Rogue Desire

Rogue #1

by Adriana Anders, Dakota Gray, Amy Jo Cousins

When all else fails, find love. 

Eight brand new romances for fans of the West Wing, fired-up #resistance fighters, and everyone who ever had a crush on that guy at a protest...

GRASSROOTS
by Adriana Anders

Veronica Cruz is in the fight of her life for a seat on the city council. Meeting reclusive finance genius Zach Hubler should be a stroke of good luck—he has the power to sway public opinion. But when Election Day comes around and things don’t go as expected, Veronica has to know: just how shady is the man of her dreams?

DEEP THROAT
by Dakota Gray

He’s an escort, but that’s not his biggest secret. She’s a maid at the hotel he uses “for business.” When their worlds collide, everything is put on the line. But indulging every secret desire comes at a cost, and the sins of the past won’t be forgotten.

RESISTANCE
by Amy Jo Cousins

All Kaz Shamsi wanted to do was get his college students to and from the DC protest without losing any of them. Getting caught up in the fringes of anarchist violence was not on the agenda. Neither was a motorcycle escape, messing around with a bandanna-masked antifa protestor, or figuring out that guy was one of the students he was supposed to be chaperoning. Now he’s got a ten-hour bus ride back to campus ahead of him, with a stupidly cute student who makes terrible decisions trying to talk Kaz into making one more.

KISSING AND OTHER FORMS OF SEDITION
by Emma Barry

When a global crisis threatens to go nuclear, the world tips upside down and spills out Graham Wilcox’s unspoken feelings for Cadence Martel. Cadence is equal parts shocked and delighted by his confession, but one night of passion isn’t enough. So the new lovers set out on a road trip to save the world.

TRUTH, LOVE AND SUSHI
by Stacey Agdern

When First Daughter Caroline Crosby finds herself in possession of the one document that can bring her father and his administration down, she turns to a real life social justice warrior for help. Max Wilcox isn’t sure what to make of Caroline: is this an elaborate hookup or a political conspiracy? But he has to make up his mind fast because the information and their chemistry could change the world—or break their hearts.

MY DELIGHT IS IN HER
by Jane Lee Blair

When Leonard West chose the pastorate, his college girlfriend chose a life without him. But not wanting to be a pastor’s wife didn’t mean Kim Jones didn’t want to work for the greater good. Now, her resistance work has led her back to Leonard, and they must grapple with their old pain. Can they trust God and each other enough to try again?

PERSONAL DISASTER
by Ainsley Booth

Marcus Dane left the tech world and joined the National Park Service a decade ago. Now an intrepid reporter has tracked down the park ranger-who-could-have-been-a-billionaire and, even worse, she has a theory that could blow his quiet life to smithereens. He needs to send her packing. But he’s already tumbled head-over-heels in insta-lust with her flippy ponytail and smart mouth, and he just can’t seem to let her go.

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND WORSHIP
by Tamsen Parker

Paige Robinson has been working out her angst about the new administration in spin class, until a handsome stranger with maddening politics harshes her mellow. Now she’s determined to get even…in the bedroom. Always awkward Carter Cox is shocked when his crush propositions him, but there’s no way he’s turning her down.

Genres: Romance, Anthologies, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Short Stories, Novella

520 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2017

About the author

Adriana Anders is author of the Survival Instincts, Love at Last, and Blank Canvas series. Her debut, Under Her Skin, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017 and double recipient of the HOLT Medallion award, and Loving the Secret Billionaire was a Romance Writers of America 2019 Rita® Award Finalist. Her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Oprah Mag, Bustle, USA Today Happy Ever After, and Book Riot. Today, she resides with her husband and two small children on the coast of France, where she writes the gritty, emotional love stories of her heart.

Sign up for exclusive content, giveaways, and updates:
www.adrianaanders.com/newsletter
http://www.adrianaanders.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrianaander...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdrianasBoudoir
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/adrianasbou...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriana.anders

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Critics of romance often call it wish fulfilment fantasy, which [insert my full essay and promise of violence here]. However, this anthology really is exactly that. The stories ache for things the authors want: Decent politicians who care. Rich people who give a shit. Activists who win. People who can talk about their opposing views and respect each other. Action being taken against cruelty, bigotry and corruption in the heart of government.

Gosh that silly wish-fulfilment stuff, eh.

It's nakedly angry and unashamedly partisan. The Tamsen Parker story literally has a furious Democrat woman hatefucking a hot Republican guy with a strap-on (consensually and to mutual good effect obv).

And you know the funny thing about this romance-as-wish-fulfilment accusation? It didn't make me feel better at all. It made me really upset and angry because YES I DO WANT THE WORLD TO BE MORE LIKE THIS, IS THAT SO GODDAMN MUCH TO ASK.

Argh. A great book to read on your way to the next protest.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly diverse grouping of stories. Diverse in terms of style, type, explicitness, and, yes, characters. Not every reader is going to like all the stories (I had to DNF a couple because they were so out of the realm of what I want from romance). But on the other hand, every story will appeal to some reader of the anthology, and I think that is a truly GOOD anthology. I like that the authors each have their own style and that there were so many different ways of writing romance included here. It wasn't the same story over and over. It does make giving the book as a whole a star rating difficult. (Or more difficult that usual at any rate.) Like I said, I didn't even finish every story. My four stars is for the three stories I loved the most, which are the ones I'm going to talk about here.

"Grassroots" by Adriana Anders
This is the first story in the anthology (though it was the second one I read). I have talked in reviews before about how I'm not a fan of first person in romance. This one worked for me so well though. I think that is partly due to there being a purpose for the first person. It is how the story needed to be told. Veronica is the point of view character. She is a young pre-school teacher running for city council to affect change at the level that impacts her and her students the most. She is wonderful. And as a former teacher who worked at a Title One school some of her rants are ones I've spouted myself almost word for word. I loved her to bits. And Zach is a really great hero (also super hot). I enjoyed how Anders built their interactions and resolved their final conflict.

"Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition" by Emma Barry
This story is why I bought this as soon as it was humanly possible. It's an Emma story and I'm always here for those, but it's also the story she tweeted out one night on Twitter during a particularly rough US political day (so a recent day that ends in y). I wanted her to write it instantly. I read this story first and it was everything I wanted and more. If you've read Emma's work, you know how much she loves nerdy characters and prickly heroines. This story delivers all of that and delivers it well. Cadence and Graham are adorable together and I loved their car trip to save the world so much.

"My Delight is In Her" by Jane Lee Blair
This is Blair's debut, and I can not wait to read more from her in the future. She is a Christian and her story shows it. Being a Christian myself, I loved her use of Scripture and theology combined with the realism of living daily life. Her characters curse, feel lust, and struggle with a multitude of issues and she portrayed it all so clear and well while giving us a great romance between very real people. Leonard and Kim were college sweethearts so this a reunion story. Those aren't always my favorites. I'm picky about how they come off, but this one did all of the things I look for right.

There were other stories in the anthology I enjoyed, but these three are the ones I will return to. I bought this when it was $0.99. It's no longer on sale, but I would pay full price just for these three stories.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of "Rogue Desire" from one of my favorite authors Ainsley Booth in exchange for an honest review.

" Rogue Desire" , is a compilation of eight different authors shorts stories: each story focusing on a couple drawn together in slightly different situations with the common thread being the current political state here in the United States. Taking the reader from campaigning at a Grassroots level, and discovering unlikely help; help that you find yourself falling for, or finally taking the leap and approaching someone because you fear the Twitter crazy President will have you in a nuclear war within the week.
Of course in my Favorite authors story "Personal Disatser" Marcus Dane ' could of stayed an engineer and made millions like his freinds but he chose to leave that life for a more subdue one working as a national park ranger, enjoying the beauty and animals of our national parks, which are all now in danger of closing, funds cut to the point of not only effecting the safe running of the parks but the local economies . However ayoung reporter Poppy has latched onto a Twitter poster who seems to be rebelling against all of this and she believes it is Marcus. Marcus goes from wanting to get rid of Poppy in a hurry to wanting to have his way with her on his desk. What kind of relationship can you have with someone I two or three days though and is it worth trying. Personally I hope so I want more of Marcus and Poppy!

Overall a well written, well put together and enjoyable vomilation of short romances!

[Amy Cousins]

For everyone looking for a new Bend or Break story... This spinoff stands alone, but if you've read Nothing Like Paris, you'll spot a familiar face! :)

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogue Desire, an anthology of incredibly sexy stories, will play with your temptations.

This anthology holds stories from Adriana Anders, Tamsen Parker, Dakota Gray, Emma Barry, Jane Lee Blair, Ainsley Booth, Amy Jo Cousins and Stacy Agder.

If you're looking for some sensual stories to fulfill your fantasies, this is the book for you. Especially if you want some quick, easy reads instead of a super long romance novel to fill up your time - you've found what you're looking for!

I wouldn't necessarily call it just contemporary romance - some of these stories are a bit more sexy than that name hints - but this still hits all the notes of a sexy, steamy romance.

For me, as a Tamsen Parker fangirl extraordinaire (can I get a button or something pronouncing my love for Tamsen's writing? I feel like I'm apart of the fan club by now) I really love that her writing is growing yet again. I grew to love and feel for the characters in such a small set of chapters, and melt into a puddle reading the sexiness in that story. And I probably blushed a lot - that story was really steamy...

I will applaud this anthology as a whole though. Normally anthologies all have very similar stories or similar styles of writing - this one does not. Yes they are "similar" - you know, romance and sexiness all over - but they all have different themes and plot lines. Not just 'hey you're sexy, let's get together" plot lines. Also, each writer is unique and completely different than the others. It's not just carbon copies of the same type of author over and over writing a slightly different story. So, you will most likely find at least one story in this if you like romance - or hopefully more than one!

I kind of wish I could give each individual story star ratings, but they all rate between 4 and 5. Some of the stories weren't necessarily my cup of tea, but they were all great reads - they kept me hooked and interested, I felt invested in the characters, and I enjoyed reading the stories. It didn't feel like work or like I was forcing myself through the stories.

Reading some other reviews, I have seen that some people think these stories are "rushed" and yes, I might agree - but you need to remember these are short stories with little wiggle room for giant character development. Many of my favourite short stories seem "rushed" to me - The Veldt - but they still worked. If given the opportunity, I would love to see all authors expand on these stories, but to me they felt like they were just "rushed" enough - not so crazy fast it's unbelievable, but not to slow to make it an entire novel.

Another great point about this book is the new authors you will be introduced to. While I've seen the names of some of these authors floating around Goodreads and Twitter, I never really looked into them - and now I know I should! Being able to see some of these authors write a full length novel instead of a tiny, itty, bitty story will be delightful!! So you may find your new must-read in this series!!!

My other thought from other reviews I peeked at after reading - "political" is a word used a lot, and it does seem fitting but I, for whatever reason, don't like that word necessarily being put with this. Sexy politics seem so off...yet the politics behind each story made each a little bit better. It's not like your following a sexy election from beginning to end, which is what that word leads me to believe when I see it pop up. So readers beware!

Overall, five out of five stars. It was sexy and a great read!

I received an uncorrected proof from Tamsen Parker for an honest review.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the whole, I think this collection is a little messy. Obviously, for reasons, it's incredibly difficult to name check actual politicians and actual events (though some of this gets very close, some of it inadvertently, I think), but the writing around it made it all seem fake in a way that wasn't cathartic the way that I wanted it to be. Instead it felt much more like this was being done because this is the thing to do, and from following several of these authors, I don't at all think that was the point, but that's where I was left as a reader. Probably a sign that either I'm not ready for this type of resistance romance. And that's okay.

GRASSROOTS by Adriana Anders, 3/5 stars

Cute! Slight, but cute.

DEEP THROAT by Dakota Gray, 1/5 stars

Eh, not for me. I just needed something approaching relationship development and hiring a lawyer for someone doesn't count. Hot, though.

RESISTANCE by Amy Jo Cousins, 1/5 stars

Yeah, no, if laughing at Nazis means I'm not intersectional then I don't give a fuck about intersectionality. And also, for a character to say that about potential educational deficits or challenges and then talk entirely in academic language THE ENTIRE NOVELLA, was kind of freaking rich. Not to mention fucking his student despite his ethical code telling him it was inappropriate. I mean, I'm not against it, but for that character? Yeah. That was rich. I think this is the only Amy Jo Cousins work I have outright hated, but boy howdy, did I.

KISSING AND OTHER FORMS OF SEDITION by Emma Barry, 5/5 stars

This was delightful. Utterly delightful.

TRUTH, LOVE AND SUSHI by Stacey Agdern, 4/5 stars

This was cute, if the details didn't make much sense. Caroline and Max were adorable.

MY DELIGHT IS IN HER by Jane Lee Blair, 2/5 stars

This entry confused me and I wanted to like it. From the hero's POV, it sounded like the heroine was totally anti him being in the church/ministry at all. From the heroine's POV, it sounded like she was fine with him being in ministry, but that she objected specifically to him having a church. If the latter is what actually happened, why would divinity school have been the breaking point? Because I presume (maybe wrongly), he would still have needed divinity school to do college ministry, so why wouldn't they have stayed together and see where he was called to after? My wanting to knock their past heads together made this a hard read.

PERSONAL DISASTER by Ainsley Booth, 3/5 stars

This was cute.

LIFE, LIBERTY AND WORSHIP by Tamsen Parker, 3/5 stars

This was hot, but also frustrating because right now, I have a really hard time reconciling fiscally conservative/socially libertarian attitudes and so I ended up not really thinking she should give the hero a chance. But hot.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories are basically wish fulfillment about working against Trump’s presidency, though I don’t think he’s ever mentioned by name. I can see how it might have been cathartic had I read this closer to when it was released but I don’t know that they would have worked any better. My favorite was Emma Barry’s contribution: Kissing & Other Forms of Sedition.


Grassroots by Adriana Anders
I previously read an expanded version of this story, titled Loving the Secret Billionaire.



Deep Throat by Dakota Gray: DNF
Characters: Davis is an escort and FBI informant. Hayley is a maid with brown skin.

Content notes: sex worker MMC, cocaine joke



Resistance by Amy Jo Cousins: 2 stars
Characters: Kaz is a gay Pakistani teaching assistant and diplomat’s son. Will is a 20 year old queer white college sophomore and antifa protestor with a lip ring. This is set in DC.

Content notes: sexual harassment by Will (aggressively pursues Kaz, despite Kaz repeatedly turning him down and rules about TAs and students dating), TA-student relationship (Kaz immediately notifies his boss that he can no longer grade Will anymore once he figures out who Will is but he does not disclose the reason why), microaggression, systemic racism and homophobia, lie of omission (Will knew who Kaz was all along), past religious homophobia and bullying, mob violence, white supremacist group, Kaz is an expat and immigrant, on page sex, bus sex, past underage drinking, small penis insult (countered), gendered pejorative, ableist language



Kissing & Other Forms of Sedition by Emma Barry: 4 stars
Characters: Graham is a white Jewish legislative assistant and speechwriter who wears glasses. Cadence is a white legislative assistant and speechwriter. This is set in Richmond, VA.

Content notes: threat of nuclear war, on page sex, ableist language



Truth, Love and Sushi by Stacey Agdern: 2 stars
Characters: Caroline is a white preschool volunteer and the President’s daughter. Max is a white Jewish ex-hockey player, charity founder, and Jewish center employee. This is set in DC.

Content notes: corrupt and bigoted president, FMC is estranged from her parents, past parental infidelity (FMC’s father cheated), classism, charity for terminally ill children, phone sex, alcohol, ableist language



My Delight Is In Her by Jane Lee Blair: skipped



Personal Disaster by Ainsley Booth: 3 stars
Characters: Marcus is a white park ranger. Poppy is a white journalist. This is set in the Rocky Mountains in CO.

Content notes: sexism, on page sex, mild primal play, gender essentialist language, ableist language



Life, Liberty and Worship by Tamsen Parker: 3 stars
Characters: Paige is a HUD employee and Democrat. Carter is a Republican policy writer; he is a fiscal conservative and social libertarian. This is set in DC.

Content notes: brief sexual harassment, sexism, social anxiety, diet culture, on page sex, hate sex, pegging, genitalia equated to gender, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide


*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle)
Purchased: 2020

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down, this is one of the best anthologies I’ve ever read. It is timely and relevant. I am impressed as hell that these authors wrote & published this anthology so quickly, yet with quality writing. The passion of the politics is gripping and stirred something in me.

GRASSROOTS by Adriana Anders
Veronica is such a great heroine. She isn’t accepting the status quo, and is actively working to do something, to make a difference. The hero, Zach, is a bit too good to be true, but the contrast between him and her worked for the story.

DEEP THROAT by Dakota Gray
Interesting - I liked the idea that Hayley was a gray hat, that she wanted to do more than complain about the politicians. I kinda bought into Davis, and how he got strong-armed into doing what he’s doing. I also bought the chemistry between them. But it didn’t all gel for me, and I’m not sure why.

RESISTANCE by Amy Jo Cousins
It has been far too long since I read anything by Ms. Cousins. This short was stellar. It’s in the Bend or Break world, featuring peripheral characters. The sex in this short was scorching - the balance of hot and public and forbidden - was perfect. I loved how Kaz and Willis both bring out the best in each other. Their ending is a HFN, which felt right for them. I hope they get their HEA.

KISSING AND OTHER FORMS OF SEDITION by Emma Barry
I couldn’t quite swallow my disbelief of the road trip these two take, but I did love their story and their chemistry. Loved the intelligence of this couple.

TRUTH, LOVE AND SUSHI by Stacey Agdern
This one has a bit of a caper/spy feel to it. This one if the most overt in it’s references to the Trump family. But I liked it. I liked that one daughter didn’t want to be like her family. I liked that she worked carefully to do what was right and protect her sister. There is only the promise of a relationship with this one, and though I wish we’d seen more, I respect the way this story was told.

MY DELIGHT IS IN HER by Jane Lee Blair
Probably the closest I’ve ever read to an inspirational title, though as the author said, there is faith, there is also swearing. 😃 The heart of Ms. Blair’s writing was this fundamental belief in god, Jesus, humanity. Though I am not religious, I was gripped by the story and the love between these two.

PERSONAL DISASTER by Ainsley Booth
Good. It felt a bit unfinished, albeit with a promising HFN. I liked both characters and their interactions.

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND WORSHIP by Tamsen Parker
So good. I enjoyed every single word in this story. The sly humour, the kink so maturely owned without guilt. Carter and Paige are great together. He get shaken up and comes out of it a better and stronger person. Enjoyed the references to other characters in the Personal Geography series.

[Jewlsbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little anthology! There's something for everyone romantically-and politically-speaking. My personal favs:

Grassroots by Adriana Anders
sweet and steamy romance with thought provoking topics

Deep Throat by Dakota Gray
sexy romance, witty conversations, and the clearest consent I think I've ever come across

Personal Disaster by Ainsley Booth
it's Ainsley Booth..enough said:)

[Bona Caballero]

Al 52 %, lo dejo. Aburrido hasta decir basta. La literatura de combate es lo que tiene. Que atontolina hasta al narrador más hábil.🙄 Se ve que esto fue una iniciativa nacida del trauma que algunos tuvieron tras la victoria de Trump en las elecciones y fantasearon con la literatura rosa como una forma de resistencia y combate.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making sedition sexy, this gorgeous smorgasbord of passionate, funny, poignant, and romantic stories is a must read for anyone who has fumed at the crazy goings on in DC and online and thought, "There must be something more, something good, something better." These stories, while fiction, give heart and hope to romance readers who need something more than 140 characters on Twitter to get them through our current political climate.

Also, I love anthologies where I can discover new authors or genres. My favorites of the bunch were probably the lovely fairytale-ish Grassroots by Adriana Anders, a recent author discovery for me, and the smoldering Resistance by Amy Jo Cousins, a m/m offering that squarely hit every political/romantic/sexual item on my romance checklist even though I'm not a big m/m reader. Emma Barry and Tamsen Parker never disappoint, and now I'll be checking out their fellow authors as well.

Note: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review.

[Kini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Smexybooks.com

I have read several of the authors in this anthology so I was interested to see what kind of story they would tell, especially as it related to resistance. I am pretty bad at reading anthologies because I prefer a longer length novel and I’m a lazy reader. But I powered through, not that it was a struggle, and read them all. I was not disappointed. Here are my top three, some notes about the others and because they are all based on resistance of some sort, I rated them 1-5 for resistance content. The main thing that really makes these my top three, is I would love to read more about each of these couples and their continued Happy Ever Afters.

PERSONAL DISASTER
by Ainsley Booth

Marcus Dane left the tech world and joined the National Park Service a decade ago. Now an intrepid reporter has tracked down the park ranger-who-could-have-been-a-billionaire and, even worse, she has a theory that could blow his quiet life to smithereens. He needs to send her packing. But he’s already tumbled head-over-heels in insta-lust with her flippy ponytail and smart mouth, and he just can’t seem to let her go.

This story had a fast pace that I really enjoyed. Poppy, the heroine, shows up at Marcus’s work site because she believes he’s the person behind the alt account for the National Park Service. At one point Marcus demands she get out of his vehicle and it was great. The tension was really good in this story. There is some wilderness sex and it was smoking hot. It’s a little insta-lusty/love, but in this context and with the short format, it worked well for me. This author was new to me and it won’t be my last from her.

Level of Resistance: 3
Grade: B+

KISSING AND OTHER FORMS OF SEDITION
by Emma Barry

When a global crisis threatens to go nuclear, the world tips upside down and spills out Graham Wilcox’s unspoken feelings for Cadence Martel. Cadence is equal parts shocked and delighted by his confession, but one night of passion isn’t enough. So the new lovers set out on a road trip to save the world.


Emma Barry has yet to let me down. I read her political based contemporaries a few years back and loved them. Graham has loved Cadence from afar for over a year. The story begins as he finally decides to go tell her. She too has liked him, but felt he wasn’t interested after he declined an offer to come to her house one night after they had been at dinner. When he goes to her and declares his feelings, they quickly get to the smexy times. It was pretty enjoyable. They then embark on a road trip to do their part to save the world. I was wary of the road trip, but it turned it to more self discovery and reflection of their relationship and it worked for me.

Favorite quote: “You thought the world was ending, and you came to me?” she whispered. “Yes.” “Not like another listen of Beethoven’s Fifth or eating all the carbs in your house?” “There aren’t many carbs in my house.” He chose you over carbs. He chose you over everything.”

Level of Resistance: 3
Grade: B


TRUTH, LOVE AND SUSHI
by Stacey Agdern

When First Daughter Caroline Crosby finds herself in possession of the one document that can bring her father and his administration down, she turns to a real life social justice warrior for help. Max Wilcox isn’t sure what to make of Caroline: is this an elaborate hookup or a political conspiracy? But he has to make up his mind fast because the information and their chemistry could change the world—or break their hearts.

It took me until the 9th chapter to realize this is related to the Emma Barry story- see above note where I’m a lazy reader. The hero from this book is the brother of the hero from her book and both couples are in their own way trying to get the 25th Amendment to be invoked.

This is a new to me author and I enjoyed her voice. Caroline and Max meet in a sushi restaurant. One in which Max mentions he would follow to Maryland, even with the bad drivers. I myself am a very good Maryland driver so I just need to point out that Maryland is not filled with bad drivers, stereotypes aside. That line definitely made me chuckle. Anyway, Caroline seeks Max out as someone who can help her. She is the president’s daughter and she is incredibly unhappy with the administration and wants to do her part to end it. This story has a spy feel to it and it worked for me. The romance/sex was low key and again it worked for this story.


Level of Resistance: 4
Grade: B

GRASSROOTS
by Adriana Anders

Blind, virgin hero, possibly a hacker. Heroine is a woman of color running for city council. They had great chemistry and some hot sex, but it felt a little too perfect for me.

Level of Resistance: 3
Grade: C+

DEEP THROAT
by Dakota Gray

Escort hero, oh hello! Heroine is a made. Some cat & mouse intrigue happening. Some good banter and good tension and chemistry

Level of Resistance: 3
Grade: C

RESISTANCE
by Amy Jo Cousins

Teaching assistant and student (college sophomore) hook up during a protest march. Hand/blow job on a bus. I had a hard time with the age difference.

Level of Resistance: 4.5
Grade: C-

MY DELIGHT IS IN HER
by Jane Lee Blair

Hero is a pastor. Heroine is a WOC works for the DOL. A second chance story that got overshadowed by their faith. This is not an inspirational, but religion is heavy. Some slang usage that bothered me.

Level of Resistance: 2.5
Grade: C-

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND WORSHIP
by Tamsen Parker

This was an interesting story and something I would LOVE to see more of. Heroine is a liberal democrat, hero is a libertarian and fiscally conservative Republican. They meet at spin class. She’s mad at him when she finds out he’s a R. They work it out. Sort of fem-domy. Also, there is pegging.

Level of Resistance: 3
Grade: B

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I have opinions.

(and with the caveat that of course, I am not from the US, nor do I live there) Mostly, a lot of these felt on the nose in a really obvious, really bad way. The last one was actually the best in terms of the time setting, but I think Paige needed to be fleshed out a little for her... anger to ring true.

Honestly, I am side-eyeing this anthology for having the only queer romance (out of eight!) be m/m.

There were definitely some excellent stories in here, but honestly it felt rushed, and... opportunistic in a borderline gross way. This isn't the same as a bunch of Olympics romances dropping the two weeks either side of opening ceremony, and while I'm sure some people will be glad for the escape, and I'm sure that was the intent... I can't say I love it

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a preacher to a male escort, this anthology shows that everyone has a stake in the political direction of the country. I loved the variety and differences in heat levels of the stories, some by established authors I've read before and some by new to me writers. Most of the stories are m/f though there is one m/m as well. Taking events from real life happenings and more fanciful 'what if' scenarios, you are sure to find a story or two that will resonate with you.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad one in the bunch

This devourable collection of novellas gives us some interesting people living in interesting times. I loved them all. Though i have to say: while the inclusion of POC and queer characters was awesome, it would have been nice to have them come from #ownvoices authors.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked more of these stories than not, so that's pretty good for an anthology. I loved reading about characters who are feeling some of the same things I've been feeling this year.

[Sarah Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have FINALLY finished this anthology and.it was great especially the last story...yowza that was hot...

[Gillian]

Review to come

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogue Desires is a romance anthology of original novellas/short stories by eight very talented writers. Incredibly, the stories each incorporate the current political climate and trends in one fashion or another. I found it easy to visualize settings of protest marchers wearing pink pussy hats on Washington, DC streets, or office cubicles full of writers of white papers within the West Wing of the White House, or a remote mountain forest where consequences of political decisions affect the obscure part-time employees. The depth and range of the stories mimic Washington insider conflicts and moral questions that affect the lives of those working adjacent to big government, as well as so many Americans. I hope that several of these short installments will be developed into full-length novels, expanding on the angst, humor, intelligence, and soul searching of the main characters. There is a bounty of sexual struggles that lead to satisfying climaxes.

I received an ARC of this book from one of my favorite authors, Ainsley Booth, in exchange for honest reviews, which follow. I’m the winner because I’ve been introduced to several new-to-me authors whom I’ve added to my TBR list. I’ve already begun talking up these writers with my friends. I definitely recommend you take the time to read this anthology. ❤

Grassroots by Adriana Anders
OMG, what a way to be introduced to the power of this anthology. I absolutely loved this story about feisty Veronica Cruz who is running for a seat on the city council, solely with the intent of standing up “for her people.” She can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch those in her impoverished community lose resource after resource while struggling to maintain sustainable lives. Enter one Zach Huber, a reclusive individual who somehow has the power to sway public opinion, as well as finance change. But the big question remains… is he a good guy or a bad guy? I thoroughly enjoyed the strength of these characters, as well as the naivety each brought to this spicy, sweet story. I’m a new fan of Adrianna Anders.

Deep Throat by Dakota Gray
Davis is an escort, with a huge secret. Hayley’s the invisible maid at the hotel he utilizes for “business.” She’s harboring her own secrets. The closest they get is flirtatious exchanges and clandestine sneak peeks of each other. But they really do “see” one another, caught in a spinning dance of no escape. Unanticipated outcomes result as secrets and private desires come with costs, some of which Hayley can’t afford. Plenty of twists and turns in this one but what I loved most was the banter and chemistry between Hayley and Davis. Oh and the author absolutely smashed it with making sure consent was given but in the very sexiest of ways. Hot. Seriously hot.

Resistance by Amy Jo Cousins
What do you get when you combine a DC protest march, an eminently-qualified and respectfully-raised foreign male TA, a motorbike chase through back alleys to evade being pummeled to death - with a passenger on the back of the bike who’s wearing a hood, one incredibly cute male student who makes terribly bad decisions, and a 10-hour long bus ride to return to campus? You get a whole lot of adrenaline that needs purging but increases in intensity, instead. The table is turned when Kaz’ determination to stick to his guns and do the right thing makes him super aware of all the times he’s played it safe. I was sucked in by the pursuit and building sexual tension, making Kaz, the educational scholar, the pupil of Will, the sexy student. There was great chemistry between the two main characters. Stolen moments and what ifs. You’ll simply have to read it to find out.

Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition by Emma Barry
What do you get when the President tweets his finger is on the button? Is it possible the world’s end could be a pile of ash? Regrets. A lot of regrets. Graham and Cadence each work for demanding bosses in DC. Neither can believe how fast they got to the brink of war. Each feels compelled to do something, ANYTHING, to turn these events around. His biggest personal regret is not having done anything about the crush he’s had on her for ages. He’s blown away by her poise, her feisty-ness, and her beauty. If the world’s going to end, he needs to tell her. She has longed to experience nerdy Graham for ages, but experienced his rejection, instead. All bets are off when she finds him ringing her doorbell.
Super good pairing of personalities, working together, taking risks, finding love along the way.

Truth, Love and Sushi by Stacey Agdern
Max and Caroline's story was masterful! It was one of my three favorites in this anthology! It had me ‘Googling” the 25th Amendment which, of course, I’ve heard a lot about recently, but didn’t fully understand its complexities. Very well written, in the fashion of intrigue. How do you know you can trust someone? When you figure it out, will you be able to execute the plan, knowing it will effectively end any hope of personal opportunity with the one person with whom you’re falling in love? This one had me reading late into the night. Highly recommended. A new-to-me author I’ll be following.

Delight Is In Her by Jane Lee Blair
A second-chance story. It was a little too religious for my tastes, but I was able to get beyond that. Lauren and Leonard's story is about love, loss, mistrust, and recognition that the other person’s needs are more important than your own. But knowing that isn’t enough. Forgiveness and trust are powerful.

Personal Disaster by Ainsley Booth
I LOVE this author and have read all her newest releases. I’m making an honest effort to catch up on earlier stories. I received an invitation from her to read an ARC of this anthology in exchange for an honest review, which follows.

Tying in with the angst many feel due to the current political climate and US Presidency, this story follows one very determined journalist, Poppy Lisowski. She’s on a freelance mission to uncover the source behind internet postings about the administration’s cut backs for national parks, which threaten the land, employment, and economy. She’s sure about her lead, which takes her into the deep woods of the Rocky Mountains. Facing off with Park Ranger Marcus Dane, a man she suspects has left Silicon Valley’s hi-tech world and financially deep pockets for the lure of nature and to soothe his deep feelings, it takes a while for her to confirm she’s on the right track. But time is something in short supply. Marcus Dane is instantly in lust with the feisty reporter, but protective of the truth writers. He will need to find a way to permit Poppy to discover the facts while keeping her close. This was a wonderful journey, one that isn’t finished. I truly look forward to finding this couple’s story concluded in another of Ainsley Booth’s novels. Well done! More, please!

Life, Liberty and Worship by Tamsen Parker
A cleverly written story about the stress two individuals experience working across the aisle from each other in Washington, DC. Attending spin classes to purge stress provides each of them the opportunity to make eye contact. Paige Robinson’s interest in Carter Cox morphs into disillusion so strong only revenge can absolve it. Carter is desperate to hold onto his DC job and is seemingly caught supporting a man who insults women in general and Paige specifically, behind her back. Furious over the lack of rebuff on her behalf, she sets up the sexually naive Carter for an encounter she thinks will purge her of his effect on her. Poor, bumbling Carter delights in her ministrations, only to learn he is the brunt of her exorcism attempt. Carter is ridiculously adorable in his bumbling and also his braveness. Not your average love story.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much into politics, and I absolutely hate discussing them to people outside of my party (Democrat) but I enjoyed most of the stories in this political, resistance inciting anthology.



Grassroots by Adriana Anders: 4 stars. Veronica and Zack are so sweet together. She's running for city council when she meets the owner of a house she's canvassing. He turns out to be a hot, blind computer hacker who just happens to be a virgin. She teaches him about the joy of kissing and sex and he falls in love with her passion to help change her part of the world

Deep Throat by Dakota Gray: 4 stars. I've loved Dakota's writing since I reviewed ARCs for her Perv series (Perv, Filth & Hardcore). Deep Throat has a loose association with the Perv series , and my favorite character from the Perv series, Duke (Hardcore), is in it peripherally. Hayley is a hotel maid and Davis is an escort who uses the hotel for his "business." Davis is trying to get out of his business, but has to report, or inform I guess, to his new pimp, the FBI, if he wants out. She's "fighting for a better life for my co-workers, my neighbors, my aunts, my cousins." by giving info to an anonymous hacker who just might threaten Davis' exit from his business. But as Hayley inspires Davis to help his community, can they get back to their old relationship, the one they had before his selfishness put her in jeopardy? This one has Dakota's signature steamy style and both Davis and Hayley are well drawn, interesting characters.



Resistance by Amy Jo Cousins: 3.5 stars. Hot little MM story about Kaz, a TA, chaperoning some of his students to an immigration rally in DC. When he meets a bandana-ed, tattooed, skinny guy running down the street begging him for a ride on his borrowed motorcycle as he runs from the Nazi ish guys he's yelling at, he doesn't even dream that it's one of his hot students whom he's been quietly lusting after since class started. I like this one, but it was a little draggy, even for such a short story. And Will, the student, is more than a little annoying. I kind of like the vague way it ended, though. Gave me something to ponder.

Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition by Emma Barry: 3.5 stars. Graham has been in love with Cadence for a year but has talked himself out of pursuing her until one night when the threat of nuclear war is imminent (thanks to an incompetent president being allowed to tweet indiscriminately) so he convinces himself he has to let her know in case they're dead tomorrow. I thought this was rather sweet, but a little boring and literal. Sure, I agree with the moral as you will, behind Kissing, but not much happened so I can't rate it higher.



Truth, Love and Sushi by Stacey Agdern: 4 stars. I love this one. It's got intrigue and sexual tension and sushi! Caroline is the daughter of a universally disliked President who apparently has a notebook that will kill his career and put him in prison if it were ever leaked. When his youngest daughter gets a copy of the notebook and informs Caroline, she knows just who to go to with the notebook - Max, a former hockey player turned do gooder who works for social and Jewish causes, not specifically for the government, but rather "for organizations that lobbied the government rather than the government itself."



My Delight is in Her by Jane Lee Blair: 2 stars. Sorry to say I didn't like this one. I like Leonard, the hero, but I couldn't stand Kim, the heroine. Leonard and his girlfriend, Kim, broke up when she says he chose being a pastor over her. In reality she didn't want to be be with someone who was a pastor, regardless of whether it was his calling, and whether or not they could have made a relationship work when he was a pastor. Yes, she had a vague reason - her aunt was married to a man who was a pastor, and he cheated on her with a parishioner and got the woman pregnant. Now, years later, Leonard is walking around his community and sees a bunch of protesters at an intersection, and lo and behold, he sees Kim. I disliked Kim so much, with her bitchy, judgmental attitude, that I couldn't connect to My Delight is in Her at all. It's too bad, because Leonard was a delight. He drank, he even cussed and was a regular guy, not like what you'd think of a pastor at all.



Personal Disaster by Ainsley Booth: 5 stars. This is by far my favorite of this anthology. Marcus is a park ranger who walked away from his job as a software engineer. He's been friends with Jake (Personal Delivery), Toby (Personal Escort) and Ben (Personal Interest), all billionaires, since college at MIT but he's a park ranger. Naturally, Poppy, freelance journalist, is interested in him. But not because he walked away from a potential life as a billionaire. No, because she thinks he's been using an alt Twitter account to rant about the state of our nation under a horrible president. As the two fight the thickening sexual tension between them, she has to decide if she wants to out Marcus or if their developing relationship is more important than her story about him.



Life, Liberty and Worship by Tamsen Parker: 3 stars. I really couldn't get into this one. I adore Carter, the hero, but Paige, the heroine leaves a lot to be desired. I like that she's a feminist and a Democrat (me too!) but I don't like how she expresses those beliefs. Paige is a Democrat working for HUD under the current Republican administration. She's been lusting after the hot guy in her spin class, but she absolutely hates the weird Republican leaning shirts he wears to class. And when she finds out he's a Republican working for the current administration, it makes her even angrier at him. So she pushes the shy, adorably awkward Carter into meeting her at her place, where she proceeds to rock his world when she pegs him and makes him come like he's never come before. I'm not particularly into pegging, and I dislike how she used it against him then threw him out, but I do like that Carter was into it and didn't think it was a slight against his masculinity. I wish Paige had been less of a wench to Carter, and instead had talked to him instead of hate fucking him then throwing him out.

If you have any political and/or resistance leanings at all, you'll be sure to find at least one story in this anthology to enjoy.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this unique box set. I was only familiar with Ainsley Booth and Dakota Gray. But now I have six more to add to my TBR list.

Deep Throat by: Dakota Gray was hot. She makes you want to know what's going on in that hotel room. And when you find out, have mercy. Davis is an escort and Haley is a maid at the hotel. They have a connection, but if the secrets they know come out it could cost them both dearly.

Personal Disaster by: Ainsley Booth was worth every minute you spend reading it. Marcus the Billionaire Park Range makes you want to go get lost in the woods just so he can come rescue you.
Poppy finds out first hand what happens when he turns that attention on her. Their story is not finished yet and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

[new_user · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this five stars for Adriana Anders work. Her style is beautiful, sexy, and the characters and story were interesting: Latina running for local government meets hot blind guy with secrets I don't want to spoil. I will say that social media influencing an election is not as implausible as one reviewer said. I am absolutely reading more from this author.

I really wanted to like the others, especially as I'm already an Emma Barry fan, but there was always something missing. Oh, well, I like the spirit of the anthology anyways.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soooo. This was either too close to reality or not close enough. I get naming real life people is hard, but when you only refer to "the president" and "the administration", it just distracts me and lessens the impact. One story made up a fake president and I think that's a better way to go.

Anyway, these stories were really just okay for me overall. Also, the Emma Barry one was about the president tweeting about nuclear war. I REALLY SHOULD'VE READ THIS SOONER.

[Crystal Wilke · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of these authors are new to me. I enjoyed reading each Author's work. I definitely found new authors to stalk. This is one of the reasons why I like reading anthologies because you found new authors. Rogue Desires is unique in its own way. Get ready to meet all kinds of fun, witty, sexy characters.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC for this book.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The special thing about this anthology is that all of the stories are themed around Resistance. What type of resistance? That varies, but they are all valid. Some hit the nail right on the head, and some we wish could happen IRL.

I enjoyed this collection of stories, both for the value of the tales and for the romance. Gotta love a good romance, right?

 
Grassroots - Adriana Anders
Oh how I loved Zach and Veronica. This story is unique, unexpected and so freaking sexy I absolutely loved it.
Zach’s handicap surprised me, and the way Veronica just accepted it without even thinking twice was amazing.
I loved the honesty and the integrity of the characters, both to each other and to the story.
I wish this could’ve been written as a full length novel. Beautiful.
5 Stars
 
Deep Throat - Dakota Gray
This one had me baffled. Up to a certain point I didn't quite get what's going on, and then all of a sudden they were having this dirty, panty melting sex.
Hayley and Davis are combustible, that's for sure. When Davis - who's is deep trouble and trying to gain his freedom - is suspecting Hayley - his maid when he's staying at the hotel doing his business - to be trying to sabotage his plans... let's just say his months' long attraction to her is put to the test.
There’s a HEA to this (naturally), though the whole thing felt rushed and stilted to me.
3 Stars
 
Resistance - Amy Jo Cousins
Resistance varies depending on the situation. AJ Cousins managed to throw two situations into one, and did it beautifully. Even though I can argue that one of those resistances crumbled here and there.
A TA and a strong minded student, determined to do the right thing, is almost a forbidden romance. You can guess from which direction the resistance is coming, but what I loved is that there's no ending to this one. I can imagine it going a million different directions.
This is a side story to Cousins' Bend or Break series, but can be definitely read as a standalone.
4 Stars
 
Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition - Emma Barry
Talk about being on point. LOL
Emma Barry brings us a political romance so sweet, it pretty much gave me a cavity. Or that may have been the M&Ms. IDK. Whatever it was, both Graham and Cadence are adorable, nerdy and perfect.
Enjoyed that one a lot, even if I didn’t quite get it until a certain point.
4 Stars
 
Truth, Love and Sushi - Stacey Agdern
There's something about this story, especially after reading Emma Barry's contribution to this anthology, that makes you think "yes, this CAN happen." But then you realize a little notebook doesn't really exist in our reality.
I'm giving this 4.5 stars because it's not perfect, but it's damn close. And the idea is too realistic to actually be true.
Sorry if I'm not making sense with this review, but it's the best I can do for this story.
 
My Delight is in Her - Jane Lee Blair
This was adorable. And slightly too Christian for me. I’m all for spiritualism and religion in books. Whatever moves the plot forward, and I enjoy the simple, innocent romance. With this one I felt like Leonard lost himself a little in being a pastor.
Glad there was a sane HEA and I loved how the author, while not writing a straightforward political resistance story, managed to throw that in there.
3.5 Stars
 
Personal Disaster - Ainsley Booth
Now this is a story you don’t read every day. Take a park ranger, gruff and frowny. Take a sexy journalist, determined and quite desperate. Put the two in a setting where the world is on its way to hell. What do you get? Some clash, some flirting, some banter and a lot of wit.
And the fact that this might not be the end of the story? Imma going to have to follow up on Booth and see if she writes more Poppy and Marcus. YUM!
4 Stars
 
Life, Liberty and Worship - Tamsen Parker
This one was awesome. I both loved that we got a wee glimpse into Cooper's professional life (from Personal Geography), and that this resistance story is more about how not all democrats are saints and not all republicans are the devil.
Also, there's pegging and there's a freakin' hot, hotter than hot, sex scene that could very well be described as incredibly filthy.
5 Stars

[Chasing Away Reality · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avg rating for this book is 4.375

Grassroots by Adriana Anders - 5 stars

I adored this unique story. Zach was such a sweet and caring man. I loved watching him evolve from being reclusive and shy. I also enjoyed witnessing the connection and passion he had with Veronica. I've never truly imagined what it must be like for a blind man to form an intimate relationship. I liked how Veronica took the time to understand him and how the author formed their connection.

Deep Throat by Dakota Gray - 5 stars

Dakota always delivers the hot and dirty. I've been addicted to her stories since I first read Perv. Her heroes are alpha males with soft hearts and dirty mouths, and the ladies are strong, sexy, and never hesitate to put their man in their place. I loved Hailey and Davis's story. There was a little mystery and lots of passion. It made me want to grab my hubby. 😉

Resistance by Amy Jo Cousins - 3.5 stars

Good but tedious story. I felt lost the entire first chapter and felt like there was too much politically charge discussions. Once we moved on to the motorcycle escape, I was wrapped up in it. I was anxious to see where Kaz and Will's connection would lead. I only wish we would have gotten a little more.

Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition by Emma Barry - 4 Stars

This was a short but enjoyable story. It was only four chapters, but the author was able to clearly develop or rather enhance the existing relationship between Garrett and Cadence. The focus was on the moment that these characters finally come together. They've been working with one another for over a year without expressing their feelings. I loved witnessing the moment of acquiescence and their passion.

Truth, Love, and Sushi by Stacey Agdern - 4.5 stars

Political intrigue and forbidden lovers, what more could you ask for? I was sucked into this story. Caroline and Max were great characters and the perfect, yet unlikely, pair. I only wish we would have gotten to witness more intimacy between the two. This would make a great full-length novel.

My Delight Is In Her by Jane Lee Blair - 4 star

This was a surprisingly spiritual and lovely story. I liked the characters and their cause. I was happy with their eventual acceptance of each others feelings/opinions and reconciliation. However, I struggled with the reason for Kim and Leonard's break-up all those years ago and Kim's reasoning. She appeared selfish and too angry in my opinion. And it was difficult for me to see her as the wounded woman she portrayed. I also had a hard time believing that her friend wouldn't call her out on her selfishness and unreasonable expectations of Leonard.

Personal Disaster by Ainsley Booth - 5 stars

Ugh!!! Why do you do this to me, Ainsley?! I need the rest of their story! Let me back up for you readers... Marcus and Poppy's story was perfect. I wouldn't really say this is a cliffhanger since we get a full account of their falling for each other and expectations for the future. But Ainsley certainly leaves it open and hints at more when she says, "The End (For Now)." I can't wait to see what's in store for this pair.

Life, Liberty, and Worship by Tamsyn Parker - 4 stars

Intense and hot but a bit off putting. I was immediately drawn to the tension that was palpable between Carter and Paige. My anticipation was at an all time high for these two to finally connect. I also loved the fact that Carter was nerdy and awkward. Paige conversely was strong, out spoken, and passionate about everything. I'll say that I enjoyed their first intimate experience; however, I wanted to cry and yell for Carter once it was over. Paige kinda lost her appeal at that point. I understand being strong in your convictions, but I thought she unfairly judged Carter and expected respect even when she wasn't willing to try to understand or except his differences.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Readers Copy of this book.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy the concept of these anthologies - romance as resistance, and giving voice to diverse stories as a model of hope in what some consider a difficult political environment (to say the very least). However, I found this anthology uneven, due in part to what I wanted out of it--I wanted the romances and the hope to be the focus, with veiled references to politics in order to keep the anthology relevant for more than X number of months/years and in order to let each reader impose their own reading on it. And some of those stories worked for me in that way. Others were anti-you-know-who fan fiction, and I was not into it.

"Grassroots" - 4 - This was adorable, but the conflict was too flimsy and made the second half lose momentum.
"Deep Throat" - 2 - This was much more erotica than romance, which isn't too my taste, and I didn't agree with the heroine's motivation.
"Resistance" - 4 - I really enjoyed the conceit here, of contrasting two approaches and talking through it with respect for each side. Also, it was super-hot, but everything happened in public places and there's no way that someone else didn't catch on at some point, and that squicks me out.
"Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition" - 2 - One example where I thought it would be much cuter if it wasn't fan fiction about triggering the 25th Amendment.
"Truth, Love, and Sushi" - 2 - Also fan fiction.
"My Delight Is In Here" - 3 - I loved having a thoughtful story about people of faith and how their faith informs their lives and choices. But, yet again, the explicitness of the references to the current situation in the US was not to my taste.
"Personal Disaster" - 2 - This is what I mean when I complain that being too explicit ruins the relevance. No one cares about alt-park service anymore, as far as I know, so this alt-park-service fan fiction is super lame. Also, just as damning, I felt no connection between the two characters.
"Life, Liberty, and Worship" - 1 - I loved how they worked things out, working through conflicting viewpoints, similar to "Resistance." But OMG I am SO, SO, SO, SO uncomfortable with the violations of consent. The heroine decides that based on the hero's T-shirts with political slogans, and the fact that he works for Satan Himself (i.e. the current administration), and a (somewhat misleading) conversation she overheard, that she is going to have revenge sex on behalf of outraged resisters everywhere, and rapes the guy. He just thinks that she's into him and that she's into rough sex, but her intent is to violate him. Like. WHAT. NO. It's clear that the author is leaning into the gender flip, and the structural power dynamics in current American society, but it just was not working for me at all. Having this as the last story in the anthology really left a bad taste in my mouth.

As I've tried to show, because of the political nature of these stories, my responses were EXTREMELY subjective. Someone more radical than me may very well love every single second of reading this, and feel empowered to continue with their political activism, and that's great. But it just wasn't working for me. I'm going to keep reading the books in this series, because they are great at intersectionality, giving love stories to people of various orientations, races and ethnicities, gender identities, and physical abilities. But I fear that the longer I take to read them, the more out of sync they will feel, because many (but not all) of these were written for a very specific moment in time.

[Romance Rehab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think by now you all know that I’m a huge Adriana Anders fan. I reviewed and LOVED Under Her Skin, and the author is a repeat offender on our weekly “best of” lists. So, at this point, I’ll pretty much read anything that has her name on it without bothering to look at a blurb or cover. That’s what I did with this book, so imagine my surprise when I find out it’s not a standalone Adriana Anders book, but rather an anthology featuring a ton of other authors (some I’ve read before, some I haven’t). ​

It was like winning the book lottery! I love anthologies. They’re the quickest way I know to try out a bunch of new authors and see who might become your next favorite. I’m happy to say this anthology didn’t disappoint.

​I’ll admit, though...I was a tiny bit skeptical when I read the blurbs. My husband was a West Wing FANATIC. He once suggested that we install a special TV in our living room that descended from the ceiling and played nothing but West Wing 24/7. (Crusher of hopes and dreams that I am, I nixed the idea. But I digress...) So, needless to say, I’ve seen every episode of the show a couple of times. I thought it was a great show, but I never LOVED it as much as my husband did. So, when I read that this was a romance anthology with a political/pseudo-West Wing vibe to it, I pouted a little. Would I get the big, strong, scarred alphas I so enjoy reading about in my favorite romance novels?

Well, I didn’t really get those kinds of alphas, but the book was full of great short, sexy reads nonetheless.

True to form, my fav author in this anthology didn’t take the easy route with her story. I loved that she wrote about a blind, hermit, virgin hero who moonlights as an online political activist. And despite the short length of the story, I felt like Zach and Veronica’s relationship went beyond instalove and that those two crazy kids actually had a happily ever after in their not-too-distant future.

The other stories were great, too, and I’ve now found several authors I plan to add to my cyber stalking list. But the thing that really surprised me the most was the diversity in this anthology. This is a REALLY diverse list of authors. There’s super sweet and sexy romance (Anders), there’s hot and dirty-talking romance bordering on erotica (Gray), there’s a steamy M/M romance (Cousins) and even a second-chance romance with a pastor (Blair). All in all, I’d say there’s at least a couple stories in this anthology every type of romance reader will enjoy.

Now, I will say that if you tend to get political and can’t handle someone cracking on your chosen political party, you might want to steer clear of this one. I won’t give anything away, but let’s just say that even if you’re only half paying attention as you read, you won’t have any trouble discerning the authors’ chosen political affiliations. Ahem.

That said, I highly recommend this to fans of smart, political romances and anthologies that just might help you find your next favorite author.

Full disclosure: We received an ARC from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[The_Book_Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology -- the theme for it, the variation (in so many ways) from story to story. It was a good read.

But there were some stories I liked more than others. Though I didn't hate any of them; the ones I'd give a lower rating to were simply "meh", and didn't grab my attention as much.

Anders' story (heroine of color, hero is blind and reclusive) was great, and I only wish it was longer. Those two were sweet and hot together.

Gray's story (hotel maid + former stripper/escort) was hot (because Gray)! And I do enjoy her writing style. But for such a short piece, I felt like I was lost on the actual plot going on -- what exactly was the blackmail and secrets going around, who was working for who, something about FBI... IDK, I enjoyed this one for the sex and the author's voice, but I think this story needed to be handled in a full novella, at the very least, because I couldn't follow the story that was going on.

Cousins' story (M/M - teacher's assistant plus one of his "students") was great and so hot (bus orgasms, 'nuff said) BUT it ended before their relationship could even start. However! I have heard that these two guys are getting a novella, later this year, I think, and I cannot wait because I need more!

Barry's story . . . I can't remember much about it? Shit. I'm horrible. But I know I liked it well enough; not a favorite, not bad, and would definitely try another from her.

Agdern's story (Jewish MCs) was also nice enough but not much of it stuck around with me after the fact. [No sex]


Blair's story (black hero and heroine, second chance, he's a pastor) was probably the one that held my attention the least. I'm not a fan of religious focused characters (doesn't matter the religion) -- and that's not to say that Blair was shoving anything down the reader's throat here, because she really wasn't. This is just A Thing for me, across the board (and IRL), so take that with a grain of salt. [No sex]


Booth's (Park Ranger + journalist) was great, and pretty hot. Will definitely be reading more from her (luckily I have a few on my TBR as it is).



Parker's story (a bit of a hate-fuck between a Democrat heroine and Republican hero) was a little kinky femdom with some pegging action. I liked it, but, like with pretty much all these stories, didn't get enough to truly have more thoughts on it.


Each of these 8 stories are roughly < 15K words a piece.

If you wish to look at some quotes/thoughts I highlighted, please check out my Twitter feed


I'd say my highest rated stories would hit a solid 4, and the lowest would be 2.

[Michelle Claypot_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for me. Some stories were a 5 & some a 4 so let's meet in the middle

The Rogue Desires Anthology is original, smart, heartfelt, sweet, funny and hot. I have happily added a bunch of new to me authors to my TBR. In the current world climate this was a very smart way to get people talking.
Definitely recommend ❤️

Grassroots by Adrianna Anders
I absolutely loved this story. Original, witty, sweet and just enough hot. I don't remember the last time a story made me want to immediately one click everything from an author. Definitely a new fan.

Deep Throat by Dakota Gray
Plenty of twists and turns in this one but what I ultimately loved was the banter and chemistry between Hayley and Davis. Oh and the author absolutely smashed it with making sure consent was given but in the very sexiest of ways. Hot. Seriously hot.

Resistance by My Jo Cousins
I do enjoy a spicy MM read and this short story was yum. Katz and Will were an unlikely pairing but that made it even better. Stolen moments and what ifs. I really enjoyed this one.

Kissing and Other Forms of Sedition by Emma Barry
Another new to me author that I will be looking for more words from. Graham and Cadence's story is smart, witty and oh so sweet. Graham is my favourite kind of hot nerd and pair himwith smart and feisty Cadence and you have a match made in heaven.

Truth, Love and Sushi by Stacey Agdern
Max and Caroline's story was intriguing and complicated and had me turning the pages faster to see what was going to happen next. I loved the ending and enjoyed the "almost" of the story... sometimes you don't have to get everything.

My Delight Is In Her by Jane Lee Blair
Lauren and Leonard's story is about losing the love of your life due to faith and then finding it again. Being a religious based love story it was a very different read for me but I enjoyed it.

Personal Disaster by Ainsley Booth
This was the story I was desperate for. I am a huge Ainsley Booth fan and this one did not disappoint. I adored Marcus and Poppy's story. Smart original storyline, witty dialogue, serious chemistry and an ending that left me wanting more.

Life, Liberty and Worship by Tamsen Parker
Paige and Carter might be my favourite couple in this Anthology. Carter is ridiculously adorable in his bumblingness and also his braveness. It was so heartfelt. Paige was definitely not what I expected and I loved that. Their love story was anything but average.

I received an ARC of this book