Sweet Hell (by Rosanna Leo)

Amazon - B&N

Sweet Hell rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Release Date:  July 16, 2012

This book takes place after "For the Love of a God" 

yet is not part of a series and can be read as a stand-alone story.

How are the sex scenes?

Delicious!!! Made me feel all squirmy!!  Rosanna just gets the balance right. You are so invested in the relationship between the characters that the sex is fabulous, and well worth waiting for.

How are the story lines?

Original. The story picks up well from the first book For the Love of a God. Once again, you are deposited into a fanciful world where the Greek gods of the past amble through downtown Toronto.

Would you read it again?

Yes.  I thoroughly enjoyed the frivolity of this book!  

Summary

Impertinent Dionysus, Greek god of wine and theatre and the world’s ultimate playboy, is used to a life of adoration, debauchery and very few responsibilities. Life had been good. He is still quite astonished by his formidable cousin Eryx’s transformation from Greek god to human, to marry his love, Maia. Dionysus could sense restlessness within him though. What is even more surprising is his recent disquiet at his carefree, bacchanalian lifestyle. Surely being a god was enough?

Independent and sparky, Josie Marino is the antithesis of the women Dionysus normally took to bed. Scruffy, mouthy and down to earth, Josie has dreams of owning a Winery. However, serving coffee and baking cannolli is the current extent of Josie’s life. Yet, all that is about to change. Despite acknowledging that the aggravating, demanding yet sexy customer from hell, Dionysus, is one lothario she wants to steer clear of, his persistent attention causes more than just X-rated dreams! Trouble is around the corner, or in this case, downstairs in the basement.  

Review

If you’ve read For the Love of a God, and loved it, you need to read Sweet Hell. Author Rosanna Leo has managed to create another story that keeps you interested, makes you laugh and, at times, tingles your toes! Leaving downtown Toronto, you travel to the bowels of hell, which naturally is not a place you wish to be. You will once again enjoy wit, colourful descriptions and a brief re-visit to Olympus.

The book is very similar in its plot line to the first in the series. In some ways, this is disappointing, but in many ways understandable, too. It seems self sacrifice is a strength that these Greek gods possess despite their initial complacency and disregard for ‘mere mortals.' (Secretly, I think we need more men like this!!)

The volatile dialogue between the characters adds to the enjoyment, as well as the regular, funny profanities involving Hera. “…by Hera’s rectum…” is just one example.  The sex scenes definitely have you eagerly wanting more.

“Then he situated himself between the legs spread so willingly…for him….Filling himself to the brim with her womanly juices. Drinking her in as eagerly as he’d so often drunk the finest wines, he could conjure. After Josie, those wines would taste like swill”

“Dionysus chuckled as he sucked, clearly enjoying what he was doing to her. He ate her as if he were ravenous, moaning and sighing as he did so”

Sigh! This book is entertaining. If you are after a light, witty read, you will enjoy Sweet Hell.  It takes you on a journey into fantasyland that is well worth the visit.   

 Learn more about Rosanna Leo and her upcoming titles on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

This review provided by:

Published by Liquid Silver Books

Disclaimer:  No compensation was received for this review.

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Author Rosanna Leo on her novel "The Selkie"

One Commenter and One Commenter/Blog Follower will win an eBook copy of

"THE SEKLIE"

(be sure to leave your email - winners chosen by Random.org)

Amazon - Liquid Silver Books

Release Date:  September 2, 2012

THE LURE OF THE SEA

     My newest paranormal romance is entitled The Selkie. For those of you who might not have heard about these mystical creatures, they are seal shape shifters who generally originate from the Scottish isle of Orkney. It is said that if a mortal woman is unhappy with her love life, she need only cry 7 tears into the sea to call an immortal selkie man. He will then love her as no mortal man can.

     Sounds good, non?

     As I was writing this story, I began to wonder about the lure of the sea. You see its influence everywhere in popular culture, and that influence has been felt for centuries. Take a glance at Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and you will see all sorts of water nymphs. Pick up a book of classic fairy tales, and mermaids abound. And every year or so, another Hollywood movie details the plight between a mortal lover and someone finny.

     Why is that?

     The sea has always been a romantic figure, almost a persona unto itself. It represents lovers who’ve been separated by water. It reminds us of sailors who’ve drowned, leaving their broken-hearted wives behind. And, of course, there are countless tales of water gods dragging their abducted princesses down to the watery depths.

     The sea is fantasy. It reminds us of that which we cannot have, that which we dare not wish for. I must admit, I’ve always wanted to find Atlantis. Preferably on the arm of a dishy merman!

     Selkie folks straddle the great divide which is the sea. They can appear as beautiful humans, living on land for a time. Despite that, they will always want to return to their beloved waves. For a woman who falls in love with a selkie man, this can be a daunting prospect to say the least. I hope you will get a chance to read The Selkie, and see what happens to my heroine, and how she deals with her immortal lover.  Will the lure of the sea ultimately claim him, too?

                                              - Rosanna Leo

   

Blurb

This was supposed to be her year. However, after losing her job and discovering her fiancé cheating, Maggie Collins has her doubts. When her grandmother dies, she hits rock bottom. Maggie travels to her grandmother’s home in Orkney, Scotland to sort through her gran’s things, only to discover the old woman has left her a seal pelt as her inheritance. She also learns that others are after the pelt.

To add to her frustration, Maggie’s dreams are filled with luscious images of a long-haired man, images that draw her to the magical beaches in Orkney. Although she’s lost her trust in men, this dream man inspires her with a lust she’s never known before.

Calan Kirk has also been dreaming. Dreaming of Maggie, the mortal woman who arouses him as no other woman ever has. Meeting her in the flesh when she arrives in Orkney is nothing short of spontaneous sexual combustion. But she is a human, and not to be trusted. He needs the seal pelt, not a red-haired temptress.

As a thief ransacks Maggie’s grandmother’s house, Maggie and Calan are thrust together. They must search for the animal skin, a mythical relic which once found, will either bring them together or rip them apart forever.

Excerpt

She was attempting to stand on her wobbly legs, only to fall back down on her bottom, when she heard the sound of splashing water. Thinking it was her seal, Maggie turned to look.

Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t the animal at all.

It was a man. He was rising out of the waves, walking toward her. She froze. He was nude, utterly nude, and was staring at her with overflowing intimacy. As if they’d had, God help her, relations.

And she realized, with sudden panic, they’d had! In her dreams. He was the seal-man from all her sex dreams.

No. Impossible.

Her first instinct was to call for help, but there was no one near. And then she realized with frightening awareness that she didn’t want any help anyway. Glued to her spot, she couldn’t help but drink him in.

He was beautiful, if unnervingly wet and naked. He had long, shiny, brown hair that hung down past his shoulders. His face could have belonged on an ad for expensive cologne, and he had a body to match. Sculpted shoulders gave way to arms corded in muscle. His defined chest was blanketed by a smattering of sparse, brown hair that led tantalizingly to his rock-hard abs.

Maggie held her breath as her gaze traveled lower on his body, taking in trim calves and thighs a quarterback would envy. And, she noted with simultaneous hunger and horror, his penis was the biggest she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was thick and long and glistening with the droplets of water that yet cascaded over his body. And it seemed to be reaching for her. She gulped, and forced herself to look back up at his face.

There was a faint glow about his skin, a shimmery aura. Dismissing it as a trick of the moonlight, she shook her head.

He was almost upon her, and his full lips were taut in a teasing grin. Maybe he was a surfer who’d lost not only his board, but his shorts in the waves. She knew she should be frantic, but wasn’t. There was something in his brown eyes that was so familiar, so soothing, even as they swept over her own body with lustful appreciation.

He stopped in front of her, and stood boldly, unashamed of his glorious nakedness. She managed to spit out one hushed word. “You.”

“You,” was his equally awed reply.

Learn more about Rosanna Leo and her upcoming titles on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Rosanna's hanging out at Ravishing Romances today! 

Ask a question, get an answer and be entered to win her new novel, The Selkie, free from Amazon (via email...so leave yours)

For the Love of a God (by Rosanna Leo)

Amazon - B&N

For the Love of a God rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Release Date:  April 23, 2012

How are the sex scenes?

They are HOT.

Details are not spared, so you feel as though you are experiencing the same ecstasy as the lovers. 

How are the story lines?

Fun. In some ways it’s a sordid love triangle, but in many ways it’s just a well written love story with witty one-liners, suspense and, of course, drop dead gorgeous Greek gods!! (literally!) The story is not meant to be believable, so read it if you enjoy a frolic in fantasy.

Would you read it again?

Yes.  If only to re-live the ‘funny bits’! 

The passionate love scenes would certainly be another draw card for me.

Summary

Maia, a self-confessed 27-year-old Toronto Museum conservator ‘dork’ is our heroine. She is passionate, refreshingly humble and blessed with brains, subtle beauty and a quick, quirky sense of humour.  She has been in love with the Greek God Eryx since her father introduced her to Greek Mythology when she was young. Maia considers the stunning, marble statue of Eryx, proudly housed in the Toronto Museum, to be hers.

Erxy, our immortal hero has had centuries of torture from his enemy, Nemesis, the goddess of retribution and vengeance. Her pursuit of Eryx, the god of love, has caused him to never want to love again. He has lived a long selfish life, frequently debauched in his own pleasure of women. But it isn’t until he comes across Maia, with her geeky t-shirts, and infectious passion for restoring Greek artifacts, that he finally meets a woman he wants/needs to love.

Despite his desire to resist Maia, something about her resurrects his instinct to protect, and possibly also to love.  Lucky for her, he's a god who loves passionately.

Review

If you need a break from ‘same old’ contemporary romance, try For the Love of a God. Author Rosanna Leo has managed to create a story with interesting yet intriguing combinations of surreal, steamy and suspense. With unpredictable twists and turns, the plot piqued my curiosity all the way through.

I did not expect to read a heroine’s description of herself like this…

“Well ... when I was eight, I went through a really determined nose-picking stage. And I wet the bed until I was ten.”  

But that is our eccentric Maia.

We have to wait until chapter nine for the first steamy sex scene. However, the innuendos in the preceding chapters make the wait both believable and acceptable.  Here’s just a tiny taste of what to expect (and enjoy!!)

“Finally, after what seemed like hours of delectable torment, his mouth found her. His hungry lips kissed her swollen skin, his tongue slid into her warmth, and he captured the pebbled pearl.”

This book is for the lover of fun. It’s well paced, deliciously saucy in parts, and the unexpected, up-tempo humour is brilliantly timed and placed. 

Learn more about Rosanna Leo and her upcoming titles on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

This review provided by:

Published by Liquid Silver Books

Disclaimer:  No compensation was received for this review.

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review.