Hot and Bothered [Mass Market Paperback]

This particular novella compilation is of somewhat uneven quality, with an exceptional story balancing out two average and one not-so-good.

"Luring Lucy" is definitely the best of the bunch, with a believable romantic plotline and an incredibly erotic tone. Lori Foster is one of the best at creating indelible erotic images, and "Lucy" is definitely one of her better stories. Both characters were very well-developed and seemed very real to me. I especially appreciated that Lucy was a very -real- sort of person, with insecurities about her 40-year old body (the "bulges" that come with age and child-bearing). I loved it that Bram appreciated her so much for all of who she was, not just for how she looked.

"Truth or Dare" is a decent novella, with good characterization. Sometimes the writing was a little tough to follow, and I wondered about some of her descriptions. But, decent hero, decent heroine, and the mystery was cool (with an unexpected ending).

"Compromised" was by far the weakest story of the four. The hero is actually wonderful and rather sweet, but the heroine is a spoiled brat, and there was no real romantic development between the two at all. The whole thing felt rather forced.

I really appreciated the heroine in "Treading Dangerous Waters" because she was Latino, and it was cool to read about her. Unfortunately, although the plot was cute, the relationship seemed forced and completely based on sex, and the hero's proposal of marriage seemed totally unrealistic. Good writing, though, and hot hot chemistry.

All in all, this was an uneven mix, with some very good stories and some I almost skimmed through, wanting to get them over with. However, this anthology is almost worth it solely for the Foster story.

"Truth or Dare" by Laura Bradley. In Texas, Shay goes undercover pretending to be a reporter in order to learn who killed the bullriders. To her chagrin she begins to fall in love with the prime suspect.

"Compromised" by Gayle Callen. In 1589 London, Lady Elizabeth meets John in a party. They are caught in an uncompromising position in the nearby garden and forced to wed. Stunned that she finds this country bumpkin attractive, Elizabeth wonders if he loves her too?

"Treading Dangerous Waters" by Victoria Marquez. Sofita wants Aunt Lucita to wed Daniel, but his son James opposes the marriage. Sofita plans to distract James with her feminine wiles so the older couple can marry in peace and harmony. However, she never expected to want to join her aunt in holy matrimony with the sexy James as her lifetime lover.

The four tales are quite different occurring in radically diverse settings. Yet each contains a sexy hunk, a gorgeous female protagonist, tons of torrid passion, and entertaining plots that are well written. HOT AND BOTHERED lives up to its title as each contribution seduces the reader.

Harriet Klausner

Lori's story, "Luring Lucy," is very erotic and more than lives up to the anthology's title. Understanding that the length of a novella limits the author's ability to develop the hero and heroine's (H&H) relationship over time, Lori wisely creates an H&H who have known each other for most of their adult life. They already have a deep affection and friendship, which makes the consumation of their long-denied but mutual sexual attraction very compelling. This novella alone makes the anthology worth purchasing. I would rate this story 5 stars.

Laura Bradley's "Truth or Dare" romantic suspense novella has a very appealing hero (a rodeo bullrider) who is "saved" literally and figuratively by the strong heroine (a private investigator). If this had been a full-length book versus a novella, there would have been more time to develop the H&H relationship. I still enjoyed the story and would give it 4 stars.

Gayle Callen's Regency era historical romance story, "Compromised," seems out-of-place in this anthology, which appears to be targeted to fans of sexy contemporaries. Possibly that is why the heroine appears weak and is sometimes unsympathetic in the eyes of readers who expect more from their heroines. I would give this novella 3 stars.

Victoria Marquez' "Treading Dangerous Waters" also suffered some from having to condense a new H&H relationship into a couple of days. However, I enjoyed the multi-cultural aspect of the story and liked both the Irish-American hero and the Latino-American heroine. I give this story 4 stars.