The Highlander's Temptation by Eliza Knight

The Highlander's Temptation by Eliza Knight

The Stolen Bride Series, Prequel

Publisher: Knight Media, LLC (February 2014)

224 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Jamie reluctantly agrees to go on a recruiting mission to the north to gain support for Scotland's independence on Wallace's orders, and finds himself reunited with the little girl he rescued long ago, only Lorna is a woman now, and despite his attempts to remain focused, he can't ignore the way they are drawn to each other. I loved the inevitability of this match. The way the came together slowly, despite reluctance on both sides, was beautiful to watch. I also thought the way the aunt's interference came to be viewed in a different light, was great! I wished Jamie could have been a bit more bold at times, but it was undeniably a difficult situation and I understood his hesitancy in rocking the boat. I would love to read Gabriel MacKinnon & Ceana's story (I hope it would explain his violent reaction to finding out about Jamie and Lorna), and it would be great to see Jamie's brother, Malcolm, settled as well! Great Series!

The Last Two Women by Powerone

The Last Two Women by Powerone

Publisher: Sizzler Editions (April 2012)

223 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $5.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

This is a post-apocalyptic story about eight men and two women who felt inexplicably pulled up the mountain one evening, all finding refuge at the Mountain Top Motel just before a deadly fog rolled in covering the valley below and the rest of the country. I loved this story! There is something for everyone: F/F, M/M, M/F, as well as a young woman intent on exploring a torture chamber filled with do-it-yourself bondage devices. I found this to be a bit more tame than other stories I've read by this author, but it does include a few scenarios involving intense BDSM, for those with an interest. Maybe it was the motel in the middle of nowhere, or maybe it was the crazy gas station attendant, but I thought this story had a bit of "Psycho" feel to it. Great story and I loved the update at the end!

Harem Master and the Spy by Powerone

Harem Master and the Spy by Powerone

Publisher: Sizzler Editions (February 2014)

170 pages, eBook (provided by Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Betty is a WWII British spy sent to Turkey to determine the strength of their loyalties and their leanings with regard to their enemies, and as part of her cover she is to work and room with Angelique, an unsuspecting young British woman who has come to teach English at a school in Turkey, who will unintentionally get swept up in Betty's business. Interesting take on what a female spy may have to do to get information and what might happen to them if they are caught, as well as a look at what it might be like to be sold into a harem. Aside from a few instances where the two female characters names were accidentally swapped, this was a well-written story with interesting characters put into intriguing scenarios. This includes some interrogation and dubious consent scenarios that may be off-putting for some readers. I liked the little update at the end that lets you know what happened to the both women.

The Bartered Bride by Reece Butler

The Bartered Bride by Reece Butler

Climax, Montana Series, Book 3

Publisher: Siren Publishing (December 2013)

308 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $7.69)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Jane (Penelope) has finally escaped her overbearing, abusive father and his plans to marry her off as part of a business deal, but she finds the world outside her father's carefully constructed prison a bit more dangerous than she'd expected, luckily Travis and Riley arrived just in time to rescue her. Loved this story! Jane was the perfect mix of vulnerability and feistiness, and Travis and Riley were sweet, patiently helping her work through her issues, while they renovated the condos they were staying in. I loved the way Travis and Riley's family took her in, giving her the home and family she never had. I look forward to more books from this series! I'm pulling for Lila next!

Bear King's Curves by A. T. Mitchell

Bear King's Curves by A. T. Mitchell

Publisher: Red Ice Press (February 2014)

125 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $0.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Looking for revenge against the werebears that killed her father, Lyla's been stealing their artifacts piece by piece, but it seems she's stolen one too many, when they send Nick after her with orders to kill, but when he's faced with actually doing it, he has second thoughts. Once Nick knocked the gigantic chip of Lyla's shoulder, she was less abrasive, more pleasingly feisty, and a lot more likable, her loyalty to Nick appealing, if nothing else. Other than physical attraction, I wasn't really sure what Nick saw in Lyla at first, but fate can't be reasoned, perhaps, and he was a strong, protective hero that I loved from the start. This book involves a similarly constructed werebear clan as in Mitchell's Love to Bear, but the two stories are not connected. Nice, quick shifter read!

Hooch & Cake by Heidi Cullinan

Hooch & Cake by Heidi Cullinan

Special Delivery Series, Book 1.5

Publisher: Heidi Cullinan (February 2013)

65 pages, eBook (available as a Free Read on the author’s website)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Mitch and Sam thought getting married would be the icing on their happily ever after, that is until they found out what a headache it would be to try and organize a same-sex wedding in the small town midwest. Great short story exploring the complications a same-sex couple might face in getting married in a small community in the midwest, as well as living openly as a couple. Their friend Randy comes to the rescue and his inventive solutions to their problems were fun to see. I love these characters and their complex relationships, and I can't wait to read Randy's story in Double Blind!

Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan

Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan

Special Delivery Series, Book 1

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (February 2014)

299 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.24)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Feeling fed up with small town life and confused about his self-deprecating desires, an intense and eye-opening encounter with a delivery man in an alley leads Sam to embark on a cross-country journey with Mitch, a man full of demons and mystery. I loved this story! It was so well-written, dropping hints here and there, but not revealing the full meaning of the actions or words until later in the story. Sam was a bit of a whiner in the beginning, but both he and Mitch grew so much over the course of the story. I haven't read that many M/M stories, but I was surprised to find that at times, especially near the end, I viewed Sam as not just "the girl in the relationship", but actually had to remind myself that he was male and not female (the sex scenes obviously helping with that endeavor). The Dominant/submissive play was great and Mitch was such a strong, protective energy, contrasting sharply with Sam's vulnerability and need to find himself. Great story and I look forward to reading Hooch & Cake (the wedding short) as well as the next book in this series, Double Blind, due out in March.

Self's Blossom by David Russell

Self's Blossom by David Russell

Publisher: eXtasy Books (July 2010)

97 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $4.99)

Book Rating: 3 Stars

Sensuality: Pink Heart

Selene is setting off on a mission of sexual liberation for the duration of her vacation, but finds her past and her need to carefully orchestrate all her experiences, interfering with her enjoyment of her newfound freedom. This was a beautifully written account of a woman's search for herself and the internal conflict created by past baggage, however I didn't care much for Selene as a person. She was self-absorbed, vane, and callous in her quest for self-gratification, and her obsession with going in the opposite direction of her friend Janice, while using her behavior as a model, seemed hypocritical. Her interactions with Hudson, were interesting, involving many costume changes, and reflections on those custom changes, as their relationship developed. I just couldn't get the poor boy on the beach out of my head (her first victim), and while the writing was superb, I couldn't warm to Selene and her motivations.

I, Illicit by Andrea Tyse

I, Illicit by Andrea Tyse

Publisher: Andrea Tyse (January 2014)

29 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

Danni has been bioengineered by the government, so her body can heal itself after receiving injuries, finding her kind valuable in dealing with dangerous situations where they want to limit the risk to the regular officers they are partnered with. When Danni is partnered with Simon, she finds his ideas about what their relationship will be are different from anything she had ever known with her previous partner. I loved this story! Simon was sweet and patient with Danni, determined to open up new worlds for her, where she had previously been sheltered and isolated. I loved the ending! My only problem with this is that there were a fair number of editorial errors, particularly near the beginning of the story. Other than that, I really enjoyed it and hope to see more stories from this author!

Cera’s Place by Elizabeth McKenna

Cera’s Place by Elizabeth McKenna

Publisher: Elizabeth McKenna (September 2011)

272 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $0.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Red Heart

In fulfilling the last request of a dying friend, Jake meets Cera and becomes involved in her attempt to rescue some Chinese girls that had been kidnapped and sold into prostitution. Fun action/adventure romance with Cera charging out to see justice done, and Jake following in her wake, hoping to accompany her and provide assistance, as she goes about what she feels she must do. Cera was a strong, capable young woman, and definitely not a typical damsel in distress. I liked that Jake was accepting of that and, while trying to temper her more foolhardy ideas, seemed to feel it was better to try and help her than try to and stop her altogether. And I appreciated the update at the end that said what happened to all the characters from Cera's saloon. Great story!

Venice in the Moonlight by Elizabeth McKenna

Venice in the Moonlight by Elizabeth McKenna

Publisher: Elizabeth McKenna (October 2013)

196 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Sensuality: Pink Heart

Unexpectedly widowed and kicked out of the family villa by her evil mother-in-law, Marietta can think of nowhere else to go, but to travel to Venice where she last knew her father to reside, but upon arriving she finds he has died in suspicious circumstances and the only way she can atone for their harsh parting is to investigate his death. At every turn she runs into Nico, a dashing noble who's womanizing ways remind her entirely too much of her late husband and put her on her guard, but there is something about Nico that makes her wonder if there is more to him than what he shows to everyone . . . besides she can't help but be grateful for his assistance on more than one occasion. Colored by her experience with her husband's infidelity, Marietta is rightfully cautious with Nico and tries to remain focused on the mystery surrounding her father. She was a great, strong character that I really liked, never afraid to be daring and adventurous when she needed to be. And despite his faults, I couldn't help but like Nico and hope that he could find it within himself to reform and be worthy of Marietta. The Italian atmosphere and murder mystery elements were just icing on the cake. Great descriptive writing with an easy flow that pulls you effortlessly into the story, wrapping you up in the characters and their fate. Entertaining Read!

The Gypsy Casts a Spell by Elizabeth McKenna

The Gypsy Casts a Spell by Elizabeth McKenna

Publisher: Elizabeth McKenna (October 2011)

31 pages, eBook (available for Free from the Author’s website)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Sensuality: Pink Heart

Vadoma is a young woman who believes she's seen a vision telling her that this will be her last day alive and she plans to enjoy her remaining hours, until her cousin is involved in an altercation at the fair and she feels she must do everything she can to see him set free, but what kind of deal will she have to make to see it done? Great little story with intriguing characters. I only wish it could have had an epilogue or something, to let us know how everything worked out. It kind of ends on a cliffhanger there, with so many unanswered questions about how things will pull together. Entertaining nonetheless.