No trip to Paris is complete without a ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower. But before the elevator arrives at the top of the tower, Raine’s fear of heights takes over, and she faints. The next thing she knows, she’s lying on a plush sofa, being cared for by a gorgeous blonde Frenchman.
Blaise is a much-younger man who bares a striking resemblance to the porn star Jacques Le Grand. But Raine decides that, despite his surprisingly blunt (and rather explicit) proposal, he can’t be the same man. After all, why would a porn star be interested in her? So, unable to resist his advances, she gives in to, um, Passion in Paris.
The latest in Wilder Rose Press’ Destination Pleasure series, author Helen Hardt’s Passion in Paris is definitely steamy, but there’s little else to go on. By page two, Raine finds herself in Blaise’s apartment. They chat for a bit, and both are immediately taken by their intense attraction—and it doesn’t take long for them to act on it. We never get to know much about Raine, other than that she’s 43, divorced, and afraid of heights. And Blaise, well, he’s gorgeous and French. What more do you need?
Apparently, I need a bit more—because the whole thing just seemed a bit silly to me. Sure, it’s steamy—and if that’s all you’re looking for, you’ll most likely be satisfied with this quick and spicy read. But I often found myself rolling my eyes at the characters’ instantaneous race to the bedroom—and the bluntness with which the two characters go into (and talk about) their “one-afternoon stand.”
Colleen has often struggled with the lack of character development in some of the short ebooks that she’s read, but I’ve never really had the same problem—until now. The whole thing just seemed like an excuse to write a sex scene without having to worry about developing the characters or the plot. And that made the story feel rather empty and shallow.
Of course, if the steamy bits are the only things you really care about, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth with Passion in Paris. But if you’re looking for a bit of story to go with your sex scenes, you’ll find it lacking.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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