Customer Reviews

The Hard Stuff

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Stakeout" by Karin Tabke

Detective Stevie Cavanaugh is a woman in control. At least until special agent Jack Thornton gets within her sights, then she is a woman on the verge of violatile reactions, and emotions. No one pushes her buttons like Thorn does, and God help her, she wants him to do it again....On the trail of a dangerous and brutal killer, Stevie comes face to face with the one man who makes her so hot she can't stand it, only he walked away from the heat. But as much as she still wants him, Stevie is not about to let Thorn walk all over her again. This is her investigation, and she may be forced to work with him, but only on her terms. Jack regrets how things went down with Stevie all those years ago, but he never forgot her. Together, they were a combustible combination, and the more Stevie tries to convince Thorn she's not going down that road again, the hotter the tension gets between them. One of these days, something's got to give, and when it does, watch out or you'll get burned....

"Bodywork" by Bonnie Edwards

Car expert Tyce Branton is hired by the Widow Delaney to restore and sell her collection of classic cars, only he had no idea that the woman who specifically requested his services is a woman from his past. Back then she was Lisa Brady, a sweet girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Now she was everything a trophy wife represented, a greedy witch who would sell her deceased husband's automobiles just to rake in the cash. But Tyce didn't know everything, and as the sizzling heat between them burns relentlessly, he begins to see the woman she became, one who didn't need a man's help to survive. Unrequited lust turns into something hotter, but will it be enough, or will the flames die out when Tyce's assignment comes to an end?

"Chinatown" by Sunny

New York police office Lily Huang is in the middle of a tough case when things get out of control and she's kidnapped by a gang. Things go from bad to worse when her tracking device is discovered, and she is trapped in a cement-walled basement with a man who may or may not be an FBI agent. And to make things even more interesting, Wes Penzatti has an uncontrollable lust for Lily. Their limited time together is intense, and after they are rescued, they are immediately separated. Wes can't forget what Lily did for him, though he's plagued with guilt. Soon it becomes unbearable, and he tracks her down. Not only is Lily the courageous woman who endured being kidnapped, she is so much more, and Wes realizes that Lily didn't do anything she didn't want to do. Maybe they have a future after all....

Each story is scorching in its own way, whether it's dealing with old relationships or establishing new ones. These three stories are very earthy, extremely sexual, and immensely satisfying. While the new Aphrodisia line offers a warning on the cover, readers should be aware that there are no nasty surprises but just very intense physical encounters between consenting partners. Have the a/c cranked up and the ice cubes kept nearby because you are going to need them!

Kensington's new Aphrodisia line is HOT and not for the faint of heart but wow are they well written showcasing some of the latest and greatest new talent out there.

Karin Tabke's "Stakeout" brings together two lovers that have not seen each other since "the night" and now these two have to not only deal with the serial killer they are staked out to capture and the attraction they have between them. Will they catch the bad guy and cool the heat between them or will things burn out of control?

Bonnie Edwards' "Bodywork" is the story of Lisa Delaney. She has a Cadillac that needs a little tender loving care. When she takes it to Tyce Branton's body shop she gets a little more then she bargain on.

In Sunny's "Chinatown" NYPD police officer a gang of men who won't stop at anything has kidnapped Lily Huang. When she is thrown into a room with a man she at first doesn't know if she had been thrown into the fire or if she has just been given a reprieve. Will Lily survive this capture or will the danger and passion be more then she bargained for?

This was an awesome and hot set of stories. As stated in the beginning these are not for the faint of heart. All three contributing authors are writers the reading public should keep in mind when looking for titillating and sensual reads.

In Karin Tabke's STAKEOUT, Detective Stevie Cavanaugh is surveilling a male escort with unusual sexual tastes when Special Agent Jack Thornton, her former training inspector and one-night stand, comes to takes over the operation. He'd like to take over Stevie too, but the tough talking cop proves she's more than a match for him. In the bedroom and on the job.

Bonnie Edward's BODY WORK is more traditional. Lisa Delaney, a young widow, hires Tyce Branton to fix her late husband's collection of Cadillacs so she can auction them off and fly off to Europe. Tyce is an expert with cars and women--and a man who cared for Lisa when she was trailer trash. They both moved on since then...or have they?

In CHINATOWN, author Sunny brings readers an exotic tale of danger, suspense and sensuality. When NYPD officer Lily Huang is imprisoned by a ruthless gang leader, she shares more than comfort with her fellow prisoner, a hard-bodied FBI agent. Although they're rescued, danger lurks. So does passion.

Karin Tabke's STAKEOUT throbs with energy. The writing is strong and so are the characters; the story is loaded with action and surprises. Although BODY WORK is hot and steamy, sweet emotion runs through Bonnie Edward's heartwarming story. Sunny's CHINATOWN tells a powerful story with shimmering sex. If you like your fiction hot, this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book. Karin Tabke's GOOD GIRL GONE BAD will be coming out September `06, and I'm eager to read it.

I took the title for this review off the back of the book, and Kensington wasn't quibbling when they added their disclaimer! The Hard Stuff is definitely hot, but it's a whole lot more. Three totally wonderful stories with terrific characters and engrossing plots. Karin Tabke's STAKEOUT features a tough detective paired with the one man she can't afford to be alone with, and there's an excellent reason for Stevie Cavanaugh's concern. Jack Thornton is one hot hero. Bonnie Edwards's novella, BODYWORK, gives an entirely new definition to sexual tension, with characters you find yourself rooting for long before the story ends. Sexy and heartwarming at the same time. It's absolutely wonderful. Sunny's exquisite writing in Chinatown makes for a mesmerizing finish to this fantastic anthology. Lily and Wes are trapped in a sensual prison of desire and discovery. Defnitely a wonderful story to finish off the collection. I highly recommend THE HARD STUFF to any reader who likes their stories hot, yet filled with emotion and fast, exciting action. This book is a terrific launch for Kensinton's new Aphrodisia line of erotica.

Karin Tabke's "Stakeout" - Argh this one annoyed me it's your typical romance story. Girl falls for mentor they sleep together he leaves for the lamest of reasons. But one night of sex was ohhh so shattering they fall in love and when they meet again years later it all starts again. Ok in the hands of another author maybe I could have bought the storyline but what I kept thinking was geez these are supposed to be professional law enforcement people ACT LIKE IT! Their behavior on the job made me cringe and I just couldn't get past it no matter how hard I try.

Bonnie Edwards' "Bodywork" - This was better then the first story but at the same time nothing to write home about. Good story maybe with more time it could have been great.

Sunny's "Chinatown" this one, I loved this story it just pushed all my buttons in the right way, this story alone made the price of the book acceptable. I wish they could have had a full length novel what I wouldn't give to spend more time with these 2. At a couple points I just had to roll my eyes but I did it with a smile the story is so good nothing could take away from it. I want more!

As is the case with most anthologies, the quality of the three included stories varies. Interestingly, they are arranged in the opposite order you might expect, from weakest to strongest.

Karin Tabke's "Stakeout" is the weakest. Seven years after he disappeared without a word following a single, glorious night together, FBI agent Jack Thornton shows up assigned to the same serial killer investigation as detective Stevie Cavanaugh, bound and determined to pick up where they left off, but Stevie is having none of it, despite her strong attraction to him. Naturally, it turns out that Jack had a good reason for his actions (and by "good" I mean too ridiculously complicated to make up); infuriatingly, it takes him EIGHT CHAPTERS (84 pages) to get around to mentioning it! Only a couple of likable in spite of it all main characters and an intriguing police investigation make this story tolerable.

Bonnie Edwards' "Bodywork" is better, though it is essentially the same story: two people obviously meant for each other are separated by misunderstandings until they see the light, but Ms. Edwards makes her story a lot more believable. They grew up as friends in the same trailer park, both determined to get out, but when Tyce Branton finally realized how he felt about her, Lisa boarded a bus the next day, never to return. A dozen years later and they've both achieved success: she as a wealthy widow, he as the number one choice when rich collectors need their vintage autos worked on. Now she needs his help to fix up her late husband's collection so that it will achieve top dollar at auction, but can they stand each other long enough to get the job done? And maybe even get past their faulty assumptions about each other's characters? Well, the answer is obvious, but Ms. Edwards makes it interesting getting there.

However, Sunny's "Chinatown" is the best of them all. In the same number of pages that Ms. Tabke and Ms. Edwards used to take me to their inevitable conclusions, Sunny completely surprised me two or three times and kept me guessing until the end. As a result I will definitely be seeking out more of Sunny's work in the future: Skin on Skin, which contains "China Doll", the sequel to "Chinatown", Mona Lisa Awakening, Over the Moon, Mona Lisa Blossoming, On the Prowl, Mona Lisa Craving, Mona Lisa Darkening, Lucinda, Darkly, and Lucinda, Dangerously.

I brought this book for Chinatown by Sunny. I just found her. But I must say enjoyed the other stories also. All of them were Very HOT.

I purchase this book because of Sunny's story and was very please with 2 out of the three stories. I found myself skipping pages in Bodywork, and it was not to get to the sex scenes, those were the pages I found my self rewriting in my head the most(I do love a good erotic story) Sunny and karen Tabke delivered. Overall a great read.

This book was awesome.
Was difficult to put it down.
Very Hot!!!
Can't wait for her next book to hit the stands.
I am so there!!

"Stakeout" by Karin Tabke. Police Detective Stevie Cavanaugh wets her pants salivating over the "Italian Stallion" that she watches as Mario "Rocky" Spoltori is hung. However, as she admires her target, Special Agent Jack "Thorn" Thornton arrives at the surveillance site provoking memories of the best night she ever had; fantasy could never match the hardness of reality, but he was married at the time. They still want one another but the divorced Thorn wonders whether Stevie will geld him or love him

"Bodywork" by Bonnie Edwards. Wealthy widow Lisa Delaney hires auto mechanic Tyce Branton as his touch is the best to fix her late husband's classic car collection for an auction. Neither has forgotten twelve years ago, but he does not trust her as she disdained her trailer park roots which included him and married a sexagenarian. Lisa vows she will not lose her heart this time to the womanizer who tossed her aside years ago. Of course he is the best with body parts so she might consider a frolic or two.

"Chinatown" by Sunny. Lily Huang obtains the phony Chinese passport and Singapore visa that enables her illegally to enter New York where the ruthless people-smuggling Red Lion gang strip her, find her tracking device, and realize she is an undercover cop. They lock her in the basement with undercover FBI Agent Wes Penzatti. As they share captivity and more, they must escape before the merciless gang leader Billy Kim kills them, but freedom means the end of their togetherness fantasy.

These three romantic novellas are well written stimulating tales. Though Bonnie Edwards' input does not seem to belong with the police procedural contributions, fans who like their literature torrid will enjoy this erotic anthology.

Harriet Klausner