Customer Reviews

Secrets: The Best in Women's Erotic Romance, Vol. 9

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

 

 

I should explain that when I read erotic romance I expect not just erotica but romance, ie. a monogamous loving relationship. From this viewpoint 2 stories here are winners and 2 are sorry losers.

Wild For You
This started as a really fun tale of a Tarzan and the spoiled college student who gets lost and stumbles across him in the jungle. Georgie (of the Jungle?) was a fun heroine and the concept of a wild man who's never seen a woman before was original. I found it easy to suspend disbelief and just enjoy. Tarzan's exploration of the heroine's body was oddly arousing. Their sex scenes were hot and more emotional than you might expect. I particularly felt for him when she decided she had to return to civilization and he got upset (and tied her up and sexed her natch). Eventually he let her go but then followed her because he loved her. I was thinking Awwwww. And here the story totally fell apart. No sooner was Tarzan captured than a stream of young native girls paraded through his tent, giving and receiving oral sex. Tarzan, who a minute ago seemed to love Georgie so much, accepts BJ's from one and all, as Georgie spies on him. Worse, she just reflects that he's a man after all. This is romance? If the author is trying to say that the most innocent virginal male quickly becomes a rat bastid at the first opportunity, she sure convinced me. Toss in a gratuitous scene of one of the native girls being sodomized by her uncle in front of Tarzan (who climaxes from the display) and I about tossed my cookies. This story dropped from 5 stars to 1 star faster than a lead balloon.

Wanted
This was another interesting premise with a relationship developing between our heroine on the run and the FBI man chasing her. It started off as a cyber relationship between 2 people constantly on the road for months, moving from town to town, isolated from friends and family. Danielle talks to Reno because she's lonely and only he understands what she's going through. Reno is hot on her trail, but he's also hot for her tail. It all explodes in a scorching scene when Reno finds her working in a strip club and pays for a lap dance. Things get out of hand, but before anyone gets off, Danielle realizes who he is and escapes. Eventually of course he catches up with her again, slaps on the handcuffs and sexes her thoroughly. Smoking! He offers to help her, but can he clear her name? I liked Danielle, she was a smart and sassy woman, and out-foxed Reno more than once. I liked Reno too, he was sexy and he also genuinely cared for Danielle's well-being, even when he was determined to bring her in. You could see both of them coming to care for each other and it was very romantic as well as hot. 5 stars

Secluded
I am a fan of Lisa Marie Rice and admit I borrowed this book mainly to read her story. I was not disappointed. This is the most romantic of the 4 novellas. Or maybe I'm a sucker for the dark brooding atmosphere and aura of doomed love. Nicholas is a powerful man with determined enemies. He loves Isabelle but cannot expose her to evil men who will kill her to get to him, so he settles for a couple of weeks of sex. He wants so much more but he knows it can never be. I liked Nicholas, I felt for him. He was sexy and so devoted to Isabelle. I liked Isabelle too, she was no cringing twit but a strong lady determined to seize what happiness she could. When the enemy comes to call, both hero and heroine are willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. Soooo romantic. But don't underestimate it - this is an erotic tale with explicit language too. 5 stars

Flights of Fantasy
The premise of a woman on a cruise where the captain has a yen for her, while 2 of the other guests are her ex-lovers didn't work for me. If the captain was clearly the hero, then why is the heroine having sex with ex-lover B one morning? That very evening she then has sex with the hero. What kind of tart has sex with 2 different guys in the same day? The hero is aware of her morning delight but has no problem accepting sloppy seconds. Shouldn't a man in love be somewhat territorial, growl at B to get lost or something? I skimmed ahead, hoping things would somehow pick up, only to find the hero arranging a foursome with heroine, ex-lover A and ex-lover B, because a foursome is her fantasy. WTF? This is the weakest, most limp noodle of a hero ever. Afterwards he claims he doesn't want to share the heroine. Dude, you just did! But his reasoning is ... wait for it ... since he kept himself from coming during the menage, he didn't really share her. WTF again? The heroine accepts B in the menage even though they parted on bad terms just a day or 2 before. But hey, he has a wang and that's all this woman seems to require. She does question the hero afterward why he picked them instead of 2 new guys, and I got the distinct impression any 2 guys off the street would do. I'd advise this captain to get used to sharing, because monogamy and this woman seem to be complete strangers. There is no romance going on here, just sex. I never got any feeling that either was in love with the other, and I rate their chances of a HEA at somewhat less than 0.1%. 1 star but I'd give it 0 if I could.

Secrets Vol. 9 gives you a little something for everyone!

Wanted by Kimberly Dean, has FBI Special Agent Jeff Reno chasing Danielle Carver. This was a FUN, sexy tale. Reno has been chasing Danielle for nearly two years, hot on her trail...well, actually, he is just getting hot and hotter - under the collar and for Danielle. She has been framed for industrial espionage. Reno made his case against her and it was unbreakable. But the sassy Danielle has been playing one smart mousie to his cat, keeping just one-step ahead of him. And it's driving him nuts! He finally catches her, but then the games really begin. This is a delightful spunky tale! So strong on romance!

Wild For You is an engaging tale my Kathryn Anne Dubois, sort of Tarzan goes Chit Lit! Dubois really has fun with this story and so will the readers. Georgie a college intern gets lost in the Congo and is captured by a virginal Wildman. He's never seen a woman, and well, Georgie is valley girl all they way. It's a sexy, whimsical tale, that Dubois plays with and really shines in.

Flights of Fantasy by the very talented Bonnie Harme - just continues to demonstrate she has a fine hold of the mechanics that make romance/erotic stories so brilliant. First, she always starts will such strong characters, then she moves to romance - real romance - and then she layers on the steam. She is a talent to watch! In this tale, Chloe teaches others to see the realities of life, but she has never faced her inner own realities, her yearnings. Harme is pure magic!

Secluded by Lisa Marie Rice is a dark tale. Nicholas Lee is wealthy, he is powerful, but with that wealth and power comes very determined enemies. Enemies determined to will kill anyone he loves. When Isabelle Summerby steals his hear, Nicholas spirits her away to his underground palace to live a lifetime in mere days. A very diverting tale that shows strong imagery. Good grasp of what makes a romance work.

So all in all, Secrets Vol. 9 will have something to please every tasted!

Anthologies are always tough for me to rate because they are usually a mix of quality, and Secrets 9 is no exception.

Dean's & Dubois' stories were both excellent. Interesting plots, well-drawn characters that I actually cared about and scorching love scenes. I only wish they both had been longer, because these authors could have made each story into a compelling novel.

Rice's tale was OK, but I didn't really care for the hero. He was a bit too obsessed with the heroine for my comfort level, but other than that the writing was well done. I would read her again.

Hamre's piece was an unpleasant surprise. Heroine has sex more than once with someone other than the hero, and is also involved in a foursome (yes, you read that right!). I would have skipped this entry had I known, and doubt I will read this author again.

The "Secrets" series is known for its variety and spiciness. Volume 9 continues that traiditon with stories by Bonnie Hamre Kimberly Dean, Lisa marie Rice and Kathryn Anne Dubois. All four combine love, sex, passion, and a cute plot to keep the reader's interest from first page to last. I have never been dissatisfied with a book from this series. Get this book now for some steamy summer reading.

My favorite? Secluded by Lisa Marie Rice. The plot is packed with tention and although you know that the story will end on a good note, Rice keeps you occupied until the last word.

Least favorite? Wild for You. The plot device is weak and unrealistic. That doesn't take away from the hot sex.

Would I buy this book? Yes. Would I keep this book? Maybe.

This anthology is a collection of four highly erotic, romantic fantasies, and because fantasies vary so drastically from person to person, not all of these worked for me. But the key word that's necessary to remember in reading these is "fantasy."

"Wild for You" by Kathryn Anne Dubois starts it out, with the story of a self-centered college student named Georgie who finds herself lost on an expedition. She gets found by a wild Tarzan-like man, who keeps her safe, and these two are very quickly getting sexual. The scenes are hot, but Georgie's egocentricity wears thin after a while. The story breaks down even more after she gets found, but for the duration of their time together, Georgie and her ape man are charming and hot.

By far, my favorite of the anthology was Kimberly Dean's "Wanted." Dani has been on the run for six months, chased by Special Agent Reno for a white collar crime she didn't commit. She is smart, sexy, and the chemistry between the two smokes. The action is nonstop as well, and if the ending seems a little rushed and convenient, I'm okay with that in light of the delight the rest of the novella gave.

Then, comes my least favorite story, "Secluded" by Lisa Marie Rice. It's the story of Nicholas, a wealthy, shady character who has been obsessed with the ethereal Isabelle for years. He blackmails her father - who owes him money - into introducing him to her, with the intention of seducing her for an affair to last a couple weeks before he cuts off all ties to her (because it's too dangerous for them to be together long-term due to his enemies). Nicholas' obsession is creepy beyond anything. I know it's meant to be this gothic romance, but his behavior from the outset bugged me far too much. Maybe if I'd had some hint of who he was before his obsession was revealed it would have been better. It doesn't help that the author's voice tends to be very passive and overwrought, two characteristics that always turn me off stories no matter how much I might like the plot or characters. In the end, I just ended up cringing through the whole thing, wishing for it to be over.

The anthology ends with Bonnie Hamre's "Flights of Fantasy." Chloe has been ordered to take a week-long cruise in order to decompress from her job as an international photographer. She doesn't expect to find two ex-boyfriends on board, or for the owner to claim to have known her in college. The romance in this is pretty much secondary to the erotic fantasy aspect of it, as Chloe's fantasy is to have sex with three men (how convenient she had two exes on board with her!). Yancy, the owner, displays the same kind of obsessive behavior as Nicholas in the previous story, but it's a bit more palatable for me because I liked Chloe far more than I liked Isabelle.

I don't consider myself a typical romance reader. I don't insist that the heroine and hero only have sex with each other; in contemporaries, I just don't think that's always realistic. Because of that, I think I was far more tolerant of Chloe's behavior in the last story than a lot of readers might be.

*** "Wild for You" by Kathryn Anne Dubois.

College intern Georgie gets lost in the Congo and is rescued by a modern-day Tarzan (Mark) who's never seen a woman before. Despite that, he's a pro at foreplay. She helps him remember how to talk; he teaches her about sex.

It gets a little more far-fetched when they get "rescued," with a strange interlude with a native tribe, and then when Mark is reintroduced to civilization.

It's a cute story, but required too much suspension of disbelief for me.

***½ "Wanted" by Kimberly Dean.

Dani is wanted for stealing computer codes, and Reno is the FBI agent on her trail. Think The Fugitive. She's innocent, but is on the run until she can prove it. She and Reno have been emailing each other during their chase and have formed a connection.

It's a fun, exciting story, but again, there were some things I just couldn't buy. And the scene where Dani gives Reno a lap-dance when she's working as a stripper to get some quick cash and neither of them recognized the other just seemed gratuitous and hard to believe.

***½ "Secluded" by Lisa Marie Rice.

Quick giggle: this story starts with the sentence "I want your daughter." We just watched The Blues Brothers, and I flashed on the scene with John Belushi in the restaurant.

Nicholas is no longer a gangster, but he's got a very dangerous enemy, so he's come to terms with the fact that he can never have a long-term relationship because anyone he might be close to would become a target. So he has a series of short affairs.

Isabelle is different--Nicholas actually feels something for her. He tries to stay away, but when she's mugged, he rescues her, stays with her until she's healed, then takes her to his secluded hideout, fully expecting to give her up after 2 weeks.

It's a very sweet story, but I really questioned the premise. There didn't seem to be any danger when he was staying at her house, and then at the end, it made no sense that they'd have to go into hiding at that point.

**** "Flights of Fantasy" by Bonnie Hamre.

Journalist Chloe has been "invited" on a cruise on a yacht, the Fantasy. Her boss essentially told her to go or lose her job, but she has no idea why, as the yacht's mysterious owner "doesn't do interviews." The plot thickens when she discovers two ex-lovers on the cruise, with orders not to talk to her about why they're there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story--figuring out what was going on, and just who was supposed to be the hero. I'm a big sucker for intrigue. And there was some pretty steamy sex.

But the hero was a pretty major stalker, which spoiled some of my enjoyment of the story. If he'd even talked to her before, I'd have been fine with it.

If this book doesn't get you into a romantic and sexy mood, then surely you must be dead. I loved each story in this anthology and even found myself wanting to go back and re'read a few. Whew, these authors can spin a fantasy like nobody's business. My advice to the readers of the world: let your troubles drift away, and slip into a little something HOT!

Jenifer Probst, "Masquerade" - Unlikely story of a modern day hedonist mogul who throws orgies. A sexually repressed employee travels to Italy to his latest shindig to have an affair with him, unaware that the man behind the mask is her best friend. The sex was a little vanilla, the romance thin, the setting sparse. Not the worst I've read, but far from the best.

Jess Micaels, "Ancient Pleasures" - Lots of potential. The widow of a disgraced Egyptologist must replace an artifact that killed her husband to the tomb of the greatest mistress of ancient Egypt. Trapped inside the temple with a hunky tomb raider a curse of sensual madness weaves an unbelievably erotic spell over them. I really did believe that they'd fallen in love.

Kimberly Dead, "Manhunt" - I am so bored by it, though it's technically perfect. A D.A. prosecuting a one-time love interest vice cop is held captive by him when he breaks out of jail. He has his wicked way with her and they work to uncover who killed a young boy. I think I don't like it because 1) the sex is stressed as kinky but it's so vanilla I wonder why she's so shocked and 2) the back story whodunit is mind-bogglingly stupid. Skip it, or just thumb through to find the sex scenes.

Angela Knight, "Wake Me" - Genius! Creative, funny, romantic, scorching. A hunky medieval knight has been cursed by an evil witch into a painting, let out only as a dream walker seducing women. He must make one fall in love with him but none have ever stirred him until he meets a spunky modern gal who's tough as nails, and his perfect lover. Lots of D/s and great fantasy scenes, the erotic dreams are right out of stereotypical romance novels but thirty times hotter. You'll read it over-and-over again.