Samhain Publishing, $4.50, ISBN 978-1-60928-473-2
Fantasy Romance, 2011
You know all those contemporary stories featuring some good girl determined to go wild and have fun only to fall in love with the first bloke who rescues her from the path she has set for herself? Of course you do – it’s hard to navigate the seas of contemporary romance, especially “sexy” category romances, without being smacked in the face by at least ten times by this plot. Beverly Rae’s Magical Sex is the paranormal version of this plot.
Allie Tristan can’t have sex. She is a succubus who is just getting her powers, and until she learns how to control her sexy mojo, she can only see but not touch the goods. We don’t want the guy at the receiving end of her attentions to die, after all. Until that glorious day arrives, she has to help her sisters run the local bakery. There’s a joke in there somewhere, I’m sure of it.
Allie’s lips plumped up more, going into full pout mode. “No. I don’t want to. Damn it. I’m tired of hiding in back rooms whenever you two want to talk about me.” She waved her hands at the glassy-eyed onlookers. “Or whenever there’s a man around. Can’t you give me an answer, Hilly? When am I going to get my cherry busted having raunchy sex?”
By the way, Allie’s 21. She could have fooled me, judging from how she pouts and demands to be allowed to have her cherry busted – I initially pegged her to be 15.
Tom Halloran, who runs the local bar, is a player who never thinks of settling down with a woman until he sees Allie. You can guess what happens when he meets Allie, I’m sure.
Magical Sex is a light-hearted romp, but perhaps that is where the problem lies. It doesn’t have much character development, as it focuses mostly on Allie wanting to get laid by any Tom, Dick, Harry, Jerry, Steve, Charlie, Peter, Dick, Willie, Johnny, Rocky, and other exploding bananas. So what makes Tom so special? I have no idea. Maybe if this story had been longer and the author had taken the opportunity to develop the romance, then maybe I’d be convinced that this is the love of a lifetime. As it is, I think poor Tom is just another stepping stone in Allie’s noble quest to enjoy… er, life… to the hilt.
