Forbidden Pleasures

Forbidden Pleasures is a delightful blend of two separate and sexy historical romances with interesting, well-developed story lines, strong characters, and well-written erotic love scenes, providing a pleasurable read. In Love's Revenge, a search for vengeance turns to passion and desire, as Quentin Blackwell, the Devil of Devlyn returns to his lands years after the severe betrayal of the woman he once loved. Eleanor had accused him of rape and then once her family stripped him of his lands, married another. Upon Quentin's return he is astonished to be visited by Eleanor's older spinster sister, Sophie Hamilton. Sophie has her own revenge in mind, as the man her sister married just happened to have been her fiance. Left alone, unmarried and emotionally and physically abused by her father, Sophie sees an opportunity to not only team up with Quentin, but to also experience the passion she has long been denied in her spinsterhood. She offers Quentin his revenge if he will teach her passion. Quentin finds bedding and using the daughter of his enemy as a means for satisfying revenge, but he did not realize that desire and passion has the ability to spin out of control. Quentin finds himself in an arranged marriage with the desirable Sophie. Sophie discovers her newfound passion and desire are turning into love. She struggles against the physical desire and pleasure found in Devlin's arms, not wanting to be emotionally hurt by the younger, seemingly heartless sensual man. When Devlin realizes the kind and passionate Sophie is much more than he deserves he struggles with his feelings of love over vengeance. Can Love's Revenge, so pleasurable and forbidden, turn into something more? A well-written, sexy story that is absorbing and difficult to put down. In Love's Portrait, the beautiful, luscious, intelligent widow Julia Westgard discovers freedom in her newfound widowhood. She raises society's eyebrows by becoming a business partner with the dashing handsome rogue of the Marlborough Set, Morgan St. Claire. She also holds a little scandalous secret. She has posed nude for a portrait, a symbol to her of her newfound freedom from a loveless and nonpassionate marriage. Little does she know that Morgan has had the pleasurable opportunity to have seen this portrait and is planning the right opportunity to get Julia into his bed. The opportunity presents itself when Julia decides to auction off one of his handkerchiefs for charity. Julia sees this as an opportunity to get back at an infamous rake known for loving and leaving women. When Morgan catches her in his bedroom stealing the handkerchief he wages a night in her bed and wins. But he soon discovers winning is not as sweet and refuses to bed an unwilling Julia. A sensual courtship begins and the desire builds with Julia succumbing to his sensual advances. They spend many passionate moments together and soon Morgan realizes he loves Julia and desires more than her body. Believing him to be the rake and r

Ms. Burns has done it again! As a reader *and* writer, I found both stories in Forbidden Pleasures to have unique, engaging storylines with delightfully sexy, believable characters. If you're a mature reader, looking for exciting Erotic Fiction, these stories will sensuously awaken your emotions. This one's definitely a "keeper." Ms. Burns simply gets better and better.

This anthology of two of Monica Burns' novellas LOVE'S REVENGE and LOVE'S PORTRAIT are must reads for those who like their sensual appetites served to a palette that can appreciate tasteful, intelligent, and highly stimulating sensual encounters. In LOVE'S REVENGE - Sophie Hamilton, at forty-one is the eldest daughter of Baron Hamilton, and wants her own form of revenge. Sophie looks to the Devil of Devlyn as both her means of revenge and a last chance of discovering the secrets of the flesh. When years ago, Quentin refused to marry her sister, Sophie's father and her sister conspired to steal Sophie's fiancé. After years of callous disregard; lack of affection from her father, and the unforgivable betrayal of her sister, Sophie was ready for payback. Most of all Sophie, who was firmly on the shelf would finally get the chance to experience the physical intimacy between a man and a woman and the Devil of Devlyn would be just the rake to do it. ** LOVE'S REVENGE - was a totally mesmerizing read as the last thing either of the two protagonists thought to discover was that the all-consuming love they found with each other would actually turn out to be the best revenge of all against the people whose evil machinations thought to destroy them. Taking an older woman of forty-one and pairing her up with a notorious rake of thirty-two -ultimately bringing said rake to his knees with lust - You Go Girl!! My God - what a splendid read! In LOVE'S PORTRAIT - Commissioning a nude portrait of herself was akin to therapy for Julia Westgard in taking control of her life in proving to herself that she was no longer the meek, mild and submissive woman that her abusive and beastly dead husband had molded. It was a self-affirmation - not one that she wished the public to see. Fate had a hand in allowing at least one person to see that portrait. The very notorious rake, Morgan St. Clair and he burned; he yearned to find the woman in the portrait whose beauty and sensual pose inflamed him. It was to Morgan's utmost delight that he would soon discover her as she surfaced as his very prim and proper business investor Mrs. Julia Westgard. Morgan planned a calculated campaign to bring about the metamorphous of the woman he saw in `Love's Portrait' to life as the woman he wanted not only in his bed, but the woman he wanted in his life. ** My, my, my! Such wonderful Victorian naughtiness! Not only does Burns instill her characters with high sensuality, but she presents a very romantic love story to boot! Her characters are honest in their feelings towards each other and Morgan's ability to demonstrate his love for Julia was as beautiful as her ultimate act of trust was for him. Reading sensual historical romance from Monica Burns is like savoring the taste of a very fine and rare wine. This is definitely highly recommended reading for lovers of very fine sensually stimulating reads!