Saturday Shorts

Saturday Shorts

 Saturday Shorts is a feature where I review 3-4 short stories that are 100 pages or less. Enjoy! 

*Books source ~ Many thanks to the authors for providing review copies in exchange for honest reviews.

Title ~ First Blush

Author ~ C.L. Knight

Publisher ~ C.L. Knight

Published ~ 23 January 2012

Genre ~ Historical/Romance

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Maria is a headstrong, intelligent and educated woman in a time when women were encouraged to be biddable in order to secure a husband. She doesn’t want to be biddable or marry for security and the concept of love was silly in her eyes. However, when she meets Thomas her thoughts of love are changed dramatically, but instead of getting all doe-eyed she does the opposite and leads him a merry chase. But Thomas is determined to have her as his and eventually his patience pays off. They are married. After hearing all about her sister’s wedding night though, will Maria and her love for Thomas, survive her own?

This is a sweet and sexy short about a husband and wife’s wedding night in a time when having sex before the wedding is greatly frowned upon. Maria is a virgin and Thomas has no idea that Maria’s sister has put all kinds of unpleasant ideas in her head about what the wedding night will entail. Very well-written and the characters are wonderful. The sex is steamy and sweet and not overly graphic. A perfect short read that will leave you smiling.

Title ~ Wheel of Justice

Author ~ Stephen Livingston

Publisher ~ Stephen Livingston

Published ~ 27 April 2011

Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Dark Humor

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5

The Wheel of Justice is a game show where contestants compete for the most volts in order to win the legal criminal extermination of a convicted felon. In this instance Granny Emmott from Springfield, NJ and last week’s champion Davor Poborsky from Queens are competing to execute the 23-yr-old cop killer Rainbow Smith. Let the competition begin!

This is a darkly humorous sci-fi short. It reminded me of The Running Man. It’s well-written and tickled my odd sense of humor. The commercials between the game were inventive and I almost wish I could call 1-800-DEBAUCH and book a vacation to Fantasy Island. Hey, I said ‘almost.’ It’s a quick read and if you like dark humor, then I recommend you pick it up. 

Title ~ Damned If You Do

Author ~ Olivia Waite

Publisher ~ Ellora's Cave

Published ~ 1 January 2011

Genre ~ Paranormal/Romance/Erotica

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5

Lord Lambourne, Benjamin Davis, is dead and in Hell. He’s been damned for the sin of lust, a lot of lust, and after a year facing every torment he thought possible he’s been assigned to the luscious demoness Idared for more punishment. Idared has just been promoted from Great Marshal to Knight. Such a promotion in Hell is rare. Idared’s hard work and unparalleled skill with the whip have paid off and now, instead of torturing a group at a time, she has the charge of one person, Benjamin. However, the heat between them has nothing to do with Hell itself and everything to do with lust. Can they do something about it without disturbing the balance of Benjamin’s sin and not get caught? Is the risk worth it?

This is an outstanding well-written short with fully fleshed characters and the world of Hell is described so well I could practically feel the heat. The steamy scenes are exceptionally hot without being overly graphic. The tension of getting caught runs as a delicious undercurrent and when the summons from Lucifer comes it elicits dread that they were discovered. However, the summons isn’t what they think and the twist is surprising. This is the first story I’ve read by Olivia Waite, but it will most definitely not be my last.