The Feel of Lace by Skyler Grey

The Feel of Lace by Skyler Grey
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance

Summary: Lacey Kimbel seemed to have the worst luck when coming to men. Living a fast paced life in N.Y., Lacey just can't seem to find a decent guy. Her latest guy is no exception until she meets Brock. Aaron, is Lacey's best friend and roommate and sick of her choices in men. He decides to take matters into his own hands by calling his cousin, Brock Hamilton in on a bet. Not one to turn down a challenge, he accepted and headed to New York. Upon meeting the feisty bombshell as she slid around the corner in only a lace bra and panties, he was interested.

My Review: The Feel of Lace by Skyler Grey was a disappointment to this reviewer. The story had the potential to be fun with moments of intrigue as Lacey disengaged from her bi-sexual, police officer boyfriend. The characters and story itself lacked any real depth or believability with forced humor that fell flat and the gay roommate as a stereotyped cliché. The prospect of a relationship forming from a good natured bet had the right elements but it just didn’t follow through. There was plenty of sex, an over abundance and so much of it unnecessary to moving the story. With very little in the way of sexual tension, anticipation or sensuality, it was hollow at best. At times, Brock’s character showed through nicely but the character of Lacey was hard to sympathize with or want to know more about. I wanted to enjoy this book but it just didn’t have the elements or pull needed to sustain.

Sadly, I wouldn’t recommend The Feel of Lace by Skyler Grey.

Rated 1 Delightful Diva by Em Epe!

Revenge by Rita Karnopp

Revenge by Rita Karnopp
Publisher: Eternal Press
Genre: Suspense


Summary: Is someone trying to kill Abi Madden and her infant daughter? I s that someone her soon to be ex-husband? Who is he mixed up with and how does it involve her? Abi takes her daughter and flees to Canada with Detective Miles Sandler. They are shot at, stalked, and they fight for their lives in a raging snow storm. It doesn’t take Abi long to realize her heart isn’t all that’s save either. Is Miles too good to be true? Before she can think about another man in her life, she must protect her daughter and uncover why someone wants them dead.

My Review: After reading the blurb for this book, I thought that it sounded interesting and that a little suspense would be a good change of pace for me. After finishing the book, I have mixed feelings. In the beginning of the book, there was a lot of dialogue, but not much thoughts, feelings or plot development, except for the little that I gained from all of the talking. Adding to that is the fact that the dialogue was not always realistic, nor did it flow as smoothly as I like.

As far as the characters and character development, I also have mixed feelings about them. They were all average people, none of them really standing out as exceptional. Although bits and pieces were given throughout the story about each of the main players in this book, I still feel that I did not get to know them as well as I should have, considering that this book is over 200 pages.

The plot is actually very complex and interesting, but the writing did not flow well most of the time and there were such huge gaps, I consistently found myself scratching my head. I know, this is suspense, so all is not revealed at one time and all that, but this is a bit different. The flow of the story and the writing made it hard for me to even guess at what was going on. Having said that, there were many twists and turns in this story, making me think that there was almost too much involved for the length of the book.

In my opinion, this book would have been better if more time was spent on development and less on dialogue. As far as the plot, I felt that it needed to be simpler, or the book needed to be longer or more smoothly written. I believe that Ms. Karnopp had a great story line and potentially great characters, but for some reason, everything was not as pulled together as it could have been to make this a more enjoyable read.

Rated two Delightful Divas by Melissa!

The Ravenous Book 2: The Pleasure Of Pain by Michael Boatman

The Ravenous Book 2: The Pleasure of Pain by Michael Boatman
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Genre: Dark Fantasy/Horror, Paranormal


Summary: Neema Umayma, a fledgling member of The Sisterhood of Shadows, must confront an ancient enemy believed long dead. When her best friend is murdered at the hands of a vampire, Neema is forced to use her powers in ways she never imagined. Wounded and desperate to understand the truth of her strange heritage, Neema must kill in order to save herself from a fate worse than death. But even with her astonishing abilities, Neema must survive long enough to answer two questions; One: How do you kill what's already dead? And two; If blood-drinking vampires are real, how are they related to the Sisterhood?

My Review: Action packed and fast paced from page 1 to page 45, this Michael Boatman release from Red Rose has all of what the average vampire novel fan is looking for. The bad guys get their due, but in a departure from some vamp novels I’ve read, the good vamps struggle with the morality of what they do, and they are threatened by another coven near the end of this book.

Mr. Boatman paints beautiful pictures with excellent descriptive writing and builds strong characters we want to identify with. This reviewer did wish for some more erotic interludes which did not end in near-miss rape and violence. Clearly this reviewer may see erotic connotations to vampires that many authors in the genre do not as she is always disappointed to see the violence overwhelm the sex.

I must confess to having picked this book to review without knowing it was the second volume of the Ravenous Series, but the book stands alone, and has made me desire to go back and read book 1.

Rating: Still looking for the more erotically charges vamp novel, but this was as good as I’ve found yet. I’m giving The Pleasure of Pain four and one half Delightful Divas only because I have to reserve five for the erotic classic I’m searching for.

Rated four and half Delightful Divas by Jennifer!

Ambrose and the Waif by Rick. R. Reed and Sukie de la Croix

Ambrose and the Waif by Rick R. Reed and Sukie de la Croix
Amber Allure
Erotic GLBT, M/M, Paranormal, Horror


Summary: Ambrose and his waif are embroiled in a passionate love affair, but what is it that the waif really wants? It looks like he’s killed his fat partner, but it looks like he has more murder on his mind…or does he? Who is the real madman? Who has really been killed?

My Review: This is a chilling little tale from the wonderfully warped mind of Rick R. Reed and his collaborator on this story, playwright Sukie de la Croix. Having read many of Reed’s books, I see a perfect marriage between his and de la Croix’s literary styles.

The book is told through a series of letters that start on a jolting tone since the first note describes – in a cavalier, creepy way - the murder of somebody and how Ambrose and his waif, Mark, can now be together.

Reed and de la Croix don’t tell their story. They paint an increasingly ugly portrait in oils and Gouache, demanding that you keep observing what is both terrifying and fascinating. Each sentence is drenched in glorious visual imagery, underscored by an increasing nastiness that slides into cruel savagery. The unusual mix of paints merge, the blood-ugliness emerging in painful brush strokes.

You become a glutton for its insanity. You can’t help being shocked but compelled to move forward even as the demented truth unfolds. What first appears to a threesome is actually even more horrifying. This is a Reed specialty: nothing is what it seems and nothing is clean and gold.

Not wanting to give anything away in terms of what the truth is, I will say this: it is deliciously disturbing to see the poisoned path this sick love story takes.

Oscar Wilde once said love turns quickly to hate. This is for me is one of Reed’s best assets. He takes that notion and beats it to a panting pulp. This is one of his best tales because of the use of language. The sensory overload into each and every moment makes you ultimately relieved this is a fairly short book. How much madness can one man take?

That is ultimately the dark-beating heart lurking underneath this fine tale. Yes, love is intoxicating, it is beautiful and even at the best of times, it can kill you.

Rated Five Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by A.J. Llewellyn!

A.J.'s Top Pick for May!

What Hides Inside by Ally Blue

What Hides Inside by Ally Blue
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Erotic Paranormal, GLBT, M/M


Summary: Now that Sam has convinced Bo he can't go on pretending he's something he's not, even managed to make him see they belong together, all that's left is to tell the world. But that's one place Bo can't go. Then students begin to disappear from the old school, and the worst is suspected; that the team has found another interdimensional portal. Stressed at being forced back into the closet by Bo's fear, and at the thought that he might, with his newly discovered abilities, be the only one who can stop the disappearances, Sam finds a distraction in Dean, the new team member. Maybe it's a match made in heaven. Maybe it's an attraction that will just make his life hell. Either way, Sam can't seem to ignore the feelings brewing between them.

My Review: I admit I enjoy reading angst, so when I read the blurb for this book, I anticipated a book I could enjoy, and I wasn't disappointed. The push and pull between the main characters in this second Bay City Paranormal series was very well depicted. Ms. Blue's men might be a trifle more in touch with their feelings than the average guy I know, but it's across the board. Even the straight guys are not just emotionally engaging, but willing to talk about their feelings. Odd, but refreshing.

The mystery was interesting, and the action, near the end, perhaps a little rushed, but it's what happens after the action that matters. Getting deep into Sam's head and heart was gut wrenching. I can only imagine it must have been draining to write the sequence of events that finally settled things between Sam and Bo.

Also, good on Ms. Blue for not backing away from the messier bits of human behavior. Sam turns out to be human after all, making mistakes, having regrets, and coming clean, being honest, and seeking forgiveness. And Bo, well, stubborn and fearful Bo could have gotten annoying, but his fretting and hesitancy is nicely balanced by his tenderness and his strength and the care he shows for his team.

No doubt about it, these books are about the characters. The mysteries and the paranormal elements are a nice back drop, but the strong characters, not just the main characters, but all of them, really carry this book, even more than the first one. I had a hard time putting it down.

My Recommendation: If you're looking for characters to fall in love with, men who aren't afraid of their inner demons, or their feelings, this is a great read.

Rated four Delightful Divas by Jaime!

Fantasy Mountain by Piper Denna

Fantasy Mountain by Piper Denna
Sinful Moments Press
Erotic Romance

Jasmine's Top Pick for May!

Summary: Fantasy Mountain - the resort where no want is too wacky, no urge too unusual, no passion too peculiar.

Meet the owners:

On her remote ranch, Victoria has built a world-renowned business with her ability to create any sexual scenario requested. She has it all; power, money, independence. The only other thing she wants is the one she knows she’ll never have, and he works just down the hall.

Brett has all but given up hope of breaching the wall around Victoria’s heart. In fact, he’s engaged to be married back in London in only two months. But he knows Victoria has desires; he’s seen them firsthand. When one night of passion rekindles old feelings, can he finally fulfill the ultimate fantasy of the woman who’s made it her mission to satisfy everyone’s desires but her own?

Whatever the erotic dream, it can come true at Fantasy Mountain.


My Review: Steamy hot. Humorous. Heart retching. This story has it all. Ms. Denna will make you laugh. She’ll make you angry. And she’ll rip your heart out, leaving you in tears.

Brett is a typical hero any woman could fall for. Vic is anything but typical. Together they are classic. On their journey to happy ever after, Ms. Denna will have your fantasies running wild. If you’ve dreamed it, this story will take you there. Amongst all the hot and steamy interludes a true romance blooms and steals your heart.

Judging this book by the cover would not be a bad thing. Modern and erotic. Ms. Denna’s writing is smooth and the story flows nicely through all the ups and downs and twist and turns. I especially liked the sweet ending. While new on the scene, Ms. Denna has definitely joined my list of ebook authors to watch.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Jasmine Black!

Oleander House by Ally Blue

Oleander House by Ally Blue
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Erotic Paranormal, GLBT, M/M


Summary: Sam Raintree has landed the perfect job, and, he soon discovers, the perfect boss, Bo Broussard. Except for the whole, closeted, married with kids issue Bo has. As if his frustrating attraction to Bo isn't enough, no Sam is beginning to realize there's a reason he's so suited to paranormal investigations; he's a psychic, and possibly, has the ability to open gateways to other dimensions. What comes through the gateways, though, is a homicidal demon no one can control. Closing the gate and convincing Bo there's hope for them might both be beyond Sam's ability.

My Review: This first book in the Bay City Paranormal Investigations series is a fast and tense read, not just because of the mystery unfolding during the investigation, but more because of the tension between the main characters. Ms. Blue has managed to create a realistic and painful bond between two very likable men that the reader wants to see resolved in a positive way. And she doesn't hand out pat answers, either. The reader is as aware that Bo has other people in his life to consider as Bo himself, and while throwing the two men together without considering the consequences would be the easy thing to do, Blue doesn't take that out.

As far as the mystery is concerned, it's given a good amount of weight, and at times, the romance reader in me was annoyed at the intrusion; a testament to the tight writing of the emotional bits of the book. Always, though, I ended up drawn into the mysterious events quickly enough that the annoyance was short lived. Even the relationships between the secondary characters was well written and realistic, a point which often gets overlooked in other romance books.

My Recommendation: Well worth the time to read for the strong relationship issues alone. As always the chemistry between her men remains Ms. Blue's strongest suit, and why I like her books so much.

Rated four Delightful Divas by Jaime!

Dangling by Yeva Wiest

Dangling by Yeva Wiest
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Dark Comedy


Summary: Michael and his androgynous mate, Gabriel have their work cut out for them, finding one righteous soul in Washington DC. If they aren't successful, fire and brimstone to rival Sodom and Gomorrah going to rain down on the city. They find all kinds of characters, but saving the city looks more and more unlikely, despite the few people they find worth rescuing.

My Review: Once again, Ms. Wiest has written an entertaining tale. After all, who wouldn't want to rain down a little retribution on the powers that be in Washington? She's invented a wonderfully entertaining version of the archangel Gabriel that kept me smiling the whole way through the story.

I did notice the similarities between this and the last of her books I read, Practical Purposes, in that the father seemed irredeemable in his arrogance and hatred, which made me a little sad, and a mother who chose her child over her marriage, and that, too made me a little sad. Not that she was strong enough to make the choice, but that there was nothing worth the risk of forgiveness in the father. Completely evil villains are easy to write, easy to hate, I suppose, but ones with a little bit of human decency are more interesting to read about, I think.

All in all, though, the humour and the main character, Gabi, made this book well worth the read, and the touches of sweetness here and there kept it from being a complete washout of good vs. evil.

My Recommendation: Another bubble bath book, with a foreseeable happy ending and a lot of fun and entertainment along the way.

Rated three and a half Delightful Divas by Jaime!

Blood and Sex, Volume 1: Michael by Angela Cameron

Blood and Sex, Volume 1: Michael by Angela Cameron
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Suspense


Summary: A totally original—and spine chillingly sexy—tale of a vampire Mafia and the detective who is determined to bring it to justice…

Detective Victoria Tyler is investigating Collins Bay’s new serial killer, one of the city’s vampires. Since they have marked her as a human to be killed or conquered, Tori knows that Michael is her only hope for survival. But she hasn’t spoken to him since the night she tried to kill him.

As the enforcer for the Italian vampiro cosca, Michael expects a certain amount of cooperation from his boss. That amount has been shrinking ever since their leader took a new sadist lover. So when the detective requests his help, it’s just the excuse he needs to take control of the city—and the delicious human.

Risking it all, Tori agrees to let Michael take her neck and lead her on a journey through a world of bondage, domination and blood to stop the killer. But can she resist the dark lusts he sparks? Or will her weakness get someone else killed?

My Review: Angela Cameron has penned an interesting vampire story, giving quite a few new twists and turns to vampires. I enjoyed her ideas on vampires and their society; and I also liked that there were really bad vampires, as well as really good vampires, with the thought thrown in that they are all dangerous and all can be killers, even the good guys.

The plot is complex, but I kept feeling like I was just getting glimpses into the main core of this vampire society and their story. I feel that a little more insight could have pulled me in just a bit more and made the story more enjoyable. I did, however, very much enjoy Angela Cameron’s descriptions of not only places and people, but also of smells and tastes. It made everything very real for me as a reader.

Michael and Tori are the hero and heroine and were enjoyable characters. They were developed enough for me to get a feeling of who they are, but I again felt like I was just hitting on the edges of what these characters can truly be, if given just a little more depth.

Overall, this story did keep me very interested and I enjoyed reading it. As I mentioned, the sensory descriptions in this book are phenomenal. If the plot and characters were expanded just a bit, this would be an outstanding book.

Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Melissa!

Life’s Breath by Nancy Wald

Life's Breath by Nancy Wald
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Historical Paranormal


Summary: This is the story of a sorceress in secret named Arlana who has the ability to heal as well as see future events. Using her power she is able to help the Prince of the land stop the visions from coming to being.

My Review: Life’s Breath is an interesting tale that takes you back to the days of the Black Cauldron, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and magic. Unlike the childhood tales, though, this one contains an adult romance that is both sweet and terribly predictable. The character development is minimal due to the length of the book, but enough to give you a firm foundation and background. The sensual scenes were scarce for a while, although there was definitely sexual tension between both the Prince and Arlana. And when that tension was finally released, I was quite satisfied with how it all played out.

One thing that I absolutely loved about Life’s Breath was Prince Garrett’s best friend, Logan. The fact that he remained true throughout the story and the great relationship he had with the characters made me want to hear a story about him. I’d love for Ms. Wald to write about his life in another book.

Everything came together very well at the end, giving you satisfaction with the “bad guys” defeated and the prince riding off into the sunset with his princess.

Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Ria!

The Return of the Horny Dead by Rhonda Lee

The Return of the Horny Dead by Rhonda Lee
Publisher: Eternal Press
Genre: Erotic Comedy


Summary: During a terrible blizzard Steffie finds a naked man with a Y incision on his chest standing in the middle of her garage. Thinking he's wandered away from the hospital and is suffering from hypothermia, Steffie brings him into her house and attempts to warm him up. Things get hot alright as Steffie gives her visitor the sexy show of his (un)life and gets a little more than she bargained for in the process.

My Review: When I saw this title I thought, “I’ve got to read this!” I love zombie movies, especially those really bad B-rated ones from the 70’s, any way I’m off topic. I also had to wonder how Ms Lee was going to pull it off.

She gives her main character a great voice, while I’m not a huge fan of first person, Ms Lee does a good job writing in it. Now about the story. Personally if I found a gray dude standing naked in my garage, during a snow storm I’d be calling the cops, not inviting him inside. No matter how good looking or well hung. I mean he’s in the garage, so if he’s not some deranged mental patient then he’s at least somewhat covered and out of the storm. On the plus side while Steffie does get hot and bothered, there is no real sex in the book. Which in this instance is a good thing. Over all it is a funny story, and if your looking for a good laugh then pick it up.

Rated 3 Delightful Divas by Jade!

Prince Henry’s Secret By Esmerelda Bishop

Prince Henry's Secret by Esmerelda Bishop
Freya's Bower
Fantasy
Summary: Prince Henry's world is in chaos. First, a witch has cursed him with a wicked spell that prevents him from marrying or being king. Second, his parents are relentless in their pursuit to see him married. Third, Princess Madeline has set her sights on him and refuses to take no for an answer. Worse yet, he longs to give in, but knows he cannot.

Princess Madeline arrives in Flatasmere with a warning from her parents not to return until the prince is snared into holy matrimony. Not an easy feat, since he's been in hiding ever since her arrival. When they finally meet, Madeline believes she is making headway, until the prince claims he wants to be the dreaded word "friends". Refusing to accept such a cruel label, she increases her pursuit. But dark secrets lurk in the background. Will the reveal of Prince Henry's secret convince Madeline not every fairy tale ends in happily ever after?

My Review: This is a short sweet fairy tail. Cursed by a witch Prince Henry thinks he’ll never be able to love or be loved. Then Princess Madeline comes to his castle and he falls in love with her. Because of this she’s the first person he revels his secret to. Madeline who has fallen in love with him, is broken hearted yet understands that they can never be. In the end it takes a selfless act to break the curse so everyone can live happily ever after. This is a cute quick story. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who likes fairy tales for a quick afternoon read.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas by Jade!