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I’ll be the first to admit that I love a good erotica book. I think erotica is my favorite genre even over Paranormal Romance, and that’s saying something! Pleasure U by Carole Hart only solidified my love for erotica even more! It took me into a world of uncomplicated, no-rules sex. Most of what happens in this book is not something that would really happen in most college campuses in the U.S. today (I think), but it was sure fun to pretend for a while anyway…
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This was my first novel by Linda Winstead Jones, although she is a well-known and well-liked author of many paranormal romance novels including Prince of Fire. Untouchable is also a paranormal romance, although it could almost fall into the Historical Romance category because of all of the tales of Kings, Queens and Emperors, however because it is set in a world other than our own, it’s classified as paranormal.
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Turbulent Sea is the sixth book in the Drake Sisters series by Christine Feehan. I love everything that Feehan writes and this was certainly no exception. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put this book down until it was finished.
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This is the first book in what I believe is to be a new series by Rita Herron. This is my first book by Herron and its classified as a paranormal romance, which is one of my favorite genres. I wouldn’t put this into the paranormal romance category however, I would classify it as a paranormal / horror with some romance thrown in.
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I knew as soon as I finished reading and reviewing “Into the Shadow” by Christina Dodd that I would have to read “Into the Flame,” her conclusion to the Darkness Chosen series. If anything, this book was hotter, sexier, and more exciting than the last and a fulfilling end to the series.
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Women’s rights! Whether you are a homemaker or a ‘career’ woman (And what the heck do people think? Being a homemaker is the hardest-working, least-paying ‘career’ there is!), I think I can safely say that we all agree on the premise of women having power in their lives. What we don’t often take the time to consider is the medical invention that’s done more to give power to women than just about anything else: safe, reliable, and affordable contraceptive devices. As little as 50 years ago, every time a woman had sex she was risking pregnancy. And there’s nothing that will change a young woman’s, or any woman’s, life like an unplanned pregnancy.
I don’t want to get into a discussion on abortion/adoption/religion or any of the other ‘hot’ issues. But I do think it would be an eye-opener for every woman to take a minute and think about how different her life would be or could have been if there were no safe, reliable, and affordable contraceptives. Kinda scary, isn’t it? But to truly understand “The Mistress Diaries” by Julianne MacLean, I think one needs to consider what life was like before contraceptives were so easily and cheaply available. Especially considering the moral, societal, and religious mores of the Victorian Era. Ms. MacLean has done a bang-up job of showing just what that ‘one moment’ could cost a woman. Of course as it is a romance, our heroine turns out fine but what a spine of steel she would need to face the consequences. How lucky we are today!
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I’ve been on quite the historical kick lately. “Too Dangerous to Desire” by Alexandra Benedict is the follow-up to “Too Great A Temptation” which I enjoyed very much so I was happy to get a chance to hopefully check in with some of the same characters and see how they were getting along. And the male lead for this book promised to be one of those ‘tortured heroes’ we all love to love!
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Susan Johnson is another big name in erotica publishing. Her novels run the gamut from historical to contemporary, but are always very, very hot. Once you read her stories, you realize that sex is at the heart of her novels; true erotica. Her latest, “Hot Property,” is an exciting modern story filled with tons of scorching hot sex, dry humor, and action.
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Dear me, dear me. I read “Surrender To Me” by Sophie Jordan right after reading the most recent Julia Quinn release. Unfortunately, “Surrender To Me” suffered in comparison. I have read and enjoyed a couple of Sophie Jordan’s earlier releases, but this Victorian romance just didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t feel drawn into the story and I didn’t particularly like the heroine, who reappears after a small role in an earlier book.
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Goody, goody, goody. Julie Quinn is an author who hooked me from the first book of hers that I read. It was “Minx” and I picked it up at a used bookstore, read it that night, and went back the next day to get the rest of her available books. I should state here that I go to used bookstores to find new authors. Once I do, I spend my hard-earned dollars to pay for their hard work. I figure that’s only fair plus I want their publishers to know which authors to keep! But enough about that. Quinn’s ‘Bridgerton’ series was one I enjoyed, although I did think that some of the books weren’t up to her usual standard. So when I saw “The Lost Duke of Wyndham,” I pretty much (shamelessly) begged Quentin to let me review it. And being a pest paid off! Quinn’s latest is everything I enjoy in a Regency romance.
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I’ve said before that I’m a fan of series books. I enjoy learning more about the world an author has created and the individuals residing there. But there is a downside to books in a series. What happens if you didn’t read the first one? Two? Three? Do you have to go get the earlier ones and read them all in order? And don’t laugh! I have online friends who swear they won’t read series books out of order. Must you read the earlier books to understand book # whatever? I have read series books out of order. I’ve also read them, religiously, in order because I’m waiting at the bookstore when they are released! Some authors do a very good job of including enough information about the overall series that reading out of order isn’t an issue.
Unfortunately for me, Caitlin Kittredge didn’t quite make that cut for me with “Pure Blood,” book two of her ‘Nocturne City’ novels. In all fairness, I must add that romance novelists are much more likely to make sure their later series books can be read as a standalone novel. Once you enter the fantasy or urban fantasy genre, I think the worlds may be much more elaborate. Or I’m just trying to come up with a good alibi for this book.
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Those of you who’ve read some of my reviews know that I really love the whole paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre. There’s nothing like a bad-boy were, vamp, dragon, gargoyle, etc to get my motor running! I’m sure any psychiatrist would have plenty to say about that but I don’t really care! I enjoy ‘em, I know they’re fantasy, and I’ll read ‘em if I want so THERE!
I really hope I would have enjoyed “Bite the Bullet” by L.A. Banks more if I had read “Bad Blood,” which was her first book in this Crimson Moon series. I know there were several pieces of critical information that I didn’t know since I didn’t read the first book, and there were more than a few times where an event, character, or ability seemed to come totally out of left field for me. Furthermore, a couple of the characters referenced events that were (apparently) in the first book which caused them to act/react in a certain way and I was left in the dark. Bummer.
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WOW! I just have to say WOW. I finished reading “Nightwalker” a few hours ago and I’m still having difficulty extracting myself from Jocelynn Drake’s fantasy world. This dark urban fantasy is an intricate work that’s stunningly complex, mysterious, and compelling. Once I picked it up, I just could NOT put it down. This book is not romance. There are sexual elements and a relationship which could be sexual is brewing, but like everything else in this book, it’s hard to pin down. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ll try to describe why I found this book so fascinating.
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What can I say about “Into the Shadow” about Christina Dodd? Well, it left me absolutely breathless – in a very good way. This paranormal romance about a shape shifter and his fiercely independent modern woman is a spectacular story.
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I recently read and reviewed “After the Kiss” so I was excited to have the chance to continue Suzanne Enoch’s Notorious Gentlemen series by reading and reviewing book two. After all the enjoyment of the first book, “Before the Scandal” was a disappointing second effort starring our second Gentleman, Phineas.
