Velvet, Leather & Lace: A Man's Gotta Do\Calling The Shots\Baring It All (Signature Select) [Mass Market Paperback]

Suzanne Forster (Author), Donna Kauffman (Author), Jill Shalvis (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signature Select | Publication Date: July 1, 2005

Book

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373836546
• ISBN-13: 978-0373836543
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,670,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2 out of 3 isn't bad, July 18, 2005

By 

E. D. Mardis (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Velvet, Leather & Lace: A Man's Gotta Do\Calling The Shots\Baring It All (Signature Select) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an anthology about three partners in the lingerie catalogue company Velvet, Leather & Lace.
The first story is "A Man's Gotta Do" by Suzanne Forster. This is the first book that I've read by the author and I have to admit that I was disappointed. It could have been that I just wasn't in the mood, you know, where you go back later and read it and actually like it. But whatever it was, it did not keep my attention. I found myself drifting off and thinking of other things and having to practically drag myself back to the story. That isn't good. Furthermore, I kept checking the number of pages to see how close I was to the ending. There isn't any one thing that I can name that was wrong with it. It had humor, which is important to me. Great sex, which I like in my romances. I just couldn't connect with the characters. Jamie Baird is the lone male in of the partners. He designs the lingerie and, up until now, his identity as a man has been kept a secret. But now as they are about to hit the big-time with a fashion show, the press is clamoring for a look at the mysterious Jamie. In desperation, Jamie goes to his "little black book" and picks out a woman he thinks could pass herself off as "Jamie Baird, lingerie designer" for a big interview. He picks Lorna Sutton, a woman he went out with twice, had combustible sex with and then never contacted again. Lorna agrees, but only to bring Jamie down a peg or two. Of course, passion ensues and they fall in love. I did like the fact that Lorna, the heroine, was not a size 3 supermodel, but rather a curvaceous full-figure woman. Otherwise, I was not impressed.

Okay, Donna Kauffman's "Calling the Shots" was next and I like Donna Kauffman. But wait, this is dark. No humor. I just can't get into men ordering woman around and degradation, even simulated S&M. Again, agony to get through and I can't think of anything I liked about this one. A shame, because I do like Ms. Kauffman's work a lot. Partner Samantha Wallace has issues with intimacy - not the sexual kind, but letting people close to her. Marshall Conley is a horse trainer who has been her lover for a while and has now fallen in love with her. As I sit here trying to describe this story, words elude me. It's too convoluted. Something about making her give up her need to control things and trust him, and finally give herself to him completely. Sight deprivation, a rider's crop (which he never uses to whip her - I must point that out), etc. I wish I had skipped this one.

Now we are 0 for 2. I began reading this anthology on a Sunday night, reading approximately 1 ½ hours a night - and it took me four nights, 6 hours on two short stories. Wasted hours for me, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I turned to "Baring It All" by Jill Shalvis. By the end of the first page I was transfixed. This is the gem of the book, a lovely romp through the intricacies of falling in love. Mia Tennario and Jake Holbrook were neighbors and good friends. They spent a lot of time together playing games, eating out at least once a week and going to the movies. It was an important relationship to Mia, one that she wasn't willing to scrap for a sexual relationship because "desires waned .... they always did." Jake, on the other hand, had quite frequent fantasies about Mia and was willing to explore them. How he gets her to give in and watching their relationship blossom from friendship to love was a delight. Ms. Shalvis' humor, her connection with her characters and her obvious love for the journey of love makes for a very enjoyable read. One and a half hours later I was finished with her story and the only disappointment, for me, was reaching the end of the book. I wanted more. The five star rating for this story is for the Shalvis story alone. It was that good.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three hot and sexy stories, August 1, 2005

By 

Judy "book reader" (Cincinnati, ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Velvet, Leather & Lace: A Man's Gotta Do\Calling The Shots\Baring It All (Signature Select) (Mass Market Paperback)

Velvet, Leather and Lace is a sensational anthology by three hot authors.

A Man's Gotta Do by Suzanne Forester had designer/finance man Jaime Baird in a jam. Everyone thinks that all women run the lingerie company Velvet, Leather and Lace. He searches his little black book for a woman to pretend to be him for an interview. Jaime gets more then what he bargained for when Lorna Sutton takes the challenge and Jaime on. Lorna has a score to love `em and leave `em Jaime but neither was prepared for the feelings to grow.

Calling The Shots by Donna Kauffman has another partner in VLL Samantha Wallace. Samantha is all work and no play. Things have always been on her terms in love and in life. Her current lover Marshall Conley wants more and how. He turns the tables on Samantha and brings out a steamier side to them both.

Baring It All by Jill Shalvis has partner Mia Tennario up a creek when her contractor quits days before the big fashion show. She turns to her best friend Jake Holbrook for help. Jake is willing to help but he wants more from Mia then just a thank you. He wants her to be willing to explore that they can have it all.

Velvet, Leather and Lace is wonderful anthology. Each story flowed into the next. It's a very hot and steamy read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars three steamy Velvet, Leather & Lace romances, July 15, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Velvet, Leather & Lace: A Man's Gotta Do\Calling The Shots\Baring It All (Signature Select) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Red Velvet" by Suzanne Forster. Several months ago playboy Jamie had the night of his life with Lorna, but stupidly walked away. Now, the CFO of Velvet, Leather & Lace needs someone built just like her to pretend to be him with the media as everyone wants to meet the "women" behind the successful "Hot at any age, sexy at any size" lingerie catalogue company. As he tries to persuade her to masquerade as a female him, they fall in love, but she does not trust him with her heart and he does not trust him with her heart either.

"Black Leather" by Donna Kauffman. VLL partner Samantha is a control freak at work, but also uses her acumen in her sex life needing to always be in charge. Her lover Marsh wants her to let go and let him be in charge in bed even some of the time or else he will leave in spite of being in love with Sam.

"White Lace" by Jill Shalvis. VLL graphic designer Mia needs help when her set is not right so she turns to her best friend Jake to fix her problems. Jake agrees but wants more than gratitude from the woman he loves.

These three steamy VLL romances heat up the sheets as each well written tale makes the case that mixing business with pleasure with the right person is hot and sexy.

Harriet Klausner