Perlen der Leidenschaft

by Jina Bacarr, Eden Bradley, Megan Hart

Darf’s zur Abwechslung mal was Besonderes sein? In 15 hochkarätigen Erotik-Geschichten schreiben einige der populärsten Genre-Autorinnen aus den USA – darunter Jina Bacarr, Eden Bradley, Megan Hart und Sarah McCarty – über ausgesprochen erotische Extrem-Situationen und außergewöhnlich erregende Abenteuer. Ein aufreizender Festschmaus in 15 Gängen, ausgebreitet auf über 500 prall gefüllten Seiten, aus denen das leidenschaftliche Feuer der Lust geradezu hervorquillt.

Das breite Spektrum der Beiträge bietet für jeden Geschmack etwas. Von einer übersinnlichen Begegnung mit einem Vampir, der vor unbändiger Begierde fast das Blutsaugen vergisst, über die lustvollen Phantasien einer Tagträumerin, die plötzlich wahr zu werden scheinen bis zu einem Paar, das seine Begeisterung für frech-frivole Rollenspiele der etwas anderen Art für sich entdeckt. Erfreulicherweise halten sich alle Autorinnen nicht lange mit Nebensächlichkeiten auf. Die Handlung steuert stets sehr zielstrebig auf den Höhepunkt zu, Langeweile kommt dadurch zu keiner Zeit auf. Jede Episode für sich genommen ist ein sinnlicher Hochgenuss, mit dem sich der sexuelle Appetit auf die Schnelle anregen und mitunter auch befriedigen lässt.

Zuweilen ein bisschen schmutzig und provokant, in jedem Fall aber elektrisierend und verführerisch, gehen diese Geschichten direkt unter die Haut. Wer einmal anfängt zu lesen, kann sich ihrem Bann nur schwer wieder entziehen. Und deshalb sind die Perlen der Leidenschaft ohne jeden Zweifel eine ungewöhnliche Sammlung kleiner, aber extrem erregender Betthupferl der besonderen Art. Viel Spaß beim Genießen! – H. Stegberger

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

542 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jina loves dark chocolate truffles and rainy days in museums...

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naughty Bits is an anthology of erotic short stories by fifteen different authors. The stories vary between twenty and sixty pages in length and they include succubus/vampire, BDSM (but readers who have slogged their way through the Fifty Shades Trilogy will have had their fill of that, even if this predates FSOG), male/male sex, threesome sex, sex in public places, sex in the woods, sex with strangers, medieval sex, sex with fairies, phone sex, erotic letters, strip-chess, sex by astral travel, voyeurism, shape-shifters, post-funeral sex, sex with work colleagues, a love hotel, a sexual tutor, pearls as sexual props, multiple partners and penetration of every conceivable orifice. The phrase “she came instantly” is well and truly overused. Readers who appreciate erotica might enjoy these stories, although this is not a book to be read in large chunks as that results in an erotica overload which renders the sex boring and tedious. Some of the longer stories have a bit of a plot, although often it is quite transparent or predictable; others are simply a vehicle for sexual encounters. Outstanding amongst the mediocre offerings is The Queen’s Tale by Grace d’Otare and The Well-Tutored Lover by Alice Gaines.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll review this as I go.

1. The Invitation by Lacy Danes. Hmmm, maybe it's me, okay it's me. But knife play and severe whipping are not erotic to me. This was a very short disturbing story.

2. Invite Me In by Delilah Devlin. The classic succubus/vampire story :) The succubus (I don't think there were any names in this story) floats around from mind to mind drawing sexual energy and ideas for her writing. One of the women in her building invites in a vampire and while she's hitching a ride during their encounter, he bites the neighbor and that freaks her out. He then comes to her balcony and asks her to invite him in. This actually ended up being a very sweet story.

3. Soul Strangers by Eden Bradley. Strangers meet on a beach. Super hot story.

4. Gilt and Midnight by Megan Hart. So-so fairy tale. It starts out with one couple and ends up with a different group of people. My mind wandered a lot while I read this one.

5. No Apologies by Tracy Wolff. Annalise is a good time girl who's been hurt in the past. Gabe is a man she can't stop thinking about. You know how it ends. Okay story.

6. Anything You Want by Jenesi Ash. A kept woman has 3 lovers. One is trying to kill another, but there's really no explanation and the ending was not satisfying. Maybe if this story was filled out more, I would have enjoyed it more.

7. The Queen's Tale by Grace D'Otare. Now this story I think I would have enjoyed more as the story within the story. A couple are in bed making up stories during a storm. The story they make up I liked a lot and really feel it would have been as the sole story itself. Enjoyed it.

8. Letting Go by Sarah McCarty. Husband and wife go off to a cabin to explore some fun that she wouldn't let him do before. Really good story.

9. Come Back to Me by Kimberly Kaye Terry. Couple separated for 10 years get back together. Sweet story.

10. Forever Yours by Charlotte Featherstone. This story was really good. Another older couple who've grown apart because of responsibilities and children and begin appreciating each other again. Loved this story.

11. Psychic Sex by Cathleen Ross. Personal trainer likes to have sex with strangers. That's about it. 2.5 stars for this story, maybe even a 2.

12. Dark Moon Gathering by Allison Paige. Mattie and Anthony grew up together. She's the alpha by default and needs to pick a mate by the Gathering. Anthony's from a very old fashioned pack and she's afraid he's like his dad. I thought this story was really good. I think this is the first time I've read this author.

13. Hot for It by Jodi Lynn Copeland. Carinna and Jack, 20 year friends, come together after the funeral of Carminna's dad. Lots of question marks at the end of this story. Felt incomplete.

14. Tokyo Rendezvous by Jina Bacarr. Two people meeting while working together in Japan and go to a Japanese love hotel. The author throws in a little historical background but overall this story was just okay.

15. The Well-Tutored Lover by Alice Gaines. Older woman teaches younger man about sex and they fall in love. Very contrived story.

Some of these stories were really good and others not so much. Overall though it's worth reading.

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me at being better than I thought. It had quite a few stories, which I usually find works against an anthology more than for it. However, this was better than most. The sex scenes were very good pretty much across the stories. Sure, some stories felt snipped in short form and they should have been longer...there were unresolved issues, undeveloped characters, etc. But somehow the sexy couples and the steamy scenes made it okay if you know going in they are 'naughty bits' and not literature in novel form. I also found two good new authors I liked so a decent read!

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology certainly lived up to it's name. These short stories are all naughty bits. I didn't LOVE any of the stories. I didn't hate any of the stories. Paranormal sex stories, historical sex stories, BDSM, and just about anything else has a short story in here. Yes, it is hot, but with story after story of sex scenes, it gets a bit repetitive and boring.

[Rosalía · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology was pretty good, not as good as those offered by Black Lace, but good. I was expecting more in the Short Story genre so I was thrown off when they were mostly excerpts or chapters from longer works. Fits the title of the book, though. My favorites were: "Anything You Want," "Come Back To Me," and "Psychic Sex." Psychic Sex was very unique! - not your everyday story.

[JoAnn Ainsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read "The Well-Tutored Lover" by Alice Gaines. Great command of the language. Lively dialog. Needed more variety in conflict.

[Jody · Rating 2 out of 5]

An author I’ve read before has a story included, which is how I stumbled across this book. The title of this anthology sort of dared me to read it, of course, and I was hoping to be intrigued enough by an author that I’d search out other work. I’m not well versed in all of the sub genres of romantic fiction so erotic fiction didn’t really mean that much to me. I like a well written strong female paranormal romance and I guess these stories were a bit more overtly graphic but, eh, most of the stories were only ok.

[Poetic Diva504 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is an erotica collection, I initially read it for the story telling. The short stories are well told and most of the stories kept me engaged. There were a few stories I didn’t particularly care for. But I’m glad the book is formatted to where you can skip stories you don’t like and still not miss anything.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of sexy, short stories. Really enjoyed.

[Jujubee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had this anthology on my TBR list for a while now.
Mainly wanted to read it because of the Charlotte Featherstone story Forever Yours, which I rate as 4 star! Nobody does married romance like CF. This author never misses on the *feelz* Wish there was new material out there for us to enjoy. So I savored this one!
All new-to-me authors, the other 4 starers, IMHO, are:
The Queen's Tale by Grace D'Otare. Excellently presented historical love story told as an amusement between a contemporary couple in the intimate part of their evening. Very original. I will definitely be reading more by this author.
Hot for It by Jodi Lynn Copeland. Verra steamy friends-to-lovers...but only lovers for a night? My heart gave them an epilogue and they might have found their HEA *fingers crossed*
Dark Moon Gathering by Allison Paige. Lurve me some wolf shifters. For a short, this tale packed everything in it to leave me satisfied, warm, fuzzy and howling at the moon. Really loved this heroine alpha, she's the best of the bunch. Sorry ladies, she's the leader of the pack!
No Apologies by Tracy Wolff. Fun and smexy. Tracy Wolff really nailed those intense feelz that electrify two new-to-each-other lovers. Gabe and Annalise are not kids (mid-30s), which is also refreshing...mutual, consenting adults here, people.
3.5 stars:
Soul Strangers by Eden Bradley. This was a modern romance. It was hot. But it broke my heart. I wanted this to become at least a HFN, because I am a hopeless romantic and the story cried out for it. But just like Hot for It by JLC, these kids nowadays just know what they want and for how long they need it LOL Still, the heroine was just coming to understand herself a little better after recent difficult times, so I give her points in the strength and courage department for going for it but not expecting a fella to fix "it."
The Well-Tutored Lover by Alice Gaines. Again I am a hopeless romantic. This simply "worked" for me. In the back of my mind, me thinks the hero was not as innocent as he claimed. *wink wink*
All others are 3 stars, are fun and steamy (and might just too short to call "more"). Still I would recommend them.
The only real stinker for me was Psychic Sex by Cathleen Ross.
Wow. And the whole Astral projection element wasn't even my issue. Handled well, that arch could have been really fun. My issue(s)? Let's just focus on the MC/heroine. If she had been portrayed as a controlled, caring Dominatrix, I could have been on board. But she came off as a sadistic self-centered, shallow bitch. And Tom, her victim/screw for this story, got off lucky with her love em and leave em shizzle. And that gig the MC had with her gay friend Pinky checking out the clients in the locker room? Creepy stalker shit there. This one left a bad taste in my mouth *sigh* Rant over ;)
Overall, I enjoyed these spicy snippets. So much so I've put Naught Bits 02 on my TBR list.
Enjoy!

[Katy Beth Mckee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last night I had a great review almost completely done using my phone app when I got a message so I went to check it and lost the whole thing. I'm going to try again to recreate my "great" review.

"Naughty Bits" lives up to its name and is exactly as advertises a collection of the naughty bits. I picked up this book soon after getting my nook and discovering erotic and frankly it was all about the sex. I'm not sure how this book got "pushed" to the back of my nook shelf but after sitting there for over a year I decided I just needed to get it read. And while I enjoyed the "Naughty Bits" for the most part I discovered something about my own evolution in my reading. I realized that I really want a story. I want characters I can connect with, plots that are developed, and in most cases a "happily ever after" or at least a decent wrap up.

So if you are looking for some quick reads to get your juices flowing "Naughty Bits" is the book for you but if you want story to go with your sex then you might want to pass this one up.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an Anthology of Short Erotic Fiction. Some of it worked for me. Others not so much. There were a few that I had to just put the book down since I refused to throw it even though I wanted to.

My favorites were:
INVITE ME IN by Delilah Devlin
THE QUEEN'S TALE by Grace D'Ptare
FOREVER YOURS by Charlotte Featherstone
DARK MOON GATHERING by Alison Paige

Overall it was a good collection of short stories. Keep in mind that they are not HEA required.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is quite fun. There's a bit of variety in it to keep the reader from getting sick of the same old song and dance. There are self-empowered, confident women, a vampire, werewolves, tender love and relationships, and a bit of historical fiction. I quite enjoyed this collection, especially Megan Hart's "Gilt and Midnight" and the story titled, "The Moonlight Gathering."

[123xreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invite Me In by Delilah Devlin: A story of a succubus and a vampire. It was a pretty hot read. 4 stars.

Gilt and Midnight by Megan Hart: I was actually disappointed by this story. 3 stars.

Forever Yours by Charlotte Featherstone: Definitely my favourite so far. I love the chemistry between Christian and Elizabeth. 5 stars.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology is definitely not vanilla. It includes fifteen stories and while some of them worked really well in their short formats others felt a bit flat. Just a little bit more character would have been helpful. However, it is steamy fun and a great way to get to know new authors without having to commit to an entire book.

[Julie Destry · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a hard one to review...there were a lot of stories i loved, but there were a few that left me cold. i guess that's the beauty of an anthology, though-there's always something for everyone! i'll definitely go back and re-read a few tales in this volume.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot

I really enjoyed this set of stories. There was variety and steam! Sex should not be boring or without romance. These are authors that I will have to get more by. I'm sorry it's over. I'm going to get more.

[Shh I'm reading! · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this were really hit or miss for me. The highlights, which warranted the 3 starts were Megan Hart, Kimberly Kaye Terry, and Alice Gaines. Well written, sexy, and great reads.

[Valia · Rating 3 out of 5]

No apologies was the best with a unique perspective.
Invite me in was an enjoyable paranormal read.

The Invitation was well-written but very very scary(to me)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two of the stories ended too quickly for me but for the rest the book truly lived up to its title. I really enjoyed this read.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book enough that I wanted to finish it.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely steamy! A lot of stories... Most were too short but they were hot and sexy for sure. They were interesting stories and some I had read before but most I had not.

[Nicola · Rating 2 out of 5]

so dismal i actually stopped reading 4 stories it. So bad it was painful

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

erotic short stories... good enough

[Wordsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erotica short fiction compilations are brilliant, because, let's be honest, if you're looking for erotica you want the hit fast and in smaller portions than those offered by novels. This collection is pretty good about that.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

some interesting stories, but not enough to rate higher. no interest in following authors further.