SEASON OF SEDUCTION

TITLE: SEASONS OF SEDUCTION

BY: ANGELA JAMES, EDITOR

Pages: 398

Date: 03/12/02013

Grade: 4+

Details: Received from Carina Press

              Through NetGalley

Own/Kindle

The blurb:

What’s on your wish list?

After indulging in twelve naughty nights in Mexico, a woman experiences an erotic epiphany. An adventurous elf has her eye on one very sexy Santa. A married couple hopes to find a very special marine under the mistletoe. And a holiday mitzvah leads a woman to submit to a man in uniform on Christmas Day. No matter your fantasies, this collection of four shorts will add spice and sizzle to cold winter nights.

Edited by Angela James, this anthology includes:

Five Golden Rings by Jeffe Kennedy
Naughty Nicks by Christine d’Abo
Ménage on 34th Street by Elise Logan and Emily Ryan-Davis
Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin

Stories also available for purchase separately 

Five Golden Rings by Jeffe Kennedy (4)

The blurb:

On the first day of Christmas, my lover gave to me…

Matilda Campbell's plans to spend Christmas solo in the sun take an erotic turn when she encounters the handsome and enigmatic Miguel D'Oro on the plane to Mexico. As the CEO of a major firm, Tilda's used to being the one in charge—but now she'll have to learn how to take orders instead.

In the spirit of the season, Miguel offers Tilda naughty gifts for each of the twelve days of Christmas. There's just one rule: she must accept them—and fulfill his commands—or face the sensual consequences. Intrigued and aroused, Tilda agrees to let Miguel take control of her pleasure.

What follows is a week unlike anything she's ever experienced. From choosing her sexy new wardrobe and naughty accessories, to pushing her boundaries with BDSM play, Miguel satisfies every forbidden craving. But as their time together runs out, she must decide if there's room in her real life for her holiday lover and her newly discovered kinky side.

This was a fun and very kinky story. I loved the idea of ‘The Twelve Kinky Days of Christmas’ The plans Miguel has for Tilda are original and inspired, not to mention hot. My only ‘complaint’ is that the story felt a bit rushed at times, a problem no doubt caused by the length of this novella. The same is true for the short time span it takes these two characters to decide that they do want this to be more than just a holiday adventure, especially since for Tilda everything she experiences is the complete opposite of her normal persona.

 Other than that it was a pure joy to read this steamy story.

Menage on 34^th Street by Elise Logan & Emily Ryan-Davis (4.5)

The blurb:

“Katrina and Owen Holland have the perfect marriage, a home in the trendiest part of Baltimore, and a scorching sex life. As another Christmas approaches, there’s only one thing still on Kat’s wish list: Hunter Croft. But she made peace long ago with his decision to choose the marines over their relationship. Until seeing him again arouses feelings she thought were in the past…

Hunter has spent a decade outrunning his attraction to both Kat and Owen. But now that he’s stateside, his self-control crumbles when he comes face to face with the two people who star in all his favourite fantasies. Their reunion is both erotic and emotional – and has Hunter wondering if three is really a crowd, after all.

Owen can’t imagine his life without Kat. But he can imagine a future where the three of them live and love under one roof. Owen and Kat have shared their bed with other men, but Hunter is the only one who could ever have a place in their hearts. And this holiday season, Owen intends to make their dream a reality.

I won’t say a lot more about this story because the full story-line can be found in the blurb. I will say that I loved it. The dynamic between these three people is fascinating and realistic. I was so happy that conflicts were resolved through conversation, and that, although there were emotional outbursts and reactions, common sense prevailed.

I’m very grateful that the authors didn’t make this story too easy. This wasn’t a case of they love each other so they’ll live happily ever after. No, even by the time the story ends you know that these three people will be in a relationship that requires work and compromise on all sides, that things won’t always be easy or smooth for them. And because these are three very likeable characters, you can’t help hoping that they will succeed and find a way to make it work. I’m delighted to see that there will be a sequel to this story and am very much looking forward to reading it.

Oh, and did I mention that this story is incredibly hot? Of course ménage stories, by definition, allow for a whole host of situations that can’t be achieved with ‘only’ two characters. Let’s just say the authors of this story give their readers an enticing and extensive idea of all those possibilities.

Naughty Nicks by Christine D’Abo (3.5)

The blurb:

Kim has been the coordinator at Naughty Nicks, home of the sexiest Santa strippers, every Christmas for three years—and for just as long, she's lusted after her boss. She enjoys their flirty banter and heated looks, but she's getting tired of Blake being nice when she's feeling naughty. This year, there's only one kind of Christmas bonus she wants.

With each passing holiday season, Blake's attraction to Kim has grown. But after a bitter divorce, he's not sure he's ready to jump into a new relationship, especially with an employee. One passionate kiss under the mistletoe and he realizes he's had enough of looking and not touching. Fortunately, he knows the perfect way to seduce Kim—a private striptease to prove she's the only elf for his Naughty Nick.

Novellas are strange things. Occasionally they’re just right but more often than not they feel too short, leaving me with the feeling that I would have gotten more out of the story if only it had been longer. Not so with “Naughty Nick”. I can’t help feeling that this story would have been at least as good as it is, if not better, if it had been a bit shorter. For me the whole will they or won’t they come to their senses went on for too long.

Other than that, I enjoyed the story. The characters were nice and vivid; the heat level was high and the sex hot. I enjoyed this cute story and it most certainly got me in the mood for Christmas, not to mention a stripping Santa.

Matzoh and Mistletoe by Jodie Griffin (5)

The blurb:

Every December twenty-fifth, Rebeccah Rickman volunteers through her synagogue so that others can celebrate Christmas. Her usual mitzvah, or good deed, is assisting police officer Jeremy Kohler. But this year is different: this year, Becca is free to act on the attraction that has long simmered between her and the sexy cop.

Jeremy couldn't have asked for a better gift than discovering the woman he's fantasized about for five long years is single. But when he learns about the violence that broke up Becca's marriage, he's hesitant to pursue her. He fears his desires will scare her away—but can't deny his own need for control in the bedroom. Or his longing to instruct her in the fine art of submission…

Becca is shocked to learn that Jeremy is a sexual dominant. And despite her past, she's also aroused. But before she can explore what that means, she's going to have to put her trust in Jeremy—and her own fledgling desires.

Let me start by saying that I adore Jody Griffin’s stories. I love her Doms and the strong submissives she creates. Her books and stories, this one included are romantic, sexy and very hot. When she takes her readers into the world of BDSM she introduces them both to the dominating and the caring side of this dynamic. Her Doms, and Jeremy in ‘Matzoh and Mistletoe’ is no exception, are first and foremost loving and caring men who put the needs of the women who submit to them first. They may not be able to deny their need to dominate, they make very sure their submissives get what they want and need. Even if the woman in question doesn’t always know theat what she’s getting is exactly what she wants.

I loved the care Jeremy took with Becca in this story. Just as I loved Becca’s willingness to investigate what the man she had been interested in for five years had to offer, even if it scared her and brought back memories she’d rather forget. This is a tender love story first and foremost with BDSM the vehicle through which the tenderness is shared. It was wonderful to join Becca on her journey while she discovered what her fantasies – the same fantasies her ex-husband had shamed her for – where like when experienced for real. Watching Jeremy while he introduces her to the beauty of power-exchange, taking care to not push her over the edge, was heart-warming.

I’m running out of ways to express how much I enjoyed this book, so let me finish by saying that it’s hard not to adore a book that combines a beautiful love story, with smoking hot scenes and a wicked sense of humor.

“Daring a Dom to prove that you don’t have any more orgasms in you? You might as well wave the red flag at the bull, babe.” - Jeremy

When I discovered that Jodie Griffin didn’t have any plans to return to her Bondage & Breakfast books my heart sank. Having read this book my worries have dissipated. I have ever confidence that this is one author who will not let me down; regardless of the characters she decides to write about.

FORBIDDEN OBSESSIONS

TITLE: FORBIDDEN OBSESSIONS

AUTHOR: JODIE GRIFFIN

Pages: 140

Date: 07/09/2013

Grade: 5

Details: no. 4 Bondage & Breakfast

            Received from Carina Press

            Through NetGalley

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Bondage & Breakfast was a safe place for couples to explore BDSM—until an arsonist almost destroyed it. While the inn is closed for repairs, owner Gabe McConnell allows injured firefighter Olivia Watterson to stay and recover as a favor to a mutual friend. His attraction to her is unexpected and intense—but there's no way she's strong enough for the type of play he demands from a sub.

When she arrives at the inn, Liv is shocked—and intrigued. Her unanticipated obsession with the sexy, skilled Dom makes her all the more impatient with her slow recuperation. Even more frustrating is the way Gabe handles her like fragile glass, and she's determined to prove she's anything but by pushing her body to the limit.
Holding back should be easy for Gabe, but the more Liv challenges his limits, the more he craves her, body, mind and heart…”

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“That’s not a flagpole, princess. It’s a whipping post.”

In the last paragraph of my review for “Forbidden Fires” I wrote that I hoped Jodie Griffin would give Gabriel McConnell his own story and his own happy ending.  And what do you know? Sometimes you do indeed get exactly what you’ve asked for. “Forbidden Desires” is Gabe’s story, and boy is it a good one!

In this book we’re introduced to two strong and independent characters both struggling with issues that have turned their image of themselves upside down. Olivia is recuperating after the work related accident that nearly left her paralysed. She’s weak, but she’s getting stronger. She’s not sure if she’ll ever be able to face a fire hose again but she’s working on it. She has her own life to fix and is not ready for anything complicating it for her. And yet, there is this attraction to Gabe and everything he represents. There’s the way he makes her feel every time he calls her princess; the way her body just wants to do what he tells her to do, even while her mind is questioning the wisdom of it.

Gabe on the other hand may appear in control of his life, but he has his own set of insecurities to struggle with. He isn’t entirely sure if he wants to continue with his Bondage and Breakfast after everything that has happened. His confidence has gotten a knock and he’s not convinced that he still has what it takes or is what he needs to be to deliver the BDSM training like he did in the past. Even more confusing though is his reaction to Olivia. He knows that he could never have a relationship with anybody who was incapable of submitting to him. He knows that Olivia isn’t physically strong enough to fully submit to everything he might want to subject her to right now, and he isn’t sure that she will ever be. And yet he is attracted to her in a way he hasn’t been to anyone else, ever. 

Jodie Griffin gives these two characters a much tougher ride than she has given the couples in the previous books, but boy are they up to the challenge.

It was so much fun to see the experienced Dom, well used to keeping his urges in check, struggling with his desire to introduce Olivia to his life-style. With every single day she stays with him his need to dominate her grows stronger and harder to ignore. Yet, fragile as she is, Gabe knows Olivia isn’t physically up to what he would like to introduce her to. Or is she?

Taken from the TLD's FB page

Olivia is completely new to the idea of Domination and submission. She’s heard about BDSM but knows little to nothing about it and has never really given it a second thought. From the moment she meets Gabe though, her submissive side rises to the surface. 

“Every fucking time he said anything that could be taken in a sexual way, either intentionally or accidentally, her reaction was classic submissive.”

Olivia is also getting ever more frustrated with Gabe’s protective – in her eyes overly protective – attitude towards her. She may be recuperating, she’s not weak. And Gabe’s refusal to take their play further confirms to her that not only does he see her as weak now, he sees her as not strong enough to submit to him full stop. 

Gabe will have to trust Olivia to use her safe-words when necessary and trust himself to be the experienced Dom that he is, while Olivia will have to learn to trust that Gabe knows what he is doing and does see her as a strong and beautiful woman if these two characters, who are so clearly made for each other, are going to build a future together.

This was a wonderful book. I adored Gabe and Olivia and their love story. There was nothing contrived about the issues they were dealing with. We may not read about it often but in real life there are of course lots of people with (health) issues which mean that they can’t just accommodate whatever form of intimacy they or their partner may desire. It was refreshing to have this book deal with this issue and come up with solutions that were both realistic and uplifting.

This book provides us with two characters struggling with issues that resonate with the reader and deals with them in a way that makes sense. The reader doesn’t have to pick sides in this story, there is no right versus wrong here. In fact I could understand and sympathise with both Gabe and Olivia. 

And, just in case you're worried that the fact that Olivia isn't able to engage in a a fully-fleshed BDSM scene means that this book is any less hot than its prequels, let me reassure you. If anything, the fact that Gabe and Olivia are forced to hold back while so obviously burning with need for each other adds an extra dimension of hotness to this story.

As always, Jodie Griffin’s writing is smooth and her conversations sparkle:

“I take it you’re used to getting your way.”

I loved the way the relationship between these two people slowly developed from being strangers to being two people who need to be together. It felt natural and unrushed and led to a wonderful climax in which only complete honesty could keep them together.

But most of all, Jodie Griffin writes a wonderful and very sexy love story. This is pure reading enjoyment! And I can only hope that the author won't abandon the B & B completely now that Gabe has gotten his story.

“All she knew was that every single thing he told her he’d do to her had made her hotter and wetter than she’d ever been with, and for, any man.”