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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blazes Done Right!, June 11, 2005
This review is from: Shockingly Sensual (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback)
I've read quite a few Blazes in the early days of the line and could never really get into them. As one of the other reviews here stated, few of them really reach beyond the love scenes to bring the characters to the forefront and really turn them into three dimensional characters that you can fall in love with.
I gave the line one more chance when I read Wilde's "A Touch of Silk" and realized exactly what Blazes could and should be. From then on, I never missed one of her books. So when I saw "Shockingly Sensual" on the shelf today, I bought it without hesitation...and wasn't disappointed at all.
When Callie Ryder -- KSXX's "Midnight Ryder" and late night shock jock/sex advisor -- starts receiving threats, Luke Cardasian is assigned to protect her. The delicious bodyguard and the fiery redhead create more than just sexual sparks, their barbs and quick fire dialogue put these two strong personalities in conflict from their first meeting all the way to the end.
While Luke is definitely a very capable, very well-trained protector, Callie is never once overshadowed by his dominance. This is one petite package of guts and determination who can go toe-to-toe with him and stand her ground. While they'll negotiate terms and use common sense for the situation, Callie never comes off as losing or "wilting" under Luke's presence. No wilting, shrinking violet heroine here, thank goodness!
Because of the threats to her life, Callie's issues of trust, of opening up and being vulnerable to any man, along with Luke's need to always be in control, to always be professional and not get involved with another woman who can trample his heart, are set on a collision course the closer danger strikes in Callie's life.
Ms. Wilde has a talent for giving her characters flaws and fears, histories and issues, that meld perfectly with the other, giving them a "destined to be together" quality that leaves the reader understanding why her couples belong together and no one else... and why -- when you close the book -- you know they'll stay together (something I can't always say when reading the Blaze line).
Shockingly Sensual isn't just a hot read, it's packed with Lori Wilde's trademark humor and action, fast paced plots, and complex characterizations.
Callie and Luke aren't cookie cutter heroine and hero. The role reversal -- Callie, the bold, sexual love-em-and-leave-em-but-don't-get-in-too-deep, out to shock everyone as she climbs the ladder of success... Luke, the I-make-love-I-don't-have-sex, rough and ready, fairly sexually inexperienced man -- is a welcome relief from the norm.
I read Shockingly Sensual in one day, and it will join Lori Wilde's other novels on my bookshelf as a"Keeper" I know I'll read over and over again.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Old Favorite..., May 24, 2005
This review is from: Shockingly Sensual (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback)
* Spoiler Alert* It's been awhile since I read a good ole Harlequin Romance, and reading SHOCKINGLY SENSUAL (as I write this I am just now `getting' that the title relates to heroine, Callie's profession as well as the heat she makes with ex-soldier, Luke) was a welcome reunion. True enough, a lot of my favorites have copyrights from the late seventies, early eighties and early nineties.... My tastes always have run to early Harlequin Presents Editions, Harlequin American Romances, Harlequin Superromances as well as early Silhouette Special Editions, Silhouette Intimate Moments and early Loveswept Romances. Silhouette Dreamscapes have helped to add texture to my romance palette over the years.
More recently, I went down a different path and experimented with the Harlequin Blaze series. To me, the Blaze series is much more risqué. One or two that I read were wicked and incredibly good. Some others seemed merely to be vessels upon which their authors floated across to their readers a whole lot of poor writing and meaningless love scenes.
In SHOCKINGLY SENSUAL, Callie Ryder, a `shock jock' on the cusp of national fame, finds herself being stalked by an anonymous listener. When her business manager hires the Cardasian Personal Security Services and Luke Cardasian is assigned as Callie's bodyguard, sparks fly. As Callie finds that she's been hiding behind fushia hair, a naughty mouth and saucy demeanor, Luke begins to wonder if his military work in Limbasa has been a means of avoiding living life for himself. And so, when these two outwardly different people begin to see that they have more in common than a mutual attraction, things begin to get interesting.
It seems to me that to write the traditionally shorter books that Harlequin puts out an author almost has to have a grasp of the elusive short-storytelling technique. The foundation for the story has to be laid down quickly and yet subtly. In SHOCKINGLY SENSUAL, Lori Wilde really force feeds some of her ideas to the reader. However, the main idea of an experienced woman tutoring a beautiful, sensitive man about lovemaking while simultaneously learning how to love is simply fascinating and helps make up for some the issues with story development. Also, the characters of Callie and Luke are sufficiently interesting and developed enough to keep readers interested in their relationship, to make readers care about them.
I honestly didn't expect a Blaze to be that good, but it was pretty good. And because I think that a great book exceeds your expectations, I am giving SHOCKINGLY SENSUAL four stars.
Good Fun and Steamy Too.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
amusing contemporary romance, March 5, 2005
This review is from: Shockingly Sensual (Harlequin Blaze) (Mass Market Paperback)
Luke Cardasian spent the last six years of his life in Limbasa and much of his life before that overseas, so the liberated American media is culture shock. He came home to help his brother with the family business following his father's recent heart attack, but the Midnight Ryder show discussing erection shocks his senses, especially since the host is female
The shock jock that has stunned Luke's sense and sensibilities by giving blazing sex advice at midnight is Callie Ryder. When Callie receives threats for writing a book on her adventures as a female shock jock, her agent becomes concerned. When she is to go on tour he wants her protected so he hires the Cardasian firm to travel with her for three weeks. Luke is the only one available so he is on the road with the queen of sex talk. Neither expected these opposites to fall in love.
SHOCKINGLY SENSUAL is an amusing contemporary romance between two opposites who initially repel each other, but soon cannot resist one another. The relationship between the lead couple make the tale work as she matures yet pulls out every seductive trick she knows to entice Luke to come to what he originally perceived as the dark side. Sub-genre fans will enjoy this fine humorous tale.
Harriet Klausner
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