In Erin’s Kiss by Lora Leigh, ex-Marine Turk has become Erin’s sworn protector. The consistent target of her CIA-operative brother’s deadly foes, Turk is the only port Erin has to cling to in a storm. He promised her brother long ago never to touch her—but how can he resist a woman who aches to be with him as much as he burns for her?

In misTaken by Laurelin McGee, Jaylene Kim is a strong independent woman whose feminist values run deep. Even though attractive men are her weakness the last thing she wants is one telling her what to do. Until she meets her mysterious new neighbor. He makes her realize that you can still be strong and relinquish control . . . in the bedroom. But as their passion consumes them both Jaylene isn’t so sure he is who he says he is.

In Burn for Me by Shiloh Walker, Tate longs to spend his nights with Ali, a woman he’s loved for years. But while Ali’s heart pines to be with Tate, her head has reservations. Ali knows that Tate has never forgiven his father for the fight he had with his mother right before she left the house—and was never heard from again. Tate’s unresolved anger is a force to be reckoned with . . . but the heat that blazes between them is undeniable. Now both Tate and Ali are left to wonder: Can love really conquer all?

In Tangled by Kate Douglas, Nate shows up to work at Tangled Vineyards ready to do all the things he loves best—work with his hands, grow the grapes, and craft award-winning, full-bodied wines. But when something better comes along in the form of Cassie, the winemaker and former owner of the vineyard, Nate becomes completely love-drunk. Getting involved with Tangled’s number-one mixologist is a bad way to start off a new job, but with Cassie as a constant temptation, Nate doesn’t stand a chance…

I only read 3 of the 4 novellas in this book. So those are the 3 that I will be rating.

Erin’s Kiss by Lora Leigh– 2 Stars

I used to be a huge fan of this author. She was the one that first introduced me to erotic romance with Wild Card. But it’s like she just stopped trying lately. The stories have become regurgitated drivel. They all sound the same. You’ve read one, you’ve read them all. Change the characters’ names, rinse, lather and repeat. Another undercover operative with commitment issues and a sassy heroine that wakes him up? Been there. Read that. The writing? Made me roll my eyes so many times I thought they’d permanently get stuck that way…

That pleasure was immediately followed by a pulse of arousal so sharp it clenched her womb. The sensitive flesh between her thighs grew more sensitive…

and not 2 lines after

Her breasts pressed into the heated width of his chest, her nipples hardening to immediate, painful sensitivity as her breasts began to ache for touch.

Honest to gawd, if I read that his quivering member quivered, I may have thrown my kindle across the room.

misTaken by Laurelin McGee-1 star

Never has a book infuriated me as much as this one did. And I consider myself a fairly laid back person. I don’t take my fiction too seriously, because it’s just that…fiction. Let’s look past the writing style that didn’t work for me at all. Let’s also forget that the dialogue between the characters read like something out of a YA novel. Let’s also overlook the fact that the hero is supposed to be an alpha, and yet he actually stumbles over his thoughts as to whether or not to hug the heroine after walking her home when he first meets her. YES, you read that right. HUG.

But then the nail on the coffin was this…

…you won’t catch me dead with a romance novel.” She shivered again, but this time in mock-horror.

“What’s wrong with romance novels?” He looked genuinely puzzled.

What the hell? It wasn’t obvious?

“They’re completely ridiculous. Hot alpha male with a broken past and massive bank account is healed by the golden vagina of a naive girl he meets under completely contrived circumstances. No thank you. That’s just smutty fairy tale for the Basic Bitch. It’s demeaning, and unrealistic. Besides, the sex in those books is always weirdly dominant and controlling.

I only have 2 questions here

This is a conversation between the hero and heroine within a ROMANCE NOVEL

Burn for Me by Shiloh Walker– 3 stars

This was the saving grace of the anthology for me. I love Shiloh Walker. This is a novella that has been previously published, Burn For Me and is the first in what was 3 prequel novellas. The story gives a HEA for the couple introduced, but the story ARC continues throughout the next 2 books.

I read Erin’s Kiss, then Burn for Me, and misTaken next. Sadly misTaken managed to totally kill the vibe of the book for me and I just couldn’t find it in me to read the next novella, Tangled by Kate Douglas. I may come back to it on a later date.

On a side note, I really loved the previous 2 anthologies in this series, so maybe that’s why I was as disappointed as I was with this one? Who knows. Try it yourself and see. I know I tend to be picky with my books, so it may very well be a case of it’s just me.