Title: BLACK WIDOW
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense
Cover Designer: Lauren Runow
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1oZb0P7
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Wus4a4
Book Description
Preston
My wife’s dead. She killed herself right in front of me and it’s all my fault. My main goal now is to not mix my sexual needs with my emotional needs. Those are damaged forever. I bury my pain in a sex club that provides me an anonymous release. This way I never emotionally cheat on my wife. She was my forever. This is my right now.
Kamii
You name it I’ve read it. I love my erotic novels. After my husband was murdered, this is the only excitement I get out of my lonely, pathetic, workaholic life. That is, until I met Becca with her invitation to join her for one of my wildest book fantasies. Now I can be whoever I want to be, where no one knows my past and will never be my future.
EXCERPT:
"What if I said I could introduce you to a world that you only read about in your books?”
I have to admit, I’m intrigued. I’ve had many dreams about living out scenes in some of the books that I’ve read, “I guess I’d have to say tell me more,” I smirk at her.
“Yes! I knew it. I knew there was a sex kitten inside that little body of yours.”
“Ok, don’t get carried away. I said tell me more. Not take me away right now.”
She laughs, “Ok, so what if I told you I belong to a private sex club and we’re looking to bring in new members.”
“Wait, what?” I ask totally shocked to hear that she not only is a member of a sex club but she’s actually inviting me?
“You heard me. You can bring all those book fantasies to life and more.”
“How? I mean where? I mean who?” Is she kidding me right now? Could this really be happening?
“Ok, don’t freak out on me now. That guy,” she pauses, tilting her head to the door, “there are guys just like that guy there. All hot as hell and offering you things you only imagined in your dreams.”
“Is it safe?”
“Yes, actually, this new place is going above and beyond to make sure it’s safe. Everyone has to sign a code of conduct, a background check and take a STD test.”
“Ok, but is it safe, like word wise?”
This time she picks up a nut and throws it at me. “Yes, it’s a safeword type of place but there’s more to it. It fits whatever kind of kink you’re into, depends on the night you go. Not just BDSM every night. It will be the best time of your life. Trust me.”
“How long have you done this?” is all I could think to ask.
“A few years now."
“And…”
“And what? I love it. Believe me, I don’t share this lifestyle with everyone, only a selected few,” she winks.
I’m so overwhelmed. Never, ever did I think I would be having a conversation like this. There are so many things running through my mind. Every time I wondered if I would have the nerve to join a club if I had an opportunity and here it is, right in front of me. Then the thought hits me like a stab to my heart, “But I don’t have a guy to go with. How does that work?”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that. With your hot little body guys will be lining up to play with you. There’s one catch with this place though.”
There it is. I knew this was too good to be true. Wait, did I really just think that? Wow, could I really do this?
I shake my head, focusing on this little catch first. “Oh God, what?”
“It’s all anonymous.”
“Ok, what do you mean? I can’t use my real name?”
“No, and you have to wear a mask covering your eyes, like you’re going to a masquerade ball or something.”
“Why? Wait, so you don’t know who you’re, um, playing with?” Is she serious right now?
“No, you don’t. It adds to the fun of it. Everyone is there for the same reason, to get off. This way it takes all the drama, real life shit away from it.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know if I can have sex with someone when I have no idea who they really are.”
“I get it. I do, really. But just come with me. You’ll see what really goes on and I bet you change your mind.”
“What? I can just come and, um, watch?” The thought alone makes my chest tight with excitement.
“You know you want to,” she smirks. “Place opens tomorrow night. Say you’ll come with me?”
I can do that. Just watch. Shoot, that will fulfill enough of my fantasies to hold me over for a long time. I shake my head up and down, “Ok, I’ll come with you. Just to watch, though.”
“Uh huh, and sign up by the time you leave,” she winks.
My Review
Black Widow is a erotica reader's dream. If the blurb didn't hook you, the sex surely will. While Lauren's debut duet was indeed sexy, Black Widow had some of the best written erotic scenes I've read in while. Add in the suspense of figuring out where the story was going and the blossoming love story between two broken people and I was in sexy book heaven.
Preston watched his wife commit suicide right in front of him. He couldn't help her and since it was his actions that led to her death, he's determined to keep his heart free from any other entanglements since it will always belong to his beloved wife. But after creating a sex club based on his needs-no names, no faces, no connections beyond inhibited sex-he finds himself drawn to the newest member and can't get her out of his head.
Kamii is plain Jane who's given up on trying to win the heart of a man after losing her husband, and is just settling for being partner at her law firm. But when she meets Becca while reading/exercising at her local gym, they strike up a friendship that leads to Becca opening up her eyes to new and exciting possibilities. Becca is part of Preston's new sex club and when Kamii steps foot into this new world, she finds that maybe her life doesn't need to be the lifeless one she's been leading.
In the safety of the unknown, Kamii starts opening herself up in more ways than one and when one mysterious man at the sex club gains her attention she has to fight the connection that seems to get stronger by the minute. While Kamii starts to experiment, Preston finds himself unable to let her go. But when the unthinkable happens, Kamii and Preston have to work together to find the truth and they have to decide if living in the past is how they really want to spend their future.
I'm gonna be honest and admit that I reread certain sexy scenes more than once. They were scorching hot. I loved that each one was different and only got hotter as they progressed. I also loved that Kamii is the one that got to experiment and really grow while Preston was sort of on the sidelines. This isn't to say he wasn't involved; I just loved that we get to see the heroine really take what she wanted. I also need to admit that I'm currently taking applications for best friends like Becca. She was fabulous and the perfect balance for Kamii. Together these three (and in certain instances adding a few extras) kept the heat turned up and me turned on.
The love story between Kamii and Preston also developed so that I could feel their feelings start to grow. While at first I didn't quite understand Preston's motivations, as I learned more about him, his choices started to make more sense. Then the twist hit and I was blown away. I didn't expect it at all. I spent the majority of the second half of the book wracking my brain for answers. I eventually figured it out and loved the surprise even if some parts were a bit unlikely. In the end Preston and Kamii's story came full circle and I was left with a huge smile on my face and new panties.
Reviewed by Paige
★★☆ 4 "Sexy" Stars ☆★★
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GIVEAWAY (INT):
(10 winners) Masquerade mask, ebook, bookmark
About the Author:
Lauren Runow is the author of two Adult Contemporary Romance novels, Unwritten and Rewritten.
When Lauren isn't writing, you'll find her listening to music that speaks to her, at her local CrossFit, reading, or at the baseball field or skatepark with her boys. Her only vice is coffee, and she swears it makes her a better mom!
Lauren is a graduate from the Academy of Art in San Francisco and is the founder and co-owner of the community magazine she and her husband publish. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons.
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