A peine Zoë a-t-elle atteint le petit village de Carbrey, perdu au nord de l'Ecosse, qu'elle se sent envahie par d'étranges sensations. Vibrant d'une énergie nouvelle, intensément sensuelle, elle a l'impression, sur cette terre mystérieuse, de devenir une autre femme. Bien plus désirable, et surtout follement désirante. Loin, très loin de la jeune femme sage qu'elle était à Londres... Est-ce bien elle qui, incapable de résister au désir brutal qui l'anime, ne peut trouver l'apaisement que sous les caresses de son ténébreux voisin, Grayson Murdoch ? Elle encore, la maîtresse insatiable qui, prête à tout pour éteindre le feu qui la dévore, soutient les regards lourds de désir de tous ceux qu'elle croise, ces hommes et ces femmes au comportement étrange qui la troublent au plus haut point ? Comme si on l'avait ensorcelée... Et pourquoi pas ? Tout, ici, ne parle-t-il pas de légendes, de magie et de force tellurique, capables de réveiller les désirs les plus enfouis ?
Saskia is British by birth, but because of her parent's nomadic tendencies she grew up traveling the globe--an only child with a serious book habit. She dreamed of being a writer since the age of 12 and finally began writing seriously in the late 1990s.
Saskia's short stories have now been published in over one hundred international anthologies and magazines including Cosmo, and Bust. In the noughties Saskia started working on longer projects and since then her novels have been published by Penguin and Harlequin as well as other publishing houses. To her absolute delight two of her novels won Passionate Plume awards and her work has twice been nominated for an Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers' Choice Award. Her Witches of Scotland series was widely translated and became a Scandinavian bestseller. In 2015 she became a USA TODAY bestselling author. It's been an amazing journey! Saskia is now a full time author and she has many more stories to tell.
Saskia lives in the north of England, on the beautiful, windswept landscape of the Yorkshire moors, with her real life hero, Mark. Mark supports her work through all its ups and downs, and manages to keep her sane and grounded when fiction threatens to take over.
Saskia....if you happen to read this - You gave an advanced copy to Gina Scalera, a Joseph Beth bookseller in Lexington, KY. She absolutely loved this story and she's been raving about it :)
Finished:
In addition to the gorgeous book cover, there's a great story involving ghosts, witches and possession. VERY erotic with well-developed characters. I prefer my h/h to be one on one, so the book blurb concerned me - was Zoe going to run around and sleep with everyone, with no connection or emotional development? I was happy to discover I was completely wrong. There is a love story developing with the very delicious Grayson Murdoch - a professor/researcher who rides a motorcycle and has some secrets he's hiding :) I love that Zoe and Grayson were so passionate for one another that they never quite made it to the bed :) I also grew to love the very mischievous and wanton spirit of Annabel McGraw - I'm generally not a big fan of flashbacks, but they really worked well here.
I was so pleased with this book that I already grabbed more of Sasia Walker's work: Reckless
EDIT: Glaring omission on my part! I can't believe I didn't mention the author's descriptions of the beautiful coastal town in Scotland, and the culture. It was such an integral part of the book - I felt like I was really there. The setting, itself, was a character.
If you are one of my GoodReads friend you probably saw my reaction on the prologue of this book. Although I know that this is on the Erotica side of our bookshelf, I was not really expecting the first sex scene in there. It was not really shocking, I was just surprised. haha. I don't read much Erotica, my reaction was probably sounded virginal. Anyway, let's get back to the book shall we?
The moment Zoe reached the small town of Carbrey in Scotland, she immediately felt horny. Horny like she have never experience before. In fact she has to pull over to get some fresh air, and what a coincidence, a biker dude pulled over and ask her if she was lost. She wanted him do all sorts of sinful stuff to her at that very spot, it was like an invisible force was turning her on. Nothing transpired, she had it under control but when she finally got to her rental cottage - Her Haven, weird things and uncontrollable and intense "need" happened. A crazy coven member and apparently a brilliant Chef named Cain Davot is out t get her. He plans to do a little necromancy and re-embodiment for his beloved Nymphomaniac She-Witch Annabel McGraw, also the previous resident of Her Haven. It was said that her spirit haunts the place and influence the occupants staying in it. Well that explains why Zoe's libido is on a haywire. But like all other erotica/paranormal/love story. Zoe have a savior and his name is Professor Grayson Murdoch. Also known as the biker prof. Described as tall, with blond hair (chin length), to die for bod and well endowed. In short it reminded me of my beloved Eric Northman, only this Grayson guy sounds bookish and is obviously a witch. Like what the blurb said, Zoe is a skeptic and I am going to add stubborn and sometimes totally irritating. Doesn't she find it weirder than usual when she saw Grayson taking a shower and pleasuring himself through her bathroom mirror? Sure it was a wonderful sight but I would totally freak out and ditch that town. And how about the insane and wild sex orgies, mild, BDSM, threesome, etc... that she keep dreaming / seeing? It must be a pain being turned on 24/7 and not being able to think about anything but sex.
As far as the story goes, I am actually pretty impressed. It's not everyday that a book takes me to a European country with a spectacular view of the sea and coven of Witches living such debaucherous way. I was also fascinated with the history of Annabel. Her wild ways, the intrigue on who she was, the path to her demise and exactly how powerful was, I think that is the main reason why I kept reading. At first I thought she was evil, that she asked Cain to bring her back after 3 centuries and then she seems to be friendly towards Zoe, then I realized that there is only one evil in this book. Murdoch's lack of history intrigues me too. What is he hiding? What's his dirty little secret? And what exactly is his purpose in purchasing the house beside Her Haven?
Rampant is definitely recommended for the lovers of erotica with paranormal elements in their character. A hot book Smut at its finest.
Rampant is everything I want in a great book that happens also to be very erotic.
Zoe, a reserved hard-working girl from London, is on “holiday” (vacation) and on her way to Scotland. Once she arrives in the small village in Scotland (beautifully described in lush detail by the author), she immediately knows that this will not be an ordinary holiday for her.
After reading the prologue and after reading about Zoe's first "run-in" once she arrives in town, the ordinary reader might think that this is the start of your basic smut book. Nevertheless, this book is so much more than its sex scenes.
The book is about magic and witches, about desire and betrayal, about revenge and about love lost, and the hope for new love. The story between Zoe and Gray made me smile. As Zoe gains confidence in her self (both sexually and with dealing with her own insecurities), you really are hoping that Gray is what he seems and that Zoe finds someone she can trust and confide in with Gray.
I found Rampant's storyline very entertaining, and well written. As mentioned before, there are some very graphic sex scenes, especially in the beginning. People might be put off by the "unconventional" sex scenes (I refuse to say this book is not for the "faint of heart" because there is nothing wrong with the sex, it is just not mainstream or conventional sex). Readers might not finish the book because of the scenes. It would be sad if that is the case because they would be missing a great story.
Rampant is Saskia Walker’s first novel for Harlequin Spice and my first Spice read.
Phewww! There’s nothing like jumping in at the deep end and the author does this with the very first words of Rampant’s prologue. This leaves you in no doubt that you’re reading erotic fiction. Yet, as with all the stories Saskia Walker writes, there’s much more to them than their erotic nature.
Every character in Rampant, whether evil or good, comes alive and the entire story is living and breathing in a sizzling atmosphere. It’s very difficult to put this book down and even when life dictates that you *have* to put your reading aside, the book’s vivid setting and imagery are never far away from your senses awaiting your return to its pages.
Saskia Walker’s writing is, as always, beautiful. Rampant is melded together with paranormal and historical context; everything is woven intricately to make this a contemporary read with many layers.
What more can I say without revealing plot spoilers? This is another of my keepers and I recommend it wholeheartedly (with a warning that Rampant isn’t for the faint-hearted or those who find sexually explicit language offfensive).
In order to review this book appropriately I have to share a bit about myself. I am a Pagan, I believe in love, light, nature, and balance above all things. Anyway, I shared that with you because reading this book I felt believe I connected with the characters (the decent ones at least) on an entirely different level than if I were not of the Pagan religious persuasion. There are a few scenes, mainly ones featuring Anabel that I just felt at peace, there is a quote, I don't have access to the book anymore but the quote basically states my beliefs more eloquently that I could ever get them to come out. I wish I had the book to share it with you.
The characters are complex, rich, and wonderfully developed. The villain is truly a villain, you can just tell, he is just a bad guy. On the other side, the protagonists are everything that is supposed to be a romantic protagonist couple, and a super hot one, like sizzling hot, at that. I'll take a leather wearing, ripped, book reading, motorcycle riding, all around delicious author to save my butt any day of the week.
I again, L-O-V-E this book and I will read it over and over, it is now snug on my favorites shelf
En commençant le livre, on se dit "Oh boy, c'est quoi ce livre..." car cela commence par une scène d'orgie * j'exagère évidemment^^* (ça dure 10 lignes même pas)
Puis le "paysage" change et l'on se retrouve en Ecosse, dans le village de Cambray * où l'on fait pleins de bêtises...*( easy, i know !^^) dans un cottage au bord de la mer... et on est tout de suite attiré par ce village et son histoire.
La magie est au coeur de tout : fantôme, légende, tradition, maison hantée, sorcier... C'est dans ce monde qu’atterrit malgré elle Zoé. Venue en vacance dans le village, elle se retrouve au coeur d'une histoire qui la dépasse. Mais son voisin Grayson, professeur à l'université va l'aider à y voir plus clair... *huhu*
Bref, un livre envoûtant *ah ah*, sexy, magique et en plein village d'Ecosse !
I had a really hard time rating this book. I think if I read the ebook version instead of the audio book it would have been 5 Stars easily. Horrible readers can really bring down good books. Now on to my review of the the book..
I really think this is the perfect Erotica story. It has a fantastic storyline and incredibly hot sex. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Warning
If same sex interactions bother you I would think twice about this book. The prologue has a minor M/M scene and there are a couple F/F scenes. Also, Avoid the audio book at all costs. Instead buy the paperback or ebook.
Look at this gorgeous cover! Spice does it again! I love Saskia's writing. She's a truly gifted British author. I first came to know her writing when we both started writing for Red Sage Publishing! This books look great!
This is what boredom & and a digital library card will get you. I confused this with another book with the same title. I read this in about fifteen minutes, yes, that much skimming occurred.
A good Paranormal adult mystery. Zoe on holiday in Scotland meet Grayson a professor and next door neighbour in her haunted holiday cottage. Witchcraft and magic, a 300 year old black warlock and the ghost of the lover he wants back combine in a well written story. The characters are good, the premise is interesting and the story entertaining. This has a wide range of explicit scenes which does become a bit of a distraction from an otherwise good story. Overall a very good read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I am not even sure how I ended up with this book as this is not a genre that I typically partake in. I love the supernatural aspects of the story line, so from that specific standpoint I would recommend it. It is most definitely a graphic adult novel so beware of that in case that portion would bother you to read.
I give it 2 stars, because story was lacking and development of characters (save perhaps for the main character) was pretty much non-existent. If you want from a book hot steamy sex scenes, pick this one up. If you want more from a book than just the hot steamy sex scenes, read something else.
This story was full of "elements" that I love....paranormal, erotic and Scotland to name a few. Absolutely glad that I opted to read this story. . I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I'm glad I got to read this book but to me it was slow moving, even though it was very interesting, sexually and the story was engaging about the midway point and I was glad to see the happy ending.
I had high expectations and I desperately needed a good read so I looked at goodreads and found this book. Many of my blogger friends loved or at least liked it so I thought why not. I could use something sexy and finally opened my netgalley copy.
I really don't like to DNF or giving up in general but I just can't read more of this book. I have to force myself to read another few pages and I don't think I will like it more even if I do. So please consider while reading this that I only read this book up to page 150. So here's why it's just not my kind of book:
1. I was way too confused with the beginning of the book. It had so much sex but by far not enough story or general information. I didn't really bond with the characters and they still felt like strangers when I read on. They never lost their mysterious touch- for my taste too much mystery and not enough disclosure.
2. Zoë is a business woman currently on her much needed vacation. She is usually a facts person, she believes in what she can see and prove with logic. But when she arrives in the Scottish small town she is immediately turned on, and with that I'm mean horny as hell. She is worried at first but then she puts it aside as caused by her long sex abstinence. So we have that rather tame girl now horny and all of sudden she has "mind-sex" (more about that later) with a guy and a woman and then real life sex with her sexy neighbor she just met 24 hours or less ago. She doesn't really worry about it. Just a thought here and there. It seems I'm prude but I didn't buy it at all.
3. The above mentioned mind sex was totally weird. She didn't ask for anything and is kind of forced into a vision like sex scene by the bad guy. She sees herself having sex with that guy and the post woman and in the vision she likes it. I'm not sure if I like that. Perhaps it would have been sexy if I would have liked the other 2 participants but I hate those and felt more like rape than anything else.
4. In general all the sex scenes felt like they were just there to actually have sex scenes in the book, like it is in porn you know? "Ohhh there is a sexy man lets have sex ASAP." Not something I like.
5. And I encountered a pet peeve. The bad guy calls himself he-witch and that's just ridiculous. It reminded me of he-man and I couldn't take that seriously.
The writing itself was good but the story didn't do it for me at all. For me it was too much storyless sex.
But don't judge the book only because I didn't like it. Here are some links to reviews of blogger friends who liked much more than me: - Colette @ Buckeye Girls Read (4/5 Goodreads Rating) - Pearl @ Pearl's World of Romance (8.5 out of 10) - Pat @ Peace, Love & Pat (4 out of 5)
I received this book as an ebook and it pulled me in so completely I didn't even notice how uncomfortable my computer chair was. I was drawn to this book because of the paranormal aspects of the book. I'm not even sure how to describe this book except to say, it sizzles! I never thought of myself as a blusher when it comes to reading erotica, but I must say I found myself doing that a lot while reading this great story.
Zoe Daniels arrives in Scotland on vacation and immediately feels a pull to the area unlike she's ever felt before. She's attracted to three very different men-Grayson Murdoch, her attractive neighbor, Cain Davot, the restaurant who might not be what he seems, and seems to know a lot about her, and Crawford Logan, who is a boat builder. Her cottage is charged with an energy that Zoe doesn't understand, but somehow ever since she arrived in Carnaby, she's felt and acted on desire like she never has before. The question is-can she trust Cain, Crawford or Grayson? Then Zoe learns that her cottage is rumored to be haunted-by an 18th century ghost, Annabel who just happened to be a witch who was known to have her pick of men. Even though Zoe begins to have encounters that she doesn't understand, she refuses to be that it's paranormal-but strange events can't be ignored, so she turns to her neighbor Grayson for help, and he helps her with much more then understanding the paranormal events happening in Zoe's cottage.
If I had this book in paperback form I think I would have devoured this book in one sitting. It's one of those books that just pull you right in. I wasn't prepared for how well, sizzling the love scenes were-but you know something, they all fit with the story...there was a tiny bit of everything: m/m, (very briefly) and few almost w/w scenes. I really liked Zoe and could feel the turmoil she was dealing with-everything from the recent death of her mother, to the weird stuff happening in her vacation cottage, to being drawn to three different guys. There were two scenes with marmalade and wine, that made me go "why haven't I ever thought of that?" This book also has flashbacks from Annabel's life, and I have to say I loved that storyline-and the paranormal aspect of just made the story that much more compelling.
If you are squeamish when it comes to steamy (and I mean steamy) love scenes in your romances, I'd stay away from this book, but if you're like me a like a good steamy sizzling love scene then I highly recommend this book for you! I received this copy from netgalley.com
Well I'll start this review presuming that you have have the back cover so I don't just repeat that. So there are a lot oif characters in this book and at the start, it can get a little confusing but as you read on it does get easier and they all start to fall into place. Zoe is good heroine, not fantastic though either! But I did like her journey in the book. Grayson is her neighbour for her stay, and is my favourite character. He is really sweet and tries really hard to protect her and his love for her is beautiful to read. The other two men mentioned are essentially the bad guys. Cain Davot is the leader of a coven, but is driven mad by one goal that tears his coven apart. Crawford isn't a truly bad guy but has fallen into Davots coven which takes him in all the wrong places. A great thing about this book (if it's what you like) is that there is a lot (and oh boy do I mean a lot) of hot steamy sex! At times in the story I got a little anoyed at the sexualy tension with characters other than Grayson. I am a one guy gal myself so when the other guys (and girls I might add! wink wink) try to take advantage of her situation, I got a little annoyed. I think the thing that I enjoyed the most about this whole book, was Annabels story! Which surprised me, the background story is usually the part that I like the least. I loved all the flashbacks and reading about her life and her loves. I won't say any more in fear of spoiling the story for those who go on to read the book. I got this on the Kindle as a freebie so I wasn't expecting that much but I was very pleasently surprised. So if you like stories of witches, some great magic, an amazing story of betrayal and revenge oh and some blushworthy sex, go and get this book!
I think this must be my first proper erotica read ever (unless you count the later Anita Blake books, which were pretty much all sex and no action!). Not that I'm a prude but I prefer the kick ass, blood and gore type of books that this one was, but still a fairly enjoyable read.
Zoe takes a much deserved break from her high flying job as a PA in a lawyer's office and heads up to Scotland to a little seaside village, which her sister found for her. Just as she drives up to the village, she starts to get hot and not just temperature hot either. And soon enough she meets a rather handsome biker bloke who she wants to do naughty things to - not her usual reaction to a man she's just met!
The house she has rented gives her a funny feeling that someone else is there with her, but there is no one to be seen - only a feeling! Her neighbour ends up being the hunky biker and the other village menfolk (and one of the women too) take an interest in her as well, but it turns out that they are all witches of one kind or another. Being a complete non-believer in magic it takes her a while to accept what is happening to her.
There is a coven trying to invoke some very powerful, forbidden spells and unfortunately for her, Zoe is dragged into it all, whilst her hunky neighbour tries to save her from a fate worse than death. A lot of the power uses sex to aid it along the way so we are treated to lots of hot, steamy sex scenes as well.
The actual plot, without all the sex scenes, was a good one and I enjoyed the idea of what the dark witches were trying to achieve and the power struggles the coven were experiencing at times. Just wish there had been much blood and gore in it :P
I was initially drawn to Rampant because of the paranormal aspects. Erotica isn’t something I usually read but I found the synopsis for Rampant interesting so I decided to check it out. I’m glad that I did.
Yes, this book was naughty but it also had a great plot. The author has a very beautiful and descriptive style of writing. You couldn’t help but to hate the bad guys and love the good ones. The setting was a beautiful coastal town in Scotland which just happens to be one of my favorite places to visit when opening a book. The descriptions of the terrain were so vivid it made me feel as if I was there seeing it all through the character’s eyes. As if that wasn’t enough the romantic interest was a gorgeous man with a Scottish brogue. Men with accents always win my heart. There was no exception when it came to Grayson Murdoch the blonde witch and love interest of Rampant’s protagonist Zoe.
Rampant is a beautifully written work of erotic romance. It contains fascinating characters and steamy love scenes all set in the gorgeous country of Scotland. All in all I found this a very entertaining read. I’d recommend it to those that enjoy paranormal romance and whose senses aren’t offended by more risqué sex scenes.
Rampant is a hot and steamy erotica/mystery/paranormal delight. A tight-laced personal assistant finds herself drawn into a battle of white vs. black magic while on vacation. A modern coven led by a Warlock practicing black magic seeks to use Zoe as a vessel for bringing back the ghost of the most famous Witch of the village. However, all is not as it seems, as the ghost actively engages Zoe on her own in a final act of revenge against the Warlock responsible for her death. Trusting the scholar/white witch Grayson seems Zoe's best chance to survive the plans of the coven while still helping the ghost to seek justice. This very sexy mystery is fun, engaging read with enough plot depth and story continuity that the depictions of "sex magic" are a treat.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
I will tell you that I picked up "Rampant" only because of Saskia Walker's online free read at Harlequin, "Yield to Me," a short story about Annabel McGraw and Ewan Findlay when she first comes to Carbrey. It was HOT! Call me a romantic, but I was disappointed that "Rampant" wasn't a continuation of their story. Even though there is much of Ewan and Annabel's backstory in "Rampant," the story only touched on a few points as to how they got to a total disregard and loathing for one another. This confused me 'cause clearly they got along pretty darn well in the short story. Which made me kinda cranky with Annabel (don't like cheaters) and made Ewan the bad guy (he was her defender in "Yield to Me"). So I kinda didn't like her and felt sorry for him...how screwed up is that? But, okay I've moved on and struggled to get thru all of that to really appreciate the story of Zoe and Cain. Which I really liked. Which is why I gave it four stars. Phew!
This is one of Walker's most recent works. Walker has published a lot of books before this one, mainly available in the UK. I thought I would have trouble with the paranormal/supernatural aspect of the story, but Walker is a great writer and it flowed really well. I would recommend this to anyone who likes paranormal romances but finds some of them lacking in the hot sex department. Also, if you like books set in the UK, this one describes some of the lovely Scottish countryside. My only gripe with this book was the ending; it was mildly anticlimactic for me--a sort of everything-gets-resolved-on-the-last-page deal that did not match the hype that Walker built up for us. I was expecting a major witch battle, coven v. coven, not the silly bad-guy-walks-into-ghost-flames-and-is-gone-forever ending we got.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Rampant is everything i want in a great book. Zoe is a reserved hard working girl from London, She is on holiday and on her way to Scotland. Once she arrives in the small village in Scotland she knows immediately that this will not be an ordinary holiday for her.This book is more than sex scenes. T he story is about magic and witches, about desire and betrayal, revenge and about love lost and hope for new new love. The story about Zoe and Gray made me smile. As Zoe gains confidence in herself you really hope that Gray is what he seems and that Zoe found someone she can trust and confide in. The storyline was very well written and very entertaining.
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What I liked: likeable hero & heroine with great sexual chemistry and a plot involving ghostly possession and nemocrancy adding suspense and some tension throughout the story
What I disliked: somewhat weak conclusion to the main plot - I felt slightly deflated after the huge build-up to the confrontation. Author could have also worked a bit more character development in but examining more of Grayson's past and especially his connection with the "good" coven.
I'm actually having a hard time getting my head in the game to read this book. I mean I enjoy witches on the "big screen", but for some reason I'm having a hard time trying to read about them. I think part of it is that I do not believe in all that witch craft stuff. I typically have to see it to believe it. It wasn't till I was halfway through the book before I got to the point of no return.
Some books are like hills, you have an age to go before the top and the easy go of the other side. This one was a little like that, there was more climb than free fall, but by books end I liked it far more than I thought I would
If you can come up with the suspension of disbelief needed to accept magic is real, then this is a good book. A satisfying battle between good and evil, well drawn lead characters and enough raunchy scenes to satisfy.