Hot Summer Nights Erotic Bloghop

Welcome to the Hot Summer Nights Erotic Bloghop by Skye Warren.  There are books to be won and a $100 Gift Card to Eden Fantasy's to be won, too.  I'm giving away a $25 GC to either Amazon or B&N, just for leaving a comment.  :)  Good luck.  The contest/hop runs until Sunday so you have plenty of time to get to the other blogs.  I have posted the linky code at the bottom.
What makes good erotica?  We've all read good erotica and some pretty bad erotic out there.  Don't laugh because you know that you have.  Do you ever get tired of reading the same old, same old erotica?  Insert slot a to slot b?  Maybe throw in slot c for giggles? 

I know what you are thinking at this point?  But Harlie, you review erotica, follow erotica authors and promo the hell out them.  Well, for Harlie, erotic needs to be toned down a bit.  Horrors, you say!!!!  I want real character development; characters that I can actually care about and cheer for in their relationship.  Characters having sex and often just for the sake of selling a book is a big turnoff for me.  If I want that, I can surf the Internet for free porn. 

I'm giving you a review of one of the best books that I have read so far this year.  It has everything that I'm looking for in an erotic story.

The Diplomat's Daughter is one of those rare books in erotica that encompasses the whole story from page one.  Yes, its that good and a bit different.  Let me know explain.

The setting of the book is in the 60's in Turkey during a time of political unrest, social barriers, cultural differences and when women realized that they held their own lives in their hands; not their parents.  Sometimes letting go of the family ties that bind and following your heart to true love is truly the best thing for you.

When we meet Vivian, she is sitting in her college class bored to tears.  Someone catches her eye and realizes that her childhood friend, Levent, is in her class.  Heart in her throat and aching in her belly, she realizes that she must talk to him.  Ask him what happened all those years ago when they were children and he left her. 

Levent can't believe that his childhood friend Vivian is in his class.  Knowing that he wants her but can't have her is killing him.  After all, she is an American diplomat's daughter.  Socially and economically they shouldn't and can't be together.  Or can they?

I fell in love with Vivian and Levent from the first page of this book.  You could feel the tension building from that very page and it never stopped until the very last page.  What could have been a quick roll in the hay between the two was only made sweeter when they actually did get together.  Vivian is a virgin in the book and finding her own sexuality when she sees Levent again, only awakes it more.  Levent on the other hand, wants her more than he could ever want another woman but cultural differences and social barriers prevent him from acting on them.

Here's the link to more of the review: 

Review for The Diplomat's Daughter

I know shameless plug but I have some other recommendations for you too.  Feel free to agree or disagree with me.  I love a good book discussion.

Here is a list of recommendations from me, Harlie, for your reading enjoyment.  Some I've reviewed on the blog and some I haven't.

Established couples/married couples:

The Filthy Book by Lily Harlem
anything by Cindy Jacks
Do Over by Mari Carr

BDSM:

Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin
Cherise Sinclair
Kallyspos Masters
Shayla Black

Short Novellas:

Ann Mayburn
Casea Major
Cari Quinn

Steampunk:

Cari Silverwood
Cindy Spenser Page

Straight Contemporary:

Erin Nicholas
Mari Carr
Kelly Jamison
Lily Harlem
Cari Quinn

Menage:

Kelly Jamison
Lily Harlem
Shayla Black

Favorite Series:

The Turks by Liz Crowe
Wicked Series by Shayla Black
Wild Irish Series by Mari Carr
Motor City by Cindy Spencer Pape

Paranormal:

Michelle Hauf
Moira Rogers
Eden Bradley's Vamps
Cindy Spencer Pape

I know that you are probably seeing a pattern but these are my go-to authors in that particular genre/sub-genre.  I have other authors that are my go-to's but its hard to classify them.  I'm just now getting into the harder, grittier erotica which I'm liking.

Am I too opinionated for my own good?  Probably but that's what makes a good reviewer and book blogger. 

Don't forget to follow the linky code for more chances to win. 

Linky Code