Phantoms & Fantasies [Kindle Edition]

I love Annie Rayburn's stories and this one definitely delivers on the sensuality and emotion. I truly felt for Zeenie because of the trauma she'd suffered in the past. Turk is the perfect hero. He's patient and understanding. And he's loved Zeenie, his life mate, for years even though he couldn't be near her. The sexual tension explodes off the page and so do the intense emotions! I loved this story and I can't wait to read this author's next story, Bittersweet Obsessions.

Annie Rayburn is building a new world with her Crainesian species, and ALL women will want to be Crainesian once they discover this author on the rise.
Zee was raped years earlier on aHalloween night, and the brutal memory has not yet healed. Turk, also Crainesian, has loved her for as long as he's known she was his destined lifemate, but only from the distance Zee imposes. Something he is not used to or happy about.
Unable to trust any man's interest in her,much less that of Turk's reputation, Zee not only learns self defense, she imprisons herself in a fortress designed to keep herself safe from Turk's advances. But Turk cannot wait any longer-- he has to find out for himself if she can ever accept his love, or be doomed to live from one meaningless sexual encounter to another.
Turning Crainesian custom on its head, Turk makes the first move and pursues Zee-- in her dreams. When she realizes his motives are for a lifetime commitment and not another conquest, she learns to let down her defenses and trust him. But this is not the way their race normally handles the mating ritual. Has Zee damaged her chance at love with Turk by humiliating him in front of their people?
Ms.Rayburn writes wonderful sexual tension and steamy love scenes between her characters.She doesn't hold back, and her heroines are the ones in control.It's a refreshing change from the brooding man always in control.
There is so much more to be revealed in this world that she is building bit by bit. Insight was just a short glimpse, and Phantoms is a good introduction into the Crainesian customs and philosophies. And rugged heroes with military brushcuts are always welcome in my Kindle.
I'm diving into Bittersweet Obsessions next to see where Ms.Rayburn takes her readers with the Crainesians.

Phantoms and Fantasies is a well crafted tale that grabs your attention on the first page.
It reads smoothly and keeps your attention throughout.
It has a good story line; He (Turk) believes he has found his life mate and is waiting for her.
While she (Zeenie) has been emotionally shut down after a violent tragic incident in her life.
Friends Di and Coop act as any well meaning interfering friends would.

There is one small complicating factor. These people are crainesians, a humanoid species from some other planet not specified in this book.
The peculiarities of Crainesian courtship are given in just enough detail, and just in time to explain certain customs and rituals as they occur, almost in an off-hand manner.
Perhaps a full description is written out in a prior book, but this facet of the story is very underdeveloped if you are reading this book as a stand-alone; in fact, details are so glaringly spare that it is quite noticeable and distracting.

It is a good read, (absent details notwithstanding), and I would recommend that you add Phantoms and Fantasies to your reading list.