Heat Rises
Author: Alice Gaines
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Date of Publication: June 12, 2012
Snowbound in a cabin . . . able to live out all her fantasies . . .
Laura Barber has dreamt of doing unspeakably delicious things with Ethan
Gould for years. Now, stuck in a mountain cabin, she just might get her
shot. Ethan offers her the chance to live out each and every one of
those desires. They may be rivals in the business world, but in the
bedroom they're a perfect match. Knowing they have only a few days,
Laura shakes off all her inhibitions. Every secret need, every
lust-filled thought . . . it's all fair game.
I enjoy reading novellas because they are a nice break from long and involved books. I usually will read a couple in between novels just to give myself a little break and a quick HEA. As I have often mentioned, the downfall is that I am often left wanting more. I was pleasantly pleased that I was not left wanting in this case. Heat Rises is a great short story. The perfect thing to read on a rainy afternoon. It is well written and very steamy. The characters were well fleshed out for a short story. I felt like I got to know them fairly well. The author did a good job of catching the reader up on both Lura and Ethan's background. Given that they had a past history, I definitely thought their affair was believable. If you are looking for a quick read, you should try his one!
Aegean IntrigueAuthor: Patricia Kiyono
Publisher: Astracea Press
Date of Publication: February 2012
Someone has been stealing priceless Greek artifacts and it's Alex Leonidis' job to uncover the thief. His prime suspect is beautiful archaeological graduate student, Francie Vasileiou. His plan is to join in an archaeological dig and catch her in the act. All he has to do is keep his mind on his job, and not on the way his lovely suspect warms his heart. He's learned the hard way not to trust fragile-looking women who seem to need his help.
Francie wants to get her PhD and become an archaeologist, like her famous father. The sudden invitation to participate in a dig on the beautiful Greek island of Paros is a wonderful opportunity. She has no time for distractions like Alex, the handsome Project Director. Experience has taught her to stay clear of handsome, charismatic Greek men.
On the shores of the Aegean Sea, Alex and Francie work together, searching for treasures from Greece's past. While pursuing their goals, they discover some of the truths they had believed to be carved in stone may have been flawed.
Aegean Intrigue is a case where I wish the book was longer. The synopsis made the book sound intriguing and I was looking forward to a good romantic suspense. I think this would have worked well as a longer novel. While I did enjoy the setting and the mystery, I wanted more about the characters. I didn't really believe the HEA for Francie and Alex. They didn't have a lot of scenes with one another and only shared one kiss that was described almost as an after thought. Because of this, I felt like their pledge of love in the end came out of nowhere for me. I was hoping for more. I did like it enough to look for other works by the author. Give it a shot and see what you think.
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