Customer Reviews

Wilde Thing

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Janelle Denison, a master of sensual stories, introduces us to a couple that explore all manner of sexual fantasies from phone sex, to light restraint, to using food products as sexual stimuli (sorry but that one was just not for me - I couldn't stand to get all sticky like that!). But the hunter and quarry game they played through Steve's house was really hot! Needless to say, if you can't take lots of explicit sex scenes (or a man that really likes to dominate in bed) this book is not for you!

But don't let all the sexual content lead you to believe that that's all there is. Steve and Liz are both likeable characters who meet at just the right time in each other's lives. Both have had failed marriages that are now several years behind them and, though neither quite recognizes it at the start of their affair, both are ready for the right person to come along.

Unbeknownst to one another, they both have been having erotic fantasies about each other for the past month. But not until Liz Adams hires PI Steve Wilde to find her wayward cousin do they act on their strong mutual attraction. In order to find her cousin Valerie, who seems to have disappeared with one of her phone sex clients, Liz takes a job at the same place where Val worked while Steve calls in acting as a client. Of course this verbal foreplay just adds fuel to their already smoldering fire and convinces Liz's listening boss that she's hooked a client that will spend lots of money on the company's various services. As they were hoping, they gain access to the "playboy mansion" of sorts and uncover information that brings them closer to finding Valerie. Meanwhile, real emotions have started to emerge, and when it's no longer just sex, are they prepared for something more or will their relationship end once Valerie is found? Ms Denison has created a sweet couple that the reader hopes will find happiness together. A recommended read.

By the way, it is completely obvious that the love/hate relationship between Steve's "Wilde child" cousin Mia and his business partner and friend Cameron will be it's own sexy, stormy story sometime soon! Looking forward to it!

It's the story of two people who had lost at love unexpectedly finding it in each other. Both Steve Wilde and Liz Adams have been married before, and both marriages ended - his in divorce 6 years ago, hers in the death of her `bad boy' husband before she could tell him she'd begun divorce proceedings. Liz owns a coffee shop, and Steve is a recent but now regular customer - he rides a Harley and wears denim and leather. On the surface, another bad boy. But both have been fantasising about the other. Now Liz needs help. Her cousin, who works as a phone sex operator, has turned up missing. And that's when she finds out Steve is a PI.

There is a lot of sex in this book, from almost the instant the two central characters meet outside the coffee house. A broad theme of erotic fantasy runs through the book, as Liz takes on a job in the same phone sex company to assist in locating her cousin. The perspective shifts between Liz, who tells the bulk of the story, and Steve, but I don't feel we gain anything by it. For the most part, they are thinking the same thing. Also, the timescale of two people thinking they each are wanting a temporary fling, with the excitement and freedom that brings them, to a few days later both desperately wanting permanency, just wasn't convincing to me.

The meat of the book is the sex, not the storyline. If hot is your thing then this is a good story for you. It's a well written book that flows well and the chemistry between Liz and Steve sets the pages alight.

After reading this book, certain excerpts to be exact, I wanted to grab my boyfriend and try out a few things. To say that my underwear was nearly singed from my body was an understatment. I have all three of the "Bad Boys" anthologies and almost kicked myself silly for nearly missing out reading about another "Wilde" brother. I cannot WAIT to hear about the other brothers...and cousins. Janelle Denison is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Janelle Denison's "Wilde Thing" reminds me of the soft porn flicks that were so popular in the 1970s. There's minimal plot and even less character development sandwiched in between many pages of hot sex. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against erotica, but I was expecting much more when I picked up this highly recommended romance from a used book store. Without a decent plot and characters I can relate to, I am left cold by what could otherwise be very steamy read!

Liz Adams, owner of a coffee house, has been eyeing tall, dark, handsome, bad boy Steve Wilde when he comes in for his daily caramel frappuccino, extra caramel - do bad boys really drink this stuff?? Wilde has obviously been checking Liz out too. When Liz' cousin goes missing, she is advised by a friend to call on Wilde, who is an excellent PI. She does and they really get it on - no strings.

Liz' cousin Valerie is a phone sex operator and party girl. She was supposed to be going away for a weekend with someone she met "on the job," but after almost a week goes by and no Val, Liz feels that something bad may have happened to her. Steve and Liz both think that the only way to get information on Val's client/boyfriend is for Liz to go undercover as a phone sex operator at "The Ultimate Fantasy." Much phone sex and a big, bad party later the mystery is almost solved and lust has turned to love for P.I. Wilde - but Liz is afraid to commit. You can take it from there.

I will say that the erotica is well written, and I probably would have rated this higher than 3 stars if there had been more meat to the plot.
JANA

When I picked up Wilde Thing by Janelle Denison, I knew the book was supposed to be sexy and steamy and all things a romance novel should be. I am by no means a prude and I can enjoy a well-written sex scene as much as the next gal. I should also add that this book is well-written. Denison's style is smooth, the sensations and emotions created between her two characters -- Liz Adams and Steve Wilde -- in the bedroom throw sparks off the pages.

Page 29, in fact. And that's part of the problem.

Liz Adams, owner of The Daily Grind coffeehouse, and Steve Wilde, a PI, have been bumping into each other for a couple of months, but not speaking. The attraction they feel toward each other is the "across the room" kind so, when Liz heads over to Steve's PI business to hire him to find her missing cousin and she's already in his lap (literally) by the end of the first chapter, rolling into a quasi-sex scene by Chapter Two when they've only been speaking to each other for a couple of minutes... The book started to lose me.

There is a difference to me between hot, steamy sex in a romance novel and lust, and this one of the problems I have with a lot of romance novels lately. When I close the book, I want to feel satisfied (and I'm not talking sexually). I want to believe that the hero and the heroine have found THE person they are supposed to be with. That they love each other, and that that love will last them a lifetime.

With Wilde Thing, I didn't feel that way. I felt like all these two had between them was good sex. It didn't strike me as love, it struck me as two people in heat. And heat doesn't last. I didn't "get" why Liz and Steve were right for each other. I actually shut the book thinking they'd burn out before too long and go their seperate ways. That's disappointing in a love story.

Basically the plot was thin and the whole bit about Liz's missing cousin working for a phone sex place seemed contrived for the sole purpose of allowing Liz and Steve to talk about sex on the rare instances that they weren't having sex. And let me tell ya... there aren't that many pages where these two *aren't* naked, tied up, tied down, or smeared with caramel.

I was hoping to add a new author to my list of "Must Buys" and instead added one to my ever-growing list of "Skip It".

Bummer.

I'm normally a big fan of romance fiction that has a spicier flavor, but the plot in this book was so contrived I ended up rolling my eyes more often than not. I could almost picture the author sitting at her computer thinking, "Hmmmm, how can I get my characters in as many sex scenes as possible? *fingersnap* I'll have her work as a phone sex operator! Hmmmm, wait. Where's the romance in that? I've got it! She's only doing it to find her missing cousin! Yeah, that's the ticket." How ridiculous is that?! Yes, the sex scenes were hot and if that's all you're looking for, then this book is for you. I felt I knew nothing about the hero and heroine except that they loved uninhibited sex. Well gee - alert the media! What a groundbreaking idea!

It's a shame that character development was backburnered in favor of explicit sex scenes. I've always found those scenes carry much more impact when you care about the hero and heroine. If you don't believe me, try reading Susan Donovan, Lori Foster or Shannon McKenna. They know how to develop characters that you care about.

Liz Adams, owner of the Daily Grind coffee shop, cannot but help notice her repeat hunk of a customer, who she dreams about in her muses. Her friend Mona Owen, proprietor of the Last Word bookstore, informs her that the best sleuth in town is "bad boy" Steve Wilde, the customer haunting her fantasies. Liz is so concerned about the well being of her cousin Valerie who seems to have vanished following a trip with a stranger, she turns to Steve for help.

Steve believe that he must have a guardian angel looking out for him because he has become a caffeine freak just to see Liz, the focus of his fantasies. Steve agrees to take the case (duh) if Liz assists him. She goes undercover as a phone sex operator at the Ultimate Fantasy to obtain information on the sleazy boyfriend. As they work together, Liz and Steve feel that love is all around them.

The sequel to the novella in I BRAKE FOR BAD BOYS continues the chronicles of the Wilde Bunch. Fans will appreciate the delightful duo as each of the protagonists concludes that the other makes their heart sings. WILDE THING is steamy, sexy and suspenseful as Janelle Denison provides a wonderful tale in which the intrigue takes a back seat to the growing love of the lead couple.

Harriet Klausner

Ms. Denison should be known for her sensually graphic love scenes. Make no mistake about it--this one is a scorcher! Steve Wilde, the eldest Wilde brother, is the gorgeous PI who helps Liz Adams find her "missing" cousin. From the very beginning, they become heavily involved in a hot and steamy love affair, which includes sessions of phone sex and indulgences for forbidden, erotic fantasies. Even though the sex is incredible, I didn't find a meaningful story here--nothing powerful in the sense of self-seeking, spiritual enlightenment. However, if you're looking for lots of wild, erotic and forbidden pleasures, then this is the book for you.

Liz Adams, owner of the Daily Grind coffee shop, wants her customer, P.I. Steve Wilde - to help her find her missing cousin, Valerie. Well, if she is honest she wants him for other things too and it looks like she just might get him. Steve agrees to help her find her cousin who went away for the weekend with a man that she met through her job as a phone sex operator at The Ultimate Fantasy. Liz gets a job as an operator in order to try and find out information about Valerie. She discovers that the one person who can help them is a "party girl" so Liz too must become a party girl. In order to do that she must establish a calling pattern with a particular client and keep him on the phone long enough to bring in big money for the company. So, every night right before her shift ends, Steve calls her and they explore their most forbidden and erotic fantasies on the phone. Then when she gets off of work they explore their most erotic and forbidden fantasies in the flesh. Hot, bare, tantalizing flesh. Grab a TALL glass of COLD water and a fan before you sit down with this one, you're going to need them.

I love Janelle Denison, and this one has got to be her best. A wonderful, steamy read for summer--I look forward to the next one in the "Wilde" series. Janelle keeps her characters real, with true emotions, and she writes a love scene like nobody's business. A must read.