ReviewsByRita4

ROLL PLAY
By Rowan West
An Ellora's Cave Romantica Publication
ISBN 9781419912177
Copyright © 2007 Rowan WestCover art by Jinger Heason.
e-book
96 pages

When he was in high school, Griffin Curtis fell in love with his best friend's little sister, Amara. She was younger and was only allowed to play haflings in their Dungeons and Dragons campaigns because she was so little.

During his junior year, Griffin's family moved from the area. Griffin kissed Amara only once at his farewell party, but both were surprised to find the passion developed quickly. Just as quickly he was gone.

While in college he discovered that sorcerers existed for real. He spent the next eighteen years completing his education, rising in the business world, and locating a sorcerer from whom to learn.

Those same eighteen years did not stand still for Amara Kennison. She had become a best selling author combining fantasy and erotica. She had never been serious about any man, for she had never gotten over her childhood crush on the boy who played the sorcerer in her youthful Dungeons and Dragons games.

One of Amara's novels had just been picked up by a Hollywood studio for a low budget movie. She was on her way to California because she had been hired to help develop the book into a screenplay. This was a high honor for any author.

Amara arrived in California and was driven to Champion Studios. She was introduced to the studio staff and was stunned to discover Griffin Curtis as the president of Champion Studios. He welcomed her to the studio, but acted like he had never seen her before.

But that night she went to the car for her ride to her hotel and found Griffin waiting in the car. He took her out to dinner and spent time catching up with his long lost friend. He called her by her childhood nickname of Halfling and she called him the sorcerer. He explained his actions in the office as not wanting to embarrass her in front of her coworkers or making them think she was in for special treatment. He dropped her off at the hotel promising to see her tomorrow, if not before.

It was a nice reunion, but could Amara really trust Griffin? After all, he had broken her heart almost twenty years before and not contacted her since. He did know her weaknesses. She returned to her to find sunflowers and a box of lady godiva chocolates. When she went to bed she found a jewelry box on the bedside table. It contained a die with no numbers, instead each side had a different jewel, a diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald and amethyst
A note was attached: "Roll the die before you sleepThe jewel will be your guideWaiting there in dreams for youIs a passion from deep inside."

Puzzled, she tossed the die on her bedside table and climbed into bed. Within minutes she found herself in a small woodland grove with a horse waiting beside her. There was a key chain hanging beside her bearing the same jewel she had rolled that night. The horse took her to a nearby castle where she found a key hole matching the key chain and found herself in a room the same color. There was a set of lingerie and a beautiful bracelet to match; she changed into these and then Griffin appeared also dressed to match the room. Without wasting time with talk they found themselves in a passionate encounter. She had written about such a magical night, but had not experienced one until now. The next morning she awoke in her own bed in the hotel. Had it been a dream? Why was she so sore? The bracelet was there still on her wrist.

The next day at the studio Griffin was cordial but nothing more. Amara was confused but kept going, and that night as she prepared for bed she noticed the die again. The jewels she had rolled the night before were gone, but the others glittered in the light. She tossed the die on the table and the night was a variation on the one before, this time with an ankle bracelet. Another day brought a necklace.

Then at work the next day she discovered Griffin had gone to New York on business and would not be available that evening. She was amazed at how unhappy she felt. He had not even told her he would be gone. When she returned to her hotel that evening, he called her and they talked for about a half hour on the phone. She felt much better just talking to him and followed his instructions to roll the die anyway. The night's results were a dream, or was it a dream even more passionate than before. The ten-sided die had now lost all it gems except the diamonds. How does this journey of fantasy end? I think you will enjoy the rest of this delightful and passionate story. There is a unique plot and good use of characterization with attention to detail. It is fascinating, a story I kept reading eagerly. I would give it a 20, which in Dungeons and Dragons is the highest number on the game's largest die.

c Reviewed by Rita M., gottawritenetwork.com
February 16, 2008

SIR PHILIP ASHTON'S EYES
By Sahara Kelly
ISBN 9781419915802
Copyright © 2003 Sahara Kelly
Cover art by Philip Fuller
An Ellora's Cave Romantica Publication
e-book
105 pages

Lord Reginald Abernathy knelt to offer his proposal to Miss Abigail Foxworth exactly as his mother had instructed him. He was puzzled to find she refused him. And not only refused him, but told him she would not welcome a repeat of the proposal after she had time to consider the advantages of being married to him.
Abigail took pity on the dim young gentle man and explained to him how he could tell his mother how very stupid she was to have refused him. Now if someone could just do something similar to protect her from another round of recriminations from Aunt Eugenia, Lady Roxworth. This was the fifth offer Abby had turned down and she wasn't getting any younger.

None of the men had made her feel things, or think, or want him in that way. Her Grandmother Wetherford, Dowager Duchess of Wetherford joined the compensation. Congratulating her on sending Reginald off. She said she had too much to offer to waste it all on a nincompoop and the right man was out there for her.

That night the ladies were to attend a demonstration of mesmerism at the home of Lady Rachel Grenbourgh. Lady Rachel had a brother, Sir Phillip Ashton, she described as a dull dog who buried himself in the country with his experiment and scientific nonsense. She had brought him to participate in the demonstration or as she feared lecture for the evening.

When Sir Phillip walked out onto the podium and Abby met his eyes her world stopped dead. Like Abby, Philip had been hounded by his sister to marry and settle down to raise heirs. And like her he had never found a woman that attracted him until he saw her. And the breath left his body.

After the lecture, Philip did a short demonstration on mesmerism helping a man with his gout. They he held out his hand and asked Abigail to help him with another one. Then after having her play Queen Elizabeth to his Sir Walter Raleigh, he ended by whimpering to her "And you will find some excuse to stay after this lecture is concluded. Seek me out, Abigail. Come to me.

At that point they both wished the mesmerism had been real. They were entirely intrigued with each other. When the evening's entertainment drew to a close, Abby thought of an excuse to remain while he Aunt went onto another soiree. Lady Rutherford promised to see her home safely.

Sir Phillip and Abigail met in a study, where they had a passionate encounter, ending in a proposal of marriage from him. Abby refused vehemently. I am not looking for a husband she insisted. After seeing her home Sir Phillip had a discussion with his sister. She asked what he knew about Abigail and convinced him to listen to what she knew of the girl and her family.

Abigail spent the night reliving the encounter and wishing she could accept Philip's proposal. The next morning her grandmother tried to convince Abby to give Philip another chance and mentioned that she was not like her mother. Abby agreed to go riding with Philip that morning. The drive stretched to a visit to a fellow scientist's home, a friend of his that was abroad and a picnic luncheon in his orchard. By the end of the luncheon they were passionately and deeply in love. Again he proposes and again she refuses.

What is her problem and will these lovers ever get together? A very interesting plot and involved interesting characters. I enjoyed this story a lot. It is an interesting twist on the standard Victorian romance. I will give it 5 gazes out of 5.

c Reviewed by Rita M., gottawritenetwork.com
February 10, 2008
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Destiny’s Touch
By Mackenzie McKade
ISBN 9781419914102
Copyright © 2008
Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book Publication February 2008
77 pages

Alexis Beaumont is a lovely woman who has worked hard to prove she is not just a pretty face. She has risen in the Market Management Division of Titan Industries--a prize employer with outstanding benefits and advancement opportunities. Her 5-year plan includes replacing her boss, Gabriel Marx, as head of the division. Though very attracted to Gabe she is trying to play it cool, knowing that work and play together usually only hurt the woman, and that she wanted to go up in the company and not out of it.

Currently, she and Gabe are on a business trip to Sedonia Arizona and he has convinced her to take a few days and go hiking in the mountains. As they approach an area known to be sacred, they reach a vortex area and pause for a rest on a large boulder. Something catches her attention-in the stone across from where she was sitting there are two hand prints, one larger than the other. She touches the larger hand print and is hurled back by a charge, landing on her back and hitting her head.

When she revives, she finds herself in a field of heather in Scotland with a couple-and the man looks like Gabe, dressed in 15th century period clothing! The couple who call each other Ronan and Elspeth neither see nor hear her. She tries to attract their attention but they do not respond. Instead the couple have a very passionate encounter. As they complete the deed, the woman finally turns her head in Alexis's direction, and Alexis gasps to see that her face is her own. "It's me! I'm Elspeth?"

She opens her eyes to find Gabe bending over her on the mountain near the hand prints. He tells her she has been out no more than a minute, and tries to get her to agree to go to the hospital. When she refuses, they climb down the mountain and grab a pizza to eat in their rooms. After the tiring day, they choose to eat in her room after she has a bath to reduce the soreness from her fall.

Nodding off in the bath, Alexis finds herself on board an English frigate naked in a storm. Though many crew men rush around lowering the sails and securing the rigging she is not visible or noticeable to the crew. She looks at the Captain of the ship recognizing him as another Gabe look-alike but with a white wig and tight knee breeches in knee high boots. As the crew secures the ship for the storm, Alexis follows the captain to his cabin where his wife waits. Alexis' look-alike in this incarnation is named Anna, and Gabe's look alike is Sebastian. The couple are obviously deep in love.
Gabe is experiencing different feelings. He had bet his hope on this trip-a hope that Alexis and he would find themselves, and realize what he already had-they were predestined to be together. He had found a Civil War picture in a history book months before he met Alexis. The woman and man in the portrait resembled both Alexis and him. He feels in his heart that she is his happiness.

When she opens her eyes he expects her to throw him out, but instead she calmly announces that she needs to talk, something was happening to her at their location. He had mentioned reincarnation before, she asked him to explain his theory further, he told her of his belief they had been together in past lives and were destined to be together in this one. She seemed unbelieving and told him of her visions. Still Vortices. Past lives. Destiny. It was unbelievable. Though he attempts to seduce her, she asks for time to think and he goes to his room.

She tries to sleep but finds herself falling into another vision. This time of the same couple, but from the Civil War period. The people are themselves as always, but they match the picture Gabe has shown her from the civil war book while explaining his theory of reincarnation. As each encounter climbs to a climax, Alexis wonders how long she can hold out against her attraction for Gabriel. What is the commonality between the visions, and what did they mean for the future of Alexis and Gabe? As the story builds to its own climax they must discover the truth and find their Destiny.

A gripping story with a lot of development in a short time. I would give it 5 climaxes out of five.

c Reviewed by Rita M., gottawritenetwork.com
March 2, 2008