Sinful

Rating:
Summary: Good Anthology ... but nothing exceptional
Review: "Sinful" is a decent anthology, with four stories of generally good quality and great writing.

Unfortunately, the headlining author Suzanne Forster delivers the weakest story in this anthology. "Unbuttoning Emmalina" delivers us two interesting people in the form of Jeff and Emmalina, but then fails to really deal with the realities of their personalities. Em is touted as a "Victorian lady," but we see little of it in her reactions to Jeff and life around Jeff, and the fears resulting from her long-ago problems with her mother aren't resolved at all.

I've been enjoying the saga of the Winston brothers, and "Tangled Images" is no exception. I really enjoyed reading about Mack, maybe even more than the "C" brother stories. Foster manages to deliver well-developed characters and a decently-resolved plot in a short amount of time. This installment isn't as funny as previous installments, but it's still very well-done.

My major criticism of "Sinderella" and "Leather and Lace" is that the stories had premises that were too similar. If I had compiled this anthology, I would have separated these stories to ensure they didn't blur together.

That said, I really enjoyed "Sinderella," probably the most of any story in this anthology. I always appreciate stories where good friends become lovers, and this story was a well-written example of that sub-genre. The characters were appealing, and their relationship well-developed. I understood and appreciated Frankie's reasons for approaching Connor "in costume," and found her predicament with the mask very amusing.

"Leather and Lace" is again one of the weaker installments in this collection. I really didn't particularly like Richard, the "hero," and found his about-face, and sudden "commitment," a bit unbelievable. I liked Martha Jane, and found her introduction to Richard as "Valentine" to be amusing, but found the romance between them difficult to buy into.

However, despite these weaknesses, this is a very good anthology by authors more talented then the pack. The writing flows well, and the characters are, in general, very appealing. The erotic scenes are very erotic indeed, with great writing and no unbelievable dialogue. If you're a fan of any of these authors, or just a fan of novella compilations in general, this book will be a good read for you.

Rating:
Summary: Erotic Romances that leave you breathless!
Review: Courtesy of A Romance Review

Four fantastic short stories led you via the world of fantasies. All four authors had their own way of writing men's fantasies with the magic of lingerie - feathers, leathers, laces, masks, etc. With these erotic elements, this anthology would surely leave you breathless and your blood pressure racing! Sinful wasn't really sinful but a little erotic, funny and interesting. I recommend this book to all readers who love fantasies and daydreaming. After reading through this book, you might consider buying a new set of lingerie for yourself!

Rating:
Summary: Very pleasant...but not as sinful as its title suggests
Review: Four stories, each fun in their own way, make up this anthology where lingerie plays a part in the story. Oddly enough, the headliners, Suzanne Forester and Maggin Shayne, deliver less interesting and sesnual stories than Lori Foster and Kimberly Randell. Though there were a lot of masks in this book and a bit of repetition, it was still highly enjoyable reading I would recommend to others. Still, I wonder why they called it sinful when it read no more sexually than an average book?

Rating:
Summary: Hot! Hot! Hot!
Review: Here are four impressive authors that lead romance readers intoa world of laciness and lust. The romantic aspects of this anthologyare intrigue, romance and lace. Each author has a lively, exciting couple ready to fall in love or in bed, whichever the case maybe. I can safely say in gauging the sexuality in SINFUL, that it reaches a fever pitch -- in fact the gauge disintegrated.

Although I enjoyed the relationships each author gave to their romantic characters, I found the love scenes were the strongest ever; some were so detailed that I found myself skipping pages, because they were just too much for me. So, if you like your romances unambiguous, racy and direct you will like SINFUL because these ladies know how to write it.

Unbuttoning Emmalina by Suzanne Forster (Back from Hot Chocolate) Jeff Winston is a good friend of Max and Abigail (Forster's characters from HOT CHOCOLATE). Max lost the trophy to Jeff when he gave up bachelorhood to marry Abigail. Jeff wonders if he can hold on to it when he meets Emmalina. Emmalina is Victorian in every way, her thoughts, attitude, clothes and life style.

Tangled Images by Lori Foster (Back from Hot Chocolate) If you've been keeping up with Lori Foster's short stories, then you are aware of the 4 brothers who run a bar. Cole and Chase have been tangled, so that leaves Mack and Zane. Mack has a feeling Allison and Sophie are out to get him tangled this time when they ask him to model men's underwear in a catalogue for their shop.

Sincerella by Kimberly Randell Frankie has been crazy about Connor for a long time. Since he doesn't notice her in her everyday clothes, she decides to attend a costume party incognito and seduce him, but like Cinderella, when it comes time to leave, Frankie leaves something behind and she has to get it back without giving herself away.

Leather and Lace by Maggie Shayne Martha Jane has always had a crush on her boss, Mr. Gable, but he never noticed her because his taste in women was more in the range of blonde bimbos, like the one he just replaced her with. When her friend makes her an offer she can't refuse, Martha finds herself at Mr. Gable's feet and in his arms.

Rating:
Summary: All the stories are fun,
Review: I had such a fun time relaxing on a lazy Saturday afternoon reading this book. Fun Fantasy Reads are what lazy wekends are all about! You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: All the stories are fun,
Review: I had such a fun time relaxing on a lazy Saturday afternoon reading this book. Fun Fantasy Reads are what lazy wekends are all about! You won't be disappointed!

Rating:
Summary: You have to read this one!
Review: Lori Foster's "Tangled Images," part of Berkley Jove's anthology Sinful featuring Suzanne Forster, Maggie Shane and Kimberly Randell as well, was short but packed a powerful punch. This book was just too delicious to put down and I really would have liked it to be a full-length novel so I could have savored it more. I'm looking forward to seeing the last Winston brother struck down with the curse. Thank you, Lori, for another very entertaining, sexy read.

Rating:
Summary: Let Love Go Wild -- with the help of a slip of lingerie...
Review: Surrender to your fantasies. Submit to the pleasures of cool satin caressing warm flesh. Succumb to the arousing touch of lace, exposing every private need. Yeild to the tender strokes and wicked ways of a secret lover. Thrill to the luxury of absolute abandon. Now, in these four scintillating bedtime stories, four acclaimed authors invite you to drop every inhibition, fulfill every appetite, and indulge in the silken desires of your wildest and most sinful dreams! When a whisper of silk and the promise of lace is deliciously... SINFUL.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read!
Review: This was a fantastic book from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down. It's not often a novella book has such terrific stories from all the authors. Highly recommended for sexy, satisfing stories.

Rating:
Summary: Another Uneven Anthology
Review: This was a fun anthology with a rather high sensuality rating but like most anthologies the quality was uneven. But three out of the five stories were worth reading, which is a pretty high average compared to some of the other anthologies that I have read. Actually, even the 'bad' stories were not stinkers. It's a definite buyer if not a keeper.