THE LONE WARRIOR by Denise Rossetti

Publisher: Berkley Trade
Date published: May 2011
ISBN: 978-0425240915
Fantasy romance
Trade Paperback
Reviewed by Valerie
Obtained by publisher


Walker is the survivor of a massacre that wiped out all his people. He now devotes his life to revenge and has vowed to kill the demon warriors, who were responsible for the terrible killings. Now, however, he is after a different prey. An assassin who tried to kill his friend. When he finds her, he marks her so that she cannot get away from him without dying and he makes her his slave. She needs to take care of her victim while he heals.

Mehcredi was abandoned as a child and has no inkling on how to relate to other people. Always put down, told she was stupid, she grew up not knowing love. She is drawn to Walker and as she has to work with him and the others around her, she slowly learns and falls in love with him. But there is a great evil out there that wants to kill them both, and he is willing to go to great lengths to do so. Will their new found love get snuffed out before it has a chance to grow?

I loved this book. I adored the characters. Walker especially called to me…sigh! I loved how Mehcredi grew in this story. From the bumbling woman to a confident, brave one, it was a joy to go on this journey with her. The pages fairly sizzled with sexual tension as the spark that started at the beginning of the story grew and grew, until the reader is satisfied along with the characters when the passion is fulfilled. Mehcredi just walked through poor Walker’s resistance and he didn’t stand a chance. There were some truly hot and very sensual love scenes in this story. The plot was fascinating and the secondary characters were just as interesting as the main ones.

Ms Rossetti really knows how to capture her readers and hold them. I could hardly put this book down and wished I could have read it in one sitting. So beware, if you pick this one up…it may have you reading way into the night. There are two other books before this one that tell the story of some of the other characters. They are THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW and THIEF OF LIGHT. I am certainly adding them to my ‘to buy’ list.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

UNLACED by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Hayes, Joey W. Hill & Denise Rossetti

Publisher: Berkley Heat
Date published: December 2008
ISBN: 978-0-425-22381-9
Erotic romance/Anthology
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn


Four erotic stories from the mistresses of romance that will leave you begging for more as fantasies and inhibitions become undone and satisfied in every possible way. Can you resist the desire to try on a corset and see if all your fantasies come alive……… one lace at a time?

Jaci Burton kicks off this fabulous anthology with THE TIES THAT BIND. Meet Lisa Mitchell, a divorced woman who doesn’t quite remember the last time she had sex much less a relationship with another man. Friendly with her ex-husband, her ex teams up with her best friend and daughter to give her a vacation of a lifetime and to see if that spark that smoldered between them is still there. Can one woman let herself go to the flames as the past collides with the present?

Oh my god….Ms. Burton doesn’t disappoint as she kicks off UNLACED with a story that is both tender and erotic at the same time. A story of one woman who still desires her ex though she has pushed back her longing and desires for so long, it is a miracle she hasn’t combusted before now. Fast paced storyline combined with so much sexual tension, I was fanning myself trying cool myself down. I enjoyed the way the two main characters, Lisa and Rick, bantered and worked their way through their thoughts and desires.

Next up was Jasmine Hayes, UNDONE. A story of an older woman wanting to prove to herself she is still desirable after her ex-boyfriend insults her pride and heart. When she comes across an ad for a model for an amateur photographer, she never expects it to be a night she will never forget.

Oh my, this was the first story I have read by this author and she doesn’t disappoint me at all. Margo is out to prove that since turning forty-five, she is not old news and is out to prove to herself she is still a desirable woman. Finding out that the photographer is sexy as sin has Margo ready for anything, even though she may never see him again after this one night. Wow, this was sexy, fun, flirty and very erotic. With the right amount of tension and playful banter, Ms. Hayes delves into a world of older woman/younger man scenario and delivers a story that capturers your heart along with your emotions. I was rooting for Margo and Dirk to get together in the end though I did have to cool down as this was a really hot story.

Delving into a world of Domination and submission, the next story by Joey W. Hill, CONTROLLED RESPONSE, had me almost ready to scream from the sheer delight of it all. It was wild, erotic and such a pleasure to read that I was looking forward to seeing this author’s backlist. Meet Cassandra, a woman tightly laced up and controlled in all ways possible; until she meets the one man with enough strength to get her to lose control, one step at a time. The only problem Lucas has is getting Cass to trust him enough to let him be in control. Man oh man, this was a deep emotional story that centers on dominance and submission but in a way that shows the love, understanding and strength of it all. I thoroughly enjoyed CONTROLELD RESPONSE and look forward to more from Ms. Hill.

Finally, Denise Rossetti delivers a dark and passionate story of RUBIES AND BLACK VELVET. A sorceress tossed aside, a magical corset that will make any woman become a femme fatale and the one couple determined to break its reign of destruction with the power of love.

RUBIES AND BLACK VELVET is a dark story that involves black magick, love and erotic passion thrown all together and mixed briskly. Strong characters, fast pace and erotic passion brings two former lovers back together as they try to deal with an enchanted corset bent on destroying love and delivering vengeance. Can Meg and John find a way to break this magical spell before one or the other dies from the corsets dark desires?

UNLACED is one of those anthologies that delivers something for everyone, be it former lovers learning to love again or dark desires coming out to the satisfaction of both partners. I enjoyed this anthology very much and look forward to reading more of these stunning authors' other books. Do you dare to get UNLACED and see what hidden desires you hold deep in your heart?

THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW by Denise Rossetti

Four Sided Pentacle series, Book 1
Publisher: Ace Books
Date published: November 2008
ISBN: 978-0-978-0-441-01634-1
Futuristic/Paranormal Romance
Paperback

Reviewed by Shaiha




Grayson of Concordia will do anything to get rid of his shadow Shad. However when he agrees to seduce and kidnap Cenda, he didn’t expect to feel like such a cad. There is something about Cenda that brings out both his and Shad’s protective instincts.

After Cenda’s daughter dies, she totally withdraws into herself. That is until her friend drags her along to meet Grayson. Now Cenda is determined to enjoy his company and body until he leaves for the next planet.

I have never read any of Ms. Rossetti’s works but now I am a confirmed fan. THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW draws the reader in with her characters that are incredibly real and a plot that is delightfully complex. Just be sure that you set enough time aside to read THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW in one sitting. It demands no less.

Gray is a fascinating man that just happens to be deliciously sexy to boot. He is a man torn in two and hanging onto his sanity by a thread. The only way that he knows how to resolve this dilemma is to do something so vile that he isn’t sure that he will be able to live with himself afterwards.

Cenda is a woman that has never come into her own. Accustomed to being considered clumsy, plain and powerless, she is unable to believe that she could attract such a man as Gray. It is a true joy to watch this character grow and come into her own power as both a witch and a woman.

The villains, some immediately obvious and some hidden, are just as complex. Toss in some secondary characters to round out the story and unique locations for the readers to explore, and you have a story that is dying to be read. Be sure to pick up your copy today and keep an eye out for next book in the series which will be coming out in the Fall of 2009.

Interview with Denise Rossetti

A hearty welcome to Denise Rossetti who has taken time off from her busy schedule to answer a few questions for us at Love Romances and More Reviews.

Thanks for having me. *beams*

Please tell us a bit about yourself and describe your journey to publication.

About me? Hmm… I love stories, reading them and writing them and hearing them, always have, always will. As for the rest, I’m small and noisy and I wave my hands around a lot, which can be unfortunate if the tale I’m telling has explosions in it. I adore red shoes, the higher the heel the better! There’s something so frivolous and tarty about them. Oh, and I’m an Aussie.

I started writing seven years ago because I was miserable and it helped take my mind off my troubles. (I’m not unhappy any more, by the way!) Now I write for Ellora's Cave, Avon Red and I'm currently working on a hot fantasy series for Berkley. The first is THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW, released a couple of weeks ago. You can read the first chapter here - http://www.deniserossetti.com/flame.html

And if that wasn’t enough, on 2nd December, the UNLACED anthology will hit the shelves! Four sizzling hot stories, with the connecting theme of corsets, written by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill and myself. I’m so excited! You can find out more here - http://www.deniserossetti.com/unlaced.html

You know the ancient Chinese curse? “May you live in interesting times.” Life’s rather like that at the moment. *happy smile*

Describe what happened when you got “the Call.”

I’ve actually had “the Call” twice. Lucky me, huh? The first time was with Ellora’s Cave editor, the wonderful Suz Gower. I was at work, so I left the office and went outside. My knees were so shaky it’s a miracle I didn’t fall down the stairs! Suz was delightful, but she didn’t say she actually wanted my book, just chatted on and on about changing the title. In the end, I took my courage in both hands and blurted. “Yes, but do you really want it?” She laughed and said yes. Whew!

The second time was when Wendy McCurdy, Senior Editor from Berkley, rang me early in the morning (Australian time) with an offer. I’m sure editors must chuckle the moment they hang up after a call like that. Wendy was so lovely and patient with me, because all I could say was, “Are you sure? Are you really sure?” In a beautiful coincidence, it was my wedding anniversary and also a public holiday, so My Beloved and I went out for lunch by the water. I no longer even remember exactly which restaurant. I spent the whole day in a daze!

Your books truly are grounded in the relationships between characters. We have seen this from your blisteringly erotic first book GIFT OF THE GODDESS in your Phoenix Rising series to your fantasy story THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW book 1 in the Four-Sided Pentacle series, which just hit the shelves. What do you feel must go into the making of a convincing romance?

Oh, thank you! I’m going to take that as a compliment and bask in it, because it’s characterization that pulls me into a story and keeps me turning the pages. Who cares what happens to cardboard people?

For a convincing romance, I need to believe the characters have a good chance of making a meaningful life together after the last page. Yeah, yeah, they’re in love – we know that, this is romance, it’s a given. So is the intense physical attraction and therefore the hawt sex!

But when I read a love story, I’m taking a journey with the hero and heroine, making an emotional investment in them and their future relationship. Unless they genuinely like and respect each other, they don’t have a hope of surviving after the book is closed. There must be a true connection between them on every fundamental level – mind, spirit and body. Oh, and they must be able to laugh at the same things!

By the way, if you think that’s hard to do with two people, try writing a ménage! *grin*

What drew you to write erotic romance?

I love the beauty of language and I love sex sensually and lavishly described — especially if it’s hot and sweaty! The sexual act can be used as a lens to focus on raw emotion. The reader sees the characters naked and not only physically. All the masks are stripped away and the soul is bared, whether the character knows it or not. It’s enormously powerful and it absolutely fascinates me.

Don’t they say the most important erogenous zone is the one between the ears? Page after page of docking procedure leaves me cold. That’s not erotic romance, it’s just gratuitous sex.

You are the creator of interesting fantasy worlds and delightfully complex characters for your tales. How much actual research do you do for your books and what are some of the most interesting bits of information you have come across?

Um, would you believe I do almost no research? Which is weird, because I’m actually trained to do it and I have a lot of experience. I’m too impatient to get to the good bit, the story. It’s one of the reasons I write fantasy – as long as I’m consistent, I can build a whole universe with nothing but my imagination and a keyboard.

That said, I have found some fascinating facts in my research. For example, did you know that in order for a human being to be able to use wings to fly, his or her chest would have to be six feet thick with muscle? It’s plain physics, but when I wrote TAILSPIN, I simply ignored that inconvenient fact and created two drop-dead gorgeous heroes with magnificent wings and wicked feathery tails. Gotta love fantasy! You can meet them here -http://www.deniserossetti.com/tailspin.html

I’ve also done some reading about Near Death Experiences (NDEs) for THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW and the rest of THE FOUR-SIDED PENTACLE series. What’s fascinating is the consistency of the reports – the sensation of hovering near the ceiling, the bright tunnel, the presence of another loving Being. I also keep one of those “work out your best colours” books handy, so I can dress my characters in the right colours. I only know what suits me!

Overall, my resources are pretty simple. People are good. I’ll ask anyone almost anything. Information books written for kids are excellent because they have simple explanations and clear illustrations. I’m a great believer in libraries. And, of course, the Internet.

What were some of the inspirations behind the creatures and characters which inhabit these places?

Like most authors, I’ve been asked numerous times where I get the inspiration for characters. Are they based on real people, especially the heroes? *smile* I wish!

If I did know any beautiful men with magnificent wings and tails, a sex shaman with a dragon tattoo on his ass, or a handsome sorcerer with a sexy shadow, I’d be too busy to write these answers! (Or in Intensive Care.) What I am is shameless – shameless about “borrowing” bits of people – a smile here, a personality trait there, a gesture or two, a pair of beautiful eyes. But it’s always bits, because human beings are so complicated it’s almost impossible to portray them accurately in print. It’s too damn hard. And anyway, there are laws about that sort of thing.

I love villains too. *wicked grin* I’m particularly fond of the disgusting Hssrda –huge, hideous crocodile men - from the PHOENIX RISING series.

Of all of your books, is there one character that stands out as the most fun you have had to write?

I had great fun with Shad, from THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW. He was a real challenge to write – a funny, vulgar, boyish, uninhibited shadow – the deeply buried, instinctive part of Grayson, Duke of Ombra. We all know we have a “shadow” side, the voice that speaks in our heads, but because Gray is a true sorcerer of shadows, the dark entity he calls Shad has an independent, physical life of its own. He and Shad are fighting for control of his sanity and his soul. By the time Gray meets Cenda, a fire witch struggling with a crushing burden of grief, he will do anything to win the battle - anything at all.

Apart from Shad, I loved writing Miriliel the Burnished (Mirry) from TAILSPIN. He’s absolutely, stunningly beautiful, but so scholarly and brilliant that he doesn’t notice his impact on others. And because he tends to blind himself with logic, he has to learn about love the hard way. It was an awful lot of fun watching Fledge and Jan tease and teach him!

Do you plot or do you tend to allow your characters to take you where they will? Have they ever surprised you?

I'm what other writers call a “pantser”, as in “flying by the seat of your pants”. For me, writing is a completely organic, instinctive process. I don't plan much, or write character interviews or plot outlines and I purely loathe synopses. That sort of stuff can kill it for me if I'm not careful, but now I work with editors and they like to see what they're getting, dammit. So I do enough to reassure them they haven’t bought actual rubbish and still try to leave myself enough wriggle-room so I don't get bored. I love the thrill of watching the story unfold under my fingers. I'll write until I hit the edge of the "mist" and then I...wait...and wait... Eventually, the fog clears and I can "see" what happens next.

I wouldn’t say the characters run the show though. Because I do always know how it begins and what happens in the end. It's the bit in between that's um, interesting.

Though all these people do take up residence in my head without so much as a by your leave, and talk and fight and uh...do all sorts of wicked things. Heh heh. It happens when I'm driving, or in the shower, or dropping off to sleep or out walking with My Beloved and the dog. Every now and then, he'll grin and ask, "Where are you now?"

To which my response is generally, "Huh?" Because I sure ain't in Kansas, Dorothy. It's like having a movie screening just behind your eyes and it's terrific because now I'm never bored. Have to wait at the doctor's? In an endless staff meeting? No problem. *smile*

Do you have ways to set yourself in the mood for your writing and what are they?

Oh, how I wish! *sigh* The problem with my entire life is that I have next to no routine. And it would help so much if I did. I'm the Queen of Procrastination ruling over the Land of Clutter. I'm catastrophically untidy, to the point of losing things I really do need. As far as I'm concerned, putting something "in a safe place" is a recipe for disaster!

I’ve given up trying to tidy my desk before I begin. I’d never get anything written.

I burn essential oils, soothing floral ones like lavender or bergamot with a few drops of something sharp like lemongrass, to stimulate creativity. That's the theory, anyway. I don't like heavy, musky scents. And I drink a lot of tea. No coffee.

The music depends on the mood required. I have a number of playlists - an upbeat, rock `n' country one for when I need energy, a lush operatic one for over-the-top emotion, a Celtic or a baroque, liturgical one for soothing background. I'm currently obsessed with Rufus Wainwright. I've always been obsessed by Leonard Cohen.

Are there any genres or subgenres that you have not tried your hand at but would like to give a go?

So far, I’ve tried fantasy (the FOUR-SIDED PENTACLE series for Berkley and the PHOENIX RISING series for Ellora’s Cave) and urban paranormals (the KAMINISKI FAMILY stories for Ellora’s Cave and Avon Red). My dream would be to live somewhere exotic for a few months and write a story set there, a romantic suspense, a real nail-biter. I went to the USA and Canada for the first time only recently and I loved San Francisco and Vancouver and the Rockies. On the other hand, Tuscany sounds appealing…

I also enjoy my attempts at humour and I wouldn’t mind trying a romantic comedy. In fact, I write a very naughty, very silly, monthly serial for my Yahoo newsgroup. It’s my light relief. And readers get choose what happens next! Rather like a Choose Your Own Adventure with a wickedly sexy twist.

My newsgroup family is very special to me There are free gifts on joining, exclusive sneak peeks at new work, contests and prizes. http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/deniserossetti

The current story is RACKETY KATE AND THE PIRATES. The previous one was THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF ALICE. Older chapters are available free on my website - http://www.deniserossetti.com/stories.html

What are you working on now? Can you share anything regarding it?

I’m currently writing THIEF OF LIGHT, the second in the Four-Sided Pentacle series. It’s set for release late next year. I’m having so much fun with Erik and Prue – the sparks are flying!

And after that, I’ll be working on my contribution to a second UNLACED anthology, together with Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes and Joey W. Hill. I have my hero, now I’m waiting for the woman who’s strong enough to love him. If I squint, I can almost make her out…

Here’s the blurb for THIEF OF LIGHT:

Some desires are impossible to resist…

In the elegant, subtropical city of Caracole, Erik the Golden is widely known as irresistible; his Voice an instrument of incredible pleasure, the stroke of velvet on bare skin. But the Voice is a curse as much as a blessing, for once Erik used it to steal a soul, and now he must pay.

Pruella Takimori McGuire is the business manager for the beautiful courtesans of the Garden of Nocturnal Delights. She deals in numbers, not Magick, and when Erik turns his charms in her direction, she sees only vanity, not a golden gift. If Erik cannot use his power to win Prue's heart, how can he truly possess her? How is it she can resist what others can't? She's either a torment devised by the gods to drive him mad—or Erik's last hope of salvation.

And all the while, a far darker power corrupts the foundations of Caracole—the Necromancer, who feasts on souls. When the Necromancer's hired assassin kidnaps Prue, Erik must harness his air Magick to recover the woman he has come to love more than life itself…

Please describe a typical day in your life.

When I have a writing day, I fluff around until lunchtime at least, doing emails, surfing and stuff. Heck, I don't even know what it is that I do, except waste time. *sigh* I usually start writing after lunch. I have a study and from the desk I look straight out the window in the canopy of a big old tree, but I often take the laptop into the bedroom. I sit on the bed with one of those tray table things over my legs. The dog lies on the floor and the cat lies on me. Everyone's happy.

Funnily enough, despite the fact that I'm so careless with physical objects, I'm a very slow, very deliberate writer. I don't often get carried away and have words simply flow out of my fingers. I have to dig for every single one, which means I need to concentrate. I have a timer on the computer and I turn it for 45 minutes. When it goes off, I'm allowed to check my email. (Did I say I need a 12 step program?) It's amazing how little I can write in that time. Around 5pm I have this incredible desire to doze off, but the cat comes and head-butts me until I fix his dinner. The dog just grumbles. So I yawn and go on. By 8pm, I'm firing on all cylinders and if I'm on a roll, sometimes I go 'til after midnight.

On work days, I get up and go to work. I work and then I come home again. Not very interesting. My Beloved cooks the evening meal. I do the clean-up. And no, he’s mine.

How do you most enjoy spending your free time?

Reading something wonderful, with puss asleep on my lap. Alternatively, reading in the bath, but without the cat.

Authors are readers, too. What are five books on your keeper shelf? What are five books in your to-be-read pile?

Keepers:
Menage Emma Holly
Natural Law Joey W. Hill
Son of the Morning Linda Howard
These Old Shades or The Grand Sophy Georgette Heyer (Sorry, can’t choose between them!)
Lord of Scoundrels Loretta Chase

TBR:
Slave to Sensation Nalini Singh
The Happiness Trap Russ Harris (Non-fiction)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society Mary Ann Shaffer
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide J.R. Ward
Many Bloody Returns: Tales of Birthdays with Bite edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelcher

Please share something that would surprise readers to know about you.

In the weeks before my GARDEN wedding, it rained cats and dogs every single day. The result was a flood of such major proportions that the city ground to a halt. I still remember my lovely mother-in-law-to-be sobbing to my Mum on the phone that there was twenty feet of water between her family and the GARDEN wedding. My Mum cried too. When I stood next to My Beloved in front of the minister (INDOORS), I looked up at him (My Beloved, not the reverend) with so much love in my heart, thinking, well at least I have my darling. His beautiful blond hair was in wet rats’ tails and a big drop fell off the end of his nose. *sigh*

Because the airport was closed, we spent our wedding night in his little flat - full of bachelor housekeeping - musty towels, old newspapers etc and a squillion slugs who were so wet they'd crawled in under the door looking for a dry spot. I cried so hard, he let me choose the hotel for the next night. The one I picked got flooded. I waded out of the hotel foyer in my bikini and the water came up to my armpits. It was cold. And dirty. Blech.

What is a question that you wish an interviewer would ask and what would your reply be?

Interviewer: Did you know you’re on the New York Times bestseller list – ahead of Nora Roberts?

Me: Aiyeeeee! THUD! *faints dead away*

Any final thoughts, motto, favored recipe or other information you would like to share with our readers?

I’m a hopeless cook, so I’ll just say one thing and I want you to listen very carefully. It’s you readers that make it all worthwhile. Got that?

Writing is such a solitary activity, but it’s the nearest thing to real magic I know, a kind of astonishing telepathy between author and reader. Think about every book that’s ever moved you, regardless of genre. The characters are only paper people. How does that happen?

Here’s Fledge from TAILSPIN, storywitch of the Ten Nations Fair, speaking for me. “Stories have a power, a magic all their own. Consider the fact that the actions, thoughts and feelings of people who have no existence in reality can make you laugh, make you weep. That's the art and that's the magic.”

Isn’t that wonderful?



My website: http://www.deniserossetti.com/

My books: http://www.deniserossetti.com/books.html

The Four-Sided Pentacle series (Berkley):
1. The Flame and the Shadow
2. Thief of Light (late 2009)

Also set in the Pentacles universe (Berkley):
Rubies and Black Velvet (in Unlaced), (2nd Dec 2009)

The Phoenix Rising series (Ellora’s Cave):
1. Gift of the Goddess
2. Tailspin
3. Strongman

The Kaminski Family stories:
1. Come Howling (in Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction 1, Ellora’s Cave)
2. Coming on Strong (in A Red Hot New Year, Avon Red)

My blog: http://www.deniserossetti.com/blog/
I'd love you to drop in and say hello!

My newsgroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/deniserossetti
It has been fun to learn more about you and your writing, Denise. Thank-you, for being with us.

Reviews of Ms. Rossetti's books:

The Flame and the Shadow

Gift of the Goddess

Tailspin

Strongman

Seasons of Seduction

Red Hot

The Flame and the Shadow by Denise Rossetti

Publisher: Ace Trade
Date published: November 2008
ISBN: 9780441016341
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Book format Trade Paperback
Reviewed by Lil






A witch whose gift of flame is born from heartbreaking loss. A man whose burden is carried from innocent boyhood, through desperate youth, to besmirched adult. These people come together for very different reasons.

For Cenda it is a step towards living again after an illness leaves her with very little for which to live. But Cenda is a means to an end for Grayson. He has agreed to kidnap the fire witch for something dearer to him than money. And though he abhors what he must do to reach his goal, he begins with perfidious intent. This man comes with more than his share of baggage. There is, you see, the not so small matter of Shad, an entity more substantial than a mere shadow and yet as thoroughly attached.

With each encounter, Grayson falls more deeply under the spell of a woman who could be his salvation…if he betrays her. Will he be able to give up someone who is becoming a brighter part of his soul in order to rid himself of another, darker part of it?

Ms Rossetti opens her fantasy series with a fascinating story. Set on a pleasure planet called Sybaris, it is a world where magic and technology both exist but not contentedly. Readers will delight in the author’s rich imagination as they are caught up between the dilemmas of the main characters, the fight for power between the magic wielding Pures and the Technomages, and a thorough fall into love.

One of the pleasures of reading is to find characters that so completely capture our attention. These are people who have known happiness, suffered greatly and now have some chance of joy in their lives, again. They are emotionally wounded, imperfect, and are lovable in spite of that. This is as you may have guessed, not a romance of two, but of three. I doubt that readers will ever meet such an amusing, scene stealer of a shadow again. All one can say is that he is an intrinsic part of what makes their relationship work, to reveal more would give the fun of discovery away.

Action and intrigue keep us at a steady clip as Cenda, Gray and Shad find themselves not knowing who to trust. They must navigate their way to safety even as they are in the throes of coming to terms with themselves and each other.

As book one in the Four Sided Pentacle series, our appetite for more is piqued. We leave the story well satisfied with the culmination of the relationship for our main characters but also with questions over the larger picture. The groundwork is laid and we look forward to seeing how the entirety will take shape with each successive story.

UNLACED by Jasmine Haynes, Jaci Burton, Joey W. Hill and Denise Rossetti

Publisher Berkley Heat
Date published December 2008
ISBN 978-0-425-22381-9
Genre Erotic Romance Anthology
Trade Paperback
Reviewed by Gina



Coming together to present a “something for everyone” anthology Jasmine Haynes, Jaci Burton, Joey W. Hill and Denise Rossetti titillate, entertain, and answer those “what if?” questions about the one that may have gotten away. Do you want to rekindle an old love? Meet the man behind the mask? Take a wild ride? Or enter a magical world? What reader doesn’t want all of these at some time? UNLACED is your answer.

TIES THAT BIND (four hearts) by Jaci Burton is total vintage Burton. It is the kind of story that made me a fan when she first came on the scene. Characters that are just like you and me exploring the “what ifs” of relationships with a slice of fantasy thrown in. Fourteen year old Lisa Mitchell fell in love with Rick, a slightly older guy. Together they learned about sexuality and life including what happens when sex ends up in pregnancy. Through ups, downs and divorce the put their separate lives on hold to raise their daughter, Kayla. Now, with Kayla graduating high school and beginning her own life, Rick and Lisa have to face a different aspect of their own growing up—their feelings for each other. In a once in a lifetime move, Rick arranges a romantic vacation in paradise for himself and Lisa.

As I said, this is vintage Burton only better. I will remember her earlier ultra sensual books where hot romances unfolded on tropical islands. TIES THAT BIND is better because of how much Mr. Burton has grown as an author. I loved this story not only for her incredibly sensual writing, but because it answered the question a number of friends and myself have all had – can you pick up where you left off with that first love?

UNDONE (four hearts) by Jasmine Haynes is that different kind of fantasy only Jasmine can write. She takes you first into your own imagination—what is that one incredibly sexy thing you’d like to do but just haven’t gotten the courage or the right partner to do it with? And the, what if he turns out to be the one person you believed was out of your reach? Ms. Haynes takes ordinary, everyday people, just like you and me and shows us that there is a way to fulfill our wildest fantasies. A year after the breakup of her latest relationship, Margo hasn’t begun to move on. That is until she answers an incredibly arousing personal ad. Within minutes of meeting Dirk, she’s in serious lust. Telling herself that at forty-five she shouldn’t be having such naughty thoughts about the younger Dirk, bit by bit, with the peeling off of each layer of clothing, she finds a new awareness of herself.

Is there a fantasy lurking in the fringes of your mind? Do you think forty-five is over the hill and there’s no way you are going to meet a really hot guy you need to be UNDONE.

Joey W. Hill is a new author for me with CONTROLLED RESPONSE (three hearts) my first taste of this author. The world of corporate takeovers, deals and negotiations can just tie you up in nots as well as knots. There are just some things you should not do….or maybe you should. Lucas is caught up in one of the biggest deals of his life and about ready to go up against his toughest negotiator. Out pedaling his bike, doing what he does best, he comes across a woman who pushes the edges of his own fantasies. When he meets her again across the table his world spins out of control in more ways than one.

CONTROLLD RESPONSE is generally not the kind of story I’d pick up to read and, to be honest, I would not have read it had it not been part of this anthology. It’s a classic erotica. I didn't feel that Lucas and Cass connected on an emotional level, the sex was generally what you find in traditional erotica. I didn't identify with either character or feel like I was part of the action. That said, Joey Hill does write well with vivid detail. It’s just not the kind of story I enjoy.

Denise Rossetti’s RUBIES AND BLACK VELVET (three hearts) is the fantasy contribution to the anthology. Ms. Rossetti weaves a tale with magic, mystery and a sensual journey. With a magical corset the heroine travels her own road to discovery. I would love to see a more fully written story of the Dragon Djinn and the Sorceress and their own exploits. As magical beings they can live and die and return again and the worlds Ms. Rossetti creates are intriguing.

UNLACED is, as stated earlier, an anthology with something for everyone. With each story long enough to hold you spell bound yet able to be read and enjoyed before answering Morpheus’ call each night, it is definitely a book for your TBB list. If you are looking for a great gift for that female friend in need of a pick me up or just a treat for yourself, this is the one with your name on it!

PHOENIX RISING: STRONGMAN by Denise Rossetti

Publisher Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Date published March 2008
9781419914973
Fantasy, M/M, Erotic Romance
E-book
Reviewed by Lil



CLICK TO PURCHASE! Fortitude McLaren is new to the Ten Nations Fair. He has left his time as a mercenary well behind him as well as his tragedies as an adult and in childhood. Growing up within the brutal rules of the Straight Church under the stranglehold of an abusive parent steered him clear of ever having experimented with any but the fairer sex. He has a quiet authority, is looked up to by other men, and he has an empty yawning loneliness inside of him.

A handsome tumbler agile in body, mind and conversation takes immediate notice of the new roustabout. The arm’s length distancing by the latter is worn away by the open friendship Griffid Ringman offers. A yearning for more than standard companionship may not be his norm, but he knows a good thing when he sees it and he definitely wants Fort.

Will Fort let down his defenses or have his walls been breached before he even knew to barricade his heart? Even worse, will fate take away happiness before he can grasp it at all?

This is the third story in the Phoenix Rising series and one is happy to settle into this world again. Readers who have been following these books will enjoy spending considerably more time at the fair than was possible in the past. We are treated to the private day-to-day life of the fair inhabitants.

Much of the charm in Ms Rossetti’s toe-curlingly erotic stories lie with her ability to create characters in which we become emotionally invested. The appeal that both heroes have and the attraction between them are set at a lovely simmer lasting long enough to build in steamy pressure. We get a very good look at exactly what is behind Fort’s reticence and what makes him tick. Griff is not colored as dark in personality and he is a good counterweight with his lighter view of life and openness to love in whatever form has come.

The romance takes a solemn turn when the beautiful, winged, human-like Aetherii need competent men to uncover information on the vile and cruel Hssrda armies. Danger loosens the fetters of perceived societal restrictions like nothing else. It certainly made for a compelling and emotion filled urgency that was credible.

Fort’s journey is not an easy one but he discovers what is truly important to him. STRONGMAN he may be but love can conquer even the strongest.