I discovered Shayla Black when I saw the tantalizing book cover and just had to pick it up to find out what it was all about. Boy was I glad I did. Now that I'm discovering I have quite a penchant for erotic romance, I'm constantly on the lookout for ultra sexy reads that aren't sleazy or boring, and her first book, "Wicked Ties", was neither of those things.
In fact, it was the exact opposite on both counts. The book had just the right dose of BDSM elements that made it overwhelmingly hot and intriguing, but not so much so that it creeped me out or left me cold and uninterested in the plot or the characters. Since the BDSM fantasy has never been a particularly strong one of mine, a lot of credit goes to Shayla for drawing me into the story right from the beginning and keeping me hooked throughout. I found myself more and more caught up in the lifestyle, curious to know how it can be both physically satisfying and emotional to those who were involved in it. Probably the biggest factor is trust, and how necessary it is to have enough trust in the other person to know what you need.
So if you're curious about BDSM, or just enjoy reading really sexy erotic romance and haven't already discovered this author, this might be just the place to start.
FYI: Shayla also writes as Shelley Bradley. These books I haven't read yet, but if they're anything like the Shayla books, then they are definitely worth the time.
Publisher: Berkley Trade/Berkley Heat
ISBN 0-4252-1361-7
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: January 2, 2007
She didn’t know what she wanted until he made her beg for it…Morgan O’Malley has seen a lot of kinky things as the hostess of a cable sex talk show. But she’s never met a man like Jack Cole before. A self-proclaimed dominant, he’s as alpha as a male can get - and good for Morgan to have around when an obsessed stalker ratchets up his attempts to get to her.
Though Jack is a bodyguard, Morgan feels anything but safe in his presence. Because slowly and seductively, Jack is bringing her deepest fantasies to the surface. And when he bends her to his will, what’s more shocking than her surrender is how much she enjoys it - and starts to crave his masterful touch. A willing player in Jack’s games, Morgan knows that his motives aren’t pure, but she has no idea how personal they are…
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Release Date: October 2,
Genre: Contemporary Erotic/Ménage á trios
Two men are better than one…
How can a virgin seeking happily-ever-after with a hot pop star who has a penchant for threesomes win her fantasy man? Kimber Edgington desperately needs a plan to convince Jesse McCall, who’s been her friend and secret crush since they spent a summer together as teenagers, that they are meant for each other. But all the tabloid stories about his sexual escapades make her feel oh-so inadequate.
Determined to prove she’s woman enough for Jesse, Kimber turns to bodyguard Deke Trenton for sexual education. Bold and brash, Deke warns Kimber that playing with him is playing with fire. But he can’t bear to imagine the innocent beauty in someone else’s arms. So Deke and his super-sexy friend, Luc, take Kimber under their wings and dangerously close to the edge of ecstasy. Though she’s saved herself for Jesse, Kimber soon learns, he’s not the man adept at stoking her aching, endless need. That’s Deke, and he can’t resist when Kimber begs for more–and more…
Labels: erotic romance, Shayla Black
posted by Stacy~ at 5/16/2007 09:56:00 PM
Good recommendation Stacy! This sounds like something I would enjoy, but BDSM isn't really a fantasy of mine either, but this sounds hot. And her next book-can't wait! LOL
byI want to read this book so bad it is on the top of my tbb list. I have read Bound and Determined and Strip Search by Shelley Bradley and enjoyed them. They were fun books.
byThanx Ames. I felt the same way, and it hasn't changed the way I feel about BDSM (much) but I found I could enjoy reading about it.
byKris, I'll have to check out the Shelley books. Sometimes all you need or want is a fun read.
They look worth a look :)
byThose covers are amazingly gorgeous - I don't know how I haven't seen them before! And bodyguards to boot! I am such a slut for cops/bodyguards/spies, etc. Catch me before I faint!
byThese sound really good. Off to go spend some Amazon gift cert $$ ... thanks for the recs, Stacy
Stacy,
byI'm really glad you enjoyed WICKED TIES. Thanks for mentioning DECADENT, too. I'm very eager for the book to come out and hope you like it.
I try hard to write romances that, despite the erotic content, are still actually romantic with characters you can relate to.
Shelley/Shayla
Lori, I totally know what you mean. Hot, hot stuff.
byShelley, you did a great job on WT, and I know I'm really going to like Decadent A LOT. The perfect b-day gift ;)