Seductive Fantasy

Merrilee Schaefer-Weston lost the love of her life in Vietnam and endured a marriage of convenience to an older man until he died and she inherited his millions, which she used to establish Fantasies, Inc. Encompassing four lush paradise resorts off the Florida Keys, each location has a different theme: Wild Fantasy, Intimate Fantasy, Secret Fantasy, and Seductive Fantasy. Arriving at this last resort is Alexis Baylor, owners of Gametek, a successful computer company who knows wants nothing more than to have an affair and conceive a baby. Merrilee has arranged everything with a slight twist. The man she has picked is the perfect match and donor for Alexis. You see, at the end of her time at Seductive Fantasy, Alexis will be given a choice: either way away and continue your life as before, or take a risk that could change everything.However, the best laid plans of mice and women running fantasy resorts often goes astray. Jackson Witt, owner of Extreme Software, has discovered that the proprietary code of his revolutionary gaming software has ended up in Gametek's breakout game and he is out to get Alexis Baylor for what he thinks she has done to him and his company. When his detective uncovers that Alexis is going to Seductive Fantasy, his quest for personal revenge turns to a whole new twist. Jackson is going to steal Alexis's heart and then walk away (while suing her company as well). The next thing we know he is sitting next to her on the plane flying off to Seductive Fantasy and the fun begins. The plot is fairly predictable once "Seductive Fantasy" establishes the players and the game. Jackson has little trouble becoming the man in Alexis's fantasy and even as he seduces her is cognizant that the woman in his arms does not conform to the image of the manipulative businesswoman he has created in his mind. Of course seduction works both ways and the truth will come out at the worst possible moment for Jackson, creating that inevitable final set of hurdles that true love always has to overcome in these stories. The best parts of this romance are the seduction, since early on Jackson finds his sense of vindictiveness slipping away as he makes his moves on Alexis. Still, I would have liked to have seen Jackson come up with something spectacularly romantic to earn the happily ever after ending. More importantly, Merrilee has some quality control issues at Fantasy, Inc. to deal with before the next guests check in.

After insuring that that her computer business is a success, Gametek CEO Alexis Baylon decides to indulge in pampering herself following years of neglect. She selects SEDUCTIVE FANTASY, the dream vacation spots off the Florida Keys. Alexis desires an affair and hopefully to conceive a baby with no spousal or fatherly attachments. Jackson Witt, owner of Extreme Software, believes that a former employee Fred Hobson took proprietary code data with him when he joined Gametek. Jackson wants vengeance for Alexis stealing his programming. His plan is to steal her heart during her fantasy before departing alone. However, he failed to calculate his heart when he previously created his plan. If SEDUCTIVE FANTASY is an indication of the Fantasy Inc miniseries, fans will have an enjoyable updating of Fantasy Island. The current tale is fun to read, as Jackson gets more then he expects from Alexis. Readers will simply have to fantasize what Carly Phillips, Julie Kenner, and Janelle Dennison will do to match Ms. Denison's opening trip to the four isles. Harriet Klausner

Without going into a long synopsis of the story line (which you can read on this page), let me just say that this is a book worth buying. The idea of being able to go someplace where a personal fantasy can come true is intriguing in itself. But each of our main characters have their own agenda, and each of their hidden fantasies are fulfilled, putting a twist into the ending. Yes, you know where the story is going, but Ms. Denison's weaving of the story is masterful. The visual images are clear, and, at times, I felt like I was right there with them. Hot, yes. Unnecessary? Uh uh. Not a bit. The love scenes were crucial to the progression of the story. He was a heel, but we were privvy to feeling his metamorphosis into a caring man, one who recognized his error and did something about it. I like that in a man. Spend some time with Jackson and Alexis, and smile when you've finished reading this book. Oh, then be sure you share it with a friend, but only on loan. This one is a keeper.

With that warning ringing in Jackson Witt's head, he takes off for Seductive Fantasy Island in the hope fulfilling his fantasy: Exacting revenge on the woman he believes has stolen crucial technical information from his company. And what better way to do it than fulfill her fantasy, then break her heart and walk away? Alexis Baylor is on the verge of making her inherited computer game company a success and figures she needs to reward herself a little. What better way than to indulge her fantasies at Seductive Fantasy Island than with an arranged affair with a handsome stranger - no strings attached. Little did each know they would get much, much more than they bargained for.With Jackson's help, Alexis undergoes a startling transformation from no-nonsense business to the soft and feminine woman underneath. In return, Alexis gives Jackson something he'd always found elusive: a woman who loved him for himself only. But everything isn't rosy in Paradise, as our two lovebirds will soon discover. Alexis captures Jackson's heart and he's forced to face some serious questions about his motives. Ms. Denison, in this first in the Fantasies, Inc. mini-series, gives us two likeable characters in a setting where anything goes. I found the whole premise believable and so enticing. The guilt Jackson felt as time went on and the remorse that hit him when it was discovered just exactly what he'd done were right on the mark. It made him totally believable and a very sympathetic character. I quite liked him. SEDUCTIVE FANTASY is a great book to kick off your summer reading schedule.

In Harlequin Temptation's tantalizing miniseries Fantasies, Inc., Merrilee Schaefer-Weston lives vicariously through the happiness of others. For a hefty fee, she brings guests to Fantasies, Inc, a cluster of four, lush, paradise resorts off the Florida Keys. A stickler about client confidentiality, Merrilee offers people's deepest, most private secrets and desires. At the end of their fantasy, guests have a choice of walking away and continuing as they were before, or accepting a risk that changes their lives. The first novel of this miniseries by Janelle Denison is named for the island SEDUCTIVE FANTASY. Jackson Witt hired Fred Hobson as part of his design team for his company, Extreme Software. Now he believes that Fred had been a plant to steal valuable technology that Jackson had spent years perfecting. When Fred left Extreme Software, he returned to his previous position at Gametek owned by Alexis Baylor. Alexis had spent four years perfecting a game for her company, but lacked the specific proprietary code to make the game run "smoother, faster, and the graphics more vibrant and real." When Jackson sees the latest issue of Business Wire with the announcement of Gametek's technology, he realizes that his code had been pirated and holds Alexis personally responsible.Jackson took the business loss personally. In addition to the lawsuit he plans, Jackson plans to exact a personal revenge as well. He's fed up with women who always want something from him, from his mother to the women he dates. When a little investigation provides information on Alexis' trip to Seductive Fantasy, Jackson quickly fills out the paper work, pays the fee, and steps into a fantasy role of his own. Once he ensnares Alexis' heart, he plans to walk away. Alexis' own goals for her fantasy vacation are equally well defined. Despairing of marriage and having children the traditional way, she wants fantastic sex with a sexy man, no-strings-attached, and to return home pregnant with the child she's dreamed of for years. For a week, on Seductive Island, however, she intends to indulge in the luxury of being romantically pursued. And from the first moment she looks into Jackson's compelling eyes, she's mesmerized. And while she has the potential to transform herself to a sensual beauty, albeit unrealized, her allure isn't lost on Jackson.Sometimes using a fantasy to achieve satisfaction can backfire! As Jackson learns, seductive revenge can result in a personal cost as well. This hot beginning to the Fantasy, Inc. miniseries begins with a bang. Jackson should have listened to his little twinges of consciousness, but all's well that ends well! And his twinges are a heck of a lot of fun, too. This carefree, seductive novel will have you up past bedtime and comes Very highly recommended. The fantasy continues with SECRET FANTASY by Carly Phillips available June, 2001.