Loves Potion - Monica Jackson

From my review blog, All the Colours of Romance:

Love's Potion
Author: Monica Jackson
ISBN-13: 978-0758211613
Kensington Dafina Sept 2005

Jasmine Flynn, CPA, never imagined that the old perfume bottle she'd picked up in a junk store would change her life. But when the djinni (that's djinni, not genie, if you please) appears and Jasmine takes one look at the most handsome man she's ever seen, she decides to play along and make a wish. After all, what woman wouldn't wish for a man like Raziq--tall, lean, and breathtakingly gorgeous--but can she ever trust a man again after what she's been through? As Raziq explains the ins and outs of magical wishes, Jasmine learns more than she ever wanted to know about demons, sorceresses, and otherworldly powers until, without warning, Jasmine and Raziq find themselves in the midst of a war between the powers of good and evil, as well as a battle for her own heart...

---

Somewhere between Taupo, NZ and Auckland, NZ, the library's copy of this book, along with my notes for this review went missing (aka, Anne didn't pack it on one of her many stops to visit family on her whirlwind trip home). So this review is going to be a little more brief than I'd anticipated.

Love's Potion was a fairly light hearted, funny, sexy little romance story. That might sound like I'm calling it a little trite, considering it's a paranormal and the storyline is very much about the fight between good and evil, but with many of the heavy on the emo, oh-my-the-world-is-so-dark-and-twisted paranormal offerings of late it doesn't compare - and that's not a bad thing. Personally, a paranormal romance with a little comedic kick to it is right up my alley. Seriously, Demons and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night don't have to be all about the deep, dark and oh noes the world is ending drama -- you can have fun while saving the world :)

The covering-front-for-my-bruised-and-emotionally-squishy-insides zingers that passed between our Heroine, Jasmine, and her unlikely, right-from-the-bottle Djinni, Raziq, kept a smile on my face throughout the story. I especially loved this wry little observation by our Djinni Hero, Raziq

"Maybe. But he was the one who made the vows. He had his cake, over ate it, and thought he could vomit out the consequences. He betrayed his family, and accepted your love, then trampled on it. He did the greater evil."

Loved, loved, loved the image this gave me. (There was another one I'd marked in the book to highlight, but I can't find it now in the pdf ARC)

It's not a long book - about category length I'd guess, judging by the reading time - but Ms Jackson manages to give us quite a bit of a view into the 'other' world Jasmine finds her eyes opened to. I could quite sympathise with calling in for a mental health day after getting her first taste of the spirit world she'd previously been blind to. But although the world seemed rather interesting it suffered some from lack of depth. There are quite a number of side players in the story, maybe too many, as it seems the story take some sort of turn at each new person you meet, which kind of rushes you through some of the journey Jasmine and Raziq end up on. Having not read any of Ms Jackson's other paranormals, I'm not sure if these are a reoccurring bunch of characters from other books, or setting up for sequels.

I'd definitely recommend Love's Potion to someone wanting a short, quirky paranormal read - if nothing but for the yummy Djinni goodness of Raziq:

He was tall, at least six feet, two inches, with deep bronze skin. He wore jeans that fit his long, sexy thighs like a glove and a white T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up on his muscled biceps. His hair was cropped short with crispy big black curls. A gold hoop earring encrusted with tiny diamond and sapphire stones dangled from his left ear. His features were chiseled and so handsome, he was breathtaking. His wicked grin showed teeth so white they gleamed.

(where do I find his Djinni bottle, hubba hubba)

I understand this is the first book of three, and I think I nabbed the 2nd book while I was at the library (no I didn't take that with me, so it's still safely in the library book bag) so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.

From RT Magazine

Tea for Three 4 stars: This compelling story delivers an emotional punch with its glimpse inside a long-term relationship that's about to undergo a major change. You can feel the heat in the steamy and passionate sex scenes, some between two males and others with two males and a female. But it's the characters you come to care about that keep the pages quickly turning. --Sandra Garcia-Myers

Red Skirt, Cool Fountain 3 stars: Douglas delivers a tale of lust and love, taking readers on an erotic journey of self-discovery. Although this is an enjoyable read if you're up for something different, the characters do not fully connect, and lust, not love. There are some M/M and M/F/M scenes.-Janean Sparks

Review

Accidentally Were? was a funny, erotic and fascinating book. It has everything that I look for in a great book-love, sex, humor, sex and adventure. Pearl (Miss Priss) and Rex (Mr. Proudly Plaid) were extremely well-written character who could easily have been my neighbors-if Weres existed. Ms. Douglas had a wonderful grasp on her craft and allowed me to suspend disbelief. Rex had planned to be a bachelor, but as soon as he and Pearl first made love, I knew that he was doomed. I strongly suggest that you have a toy or a partner when you read this book -- you will need one. I would have loved to have been there and watched them. There were secondary characters who fit into the plot and helped move it along. I could not stop reading from the moment that I started. Enjoyable does not begin to describe Accidentally Were? Ms. Douglas is one of my newest favorite authors. Relatively new, she has an amazing voice. More, please, Ms. Douglas!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Marcy Arbitman
December 21, 2007

Okay, my ego likes hearing 'amazing voice', and new favourite author :), and as for the more...it's in the works!

Advice for new authors

Over at AOER we've worked at putting together some pages with advice for new writers, from a relatively new writers perspective. I thought that I'd repost the ones I authored. I hope you find the information useful, new or older author alike.

Reviews - both the joy and the bane of an author’s existence.

Will they like it? Did they hate it? Does anyone really read reviews? Do readers take notice of the one bad amongst the many good?

The reality is that every reader is different. Take me for example - while I take note of reviews I’m not strictly guided by them. Unless of course every single review says don’t touch this with a barge pole. In fact I have read many books that have been panned by reviewers and enjoyed them, and of course thrown many books against the wall in disgust that reviewers have gone gaga over.

Reviews can be biased, unfair, indignant and rude. They can also be a gratifying love fest that lets you know that all that work you did was worth it. The best word of advice I can give about reviews is to take them all with a grain of salt. Enjoy the good ones, learn from the bad ones, but most of all don’t let them affect your enjoyment of the process of writing. But biggest tip of all - don’t get to believing your own hype, after all your only as good as your last book!

Reviewing itself comes into the line of fire at times. Many reviews are little more than a regurgitated blurb with an "I liked/didn’t like it" tagged on the end, while others will discuss plot progression, dialogue, character building - they run the whole gamut giving you a good run down of just what it was like to read that particular book. Both styles of reviews have their good and bad points. Readers all read in differing ways - from just zoning out/taking a little rest to immersing themselves whole heartedly into a novel, inspecting and dissecting as they go. Review styles cater to both. For some people a simple "hey this was good" is enough, others want to know why it was good.

We are lucky at Loose Id to have a person in charge of sending out ARC (advance reader copies) or blurbs to review sites. This makes the job of being a writer a little easier. That’s not to say that that is the be all and end all of getting your book reviewed, because it sure isn’t!

There are many other avenues for you to explore on the internet, locally, and nationally to get your book out there to a greater audience. They take a bit of hunting out, but they are out there and can be very effective means for generating new readers who don’t know eBooks even exist. Look around next time you go out to eat - all those free newspapers/arthouse magazines - you guessed promo opportunities. Have you ever thought of submitting an article to your local papers about what you do or the ePublishing world? Indeed all of those suggestions all have review sections - why not bring the world of eBooks to their attention!

Just because you write eBooks doesn’t mean that you can’t have printed reviews. Romantic Times and Affair de Coeur are two well known romance review sites that publish monthly newsletters available through subscription or your local bookseller. But be aware, there are rules and unfortunately many reviews are tied up with being a "big name" or an advertiser.

This is the list of internet review sites as provided by the lovely L2 over at Loose Id. These are a great starting base for having your work reviewed
online.

• www.coffeetimeromance.com

• http://fallenangelreviews.com

• www.justeroticromancereviews.com/home.html

• www.romancejunkies.com/mainpage.html

• http://www.romrevtoday.com/

• http://www.roadtoromance.ca/index.htm

• http://www.theromancestudio.com/

• http://wwwaromancereview.com/reviews/

• http://www.cupidslibraryreviews.de/

• http://theeroticbookworm.tripod.com/

• http://www.ecataromance.com/Home_Page

• http://www.erotic-escapades.com/

• http://enchantedinromance.bravehost.com

• http://www.enchantedramblings.net

• http://www.euroreviews.r8.org

• http://www.inthelibraryreviews.net

• http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/reviews.html

• http://www.geocities.com/literarynymphs/

• http://www.loveromances.com

• http://www.novelspot.net/

• http://www.thepinkposse.net/

• http://tcm-ca.com/home.html

• http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/

• http://www.ror-reviews.com/Home.html

Please feel free to leave a comment of new review sites and I'll add them to my list :)

Review Snippets

Well, Making Out isn't that long, so they have to be snippets :)

RRTerotic:

RRTE Rating: Multiple O's

Present Day

Brian and Matt are tired of their lover Jo worrying about work, pregnancy tests, and so on. They decide to surprise her with a trip - a week long relaxing vacation. However, Jo isn't happy her two lovers have kidnapped her. So what's a gal to do when she's being dominated by her two favorite men? Why...retaliation of course. A road trip, a sultry smile, and a well-executed dare, ends with Jo getting exactly what's coming to her. My oh my! Punishment never felt so good. In Anne Douglas's MAKING OUT, readers get to see what's been going on between Matt, Brian, and Jo (see PERSUADING JO), and experience some of the most intense sex the three of them have ever had. Whew! Is it hot in here or what?

Coffee Time Romance:

The previous book in this series told the story of Jo and the men she loves, Matt and Brian. The McCabes: Making Out makes a nice addition to the original tale. I always enjoy learning more about characters that are truly endearing as these three characters are. Ms. Douglas gives fans of m/m/f menage stories another terrific reason to run out and buy a great book. Anyone who has read The McCabes: Persuading Jo needs to add this gem to their collection, and anyone who has not should get both books and have a great time reading about this trio of fabulous characters.

The Claiming of the Courtesan

I said in an earlier post that I was going to write a review of Anna Campbell’s, Claiming of the Courtesan, because she sent me a big bag of Cherry Ripes (these are so far from the American version of Cherry flavoured it's not funny!). But I’m a hard woman to buy off, lol. Cherry Ripes or no, I’ll say it how I see it.

Stephanie Laurens comments on the front cover ‘Regency noir - different and intriguing.’ Lorraine Heath on the back says ‘Anna Campbell is an amazing, daring, new voice in romance.’ I'll definitely agree with different and daring. This is not your everyday historical romance. (It probably didn’t help that the book I finished before this, was Sally Mackenzie’s, The Naked Earl.)

I won’t go into a synopsis of the story; you can find that all over the internet and indeed at the author’s website (which is a rather nice website FYI). Instead I’m going to wax on about how I felt at the end of this book.

I actually left this book in the middle and came back to it the next day - something unusual for me. I’m usually the one like a chocolate addict - licking at the wrapper till every single taste of a flake of that creamy goodness is gone - but this time I wanted to take a little time in the middle to process. Blame this on the furor over The Scene. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you… the one everyone’s either whispering about, or else screeching from the high heavens over. I wanted to be able to render a good view on it.

But I’ll get to that in a minute, because the book deserves better treatment than to be seen as just one scene from its entirety. What did I think of the book when I got to the end? To be frank, it won’t be on that infamous keeper shelf reviewers harp on about (I don’t have one, actually, but since I haven’t disposed (sold/donated) of any books lately, it’s heading to one of my many ‘book boxes’ that litter my garage and get picked over now and then for rereads).

You still want to know why, don’t you? Well it’s not because of the much talked about rape scene. In general, the book wasn’t any better or worse than any of the other well recieved storylines in the mile-high pile of historicals I’ve read, but I felt it had its issues. Mainly that it flip-flopped more often than John Kerry on the election trail. I also found myself pulled out of the flow of the story a few times, having to reread certain sections because a random line now and then just floated out there in space, not making a hell of a lot of sense to me, and I’m the queen of sentences that start, or go, nowhere - maybe it’s a down-under thing? But on the flip side, I got well into the characters heads - the desperation and brooding atmosphere that abounded through both the hero and heroine.

You know, my sister’s going to laugh when she reads this, because she’s been saying the same thing about a current manuscript she’s been reading for me, but you don’t have to bash the reader over the head again and again. Once or twice, maybe even three times, but the persistent yes I do, no I don’t got a bit much. I realize it was important to understanding the characters, but it got to the point of being annoying, and I don’t like to be on the outs with my H/h.

That said, whoa!, what a pair of lead characters! My hat’s off to you at taking a different road with these two. Of course the idea of the demirep and the Lord is nothing new, but when you team it with a woman who nearly has a split personality, and a man who is obsessive and compulsive, it gets different quickly. Stephanie Laurens was very correct in my opinion, Black Regency indeed.

There wasn’t much to like about these two people, and that worked, they were real in a way that would have been true then, and now. Each had their own profound, dark idiosyncrasies that led to rather destructive behavior from both parties. At the close of the last page and the obligatory HEA, I was left with a profound sense of obsession and possession.

That’s what this book was all about for me; black, soul deep, obsessive, possessive need. From the heroine’s desperate desire to lock away the side of her psyche that enjoyed her acts as a mistress, to the hero’s bleak, fixated, need for his mistress.

After all those enduring shadows I still don’t know that I like the ending as it stands. It felt like another one of those flip-flops I mentioned before - almost like there had been something edited out. I don’t know about anyone else, but with all that had gone before, I was ready for a dose of matricide that sent the hero into a tailspin that, like his nightmares about his father, only the heroine was able pull him out of. Not the ‘insane asylum or the back and beyond, mother, make a choice’ the heros mother was given.

At the same time, keeping with the story preceding it, I’m glad that ending wasn’t the cookie cutter ‘you are my duchess, society will accept your or face my wrath’. Much like the rest of their story, their future would be isolated, but since they now had each other, not lonely.

You know, this is why I hate the idea of doing reviews. I just know an author’s going to pick up one of my books and go ‘wtf’s this bitch talking about, she’s got plot holes and inconsistencies you could drive a mack truck through!’, ack.

Now, The Scene… aw man, just get over it already.

Here I was expecting the WWF of romance land, complete with hair and blood flying. Talk about an anti climax! Maybe it’s because I read a lot of erotic romance where just about anything goes, but this scene rated on the ‘well, that was bloody shitty of him, stupid bastard’ side of the scale - especially since the pair of them had a well established sexual relationship previously. Not that I condone rape as a form of titillation, but that was so not what that scene (or the few following it) was about. It wasn’t a ‘sexy’ scene for me, it was part of that black obsession I talked about earlier - it really was a crucial way of pointing out the split between the personalities of Soraya and Verity.

Has no one else wondered in the middle of one of these hurried forced virgin scenes used copiously in historicals, why on earth there’s an abrupt about face from the heroine, who all of a sudden becomes so happy happy, joy joy? It seems ridiculous to me every time, yet when a true representation is portrayed, all of a sudden there’s an uproar. It wasn’t even a very violent scene - emotional, yes, but not physically violent. Not that it makes that much of a difference to a rape victim - I’m not trying to trivialize that by any means. But was this really that much more shocking than any other numbers of forced seductions scenes in hundreds of other historicals?

When did reality go on the outs? Is Disney producing historical romance novels now? (Don’t get me started on Disney movies, rofl).

Romance, no matter how much we like to read it so, isn’t all fluffy and light. It’s messy and angsty, and full of crap like husbands demanding their conjugal rights, and people obsessed with their partners - the death statistics tell us so, and I doubt it was any different 100-200 yrs ago.

And that’s the reason I’m willing to buy the next Anna Campbell novel - not because she sent me Cherry Ripes or the next Shakespear - but because she served up dark, intense, passion that wasn’t in the majority, attractive. She took a pretty out there tack for a debut author, and I definitely give her and Avon props for that (plus she sent me Cherry Ripes, people. I mean... I owe her something!).

Pet Meme

Over at EREC today Meowmies has her review up. This was quite a fun idea of Emily's, to have our pets do a review.

Here's a copy :


Meow Bloggers.

My Humans address me with the inglorious name of Meowmies, on other days the slightly more regal Puss Puss Mao Mao… sometimes just plain old 'get out of my way you damn Cat'.

You, on the other hand, may call me Princess.

One of my humans has this little past time that equally amuses and frustrates her. I can't fathom it myself; I'd rather spend my time lazing in my box with my favourite blanket, or racing around the house chasing fairies, elves and other figments of my imagination while generally acting deranged, but I digress.

My human -- she goes by the name Anne Douglas some days -- has been busy tapping away at that plastic thing with all those buttons lately, and forgetting all about petting me and just shoving me out of the way of this box thing with the pretty lights. She says she's busy writing -- me, I just think she's a little insane. Not too much though, after all, a Princess as pretty as me can't be associating with those weird, schizophrenic types now can she?

I did notice though, that under this comfy pile of odd assorted paperwork there's a folder with lots of black squiggles and pencil marks - paw prints are much more aesthetically pleasing, by the way -- my human says this is her next book, Tea for Three. I've heard her talking about it, and some say cats are promiscuous - there's men and women and they're all doing some late night caterwauling, together, if you get my drift.

She seems to have a 'thing' for making up stories about guys who love guys who love girls that love guys who love girls and guys - I hope that made as much sense to you as it did to me.

I can't read to give you a blow by blow -- Puuleeease…I'm a cat, of course I can't read. (I've contracted my memoirs out to these lizards -- Loowis and Loosey -- I promised a ceasefire on their gecko cousins in the back yard in payment…again I'm digressing; my human has a habit of this too).

So…I can't read, but I do have ears and whooeee! I can tell you those aforesaid appendages get to burning when she starts muttering passages to herself. She just finished up this little story call Making Out - some Rites of Spring thing where these guys (and a girl, lucky her!) that were in her first book showed up again -- there was a truck, and some sex, and some cops…

I better not tell you too much though, Princess needs a new bowl of cat food so I better not let the dog off the leash and tell you how it ends, My human has to pay the bills somehow! Though I will say hot, hot, hot.

Did I mention Hot? And it's not just cause I wear real fur in Florida.

I must run, daaarlinks, I sense a new piece of furniture I must go scratch at.

Romantic Times Review

Here's the review:

The McCabes:Persuading Jo
Anne Douglas
3 Stars

Three best friends come to terms with changes in their relationship. Character development is limited by the short word count, and there are same-sex encounters, menage-a-trois and anal sex elements. This is definitely not a story for the faint at heart.

---

Summary: Jo has been jealous of the close relationship her friends Matt and Brian enjoy. She knows they’re lovers, yet she can’t help but wish she was part of their loving circle. When the rules change and they begin to pursue her, will she give in to the passion and attraction that has ruled her life for so long, or will she walk away?

Reviewer: Kristi Ahlers

I'm happy to get a review, don't get me wrong, because I thought that I might not, but surely the reviewer could have done more than just make a list of the sex scenes?

Most other reviews have at least another cm of column space, was the story that lacking that there was nothing the reviewer could find to say about it? I really don't mind the criticism - I know you might think that odd, but at this point, I don't feel I have earned enough experienced writer points to feel offended, I need criticism to learn to write better - but surely there was something else the reviewer could point out? Maybe that the heroine was plus-sized? Or maybe how the characters interacted? (though maybe that falls under the limited character development).

I do notice though that this listing of the sexual elements is typical of all that particular reviewer's reviews, so maybe its more that short and sharp is her style rather than she dislikes everything she reviews. I do like the short blurb, though, it's succinct and to the point.

Though I'm happy to see my name in lights, so to speak, I'm a little disappointed; proud as punch to see my first print ad and review (and that it received 3 stars), but a little disappointed, nonetheless.

I'm still cutting them out and framing them though.

Position Vacant isn't the redheaded stepchild...

The reviewers tell me so!

Check them out at my main site www.annedouglas.com

A new review...see if it makes you giggle...

TCM reviews just got back to me with their review of Persuading Jo.
At first I thought WTF? Then I re-read it a couple of times and started giggling. Lets see if you can come up with the same conclusion I have.

Will & Grace has a lot to answer for - NOT, one hastens to add, that author Anne Douglas has anything to apologize for on that score, but the fact remains, any ménage a trios involving two gay men, a cute female roomie, and the not-so-nagging suspicion that one or both of them want to have their way with her, is bound to draw comparisons, no matter how much the reader tries to shut the mind to the ensuing images.

Jo, Matt and Brian met when all three were at college, and it swiftly became apparent, to the boys, anyway, that the trio was destined to be together forever. But fair’s fair; Jo had the right to determine her own life, so they let her be... and, for eight long, frustrating years, they watched as she made one bad choice after another, and was nowhere nearer to finding happiness than the day she first walked through their door, and almost caught them having sex. Brian stood up just in time, but she knew what he’d been doing down there, and they knew she knew, which sets the tale up perfectly for some delirious bouts of voyeurism, shot through with stolen fragments of the lovers’ conversation. So Jo knows the score as well. She just needs to be persuaded....

Persuading Jo is a quick and exhilarating read, its 91 pages a roller coaster ride on which every scene is either setting up for sex, coming down from it, or just going at it hammer and tongs. There is a subplot, involving Jo’s creepy cousin, but it doesn’t really go any place before fizzling out in a final chapter that winds things up a lot more abruptly than it ought to. The dialogue is a little cheap, too, with the boys, in particular, cursed with a vocabulary straight out of an early 80s porn flick. For all that, however, Douglas tells her tale with vivid verve, and the hiccups are certainly overwhelmed by the highs.

Actually he raises a valid point - does my fascination with multiple partners in a loving relationship (versus wham, bam, thank you sir & madam, sex) stem from a popular culture television show?

Will and Grace had so much pointedly unexplored sexual exploration opportunities. First there is Will and Grace - wasn't the running joke that Grace turned Will gay? Is she such a fag hag because she is hoping one day he will realise that unlike all his other lovers, shes the one who hung through thick and thin with a hope that she might turn him back?

Jack and Grace - the love to hate each other relationship - more than just the biting sarcasm between them and the blatant and constant fight for Will's attention, there was the constant wonder if Jack would take the final step of finding out why Grace fascinated Will so much, to find out why he, Jack, couldn't measure up. Of course everyone else but Jack knew Will would jump in front of a bus if he had to to save Jacks ass, even if he was treated like the annoying puppy that won't let go of your pants leg.

Jack and Will - the tortured unrequited love.

Karen - oh Karen we loved to hate you - the perfect foil for them all. Trying so hard to be a bitch, and succeeding of course; but when it came to the crunch she pulled out the goodies, even if she said it was for an ulterior motive. Karen, so sexually ambiguous, you didn't know who she might be going to come on to next. Such a refreshing hurricane to keep you guessing. Would she do Jack? Rosario? Grace? Her husband? The bellboy or the waitress? What better personality to upset the Will/Grace/Jack triangle so successfully?

Karen is the one who rang true for me.
Seriously, Grace was a whiny bitch, who was totally inept at keeping her life on track. Even with Will as her crutch she got it wrong. She wasn't just a chick-lit girl, she was the chick-lit girl - if a cow had invaded New York and plopped a nice big cowpat on the sidewalk Grace would have stepped in it, then tripped over her boyfriend and landed him in it face first while exposing her underwear to the general populace.
Karen? Karen, aside from her bisexual tendencies, was a woman who had a real life. A tough time growing up, then she had compromised to her need for security by marrying Stan only to end up loving him anyway. She didn't like her step kids most days and they didn't like her, and lets face it, how many trophy wives and step kids really do like each other? Though I always got the idea that she didn't like that so much - that she would have liked to have been move involved with their lives and to have them like her. After all, that's what it was all about, she hurt people before they hurt her - a facade to cover up how desperately she really did want everyones approval.

So, in the end, do I think in my instance I am playing out a hidden desire to rewrite Will and Grace the way I wanted it to play out? No, I don't think I am. While Will and Grace had an amazing cast dynamic with an intricately woven, twisty web to tie the characters up in I would never have saddled Will with both Grace and Jack - eh could you imagine the Sunday morning bickering, and the moaning and whining? Now Rosario, Will and Karen...that would be a different story altogether!

Three new reviews

I have been waiting with baited breath for the first Position Vacant review. I have been hoping its short story status wouldn't send it to the bottom of the pile - thank you to Amanda the FAR reviewer who made my day (especially since she gave it 5 angels)!

This is pure romantic fun. Ms. Douglas does a wonderful job making this story come alive with all the novelty, characters, and antics of the North Pole. She does it with such humor and candor that it never strays into a clichéd holiday story. Santa’s helpers lend authenticity to the setting and fun to the story while still staying distinctly in the background. The relationship between Nick, Simon, and Bea takes center stage. These three are realistic characters readers can’t help but like. Even as Simon and Bea are drawn to each other, they don’t want to hurt Nick. Yet their attraction to each other is unmistakable and culminates in passionate, heartfelt love scenes. The erotic connection between Simon and Bea is well written and I love the balance between passion and caring. The ending has this reader hoping another trip to the North Pole is not far away.

FAR also reviewed Persuading Jo (with another 5 angels!)...

The McCabes: Persuading Jo is a tantalizing story that will have your blood pressure soaring as you join these two sexy men in their pursuit of Jo. This tale has been very well written and contains detailed sexual encounters, although not for everyone, I found these scenes to be very alluring and highly erotic. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the love and devotion between these characters and felt that Jo was a lucky woman. Anne Douglas has created a fantastic story with The McCabes: Persuading Jo and earned herself a new fan in the process. 5 Angels!!

Joyfully Reviewed just posted their review of Persuading Jo...

Anne always does a great job of portraying the emotional aspects of a story, but I was still surprised by the intensity of the emotions in this story on all sides. The sex was hot and extremely well-written, but above all, Persuading Jo is a reminder that love takes many forms and not always what you expect. I’m really hoping for another from Anne in this vein

Phew!

A new review for PJ

Yay! A new review for Persuading Jo, and its a good'un and all!

Joyfully reviewed

Anne always does a great job of portraying the emotional aspects of a story, but I was still surprised by the intensity of the emotions in this story on all sides. The sex was hot and extremely well-written, but above all, Persuading Jo is a reminder that love takes many forms and not always what you expect.

OUT!

And proud of it, I guess is supposed to be what comes next. But no, no closet hopping for me, instead Position Vacant is available, OUT you might say, today, right now, like you could click this link and go buy it CLICK ME (doesn't that sound slightly Alice in Wonderland'esque).

I have been furiously emailing, posting, sending to mailing lists last night and tonight. You would be surprised where my name might be popping up today!

If your one of the guys and girls from Borsboards.com (aka GoFistYourself.com - got to love that name Smalto), please, make yourself at home, I have cookies and pie!

A new review for me!

Two Lips Reviews

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Jo has been the roommate to couple Matt and Brian for years now. She has been aware of their sexual relationship and it hasn’t seemed to bother her at all. The three are the best of friends and everything is fine, mostly. Jo can’t get to a third date with any of her potential boyfriends, who either run for the hills or turn out to be gay.

Matt and Brian have known all along that Jo is their soul mate, but they’ve been biding their time, wanting her needs to be first and foremost. Now, they’re ready to let her know just how they feel in a carnal explosion that will leave them all breathless.

Persuading Jo is a great relationship-driven story. Jo’s friendship with Matt and Brian is incredibly strong and her interest in their erotic adventures is both realistic and very sexy. Matt and Brian remain strong characters yet show their vulnerability in an endearing way. Their attraction for Jo is obvious and never made me question their sexuality. Annie Douglas is a new name to me, but the way she has portrayed this ménage made a fan out of me. I’m eager to see what she has in store next for her readers.