UNWRAP ME
MELISSA MACNEAL, SUSAN LYONS, MELISSA RANDALL
ISBN# 978-0-7582-2853-6
October 2008
Aphrodisia, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp
850 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022
Paperback
$13.95
227 pages
Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 Cups

Naughty Noelle

Noelle Felton is definitely not in the Christmas spirit. She is tired and cranky from being in a car with her mother for so long. This is supposed to be a vacation, a relaxing time for both of them after having the worst year imaginable. Her father dying and catching her husband in bed with two women has taken its toll on her. She is not ready for the sexy, hot, young thing that walks into her life.

Andy Hathaway knew before he even met her that she was the one for him and he will do anything to prove that to her. He will use all of his seduction skills and more just to have her beside him for the rest of his life. But will the hurt she was dealt the past year stop him from getting what he wants?

Noelle does not know if Andy is crazy or if he is telling the truth. At first she does not want to believe that he could be that hot for her but he soon has her feeling like a woman again. When his uncle begins romancing her mother, she takes a good look at herself to try and decide what it is she truly wants to do with her life. Will that life include Andy?

An older woman and a younger man make this story endearing. Ms. MacNeal shows her readers that love can happen no matter the age of the people involved. This was a very good read.

Unwrap Me

Judith Benedetto hates Christmas. Twice now the men in her life have betrayed her and walked out on her. She is afraid to trust or love again. When she jokingly tells her friend that the only way she wants to spend Christmas is with a sexy man having sex, will she get her wish?

Nick Buchanan is not looking for love. He is tired of all the matchmaking efforts of his family. When his sister-in-law sends him to Jude's house, he realizes that this is another effort to hook him up. He is willing to get to know her better, but will his love of Christmas be a draw back?

Jude wants nothing to do with Christmas and it surprises her when her mother, of all people, asks her to come and celebrate with her and her new husband. She tells her mother no, then has to tell a friend that she does not 'do' Christmas. Karen has her own agenda and sends Nick to Jude as a gift. Nick is drawn to Jude unlike any woman he has ever been with before. He offers her a no-strings attached arrangement but finds himself falling deeper each day. Will her ghosts of Christmas past put a stop to their relationship?

The hot, sexy fireman comes to the rescue. This was a great read. It was touching as well the way the characters are at odds over a holiday but one is willing to try to help the other. Ms. Lyons did a remarkable job of bringing Jude's pain across the page and through her words.

All She Craves For Christmas

Anita Benson is moving back home after eleven years of being a successful model in New York. She wants to do something different with her life and has decided to go into real estate. When she runs into an old friend and learns that he and his father could help her in the business, she is ecstatic. Even more, she is attracted to Dylan.

Dylan Scott did not think he would ever see Anita again. The crush he had on her as a child has carried over into adulthood. Being single again he decides to give it a shot and see if she feels the same. Will his ex step in and take him away from Anita?

Anita never thought that she could be this happy. The only thing that was missing in her life after moving home, was a boyfriend. Out of the blue Dylan Scott walks in and they immediately connect with each other. Dylan asks Anita out and even though she is a few years older than he is, she agrees knowing that what they have could be very special. When Dylan's ex-girlfriend tries to split them apart, will their love for each other be strong enough to hold them together?

This is one story that I will be reading again and again. Ms. Randall has a knack for getting her readers all hot and bothered. But that is a good thing. Her characters are full of life and love even though at times that love may be hard.

One hot, steamy, sizzling anthology. All three authors have done a fine job of writing stories to raise anyone's temperature. I loved all of these stories and cannot wait to read more from these authors. They each bring their unique voice to this anthology and they all blend well together. The characters in each of these are very well defined and the plots all flow smoothly and draw the reader in. This is one anthology that will be on my bookshelf for years to come.

Liadan
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books