Phaze, $6.00, ISBN 1-59426-546-1
Contemporary Erotica, 2005

Jason O’Brien first met Annabel when she was Mrs Andrew Sullivan. She was the pivotal architect who brought in plenty of business to A & A Sullivan Designs. Jason, who owns a construction firm, was about to seal a business deal with that company when he ended up witnessing Annabel, Andrew, and Andrew’s secretary/new girlfriend in an icy confrontation right before Annabel hinted to Jason not to accept any deal with the company because she was going to divorce Andrew and taking her talent with her.

Cut to two years later. Annabel is moved on to interior decorating in Atlanta while Jason is still the owner of his construction company. He has been attracted to her since they first met so when they bump into each other in a bar, he’s happy to see her since she’s now single and available. She’s not so pleased. Never mind, Jason and her end up working together on a project so he has plenty of opportunities to change her mind.

Waking Annabel is a simple straightforward story of Jason wooing Annabel into his bed and into the rest of his life. Annabel is a pretty familiar heroine with the same old song about lousy exes who can’t give her the big O. Jason is a pretty straightforward hero – he doesn’t have many issues and he’s just this nice guy who woos Annabel. There is nothing much to be said about this story other than it’s a very readable story. There is not much depth to it but it’s an entertaining story nonetheless. Annabel doesn’t act like a neurotic “All men must die because I married a bastard” caricature and she doesn’t fight too hard to resist Jason. As a story of a woman being wined and dined and shagged to bliss by a man much better than her ex-husband, this one isn’t bad at all.