A Red Hot New Year (Avon Red) [Paperback]

Just in time for the New Year holiday, Avon Red brings us an entertaining romance anthology featuring four New Year's Eve stories.

~New Year's Bites by Cynthia Eden~

Attacked by a strange wolf in the parking garage at work, Anna Summers is rescued by the very man she has been lusting after - Jon York. But Jon was too late to prevent the life-altering wolf bite that sparks some very odd changes in the lovely Anna. Knowing what is coming all too well, Jon resolves to stick to her like glue, something he'd wanted to do from the moment he first met her!

I can never resist a good werewolf story, and New Year's Bites was definitely enjoyable! Author Cynthia Eden offers up a nice bit of suspense in this shape shifting `whodunit' with a villain stalking the newly changing Anna determined to claim her for his own. And when Jon reveals his own secrets to Anna, it just proves that there is a reason for everything that happens in this universe

~Night Resolutions by Diana Mercury~

Chantal goes on a vacation with her boyfriend, staying in the castle owned by his best friend's uncle. She is determined to heat up their relationship on this trip, but once they arrive, she finds herself more than distracted by his best friend, Jake. She can tell he is attracted to her, but provoking him into acting on it seems impossible, even after she ends her relationship with his friend.

Night Resolutions started out with a great feel to the story. I initially liked the characters of Chantal and Jake immensely, and was intrigued by the cast of supporting characters as well. Then the twists to the story came. Nothing is as it seemed at the beginning, and the characters turned out to be far different people than they were first presented as. Unfortunately, who they turned out to be was not quite so likable. On top of that, most of the twists were so abrupt in nature, they felt manufactured instead of organic, leaving me with the feeling that I'd read the first half of one story and the last half of a far different tale.

~Snow Blind by Virginia Reed~

Best friends Gerry and Jules have long spent their vacations and holidays together, along with their significant others of the moment. But this New Year's holiday changes their lives in ways neither of them anticipated, as well as the way they view each other...

Virginia Reed's offering to this anthology, Snow Blind, impressed me in such a way that I will be searching for more of this author's books soon. I have a certain fondness for romances in which the characters have been friends for some time before they realize they are each in love with the other.

In this story, both characters realize they love each other from the start, but it isn't until they find themselves unexpectedly alone in a hot tub in a remote ski cabin that they begin to realize that love has a more passionate side to it. Unable to stop themselves, they succumb to that passion in secret, worrying over the effect it will have on their friendship and their relationships. But once their dates for the weekend arrive, they begin to see how unsuited to them they really are, and just how perfect they are for each other.

Snow Blind is a story I will long remember and I know I will be re-reading this lovely romance in the future!

~Coming on Strong by Denise Rossetti~

Gina has never quite understood what happens to her body periodically, she just knew she was very different. If the strange little pattern on her neck didn't tell her so, then the periodic molting certainly did. And then there are those frustrating times when her sexuality rages out of control to the point she can't find satiation until the time passes.

Pick up his friend from the airport, that was all her cousin asked of her. But one look at the sexy Australian and her body kicks into high gear, setting off her molting time in a big way, not to mention the sexual heat. Sam Jones proves impossible to resist, especially for someone with her current lusty appetite. But hiding her abnormalities from him prove even more difficult the closer they get...

Denise Rossetti is another new author for me, and also one who impressed me in this anthology. I have a penchant for dragons, and Coming on Strong more than satisfied it! Ms. Rossetti managed to craft a tale a bit different from most I have read before, and I would dearly love to see this become a series starring more of Gina's relatives. Indeed, I would love to read a prequel to this story about the romance between Gina's cousin and his new bride.

Both Gina and Sam were extremely likable and I felt their connection immediately. Gina's plight pulled at my heartstrings, and I could not help but tear up as Sam convinced her that her physical anomalies meant little to him in light of the way he felt about her.

Coming on Strong will be a winner for anyone who enjoys a good paranormal romance!

Sexy read that made me want to find out more about this author and her other works. Keep up the great work.

"New Year's Bites" by Cynthia Eden

Leaving work on New Year's Eve to go to her friend's party, Anna
Summers is attacked. She is not sure what attacked her but Anna is
sure she was rescued by tall, sexy Jon York. The man she has been
lusting after for months. The bite she received from the attack is
changing her body. She is now more aware of the world around her.

The attraction between Anna and Jon York makes "New Year's Bites" a
steamy look at being bitten. Ms. Eden has written a hot tale of sex
and animal attraction. The added suspense of Anna being stalked by a
werewolf added depth to the tale.

"Night Resolution"s by Diana Mercury

Chantal felt the house party would be an excellent opportunity to
seduce her lover Billy. Too bad it doesn't seem to be working as well
as she wished. The house party had undercurrents of sex and intrigue
that just do not seem to make sense.

"Night Resolutions" was an interesting tale where a woman found out
exactly where her life and her relationship were heading. It had
interesting twists and turns and did not end where you expected it to
end. A few spots were a bit rough but still an imaginative tale.

"Snow Blind" by Virginia Reede

Gerry and Jules have been good friends for years. The New Year's
weekend spent at the cabin Jules gets for them and their dates is a
time for the couples to bond and get to know and appreciate each
other. Gerry and Jules end up taking their relationship to the next
level.

I found "Snow Blind" to be an intriguing tale of two people realizing
they don't know each other as well as they could. The sex scenes
between Gerry and Jules were sultry and hot. That said having two
couples detracted from the beauty of the story as it turned the story
petty at times. All in all, "Snow Blind" was a delightful tale.

"Coming on Strong" by Denise Rossetti

Gina McBride has lived her life knowing she is different. She becomes
more and more dragon-like the more turned on she gets. Over time she
has learned to accept herself even if she is not happy with herself.
Sexy, smart Sam Jones brings out the beast in Gina. It thrills her
even as it scares her.

I found "Coming on Strong" to be an irresistible and intriguing story
of a woman finding herself and what she is capable of in a unique and
compelling way. "Coming on Strong" had me fanning myself as I read it
and wishing that it were a longer story as I did not want it to end.

A Red Hot New Year is a hot anthology that keeps the reader engrossed
from the first story to the last. I found myself reading it from
beginning to end as I did not want to and could not put it down.

Barb
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed