Amy Bryce's ex-boyfriend cheated on her, among other things. And now he's proposing, in front of the entire staff, to that same woman. She's utterly humiliated, especially since Tanya is beautiful and screams sexuality while Amy does not. So she decides to get a "sensuality makeover" and starts by signing up for Marc's Reclaiming Your Sensuality research project. But when Marc realizes that Amy isn't being truthful, he removes her from the project and starts her on one of her own, with hopes that it might lead to more.

First off, this is one of the more humorous stories I've read in a while. It didn't have the outrageousness of some of my favorite authors, but Ms. Carr wrote a story with just as much humor. Marc's strange quirks were so cute, especially having his computer "remind" him that he can't chicken out on asking Amy for a date. I enjoyed Amy's way of handling the humiliation her ex brought her, neither getting angry enough to cause a scene, nor just calmly accepting it and doing nothing whatsoever. Ms. Carr is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, and it's largely due to her enjoyable characters. This story was my favorite of the anthology because the characters were, for me, such an interesting mix of characteristics. That, and the sex was pretty scorching, shocking me that Ms. Carr could turn Marc into every woman's fantasy. If you're a Brava buyer, this book is one you need to add to your list!

Code Pink
Jennifer Clark is a code writer for the FBI and so is her ex-lover. But now she's dating someone new, Robert, and she's hoping to speed things along with her new code. When he deciphers it, he'll find where to meet her and what his prize will be: a 69. But it isn't Robert who shows up. Bryan Matthews, her ex-lover, arrives and demands his prize. Jennifer isn't willing to engage in anything other than professional behavior with Bryan, regardless of what he says. But she's also never been able to resist a challenge, so when Bryan suggests a new wager, she fails to resists.

If Bryan can break three codes in a reasonable timeframe, she has to admit that he's better. If Jennifer wins, he has to leave her alone for good and shut up about the exam that got him his promotion over her. And if Jennifer doesn't display good sportsmanship, he gets that sixty-nine he wanted. Now all Jennifer has to do to get Bryan out of her life for good is create difficult codes...and keep her hands off him.

This was, without a doubt, the story with the most sexual tension. Bryan was a modern rogue with an amazing way of getting under Jennifer's skin. I loved the banter that went on between them, as it showed how comfortable they were with each other, despite the split. And the lovemaking was just as sexy and sensual as Bryan. Though I didn't completely understand Jennifer's reasons for passively ending their relationship, I did like Bryan's determination to get her back. He went about it in an odd way, but it was hilarious to read. This character's driven story was a treat to read.

Fantasies Are Forever
During the weekly Dream Ring with coworkers/friends, Caroline again confesses doesn't remember any of her dreams, an outright lie! She remembers her dreams, enough that they're also beginning to seep into her daydreams. A man she works with, Joe, makes her turn back into her nerdy self everytime they speak. So, though she wants him, she has no intention of going after him. Hence, the frustrating dreams.

Joe doesn't know about Caroline's desires, he just knows she's sexy and incredibly cute. The way she rambles on about scientific topics entrances him. It shows her intelligence, humor, and passion, and even if he has no clue what she's talking about, he still wants to listen. But when Caroline begins suggestively flirting with him, he's even more confused than ever. He wants to explore it, but she seems very antsy contrary to her interest.

Fantasies Are Forever was just too cute. The fact that Joe liked Caroline's rambling, along with the rest of her, was really sweet. I get so used to reading about heroes who see physical first and foremost (which is logical), that whenever I read about a hero who considers something like that a plus, I just fall in love with him. Joe was a first-rate hero and Caroline fit with him perfectly. She had her hang-ups that prevented her from going for Joe full-throttle, but she didn't let him do all the chasing. She did some fine chasing of her own! Fantasies Are Forever was a lovely ending to this anthology, and was full of humor like the first two.

This anthology is what I consider light and fluffy. It's something I was able to sit down with, read with a smile on my face, laugh a bit, and, overall, relax with. It was a sweet and spicy romance, something I only occasionally find a good melding of. Susanna Carr is fast becoming an auto-buy author for me, and I'd suggest this book for anyone.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Very Sensual with some explicitness

Reviewer: Tara Black
December 1, 2004