I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Intense Pleasure
by
Lora Leigh
erotica, romance in Paperback edition that was published by St. Martin Paperbacks on January 3, 2017 and has 320 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Styx's Storm, Moving Violations, Cops and Cowboys, B.O.B.'s Fall, Manaconda, A Wish a Kiss a Dream, "Dragon Prime", Primal, Live Wire, Navarro's Promise, Forbidden Pleasure, Beyond the Dark, Black Jack, Tempting the Beast, Dangerous Pleasure, Maverick, Man Within, Midnight Sins, Wild Card, Tied with a Bow, Lawe's Justice, Legally Hot, Deadly Sins, Stygian's Honor, Surrender to Fire, Nauti Temptress, Submission & Seduction, Wicked Sacrifice, Secret Sins, Nautier and Wilder, Shameless Embraces, Wicked Pleasure, Only Pleasure, Guilty Pleasure, Wicked Lies, Twin Passions, Nauti Enchantress, Shattered Legacy, Knight Stalker, Enthralled, Secret Pleasure, Rule Breaker, "The One", Nauti Angel, Nauti Seductress, Wake a Sleeping Tiger, Collision Point, Cross Breed, One Tough Cowboy, Hot for the Holidays, Dawn's Awakening, "Night Hawk"
Fourteenth in the Bound Hearts erotica romance series and usually revolving around a sex club near Washington D.C. This story is set in Clifton, Georgia. The threesome focus is on Summer Calhoun, Falcon, and Raeg.
My Take
It’s one long whine after another in this tale of three prideful drama queens. The whole story is whining and whining and whining and… Summer runs away rather than deal. Raeg has a one-track mind about his lover’s murder with nothing getting through to him. Nobody actually stops to think and analyze what has happened either now or in the past.
The conflict about Dragovich was simply an excuse to put Summer, Falcon, and Raeg together. There was almost nothing in here but talk about him with a soupçon of action.
The prologue begins and then continues into the main story. Why Leigh bothered with a prologue, I don’t know. And as much as I enjoy the erotica, this didn’t do it for me with all that whining, all that stupid cat-and-mouse crap where everyone jumps to conclusions faster than spit on a hot griddle.
I’m annoyed we didn’t get any more information about Gia’s family. Where does this “Georgia hick” stuff come from? What’s the deal with the rape? Obviously Summer knew who it was. She’d have told her daddy, so WTF?
As for the boys’ paranoia about their father? W. T. F. If these boys are crack agents, how come they’re too stupid to have figured out their father’s reasoning? As readers, we only know through the third-person omniscient point-of-view what their past has been, but even I can put it together!
Ya know, for such intelligent people, they sure are stupid.
Okay, so there are a few bits I enjoyed. The Calhoun family is warm, supportive, teasing, and…paranoid.
And I loved that porch.
The Story
It’s the threat of a Russian crime lord against Summer that pulls Falcon and Raeg in to protect her.
Can they find a way to keep Summer safe—or will their own bitter past stand in their way?
The Characters
Summer Calhoun is her real name. Summer Bartlett, a.k.a., Belle, was her spy name when she was in the CIA. Daddy (Major Caleb “Cal” Calhoun is a former Delta Force commander) and Momma (Leasa is a former CIA analyst). Caleb is former Special Forces; Brody, an expert in native warfare, and Bowe, a crack sniper, are her brothers. Aunjenue is her younger sister. More family includes Aunt Mary; Calista with her newborn baby, Dawn Rose; and, Calista’s husband, Frank, who is with his unit.
Others who interact on the farm include Whitt Grayson, one of Caleb’s Special Forces teammates and Clay’s assistant; Clay Tucker is the farm foreman; Joel Wyman is Cal’s best friend; Luke Jagger is still with Special Forces; Drew Stillman is an agent for the Bureau; and, Mike Taggart is a friend of Summer’s brothers.
Esteban “Falcon” de la Cortez Falcone is a wild Spanish boy who has been Summer’s partner. John “Raeg” Raegent is his half-brother, and both need to share their lover. Raeg is currently chief of staff for David Allen. Roberto “Cyclops” Falcone is their father, an elite CIA assassin who ghosts through life; their mothers are Maria Mendoza and Selena Raegent, respectively, and Roberto’s working partners. And, yeah, “pops” has his own threesome goin’ on. Hailey Anne is Falcon and Raeg’s sister (Maria’s her mother).
Near as I can tell, the Lucien Connor mentioned in this might be the Lucien Conover who has appeared previously in the series. Other than that, I don’t know. Steve McGillan is Summer’s personal hairdresser. Trina is the dressmaker. Marilyn Dempsey had been the young agent with whom Raeg had been in love. Jennifer could have been another mistake.
Alyssa Hampstead is Summer’s best friend and Senator David Allen and Margo Hampstead‘s daughter; Summer is their goddaughter. Seems the Hampsteads had also been in the spy game.
Dragovich is a Russian crime lord related to the Russian ambassador to the U.S. who wants Summer. Gia Barrett was the woman Summer had thought a friend.
The Cover and Title
The cover is in soft browns ranging from chocolate to toast with one of the brothers and Summer in a naked embrace, a toasty band spanning the relevant bits *eyebrow waggle* The author’s name is white against the soft warm brown and the same toasty color for the series information at the bottom. The title is in a scripted gold for the first word while the second is in a roman white.
The title is what they all keep resisting, Intense Pleasure.
