Review of "Heavenly Revenge" by Victoria Black

What's New to Review ~ Wednesday!

It's been another fabulous week here and I've been a part of some great things! I had another submission accepted for a "sweet" anthology, my newsletter went out on Sunday without a hitch, and I was able to participate in a live Facebook chat with the lovely editors of Ellora's Cave. They had some valuable information and some that really comes into play today.

A question was asked about the difference between Erotic Romance and Erotica. Marchae, one of the editors chiming in with answers did an amazing job at covering this question.

• The primary difference between erotica and erotic romance is the development of a relationship between the main characters. If characters overcome emotional obstacles and find a happy ever after (sometimes happy for now), it is usually considered an erotic romance. If characters are on a sexual journey that involves exploration of their sexuality without the development of a long-term relationship or romance in the process, it is usually an erotica story. Because the two are so close, it can be confusing.~Marchae

There, you see! She hit it right on the nose! This week's read "Heavenly Revenge" starts off very much like a strictly erotica story. It isn't until about half way through the book that you understand that a mounting attraction between the two main characters is beginning to build and its not just about sex anymore, turning this read into an erotic romance! (And a pretty damned good one, too!)

The Book:

"Heavenly Revenge" is a novella put out by Secret Cravings Publishing and written by Victoria Black. Released in January of 2013, this 27k story is probably the longest I have reviewed on my site. (For my regular readers, I'm sure you've noticed I prefer the quickies!) When Ms. Black asked me to review this for her, I must say at first I was hesitant just because of the extra length. However, the pause was not long as I read the blurb. This was different, and a book I knew I wanted to share with you all. Reading time was approximately three hours. Now, that being said, I really believe I am becoming a faster reader with all of these books I've been reading lately. Let's put it this way, it's about half the size of a Harlequin serial. So now you have an idea about how long it would take for you to read it.

The Plot:

And here comes the unusual. Our heroine is dead. Yep, you heard me. And I'm not giving away anything here because you figure that out in the first two pages of the book. But, she wasn't supposed to die yet. Heaven's not ready for her. So, she has two choices. Hang around Earth haunting people, including her cheating-ex, or go live life in an alternate universe and save the world. Um... hello? Bad-ass chick check... SAVE THE WORLD!
The hero? An arrogant king, who is at war with neighbors and believes her to be a spy. Can we say punishment :-)

The Verdict:

I'm really on the fence about this one. The ending was spectacular. An assured happily ever after and what not. But the first meeting of this pair is rather rough and hard to take. The first sexual encounter happens early in the book, but it isn't under the best of terms. There was that moment that I almost put the book down because I thought it was too close to unwanted sex. (I'm so glad I didn't!) In fact the heroine keeps telling him to stop & he keeps persisting until finally she gives in and he has his way with her. Now, she enjoys every bit of it & even urges him to continue. The games continue throughout the rest of the book, and it is an enthralling read, but that first scene was rough. So, I've thought a lot about it and I have to say this is....

It's a "Four Cups of Love" read!

Get your copy at these locations! ~ $4.99

Secret Cravings Publishing
Amazon
BookStrand

Stay tuned for next week, when I'll be hosting TWO amazing authors and their hottest new releases! 

And don't forget to sign up for my newsletter in the top right of the page so you can get access to the review, two brand new books being released, and three new submission calls!

Happy reading!

~Lisa