Title: Pure Sex Author: Lucinda Betts, Bonnie Edwards and Sasha White Publisher: Kensington  Publishing Company Genre: Contemporary Publication date: July 2006 ISBN: 0758214669 Pages: 335 Series: Heat Level:     Rating:

The title Pure Sex absolutely fits this collection of stories by Lucinda Betts, Bonnie Edwards and Sasha White.  Although the themes of each are dramatically different, the relationships start out very much based on pure sex.  Pure Sex is steaming from the first story all the way through the third!

The Bet by Lucinda Betts 

Zoe has worked her butt off to earn this upcoming promotion to the exclusion of anything else in her life.  She works in the world of financial investments dominated by men and she’s the best.  She’s got the top numbers and that person always gets the promotion, except when that person is a woman, only Zoe doesn’t know that.  Phillip Kingdom does and he’s second only to Zoe.

Phillip has wanted Zoe a long time, but the situation has never presented itself and she’s also known as the Ice Queen.  After buying her a couple of drinks and razzing her about the promotion, he comes up with The Bet and gets Zoe to sign a cocktail napkin promising to abide by the terms.  His terms.  If he wins, she will be his sex slave for 24 hours and it will be the hottest 24 hours of their lives so far.

This story is believable because Zoe has integrity and she also has the hots for Phillip.  I could literally picture her at her desk thinking “what have I done!”  Yet her attraction and honesty help her follow through to get what she really wants which is Phillip in her bed.  The chemistry between these characters is palpable and their understanding of each other is strong because they’ve worked together for some time.  They are not strangers to each other and they each respect the other as co-workers and people before they give in to their desires.  I truly enjoyed this book and plan to watch for more from Lucinda Betts.

Slow Hand by Bonnie Edwards 

Teri Branton has had a bad day, actually the worst of her life, but it is looking up as she spots a beautiful boat and its hot captain.  After being jilted at the altar, she decides to not waste the private honeymoon cruise, instead using it as a getaway while she thinks through her life and where to go from here.  The hunky captain is certainly a bonus.  She’s now embarrassingly single and as long as he’s just as single, why not have a week long fling and at least get some hot sex out of the deal?  Six months without sex is waaayyyy too long.  Whatever made her think “revirgininzing” was a good idea?

Jared McKay is footloose and fancy free just like he wants.  He’s built up a nice business by hosting honeymoon couples on private cruises on the Sand Jack.   This newest bride is an absolute wet dream and when he sees no groom behind her, his imagination takes flight. After confirmation of a wedding gone bad, his personal plans for this cruise change dramatically.  When it is obvious that Teri is offering what he’s definitely willing to take, their week long fling begins.  But is a week really long enough and do either of them truly want to stop at just a fling?

Bonnie Edwards knows how to tease!  Slow Hand builds to the first steamy encounter and just continues through with one hot scene to the next.  Jared and Teri have some time to learn about each other, but their relationship is really built on their desire for each other and the myriad ways to sate it.  There is quite a bit of self realization for Teri which helps the reader understand why she ended up where she is at this point in her life and how she can just ditch it all for a hunky captain.  Jared’s “tingle” is as good an explanation as any for why a man goes from confirmed bachelor to committed male in one hot week.  Although the time span is a bit short for the development of a long term relationship, I thoroughly enjoyed Slow Hand and recommend a nice fruity island drink to have along with this book.

The Crib by Sasha White 

Lexy is a PI who heads home to help the man who’s like a second father to her.  He’s suspected of murdering a drug addict outside his bar called The Crib, but Lexy knows he didn’t do it.  She goes in undercover as a waitress to find out which customer or employee is really behind the murder.  She’ll do whatever it takes.  Lexy also has a strong libido and is always willing to get her itch scratched.  When Devon walks into the bar, she definitely develops an itch that needs scratching.

Devon takes one look at Lexy and knows they are two of a kind.  Both go after what they want and they want each other wherever and however they can.  Devon is much more than he appears and Lexy is smart enough to figure it out while also solving the murder using every female wile she has to do so.  Devon knows that what they have together is more than a fast fling during her case.  He’s also patient enough to wait her out and deal with the fallout once the truth is revealed.

Of all the stories in Pure Sex, The Crib is the darkest.  The characters are also the most detached from their emotions so sex is literally just sex to them.  I wondered how these two would get beyond the walls that they've build around their emotions, but they do and storyline works beautifully.  Sasha White really sucks you in with the action and the really hot scenes, then the emotional resolution leaves you feeling very satisfied.

I truly enjoyed this anthology as the stories complimented each other with their differences, yet the theme of “it’s all just sex” flowed through stories until each couple discovers that it is much more than Pure Sex.  Pick up a copy in your local bookstore and enjoy the heat!