Customer Reviews

House of Dark Delights

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the erotica I've been waiting for my entire adult life: a fabulously exciting backdrop populated by the most outrageously sexy and original characters you could possibly imagine, doing, well, everything you could imagine and a whole lot more. How that library reviewer could have called HOUSE OF DARK DELIGHTS "mildly stimulating" is beyond me. All I have to say to her is, sweetheart, if you know of anything sexier than this, don't hold back! I myself can't imagine a hotter read, and believe me, I know my erotica. Louisa Burton knows precisely which buttons to push, and she pushes them with the skill of a master. My favorite character is Elic, the shapeshifting incubus. I'd kill for an hour alone with that bad boy. HOUSE OF DARK DELIGHTS is smarter and better written than Anne Rice's Beauty trilogy, with a delicious dose of wit. And it's the first of a series! I've already cleared the shelf space.

i truly enjoy erotica, but most of it (1) is not well written, (2) does not have a real plot, and (3) is not terribly exciting. louisa burton's debut novel is none of those. it is obvious that the author did a lot of research so the book feels historically accurate. this is literary erotica and i think it's hot. when you read it - and you must - don't hide this book behind a plain brown cover. display it proudly! give it to all your friends! i can't wait until the next book in the series...

This was one of the best books I've read in quite a while. Actually, it's the best book I've read . . . ever!

This is a book of intense eroticism but there is so much more to it than that. There is a very well-written storyline with well-developed characters set before an historical backdrop.

This book was about having your deepest fantasies come to life, but, thankfully, not just in the sexual context. There was an academic wish-come-true as well as an emotional dream fulfilled. Among others.

This book had it all and I am very impatiently awaiting the sequel, due out this fall. What an incredible debut from a truly gifted author! I will shout her praises from the rooftops. Brava, Ms Burton!!

The first in a series, this book ushered me into a world of secrets and lust, where sexual demons have good hearts and overpowering libidos. Louisa Burton writes beautiful prose and weaves tales from different time periods, connecting them all with mysticism and eroticism. Well done!

House of Dark Delights was well written. It had a good storyline with the right amount of sexiness. Just the way I like my books! We were introduced to the characters although I did get confused at times with who was who and they did what? The timewarp went through the centuries and it was interesting to find out how all the characters ended up in the same place and why. I enjoyed this book tremendously and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone with similar tastes.

Burton creates an enticing bit of erotica, juicy and hot, and with an enjoyable edge of the supernatural. This book includes three stories, all set in the same remote villa, a discreet place where selected wealthy guests come to be indiscreet. The best of this story comes from its characters. There's Darius, the djinn whose nature forces him to accede to the desires the human to whom he is bound - whether or not that human consciously acknowledges those desires. There's Lili, too, with her otherworldly capacity for carnality. Elic/Elle also joins the band, with magical transformations between male and female, sort of a time-shared hermaphrodite. The first and longest story in this book gives generally enjoyable descriptions of these players and their dalliances among humankind. The characters give every indication of longevity (in the story-telling sense, not just in their calendar ages). I can imagine many exciting sequels based around these characters, and around the others of their varied kind.

The book's second story runs to only a third the length of the first. Although it has its steamy moments, this first-time author seemed unable to sustain the energy of the collection's first offering. Continuing the downhill trend, I found the third story utterly forgettable.

What's good here is very good, despite some S&M that I found excessive. It just isn't very consistent, though. Burton has found her voice (or started to), but hasn't shown that she can sustain it. If she does, she'll be a significant contributor to mainstream erotica.

//wiredweird

If you are a fan of erotica, this book will enchant you! It is fantasy to entice you into the imaginary world of Grotte Cachee in France where its four immortal denizens entertain their visitors with delicious sex. The book is fun, and the erotica is interspersed among actual stories which flesh out the characters, allowing you to care for them. Since the immortals have resided at the castle for hundreds of years, the episodic stories are set in various eras and are written with authenticity to their time periods. Louisa Burton is a good writer; I'm already reading the second book in the series with the third waiting for me. A fourth is soon to be released, and surely I'll be wanting to read that as well!

This book makes you want to read on forever. It is gripping and juicy. A wonderful read.

Sonja Paris
MAKE THE COUGAR PURR
Make The Cougar Purr

From beginning to end I was captivated! A castle set in the french countryside where the wealthy imbark upon their inner most fantasies and desires. Burton does an excellent job with character description giving the reader insight to their past and present, you really feel a part of their world. I loved the history of these magical creatures which reside at Grotte Cache'e. You have a tall, seductive elf who can morph from male to female. An ancient Babylonian Goddess, a lusty Satyr, and a Djinni who is obligated to satisfy the desires of any human he touches. And a Vampire with bloodlust. The history of the castle itself is enchanting.

Certainly erotic and some bondage regarding Charlotte whom accidentally touches Darius, the Djinni. I was pleased with the ending but found myself reaching for the second installment! I have read all the Hidden Grotto books and have enjoyed them all. They are all worth reading and leaves you with your own fantasies and desires reeling! Let the next Guests arrive! This is the first book in the series.

Book #2 Bound in Moonlight
Book #3 Whispers of the Flesh (Hidden Grotto)
Book #4 In the Garden of Sin (The Hidden Grotto Series)

Its always a pleasure to enter someone else's world for a while, Bravo Burton! Please never stop the writings of The Hidden Grotto.

Wow--I will be watching for more from this author! This is erotica as it should be: hot and steamy and with an interesting premise that contributes to the storyline--recurring characters set in different time periods.

This is not a romance and has no happily ever after if that is what you are looking for. It is instead a very intelligent and well written work and I can't wait for the sequels.