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Christmas Help Her
By Isabo Kelly
Christmas Erotic Quickie
43 pages
Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1-4199-0829-4
4 out of 5 magic books

Overworked Paige Rogers is wearing a bruised baggy look around her eyes that has turned a once attractive woman into a crone. And worse, she can't work up the effort to even think about sex. "It wasn't just sex, or even the thought of sex, that she missed. She missed male companionship." So she asks Santa to send her a man.

Soon after, she finds a mysterious gift under her tree, one with an intriguing label - "To help you with your little problem. Inside she finds a provocative book called The Christmas Helper. The erotic pictures of a man and woman in explicit positions fire up Paige's sex drive especially since the man resembles Ethan, her gorgeous neighbour, and the woman resembles her.

When Ethan's runaway cat brings him to her door, he takes advantage of some strategically placed mistletoe and Paige's Christmas fantasy is within her grasp.

Christmas Help Her gets off to a slow start with a lot of detail about Paige and then The Christmas Helper book contents - slow but rather interesting I might add. For my tastes, there is too much telling of Paige's emotions rather than letting the reader feel her experiencing them.

Both Paige and Ethan are interesting and sympathetic characters. Their relationship is very well developed and the sex is hot and steamy. Ethan is every woman's fantasy man. I liked the way the story played out and would recommend it to anyone who likes steamy romance.

gottawritenetwork.com reviewer

September 18, 2007

Dark Heat
Arianna Hart
Romantic suspense
168 pages
Samhain Publishing Ltd.
4 out of 5 shields

        Talia Dane, an empath, works at Strange Days-an occult bookstore. Her protective shields usually keep her safe from the emotions surrounding her. All Talia wants is to finally fit in. But when her friend Cassidy disappears, Talia can feel Cassidy's terror. In order to find her in time, Talia must go to the police and reveal her psychic abilities, and risk ridicule.

        Finn O'Brien and his partner are investigating a rash of women who have disappeared without a trace. They have no leads so when Talia approaches Finn he's desperate enough to listen to her.

        Finn and Talia are attracted to each other, an attraction that grows as they investigated Cassidy's disappearance but can they have a future together when Finn doesn't believe in Talia's psychic abilities? And will they find the kidnapper in time to save Cassidy and the rest of the kidnapped women?

        I enjoyed Dark Heat. Finn and Talia were both appealing and unique characters who drew me into their story. I found Talia's empath abilities extremely interesting and the difficulties they have caused her made her very real to me.

        Parts of the story were predicable but I found enough interesting twists and details to keep me reading through some repetitiveness in the kidnapper investigation. I really wanted to know how Talia and Finn were going to get together with the empath issue driving such a huge wedge between them. Their bumpy romance is what kept me turning the pages.

gottawritenetwork.com reviewer
September 19, 2007

Be Careful What You Wish For
By Joanna Wylde
Contemporary romance
118 pages
Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1-4199-0672-0
5 out of 5 wishes

Sandra, a massage therapist, has just finished with a jerk of a new client who expected more than a massage for his money when they are confronted by a knife wielding stranger.

Sean came to kill the jerk client. And since Sandra "the hooker" was a witness, she would also have to die. But not immediately. Sean hasn't had a woman in five long years and he intends to rectify that situation before disposing of her.

While Sean is distracted looking her over, the jerk client bolts. In the confusion, Sandra races from the office but Sean catches her. "If you do exactly what I say, you may have a chance to live."

To Sandra, "Staying alive was all that mattered."

Wow! In four pages Sandra’s problems escalate from coping with lavations and cheap client to falling into the clutches of a man who intends to rape and kill her. She's a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time, a woman who grabbed my attention in the first few paragraphs, a woman who sparked my concern by page two. By the end of the first chapter I was rooting for this gutsy woman but afraid she was doomed. Joanna Wild had me hooked. Superb opening.

Ms. Wild has the knack for creating interesting, unique and wonderfully sympathetic characters. By the end of the second chapter, as unbelievable as it sounds, she had me convinced that Sean was a hero in the making. He needed a huge amount of work, but the potential was there.

The well developed story moves at warp speed, the tension non-stop. The titillating plot contains surprising twists and turns, intrigue and hot, gritty sex mixed to create a memorable tale. Ms. Wild is a master story weaver. Be Careful What You Wish For is a must read.

Sandra Paquet

gottawritenetwork.com reviewer

October 2, 2007

Issue of Trust
Lorie O'Clare
Romantic suspense
139 pages
Ellora's Cave Romantica Publication
ISBN: 1-4199-0530-9
5 out of 5 sanctuaries
Reviewed by Sandra Paquet

Joanna Hopkins was rescued from the streets by spy agency Alpha Corp. By the time she was sixteen, they had taught her how to kill for money. Now she's a mother on the run from this same agency because no one retires from Alpha Corp. They leave, they die. But Joanna will risk anything to find a safe home and a normal life for her son Alex.

After undergoing plastic surgery, she returns to the U.S. and rents a cabin in Valley View, a tiny town deep in the Rocky Mountains. Despite finding it difficult to trust, here both her and Alex begin to make their first ever friends. And she meets Hunter, a man she's overwhelmingly attracted to. But Hunter is too much like Jonathan Estevez, the general in Alpha Corp whom she still loves. A man who will kill her if he finds her. Will Valley View be her sanctuary or her grave?

I loved this book. Secrets, intrigue, hot sex and memorable characters-what more could you ask for?

Issue of Trust tore at my emotions. Who wouldn't be drawn to a woman willing to sacrifice her safety and the man she loves to protect her son? Joanna lives and breathes on the page as does Hunter and, well, all the story characters.

Ms O'Clare kept the tension high and the plot twisting and turning right to the very end by mixing raw lust with danger and lost dreams. I couldn't stop reading until I hit the last word.

Witch's Curse
By Myla Jackson
Erotic Quickie
36 pages
Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1-4199-0805-7
5 out of 5 curses

Ninety-nine years ago, Catherine Wein broke the Threefold Law of Wicca and was cursed-stripped of her powers and left to an endless existence of living each year of her life in a different woman's body. Last New Year's Eve, on the stroke of midnight, she landed in Kindra's body, saving the young painter from a suicide attempt. It's New Year's Eve again and in a few hours Catherine will leave Kindra's body and move on. She's worried about Kindra who is still suicidal; worried that Kindra will succeed in taking her life once Catherine is gone. Catherine decides to spend her last hours in Kindra's body partying, showing Kindra how wonderful life can be.

        Sam Cade's long-time girlfriend has just dumped him and partying is the last thing he wants to do but his friend talks him into going out. The moment he sees the beautiful Kindra, he's drawn to her. Minutes after meeting, their bodies ignite and they make love.

        But who is Sam making love with? Catharine or Kindra? And will it matter? The Angel of Death is waiting for midnight to strike; waiting to claim Kindra's soul.

        Witch's Curse is hot, hot, hot. And what a fascinating and unusual situation. Imagine being dropped into someone's body seconds before they jumped to their death. Catherine, Kindra and Sam, three wounded souls, come alive on the page. I desperately wanted all three of them to find a happily ever after.

        The curse and the Angel of Death weave intrigue and danger throughout the story. Sam and Catherine/Kindra's passion ignite the pages. This sensual and intriguing story kept me glued to the page until the very last word. Witch's Curse is a must read.

Sandra Paquet

gottawritenetwork.com reviewer

November 3, 2007

Crimson Ties
By Claire Thompson
Erotic Quickie
40 pages
Ellora's Cave Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1-4199-0511-2
3 out of 5 true kin

        Scientist Joanna Eastman attends the Crimson Ties Vampire Ball because of her fascination with vampires. She has been researching them for years. And lately one particular vampire has taken over her dreams, her very erotic dreams, to the point where Joanna is beginning to wonder if they really do exist. And suddenly she sees him. Her dream lover.

        Anton Mahler is at the ball to feed. He is a vampire, one of the true kin. But he finds more than the blood he needs to sustain him. In Joanna he sees the soul of his long-lost love, Kalina. But even with a vampire soul, she is still mortal. Could he risk falling in love with a woman whose body would eventually age, a woman who would die and leave him with a broken heart?

        Crimson Ties is an interesting little story but very predictable. No surprises here. It's a rather sweet but erotic love story. Joanna and Anton are likable characters, but they don't face any real challenge. The story just didn't hold my interest. But if you don't mind a story lacking in plot twists and surprises, it is as I said, a sweet and erotic love story.

Sandra Paquet

gottawritenetwork.com reviewer

November 3, 2007