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Pleasure to the Max!
Cassie Parker's globe-trotting great-aunt has sent her a Gypsy "lover's box." All she has to do is write down her most erotic fantasy, tuck it inside the box and presto! Her own personal sex genie will appear. Right! So Cassie is totally shocked when a gorgeous stranger does show up. And she's even more shocked by the things she wants to do with him….
Treasure hunter Max Stone isn't amused. His latest treasure has been swiped and he's followed it to a dusty little antiquities shop in the States. Surely one woman can't stand in the way of his retrieving the priceless lover's box? Little did he guess that he'd have his hands full (literally!) with sexy Cassie. Or that he'd have to hold off on locating the box until after he located his clothes…
Treasure hunter Max Stone isn't amused. His latest treasure has been swiped and he's followed it to a dusty little antiquities shop in the States. Surely one woman can't stand in the way of his retrieving the priceless lover's box? Little did he guess that he'd have his hands full (literally!) with sexy Cassie. Or that he'd have to hold off on locating the box until after he located his clothes…
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
About the author
Cami Dalton
11 books3 followersI’ve always been a huge fan of romance. One of my friends likes to tease and say that if I had spent as much time reading scientific textbooks as I have romance novels, I’d have been able to cure cancer by now. I’m not so sure about that, but after reading hundreds of stories within the genre, I will admit that I’ve learned a fascinating array of facts on topics as varied as the battles of Culloden and Waterloo, to the horrors of life as a guttersnipe in the Seven Dials of London, to the cost of fossilized amber sold in today’s black market. (I’ve also picked up a few tricks involving certain parts of the male anatomy and several ounces of chocolate, but I won’t bore you with the details- hah!) But even more importantly, I learned how to write my own romantic stories.
I guess when you grow up with a name like Camille Dumas, your romantic inclinations are pretty much sealed into the package at birth. (And for those of you wondering, yes, Alexander Dumas wrote Camille. Don’t ask me what my parents were thinking. Sure, my father’s from France, but they also went with Margaret for my middle name. So, if you’ve ever read the story, you’ll realize that I’m almost completely named after a, uh, well, a hooker. ) Ironically, the first thing my editor asked me to do when she bought my manuscript was to consider taking a pen name. Oh well, maybe when I get around to writing the historical erotica that’s floating around in my mind, I’ll get to use my real name. Until then, call me Cami Dalton. :)
In large measure, I owe my writing career to a newspaper article about a young, local woman, Leslie Kelly, (multi award winning author of numerous books for Harlequin Temptation and Blaze, as well as, her upcoming single titles for HQN) who’d recently sold her first romance to Temption. It gave the dates and times where I could hear her speak and a local RWA chapter where I could attend meetings. Two years later, I was the Vice president of that chapter, Space coasT Authors of Romance (STAR), and Leslie was one of my best friends. We critiqued, we laughed, we plotted, we laughed, well you get the picture. I also became an RWA conference junky, but hey, if my new chapter buddies were going then I was too. These workshops and the network of friends that I made there, were invaluable.
Three and half years later, I sold my very first book to Harlequin, Temptation. My first title, Her Private Dancer was the Temptation “Heat” release for April '04.
Before I began writing, I was a registered nurse in Labor and Delivery for ten years. A certified childbirth educator, I loved interacting with the soon-to-be moms and their terrified labor partners.
I live in a small beachside town on the east coast of sunny Florida, with two amazingly cute yet wild little boys, two English bulldogs, and one miniature dachsund. In my spare time, between writing steamy love scenes, I homeschool my boys. I plan to quit once I find some sort of military academy that will take first and fourth graders.
At present, I’m working on my next Temptation. It’s for the Wrong Bed series and has an ultra hot, cajun hero who’s physical appearance is loosely based on, oh all right, closely based on the cover model Stefan Andreas Schwarze, (the gourgeous hunk on Christine Feehan’s Dark Gaurdian cover) and the gentleman whom I one day hope to have on the cover of every one of my books even if I decide to start writing English tea-cozies.
I guess when you grow up with a name like Camille Dumas, your romantic inclinations are pretty much sealed into the package at birth. (And for those of you wondering, yes, Alexander Dumas wrote Camille. Don’t ask me what my parents were thinking. Sure, my father’s from France, but they also went with Margaret for my middle name. So, if you’ve ever read the story, you’ll realize that I’m almost completely named after a, uh, well, a hooker. ) Ironically, the first thing my editor asked me to do when she bought my manuscript was to consider taking a pen name. Oh well, maybe when I get around to writing the historical erotica that’s floating around in my mind, I’ll get to use my real name. Until then, call me Cami Dalton. :)
In large measure, I owe my writing career to a newspaper article about a young, local woman, Leslie Kelly, (multi award winning author of numerous books for Harlequin Temptation and Blaze, as well as, her upcoming single titles for HQN) who’d recently sold her first romance to Temption. It gave the dates and times where I could hear her speak and a local RWA chapter where I could attend meetings. Two years later, I was the Vice president of that chapter, Space coasT Authors of Romance (STAR), and Leslie was one of my best friends. We critiqued, we laughed, we plotted, we laughed, well you get the picture. I also became an RWA conference junky, but hey, if my new chapter buddies were going then I was too. These workshops and the network of friends that I made there, were invaluable.
Three and half years later, I sold my very first book to Harlequin, Temptation. My first title, Her Private Dancer was the Temptation “Heat” release for April '04.
Before I began writing, I was a registered nurse in Labor and Delivery for ten years. A certified childbirth educator, I loved interacting with the soon-to-be moms and their terrified labor partners.
I live in a small beachside town on the east coast of sunny Florida, with two amazingly cute yet wild little boys, two English bulldogs, and one miniature dachsund. In my spare time, between writing steamy love scenes, I homeschool my boys. I plan to quit once I find some sort of military academy that will take first and fourth graders.
At present, I’m working on my next Temptation. It’s for the Wrong Bed series and has an ultra hot, cajun hero who’s physical appearance is loosely based on, oh all right, closely based on the cover model Stefan Andreas Schwarze, (the gourgeous hunk on Christine Feehan’s Dark Gaurdian cover) and the gentleman whom I one day hope to have on the cover of every one of my books even if I decide to start writing English tea-cozies.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 3, 2009
Wow, this has got to be the hottest HQ Blaze I've read so far! Not that I've read that many but, boy, none of my previous Blaze reads came close to this one. Seriously, the heroine was almost a sex-driven maniac, and the hero was more than happy to oblige, of course. ;) Halfway through the story, I started to wonder how the heck they managed to keep it going like that. Not. Humanly. Possible! (LOL)
I won't write a plot summary here because, frankly, it is completely unbelievable and I didn't care much about the whole "treasure hunting" thing. The "lover's box" that had the power to fulfill any woman's sexual fantasies and held the key to a lost treasure was just a prop to get Max and Cassie "up close and personal". I wasn't really into the story in the 1st chapters, Cassie came across as too ditzy and harebrained, and I was as "lost" as Max, who couldn't make any sense of the things that came out of her mouth. Then I decided to just suspend disbelief altogether, relax and enjoy the ride. The fact that Cassie kept controling Max's libido with the help of the "lover's box" seemed a bit unfair to me but, WTH, he wasn't complaining so who was I to find anything wrong with it?
All in all, this was a very funny and hot - have I said that yet? ;) - read, but I'm not sure I bought the HEA. Max and Cassie were definitely in lust with each other, but love? I don't think so, they didn't spend enough time out of the sack to be in love by the end of the book. Anyway, I do believe they will be having "wild pagan sex", as Cassie calls it, for a long, long time. ;)
I won't write a plot summary here because, frankly, it is completely unbelievable and I didn't care much about the whole "treasure hunting" thing. The "lover's box" that had the power to fulfill any woman's sexual fantasies and held the key to a lost treasure was just a prop to get Max and Cassie "up close and personal". I wasn't really into the story in the 1st chapters, Cassie came across as too ditzy and harebrained, and I was as "lost" as Max, who couldn't make any sense of the things that came out of her mouth. Then I decided to just suspend disbelief altogether, relax and enjoy the ride. The fact that Cassie kept controling Max's libido with the help of the "lover's box" seemed a bit unfair to me but, WTH, he wasn't complaining so who was I to find anything wrong with it?
All in all, this was a very funny and hot - have I said that yet? ;) - read, but I'm not sure I bought the HEA. Max and Cassie were definitely in lust with each other, but love? I don't think so, they didn't spend enough time out of the sack to be in love by the end of the book. Anyway, I do believe they will be having "wild pagan sex", as Cassie calls it, for a long, long time. ;)
April 18, 2011
Had a tough time sticking this one out (why did I?). I guess Erotic Comedy isn't my thing.
Read
January 10, 2021
Entertaining romantic romp
4 stars
Cassie Parker's life hasn't been going so well since she was dumped by her cheating fiancé. Maybe the gypsy "lover's box" that her globe trotting great aunt has sent her will get her out of her funk. It is said that all you have to do is write down your deepest sexual fantasies, lock them in the box and the fantasies will come true. Cassie's sceptical so her shock is genuine when her own personal sex god turns up at her door.
Treasure hunter Max Stone isn't amused. His newest acquisition has been stolen and he's had to track it all the way to some little town in the US. But the woman he encounters claims that the box is hers. He'll just have to steal it back. Once he's finished fulfilling Cassie's fantasies that is.
This was my first book by Cami Dalton and all in all I have to say I really enjoyed the read. It was fantastical, entertaining and a bit of a romp but the storyline kept me hooked, the sex scenes were hot and the romance was satisfying.
Cassie was feisty and fun - a girl you could really identify with. She did start to get a little annoying towards the end but not so much that I stopped liking her. Max was your usual mysterious, sexy man who is brought down by love. I loved the chemistry between the pair and their interactions were good fun.
If I had one complaint about the book it was that I was never really sure where the gypsy magic stopped and the real feelings started. But it was hardly enough to ruin what is, essentially, a fun, interesting and entertaining romantic romp. 4 stars.
April 9, 2019
Great sex scenes but she was kinda dorky. He could have gagged her and then she wouldn't have been able to talk and he wouldn't have been stripping all the time. I really liked the ending as well because she turned into a kick-ass hottie herself.
October 13, 2020
HBZ #414
January 21, 2012
This book was funny, quirky, sexy, and a great ride. From beginning to end I rooted for the Hero and Heroine, and was completely blown away by the originality of this story. Loved it!!!
The only thing I wish was different is the part where Max feels a burning desire to *make love* to Cassie. This is partly because that was Cassie's last wish, and partly because he had THE revelation (aka: I'm in love!). But the Author chose not to write in detail what happened during that love scene. Don't get me wrong, I don't require a sex scene in every chapter of a book, but when you have such a momentous occasion happening between the main characters I thought you would want to really put it all out there- share the love (so to speak). The one sex scene that was more about the emotions that are shared between two people than about quick and easy sexual gratification, and its left out of the book. A little shallow, no?
But all in all a really good read. I really enjoyed it!!!
The only thing I wish was different is the part where Max feels a burning desire to *make love* to Cassie. This is partly because that was Cassie's last wish, and partly because he had THE revelation (aka: I'm in love!). But the Author chose not to write in detail what happened during that love scene. Don't get me wrong, I don't require a sex scene in every chapter of a book, but when you have such a momentous occasion happening between the main characters I thought you would want to really put it all out there- share the love (so to speak). The one sex scene that was more about the emotions that are shared between two people than about quick and easy sexual gratification, and its left out of the book. A little shallow, no?
But all in all a really good read. I really enjoyed it!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this story. It wasn't perfect, but it was very entertaining. I loved the back and forth between Max and Cassie. What I wouldn't give for a lovers box of my very own....lol.
Story - 4
narration - 4
the narrator, Drasti Kane (sp?) did a really great job. I wouldn't mind listening to her again.
Story - 4
narration - 4
the narrator, Drasti Kane (sp?) did a really great job. I wouldn't mind listening to her again.
May 28, 2010
oooh la la!!
December 16, 2010
Yikes... very, very hot, and very well-written to boot. Totally sizzles. Make that six or seven stars, this one is that well done.
March 10, 2011
Very funny. enjoyable if you're in the mood for hot, almost slapstick fun.
March 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, though Minerva was my favorite character.
December 26, 2014
The heroine was silly, the situations hilarious, and the hero was hot for the heroine. An enjoyable read.
December 16, 2023
loved it!
Funny, made me laugh and got my blood boiling! Good book! I would love to read more like it for sure!
Funny, made me laugh and got my blood boiling! Good book! I would love to read more like it for sure!
December 6, 2014
Fun, magical, sexy. Loved it - one of my favourite Blaze stories.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews