Veiled Desire by Alisha Rai
February 2, 2010
Contemporary Romance
Novella, E-Book
Samhain

Mason and Leyla are neighbors that have known each other since childhood. When their parents all died in a car accident, Mason pretty much moved in with Leyla and her brother Sasha. She was the strong one who got them through difficult times. Now, as adults they have stayed close but things are about to change. Leyla can see into Mason’s house from her patio, and what she sees is Mason strutting around in his undies..and oh what a body he has. As she guiltily watches him, he calls her and totally embarrassed, she pretends not to be at home. But as they talk on the phone, she can’t help but still peek at him and notices certain parts of him getting bigger. She suddenly realizes the attraction might be on both sides. With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, Mason and Leyla decide to take that next step – and smexiness ensues!

When presented with an erotic novella, I always get nervous. I need more than just sex – I need that emotional connection that a novella doesn’t always give time to provide. BUT – Alisha Rai does an amazing job building up the emotions. These two have known each other for so long, and they are both attracted to each other, the next step is a relationship. Mason is so sweet – and such a dirty talker in bed! A great combination. He sneaks in Leyla’s house and leaves her cake and flowers, and is such a gentleman and becomes nervous when it is time to broach the subject of dating. But when he convinces her he doesn’t see her as his mom, and she convinces him she doesn’t see him as a brother, let the nakey time begin! Get him in bed and he is ALL about the dirty talking. It’s been awhile since I have read sex scenes that have been this well done.

“One day, I want to spend just an hour or two sucking your breasts. Will you let me do that?”

And

“Get on your hands and knees. And brace yourself. This is going to get a little rough.”

I rolled my eyes a bit with Leyla’s overprotective brother Sasha. When he finds out his beloved sister is dating his best friend, he goes way over the top. But, just as I was ready to throttle him, Sasha comes up with a list of rules for Mason to follow and it made me laugh out loud. One of the rules being:

Four, if I ever hurt her or make her cry, you will give me a gun, and I must shoot myself. Five, if I fail to shoot myself, I give you permission to do it on my behalf.”

Veiled Desire is an erotic novella that has great dialogue, warm characters, and romance that will leave you turning the fan on high. I definitely recommend.

Rating: 4/5

Veiled Seduction by Alisha Rai
Contemporary Romance
June 1, 2010
Novella, E-Book
Samhain

Sasha has just become the hero of the town. After a man opened fire on a school playground, police offer Sasha happened to be in the right place at the right time. He gunned down the shooter, risking his life but saving so many. Rushed to the hospital for a bullet wound to the leg, Maira, the ER doctor freaks out when she is informed her good friend has been admitted. As Sasha lay under heavy sedation, Maira lets out all her hidden emotions of love she has been holding in secretly towards Sasha.

After he is home, and very hounded by neighbors and the media, Maira sneaks in to give him some food and makes the bold decision that she wants to take their friendship to the next level. Her way of telling him is to just take her shirt off. Sasha is stunned, and with so many women throwing themselves at him because he is a hero, he thinks Maira is just following suit. He treats her badly, and Maira leaves, devastated.

After meeting with his sister and her husband, and getting some sense knocked into him, he realizes Maira was sincere in her affections. Now he must win her back – apologizing and romance are in the plan.

I knew Sasha would be quite a different hero than Mason in her first book. He is more surly, quiet, and overall a harder hero to break out of his shell. I was taken aback by how he treats Maira when he misunderstands her intentions in the beginning. He definitely redeems himself in the book, almost too much, making a plan that includes only kissing her and truly winning her affection, rather than just basing it on sex. He holds Maira up on a pedestal, frightened he will scare her away if he goes too far too fast.

Maira is a virgin, but not a delicate flower. She wants the strong sexy Sasha – BAD. I didn’t quite feel as strong of an emotional connection between these two as in her first book, but they still had their very sexy moments. Alisha Rai puts such naughty sex scenes in this book – I love it. We even get a very explicit scene between Mason and Leyla from Veiled Desire. I loved revisiting those characters.

I’m very impressed with Alisha Rai. I’ve already bought her back list and I look forward to anything she writes in the future. Really sexy, fun books.

Rating: 3.5/5

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