"Erotic Valentine anthology with something for everyone."
FOREVER is supposed to be a Valentine's anthology, though
that isn't really reflected throughout the book. There is
some mention made of the holiday, but that's it. The three
stories vary widely in setting and flavor, meaning that
this is a great introduction to the works that Ellora's
Cave publishes. There are quasi-historical, futuristic, and
fantasy settings -- all with the quirky paranormal elements
and hot sex that the publisher is known for. Touch Me by Louisa Trent Catherine Covington is a witch and a psychic. She is also a
reincarnated soul, having once been Euphremia Prim. Since
childhood she has helped the authorities find missing
children, but now she has found missing CIA operative John
Hawk. There is a bond of destiny between them -- they are
linked in both past and present. Once rescued, Hawk is driven to find the woman who came to
him in his dreams. Unknowingly, he is to complete the saga
of long-dead Mistress Prim and Hawk, her Indian lover. Touch Me is an enjoyable adventure, though the mention of
Valentine's Day is scant. Catherine is a fun heroine -- you
want to read about her. The romance mainly takes place
through a series of flashback-like visions, however, not in
the present. Overall, a good story. A Man Called Lust by Stephanie Burke Once a year, Sinopee can travel through a magical mirror
and escape the dead world that she lives in. It is a man
who calls her there -- a man with violet eyes full love and
passion. On this occasion, however, their day is
interrupted. Sinopee is taken to the Citadel, Luster's
home, and will see more of the strange world that she
visits than she ever wished to know. A great story -- definitely the best in the book. The
descriptions of those who dwell in the magical land are
fabulous, and the relationship between Sinopee and Luster
is one of dreams. Lots of hot sex -- including a
masturbation scene with a knife-hilt -- and a mystery of
sorts as well. A fun story that's easily re-readable. The Quest: Hunter's Passion by Marilyn Lee Jemi Hunter has mourned her dead husband Cody for five
years, and when she gets a note in his handwriting she
finds herself waiting in a dirty, deserted shack in the
middle of nowhere, hoping to see him again. She is shocked
when a huge cat appears and speaks to her in Cody's voice. She enters a world -- a body -- entirely different from her
own, and finds Hunter, the cat-like being that shares a
body with Cody. She is drawn to him in ways that she cannot
explain, but what can she do when the body she inhabits is
sworn to another and they are forbidden to mate? Not to
mention the fact that the woman who owns the body she
inhabits is after her former husband... This is a romance between Jemi and Hunter, though that is
really not clear for some time. The shifting from one world
to the next is somewhat confusing as well. The sex -- and
there's a lot of it -- is graphic. The end is abrupt. Lee
does a great job getting into the female alien's head, and
the sex is amazingly varied and unique.
Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted March 8, 2002
| 
