Erotic Fiction Reviews: Forty Shades of Pearl

Monday, 4 March, 2013

Shades of Momma Rating: [rating=5]

Forty Shades of Pearl by Arianne Richmonde is just what you’re looking for if you’ve been trying to find the kind of erotic romance novels where the woman in the story takes center stage instead of living in the shadow of an alpha male. To make it even better, this woman is over 40, beautiful, experienced and successful.

Pearl Robinson is a film producer hoping to make a documentary about a brilliant young brother and sister duo who launched a social dating empire called HookedUp. Unfortunately, Pearl missed the conference where she was supposed to meet the pair. Now, she’s stuck in a coffee shop trying to explain the problem to her boss. She’s taken by surprise when it turns out that the couple next to her in line are the very people she was trying to meet, Alexandre Chevalier and his sister Sophie.

Pearl immediately realizes she was all wrong when she assumed Alexandre must be a nerd. He’s actually a down-to-earth billionaire who is sexy, sophisticated and charming. He’s also infatuated with her even though he’s about 15 years younger. They start dating, and he gives her a fabulous antique pearl necklace that inspires the forty shades in the title.

If you couldn’t help but notice that this title sounds a lot like the runaway blockbuster Fifty Shades of Grey, be prepared to appreciate the many differences too. I think women will have a much easier time identifying with Pearl than with a 20-something virgin who meets the love of her life without ever having to go through any of the usual life experiences and setbacks. In this case, Pearl is a hard working career woman who is recovering from a divorce who hasn’t had a date in two years. This novel is also full of clever dialogue, funny moments and real tenderness.

Get your copy of Forty Shades of Pearl (The Pearl Trilogy, Part 1)

Erotic Fiction Starring Women Over 40

What makes the relationship between Pearl and Alexandre so exciting is that he helps her to awaken her sexuality. And awaken she does…she goes from worrying that she’ll never be able to have an orgasm to mind blowing love making and passion. It’s a great message that women can find romance and discover their true self at any age.  Alexandre has such a powerful and sexy persona…I found him very attractive and I think men have a lot to learn from him!

Arianne Richmonde is an American writer who has traveled all over the world. She currently divides her time between France and the United States. Richmonde won’t tell when it comes to saying who inspired the character of Alexandre, but she admits that it doesn’t hurt that her real-life husband is French. Forty Shades of Pearl is the first installment in the Pearl Trilogy. They’re all easy and quick reads so have fun coming back for more.

Download Forty Shades of Pearl Here! (The Pearl Trilogy, Part 1)

Erotic Fiction: The Proposition by Katie Ashley

Thursday, 14 February, 2013

The Proposition by Katie Ashley is the kind of erotic fiction that manages to be heartwarming and sizzling all at the same time. Be prepared for a real emotional roller coaster of a read. It’s heartwarming and full of laughs, but it’s got a cliff hanger ending that will leave you wanting for the next installment in this series.

Emma is an accomplished woman, but she’s discontent. Her thirtieth birthday is almost upon her, and she feels pressured to have a child before it’s too late. She did make a backup plan in case her knight in shining armor failed to appear, but that has fallen through. Her gay friend turned her down when she asked him to be the father of her first child. One night she’s out arguing with her best friend about the whole situation, and someone overhears them. It’s Aiden Fitzgerald, a notorious womanizer who works at the same company as Emma. Aiden is still smarting from when Emma turned down his advances at the office Christmas party. Now, he thinks he’s got a second chance. He proposes to father a child with Emma as long as it’s done the natural way. Between his good looks and charm and Emma’s building anxiety, the deal is sealed.

 Ready to read The Proposition? Get your copy here!

50 Shades of Motherhood

This book proves that motherhood and erotica do mix. Sex and motherhood are both natural urges, and it’s easy to sympathize with Emma’s position.

While any story that talks about a biological clock can get bogged down in stereotypes, The Proposition employs such deft humor that these potential problems are transcended. Emma and Aiden emerge as real and likeable characters. It’s also nice to see that they’re surrounded by lots of good friends and loving families. While troubled family histories often add drama to other works in this genre, sometimes you want to balance the scales and spend time with people who feel kind of familiar and ordinary in a good way.

As mentioned, that cliffhanger ending makes sure it never gets boring. And you don’t have to wait long to satisfy your curiosity. The sequel, The Proposal, is scheduled for release this month, and Ashely has another book, Music of My Heart, due out in February. So if you like this short work, keep on reading.

Ashelywas born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta. This New York Times bestselling author describes her large extended family as a Southern version of the one in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She has been teaching English for more than ten years in both middle school and high school. As a former cheerleading coach, she says that riding a bus with a squad of fifteen year old girls is the ultimate way to learn about life.

Download your copy of The Proposition now! 

Erotic Romance Novels: Unwritten Rules By M. A. Stacie

Monday, 14 January, 2013

Erotic romance novels are full of sexy neighbors and Elle can’t stop thinking about hers in Unwritten Rules by M. A. Stacie. She’s so stuck on the handsome but elusive Jonah Quinn, she feels like she’ll never be satisfied until she is intimate with him.

Elle moved from Cape Cod to New York a year ago after breaking up with her old boyfriend. Now, she keeps running into Jonah at the mailboxes in their apartment building. She’s intrigued by his taut muscles and chiseled jaw, but can’t seem to make any headway. The only sign that Jonah may share her attraction is the way the back of his neck reddens when she stands close to him. He avoids any eye contact and never speaks to her. When she asks around the building, she finds out that Jonah never talks to anybody. They’ve always figured he may be mute.

Her fantasies about Jonah make it hard for Elle to concentrate on her work as a web designer. She talks the dilemma over with her best friend J.J. but can’t muster up the courage to knock on Jonah’s door. All she knows about Jonah is that he might be a musician because she can hear him playing his guitar and piano upstairs.

Ready to read Unwritten Rules? Get your copy here!

Women’s Erotica That Builds Up Slowly

Women’s erotica is often at its best when you’re kept waiting a little for the characters to connect. During Elle and Jonah’s first attempts at exchanging shy smiles and quick hello’s, you start to wonder how they’re going to really get together. Turns out Elle has a fat cat who’s prowling the building for handouts. When Meow puts the touch on Jonah, Elle finally knocks on his door to retrieve her pet. The next day, Elle goes out for a run and Jonah rescues her from an attempted mugging. From there, the relationship takes off. There’s no doubt they’re sexually compatible, but they’ve still got challenges ahead. Jonah has demons in his past that the two lovers will have to sort out if they’re going to have a future.

It is a story with a lot of depth. Their love affair is passionate and intense with a great deal of emotion…a spectacular read! I found myself all caught up in the relationship between Elle and Jonah reacting to their many ups and downs as if I knew them personally. Sometimes I was frustrated by their mistakes, but I always wanted things to work out for them.

The author M.A Stacie lives in Manchester, UK with her husband and children. Her bio says she tried out a few different jobs but never seemed to find the right fit. Then, she took up writing after her second son was born. When she’s not writing or reading, Stacie knits and plays the Wii with her two sons.

Download your copy of Unwritten Rules now! 

Erotic Book Reviews: The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton

Monday, 14 January, 2013

The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton proves that erotic book reviews can pack a lot of surprises. In addition to BDSM and a threesome, this novel tells a tale of unconditional love, lifelong friendship and facing death.

Kaden and Seth have been best friends for over 40 years. When they get together for drinks on their weekly boy’s night out, Kaden shocks Seth with two startling announcements. He’s just learned that he’s dying from inoperable pancreatic cancer. He also asks Seth to take over his role playing master to Kaden’s wife and slave Leah. It’s the last thing Seth ever expected from the friend he knows as a soft spoken and successful corporate attorney.

Seth is too dumbfounded to promise anything having just learned that his friend is dying and wants to train him to beat his wife, but he agrees to have dinner with the couple at their home the next night. When Leah opens the door, she’s got a whole new look. Her beautiful green eyes are red from crying and she’s wearing a tiny black leather dress and collar with heavy makeup and stiletto heels. Seth can’t help but feel grief stricken and aroused all at the same time.

Ready to read The Reluctant Dom? Get your copy here! 

It turns out that Seth has loved Leah for almost 20 years ever since he returned from the army and met her after her whirlwind courtship and marriage to Kaden. All three of them will learn a lot about each other and the meaning of love as Seth gets invited to live with Kaden and Leah and help Kaden keep the promises he made to protect Leah when they wed.

An Erotic Romance That Captures The Diversity of The BDSM Lifestyle

One of the most fascinating things about this erotic romance is how it captures the diversity of the BDSM lifestyle. It shows how you can’t tell whose playing with whips and ropes just by looking at them and the human needs and emotional connections that may be involved. In this case, Leah relies on BDSM to help her cope with childhood abuse and Kaden wants to make sure she has a partner who will love her and never injure her. In addition to the wild sex, it’s a moving testimony to all kinds of love and friendship. It is a strange and unexpected story and yet somehow it works.  You’ll never forget how these three people stand by each other through one tragedy after another.

Tymber Dalton is one of many pen names for writer Lesli Richardson, the award-winning, bestselling author of books that include Love Slave for Two, the Triple Trouble series and more. She also writes as Tessa Monroe and Macy Largo for Siren-BookStrand. Dalton is a native of Florida now living in the Tampa bay area with her husband and lots of animals. She is active in the BDSM lifestyle.

Download your copy of The Reluctant Dom now!

Women’s Erotica: In Flight By R.K. Lilley

Monday, 14 January, 2013

In Flight by R.K. Lilley is one of the best recent works in women’s erotica. Yes, there is another dominant billionaire playing a lead role, sort of like 50 Shades of Grey, but Lilley takes it to a whole new level. I mean that literally. This novel starts out on a jet plane.

Bianca is a beautiful 23 year old virgin with a troubled childhood behind her. In her job as a flight attendant in the first class cabin, she’s used to rebuffing the rich and famous when they try to get too close. But now she’s met a force she can’t resist. She’s a goner as soon as hotel owner James Cavendish boards the plane and heads into her section. Never mind eyes of grey. This guy hypnotizes her with his intense turquoise gaze.

Their dating life starts out a little rocky. Bianca is gun shy about getting close to anybody, but she can’t help but fall in love with James. James is relentless in pursuing what he wants when he wants it and that means he’s hot on Bianca’s trail. Their relationship does follow the dom/sub path but there are a number of twists and side stories here that make it all the more engaging and suspenseful. Of course, there are also plenty of steamy sex scenes to make it exciting.

Ready to read In Flight? Get your copy here!

Erotic Romance That Gives Equal Time To The Bonds Of Friendship

In addition to James, Bianca has another man in her life in this erotic romance. Her best friend, Stephan, works alongside her as a flight attendant too. They’ve been best friend all the way back to their teen years. They also share similar upbringings in abusive and loveless homes. They depend on each other and have a difficult time relating to anyone else.

The novel ends on a real cliffhanger as Bianca and James get into a painful misunderstanding. Even worse, a dark force from Bianca’s past may end their relationship for good and even cost Bianca her life.

Stay tuned for the next two installments in the Up In The Air series to read how it all turns out. The second book, Mile High, is already available on Amazon. According to R.K. Lilley, the third and final episode is called Grounded, and it will be out on February 12, 2013.

Lilley has given some interesting advance notice of what to expect in future. She’s going to write spinoff books for some of the supporting characters. The author says she’ll announce more details as they develop but at least one novella is already in the works.

While she’s been a writer for much of her life, Lilley has also taken some other jobs including a stint as a first class flight attendant. Between that and her love for romance and fiction, no wonder her books sound so authentic. She also writes urban fantasy with romantic themes under the name of Rebecca K. Lilley.

Download your copy of the In Flight now!

Erotic Books With A Bit Of Mystery: If I Were You By Lisa Renee Jones

Monday, 14 January, 2013

If you like erotic books then you may love this one, with the ultra steamy story plus some mystery and intrigue thrown in. If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones is a love story that will teach you just how dangerous it can be to read other people’s diaries.

Sara McMillan teaches tenth grade English by day. By night, she’s gotten hooked on reading the mysterious diaries of a woman named Rebecca. Sara comes across the journals after her friend Ella buys up abandoned storage units at auction, including one that used to belong to Rebecca. When Ella elopes and leaves on an Italian honeymoon with her doctor boyfriend, Sara is left alone with what Rebecca left behind.

Even though she feels guilty reading the private thoughts of a stranger, Sara can’t resist being drawn in by Rebecca’s story of her passionate affair with a controlling man who is never named. The sex scenes are so hot she feels herself burning just thinking about them. But nothing prepares her for the shocking ending and the sinister suspicion that something bad happened to Rebecca.

Before long Sara goes undercover to get a job at the same art gallery where Rebecca was last seen working. There she meets not one but two handsome and dominant men, the owner Mark and a famous artist named Chris. As Sara and Chris get romantically involved, it becomes ever more urgent to find out who the unnamed man is and what made Rebecca disappear before Sara suffers the same fate.

Ready to read If I Were You? Get it now!

Women’s Erotica With Extra Intrigue

This trilogy is great for anyone who loves women’s erotica and having their curiosity aroused. The relationships between Mark, Chris and Sara carry you forward to the cliffhanger ending. I was left hungrily waiting for what happens next! This is the first installment in the Inside Out erotic romance trilogy so stay tuned for more.

Author Lisa Renee Jones is a relative newcomer to erotic romance but she’s making up ground quickly. She previously owned LRJ, a major multi staffing agency in Austin, Texas that was listed as the #7 fastest growing women owned businesses in Entrepreneur Magazine. Since selling LRJ in 2003, she’s become an award winning writer and has published more than 30 books across several genres.

Download a copy of If I Were You now!

Erotic Books: Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye

Saturday, 12 January, 2013

For this erotic book, maybe it’s time for a complete blackout so Hearts in Darkness shows us what happens when two strangers get trapped alone together in an elevator. It’s a short read that packs in an intensely sensual story with a lot of human drama.

Makenna James is a corporate woman who’s got her hands full. She’s so busy talking on her cell phone that she barely notices the man inside as she gets into an elevator on a day when everything has been going wrong. About all she catches is the dragon tattoo on his hand before the power goes out. That man, Caden Grayson, had taken a better look at her and was instantly attracted to her long red hair.

Alone in the dark, they start to open up to each other. It’s like not being able to see each other frees them up to talk about themselves. Makenna is nervous but it turns out that Caden is the one who really needs comforting. He’s got something tragic in his past that makes him especially afraid of small, dark places.

And it’s not all talk. As Makenna tries to soothe Caden, her touch makes them both want much more. By the time they get rescued, they’ve already unleashed their passions.

 

Ready to read Hearts in Darkness? Get it now! 

Erotic Books That Prove Love Is Blind

Setting matters so much in erotic books and the darkened elevator in this novella makes it believable that two such different people could put aside their appearances to find out what they have in common. You’re left wondering if pin striped Makenna and Caden with his tattoos and body piercings have a future together when the doors finally open.

The critics love this book too. It’s won the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella of 2012 and the VRW HOLT Medallion Award of Merit Winner for Best Romance Novella of 2012. The author Laura Kaye says she grew up on storytelling. Her big family used to gather around telling tales about the supernatural and she started writing at a young age. In addition to writing erotica, she’s a published non-fiction author with training as a historian and archaeologist. Kayes lives on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland with her husband, two daughters and a bad dog.

Download a copy of Hearts in Darkness now!

More Than 12,000 Readers Have Already Reviewed The Erotic Romance Novel Fifty Shades of Grey Book One on Amazon

Saturday, 8 September, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey is the erotic romance novel that inspired me to create this blog. And no, it has nothing to do with the book’s literary merits. It’s all about the phenomenon this book represents and what it says about women today.

This book is a catalyst – a big opening for women to be able to talk about SEX! I find that women everywhere have a hard time talking about sex even with other women.

Why is that…are we all repressed? I think our culture has made it a taboo subject. But the reaction to this book makes it obvious that women want to talk about sex. We need to talk about sex.

Since the start of this blog I have had numerous conversations with women about Fifty Shades and they all sound so relieved to finally have a venue to talk!

For That Reason Alone I LOVE This Erotic Book!

Many people say you will either love this erotic book or hate it. I have friends that put the book down after reading only a couple of chapters and others who read the whole series three times and cannot get enough. They are all wondering what to read next – that is where ShadesofMomma.com comes in!

Ready to read 50 Shades of Grey? Get it here!

I really enjoyed all three books in the trilogy. After I started the first I quickly went out and purchased the other two. I was not put off by the writing or the repeated phrases. After all, I wasn’t looking for a literary masterpiece. I wanted an engaging story that was hot and juicy and it certainly did meet those expectations.

“The only man I’ve ever been attracted to, and he comes with a bloody contract, a flogger and a whole world of issues,” says the heroine Anastasia Steel. She is a very likable 21-year-old virgin about to graduate college when she meets the handsome and charismatic millionaire Christian Grey. He is immediately enthralled with Ana and begins to purse her while at the same time insisting that he is all wrong for her.

As these two spiral into a very intense relationship there are many layers to be learned about both of them. Without giving the whole story away there is lots of very steamy sex with BDSM overtones. Some say it is too light while others are saying it is way too dark. Truly a case of different strokes for different folks! I felt drawn into the story and had a lot of fun with their sensual relationship.

Over the course of their relationship, Ana begins to chip away at Christian’s complicated exterior forcing him to admit things he’s never told anyone. Even with their resistance these two start to have strong feelings for each other and of course it gets complicated!

Throughout the book Ana and Christian exchange many emails. These witty and interesting notes were one of the best parts. They use email to open up to one another, something both have trouble doing. The written messages let them reveal themselves to one another more honestly.

The end of this story left me feeling anxious. Of course I had on hand the second book, Fifty Shades Darker, so I started it right away.

Many sex experts have also endorsed the book including the famous Dr. Ruth Westheimer. On her video blog, she says “I do believe every woman should read it. You don’t have to read the three volumes; you read a little bit of each and then you put the book away and have some very good sex.”

And just because sex is important, doesn’t mean it can’t be funny. Fifty Shades has spawned a whole industry of parodies. You can watch Ellen DeGeneres or some favorite mom bloggers and actresses read excerpts on YouTube. The best spoof may be the hilarious SNL skit starring Kristen Wiig. Dad and the kids try to surprise Mom with breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, but she’s already entertaining herself while reading Fifty Shades. In an emergency, you may be able to disguise your vibrator as a microphone.

For me, it was a very fun read and I was not able to put this book down once I started. I have found many books better written than this that did not interest me nearly half as much. Let’s bring fun back especially for us women! And I hope the conversation Fifty Shades started about SEX keeps on going! Let the games begin…

Get your own copy of 50 Shades of Grey!

Erotic Books: Bared To You By Sylvia Day

Friday, 7 September, 2012

Erotic books are often most interesting when their characters face tough challenges. Bared To You by Sylvia Day presents two survivors of childhood abuse who struggle with their pasts while forging a connection that may transform their futures.

Eva Tramell recently moved from San Diego to Manhattan. She’s got an expensive pad on the upper West Side that she shares with a handsome male roommate. She’s so new to the city that she doesn’t even know how to hail a cab yet, but she’s landed an entry-level job at a swanky ad agency. You can tell she’s the independent type because she wouldn’t let her stepfather the tycoon give her a short cut to the top floor offices.

Her first day at work she’s knocked flat on the ground by a delicious stranger dressed in black. Yes, she literally takes a dive under the powerful stare of Gideon. Things get interesting when Gideon helps her to her feet and eventually lures her to his nightclub. Their magnetic attraction exposes their private wounds and may lead to more injury or to true healing.

It’s Great When Erotic Romance Novels Bring Together Two Abuse Survivors Open To The Possibility Of True Love

What I love about erotic romance novels like this one is how I root for the characters to work things out. Eva and Gideon are both smart and witty. Eva is especially insightful about her own baggage and it’s interesting to see how she applies what she has learned in years of therapy.

Ready to read Bared to You? Get it here!

Of course, there’s also plenty of scorching sex scenes. Many critics and readers compare this erotic romance to the blockbuster Fifty Shades Of Grey. They’re both very hot. The sex here may be a bit more mainstream but it is every bit as gratifying. In all, Bared To You manages to be intense without getting melodramatic and provides plenty of excitement while being sensitive to the character’s experiences. The subject matter is thought provoking without ever becoming too dark.

Sylvia Day has written more than a dozen novels including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. She’s a wife and mother of two. Before she became a writer, she used to be a Russian linguist for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence. Her stories have been translated into thirty languages. She’s been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. She also writes under the pseudonyms S. J. Day and Livia Dare.

Get your copy of Bared to You here.

The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy – A Series of 3 Erotic Romance Novels

Thursday, 6 September, 2012

Once upon a time, The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy was one of the best kept secrets of Anne Rice’s work, but then these three erotic romance novels outearned Interview with the Vampire. They’re among the most enthralling and captivating women’s erotica I’ve ever read. If you liked 50 Shades of Grey than you will certainly enjoy this landmark trilogy.

The series was written under Rice’s pseudonym, A.N. Roquelaure. Whatever name she uses, the writing is characteristic of her gothic style. When you open that cover, you are bound to enter a world so deeply conceived, so sumptuously described, that it takes on a life and plausibility all its own.

The tale begins with Sleeping Beauty awakening to being ravished by the Prince. Indebted to him for breaking the spell of sleep on their kingdom, Beauty’s parents allow the Prince to take Beauty as tribute to the castle of his mother, Queen Eleanor, who rules the surrounding kingdoms. Eleanor makes Beauty serve the erotic pleasures of the court, male and female, who try to instill empathy and humility in her, and prepare her to be a wise ruler. This subtext is a clever and satisfying justification for the trials that Beauty endures.

Unfortunately, Beauty and her fellow slaves, Princes Alexi and Laurent, rebel. This results in deeper punishment and painfully pleasurable sexual torments. Their continued resistance leads to exile in a village of common people. Here, their royal rank is meaningless and invites deeper resentment and persecution. When this also proves inadequate, they are shipped off to a foreign land where they face the greatest trials of all.

Ready to read The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy? Get it here!

A Picasso Is More Than Just A Painting And This Series Is More Than Just Erotic Books

These erotic books are explicit but never dark. The trials are heady, playful at times, but avoid stereotypes of self-loathing submissives or egomaniacal dominants. The spanking, bondage and sex are a spice that seasons the characters rather than destroying them. There are characters and erotic scenes for every reader – straight, gay or bisexual.

The ambient bisexuality devoid of faux moralizing is another great accomplishment. Both Beauty and her male companions must serve the pleasure of men and women. Rice’s medieval world doesn’t judge orientations, but focuses on the universal pleasure of sexuality and mentoring. This gives the novels depth and an unexpected and lingering uplifting effect.

I watched an interview with Anne Rice explaining why she wrote these erotic books. She said they were something inside her she had to get out on paper. Since these books awoke something that has always been within me since I became aware of my own sexuality, I can understand this explanation. Not only is this series sensual and exciting, it is literary, well-written, and a true exploration of sexuality. Most of the discoveries sound like something real people fear or would never admit. You owe it to yourself to read the entire series of these three erotic romance novels.

Get your copy of The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy here!