“Heart Storm” by Liane Gentry Skye

Sirenia is the mermaid chosen to save all of merkind.  As she swims to the mangrove where she will meet and mate with Triton’s Lost Son, she saves Navy SEAL Lieutenant Byron Burke from drowning. Sirenia and Byron can’t resist each other, but they are not meant to be. Ba’at Rath, a merman who wants the power that will go along with mating to Sirenia, will stop at nothing to have her for himself.

Sirenia is exactly what I would expect a mermaid to look like: her flowing blonde hair, freckles, and the pearl of skin between her eyes, make her ethereal and beautiful. She reminds me of a Barbie. “Heart Storm” moves fast for such an intense story, but it’s entertaining, sensual, and romantic.

“The Boy Next Door” by Hannah Murray

Jacob Hale and Isabella Carelli are neighbors and friends. Jacob would like them to be lovers, but Isa turned him down the one time he asked her out. Isa wants more than vanilla in the bedroom and she’s convinced that Jacob would be turned off by her darker desires. She may have been right about her ex-boyfriend feeling that way, but she might be wrong about Jacob.

Isa makes the mistake of judging a book by its cover in “The Boy Next Door.” Jacob is so much more than a nice guy. He’s commanding and kinky and just what Isa was looking for. Isa unknowingly wasted a lot of time being lonely when she could have been tied up in Jacob’s bed!  “The Boy Next Door” is a little kinky and a lot romantic.

“Devil in a Kilt” by Nicole North

Shauna MacRae should be happy that she’s met the man of her dreams, but meeting Gavin MacTavish throws her back in time to the Highlands of 1651. Now, Shauna has to break a curse, fight a witch, and find a way for her and Gavin to stay together.  

I’m a sucker for a tortured hero. Make him a Scottish laird, and I’ve got everything I need.  “Devil in a Kilt” has more than a sexy Scotsman, though. It’s a sensual, exciting story full of romance. Gavin being a cursed shape-shifter makes “Devil in a Kilt” a little different than other time travel stories. In “Devil in a Kilt,” the guy is hot, the sex is hotter, and the story is romantic and fun.

“The Bet” by Leigh Court

Damian Hunt has bet his friend George Beringer that he can make a woman orgasm using only his words. George agrees to the wager on one condition: he chooses the woman. George chooses his prudish and innocent sister Claire, thinking Damien will have no chance of seducing her. Damien wants to win the wager, but soon, he wants Claire, too. Can he have both?  

Because of great writing, “The Bet” feels like a novel instead of a short story. I felt like I got to know Damien and Claire well enough so their fast-paced romance didn’t feel forced. Of course, added length would give more details, but “The Bet” is just fine the way it is. Damien weaves an erotic web around Claire on almost every page that she was inevitably going to fall into. His words are as powerful as his touch. “The Bet” is a wonderfully sensual historical romance with charismatic characters and an angst-filled storyline.