Review: Have a sexy night in with GNO Volume 2
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 26, 2014
Ahh, a good old-fashioned Girl's Night Out, what gal doesn't love going out with her friends for a night on the town... or something a little more risque. This second volume in the GNO anthology series is a nice blend of contemporary romance with some erotic and some paranormal thrown in for good measure. I came for C.J. Ellison's entry but decided I simply couldn't pass up the chance to try these other authors too.The anthology opens with KISSED BY A VAMPIRE by Patricia A. Wolf. I did some digging but I don't think Wolf has any other published works yet so this one is going to be a series opener. I didn't feel like it had much substance beyond the love scenes—sizzle!—and it played on a vampire romance trope I don't care for but I'm interested in seeing more by Wolf (and that's why I like anthologies—to get a feel for an author's voice) as her career blossoms. (3 stars)LOVING MS. WRONG by C.J. Ellisson was my pull into the anthology and Ellison does not disappoint. If you've enjoyed her other Walk on the Wild Side series characters you'll probably enjoy this too. I was a little meh on the heroine's personality but I liked the idea of someone who thought sex was no big deal being 'enlightened' by a caring and giving lover. Sexy and a little romantic. Definitely one for readers who liked their couple stranded with nothing to do but get it on. (4 stars)Taking us to Vegas, THE BECKONING OF BEGUILING THINGS by Calinda B., promised to be a fun one but I found the plot really disjointed. It was flighty and it felt... well, it felt like it was set in the 90's. It was, however, the one that most fit the GNO theme. I never did get into it but I think that might be an 'it's me, not you' kind of thing. It was a little amusing at points but overall it felt rather flibbertigibbet. (2 stars)Rounding out the group is A IS FOR... by Lila Dubois, the one I almost didn't read. BDSM is far from my cup of tea and this is some pretty hardcore stuff. But I gave it a shot and while I found it interesting in a National Geographic kind of way—oh, so that's what that means! moments galore—it was the unexpected romance toward the end that made it worth reading. It's very well written (though I don't think it fit the GNO theme at all) and while I found most of the sex cringe-inducing or just plain 'ewww' I was glad I discovered who the characters (IMHO) really were outside of the club environment. I'd recommend for sure for BDSM fans and those curious. (3 stars)While it wasn't an anthology I'll be raving about, I think this was an excellent one for readers who want to sample these authors' respective styles. Plenty sexy, just enough romantic, a nice sampler at a great price point.Notes: My copy of this book was a complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.