Love, Lust and Lies by Cathleen Ross
Passion in Print
Contemporary Erotica
ISBN: 978-1-60820-2313-0
Reviewed by Vanessa

Gabriella Vitadini is reeling after discovering that her husband of twenty years has had an affair with Betty Big Boobs. She can’t believe that after his non-performance in the bedroom for three years that he would seek out another woman. Gabriella refuses to take this blow lying down and immediately kicks her cheating husband out of the house despite what her in-laws and father tell her to do. Choosing to move on she decides to take on more responsibility at work. Only she never banked on the fact that her next client could be exactly what she needs to get over her emotional trauma.

Dave Angelo is seeking to purchase a new place to reside and decides that Gabriella could be just the agent to help him attain this goal as well as his becoming his future bride. Tony Vitadini, Gabby’s estranged husband, wants his wife back and believes she should take him back with no apology or groveling. After all it was just sex and she should understand that it meant nothing and she means the world to him. Once he sees HIS Gabby with Dave and hears what has been going on in HIS bedroom between the two of them . . . he can’t believe that she could replace him so quickly and easily and he will stop at nothing to get her back!! Now Gabby has gone from a veritable desert to an oasis of men! Now she has two to choose from and she doesn’t know who to pick.

Love, Lust and Lies is a delightful, entertaining read. In this story you get to see the betrayed spouse get their own back. But this is not revenge tale or a quid pro quo either. I never felt like Gabby did it on purpose to teach Tony a lesson, but it played out that way. Gabby’s reactions seemed realistic for a woman going through what she did. Love, Lust and Lies allowed Tony to feel what it was like to be the one betrayed instead of the betrayer. That isn’t always explored in these stories. Usually the betrayer never feels what it is liked to actually be betrayed and while we don’t get his point of view you know he is feeling a lot of pain and turmoil by what his estranged wife is doing. In fact, Love, Lust and Lies also allowed Gabby to feel some of what Tony probably felt when he was with Betty Big Boobs. It truly was just sex and emotions weren’t involved. It was just a release for her as it was for him. She also didn’t like herself much afterwards and I don’t think Tony liked himself either. What do they say – experience is the best teacher? By experiencing where each other stood on this issue they could better understand where the other was coming from in order to seek their happily ever after.

Love, Lust and Lies is a delicious surprise by an author whom seems to get it. One who seems to understand that sometimes the wronged spouse just needs to stand up for themselves and attempt to move on even though they are still so in love with their betrayer, but they can’t see the love through their anger.