3 hot stories by 3 fantastic authors: (2008-11-23)
The Art of Desire by Eden Bradley
Tattoos were always something that fascinated Sophie, but she was worried to give in to her obsession till she meets Tristan. He is everything that she dreamt of and than some more.
Ms. Bradley is well know for her sometimes very unusual romances and THE ART OF DESIRE is no exception. Tristan is a mixture of bad boy and tortured hero who has to deal with his past before he can find a happy end with Sophie.
Shadow Play by Sydney Croft
Brenna St. James was a supermodel till a ghost attached himself to her. Desperate to free herself from him, she contacts Hex, a well-known ghost photographer to help her. Will he be able to help her?
SHADOW PLAY is a fascinating paranormal romance. Brenna and Hex couldn't be more different not only from their characters but also from their lifestyles, which makes the story so interesting.
This story is connected to Ms. Croft's great ACRO series, but it can be absolutely read as a stand-alone. Although I have to warn you that her stories are addictive and you will definitely want to check out her other books.
Night Vision by Stephanie Tyler
Suddenly Catie is the owner of her late uncle's ramshackle bar and she wants nothing to do with it. So she hires someone to make the bar profitable again and Bat Kelly is just the right person for the job. What she doesn't count on was the feelings that he stirs in her.
Ms. Tyler delivers a hot and very sensual, as well as steamy story with NIGHT VISION. Her hero is hotter than hell and Catie is just the perfect heroine for him, it's like two halves become one.
Three terrific authors in a fantastic anthology, that is every penny worth that it costs. Each of the three stories areabsolutely outstanding and a real pleasure to read. This book is a keeper for sure.
Courtesy of Loveromances and More!
Hot, Hot, Hot Read: (2008-10-28)
"The Art of Desire", written by Eden Bradley.
Sophie is a paranormal fiction writer who has escaped her family and the strict rules of her Roman Catholic upbringing. She retains emotional scars from her family's lack of support with respect to her lifestyle choices and the rigidity surrounding their expectations as to 'how she should live her life'.
Sophie's friend Crystal introduces her to Tristan, a tattoo artist who owns his studio. Tristan is a gifted artisan who also bears emotional baggage related to family issues and losses for which he feels responsible.
Sophie has, what can only be described as a fantasy obsession with tattoos. She has always wanted one but never followed through with her desire because of fear of recrimination by her family.
The sexual attraction between Tristan and Sophie is immediate and overwhelming. Sophie decides she is finally going to get a tattoo and Tristan has to be the one to apply it. There is an erotic connection between Sophie and Tristan with respect to the actual act of tattooing that is extraordinarily sensuous in this story. I think it is the pain pleasure response and the permanent marking of her body that added to the eroticism between these characters. Also, because Sophie considers being tattooed to be taboo and 'naughty', it enhances her self image as a sensual being. There is also the sense of finally seeing herself as an individual, freeing herself of her family's rigid social mores.
As Sophie and Tristan's relationship intensifies his self-esteem and commitment issues surface resulting in significant conflict. "The Art of Desire", is a highly sensuous story of two people who have significant emotional issues and how they manage to move beyond their `hang-ups'.
This is the second Eden Bradley story I have read and I have to say, she really knows how to craft an intense relationship between her characters that `burns your fingers', while turning the pages.
"Shadow Play", written by Sydney Croft.
We are taken inside a mansion in this story where 'Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO)' agent `Hex' aids `Brenna St. James', an international supermodel whose fortunes have plummeted because her image can no longer be captured on film.
Hex works under the guise of a photographer, however his true gift is a `spirit guide'. His character is crafted as a medium with the ability to attract the loneliest of ghosts and release them to where they need to be. Hex has been working in New Orleans under ACRO's direction following hurricane Katrina helping all the "displaced spirits", that resulted from the disaster and has completed his mission.
Hex is drawn to Brenna and as he investigates her unfortunate situation discovers that a ghost has attached itself to her requiring intervention or she could be lost. Hex is a lonely but extremely sensual individual that needs to be `grounded' to another human or risk potential possession. Brenna is a career driven woman whose only desire is to return to her former fame as a successful pampered model.
Brenna is inherently suspicious of paranormal events having grown up with a mother who had special abilities with respect to communicating with the dead, which caused her great angst.
This story is laced with highly charged sensual interludes between Hex and Brenna, and adding to the sensuality are scenes with erotic photography where he attempts to lure the ghost to reveal itself. There is mystery and an undercurrent of malevolence surrounding the spirit who is trying to take Brenna. This isn't a typical ACRO mission; Hex, of his own volition sets out to solve the mystery surrounding the spirit and in the process rescue Brenna from her own demons.
While this story is part of the ACRO series, it could easily be read as a standalone.
"Night Vision", written by Stephanie Tyler.
Struggling, gifted artist and `city girl' Cati Lanford inherits `Bon Temps', a rundown bar and a truckload of trouble in Bayou Rouge, Louisiana. Cati enlists the help of `cooler' Bat Kelly who arrives to find not only that the bar is physically run down but also the clientele is rowdy and abusive.
Bat grew up in Bayou Rouge and is known as a troublemaker from his early years. Bat is ex-military who has developed a reputation as a tough professional cooler, traveling from place to place cleaning up bars that are known for uncontrolled violence.
Bat is HOT. He is rough, enigmatic, an in total control type of hero that immediately fleshes out Cati's predicament and sets about restoring order to the Bon Temps and assists her to get on her feet.
The attraction between these two people is tidal in proportion and the sensuality and sexual tension bubbles off the pages. As their involvement deepens, Bat becomes Cati's muse for her art and the sensuality of the story increases when she completes a series of erotic paintings with Bat posing for her.
Bat is a somewhat tortured soul who does not see himself as 'worthy' of Cati, nor is he the `settling down' type. Cati is bent on restoring the bar and selling it so she can go to art school in another state. This of course results in significant conflict in achieving a committed relationship.
If you enjoy erotic romance in a short story format I would highly recommend `Hot Nights, Dark Desires'. All three writers have crafted unique and erotic romantic plots for strong and enticing characters.
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