Naked Heart

Firstly, I freely admit to being a big fan of Jennifer Fulton's writing. This book is certainly no exception. Starting with the character names of Penn and Unity, Fulton pulled out all the toys in her toy box to deliver a winner. This one contains a little bondage, a little drama, a lot of sexual tension, and Fulton's unparalleled imagination. I won't rehash the plot because it is well explained by the back cover text. The characters are likable and well-developed. The settings of each scene are described so well, the reader almost feels like the proverbial `fly on the wall' as the story plays out. Bottom Line - This one stuck with me for several days after I finished the last page. I passed it on to my partner immediately for her enjoyment. One of Fulton's raciest books yet, this one will be enjoyed by many of my friends and will remain a permanent part of my personal library.

OK, so I bought this book for two reasons. 1. Reading about it is the next best thing. 2. It's by Jennifer Fulton and it's the first book she's written that's described as an 'erotic romance'. Hot damn! This author writes VERY good sex scenes, so I was all set for a super-size serving! Being a fan of Ms. Fulton's, I should have realized that I wasn't going to get a book with nothing but hot and heavy action on every page. Make no mistake, the sex is definitely mouth-watering, but I can't think of any other erotic romance that also includes an espionage plot as good as this one, not to mention an intense, emotional roller coaster ride for the characters. Penn and Unity transcend, by far, the paper thin characters that make more than a few lesbian romances feel like the same book. I didn't expect to like Naked Heart as much as some of the softer romances written by Ms. Fulton. I was a bit put off by the idea of BDSM, but there is no explicit BDSM content, it's more of a tease, such as in a voyeurism scene late in the book that had me about ready to pass out. Here's an author that understands anticipation is a big part of sexual excitement and she makes sure to take her readers on that dance. Maybe not everyone will agree, but one thing I love about this book, and what I found to be very erotic, was knowing that Ms. Fulton CAN write down and dirty sex but she only goes all the way when she chooses. There are plenty of times when you're hanging out for it while you're reading (well, I was) but she makes you wait! Gotta love that. Naked Heart has a great plot, fascinating characters, sizzling sex scenes, beautiful language and passionate 'love at first sight' that is actually believable. Ms Fulton makes all of this look so easy, it's tempting to think that writing a romance must be a piece of cake. Well, I've been trying and I can honestly say, I have a new respect for the authors who are true mistresses of this genre and have proven it time after time - Jennifer Fulton is one of them. I hope she decides to write another erotic romance. She sure nailed it with this one.

There are a couple of reasons for my rating this book 5: One is the way it sucked me right in, there aren't too many books that have me up and reading to reach the end until all hours of the night, and this one managed just fine. The story is James Bond-esche in quite an implausible way, but at the same time it has a chilling ring of truth to it. It is dynamic, and incredibly well paced, it doesn't rush but it never stops moving. The second reason is the fabulous, and completely surprising, inner depth of both main characters, Unity and Penn. The way they look within themselves and to each other and they way they analyze their feelings and their reasons, creates characters full of life, complex and rich, and very plausible even though the whole setting is, in Unity's own words, like an espionage novel. I simply wasn't expecting such well-defined characters in this type of erotically charged, action packed book.. In my opinion, there are a couple of "lose ends" (for lack of a better word): Nariko's and Penn's complicated relationship, which seems to be left somewhat open and forgotten, and the fact that I'm not altogether certain of the plot value of Chloe and Colette. Generally, that would make me rate the book a 4, but I can't bring myself to save starts with this one, I was totally blown away by these two fantastically drafted characters.

I have always enjoyed the Fulton books, and this one is no exception. The author brings together an intriguing plot of corporate back-ally dealings, secrecy, personal revenge, and two solid characters that get through it all. As the reviewer before mine noted there is a back-drop of BDSM but I disagree with shying away from this book because of that, there is no big graphic descriptions of actual BDSM activity, more of a 'tease' type description and only on a very few pages (believe me I have read more descriptive ones in other 'tame' books and the love scenes describe between the two characters outside of the BDSM club are actually more graphic then what goes on in the club...in a good way) but the back-drop does give a good contrast between the lives of the two main characters and their interaction with sub-characters - I kind of wished the author had drawn out Unity's mother more, she seemed like a hoot. I would recommend this if you enjoy other Fulton books, it has a nice pace to the plot build up and wraps up nicely in the end....can't wait for her next one!

This was an excellent book. An above average 4 stars. There's something so satisfying about putting yourself in the hands of a skilled author and just letting them do their thing. I've yet to be disappointed by Jennifer Fulton, or any of her other pen names. Her books have their flaws, but their strengths vastly outweigh their weaknesses. Her keen use of language, her skill at weaving plot and characterization, the way she doesn't shy away at getting a strong view point across, it all makes for a quality experience. Even though I'm starting to recognize some of her phrases, they're so different than the usual generic words and phrasing that it's an absolute pleasure to consume as a reader; more than once I reread a paragraph or description just for the pleasure and thrill of it, though one memorable time it was only about something as potentially prosaic or generic and overdone as meeting another person's eyes. The publisher's description of the book is rather tawdry and didn't necessarily entice me to read this book so much as the author's name did. Penn is an ex-CIA spook doing free-lance work while she contemplates getting back into the business legitimately, feeling a lack of direction and fulfillment in her own life while she tries to help her best friend Lila keep her club running smoothly in the meantime. The author makes some clear but subtle points about the real losses of skilled public servants under the bumbling hands of some government administrations, couching it all in giving us a background on Penn. Interesting. Unity is caught in the center of numerous machinations as some of the research she's doing for the Department of Defense reveals some unexpected and potentially lethal applications for biotech she discovered and patented. Suddenly her small company is in danger of hostile take-over within her industry, and she has governments both foreign and domestic in a tizzy trying to get a hold of her information, usually by any means necessary. Which brings Penn into the picture, and they both struggle to reconcile their morality and the larger implications of their actions, while at the same time dealing with the emotional turmoil of helplessly falling in love. I loved the "love at first sight angle" as employed here. Sure, many books sell that concept as a given, and again it can be over-done or cliched, but this book really considered it out loud, musing about its existence, and commenting on its improbability while at the same time acknowledging its clear impact on Unity and Penn. These characters draw you in. They aren't ordinary women, but you still recognize the emotional struggles they deal with, and that realism helps buoy the story. In addition the book is delightfully populated with interesting and unique supporting cast that exist not just to randomly entertain or provide color, but to reveal essentials about the main characters, to challenge them and provide contrast and motivation, whether through bedroom power pl