lovely novella! ( )

Still Into You is a good way to get a quick taste of Roni Loren's work. (And when you do, you'll want more!) When Seth and Leila fell in love, they couldn't wait to rip each others' clothes off. Now, eight years and two kids later, they'll watch Letterman rather than make love.

Some say that it's not really a romance if the couple is already married (except for mail-order brides and the like) - stories like this prove "them" wrong. As it turns out, both Seth and Leila have been longing for something more than "vanilla sex," but didn't want to bring it up, lest they shock their partner. I love the way this couple fights to stay together, from Leila calling a radio love doc for advice, to Seth unearthing her stash of battered romance novels and reading them to discover what her hottest fantasies might be. The sex is hot, the romance is sweet, and being on the journey as this couple battled to find each other again - or perhaps, really, for the first time - is definitely worth the price of admission. ( )

It's official. Roni Loren is my favorite erotic romance author. This girl knows how to write a story that is not only smoking hot, but she always brings a realism, an honesty, that tugs at my heart and makes me really care about her characters. I've read all of her books and, even though it's a novella, I have to say this one is my favorite.

These people are REAL. The way they felt, the struggles they faced, the desires they feared... all of it rang true to me. I read the last third of the book with stars in my eyes, my heart was so full of the way they cared for one another. To be able to do that in the length of a novella is pure mastery.

If Roni Loren were to write on a bar napkin, I'd buy it. Nuff said. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A story about a couple exploring their sexuality in order to save their marriage.

Opening Sentence: They’d chosen Letterman.

The Review:

After eight years of marriage, Leila and Seth are in a rut. Kids and jobs have taken precedence over their love life. Now they must decide if it is time to call it quits because they can no longer ignore their mutual unhappiness. As a last ditch effort, they make the decision to go to the Ranch, an exclusive BDSM retreat, for three days of guilt-free sex and games. At the end of that time, if they can rediscover the spark that brought them together in the first place, they will stay together; otherwise, they will go their separate ways once and for all.

Seth Carlo works long hours at his job so that he can support his wife and kids. But he wasn’t always such a straight laced guy. At one time, he was in a garage band and free with his sexuality; dominate and promiscuous. He put those days behind him when he met his inexperienced wife. He never wanted her to see that darker side of him; now he thinks he made a mistake keeping it from her. When Seth finds out just how unhappy Leila is, he decides that the best course of action is giving her access to all the fantasies she is constantly reading about in her novels. Though Seth is completely in love with his wife, is it enough? Can he truly put aside his own ego and feelings and do what is necessary to make Leila happy? If she does decide to leave, will he quietly let her go or will he fight for her?

Leila has only been with one man her whole life; her husband, Seth. So after eight years of marriage, she is beginning to feel restless. When she agreed to give Seth control over their weekend at the Ranch, can she really handle all the implications? While her husband gave her carte blanc, can she truly take control of her own sexuality and desires? Fantasies and reality are two different things and she is scared to break out of her shell of ignorance. And while she really likes the idea of newer and kinkier things, does she want a new partner to experience it with?

While I applaud these two for trying new things instead of throwing in the towel, I think that most couples don’t have to go to such extremes. Most of the issues between Leila and Seth could have be resolved much earlier if they had only communicated. It is important in any relationship or marriage to talk with your partner, especially about things in the bedroom. I understand the reluctance to do so, but I suppose that is part of the reason why we have such a high divorce rate in the US. Leila and Seth were able to save their marriage and live a more fulfilling life by discussing and being open to new things.

The most important fact to walk away from this novella is to be open and honest with your partner about everything, including your fantasies. Who knows, maybe it may also lead to a happily ever after for you as well. Overall, this is a nice and steamy novella that can be enjoyed with or without reading the rest of the series, though I would recommend the other books for their smut-tastic scenes and sensual prose.

Notable Scene:

Seth may have thought he married a debutante, but maybe his Leila was better suited for vixen. She clearly had urges that even she was afraid to admit. He needed to stop tamping down the edgier parts of himself. She wanted that, needed to see that side of him. Needed to feel truly desired.

How had he let his wife get to this point? Made her to believe she wasn’t sexy or beautiful or someone who could inspire dirty, no-holds-barred fucking. The whole idea caused a deep ache in his chest. He’d failed her. While off trying to be the man of the house, he’d let his vibrant wife languish on the vine, her self-esteem and sensual side left untended.

And when some other man, some fucking stranger, had made her feel special for a moment, she’d reacted to it like a shriveled flower finding rain.

This was his fault.

And he needed to fix it.

If it could be fixed at all.

FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley Heat graciously provided me with a copy of Still into You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys. ( )

This is a sexy short which is described as book 1.5 of the Loving on the Edge series but it reads easily as a standalone. Seth and Leila have been married for 8 years but have fallen into routine and rut and are not feeling connected anymore. Seth overhears Leila on talkback radio asking for help after she'd been tempted to cheat and realises that desperate times call for desperate measures. He takes her away for a long weekend to "The Ranch" a sex fantasy resort where anything goes to try and revitalise their connection and save their marriage. The sex scenes were certainly very hot and enjoyable (*fans self*) but I particularly liked that issues about jealousy and communication were covered and that the story was about rebooting their relationship and not just an excuse for a lot of sex scenes. Seth's job is one of the barriers in their relationship - he works very long hours chasing after a promotion which will mean he can finally afford the house Leila wants and he believes she should have (she comes from money, he does not). However, this aspect of the story was left unfinished - while I thought Seth was going to make a change, the reader wasn't told what that would be and that loose end was left dangling in the wind. I did believe that Seth and Leila were well on the path to saving their marriage and I appreciated that the the book didn't pretend that one weekend would fix everything. And, did I say the sex scenes were hot? This is my first Roni Loren book but I think I will be checking out more from this author.www.kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com ( )