Review: A solid collection of novellas
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 16, 2014
The new trend seems to be for a group of authors to get together and offer a selection of novellas as a collection, for a really low price. This seemed like a great idea to me when it started. Never thought I would see the day when .99 cents would seem like an overpayment for several books, but some of the collections out there are very bad. So very, very not good. I have been kind of cautious since getting burned a few times, but with Eden Bradley and Cari Quinn, I knew this collection would at least be worth the price of admission.Breaking Skye- Eden Bradley – 4 stars- Skye is looking for a dom, and finds one through an online site. The couple came together very quickly. BDSM elements, sadism, bondage – It’s Eden Bradley, so you know the writing is strong. Nice story, but the details were kind of unbelievable.Caught – Cassandra Carr – 3 stars- Reunited after Callie ran away 3 years ago, Jack is determined not to let her go again. Unfortunately, this story was all too believable. An emotionally constipated hero who hides his feelings behind his Dom persona, Jack didn’t let Callie get close until it was certain she was unsure of remaining in a “relationship” with him. He tried everything except telling her how he felt. She was much more the mature one of the two. BDSM – elements of humiliation, whipping, gags. The writing was fine, but I did not like the hero at all.Indecent Proposal, Pts. 1&2 – Stephanie Julian –5 stars- My favorites of the lot - Eric and Keegan make Julianne an offer she can’t refuse. Eric is disfigured due to a lab accident/fire, which has destroyed his self-image and his confidence. Eric can’t deny his attraction to Juli and he and Keegan like to share…Loved these stories. Well written beginning, followed up by what happened after the event. Immediately bought the rest of the series.Burned – Dragos Book #1 – Amber Kallyn – 3 stars – Nice little story about dragon shifters and elementals. Good mythology. Light and sweet with a little mystery.Laundry Day – Keiva Kohl – 4 stars – Very cute story about fun in a singles apartment complex. Carmella has been trying to entice Declan to apply to be her “laundry day” friend for 6 long months. Now that he’s finally taken the bait, will he live up to Carmella’s fantasies? Sweet and very sexy short story.Cherry Tune Up – Adriana Kraft – 1 star – The language in this not short enough story reads like an historical, even though it is not. I didn’t like the tone, or the word choices made by the author. Words like maidenhead…more than several times…who says that? The hero, and then the heroine, refer to his penis in the 3rd person, which I have to say, I hate. A lot. Anus is as unsexy as a word can be. The heroine was ridiculously nave, or maybe just stupid. DNF.Riding Rodeo – 3.5 stars – Cute little reunited lovers story with a ménage twist.Clockwork Captive – Anh Leod – Victorian or steampunk story – Not to my taste, but seemed well written.First Kiss – Ann Mayburn – 4 stars -  Emma and Ryan were high school friends. Emma is now a pro-domme and Ryan wants to be her submissive. Due to financial and familial obligations, Emma is not in a place for  a relationship, which is what Ryan craves from her. Very well written, compelling stories that ends in a cliff hanger. Strong BDSM elements, ménage referencesJingle Ball – Cari Quinn – 5 stars – I’ve actually read this story before, and enjoyed revisiting Wendy, Des and Cole. This book is a series starter, with Wendy crushing on Des and finding out what happens to naughty girls with two very naughty bosses. Great ménage with M/F/M and M/M/F. Really like the way Ms. Quinn tells a story.Bottom line – this collection is a good buy. Out of the 12 stories, there was one I hated, one that was a genre I don’t care for, and one that was meh. That works out to 75% that worked for me, and Indecent Proposal, First Kiss, and Jingle Ball really worked, so we have to bump up to about 90%. I would recommend it if you are looking to sample new authors without a huge financial investment.