Review & Giveaway - Take the Heat (an anthology edited by Skye Warren)

Take the Heat

by Skye Warren 

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BLURB: 

The ultimate bad boys, criminals capture our attention and awaken our darkest desires. Celebrate the illicit in this romantic suspense anthology, where handcuffs are used for more than play. These stories are shocking, sexy, and thought-provoking. 

In New York Times Bestselling Author Skye Warren’s Magnolia Hotel, meet the heroine who pays her brother’s debt to a loan shark—who happens to be her childhood crush. Find out if the jury made the right decision in Acquitted by award-winning author Giselle Renarde. Explore a dark and sensual psychology with New York Times Bestselling Author Pam Godwin in Unlawful Seduction.

 

Ride the edge of desire and see if you can TAKE THE HEAT…

 

Skye Warren – Magnolia Hotel

Cynthia Richards – Captivated

Pam Godwin – Unlawful Seduction

Sheri Savill – Slipknot

Shoshanna Evers – This Might Hurt A Bit

Candy Quinn – The Bombshell

Tamsin Flowers – Playing with Fire

Elizabeth Coldwell – Disposing of Donnie

Audrey Lusk – Surprise Witness

Trent Evans – Last Day

Giselle Renarde – Acquitted

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Buy Link:

Amazon  

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EXCERPT:

 

FROM “CAPTIVATED” BY CYNTHIA RICHARDS 

“You never told me your name.” 

I glanced in the rearview mirror to see my prisoner, Jonathan Royal, studying my reflection from behind the metal bars that separated us. Despite the orange jumpsuit, he was a looker. Thick black hair, soulful brown eyes, a full sensual mouth, and a squared jaw. Born and raised in Alabama, he had impeccable manners and exuded charm by the bucket load. 

Well, as much a killer could. 

I focused on the road once more. Truly, a bone-chilling January night and I had to watch for patches of slick black ice on the overpasses. “As far as you’re concerned my name is Deputy Marshall or a ma’am. Take your pick.” 

“Just figured we could get more familiar, since we are on a road trip and all, ma’am.” 

“We aren’t going on a ski trip, Royal. This is a prison transport.” Prisoners always underestimated me, particularly men. I could see why. At 5’2 with a curvy build, long red hair and wide blue eyes, I looked more like a Sunday school teacher than a threat. But, he should know that appearances could be deceiving. I’d taken guys on nearly twice my size and won. 

“All I want to know is your name. That’s all. Two little bitty names. Hardly seems fair, since you know everything about me from my jacket. Why,” he drawled. “I bet you know my height, weight, birthday, and exact location and detailed description of each and every single one of my tattoos.” He whispered that let part, a husky little vocal caress, which felt like it had been purred into my ear. 

I shivered and not from the cold seeping in my windowpane either.  

Damn it. Why couldn’t he be just some ugly old guy? I shouldn’t even be alone with him. Since the recession, the marshal service had gone through a series of debilitating cutbacks. Normally, two marshals would be transporting someone as dangerous as Royal and he’d be stuffed and cuffed in the back of gas-guzzling van, so I’d only have to see him at the beginning and the end of the trip. Now, only a few thin bars separated us and I didn’t have a partner with me. Someone else I could talk to. So much easier to pretend the prisoner didn’t exist when I could bullshit about weather and bad coffee on the road with a fellow officer. 

“If I were you? I would keep my mouth closed and quit while I was ahead. Looks to me like you got a pretty sweet deal, transferring from a maximum security prison to minimum for being such a good boy. Going to be like Club Fed for you. I hear at Elkton, they have a gardening club and a rescue dog program. It’s going to be like going to college. Why do you want to risk your oh so exemplary record by harassing me?” 

“Not that is a conundrum worth pondering. Perhaps you make me lose control, Miss Marshal.”

 

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My Review:

 

This is an unusual collection of stories featuring the baddest of boys, criminals.  These are mostly darker romances and as in most anthologies, some are very entertaining while others are okay.  One story that really captured my attention was Captivated by Cynthia Richards.  I loved this well written and fascinating story of a prisoner break out.  Jonathon Royal is a man being transported to another prison by Deputy Marshal Ivy Blake.  Ivy Blake is trying her best to ignore the attraction she feels for her prisoner but he is not making it easy on her.  The sexual chemistry between these two fantastic characters was amazing and left me wanting more when the story ended.  Another story that I found very enjoyable was Last Day by Trent Evans.  This story featured Alyson Hart as the criminal who embezzled money from her workplace.  The CEO offers her a way to avoid jail and so begins an unusual relationship.  Alyson must follow his orders for a period of time both in and out of work.  This was a very good story that I also did not want to end.  I found myself captivated by this anthology and recommend lovers of really bad boys and darker romances check it out for themselves. ~Booklover Sue

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

EDITOR BIO

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romantic fiction. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

 

Visit Skye’s website for her current booklist:

http://www.skyewarren.com/www.skyewarren.com

 

Follow Skye Warren on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/skye_warren

 

Like Skye Warren on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/skyewarren

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Giveaway:

 

The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter between this tour and the Book Tour, here.  Follow the tour HERE 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway