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Reader Reviews All the reviews below were posted in public sites. To those kind enough to speak well of my work: Thank you. |
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Wildwood |
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"WILDWOOD by Janine Ashbless
is an erotic paranormal book that will knock your socks off. I loved
every element of this story. Ms. Ashbless has created a story with sexy
men, a woman who loves to have sex, and mystical, terrifying creatures
that come out to play in the dark. Avril is a gardener who loves
everything about her job and is extremely happy to work in Wildwood.
She’s very attracted to Michael, but has a rule, never get
involved with her boss. I like his persistence to get her into his bed
anyway that he can. While she thinks about his proposal, she meets
another interesting man. Ash lives in the Wildwood, and will do just
about anything to protect the one thing, Michael wants to possess.
Avril is instantly attracted to the woods, but isn’t sure
about the man who lives there. The more I got to know about Ash, the
sexier I found him. This seemed to be true for Avril as well, and
before long, she is slipping out from under one man to see the other.
What she doesn’t know, is that both are magi: powerful
magicians. Both of them are willing to use her to get to the other,
until one of the men learns to trust and starts to fall in love. The
erotic scenes between Avril and Michael, and also between Avril and
Ash, were some of the hottest I have read. I was delighted by the
mystical creatures in this story. They are part-human and part-animal,
and I was completely fascinated with this aspect. The ending was most
excellent and was not what I imagined. The only disappointment was that
this story ended too soon. Rating: A Dark Angel Recommended Read" "Janine Ashbless tells quite a fascinating story in Wildwood. The unique characters practically put a spell on the audience as they thrust into a robust read that captivates. I like the name of Avril, it is unusual, and listening to her tell of her adventures in the wood is like a breath of fresh air. The scenes with Avril and the wood, along with the moments she shares with Michael are blazing. I like the bringing in of Ash along with the paranormal that spins within the wood. The suspense could be felt with this reader along with the jaw-dropping ending. This story is extremely hot to the touch. Rating: 4 cups" |
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Bear Skin |
| Dark Angel Reviews "When Hazel is approached by a bear, yes, I said a bear, in the bookstore where she works, she’s kind of blown away, to say the least. Somehow he overheard her complaining about her job so he offers to take her away, to become his one true love. Introducing himself as Arailt, he whisks her away to his abode where Hazel discovers a whole new side to Arailt…a non-human side. Passion and romance soon leads the way to a possible happily ever after for our hero and heroine. BEAR SKIN is provocative, sexy and downright out of this world. Janine Ashbless really created a new dynamic with a bear-shifter, a creature I have not had the pleasure to read about before. Since I am a huge fan of these genres, I had great expectations from these authors and Janine Ashbless definitely delivered. I was quickly drawn into this story, kept on the edge of my seat and I felt like a voyeur through some parts (not that that’s a bad thing!). Hazel and Arailt are red-hot and the passion that broke loose when they were alone together. It was like someone hooked them up to dynamite. Arailt is one grizzly I wouldn’t mind cuddling up to for a long time to come. Rating: A Dark Angel Recommended Read" Coffee Time Romance
"Janine Ashbless carries her readers into a remarkable tale that not only delights but sizzles with fervent passion. Bear Skin is an eye-opening read, with imagination and magic at its best. This is one cuddle bear that brings on the thrills. Enchanted is rich in passion, romance, suspense, and some sizzling sensual pleasures. Each of the characters are well-developed and vibrant in all their actions. I found the stories to be wonderfully sketched, with a visual detail that enhance the read further. For the reader looking for that little extra, Janine Ashbless, Olivia Knight and Leonie Martel go the extra mile in this assortment of tales. Their sounding voices bring on creative imaginations, and emotions that explode leaping into the reader’s heart. I still have Bear Skin etched in my head, the story is so powerful. Rating: 4 cups"
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The House of Dust |
Forum Magazine (Vol 42 No.8) "Read this, and you won't be disappointed." The House of Dust - Review by Sensual: "The House of Dust is a dark, gothic and passionate erotic tale of pain and passion that is not for the faint hearted. Sexy and sizzling, Ms. Ashbless has written a novella you will not easily forget!" **** The House of Dust - Review by Madame Butterfly "Ishara is a priestess who channels Inanna, Queen of Heaven and earth and deity worshiped by all. She’s been chosen as the one to participate in The Great Marriage, a ceremony in which she marries the King and is his partner for 9 days of the year in order that Inanna is happy and bestows abundance upon the land. Although Ishara is with king Tamuz as Inanna, she as herself is so in love with him as well. When Tamuz suddenly dies and his evil half brother becomes king and renounces the Great Marriage with Inanna, Ishara wants to bring back Tamuz from the dead. In order to do so though, she must go through the 7 gates to the underworld, something that has only been done once and is not sure to work. I really enjoyed this story mainly because of the ideal in it. As Ishara goes through the 7 gates, she is stripped one by one of all of what is false in her and ends up coming to the priestess of the underworld with nothing but her pure love for Tamuz. She is used to being treated with the utmost respect and adoration, but then is debased non-stop until she is just her selfless essence, and I absolutely got turned on by this. Grade: A" The House of Dust - review by Coffee Time Romance "This story is darkness and pain. Ishara is subjected to multiple degrees of sexual degradation and pain. Ms. Ashbless gives her readers a walk on the dark side, and does a fabulous job doing it. Each story in this anthology is wonderfully erotic and sensual. There is diversity and sensuality to all of the characters, and the sexuality is not limited to male/female relations. I found House of Dust to be a little on the dark side, but just as wonderfully written. Ill Met by Moonlight is more contemporary, which I really love, and The Dragon Lord is like a fairy tale for adults. The reader is swept up in one amazing tale after another. I enjoyed each and every one, and recommend this steamy hot read! Rating: 4 cups"Enjoy a Supernatural Session! "I feel quite the erotica connoisseur these days - I'm devouring Black Lace left, right and centre. And yet I continue to stumble over these gems... Magic and Desire is a book containing three supernatural erotic novellas from esteemed Black Lace ladies Portia da Costa, Janine Ashbless and Olivia Knight. I've read lots of Portia's books and stories, but the other two authors were new to me, so I was looking forward to reading somebody new. The first story of the three, House of Dust is by Janine Ashbless and tells the story of a priestess-cum-goddess whose job it is to bless the King of her country by making love to him. And although she hasn't admitted it to anyone, and hardly allows herself to believe it, she's in love with the current King, so when he becomes ill, she rushes to his bedside. The young, strong, King has a sudden illness and Ishara suspects foul play. However, with no way of proving it, and no way of curing the King, he passes away. Ishara is distraught, and whilst deep in her despair, comes up with a plan to get the man she loves back. She will venture to the Underworld, a highly dangerous place and risk her own life for that of the King. What follows is an incredibly erotic tale - Ishara engages in all kinds of sexual acts, debases herself to pleasure others but eventually gets what she desires. An incredibly hot story - but I'd have enjoyed more physical descriptions of the characters."
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Burning
Bright
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| Erotica Readers and Writers'
Association: I can't paste it here but there's a good Review by Lisabet Sarai Forum Magazine (Vol 21, no.2): “Veraine was a commander in the Imperial army and Myrna was the high priestess her stole away from her temple. As they attempt to make a new life together they are attacked by reivers: Myrna is taken to be a slave of the evil Tiger Lords, while Veraine is beaten and left for dead. Piecing together fragments of memory, Veraine begins to search for his lost love, but there are many erotic temptations on his way, while life with the Tiger Lords is so brutal and short he may not arrive in time… Black Lace is branching out heavily into paranormal erotica this year, attempting to emulate the success of authors such as Laurell K. Hamilton and Sherrilyn Kenyon (but with better writing standards…), so expect lots of novels involving vampires, shape-shifters and general spookiness. If they’re all up to the standard of Burning Bright then it’s a gamble which should pay off. There’s an art to making you believe in characters who are part-human, part-animal and Ashbless clearly possesses it. Personally I don’t particularly like lots of death and dollops of gore with my erotica, but the fight scenes are carried off well, and the Eastern tinges of mysticism which are woven into the plot and the characters’ belief systems hold everything together nicely. And the sex never takes second place to the plot twists, which is always the danger with this type of erotica genre. Careful, this one burns…” |
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Cruel
Enchantment
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Reflection's Edge e-zine: I can't
paste it here but here's their:
Superb
twists applied to familiar mythological scenarios..., An excellent book!, Its like a game of Dungeons and
Dragons for grown ups ....,
Imaginative and sexy “I picked this book up at the airport to have something to read and I couldn't put it down until I was done! The only problem was finding a place where I could read it ALONE. This is a wonderful collection of stories with interesting and intriguing plots and characters...and, yes, lots of sex. I thought that any one of these stories could've been expanded to a full length novel, the characters were so well drawn. I think that's what is lacking in a lot of erotica. The sex is so much hotter when you actually identify with the characters. This is one I will re-read often and I think my husband will reap the benefits!” |
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Divine
Torment
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t'Sade gives Divine Torment 5 Stars and a thumbs-up! "This is an erotic fantasy that I really can't compare my own writing to. There is a certain sense of richness in the words, but it isn't the overpowering descriptions that I enjoy so much. The details are terse but lovely, giving you just a hint of impressions and forcing your mind to make up much of the rest of the details. This, in itself, is a wonderful trait and Janine has a lovely way of expanding that details to the characters. Some of them are built up with lovely layers, mostly focusing on their sexual highlights of their life, which is appropriate in an erotic novel. The main characters are well done, with themes of free will and pre-destiny working very well together, along with a gritty descriptions of military life in a wonderfully crafted fantasy world." Read the full review here.
Erotic fantasy deep from within
a highly creative mind .. WOW “I've read a few dozen of the Black Lace offerings, various authors, and with a few exceptions found most of the books completely forgettable. This book is truly an exception to that statement. I found the main characters well developed and extremely interesting; the story line completely engaging; the sense of place created fascinating; and the author’s use of the language very well done. Oh, and I also found both the story and the characters very high charged and totally erotic. Most of the Black Lace novels just seem silly, as though the authors are simply babbling flat nonsense in between formulaic sex scenes between characters whose only interest in one another is a mutual itch to scratch. The authors/stories forget all about passion, obsession, longing and an intellectual as well as physical intimacy which is what makes a story truly erotic. This book was impossible to put down and a few months later the story and the characters are still very much in my thoughts.” |