"Three spicy tales of equinox celebrations"

"Walpurgis Night" by Katherine Kingston

Fianna, a young healer, tries to stay hidden during the celebration of the spring equinox. If caught, she has to choose between three would-be suitors and have carnal relations with him. She doesn't want any of the three young men, but the surprise appearance of Norsemen at the celebration causes her to leave her hiding place. Spotted by the boorish young men, she quickly chooses one of the Norsemen to be her companion for the night.

Henrik the Viking is surprised to be the choice of such a fetching young woman, but he agrees to one night of passion. He learns that Fianna has never experienced pleasure in her few matings with men. He promises her that this night would be different.

After that night, Fianna knows that she cares for Henrik but she doesn't share his desire to go on adventures. A family emergency causes Henrik to seek out Fianna once more. Can she do his bidding knowing that inaction will give her what she most desires?

Fianna and Henrik are ideal for each other. They fulfill each other's desires perfectly. Ms. Kingston has written a sizzling tale that I was sorry to see end.

Sensuality: Rated NC-17 by the publisher. Monogamous sex, explicit sex, oral sex, spanking, attempted rape (by secondary characters); sexually explicit scenes: 8.

"Night of Fire" by Vonna Harper

Maia's small village is in turmoil. Armed priests have recently moved to the area and have proclaimed that equinox celebrations are pagan. Maia's people believe that without the ritual of mating on the ground, crops will not take seed and flourish. Maia is chosen to go to the future and bring back the man named for the bull. He will be Maia's mate and ensure the continuation of the Bel-fire festivals.

Businessman Taron Stanten has traveled to Scotland on business, but his former college roommate encourages him to attend a local spring festival. Taron is fascinated when a sensual young woman boldly propositions him. Although she speaks in riddles and seems unfamiliar with technology, he agrees to mate with her. Is she really from another time and will he follow her back to her time?

Ms. Harper has portrayed a turbulent time in her time-travel story. Can Maia and Taron have a future together?

Sensuality: Rated NC-17 by the publisher. Monogamous sex, explicit sex, oral sex; sexually explicit scenes: 7.

"Handle with Care" by Annie Windsor

Tia Belmont is a scientist who works for Earth's government looking for signs of extraterrestrial life. The year is 3012 and mankind is on the verge of dying. A genetic virus has affected Earth's men, leaving women to outnumber men 1413:1. Few women have ever seen a man, much less had sex with one.

Brok of Kaerad hears the call from Earth and appears in Tia's lab. He is the First Priest of his people, who have few females left in their population. It would seem to be the ideal solution for the two worlds to agree to marriages between their peoples. However, there's a catch. The men of Kaerad must select their mates for compatibility very carefully, for an incompatible match can mean death to the Kaerad male.

Ms Windsor pens a steamy far-future tale in "Handle with Care". Readers will be panting for more after reading this amazing story. I thought the sex scenes were well balanced with a meaty story and regretted reaching the end.

Sensuality: Rated NC-17 by the publisher. Masturbation, monogamous sex, explicit sex, oral sex, anal sex (secondary characters); sexually explicit scenes: 8.

Reviewed by Denise Powers
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted April 6, 2003

Summary

Katherine Kingston, "Walpurgis Night"- England, 950 C.E.: On the night of the Equinox, all eligible adults must choose a partner to celebrate the night. Lovely, part-fey Fianna is both desired and feared. On the equinox, prudence dictates Fianna choose one of the young men who've been stalking her for an Equinox companion. But impulse guides her otherwise...

Henrik, an outsider like Fianna herself, a Norseman from a nearby town, finds Fianna's proposition and Fianna herself intriguing. But Henrik warns she may not find his unusual desires to her liking. Their passion is hotter than the Equinox bonfires. Their connection is foreseen true. But time and circumstance are against them...will what they have be enough, come Walpurgis Night?

Vonna Harper, "Night of Fire" - The virgin known as Maia steps from her time into the present to find Taurus, the man destined to protect her people from cruel invaders. But although he's blown away by the uninhibited young woman who throws herself at him during the excuse for seduction and merrymaking known as Beltane, Taron is very much a man of today with a business to save. A little roll in the hay is as far as it goes--or is it? One moment he's in his world, the next he's jumped through fire with Maia and into the past.

If Maia and Taurus don't mate on the night of Bel-fire, ancient beliefs and tradition will be lost. But their mating goes far beyond hot, naked sex. Beneath great spiritual fires, they begin a journey that will jeopardize their very lives.

Annie Windsor, "Handle with Care" - The women of Earth have a major problem: a genetic virus has all but eliminated men. Tia Belmont, director of Project SEARCH, spends late nights in her laboratory combing satellite grids for signs of intelligent response. As Eostre approaches, Earth's women practice the ways of the ancient Goddess, adding magic to the hard science of saving their world. But Tia Belmont doesn't believe in magic. Not until an artifact from her foremothers, an ancient ceremonial dagger, finds its way to her desk drawer. And not until that dagger helps Brok of Kaerad, First Priest of the People, answer SEARCH's long-ranging signal...in person.

As Tia studies the blue-eyed hunk of muscle leaning casually against a laboratory computer console, she knows one thing for sure. Her life-and Earth-will never be the same.

Sexual Content: NC-17. Genre: Anthology - futuristic, time travel, & historical.