The Blue Hour by Beatrice Donahue

In a drowsy English village at the dawn of the 1920s, Rosina King sleepwalks through her unhappy life—until one deep blue evening, when she is finally woken by a kiss. American painter Eve Soames is the embodiment of a thoroughly modern woman: fearless, financially independent, and strong-willed. When Eve bursts into her life, Rosina finds herself mesmerised, and also unsettled by what she senses Eve might teach her.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17940986-the-blue-hour

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Some books stay with you long after the last page. This is one of them. I finished the book in one sitting, sighing and clutching my e-reader with joy. This story is an awakening and I fell in love with it on the first page. Rose is an unhappy woman, trapped in a life with an abusive man she hates. When she by chance meets the enigmatic Eve at a party, she knows her life will never be the same. Hunger like she has never known stirs her blood and she feels alive. Eve is captivating and the contrast between the fragile Rose and the more worldly and evocative Eve is breathtaking. It is sweet, beautifully written and has haunted my dreams ever since. 

Author Beatrice Donahue has ensnared my heart with this thoughtfully written tale. The words are like a finely wrought tapestry full of beauty, sadness and hope for the future in a time that made it difficult for a woman to stand up to abuse and truly live. Erotic, beautiful and luminous as a pearl, this short novelette is one I will return to again and again for a touch of blue and the brush of a rose petal on the skin. Many are being struck by the 1920's and the Gatsby craze. This is one you won't want to miss. 

5/5

Red Velvet and Absinthe

Red Velvet and Absinthe Paranormal Erotic Romance Edited by Mitzi Szereto Explore Your Dark Desires The supernatural: Think vampires, werewolves, ghosts...eerie sounds in the night, impassioned whispers teasing at the depths of sleep...Think red velvet, flickering candles, love and lust with otherworldly partners who unleash passion and desire far beyond that inspired by simple mortals. Editor Mitzi Szereto's sensual stories provide thrills and chills of telltale hearts, redolent with romance and danger. Red Velvet and Absinthe will carry you away, conjuring up the romantic spirit of classic Gothic fiction with a generous dose of eroticism. A lusty lady, ravaged, seeks comfort in the arms of her maidservent in Giselle Renarde's rapacious "Milady's Bath," while bondage and desire enslave a wolf girl to her master in "Snowlight, Moonlight" by Rose de Fer. Janine Ashbless's "Cover Him with Darkness" is an exquisite tale of secret love between an imprisoned fallen angel and the girl he seduces. Editor Mitzi Szereto's vampire romance "The Blood Moon Kiss" is sexy Southern Gothic at its finest. With contributed stories by Rose de Fer, Janine Ashbless, Elizabeth Daniels, Mitzi Szereto, Anna Meadows, Charlotte Stein, Zander Vyne, Evan Mora, Ashley Lister, Sharon Bidwell, Claire Buckingham, Giselle Renarde, Carrie Williams, Tahira Iqbal, and Bonnie Dee. "Red Velvet and Absinthe celebrates the Gothic in all its forms and adds in the erotic element...we experience the thrilling danger, the looming apprehension, the exquisite passion. That is the core of Gothic literature and this collection delivers." —Kelley Armstrong, from the foreword MITZI SZERETO is an author and anthology editor of erotic and multi-genre fiction and non-fiction. She has her own blog “Errant Ramblings: Mitzi Szereto’s Weblog” (mitziszereto.com/blog), and a Web TV channel “Mitzi TV” (mitziszereto.com/tv), which covers the “quirky” side of London. Her books include In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales, Getting Even: Revenge Stories, The New Black Lace Book of Women’s Sexual Fantasies, Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legendary Lovers, Silk Sheets: Collected Stories, and the Erotic Travel Tales anthologies. She has pioneered erotic writing workshops in the UK and Europe as well as lectured in creative writing at several British universities. A popular social media personality, Wikipedia lists her as the “Queen of Facebook.” Originally from the USA, she lives in Greater London. Also by Mitzi Szereto Gothic stories are some of my most favorite reads. The werewolf that runs the moors at night, the lady who climbs out her window to meet her lover every month...or maybe the dark angel that seduces the young girl who is to care for him or the wife who haunts the halls of her home and strips for her husband-they are both trapped at other ends of the universe. One in the physical plane, the other a ghost.  Not one story in this collection was wanting. Lusty and seductive, they capture the imagination of our darkest hearts and leave us shifting in our seats, restless for satisfaction. There is truly something for everyone. Fans of the paranormal- you must add this one to your TBR list. 5/5