Gingersnaps: Santa Paws by Lena Austin

Gingersnaps: Santa Paws by Lena Austin
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Paranormal, Holiday
Length: Short Story
Type: M/F
Rating: 4 Books
Reviewer: Dandelion

“’Twas the night before Christmas…”

JR Thornton seeks redemption for his many unwitting evil deeds by dressing up in a Santa suit to deliver gifts to an orphanage, but the angry wood fairy guarding the house is more interested in blowing his head off.

Phaedra hates JR for destroying her home forest and the lives of her family. Now a caregiver putting herself through college, she’s determined to give the most evil and handsome man she knows a piece of her mind.

So why does she want so badly to sit in Santa’s lap?

This fast-paced story will make you laugh and long at equal intervals – it’s a perfect holiday tale that brings together a feisty fairy and a lonely werewolf on Christmas Eve. Neither really likes the other at first, but that doesn’t stop them from jumping each other’s bones as soon as they find themselves alone! The dialogue is witty and the sex quick and dirty – in fact the only reservation I have about this story is that Phaedra can’t stand JR (he destroyed her family’s home) yet has no qualms about tearing off his clothes as soon as she can.

Though the story is short, it does bring its readers to a satisfying happy ending, and the characters change enough that I did believe their transformations and motivations, by the end. Probably the cleverest element of this story is the way the author mixes in lines and plot points from the famous “Night Before Christmas” poem. Who knew that child’s poem could have a red-hot hidden meaning? You’ll enjoy this story with a steaming cup of cocoa, curled up next the Christmas tree. Might want to have some candy canes close, by, too!

Variance Book 1: The Countdown by Cassidy McKay

Variance Book 1: The Countdown by Cassidy McKay
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: Full
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 cherries
Reviewed by Amaranth

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU MIX:

A SADISTIC SARION SHAPESHIFTING PRINCE, DETERMINED TO STEAL A WOMAN TO BREED AND A YUMMY ALPHA MALE HELL-BENT ON SAVING THE ONE WOMAN DESTINED TO BE HIS MATE WITH A KICK-ASS HEROINE WHO TAKES MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS. . . AND CUTS IT OFF?

You get the perfect blend of passion, suspense, murder, desire, mystery and mayhem!

The Countdown has begun. In order to save Wynne from the evil Sarion, Brent must put his own life in danger to save his mate.

But can he convince Wynne that she is meant to be his? Can he save her from the hordes of shape-shifting monsters that are after her?

Cassidy McKay has written a true gem in Variance Book 1: The Countdown. This imaginative, spellbinding book held me on the edge of my seat with violent, bloody action, twists and turns, and building tension. This book introduced me to a new, evil shape shifter and those that live to fight them: The Variance. Ms. McKay uses vibrant descriptions of the setting, pulling me in and letting me imagine exactly how everything looked in this world.

Brent is a member of the Variance, a Seeker, and he has found his one, true mate. The only problem is that she is a very strong Carrier and is being viciously hunted by the Sarion that want to claim her and then kill her. Brent is everything I would imagine the perfect hero to be, strong, gorgeous, tough with a tender side, and plenty of scars. He has fought the Sarion for years and now he will fight to the death for his mate, if necessary.

Wynne is nearly thirty, has a good job, great friends, and is mostly content with her life. She could never have imagined that the scary prank call she gets one night will change her life forever. Her friends are being murdered at an alarming rate and her new special bodyguard, Brent, is driving her insane. When Brent explains everything to her, that she is a Carrier, he is a Seeker, and the Sarion are after her, her world is turned upside down.

Brent takes Wynne and runs, trying to keep her safe, but it seems danger was lurking at every corner. Wynne meets other members of the Variance, all unique and very strong characters. The final battle for Wynne’s life and that of one of her friends had me holding my breath and gasping for air.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, action and passion packed book and will most definitely me looking for the future books in this series. If you enjoy fast paced action, hot passion, sweet love, and an unimaginable paranormal shifter, then this is a must read for you!

Librarian By Day by Paige Tyler

Librarian By Day by Paige Tyler
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
genre: Contemporary
Length: Full
Other: BDSM, M/F, Multiple Partners, Spanking
Rating: 5 Cherries
Review by Anthurium

Shy, reserved librarian Jennifer Davidson has a secret side that few people know about. She writes erotic spanking romances. She’s never been spanked herself, but when her boyfriend stumbles across one of her books, all that changes.

Nik Evans has always hoped there was a bad girl hiding underneath his prim, proper librarian, but even he is surprised when they begin to explore her fantasies and he finds out just how naughty she can be.

Soon, Jennifer is embarking on a sensual journey of discovery in which she learns that having her bottom warmed for real is better than anything she’s ever written about in her books.

This book is “Hot”, just like Jennifer describes to best friend Stacy: ”Hot—Just like my bottom after Nik got done spanking me”.

Jennifer is a shy librarian by day, but she has a secret, she writes hot, erotic fiction stories under a pseudonym, When her boyfriend, Nik accidentally discovers her secret, he decides to try to see if the fantasies that she writes about are what she really wants.

Jennifer has never had the nerve to ask anyone to spank her, so when Nik surprises her with a spanking she experiences the hottest sex ever.

I had honestly never thought spanking was something that would interest me, but this book definitely kept me interested in more. The library scene where when Nik comes in after closing and acts out some of Jennifer’s deepest held fantasies, on the tables and desks between the stacks is very stimulating to say the least.

This is a fun story, enjoyable and a pleasure to read. It is well written, well edited and a good story for those that are curious about spanking and light bondage play. This one I absolutely recommend.

A Gift for Adam by Adriana Kraft

A Gift For Adam by Adriana Kraft
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 Cherries

Home and Garden assistant manager Evie Strand has painstakingly embroidered a set of seven thongs as a gag gift for her best friend— only she brought the wrong box to the store Christmas party, and now Adam Grant from Automotive is holding them up for everyone to see: Kiss my..., Tight Fit—could things get any worse? Adam may seem like a total rake, but he can tell Evie's deeply embarrassed and he resolves to make it up to her. Who knew where a simple dinner date would lead?

I loved A Gift For Adam and was throughly entertained from the first line to the last. I must mention that there is a F/F kiss shared between girlfriends but this is definitely the hot tale of romance between Evie and Adam.

I loved Evie's wicked humor. It showed not only on the sayings that she embroidered on the thongs but she teased Adam through the entire story. I could see Evie as being a simple farm girl. She never “dressed up” or did much with her appearance. When she had her makeover, I could tell she was surprised at how she looked.

Adam was portrayed as a player. He never gave Evie a second thought at the store as he believed her to be not very good looking. I thought he was a very superficial person at first. When he received Evie's gift, his humor showed and also his kindness when he stopped reading the thongs. As Adam apologized and got to know Evie, he found they had a lot in common and began to like her for herself. After the makeover, his superficial side briefly shows again but Adam redeems himself in other ways.

I thought that the situation with Christy, Evie's friend, was thrown in to justify Adam's comments and really had no bearing on the relationship between Adam and Evie.

I enjoyed the quips that Adam and Evie exchanged. The classic car sexual innuendos at the New Years Eve party put a smile on my face. There were so many humorous moments that I found myself wanted to read the story again when I had finished just to keep smiling. I found A Gift For Adam to be a very sexy, humorous romance that I will read again.

Tzara's Heart by Drea Riley

Tzara's Heart by Drea Riley
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, Valentine's Day
Length: Short Story
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 Cherries
Review by Hibiscus

Oh! No! Alone for Valentine’s Day or is she?

Working on a special dessert order for a customer reminded Tzara Johnson that she would be spending Valentine's Day alone. It also rekindled daydreams about the one man whom Tzara thought was more delicious than any dessert on Earth.

Jason Martin is the contractor that revamped her house a year ago. And the man who has held the leading role in all of Tzara's fantasies every since then. Hearing from Jason on Valentine's Day was the perfect opportunity to make her heart’s wish comes true.

Can a fantasy turn into a real life experience or will it be all in her mind?

I loved Tzara’s Heart. I thought it was a very sweet story of two people who meet in a working relationship and do nothing personal but then are lucky enough to be given another chance.

Tzara Johnson is a strong businesswoman who knows what she wants out of life and works hard to accomplish it. She is running a successful bakery with a unique twist out of her grandmother’s home. She uses edible rose petals on her desserts. She finishes her cake with her own special roses and has it delivered to the customers. I saw how Tzara longed for a contractor who had worked on her kitchen months ago and her happiness when he left a message on her machine. I could tell that Tzara was a sweet, traditional girl when she wears a turtleneck dress that falls to her knees.

Jason Martin is a huge hunky carpenter who finally gets up the nerve to call Tzara and ask her on a date on Valentine’s Day. He is all that I could hope for in a sexy male. And he can cook on top of everything else. He talks with his mother on the telephone and is considerate of both Tzara and his mom at the same time. When he remained standing waiting until Tzara was seated, he showed how much of a gentleman he was. I melted when Jason swept Tzara up into his arms and carried her to his room.

Tzara’s Heart gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling as I read it. I would recommend this as a must read not only for Valentine’s Day but for anytime you need a lift and want to cheer for the good guys.

Wyndsheer by Charlotte Boyett-Compo

Wyndsheer by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story
Other: M/F
Rating: 3 Cherries
Review by Lilac

Jamie MacGivern is not like other men. He is a Lycant, a genetically engineered super human with wolf-like abilities and killer instincts. A loner, he makes his home high in the rugged Pionós Mountains where the locals from the closest village stay out of his way.

When the plane carrying Federal Agent Allison Groves and the prisoner she was transporting crashed in the mountains near Jamie's hunting ground, she is the only survivor. Waking up in a strange underground cabin, she has no idea who she is or the identity of the handsome man lying beside her. When he tells her he is her husband, she has no choice but to believe him.

Having rescued the beautiful woman he now considers his own, Jamie will do everything in his power to keep her.

Rating: Carnal. Contains graphic sexual content, adult language, violence.

In a tale not for the faint of heart, Lycant Jamie MacGivern rescues a lovely young woman from a plane crash and decides to do anything to keep her. He takes the unconscious woman to his underground cabin, determined to keep her there.

Federal Agent Allison Groves has no idea where or who she is when she awakens with amnesia. When the handsome man at her side tells her that her name is Mairi and she is his wife, she believes him. However, when her memory begins to return she doesn’t like what she remembers about her past. All she knows is that she feels safe and loved with Jamie and that is where she wishes to stay. However, others from both her and Jamie’s pasts have other plans.

As Allison’s fellow agents work to discover her whereabouts, Jamie tries to throw them off, but in doing so his past catches up to him. He and Allison find an unlikely ally in the mystical creature that guards the mountain as they work to keep each other safe.

Full of twists-and-turns and fascinating characters, Wyndsheer is an interesting story laced with both romance and violence. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what to think of Jamie at first as I found some of his actions questionable, but as we learned more about him and his past, I began to understand him a bit more. As a Lycant he is both feared and treated differently. His time and the abuse he suffered in prison has made him mistrustful. However, I still didn’t care for the fact that he took advantage of Allison’s situation by lying and sleeping with her while she was injured. In spite of his lies, Allison and he seemed to be right for one another as they both provide the other with the companionship and understanding that they each need.

The author created a fascinating world with this story and its colorful characters. Overall, this was an interesting read that kept this reader on her toes.

Princess Slave by Sara York

Princess Slave by Sara York
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story
Other: M/F, Voyeurism
Rating: 3 Cherries
Review by Eglantine

Princess Ava Timna is prisoner of the king of Zebulun, doomed to become his sex slave. Escape means certain death but staying only delays the inevitable—the loss of her virginity. To her people, her virginity is sacred, something to be treasured and given as a gift to her future husband. Wedding King Ean isn't an option as he's rough, known for defiling women and casting them aside. She expects abuse and harshness at his hands, yet his gentle touch leaves her breathless and aching for more. Could she be attracted to him?

King Ean of Zubulun has a secret—he’s actually Jaron, Ean's identical twin on a mission to restore order and honor to the planet he loves. Keeping Ava prisoner weighs on his conscious. Returning her to her people would blow his cover and result in their deaths. Keeping her means giving in to the lustful fire burning in his loins, knowing all the while he's lying to the one woman he wishes could be more than his princess slave.

Ava wins a fight for her life, but her prize is almost more horrible than death: she is to become sex slave to the king of the debauched planet Zebulun. Here lawlessness reigns, rape and murder are as common as breakfast and women don't last long in the face of the depravity. Since being captured by the savage Zebulunians, Ava's life has gone from that of revered and respected heir to the throne of Gemariah to no more than a body to be abused until the macabre twistedness of some rapist robbed her of life. And the first of these monsters to take her would be king Ean.

But Ean is not who Ava thinks he is. He is not what the world thinks he is. And should the slavering hordes of Zebulun discover his secret, both his and Ava's lives will be lost.

Princess Slave was a good read, proper erotica that sizzled enough to set my poor laptop's screen on fire as I read. Never fear, I drooled enough to put out the flames. Not only did the story provide more than enough thrills for the lustiest among us, it also told a compelling and exciting story that would have been readable even without the sex. Not that I'd advocate leaving the sex out, of course. It's true the story is not necessarily the most original ever. Without giving the plot surprises away, a certain Frenchman hit upon the central idea behind Princess Slave a good few years ago. Still, I can say without reserve that Ms York puts an entirely new face on the concept.

My main beef with this story is one I have with a lot of the ebooks I read: it really should have been edited better. The narrative in this instance is littered with small mistakes such as missing apostrophes, or ones that are inserted where they shouldn't be (a dangerous thing to do in a piece of erotic fiction). Words are used in the wrong form for the context, and for anyone aware of these issues it will be an occasional irritation. I love words and personally strive to use them as close to perfectly as possible, so perhaps if you're not quite as irritatingly anal as I am about these things you'll be able to enjoy Princess Slave without reserve.

When all is said and done I found it to be a very enjoyable story, and it kept my attention one hundred percent from start to finish, and only the editing issues noted above, kept this from a higher rating.

Matinee Idol by Lorelei Chain

Matinee Idol by Lorelei Chain
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 Cherries
Review by Lilac

Benni Enfante is possibly Silver Screen star Evan Fitzpatrick’s biggest fan. When a business trip goes awry and she ends up at a friend’s beach house for the weekend, she gets more than she bargained for. The Thirties premier naughty boy materializes out of nowhere and treats Benni to a personal performance she will never forget. Evan Fitzpatrick has been dead for over fifty years, so who is the untamed wild-child in her bed?

Matinee Idol is a quick read with an interesting concept. On a business trip, Benni Enfante finds herself staying at the former home of her idol, 1930s film star, Evan Fitzpatrick. She is in for a surprise when the bad boy actor shows up inside the home. The only problem is that Evan has been dead for over 50 years. Despite her confusion, Benni soon finds herself sharing some passionate nights with her mystery man and wondering who or what exactly he is. Benni finds more than she was looking for when she discovers the truth.

I really enjoyed this story as I wondered along with Benni what exactly was going on. Told in first person from Benni’s POV, the use of first person allowed us to get inside her head and see things as she did. I felt that this enhanced the mystery surrounding the identity of her lover as we only knew what Benni knew. We discovered things as she did, which helped to enhance the interesting twist at the end. This was good story with an ending that I really enjoyed.

Taryn's Wolf by Marisa Chenery

Taryn's Wolf by Marisa Chenery
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Full Length
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 Cherries
Review by Lilac

Having inherited her uncle’s winery, Taryn Davies goes to Wulf’s Den hoping to sell her wines to Beowulf, the owner. While there, she meets Wade, Beowulf’s brother. Even though she is instantly attracted to him, her past makes it hard for her to accept his advances.

Catching a whiff of Taryn’s lingering scent inside Wulf’s Den, Wade is determined to make her his. But when their first meeting doesn’t go as he would have liked, Wade follows Taryn to her winery, The Pines.

As Wade tries to win Taryn over, he has to find a way to explain that he is a werewolf. Little does he know another werewolf has Taryn in his sights, one who means her no good.

Taryn’s Wolf is a wonderful story full of surprises.

Having seen his brother find his mate, Wade, a werewolf, longs for a mate of his own. When Taryn Davies comes to the Wulf’s Den hoping to sell some of her wine there, Wade instantly knows he has found the one for him. However, convincing Taryn proves difficult. Scarred by an abusive relationship, Taryn is reluctant to get involved again and Wade must tread lightly if he wishes to have a relationship with her. But now that he has found her, Wade is determined to win her over and he struggles with letting her know about his true nature as a werewolf. Soon an enemy werewolf from the past and some family secrets change everything.

With its wonderful characters and absorbing plot, I truly enjoyed every page of this story. I really liked Wade and Taryn and found their relationship fascinating. The secondary characters of the story really add to the plot and enhanced my enjoyment. I loved meeting the various werewolves and found the author’s take on a werewolf’s nature and lifespan interesting. I also loved the various twists the author added to the story as we learn more about the characters.

The book appears to be a sequel to another book featuring Wade’s brother and his mate, but having not read that book, I can say that this one does stand alone very well. While it did make me curious about their story and it probably spoiled a few things from the previous book, I didn’t get lost reading Taryn’s Wolf at all.

If you are looking for an interesting paranormal romance about a likeable werewolf and his strong-willed mate, I’d recommend this one.

Devil In Cowboy Boots

Devil In Cowboy Boots by Sylvie Kaye
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length
Other: M/F
Rating: 3.5 Cherries
Review by Lilac

A sexually frustrated medical transcriber, Mercy Lawrence has one thing on her mind while vacationing in San Antonio, Texas—finding a gorgeous hunk of a man to fulfill her deepest, most secret fantasies. When she meets a dark and devilishly handsome loner, who calls himself Sinner, she’s more than willing to go down in a blaze of glory.

Sinner once led the simple life of a small-time rancher; now he's an ex-con hell bent on finding the man who framed him and stole two years of his life. When an irresistible distraction walks into his enemy’s lair, his driving need for vengeance is tempered by Mercy, a woman whose suggestive advances and fearless inexperience are beyond temptation.

Can Sinner prove his innocence and still hold heaven in her arms? Or will Mercy have hell to pay after a few hot nights with a Devil in Cowboy Boots?

In this sensual tale, after being released from prison Sinner is trying to discover who framed him for the death of his best friend which led to his prison sentence. On vacation in Texas, Mercy Lawrence is looking for someone to satisfy her as all of her previous lovers have left her longing for more. The attraction between Mercy and Sinner is instant when they meet one night at Mercy’s uncle’s club. Mercy is a distraction that Sinner doesn’t need, but he can’t resist her appeal. As things grow hot and heavy between the two, their feelings for each other begin to grow, but when Sinner discovers the truth about who is responsible his stint in prison, it could ruin everything for the couple.

I felt that the Mercy and Sinner had an interesting chemistry and connection to one another. I enjoyed their banter and the sexual innuendos that laced their conversations. It really added to the sensuality and seductiveness of the story.

My favorite character was Sinner, whose quest for the truth is the driving force behind the plot. Prison had changed him and he had to learn to trust again…something that is not very easy for him. He also has to learn to let go of the past if he wants to pursue a relationship with Mercy. I enjoyed watching him grow as a character as he discovered both the truth and a relationship with Mercy.

In addition to the main plot, there is a secondary storyline involving Mercy’s friend that I felt was a little weak and didn’t really add to the story. Despite a minor tie-in to the main plot, it felt a bit out of place, but had it been a bit stronger or more developed, it probably could have made a great book on its own.

Other than that this was an enjoyable read that was definitely worth reading.