Lovescape (Mass Market Paperback)

I cannot say what Ms. Avery's other stories are like, but this one she contributed to this anthology was in my opinion....awful. A quick tale about two people set to work on a project miles apart and unable to see one another they converse via email. I am not sure where the title 'the dance on the edge' comes in here because it was so flimsy and 'safe'. In that I mean that the author seemed to be afraid to say certain things a certain way and the characters were boring. The female lead of Marlis was too touchy and offended without provication. In turn the male lead Jack had way too many issues and it clouded the tale she was trying to create. The entire story was told through weird emails and without any real knowledge of the people involved writing the emails. Very tedious and slow. In short, it was about two people with major major issues that couldn't function with most people and found love in each other through emails. Very 'safe' story with no action or excitement.

Ms. Conn's tale also lacked any real fire. A woman also with issues that grated on one's nerves quickly. "Toss the Bouquet" would've been better had their been an urge to toss it? I was lost on why Regan loved her boyfriend to begin with and even wanted to marry him. He was cheap and obvious in his not loving her. She had the nerve to act shocked when he dumped her at the altar? Then she takes in this Italian cyclist and has this wild fling with him in the aftermath to soothe her wounds. I just couldn't care enough about the characters to think anymore on them when it was done, I was too worried about it not ending soon enough. Slow paced at times and tedious, then too fast and confused.

Now we come to the best of the tales by a long long shot...Ms. Hill's tale "Heart Craving" was so heart felt and real that I have been thinking about it since I finished it. I didn't want it to end and it being the longest story in the book I was still irritated when it was over. After two lackluster stories, I was eating this one up like candy! Ms. Hill is my favorite author and this was the reason for my buying the book and boy was I impressed yet AGAIN! A tale about a man named Nick who loves his wife Paula so much he is willing to do anything and I mean ANYTHING to win her back...the problem? He has 7 days. 7 days before their divorce goes through. Can he do it? He will sure try! Even if it means reading all the sex books he can, creating a imaginary oasis on the Jersey shore with camels and belly dancers and meeting with a chain smoking fortune teller to do it! Paula has her work cut out for her! She must resist her wily husband's charm and wit or fall once again in love with him...even if it means giving up the one thing she left him for...her 'heart's craving'.... Two thumbs up! Very funny at times and extremely sexy and sweet. Nick is the perfect man...

Ms. Joy once again impresses me with yet another tale of alien meets earthling and fall in love. Only Ms. Joy can pull this off and make it believeable. "My One" finds a man named Trystan who hears the 'call' of his mate and his only 'One' from another galaxy. Lois is having the worst year. Her boyfriend stole her money and nearly bankrupted her, now she is praying to the gods or whoever will listen to send her a life and namely a normal guy. She gets what she asks for in a 6'4 man rippling muscle and perfect features that claims to be her soulmate, or his "One". Through time and space the two fall in love and show one another that love can bloom in the oddest places...the twist here? We find out that these two are old souls...destined to find one another. Not revealing too much here, the twist is excellent. Very good tale and did not want to see it end. Touching and sweet and very believeable.

I gave this book 5 stars because the last two more than made up for a bad start and I wholeheartedly enjoyed them enough to look past "A Dance on the Edge" and "Toss the Bouquet" as merely a small and insignificant addition to the otherwise excellent book.

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