Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel
Welcome also to Steamy Saturdays!
This is the day that I post a review of a book that is on the steamier side of romance. Today’s selection is Powder of Love by Summer Devon. Frankly, it is so steamy that it will certainly fog up your glasses! I reviewed this book for The Romance Reviews and my review can be found there as well.
Powder of Love by Summer Devon
ISBN: 978-1-60737-957-7
Publisher: Loose Id
Release: Mar 1, 2011
Source: The Romance Review
Wealthy heiress Rosalie Ambermere doesn’t know why Gideon Reed sits scowling in her sitting room. Or why she finds him so appealing. She’d envisioned her heart falling to a serene gentleman, not to this unpolished, brooding man. And yet she finds Mr. Reed absurdly attractive. Surely her craving for his touch is due to the strange powder she recently inherited from her rakehell cousin. When Gideon offers to help her find a way to dispose of the aphrodisiac, she agrees. Best to be rid of the powder and the man in one fell swoop.
Hired as a keeper, former detective Gideon must follow his oversexed client Walter everywhere, including into lovely ladies’ homes. Reed suspects Miss Ambermere is just another eager chapter in Walter’s endless diary of bedroom conquests. Another hedonistic woman spoiled by inherited wealth, until he learns there’s another draw for Walter — the powder that could create disaster in the idiot’s hands. He soon understands there is more to the alluring Miss Ambermere than meets the eye; perhaps enough to tempt even his disillusioned heart. Gideon must work with Rosalie to safely dispose of the powder without falling prey to the dangerous effects of pure chemistry.
Are aphrodisiacs real? If they are, what happens when they affect various members of a Victorian era household. Powder of Love is a funny, spicy and at times, a downright graphic story of a woman who inherits a box full of aphrodisiac. It has a collection of characters trying to get hold of the powder and one woman trying to get rid of it.
Rosalie Ambermere has had an unconventional upbringing. Her parents were married, yet live on different continents. In order to force her father to send her to Amercia to live with her mother, Rosalie spent time with her cousin Johnny, Lord Williamsford, the black sheep of the family. Cousin Johnny, although pleased that a member of his family would acknowledge him, delighted in shocking young Rosalie.
It is now years later and Rosalie is living on her own in New York City. Her solicitor visits to let her know that she has inherited various possessions from her recently deceased cousin Johnny. Although most will arrive by crate, her solicitor reluctantly hands over a wooden box. Amid warnings of caution when dealing with this box, he admits that it supposedly contains an aphrodisiac. From his comments, he truly believes what he says. He warns her that two men will visit and try to buy this box, and she needs to deal with them carefully. Mr. Reed and Mr. Clermont are both interested in buying the aphrodisiac for different reasons. Mr. Reed has been hired by Mr. Clermont’s family to ride herd on him. It seems that Mr. Clermont is oversexed and his family feel he needs a keeper to prevent him from being overly aggressive in his desires. Over the months Mr. Reed has been with him, he has been exposed to Mr. Clermont’s insaiatable desire. He seems to find willing, or almost willing females everywhere! Mr. Reed is determined to keep the aphrodisiac out of Mr. Clermont’s hands.
This story is outstanding in many ways! The characters are very well developed! This story was set in 1880. The characters fit in the time that they were written, yet the story has almost a modern feel to it. The growing relationship between the dour Gideon Reed and the outgoing and strong willed Rosalie is delightful to read. Rosalie’s interactions with the various secondary characters are well written. The presence of this aphrodisiac provides for some pretty hilarious comedy as various people fall under it’s influence. It is also the cause of some of the steamy action that occurs. At just under 200 pages, this book is a wonderfully complete read. It’s a story that stays with you long after you finish reading! This book isn’t for the faint of heart! The sex is graphic; it involves group sex, public sex and M/M sex.
