Satin & Oak by Xavier Edwards

Gerome and Sara lived in a small village. They both had small jobs, just enough to pay the bills. It was Christmas time and they had no money to spare between them.

They couldn’t afford the luxury of a Christmas tree, let alone buying each other gifts. Gerome was good with his hands and went off to his small wooden shed to make a special gift for Sara. He knew she loved his wooden handiworks. He would surprise her on Christmas day with a sexy gift that she could use in the bedroom.

Sara on the other hand was more interested in decorating their small stone built house. She decided that they would decorate themselves up for Christmas day rather than beautifying up their home. The only thing she had was red and green ribbon, a set of Christmas lights and a little tinsel. Gerome had told her that all he wanted for Christmas was her. He would have her as the decoration to celebrate Christmas and his gift.

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A sweet "times are hard" Christmas story. It is rather confusing, however, particularly in terms of trying to get a fix on the time period it takes place in. The couple that lives in a cottage by the woods in a small village that serves the lord of the manor, he a carpenter in the lord's employ, and she working at seamstress and midwifing jobs as needed has a very historical, dark ages or medieval feel to it, but then there are mentions of lights, and children that have grown and moved away, and tickets so they can travel, all of which sounds a lot more modern. So I'm confused as to whether this is meant to be a historical or a contemporary, though for the most part it reads like a historical with a few anachronisms thrown in.

A Man for the Season by Xavier Edwards

It was the night before Christmas and Rachel had no boyfriend to celebrate Christmas with.Her friends eagerly tried to fix her up with a date,night after night.No one could find the perfect man for her.

A handsome dark haired stranger walked into the bar as they toasted with Christmas cheer.Rachel's jaw dropped as this delicious looking guy walked straight across to her with mistletoe above his head and smacked a kiss on her lips.Would this be her christmas gift or her man for all seasons?

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A cute story that's sure to leave a goofy smile on your face, even if it's only inside your mind. A little bit whimsical, a little bit hot, with a dash of paranormal flavor thrown in, it's just the thing to fit the bill when you're looking for a steamy little story to spend a little time with, especially on a late night near Christmas. There is just enough revealed about the characters, especially Nick, and their backstories, to make you want to know more, though perhaps the charm here lies in the fact that everything isn't laid out and explained in detail. The hints we're give are enough to fill in the blanks and make the whole thing more intriguing that it might be if everything were spelled out. Recommended for anyone who likes short story erotica who is looking to be entertained and titillated for a short while.

• A Man for the Season on Goodreads
• Xavier Edwards's website

Stacking the Deck by Xavier Edwards

A game of cards sounds like the perfect way to get things going for a night of fun for Yumi and Lucas — that is, until the green-eyed monster that’s been hovering over Yumi’s shoulder takes over.

Even after all the effort she’s gone to in order to ensure the decks are stacked and the night ends the way she wants it, it isn’t going her way and their fortunes hang in the turn of the cards.

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A hot little story about a woman that uses a card game to ease into a night of sex with her boyfriend, as well as to clear the air about some issues that had been hanging between them. As someone that doesn't play cards a lot, and isn't familiar with the games they were playing, the action was often somewhat confusing as the references to the tricks and whatnot didn't always make a lot of sense to me and made it hard to understand why she got upset when she did at the beginning when things weren't playing out how she wanted them to. Understanding the card game was hardly the point of this story, however, and the rest of it was mostly easy enough to follow. The way things started heating up as the night progressed and they were each wearing less and less clothing made for some nice extended foreplay. Despite the moments of confusion, the author's writing still pulled me into the story and had me warming up right along with his characters and made for a very enjoyable half hour of reading. I felt that the last little bit in it about a different card game on a different night wasn't really necessary, but it was short enough to not detract too much from the main part of the story (aside from again confusing me with explanation of the rather complicated rules they'd be playing under). Overall, a good 3 ½ star read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a quick, hot short story.

• Stacking the Deck on Goodreads
• Xavier Edwards's website

Tragedy of the Virgin Bride by Xavier Edwards

After centuries in the extended family, the old manor — once a castle — looks like it is to finally pass from the family line. For Josephine, this is just the latest tragedy she has had to face and, from her point of view, there is nothing but heartbreak in her future.

All it not as it seems — leaving Josephine struggling with the massive upheaval to her normal routine. Amongst this, she continues to hope for final redemption with her husband.

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A sweet story of a love that was thwarted in the past, and the trials (at least some of them) that the ill-fated lovers have endured in spirit form since their death as they have sought a way to be together again. The location and time periods involved are left rather vague, so it's a little hard to form precise mental images of the setting and characters, though the bulk of the narrative does take place essentially in modern time.