Something Wicked this way Comes

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Various Authors
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (205 pgs)
Other: BDSM, M/F, Multiple Partners, Anal Play, Fetish, Toys, Spanking, Voyeurism
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Captain of Nara’s Heart
Laurann Dohner

Nara knew she was taking a risk with illegal trading. Sure enough, she’s been arrested, caged—and will be auctioned as a sex slave. One look at the scary alien buyers and she frantically makes a deal, agreeing to be sold to Captain Vellar, who turns out to be large, sexy and seriously in heat. Offering her body to the captain is a given…but Nara didn’t expect to lose her heart in the process.

Dragon Heat
Mel Teshco

A highly skilled operative, Grace has been trained to track, fight and kill paranormal creatures. Only after she’s in the clutches of her latest target, a devastatingly sexy dragon-shifter, does she discover betrayal in her ranks. Suddenly the hunter is the hunted. Grace will soon uncover her ex-agency’s horrific agenda—but not before seeking solace in all the pleasures of the flesh her new dragon ally has to offer.

Dangerous Addiction
Desiree Holt

Having finally realized his dream to own a ranch, Cord is ready for the next step—settling down with the perfect sub. And he’s found her in Fallon. A single glance from the smart, sultry beauty makes him hard, but abuse at the hands of her ex-Dom has kept Fallon away from the lifestyle she loves. Needs. It will take bondage, mind-blowing sex, a gentle hand and expert flogging for Cord to help her rediscover her favorite dangerous addition.

Highland Tryst
Eliza Knight

Having sworn off love, Kari Howard isn’t adverse to a little lust when a hot Highlander lands at her feet. Literally. Fin has traveled through time, and given what he’s packing under his kilt (good Lord!), Kari expects the sexy Scotsman to make her quake. But she doesn’t expect Fin to shake her very foundation…or cherish her for who she is.

Tattoo Witch
Kathy Kulig

There cannot be good without evil, light without dark… At a seaside resort, lovers Sam and Anita meet a mysterious, heavily tattooed couple who refers them to Sinful Designs. The owner is a witch whose magical tattoos grant scorching, kinky sex beyond their wildest fantasies—but there’s a catch. Each successive tattoo comes with a darker and scarier curse. Sam and Anita can break the spells…but at what cost?

The Addiction
Jaid Black

The long-awaited sequel to The Possession!

John Calder has everything most men would kill for—golden-Adonis looks, endless money, a steely reputation as a savvy businessman and beautiful women throwing themselves at his feet. Then he meets Shelli Rodgers, a quirky, klutzy Ph.D. student who takes John on an emotional and sensual journey, giving him the one thing he’s never attained—happiness.

Get ready for a wild ride with chills and thrills because six authors are going to take your mind on a roller coaster of adventure as they explore the spicier side of romance and passion.

Captain of Nara’s Heart 
By Laurann Dohner is all about being in the wrong place at the right time. I thought the premise to be incredibly sexy and well done. It didn’t beat me over the head with sex scene after sex scene. After the first incredible and well described event, the story focused on the growing love Nara had for Cathian. She got to know the man behind the body and the mind behind his very talented tongue. I was charmed as to how strong-willed the hero was, to the point that he’d deny his heart because he wanted to protect her. I was equally impressed with Nara’s ultimate determination to chart her own course and grab the brass ring even if she had to hog-tie someone to do it. I loved the ending: basically he was wrong, she was right and because of Nara’s stubbornness, they get their happily ever after. Women really do know what’s best for their men. 

Dragon Heat
By Mel Tescho has a bit more action and drama to spice things up. It’s a story about a woman being duped and, whether by accident or design, discovers the truth when she falls in love. It’s a great paranormal story with plenty of interesting tidbits about dragons and their capabilities. The tale also has a nasty villain that truly is scary because he had such power. Dragon Heat’s other accomplishment is that it made me want to know more about this dragon world that the author has created. There’s a bigger picture out there because someone has to free the captive ‘pets’ from their brainwashed state. This is certainly a sexy and well told story and is one of the reasons why I enjoy anthologies. I discover new authors and new interests and this short paranormal romance has captured my imagination. I’m hoping that maybe there’ll be another undiscovered dragon as hunky and as yummy as Benson, the hero in this story. Now that’s something worth investigating. 

Dangerous Addiction 
By Desiree Holt is for the romance reader who likes to be seduced by the BDSM lifestyle. It’s actually pretty well done with a wonderful buildup to Cord and Fallon’s relationship. There’s the emotional vulnerability from Fallon and the need to heal and dominate and love from Cord. The ending is more of a happily for now as the story is more about their meeting and Fallon finally agreeing to leave her past behind by trusting Cord. It’s powerful, romantic and quite sensual. The way this installment was delivered, and how the characters were written, has created an avid curiosity to find out what it’s going to take to heal Fallon’s trauma completely, and how will Cord eventually reward her for giving her all to him. As it is, this tale ends with optimism and hope for their future. And, based on this little snippet, I bet it’s going to be powerfully sexy and entertaining. What fun!

Highland Tryst
By Eliza Knight starts off pretty dramatic and then does a fast switch into giggles. From there it was sizzle and pop with a hunky Highlander and I had a ton of fun reading this very sensual and exciting tale. Ms. Knight was very inventive in how the hero and heroine explored their passion and I got a kick out of the choices the author made when it came to introducing Fin to the modern world. The part that had me giggling all over again was what the author decided to have the hero do for a job. It’s actually pretty cool but at the same time, imagining a solid, old-world Scottish warrior doing that kind of work gave me delicious goose bumps. What a terrific idea! This is a well told and thoroughly entertaining story with a delightful romance to satisfy any reader. 


Tattoo Witch 
By Kathy Kulig opens up with a sexy but definitely sinister edge. The set up is innocent enough but very quickly turns scorching with elements of fear and anger to spice up the action. Not everything that sounds good is good. Yes, there is some incredible skin on skin action, even a brief stint with another couple. The writing was vivid and it captured the heated passion that drove the main characters. But when a person is told that there’s bad with the good, decent people can’t possibly imagine the lengths evil will go to in order to ruin them. Even though this is a very sexy tale, the motto, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” applies in a big way. There is suspense in this short story. It’s their sense of determination and belief in what’s right that pulls the hero and heroine together to defeat what was thought undefeatable. This wasn’t an easy read for me but it’s definitely well done. 


The Addiction 
By Jaid Black is the story I’d been waiting for. Figures it would come last in the anthology. I’m a fan of Ms. Black’s and somehow I knew that this was going to be the icing on an already yummy cake. I was right. The author set up the plot, conflict and character hook within the first few paragraphs. There’s the cynical and world-weary hero and the energetic, optimistic go-getter yet still sort of innocent heroine, and their worlds clash. 

Ms. Black’s sense of humor and cleverly described bit of slapstick totally sucked me in. In such a short space, the author packed in a crazy but loving family, internal angst, gleeful manipulative friends and a wonderful surprise that embodies what romances do best – gives a reader the warm and fuzzies while providing them plenty of reasons to sweat and swoon. Ms. Black’s ability to create characters that seem real and alive is as vibrant a talent as ever. And this short story proves it. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes covers the spectrum of readers’ tastes and satisfies on every level. Whether a reader is looking for a bit of sexual adventure, an out of this world experience or the simple beauty of “I love you”, it’s all here to discover in this wonderfully well-written anthology. There are things that made me gasp, had me laughing and giggling, or wide-eyed and reaching for the ice cubes. This book is a lot of fun and so engrossing, it could possibly make time cease to exist. It certainly felt that way to me and I enjoyed every second. If you’re feeling a wee bit wicked, then this is the book to read.