Customer Reviews

Secrets: The Best in Women's Sensual Fiction, Vol. 7

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book has four stories:
1) Amelia's Innocence by Julia Welles. Amelia's virginity is wagered to a sea captain by her drunken, abusive father. Luckily Quentin, the captain, is young and handsome and takes her away with him and then the games begin. This was a very good story.
2)The Woman of His Dreams by Jade Lawless. This story involves reincarnation and love through time.
3) Surrender by Kathryn Anne Dubois. Lady Johanna is a widow who doesn't want to be trapped in another marriage. She sets out to fulfill her needs and ends up falling in love. This story has great love scenes.
4) Kissing the Hunter by Angela Knight. Logan McLean want revenge on vampires because one killed his wife. He ends up hunting Virginia who isn't one of the blood thirsty vamps. This is my favorite of the four stories. It's very sensual and hot, hot, hot!
Read this book! You will love it!

I have been reading romance novels off and on for the past 15 years but this was the first time I read sensual fiction. Altough I gave the book 4 stars not all the stories were that good so here is my opinion of each story:

AMELIA'S INNOCENCE: (3 stars) Overall the story was interesting and the sex scences very steamy. The only thing I didn't like was how submissive Amelia was but considering her circumstances it was understandable. I perfer strong female heroines.

SURRENDER: (1 stars) This was a classic 80's bodice ripper if I ever read one. I didn't like the hero and felt sorry for the heroine who was forced to marry him. I know that these are short stories but this one needed more development. There was no reason for them to fall in love other than good sex. The worst past of the story was when Johanna lay sick and unconscious and Nicholas while cooling her off became "aroused" and touched her breast. Give me a break! He didn't know what was wrong with her. She could have been dying and all he could think about was sex. Ugh!!!

KISSING THE HUNTER: (2 star) I read the rave reviews about Ms. Knights writing skills and this is one of the reason I chose vol. 7. Well now I know the saying to each his own is true. I didn't like the whole vamp needing sex to survive plot. I didn't like Victoria either. One minute she is picking up strange me for sex/survival and the next she is blushing like a virgin because Logan basically call her a slut. Victoria and Logan had strong sexual attraction but I didn't like their sex scenes.

So way did I give this book four stars? The one saving grace was Jade Lawless' WOMAN OF HIS DREAMS which I give a (5 star) rating. This story was fantastic. I liked Joanna and Gray. Gray was sexy, strong, and giving, everything a hero should be. The passion and love between Joanna and Gray was hot and sensual. Jade Lawless told a story of love that transended time and I loved it! I wish that this story was full length novel because it ended too soon. I can't wait to read more from Jade lawless.

It's hard to review anthologies since there's such a mix of stories, but this one was pretty good. The first story, Amelia's Innocence by Julia Welles, was a nice sexy shipboard story. The second, The Woman of His Dreams by Jade Lawless was a great read, where the emotions matched the steamy sex, and with a really unique flavor from the paranormal and native American elements. I didn't care for Kathryn Ann Dubois' Surrender. It was sexy but I didn't feel the love, and couldn't figure out the time period either, which was distracting because I love historical settings. The last story, Angela Knight's Kissing the Hunter, was a dark, kinky vampire story. It was the first story like it that I have ever read, and a bit shocking, but so well written that it had me turning the pages. Overall, I really enjoyed the anthology. With the exception of Surrender, the stories were a great blend of romance with hot sex, more so than the one Brava anthology which I have read.

Amelia's Innocence by Julia Welles*****
Historical Romance-Quentin Hawke is the captain of Soul-Catcher. Amelia Fletcher is the daughter of an alcoholic blacksmith who gambles away her services to his debtors. So he drags her aboard Hawke's ship, to pay off his debt. When left alone with the Captain in his cabin, she immediately asks what service he won: a meal, mending, cleaning? Shocked she was to discover her precious virtue had been sold. The characters agree on another "bet" in order to save her virtue. Who will Win? Who will Lose? Will it be a Draw?

The Woman of His Dreams by Jade Lawless*****
Reincarnation-Joanna Morgan aka Kia is a bank officer and Gray Avonaco aka Tokala is the sculptor next door living in her fantasy home. Though she hasn't met her neighbor, she's having very vivid dreams about him. Her beautiful sister Kelly, the photographer, stops by for a short visit and when Jo gets home from work, Gray is in her kitchen-with her sister. Jo is confused by the real-like visions/dreams of the life of Native Americans, Kia & her warrior husband, Tokala. Gray knows Jo is his soulmate but Jo is trying to fight the feelings this "stranger" evokes. In this case, love IS better the second time around.

Surrender by Kathryn Anne Dubois*****
Historical Romance-The 36 year old Duke of Chandlemore does not want to get married but he promised his deceased friend, the Baron deChilton that he would marry his infant daughter when she came of age. So, Nicholas Mooreland Kentridge, IV goes to seek his betrothed the week before her 18th birthday. Lady Johanna Carlton loves to ride her horse, Olympia and after her strenuous ride, she strips, goes for a swim to cool off and falls asleep when she lies on the moss to dry off. This is where Nicholas and three knights find her. After being "rescued" by him Johanna resents his power over others and tells the Duke several lies to discourage his determination to marry her. Though she is an exquisite hellion, Nicholas can't resist the temptation of her total surrender to him. Let the battle begin......

Kissing the Hunter by Angela Knight*****
Vampire Romance-Logan McLean is a Navy SEAL and was away on a mission while psychotic vampire, Vladik Ivanov, kills his wife, Gwen. After identifying her body, he begins investigating her murder-since the police seem unconcerned. He found out she picked up Ivanov at a bar. When Logan goes to Ivanov's house, he finds lots of evidence of torture killings and manages to kill the vampire. Ivanov's journals lead him to another vampire, Virginia Hart. Logan takes leave off work and began surveillance. He taps her phone, searches her home, follows her around and still no evidence that she is a vampire. While spying on her from a tree above her bedroom window, he sees all the proof he needs to kill her. He burst through the window immediately after her fangs sink into her Loverboy's neck. Upset about the interruption Gary pulls a nine-millimeter on Logan, Virginia step in to protect Gary and Logan ends up chasing Virginia through the woods. She tries to explain that she does not kill and only takes a pint of blood at a time. Logan is sickened by the fact that he is attracted to a vampire and can't believe he doesn't just kill her and get it over with. During their struggle, Virginia strikes a lucky blow, renders Logan unconscious, takes him home and ties him to the bed. Let the romancing begin....

An excellent group of very sensual love stories of various genres with lots of in depth love scenes and focus on the main characters.

There is only one problem with the Red Sage anthologies, "Secrets"...they put them out so rarely!! Do wish they would speed up their pace!

This one again has a sizzling story from Angela Knight. I would buy "Secrets" just for her alone. But she is joined with a super tales by Jule Lawless, Julia Wells and Kathryn Anne Dubois.

Angela Knight, again ventures into the vampire sagas, with the great tale of Sean Logan MacLean. He is a navy seal who is tracking down the vampire who murdered his wife. Virginia Hart is a sexy vampire who finds herself in the cross-hairs of Sean's crossbow! He knows she is connected to his wife's death, so is determined to kill her. It's up to Virginia to convince him all vampires are not alike. Together, they find they have a common purpose - to kill the same vampire responsible for destroying their loves - and love gives them to extra power of the Avengers. Super writing!

Jude Lawless gives us a very intriguing tale of Gay Avonaco. He has just moved in next door to Joanna Morgan. With his coming, Joanna begins to have very provocative dreams. She thinks it's just lust for her sexy neighbour; it's up to him to convince her she is the woman of his dreams, too.

Julia Wells gives us a tale of Captain Quentin Hawke...he won the right to take Amelia's innocence. Amelia had no idea her father bet her innocence in a card game - and lost! Honour demands she fulfill her fathers bet, but she wants a compromise. Three days of games...is it a bet that Hawke can walk away from?

Kathryn Anne Dubois delivers us "Surrender". Free-spirit Johanna want no part of rules society presses upon women, especially as she faces marriage to the powerful Duke of Chandlemare. Only the Duke does not want to typical wife, so he is going to teach Johanna a thing or two about a good wife being so bad!

This book is HOT! Red Sage has another winner on it's hands.
All of the stories are pure entertainment and so very steamy.
Great read for and evening of candles, wine and a bubble bath.

SECRETS just keeps getting better and better and hotter and hotter! I honestly couldn't choose which story I liked best in Volume 7 . . . Angela Knight's vampires or Julia Welles' sea-crossed lovers or Kathryn Anne Dubois' dark duke or Jade Lawless's soulmates. All stories were exceptionally erotic and very well written, which made SECRETS Volume 7 a scrumptious read!

Secrets, Volume 7 was fantastic. All four novellas have great characters in wonderful, sexy stories.

All I can say, is "more, please more!"

I've been reading less frequently because I can't always make the time, and I discovered this anthology by accident. I began it with very low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised by both the quality of the writing and the level of character development in all the stories. I could read them at my leisure and they were very sexy. All the stories were erotic without being trashy and the relationships were well justified and developed. I'm now in search of all the other volumes. It was wonderful to have such variety in one small book.

Love the Red Sage people. Thanks for bringing porn to the women of the world. We owe you a big debt of gratitude for putting really hot reads in packaging that is not embarrassing. You see, we really do judge a book by its cover!! I have seen similiar type books that might have been really great (Black Lace) that I would not be caught dead with or buy for my library because the covers are so hideous. These books would shock a lot of my patrons if they only knew.

My biggest gripe with the entire series has been that the quality is not always even. Some stories are really really great; and other stories were not well written at all.

The books have turned me on to Angela Knight, MaryJanice Davidson and several other writers I would not have otherwise have read.

I also noted that there was at least one story by what was reported to be a famous writer under a pen name. Wow, talk about stigmas. Romance in general seems to have a stigma; and I guess really hot spanking romance has a huge stigma. Take "Book" magazine for instance. This month features Nora Roberts on the cover. So I think, finally a romance writer in a serious literary magazine. I mean, she has only been on the best sellers list 5,000 times. But no, the whole article was basically just poking fingers at romance with Nora defending why it was okay. argh