Part Two Of Two

I wrapped up the All Through the Night anthology today, finishing both the Lori Foster and Shannon McKenna stories. Surprises were in store for me - who knew?

Satisfy Me by Lori Foster - I've read two full-length novels by Foster and hated both. Was it just my luck that both books featured absurd plots and wet dish rag heroines or are all her books like that? Anyway, this story wasn't perfect, but it was good. Maybe she's one of those authors (MaryJanice Davidson is like this for me too) where I can't stand their novels but their short stories work for me. Time will tell.

Anyway, heroine is chatting with girlfriends at work about the sex toy shop that opened up for business outside of their office. They dare each other to visit the place and try to find a man. The story starts out very shaky. I mean, I know this was published back in 2001 - but a sex toy shop? Like readers haven't been subjected to that a gazillion times already? Anyway, she sees the hero there - a guy she works with. He thinks she's into spanking thanks to a conversation he overheard, and being totally warm for her form has decided he'll do anything (and I mean anything) to get her attention. So we have a Big Misunderstanding (because the heroine ain't really into spanking) and a hero who has had a crush on the heroine for a while. It works well enough here, and per usual Foster writes very good sex scenes. Final Grade = B-.

Last in the anthology is Something Wild by Shannon McKenna. Heroine is running away from past and going to a Louisiana casino where she hit a jackpot years before. Meets motorcycle riding hero on the road. Basically he spies her coming out of a rest room in Philadelphia and follows her south. Say it with me - Stalker! Anyway, they have great sex, she pushes him away, acts like a shrew, he gets led around by his Mr. Happy, they have great sex, she pushes him away, acts like a shrew, he loses his temper and turns into a Neanderthal. Pretty much your basic McKenna formula. But it's the hottest story in the whole anthology, and once the hero starts behaving like a jerk, he finds his "guy-speak." His dialogue was pretty awful at first. I mean, just plain bad. Final Grade = C.

So final verdict? The Foster story is the best of the bunch (color me shocked), the Devine story is for fans only, the Forster story not worth the effort and the McKenna story? Well, having slipped from autobuy status already, she's now slipped to "wait for review copy or several reviews." That said, I still got Out of Control lying around at home.