Dear Ms. Leigh:
I know that we have been harshing on you here and I thought maybe we haven’t given you a fair shake. Just because I was totally icked out by your erotica version of the 7 Brides for 7 Brothers concept (where instead of singing and dancing in the snow, the brothers are gang banging one bride after another), and Jayne was turned off by your MagiCK story, doesn’t mean that you aren’t a good writer, right? when I was knocking around Samhain Publishing the other day, I gave you another shot. Excuse me, chance. I really am going to have to choose my words carefully in this letter.
Oh, where to begin. The book opens with Jessie finally capitalizing on her heart’s desire, Slade. Since she was 16 she has wanted this man and she is fed up with him sleeping with every other woman but her. Slade has wanted Jessie since she was 16 but felt she was too young. His male urges are so strong for her, that in order to keep her pure, he sleeps with every woman in the county.
What the hell was wrong with him? He had never had a problem going after what he wanted, and damned if he didn't want her. Hell, he needed her and he knew it. No one else could still the raging hunger riding him day and night as her birthday drew closer. God knew he had tried.
He'd spent a week the month before fucking his former F.B.I. partner Amy Jennings dry, night after night, and it still
hadn't helped. He thought of Jessie. He dreamed of Jessie. Why the hell didn't he just fuck her and get it over with?
Yes, this guy is a real prince. Why didn’t he just fuck her and get it over with? He finally does, and after taking her virginity in ALL ways, Jessie and Slade are a couple. They vow their love for each other and bliss ensues for one weekend. (I’ll never really understand why anal sex is de riguer in erotica but it’s like the carriage sex scene in regencies, all books in those genres must have them or else! Is there a “how to write erotica handbook”? Did you all go to the same writers’ convention? What?) Harsh reality sets in on Monday because Slade had been working on some undercover thingy dingy (he’s both an FBI agent and a Homeland Security agent) and now must pretend to be married to his partner (someone he shagged ferociously in order to protect Jessie until she was of an age to endure his massive sexuality), in order to take down some dangerous criminals. I never really understood why posing as a married man was so important but it was.
Slade goes to Jessie and breaks her heart in order for her to be able to move on and forget him rather than have her hope for a reconciliation. This was decent of him. He asks his two best friends and business partners to watch over her. And off he goes for FIVE years. When he returns, his wife has died and he wants Jessie back.
Now comes the really awful parts (as if the beginning wasn’t bad enough). During the time that Jessie and Slade were apart, his friend and business partner has sex with Jessie a few times - just to take the edge off. His reasoning? He was protecting her for Slade. And everyone from Slade to Jessie accepted this. Slade was content that it was Jazz having sex with Jessie rather than some other guy.
But wait, it gets worst. Slade slept with Amy, his wife, who he really hated and had a child with her. And not after a long time of waiting and pining for Jessie, but like days (the wedding night with Amy). That was really the kicker.
I hear you have fans, and rabid ones at that. Good for you. I ain’t one of them. F for you.
Best regards,
Jane
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Open Threads at Dear Author. Want to know what new releases are out this month and what readers are excited about reading? Check out the threads below. 
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Yeesh. So a guy who’s not man enough to just remain celibate for awhile (or hell, just have him masturbate) is supposed to be romance hero worthy?? Bah.
What a creep (the author and the hero)…nice! The story makes me a little ill..doesn’t sound too romantic to me. So much for true love!
If you didn’t enjoy Loving Lies, there’s just no point in you trying to get into the Breeds books then, I loved them, but they really aren’t for everybody. My fave Lora Leigh book is Elizabeth’s Wolf. You should try that one as a last ditch effort. If you hate it, then, you should just give up reading her stuff altogether *g*
Hey, this is some reader’s fantasy! Older guy, younger girl who is just waiting for the right guy to release her from her virginity. However, it’s not one of mine. I hear Ms. Leigh is really popular and I’ve been curious - but you’ve more than satisfied my curiosity on this author’s work. It’s not for me.
Her “seven brides for seven brothers concept” was enough to send me screaming in the other direction, and throwing books at the wall. After reading 2 out of the 4 books in that series I realized–NOPE not for me.
I don’t grasp the attraction to her books, but hey, they’re popular, so someone’s loving them.
I don’t have any comments on this book *grin* but gosh, golly gee ;) I hope you find a Samhain book you like.
Karen: I’ll put this on the list but I think I am Lora Leigh’ed out.
TaraMarie: She is incredibly popular. I see her name recommended over and over for “hot” reads. And she does write “hot” stuff but it’s her characters I can’t get past.
AngieW: I ain’t giving up on Samhain!
LOL Well I have to go sit by Karen, I like her stuff and liked this book more than the last two I have read.
And I read all FOUR of the August men books ;). hee in fact I took the ones off tara’s hands so she wouldn’t dent the walls.
But I have a way high squick tolerance and don’t read to put myself in the story or fall in love with the hero or heroine or have any want to be the heroine. I want to enjoy the story, the plot and the writer has to sell me on her character and why they will lurve each other forever and evah. But with romantica/erotic romance whatever you want to call it, I factor in different things. Eh I am gonna ramble forever. So I will shut up now.
Samhain has some great stories and I think something for everyone. But Lora Leigh, I think you are right you aren’t gonna like.
Although I did enjoy Elizabeth’s Wolf *eg*. And Keishon, yeah I doubt you would like her.
Off topic: not long ago I had that wp-spoiler plug-in installed, but it didn’t work [I did everything it asked me to do - I think]. How did you do it? Is there some magick going on? :)
Jane can do anything with this stuff. She’s amazing. But I’d like to know how she did it too!
The spoiler plug in can be downloaded here:
http://www.navidazimi.com/projects/wp-spoiler/
(there are couple of different spoiler plug ins but I think this one is rather elegant).
Then you have to add this code to your theme’s “css” stylesheet.
Then, in the post itself, you would type blah blah blah
< spoiler >blah blah blah< / spoiler >(without the spaces)I did note that the spoiler shows up on the RSS feed. Haven’t gotten around to emailing the author on that.
That is the one I used and it didn’t work. I’ve amended style.css and the like. *scratches head* Hm, I will give it another go since it works in your case. Cheers for the pointers. :D
Maili, Jane does a lot of neat stuff that I ask her about and then she’ll explain it to me using only simple words of one syllable. Then I try it and fail and she rolls her eyes and ends up doing whatever I couldn’t.
I’ve never read Lora Leigh before, but I was considering this book. The problem was that while the blurb makes it sound like it’s got all the right stuff to satisfy me, I’ve been disappointed before. Lucky for me I decided to research reviews and stumbled on yours! Erotica is fine, but if we slap a romance label on it, let’s have a hero that is actually likeable. To each his own, but it sounds to me like Slade didn’t know how to keep it in his pants or show any sort of true devotion to Jessie, rather than just plain possession. He loves her, but he sleeps around right after he gets the girl of his dreams? Undercover assignment or not, there are ways around sleeping with your “wife”. How about saying no? I like my heroes human, but Slade doesn’t sound like he qualifies as much more than a hounddog.
Looking forward to your other reviews!
Probably the best erotic romance by Lora Leigh that I read was Forbidden Pleasures. You might want to check that one out. There’s actually a hilarious video on YouTube featuring a bunch of college students reading aloud from the book.
I just finished Hidden Agenda and my first Lora Leigh…I loved it and can’t wait to read some of the others. Keri
I have never typed on a blog before and stumbled upon this by chance. I would like to say that I have read most of Lora Leigh’s books and would have to agree with most of what was said above with a few exceptions. I myself couldn’t read the August books or the Bound Hearts series, I could never understand how sharing your love brings you closer to them.
I would recommend the last of the Nauti Series, Nauti Dreams. It is a very touching story and romance. There is some erotica but nothing hard core like some of her books. Also, from the Seal books I would recommend Hidden Agendas and Killer Secrets for the same reason.
As for the Breed series I think you have to like a little of the Sci-fi to enjoy these but Dawns Awakening and Kiss of Heat were the more romantic and touching of the stories.
I tend to like more love and commitment so I do agree that alot of her books include too much sharing, older man lusting after girls since they are 16 and that sort of nonsense.