Review: Hot enough to melt the ice
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 31, 2013
Heating up the Holidays Lisa Renee Jones/ Mary Ann Rivers/Serena BellHeating up the Holidays is not the usual compilation of holiday themed romantic stories. The sensual heat level enhances the romance. There are elements of forbidden love and risk in all three stories which increase the sexual tension between the heroine and hero.'Play with Me' by Lisa Renee Jones is my favourite.Dynamic characters Damion and Kali are both damaged from previous relationships. Damion is a sexy, dominant alpha male who meets his match in Kali, a strong-minded intelligent woman able to meet and exceed his expectations in every way.Essentially a work based romance set around Thanksgiving the fast paced plot full of intrigue, conflict and twists is a great read.The dialogue is witty. The love scenes are hot, realistic and emotional and their love story fraught with conflicts which make the happy ever after ending satisfying.'Snowfall' by Mary Ann Rivers is the most unusual of the stories.Jenny is an intellectual woman with a degenerative eye condition. Evan is an Occupational Therapist who helps her come to terms with her illness. Jenny is lonely and frightened and serendipity leads her to form an online liaison which involves more than conversation.The main plot twist has dramatic irony because most readers will guess the true identity of her online lover before Jenny does.Detailed the story's pace is slow in parts.Atmospheric the story portrays the naivety of Jenny and Evan and the love scenes and their emotional reaction to them appear more teenage than adult.A distinctive voice makes this story an overall interesting read.'After Midnight' by Serena Bell is lovely romantic taleA reverse Cinderella where the hero Miles leaves just after midnight and Nora the heroine has no contact details for him.Miles is under suspicion and has lost his fiancée. Nora has been deceived big time by a deceitful ex. Both attend a New Year's Eve party under duress but find each other just before midnight. The kiss they share is memorable even after almost a year of separation.The love scenes start on the phone when Nora discovers Miles's identity and conclude when she pays him a surprise visit. Despite their physical insatiability lack of trust and self-awareness leads to broken hearts. Can they save their love at the next New Year's Eve party?This book is a quick, fun read.I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.Heating Up the Holidays 3-Story Bundle (Play with Me, Snowfall, and After Midnight): A Loveswept Contemporary Romance