Customer Reviews

Big Guns Out of Uniform

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The last two stories in this anthology are spectacular, featuring beguiling characters in intriguing circumstances. Liz Carlyle shows, despite her list of successful regencies, that her true talent may lie in contemporary romance. More light-hearted than her historical tales, "Let's Talk About Sex" is an extremely sensuous, character-driven story, rich in detail and laughter. New writer Nicole Camden achieves the unheard of in the romance genre -- an original premise -- with her steamy, first person tale about a photographer who has lost the ability to recognize faces. Though first-person romance can be cumbersome and distracting, Camden uses this viewpoint with a skill approaching that of veterans Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's offering, however, is a waste of paper. An author who has previously shown promising originality in her supernatural novels, Kenyon's contribution feels so contrived and farfetched that even die hard romance fans will close the book in disgust. Kenyon's characters are completely lacking in development -- a result not unusual in the shorter anthology format -- but her failure is striking in contrast to the skillfulness with which both Camden and Carlyle craft their leading men and women. Kenyon proves unworthy of her top billing, but this book nevertheless belongs on everyone's wish list. Carlye and Camden are unforgettable. Just begin reading on page 109.

I found this book to be a fun read which highlighted the first of a new series by the very talented Sherrilyn Kenyon. The other contributing authors Ms. Carlyle and newcomer Nicole Camden also pen hot steamy romances that were entertaining and fun to read.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's story "BAD to the Bone" takes us to an island get away where mid-west teacher Marianne Webernec finds herself the winner of a "Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes". She gets to live her favorite romance novel. Problem is the guy that is cast as "the hero" is a wet rag and less then romance inspiring. While on a stroll along the beach she finds herself literally swept away by a muscled yummy man Kyle Foster. Kyle is on a forced vacation in order to heal from wound that he sustained in the field. He is a Bureau of American Defense (BAD) agent and a real honest to goodness secret agent. Kyle finds himself drawn to Marianne and finds out why she's there and then kidnaps her in order to fulfill more then just her fantasy. What they find out is that truth can be sexier then fiction.

Liz Caryle's "Lets Talk About Sex" centers around Dr. Delia Sydney. She is a divorcee living in an ugly house, driving a wreck, and wishing that her life was a little more exciting. She can give great advice about relationships she just can't seem to find her own happily ever after. Then just when she thinks life can't get any worse her car breaks down in front of Nick Woodruff's house. She has already met the handsome and rugged cop and was not impressed with the first meeting. The second one does not look like it's going to be any better but then things are not always what they seem. Eventually these two find that they have a lot in common and that the attraction that they both feel can not be ignored. This was a very witty and fun read not to mention the fact that there was great chemistry that really added to the story.

Nicole Camden's "The Nekkid Truth" was different but still a fun read. Debbie Valley is a photographer that occasionally works for the local police department. Debbie was in an accident several years earlier and as a result she does not recognize faces. She even doesn't recogonize her own face. This leads her to recognize a person by identifying peoples bodies. Despite her problem she still finds herself drawn to Detective Marshall Scott. Marshall is drawn to the flirty Debbie but is not sure if a relationship between the two of them is a good idea. See he was in the car that hurt Debbie and now he is not sure if she blames him for her condition. Still despite how hard they both work to avoid the mutual attraction they find themselves getting together and eventually they quit fighting their feelings. On top of this there is an unsovled murder that Marshal is investigating and it looks like the only one that can help him solve the crime is Debbie with the use of her body recognition. This story was told from the prespective of Debbie and as a result is written in the first person. That took awile to get used to I must admit. This story would have probably been better as a full lenghth story rather then a short story but it was still worth reading. I would have liked to have seen the relationship between Debbie and Marshall as it was before the accident since I feel that it was important to how they later reacted to each other. Still this was a good effort for a first time read.

All said this was a real good book and one that I would not miss. I think that it's important for people to realize that when you read short stories like these that the stories will move at a rather fast clip and some details may be left out that would normally be included in a full lenghth title. Still if you are a fan of any of these authors it would be a crime to miss out on their latest offerings!

Having never read any of these authors prior to this and not particularly caring for the cop theme in my books, I settled down to read this book quite by accident and will now never let it go. Kenyon's story had a majorly weak and contrived plot but it was still enjoyable to read. Liz Carlyle's gets much better with excellent dialogue and characterizations. Reminds me of a less desperate Stephanie Plum and a Joseph Morelli on vacation. I will definitely be seeking out more of Liz Carlyle. Nicole Camden blew me away. I have read plenty of erotica and romance in my time and she combined the best of both worlds. Characters I loved. Sympathetic situations. Heroine had a great vocation. Everyone was comfortable with their own sexuality. Ms. Camden is very comparible to Emma Holly, Jennifer Crusie, Janet Evanovich, Laurell K. Hamilton, Robin Schone, with a touch of Linda Howard all wrapped up in one. I am terribly disappointed that her backlist consists of zilch and her website is pretty much a "coming soon" zone. Patience I tell myself.

I bought this book mainly to see what Liz Carlyle's first contemporary would be like (terrific!) and also to check out Sherrilyn Kenyon's new BAD/Sex Camp series. I was not disappointed in either story. Both were fun and sexy and enjoyable. But I have to confess that I did not really read Nicole Camden's story, I skimmed it. The title turned me off, the sex was a bit coarse for my taste and it was told in the first person, which I rarely enjoy. Perhaps I'm being unfair to Ms Camden (whom I'd never read nor heard of before), but though her premise was easily the most creative of the three (a photographer that loses her ability to recognize faces), it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Personally I enjoyed Ms. Kenyon's story, though other reviewers did not and that may be because I've not read any of Ms Kenyon's other books and so had no particular expectations. I've read all of her books under Kinley MacGregor and have enjoyed them. BAD TO THE BONE kicks off her BAD (Bureau of American Defense)/Sex Camp series and, though at times you may find yourself rolling your eyes and saying "puh-leeze!" you'll likely be giggling while you do it! This one is pure "Fantasy Island", so check reality at the door. Mild mannered high school teacher Marianne has come to Sex Camp to participate in a fantasy acting out one of her favourite romance/suspense author's stories. But when she stumbles onto BAD agent Kyle who is on a forced leave from his job as a covert government agent, he decides that if she's going to have a fantasy, he's the one she's going to have it with! He kidnaps her and together they have their own little weeklong steamy fantasy. But what happens when it's time to return to reality? I loved Kyle's character - a sexy and sweet nice guy. And Marianne is the proverbial "everywoman" - average to everyone but Kyle! Fun, sexy and sweet.

Liz Carlyle's LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX was witty, sexy and fun. Dr Delia knows all about sex in the clinical sense and shares her knowledge with the listeners to her radio show. But her real life sexual experience is more limited than one would think and since her divorce, she's bordering on uptight. But when she meets her hunky, sexy neighbor Nick, a cop on forced administrative leave, she is shocked to discover her interest in a fling with a total stranger! What is it about this guy that leaves her willing to do things she'd never even consider before? He's a heartbreaker for sure, so she'll need to be careful not to fall for the guy. But given their mutual passion can either come out of this steamy relationship unscathed? I loved this story and as another reviewer pointed out, it's much lighter in tone than her historicals. Her style reminded me a bit of Susan Donovan who happens to be one of my faves. I look forward to more contemporaries by Ms Carlyle!

In Sherrilyn Kenyon's BAD TO THE BONE, high school teacher Marianne Webernec wins a publisher's contest and gets to act out her favorite romance novel for a month on an exclusive private island. Playing a femme fatale secret agent and acting out scenes with a gorgeous actor playing her favorite hero should have been a dream come true. Halfway through her stay, however, Marianne is bored silly and sneaks off into an off-limits part of the island. In the midst of blowing up sand castles to amuse himself while on a forced leave of advance, BAD (short for the Bureau of American Defense, a secret government agency) agent Kyle Foster spots and rescues a woman on the beach just as the explosives are about to go off. Instant attraction springs between Kyle and Marianne, but she is quickly whisked away by her contest sponsors. Determined to see her again, Kyle decides to add a wildcard (namely himself) into her scripted fantasy. Soon the two are on the run and falling in love -- but is it the real thing or just a product of their imagination?

Loving thy neighbor reaches new heights in Liz Carlyle's LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX. While her new talk show may be gathering momentum, Dr. Delia Sydney's real life is a shambles. Recently divorced, Delia has been left with a huge monstrosity of a house she can't afford, a barely working car, and -- after all her trees are cut down by the power company -- an unobstructed view of her maddeningly sexy neighbor's house. Nick Woodruff isn't looking to get involved, but he can't get the very sexy Delia out of his mind. He's hooked either listening to her dole out sexual advice on her radio program or watching her climb out of her car wearing what has to be the world's sexiest pair of heels. Determined to act like mature, horny adults, Nick and Delia decide to have a discreet, commitment-free, no holds barred, spanking optional sexual liaison. But when their hot, secret affair shows no signs of cooling off months later, a panicking Delia is set to do something that will change the stakes.

Nicole Camden's THE NEKKID TRUTH introduces us to a heroine with a very unusual condition. Years earlier, photographer Debbie Valley was struck by a patrol car and ended up in a weeks-long coma. When she awoke, Debbie no longer had the ability to recognize and remember faces, including her own. Today a successful photographer specializing in nudes, Debbie also continues to work for the San Diego police department on crime scenes -- a job originally arranged for her by the enigmatic Detective Marshall Scott, her nemesis and long the object of her desires. For years, Marshall has felt guilty for being unable to stop the accident that caused Debbie's injury. Standing aside as she dated his fellow officers, Marshall has long thought of her as off limits. That all changes when a new murder investigation forces them to work together and long suppressed feelings are finally released. As they hunt a murderer on the loose, it's up to Marshall to convince the woman he loves that her malady doesn't matter to him.

Passion in all its toe-curling, shiver-inducing diversity is explored in BIG GUNS OUT OF UNIFORM and the result is a sensual feast for readers. Sherrilyn Kenyon starts her new BAD series off with a bang (literally) with this fun frolic in the sun. Although not as emotionally satisfying as her longer titles, Ms. Kenyon's tale is full of the wacky humor and larger than life characters that have become her trademark. Meanwhile, historical author Liz Carlyle's first contemporary tale is a sizzling treat that should leave readers hot, bothered, and raring to go shoe shopping, while Nicole Camden makes a remarkable debut with a strong story featuring a truly unique heroine.

TheSchemer

I'm not usually one to go buy a romance/erotica book, but this one intrigued me when I saw it on the shelf. I absolutely loved it, it was one of those books that's so hard to put down it hurts. I could feel the passion in all three of the stories. My favorite, Liz's. But I absolutely loved them all. It's exactly the type of romance novel that I've been looking for. Modern, contemporary, and full of mind blowing romance. I've searched the web for similar offerings by these authors, but only found historical. It's nice to be able to relate to the characters sometimes. Great job ladies!

I would have to agree with one of the review that said that Sherrilyn Kenyon's "BAD to the Bone" was pretty terrible. I just couldn't get involved with the story it was so far fetched. In addition to which, neither of the characters were particularly engaging.

However, Nicole Camden's "The Nekkid Truth" was really interesting and unusual. I liked both of the characters in this story and really got the attraction between them.

The middle story, Liz Caryle's "Lets Talk About Sex", was good enough to sell the whole book to me. I adored Nick Woodruff, the absolutely ultimate charming and sincere hero. I wish this man was real and that he was mine! I can't say enough great things about him. Dr. Delia Sydney was also really great. They were completely wonderful together and the love scenes positively burned the pages; not, however, in an unnatural or forced way. As soon as I finished it I read it again, it was that good.

So, despite the bad beginning I LOVED this book. Totally worth the price.

I love Sherrilyn Kenyon novels, that was why I bought this anthology. "Bad to the Bone" was okay, but not Ms. Kenyon's usual. I personally thought "Let's Talk About Sex" was a much more interesting story about a rather unlucky woman and a cop.

The collection of stories is not bad. Sherrilyn Kenyon's contribution is the best.. not nearly as stellar as Harriet Klausner's review.. anyone else ever notice that all her reviews are 5 stars?

"Romance" as a genre often sacrifices plot and character development to relationship and sex, and sometimes I can get very annoyed reading some of the popular authors. I feel Sherrilyn Kenyon is better in her paranormal world than her secret agent world. If you can accept the premise of Nicole Camden's "The Nekkid Truth," it's a better story overall. For me, the strongest and most intelligent while still very sexy entry was Liz Carlyle's "Let's Talk About Sex." I bought this book because I have a weak spot for cops. It's safer reading and fantasizing about them than dating them and worrying about them and getting stood up over and over because of overtime. In real life, these poor guys often don't have time and energy for romance and sex. We owe them a lot!