Bewitching Book Tours Book Review W/Guest Post: My Wicked Gladiator

Author: Lauren Hawkeye
Title: My Wicked Gladiator
Publisher: Avon Red
Publish Date: May 15,2012 (Digital)
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Edelweiss and Bewitching Book Tours
Review: This was truly one of the most unique plots I've seen in quite awhile when it comes to erotica. I read Lauren's Erotic Me Spice Brief's series last winter and I really enjoyed them, so I jumped at this one.

My Wicked Gladiators combines historical romance and erotica, and it does it well. There's plenty of sex and voyeurism and ample plot to make this a really good read. I've been reading more erotica lately and most of it has disappointed me. This book did not.

Here's why you should read it. (Assuming erotica is your thing)

1. There's a strong heroine that knows her own mind. (And this is ancient Rome so it could be easy to write about a women that falls under the feet of the men).

2. She grows as a character throughout the story, which means there is plot!

3. Her wicked gladiators are smoking hot! I love the relationship she shares with Marcus and Caius. I also love the relationship they have with each other. I would have enjoyed a bit more M on M here.

4. Alba is very forward thinking. She treats the slaves like they are people, which didn't happen often in ancient Rome. I wish there would have been more with her slave girl, who was more than just a friend to her.

5. The romance actually works in this story.

I really enjoyed this story. Mostly because there was story along with the sex, and that's usually what keeps me from liking a lot of the erotic fiction out there right now.  It was also a short read, a little over 200 pages. I think that it was the perfect length. Just long enough to so that the sex and the story worked well together. A definite must read for fans of erotic romance!


Rating:  4 flowers

Guest Post: Erotica is in again.

As a writer who first sat down at the computer about five years ago, when erotica was hot last time, this is a huge relief. Many writers pen stories in a plethora of genres, but chances are that only one or two feel like “home” to them. Erotica is that home to me.

I have been teased many a time about writing erotica... people I know say that the stories are “smut”, “not real books”, even that they are “porn”. I used to get mad... now I just laugh. Why? Because the genre was hot five years ago for a reason, and it’s hot again now for the same one.

People like to read erotica.

There are some books out there that are strictly about the sex. There’s nothing wrong with those—they’re just not my cup of tea. In My Wicked Gladiators, I was aiming for some sort of depth, for a book with imperfect characters that people could relate to. I don’t know if I’ve achieved it, but even though it’s a sexy read, I reached way down into myself to pull that story out. I’m proud of it.

Thankfully, there a ton of stories in the erotica genre that are also amazing stories, stories with real people who have real issues.

I’ve listed my favorites here. What are some of yours?

1.    50 Shades of Grey by EL James (if you haven’t read this yet, run—don’t walk—to your Kindle!)

2.    Fear of Flying by Erica Jong (not super erotic, but sexy regardless—and it was considered hot stuff for its time)

3.    Bound by Sasha White (this book was my intro to the very naughty side of things—so good!)

4.    Tempted by Megan Hart (Alex—what else can I say?)

5.    The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by A.N. Roquelare (aka Anne Rice) (hot, hot hot)

About the Author
Lauren Hawkeye is a writer, theatre enthusiast, knitting aficionado and animal lover who lives in the shadows of the great Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada.
She’s older than she looks—really—and younger than she feels—most of the time—and she loves to explore the journeys that take women through life in her stories.

Visit Lauren online
http://www.laurenhawkeye.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lauren-Hawkeye/242742355752846
http://twitter.com/#!/Lauren_Hawkeye