Heat Factor: It’s your standard old school fare—a couple of relatively descriptive scenes and then a bunch of interludes that fade to black.
Character Chemistry: Antagonism leads to love.
Plot: Georgie is dressed as a boy but James knows she’s a woman. So he’s seducing her. And then they’re forced to get married.
Overall: Slow. Then bonkers.
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Captured by Beverly Jenkins (2009)
Heat Factor: There’s a lot of blue balls, and then it’s just balls to the wall.
Character Chemistry: It was “NO!” Then, “YES, let’s do it.” Then, “Let’s get married!”
Plot: Dominic steals Clare away from her mistress and shows her a life of freedom, but Clare can’t rest easy until her children have also been freed from slavery.
Overall: High stakes, low tension. Very historically juicy.
Heat Factor: Kinky blood stuff, plus both protagonists bone secondary characters. Plus incest.
Character Chemistry: A rebound situation if there ever was one.
Plot: Captain Hook is a vampire who is obsessed with Tinksley Bell. Tink is in love with Peter Pan. When Peter leaves and Tink is depressed, Hook helps her recover and also embrace her inner darkness.