2 in 1 Novella Time

Hawthorne

Author:Sarah Ballance

Publisher: Astraea Press

Date of Publication: July 2011

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it took ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. She sought peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she found was an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she could right.

Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett never forgot about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents revealed a truth that could cost him everything. What he found gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

Hawthorne is a really quick read, but there is a lot packed into it.  It's chilling story about lost loves and uncovering deep dark secrets.  I don't really want to discuss the plot too much because that would really ruin it for you.  Suffice it to say that I was very surprised at the ending and never saw it coming.  This is a must read that you don't want to miss.  Normally, I think that novellas should be longer.  I always want to read more about the characters. In this case, I think it was just the perfect length.  I definitely recommend this one and look forward to reading more by Ms. Ballance in the future.

Lust in the Library

Author: Amelia Fayer

Publisher: Avon Impulse (HarperCollins)

Date of Publication: March 2012

Some like it hot, and some like it in the reference section

Sara is having a love affair with books. But, since books can't make love to you, it means she's in the middle of a very long dry spell. Until a sexy Brit shows up. Suddenly she's learning just how stimulating a library can be—up against a bookcase, behind the card catalog, on the circulation desk . . . 

Meanwhile, Veronica is incredibly frustrated. While Sara and her new man are using the library as their personal adult playground, she's stuck with only her thesis and her sexual fantasies. But Andrew, her crush, isn't above using his . . . assets to get Veronica right where he wants her: alone, in a darkened corner of the stacks.

Who knew reading could be this pleasurable?

As you can probably surmise from the title, this novella is definitely erotica.  Unlike the book above, this one has some very steamy, yet tastefully written love scenes.  There are 2 different stories within the novella.  I think I liked Sara and William's story the best out of the two.  They have been lusting after each other for months and when they  finally do something about it, it is explosive.  I felt like I could believe in their relationship and their HEA.  Not so much in Veronica and Andrew's case. I felt like they were more immature about things that initially went wrong and I wasn't convinced there would be anything lasting. 

While I enjoyed the short story, I did feel like there was a lot of repetitve phrases within the love scenes themselves.   Veronica and Andrews scenes were very remeniscent of Sara and William's, so they didn't hold much appeal for me.  I feel like the author would have done better to mix things up a bit.  If you like erotic tales, then you will probably like this one.  Give it a shot when it hits the stores.