Haunting Love Alley
Sahara Kelly and S. L. CarpenterParanormal erotic romance
Available from Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1-4199-0412-4
November 2005
| The early 1800s in Louisiana; the scene a secluded room in an elegant brothel nicknamed Love Alley in a mispronunciation of the owners name, Madam Claudine Lavalieres. Her brutal attacker is a spurned customer of the house, Lloyd Franklin. Refusing his advances released the vicious inner animal inside him and she lived only a short time longer than his departure. Her secret had been discovered by this man, inspiring his rage; the secret that the man she loves is a Negro slave along with their male child, born of that love. On her deathbed Claudine made her helpless lover promise that there would be no revenge, that request on her dying breath. Powerful influence might destroy all she worked hard to keep safe.
As Claudine passes, Baptiste vents in a mournful cry his sorrow and that cry is then heard 200 years later by Cory Lavelle as she sleeps. So sad, so real, she wakes with tears. Her psychic powers are not always easy to deal with; this isn't the first time she has dreamed of this tortured pair. Who are these people? What is she "seeing"? And now we make the acquaintance of Louis, on the flight as he sleeps, experiencing the ride of his life with a woman who knows just what he needs. Awakened by the stewardess, as he puts himself into order, his relaxation after such a warmly erotic dream is to then take a look at the papers from the lawyer concerning his recently inherited house, Love Alley. The mystery surrounding Claudine is fascinating and his interest is caught. Getting to know the vast old estate, clearing out while investigating the nooks and crannies, he meets a neighbor, Honey, who in turn almost immediately runs into a ghost, cancelling out the hot sex Louis had just figured they would be having. But then, just minutes later he gets seduced by two randy ghostly girls who give him the orgasm of a lifetime. At that very moment he gets awakened by Miss Zulee, who gives him the business card of…..Cory Lavelle. And this all in the first 36 pages… This review is a bit longer than normal, but the story calls for a teaser with this review. Miss Zulee was a wonderful character-literally a character. Odd, down to earth, mysterious and perfectly cast! The history in this tale was fascinating, the storyline interesting, the characters very real. The renovation was great reading, all the misadventures and devilry from certain characters for poor Louis. And once you read just who Honey and Maurice turn out to be… A must for all readers enjoying a ghostly story with some rich history behind the tale. And a note: the Authors Note at the beginning I found very interesting reading on the subject of the endangered Ghost Orchid.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Glenda K. Bauerle |
