The Gift of Shayla by NJ Walters

 

The Gift Of Shayla
Author: N.J. Walters
Publisher: Carina Press
Pub Date: 09/12/2011 

 ISBN: 9781426892233

Review Courtesy of netGalley

One night to indulge their wildest desires...
Adam Lancaster has been in love with Rob McKeith—and attracted to Rob's wife, Shayla—for years, but he fears their friendship would be over if they knew the truth. So he's thrilled when his secret fantasy becomes reality and the couple offers him a very special gift: a sensual Christmas Eve in their bedroom.

                

My thoughts: 

Despite the length of the story, the author spent time building the characters and throughout the story the reader knew exactly what each character was thinking and feeling. I love the fact, there were separate chapters written for each character, letting them develop more completely within the story.  

Another aspect which I liked about this short story, were the depiction of the sex scenes. …I have often found when reading short stories, specifically erotica, some authors tend to speed right into the sex scenes and do little to provide a background of the characters or a plot.   I found it refreshing that N.J. Walters didn’t fall into this group. You get high marks from me on that!!

There were different elements of erotica in this book: some light bondage, D/s, and the first time between two men. With all, nothing was over the top or unrealistic, it sweet story of friends to lovers. Their night together was a “gift”, Adam knew there was no turning back. This was to be a changing point for their relationship, with the uncertainties of the morning after.

The author did a great job in this short read. It was a hot read, not sizzling but enough to satisfy this reader. I think anything too sizzling would have taken away from the storyline.

Overall, I like the book and would recommend it to others. 


I received this ARC copy free of charge in exchange for an honest review.


My Rating:     

               

About the author: 

N.J. Walters worked at a bookstore for several years and one day had the idea that she would like to quit her job, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the same bookstore and settled in for another seven years.

Although she was still fairly young, that was when the mid-life crisis set in. Happily married to the love of her life, with his encouragement (more like, "For God's sake, quit the job and just write!") she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel, Annabelle Lee, and life would never be the same.

N.J. has always been a voracious reader of romance novels, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks all vie for her attention. And she doesn't mind a bit. It's a tough life, but someone's got to live it.