TABOO WISHES: VOLUME 1 by Brynn Paulin

PUBLISHER: Resplendence Publishing, 7/2011
GENRE: Contemporary BDSM Erotica
GRADE: C

SYNOPSIS:

Punished- Natalia Cooper lives life on the straight and narrow, never veering into naughty territory. But she wants to. Ethan Tavish can hardly believe his eyes when he enters The Dungeon to find his secretary, Natalia, bent over the spanking bench in a school girl uniform. He plans to give her what she wants…and a whole lot more.

Kidnap and Kink- Be Careful What You Wish For… Jenna Marks has a secret fantasy, to be kidnapped, tied up and seduced. She never imagines her wish might come true, but Rob Colvin has had his eye on Jenna for months. When he overhears her secret, he knows he’s going to be the one to deliver her fantasy—one weekend of her submission to him, her mysterious and masterful lover.

Yuletide Greetings- When Zach Colvin’s brother promised to send a package full of holiday cheer, Zach never expected it to be a near-naked woman. But Kate Morgan has made a mistake. She’s meeting a man for hook up, but she’s stunned to find a another—a man with a determined grin, mesmerizing eyes and a naughty penchant for spanking.

Mr. Smith’s Whip- Librarian Olivia McKinnion’s life rarely changes, but when Colin Smith takes up residence to research his latest book, everything changes. She’s heard whispers of Mr. Smith’s whip and his dominant ways. And more than anything, she wants Colin to show her the darker side of sex, bent over his knee and begging for more.

MY THOUGHTS: This anthology is comprised of four previously published short stories involving bondage/discipline, domination/submission, sadism/masochism or BDSM, for short. None of them are good. They’re goofy and disappointing and I couldn’t take the author seriously. How the hero and heroine met was just not plausible. I wouldn’t try this author again.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THEIR LADY GLORIANA by Starla Kaye

PUBLISHER: Black Velvet Seductions 5/2011
SETTING: England, 1272
GENRE: Historical Erotic Romance
GRADE: A

SYNOPSIS: In medieval times honorable men had to do what was required of them by the kings to whom they were loyal…

Thomas Lancaster, a widower with bad memories of marriage and a young son he barely knew was a hardened knight loyal to his king. In reward for his efforts fighting in the Crusades, King Edward gave him Middlemound Castle to hold for the crown. But the king decreed that he must marry the beautiful young widow of the castle’s previous lord.

Lady Gloriana Stewart had suffered brutally in her first marriage and had no desire to marry again. Yet she had no choice. She had to protect her people and obey her king.

All she wanted was for her new husband to give her a baby. Having already lost one wife in childbirth, Thomas refused to even consider it.

Sir Rowan Montgomery, Thomas’s first knight, friend, and lover complicated the situation even more. Thomas didn’t want to give up Rowan and Gloriana didn’t want to admit she had feelings for her husband and for Rowan.

MY THOUGHTS: I really liked this story. There were three main characters and all were likeable. The sex scenes between Rowan and Thomas were my favorite. They were very explicit and there were more between them than there were between them/Gloriana and Thomas/Gloriana.

Thomas and Rowan had been lovers for six months before Thomas married Gloriana. Gloriana never had a problem with their sexual relationship and was facinated by it at first. I wish the scenes between the three had been more detailed and longer. Perhaps if the story had been longer than 200 pages that could have happened.

I didn’t really care for the part about Thomas wanting his son back. I wasn’t all that interested in reading about a child. Overall I was satisfied with this story and would like to read a sequal.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE MEMORY PALACE by Mira Bartók

PUB. INFO: Free Press, 8/11
GENRE: Nonfiction/Memoir
GRADE: B

From GoodReads.com: “ People have abandoned their loved ones for much less than you’ve been through,” Mira Bartók is told at her mother’s memorial service. It is a poignant observation about the relationship between Mira, her sister, and their mentally ill mother. Before she was struck with schizophrenia at the age of nineteen, beautiful piano protégé Norma Herr had been the most vibrant personality in the room. She loved her daughters and did her best to raise them well, but as her mental state deteriorated, Norma spoke less about Chopin and more about Nazis and her fear that her daughters would be kidnapped, murdered, or raped.

The Memory Palace is a breathtaking literary memoir about the complex meaning of love, truth, and the capacity for forgiveness among family. Through stunning prose and original art created by the author in tandem with the text, The Memory Palace explores the connections between mother and daughter that cannot be broken no matter how much exists—or is lost—between them.

MY THOUGHTS: It was really sad to read about a schizophrenic person and even harder to read about Norma dying from cancer. I can't imagine what it was like for Mira and her older sister to have been raised by a mentally ill mother and absentee father, who's got his own set of problems.

Though I enjoyed the book I felt it was a bit disjointed, with random stories and incidents told in no particular order. I'd have preferred some sort of timeline.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

GOLDEN ROSE by Herbert Edgar

PUB. INFO: Pink Flamingo Publications, 8/2011
SETTING: 1800s
GRADE: B

SYNOPSIS: While in agricultural school in the South of England, the randy John Beale satisfies his sexual appetites in the company of the nineteen lusty women residing in the girl’s residence. While John engages in nightly orgies, the dorm matron, Mrs. Entwhistle, watches through many cleverly positioned keyholes. After finishing college, John sets out to find the “good life” aboard the Kent Lady, which is headed toward the Far East. During a horrendous storm, the ship is destroyed, although John is able to get away before being taken down to the bottom of the ocean. He meets another survivor, Abraham, floating on a crate, which the man obsessively protects.

Several days later, the two finally reach land. Wandering off to search the island, John catches a glimpse of the beautiful and exotic Loridana while she bathes naked in the crystal waters. He is immediately struck by her beauty, and desires to have her. While the gruff Abraham zealously guards his crate, John and Loridana become embroiled in a torrid affair.

As the trio become more acquainted, Loridana relates the circumstances that brought her to the island. The ship on which she was sailing was overrun by pirates, and she was fortunate to escape in a dinghy. Hiding the dinghy in a safe location, she set up camp on the opposite shore. Abraham sees Loridana’s dinghy as a way to get off the island and continue with his endeavor. With his encouragement, the three agree to take advantage of the pirates that regularly stop at the island for drunken orgies. After hijacking their ship, they’ll sail to safety on the mainland.

As the trio’s scheme unfolds, Abraham must empty his crate of its precious contents; and John and Loridana are stunned to discover what he has so fervently guarded. Finally arriving on the other side of the island, Loridana and Abraham find to their horror that the pirates are already on shore. With eyes on the luscious female, the pirates take the pair aboard their ship. Following from behind, John watches in horror as the men prepare to ravage his lovely Loridana. Can he save her from the ruthless pirate crew? And what will become of Abraham’s valued treasure?

An Old World tale filed with romance, suspense and plenty of sizzling D/s sex.

MY THOUGHTS: This story started out good and juicy. When they became shipwrecked I didn’t enjoy reading it as much. It wasn’t as graphic as I thought it would be either. John, 27, was likable, as were all the characters. I just found the whole story to be unbelievable and a real letdown.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

INGENUE by Jillian Larkin

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press, 8/11
SETTING: New York, 1923
GENRE: Young Adult Historical Fiction
SERIES: The Flappers, book 2 of 3
GRADE: B

SYNOPSIS: In the city that never sleeps, Lorraine Dyer is wide awake. Ever since she exposed Clara Knowles for the tramp she was—and lost her closest confidante in the process—Lorraine has spent every second scheming to make her selfish, lovesick ex–best friend pay for what she did. No one crosses Lorraine. Not even Gloria.

True love conquers everything—or so Gloria Carmody crazily believed. She and Jerome Johnson can barely scrape together cash for their rent, let alone have a moment to whisper sweet nothings in the dark. And if they thought escaping Chicago meant they’d get away with murder . . . they were dead wrong.

Clara was sure that once handsome, charming Marcus Eastman discovered her shameful secret, he’d drop her like a bad habit. Instead, he swept her off her feet and whisked her away to New York. Being with Marcus is a breath of fresh air—and a chance for Clara to leave her wild flapper ways firmly in the past. Except the dazzling parties and bright lights won’t stop whispering her name. . .

MY THOUGHTS: I wasn’t as impressed or excited by this second installment as I was with the first in The Flappers series. The story takes place six months after Vixen ends. The entire plotline was about everyone trying to track down Gloria and Jerome for a past crime involving them. It got to be a bit tedious.

I found it totally unbelievable that all three main female characters, Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine all coincidentally ended up in the same place, New York. I wish the story had stayed centered in Chicago. I didn’t really see the need to move it to a new location. The location didn’t make the story any different and I’m not sure what the point was.

I didn’t find Clara or Gloria very interesting this time around. Lorraine is still as evil as ever and is still my favorite. She’s so jealous that I can’t help but like her. She leaves me wondering what dirty deeds she’ll be up to next. Poor Jerome wasn’t even in the story very much but his younger sister Vera was. She was featured in this book a bit more than the previous one. I like her a bit more this time.

Things came to a head at the end and though I was disappointed with the story, I’m very anxious to read the last in the series, Diva, due out next year.

Click here for my review of Vixen. Click here to visit the official website for the series.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

MADCAP MASQUERADE by Persephone Roth-M/M Romance

PUBLISHER: DreamSpinner, 2009
GENRE: Gay Historical Fiction
MY GRADE: C

SYNOPSIS: The Randwick family is as noble as any but lives in greatly reduced circumstances. When Loel Woodbine, Duke of Marche and heir to three fortunes, makes an offer for Miss Valeria Randwick's hand, it seems like a godsend, but the young lady has already promised her heart to another-and a commoner, at that.

Desperate to avoid the marriage, Valeria concocts a wild scheme that depends upon the good graces of her monastery-raised brother, Valentine. When the prospective groom sees through the ruse, he surprises Valentine by agreeing to cooperate. But can Marche and Valentine fool London society while dealing with an accusation of murder and the distracting fascination between them?

MY THOUGHTS: I must admit that the premise of this book sounded good. Unfortunately, the story wasn’t to my liking. The masquerade itself was totally unbelievable and I don’t think it would have worked in real life.

Both lead characters were very likable. Loel was attracted to Valentine instantly and didn’t hesitate to let him know. There were three or so very graphic sex scenes, which I enjoyed. They professed their love for one another way too soon.

I feel like the mystery as to who murdered a certain someone took over most of the story and that disappointed me. I wanted to read a romance, not mystery.

Both heroes ages weren’t given nor was the year this story took place. That info should always be given. Oddly and throughout the entire story, a word from a sentence would be missing for no reason. I’ve never encountered that before.

Overall, I was unsatisfied and I’m not sure if I’d try this author again.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.