Alluring Tales: Awaken the Fantasy

Alluring Tales #1

by Vivi Anna, Sylvia Day, Delilah Devlin

What is your most wicked fantasy?

Pleasure beckons and satisfaction is guaranteed in seven titillating stories of love that know no boundaries. Surrender to the passion and follow your desires into unexplored realms of sensuous delights. Awaken the fantasy!

Tempting Grace by Sasha White
A man harbors impure thoughts about a voluptuous stripper - and sets out to make his erotic dreams come true...

Out of the Shadows by Myla Jackson
A big-city cop discovers that once bitten is not twice shy after spending a tantalizing night with a beautiful vampire...

Lover’s Locket by Cathryn Fox
A sheltered young woman opens a mysterious locket--and is plunged into a legendary battle of good versus evil to set her imprisoned lover free...

A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day
A seductive warlock will not rest until the powerful temptress he lusts for is begging to be dominated

Kili’s Ice Man by Delilah Devlin
A television executive lets loose when her favorite heartthrob strides into her office--and gives her the ride of her life.

The Hottest One-Night Stand by Lisa Renee Jones
This one-night stand may be too hot to handle for a newly single woman, but that won't stop her from enjoying every delicious second...

Quick Silver by Vivi Anna
When a mysterious package opens to reveal an oh-so-sexy, nearly naked man, these two have no choice but to hide out . . . for a good, long time.

Genres: Romance, Erotica, Anthologies, Erotic Romance, Contemporary, Short Stories, Paranormal

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2007

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author, Vivi Anna likes to burn up the pages with her original unique brand of fantasy fiction. Whether it's in ancient Egypt, or in an apocalyptic future, Vivi always writes fast paced action-adventure with strong independent women that can kick some butt, and dark delicious heroes to kill for.


When Vivi isn't writing, you can find her causing a ruckus at downtown bistros, flea markets, or playgrounds. Oh and on twitter at @authorViviAnna.

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable set of tales. Sexy, sweet, and humorous all rolled into one. Great sets of characters in all, some might be more my preference, but there wasn't a weak story in the lot. Not a huge fan of anthologies, but decided to get this one to test drive a couple of the authors. If you're a short story format fan this set won't disappoint.

[Mohammed omran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first story, the main character Caira received a locket from a gypsy woman. She was told that if she were to recite the incantation on the locket, Caira's true love will appear but with consequences of course. I found this story to be promising and wished that it were actually drawn out more into a book instead of a short story. I really liked the thought behind the plot and the action scene was promising. This story left me wanting more. ~ Kili's Ice Man by Delilah Devlin ~ Set in a futuristic world, Kili entered a virtual vacation where she was able to act upon her fantasies over a celebrity crush. What she doesn't know was that this celebrity was really with her in the virtual world. This story was hot! I liked the chemistry between the two characters. What I did not like was the ending with the whole "instant love" thing happening. I enjoy reading stories that play with my fantasies but when it comes to true love, I like it to be as believable as possible. ~ The Hottest One Night Stand by Lisa Renee Jones ~ On a stormy night, Jessica was able to find her sexual side with the help of a sexy stranger. Ooh yum! Lisa Renee Jones has become my new "go to" erotic author. I loved how she was able to portray the story and how sexy it all sounded. I also enjoyed how it ended for it did not have me rolling my eyes. ~ Out of the Shadows by Myla Jackson ~ The city was going to be hit by a case 5 hurricane and TJ must make sure all civilians were out of town to safety. Easy said than done, especially when there were vampires running about at night and the girl of his dreams became one of these creatures. This would have to be my least favorite story. I was not expecting to read a vampire story in this anthology (I am very picky with vampires) so it took me by surprise. I think the story would have worked better if there weren't vampires in it. The whole thought of a hurricane coming would have been sufficient enough to create a plot. ~ A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day ~ Familiars need to be tamed by Warlocks. Victoria was a familiar who refused to be dominated by any male until she met Max. Sylvia Day is my favorite author for erotica so I was looking forward to reading this one...but it wasn't my favorite. The world she created had me confused at first. I felt like I needed to read a previous book to fully understand what was going on. The intimate scenes were done well and I quite enjoyed these though. ~ Tempting Grace by Sasha White ~ Ex-stripper Grace kept herself guarded not allowing people to get close, especially Lukas the minister's son. After finding out the death of a teen she was helping out, she sought Lukas for a one-night stand. I think this was perhaps my favorite story. It wasn't the hottest but it was the most heart-felt. I really liked how it ended. ~ Quick Silver by Vivi Anna ~ Sangria was a transporter. She knew the rules: don't asks questions, deliver the packages in a timely manner, and never look inside the package. One night, she had to deliver a package to Las Vegas but ended up in a car accident. She discovered that the package carried a very sexy male. I would not have expected to like this story as much because of the content it held, but I was immediately hooked. I found it a great way to end the anthology. *** As a whole, I quite enjoyed reading this book. The stories were quick reads and helped me relax from my chaotic schedule. I found some new authors whom I hope to get the chance to read some more of.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cathryn- 3 stars. Their coupling was written with steam. But too short to be anything more.
Delilah- 4 stars. Short but fun. Definite reread.
Lisa- 4.5 stars. Wow, this one made me melt! Definite reread.
Myla- 2 stars. Snooze fest.
Sasha- 3 stars. Female in control, I like.
Sylvia- 3 stars. Decent read, but had a few issues.
Vivi Anna- 4 stars. Interesting.

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day - 4
I'd say this is BDSM lite, mostly about Dominance and submission. Familiar has gone feral and it's up to Max to collar her.

[Anne Hathaway fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very good and long.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read The Hottest One Night Stand by Lisa Renee Jones

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this anthology! I'm not a big fan of romance per se so I was surprised that I enjoyed this collection of short stories so much. Because they were so short there wasn't a ton of emphasis on the cheesy, serendipitous type of romance that I really can't stand. The 7 stories consist of:

Lover's Locket by Cathryn Fox
Kili's Ice Man by Delilah Devlin
The Hottest One Night Stand by Renee Jones
Out of the Shadows by Myla Jackson
A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day
Tempting Grace by Sasha White
Quick Silver by Vivi Anna

Though I actually really did enjoy all of these stories, and intend on reading them all again, I am only going to include reviews for a couple of my favorites. But please keep in mind these were all very well done. Not only were there few grammar and spelling errors but there were also rich characters and very interesting back stories and plots considering how short each story is.

The Hottest One Night Stand by Renee Jones

Who doesn't want a hot one night stand?! Especially with the sensual and exotic male character that Renee introduces to us in the bar at the beginning of the story. Our heroine hasn't had very good luck. She finds out that her husband had been cheating on her for quite some time and uses the excuse that she basically sucks in bed. She sees good lookin' in a bar and is immediately attracted to him but can't talk to him because of the self-consciousness her ex so lovingly left her with. When she drives out to a motel to stay the night the innkeeper tells her there are no rooms for the night and while waiting in her car trying to figure out what to do and how to dry off from the torrential downpour going on outside, our mysterious hunk knocks on her window and unceremoniously offers her a place to stay for the night since she's soaked. Of course a place for the night leads to some fabulous and erotic sex! She steps out of her comfort zones with this total stranger with the idea she'll never see him again. That being said, I loved how this story ended and how it turned out they both had way more in common than either of them would've thought. Great story!

A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day

I'm usually not a fantasy fan so the fact that this story revolved around warlocks and people that can change into animals should've turned me off rather than on! I loved these characters. They were both so strong and independent and absolutely determined to get what they wanted. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them both squirm as they tried to each have the upper hand on the other. What I really liked about this is that to the other person they seem to be in perfect control and have it all together but when you see it from their POV you actually see they are barely holding together and ready to unravel. Neither one of them realize how much they affect the other one until the end of the story when life changing decisions are made in order to protect the undeniable bond they have with one another. On an erotica level this one was absolutely my favorite. The sex between these two was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G but I guess that would happen when you're purposely trying to seduce each other into submission. Still it was very steamy and I liked how their personalities were really reflected by the fantastical story Day came up with. The warlock shows great power and dominance but really wants to be with someone that wants what he can offer and allows him to care for them. While our feline friend is sassy, clever and independent but really desires to be loved and taken care of as well. Not by any means a cheesy romance. It's very sexual and erotic and you get to throw in a little rebellion and vengeance too. My kind of story!

I really wanted to be able to review all of these because I really have nothing but gushing comments for all of them. These were the perfect length and the plots were a perfect mix for me. There was more storyline than a lot of erotica but not too much as to get lost in a cliche harlequin romance.

Would NOT recommend if you have a problem with: sex with strangers, varying types of toys, virtual sex, domination/submission.

[Vonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood to read some erotica and I've had this book on my shelf for a few years now. I figured it was time to "awaken" my fantasies and this book did a decent job in doing that.

~ Lover's Locket by Cathryn Fox ~
This first story, the main character Caira received a locket from a gypsy woman. She was told that if she were to recite the incantation on the locket, Caira's true love will appear but with consequences of course.

I found this story to be promising and wished that it were actually drawn out more into a book instead of a short story. I really liked the thought behind the plot and the action scene was promising. This story left me wanting more.


~ Kili's Ice Man by Delilah Devlin ~
Set in a futuristic world, Kili entered a virtual vacation where she was able to act upon her fantasies over a celebrity crush. What she doesn't know was that this celebrity was really with her in the virtual world.

This story was hot! I liked the chemistry between the two characters. What I did not like was the ending with the whole "instant love" thing happening. I enjoy reading stories that play with my fantasies but when it comes to true love, I like it to be as believable as possible.

~ The Hottest One Night Stand by Lisa Renee Jones ~
On a stormy night, Jessica was able to find her sexual side with the help of a sexy stranger.

Ooh yum! Lisa Renee Jones has become my new "go to" erotic author. I loved how she was able to portray the story and how sexy it all sounded. I also enjoyed how it ended for it did not have me rolling my eyes.

~ Out of the Shadows by Myla Jackson ~
The city was going to be hit by a case 5 hurricane and TJ must make sure all civilians were out of town to safety. Easy said than done, especially when there were vampires running about at night and the girl of his dreams became one of these creatures.

This would have to be my least favorite story. I was not expecting to read a vampire story in this anthology (I am very picky with vampires) so it took me by surprise. I think the story would have worked better if there weren't vampires in it. The whole thought of a hurricane coming would have been sufficient enough to create a plot.

~ A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day ~

Familiars need to be tamed by Warlocks. Victoria was a familiar who refused to be dominated by any male until she met Max.

Sylvia Day is my favorite author for erotica so I was looking forward to reading this one...but it wasn't my favorite. The world she created had me confused at first. I felt like I needed to read a previous book to fully understand what was going on. The intimate scenes were done well and I quite enjoyed these though.

~ Tempting Grace by Sasha White ~

Ex-stripper Grace kept herself guarded not allowing people to get close, especially Lukas the minister's son. After finding out the death of a teen she was helping out, she sought Lukas for a one-night stand.

I think this was perhaps my favorite story. It wasn't the hottest but it was the most heart-felt. I really liked how it ended.

~ Quick Silver by Vivi Anna ~

Sangria was a transporter. She knew the rules: don't asks questions, deliver the packages in a timely manner, and never look inside the package. One night, she had to deliver a package to Las Vegas but ended up in a car accident. She discovered that the package carried a very sexy male.

I would not have expected to like this story as much because of the content it held, but I was immediately hooked. I found it a great way to end the anthology.

***
As a whole, I quite enjoyed reading this book. The stories were quick reads and helped me relax from my chaotic schedule. I found some new authors whom I hope to get the chance to read some more of.

[Nancy Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several extremely varied erotic tales in this collection. From vampires to magical familiars to lust at first sight, these tales are as varied as the various authors who written them. Some of the stories end just as it seems to be really interesting and could flesh out into a full-length novel, but are still complete as is.

ebook from the library

[Kathrynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This contains 7 short stories:
1. Lover's Locket by Cathryn Fox
2. Kili's Ice Man by Delilah Devlin
3. The Hottest One-Night Stand by Lisa Renee Jones
4. Out of the Shadows by Myla Jackson
5. Tempting Grace by Sasha White
6. A Familiar Kind of Magic by Sylvia Day
7. Quick Silver by Vivi Anna

[Ashley N. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming to the point of boring. I dnf'd on two of the seven stories. I had hoped I'd at least enjoy the Sylvia Day story, but I did not. Only one I liked was the Lisa Renee Jones entry, which was hot and well-set up. The others didn't do it for me.

[Tiffany]

Soooo bad.

[Robbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were really good. some were ok.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My personal rating: Oh Yum! Not all were A list stories - but most were.

[A. McKay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to know what erotica was, ok I know.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

not well written

[Heather]

Good assortment of some of my favorite authors!

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

All fabulous writers..one fabulous read.

[Rainey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice mix of hot, sexy short stories. Nice for when one wants something quick to read.

[Brenda]

haven't started

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

It excites the senses, that's for sure.

[Sue Kleinfelder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the short stories but wasn't like I couldn't put the book down. Just read a little bit of each story before bed & in between reading other books.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

sexy fantasies.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ummmmm!

[Yiota · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good writers couldn't pull the other ones through to make it a good mix. Some were pretty creative, others... not.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

0*

[gambal29 YIM · Rating 5 out of 5]

undeniably action packed

[Ashley]

goodwill has good smut lol

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book sucked!