Sandy's Spotlight
BOOK REVIEWS
Killer Kisses and
Desire and Deception
by
Sharon Buchbinder
Author: Sharon Buchbinder
Genre: Romance Anthology - 7 Stories - Sub-Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotic
Length: 308 Pages
The following is my June 20, 2012, 5 Star Review:
A romance lover's jackpot!
KILLER KISSES by SHARON BUCHBINDER has a little of everything in it. This book contains seven stories ranging in length from very short story to novella. The heat level is anywhere from steaming hot to sweet and endearing. The sub-genres take you from Contemporary to Paranormal. There is literally something for everyone in this book. If you want a great sampling of several different romance sub-genres, KILLER KISSES is the perfect choice!
I love being swept up in a romance and I really enjoyed reading each story in KILLER KISSES. Without taking anything away from the rest of the stories because I really enjoyed them all, I've decided that the best way to review this book is to tell you a little about my favorite story in KILLER KISSES, Release Your Inner Wild Women: Kiss of the Silver Wolf. This is a novella length story that I couldn't wait to start. It is a beautifully written paranormal romance with some AMAZING steam. For all of you werewolf lovers out there, I highly recommend this book.
Charlene's parents are killed in a car crash while she is away at school. Her life will never be the same. She dedicates herself to giving her severely handicapped older brother the care and attention he needs. She finds herself broke, unable to keep up with the expense of her older brother's disabilities and relocates to her mother's home town of Eden where she uncovers secret after secret and finally has an answer to her brother's condition.
Zach, the soon-to-be leader of the pack, has had his eye on Charlene since he saw her picture. The first time they meet is at the funeral for Charlene's parents. Even though it is a terribly sad scene, the electricity between Zach and Charlene is unforgettable.
Ms. Buchbinder has several twists in KISS OF THE SILVER WOLF and introduces Charlene to some frighteningly dangerous creatures that has the reader holding their breath hoping that she's saved in time.
If you love romance, I highly recommend that you download the anthology KILLER KISSES by SHARON BUCHBINDER to have ready anytime you have a few spare moments to read. You won't be disappointed!
Killer Kisses is a collection of Sharon Buchbinder's tales, ranging from contemporary, short and chaste to paranormal, long and spicy.
In A Peck on the Cheek: Hurricane Jason, a female private investigator searches for a two-timing husband, but lands in an hurricane shelter. Does she get her man?
In Cat Nips: Catastrophe, a crazy cat lady is evicted by her drunken landlord and the lives of her cats are at stake. Will she and her rescues wind up on the street? Or will a secret admirer find a better home for everyone?
In Hot Lips: Lake Placid Cure, a woman finds her husband in a compromising position--again. Looking to recover her dignity, she sets out for a medi-spa, encounters a murder mystery and discovers that miracles still happen in Lake Placid.
In French Kiss: Pigmalion, a speech pathology graduate student needs one more subject for her research project to graduate. She runs into a hot guy with a heavy accent and tries to recruit him into her study. Will she teach him the language of love?
In Sizzling Smooch: Bonded for Life, a Mexican artist runs for her life to hide in the little town where she graduated from high school. She's convinced no one will find her there. But a boy with a high school crush on her grew up to be a hunky cop--and he has her in his cross hairs.
In Delectable and Delicious: An Inn Decent Proposal, a chef and a hotelier join forces at a foreclosure auction on an old inn and outbid a small time hood. The thug doesn't like being on the losing end of the deal. Things heat up outside and in the bedroom. Can the couple make a go of it? Or will the hood destroy their dream?
In Release Your Inner Wild Women: Kiss of the Silver Wolf, a young woman searches for the truth about her brother's debilitating disease. An intriguing man with silver hair and a penchant for long night runs insists she's his life mate. How does this sexy man figure into her family secrets?
*Professionally Edited: Full Novel Sized
*****
Author: Sharon Buchbinder
Genre: Erotic Romance, Erotic Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romantic Thriller
Length: Novel
The following is my June 20, 2012, 4 Star Review:
SMOKIN' HOT!
There is so much happening in DESIRE AND DECEPTION by SHARON BUCHBINDER that I feel I could write a review that is five pages long. The momentum just keeps building and building throughout the book. The story line keeps getting more and more complex as you go. If you like your sex scenes smokin' hot, your suspense edge of your seat, and your thrillers fast paced, this is a book you will thoroughly enjoy.
Sarah Wright-Rosen is a professional woman working at the local college. What I liked so much about Sarah is the growth this character went through in the book. She started out a little wimpy but grew into a strong, fierce woman that when faced in a dangerous situation, stood her ground and even pulled her gun when needed.
I had a problem with Dan, Sarah's husband. I'm still not sure I like him very much. He is a busy, good looking doctor that seemed to me, selfish and demanding when it came to his opinions and needs. Through a series of events in the book that made me want to kick his butt, he was forced to back down from some of his opinions and support his wife and the remarkable circumstances she found herself in or possibly lose her.
Then we have Izzy, the princess of a Mexican crime boss. What a great character! She works as a professor at the college Sarah works at, and they are best friends. Polar opposites really do attract. Sarah, being such a nice person, Izzy is her exact opposite. She is spoiled and deadly. As you get further into this story, you start to learn of the deplorable acts perpetrated against Izzy as a child and the reader gets some insight into why she is the person she is and why she likes her sex rough and under her control. I really enjoyed the interaction between these characters because I felt, through Ms. Buchbinder's writing, Izzy was in some way reaching out to Sarah to get a little normalcy. I truly believe that although Izzy would make fun of Sarah, she also felt drawn to her because she knew Sarah was the one person that she could count on for anything.
I must say that one of my favorite characters in this book was Dan's mother, Gert. We met this eccentric older woman a couple of times. She is a bright humorous spot in this book that takes some very dark turns.
I went into this book blind. I had not read any reviews because I like the book to unfold for me as I read it. I am totally blown away with the direction this book took. Without giving any of the plot away, I must say that never in my wildest dreams would I have thought an erotic book would have such an interesting intricate plot and be so full of twists and turns. This was a really great read!
Desire and Deception Blurb:
Pampered princess and daughter of a Mexican crime boss, Isabel (Izzy) Ramirez is a newly appointed assistant professor working toward tenure and promotion. Driven by voracious desires, including ambition for advancement in the legitimate world and lust for her boy toy, Izzy’s house of cards is threatened when the department chair confronts her about a major transgression. Izzy’s take no prisoners approach means she makes sure her boss can never expose her deceptions.
Graduate assistant and guy-on-the-side, Sean Richards wants Izzy to leave her sleazy husband. If she would only get away from that crook, he’s convinced that he can bring out the better woman who exists beneath Izzy’s tough sex siren exterior. He adores his hot blooded Latina and will do her bidding--up to a point. Despite the mind blowing sex, he can’t and won’t murder for her.
As Izzy’s nosy parker friend and colleague doggedly follows an obscure trail of clues about the department chair’s death, Izzy is forced to choose between reverting to the ways of her unredeemable father--or becoming the extraordinary woman she sees in Sean’s loving eyes.
To My Readers:
In DESIRE and DECEPTION, polar opposites sex siren Isabel (Izzy) Ramirez and goody-two-shoes Sarah Wright-Rosen become fast friends and seem destined to be BFFs until Izzy’s terrible secret is unearthed--literally and figuratively. Convinced that she is unworthy of redemption, Izzy goes down a take no prisoners’ path, halted only by her younger lover, Sean Richards. Izzy discovers the redemptive power of love and realizes that she can change, despite her horrific past. For her part, Sarah discovers shades of gray in her formerly black and white world and learns the powers of forgiveness and love can transform not only how she sees the world, but also her own self-image.
In the end, Izzy becomes more like “good girl” Sarah--and Sarah becomes more like her “bad girl” friend. Izzy is the larger than life embodiment of all that is forbidden to “good girls”: she embraces her sexuality and desires and takes control of her life and the men in it--and pleases herself. Sarah is “everywoman”: she works hard, plays by the rules, collaborates and works by consensus--and wants to please others. This binary, yes/no reasoning is faulty, but I believe many of us struggle with this duality in our lives. As seen with Izzy and Sarah, with love and an honest relationship we can grow into who we want to be, not who we think we should be. On behalf of Izzy and Sarah (who have been badgering me for quite some time now), I hope you enjoy this story.
Links for Sharon Buchbinder:
Author website
Blog
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page