Found this at the Library book sale, to join the other two volumes 1 and 8 on Mt. TBR

**CAUTION***spoilers ahead...

Story #1 - An Act of Love by Jeanie Cesarini
It was all right. I guess there was another story that had the main character as a secondary character in one of the Secrets volumes previously (I haven't read vol 2 or 3) -- I wasn't overly impressed.

Story #2 - Enslaved by Desiree Lindsey
again, it was all right. I saw the ending coming, but I won't hold that against the author.

Story #3 - The Bodyguard by Betsy Morgan & Susan Paul
My favorite story thus far, although I think it could have been a short novel. It seemed there were a lot of skips and jumps in the story line. I liked the characters, and would like more from them.

Story #4 - The Love Slave by Emma Holly
The princess gets to have a "love guard" -- three slaves to do her bidding (to get her trained how to keep a husband) for a year. This princess is a bit different than her momma though, because she focuses on respect through kindness rather than fear -- a nice story, with some good sex scenes. I was of course routing for Grae all along.

Travelling with Secrets Vol 1, at least for now (to NMReader) --

to whomever ends up with this book: It is starting its travels with Secrets Vol 1 in a bookray, however, it does not need to continue the travel with the first Vol -- it is up to each person to decide whether to send it on or not (this volume is quite a bit heavier -- actual weight, not story value -- than the first -- so I don't actually expect it to travel with the way shipping prices are) -- It is yours to do with as you wish. Have fun, and happy reading :-)

It has arrived and I am looking forward to reading.

July 26: I plan to start tonight. I hope to finish before next weekend so I may mail before going on vacation.

I thought an update might be appreciated. My vacation interferred with my ability to finish this book when I wanted. I am 2/3 of the way through it now and hope to complete and mail this week or early next along with Secrets I

Finished reading this last week but did have a chance to mail.

I think this had some interesting stories.

Will mail after work.

Delivery Confirmation Number: 0310 1230 0000 7184 4619

Caught safely in Ohio last night, sorry I didn't get a chance to JE then. I worked late and just got a chance to log them. I have a number of other rings/rays ahead of this but I keep my profile updated so you can always see how close this is to the top.

Sent off to JennyC1230, it should arrive within the next week.

Thanks for passing this on! I will read it and get it moving again. Thanks!

My Review: I enjoyed the Emma Holly story the best, she is the only author I was familiar with. It's a very different story compared to a lot of other stories in this genre.

Sorry I held onto this one so long, the bookrays are starting to get out of control again. I will send this with the other Secrets Vol. 1 to the next person.

Innae, please let me know who's next to send the books to! Thanks!

Sending this one to okyrhoe with Secrets Vol. 1 Bookray. I'm sorry I held onto these for so long!!

P.S. Several pages are falling out of the books, so handle them carefully.

Arrived in Athens, thanks so much JennyC1230 & innae!

An Act of Love by Jeanie Cesarini
***SPOILER***
As I began reading this story I thought to myself the opening scene was too contrived, and the writing could have been edited to something more realistic/natural. So the order for "Cut! Cut! Cut!" sets things in their proper context.
The plot device of the male "teacher" initiating the female into the realm of carnal pleasures (innocence vs. experience) is a tried and true formula, but it's not easy to come up with an imaginative set-up that will differentiate itself from previous narratives. I found this story's variation an imaginative one. I like the way this story is set up, especially the catchy chapter headings playing on the theme of acting and "faking", a nice commentary on what sometimes goes on in relationships & sex.
Still, there's not much depth; the story could have been expanded further, with more detail about these character's pasts, & greater insight into the reclusive nature of Alana and Jason, and why they suit each other because of this.

Enslaved by Desiree Lindsey
I guess period romances just don't feel "real" enough for me. I couldn't get into the characters' motivations.

The Bodyguard by Betsy Morgan & Susan Paul
Was this the story with the misspelled officials' names? Pat Moynihan & General Schwarzkopf.

The Love Slave by Emma Holly
This story is heavily influenced by Anne Rice's Beauty Trilogy. Despite that it's well-written, and I enjoyed it. There are some interesting themes present that make it distinctively different from Rice's novels. The premise that learning about exerting power and good governance in the public domain can be achieved by practicing bedroom politics sounds farfetched at first, but the interplay between Lilly and her "love guards" demonstrates it's a credible one, within this story's framing. I liked the playful twist of making virginity and chastity a "revolutionary" idea, one deemed "dangerous" by the powers that be!
Princess Lily's character evolves from hesitant teen to assertive woman; we follow her transformation into maturity as she learns new skills through play & recreation, how to express & stand by her beliefs when dealing with her autocratic mother and self-effacing father, as well as with the opposite sex.

--- The first 50 pages or so of the book fell out, and several sheets further on were almost loose, so I used some paper glue to reattach them to the spine. I hope this keeps everything together!

On its way by post to bjorg in Iceland. Enjoy!

Arrived today, thanks okyrhoe:)

4 interesting stories, think I like the first one the most.

RABCK for penelopewanders:)

Here as an RABCK! What fun! Thanks so much for thinking of me!

An anthology. This was received as an RABCK, so I don't want to look a gift horse too closely in the mouth... but anthologies do tend to be pretty uneven, I find. The one I liked the best in the batch was the Emma Holly story. The book itself has done a lot of travelling and needs to be handled gently as some pages are falling out (but still all there...).
Again, thanks for the RABCK... I know someone interested in mooching this - I'll warn about the condition of the book and if there's still interest in will head out soon.

This very well-travelled book is now heading back across the ocean - to Canada, courtesy of bookmooch.