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by Mitzi Szereto (editor), Rachel Caine (Afterword), Kelley Armstrong (Foreword)

Love, passion and sex…it’s all here in Darker Edge of Desire.Gothic literature has always possessed a dark attraction ripe with the promise of the forbidden and the sensual. In Darker Edge of Desire, Mitzi Szereto takes the sexualized Gothic and ratchets it up a few notches into the danger zone, opening the door into the darker side of lust and love that only the courageous dare to venture through. Venturing even further into the world of mystery and romance than she did in the critically acclaimed Red Velvet and Absinthe, Szereto creates an atmosphere with a distinct Gothic flavor where we explore our more forbidden desires. In these tales, love and lust (and kink!) know no boundaries, and all nature of beings—from vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, ghosts, succubae—abound.Tread carefully, danger and desire lie ahead!

Genres: Erotica, Anthologies, Gothic, Romance, Vampires, Short Stories, Paranormal

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2014

About the author

OFFICIAL ACCOUNT
Mitzi Szereto (mitziszereto.com) is an American-British author, anthology editor, and short story writer whose books encompass multiple genres, most recently in true crime, including her latest release Women Who Murder: An International Collection of Deadly True Crime Tales as well as her popular series The Best New True Crime Stories. Her work has been translated into several languages. A contribution in her anthology Getting Even: Revenge Stories received the Crime Writers’ Association Short Story Dagger “Highly Commended.” She has the added distinction of being the editor of the first anthology of erotic fiction to include a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Mitzi has appeared internationally on radio and television and at major literature festivals, and has taught creative writing around the world, including universities in the UK. In addition to having produced and presented the London-based web TV channel Mitzi TV, she portrays herself in the pseudo-documentary British film, Lint: The Movie. Follow her on social media @mitziszereto.

Reviews

[MsRomanticReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I've read several anthologies from this publisher and have loved practically every single one of them.

My complaint with this book was with the subtitle: Gothic Tales of Romance. Out of the 14 stories, perhaps only three stories could be classified as romance. The rest were erotica (not even erotic romance), and most stories had a HFN or no HEA at all. At least one of the protagonists from each story became a victim of circumstance - seduced only to pay a high price. The gothic part at least was fairly accurate - dark, edgy, sensual.

The stories that stood out the most and were the most memorable were: Lightning in a Bottle by Kim Knox, Devoured by Envy by Jo Wu. If the authors have more stories like the ones they contributed, I'd definitely read them.

Note:
3 stars = The stories were okay but not memorable
4-4.5 stars = Very enjoyable; I remembered them the next day
5 stars = Loved them! I will be checking up on other works by these authors.

The Wicked Wife by T.C. Mill
Tags: Historical, Married Couple, M/F

A newly wed wife thinks she's finally found a better match than her ex-husband she'd been rumored to have poisoned. But the honeymoon stage doesn't last when she makes a gruesome discovery.

I enjoyed the dark sensuality between Andrew and Aria. She was prepared to fight for her life, but actions spoke louder than words. Aria had to acknowledge that the hint of danger and threat of death excited her. That Andrew actually considered the possibility that he was mistaken about Aria made him less creepy and the union more plausible.

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 3

Red House by Zander Vyne
Tags: PNR, Vampires, Religious, Cutters, M/M

A priest with a dark secret. Father John receives a visit from an old lover who reminds him of the man he used to be and to face the man he'd become.

While this little tale was well-written, I failed to...grasp it? Get into it? The jumps between what was happening in the present and what was a memory wasn't all that clear, so I often found myself doing a double-take and starting a sentence or paragraph over. I felt the absence of "romance" unless the use of the word lover, blood exchange and manual stimulation count. Calling this erotica would be more appropriate.

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 1

Sister Bessie's Boys by Gary Earl Ross
Tags: Religious, 1950s, Interracial, Widow, Virgin hero, M/F

A young man heads off to Bible College and is placed with a widow, Sister Bessie. His parents were hoping he'd be removed from temptation, but Sister Bessie teaches him lessons more valuable than just the pleasure of the flesh.

Well, this was interesting. Lucas was no stranger to the stirrings of his adolescent body, but thanks to lectures from his mother, he'd always been afraid of the temptation that could "get a girl in trouble". When he met Sister Bessie, he was surprised to find that she was a younger than he'd expected. Young for a widow, but old enough to be his mother. During a moment of grief, she approached Lucas and divested him of his virginity.

What followed was not a sordid tale of lust. I liked that the racial aspect didn't factor into their connection, and they connected on both the spiritual an intellectual level. in a way he freed her from her ghosts, and she nurtured his mind and body. Told like a memoir, Lucas recounted just how instrumental she'd been in his life including a disturbing discovery some thirty years later. Despite the niggling questions, the past was over and done with.

Rating: 4/5
Heat: 2

Reynold's Tale by Adrian Ludens
Tags: Historical, Erotic Horror, M/M

Intriguing and very well written erotic horror short. This was a clever imaging of the final hours of, one can safely assume, (Edgar Allan) Poe. While a little bit of research on Wikipedia corroborated some of what I read, the actual EAP website mentions nothing of similarity. Either way, I really enjoyed this story save for the one thing - the reader never learns what dark, depraved secret Reynold's whispered in Poe's ear that seemed to have been the nail in his coffin. My curiosity will haunt me henceforth *face palm*

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 3

The Dracula Club by Mitzi Szereto
Tags: Paranormal, M/F, M/F/M

A young Goth girl leaves her small town home and the bullies in search for like-minded people and a fresh start - in Transylvania. From there, she basically does everything you'd tell your kids not to do. There she meets two young men who indulge her fantasies.

I liked it, and I didn't necessarily see that ending coming.

Rating: 4/5
Heat: 4

Moonfall by Rose de Fer
Tags: Paranormal, Wolf shifter, M/F

A woman is locked up in an insane asylum for sleepwalking followed by memory loss and displaying a heightened sexual appetite unbecoming of a lady. The men responsible for her imprisonment would learn to regret it.

Now this story absolutely lived up to the title of this anthology. Madeline had no idea why she'd wake up in a state of disarray and without any memory of how she'd gotten that way. Then her lover's brother locked her up to unravel the medical mystery of her rapid healing abilities in the hopes of making a name for himself in the medical field. The only person who championed her was James. I loved how caring he was of her, and how easily he accepted the her two sides.

Rating: 4.5/5
Heat: 4.5

Lightning in a Bottle by Kim Knox
Tags: Paranormal, Fantasy, Virgin heroine, M/F

Desperate to thwart her warlock uncle's plan of offering his ward's virginity in exchange for some precious metal, a young woman tries to beat him to the punch. She plans to give herself to one of her uncle's finest creations, an automaton named Augustus. But he was more than he seemed to be.

Oh yeeessss! This was exactly my kind of story. Hot, sensual, unexpectedly romantic. I didn't think Augustus was more than a man made of steel. How wrong I was. I have to look up more stories by this author.

Rating: 5/5
Heat: 5

The Wildest Spirit by Sacchi Green
Tags: Paranormal, Ex-military, M/F, Wolf shifter

A former soldier decides to help a university police officer track down the culprit in a case of coyote killings on campus grounds.

A good story that showed a different side of wolf shifters. The control between man and beast was barely contained. I'm not sure I understood why the woman kept saying she hadn't meant to keep him, or why the matter of staying versus leaving seemed to have a significance. Perhaps it's in the nature of her animal to be free or a loner? The love scenes were very tame, but I liked their connection over the common goal a lot better anyway.

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 1

Blood Soup by Benji Bright
Tags: Paranormal, M/M

A chef with impeccable taste, an employer with a unique ability. A mutual taste of...taste.

Obviously taste is a powerful sense, and taste can be very sensual as evidenced in this story. I liked that the man of the manor wasn't a creepy old man, but rather he craved the experience of tasting everything the world had to offer. Jasper was the same way, and he took great pride in his craft. The sensuality of them sharing taste and memories was heady. Of the two of them, Jasper seemed to be the only one truly "other". I'm not sure what he was, but it didn't matter.

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 1

The Alchemist's Daughter by Rosalia Zizzo
Tags: Paranormal, Historical, M/F

A father desperate to find a cure for the disease that has befallen his daughter, the same disease that claimed his wife.

Despite the township's accusations of witchcraft and devil worship, Elizabeth kept her head held high. Though deathly ill, it seemed she shouldered the burden of making sure they stayed alive. Her attraction to a farmer's nephew was no surprise, but the reciprocation was. The ending was also a surprise since one of her father's concoctions actually had a (positive) result.

In comparison to all the other stories though, this plot seemed a little boring and unimaginative.

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 2

The Hollow in the Black Cliffs by Madeleine Swann
Tags: Paranormal, M/F

A fishing village is the hunting ground of the Black Widow, a winged creature who steals the men, one by one, to help her carry on her species.

Eli had little choice in being her next victim, but I do wish he hadn't been married and had a child. It didn't make the "cheating" any easier to swallow. The story was okay though.

Rating: 3/5
Heat: 2

Devoured by Envy by Jo Wu
Tags: Fantasy, M/F, Virgin heroine

A beautiful maiden is as lonely as she is desperate for love, a lover at least. Just when she thought she found the one, he chose another. She would learn just how thoroughly envy would ruin her.

I loved this story! I felt sorry for Giselle and her bad luck at finding love. The way she was perceived wasn't her fault, and yet it seemed more like a curse rather than a blessing. Her reaction to Gabriel's engagement felt natural, and I liked how Envy manifested itself. A very sexy yet sad story.

Rating: 5/5
Heat: 4.5

The Hardest Kiss by Cairde Glass
Tags: Paranormal, Fantasy, M/F

Aithan, Master of the Underworld, had suspected his wife Persephone had lain with a mortal, Bas. He punished Bas to becoming a bringer of Death, and he treated him poorly. Her punishment was to be caught in limbo, not alive, not dead, for six years. Upon her reawakening, she freed Bas of his service and sought vengeance on her husband. Aithan wasn't the only one who suffered, despite Sephie's best intentions, or perhaps she didn't care who got hurt in her revenge plot. This was a good story, even if the ending wasn't favorable.

Rating: 3.5/5
Heat: 2

Zapada Alba by Tracey-Lander Garrett
Tags: Paranormal, M/F, Wolf shifter

A beautiful maiden lay in waiting, frozen, until her lover came to free her.

This was another great story with a romantic flavor. If you're squeamish about a man taking his woman while she's basically comatose, then yeah... It read like a re-imagining of a fairytale with an erotic, paranormal twist.

Rating: 4.5/5
Heat: 3

*Complimentary ARC provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

[Erzabet Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirty five word review for the busy reader:

This anthology is chock full of lush sensuality and epic hotness. If you want something edgy and paranormal to liven up you Valentine's Day then you can pick no greater read. Exhilarating. Romantic. Seductive. Erotic...

5/5

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit cringe worthy but altogether entertaining lol

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like short stories and although these were fun to read I didn't like most of them. I usually like to read anthologies to discover new authors.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Marissa
Book provided by the publisher for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

I love anthologies of stories so short they are only a few pages long and can be read in five minutes or less. I can devour them during commercial breaks while watching TV, standing in line at the bank, or even on my coffee break at work.

Some of my favorites from Darker Edge are:

Sister Bessie’s Boys takes place in the South during the 1950’s. Lucas Jackson is a young man who heads off to the seminary after high school and is put up by Sister Bessie, a retired nurse. She ultimately schools him in the ways of the flesh and teaches him that love and sex are human and not necessarily wrong or a sin. I found this a sweet, loving story. It was set in the perfect time – I don’t know if it would have worked at any other period of time, present or past.

Moonfall is one of the truer Gothic stories in this anthology. A woman is sent to an Asylum for the Incurably Insane after wandering the woods at night and having no memory of it. She returns home with her hair disheveled and her clothes torn and, more amazingly, is able to heal herself miraculously. As a reader I could see the answer pretty quickly but the road to the ending was still dark and exciting.

Devoured by Envy is about a captivating ballerina men refuse to love. The city sees her as an angel from heaven and to spoil her virginity would be her ruination. Yet it’s that refusal to love her that becomes her downfall. After the one man she believes will love her leaves her for another woman, she turns to Envy.

[Ella Drayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't really sure what I was expecting with this book but I really enjoyed it! It was definitely dark and sexy! Mitzi Szereto definitely knows her stuff when it comes to Gothic erotica. I didn't really think I could get into erotica involving vampires, werewolves, and the like but the way these writers unfolded these short stories really drew me in.



My favorite story was by Mitzi. I loved reading about the trip to Transylvania; a place I've often dreamed about visiting myself. The two locals she meets and the adventure she has with them was also very steamy and sexy. And there's an unexpected twist that left me a little speechless. I wasn't sure whether to be turned on or terrified! It was definitely a once in a lifetime sort of trip that made me want a cigarette at the end!



Reynold's Tale by Adrian Ludens also stood out to me because of a character who very closely resembles Edgar Allan Poe. VERY CLOSELY. I definitely would not have imagined that sort of scenario for a this character but it was intriguing. The only thing that bothered me is the fact that I never found out what the secret was Reynolds whispers in Poe's ear.



If you're into the darker side of life, or are looking to expand your reading horizons and try something new, I recommend this book. These tales are sexy enough to have you craving the lights off but are spooky enough to have you thinking about turning on a night light.

[Gayle Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW (ATTENTION: EROTIC)

DARKER EDGE OF DESIRE has it all, Love, Passion and Sex! Gothic literature promises the forbidden and the sensual.Will you dare to open the book of the unknown?This book brings about the lure of darkness. It pulls our interest and urges, almost forces us to follow. In this book, the author, Mitzi Szereto beckons to the call, taking us with her into the risque world of the Gothic. Gothic is where horror and delight twist together. This was a created environment where the most forbidden desires come forth out of the shadows. There are no boundaries and every being possible--------vampires,werewolves, shape shifters, and more. Tread slowly, for who knows what lies ahead, possibly danger and desire! This is a heart beating, blood curdling set of stories which brings out the dark eroticism of Ms. Szereto's critically acclaimed RED VELVET AND ABSINTHE, will give the readers who love the dark, erotic and forbidden along with dread and sexual thrill the best they've had in a long time.

This book of erotic tales asks one question:

WILL YOU SURRENDER TO THE DARK!

I was given a complimentary copy of DARKER EDGE OF DESIRE from the author Mitzi Szereto for my view of the book. No other compensation took place.

[Mjalleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexy and Dark, this book has it all.

Darker Edge of Desire is an enticing collection of 14 tales sure to tantalize even the most unshakable stiff. These Gothic Tales of Romance caress the shadowy limits of the intimate innermost psyche.
Passions ignite throughout these stories of lust, suspense, desire, and intrigue. Creatures and characters both strange and familiar escape the imagination, kindle the affections, and burn with a fervor only quenched by the intoxication of pure carnal euphoria.
Mitzi Szereto successfully scares up an assortment of stories ranging from the delicate sweetness of romance to the carnal heat of the erotic.
The collected authors, including Szereto herself, are artists in their field, bringing out the darkness and desires of the body and soul.

This book is worthy of five stars from those who love the Gothic romance and erotica genres.