The author of Wicked Burn presents a story of how passion and danger make tempting bedfellows.
He sees her, wants her, needs her-now he has to have her.
Chicago Detective Ryan Daire has many secrets: a love for Shakespeare, an appreciation for all the finer things in life, and an absolute lack of restraint in the bedroom. Now he has an even bigger secret. In every shadow of the sprawling mansion he's recently inherited he can see her-tempting, ethereal, and untouchable. Hope Stillwater inhabited that mansion in 1906. Raw desire has formed a conduit between these two passionate souls who are separated by the barrier of time. Intoxicated by each other's presence, Ryan and Hope come close to crossing that inviting boundary between two worlds. But there is danger: Ryan's job has put him on the trail of a depraved criminal in an investigation that's risking Hope's eternal fate. Now he must do whatever it takes to change history, protect Hope from harm, and set his desires free.
Beth Kery is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of over thirty novels, novellas and serials. She writes contemporary romances as well as erotic contemporary romances, her hallmarks being emotional intensity, leap-off-the-page realistic characters and steamy sexual tension.
Oh boy, can Beth Kery tell a story! I hardly know where to begin with this one. Except for a few passages and some minor details, I loved everything about this book. It was just so darned interesting, and even though at times it pushed my comfort level, I was on board all the way! Although I must say I wasn't quite sure if I was reading an erotic romance, a time-travel romance, an historical romance, or a romantic suspense--I guess it was all that rolled into one!
I loved the whole time-travel (with a hint of reincarnation) plot of the Chicago detective trying to go back in time to prevent the murder of the gorgeous woman he sees in his mirror. I've read a few time-travel romances, but none like this. Hot, hot, hot! Along with the time-travel plot, you get a mystery/suspense, a historical and modern day erotic romance with a healthy dose of kink thrown into the mix. Oh wow, the scenes between the H/H...
The heroine, Hope Stillwater, is from the early 20th century. She's a minister's daughter, beautiful, wealthy, smart, brave, gorgeous, and a social reformer. She's all about making a better world for women and children and the less fortunate. Sort of a modern day social worker. She was just an all around sweet and generous person. And yes, at the start of the book she was a virgin, but you get the picture that if the right man came along...so long, virginity!
And speaking of the right man...what can I say about the hero, Chicago police detective Ryan Daire? 6'4" of raw masculinity, lover of Shakespeare, architecture, and Chicago history, reputation as a lover extraordinaire with a taste for kink, volunteer boxing coach (he's an amateur boxing champ--which is important to the plotline) for inner city youths, and working on a big case that could put a major scumbag who's involved with white slavery and human trafficking in jail for a long time.
So 20th century Hope and 21st century Ryan meet in an unusual way--he's just inherited what once was her house (back in 1906) and sees her when he looks through the looking glass of an old wardrobe in the house. He's fascinated by her beauty and they end up having some hot times in front of the old mirror! Oh jeez, the scene where she loses her virginity...wickedly unusual! After doing some research, he figures out who she is and what becomes of her (she ends up murdered). He wonders if he can somehow go back in time (through the mirror) and prevent this from happening--sort of rewrite history.
Well, not only does he go back in time (this was sooo cool), but he finds out that Hope's past is entwined with his present. That's all I'm going to say because saying more (and explaining it) is not only difficult but a big fat spoiler.
Now, fair warning--there are some pretty rough, raw, sex scenes in this one, including one where there's some voyeurism going on (icky), some bondage, spanking and other kinkiness--but all done within the context of the plot. I don't know how to say it except that it was all tied into the plot of trying to undo Hope's future. And yes, there were other scenes of some light bondage and spanking (Ryan was known for his kinky ways) and some displays of dominance by Ryan (thankfully no master/slave vibe), but what the heck, Hope didn't seem to mind, so I was okay with it. But for some readers who may be a bit uncomfortable with this, I'd have to say you could skim over these scenes if you want, and still have a very fine story to read.
There were a few other things I enjoyed. I liked the little history lesson I got about Chicago and the early 20th century--fascinating stuff about the Prairie Avenue District. I like a little dose of history with my romances. I also liked to see/read Hope's thoughts about the 21st century. I had to laugh about her obsession with the softness of toilet paper, and the state of women's fashion. Very cute. I also liked the bits of reincarnation introduced--including one character who was a woman during Hope's time? Funny.
One little bit of nitpicking for me--I was getting tired of Ryan calling Hope "witch" every time he made love to her. It may have been hot the first one or two times, but I was getting kind of annoyed with it after a while. I know he meant it as an endearment, but it would have been nice to hear him actually say her name! But that was a minor annoyance in a very exciting and well told story.
So, if you're looking for something a little different in your romance, and don't mind a bit of kink and some steamy sex scenes, coupled with an unusual plot that has a few twists and turns, a couple of likable characters that have a grand, passionate adventure, and leads up to a nice little HEA, give this one a try. This was by far the most original book I've read this year. I'm wavering a bit here, but I think it deserves 5 stars!
Warning: This book contains graphic language, explicit sex including oral and anal, voyeurism, some light BDSM including paddling, spanking, use of handcuffs and I'm probably forgetting something but you get my drift--not for the faint of heart!
What a truly fascinating, unique, intriguing, intoxicating, mesmerizing, captivating, and erotic (okay that’s a lot of adjectives, but it’s true) blend of several romance genres wrapped into one remarkable book. With equal parts paranormal/fantasy romance and romantic suspense, a bit of mystery and historical romance mixed in, and all with a time travel plot at the story’s center, it’s quite an exhilarating read.
Chicago vice cop Ryan Vincent Daire inherits an old, rundown mansion from a professor friend of his father’s under auspicious circumstances. Right away, Ryan senses that there’s something unusual and magical about the house, and when he sees an ethereally beautiful woman in the bedroom’s wardrobe mirror, it’s clear to him that things might get even weirder. It turns out the woman is Hope Stillwater, a prominent Chicago society member from 1906, yes you read that right, who met an unfortunate fate. Ryan and Hope exchange a few otherworldly encounters in the house, and they share an explosive attraction and feel an immediate spiritual and emotional connection. It turns out that events from Hope’s life are somehow interconnected to the current day white slavery ring case that Ryan is working on. He becomes determined to go back to Hope’s time to save her from a fatalistic fate and to prevent and rewrite past events. Can he save her? Will it change things in the present day? Can they have a future together?
The H/H make an appealing, sexy couple, and their chemistry is off the charts combustible. Whew boy there are some wicked hot, erotic scenes in this book! There’s a scene involving the mirror (don’t want to give away too much) that had me all kinds of hot and bothered and frustrated! There are some slightly kinky BDSM scenes (Ryan does love to dominate in bed), but all are lushly erotic, sensual, tastefully done, and work within the context of the story. It’s an alluring, seductive, delightful erotic treat...and smokin’ hot!
I love the city of Chicago, so I really enjoyed the history, architecture, and culture references. I found it all very interesting and didn’t feel that it bogged down the story’s pace at all. In fact, the author does a great job of bringing the city, in both time periods, to full and vibrant life, almost like the city itself is a character in the story. I also loved Hope’s observations and fascinations while navigating through the vast changes of the 21st century...she’s very charming and funny!
I liked Kery’s Wicked Burn, but I couldn’t stand the hero Vic’s cold, selfish attitude and cruel treatment of the heroine. I’m happy to say that although Ryan does have some very domineering moments and overindulges in using the nickname “witch” for Hope; he’s definitely not a cold jerk, and his affection, care, and concern for her are quite clear.
Daring Time is a very steamy romance with a distinctive plot, a great H/H, and an unusual mix of several elements/genres that is guaranteed to hook you in and keep you on the edge of your couch! I highly recommend this exciting, erotic read! 5 stars!
Thought the concept of time-travel, destiny and reincarnation was very nicely done. Found the writing style good and enjoyed all the characters. What I didn't like about this paranormal, time-travel from 2008 to 1906 Chicago was the BDSM. Nope. It ruined it for me. This erotic romance had SO MUCH potential, but the BDSM (whips, spankings, punishments, anal and a lot of oral) were over-the-top.
When Ryan Daire inherited a mansion he felt drawn to it. The only furniture in the entire mansion was a girl's bedroom and he moved right in. Ryan was a Chicago Police Officer and had been working a case to bring down a bad fellow for slave-trafficking (among other things). He started seeing glimpses of Hope: in the mirror in real time, her ghostly image in other places in the mansion, sounds in the bathroom. After researching her, he learned that she was brutally murdered on November 13 and he figured he had 4 days to prevent that murder from taking place.
While he made lame attempts to tell her to be careful, he never really TOLD her what he new knew about her fate. He was more interested in sexual gratification, then chastised himself because he continued to let moments slip away that he could have given her enough information to prevent her abduction and subsequent murder.
It seemed easy for me to put two-and-two together and figure out that Hope wasn't killed the day she was captured. The police report stated she went missing, then her body was found in the river 3 or 4 days later. For whatever reason, Ryan seemed focused on the DAY her disfigured body was found and continued to feel he had time yet to really tell her. He could have written her a message as they figured out how to communicate, but he felt that would be too difficult for her to read and preferred to tell her in person (sort of).
When he finally figured out how to step into 1906, he ended up in a brothel where the bad guy there resembled the bad guy Ryan had been trying to get in 2008. Lots of similarities to the prostitutes, too. One of the older female prostitutes resembled Ryan's male partner in 2008. Interesting.
In lieu of searching for Hope, he got waylaid into a boxing match in the brothel by a huge, circus-looking, man who liked to abuse the girls. Lots of abuse by the men in the brothel. Very sad. The prize for winning the match was the "girl" they had upstairs...Hope.
When Ryan won, the bad guy and a group of well-dressed men, followed him upstairs to watch. Ryan convinced them to let him seduce Hope in lieu of rape her and they could use the photos to really hurt her father. The perverts watch behind peep-holes with girls on their knees giving them sexual gratification as Ryan seduced Hope with various sex toys and put on quite a show.
The perverts verbally abused and degraded the women they had behind the secret wall. This disgusted me. Ryan's actions disgusted me. Yes, he felt his life was threatened, but I felt like he let his sexual desire (because she was tied up and he liked that) get the better of him. He staged her poses for the best shots--seeing the camera flash--all the while keeping his face from being directly in the pictures.
After they were "done" he decided to break them out. To me, he could have broken them out BEFORE versus AFTER. The same threats applied.
There was a series of other "controlling" sex games he liked to play including spanking for bad behavior and forced oral sex.
I hated the sex scenes in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Chicago cop Ryan Daire is gifted an empty old mansion by his university professor under somewhat strange circumstances. Inspecting the house with his partner Ramirez one night, Ryan is startled to see a beautiful woman in the ballroom – who vanishes. Upstairs, in the bedroom which contains only the frame for a brass bed and an old wardrobe with a gilt mirror on the inside of the door, he sees her again, in the mirror, wearing a flimsy scrap of a see-through nightie. It’s clear she sees him as well, and is startled, but she’s definitely not there in the room with him. Ramirez thinks he’s seeing a ghost, but Ryan’s sure she’s not. What she is, he doesn’t know.
More encounters with the mysterious, beautiful young woman within the mansion lead to a startling discovery: Ryan is seeing Hope Stillwater, who lived in the house with her minister father, Jacob, in the 1900s. As a cop, he accesses the archives and learns that Hope disappeared in 1906 and her mutilated body was found three days later. He’s determined to breach the mirror and go back to 1906 to save her – and explore the exploding chemistry and passion that rises between them.
Beth Kery set a high standard with her excellent previous novel, Wicked Burn; with Daring Time, she’s proven she’s no one-hit wonder. If this is a taste of Kery to come, we’re in for a real treat. It’s a powerful, explosive novel of intensely erotic sexual hunger, cleverly constructed time travel, and two wonderfully developed and very real characters.
The city of Chicago in the 1900s came alive for me – I’ve never been, but I could feel and taste it even though Kery doesn’t overburden her prose with long descriptions. There’s a slightly gothic flavour to the story, especially the scenes within the mansion, as if the house is a character in and of itself.
Any book with time travel is prey to plot holes and loose threads when poorly handled. Beth Kery has deftly woven this tale with no holes in sight. It’s not a head-spinning read like The Time Traveler’s Wife, for example, so you don’t get lost in the shifts in time. Everything comes together at the end and the resolution is in perfect keeping with the characters and their time periods: a natural ending, not a forced one. Or should I say “beginning”, as it feels to me that Hope and Ryan are out there, living their life together and being true to themselves, at some point in time, so real did they seem to me.
Daring Time is a smooth blend of fantasy, crime and erotic romance that keeps you on your toes, breathless, with your heart in your mouth. Even though, as a romance, I’m confident it will have a happy ending, the suspense and tension and uncertainty is often so strong that suddenly nothing is obvious at all. A magical book. My only complaint is how long I’ll have to wait for Kery’s next book.
Hmmm. "Daring Time" was quite different from the only other book by Beth Kery that I've read, "Wicked Burn". It's every bit as hot, but this one stars a cop and a ghost and time travel too. It gave the story a whole different 'feel' and I was pleasantly surprised the more I read.
Ryan is a cop that's inherited a mansion...and a ghost. He's drawn to her presence and the more he sees of her (and he sees a LOT), the more he wants her. When he learns of her fate, he becomes determined to fight for her and uses their passion to journey back in time.
Hope is a lucky woman. She has a wealthy father who encourages her forward-thinking thoughts and for 1906 her thoughts are quite scandalous. Well, at least they are since she saw the handsome man in her bedroom mirror. Soon she's letting the mirror man introduce her to some wickedly erotic things--but when he appears in person to save her life she'll have a tough decision to make.
I needed a fan while I read this one. Beth Kery can steam up a page with her sex scenes and doesn't spare the rod (HAHAHAH) to keep her characters in line. This is adult fantasy. There's no 'time travel paradox' to worry about, and there's a bit of additional 'woo woo' that hints at reincarnation. If that, or mild BDSM, spanking, and anal sex bug you...don't read this book.
The mysteries of Ryan's present day case and Hope's turn of the century battle throw an eerie resonance into current stories on human trafficking that are in the headlines. Hints of the whole 'evil that men do' thing abound. Or you can just read "Daring Time" as a really hot erotic story. Your choice.
This book was FANTASTIC! If you like book's with time travel, a bit of magic, a sexy and hot hero, a smart and brave heroine with scorching love scenes all rolled into a page turner of a story then I say you should definitely read this book.
This was a great book that has a little bit of everything....contemporary, historical, paranormal...if you love time travel romance you should enjoy this.
4.5 stars. Nicely done creative time travel with a lot of erotic BDSM sex.
STORY BRIEF: Ryan is a Chicago cop in 2008. He inherits a mansion from his former college professor. Through a mirror he sees Hope who is 25 years old in 1906. They are able to communicate and touch each other through the mirror. He searches historical records and learns that Hope was murdered in 1906. He tries to warn her but it doesn’t work, and she is kidnapped. Ryan finds a way to time travel to try and save her. The bad guys in both 1906 and 2008 kidnap women and force them into prostitution slavery. Hope is a social activist trying to help women.
REVIEWER’S OPINION: There is a lot of erotic, graphic, explicit sex including bondage, pain, whipping and rear door activity. The story is well done. I like this author. She thinks differently from the pack of romance writers. I hadn’t read time travel done this way before. She has an interesting group of characters with interesting links among them. Some of the sex scenes almost felt a little too long but still good. I recommend this for readers looking for a lot of erotic sex set within a good story.
DATA: Story length: 341 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 15. Total number of sex scene pages: 94. Setting: 1906 and 2008 Chicago, Illinois. Copyright: 2009. Genre: time travel romantic suspense.
OTHER BOOKS: For a list of my reviews of other Beth Kery books, see my 4 ½ star review of Release posted 2-7-10.
I should know better than to doubt Ms. Kery and her books. Early on in Daring Time there is slight reference to the hero being into BDSM. I gave a half-hearted groan, thinking that doesn’t bode well for me during the reading of this book. While I do read books here and there which contain elements of this lifestyle, the stories usually don’t work for me, mainly because sex scenes are liberally sprinkled with those elements just for the heck of it. Ms. Kery, however, gives the reader a good story that encompasses such habits which is only a small part of the characters’ lives and clearly enhances the enjoyment of those lives.
I was afraid this sexual concept would ruin the rest of the story for me, but Ms. Kery has spun a complex tale of time travel and reincarnation, along with the terrific and rich history of Chicago, seen from two different points in time. Said hero, Ryan Daire, is a Chicago detective and he and his partner are close to arresting the slimeball they’ve been after for human trafficking. In the midst of this he inherits a mansion in the exclusive Prairie Avenue District, a place where he discovers a time portal in the antique armoire in his bedroom. Ryan crosses paths again and again with the beautiful Hope Stillwater who lived in the house a hundred years before, and now he’s determined to have her.
Hope is a woman raised with the social mores of her time, but she’s also a very independent woman who works with her father to bring about the downfall of a slave trader preying on young, innocent women who come to Chicago looking for work. Though she is stunned when Ryan begins to appear in her room, she’s more curious than anything else, especially when the handsome man flames the fire of passion in her with just a touch. That passion bursts to erotic proportions when Ryan makes love to her in one of the most unusual ways I’ve ever read. They both continually crave one another thereafter, and it is Ryan who makes the decision to step into 1906 Chicago to save Hope from the deathly fate he learned about in his research of her past.
So much happens in this book, and the action is nearly nonstop and complex as it leads you toward a fantastic resolution. The love scenes are quite tastefully done, one in particular when Ryan must make love to Hope while being watched by a hoard of bad guys. This is the first scene where Ryan’s dominance takes over, but it is also a scene full of tenderness, caring, and education for Hope. It’s also the scene where I let my preconceptions go. These scenes work in Ms. Kery’s capable hands. The contrast of Hope’s independence in everyday life, even to the point of defying Ryan during dangerous moments, and her submission in the bedroom is intriguing, and I’m glad Hope is given her own scenes in which to sometimes do the seducing. The time traveling aspects of the book are also quite intriguing. I enjoyed the back-and-forth traveling between times, something most books don’t do.
Though the D/s theme is still not my favorite, Ms. Kery gives a balance in her books so it doesn’t overwhelm and become too much to deal with. I’ve definitely learned my lesson to never doubt her again.
Oh, wow, what a good job at mixing genres. There was a bit of everything, contemporary romance, historical romance, suspense, erotica, time-travel...And somehow, don't ask me how Ms. Kery did it, it worked perfectly.
The pacing was wonderful (though there were a few slow spots here and there), the plot was well-plotted and well-written, the characterization was spot-on, the suspense was chilling, the sex was smokin' hot and light on BDSM (for those, like me, who aren't exactly fans of the genre), and though the story was a bit predictable, there were enough gripping twists and turns thrown into the mix to keep things lively and interesting.
I loved the comparison between Chicago in the 1906 and today, and Hope's sweet, wide-eyed discovery of the future. Spot-on and extremely enjoyable to read. The suspense part of the story was thrilling and chilling, with a slightly different angle to the villain and his "operation" than what we're used to. Nicely done.
I absolutely adored Ryan and Hope together, the sparks flew when just their eyes met, you can imagine the conflagration when other parts met as well. And now we finally come to the big problem, at least for me. Hope was a bit too eager to embark on a sensuous journey of sexual discovery with Ryan. I know she was a rather modern woman in her time, free-thinking, and she did have quite a lot of contact with the seedier part of town, but 25 years of social conditioning can't go up in smoke just by meeting a hot stud. Her quick responsiveness was the only thing that bothered me in this story. Seemed a bit unrealistic.
I keep putting this book aside with the intention of going back to it. But I've finally decided I'm not going to finish it. I WANT to like it, but something just really grosses me out about it.
This is time travel erotica, and it's exactly as incongruous as it sounds.
Beth Kery writes erotica well. She writes raunchy, titillating sex scenes filled with incredibly graphic language, and her storylines are believable and well-told. But the graphic nature of Kery's writing just doesn't fit with this story.
The story is one that compells me. It's about a man, in present time, that happens to be living in a mansion. When he begins living there, his time melds with the past so that he interacts with a woman that is living in the past. He doesn't exactly travel to her time, their times just sort of cross-over. It's kind of the hokey heartwarming stuff that I loved in the 80s. Remember that Christopher Reeve movie? or that Lindsay Wagner movie? They were silly, and touching, and I loved them. But that kind of touching, innocent love story doesn't fit in my mind with the graphic scenes that Kery writes.
Also, these two characters are instantly profoundly attracted to one another. It's weird. There's no build-up. They're just....voila...doing it. It doesn't strike me well.
I try to avoid time travel stories but this one felt right to me, just like it happened to me reading Outlander. Ryan Daire inherits under somewhat strange circumstances an empty old mansion. There he begins to see, and afterwards to touch a fascinating woman from 1906: Hope Stillwater. He learns she is going to be murdered in three days and he decides it's not going to happen.
The chemistry between the characters is strong, the sex is steaming hot, and the intrigue and time-travel twist are good. This is one of the few examples where an erotic romance is embedded in a good and ingenious plot.
Ryan Daire is a Chicago police detective and has inherited an old mansion. There is where he meets Hope Stillwater. Hope once lived and died in the old mansion. Ryan is determined to learn more about the woman in the mirror.
Definitely on the steamy side and does contain elements that are not for everyone's taste. But it wasn't too much for me.
Time travel erotica. Didn't really hold my interest. Characters were not really developed in depth. Okay but rather forgettable. Should have been more touching but they hopped into bed before they fell in love and the angst of would they get to stay together just wasn't there.
What I learned is that I need to read more books by Beth Kery, it was absolutely wonderful..... Great plot, great characters, great writing style and more importantly than anything a fast easy (happy) read for me today! I need more of them like this one....
A new twist on time travel with lots of hot sex scenes. I thought the story was very good, but it was more about the time travel and mystery than developing the romance between the characters. And... I am all about the romance.
Sorry to see that this book is now $12.99 for Kindle Ebook. Would love to read it, but I refuse to pay this crazy high price. Let me know when it goes on sale!!!
okay i LOOOOVED. the storyline was so unique and interesting. a mix of romance, mystery, and sci-fi (?) with a ton of spice. now let’s talk about the spice- 😮💨 intense. steamy. hot. passionate. beth did her big one with this. everything in the story ties together beautifully and it’s such a fun read. it definitely kept me on my toes and i couldn’t stop reading!
Daring Time by Beth Kery Contemporary Paranormal- May 5th 2009 4 ½ stars
Beth Kery has written a superb novel that seamlessly mixes: paranormal, super sexy characters and high suspense. Her book was a wonderful surprise from beginning to end. At first I was astonished to discover it was a paranormal, time travel romance. For those who do not enjoy paranormal romances, please do not let this stop you from grabbing this book! It in no way detracts from the story but only adds to it’s vibrancy and originality.
Chicago 2008 Detective Ryan Daire is shocked to discover he has inherited an opulent mansion from his old professor. He is more stunned when he immediately starts to have haunting visions of a beautiful woman when he arrives. When he begins to have strangely erotic dreams and finds a book of poetry belonging to a woman named Hope Stillwater he feels compelled to write his name in the book and questions his sanity. But his longing for this unknown woman will not go away. Ryan becomes determined to find the woman of his dreams. When he discovers Hope was murdered, Ryan is shaken. He must prevent her death, but is she really from the past? And if so, how can he possibly save her?
Chicago 1906 Hope is Victorian woman with a purpose. She is determined to save woman form being victimized into prostitution. However, her meddling has brought her enemies. When she tries on a scandalous dress she is startled to see a gorgeous stranger in strange clothing watching her in her mirror. Hope knows she should be worried but she can’t help but be fascinated by the large stranger. She is even more confused to find someone has written Ryan Vincent Daire, 2008 in her book of sonnets. Could this be the name of the stranger? Heated encounters with the mysterious man make Hope long for something elusive. Unfortunately, Hope doesn’t have the time to explore his origins or their encounters because she is suddenly abducted. When Hope wakes, she finds herself at one of the brothels she has tried to save other women from. Hope has interfered one too many times and it is about to pay the price.
Beth Kery’s writing is strong and sure. I love time travel romances but admit to sometimes having trouble believing the time travel aspect. This not the case in this engrossing novel. The characters and their motivations make sense and the time travel aspect was convincing and realistic. What I enjoyed most was the hero’s single minded determination to find and save Hope even if he had to cross time itself to do it. There is something about a man who is that macho and focused on his woman that makes my heart flutter! Plus, Ryan has a naughty dominant streak that heats up the pages and made me hot under the collar! Hope is no wallflower and it is enjoyable to read her resolve and strength of character especially as she is tested throughout the book. This story will also thrill readers who love danger and suspense. It was a joy to read. And a delicious treat that you will not want to miss! My only regret is that I read it too fast. Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Hope Stillwater is a woman beyond her time, fighting the what's right, one of the few women of the early 1900's to take a stand and conventions be damned. She's still a proper lady, corsetted, legs covered, and language demure. But, she's not afraid to take of the bullies of the her world. And that's just what she does.
Ryan Daire is a jaded Chicago detective, he's seen it, heard it, and probably done it all. He's not afraid of who or what he is, but maybe it's time to want more. When he first catches a glimmer of Hope lingering in the mansion he's been gifted, he can't believe his eyes. Is he losing his grip, is she a ghost (no!), or is it something else, something paranatural. He doesn't know until he has a chance to talk to her, and talk to her he does.
When Hope and Ryan meet through the distance of time, Ryan is determined to find a way to save her, a way to be with her, a way to claim her as his own. Hope could want nothing more than for Ryan to be with her, but can she give up everything and everyone she knows? Can he?
Daring Time by Beth Kery is book that has the feeling of a erotic historical romance combined with the sensuality of a modern contemporary romance, and Ms. Kery does it to perfection. To say I enjoyed Daring Time would be an understatement. I loved her telling of this time travel romance. When we first meet Ryan, he's getting to the point of burn out. He likes women and women adore him. He doesn't know that when he sees Hope, he's seeing his future, and his hope of what the future will hold. He's almost furious when he partner insists that she has to be a ghost. He's drawn to her immediately, wanting to protect and save this woman who maybe only a dream in reality. When Hope sees Ryan, he shocks her sensibilities with his handsome disregard for what she sees as proprieties. Though she maybe shocked, she also is drawn to the soul of his man, his protective nature, his ability to love even if he doesn't know it yet.
Daring Time is a fun, fast, fantastic read.. there's no other way to say it. It's hot enough to melt ice cream, sensual enough to satisfy the most discriminating romance reader. Now, strictly speaking, pararomance is my choice when reading a romance and this book fits into three categories, it's has the flavor of a historical romance combined with a contemporary all wrapped up in a sweet paranormal package. So, readers of historicals, contemporary, and paranormal romance will all enjoy this quick read, I had trouble putting it down. And the trouble Hope gets herself into..... You'll just have to read to see what I mean. Excellent erotic reading!
Well this is my first review but bare with me so here it goes!!!! I did really enjoy this book I am a Hugh fan of Beth Kery's and her writing style is great on so many levels. I'm just glad this wasn't the first Beth kery because then i would think that her books would be like this, I am not saying it was bad or terrible but with this book I found myself putting it down and not picking it back up for a few days but on the plus side its different from what she writes as so far from what I have read from her. But this book was to far fetched and found myself just wanted to skip pages but as a book lover I believe that you start from start to finish. But a brief of the story---> We have Ryan who is a cop working on a big case He inherits a mansion from his former college professor. Through a mirror he sees Hope who is 25 years old in 1906. They are able to communicate and touch each other through the mirror. He searches historical records and learns that Hope was murdered in 1906. I'm not going to go into to much detail so if anyone is reading this don't judge my review give the book a read but just prepare yourself for some things to really be explained and dragged on a bit but it is a great story and a fantastic turn out. So down to the nitty gitty anyone who has read Beth kery's books knows she is fantastic at writing erotic moments and her style of erotic writing is just great I found in this book however she went in to more detail with the scenes of love making and calling Hope a 'witch' nearly every time they had sex or make love, It was HOT reading the love scenes with the added bonus of some rather great BDSM moments!!!!. Even though what I say about the story is was a good story and in the end a good out come, Just a bit confusing at some details. So my vote in the end is Beth Kery should never stop writing books i love her style of writing and the story is never the same its always different as to other writers who do one book but there next book would be slightly touching the same story in a way!! but needless to say I think everyone should give this book a once over!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chicago Detective Ryan Daire has many secrets: a love for Shakespeare, an appreciation for the all the finer things in life, and an absolute lack of restraint in the bedroom. Now he has an even bigger secret. In every shifting shadow of the sprawling mansion he’s recently inherited he can see her—tempting, ethereal, and untouchable. Hope Stillwater inhabited that mansion in 1906. Raw desire has formed a conduit between these two passionate souls who are separated by the barrier of time.
Now he has to have her.
Intoxicated by each other’s presence, Ryan and Hope are closer than ever to crossing that inviting boundary between two worlds. But there is one grave danger: Ryan’s job has put him on the trail of a depraved criminal in an investigation that’s risking Hope’s eternal fate and happiness. Now he must do whatever it takes to change history, protect Hope from harm, and set his own desires free.
As one of the lucky few who have already read this book, let me tell you, it is one you do not want to miss! I LOVE Daring Time. It is a time travel book without the usual cliches. The ability to travel through time literally comes as a result of love and desire. These feelings bring the two characters together, but it's not an easy journey. Ryan Daire and Hope Stillwell are both strong, independent and opinionated, but together, they are an amazing couple. There's plenty of danger, romance and lots of hot loving invovled. If you don't already have Daring Time by Beth Kery on your "Must Buy" list, then make a point of jotting it down now. You'll be glad that you did!!
To learn more about this book, read an excerpt or two, and find out about the amazing contests going on leading up to its release, check out: http://www.bethkery.com/blog/
Apparently I missed something. I have read reviews on this book and most are rated at 4 or 5 stars. I don't see it. It weirded me out for some reason.
Ryan is given an old mansion by his former professor. He sees a woman (Hope) in the mirror in his bedroom. He is in the year 2008 and she is in 1906. Seemed like the beginning of a very good story. Then it got strange. Real strange. I had a problem accepting how Hope could suddenly go from a prim and proper lady of 1906 to the wanton, sexual woman that she became........ quite quickly, I might add. The book described her embarrassment of doing something "forbidden" but yet she had no problem at all with anal sex during their first REAL sexual encounter? I'm not counting the first time..... in the mirror.... as that was just too weird. The facts, as they came together, could have made for a good story. But they didn't. And while there was a bit of talk about love between Ryan and Hope, the words were never exchanged between the 2 of them. At least that I can recall.
As I said, this could have been a great story. It started out good but then it fizzled. I mainly finished it just to finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ryan Daire is a cop who's inherited a mansion...and a ghost. He's drawn to her presence and the more he sees of her, the more he wants her. When he learns of her fate, he becomes determined to fight for her and uses their passion to journey back in time.
Hope is a wealthy woman and for 1906 her thoughts are quite scandalous. Well, at least they are since she saw the handsome man in her bedroom mirror. Soon she's letting the mirror man introduce her to some wickedly erotic things.
I needed a fan while I read this one. Beth Kery can steam up a page with her sex scenes. Ryan is quite dominant in the bedroom and his ways of going about seduction are quite, um, different. At least for me. This is not a genre I normally read - not really my style. But for some, ahem, reason, I couldn't stop reading it.
Daring Time serves up a bit of time travel, a bit of erotica, a bit of suspense. I would recommend reading it but only if explicit sex scenes don't bother you.
One extra star for the good writing but...look, the book had a good idea but I am just not into the guy's controlling bdsm bedroom antics. So what do you do when you realise a girl in the past is about to die of a horrible murder. You tell her about it right? Or at least stop it from happening, correct? No, instead our hero deigns to have sex with her at every opportunity. How gallant and honourable. rolls eyes. Still, for an erotica - and I really have to remember sometimes real world common sense just doesn't apply in this genre - its better than most, but for me as a reader...I guess I was expecting something more ... logical.