks she’s a man. It bothered me a little that this incident was just passed over.

Then, Amy Gerard agrees to become Roan’s love slave. She makes the offer to prevent him from going to the Gaming Commission and reporting her cheating. Red Handed includes some naughty scenes and a foray into the world of BDSM, but it doesn’t show the development of a relationship, and I have a hard time believing Amy and Roan really do start falling for each other. Their situation began to make me feel a bit squicky, but it’s addressed after a scene where Amy is attacked. (Not by Roan.)

I liked the ending and the storyline; I just had a hard time believing that such a relationship did develop between Amy and Roan. They spent too much of the novella isolating their emotions, and the ending was disjointed. I know that was the “point” – but it felt too contrived for me.

Grade: C

The Deal by Anya Bast

Cassidy and James are two very fun characters that I enjoyed reading about. Cassidy has decided she’s going after James, and that’s that. She took an emotional hit after her fiancé stood her up at the altar, so to protect herself, but still “take care” of herself, she’s going to address her attraction to James with a “friends with benefits” proposition.

For his part, James has been hot for Cassidy since the first time he met her. Unfortunately, she was taken by his friend. In fact, he was supposed to be their best man. He held off because he doesn’t poach, and later, because he’s a good guy and doesn’t want to rush Cassidy into something she’s not ready for.

I love “friends to lovers” stories, and The Deal is a great example of one. Not only is it hot, but you can feel the connection between James and Cassidy. They’re three dimensional characters that you find yourself rooting for, and sympathizing with.

A great contribution to the anthology, with a very cute ending.

Grade: B+

Overall, I enjoyed What Happens in Vegas and am being won over to the Spice Line. This is a fun anthology and a nice intro into the line and a great way to dip your toes into the erotic romance seas if you haven’t taken a dip yet.

Overall Grade: B-

Summary:

Winning it big.

That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on the roll of the dice and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away for free.

Meanwhile Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay with both pleasure and pain.

Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.

Check out an excerpt here and here.

What Happens In Vegas by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast

Did you know once upon a time a long time ago (so long ago they have prolly forgotten) Anya, Lauren and Megan Hart (not in this antho but a super coolio author who I am sure is sending us excerpts ::cough::) did a guest review for us. We (at the time it was just I) had a feature called ‘ebuzz’ and they were kind enough to share one of their fave ebooks. Check it out if you missed it.

This excerpt is from Lauren Dane’s Stripped. The more I look at SPICE, the more I think they need a spotlight. Since they aren’t a ‘category line’ maybe we should do a SPICE week. What cha think?

Sorry but first! The excerpt! And Mz Dane is giving away a prize as well. It will be winners pick… either What Happens in Vegas or any book from her available titles. To enter leave a comment… good luck!

Read the summary for What Happens in Vegas and an excerpt from The Deal here. 

Excerpt from Stripped by Lauren Dane
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The low, sensual beat brought her onto the stage like a siren. One gloved arm wove through the slit in the curtain and then the other, parting them as she stood, framed for a long moment. Her dark hair was piled up on her head artfully. Long, fake lashes framed big brown eyes. A deep blue satin dress hugged every curve lovingly, her breasts pushed up and out of the scooped neckline and as she walked, the slit on each side of the dress would show her legs to the upper thigh.

She let the music grab her senses and her rhythm as she slowly sauntered out onto the narrow stage. Dancer’s heels, still very high, led her through the beginning of her routine as she carefully maneuvered the long feather boa to keep from tripping.

Caught in the music, Dahlia’s muscles burned as she did a high kick leading into a round kick swiveling her body away from the audience all in a seamless set of movements.

A feather from the boa stuck to the sweat on her neck as she slowly rotated her hips in time with the horns in the jazz band. Her hands rose, slowly taking the boa to wind around her body. Down it went until she finally stepped out of it as it lay at her feet, kicking it to the side.

Giving her back to the audience, she raised one hand into the air as she turned her head, winking over her shoulder.

Knocking her hips from side to side to the smoky jazz beat, she brought the tips of her gloved fingers to her mouth to grab the material and pull it off slowly.

The first glove went over her shoulder, into the bar pit the stage encircled. The second glove came off as she stood in front of the trumpet player and pulled it off around his body.

A bump and grind circling the band and she lay down on the side of the stage near where the bottle service tables were. Throwing a foot into the air, she gave them all a lot of leg to look at as the dress slid back. Rolling up onto her knees, she unzipped the front of the dress and shimmied out of it. Then she turned, cleverly giving them her back and a pair of boyshort bottoms with a winking kitty on the ass.

The dress dropped as her forearms came up to cover her breasts and she bent, looking at them all upside down through the vee of her legs.

The cheers and applause bolstered her confidence. Up there she was beautiful and desired and that was okay. More than okay, it felt marvelous.

Still facing the band she reached out quickly, grabbing the hat off Timmy’s head. The trumpet player widened his eyes in a choreographed move and she spun, clutching the prop hat just so to cover herself.

Sensual smoke and mirrors. Dahlia didn’t show the audience any more than she’d show at the beach. They wouldn’t see her nipples and her panties would stay right on her booty with the fishnets below that.

Playing coy, she waved with one hand, pretending to almost drop the hat as she took the first step back up to the dressing room. And another step and two more. Once her body was in the doorway she turned and tossed the hat back to Timmy. With a hand over her mouth stifling a pretend giggle, she kicked up her leg and was gone behind the curtain.

Her robe hung just inside the doorway and she grabbed it, putting it on as she made her way back to her dressing area. She smiled as the music started for Roseanne, the dancer who shared the ten p.m. time slot.

Tapping her foot to the notes of Viva Las Vegas, Dahlia took off her stage makeup and got changed. She usually tried to hang out twice a week or so to watch her friends dance and also have a few drinks. She’d met a lot of interesting people and oddly enough, gained a following of sorts.

The Dollhouse was a burlesque lounge. The women did not strip totally nude and Dahlia thought of the show as an elaborate celebration of women’s sensuality. The women there always reminded Dahlia of the Elvgren pin-up girl art her grandpa used to have in his garage. Dahlia loved the coy, sex kitten she embodied on stage. It often felt like that Dahlia was her other half. The part of her she could only release up there for those minutes she was performing. The half she put away when she turned back into a pumpkin. Or more precisely a graduate student.

The club had been open for six months and already had a hip, young following with lines outside every night. The lounge itself was small and intimate, it didn’t hold more than seventy-five people. The interior was subtly sexy with lush fabrics and deep-colored leather. A nice place to hang out and have a drink with her friends that she’d never have been able to afford were it not for the fact they worked there.

Emerging from the back of the club and walking into the lounge area, she searched for her friends’ table. Catching sight of them, she also noticed her boss at his usual table. William Emery was a very sexy man. High powered, really charismatic and extraordinarily successful. He’d broken ground on the first retro style burlesque club in Vegas and now others copied him. He seemed to constantly be in motion, working twelve to fifteen hour days. She admired that even if he did come off like a cold asshole sometimes.

He certainly liked a wide variety of women. Although she’d give it to him, he seemed to keep a professional wall between himself and his dancers. He flirted, but he didn’t prey on them. He paid her well and didn’t hit on her, she was down with that. Smiling, she sent him a wave and a wink as she made her way past.

The kind of woman they didn’t make anymore. All coy and smoking hot all at once. Suddenly, he felt a little less jaded and a lot more interested.

He leaned into his brother. “Who is that?”

William’s eyes quickly raked over the woman before turning back to Nash. “That’s Dahlia. No shit, that’s her real name. From some hick town, college student. She’s one of the favorites here. Not too often you see a package like that, even here in Vegas. Hot, isn’t she?”

“Hot isn’t a word that does her justice,” Nash murmured as he extricated himself from the knot of people at the table and moved to intercept her.

She hadn’t been paying attention and ended up bumping into him, her hand moving to his chest to keep from falling. That small touch sent electric warmth through him.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there.” Big brown eyes met his and damned if his cock didn’t jump. Her voice, like smoke and whiskey, low and sexy, stroked over his skin.

The scent of her perfume just beneath the smell of cigarettes, alcohol and sweat in the club tickled his senses. Reaching out, he put his hand at her waist. The abundance of her body and the incredible beauty of her face knocked him out. Damn, he couldn’t recall being so excited by and interested in a woman in a very long time.

“No need to apologize, honey. I’m Nash. Why don’t you come and join us?”

One perfectly shaped eyebrow rose slowly. Imperiously. She took a step back, out of his grasp. “That’s all right. I have friends waiting.”

He reached and took her forearm, caught sight of the cherries on her dress, the red fingernails and toenails through the open toes of her very high heels. The woman was a fucking sex bomb and he wanted to detonate her right then and there.

“Wait. Can I give you a call? I’ve got a very nice penthouse here on The Strip. What do you say we go there? Drink some champagne while I scrub your back in the bathtub. You can show me what was under the hat. You know, be my private dancer.” He laughed, teasing her.

Her lip curled in a sneer as she pulled out of his grip. “Private dancer? Like a whore? Oh, sure. Give me your number and I’ll just show up, blow you and be on my merry way. Because that’s what all showgirls do, right?”

He put his hands up in defense. “I…uh, I didn’t mean for you to be offended.”

Her hands went to her hips like an angry Amazon. “What the hell else would I be? You don’t know me from Adam and you’re propositioning me thirty seconds after you bump into me? Didn’t your mother raise you with any manners?”

Holy shit was this going badly. He’d really fucked this one up. It’d been a long damned time since a woman had turned him down, about as long as it’d been since he’d misjudged one so severely.

“You’re right. I apologize. It was rude of me. In my defense, you’re so beautiful I sort of lost my mind. I do hope you won’t hold my terrible behavior against me in the future.” He bowed. “Can we start over? I’m Nash Emery and I really was raised with manners, I swear to you.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that. That was the fakest apology I’ve heard since, well since the last rich asshole hit on me.”

Nash might have been offended but he couldn’t help but like her fire and he had been an asshole. Cocky was a fallback position for him. Women usually dug it. Not this one. A smile crept back onto his face.

“You’re a hard woman. I’m sorry. I was a jerk. But I meant it when I said you were beautiful. And you do knock me out. Can we start over?”

He held out a hand, cocking her head and hesitating a moment, she took it. “Emery huh? I suppose you’re the playboy brother I’ve heard all about. Although frankly, I’d expect some more original lines from someone of your reputation. Private dancer, gee, I’ve never heard that one before. I’m Dahlia Baker and I am not a roundheeled tart. I’m getting my MBA at UNLV.”

He laughed, chagrined. Okay, okay, so he’d made some snap judgments. He’d taken one look at the eye-popping body and face and added it to the fact that she danced in a burlesque show and made some assumptions.

“I don’t know if I’d say I was a playboy and I’d love to know what you’ve heard about me. Can I buy you a drink, Dahlia? I promise to be on my best behavior.” He sent her his most charming smile.

“I bet you would.” One dimple at the right corner of her mouth showed as she fought a smile. Nash wanted to lean in and lick it. Until she continued speaking. “No, thank you, Nash. I don’t have drinks with patrons and my friends are waiting for me.”

“Oh. Well all right. Have a nice night, Dahlia. Again, I apologize for offending you.” He wanted to argue that he wasn’t a patron but he’d done enough damage for one night. Dahlia Baker tickled his fancy and Nash Emery wasn’t a quitter. He’d be back to wear her down until she went out with him. He just needed to come at it better.

She shrugged. “Just behave yourself.” With a wave, she moved to sit with her friends and he went back to his table.

© Lauren Dane Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

What Happens In Vegas by Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane, Kit Tunstall, and Anya Bast

The Deal is the only story I have read in WHIV (so far I am going to get to Dane’s soon as I have an excerpt for it too and, oh yes, need to review this *g*).

Anya has long been one of my favorite eBook to print authors and this will be my first read of the other two (not Dane, read her before ). Great book to pick up for those two alone. And hey you get a chance here to not only get a sneak look at Anya Bast THE DEAL but to win a copy.

Woot!

Book Summary:

     Winning it big.

     That’s the name of the game at Las Vegas’s Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on the roll of the dice and the tantalizing knowledge that anything could happen before sunrise.

     Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell.

     Dahlia is a burlesque dancer with a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she’s not giving anything away for free.

     Meanwhile Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind…until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she’s going to pay with both pleasure and pain.

     Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her “friend with benefits.” But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high

Excerpt from The Deal by Anya Bast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We could be more than friends.”

She glanced away. He glimpsed shadows in her eyes before she turned her head. Bad. Shadows were very, very bad. She licked her lips nervously.

“We could be friends with benefits,” he amended, backpedaling. Judging by her body language, he needed to take this slow. He was losing her fast. James had always suspected another relationship might make her scared, even something as casual as the one he was proposing. Guess he’d been right.

All he knew was that he wanted her, in whatever capacity she would allow. James would always want more of her, whatever amount she was willing to give. For the time being, friendship with benefits sounded damn good to him.

“Cassidy?” he murmured, sliding his hand to her waist. She felt so warm, so perfect. “Listen to me.”

She looked back at him and her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes were dark, heavily-lidded, and her lips were parted a little. She looked interested…turned on.

Good. That was very, very good. He’d always wondered if she was attracted to him. Guess she was.

“I’ve been attracted to you since you were with Damian,” he continued. “I’ve wanted you in a bad way for a long time, Cassidy girl. I don’t want to be just friends with you; I want you in my bed.” He paused. “I want to have a very skin-on-skin kind of relationship with you.”

Cassidy looked stunned. His heart pounding, fearing he was about to crash and burn and lose a friend in the process, he let his face drift closer to hers. She didn’t move away.

“I’ve been attracted to you too, James. I always thought it was against the rules, you know?” she murmured practically against his lips. “Since we’re friends.”

“Let’s make new rules.”

Their breath mingled, lips brushed, and then he kissed her.

Her lips felt wooden beneath his for a moment, and then she melted and kissed him back. Every nerve in his body shot to life with hunger.

She twisted, leaning into him so he could feel her breasts against his chest, and eased her hands slowly up his arms and over his shoulders.

James let his hands find her waist, then slanted his mouth over hers and flicked his tongue against her lips. Damn it. He wanted to pull her over onto his lap. He wanted to undress her, set her up on this bar and fuck her senseless.

She opened for him and he slipped his tongue inside. He could taste whiskey in the hot, soft interior of her mouth, but that wasn’t what made him feel drunk.

They broke the kiss, both breathing heavy. “Cassidy, come home with me,” he murmured against her lips.

“But…” She bit her lower lip for a moment. “How do I know you’re any good in bed?” she asked with a little teasing grin playing around her lips.

He groaned and eased a hand between her knees. “What, you want a demonstration?” he murmured. He didn’t wait for her answer; he just eased his hand up her inner thigh, underneath the hem of her skirt. His actions were hidden from anyone’s view by the overhanging ledge of the bar and the dim light.

His fingers found the edge of her thigh high stockings. Oh, hell. His brain was going to melt. Thigh high stockings. This was the outer limits of heaven itself.

His cock was rock hard now. James raised an eyebrow in question at her as he rubbed his index finger over the bare skin at the top of her stocking.

“They’re more comfortable than the other kind,” she answered breathlessly in explanation, a blush faintly tingeing her cheeks.

“Lucky for me you think so,” he purred into her ear. He hooked her hair behind her ear with his free hand and whispered, “Spread your legs for me, baby. I need to touch you.”

She shifted on the stool, giving him room to move. He traveled up further and soon felt the heat of her pussy against his hand. Yes, he’d reached the gates of heaven. She’d spread her thighs as much as her skirt would allow. It was enough. He eased his fingers over her sweet, plump little clit through the cotton of her panties. He wanted to feel it against his tongue.

Cassidy inhaled sharp and fast as he stroked her, teasing her clit into a swollen, needy thing. He brushed his lips against hers, then kissed her again, sliding his tongue in between her lips, while he pushed the panel of her panties to the side and touched her bare pussy.

Around them people talked and laughed, and ignored them. That was good because he had every intention of making Cassidy orgasm right here and now.

© Anya Bast Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Anya is giving away one copy of What Happens In Vegas to a random commenter. Good Luck .