Tag: Allie Standifer

Guest Review: Twenty-Four Hours by Allie Standifer

Posted October 17, 2010 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 0 Comments

Judith‘s review of Twenty-Four Hours by Allie Standifer
After a tanning bed mishap, Courtney Museo is without her sight for the next twenty-four hours. Who better to call for help than her handsome, way-too-young assistant?

Mason has waited six years for Courtney to finally need him. He’s not going to miss this chance to make her see how good they could b e together, in a more personal environment. Twenty-four hours of non-stop sex might be just enough to convince Courtney they have a love not even time can touch.

This is another fun short story from the pen of Allie Standifer who has written a number of pieces singly as well with other authors. This little story is what I have long termed as a “erotic romance snack” that doesn’t take very long to read.
Courtney is 41 years old, good looking, in very good health, fit and trim, and fully aware of her four decades of living. She knows she looks good–for a 41 year old woman–but she believes that time has taken somewhat of a toll already and she has to be honest about that. Her assistant is 28, gorgeous, sexy, and has worked for her for six years–six years of hints and sexy repartee which Courtney has flicked aside as just friendly fun in the workplace. What Courtney doesn’t want to admit is that Mason is HOT and he is in love with her and she refuses to own up to her attraction to him. He is seriously tired of being held at arm’s length by a woman who is using her age to erect a barrier between them. She has been aware of him for the entire time he has worked with her, but after all, she is WAAAAY too old for him.
Now she has had an accident–on a visit to her tanning salon, just to give her aging skin a healthy glow, she miscalculates and opens her eyes too soon. Oops!! No serious injury, but the opthamologist has medicated her, covered her eyes, and told her she must remain so for twenty-four hours. He won’t even let her go home alone, so she calls Mason to come and get her. She is so frustrated at being marooned at the emergency room that she has stated to him that she will do ” . . . whatever it takes.” Oh, boy! This is Mason’s golden opportunity and he takes it!
This is another of my favorite scenarios: an older woman/younger man relationship possibility. I have always been irritated for most of my life because society has determined that older women must seal themselves away, look only to partners who are their age or older, and if indeed they find a partner that is younger, then there is something inherently “not nice” or wrong. Balderdash!! In this situation, Mason is very open about his preference for older women–they know who they are, what they want, and ae just more experienced in relating to others. He manages to convince Courtney to give him twenty-four hours to convince her that he can love and care for her and that what they have is real.
I enjoyed this story very much. It is very erotic–twenty-four hours of hot loving. But there is also a back story that lets the reader in on the real deal: authentic love, genuine caring, and being special to a person who “fills in the holes” is special and such a relationship should be cherished and guarded.
Romance fans will find this a love story that warms the hearts and strokes the libido. It is always fun to find two people who manage to “find” one another.

I give this short short a rating of 3.75 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.

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Guest Review: Pleasure Me in Petra by Allie Standifer

Posted September 14, 2010 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 0 Comments


Judith‘s review of Pleasure Me in Petra by Allie Standifer.

Aden Song grew up watching her uncle destroy her aunt’s life. She vowed to bend to no man, to make her own way in the world and remain true to herself. So what if the cost is a lonely and empty bed?

Everything changes in the magical city of Petra. Nareem El Djinn is a demon. He is not looking for love when he sets eyes on Aden, but something about the mouthy American captivates his attention. The desert nights become much hotter when these two meet and steamy passion binds their souls. But their differences still lie between them, and their hopes for a future together.

Allie Standifer is an author that has become familiar to erotic romance fans and she writes a delightful fantasy love story in this novella. Pairing a demon with an American tourist, one would think that such a story was way too “far out” to be believable, but Ms Standifer has great talent and she brings these two together in a very believable way.

Nareem dreams often of the erotic encounters with his mate–a woman he hasn’t yet met. He is essentially ruined for any other being, and although he is a warrior and best friend to his king, he is never free of the desire as well as the driving need to find her. As in the first book in this series, the main characters are connected through the 501 Travel Agency which is run by three older women and who may or may not have unusual powers. They want to help Nareem in their search, and in doing so they send Aden Song right into his territory–the mythical city of Petra. Ms Song is a woman who has determined that, based on her uncle’s example, she just needs to get on with her life without men. She may be lonely and she may need to hug her battery operated lover more often, but she has determined that having a lover isn’t worth the hassle. The ladies of the 501 Agency are more than anxious to meet the challenge of Nareem’s search and they love nothing better than to “open up” a woman who has closed herself off from life and love. Aden is a challenge and they’re up to it. Nareem presents a challenge of sorts as well. He is a Djinn, a kind of magical being that has been sought all over the world for centuries and he is less than enthusiastic when leaving his native territory. The ladies are now going to work to solving the problem.

This is a cute, funny, lively, romping story that has not only two very interesting main characters but a cast of assisting characters that are fascinating as well. The dialogue is zippy and sassy, the action surprising, and the research about the area is very well done. Ms Standifer has demonstrated once again that she loves to write and really knows how to do it. This is not one of your “plus” novels, but a really nice all-in-one-sitting kind of book. Fantasy/erotic/paranormal fans will like this story–it is just so much fun. I have to admit that I like Aden’s aunt, a woman who had been abused and oppressed but who is now the “merry widow.” You go girl!! And I think this book will be one of those that everyone will enjoy. I give this novella a rating of 3.75.

This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.

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Guest Review: Tease Me In Tunisia by Allie Standifer

Posted August 24, 2010 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 0 Comments

(Book 1 in the Erotic Escapes series)

Daisy Oliver has never taken a chance in her life. The drab gray of her world changes in a heartbeat, however, when the older women who own 501 Travel Agency ask her to take a trip.
Rami Gadi loves the ladies of 501, but babysitting their friend pushes the boundaries. Until he catches his first scent of her–and loses his head and heart. He understands there are things Daisy should know about him, but can he risk scaring her away?

Two people–one determined to fight destiny and the other eager to embrace it. Love is the only thing capable of bringing them together.

This is another delightful little literary “snack” from Ellora’s Cave that goes so well with the lunch sandwich or a midnight snack when it’s too hot to sleep. Author Allie Standifer has written a number of these and has the knack for crafting some very cute erotic encounters in a small number of pages.
Like Daisy, many people live “gray” lives — or you can refer to them as boring, vanilla, or whatever favorite term indicating that each day closely resembles the previous ones. That is not to say that all of our lives should be jumping daily with new challenges. That becomes exhausting as well. But this little story tells of a woman who is the owner/operator of a small floral shop right next to this travel agency that is, I think, probably somewhat different than most we would encounter in the real world. Nothing specific indicated, but I just got the feeling that these cagey ladies had ulterior motives and perhaps some extraordinary abilities to intervene in lives that needed to be channeled into a different direction. That’s exactly what happened to Daisy Oliver. No objection that she raised was accepted and so she found herself in a foreign country, poised on the brink of a new, life-changing adventure.
Not only is Rami an extraordinary tour guide, but he is also a shape-shifter. He catches a whiff of Daisy and regardless what she may think of herself or how lacking in feminine charms she may be, Rami is convinced that this is his mate and she is beautiful. He has to take a risk as well: confessing his “other” form and existence. He risks rejection in a very real way and by the one who he has finally been searching for all his life. I find it interesting that Daisy has gone from a very shy, rather retiring and reserved small business owner to the mate of a werewolf, from drab and uninteresting woman to one who feels loved, appreciated, and beautiful. Rami has had to change his perspective as well. This entire story is about risk and the need to walk a new path.

Perhaps this little tale is a way for all of us to realize that from time to time we have to take a risk, move out of the routine that can so easily suppress one’s true identity, and take a chance on a new direction in one’s life. That is certainly what Daisy did. And, if the truth be known, so did Rami. So perhaps they both stand as metaphors that remind the reader that life is short and must be lived fully, certainly within the context of our lives, our jobs, our family responsibilities. But there is always room for creativity.
I like these little “Quickie” stories — brief and to the point, nothing drawn out or complicated, just a delightful love story that warms the heart and energizes the libido. I think romance lovers will appreciate this little story a lot.

I give this short story a rating of 3.25 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place

This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.

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Guest Review: Scorched by Deiree Holt & Allie Standifer

Posted August 22, 2010 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 0 Comments

Kasey Jacobs spends her days as a bookkeeper for a discount furniture store and her nights writing erotic romances, still waiting to meet the man who could ring her chimes. Maybe her new neighbor, Skyler Brody?? Too bad she hasn’t seen him since the day he moved in.

Then Skyler, a cop recuperating from a gunshot wound, spies Kasey pleasuring herself in front of an open window and nearly trips over his tongue rushing to introduce himself. The sex is instantaneous and hot, with all the xplosiveness of fireworks. But Kasey wants something Skyler isn’t prepared to give. Perhaps they can find a way to each other’s heart, if they don’t burn themselves out with their nightly erotic activities.

First, I think the cover of this book is really kind of dopey. Really, what does it have to do with the story? I just can’t figure out why this particular design was chosen or who at Ellora’s Cave decided that this was the best to go with. Perhaps the authors liked it — well, anyway, I still think it’s dopey.

Beyond the graphics, I thought this story was a very good example of an entertaining tale with a really contemporary message: giving into one’s fears of the past rarely if ever makes a happy future. This is certainly the case with Skylar and perhaps even with Kasey. Both are looking for authentic relationship and neither one is so foolish to mistake their initial attraction as love. But as time goes on, both want more but are hesitant to give it. This is especially true of Skylar who has come out of a previous relationship that ended badly. Kasey is beginning to feel that she must have more of Skylar than just his body or his sense of humor; she wants the man himself. Big problem, so it would seem.

As always Holt and Standifer work well together. I don’t know what is their division of labor, but they manage to write some very good pieces. Each has a marvelous track record as a writer and a formidable history as collaborators. This “quickie” short story is one of those literary “snacks” that is fun to keep around and worth taking time away from the ponderous routine of life. Not a major time commitment, but nevertheless thought provoking in spite of being “lightweight.” I think they have done well to pose the question for all readers: “Can we really give all of ourselves to those we claim are important to us?” And to do so is to give one of the greatest gifts to significant persons in our lives. It also begs the question: “Can we have a genuine and solid love relationship if we withhold who we really are?”

This is a very romantic tale and will be enjoyed by romance lovers. It would stand up well were it longer or extended into a full novel. But Holt and Standifer have again given readers a very nice short story that will not only be fun to read the first time around, but I can testify that it stands up to repeated attention.

I give this work a rating of 3.75 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.

This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.

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