House of Mirrors by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

A touching romance with unusual historical settings, and forbidden erotism

I read House of Mirrors twice. First, when I got it, in a hurry to know what was going to happen next. And again this week, before writing the review. I liked it more the second time around. The authors brilliantly conveyed this story woven in human suffering, suspense, and prohibited passions.

House of Mirrors is hard to review without spoiling the storyline, so I will focus on the relationship of the main characters. Taking a moment to praise the great secondary ones, all interesting well-developed characters, and the original setting of a wandering carnival touring the American Midwest during 1902.

I'll always remember the opening of this book. It touched me to read how badly Jonah Talbot, a preacher's son, is beaten, when his family discovers his affair with Ezekiel Burns, a minister from Jonah's father's congregation, who betrays and blames Jonah when they are compromised.

Desperate, Jonah approaches a carnival trying to escape his hometown. All he needs is a job, a place to recover and a way to travel. He finds much more in Rafe Grimstone, the ringmaster and owner of the carnival. A cynical and mysterious man, who doesn't know what to do with Jonah, who seems too good to be true.

Jonah finds Rafe in the worse moment of his life, and is like love at first sight, for a man as none as he has seen before. Jonah is impressed by Rafe's looks and voice, soon learning they share a penchant for Shakespeare, poetry and forbidden, but inescapable desires.

Jonah opens the curtains of Rafe's murky staged existence, letting the light into it with his smile, sense of humor and honest love. A love capable of erasing the dark bounds in Rafe's torture past that still affects his present. Disheartened, Rafe finds hard to believe Jonah's goodwill and cheerful disposition. Thinking that their mutual passion jeopardizes their current circumstances.

Working hard, Jonah earns his place in the circus regardless of his relation with Rafe. In a short time Jonah makes close friends, but as the storyline unfolds, misadventure awaits. One of my favorite parts of the story is, when Rafe encourages Jonah's playwright talent, giving him the opportunity to adapt some of Poe's works into performances.

Jonah rebels against the doctrine he'd grew up listening to, and pushing aside the guilt, fully embraces his sexuality. Rafe guards his real self in layers of stoicism and mystery. Layers that crumble first under his desire for Jonah and later collapse completely amid the tender intimacy the younger man offers him. Jonah uses every technique he learned during his ill-fated romance to seduce Rafe. Who in spite of being older, only has the experience of illicit, but quick encounters, being easily surpassed by Jonah's avid conquest.

I love happy endings, that's why I read romance, but some are better than others, the one from House of Mirrors I enjoyed it very much. After the sorrow we endured during some parts of the book, the way the authors wrapped the story is a reason for smiling after reading its conclusion.

If you need to relax, and forget about things immersed in a journey that will make you cry and laugh, while being the voyeur in steamy love scenes, this is the book for you. Another recommended read from me.

Touch of a Thief by Mia Marlowe

The lady thief touches his heart and steals his soul.

Touch of a Thief is an erotic romance with layers of suspense and paranormal in an international setting during 1857. It has three main characters without being about a love triangle. The romantic couple, Viola and Quinn. And Sanjay, whose story leads up the premise. Every one of them experienced a loss that marked their destinies. All of them know injustice, abuse and deceit. Being wronged by the successions laws of the time.

Lady Viola Preston loses everything when her father dies without a male heir, hence his title and possessions go to an uncaring relative. And she is forced to steal in order to support her mother, her sister and her niece. Viola becomes the Mayfair Jewel Thief.

Lieutenant Greydon Quinn is a British noble returning home after serving in India. He also carries a painful secret akin to being the heir of an aristocrat.

A worse fate has befallen Prince Sanjay of Amjerat, who has lost his princedom under the British rule in India, because he is an adopted son to the late prince. The loss of his principality coincides with the stealing of a rare and malefic red diamond from the temple of Shiva. The diamond must be returned to the temple where its evil powers are bridled, or the outraged people of Amjerat will be in uprising against the British authorities costing the lives of innocents. When Quinn and Sanjay learn that the red diamond is going to be added to the English Queen’s royal collection, they follow its trail of sorrow and death, intending to bring it back where it belongs.

When Lieutenant Quinn returns to England, Sanjay accompanies him posing as his Indian servant. They set a trap to catch the Mayfair Jewel Thief with the purpose of blackmailing the burglar into stealing the red diamond for them. Surprised when he discovers that Viola is the infamous thief, Quinn coerces her into helping to retrieve the evil gem in exchange for her freedom and half of his personal jewels. Quinn needs Viola’s abilities to open a safe, and other related skills of her profession, but he ignores her biggest gift of all, Viola channels gems’s chronicles into voices and sometimes disturbing visions. Which is a blessing and a dangerous gift that threatens her sanity and health. This paranormal element in the plot is one of Touch of a Thief’s strongest original appeals.

At one point in the story, Viola demands to know more of Quinn other than his body. He refuses to reveal anything personal. In her quest for the truth, she touches one of his rings, the gem reveals a grievous secret from his past. I nearly cried reading those pages. Although, the heartbreaking event will be the catalyst that unites their souls.

The sexual attraction between Viola and Quinn leaps out of the pages, their sensuality and their camaraderie gifted us with a wonderful romance. The only part I didn't enjoy was the use of Sanskrit words for genitalia during some of the love scenes. This is a personal peeve of mine, but it doesn't take from the story as a whole. I love historical romance books, and I’ve read many this year. Sadly, due to lack of time, I can only write reviews for those which I like the most. Touch of a Thief is one of the best historical romances I’ve read in years. It has everything I enjoy in a book – a great history setting, romance, suspense, drama, wittiness, eroticism, friendship and adventure. I highly recommend it.

Too Sinful To Deny by Erica Ridley

Too engaging to put down.

Susan is banished by her aristocratical parents, who are tired of her misbehaving. She goes from being the darling of London to the unwanted newcomer in the gloomy coastal town of Bournemouth. The place is inhabited by pirates, smugglers, ghosts, villains, and a few unfortunate victims. There are also the town’s dressmakers, who are an interesting pair. According to Susan, the Witch and the Porcelain Doll own the Dress Shop of Iniquity.

Susan is a different kind of heroine if compared to the ones we usually encounter in historical romances. She unwillingly interacts with ghosts, besides, her witty and irreverent narrative keeps one entertained all the way to the end. Her thoughts run rampant most of the time, and since we are what we think...well, she gets into a lot of trouble.

Evan is a pleasantly mischievous hero. Yes, he is a smuggler and he is not a gentleman, but he is so charming that we don’t mind about his past. And in spite of all, he would protect Susan, even from her tendency to stumble into insurmountable danger.

Regardless of its title and the suggestive cover, the romance is more sweet than erotic in Too Sinful To Deny. There is ample sexual tension between Evan and Susan, but most love scenes are rather sensual than explicit. This, in addition to the great storyline going on, is perfectly all right with me. It would have been awkward having them engaging into extreme sex in the middle of so many uncertainties. Being gothic suspense romance, the heroine instead of feeling protected by the hero, distrusts him. Indeed, they both take turns doubting one another. Somehow, they find a way to fall in love during this nail-biting page-turner. This book will enthrall you from the first page until the very end, I highly recommend it.

Darkest Fire by Tawny Taylor

A leisurely walk through the BDSM scene.

Rin and Drako are tied to their families' tradition. In Drako's case is guarding a powerful and secret object. As the leader of his generation of Black Gryffons, he is honor bound to produce sons who would follow the custodians' path, because of this, he must marry as soon as possible. In Rin's family, the tradition is the brutal practice of selling daughters to the sex trade. Trying to escape such fate, Rin studied and worked hard. However, her mother sold her younger sister, forcing Rin to work at a dubious massage place to gather the money she needs to pay for her sister's freedom.

When Drako meets Rin, he knows he seen her before, the next day he recalls where she serves up, and given her line of work, he assumes she would be happy to accept his proposition. The ultimatum from the white slaver, who has her sister, comes the same day Drako proposes a marriage of convenience. He needs a wife to birth his children, but he prefers someone who also would accept his BDSM lifestyle. Rin would get the money to free her sister and a lavish living. She doesn't have a choice, besides, her future husband is sexiness incarnate.

The arranged marriage works out perfectly for Rin. For the first time in her life, she has everything material and the freedom to enjoy it. She is helping her sister to recover and both of them start to live a normal life. Even so, there are dark clouds in her paradise. Her husband is resolved to never love her. Love is a liability for the Black Gryffons. He learned that first hand with his parent's happy marriage. Unknown to Rin, there is the serious threat of the Chimera and their dark conspiracy. The group wants to seize the Secret the Black Gryffons protect and would stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

Drako is part of a new kind of alpha hero, a more likeable one. I enjoyed when the author shared through him the insights of a Dom's mind and feelings. He is dominant in all the sense of the word, but he is a caring human being, who is tender and understanding with Rin. He doesn't questions her past or her choices, but supports her and trusts her. Rin is curious to learn more about her mysterious husband's BDSM world. A world he insists to keep away from her. Therefore, Rin has to seduce her way into his dungeon. Among rituals of dominance and submission Drako would have his own boundaries strained and tested by his wife's sensual body and unbroken spirit.

Darkest Fire is told from the point of views of Drako (I love male POV) Rin and the villain. I would have liked to learn more about Drako's brothers and Rin's sister. Sadly, the author did not spend time with any of them beyond their obvious supporting roles. I was a little disappointed to discover very little paranormal elements in this book. It could have been a great book series if the author would have written more fantasy into the plot. Instead, we got an erotic thriller with BDSM elements.

Tawny Taylor did a great rendering of the darker side of sex through the BDSM theme exposed in Darkest Fire. The book is fast pace and I recommend it if you like D/s within your erotic romance. You will be captivated.

Powder of Love by Summer Devon

A lustful heirloom plays cupid

Rosalie Ambermere, an English heiress living in New York City, has her contented life turned upside down when her wicked cousin Johnny, Lord Williamsford, named her his heir. Among his vast collection of naughty objects, a dangerous aphrodisiacal powder, sought after by many.

Ignoring her lawyer’s warnings, Rosalie doesn’t take the aphrodisiac seriously until she witnesses an embarrassing incident with a shy lady who serves as her companion. Emily Renshaw indulges, under the influence of the powder, in sins of the flesh with John Hawes, Rosalie’s coachman. Their story becomes a brief secondary romance.

Convinced that the effect of the powder is real and in the wrong hands could be dangerous, Rosalie searches for the men, who her lawyer says have interest in buying the libidinous substance – Walter Clermont and Gideon Reed. Interestingly, when they visit Rosalie they never mention the powder. During that first encounter, Gideon and Rosalie are overwhelmingly drawn to each other during a simple handshake. This is before having any contact with the aphrodisiac.

Gideon Reed is hired by Walter Clermont’s family as a sort of custodian to prevent Walter’s arrest due to the debauchery he pursues. When Gideon realizes that Walter is after the powder, and that Rosalie might be in danger, he becomes her protector. A difficult task, because she is an independent woman with money and confidence. After a few incidents, Gideon and Rosalie team up to get rid of the powder in the best possible way.

Rosalie considers herself a spinster and is happy living with her servants and the occasional disruptive visit of her promiscuous mother. She doesn’t want to be like her, however, meeting Gideon and her body’s reaction to him makes her question her own wanton nature. Before Gideon, she was content, now she yearns more and more of Gideon. Her contentedness is gone along with her peace. In spite of his education, Gideon is rude when needed and exudes masculinity. The man she never dreamed.

A squire’s daughter who thought having a higher status in society than him, spurned Gideon. If he ever seeks a wife, she must be a woman from his own class and Rosalie is a lady. He wants Rosalie more than he ever desires anyone, but he would stay close to her only until he knows she is safe. After that, he plans to explore America. Because he truly cares about Rosalie, he is so protective of her, even from himself.

The powder brings them together, but the story is about how this seemingly unsuitable pair learns of one another while falling in love. There is tasteful sexual tension between them, as much as camaraderie, which foretell of the great time they would spend together in life.

Summer Devon has a unique way to core out her character’s strongest feelings while putting them through the best sex ever.

There is a beautiful and sensual exploration scene – where they discover each other's bodies. Followed by one of the most original loss of virginity I’d ever read. The author brings back the romance in erotic romance. I love books that take the time to develop a relationship before delving into the erotism. Why aren't there more historical romances like this? I had a great time reading this book. The fine writing makes Powder of Love a stimulating read. I smiled satisfied at the happy ending.

Fated by Rebecca Zanetti

The excellent beginning of a dark, paranormal, and sexy saga.

In the world of Fated among the inhabitant of the Realm, there are two contending vampiric races, the Kayrs and the Kurjus. The Kayrs are honorable brave warriors, while the Kurjus are sadistic bloodthirsty monsters. The vampire species are born male, therefore to breed, they need to pick their mates from the human female population. Preferably, gifted females who could help with their never-ending feud. The Kurjus discover Cara and Janie psychic abilities, and resolve to mate the single mother and her daughter to their leadership.

Talen is a Kayrs leader, who rescues Cara and Janie just before the Kurjus took them. Talen's permanent way to protect them is making Cara his wife. A fate he welcomes as he realizes Cara is his destined mate. Talen has all the arrogance of the royalty he is. Cara's sees his rescue as kidnapping and she doesn't want to hear anything about mating him. Eventually, she would take the passion he offers, and the protection in her daughter's behalf. However, Talen wants Cara's heart as well. Their union officially breaks a peace treaty forbidding any contact with humans. The Kurjus never respected the treaty, but now the sanguineous war between the Kayrs and the Kurjus starts again.

The first ten chapters of Fated are homage to many fated-mate books. It has the fate symbol, the irresistible attraction, the bite, the telepathy, even the branding. And the coerced seduction scene, in spite of the fact that Talen asks for Cara's consent before consummating the act, it's still forceful. It would have been better, if we had witnessed as they fall in love with each other, before the mating routine. This is the main reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five.

Fated is action-packed and there are parts where it gets really bloody. The fights are explicit and Talen is vicious during the battles. While Cara often uses expletives to utter her frustration and acts like she is in complete denial of her new reality.

Besides, when I read Fated, I had the feeling of reading two different books at the same time. One, from the first chapter up to chapter ten, and another, from chapter eleven until the end. Rebecca Zanetti's fantastic storytelling begins after chapter eleven. Most books usually have the best in the first chapters, Fated it's exactly the opposite. If you start reading Fated and you feel like giving it up, please keep going, it's a phenomenal reading. Talen goes from dominant male to caring sexy hero and the steamy sex scenes between Cara and him, become deeply emotional.

I liked very much Fated's world-building, and the great secondary characters who will eventually have their own books. These are among my favorites: Jordan and Katie, Talen's shape-shifting friends. Cara's sister, Emma, who shares the trauma of an abusive father with Cara. Talen's brothers, particularly Dage, (the next book - Claimed, is his story with Emma). Zane, Janie's friend with who she only communicates during her dreams. All interesting well-developed characters, whose stories I cannot wait to read. In all, Fated is a great debut novel!

The Proud Wife by Kate Walker

The fire burning beneath the ashes.

When Pietro officially ‘summons’ Marina back to Sicily with the excuse of discussing the terms of their divorce, she attends, only to have the satisfaction to tell him she wants nothing from him, but to send their short marriage into oblivion. None of them imagine the attraction that brought them together is still there. And the passion is burning hotter than ever. Unexpectedly, they are facing each other and their painful past.

A past where everything happened so fast and it was so painful that they didn’t have time to develop a relationship. The Proud Wife by Kate Walker is about finding closure for the painful experiences shared and connecting as a real couple.

My favorite part is when they finally talk about the death of their baby. The biggest misunderstanding in their relationship. Marina breaks down, Pietro gives her the sympathy and soothing he couldn’t before, and somehow they find closure. However, Pietro and Marina still have too many pending issues. Pietro’s idea of intimacy is making love. He thinks he is doing what she wants, but Marina needs much more. He has been emotionally unavailable in the past. While Marina was feeling used as a breeder to produce an heir, never truly loved and inadequate as a princess.

The Proud Wife is one of the books that I’d read where the characters’ emotions convey to the page the best. Kate Walker did a great job channeling their adversities, the emotional portion of the story is deeply touching, there were moments I was teary-eyed.