The rose

Ancient Greece invades England as Rita Award winner Reisz (Picture Perfect Cowboy) transmutes spicy mythological tales into sensual fantasies and erotic romance featuring young escort agency madam Lady Lia Godwick and seductive sex worker Augustine Bowman. When Lia's unconventional parents give her a historic wine cup, August attempts to purchase it from her with outlandish claims about its magical properties. Lia is skeptical, but August is persuasive, leading her through intense fantasies of mythological heroines. He guides and comforts Lia through lingering pain from an old betrayer whose untimely reappearance could lead to public disaster for her and her family. With August's help, Lia learns to champion herself and accept both her and August's real emotions. The characters are delightfully sympathetic, and the simple framing device works well, with some bonuses for mythology fans. Intense, lengthy sex scenes, set in lush and creative imaginings of the mythological world, elevate this erotic novel above more prosaic fare and will appeal to fans of Eden Bradley and Nancy Madore. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Lia is the head of an elite escort agency known as the Young Ladies' Gardening & Tennis Club of Wingthorn Hall. She is also the daughter of an earl in a long line of self-admitted "deviant" family members and a fervent devotee of Greek mythology. At her graduation party, sardonic Lia finds her usually steady demeanor thrown by the arrival of gorgeous Greek collector August Bowman-along with a 2,500-year-old -kylix, an ornate ceremonial cup used in rituals honoring the goddess Aphrodite. But August comes bearing secrets and even more truth: the artifact is the original enchanted cup of the Cult of Eros, and drinking from it brings one's deepest sexual fantasies to life. Rising to that outlandish claim, Lia suddenly finds herself exploring new heights of pleasure through the kylix, with -August by her side playing the lusty lover to her goddess personae. Readers will be drawn in by Lia's conspiratorial tone, and her banter with August crackles with the pleasing tension crafted by the wry, rhythmic writing that is characteristic of Reisz's work. Following the stylistic tradition of its predecessor, The Red, this novel beautifully blends high art and absorbing prose with the sensual rendezvous of famed pairs in Greek legend, including Andromeda and Perseus and Eros and Psyche. VERDICT An otherworldly, titillating endeavor. Highly recommended for fans of the author and for readers seeking luscious erotica with more than a touch of magical realism. © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.