Trope
All for You, Book 1
Heat Factor: Respect is sexy, especially in bed.
Character Chemistry: They just really like each other.
Plot: Sam always stands on her own feet. When she meets Graham, she realizes that being self-sufficient is kinda lonely, and that maybe she’ll be ok if she lets others help her sometimes.
Overall: Sometimes you just want a gentle, calm book, and this fits the bill. Plus, I learned more than I ever thought I’d know about fly fishing!
Heat Factor: These books go on the Erotica shelf
Character Chemistry: There’s a cosmic connection, but I don’t always buy it
Plot: Princess Shanyin gets a hot young lord sent to her harem. Power plays (and lots of sex) ensue
Overall: If you’re looking for high-brow reverse-harem erotica with bonus disturbing political machinations set in 5th century China, The Obsession is excellent. If you want the HEA, read the full series—but note that The Enslavement and The Fulfillment are less tightly written.
Continue reading “Series Review: The Princess Shanyin Saga by Liliana Lee (2014)”Region Two Series, Book #1
Heat Factor: She does pull-ups during sex, because she is that bad-ass (it’s sexier than it sounds)
Character Chemistry: Bruce is an arrogant asshole, but Vee seems to like that about him
Plot: He is attacked by a giant lizard monster, and she protects him
Overall: A really fun reading experience
The Harwood Spellbook, Book 1
Heat Factor: She thoroughly compromises him, but there’s nothing explicit
Character Chemistry: They complement each other – if only they weren’t so pig-headed about communicating!
Plot: Disgraced magic-user has to save the world from terrible snowstorm and evil fairy
Overall: Excellent worldbuilding, fun fantasy, middling romance
The Union of the Rakes, Book 1
Heat Factor: Two steamy sex scenes in the last few chapters
Character Chemistry: Gotta love a man in glasses, but Sebastian is too woke for his own good
Plot: In order to attract some dude’s attention, Grace gets her friend Sebastian to pretend to woo her. Because dudes gotta have competition to think a woman is sexy, obviously.
Overall: Too much winking at the audience for my taste
The Smut Report 