Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Surprises as well as shocks
In this new Brava historical romance anthology, surprises - as well as nasty shocks are dealt by the three veterans of erotic romance. Of the three featured tales, Thea Devine's Her lord & master pales in comparison to the far superior Susan Johnson with From Russia with Love and the sensual mistress Katherine O' Neal with her torrid Erotic Deja vu. Susan Johnson tones down her usual vulgar sex with a poignant passionate story of the resilient Tatiana who is dictated by Ivan The Terrible to marry the ogre Prince Shuisky to strengthen their alliance in Russia 1570. She meets the suave Stavr Biron who campaigns for Ukraine while being sequestered in Livonia with her child Zoe and falls in love. The danger arrives when Prince Shuisky is consumed with jealousy when his "possession" is taken by his enemy. Erotic and sensual with tender affections, Susan Johnson explores a forbidden passion with empathy and masterful narration. The second tale by Thea Devine is an immediate turn-off with the unconscionable Earl of Wick taking a fancy to deflower virgin. Jenise, upon seeing her sister Julia being cruelly casted away by Wick decides to teach him a lesson, only to indulge in the rapturous surrender of sex. The sex marathon soon becomes gratuitous, monotonous as the romance element is stripped away by the explicit and crude manhandling, inducing more of a nasty shock for readers. Katherine O' Neal's tale is cluttered with numerous blatant sex scenes but is starkly original with its surreal realm and a surprising twist. Celia Wybourne, the scandalous erotic romance author travels to Gibraltar and finds that her destiny entwined with a mysterious stranger Royce - in several past-lifes - with tragic consequences. The attraction to the story is not immediate but on a progressive mode. With excellent predecessors such as Captivated and Fascinated, Taken By Surprise falls short with the romance diminished by debauchery and lack of character development. It is fortunate that Susan Johnson and Katherine O' Neal dishes out enough surprises to neutralise Thea Devine's shockingly bad tale.
Rating: - If You Love Sexy Surprises...
...You are going to LOVE this book. It had everything anyone could want, including great sex scenes, great plot twists and drama, and excellent writing. Don't miss this one, and don't miss "9 Free Secrets of New Sensual Power" which is also loaded with tons of great sex and interesting scenarios and fine writing, but also comes along with some pretty sensational theories about having AMAZING sex and using that to make your life better. I enjoy being entertained, but it's another thing to get that AND some lessons about love and life in the bargain.
Rating:  - "Three amazing writers...One incredible book!"
"Taken by Surprise," is one amazing read to be sure! I loved it! Nonstop action, romance, and drama. What more could a die-hard romantic-suspense lover like myself ask for? The characters are fabulous, and the plot intriguing. Buy the book and judge for yourself. I think you'll quickly become huge fans of these three wonderful writers yourselves!
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