Burning Up: Four Novellas of Erotic Romance [Paperback]

"The Flame" by Nina Bangs: Serenity So-Fine time travels from the year 2700 to 2003 seeking an erotic work of art called the Flame. As curator for the Galactic Museum of Erotic Art, Serenity has added many erotic works to the collection, but none has called to her so much as this one. In a time when sexual attraction has been reduced to negotiation and necessity, the Flame speaks to her a way almost primal. When she arrives, Serenity learns that sculptor Justin Hill exudes the very primal heat her world has lost. Unfortunately, she arrives a bit early and the Flame has not yet been created; indeed, Serenity will become the focus of inspiration for the sculpture.

"The Wedding Night" by Cheryl Holt: In 1815, Ellen Foster agrees to a platonic marriage with Lord Stephen Banbury, exchanging her wealth for his title. Little does he suspect that she very carefully chooses him to be her husband, or that her virginal exterior conceals a passion driven woman determined to lure her new husband into their wedding bed. Certainly Stephen's reputation for lewd behavior and a fabulous ass promise a bad-girl want-to-be a wild night if he will only abandon his determination to keep his distance.

"Burn, Inc" by Kimberly Raye: Determined to prove her abilities to her family, Gerry Baxter is producer for an erotic movie company called Women on Top. Production is complete on the first nine films of a ten part series for HBO, but their contract hinges on completing the entire series. Unfortunately, the woman who usually serves as the driving creative force for the company has defected to marriage and a honeymoon, leaving Gerry to complete the project. Ragweed and poor inspiration threaten disaster so Gerry calls Logan, believing he is Dr. Love and can inspire a few ideas for the final shoot. Mistaken identity and sensual promise lead to an unexpected encounter filled with eroticism.

"Possessing Julia" by Patricia Ryan: Widow Julia Hughes needs to loose her virginity within the next two weeks, or her secret will be discovered. Everyone assumes that her son was fathered by her first husband. Now she plans to marry a man just to provide him with an heir. Concerned for her son's well-being, Julia finds a unique solution. Her aunt makes a deal with Clay to show Julia the ways of love making, including how to enjoy and how to please a man. But after such a marvelous intense interlude, both Julia and Clay will face great difficulty to return to their previous lives and plans.

I felt that the love scenes in all four books were scorchers but not used as filler but were important parts of the stories, and yes they were erotic but not as erotic as other titles in other romance lines. Still these four short novelles were fast reads and well worth picking up.

I happen to enjoy the Kensington books and Burning Up didn't do much for me except for the excellent story by Patricia Ryan.
I've read and re-read that one three times already. It's absolutely what I would have liked to have read in the other stories- explicit love scenes, angsty emotional characterizations, and the ultimate "awe, that's soooo sweet" moment at the end.

I found Nina Bang's story didn't really have enough flow to keep me engaged or interested though the premise is unique, and I always give Nina Bang points for originality and humor though her writing style does not appeal to me. The other two stories were rather uninspiring.