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Parlor Games
Do you dare open the door and enter a place like no other? In these three historical tales of sensual awakening, nothing that stimulates and titillates is taboo, ecstasy comes in many sizes, and pleasure is its own reward . . . a world of seduction and sensation, where inhibitions are unlaced and desires long corseted are gloriously freed. . . . Fallen Angel Jess Michaels London's greatest beauty and most notorious madam employs the services of a disgraced Bow Street Runner to keep her safe from a stalker . . . and satisfied after dark. Parlor Games Leda Swann An innocent virgin enters a brothel to escape starvation and receives expert tutelage in the steamy Victorian parlor games that rakish gentlemen indulge in. . . . Border Lord Julia Templeton Fleeing an unfaithful fiancé, a nubile young lovely finds herself the prisoner of a lustful Scottish laird and must bow to his every erotic whim. . . .
300 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2006
33 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Jess Michaels
126 books1,571 followersJess Michaels is a USA Today Bestselling Author who likes geeky stuff like Star Wars, playing video games (she ships herself with Dragon Age’s Iron Bull FOREVER), Bob’s Burgers and collecting POPs! She also drinks a LOT of Diet Coke. Probably an unhealthy amount, but it’s her only vice. She will eat (almost) anything coconut, truly anything cheesy and nothing spicy (yes, she is a walking stereotype when it comes to that). She likes cats, her dog Elton and people who care about the welfare of their fellow humans.
Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.
When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.
Although she started out traditionally published by Avon/HarperCollins, Pocket, Hachette and Samhain Publishing, in 2015 she went fully indie and has never looked back! She is lucky enough to be married to her favorite person in the world and live tucked between the ocean and the mountains in Oregon.
When she’s not watching Our Flag Means Death or trying out all the new flavors of Greek yogurt, she writes historical romances with smoking hot heroes and sassy heroines who do anything but wait to get what they want.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 27, 2009
It’s too bad this anthology wasn’t longer because the stories have the makings of some good stuff had the endings not been rushed. There are three distinct stories set in different periods with some spicy sex. Short stories (at least what I’ve read) often tend to suffer from the low word count and with these three you have a perfect example of needless “suffering” (!)
Jess Michaels’ story was the one I liked the least despite the fact that that’s why I bought the book (her full length novels are excellent). It centers around Arabella Nichols who runs a sort of club for adults but not necessarily a bordello. She’s been receiving threatening letters so she hires an ex-Bow Street Runner, John Valentine, to protect her. They get it on from the start to make it look like that they’re lovers and not that she has a bodyguard. There’s some exhibitionism, and a light bondage scene. One thing leads to another, the stalker mystery is given away early on and it’s a full-blown I love you suddenly. Limited development, repetitive and not enough dialog between the h/h to make for a likely couple. These characters also pop up in a scene in Michaels' novel Something Reckless.
In the second story by Leda Swann you have a real Victorian feel to the novel compared to Michaels’ regency. This one had the least “amount” of sex and was mostly a teaser story with the virgin heroine Sarah and a tabloid journalist Tom who frequents the pseudo-bordello she’s forced to work in for financial reasons. Sarah plays hot and cold and that was maybe because of poor characterization by the author seeing as some of the things she says to Tom seem out of character. Tom wants Sarah for himself so he pays to have her for a month. Basically she’s paid to tease him and play sex-like games in front of other patrons . It reminded me of Swann’s other anthology Sugar and Spice that had a similar parlor games theme but those stories were better developed and sexier.
The last story by Julia Templeton was the one I was least interested in, as I’d never heard of the author, but it turned out to be the best in terms of tension building. Terri from the present finds herself whisked back to medieval times and ends up with Brochan the reigning border lord hottie. He mistakes her for a rival clan’s daughter and decides to lock her up in his solar for revenge. Terri is all for it seeing as she just witnessed something nice and nasty with her fiancé back in the present so she’s quite willing to stick it to him. Brochan takes full-advantage of the situation and the two go hog wild. The sex smolders quite well and they manage to get it on here there and everywhere. No exhibitionism here just some good ol’ fashioned sex in a bed and in commune with nature (lol!) It’s got a very “I-want-you-and-have-to-have-you-now-ù*!$%!-dammit" feel to it. The time travel part though reminded me somewhat of Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor ---not very believable though in this story.
I didn’t really buy any of the I-have-fallen-madly-in-love-with-you HEAs because they sort of came out of nowhere. I think if they were full-length novels the authors could’ve had the h/h’s in other scenes leading up to the I love you ending and that would have been a more satisfying read. These three felt like steps were missing once you arrived at the end and you’re left wondering if you’ve missed some pages somewhere.
Jess Michaels’ story was the one I liked the least despite the fact that that’s why I bought the book (her full length novels are excellent). It centers around Arabella Nichols who runs a sort of club for adults but not necessarily a bordello. She’s been receiving threatening letters so she hires an ex-Bow Street Runner, John Valentine, to protect her. They get it on from the start to make it look like that they’re lovers and not that she has a bodyguard. There’s some exhibitionism, and a light bondage scene. One thing leads to another, the stalker mystery is given away early on and it’s a full-blown I love you suddenly. Limited development, repetitive and not enough dialog between the h/h to make for a likely couple. These characters also pop up in a scene in Michaels' novel Something Reckless.
In the second story by Leda Swann you have a real Victorian feel to the novel compared to Michaels’ regency. This one had the least “amount” of sex and was mostly a teaser story with the virgin heroine Sarah and a tabloid journalist Tom who frequents the pseudo-bordello she’s forced to work in for financial reasons. Sarah plays hot and cold and that was maybe because of poor characterization by the author seeing as some of the things she says to Tom seem out of character. Tom wants Sarah for himself so he pays to have her for a month. Basically she’s paid to tease him and play sex-like games in front of other patrons . It reminded me of Swann’s other anthology Sugar and Spice that had a similar parlor games theme but those stories were better developed and sexier.
The last story by Julia Templeton was the one I was least interested in, as I’d never heard of the author, but it turned out to be the best in terms of tension building. Terri from the present finds herself whisked back to medieval times and ends up with Brochan the reigning border lord hottie. He mistakes her for a rival clan’s daughter and decides to lock her up in his solar for revenge. Terri is all for it seeing as she just witnessed something nice and nasty with her fiancé back in the present so she’s quite willing to stick it to him. Brochan takes full-advantage of the situation and the two go hog wild. The sex smolders quite well and they manage to get it on here there and everywhere. No exhibitionism here just some good ol’ fashioned sex in a bed and in commune with nature (lol!) It’s got a very “I-want-you-and-have-to-have-you-now-ù*!$%!-dammit" feel to it. The time travel part though reminded me somewhat of Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor ---not very believable though in this story.
I didn’t really buy any of the I-have-fallen-madly-in-love-with-you HEAs because they sort of came out of nowhere. I think if they were full-length novels the authors could’ve had the h/h’s in other scenes leading up to the I love you ending and that would have been a more satisfying read. These three felt like steps were missing once you arrived at the end and you’re left wondering if you’ve missed some pages somewhere.
December 20, 2008
Fallen Angel by Jess Michaels
Someone is out to get Arabella Nichols, the notorious London madam known as the Fallen Angel and so Arabella hires a disgraced Bow Street Runner named John Valentine to protect her. She wants Valentine's protection and she wouldn't say no to his services in bed either, but she's only willing to play by her terms. Valentine is willing to take another chance at love but if he is to protect her, he needs her to trust him so he can find her stalker.
I'm sorry. Does Arabella need a protector or a lover? Because to me the only thing she seemed interested in was Valentine's great big c*ck. It was also extremely annoying to read about her refusals to let Valentine do his job. He needed information that she was refusing to give him and so he was left in the dark trying to figure out why she was being stalked. This was an okay read but the sex in this story didn't really interest me and since there really wasn't much else going on in this novella besides the TSTL heroine's shenanigans I didn't really enjoy this one.
Parlor Games by Leda Swann
Sarah Chesham has been let go from her milliner's position and she's desperate to find work. Faint with hunger she walks into the Madame Erskine's coffeehouse looking for work. She's willing to do whatever she can to get by and when she realizes this coffeehouse serves as an intimate playground for wealthy men she sadly joins the millions of women before her in selling her body.
Tom Wilde spotted Sarah when she arrived at the coffeehouse and he wants her for himself. He's willing to pay for a month of her time and though she refuses to give him her virginity they definitely play a lot of games. Like strip poker and Blindman's Buff. There's definitely a lot of naughty exhibitionism going on in this story and it's not for the shy. It's all just one long tease and at the end of the month Tom has to decide whether or not he's going to stand aside and let the next man have her or if he's going to make an honest women out of her.
Border Lord by Julia Templeton
After witnessing her fiance cheating on her, Terri Campbell drives off in shock and finds herself at a priory that is just finishing it's last tour. It seems this priory in the late 1200s was the scene of Annabelle MacLellan's abduction by Laird Brochan Douglas. Terri goes poking around the priory and is whisked into the past. She wakes up as Annabelle just as Brochan comes for her. With literally no choice but to follow him, Terri doesn't know what else to do so she decides to try and continue her role in this debacle and hope that when history is played out the portal to the future will return her.
I didn't care for this one. Terri was just too stupid for me. She didn't seem to care that she had traveled back into time and was stuck in the year 1294. She was far too interested in what was underneath Brochan's plain. Brochan was too easily charmed by a smile and a flash of cleavage for me tp take seriously. The ending was also incredibly stupid and made no sense. This was my first Julia Templeton book and I'm frankly disappointed. The sex was alright. Nothing special.
Someone is out to get Arabella Nichols, the notorious London madam known as the Fallen Angel and so Arabella hires a disgraced Bow Street Runner named John Valentine to protect her. She wants Valentine's protection and she wouldn't say no to his services in bed either, but she's only willing to play by her terms. Valentine is willing to take another chance at love but if he is to protect her, he needs her to trust him so he can find her stalker.
I'm sorry. Does Arabella need a protector or a lover? Because to me the only thing she seemed interested in was Valentine's great big c*ck. It was also extremely annoying to read about her refusals to let Valentine do his job. He needed information that she was refusing to give him and so he was left in the dark trying to figure out why she was being stalked. This was an okay read but the sex in this story didn't really interest me and since there really wasn't much else going on in this novella besides the TSTL heroine's shenanigans I didn't really enjoy this one.
Parlor Games by Leda Swann
Sarah Chesham has been let go from her milliner's position and she's desperate to find work. Faint with hunger she walks into the Madame Erskine's coffeehouse looking for work. She's willing to do whatever she can to get by and when she realizes this coffeehouse serves as an intimate playground for wealthy men she sadly joins the millions of women before her in selling her body.
Tom Wilde spotted Sarah when she arrived at the coffeehouse and he wants her for himself. He's willing to pay for a month of her time and though she refuses to give him her virginity they definitely play a lot of games. Like strip poker and Blindman's Buff. There's definitely a lot of naughty exhibitionism going on in this story and it's not for the shy. It's all just one long tease and at the end of the month Tom has to decide whether or not he's going to stand aside and let the next man have her or if he's going to make an honest women out of her.
Border Lord by Julia Templeton
After witnessing her fiance cheating on her, Terri Campbell drives off in shock and finds herself at a priory that is just finishing it's last tour. It seems this priory in the late 1200s was the scene of Annabelle MacLellan's abduction by Laird Brochan Douglas. Terri goes poking around the priory and is whisked into the past. She wakes up as Annabelle just as Brochan comes for her. With literally no choice but to follow him, Terri doesn't know what else to do so she decides to try and continue her role in this debacle and hope that when history is played out the portal to the future will return her.
I didn't care for this one. Terri was just too stupid for me. She didn't seem to care that she had traveled back into time and was stuck in the year 1294. She was far too interested in what was underneath Brochan's plain. Brochan was too easily charmed by a smile and a flash of cleavage for me tp take seriously. The ending was also incredibly stupid and made no sense. This was my first Julia Templeton book and I'm frankly disappointed. The sex was alright. Nothing special.
January 21, 2012
steamy....funny and adventurous. The first short story is from Jess Michaels titled Fallen Angel. The story about a former bow street runner and a mistress. I loved her books. So no telling that I enjoyed the story. The second is from Leda Swann titled Parlor Games. First book I read from this author. For me it did not go well from. I am confused of the story. It is different from other I read. It is between a woman who became a milliner and a writer. Well, the story not from the ordinary because it doesn't involved your usual lord's and lady's. Although I can't figured out what is the story should be. The third story is from Julia Templeton titled Border Lord. Also first book I read form this author and she did not disappointed me. First story I read about erotic time travel. At the first part it is funny and it's very direct of the story. I like the heroine a lot. She is funny and taking the hostage thing all too well. Since this is a short story it is bit rushed. Nevertheless I had fun.
I am rating this 3.5 stars.
I am rating this 3.5 stars.
September 22, 2017
Erotic Rating: 4 points !!!!
These three short stories were fun. If you are looking for great writing, don’t look here. If you are looking for hot sexual tension and short-term amusement, you have found a worthy book.
Note: I actually listened to these on audio. I do not recommend doing this. The readers’ accents were TERRIBLE, and I think that took a lot away from my experience of the stories.
The GoodReads summary of the book tells you all you need to know about the plots, so I don’t see a need to describe that again. Each of these authors does a nice job setting up a scene that is ripe with sexy build-up and teasing. Each also does a good job with sexual detail. The stories are satisfying. They make you wait just long enough, but don’t leave you hanging.
The main female character in Fallen Angel was irritating, but Jess Michaels writes good enough sexual tension that I could gloss over it. Suspension of disbelief in order to get to the gritty bits!
I loved the exhibitionistic nature of Parlor Games, even with the too-tidy ending.
Border Lord was right up my alley. Hot, satisfying. Yes, it is more of the highlander time-travel stuff, but…what can I say….that is a fantasy that has not yet gotten old for me.
I love compilations, because I find new authors this way. I will certainly look for other books by these authors and let you know what I think!
These three short stories were fun. If you are looking for great writing, don’t look here. If you are looking for hot sexual tension and short-term amusement, you have found a worthy book.
Note: I actually listened to these on audio. I do not recommend doing this. The readers’ accents were TERRIBLE, and I think that took a lot away from my experience of the stories.
The GoodReads summary of the book tells you all you need to know about the plots, so I don’t see a need to describe that again. Each of these authors does a nice job setting up a scene that is ripe with sexy build-up and teasing. Each also does a good job with sexual detail. The stories are satisfying. They make you wait just long enough, but don’t leave you hanging.
The main female character in Fallen Angel was irritating, but Jess Michaels writes good enough sexual tension that I could gloss over it. Suspension of disbelief in order to get to the gritty bits!
I loved the exhibitionistic nature of Parlor Games, even with the too-tidy ending.
Border Lord was right up my alley. Hot, satisfying. Yes, it is more of the highlander time-travel stuff, but…what can I say….that is a fantasy that has not yet gotten old for me.
I love compilations, because I find new authors this way. I will certainly look for other books by these authors and let you know what I think!
November 8, 2024
Overall the collection is more of a 3.5 because there are 3 short stories and they do not rate equally.
The first story, "Fallen Angel" by Jess Michaels is entertaining and well-written about a threatened pleasure house owner and an ex Bow Street Runner hired to protect her. Steamy, explicit 🌶🌶🌶 Rating: 4
Second story, "Parlor Games" by Leda Swann is a nice twist on the same old, same old story. A down trodden virgin is spending her last penny on a meal at a coffee house. She asks by chance is there work she can do in exchange for a place to get in off the streets. The rest of the story is her preserving her virginity while entertaining men. Explicit description of lewd activities all around her. Sexual violence trigger. HEA and bedding after the marriage proposal. 🌶.5 Rating 3.5
The third story, "Border Lord" by Julie Templeton is not a book I would normally read as I have no interest in time travel. This features a 21st century woman in 15th century Scotland. Although I appreciated the imagination and the frequency of explicitly steamy intimacy, 🌶🌶🌶🌶 I thought it was a poorly written second draft that needed more polish. Unfortunately, it didn't peak my curiosity to read another time travel historical romance. Rating 2.5
The first story, "Fallen Angel" by Jess Michaels is entertaining and well-written about a threatened pleasure house owner and an ex Bow Street Runner hired to protect her. Steamy, explicit 🌶🌶🌶 Rating: 4
Second story, "Parlor Games" by Leda Swann is a nice twist on the same old, same old story. A down trodden virgin is spending her last penny on a meal at a coffee house. She asks by chance is there work she can do in exchange for a place to get in off the streets. The rest of the story is her preserving her virginity while entertaining men. Explicit description of lewd activities all around her. Sexual violence trigger. HEA and bedding after the marriage proposal. 🌶.5 Rating 3.5
The third story, "Border Lord" by Julie Templeton is not a book I would normally read as I have no interest in time travel. This features a 21st century woman in 15th century Scotland. Although I appreciated the imagination and the frequency of explicitly steamy intimacy, 🌶🌶🌶🌶 I thought it was a poorly written second draft that needed more polish. Unfortunately, it didn't peak my curiosity to read another time travel historical romance. Rating 2.5
June 12, 2025
I listened to the audiobook version. The first of the three novellas was really not good. The second was written a little better and the story a little more entertaining (and the only reason this gets a two-star rating). The third was a neat idea (similar to Outlander) but poorly executed.
They all sounded like they were written by men who had little to no idea what they were doing when it comes to writing or to giving women pleasure in real life.
Also, the third had the conclusion in the middle of the book? Confusing as all get out.
They all sounded like they were written by men who had little to no idea what they were doing when it comes to writing or to giving women pleasure in real life.
Also, the third had the conclusion in the middle of the book? Confusing as all get out.
January 12, 2023
The Michaels and Swann stories, the first two, were both very weak in my opinion. I didn't find the events at all buyable, the characters were paper-thin (and a bit daft), and overall the stories were quite forgettable. The third story, by Templeton, was at least a bit different, and I was curious how things would play out. I won't clamber to find more stories by her, but I'd be open to reading another.
JM- 1 star
LS- 1.5 stars
JT- 3 stars
JM- 1 star
LS- 1.5 stars
JT- 3 stars
December 10, 2023
Meh. I tried a couple of times to get through this, & while it’s not the worst thing ever I couldn’t help getting slightly cranky and very bored. I know I’m very fastidious & and critical of historical fiction though, so if you don’t care as much about historical accuracy you will probably find this fun. For me, it’s just a solid “meh”.
Read
February 2, 2023Set of romance short stories set in historically inspired settings. Some better written than others. Some more steamy than others. Some narration done in a robotic manner with annoyingly poor accents.
October 14, 2017
Uneven. Wouldn't buy.
March 6, 2018
Too short!
July 3, 2019
So the first and last stories where ok, the middle story was terribly boring and didn't really make sense. Nothing was particularly erotic about these stories, it was just meh.
January 1, 2021
I liked Jess Michaels’ and Julia Templeton’s story. I didn’t like Leda Swann’s. It seemed to hint at some consent issues.
June 21, 2021
DNF.
2nd story was my favorite but still… Did Not Finish any of them.
2nd story was my favorite but still… Did Not Finish any of them.
June 2, 2023
I loved these short stories! The last one was my favorite and it reminded me so much of knight in shining armor with humor and a happy ending.
February 1, 2025
Fun, steamy & saucy short stories!
November 29, 2015
Fallen Angels – Jess Michaels – 3/5 – Arabella is something of a courtesan – she used to be a mistress, but now owns a club where sexual desires can be expressed and experimented with complete freedom. She’s being targeted by someone who wants to kill her, so she hires John Valentine to be her protector and part time lover. He was betrayed by a woman and has some control issues and Arabella has a tragic past and has some trust issues. Needless to say, they have some things to work out before they can be together. I liked the characters, both of whom were sexually confident and passionate. There was a bit of insta-love but it didn’t feel too unnatural, they just fell in love pretty quickly. But that was probably because of the crazy passionate sex (which made it believable). From this story, I’d add Jess Michaels to my to-read list.
Parlor Games – 3/5 – IIRC, this story is about the heroine who has fallen on tough times and has taken employment as a lady in a house where she is paid to play card games and such with the clientele. As an independent woman, she is free to choose whom she’d like to bed and refuse anyone she wants. She’s a virgin, so she doesn’t want anyone. She meets the hero, who manages to seduce her up to the point where he asks to go to bed with her and she refuses. He doesn’t take it well, but accedes to her wishes…then purchases her time for the next month in an effort to sway her. The bad part of this, it being a novella, is that their falling in love and what not happens off screen. We don’t get to see it. Fast forward to the end of the month and he still hasn’t succeeded. This might have been better if I’d bought that the hero loved her, instead what came across stronger was his possessiveness and his unwillingness to let her go so that someone else could claim her virginity. His loving her was kind of like a secondary thought. It was a good story still, but not my favorite.
Border Lord – 3/5 – Julia Templeton – Terri is getting away from her cheating fiancée and visits a Scottish priory, where she hears a story about a Scottish lord abducting his enemy’s daughter from a room that is now locked and haunted. So, she sneaks in and finds herself in this daughter’s identity and being kidnapped by the Scottish laird, Brochan. Brochan is very attracted to Terri and she’s very eager to go with him, being a twenty first century girl and finding him extremely sexy. She’s brazen and bold and signals she’s receptive and he loves the boldness and goes for it. They have some intense sex (and lots of it for a novella) but everybody believes she’s the enemy’s daughter and she’s from another century, so what kind of future could they have. This was actually pretty good, but several things needed explaining or a bit more focus. First of all, how did everybody believe that Terri, who is 26, was the 16 year old daughter Arabella? Even her father? She apparently still looked like herself, so how did that work? And what caused Terri to time travel ? I always struggle with time travel romances that don’t have a solid set up and explanation for the happenings… Oh and there’s quite a bit of insta-love here.
Parlor Games – 3/5 – IIRC, this story is about the heroine who has fallen on tough times and has taken employment as a lady in a house where she is paid to play card games and such with the clientele. As an independent woman, she is free to choose whom she’d like to bed and refuse anyone she wants. She’s a virgin, so she doesn’t want anyone. She meets the hero, who manages to seduce her up to the point where he asks to go to bed with her and she refuses. He doesn’t take it well, but accedes to her wishes…then purchases her time for the next month in an effort to sway her. The bad part of this, it being a novella, is that their falling in love and what not happens off screen. We don’t get to see it. Fast forward to the end of the month and he still hasn’t succeeded. This might have been better if I’d bought that the hero loved her, instead what came across stronger was his possessiveness and his unwillingness to let her go so that someone else could claim her virginity. His loving her was kind of like a secondary thought. It was a good story still, but not my favorite.
Border Lord – 3/5 – Julia Templeton – Terri is getting away from her cheating fiancée and visits a Scottish priory, where she hears a story about a Scottish lord abducting his enemy’s daughter from a room that is now locked and haunted. So, she sneaks in and finds herself in this daughter’s identity and being kidnapped by the Scottish laird, Brochan. Brochan is very attracted to Terri and she’s very eager to go with him, being a twenty first century girl and finding him extremely sexy. She’s brazen and bold and signals she’s receptive and he loves the boldness and goes for it. They have some intense sex (and lots of it for a novella) but everybody believes she’s the enemy’s daughter and she’s from another century, so what kind of future could they have. This was actually pretty good, but several things needed explaining or a bit more focus. First of all, how did everybody believe that Terri, who is 26, was the 16 year old daughter Arabella? Even her father? She apparently still looked like herself, so how did that work? And what caused Terri to time travel ? I always struggle with time travel romances that don’t have a solid set up and explanation for the happenings… Oh and there’s quite a bit of insta-love here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2009
Overall I had to give this anthology 4 stars because of the last story- "Border Lord." At a quick glance I needed to be reminded that this anthology is worth its spot on my keeper shelf.
“Fallen Angel” by Jess Michaels. 3 stars. This is the first anthology erotic romance I’ve read, so I’m not sure I’m a good judge on the short stories or not. However, this story was okay. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. This story is 90 pages in length. John Valentine is a disgraced Bow Street Runner who has been hired by Arabella Nichols, the owner of an elite private pleasure club, to protect her for someone who has been trying to kill her. They find pleasure in each other, but as both have secrets to keep, can they find love?
“Parlor Games” by Leda Swann. 2 stars. Okay, a little below average. This had so much potential, but ended up being utterly predictable and boring. A virgin enters a bawdy house to avoid having to starve in the streets. Her job: to keep the gentlemen entertained with flirting, but she desires to keep her innocence at all costs... even when a handsome gentlemen wants to push her to the limit.
“Border Lord” by Julia Templeton. 5 stars. The best of all the stories by miles. I only wish that this had been made into a full length novel, I think it would have been awesome! This short story has a paranormal element to it as it involves time travel. Terri, finding out her fiance is cheating on her, drives from London to Scotland. There she happens into the Priory of Grace, and wanders into a room that it said to be haunted. She is then taken about 700 years into the past. Everyone thinks she is Anabelle, the daughter of Laird MacLellan, who put his daughter with the nuns to hide her from Brochan Douglas. Brochan is bent on revenge and plans to kidnap Anabelle since MacLellan killed Brochan's only brother. Can Terri convince Brochan who she really is and to help her return to her time? The question is, does Terri really want to?
“Fallen Angel” by Jess Michaels. 3 stars. This is the first anthology erotic romance I’ve read, so I’m not sure I’m a good judge on the short stories or not. However, this story was okay. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. This story is 90 pages in length. John Valentine is a disgraced Bow Street Runner who has been hired by Arabella Nichols, the owner of an elite private pleasure club, to protect her for someone who has been trying to kill her. They find pleasure in each other, but as both have secrets to keep, can they find love?
“Parlor Games” by Leda Swann. 2 stars. Okay, a little below average. This had so much potential, but ended up being utterly predictable and boring. A virgin enters a bawdy house to avoid having to starve in the streets. Her job: to keep the gentlemen entertained with flirting, but she desires to keep her innocence at all costs... even when a handsome gentlemen wants to push her to the limit.
“Border Lord” by Julia Templeton. 5 stars. The best of all the stories by miles. I only wish that this had been made into a full length novel, I think it would have been awesome! This short story has a paranormal element to it as it involves time travel. Terri, finding out her fiance is cheating on her, drives from London to Scotland. There she happens into the Priory of Grace, and wanders into a room that it said to be haunted. She is then taken about 700 years into the past. Everyone thinks she is Anabelle, the daughter of Laird MacLellan, who put his daughter with the nuns to hide her from Brochan Douglas. Brochan is bent on revenge and plans to kidnap Anabelle since MacLellan killed Brochan's only brother. Can Terri convince Brochan who she really is and to help her return to her time? The question is, does Terri really want to?
March 12, 2011
Fallen Angel by Jess Michaels
Arabella Nichols – a stunning beauty and a notorious madam
John Valentine – handsome, sexy and a disgraced Bow Street Runner.
Someone is stalking her: she hires him for protection. But they both have something to hide and will need to trust each other with the truth before the would-be killer can be unmasked.
Jess Michaels brings us a romantic tale of intrigue with some highly erotic love scenes.
Parlor Games by Leda Swan
Sarah Chesham - a curate’s daughter, an innocent virgin, jobless, almost destitute and trying to avoid a life on the streets.
Tom Wilde – a rake and a gossip merchant who makes his living producing salacious pamphlets about prominent members of society.
Tom encounters Sarah on her first day at Mrs Erskine’s coffee house (brothel), where parlor games to tempt the clientele are the order of the day. He is so taken by her that he pays for a month of her time. Sarah spends her time in his company indulging in these parlor games, at the same time, trying not to become a whore, thus frustrating Tom at every turn.
Leda Swan brings us a very erotic romance with some rather graphic descriptions of explicit sexual encounters. Not all sweetness and light.
Border Lord by Julia Templeton
Terri Campbell discovers her fiancé in the act of being unfaithful and escapes to Scotland to lick her wounds. She tours a priory where she enters a sealed chamber and somehow ends up in the 13th century as Annabelle MacLellan, the daughter of a Scottish Laird.
Brochan Douglas is a Scottish Laird who is intent on revenge against Angus MacLellan for the murder of his brother. This revenge takes shape as the kidnapping of MacLellan’s beloved daughter Annabelle.
Terri suddenly finds herself the captive of a handsome, sexy, green-eyed border lord who is intent on having his way with her.
Julia Templeton brings us a truly sensuous romance. Throw in a bit of time-travel, and this becomes a delightful erotic tale. Easily the best of the three.
Arabella Nichols – a stunning beauty and a notorious madam
John Valentine – handsome, sexy and a disgraced Bow Street Runner.
Someone is stalking her: she hires him for protection. But they both have something to hide and will need to trust each other with the truth before the would-be killer can be unmasked.
Jess Michaels brings us a romantic tale of intrigue with some highly erotic love scenes.
Parlor Games by Leda Swan
Sarah Chesham - a curate’s daughter, an innocent virgin, jobless, almost destitute and trying to avoid a life on the streets.
Tom Wilde – a rake and a gossip merchant who makes his living producing salacious pamphlets about prominent members of society.
Tom encounters Sarah on her first day at Mrs Erskine’s coffee house (brothel), where parlor games to tempt the clientele are the order of the day. He is so taken by her that he pays for a month of her time. Sarah spends her time in his company indulging in these parlor games, at the same time, trying not to become a whore, thus frustrating Tom at every turn.
Leda Swan brings us a very erotic romance with some rather graphic descriptions of explicit sexual encounters. Not all sweetness and light.
Border Lord by Julia Templeton
Terri Campbell discovers her fiancé in the act of being unfaithful and escapes to Scotland to lick her wounds. She tours a priory where she enters a sealed chamber and somehow ends up in the 13th century as Annabelle MacLellan, the daughter of a Scottish Laird.
Brochan Douglas is a Scottish Laird who is intent on revenge against Angus MacLellan for the murder of his brother. This revenge takes shape as the kidnapping of MacLellan’s beloved daughter Annabelle.
Terri suddenly finds herself the captive of a handsome, sexy, green-eyed border lord who is intent on having his way with her.
Julia Templeton brings us a truly sensuous romance. Throw in a bit of time-travel, and this becomes a delightful erotic tale. Easily the best of the three.
January 30, 2015
I enjoy Jess Michaels, her male characters are often strong and sexy and her sex scenes are usually decently hot. I was looking forward to the three short stories here, but none of the stories peaked my interest and I ended up flipping thru the virtual pages just to get done. Oh, and don't get me started on the sex scenes. Talking about wild, taboo sex in the summary? Hahahaha, WHERE? The sex wasn't at all wild and certainly not even mildly "taboo."
August 26, 2014
A good, but not great read by Jess Michaels. The love scenes were steamy but I felt both characters were one dimensional. I didn't connect emotionally to either one. A disgraced Bow Street Runner is hired by a Madame to protect her and investigate who is trying to kill her. The storyline was kind of blah. It skimmed some of it and had difficulty keeping my attention on the book. I've read much better from Ms. Michaels.
January 23, 2011
Very very bad, especially the 2nd story "Parlor Games", it wasn't sexy or erotic- the couple didn't even like each other - then they loved each other -huh? The other 2 stories were okay, the 3rd being the best because I like highlanders, but it was rushed because it was a short story. This wasn't worth my time.
January 18, 2011
This is a collection of three stories and I'm not sure what to make of it. All of the stories felt perfunctory. The strongest story was "Parlor Games" by Leda Swann. Unfortunately, due to the brevity of the stories, the characters and plots were broadly sketched. It was difficult to like any of the characters or understand the depths of their motivations.
April 26, 2008
Three stories of erotic romance in a historical setting.
The first story by Jess Michaels was good, but found something to be lacking.
Leda Swann's story was very good and very steamy
Julia Templeton's story was good, but not great.
The first story by Jess Michaels was good, but found something to be lacking.
Leda Swann's story was very good and very steamy
Julia Templeton's story was good, but not great.
March 4, 2012
Parlor Games
FALLEN ANGEL by Jess Michaels
2 Stars-Okay
PARLOR GAMES by Leda Swann
2 Stars-Okay
BORDER LORD by Julia Templeton
3 Stars-Good
It's always a hit or miss with Antholgies. Fallen Angel and Parlor Games were just okay. I enjoyed Border Lord the most.
FALLEN ANGEL by Jess Michaels
2 Stars-Okay
PARLOR GAMES by Leda Swann
2 Stars-Okay
BORDER LORD by Julia Templeton
3 Stars-Good
It's always a hit or miss with Antholgies. Fallen Angel and Parlor Games were just okay. I enjoyed Border Lord the most.
September 10, 2013
NO, I did not read this one- Can you give a book a negative 5? I bought the audiobook for a long business trip- do they pay the narrator by minute? I have never heard a more rushed narration, the woman even sounded out of breath!
February 22, 2008
Loved it! :)
May 4, 2008
Good short stories.
January 21, 2009
This book was ok. I found the first story to be the slowest of the 3 in the book, but then the pace picked up with the 2nd and 3rd stories. Overall, a decent read.
June 14, 2009
I really enjoyed the third story in this book by Julia Templeton.
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