Sigrid H. (sigrid) reviewed on + 55 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This anthology is a collection of four highly erotic, romantic fantasies, and because fantasies vary so drastically from person to person, not all of these worked for me. But the key word that's necessary to remember in reading these is "fantasy."
"Wild for You" by Kathryn Anne Dubois starts it out, with the story of a self-centered college student named Georgie who finds herself lost on an expedition. She gets found by a wild Tarzan-like man, who keeps her safe, and these two are very quickly getting sexual. The scenes are hot, but Georgie's egocentricity wears thin after a while. The story breaks down even more after she gets found, but for the duration of their time together, Georgie and her ape man are charming and hot.
By far, my favorite of the anthology was Kimberly Dean's "Wanted." Dani has been on the run for six months, chased by Special Agent Reno for a white collar crime she didn't commit. She is smart, sexy, and the chemistry between the two smokes. The action is nonstop as well, and if the ending seems a little rushed and convenient, I'm okay with that in light of the delight the rest of the novella gave.
Then, comes my least favorite story, "Secluded" by Lisa Marie Rice. It's the story of Nicholas, a wealthy, shady character who has been obsessed with the ethereal Isabelle for years. He blackmails her father - who owes him money - into introducing him to her, with the intention of seducing her for an affair to last a couple weeks before he cuts off all ties to her (because it's too dangerous for them to be together long-term due to his enemies). Nicholas' obsession is creepy beyond anything. I know it's meant to be this gothic romance, but his behavior from the outset bugged me far too much. Maybe if I'd had some hint of who he was before his obsession was revealed it would have been better. It doesn't help that the author's voice tends to be very passive and overwrought, two characteristics that always turn me off stories no matter how much I might like the plot or characters. In the end, I just ended up cringing through the whole thing, wishing for it to be over.
The anthology ends with Bonnie Hamre's "Flights of Fantasy." Chloe has been ordered to take a week-long cruise in order to decompress from her job as an international photographer. She doesn't expect to find two ex-boyfriends on board, or for the owner to claim to have known her in college. The romance in this is pretty much secondary to the erotic fantasy aspect of it, as Chloe's fantasy is to have sex with three men (how convenient she had two exes on board with her!). Yancy, the owner, displays the same kind of obsessive behavior as Nicholas in the previous story, but it's a bit more palatable for me because I liked Chloe far more than I liked Isabelle.
I don't consider myself a typical romance reader. I don't insist that the heroine and hero only have sex with each other; in contemporaries, I just don't think that's always realistic. Because of that, I think I was far more tolerant of Chloe's behavior in the last story than a lot of readers might be.
"Wild for You" by Kathryn Anne Dubois starts it out, with the story of a self-centered college student named Georgie who finds herself lost on an expedition. She gets found by a wild Tarzan-like man, who keeps her safe, and these two are very quickly getting sexual. The scenes are hot, but Georgie's egocentricity wears thin after a while. The story breaks down even more after she gets found, but for the duration of their time together, Georgie and her ape man are charming and hot.
By far, my favorite of the anthology was Kimberly Dean's "Wanted." Dani has been on the run for six months, chased by Special Agent Reno for a white collar crime she didn't commit. She is smart, sexy, and the chemistry between the two smokes. The action is nonstop as well, and if the ending seems a little rushed and convenient, I'm okay with that in light of the delight the rest of the novella gave.
Then, comes my least favorite story, "Secluded" by Lisa Marie Rice. It's the story of Nicholas, a wealthy, shady character who has been obsessed with the ethereal Isabelle for years. He blackmails her father - who owes him money - into introducing him to her, with the intention of seducing her for an affair to last a couple weeks before he cuts off all ties to her (because it's too dangerous for them to be together long-term due to his enemies). Nicholas' obsession is creepy beyond anything. I know it's meant to be this gothic romance, but his behavior from the outset bugged me far too much. Maybe if I'd had some hint of who he was before his obsession was revealed it would have been better. It doesn't help that the author's voice tends to be very passive and overwrought, two characteristics that always turn me off stories no matter how much I might like the plot or characters. In the end, I just ended up cringing through the whole thing, wishing for it to be over.
The anthology ends with Bonnie Hamre's "Flights of Fantasy." Chloe has been ordered to take a week-long cruise in order to decompress from her job as an international photographer. She doesn't expect to find two ex-boyfriends on board, or for the owner to claim to have known her in college. The romance in this is pretty much secondary to the erotic fantasy aspect of it, as Chloe's fantasy is to have sex with three men (how convenient she had two exes on board with her!). Yancy, the owner, displays the same kind of obsessive behavior as Nicholas in the previous story, but it's a bit more palatable for me because I liked Chloe far more than I liked Isabelle.
I don't consider myself a typical romance reader. I don't insist that the heroine and hero only have sex with each other; in contemporaries, I just don't think that's always realistic. Because of that, I think I was far more tolerant of Chloe's behavior in the last story than a lot of readers might be.
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