“Doubled” by Charlotte Stein (erotic, m/f/m, Ellora’s Cave, January 2012, $6.50, 222kb): What do you get when two hot twins want their female friend to prove that she can tell them apart? If you throw in a blindfold, you get “Doubled,” Charlotte Stein’s latest erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave. This one is intensely erotic, right from the moment the blindfold comes out and never lets up. While the conflicts seemed a bit immature (possibly due to the fact the characters are still in college), the sex is anything but.

One night while Bobbi is hanging out with the twins, Sebastian and Tobias, she gets caught up in a challenge to prove how good she is at telling them apart. When they can’t fool her, the two men bring out a blindfold to take the game to a new level. Bobbi can’t quite tell the difference from their kisses and touches. Sebastian and Tobias take the opportunity to show her how much they want her. While Bobbi has been harboring romantic feelings for her best friends, she has been hesitant to act on them because she could never choose between the two. Of course, they aren’t asking her to choose; they want to share her.

“Pulled Long” by Christine d’Abo (contemporary, erotic, m/m, Carina, December 2011, $3.99, 30,000 words):

Series: Long Shots

• "Double Shot" - Sadie & Paul
• "A Shot in the Dark" - Paige & Carter
• "Pulled Long" - Ian & Jeff

Review:
I don’t read much m/m erotic romance. However, Christine d’Abo’s “Pulled Long” is a part of a series that I have really enjoyed. The series features siblings Sadie, Paige and Ian Long who run a coffee shop together. Since the first book “Double Shot,” Ian has been flirting with a blue-eyed stranger, making it rather impossible for me not to read his story. “Pulled Long” is a very hot and sexy romance that makes me believe that I might have to read more m/m in the future.

“Just Good Friends” by Jennifer Denys (ebook)
The premise of this one intrigued: two friends who decide to act out scenes from the heroines favorite erotic romances. This part of the book worked. However, I did think that because the hero and heroine agreed to act out their favorite sex scenes without much discussion of their relationship and how it might change, the development of their romance lacked a bit. Of course, this could also be because this one is only 64 pages.

“Boots and Chaps” by Myla Jackson (ebook)
This was one was a very steamy read, yet I never really connected with Audrey, the heroine. I never really truly understood her motivation for pretending to be a stripper (and possibly prostitute) in order to have sex with Jackson (and his brothers). I also wasn’t sure whether the ménage scenes were going to lead to a permanent polyamorous relationship or not. I wish that the romance part had been as strong as the erotic elements.

“Darker After Midnight” by Lara Adrian (paranormal, Delacorte, January 2012, $24.00, 384pp)

Series: Midnight Breeds. “Darker After Midnight” is the tenth book in the series.

Review:
An ARC of Lara Adrian’s “Darker After Midnight” arrived on my doorstop in mid-October, I think. I do clearly remember opening the package and getting terribly excited. After all, Adrian had ended “Deeper than Midnight” with a wicked cliffhanger. Chase Sterling, hero of “Darker After Midnight,” and a vampire, walked out into the sunlight to surrender himself to the very human police in order to help deflect attention from his Breed brothers. Because Chase’s fate hung in the balance, “Darker After Midnight” called to me. What was Adrian’s greater plan for the Breed? How would everything play out? I had to know. And just so you know, Adrian surprised me mightily with Chase’s story.

“The Lesson Plan” by Jackie Barbosa (historical, erotic, December 2011, Circe Press, $2.99, 22,500 words/64pp)

I’ve read several of Jackie Barbosa’s historical novellas over the past several months. Her books are set during the Regency period, my favorite time period for historical romances, and they have an intense eroticism that titillates. As such, I jumped at the chance to review Barbosa’s recent release, “The Lesson Plan,” the first story in the Lords of Lancashire trilogy. While I have way too many books that I have committed to read, I could not resist reading this one as soon as it hit my inbox.

“Last Spy Standing” by Dana Marton (ebook, review copy)
See review

“Going Down” by Saskia Walker (ebook)
This is one hot story. Jennifer’s sexual exploration with the dominant Armand is a great read. This story had me hooked from the beginning.

“The Playground” by Sascha Illyvich (ebook)
While I enjoyed this book, I never really connected with Shelly. The start of the playground scene, however, was rather steamy (I wished they had finished it there).

“Last Spy Standing” by Dana Marton (romantic suspense, Harlequin Intrigue, January 2012, $5.25, 224pp): Dana Marton sends her hero and heroine into the wilds of South America in her latest romantic suspense, “Last Spy Standing.” Mitch Mendoza, a soldier who is part of an elite and secret military team, is sent to retrieve the son of a U.S. politician who is being held hostage by a drug lord. Retrieving the young man is easy, until Megan Cassidy unexpectedly makes an appearance and disrupts Mitch’s carefully planned rescue attempt. Nothing goes right, especially when an attraction flares between Mitch and Megan, adding a gripping romance to an action-packed adventure.

After Mitch rescues his mark, he gets fooled by Megan Cassidy, a CIA operative with her own agenda. She is undercover in the drug lord’s organization and believes that returning the hostage will give her added credibility. Megan’s has a very personal stake in her undercover mission, and she won’t let Mitch get in her way.

“Touch Me” by Callie Croix (erotic, Carina, January 2012, $2.99, 22,000 words): What happens when two people who have a powerful attraction between them end up staying in close quarters? What if they both are looking for a little kinky play? These are the questions that Callie Croix takes on in her latest erotic romance “Touch Me.” The result is a very sexy friends-to-lovers story with a slight BDSM theme that will keep readers panting for more.

Army Captain Alex Montoya is on leave after having been injured. He returns home to recuperate, but his best friend’s sister, Tianna McIntyre, has infiltrated his space. Tianna has been staying at Alex’s house since her divorce from her verbally abusive ex-husband. Neither can put a lid on their growing feeling, leading to a passionate evening.

“The Storm that is Sterling” by Lisa Renee Jones (paranormal, Sourcebooks, November 2011, $6.99, 352pp)

Series: Zodius

• “The Legend of Michael” – Michael & Cassandra
• “The Storm that is Sterling” – Sterling & Becca
• “The Danger that is Damion” – Damion  (to be released May 2012)

“Take Me at the Ballgame” by Cassandra Carr (contemporary, Ellora’s Cave, January 2012, $1.99, quickie): When Ellora’s Cave announced a new line of erotic novels for men, I was curious. What would the difference be? The only hint that I found was in the submission guidelines at Ellora’s Cave:

Stories written specifically for our male readers.

We are now accepting submissions (see submission instructions in the Author Information brochure).

~ 7,000 to 30,000 words

~ May contain relationships, but should focus more on the sex than the romance; Romantica is fine, Exotika is also encouraged

~ Realistic wording and dialogue for male characters (not the language women WISH men spoke); this extends to the male narrative

~ Written from male POV preferred

~ Should be aimed at male sexual fantasies (what men think of when they get off)
~ More of what men want or need from women: sex, love, acceptance, admiration, dirty talk; less of what they don't need (judgment, drama, expectation of anticipating woman's needs)

* Examples include, but are in no way limited to:

- Women taking the initiative during sex

- Female pursuit of the man

- Voyeurism of female/female sex (as well as F/M/F and F/F/M themes)

- Risky sexual situations or locations; a sense of the forbidden (e.g. the boss's mistress, the maid, the college professor, sex in public, etc.)

(from: http://www.jasminejade.com/t-writerscircle.aspx)