Anthology Reviews

Page Twelve

Added June 12, 2007

Masquerade, Volume 2

Author: Jude Mason, Nikki Watson, C.J. England, Michelle Houston
Publisher: Aphrodite's Apples Press
Publisher: Aphrodite's Apples Press
Available At: www.aphroditesapples.com
Publishing Date: October 2007
Genre: Romance: Erotic/Anthology/Contemporary/Mythological
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML
Price: $7.99
Nikki Email/Website: unity-of-hours.livejournal.com/profile
C.J. Email/Website: www.cjengland.com/
Jude Email/Website: www.my-haven2001.com/
Michelle Email/Website: www.eroticpen.net
Reviewer: Lisa Lambrecht
Rating: 8 Gargoyles

Plantation House...where the Gods host exclusive parties for those they deem worthy. Invitations are issued for an entire weekend where the guests' every pleasure is met by the God of their choice.

Island of Fantasies by Jude Mason

Syne was on her way to the Plantation House annual masquerade party with a forged invitation, copied from her friend's invitation. The risk was great, but an opportunity to attend the Plantation House masquerade was too great a chance to let pass. Shown to her room by a handsome man calling himself Ares, she is offered a refreshing drink. After downing the drink, Syne realizes she was drugged as are all new guests and is now naked. She goes down to dinner and learns people aren't what they seem to be, that she isn't who she thought she was.

Island of Fantasies is a well told, erotic story. Jude Mason has written an exquisitely steamy, unique tale of a woman who knows she wants and isn't afraid to go out and get it.

Pomegranate by Nikki Watson

Patrick came home from yet another party, feeling and looking sick. In addition, he made a complete fool of himself in front of the girl he likes. To his roommate Aaron's great concern, Patrick walks unsteadily into the room and sinks against the wall. Suddenly, a mysterious man appears and takes Patrick to another world. Aaron learns Patrick has been taken to the underworld, after enticing Persephone and Hades. Will Aaron be able to save Patrick? Or is Patrick doomed to live the rest of his life in the underworld?

Pomegranate was a very interesting story to read. Author Nikki Watson has written a wonderful story showing the lengths a good friend will go to help/save another. This story was formatted quite differently than the others in this anthology. Different but not in a bad way.

Blindsided by C.J. England

Talked into going to the annual masquerade at the exclusive Plantation House by her best friend, Emma didn't know why she was going; these types of parties weren't her thing. Being blind, she brings her seeing-eye dog Delphi, not knowing pets weren't allowed. Apollo comes to her rescue, completely entranced by her beauty. He offers to grant her greatest wish for the duration of the weekend, automatically assuming she wished to see. But having her eyesight is not Emma's greatest wish. Is it already too late for Apollo to discover Emma's greatest wish?

Blindsided is a very romantic tale written by author C.J. England. We are shown one should never assume what another's greatest wish is. And sometimes, just sometimes, love can conquer all.

Worshipped by Michelle Houston

Sent an invitation to the Plantation House annual masquerade, Alicia has a feeling it might have been sent as a joke by her ex-husband. She calls her friend Athena at the New Hope Women's Shelter to make sure if the invitation was legit. Coming from a very abusive relationship, Alicia wasn't sure she was ready to take this step. However, Athena promises she is ready and not to worry as she will make sure nothing happens Alicia doesn't wish to happen. Still a bit uneasy, Alicia attends the masquerade and finds herself enthralled by not one, but two Gods, who are more than willing to help her heal and feel beautiful and passionate once again.

Worshipped was an extremely hot and fantastic story to read. Author Michelle Houston went above the bar to give us a scorching story of a woman who has been hurt in the past and two passionate, caring men who help bring passion back into her life. A very pleasurable read!

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Added May 14, 2007

Masquerade, Volume 1

Author: Skyler Grey, Kayleigh Jamison, Jamie Hill, Alisha Steele
Publisher: Aphrodite's Apples Press
Available At: www.aphroditesapples.com
Publishing Date: July 2006
Genre: Romance: Erotic/Anthology/Contemporary/Mythological
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML
Price: $5.99
ISBN-10: 0-9787401-1-4
Reviewer: Lisa Lambrech
Rating: 7.5 Gargoyles

Plantation House where exclusive parties are held by the Gods and only those deemed worthy are invited for a weekend where their every pleasure is met by the God of their choice.

Golden Lioness by Skyler Grey

Trista is extremely excited when she received an invitation to the Plantation House for their annual masquerade. She calls and tells her friends but her friends don't believe her. She doesn't care because she's not letting this opportunity pass. When Hercules comes to her in a dream, Trista knows this is the God of her choice for this party. Will she find a happily-ever-after with the man of her dreams or will she find out that the man of her dreams isn't whom she first thought it would be?

The Golden Lioness was a very well written story. While it was very erotic and hot, author Skyler Grey also told a tale of a woman finding love and romance that beats out any of her wild fantasies and finds true love right outside her own door.

Caging Kat by Kayleigh Jamison

Kat was a cat burglar and a very good one at that. She came to the Plantation House's annual masquerade in order to steal riches from the house and its occupants. When a mysterious man named Ares offers her the most valuable prize, Kate has to decide to trust him and participate in his little game. What happens if she loses? Kat must find the valuable jewel or become Ares' slave.

Water Lily by Jamie Hill

Lillian was not sure why she was invited to the exclusive Plantation House annual masquerade. She was mousy and not very pretty and her life was boring and lonely. However, she finds herself at the plantation house on a balcony, staring out over the water and feeling out of her element. A very tall handsome man joins her, introducing himself as Poseidon. She doesn't believe he is the real Poseidon until he offers to show her his world. Will Lillian take him up on his offer? What happens when the weekend is over and she must return home?

Water Lily is a wonderfully crafted story. Jamie Hill gives readers a heroine everyone can relate to; one who sees herself as plain and ordinary. Lillian just needs the right person to make her beautiful; something every woman wants and deserves.

Stay with Me by Alisha Steele

Dionysus finds himself at the annual masquerade bored senseless and bit jaded by the opposite sex. Until a mysterious woman walks into the garden turns his world around. He makes it his mission to show Sianne the world and make her his own. But will it work?

Stay with Me is a very interesting and pleasant tale to read. We have a God who is full of himself and a woman who isn't awestruck by this God. An interesting pair that makes for a enjoyable story.

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Added February 14, 2007

Bosslady

Editor: Justus Roux
Authors: Gwen Masters, Stanfield Major, Michelle Houston,
Bes R. Walker, D. Musgrave and others
Publisher: Erotic Tales Publications
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: May 2006
Genre: Erotica: Anthology/BDSM
Format: Trade paperback
Price: $19.00
ISBN-10: 0-9777788-2-7
Reviewer: Lisa Lambrecht
Rating: 8 Gargoyles

Twenty of today's best erotica authors come together in this anthology, Bosslady. Twenty tales that show women can be the alpha in any relationship.

At the Office by Gwen Masters

A married man's mistress calls him at the office for a little phone/cam sex. He is turned on even more when he sees that his mistress has an unknown woman in bondage. Each stroke of the whip to her flesh makes him harder and harder. But is this woman really unknown to him or not?

Author Gwen Masters, writes a very erotic tale that enables the reader to vividly imagine the action.

Turnabout by Stanfield Major

A bored housewife decides to go out and get a job, much to her husband's dismay. She makes friends with a younger girl and they both decide to take some college computer courses. While on her computer at home she finds that her husband has been talking and seeing other women. She takes her new-found confidence and gives a little payback to her husband.

This is a great tale that shows a woman after years of taking care of everyone else, finally taking the initiative to do something to change her life for the better.

Sensual Bonds by Michelle Houston

As Lily watches Jareth sleep, she decides to have a little light bondage fun. With his hands tied with silk ropes to the bed posts his body is hers to do with as she wishes. A little erotic fun is always a fun way to wake someone up.

Author Michelle Houston does a great job bringing a lot of women's and men's fantasies to light in her stories. A little rope, a lot of sensuous loving, what else could two people ask for? Very hot story.

She Who Must Be Obeyed by Bes R. Walker

A man gets recruited to help out a woman's organization. He must pretend to be the submissive slave for a very important woman. Do as she asks, whatever she asks with no questions asked. Will this be a role that suits him?

This was a very hot story. What woman wouldn't want to come home to a male sub of her very own? One that is there for her pleasure and her pleasure only.

Plumb Bob by D. Musgrave

A male submissive was in charge of getting the plumbing fixed in his and his mistress' house. He thought that he took care of the problem himself until there was a major water leak the same day his Mistress had a business dinner planned. He knows if his Mistress finds out he will be in deep trouble. He decides to call a plumber in and learns the plumber is a woman, one he couldn't help but stare at. Later he finds this same plumber is one of the women invited to his Mistress' dinner party. Will she keep his secret? Is he willing to pay the price she asks in order to keep his secret?

Author, D. Musgrave, weaves a fine erotic tale that shows the Femdom relationship and what lengths a male submissive will go in order to keep his Mistress from finding out that he didn't do what he was originally told to do..

In Spike, we have a woman who loves spiked heels and feels the power in wearing them. In Chained, a submissive male is chained and blindfolded in the bathroom and is at his Mistress' whim. In The Woman of My Dreams, a man is asked to go with his office buddies to a local Mud Pit to see naked women and to party, but turns down the invitation knowing that if his wife finds out he would be in more trouble than it's worth. In Caught, a space captain finally catches her prey and gets the pleasure of interrogating him. In Subway Story, a woman who regularly rides the subway sees a younger man she finds attracted to and who is attracted to her. She decides to skip work one day for a little fun with this younger submissive male. In Going the Distance, a couple is going to a party at a friend's house where the husband must compete with another male in a very unusual way. We go back in time to where a slave watches a noble being dominated in a very interesting way by a Lady in the novella In the Stable. In Stray Cat, a submissive woman finds pleasure when she helps her Dominant Mistress try on different outfits. In The Big Bust, a female superhero goes into a warehouse to catch a notorious gang. Once in there she finds she is under a sensuous spell. In The Siren, a man watches his woman as she walks across the floor, every one in the room's attention is focused on her; he doesn't know why she is with him but counts himself very lucky. In The Philotas, a slave is on the market and finds herself bought by a Mistress. At her Mistress' home she finds that her job is to take care of her owner. Another slave becomes jealous and they find themselves completing to be the top slave in their Mistress' eye. In Savage Intentions, a man and woman find themselves stranded on an Island after their airplane crashed. They come across some savages with a special ointment that makes their sexual appetites rise. In Power Shift, a secretary has had the last straw with her womanizing boss and decides to show him how it feels to be bossed about and be treated like an object. In Good Fortune, a woman decides to leave a note for the cute waiter at her favorite restaurant and wonders if he will actually show up or if she was mistaken in his interest. She wonders if he will like her Domineering ways. In Man Hunt, two men went out camping one night and found when they woke up the next morning that they were not at the same place they were when they went to sleep. In fact, they find out they aren't on the same world either but in a new and fearful world that is dominated by women and the very few men.

All the stories in Bosslady are well written and very erotic. The authors did a wonderful job bringing a lot of dominating women's fantasies to life. Or maybe just women in general. In a world where the men are the alphas and in charge of supporting and caring for their women, it's a nice change to see women taking their life by the horns and living their life the way that makes them happy and not caring what the dictates of society says. All twenty stories were a great pleasure to read and I gladly and highly recommend this anthology.

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