On display in the front window of a Japanese brothel, indentured British maid Hannah Connolly captures the eye of samurai Sanada Katsuhiro. Drawn to the lush, sultry curves of her body and the sensual performance she puts on for her audience, Katsu buys Hannah and takes her home, much to the annoyance of his best friend and sometime lover Masato. Hannah doesn't need to be bound with silk ropes to keep her from escaping (though she's not about to complain when she is). She's intrigued by the handsome warrior and more intrigued by the thought of watching him and his samurai friend do to each other what she's only imagined. Katsu plans to return Hannah to the foreign settlement at Yokohama and have her spy on an opium smuggler. But can he truly let go of the captive who has touched his heart? Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, bondage (mild), dubious consent, exhibitionism, homoerotic sex f/f, homoerotic sex m/m, masturbation, menage (m/f/f and m/m/f), violence (strong), voyeurism.
Barbara Sheridan grew up a fan of historical novels, TV westerns and most anything having to do with the paranormal. She often writes in the romance sub-genres of contemporary, historical, and paranormal.
She also acquired a fondness for all things royalty related, J-rock, and cheezy films. These varied interests mashed themselves together to shape her writing and led to characters who surely inhabit an alternate universe–and get into who knows what trouble without her supervision.
Barbara lives in Pennsylvania and loves hearing from readers and others who share her interests, as well as being able to “meet” them via social media.
At last, I know what I want for Christmas! A shunga(Japanese erotic art) of geishas and kabuki artists styling kinkabu ecchi on a hanamichi, adorning my bedroom.
Seldom does a book revive my fetish for geishas and kabuki performers igniting rambunctiously wicked demeanor amid dewy droplets on my forehead that may retreat in awfully lengthy cold showers.Sheridan spunks the Edo period from its feudal shoguns and aristocracy through a ravishing fiery crotch red-head Hannah tempting her way into the lustful craving of a stoically alluring samurai savoring each supplemented gendered ecstasy while crafting an endearing sexual mélange of passion and aggression.
I'm not your typical romance reader, whether het or gay doesn't matter, but I guess I'm having a Barbara Sheridan phase. And this is a gripping, intense read, with great detail about the foreign culture and a heroine that I really grew to like (gutter mouth that she is, though). The start of the novel really focuses on the sex (well-written, intense), then the plot gets going. There are several homoerotic scenes (two women, two men), as it really fits the culture and times. I enjoyed this.
This story was very good, with the descriptions of feudal Japan after the first arrival of European traders matching many other books about that period. And Hannah was a strong character, staying true to herself while accepting her lustful nature. Once again, here is a short story that could easily have been expanded, with more time spent with the various characters. Also, I felt the author couldn't decide if this was a Romance or an Erotic story, as the sex scenes were detailed and intense, but few and far between. There was no real sex in the last quarter of the book, and the last scene didn't add anything to the story. There were several opportunities for more sex that would have advanced the plot or enhanced the character development.
I loved the idea of this story but it was not a very good reading experience for me. The erotic elements of m/f and m/m where ok but the complicated relationship of the male characters was not developed enough for me. I would have liked more about that relationship than anything. It was ok but....
I don't generally enjoy historicals, but this was interesting.
I was intrigued by the thought of a captive falling for her captor. Sheridan does a great job pulling you into the Samurai's twisted love triangle. There is a good plot here and some steamy M/F as well as M/M scenes.