TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Author: LuAnn McLane, Patricia Ryan and Toni Blake ISBN: 0451216059 8/2005 ANTHOLOGY Publisher: SIGNET/Eclipse

Driven by LuAnn MeLane Ion Parker may be the hard-as-nails author of a popular mystery series, but when it comes to penning the long-awaited steamy sex scene between his main characters, he's shooting blanks. For help, his agent books him up with romantic comedy writer Maxine Mitchell, who knows the "ins and nuts" of good love scenes. They retreat to a secluded cabin to get the creative juices flowing—and soon realize that while fiction is fine, the real thing can be much more rewarding.... What Happens in Vegas by Patricia Ryan High roller Jay Douglas is on a hot streak, winning millions off the blackjack tables at Eddie Flynn's Gold Dust casino. Eddie Flynn wants to know how—and if there are any cards up Jay's sleeve, Flynn's going to break out the brass knuckles. A desperate Libby Thatcher agrees to get close to Jay as part of a business deal with Flynn. But as Libby cozies up to Jay, what began as a con becomes a passionate winner-takes-all gamble that could pay off big for both of them.... Brushstrokes by Toni Blake Mia Drake is a down-on-her-luck artist in need of employment. So when her aunt suggests she take a job painting a local tavern, she jumps at the chance to make some money—and maybe get cozy with the bar's hooky owner, Rick Ruse. But the last thing Rick wants is any more temptations. Only when Mia begins painting an ultrasensual mural across the ceiling of the tavern does Rick realize that he may not know art—but he knows what he likes...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS is just what it's promoted to be—a collection of short stories, where the sexual tension and steamy love scenes are the star. If you pick this one up looking for that, you won't be disappointed. As to the actual storylines? Well, there's not much to them, as is typical in anthologies.

Ms. McLane's story about two writers being thrown together by their mutual agent in order to be tutored in the other author's area of expertise, is the best one of the bunch. The characters have a history, sort-of. The two had briefly met the previous year at a writer's conference, but not hit it off. Being thrown together, the couple begins to realize that the antagonism between them is really sparked by sexual awareness. I really enjoyed the phone calls by each author to their agent. The verbal by-play brought a smile to my face.

In Ms. Ryan's contribution to the anthology, the heroine is blackmailed by the owner of a casino into finding out how the hero is winning so much at the blackjack table (by any means necessary). The spotlight of this story is the scorching hot love scenes, including a bondage scenario that is unforgettable. Not much time is really taken to develop these characters and the conclusion is way too simplistic and succinct. In real life, the conclusion would be much more intricate with not such an easy way out of the mess.

With 'Brushstrokes," Ms. Blake features Mia, an out of work artist who travels back to her hometown for a visit with her aunt. When her aunt encourages her to take a job painting the local bar, owned and run by Rick Rose, Mia decides that the ceiling of the bar would make a perfect setting for one of her masterpieces. Again, as with the other stories in this book, the story centers on the sexual tension between Mia and Rick, and offers many instances of thick sexual tension and steaming hot love scenes. I found the opening scene of Mia fantasizing about Rick in the bathtub highly erotic, and one that stayed etched in your mind.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS lives up to it's promotion-a collection of extremely sensual stories that will definitely make you sit up and take notice. But don't expect much more than that. There isn't much to the plot other than the sex and if you pick up this one, keep that in mind and you'll come away satisfied.

Kendra Patterson