Reckless Exposure – Anne Rainey
Two mini-reviews for the weekend
Contemporary Erotica
Novelette
e-book
Red Sage Publishing
Rand Miller can’t keep his eyes off of the young cute Lucy Fleming, which is a good thing since he is photographing her, but he wants to see more than her posing for the camera. There is an immediate attraction between the two but Lucy makes him take it slow. Two months pass of flirting and dating before Lucy is ready to take it to the next level. And when the two reach that point, there is no turning back.
Four years later, the couple is living together and still keeping the bedroom a very busy place. Lucy is now 26 and is starting to get the urge to settle down and have a family. Every time she brings this up around Rand he changes the subject and the matter never gets resolved. There is also that little issue of him never saying those three words, “I love you.”
Lucy doesn’t know that after his father told a young Rand, I love you, his father left and was never seen again. Rand doesn’t understand why Lucy would want more than they have now and Lucy finally tells him she can’t live like this.
Fortunately for them, a sex therapist, Trey, lives next door. Not only does he give Rand a pep talk he offers to fulfill Lucy’s on fantasy – a threesome. No strings attached, one night of passion and Trey will leave. Rand feels that is his only chance to fix what has broken between him and Lucy.
Reckless Exposure is novella length, being only 83 pages. While there is much page time devoted to sex scenes, there is a story. Rand is an alpha and is hot and knows his way in the bedroom. I was not a big fan of Lucy – she walks in and tells him she is breaking up, and then sleeps with him that night and has a threesome the next. I know she is conflicted, she loves him and wants him to take the next step, and although she breaks up with him because of that, her love for him is still there. However, have some convictions girl!
I didn’t love the sex therapist sleeping with the couple in therapy either, although he was never officially their counselor. He did end up bringing them back together so maybe that is part of his therapy? After the three of the slept together Rand was able to say I love you and all was saved.
The most intriguing aspect for me in this book was about Trey. He has a chain link tattoo that runs to a heart and when Lucy touched it that one night, he became upset. At the very end of the story something happens with that tattoo, and now I want to know if there is going to be a sequel or a book for him. I need to know what happens with Trey!
Rating- 5
Anne Rainey’s website.
The Sin Eater’s Prince – Keta Diablo
Featured in The Boys of the Bite anthology
August 4, 2009
M/M paranormal romance
Ravenous Romance
Set in 1842, The Sin Eater’s Prince is the story of Owen, a sin-eater who meets people on their death bed and absolves their sins into him. while Owen is doing exactly that, he see Dr. Andras Maddock and as in the past, his eyes refuse to leave him. His attraction is a distraction to all that is going on around him. Finally he gets to work and does his job to the poor woman dying.
As he is about to leave, Andras warns him there are evil creatures at work in the dark forest and he should spend the night. Not trusting what he might do with Andras, Owen forces himself to leave. Once in the dark though, evil is waiting. Just as he is about to get attacked from an evil vampire, Andras races in and kills the evil creature.
They both make it into shelter before any of the slain vampires kin can take revenge. Here they discover each other and Andras finds comfort, something he had never had in his life. He also learns a secret, one that brings Andras and Owen closer together.
The Sin Eater’s Prince is a very short story, but I like the concept. A sin eater, alone in the world going from victim to victim, with nothing but a bleak outlook on life. Then he finds someone to share things with, who is a vampire. They have an altered outlook on life as a similarity between them.
I thought Andras attacking the oldest vampire on earth could have been played out a bit more. He said he had been looking for him all his life, and he seems to have killed him quite quickly. The romance scene was nice and sweet but I thought could have been a bit more spicy, especially after the revelation Andreas admits to near the end of the story. The ending leaves you guessing, and I can see it being set up for a longer novel, which in fact it has been contracted for a full length book.
Rating: 6
Keta Diablo’s website.
Blodeuedd says
Hi Mandi,
Oh that 2nd one with the sin eater sounds interesting to me.
Patti says
I think the concept of a sin eater is intersting, mix that in with a vampire and I'm there! Must check it out!
Keta Diablo says
Thanks so much, Mandi,
I appreciate your review of the Sin Eater's Prince.
Best, Keta Diablo
http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com
Stephanie says
These sound interesting – thanks for the review!
Cecile says
Wow honey… those books are something else!!! You got me interested in them!!!
I hope you are having a great weekend!
ParaJunkee says
Thanks, I'll have to look out for these.
Anne Rainey says
Thanks for the review of Reckless Exposure. :)
Anne Rainey
http://annerainey.com