Pleasure Island by Angela Aaron

TITLE: Pleasure Island

AUTHOR: Angela Aaron

PUBLISHER:
Noble Romance Publishing

MAIN GENRE: Contemporary  

SECONDARY GENRE: Erotic Romance

LENGTH: 68 pages

HEAT LEVEL: 911!

OTHER: M/F * Voyeurism   

ROSE RATING: 4.5 Roses 

REVIEWED BY: Willow

BLURB:

When Cassie Douglas unknowingly arrives at a sultry tropical island resort where the sole business is to provide the perfect pleasure fantasy, Cassie finds it difficult to overcome her inhibitions and join in the fun.

Ryan MacKenna isn't about to let the feisty red-head disrupt his life or his business.  He lives firmly by his set of self-imposed rules which keep business and pleasure very separate.  But from the first moment he meets Ms. Douglas, he is in danger of breaking every rule.

REVIEW:

Who doesn’t want a free vacation? Never mind the fact that it’s on a remote island where the main theme is sex. And I mean lots of it. Wild, uninhibited, toe-curling, screaming, monkey sex with a gorgeous man whose sole purpose is to look good and please you in any and every way imaginable.

Problem is; Cassie had given up being free and uninhibited a long time ago. One broken heart was enough, thank you very much. She’d grown accustomed to her ho hum life, and didn’t want to change. At least, she didn’t think so, anyhow. Her friend, Sophie, thought otherwise. Beneath that prim and proper exterior was a woman wanting and needed to be set free again. And Sophie knew just to place to make it happen.

After promising his dying brother he’d continue the business, despite his own reservations about the place, Ryan has given the pleasure resort everything he has to give, and it has flourished. But along the way, he’s neglected his own needs, both physical and emotional. Despite all the free sex going on around him, Ryan has created a list of no-no’s, and fraternizing with the guests is number one. Unfortunately, his list seems to go out the window the moment Cassie steps off the plane.

Pleasure Island is a whole new take on the old Fantasy Island television show where Mr. Roarke—decked out in a pristine white suit—would meet his guests and his sidekick, Tattoo, yelled, “De plane, De plane!” While the idea of living out one’s fantasies remained intact, I’m afraid that’s where all similarities ended. Think of the Hedonism resorts in the Caribbean and you’ll be more on track. These guests—mainly women from what I gathered—weren’t likely to bring along a partner. Nope, along with fresh linens, room service, and a relaxing spa treatment, this resort also provides a hunky escort who is ready to provide any type of pampering you need.

Take a trip to club at night and you’re likely to find several guests taking full advantage of their chaperone’s “abilities”. Not for the easily embarrassed or sexually proper, public displays of coitus at Pleasure Island are the norm. Yet, beneath all the sweat-soaked skin, raging hormones, and hot male bodies, the potential for love to bloom within this Caribbean paradise does exist, at least for Cassie and Ryan. The sexually-charged air has little to do with the immediate attraction between these two. No, their magnetism comes from deep within. But can they figure out what’s really in their heart before Cassie’s vacation comes to and end? Or will this merely be an unforgettable week for the both of them?

There were a few editing errors, but nothing that really took away from the story. Point-of-view, grammar, and punctuation were handled well. My only suggestion would be for the author to be cautious with her use of “was”. There were several instances where changing from telling to showing would have made this story so much better. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am glad I read it. Ms. Aaron has penned a wonderfully sexy romance that will likely raise your temperature a bit, and I would certainly recommend this to a friend.

Grab a glass of lemonade and a cool towel! You’re gonna need it to get through Angela Aaron’s Pleasure Island. There’s not just one gorgeous male in this story, there’s a whole resort full! It’s a vacation of every woman’s dream. Just don’t lose your heart to the beauty and magic of the Caribbean. You’ll never want to leave Pleasure Island, or its sexy owner.

***

Find out more about Angel Aaron:

Website

Wild Woods

TITLE: Wild Woods

AUTHOR: Kate Hill

PUBLISHER: Changeling Press

MAIN GENRE: Contemporary  *  Paranormal 

SECONDARY GENRE: Erotica  

PARANORMAL TYPE: Demon  *  Magic 

SHIFTER TYPE: Demon

LENGTH: 88

HEAT LEVEL: 911!

OTHER: M/F  

ROSE RATING: 4 Roses 

REVIEWED BY: Willow

BLURB:
 

The pain will come later.

After a magical artist tattoos an intriguing demon on her skin, Madison meets a gorgeous stranger with an alarming reputation and a fiercely sexy winged creature with an attitude. She senses they are one and the same. Despite the danger surrounding them, she's drawn to them by an inexplicable force.

Half-human and half-demon, Brody has spent his life fighting against his evil birthright. Despite the hatred of the townsfolk, he uses his supernatural powers to defend them from his foul bloodline.

Neither Madison nor Brody can fight their lust or deny their love, but hell is out to get him. When everyone close to him, especially his destined mate, is targeted by eight generations of Blazewood demons, the only way to fight evil is with evil.

REVIEW:

Madison was used to being a loner. She liked her space and alone time, particularly when it came to relationships. But everyone gets a little lonely at times, and she was no exception. She’d heard about a tattoo artist in New England, one who supposedly worked magic with her craft. It’s said that she could mark you with your destined mate. Not sure if she believed all that or not, Madison decided a vacation in New Hampshire along with a stop at the crazy tattoo lady was just what she needed to break up the monotony of her life.

Brody’s family held a dark secret, one passed down from generation to generation. Despite the inevitable fall of all his male ancestors into the evil that plagued his lineage, he was determined to be different. Brody kept to himself, locked away in his seemingly impenetrable fortress in the mountains, only make quick trips into town to replenish his needs. The last thing he expects on one of his routine errand is to run into a woman who will completely uproot his life and endanger his soul, in more ways than one.

Wild Woods was a fun read. Madison and Brody are easy to get to know and love. Ms. Jefferson is a hoot and had me laughing several times throughout the book. The author does a wonderful job of changing both Brody and Madison’s lives in a manner that will keep you engrossed and on edge. Secondary characters add excellent detail and drama to the plot, without making it too “crowded” feeling. The magic tattoo was a neat idea and a refreshing change to the typical paranormal tale. There were a few minor editing issues but they weren’t too distracting. Ms. Hill handles grammar, punctuation, and point-of-view wonderfully. Overall, I had no complaints with the story and am glad I had the opportunity to read it.

If you like dark heros, then Brody Blazewood is one demon you don’t want to miss! Grab a copy of Wild Woods by Kate Hill, it’s a sexy hot story that will make you laugh, turn you on, and touch your heart.

Sins & Tragedies

TITLE: Sins and Tragedies

AUTHORS: 

Stephen W. Roberts

JD Stone 

Thadd Presley 

Stacy Bolli

PUBLISHER: Panic Press

MAIN GENRE: Contemporary, Paranormal, Dark Fantasy

SECONDARY GENRE: Suspense, Horror  

LENGTH: 168

HEAT LEVEL: Mostly simmering, 

some 911 descriptions

OTHER:  M/F, M/M  

ROSE RATING: 3 ½ roses

REVIEWED BY: Phoenix

BLURB:

Stephen W. Roberts, JD Stone, Thadd Presley & Stacy Bolli aim to
re-define what it takes to stand in the spotlight of the dark fiction
genre with their sinfully tragic tales of murder, mischief, and
mayhem; the nefarious, loathsome, fiendish, depraved and deprived
populous of their psyche.
 
If you dare to face your inner most fears, then follow these authors
as they take you on a journey down the darkest alleys and rural dirt
roads that map out the twists and turns of their tainted minds.

REVIEW:

It’s tales from the crypt with a new spin. From pedophiles to cheating wives, wannabe vampires to naughty little boys, and a few creepy-crawlies in between, this book is filled with various tales of the macabre and grim. Karma can be a bitch, as many of these morbid tales portray.

Several short stories written by four different authors make up this collection of horror and wit. Each author has a distinctive voice and a unique way of writing. While I noticed some similarities to other authors (Stephen King for example) in a few of the tales, the authors were able to add enough twist to make them their own.

With such a large collection of stories from so many different sources, it’s difficult to go in to detail about each individual story. As a whole, I felt the collection was interesting, some tales more so than others, and there’d likely be something that appealed to every reader.  I must warn young horror fans though; some sexual content and references would make this book inappropriate for anyone under age 17.

As for editing errors, I did notice that some authors seemed to have more than others—mainly missing words or words used in the wrong form (there/their, etc.). While sketchy in a few areas, point-of-view was handled pretty well, as was grammar and punctuation. My only complaint is the lack of character development in some of the tales. However, because this is a collection of short stories, that is to be expected.

Overall, I enjoyed reading these tales of the grim and bizarre. While the purpose of some seemed merely to entertain others delivered a sense of grim justice for characters of, should I say, poor character, making the title a perfect fit for the content. If you’re looking for something that will amuse your dark side, then grab a copy of Sins & Tragedies by Stephen W. Robert, JD Stone, Thadd Presley, and Stacy Bolli, it’s sure to entertain.