A Couple of Reviews

The Libertine
Saskia Walker
Harlequin HQN, $14.95
ISBN: 9780373777396

In 1715 Chloris Keavey desperately needs to produce the heir soonest or her ruthless spouse Gavin Meldrum will kick her out of their Edinburgh home. Maura Dumbar sends Chloris to Saint Andrews to seek a fertility spell from coven leader Lennox Taskill. The witches are fearful as Maura works for their influential enemy council member Tamhas Keavey.

To his chagrin as he loathes humanity for burning his mother at the stakes, Lennox is attracted to his newest client. She feels the same way about the powerful witch. As they begin a tryst, Tamhas decides he will sleep with the married cheating woman who has sold her soul to the devil. To eliminate his rival, Tamhas proclaims Lennox a witch deserving the fate of his mother.

This is an exciting, enticing eighteenth century erotica paranormal romance. The storyline contains intriguing relationships with Chloris as the foci of three competing males (the good, the bad and the ugly). Although sex rules the heated storyline, fans will enjoy Saskia Walker’s return to 1715 Scottish love and witchcraft (see The Harlot). Harriet Klausner

Kiss Of Temptation
Sandra Hill
Avon, $5.99
ISBN: 9780062064639

In 850 AD in the Norselands, Ivak Sigurdsson lived a perpetual hard life with lust being his driver until he chose his friend Serk’s wife only to be caught; Serk hangs himself. Filled with remorse, the blacksmith, whose spouse Ivak bedded, stabs him with a medal tine pitchfork. Michael the angel tells Ivak that neither heaven nor hell is his destination, but something worse for his sins of the flesh. He becomes celibate as one of God’s Vangal Viking vampire angel fighting against Satan’s vampire demons the lucipires.

In 2013, Ivak travels to Angola Prison where thirty-one year old Leroy Sonnier serves time for murdering his abusive father fifteen years ago after the drunk beat his mom and younger sister. Ivak’s mission is to protect Leroy’s sister Second Chance lawyer Gabrielle who failed again to get the parole board to free him; apparently because his rage for justice and criticism of the penal system has made him a media darling. While keeping Gabrielle safe from the lucipire, Ivak lusts like he never did before. He initially assumes it is because of his celibacy, but eventually realizes she is soul mate while lamenting that his heavenly debt is eternal.

This is a fun Deadly Angels paranormal romance (see Kiss of Surrender and Kiss of Pride) as the lustful Vangal deals with desire (mindful of the climax in the Devil and Ms. Jones) when he meets his protected one. Fast-paced with a condemnation of the file cabinet American system of justice, fans of Sandra Hill will enjoy Kiss of Temptation with the additional bonus of the return of Tante Lulu and the Ragin’ Cajun LeDeux family (see The Red-Hot Cajun). Harriet Klausner