Anthology
(Re-posted from my old blogger)
Captivated By You - Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rhea Stevenson is pretty hot, but she's also a by the book girl, and a little uptight. She's secretly crazy about Ace, one of her fellow Bureau of American Defense (B.A.D.) agents. Since he's a womanizer and she's set on following the "no office romance" rule, she acts as if she hates him and gives him the cold shoulder/evil eye every chance she gets. Unfortunately she's been assigned to work a case with him that has her posing as a dominatrix at an exclusive club to catch a terrorist.
Ace Krux has got it bad for Rhea, but she hates him and he doesn't know why. Fortunately he's maneuvered her into working a case with him that will involve her in skimpy outfits practicing her dominatrix skills on him. He's hoping that his charm and their near nudity will result in a little action. His prayers are answered and things heat up pretty quickly between them after she ties him down. Only now Ace isn't so sure he likes the idea of sending her into a room alone with a terrorist.
The characters weren't terribly well developed, but we did catch small glimpses into what made them who they are, and that made the romance more believable. I like the lengths that Ace was willing to go to in order to keep Rhea safe.
Promise Me Forever - Author: Melanie George
Ten years ago Savannah Harper and Donovan Jerricho were crazy in love, but with his pro-football career taking off there was a lot of strain on their relationship and when a misunderstanding causes Donovan to believe that Savannah has slept with one of his friend, they break up and Donovan leaves town without looking back. Savannah is pregnant, a fact that Donovan knows nothing about, and never will if she has anything to say about it. Now Savannah, a single mom to a precocious little girl, has finally agreed to marry Jake, her boyfriend of two years. Only, a few days before her wedding, Donovan Jerricho blows back into town stirring up feelings she thought were dead. They are both angry and bitter about the past, but can't help feeling that pull towards each other. Donovan learns the truth about that old misunderstanding and realizes that he made a big mistake and threw away the only woman he ever loved, but can he convince her of that before she ties the knot? He just might if she gave him had the chance, but since she won't he resorts to drastic measures and kidnaps her and plans to hold her hostage in their old love nest until she hears him out. And when will she tell him that Reese is his daughter?
I'm not sure how I felt about this story. He resorted to kidnapping, which was just plain creepy, but he couldn't find it in him to actually hold her against her will. It bothered me that Savannah was willing to marry Jake after she realized that she still loved Donovan and that she loved him more than Jake. It bothers me that such a sweet stand up sort of guy would marry someone who didn't love him wholeheartedly and slept with her ex shortly before the wedding. Seriously, doc, have a little self-respect! Nice is one thing, doormat is something else all together! I hated that Savannah didn't have the guts to let Donovan know that he had a child and that she didn't tell her kid who her father was.
Hunter's Right - Author: Jaid Black
Corporal Ronda Tipton, U.S Army, is excited about her new assignment. She's going to be stationed at a research base in the Arctic. Unfortunately, her helicopter crashes somewhere in the Arctic Circle and she is the only survivor. Hoping that she was somewhere near the base when the chopper crashed, she heads out on foot. When she finds what appears to be a door in the side of a mountain, she thinks her prayers have been answered. She soon finds that she was mistaken as she stumbles upon the hidden Viking civilization of New Sweden that has thrived underground for hundreds of years. She is discovered and chased by giant Viking men. She nearly escapes, but is caught by Lord Nikolas Ericsson, a cousin to the King and a revolutionary. He believes she is a military spy and questions her about how she came to New Sweden. When he learns she is telling the truth about the accident, she is sent off the the bride auctions. The auctions were once a respected tradition, but the Kings corruption has turned it into something of a sex slave auction where the men fondle the women who are brought before them naked and shackled. When it's Ronda's turn up on the block she takes serious offense to being manhandled and uses her martial skills to smack down the offenders and get free. Just as all hell is breaking loose Nikolas claims Hunter's Right, the law that says a man may keep a woman he has captured. Nikolas did not intend to marry until after the revolution, but not only did Ronda make him hot, she was a fighter and he hated to see her punished or handed over to one of the Kings vile friends. Ronda believes she must escape and find the base so that she can inform the military of what is going in this secret world, but she soon finds herself drawn to Nikolas. Will she choose freedom or love?
The sexual stuff is hot ... sizzling hot, thought the whole chains and aphrodisiacs stuff kind of weirded me out. I really enjoyed the characters and though the whole women as property thing doesn't appeal to me overly much, I found myself very intrigued by their world and most especially that prophecy of theirs. I've read the novellas and Deep, Dark & Dangerous which were set in New Sweden and I have to say, I'm looking forward to more.
(Author's website lists a book titled Big, Bad & Brutal that was supposed to be out 2008, but I don't know what's happened with that. )
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