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Black Silk
Vic has two loves in her life, her cat, Mister, and reading books from her bookstore. Her future looked set, until one night when she's saved from probable danger by a mysterious stranger. Cole has moved around a lot during his life, never finding a true home, until he buys an old house, and fate steps in to change his future. A light romance with a paranormal twist.
125 pages, Nook
First published September 4, 2009
44 people are currently reading
1067 people want to read
About the author
Jan Gordon
54 books93 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)romance
(1)romance
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
March 6, 2021
I found this book in my apple books and had never even heard of it before. How it got there is a mystery. It was short and i was somewhere out, bored without a book with me, so it didn't seem like a bad idea. I just finished Black Silk story for the sake of it. I don't like to leave books unfinished and this one was so short. Totally predictable and just dump. Not that i was expecting some great stuff, i mean it was free and even looked meh. I don't blame the author either, she mentioned that she only writes fan fiction.
It's your usual story, a light romance. "Ordinary" girl, with a dull life, gets the excitement she desired when she meets this very hot guy Cole. She also saw a thief robbing a place therefore, he wants to kill her. Soon, she discovers that Cole is not a normal person but a were-panther. However, i didn't enjoy it. I'm not enjoying romance nowadays let alone this cheesy book. I don't actually regret reading it, i never regret reading anything, but it was just not my cup of tea.
It's your usual story, a light romance. "Ordinary" girl, with a dull life, gets the excitement she desired when she meets this very hot guy Cole. She also saw a thief robbing a place therefore, he wants to kill her. Soon, she discovers that Cole is not a normal person but a were-panther. However, i didn't enjoy it. I'm not enjoying romance nowadays let alone this cheesy book. I don't actually regret reading it, i never regret reading anything, but it was just not my cup of tea.
May 17, 2010
I greatly enjoyed this story and loved the character of Cole. He's every woman's secret fanatasy: masterful, gentle, sensitive, a man of action and just a bit mysterious. This is a fun short read for those days you just need to escape reality for a while!
July 27, 2016
Not a bad story at all... It was short, sweet, to the point, and had a Happily Ever After... But it was quite frankly Forgettable. I couldn't find a single passage wrath highlighting or mentioning for this review.
This book had been sitting on the iBooks top 100 chart for romance over the last year, but I refused to pick it up due to its low rating based on the author's "choppy writing style". GoodReads.com suggested I read this book based on my PNR preferences, and I'd heard that the book had been heavily edited by popular demand... Plus it was FREE on iBooks, so I caved.
It was a decent story for a free book, just not that great.
Read at your own risk.
This book had been sitting on the iBooks top 100 chart for romance over the last year, but I refused to pick it up due to its low rating based on the author's "choppy writing style". GoodReads.com suggested I read this book based on my PNR preferences, and I'd heard that the book had been heavily edited by popular demand... Plus it was FREE on iBooks, so I caved.
It was a decent story for a free book, just not that great.
Read at your own risk.
June 8, 2012
I blame Barnes and Noble for this one. I only got it because it was free. And I should have stopped reading it after 2 pages, but insisted on finishing it, only because it was so short, and I'm also trying to reach a certain amount of books read. Shame on me. I give a bad name to readers.
Really, this book was so bad. Poorly written, totally formula driven, predictable, corny, and boring besides. "you can heat up the chinese food for breakfast...my college roommates did it, so it's not weird or unusual at all!!!" And how old is she? And she spends their first date looking at her hands and asking if he's unhappy to be with her? No wonder she doesn't date. And yet she has a special bathroom with a tub and shower built for two. That's not desperate AT ALL.
The only redeeming factor of this book was how short it was.
Really, this book was so bad. Poorly written, totally formula driven, predictable, corny, and boring besides. "you can heat up the chinese food for breakfast...my college roommates did it, so it's not weird or unusual at all!!!" And how old is she? And she spends their first date looking at her hands and asking if he's unhappy to be with her? No wonder she doesn't date. And yet she has a special bathroom with a tub and shower built for two. That's not desperate AT ALL.
The only redeeming factor of this book was how short it was.
March 23, 2011
I read this a few months ago, and I don't remember large portions of it (always a bad sign). I honestly feel ashamed about it. I didn't realize at first (silly me) that this was a sex flick. But it is. I skipped all that, and then found myself facing the back cover (well, alright, there was a LITTLE plot.) So let's review this (minor spoilers, but not enough to warrant a tag, I don't think):
1. "Average"-looking girl main character (who I think is even bored with her life).
2. Gorgeous boy with "mysterious" secret.
3. Loads and loads of sex, including vague bestiality. Wow. I can't believe I actually read this book. I'm so glad I skipped most of it.
4. Small town in the middle of nowhere
5. I think the badguy was a stalker
6. Gorgeous mystery boy saves girl
7. Girl fantasizes about boy.
8. Boy ridiculously interested in girl
9. Boy is insanely rich (if I remember right).
10. Boy belongs to a "different" group of his kind (not sure on this one, but I think that's pretty much how it was).
11. Middle section of book includes loooooong, over-a-couple-chapters of bonding scenes between Mysterious boy and Girl.
There are a couple other things.
So, aside from number 3 (technically), it's Twilight, but with different characters and a different "curse."
1. "Average"-looking girl main character (who I think is even bored with her life).
2. Gorgeous boy with "mysterious" secret.
3. Loads and loads of sex, including vague bestiality. Wow. I can't believe I actually read this book. I'm so glad I skipped most of it.
4. Small town in the middle of nowhere
5. I think the badguy was a stalker
6. Gorgeous mystery boy saves girl
7. Girl fantasizes about boy.
8. Boy ridiculously interested in girl
9. Boy is insanely rich (if I remember right).
10. Boy belongs to a "different" group of his kind (not sure on this one, but I think that's pretty much how it was).
11. Middle section of book includes loooooong, over-a-couple-chapters of bonding scenes between Mysterious boy and Girl.
There are a couple other things.
So, aside from number 3 (technically), it's Twilight, but with different characters and a different "curse."
July 26, 2010
Excelent! HOT Short Romance Story! Cole (were-panther) and Victoria (1/2 human and 1/2 were-panther) romance is awesome. Cole is the sweetest, cutest, and gentalest man. The story was very good and ended very sweet. I wanted more. I will be checking out Jan Gordon's other books.
Read
December 17, 2024DNF Not my kind of read.
March 30, 2011
Black Silk is a short stone alone paranormal romance by Jan Gordon.
This story is about Victoria ‘Mouse’ Hudson and Steven ‘Cole’ Colburn.
Vic is a smart and quiet woman who owns a book store in the small town where she grew up. In school, she was nicknamed ‘Mouse’ for her quiet demeanour, light brown hair, and grey eyes. She found the name appalling but lacked the confidence to stop the teasing. After graduating, she went on to college where she met a boy who used and degraded her before breaking her heart. The heart broken Vic stayed away from boys and focused on her education. She graduated from college and moved home when her parents were killed in an accident. To keep their memory close, she stayed in their family home and took over her mother’s bookstore. Vic spent her days working at the bookstore and her evenings curled up with her cat ‘Mister’ and escaping into her favourite PNR books. She was missing adventure and love, but felt it was too late for her.
Cole is a tall, strong, sexy man who could bring a woman to her knees with just a smile. Cole is a were-panther who must hide his true identity to keep his kind safe. Cole’s parents were not mated and not the nurturing kind. As a young cub/boy he lived with his mother, who hooked up with his father once a decade to breed. When the new cubs came along, Cole was tossed out of the home to fend for himself. He was living on the street and eating out of the garbage when he met a were who changed his life. This were was Vic’s great-grandfather. He taught Cole about their species, how to find food and survive. He loved this were who treated him like a son. Cole recently moved into Vic’s town, where he bought an old farmhouse in need of renovating.
Vic was filling up her tank at the gas station when she witnessed an armed robbery. Frozen still, Cole pulled her into the shadows to keep her safe from harm. Without anyone seeing him, he shifted into a panther and chased the man out of the gas station. When the robber ran to his car, he took off his mask and turned around to see Vic staring straight at him. He looked back at the gas station, seeing the panther and fled the scene. Cole returned to his human form and ran back to see if Vic was safe. He found her standing in the parking lot and told her the police were on their way and not to mention his presence, before disappearing.
The next day, the whole town is a buzz about the robbery. At the end of the day, Cole stops by her bookstore and asks her out for coffee. Vic throws caution to the wind and accepts. The next few days are spent with Cole pursuing Vic and Vic not trusting his intensions towards her. She gives in to his advances but still wonders why he’s not interested in other, prettier women in town. Once he convinces her that she’s beautiful, the two take their relationship further.
Vic identifies the robber and the police begin looking for him. As the only witness to the man’s face, the robber begins to threaten her to retract her statement or he will ‘make her suffer’. Cole stays with Vic to protect her and the longer they spend together the more she learns about him. She discovers he’s a were-panther and finds out that her great-grandfather was also a were. She carries the were gene and although she will not change, she may develop other were powers like enhanced sense of smell, hearing, and eye sight. She’s taken back at first and they decide to discuss their relationship after the robber is caught.
The two set up an elaborate plan to trap the robber. The plan works, the robber is arrested and the two can either move forward in their relationship or end it. Cole is in love with Vic and fills the house with flowers, candles, and a home cooked dinner. He makes her a chocolate pudding (he’s allergic to chocolate) and she finds a diamond engagement ring in the pudding. Cole proposes marriage and she says yes. He then asks her if she will be his mate (mating is stronger than marriage) and she accepts. The couple make love and Vic’s fangs come in just in time for them to bite each other to finish the mating bond. Everything feels right and they are happy.
This story was okay but lacked depth. We’re told that Vic is a strong woman but she doesn’t show it in her actions. Were told that she’s grown since she’s been with Cole, but again it’s not apparent in her actions. There’s a lot of history with Cole and Vic’s great grandfather, but they exact same story is explained twice, instead of giving us new information. I was disappointed in this book and gave it an ‘ok’.
This story is about Victoria ‘Mouse’ Hudson and Steven ‘Cole’ Colburn.
Vic is a smart and quiet woman who owns a book store in the small town where she grew up. In school, she was nicknamed ‘Mouse’ for her quiet demeanour, light brown hair, and grey eyes. She found the name appalling but lacked the confidence to stop the teasing. After graduating, she went on to college where she met a boy who used and degraded her before breaking her heart. The heart broken Vic stayed away from boys and focused on her education. She graduated from college and moved home when her parents were killed in an accident. To keep their memory close, she stayed in their family home and took over her mother’s bookstore. Vic spent her days working at the bookstore and her evenings curled up with her cat ‘Mister’ and escaping into her favourite PNR books. She was missing adventure and love, but felt it was too late for her.
Cole is a tall, strong, sexy man who could bring a woman to her knees with just a smile. Cole is a were-panther who must hide his true identity to keep his kind safe. Cole’s parents were not mated and not the nurturing kind. As a young cub/boy he lived with his mother, who hooked up with his father once a decade to breed. When the new cubs came along, Cole was tossed out of the home to fend for himself. He was living on the street and eating out of the garbage when he met a were who changed his life. This were was Vic’s great-grandfather. He taught Cole about their species, how to find food and survive. He loved this were who treated him like a son. Cole recently moved into Vic’s town, where he bought an old farmhouse in need of renovating.
Vic was filling up her tank at the gas station when she witnessed an armed robbery. Frozen still, Cole pulled her into the shadows to keep her safe from harm. Without anyone seeing him, he shifted into a panther and chased the man out of the gas station. When the robber ran to his car, he took off his mask and turned around to see Vic staring straight at him. He looked back at the gas station, seeing the panther and fled the scene. Cole returned to his human form and ran back to see if Vic was safe. He found her standing in the parking lot and told her the police were on their way and not to mention his presence, before disappearing.
The next day, the whole town is a buzz about the robbery. At the end of the day, Cole stops by her bookstore and asks her out for coffee. Vic throws caution to the wind and accepts. The next few days are spent with Cole pursuing Vic and Vic not trusting his intensions towards her. She gives in to his advances but still wonders why he’s not interested in other, prettier women in town. Once he convinces her that she’s beautiful, the two take their relationship further.
Vic identifies the robber and the police begin looking for him. As the only witness to the man’s face, the robber begins to threaten her to retract her statement or he will ‘make her suffer’. Cole stays with Vic to protect her and the longer they spend together the more she learns about him. She discovers he’s a were-panther and finds out that her great-grandfather was also a were. She carries the were gene and although she will not change, she may develop other were powers like enhanced sense of smell, hearing, and eye sight. She’s taken back at first and they decide to discuss their relationship after the robber is caught.
The two set up an elaborate plan to trap the robber. The plan works, the robber is arrested and the two can either move forward in their relationship or end it. Cole is in love with Vic and fills the house with flowers, candles, and a home cooked dinner. He makes her a chocolate pudding (he’s allergic to chocolate) and she finds a diamond engagement ring in the pudding. Cole proposes marriage and she says yes. He then asks her if she will be his mate (mating is stronger than marriage) and she accepts. The couple make love and Vic’s fangs come in just in time for them to bite each other to finish the mating bond. Everything feels right and they are happy.
This story was okay but lacked depth. We’re told that Vic is a strong woman but she doesn’t show it in her actions. Were told that she’s grown since she’s been with Cole, but again it’s not apparent in her actions. There’s a lot of history with Cole and Vic’s great grandfather, but they exact same story is explained twice, instead of giving us new information. I was disappointed in this book and gave it an ‘ok’.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2011
If Black Silk had been written by a different, more experienced author, I think it could have been much better. Unfortunately it fell victim to lack of plot development, excessive sex scenes, anticlimactic climax, and a hanging ending.
In less than a week Cole and Vic are going from strangers to mated for life, which may make sense for him seeing as how he is over a century old and might be ready to settle down. But Vic is 29 and has only had one lover in her life, and a terrible one at that. So here we are with the typical virginal, damsel and the mysterious man with his supernatural man prowess that sweeps her up. There really isn't much to him other than that. I wish there had been more exploration into his character, his family, his past, and what he is. Not just summary explanations given in a game of twenty questions. The author relied too heavily on Vic's recreational experience with Paranormal fiction to help explain away concerns a normal person would have in the face of a man who turns into a were-panther in front of her.
I wanted Vic and Cole to end up together, but I wanted there to be more story to it. I wanted the mystery of their history and the drug-user trolling after Vic to take the forefront and the romance to sneak up on you or at least play side by side. Instead, it was just like reading some genres of fanfiction. Cheesy romance lines and sex first, girl unable to help herself second, story in a distant third. In the end, I was left sorely disappointed.
In less than a week Cole and Vic are going from strangers to mated for life, which may make sense for him seeing as how he is over a century old and might be ready to settle down. But Vic is 29 and has only had one lover in her life, and a terrible one at that. So here we are with the typical virginal, damsel and the mysterious man with his supernatural man prowess that sweeps her up. There really isn't much to him other than that. I wish there had been more exploration into his character, his family, his past, and what he is. Not just summary explanations given in a game of twenty questions. The author relied too heavily on Vic's recreational experience with Paranormal fiction to help explain away concerns a normal person would have in the face of a man who turns into a were-panther in front of her.
I wanted Vic and Cole to end up together, but I wanted there to be more story to it. I wanted the mystery of their history and the drug-user trolling after Vic to take the forefront and the romance to sneak up on you or at least play side by side. Instead, it was just like reading some genres of fanfiction. Cheesy romance lines and sex first, girl unable to help herself second, story in a distant third. In the end, I was left sorely disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2012
I got this book free I think or 99 cents. I've had it a REALLY long time. At one time I read a great deal of PNR novels but over the past couple of years I have really lost interest in this genre and have gone back to my tried and true historical romances and mysteries. Since I am trying to read independent and small publishing company books for a personal challenge, I picked this one out. It's a short story/novella, only about 125 pages long.
Cole was great. The perfect fantasy. The only thing was he changed into a were-panther.
The writing was just fine, no problems with formatting. If I was a decade younger I would probably have rated this one a little higher. The reason I gave only three stars had more to do with my personal taste than anything. I think for such a short story, more time could have been spent on character development but the main focus was on the sex. I like there to be more of a balance between plot and SC. I also enjoy a bit more emotion. If you are a big PNR fan you will love this book. Overall a C+
Cole was great. The perfect fantasy. The only thing was he changed into a were-panther.
The writing was just fine, no problems with formatting. If I was a decade younger I would probably have rated this one a little higher. The reason I gave only three stars had more to do with my personal taste than anything. I think for such a short story, more time could have been spent on character development but the main focus was on the sex. I like there to be more of a balance between plot and SC. I also enjoy a bit more emotion. If you are a big PNR fan you will love this book. Overall a C+
June 22, 2011
I really liked the story and liked Cole. Victoria just had a few moments where she annoyed me.
February 22, 2010
This was an interesting book. At around 130 pages its not the longest novel out there nor is it the best written but I did enjoy reading it. You can easily get through this book in one or two settings. The main plot is basically the whole "weak girl gets rescued and protected by a strong man the entire story" type of book. The main character sees an armed robbery and is rescued by a stranger. She later identifies the robber to the police. After which he starts threatening and stalking her. Her heroic stranger becomes her lover and later she finds out he can turn into a panther and can do other feats of magic. There are a few steamy sex scenes in the book which are decent. I couldn't help noticing a lot of similarities to twilight. While to me twilight seemed better written and a lot longer of coarse the whole protective boyfriend (that is not completely human) was familiar as well as the way the “were panthers” bond with someone for life, kind of like the were wolfs in the twilight books. Overall it was a fun little read. You can download it under the barns & noble Free e book section.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2015
This book was just ok. It started out slow. I thought it would pick up the pace when Cole came on the scene. I won't say I didn't like, but it did almost lose me toward the end. The climax was short and ho-hum. The heroine (Vic) was a little annoying and reading from her point of view made the book drag. The book is written in entirely first person from her perspective. The difficulty was Vic is not particularly witty or extraordinarily intelligent. She's this average almost mousey woman and there's nothing intersteing about following her around in her head through her day. Perhaps if the book had been written from Cole's perspective it would have been more enjoyable. He was at least interesting.
The dialogue seemed a little akward at times, but the writer shows potential to do better.
There is not anything about the story or the characters that would draw me back to it again.
The dialogue seemed a little akward at times, but the writer shows potential to do better.
There is not anything about the story or the characters that would draw me back to it again.
May 2, 2010
I really enjoyed this book. The male lead is ultra sexy and definitely designed to be a heartthrob. The female lead is one that can easily be identified with - quiet, a bit insecure and waiting to be swept off her feet. It's great escapist reading.
The plot is straight forward with few twists but given the length of the story that is understandable. Similarly, the romance builds very quickly but that is to be expected in novella formats.
One area that could be developed further would using supporting characters. They do exist but the author could have 'fleshed them out' a bit more. Other than that, the story is well, written and well edited - much better than many of the 'free' books out there.
Ms. Gordon has made a great start with this first novel and I look forward to reading more by her.
The plot is straight forward with few twists but given the length of the story that is understandable. Similarly, the romance builds very quickly but that is to be expected in novella formats.
One area that could be developed further would using supporting characters. They do exist but the author could have 'fleshed them out' a bit more. Other than that, the story is well, written and well edited - much better than many of the 'free' books out there.
Ms. Gordon has made a great start with this first novel and I look forward to reading more by her.
October 29, 2012
Ok ... so the story line seemed interesting ... a damsel in distress,the hero sweeps in all alpha male and protective ... saves the night,they date fall in love ... the hero has a secret ,the heroine finds out ... freaks,deals with it ... then they live happily ever after ...
sounds like my kind of novel ... but,No... NO NO NO!
The book could have been a thousand times better because the story is there but the characters ,or lack therefor-don't get me wrong i like the focus to be on the main couple-but this .. this is ... i don't know ... i mean sometimes i felt like they were living alone in a deserted place... no family,no friends for both of them! ... and Vic irritated me half to death... for the life of me I COULDN'T GET HOW HER MIND WORKED!!!
so yeah it only got 2 stars because i loved Cole <3
sounds like my kind of novel ... but,No... NO NO NO!
The book could have been a thousand times better because the story is there but the characters ,or lack therefor-don't get me wrong i like the focus to be on the main couple-but this .. this is ... i don't know ... i mean sometimes i felt like they were living alone in a deserted place... no family,no friends for both of them! ... and Vic irritated me half to death... for the life of me I COULDN'T GET HOW HER MIND WORKED!!!
so yeah it only got 2 stars because i loved Cole <3
April 2, 2012
First time ever reading Jan's work and will definitely be looking into more. Strong characters with a great hot alpha male that can make a woman swoon!
Vic is basically just living. Almost in a robotic sense of routine. Wake up, feed the cat, shower, work, home, etc. She has been alone (except for her cat Mister) for many years, not having any intimacies or friendships. One side trip to a gas station changes all of that for her.
Cole is new to town. He has many secrets and knows what it is like to be alone. Once he meets Vic, he intends to change that for himself and her.
Together they are attempting to catch a bad guy that's also threatening Vic and Cole's lives. So much more happens for both of them that include uncovering secrets and pasts unknown.
Vic is basically just living. Almost in a robotic sense of routine. Wake up, feed the cat, shower, work, home, etc. She has been alone (except for her cat Mister) for many years, not having any intimacies or friendships. One side trip to a gas station changes all of that for her.
Cole is new to town. He has many secrets and knows what it is like to be alone. Once he meets Vic, he intends to change that for himself and her.
Together they are attempting to catch a bad guy that's also threatening Vic and Cole's lives. So much more happens for both of them that include uncovering secrets and pasts unknown.
November 2, 2011
I liked this story but I found it to be more about the sex and less about the couple.
Also one of the most exciting things happened in the last chapter and it was not explored seriously, I found this to be a let down. Maybe in the next installment the author could fully explore this new development.
This book would be good as the beginning to a great series about these two people and how they traverse a world not ready to invite them in and how they traverse the main character's own misgivings about her new life.
This could have been an excellent book if there was as much story and plot as there were sex scenes.
Also one of the most exciting things happened in the last chapter and it was not explored seriously, I found this to be a let down. Maybe in the next installment the author could fully explore this new development.
This book would be good as the beginning to a great series about these two people and how they traverse a world not ready to invite them in and how they traverse the main character's own misgivings about her new life.
This could have been an excellent book if there was as much story and plot as there were sex scenes.
April 6, 2014
I think that if you're going to write a book, you should make sure the facts are accurate. For some reason the fact that the author kept focusing on Cole's eyes when he changed and getting it wrong made me mad. If you're going to write a book about a were-panther then at least get the characteristics right. Large cats don't have the slit pupil, it's actually circular like a humans. Soooo that's awkward. Other than that, the characters didn't develop, like at all.. I just didn't see the point of this book.
December 6, 2009
I'm waiting for the next in the series!
December 10, 2009
I love this book. Jan gets your attention and keeps it. She allows you to truly see what her characters mean to her. The action is great. Thank you Jan for giving us your creation.
June 14, 2011
An amazing novella that had me drawn in from the beginning.
February 4, 2010
I really liked this book. Nice build up between the characters and their relationship.
December 3, 2010
I liked it. Typical romance fantasy.
June 25, 2019
*** DOES ANYONE KNOW IF JAN's GOING TO WRITE MORE THAN THE THIS BOOKS IN THIS SERIES??? ***
September 8, 2021
I read this book when I was younger and plan on rereading it again, it's honestly a good short story with suspense and thriller as well. The way Jan wrote made images appear beautifully with how well described the scenes were. Read this I think about 7-8 years ago and I've been trying to find it for ages since I lost my nook and got busy with life
August 10, 2018
This simply written short story takes the standard romance formula and places it in a paranormal setting. Although this book is not my usual reading choice it made a nice change and met the relaxing read criteria. I read it in a single sitting as it only takes a couple of hours to finish.
June 17, 2021
Interesting paranormal tale of Victoria's family ancestry. Victoria witnesses a crime and is stalked by the criminal she has identified to the police. She meets Cole who is well acquainted with her family's history.
July 30, 2017
I loved this book read it more than once. It was sensible but sensual. I love coles character. I like the fact that she's shy but willing.
January 31, 2019
This is a book I can read over and over. I adore the chemistry between the main characters.
January 11, 2022
Ok well, back when i read this i was surely obsessed and in love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews