Scarlet Devices is a fun steampunk romance road trip, in which contestants drive and fly in steam-powered contraptions across the Continental US for a cash prize and heaps of glory. It has moments of brilliance and although I didn’t swoon over it, I sure did have a good time. Scarlet Devices is about Eliza Hardison, who enters a cross-country race. One of her competitors is Matthew Pence, a childhood friend. Matthew is trying to win … Continue reading Review: Scarlet Devices by Delphine Dryden →
I've said a few times on the podcast that this series really works for me. The combination of really, really smart people and BDSM/sexual exploration with ample doses of nerd culture – I dig it. I'm pretty picky about erotic romance, too. I dislike when contrived circumstances and the power of boner over common sense bring people together repeatedly, and so I don't read a lot of it. The tropes that work so well for … Continue reading Review: The Principle of Desire by Delphine Dryden →
This Rec League was sent in by Kim: I’m looking for male/female romances where the H is an alpha in the bedroom, but not elsewhere. Like, he is dominant or kinky or likes to tie the h up, etc., but he is also a nice guy. Or at least, like, a normal guy. Also, preferably he’s not a cop or military or security, or anything like that. I feel like every dominant-in-bed hero is (a) … Continue reading The Rec League: Kinky Cinnamon Rolls →
This HaBO request is from author Delphine Dryden, who is scouring the earth for this historical romance: Big fan, long time reader, first time HABO applicant. This one has been driving me nuts for years, because the one scene I remember from this book is my second favorite sexy glove-removal scene of all time (the favorite, of course, being Dain’s removal of Jessica’s glove in Lord of Scoundrels). I would love to read the book … Continue reading HaBO: Sexy Glove Removal Scene →
We have a request from Jennifer. Thanks, Jennifer! I’m looking for recommendations for romances that contain positive consent. For context, I am a therapist, and I work with some people who have never seen or been in a relationship where positive consent has occurred. Subgenre doesn’t matter—I’d like to build a lending library of a variety of books. Any books that include sexual trauma (even as background for the characters) would need to be excluded. … Continue reading The Rec League: Enthusiastic Consent →
If you haven’t heard, The Ripped Bodice is putting on an awesome reading challenge this summer. And there are prizes! You can click the link to their site for an explanation of the rules, plus a printable copy of their bingo board. Or! You can check out their helpful tweet: RIPPED BODICE SUMMER READ-ALONG BINGO IS LIVE!!!!Download your bingo card and read more books this summer!#rippedbodicebingo pic.twitter.com/na9zdFGuPN — The Ripped Bodice (@TheRippedBodice) June 11, 2017 … Continue reading Recommendations for Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo →
Big thanks to Reader Shimonishi for sending in this Rec League request, with a particular twist on the “fish out of water” trope: I would love some help finding contemporary romances that are set in the U.S. but feature a non-American hero. I can’t figure how to search for these. There seems to be many romances with an American heroine in foreign countries. I really enjoyed : Kristan Higgins – The Perfect Match; and Christina Lauren … Continue reading The Rec League: Fish Out of Water Heroes →
The Devil’s Doorbell is an erotic anthology made up of seven stories by authors that I’ve heard of and/or read. The stories are all contemporary but they aren’t really connected, save for the explanation of “the devil’s doorbell.” Each story has some reference to the fact that “the devil’s doorbell” is another term for a woman’s clitoris. Recently, I was going through a heavy reading slump and an anthology seemed exactly what I needed. I … Continue reading The Devil’s Doorbell by Anne Calhoun, et al →
A woman’s pleasure is a dangerous thing. A primal appetite that, once awakened, can never be sated. A secret that gives power to those who know it. A magic that, once unleashed, can never be contained. Some say the clitoris is the devil’s doorbell, set to summon him forth at the merest touch… It’s time to ring the bell. Here are seven tales of sexual empowerment and erotic defiance, featuring the hottest storytellers of erotic … Continue reading The Devil’s Doorbell →
Recently, we’ve had a couple emails and comments about different types of erotica and erotic romance that stray from the rich billionaire formula. The first request is for books that have an extra element of sex in them without being overtly in the BDSM camp: You’ve reviewed a lot of books with non-traditional sexualities or BDSM themes, which I appreciate. However I rarely seem to find my personal preference – very mild kinkiness, vanilla with … Continue reading The Rec League: Historical Erotica & Erotica without Billionaires →
We had such a great time with our first Literary Tattoos post, and we had such an outpouring of more fabulous ink that we decided to do another one! There’s even a SBTB group tattoo in the works, if we can manage to all agree on a design. Maybe these pieces from readers and authors will give us some inspiration. Susan has a trail of books on the top of her foot, courtesy of Sharonn … Continue reading Romance Readers’ Literary Tattoos, Part Two! →
