Friday, August 30, 2013

Fantasies of a Housewife by Tina Pollick, et al.


A collection of short stories, five thousand words maximum, with housewife fantasies as the theme. The stories range from contemporary, erotic and even a little paranormal. If you enjoy the authors, please visit their other published work.

Where to Buy



**Warning - Some reviews contain spoilers**

"Summer Diane" by Christie Bell
★★
I found the writing in this one to be rather simplistic and a bit stilted, making it hard to really get into the story. While Diane was an interesting character, it was rather too unrealistic that she would so easily go for an affair with a 19 year old boy so soon after her beloved husband had died. I also found it silly that she'd end up pregnant, since she surely would have been on some form of birth control, or have long since taken more permanent measures to prevent pregnancy since she states that neither she or her husband had ever wanted children. While it's sweet that she finds real love again at the end, it also seems rather convenient and contrived as a way to cover up the unexpected and unwanted pregnancy. Overall, probably the weakest story in the bunch.

"That Mom" by C.R. Garmen
★★★
A well written story, but frankly was a bit on the dull side. In the midst of an anthology of sexy stories, this one stands out with it's lack of any sexy times, or even any sexy thoughts really. Instead what we get here is a pleasant, but rather unexciting story about a mother dealing with the snobbery and adult bullying from other mothers, particularly from one in particular. The ending is fairly predictable though with a bit of an twist to make it unique.

"Tamara's Goove" by Scarlett Jade
★★★★
First off, I'd note that while I'm fairly sure that "Goove" is a typo for "Groove", that is how it appears in my copy. Beyond that, I found this to be a very hot little story that was quite well written. It's fairly limited in scope, but that works in its favor really for it keeps things focused on the fantasy that Tamara prepares for then acts out. It fit very well into an anthology of this sort.

"Desert Dreams" by Sophia Jones
★★★★
This was a wonderful little story even if it is more than a bit predictable. The characters come alive despite the short length, and the scene throughout is set so vividly that you can easily picture it all. Shay and Derek are interesting characters that I would love to read more about.

"Her Daytime Lover" by Adera Orfanelli
★★★½
A hot little story. While it does strain belief a bit, it's not to the point where it just become silly and stupid. The descriptions and the bedroom action here were very well done and definitely heated thingsup for me as I read.

"Fire Within" by Nulli Para Ora
★★★★½
A scorching hot story, no pun intended. Full of vivid descriptions that bring the world alive and make you feel everything right along with the characters. While the world building and explanations were a bit rushed perhaps due to the length limits, they still made sense and were believable. I'd love to read more about these characters and this world.

"Fantasy of a Housewife" by April Postlewaite & Tina Pollick
★★★
An interesting fantasy story, but it seemed a bit disjointed. The main sex scene is very abortive and it's rather confusing what happened. One minute he's going through scorching foreplay that leads up to him thrusting into her and then *bam* suddenly he's disappearing and it's all over?? I definitely felt cheated there. This one definitely would have been better with a full sex scene and smoother transitions between the different parts of the story.

"Delicious Heat" by Elizabeth Rose
★★★½
I found this story somewhat confusing, though definitely pretty hot in places. The kitchen scene was smoking! I liked the ending of this one as it seemed wholly appropriate to the story as a whole and the different hints that had been dropped throughout.

"Locked in Love" by Sky Tillery
★★★★
A great story about a couple with a troubled marriage finding their way back to get it back on track. The writing and descriptions were so rich that I felt like I read a story that was much longer than it actually is. While it gets a bit confusing in the bar what all exactly is happening, once past that part it all comes together quite nicely. The make up sex scene is perhaps a tad silly, but it was fun and spicy enough to make it seem more sexy than ridiculous.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Showering with a Ghost by Genevieve Scholl


Samantha Hastings was never the shy type, but when it came to Mike Renaldi she hid behind her books and sealed her lips shut. Sick of never letting Mike know how she really feels about him, she decides that she is going to bare her heart and soul after their High School graduation. But, after they all receive their diplomas, Mike decides to head off to a party with his friends and Sam worries that it is not the right time to tell him the truth. So, she goes home without revealing her feelings. Almost exactly one year later, she gets a phone call from her best friend while she is sitting in her college dorm room. There has been an accident. After attending Mike’s funeral, she goes back to her dorm room and takes a shower before bed while she cries for the loss of the boy she had loved, and for the man he was never able to become. As she looks back on all of the times she could have told him the truth, something- or someone- wipes the tears away.



Where to Buy



 A sweet short story about love and loss. It's reasonably well written, and the author does a good job of making you feel connected with her heroine. The heat when it comes is good, though somewhat brief. The ending is confusing, with no explanations given for what happened in the shower, or what happens at the end. Explanations would have helped a lot, and as it is, I felt the ending brought everything down since it comes out of left field and no real reason is given for it. A decent short story otherwise.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Blood and Kisses by Karin Shah


It isn’t easy being the Witches’ Champion, especially when it’s a hereditary position and you’re hardly the most powerful witch of your line.

Thalia Kent has managed to cope so far with wit and nerve and every ounce of magical ability she possesses, but now her cousin, who wasn’t a witch, is dead — murdered by a rogue vampire — and if she’s going to hunt him down and survive, she’s going to need all the help she can get. She needs Gideon Damek, immortal vampire, but vampires shun witches for good reason, witch blood is poisonous.

Gideon Damek has fought his predatory nature for thousands of years and the last thing he wants is to team up with anyone, least of all a beautiful young witch. Still, something about Thalia compels him to agree.

Soon, Thalia must deal with a reluctant partner, a rebellious witch community, interfering police, a healthy dose of self-doubt, a raging passion for the forbidden Mr. Damek and an enemy who’s following an ancient prophecy that requires both their deaths, all without losing her neck, or her heart.

Where to Buy

I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly when I started reading this, but what I found was a unique and interesting world populated with intriguing characters. While the idea of different "races" of beings co-existing with humans isn't really new, Shah puts her own spin on things such that nothing seems cookie-cutter or borrowed here. A forbidden and seemingly impossible romance story paired with a light mystery with plenty of suspense, the varying storylines weave together into an truly captivating whole.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Sexy in a Bottle by Andrea Laurence


Valerie Thomas has hidden herself from the world, isolating herself in a New England lighthouse while she waits to die. Somehow, it’s easier for her to cope with the reality of her illness if she doesn’t worry about who she’s leaving behind. Not that there is anyone important in her life to really miss her.

Rajan has been trapped inside his gold and sapphire prison since his last master dropped the necklace into the ocean. He never expected to wash up naked on a rocky coastline with a beautiful woman hovering over him. A djinn, trapped by a sorcerer’s curse, Raj offers Valerie three wishes, but the stubborn woman refuses to make them.

As strong nor’easter threatens Valerie’s tiny island, she and Raj discover the key to ending each other’s miserable, lonely existence. But can the genie and his mistress both get their wishes granted?


Where to Buy


A sexy story of two people who find love that they'd never expected to find. One has spent centuries in servitude and long given up hope of ever being freed, the other is simply waiting for fate to catch up with her and give her the death she knows is coming. Both have given up really wanting anything for themselves, and therein lies the key to them finding happiness with one another.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Ghostwriter by Lissa Bryan


Newly single, unemployed, and with her savings dwindling to an all-time low, Sara thinks things are finally looking up when she lands a job ghostwriting a popular politician’s biography, and rents the affordable island home of her favorite author, Seth Fortner, who mysteriously disappeared in 1925. Strange things begin to happen as objects break, go missing, and terrifying visions appear, making Sara wonder if Seth ever left, or if she is slowly losing her mind.

She gets no answers from his family who closely guards the secret of his disappearance. Through an old trunk of letters Sara discovers in the attic of her seaside cottage, Sara unravels the mystery and becomes caught up in a tale of greed, lost love, and the horrors of WWI. Will she be the one to break the “Fortner Curse” by helping Seth conquer his demons, and heal both of their hearts in the process?



Where to Buy


An enchanting story of an improbable love between two people born nearly a century apart. While there doesn't always seem to be a lot of action going on, still there is something about it that keeps drawing you onward and turning the pages. Probably it is the way the author makes her characters come alive on the page, but also it's the emotions that the characters and their trials and tribulations evoke that work to hold you riveted to the page.