Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press
Hero: Joseph Bastion
Heroine: Beth Brown
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: October 4, 2010
Started On: November 19, 2010
Finished On:  November 19, 2010

Originally published as part of the Boys Down Under Anthology, Visiting Paradise is a delightful read, one that I am glad that I got the opportunity to read and review. This has definitely whetted my appetite for more from Jess Dee as it did when I read her novel Photo Opportunity and I need to bump up her titles in my to-be-read pile to get more of her delightful stories.

The Hero: 33 year old Joseph Bastion (Joe) is a family lawyer and works at his own law firm which he shares partnership with his friend and foster brother Simon Sieves. Joe hides a wealth of hurt and loneliness behind his otherwise sunny nature, something which he keeps well hidden until it comes to his current legal secretary who has been driving him nuts with desire to possess and be possessed.

The Heroine: 28 year old Beth Brown has had her heart trampled upon once by the one man who had wooed her into a heady affair only to find out 2 months later that he was married. The result of the affair had been Gemma, her now 3 year old daughter who means everything to Beth.

Storyline: When Beth lands a job working for the handsome and utterly charming Joseph Bastion as his legal secretary, the relationship that develops between them is always fraught with desire and longings that neither of them has voiced till the trip that Joe engineers to bring them both to the shores of paradise and beyond. Beth knows that spending a week aboard the company yacht with only Joe to keep her company is inviting trouble in more ways than one.

The First Encounter: Joe and Beth’s first encounter takes place when Beth first starts working for Joe as his legal secretary.

Time Period: This story has a contemporary setting and takes place aboard a yacht that sails around the Whitsunday Islands of Australia.

Awareness between the hero and heroine: From the first moment that Beth steps into his life, Joe knows that she is his happily ever after. The simmering attraction that flares between them right from the very first moment scares Beth more than she is willing to let on because she doesn’t want to end up getting hurt and vulnerable once again. Aboard the yacht, for the first time in 4 years, Beth lets go of the tight rein on her emotions and gives into the heady attraction that fairly sizzles whenever Beth and Joe are in the same room.

The turning point: The walls that Beth has erected between herself and Joe as she realizes her feelings are escalating beyond that of the professional kind comes crumbling down with the first sensational kiss between the two. As Beth says yes to what only Joe can offer her, so closes the distance that Beth had put between them to keep herself from giving into an attraction that has been keeping her awake more nights than she is ready to admit. With the first kiss that takes place, there is no turning back for two people who are definitely two halves of one whole.

Likes:

1. Visiting Paradise is a very short novella. What surprised and delighted me most was the depth of character development that Ms. Dee brought into the story which made it so much more appealing to read. If it had just been about kinky sex and a rushed happily ever after, I would not have felt for the characters and cheered for the happy ending as I did when I finished reading this beautiful novella.
2. Joseph Bastion. He can steer my ship towards paradise any day! *winks*
3. Loved the delightfully sensuous scenes that unfolded within the story. Tastefully done erotica is always a major turn-on for me. *wicked grin*

Dislikes: None!

Recommended for:

1. Fans of contemporary erotica romances.
2. Those who love their erotica with a story that is worth sinking into, as it is the case with this yummylicious read!

Favorite Quotes

“Joe,” she gasped again, just before their lips met, and it did him in. She said his name in the same breathless, fuck-me voice she’d used the night before. He molded his lips to hers and slid his tongue into the hot, wet cavern of her mouth, taking full advantage of her open-mouthed astonishment.
The shockwave of awareness that jolted between them almost bloody electrocuted him. The instant his tongue touched hers, she melted. Collapsed against him. Tiny purring sounds escaped her as her body relaxed. Her lips softened and she responded to his kiss with a hungry acceptance of inevitability.
This was where their relationship had been heading from day one.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Aspen Mountain Press