The Rose

Ancient Greece invades England as Rita Award winner Reisz (Picture Perfect Cowboy) transmutes spicy mythological tales into sensual fantasies and erotic romance featuring young escort agency madam Lady Lia Godwick and seductive sex worker Augustine Bowman. When Lia’s unconventional parents give her a historic wine cup, August attempts to purchase it from her with outlandish claims about its magical properties. Lia is skeptical, but August is persuasive, leading her through intense fantasies of mythological heroines. He guides and comforts Lia through lingering pain from an old betrayer whose untimely reappearance could lead to public disaster for her and her family. With August’s help, Lia learns to champion herself and accept both her and August’s real emotions. The characters are delightfully sympathetic, and the simple framing device works well, with some bonuses for mythology fans. Intense, lengthy sex scenes, set in lush and creative imaginings of the mythological world, elevate this erotic novel above more prosaic fare and will appeal to fans of Eden Bradley and Nancy Madore. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Apr.)