Format read: ebook from author
Formats available: ebook
Genre: time-travel romance, erotic romance, novella
Series: All Mine #2, 1Night Stand
Length: 39 pages
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Purchasing Info:Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks

Anya’s wish for a normal date—away from the old man she is caretaker for—comes true in unexpected ways when she finds herself whisked to an ancient Irish stone circle on solstice eve.

Carrick’s decision to follow the path to become an Ovate druid has not come lightly, and he plans to spend the solstice eve in meditation unless fairies or evil spirits disrupt the circle. When a feisty girl walks right up to the fire, more than sparks fly.

They each seek healing and a connection, but the darkness of summer is short, and once the solstice sun breaks through the circle at dawn, the magic of the night will be over. Even Madame Eve can’t stop the day from rising.

The story of Druid, Mine sounds a lot like the one from the first book in Kerry Adrienne’s All Mine series. And it’s almost as much fun the second time around. But not quite.

Anya seeks out Madame Eve’s services because she just wants a normal date…and she doesn’t have any way of getting one when all of her time is taken up being caretaker to an old man. He’s not family, it’s a job. But she’s traded security for any chance at her own life. Why, we don’t know.

Carrick is a mystery. He the druid in this story, and he’s just about to take his vows as an Ovate. Vows that will cut him off from his own society, but will allow him to travel in time, something he does believe in.

There’s that sticky time thing again. We don’t know exactly when Carrick is in time, but he’s way closer Darius than to us, both in time and in location. Carrick is in what we will call Ireland, and maybe less than a century before Darius’ Rome in Senator, Mine. And he has even less idea what he’s in for than Darius did. But he is questioning whether he’s ready to take his vows.

Carrick is tending the fires the night before the Summer Solstice, just outside a standing stone circle. It’s the longest night. From his perspective, one of the fay asks him if he wants one last night with a woman, before he has to be celibate forever. He’s a man, of course he says yes.

Anya is dropped off on in the middle of his lonely vigil. She knows she contracted for a 1Night Stand. She did not expect Carrick, or time travel.

They each get one perfect, beautiful night. A glorious sunrise directly over the standing stones of the henge. And a choice that comes all too soon.

Escape Rating B-: The relationship between Anya and Carrick is sensuous and beautiful, but the problem is that as a love story, this just wasn’t complete for me. Senator, Mine may have needed less backstory because the Roman period is so familiar. The Celtic Druids are very mysterious, and not a lot is known. With such a short story, the problem is that not a lot is known about Carrick’s background or the choices he is facing. We know he’s unhappy, but why? What is driving him to this lonely life? Being ripped out of time is a desperate choice, even for love. I needed to know more to make this work as well as Senator, Mine, but I still had fun with the parts of the story that encapsulated their night by the henge.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Format read: ebook from Author
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Time travel romance, erotic romance, novella
Series: All Mine #1, 1Night Stand
Length: 40 pages
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Purchasing Info:Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks

Eleanor’s romantic tour of Italy shatters when her long-time boyfriend dumps her in Pompeii. Hoping an evening with a handsome Roman might save her trip, she contacts Madame Eve at 1Night Stand, then goes out to explore, buying a small golden signet in a mysterious antiquities shop near the Forum.

Darius, a hard-working Senator in Ancient Rome, is puzzled by the Sibyl’s words: You will not find love in your lifetime. Following her directions, he spots Eleanor, a barbarian wearing his stolen senator’s ring.

A night spent together may be just what they both need to break down the columns of time that stand between them.

Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series books have a fairly simple premise. Two people, occasionally using a fairly loose definition of the word “people,” contract with a mysterious being known as Madame Eve, or some name close to that, for one night of sex with their perfect match. The parties always think it’s just for one night, but Madame Eve is a much better matchmaker than they realize. What they find, for those willing to take a chance, is a lifetime of happiness.

After all, if someone is your perfect match for one perfect night, why wouldn’t they be your perfect match for a lifetime?

But occasionally, Madame Eve faces a real challenge. When the Sibyl predicts that Senator Darius will not find love in his lifetime he believes he is condemned to live alone. Or live in a loveless, soulless marriage as so many of his fellow senators do in the Imperium of Rome.

Instead, the Sibyl tells him to meet with a mysterious Eve.

In the 21st century Eleanor has just purchased the Senatorial ring of Darius from an antiquities shop after contracting with Madame Eve. Eleanor, at least, thinks she knows what she’s getting into with her 1Night Stand, but she thinks it’s just a date. Or a date with benefits.

Eleanor was dumped by her chump of an ex at the beginning of her Roman Holiday. She’s discovered that she doesn’t miss the man, but she does miss the confidence he stole from her. So, a 1Night Stand it is.

But the Sibyl and the ring, with the help of Madame Eve (whoever or whatever she is) take   Eleanor and Darius outside of time, to a place where they can have their 1Night Stand, even though they should never have met. Ever.

They both want to live, for just one night. He wants to forget his responsibilities. She wants to forget her mistakes.

He thinks she’s a barbaraian. She’s sure he’s pretending to be from Ancient Rome, that his ignorance of computers and modern conveniences must be an act, part of the setup.

And they are more comfortable with each other than either of them have ever been with anyone of their own time and place.

But once they figure out the truth, can they find a way to be together, forever?

Escape Rating B+: This was delicious. Both Eleanor and Darius are well-developed characters, which is surprising but delightful for a story of this length. It helps a lot that Ancient Rome is a time and place that readers are familiar with, so it was easy to fill in the blanks (This is the I, Claudius period, give or take a bit)

While I wish this were longer, because I would have loved to explore more of the story at every point, it totally works. The reader understands the motivations for both hero and heroine entering into the 1Night Stand arrangement, and their exploration of each other is beautifully done, not just on the sexual side but also the emotional and cultural side as they figure out that they really are from different times and places, and that it doesn’t matter.

I really wish this was longer. I’d love to know how they worked things out when Darius got to the 21st century.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.