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Publisher:
Bantam Dell
Release Date:
May 20, 2008
Genres:
Anthology
Paranormal Romance
Erotica
Contemporary Romance
ISBN:
eBook
No
ISBN
Print
9780553385175
Bookmark Rating:
Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray
Review Posted:
May 2008
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Bantam
Dell brings three talented authors together for one great anthology as hot as
the Louisiana bayous the stories are set in! While I pre-ordered my copy of
HOT NIGHTS, DARK DESIRES because I’m a fan of Eden Bradley’s work,
authors Stephanie Tyler and Sydney Croft certainly held their own with Ms.
Bradley. Each of the three stories in this anthology are outstanding. What a
treat to begin reading a book for one author, and finish it with two new ones to
add to my list of favorite writers. That is one of the main reasons I enjoy
anthologies so much.
~THE ART OF DESIRE
by Eden Bradley~
Sophie
has always been fascinated by tattoos, to the point of obsession. That’s why
she never allowed herself one before – she’s afraid she wouldn’t be able to
stop, and her strict religious upbringing frowns on such marking of the body.
When her friend drags her along to a tattoo salon, Sophie can’t deny her
reaction as she watches the artist decorate her friend’s skin, nor can she deny
her reaction to the artist himself.
Tristan is the embodiment of everything Sophie has ever fantasized about in a
man. She finds herself compelled to have him do her very first tattoo. The
experience is life changing – for both of them.
Eden Bradley is known for her unconventional romances, and THE ART OF
DESIRE ranks right up there with the best of them. Using the art and
beauty of tattoos to bring Tristan and Sophie together, Bradley then builds on
their connection, layering their compatibilities until there is no doubt in
anyone’s mind that this couple is right for each other.
If only Tristan’s self-image allowed him to believe he deserved the luxury of
loving someone. Tristan’s past is rife with pain, and before this pair can
enjoy their happy ending together, he must first work through his
self-recrimination. When he finally does and sees that Sophie is his chance for
redemption and happiness, we have a happily ever after to rival any other.
Through it all, we experience the sensual art of the tattoo, and I must say that
the way Eden Bradley presents it had this reviewer, who could barely stand the
pain of having her ears pierced, actually considering getting a tattoo! Perhaps
one day, when I find one as meaningful to me as Sophie’s are to her. Or when I
meet a man like the sexy Tristan… *grin*
~SHADOW PLAY by
Sydney Croft~
Brenna
St. James makes her living as a well-known, high-paid supermodel. Well, she
used to. That was before a ghost decided to attach himself to her and blur her
image in any photo taken of her. Desperate to rid herself of the jealous
phantasm, she calls the renowned ghost photographer, Hex, for assistance.
Hex knows it is a bad idea to get involved with Brenna; her celebrity lifestyle
wouldn’t mix with his job working in the covert ACRO organization. But he just
can’t seem to stop himself.
Love and Fate definitely work in mysterious ways, and Sydney Croft’s story in
this anthology is a perfect example. In SHADOW PLAY, we have two
people set upon completely different paths who come together for what should be
a brief interlude in each other’s lives. Their time together, however, changes
the course of their lives forever.
Brenna goes through quite the transformation in this story, and her paranormal
trial forces her to look inside and find who she really is. Once Hex succeeds
in ridding her of the haint ruining her life, she finds her goals are no longer
as clear-cut as they were before she met Hex. While she may begin the tale as
the stereotypical self-involved model, the woman she is by the end of the story
is one to be admired.
SHADOW PLAY is a fascinating paranormal romance that is as
inspiring as it is sexy. While it is connected to the ACRO
series, it can be read easily as a standalone story – something I can easily
testify to since this is the first I’ve read yet. I guarantee you that it will
not be the last I read, however!
~NIGHT VISION
by Stephanie Tyler~
Inheriting a bar in Louisiana
from an uncle she never knew, Catie is determined to investigate her roots,
moving to Bayou Rouge to run the bar herself. She never counted on the saloon
being full of roughnecks sapping the profits from her new business.
Disheartened, she resolves to sell the bar, but must clean house before she can
put it on the market.
To that end, she hires the infamous cooler, Bat Kelly, to rid her bar of the
undesirable element. One look at Bat, though, and the normally controlled Catie
finds her knees going weak and her heart beating a little faster.
As for Bat, he finds the sexy little barkeep is enough to make him think of
planting his own roots right here in his hometown of Bayou Rouge. Catie makes
him long for things he never thought he could have, and even though he knows
their time together is temporary, he can’t resist indulging in a very sultry
fling with her.
I have to say, NIGHT VISION makes me kick myself when I think of
the other Stephanie Tyler books already sitting on my bookshelf, still unread.
I bought them because they looked intriguing and I heard good things about her
work, but had I known just how good Tyler’s stories really were, they
would have already been at the top of my to-be-read pile.
Bat Kelly is the stuff of every rough and tumble fantasy I’ve ever had. The man
is beyond hot, with his bad boy attitude covering up a heart that is unselfish
and kind. Of course, it doesn’t take Catie long to see the real man underneath
that bouncer bluster.
Catie is a wonderful heroine. A bit repressed at first, when she decides to let
herself go with Bat, her personality and sexuality blossoms.
There are some rather delicious moments in this story, and I have to admit when
we discover just how Bat earned his unusual name, I do believe I blushed… Nope,
I’m not telling why his name is Bat – you’ll just have to read NIGHT
VISION!
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