Hot Nights, Dark Desires Review

I have developed a renewed interest in anthologies in recent months. I find they are a great way to become familiar with new authors and if you occasionally enjoy a quick satisfying ‘filler’ read it is the way to go. Also if one story in the anthology isn’t to your liking, chances are one of the others may be, particularly when there are different authors involved with the publication. ‘Hot Nights, Dark Desires’, is an anthology of three erotic romance stories that take place in the sultry setting of New Orleans. Each story is written by a different author and is unique.

“The Art of Desire”, written by Eden Bradley.

Sophie is a paranormal fiction writer who has escaped her family and the strict rules of her Roman Catholic upbringing. She retains emotional scars from her family’s lack of support with respect to her lifestyle choices and the rigidity surrounding their expectations as to ‘how she should live her life’.

Sophie’s friend Crystal introduces her to Tristan, a tattoo artist who owns his studio. Tristan is a gifted artisan who also bears emotional baggage related to family issues and losses for which he feels responsible.

Sophie has, what can only be described as a fantasy obsession with tattoos. She has always wanted one but never followed through with her desire because of fear of recrimination by her family.

The sexual attraction between Tristan and Sophie is immediate and overwhelming. Sophie decides she is finally going to get a tattoo and Tristan has to be the one to apply it. There is an erotic connection between Sophie and Tristan with respect to the actual act of tattooing that is extraordinarily sensuous in this story. I think it is the pain pleasure response and the permanent marking of her body that added to the eroticism between these characters. Also, because Sophie considers being tattooed to be taboo and ‘naughty’, it enhances her self image as a sensual being. There is also the sense of finally seeing herself as an individual, freeing herself of her family’s rigid social mores.

As Sophie and Tristan’s relationship intensifies his self-esteem and commitment issues surface resulting in significant conflict. “The Art of Desire”, is a highly sensuous story of two people who have significant emotional issues and how they manage to move beyond their ‘hang-ups’.

This is the second Eden Bradley story I have read and I have to say, she really knows how to craft an intense relationship between her characters that ‘burns your fingers’, while turning the pages.

“Shadow Play”, written by Sydney Croft.

We are taken inside a mansion in this story where ‘Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO)’ agent ‘Hex’ aids ‘Brenna St. James’, an international supermodel whose fortunes have plummeted because her image can no longer be captured on film.

Hex works under the guise of a photographer, however his true gift is a ‘spirit guide’. His character is crafted as a medium with the ability to attract the loneliest of ghosts and release them to where they need to be. Hex has been working in New Orleans under ACRO’s direction following hurricane Katrina helping all the “displaced spirits”, that resulted from the disaster and has completed his mission.

Hex is drawn to Brenna and as he investigates her unfortunate situation discovers that a ghost has attached itself to her requiring intervention or she could be lost. Hex is a lonely but extremely sensual individual that needs to be ‘grounded’ to another human or risk potential possession. Brenna is a career driven woman whose only desire is to return to her former fame as a successful pampered model.

Brenna is inherently suspicious of paranormal events having grown up with a mother who had special abilities with respect to communicating with the dead, which caused her great angst.

This story is laced with highly charged sensual interludes between Hex and Brenna, and adding to the sensuality are scenes with erotic photography where he attempts to lure the ghost to reveal itself. There is mystery and an undercurrent of malevolence surrounding the spirit who is trying to take Brenna. This isn’t a typical ACRO mission; Hex, of his own volition sets out to solve the mystery surrounding the spirit and in the process rescue Brenna from her own demons.

While this story is part of the ACRO series, it could easily be read as a standalone.

“Night Vision”, written by Stephanie Tyler.

Struggling, gifted artist and ‘city girl’ Cati Lanford inherits ‘Bon Temps’, a rundown bar and a truckload of trouble in Bayou Rouge, Louisiana. Cati enlists the help of ‘cooler’ Bat Kelly who arrives to find not only that the bar is physically run down but also the clientele is rowdy and abusive.

Bat grew up in Bayou Rouge and is known as a troublemaker from his early years. Bat is ex-military who has developed a reputation as a tough professional cooler, traveling from place to place cleaning up bars that are known for uncontrolled violence.

Bat is HOT. He is rough, enigmatic, an in total control type of hero that immediately fleshes out Cati’s predicament and sets about restoring order to the Bon Temps and assists her to get on her feet.

The attraction between these two people is tidal in proportion and the sensuality and sexual tension bubbles off the pages. As their involvement deepens, Bat becomes Cati’s muse for her art and the sensuality of the story increases when she completes a series of erotic paintings with Bat posing for her.

Bat is a somewhat tortured soul who does not see himself as ‘worthy’ of Cati, nor is he the ‘settling down’ type. Cati is bent on restoring the bar and selling it so she can go to art school in another state. This of course results in significant conflict in achieving a committed relationship.

If you enjoy erotic romance in a short story format I would highly recommend ‘Hot Nights, Dark Desires’. All three writers have crafted unique and erotic romantic plots for strong and enticing characters.