Pleasure and Purpose - Megan Hart

The handmaidens of the Order of Solace are each named for the exquisite service that best reflects their true calling. Their greatest delight is giving pleasure?devoted as they are to fulfilling the desires of the mind, the needs of the soul, and the cravings of the body. 

Meet Stillness, called upon to soothe the conscience of a man in need of redemption after a shocking act from his sexual past. Then there's Honesty, whose vow of Solace is to a prince looking for a submissive handmaiden. Instead, he gets the unexpected. And finally, Determination, a handmaiden confronted with a client lost in a haze of random sex and drugs. She has just the plan to literally whip her man into shape. 

My thoughts:

Now why do I read E Rom when I am a such well known smex scene skimmer? Well I have had the book for years and I thought why not! Since it always sounded good to me, and it was all before I knew that I was a serial skimmer.

And it was good, really good in fact. If I actually liked these sort of books it would surely have been a 4, now I really can't give it that, since I do not. I mean...they do do it a lot ;)

I liked the world, they may call itself whatever they want, they still bring most of their solace in the form of sex. So temple prostitutes then, many cultures have had those. That is where the smexy times come in. 

This is a 3 novellas in a book, they are all connected, as 3 friends finds solace, and true love with Handmaidens.

It was light, I liked that it was a fantasy E romance. No real worldbuilding, but that does not matter here. I mean hello, it was novellas that had a lot of smex. 

I enjoyed the stories, and to see these unlikely pairs fall in love and find that solace.  Just a bit too much smex for me, whips and all.

Cover
Boring

Paperback, 368 pages
Published September 1st 2009 by Berkley
Order of Solace #1
Erot fantasy romance
Own

Dark Secrets Anthology

MARION, MISSING by Rachel Caine 

Valentine is a detective with two major problems: he's been offered a kidnapping case that will probably get him killed, and his partner won't let him turn it down. He owes her that much … since his partner's a ghost, and he's the one who killed her. 

FEMME FATALE by Cynthia Eden 

PI Mick Swayne has seen it all—his clients have included liars, thieves, and even killers. He thinks he can handle anything and anyone. Then she walks into his office. Savannah Moreau is beautiful, seductive, and…a vampire? The gorgeous vamp hires Mick to help her track down a killer who is hunting in Chicago, but as Mick slips deeper into Savannah’s paranormal world, he wonders if he can really trust his new client… 

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Megan Hart 

Kathleen Murphy has sold her soul to the devil. Fame, fortune, success...everything she's ever dreamed of is hers, and all she has to do is the devil's bidding. When love comes knocking, the last thing in the world she wants to do is involve Jake in her twisted world, but the devil's started up the jukebox and Kathleen has no choice but to learn the steps. 

THE CONSORT by Suzanne Johnson 

Faulkner Hearne, the captain of the ruthless Fae Hunters, finds his duty at odds with his heart when he’s ordered to capture the consort of Faerie’s cruel Prince of Summer when she flees across the veil into modern New Orleans. Can Faulk turn Liandra over to a certain death at the hands of the prince, or will he risk a war with Faerie in order to save her? 

HEART’S BLOOD by Jeffe Kennedy, a Twelve Kingdoms novella 

Nix is nothing. The Princess Natilde—her former waiting woman—attacked her on the journey to wed Prince Cavan, stripping her of everything and taking her place. With no serving skills, Nix becomes a goose girl. Perhaps if Nix keeps her promise never to reveal who she really is, Natilde won’t carry out her vile threats. Prince Cavan entered his arranged marriage determined to have a congenial, if not loving relationship with his future queen—for the sake of both their kingdoms. But, his wife repels him more each day and he finds himself absurdly drawn to the lovely Nix. 

THE DJINN IN THE MIRROR by Mina Khan, a Djinn World novella 

Dahlia, the step-daughter of a power hungry wizard, promises to free a djinn trapped in a mirror if he rescues her from impending death. But Ashmael the djinn has his own agenda: to trick & seduce his way to freedom. The only problem is he ends up falling for Dahlia. Can he win his freedom and save the girl? 

My thoughts:

A few short stories/novellas with darkness in them.

Marion missing by Rachel Caine 

PI Val tries to find who killed his partner Tilde. Mystery murder and darkness. Good. 

Femme fatale by Cynthia Eden

A vamp and a PI. Kind of boring. I started skimming, even though it was only a novella.

Dance with the devil by Megan Hart

It started off a bit meh, but turned interesting. The devil is cruel.

The consort by Suzanne Johnson

A fae running from a fae prince. I liked this story

Heart's blood by Jeffe Kennedy

It was really good and all, but I just read another retelling of the goose girl, so I was never surprised.

The djinn in the mirror by Mina Khan

I liked the djinn world the best. Would love a book about that. The rest of the story was good, but not as good as the djinn world.

Conclusion:

Some I liked more, some I likes less. But that is the thing with anthologies. There are always the ones you like more, and the ones that might not fit your style. The 3 last were my favorites. Must be because of the fantasy elements.  You all know I love that.

Kindle Edition, 300-400?
Expected publication: September 29th 2015
Anthology UF/paranormal/fantasy
For review

Lady Scoundrels' Saturday: Dirty - Megan Hart

Lady Scoundrels are back and this time we review Dirty by Megan Hart. First up is Scorn.


Synopsis 
What I liked: 

What comes to your mind when you see erotica novels? Of course plenty of graphic sex scenes, a skeleton plot, a very superficial psychological make-up if any at all, characters often limited only to a description of an appearance. Small wonder plenty of readers shun these books considering them a waste of time and money. I am usually one of such readers. However Megan Hart managed to break that mould. 

I would compare ‘Dirty’ to ‘Bitter Moon’, an old movie by Roman Polanski which told a story of a romance in a very intelligent, funny and moving way. With the emphasis on ‘intelligent’ which always, entices me more than anything and makes me cave in even if, officially I am hardly a romance fan, let alone erotica reader. I found Elle a surprisingly complex heroine, taking into account what genre we are talking about. Her actions were fully justified by her sad experiences and reading about her I felt as if she was really alive, not one more sex-crazed cardboard character you can find galore in such novels. After a while you understand why she has acted they way she did but the full story is revealed at the end and the more you read the more you want to find out. You sympathize with her and with Dan who tries to lure her out of her shell and engage in a mature relationship. 

What I didn’t like: 

Although, up to a point, I could relate to Elle, I doubt such generous, understanding and patient men as Dan exist at all. He was like that fairy tale prince – a well-rounded lover, ready to be taken, without major commitments or vices. I can’t help thinking that in real life he would have a wife and at least several part-time bimbos hidden somewhere in the closet; that and a nasty habit or two ;p. 

Final verdict: 

If you feel like reading erotica go for something intelligent and read this one. The love scenes are really steamy hot and when you finish you won’t despise yourself for spending so much time with a ‘pink’ novel. 

Warning: 

It is an erotica romance novel - it contains a lot of graphic sex scenes which are highly inappropriate for underage public. Such issues as incest, suicide and sexual abuse of a minor are mentioned as well. Keep it in mind while deciding whether you want to read it or not.

 Sense says:

You don’t need to know who she is or who he is. All you need to know is that they meet by chance, they start fucking each other everywhere, he bosses her around, and she turns frigid after each fuck. And that it’s all boring.

As refreshing at it is to read about a successful—and surprisingly a total pushover—woman who fully embraces her sexuality, reading about said woman fucking a stranger in public places without preamble is not. When connecting with the characters is a problem, even the hottest sex scenes fall flat.

After all that it’s a bit too late to start fixing things. Although. If you’d take Dan and all the sex out I’d probably give this book four stars, because the only thing interesting in this book is Elle’s relationship with Gavin, the boy next door. Her secret might hit red on your squick scale but it’s quite obvious from the start. It was actually my first theory after reading couple of hints in the book. 

The end reveal was rushed and disappointing in all its telling—as opposed to showing. 

And last Sensitivity

I will give you that, it was dirty and hot...really dirty and hot. But as I am a known sex scene skimmer I do want more than that. And here it just did not work.

Elle was, well yes I know the whole point was that she was cold and needed to find the way to love and be loved again. But I never connected to her. As for Dan, him I never knew at all. I did not understand why he was with her, I did not feel a thing.

So I am stuck with 2 people I do not care about. Which leaves me with dirty sex scene (that I end up skimmin anyway cos I get bored by too much sex). I did like the whole plot though. Why she was so fucked up.

But I was bored, a lot. And while reading I actually fell sleep. There was still something good over the book, the emotional drama, the hot scene, the writing. But in the end not the book for me. No connection, no deal.

Novella Reviews: Friendly Fire - Megan Hart + JA variation

Genre: Contemporary romance
Pages: Ebook, 53
Published: 2011 (2004) 
Publisher: Carina Press
Source: My own shelf

After Agent Kendall Frasier's partner is shot in "friendly fire" during a drug bust, she agrees to take a week's vacation on a tropical island as part of her psychiatric evaluation. Sand, sun, sea—what could be better to help her work through her guilt? Even if the presence of the man responsible for the shooting, Agent Zane Vincent, seems counterproductive to her mental health. As Kendall gets to know Zane, and realizes he feels worse about what happened than she does, it becomes impossible to hate him. And their mutual attraction becomes impossible to deny.
Kendall and Zane soon agree to put the event that brought them together in the past—and spend the present exploring their most erotic desires. Do they have a future in the real world when their week in paradise is over?

My thoughts:
This was a short and hot novella. Maybe I should take out that flashing sign I found that made that clear, cos yes, hot.

Since it is very short there is not much to say about it. Kendall and Zane comes to a wonderful island, not to have a vacation but to get a psych evaluation since they were involved in a shooting and her partner died. She feels sad and responsible, and Zane who pulled the trigger has stuff to deal with too. They really do not like each other, but that island is a paradise and they can't help to feel lust.

So yes, they are like cats in heat. And then they spot each other and there is passion everywhere. But there is also something else growing.

Sure it all happened fast, but this is a novella, it has to. And it also felt real. It was a nice enough short story.

Maria Lucas: A Short Story in the Personages of Pride & Prejudice Collection by Jennifer Becton
Genre: Jane Austen Variation
Pages: 20, ebook
Published: 2011
Source: I think it was a freebie from smashwords

After a great deal of romantic strife, Maria Lucas finds herself married to Mr. Jonas Card in a desperate attempt to extricate herself and her sister Charlotte from a dire financial situation. Mr. Card, however, truly loves Maria and has vowed to woo her. Alas, she views him only in friendly terms. But when it seems that Mr. Card’s feelings have changed, Maria sets out to discover why. And through a series of unexpected events, Mr. Card succeeds in wooing his wife without saying a word.

My thoughts:
There is not much to say really since this story is really short.

Maria Lucas married but did not love her husband who tried to woe her. Now she has been sent away and she is sad. She tries to find out what is going on and doing that she falls in love with him, because perhaps she always was.

I did like the story because I always felt Maria should have a story too and here she got her HEA. Her husband was nice and I am sure they will be very happy together.

A fun short story about a minor character.