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DANGEROUS PLEASURES - Bertrice Small
La Grande Mort
NAL
Trade
ISBN-10: 0451223977
ISBN-13: 978-0451223975
August
2008
Erotic
Paranormal Romance
Egret
Pointe, England - Present Day
Annie
Miller, a forty three year old widowed mother of five, needs a
break. Her eldest son is graduating from high school and wants to
go to an Ivy League college they can't afford. Her daughter Amy is
in the ninth grade and desires the designer clothing the most
popular girls are wearing that Annie can't afford. Her twin
daughters, Lily and Rose, are dear hearts who only are concerned
with animals and her youngest son, Whoops (who was not a planned
pregnancy) is just a four year old whirlwind. Annie's husband Nat
died two years ago and she misses him terribly. Lizzie, Annie's
younger sister, knows all about Annie's struggles to make ends
meet. Hoping to help her out, Lizzie enters Annie into a contest
held by The Channel Corporation, the owners of a women's sexual
entertainment channel. Fate recognizes Annie's need and she
miraculously wins the grand prize: a week at The Channel's newest
and most luxurious spa resort. Annie's family and friends take care
of the children and for the first time in her life, Annie takes a
well deserved vacation alone.
The Spa
is everything Annie dreamt it would be. The atmosphere is relaxing
and the furnishings are elegant. Everyday Annie has facials and
messages, her clothes are pressed and waiting, her makeup and hair
is professionally done and she has her very own Personal Assistant,
Devyn. In the midst of all of this pampering, Annie's grand prize
also includes one year's subscription to The Channel. The brief
conversations Annie's heard about The Channel did nothing to prepare
her for the real thing. The Channel does not host your typical
erotic shows, instead it is an entirely interactive fantasy
machine. All you have to do is supply the fantasy and The Channel
will take care of the rest. Subscribers are transported from their
current location directly into their fantasy world. Annie is so
unsure of herself and feels extremely guilty for even trying out The
Channel, so she plays it safe by choosing Beauty and the Beast since
it was her favorite fantasy as a child. Of course, The Channel's
Beauty and the Beast is nothing like her childhood fairy tale. The
Beast she encounters is a firm believer in BDSM, multiple
partners and exhibitionism. Once Annie starts her fantasy, she is
hooked line and sinker...
The
premise of DANGEROUS PLEASURES is absolutely alluring and all too
sexy. It is centered on the ability to live out your fantasies in
an alternative reality without sacrificing your daily life and
obligations. The Spa is in the most lush environment you could
imagine. From the scented and creamy body soaps and lotions to the
chocolate mint left on your pillow, The Spa has all of this and
more. The week Annie spends there allows her to finally acknowledge
her feelings of desolation and yearnings for romance without feeling
guilt. Her children are the loves of her life but she finally
realizes that she can still be the mother they need and give herself
a little pleasure at the same time. Annie's sister, Lizzie, is a no
nonsense litigator who is extremely wealthy but knows the value of
true love and support. Annie's personal assistant, Devyn, is
about ten years her junior, sexy as sin, and seems to have a thing
for Annie.
In the
beginning, DANGEROUS PLEASURES passed all of my La Grande
Mort tests...I laughed, I smiled with anticipation, I couldn't wait
to read more and I REALLY wished that Comcast offered something
similar in the future (can you say 'lifetime member'?) But then, by
the middle of the story, Annie changed into a woman that I really
didn't like. So, I withdrew my La Grande Mort nomination. But,
when I made it to the end of the story, I was so astounded and
amazed because suddenly, it all made sense. I realized that
DANGEROUS PLEASURES is a book that is really deserving of a La
Grande Mort, which I grant so willingly. Indeed, DANGEROUS
PLEASURES is a book I couldn't get enough of!
DANGEROUS PLEASURES is on my keeper shelf and I recommend it to
readers looking for an extraordinary erotic tale with an out of this
world ending that you couldn't possibly imagine. Kudos to you Ms.
Small. DANGEROUS PLEASURES is a winner.
Ariel
Summer |
