Excerpt, Review, & Giveaway: Best Erotic Romance 2014 edited by Kristina Wright

Hello, faithful readers. I hope your week is going well, and remember the weekend's here! Now, I don't know about you, but weather around here is finally showing that spring is in the air. Flowers, sunshine, and chocolate bunnies aside, my favorite thing about spring is that romance is in full bloom! Cleis Press is helping me show my appreciation for love and romance by hosting a giveaway with me for the new sexy romance anthology Best Erotic Romance 2014 edited by Kristen Wright. Every short story within this anthology expresses a scene of passion, desire, and love in a different way. From first crushes to experienced married couples, Best Erotic Romance 2014 demonstrates that love and lust never get old. In addition to a giveaway, I also have sneak peek at the book for you to enjoy!

This excerpt is from a story called "Stay With Me" by Crystal Jordan.

Sneak Peek:

Damn, it was hot. The roasting heat of the Texas day had spilled over into a sweltering night. A languid breeze barely made the curtains ruffle, and a sheen of sweat coated Jamie’s body. She stared at the ceiling, too hot and restless to sleep. Annoyed, she kicked the twisted sheet away and heaved herself out of bed. Shoving open the French doors, she stepped out onto the porch that wrapped around the house.
A few lights shone from the barns and she heard the occasional neigh of a horse, but the rest of the ranch seemed to have managed the slumber that eluded her. Twelve years of living in the middle of nowhere and, though she cherished the quiet, she’d never quite adjusted to the summer humidity. Sighing, she leaned against the railing.
“Can’t sleep?”
The low voice brought her upright. “Cord.”
His boots crunched in the gravel before he climbed the three steps onto the porch. Her heart fluttered the way it always did when he was around, and it was all she could do not to fall back a step as he came near. She tried for a light tone. “The heat’s keeping you up too, huh?”
“No.” He moved a little closer, into her personal space, and her pulse sped. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she wore nothing underneath her cotton nightgown.
Her nipples tightened, pushing against the thin material, and she had to resist the urge to cross her arms. “No? Then what’s got you up at two in the morning?”
“You.”
His dark gaze zeroed in on her chest, and she saw a flicker of pure lust in his expression. An answering throb of desire settled low in her belly. The night closed in around them, making it feel like they were the only two people in the world. Being alone with this man was dangerous temptation. He took another step toward her and she skittered back until the doorjamb pressed between her shoulder blades. He loomed over her, huge and masculine and far too sexy. “Invite me in, Jamie.”
Her hormones clamored an emphatic agreement at that suggestion, but she shook her head. “I’m your boss. That would be a bad idea.”
Nothing could keep the quaver of longing out of her voice, though. Liquid flames licked at her core at the very thought of inviting Cord Preston into her bedroom. She tried to squelch the need and failed. As usual. She’d been unable to control the way her body responded to him since she’d hired him as a horse trainer three months before. She’d been worse than a lovesick teenager, hanging out in the barns to talk to him for hours—about anything and everything. Even then, she’d resisted acting on this insane attraction. He’d hired on for the season, and then he’d be gone. Temporary sexual arrangements weren’t her style.
He leaned forward until his lips were no more than a hairsbreadth from hers. “It’s too late for either of us to stop this thing, sweetheart, and I’m tired of pretending we don’t want each other. Invite me in.” It was more demand than request, and his hot breath rushed over her skin as he spoke. “I’m dying to be inside you, Jamie.”
Cord. Inside her. Her sex clenched, and it took every ounce of her willpower not to arch into his body and finally, finally know what it was like to have his hands on her flesh.
His voice dropped to a coaxing rumble. “I need to touch you. Let me.”
“Yes,” she whispered, the word spilling out before she could stop it.

My Review

Title: Best Erotic Romance 2014
Editor: Kristina Wright
Format: Paperback, 242 pages
Pub. Date: February 18th 2014
Source: Cleis Press
Purchase: Amazon

★★★★

3.5 stars, rounded up.

First, I would like to talk about the cover art for this particular anthology. I love it, and I feel that it perfectly demonstrates what the book has in store. There's a theme of sex but a tender intimacy that shows how magical it can be when two people get together. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover of course, but it's hard not to with this one.

This collection features stories from all different stages of relationships old and new, and people who are young and old. All have an emotional feel to them, and all of course have their share of steamy, passionate lust. As always with anthologies like this one, I'd like to highlight the three I liked the best, in no order in particular.

The first is the story that you got a sneak peek of earlier in my post, entitled "Stay with Me" by Crystal Jordan. Jamie has tried her hardest not to get attached to her seasonal hire on the ranch, knowing that he'll be gone in no time. But when he asks to be invited in earlier one morning, it's hard for her to resist him for much longer. The sex in this story is intimate and passionate, with characters that honestly I'd like to read more about. That's a rare trait in a short story, and it was well done in this one.

The next on my top picks list is called "A Perfect Place" written by Catherine Paulssen. It's Julie's job to zip around the world, scouting potential filming sites for movies. Her newest voyage to Hungary leads her to a beautiful castle, and a tall, handsome man that comes along with it. I'm a sucker for castles and stories set in regions such as Hungary, so the beautiful setting was enough to draw me in, and the love scenes held me there.

And my last pick is titled "Rules" by Emerald. Joyce's husband Pete comes across an old photograph of her Goth-y, rebellious self back in her youth and loves it. She decides to dip into her old wardrobe with the plans to surprise him with a very special, dark treat. Not going to lie, I identify as one who dresses "goth" so this one was extra sexy to me. Dyed hair, fishnets, and vinyl? Yes please. Sign me up for a double helping of that.

This anthology is a great mix of stories that are good for anyone who likes their erotica to be more emotional and more romantic than most. If you like steamy sex scenes and believe in love, than give this book a read. Thank you to both Cleis Press and editor/author Kristina Wright for my copy of this book.

Giveaway!

Now, here's your chance to win a copy of Best Erotic Romance 2014!
The Rules:
-This giveaway will run from April 3rd to April 10th, 2014.
-This giveaway is open to those 18+ and is USA ONLY.
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.

a Rafflecopter giveaway