*Gena Showalter ~ The Pleasure Slave*

When Santa Fe antique dealer Julie Anderson was curiously drawn to purchase a battered jewelry box, she never expected it to contain her own personal love slave. Especially not tall, dark and sinfully handsome Tristan-a man hard to resist, and determined to fulfill her every desire.
Though Tristan was a rogue of the battlefield and the boudoir, making love with Julia was like nothing he'd ever known. Yet revealing his true heart would break the centuries-old spell and separate them forever. And Tristan would do anything to go on loving Julia. . .even remain a slave through all eternity. . .

- Taken from Gena Showalter's homepage

http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/index.htm -

~*~My Review~*~

The Pleasure Slave is the second novel in the Imperia series (although both books in the series - The Stone Prince & The Pleasure Slave - easily stand on their own). Once again Showalter has rocked my socks with her fabulous storyline, witty writing, and loveable characters. I will admit that the storyline was very similar to that of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover and Marjorie M. Liu's Tiger Eye however it's hard not to be similar when writing about a pleasure slave, and I do believe Showalter actually wrote her story before the others (although I cannot be positive). However despite that it was very similar to both of those fantastic novels, I loved this book. One of the things I love best about Gena Showalter's stories is her witty dialogue, fiesty female characters, and the undying love and devotion her characters come to feel for one another. This book met all of those standards! It was an enjoyable read and definitely worth the buy. :)

I especially loved how jealous Tristan became over the guy-next-door and was blown away by the sacrifices he was willing to make to be with the only woman he had ever truly loved.

Like all of her books, The Pleasure Slave has become one of my favorites and I just wish Gena would perhaps continue the Imperia series...it's a very interesting world with even more interesting inhabitants. ;)

~*~Excerpts~*~

"With shaky fingers she pressed the button...A man - a very large man - stood in front of her. He wore nothing more than a pair of black skintight pants. A sword dangled at his waist. The man was gorgeous. His seductiveness hit her like an uncontrollable whirlwind. His skin was bronzed, sexy and ridged with muscle. Everything about him oozed carnality.

'You summoned?' he asked.

Summon this gorgeous warrior? In her wildest fantasies, perhaps. 'Me, summon you? I promise I did no such thing.'

He ignored her denial. 'What do you wish of me?...Do I now kiss your naked body or let you kiss mine?'"

~~~

"He wanted this woman, wanted to embrace her every nuance, and hold nothing of himself back. Instead of the horror he'd envisioned with such an admission, he felt oddly at peace. He would be the man who unleashed Julia's full passion, who showed her just how delightful all pleasures of the flesh could be. He would be the one to savor her reactions.

Not Puny Peter.

That idiot was not good enough for her. Tristan knew it. Soon, too, would Julia."