A day will come when my books will be panned. I am ready for it. But this is not that day. Today a very thoughtful review of POISONED KISSES was published at Long & Short Reviews. It delighted me. My favorite part:

Poisoned Kisses isn’t a light and fluffy read. It’s hard edged, gritty, and serious. It even delves into the possibility of why war is so prevalent and dare I say, popular. Ms. Draven has provided this reader with a clever and intelligent story with an out of the ordinary romance that hooked me as soon as Kyra drew her knife. There is just something special about a tough woman who needs saving and a man who stays true to the course of honor and justice even when dark forces want to seduce him to their side. This is a book that made me think. I enjoyed how the author took a page out of real life and injected Greek mythology in a most entertaining way. Poisoned Kisses is a must read for anyone with a yen for a supernatural romantic suspense that is not only unusual but has a romance that survives extraordinary odds culminating in a terrific happily ever after. I am simply in awe of Ms. Draven’s talent and can’t wait to read more written by her soon.

Every now and then, a review will make me blush. This one from Chris Jones at Fresh Fiction certainly did:

Alright readers, find a quiet little spot, grab your favorite beverage, and prepare for a treat. Stephanie Draven is a very talented writer, and you will not want to put this book down. When you open POISONED KISSES, you are entering the rich world of mythical War Gods and their offspring… Kyra is a heroine with attitude, searching for meaning and a true purpose for her life… Stephanie Draven is fearless in her writing. She draws you in, leaving you at the crest of the wave wanting more…This book has everything, and I hope she has many more stories for us. She has a new twist on the paranormal, and I greatly enjoyed it. This will be the book you tell your friends about.

New review from Dirty, Sexy, Books. It might be my favorite so far.

Plot Summary:  Marco Kaisiris supplies guns to rebels in Africa, and an immortal nymph named Kyra is determined to bring him down.  Unfortunately it won’t be easy because Marco is a war-forged hydra, a mythical creature who can change his face and kill demigods with his toxic blood.  When Kyra’s assassination attempt backfires and she’s mortally wounded, Kyra decides to switch strategies and trap Marco instead.

I liked how this paranormal romance went a bit deeper than I had expected, and it wove together Greek mythology and the civil wars in Africa into a cohesive plot.  Poisoned Kisses was about more than the romance between Kyra and Marco, and that worked in its favor because it held my interest throughout.  Stephanie Draven chose some exotic supernatural creatures for her story as well.  Kyra is a nymph who is literally a torch for lost souls; she can light the way to the other side, and see through any artifice.  That’s why she’s uniquely suited to track Marco, who is a hydra with the power to wear a thousand faces.  His blood is deadly poison and his misguided sense of duty is helping to fuel a destructive war in the Congo.

Of the two leads, I thought Marco was far more interesting.  He knew that society counted him as a criminal, but he believed that gun-running gave the victims a way to fight back.  Even Marco’s own family back in the U.S. thinks he’s scum, and he doesn’t bother to explain himself to anyone.  He’s a bad man who thinks that he’s doing good, and when his illusions are shattered, he wants to do the right thing even if he has to sacrifice himself.  I found his relationship with Kyra believable, and even though the sex scenes were a little vanilla for my taste, I thought it was well done.

Poisoned Kisses is a tight little story at 229 pages, and I admire the Harlequin imprints for delivering stories that can be enjoyed in a single afternoon.

I read this book because someone told me not to. That’s how a lot of things happen in my life. I can’t resist a challenge and when someone professes moral outrage about a book, I have to see what all the fuss is about because I usually reserve my moral outrage for things like murder and–you know–stuff that actually hurts people.

Anyway, so what’s the skinny on Jasmine Haynes’ YOURS FOR THE NIGHT? Well, the heroines are all high priced call girls. Gasp. Get out your handkerchiefs, ladies, and fan yourselves before you faint away at the outrageous idea that sex workers might be people too, in search of a little love and happiness in their lives. I myself may need therapy to recover from the trauma of this earth-shattering premise, but in the meantime, I’ll give a quick overview of the three novellas contained in this book.

Those of you who are faint of heart will be happy to know that although this book is hot, it generally adheres to the most standard romance genre rules and expectations. In fact, the GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE was really only a feint at the fantasy. By and large, it’s a story about a financially-challenged real estate agent turned escort who falls in love with one of her first clients, a widower and single-dad.

The second story is a little racier, and more psychologically complex. In PAYBACK, we have a middle-aged divorcee who has taken up the guise of a high-priced escort to make herself feel sexy in the wake of her husband’s abandonment. As a heroine, she’s sophisticated and interesting. Her internal conflicts are perhaps more complicated than the story’s plotline would suggest. (She wants him to pay for it and he doesn’t want to pay for it, so that she’ll see him as someone to love, rather than just another client.)

At this point in the book, I despaired of it ever living up to a legacy of controversy. While well-written, it didn’t seem to be literary erotica. I would have categorized it more as steamy romance. And while I was very entertained, I wasn’t yet challenged or scandalized.

Having decided that the author was a tease, without even one perverse thought in her head, I went ahead and flipped to the last story in the book. TRIPLE PLAY.

Now, one of the fastest growing sub-genres is what we politely refer to as “the menage” so I’m not sure we can call this author a pioneer for writing about multiple sex-partners. But what Jasmine Haynes does in this story is break almost all the rules. The last story in her book isn’t about a woman who falls in love with more than one man. It’s about a woman who falls in love with one man, but still wants to have sex with others. It’s an alternate sexuality and it’s a fetish. It’s about voyeurism and exhibitionism, about submission and dominance (even though the characters specifically deny it) and it’s a direct challenge to traditional notions about monogamy.

Naturally, this is where the author absolutely shines. People whose sexual desires differ from the norm have always had struggles. Everyone knows this. But Jasmine Haynes actually explores those struggles, and she does so with sensitivity and grace. Jealousy and all the contradictions one might expect from her heroine’s situation are deeply explored. Luckily for her, the hero’s fetishes match up precisely, so she’s spared from having to make any heartbreaking choices. Even so, I found myself getting a little misty in parts. And I was unexpectedly touched.

Brava, Ms. Haynes. I’m so glad someone hated your book enough to make me read it. You’re a star!