Monday 3 February 2014

Feature: A Mediterranean Affair by Angela Aaron

A Mediterranean Affair
By Angela Aaron

A sizzling romance on the high seas!

Blurb:

When Andrea's boyfriend presents her with a romantic cruise through the Mediterranean on Cupid Cruise Lines, it seems just the inspirational backdrop needed for him to finally pop the question.  However, when her boyfriend is a no-show and sends yet another consolation gift to make up for his absence Andrea knows any hope for romance is extinguished.

Lorenzo has better things to do than play delivery boy to a spoiled cruise ship passenger.  

Returning to his native Italy, after swearing off love, he spends his time in solitude working at the vineyard. Nevertheless, when his grandfather asks him to make the special delivery, he can't refuse. From the moment he walks in on the scantily clad American woman he knows his life is about to take an unexpected turn.  

Now Andrea and Lorenzo must each let go of their past to make room for each other. Can they accept the lure of Cupid's arrow despite the miles that separate them?

**Content warning.  Explicit Scenes.

Available at Amazon, Nook, Smashwords (iTunes, Sony) and Kobo
Soon to be available in print at Amazon



 ~ * ~ 

Excerpt:

Lorenzo slammed the car door with too much gusto. He had better things to do than deliver gifts to some spoiled Yank, even if the gifts were the best bottles of vino produced at his winery. His job was the vineyard and the grapes, not playing delivery boy to spoiled cruise ship passengers.
Despite his displeasure at the prospect of driving all the way into town and to the crowded docks, Lorenzo couldn't turn down his grandfather when asked to make the delivery. He'd seemed rather distraught at the message he brought with the wine and had asked Lorenzo to pick up a bouquet of flowers to accompany the delivery. Though he hadn't revealed the details of the message inside the envelope, Lorenzo guessed it wasn't good.
"Just perfect." Lorenzo mumbled under his breath, spying the volume of passengers he would have to wade through to reach the ship. Letting out a huff, and tucking his hair behind his ears, he trudged forward into the crowd, weaving his way in and out and around until finally reaching someone who could help him. In his haste, however, he nearly knocked over the crewmember as he approached. It was the quick action of a man who dodged out of the way that prevented a collision.
"My apologies, signore, but I have a delivery for one of your passengers." Lorenzo held up the bottles of wine he juggled and waited for directions to the delivery area. The young crewmember looked at him curiously for a moment before an impish smile graced his boyish face.
"And what passenger are you here to see?" he inquired, rather hastily, scanning the sea of remaining passengers who needed to board.
Lorenzo shifted the bottles of wine into one arm and dug into his pocket. He pulled out a slip of paper. "Signorina Andrea McDonald. An American."
Half expecting to have the wine and flowers taken from him, Lorenzo was shocked when the man instead referred to his tablet, jotted something on his clipboard, took papers out of his pocket, and handed them to him.
"Well, Mr. Robinson, your lovely lady has already boarded."
Lorenzo looked at the number on the paper.
"It is your cabin number and ticket stub."
"But I thought.... Wait.... I'm not.... Don't I just give this to someone who will see she gets it?" Even Lorenzo knew he couldn't just wander about the ship.
"Just go to the left over there and look for the elevators. I'm sure Signorina McDonald will be very glad you have arrived and pleased with your gift."
"Wait. This isn't my gift…." Lorenzo's protest went unnoticed by the young crewmember who turned his attention to another person. Lorenzo threw a glance to the heavens then scanned the number on the papers before stuffing them in his pants pocket and heading in the direction the crewman had instructed him to go.
"This is ridiculous." Lorenzo grumbled, rounding one final corner, halting in front of a door with the same numbers as on the papers given him. He sighed, shifted his packages, and knocked on the door. He waited, tapping his foot impatiently. After a moment, he knocked again.
"It's open," called a female voice from the other side.
Bena. He thought Good. He was anxious to finish this task. Lorenzo turned the handle, pushed the door open with his toe, and stepped inside,
Much to his astonishment, sprawled out before him on the bed, wearing nothing more than the skimpiest lingerie, was a beautiful auburn haired woman, posed very provocatively.
"Oh merda!"
His eyes raked over the luscious vision an instant before decorum had him spinning around, turning his back to her, but not before noting her long legs and ample breasts that were barely contained by the silky material. Bella donna.

"Oh!" came the woman's surprised squeal. "Oh no. I'm so sorry."
Lorenzo could hear fabric rustling and assumed she'd covered herself. He glanced over his shoulder unable to resist one final look, smiling to himself at all that lovely flesh hastily concealed by a thick terry robe.
"I'm so sorry. I thought you were someone else. I expected…."
She was flustered, blushing and extremely embarrassed, judging by the red stain on her cheeks.
"Oh never mind," she mumbled.
Lorenzo cleared his throat. "I have a delivery for you." He lifted the bottles of wine and flowers and held them out for her.
"For me?" She took the bottles from him, still wearing the blush from her indiscretion. "Oh, my favorite wine." She giggled setting the bottles on a nearby table. "And are the flowers for me, also?"
"Si." He held out the bouquet.
Lorenzo watched as she held them up to her nose and inhaled, smiling at the aroma. While she fished in the bouquet for the card, Lorenzo turned to make his exit. That was, until he heard the wine bottles crashing to the floor. He spun around, finding she had swept them off the table. Her expression revealed her anger and what he recognized as dejection. He turned again ready to make a hasty exit when he heard her speak.
"He's not coming. My dream trip to the Mediterranean and I'm on the cruise alone." The woman flung the card and envelope to the floor.
Lorenzo watched as tears brimmed in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks as she sank down on the edge of the bed. Utter despair now replaced the sexy, sultry, playful look that only a moment ago graced her sweet face.
Time to get out of here, he thought, reaching for the doorknob and jerking open the door, not attempting to hide his apprehension. This was exactly why he didn't like to make deliveries. He didn't have any inclination to involve himself in other people's drama. He'd had enough of his own not that long ago and wanted to avoid anything remotely similar for a very long time.
Against what every instinct told him, he halted when she called out to him, and despite his best intension not to, he turned toward her. She wiped at her eyes and haphazardly reached for her purse. The sadness on her face undid him. His chest tightened then, as a flood of memories assaulted him. In his unexpected disarming, he realized she thought she had to tip him.
"No. Bella." Before she even looked up, he fled from the room.

~ * ~
Pleasure Island

Angela Aaron

Blurb:

When Cassie Douglas unknowingly arrives at a sultry tropical island resort where the sole business is to provide the perfect pleasure fantasy, Cassie finds it difficult to overcome her inhibitions and join in the fun. When she meets the sexy resort owner, Cassie must decide what is real when it comes to matters of the heart.

Ryan MacKenna isn't about to let the feisty red-head disrupt his life or his business. He lives firmly by his set of self-imposed rules which keep business and pleasure very separate. But from the first moment he meets Ms. Douglas, he is in danger of breaking every rule.


~ * ~
Review!
(This review is for the audio addition of this story, but the review still applies to the book.)
5 Stars!

I’m new to audio books, and although I love being able to hold a story in my hand, I have to say I fully enjoyed the experience of having a story told to me.
I was a child who enjoyed being read bed time stories. There was something wonderful about being cosy and listening to my mother’s voice as she did the voices of the characters. Not that my mother ever read me anything like this, of course she didn’t, but there is something nice about listening to someone else get into a story, and kinda make it their own.
Firstly, the story itself was extremely hot and fun. Angela Aaron certainly has a way with words and boy, does she know how to write a sexy story. Her men were delicious, especially the main character, Ryan; sweet yet dominant, a gentleman and yet, well, a sex god, most definitely my cup of tea.
Cassie is a very realistic heroine. She is understandably hesitant when she first arrives to the Island, and I can’t say I’d blame her, not with her history, and certainly because taking a leap into something outside your comfort zone is a big deal, but she does, and I can assure you she doesn’t regret it.
The story is about tow people letting their guards down, opening their hearts, and having one hell of a sexy adventure.
Back to the audio side . . . well, take this fabulous story and hand it to a lady with such a captivating voice and man are you in for a treat. Elizabeth Powers has a fabulous voice. It’s smooth and steady, and she punctuates the words perfectly, capturing the mood of each scene and the characters, and the best part; she does the voices! She does accents. If a character yawns, she yawns . . . I loved that.
Yes, I imagine those of you who have listened to a lot of audio will be rolling your eyes right now because you probably know all this, but I just thought it made the story all the more fun.
All in all, Pleasure Island is a fabulous, sexy read that will have you hot under the collar. The characters are great, and believe me you will sooo be wishing this Island existed by the time you reach the end. I know I did.

As an audio story . . . Get cosy, get yourself a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate, and settle down for an evening that will make you forget all about this wet, windy, and freezing weather we are having.

~ * ~
Angela online:
Website:  
http://www.angelaaaronautho.yolasite.com

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