Review:Rogue Desire (A Romance Anthology)

Authors: Adriana Anders, Dakota Gray, Amy Jo Cousins, Emma Barry, Stacey Agdern, Jane Lee Blair, Tamsen Parker, Ainsley Booth
Publisher: self-published
Length: 127K total; 12-18K for each novelette
Release Date: July 20, 2017
Heat Level: varies by story: three are erotic; two are kisses-only; three are sensual but not erotic
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ROGUE DESIRE

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...

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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. Will their filthy assignation provide the catharsis Paige has in mind, or can they truly cross the aisle to find more?

 What I thought about Rogue Desire

There are two things that attract me to an anthology -- authors I know and love and new authors I have yet to discover. This anthology has both. The theme of this anthology -- Resistance -- is a timely topic.  

 Although I didn't read all of the stories in this anthology yet, I'm basing my overall review on these two stories by authors I follow. 

Resistance by Amy Jo Cousins is a fast-paced tale of forbidden lust between a TA and his student. The lines are certainly blurred in this one, with the TA giving in to his feelings during an exciting field trip to a protest. 

 I thought this was a very nice little side story to the Off Campus series. Kaz and Will definitely had some chemistry and the ending was left open for the reader, which was a nice little touch with this story and worked for me. 

  Life, Liberty and Worship by Tamsen Parker is an incredible short story dealing with Paige and Carter, who are seemingly on the opposite sides of the political fence. After a scorching hot (and I mean get out the fan cause you are going to need it..) night together, Paige's judgements about Carter's personal and political affiliations has both of them examining just what is important to each of them.

 I thought this was a terrific short story that dealt with some very interesting political and personal assumptions that people often make and it left me wanting more adventures of Paige and Carter in the bedroom. The anthology is worth the price for this story alone. It's special.