"Fun, fast read -- supernatural erotica"

This is an anthology of three erotic tales, all of which begin at a Halloween party in Salem. Massachusetts, where a mysterious crone sends three ladies into the beds of their true loves.

In Lee's story, "Bloodlust", a woman turning 40 catches the eye of a handsome stranger dressed as Dracula -- only to learn her hot new lover really is a vampire, and that she has a vampiric rival for his affections. I liked Erika and Mikhel; it was a lovely change to see a heroine who isn't in her early 20s and skinny as a rail, and even better to run into a vampire who isn't angst-ridden (Anne Rice has a lot to answer for with Louis in Interview With a Vampire). This was an original treatment of a favorite legend, and I'd like to see more of the Dumont family and the intriguing vampire society Lee hints at here. (Fuck Fests as a regular way to spice up family gatherings?)

In "A Little Too Charming", Treva Harte's heroine Janna departs the party for a business meeting with a potential employee she knows nothing about, but finds herself caught in web of magic woven by Treadwell Grimes. It seems those dreams she's had of being interrogated by witchhunters have a foundation in reality -- she is descended from one of the falsely accused Salem witches, and he from a true witch who went along with the hysteria out of fear and was cursed by her innocent ancestor from the gallows. (Accuracy check: NO ONE named O'Neill died at Salem.) Ted feels the need to make up for his ancestors's cowardice and break the curse. After a night of passion, Janna wonders what was real and what was a spell.

This was my favorite story, though it definitely played fast and loose with Salem's witchy history -- and wasn't completely accurate in its depiction of Wicca, which is a religion as well as a magical system; it had more to do with the series CHARMED than with real Wiccans. Still, it was a respectful treatment of both, and the minor tinkering with history can be forgiven when you have a male witch this sexy and love scenes steamy enough to heat up a cauldron. My only real complaint is that Janna's turning on him in the morning doesn't quite ring true -- she knew he was a witch BEFORE they made love, so why freak out when she realizes he actually MEANS it?

"Naughty Nancy" by Jaid Black was my least favorite, although I liked the formerly plump and plain heroine who finds herself literally out of this world and in the arms of a shape-shifting alien. First of all, let me state that I'm not a big fan of this sort of close encounter, nor do I find red-eyed gargoyles sexy. And I really didn't care for the yenni -- they sound entirely too much like a redneck's dream woman: brain-dead Barbies who love sex and ask for nothing in return. I couldn't help wondering if "Gor" being part of the planet's name wasn't a reference to the John Norman series, because yennis seem remarkably like his brain-washed kajira (only they are human). Add to that the fact their first sexual encounter is a tad too close to a rape for my taste. However, with all that said, if you ever fantasized about sex with a gargoyle or with an alien, and don't mind a touch of rape fantasy (yes, she is aroused, but no, she really doesn't have a lot of choice: it's either put out or end up as a splat after a long fall from his nest), you'll find the sex steamy enough, if rather pedestrian, and a lot of people seem to love the universe this story is set in. It just isn't my cup of tea. Because I liked Nancy so much, I'd be willing to give Black a second chance, because there is talent here.

This threesome is a fun, fast read, and I'd probably try something else by all three authors -- but Treva Harte's tale was the only one which really gripped me. I'm a sucker for supernatural erotica, especially if it's set in Salem, Massachusetts, on Halloween. I really wanted to like this anthology of romantica stories better than I actually did.

Sensuality Guide: Hot, monogamous sex -- with aliens, and vampires and witches

Available in 4 formats: Adobe (PDF), MS Reader (LIT), Rocketbook (HTTML), or Mobipocket (ISBN number different for each format)

Reviewed by Gillian Fitzgerald
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted December 28, 2001

Summary

"Bloodlust" by Marilyn Lee: Schoolteacher Erica Kalai is always warning her female students against letting teenage boys sweet talk them into bed. But on her 40th birthday, she encounters a man dressed as her favorite anti-hero, Dracula. One look at the younger, strangely compelling giant, and Erica is soon out of her clothes and into his arms. It won't take her long to figure out, however, that she's put herself into the clutches of a real Dracula...

"A Little Too Charming" by Treva Harte: Janna doesn?t believe in magic, or witches, or fate, or even love anymore. Such fairy tales as romance are for women who don?t have to live in the real world. What she?d really like is some hot sex just to satisfy her hormones. Once Jana gets a good look at Ted Grimes she has a very hard time keeping her mind on business. He practically kisses her senseless before he even says hello. Something really weird is going on. Is Ted her destiny? Or is this man who's reputed to be a witch just A Little Too Charming?

"Naughty Nancy II - Book 4 & 1/2: Trek Mi Q'an" by Jaid Black: Nancy Lombardo is determined to become a new woman. No more wearing spectacles, no more pulling her hair back into a tight spinsterish bun, and no more spending every night alone and sexless. Nancy gets more than she bargained for when she's whisked away to a planet of Barbarians and claimed for a mate by an eight-foot tall shape-shifting predator.