Review: Spooky and a tad creepy, while also managing to rev up your libido, this anthology was such a wonderful surprise!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 23, 2012
Overall Rating: A ... Heat: SizzlingJust in time for Halloween, Hot and Haunted is full of sexy and scary delights. Spooky and a tad creepy, while also managing to rev up your libido, this anthology was such a wonderful surprise! If there is such a thing as erotica-horror, then these three tales are excellent examples of it. And while I may have picked this one up because of Miz Hart's name on the cover--I'm happy to have found two new author's I want to read more from!+ Nothing Else Matters by Megan Hart - Rating: AThe story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world teeming with zombies, where every man and woman is simply fighting to survive. One such survivor is Lira, our heroine. Immune to the spores that change people from human to one of the Resurrected, Lira is in charge of making runs to gather up food and supplies for her small group. A job that definitely takes its toll on her... and makes her crave skin to skin action with her lover/boyfriend, Anthony, whenever she makes it back alive. Which is never a guarantee, so those two always make the most of their time together.Nothing Else Matters has a vivid end-of-the-world setting, a heroine who is strong and adaptable, a hero who is understanding and isn't afraid to say 'I love you', zombies, sex, sex, and more sex. It quickly engages you and draws you in. It will turn you on and, well, freak you out as well. If I was a nail biter, a few scenes would've had me chewing on them pretty darn good. Miz Hart's story packs quite the compact punch.+ Pick Me Up by Lauren Hawkeye - Rating: BHolly is a woman scorned, out for some revenge. Standing in the middle of the road in a white dress while it pours down rain, she waits for some unsuspecting man to rescue her. That man ends up being Brody, a hot geek that's totally unprepared for the passenger he picks up. After getting his car stuck in a ditch, Holly and Brody get to really know each other while they wait for a tow.Pick Me Up puts a new spin on hitchhiking, that's for sure. And even though it isn't so much a 'feel good' story, it was still very steamy and titillating. My only issue was Holly, as she isn't a terribly likeable heroine. She says and does some things that made me feel sorry for Brody. I'm also not 100% sure about the ending (which I believe was deliberate)... it kind of ends on a creepy note! Still, those two could give Jack and Rose (Titanic) a run for their money on steaming up car windows. Whew!*The only non-paranormal story in this antho.+ Little Red's Big Bad by Saranna DeWylde - Rating: AMiranda, a U.S. Marshal, is being taunted by a serial killer. But not just any serial killer--one that believes he's a werewolf. Tasked with hunting him down, Miranda is joined in the hunt by Aden, an agent with the FBI. When they become trapped in a cabin, surrounded by giant snow drifts with no way out, Miranda and Aden put the case on the back burner and give in to their burning lust.Little Red's Big Bad was full of awesome drama and absorbs you into the chase immediately. The chemistry between Miranda and Aden is immediate too. It's there, quietly simmering, until it finally boils over. So hot. I also really enjoyed how the psychological condition of lycanthropy played a big part. Is there or isn't there actual werewolves? Smart twist on it. And the ending, well, I'll admit I actually aww'd out loud. I plan to check out Miz DeWylde's PNR series, 10 Days, as soon as possible!-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review