Turbulent Passions by Anne Rainey

Sapphire and her brother Aries have led a life under the radar, so to speak. Since the day their parents were killed, they've hidden away-away from the city life, away from people and away from love. When Sapphire finds a strange man in her woods, she realizes this is the first time she's ever been attracted to someone at first sight. For the first time since her parents died, she wants to live for herself, consequences be damned! However, Sapphire and her brother have a secret...a secret they've kept to themselves for a long time-a secret that might come in between her and her stranger.

When Adam awakes to see Sapphire standing over him, he's sure he's in Heaven. She's just so beautiful. As he recovers from his head injury and gets to know her, he finds himself falling in love. Adam has his own secret, however. One that he knows will send Sapphire running...away from him. He'll do everything in his power to keep from losing her, but will it be enough?

I have no idea how to put into words what I'm feeling as I close this book right now. I am dumbounded, emotionally spent, totally in love with the characters-while at the same time, happy, uplifted and ecstatic. I have yet to find a story from Ms. Rainey that hasn't set my heat a soaring and TURBULENT PASSIONS definitely did so. I was hooked from the very first sentence and bawled like a baby when it ended. Ms. Rainey definitely knows how to hook her readers and keep them enthralled throughout. Sapphire and her brother Aries broke my heart. Their secret has never been shared with anyone and they've only had each other to depend on for too long. When Adam comes crashing into Sapphire's life it's almost like I was seeing her come out of her coccoon and develops into a beautiful butterfly with his touch. Adam is suffering from amnesia when we first meet him. I was so angry with him when he chose not to tell Sapphire the truth about his job and his life. However, I did understand his fear of losing her over it and I knew he'd do the right thing in the end. Turbulent isn't a strong enough word to describe the passion that explodes between Adam and Sapphire. To me it was absolutely jaw droping in its intensity. Woven with heat, romance and suspense and wrapped around light paranormal aspects, TURBULENT PASSIONS is my favorite book of the year!

PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing

FORMAT: Ebook

RELEASE DATE: April 2009

GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance with paranormal elements

RATING:

BUY LINK: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/turbulent-passions

Too Much is Never Enough by Skyler Grey (From: Deadly Sins Anthology)

The Sin of Gluttony…

Ryan is a womanizer, always the one to kick the girl to the curb when he's had his fill of her—which never takes more than a night or so. When Ryan receives a mysterious package at work, with some not so pretty pictures of him, he isn't sure what to do. The woman in the photos with him has royally screwed up his life. If he could just get his hands on her…Unfortunately, the pictures tell a very dark story of the things Ryan did to the woman while on his "business trip." Are the pictures telling the truth or is someone out to teach Ryan about the sin of gluttony?

This was the most incredible story I have ever read from Skyler Grey. She really took a wild turn in this one, and I love her for doing it. This story was wickedly evil and full of eerie goodness. I wasn't sure where the twists and turns were going to leave me or who was actually after Ryan. It might be evil of me, but I was hoping Ryan would get his just due for treating the women he had been with so poorly. He just thinks he can do nothing wrong and women should just fall at his feet and be honored he's giving them the time of day. If you're looking for a superb mystery with some thrills and chills, check out TOO MUCH IS NEVER ENOUGH by Skyler Grey. Just a note to readers: this story is in the anthology DEADLY SINS with other author contributions. I strongly suggest reading the entire anthology for the most appeal.

PUBLISHER: Dark Castle Lords

ISBN: 978-1-92134-741-2

FORMAT: Ebook

RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2008

GENRE: Sensual Anthology

RATING:

REVIEWED FOR: Dark Angel Reviews

Sheltering Abby by Bonnie Rose Leigh

Ben and Trevor Marcum never planned to fall for the same woman. It really shouldn't surprise them though. As twins and shifters, they seem to share a bond that goes beyond natural instinct. When both of their beasts call out to one woman, they decide that they have no problem sharing her. Both telepathic, they are able to recognize that there is something kind of supernatural about Abby, the woman they love. When it comes time to protect her, they will stop at nothing to see her safe from harm and in their arms. After all, there's nothing more satisfying than SHELTERING ABBY.

Abby Coleman has the uncanny ability to sense evil around her. When she first arrives in her new town, she makes it her life's work to put away abusers to keep their victims safe. She even goes so far as to open a shelter for abuse victims and teaches them self defense. Unfortunately, when Abby realizes she is being stalked by someone, or something, oozing evilness, she realizes she needs help. Turning to the two men she trusts above all others, Abby soon understands that there is way more between them than just a mutual need to stop the stalker. In fact, there is a burning passion begging to be explored.

This second installment to the SERENITY SERIES, SHELTERING ABBY, definitely comes out with a bang! I really admire Abby's strength and determination to keep abused victims safe in Serenity. She's is a very engaging character who I instantly felt a connection with. I really enjoyed the fact that both Ben and Trevor were in love with Abby. Instead of it causing a battle between them, their bond is so strong that both are able to accept her as their mate. Ben and Trevor are mouthwateringly delicious. I really got into the psychic abilities of all three characters and there are a lot of funny moments between Trevor and Ben while they speak telepathically. When Trevor, Ben and Abby get together, the pages seem to explode in passion. I couldn't wait to find out who or what the source of the evil was that was stalking Abby. If you're looking for a story with very enticing characters and passionate scenes with an air of mystery thrown in, SHELTERING ABBY is definitely the story for you!

PUBLISHER: eXtasy Books

ISBN: 978-1-55487-056-1

FORMAT: Ebook

RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2008

GENRE: Fantasy Erotic Menage

RATING:

REVIEWED FOR: Dark Angel Reviews

Secrets: Vol. 24 by Mia Varano, Rae Monet, Natasha Moore & Alexa Aames

HOT ON HER HEELS by Mia Varano

Vivica Steele runs the Lollipop Lounge, a male strip joint on the Vegas Strip. During her interview with Jack, a prospective employee, Vivica finds herself acting completely out of character. He's driving her wild with lust. However, she's determined to stay in control.
Jack is working undercover as a Lollipop Boy to try to find out who has been conning old women out of their money and jewels. He needs to find out if Vivica is involved. Soon, he finds himself hoping she isn't. He wants her more than anything in the world, and one way or another, he will have her.

SHADOW WOLF by Rae Monet

The year is 2643 and we find ourselves on the Lupine Settlement of Planet Alagon. Dia has been hired, because of her wolf nature, to track an item. She's to find and bring back the Shadow wolf. When Dia tries to steal the wolf, which happens to belong to Roark D'Reincolt, she gets caught. Both Roark and Dia discover an undeniable attraction to one another. Roark soon realizes he cannot give Dia up. Will these two be able to find an everlasting love or are they destined to remain enemies forever?

BAD TO THE BONE by Natasha Moore

When Luke arrives in town for his class reunion, he never expects to see Annie Shane. He has no idea it's her when she walks through the door. The years have been very good to Annie and she's now the sexiest woman Luke has ever laid eyes on. Luke is trying to overcome his bad boy past. Annie came to the reunion hell bent on becoming a bad girl. When Annie offers herself to Luke, he finds himself hard pressed to refuse her. Luke makes her toes curl and she plans on getting some of him before the night is through. Will Luke be able to resist the sultry temptress throwing herself at him?

WAR GOD by Alexa Aames

Estella is in a bookstore when she discovers a very old book on mythology. When she recites the spell written in it, she becomes a completely different woman. She starts having very erotic dreams about Ares, the god of war. When she discovers that she is in fact carrying the essence of Aphrodite inside her, she finds herself at Ares' mercy. Ares soon becomes obsessed with Estella and determined to possess her. He won't allow anyone or anything to get in his way of making Estella his, including Estella herself.

SECRETS VOLUME 24: SURRENDER TO SEDUCTION is a whirlwind adventure from one story to the next. As the title says, each story deals with submission of some sort. I can't pick my favorite story out of this one. I fell in love with the characters in each. HOT ON HER HEELS was a ton of fun. I really enjoyed Jack in his leopard print g-string at Vivica's mercy. They're relationship was filled with passion and provocative moments. SHADOW WOLF kind of threw me for a loop. Not usually my type of story, I still found myself amazed by Rae Monet's ability to draw me into this story. I really enjoyed the paranormal elements in this story and of course, the sensual seduction. BAD TO THE BONE really stood out for me. I could relate to Annie completely. She was the nerd in high school and suddenly she re-appears smoking hot. Luke was downright yummy and I agreed whole heartedly with her wanting to seduce him. WAR GOD gave me mixed emotions. It took me a while to decide whether Ares was actually evil or just a man in love. I love stories based on Greek gods, so I really got into this one quickly. Estella and Ares really get their groove on and Estella discovers a new side to herself she never realized existed. Once again, the authors and Red Sage Publishing really did an amazing job of combining these stories to appeal to any reader out there. These are my favorite anthologies because I always know I will never be disappointed with any story that I read from them.

PUBLISHER: Red Sage

ISBN: 978-1-60310-166-7

FORMAT: Print

RELEASE DATE: July 2008

GENRE: Erotic Anthology

RATING:

REVIEWED FOR: Dark Angel Reviews

Secrets: Vol. 23 by Roxi Romano, Calista Fox, Bonnie Dee & Bethany Lynn

THE SEX SLAVE by Roxi Romano
Lazarus Stone was created for sex. Unfortunately, he needs to find the man who can help him get off the moon he's stuck on before he's sold into slavery when someone realizes what he really is. He certainly doesn't expect to become a knight in shining armor to Jaci. However, he keeps finding himself at her rescue, time and time again. Lucky for her, he's becoming addicted to having her around. When fire and ice continuously seem to come together, will either of them be able to walk away unscathed?

FOREVER MY LOVE by Calista Fox
Professor Aja Woods soon realizes the erotic dreams she's been having are actually somehow real. The man in her dreams is actually a guardian sent to watch over her—a man who loves her and makes her feel as if she's waited her whole life for him. When Aja discovers that she is actually a witch many centuries old, and a descendent of an ancient gypsy tribe, Aja's life turns upside down. Christian, her guardian angel of sorts, has been sent to help her rediscover her repressed memories. Christian isn't human, either. He's actually a vampire. When things go horribly wrong with the magic and Christian has to save her the only way he knows how, by making her one of his kind, the fates of both worlds hang in the balance. Will Christian and Aja be able to save both worlds and be together?

REFLECTIONS OF BEAUTY by Bonnie Dee
Christine Dawson is an artist trying to get in her first gallery show and make her life a success. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned for our heroine. Suddenly, Christine is thrust into crazy dreams where a man is trapped in a castle. Christine needs to rescue this man. Eric is a disfigured man trapped due to his own personal demons. He's not ready to face the world. He's happy being hidden from all the cruelty the world has to offer. When Christine arrives to rescue him, he thinks they're both out of their minds. There's something about this empowered woman that just melts his heart though. Will he be able to believe in her and trust that what she feels for him is real?

EDUCATING EVA by Bethany Michaels
Eva is researching mating habits in the human male to write a book. Spying on her neighbors seems to provide her with quite a lot of helpful information. When she's invited to a house party to continue her research, Ava soon discovers a very intoxicating world involving pleasures of the flesh. When she is caught by Aidan Worthington, she can't help but be humiliated. After all, it was he she was eavesdropping on while he was in coital bliss with another woman. When Eva drags Aidan into her research, he finds himself hard pressed to resist her. Soon enough, he finds himself completely breathless with passion for her. Before her "research" is through, Aidan is definitely going to make Eva his—forever.

Overall, I think SECRETS VOLUME 23: SECRET DESIRES is one of the best collections I have read from Red Sage yet. From historical to the fantastical, I was swept away to different lands and times. This is truly a collection that sends your senses into overdrive. Visually stimulating, as well as physically and mentally stimulating, I found myself on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what would happen next. My two favorite stories in this anthology were FOREVER MY LOVE and EDUCATING EVA. I really enjoyed the female heroines innocence in each story. I'm usually not a fan of sci-fi or fantasy stories, however, THE SEX SLAVE definitely kicked my libido into high gear. Lazarus and Jaci were a knock out couple. I loved their witty banter and the passion that overtook them. REFLECTIONS OF BEAUTY stole my breath away. My heart broke for Eric and his concerns about how the world would treat him due to his disfigurement. Christine and Eric are truly a Phantom of the Opera or Beauty and the Beast couple that melted my heart. I really enjoy the fact that each story in these anthologies is different. I get to enjoy all different types of genres from these amazing authors and I get to move with the characters from one world to another. The SECRETS books are some of my favorite collections and these authors and stories are the reason why.

PUBLISHER: Red Sage

ISBN: 978-1-60310-164-6

FORMAT: Print

RELEASE DATE: July 2008

GENRE: Erotic Anthology

RATING:

REVIEWED FOR: Dark Angel Reviews

Second Time Around by Jenna Byrnes

When Mike discovers his wife in bed with another woman, he's not sure how to feel. He finds that's he not ticked off, but instead, kind of turned on, yet hurt by the situation. When his wife Cindy leaves him, ultimately because he's never home, Mike realizes that maybe he did push her into another woman's arms after all. Still, instead of feeling angry or guilty, Mike realizes that it's not his wife he misses so much as someone to come home to at the end of the night.

When Mike meets Niko, he realizes that what he really wants is right in front of him. He's been suppressing his true desires and needs for so long, he never realized that what he really wanted and needed was a man—a man like Niko. Suddenly, Mike finds himself instantly attracted to the gorgeous man. Will Mike find all that he desires the SECOND TIME AROUND?

What a fantastic adventure this was! I love everything about this story from the characters to the hot sexual interactions. Jamie Hill definitely knows how to pen a smoking hot male/male romance for her readers. The storyline was absolutely divine in its uniqueness. Mike is a married man discovering his wife with another woman. He later discovers that he is also in love with a man. Niko and Mike are mouthwateringly delightful together. They will definitely get readers engines revving in no time. There are some very funny moments in this story that will leave readers shaking their heads in pity for Mike. This was such a neat concept to weave this story around. If you're looking for a smokin' hot male/male romance with some enchanting humor thrown in for good measure, SECOND TIME AROUND is the story for you! The character interactions really left my mouth watering and craving more of these types of stories from Ms. Hill.

PUBLISHER: Total-e-Bound

ISBN: 978-1-90632-896-2

FORMAT: Ebook

RELEASE DATE: April 2008

GENRE: Erotic Menage

RATING:

REVIEWED FOR: Dark Angel Reviews

The Perfect Cover by Claire Thompson

Ryan is eager to get a job at the gay resort on a Caribbean Island. Unfortunately, Ryan forgot to mention that he's straight, not gay, but he's pretty sure he can handle the men coming onto him or grabbing him. What Ryan doesn’t expect is to discover Sean, his new roommate for the season. Ryan is about to discover some entirely new elements about himself this summer—with the help of the seductive Sean.

THE PERFECT COVER is a wonderfully accurate title for this story. Ryan is pretending to be something he's not, only to discover his true destiny. This was such a complex story of self-discovery, not only for Ryan, but Sean also. Although both try to fight their attraction to the other, this reader felt the passion between them. I couldn't wait for their determination to falter and for them to be together. The drifting of these two characters on a wave of passion is almost bittersweet at time, leaving me breathless in their wake. Anyone looking for a powerfully erotic m/m romance should definitely give this one a whirl. It left me hot and bothered, that's for sure!

PUBLISHER: Ellora's Cave

ISBN: 978-1-41991-395-2

FORMAT: Ebook

RELEASE DATE: December 2007

GENRE: Erotic M/M Relationship

RATING:

REVIEWED FOR: Dark Angel Reviews