Hot Nights, Dark Desires

by Sydney Croft, Stephanie Tyler, Eden Bradley

Book Overview

Inspired by the sultry heat and sensual ambiance of New Orleans, this steamy collection delves into the erotic underground of the Big Easy. Here is a tantalizing trio of stories by three rising stars... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553385178
• ISBN13: 9780553385175
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Love It

I loved all the stories in this book It was Hot from the 1st story 2 the last 1

Hot, Hot, Hot Read

"The Art of Desire", written by Eden Bradley. Sophie is a paranormal fiction writer who has escaped her family and the strict rules of her Roman Catholic upbringing. She retains emotional scars from her family's lack of support with respect to her lifestyle choices and the rigidity surrounding their expectations as to 'how she should live her life'. Sophie's friend Crystal introduces her to Tristan, a tattoo artist who owns his studio. Tristan is a gifted artisan who also bears emotional baggage related to family issues and losses for which he feels responsible. Sophie has, what can only be described as a fantasy obsession with tattoos. She has always wanted one but never followed through with her desire because of fear of recrimination by her family. The sexual attraction between Tristan and Sophie is immediate and overwhelming. Sophie decides she is finally going to get a tattoo and Tristan has to be the one to apply it. There is an erotic connection between Sophie and Tristan with respect to the actual act of tattooing that is extraordinarily sensuous in this story. I think it is the pain pleasure response and the permanent marking of her body that added to the eroticism between these characters. Also, because Sophie considers being tattooed to be taboo and 'naughty', it enhances her self image as a sensual being. There is also the sense of finally seeing herself as an individual, freeing herself of her family's rigid social mores. As Sophie and Tristan's relationship intensifies his self-esteem and commitment issues surface resulting in significant conflict. "The Art of Desire", is a highly sensuous story of two people who have significant emotional issues and how they manage to move beyond their `hang-ups'. This is the second Eden Bradley story I have read and I have to say, she really knows how to craft an intense relationship between her characters that `burns your fingers', while turning the pages. "Shadow Play", written by Sydney Croft. We are taken inside a mansion in this story where 'Agency for Covert Rare Operatives (ACRO)' agent `Hex' aids `Brenna St. James', an international supermodel whose fortunes have plummeted because her image can no longer be captured on film. Hex works under the guise of a photographer, however his true gift is a `spirit guide'. His character is crafted as a medium with the ability to attract the loneliest of ghosts and release them to where they need to be. Hex has been working in New Orleans under ACRO's direction following hurricane Katrina helping all the "displaced spirits", that resulted from the disaster and has completed his mission. Hex is drawn to Brenna and as he investigates her unfortunate situation discovers that a ghost has attached itself to her requiring intervention or she could be lost. Hex is a lonely but extremely sensual individual that needs to be `grounded' to another human or risk potential possession. Brenna is a career driven woman whose only desire is to return to her

great book

I really liked this book, it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Eden Bradley is really great. I would really recommend it

Five Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies!

Set in sultry New Orleans, HOT NIGHTS, DARK DESIRES includes three erotic love stories not to be missed. THE ART OF DESIRE Sophie Fiore loves tattoos. From simple to complex, she finds them erotic and entrancing. However, Sophie does not have one because of her family's potential reaction. Accompanying her friend to the tattoo parlor, Sophie can stand it no longer and allows Tristan, the sinfully gorgeous artist to tattoo her. Emotions flare and Sophie is unable to contain her desire - for Tristan and for tattoos. Tristan holds great guilt inside of him for the death of his younger brother. He feels unworthy of a woman such as Sophie and as such refuses to fall in love. Until Sophie, though, this was a pretty easy thing to do. In a matter of minutes, Tristan is ensnared by this beguiling woman and can't seem to keep his hands, and his tattoo needle, off of her. Each character in Eden Bradley's THE ART OF DESIRE, has issues concerning love and acceptance. Guilt plays a big part in their lives where there are two constants - their desire for tattoos and their desire for each other. Tristan and Sophie's love is timeless and no matter how much they fight the emotion each feels for the other, the end result is two halves becoming whole. SHADOW PLAY Hex is a member of a paranormal society that investigates ghost sightings and strives to capture those images on film. He enjoys his work and while he can't tell anyone what he does, his cover as a professional photographer makes him more than enough to live on. Having received a call from super model Brenna St. James and subsequently ignored it, Hex is surprised to find himself outside her home in the middle of the night. When he hears her scream, he must find out what is wrong. What good is a cover model that can't be photographed? Her career in shambles, flat broke, and desperately in need of a job, Brenna St. James telephoned and left a message for Hex, a famous photographer, but he never returned her call. Brenna has not been in a focused picture in months because she is being haunted and undermined by a ghost in her home. Screaming her frustration, her savior arrives in the form of Hex, the man she urgently needs in order to jump start her career. SHADOW PLAY by Sydney Croft explores the supernatural world of ghosts and the phenomena of house haunting. Hex and Brenna each are affected by ghosts and unexplained occurrences and while Hex accepts his paranormal abilities and even makes a career out of them, Brenna does not. Made fun of and forced to bear witness to her mother's idiosyncrasies as a child, Brenna just wants the entity gone so that she can move on with her life and become once again the model she is famous for being. NIGHT VISION Catie Lanford has a huge problem on her hands. She was the sole beneficiary of her uncle's ramshackle bar and wants nothing more than to get it profitable again and sell it. Hiring a cooler, a professional `butt kicker', to come in and

Three sultry stories set in the bayous of Louisiana

Bantam Dell brings three talented authors together for one great anthology as hot as the Louisiana bayous the stories are set in! While I pre-ordered my copy of HOT NIGHTS, DARK DESIRES because I'm a fan of Eden Bradley's work, authors Stephanie Tyler and Sydney Croft certainly held their own with Ms. Bradley. Each of the three stories in this anthology are outstanding. What a treat to begin reading a book for one author, and finish it with two new ones to add to my list of favorite writers. That is one of the main reasons I enjoy anthologies so much. ~THE ART OF DESIRE by Eden Bradley~ Sophie has always been fascinated by tattoos, to the point of obsession. That's why she never allowed herself one before - she's afraid she wouldn't be able to stop, and her strict religious upbringing frowns on such marking of the body. When her friend drags her along to a tattoo salon, Sophie can't deny her reaction as she watches the artist decorate her friend's skin, nor can she deny her reaction to the artist himself. Tristan is the embodiment of everything Sophie has ever fantasized about in a man. She finds herself compelled to have him do her very first tattoo. The experience is life changing - for both of them. Eden Bradley is known for her unconventional romances, and THE ART OF DESIRE ranks right up there with the best of them. Using the art and beauty of tattoos to bring Tristan and Sophie together, Bradley then builds on their connection, layering their compatibilities until there is no doubt in anyone's mind that this couple is right for each other. If only Tristan's self-image allowed him to believe he deserved the luxury of loving someone. Tristan's past is rife with pain, and before this pair can enjoy their happy ending together, he must first work through his self-recrimination. When he finally does and sees that Sophie is his chance for redemption and happiness, we have a happily ever after to rival any other. Through it all, we experience the sensual art of the tattoo, and I must say that the way Eden Bradley presents it had this reviewer, who could barely stand the pain of having her ears pierced, actually considering getting a tattoo! Perhaps one day, when I find one as meaningful to me as Sophie's are to her. Or when I meet a man like the sexy Tristan... *grin* ~SHADOW PLAY by Sydney Croft~ Brenna St. James makes her living as a well-known, high-paid supermodel. Well, she used to. That was before a ghost decided to attach himself to her and blur her image in any photo taken of her. Desperate to rid herself of the jealous phantasm, she calls the renowned ghost photographer, Hex, for assistance. Hex knows it is a bad idea to get involved with Brenna; her celebrity lifestyle wouldn't mix with his job working in the covert ACRO organization. But he just can't seem to stop himself. Love and Fate definitely work in mysterious ways, and Sydney Croft's story in this anthology is a perfect example. In SHADOW PLAY