Category Archives: Cabin Fever Novella

Guest Post: Character Interview by Alice Gaines and Contest for Mating Season

Alice Gaines here. Instead of introducing myself today, I thought we could have a chat with the heroine of my Cabin Fever novella, Mating Season. Professor Gayle Richards has taken time off her research to let us get to know a little bit about her and how she seduced and fell in love with Professor Nolan Hersch.

Alice: Hi, Gayle. Thanks for talking to us.

Gayle: My pleasure.

Alice: Tell us a little bit about you.

Gayle: I grew up as a brainy kid, the kind boys and later men usually overlook. That bothered me as a teenager, but later on, it proved helpful because my colleagues — mostly men — paid more attention to my ideas than the fact that I was a woman. They considered me more or less one of the guys. Unfortunately, that meant they also felt free to say the most ridiculous things about women and sexual behavior while I was within earshot.

Alice: Your research is about the mating behavior of elk, isn’t it?

Gayle: Right, and elk behave in ways that reinforce human males’ silliest fantasies of how human females ought to behave.

Alice: How so?

Gayle: The males have harems, with the biggest and healthiest males collecting the most mates. It’s a macho guy’s wet dream, and the fact that the elk’s mating strategy has nothing to do with human behavior doesn’t slow Mr. Macho down in the least.

Alice: You don’t often think of researchers and college professors as macho, do you?

Gayle: Believe me, college professors have the largest egos on the planet. They all imagine themselves Indiana Jones, and if they’ve been in their position long enough, they will have gathered a fan club of followers who convince them they’re right about everything.

Alice: Was Nolan Hersch like this when you first met him?

Gayle: Lord have mercy, he was the worst. Crowds of younger male colleagues parted for him like the Red Sea and would hang on his every word, no matter how preposterous. The fact that he was macho and drop-dead gorgeous didn’t help matters.

Alice: What were some of the silliest things he said?

Gayle: You know, the usual stuff. “Society is organized on evolutionary principles, including different roles for men and women. The larger, stronger mail protects and provides. The female nurtures the young.”

Alice: Oh, brother.

Gayle: The two of us fought constantly…at conferences, in the journals. Basically, everywhere we interacted, we got into heated debates. Neither of us realized that the heat behind all the conflict was in large part sexual. We both had wanted each other from the very beginning, even if we wouldn’t admit it to ourselves.

Alice: Sounds hot.

Gayle: And also massively awkward. We were supposed to be enemies. We weren’t supposed to be in desperate lust with each other. So, you can imagine I had no intention of getting stranded in a redwood forest all alone with him.

Alice: How did that happen?

Gayle: There were supposed to be four of us on that research trip: Nolan, me, and two of his graduate students. The students couldn’t make it into the mountains for several days when a road washed out. The tension in the small cabin grew mighty thick mighty quickly. Pretty soon, we were at each other’s throats. And then, he made a big mistake.

Alice: What was that?

Gayle: He claimed that, because of the way we’ve evolved, the male was the more powerfully sexual creature and females only go along to have children. That’s when I had him.

Alice: Had him? How?

Gayle: I demanded he prove just how powerfully sexual he was. In other words, he had to keep up sexually with a female, namely me. You and I both know women have more orgasms than men, and we don’t have refractory periods. We can go forever if we want to, and at that point, I wanted to. The man didn’t stand a chance.

Alice: That’s delicious.

Gayle: I might have felt sorry for the guy except for the fact that the challenge felt so flipping good.

Alice: (laughs) How did he manage?

Gayle: You ought to know. You wrote the story.

Alice: Right. Well, thanks for dropping by.

Gayle: You’re welcome.

Find Ms. Gaines on the web: Blog * Twitter


Title: Mating Season by Alice Gaines
A Cabin Fever Novella
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Red
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: 100 pages

Summary:

Being stuck together in a redwood forest can really bring your inner animal out . . .

The last thing Gayle Richards wanted was to spend days alone in a cabin with Nolan Hersch, fellow professor and macho loudmouth. How could she observe the animals’ mating habits alongside a man who made her blood boil…and not just in anger? The only thing more frustrating than Nolan’s opinions on male sexual superiority was how much he made her want to rip his clothes off.

Well, the thin air in the mountains must have gone to Gayle’s head, because she sets up a challenge: three days to prove who’s more insatiable in bed. With Gayle and Nolan making their best efforts to wear each other out, this may just be the sexiest experiment of all.

Read my review of Mating Season HERE and the other books in the Cabin Fever series HERE


To celebrate her visit here today, Ms. Gaines is giving away an eARC of Mating Season to one lucky commenter. To enter the contest:

You must Do TWO of the Following:

1. Sign up for e-mail updates (upper left corner). One email daily with the day’s posts.

OR:

2. Be or become a fan of Book Reviews & More by Kathy Facebook page

OR:

3. Follow me on Twitter (@BookReviewsMore)

OR:

4. Friend Book Reviews & More by Kathy on Goodreads

Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:

5. To be eligible to enter contests on Book Reviews and More by Kathy you MUST fill out the contest entry form (found HERE). This form only needs to be filled out ONCE. Your privacy is important to me, and I will not share your information.

And don’t forget to:

6. Leave a comment on this post by 5 PM Mountain Time Friday August 17th.

It’s that easy! The winner will be selected using random.org. The winner will be announced on Saturday August 18th.

13 Comments

Filed under Alice Gaines, Blog Tour, Cabin Fever Novella, Contest

Mating Season by Alice Gaines

Title: Mating Season by Alice Gaines
A Cabin Fever Novella
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Red
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: 100 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Being stuck together in a redwood forest can really bring your inner animal out . . .

The last thing Gayle Richards wanted was to spend days alone in a cabin with Nolan Hersch, fellow professor and macho loudmouth. How could she observe the animals’ mating habits alongside a man who made her blood boil…and not just in anger? The only thing more frustrating than Nolan’s opinions on male sexual superiority was how much he made her want to rip his clothes off.

Well, the thin air in the mountains must have gone to Gayle’s head, because she sets up a challenge: three days to prove who’s more insatiable in bed. With Gayle and Nolan making their best efforts to wear each other out, this may just be the sexiest experiment of all.

The Review:

Mating Season by Alice Gaines is a sinfully sexy battle of the sexes. Gayle Richards and Nolan Hersch are colleagues whose professional rivalry becomes personal when they are unexpectedly stranded together while monitoring the mating habits of elk.

Gayle and Nolan are well-developed and charming characters. They are extremely self-assured and their self-confidence is quite sexy. While they have strong and opposing opinions, the change in their relationship proves to be an illuminating experience for both of them. I like how both of them are willing to concede to one another’s viewpoints. While both characters experience growth, it is Nolan who undergoes the greatest transformation.

The sparks fly between Gayle and Nolan right from the beginning of Mating Season. Gayle and Nolan’s contentious past adds passion to their encounters. Their sex scenes are exquisitely erotic and scorching hot.

If you are looking for a fast read that is deliciously naughty, then you will love Mating Season. A wonderful installment in Alice Gaines’ delightfully steamy Cabin Fever series that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Read my reviews of the other books in the Cabin Fever series HERE .

2 Comments

Filed under Alice Gaines, Avon Red, Cabin Fever Novella, Contemporary, Erotic, HarperCollins, Mating Season, Rated B, Romance

Storm Bound by Alice Gaines

Title: Storm Bound by Alice Gaines
A Cabin Fever Novella
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Books
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, Ménage
Length: 124 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Stranded on a steamy tropical island, . . . these three will create their own heat . . .

Christie Lovejoy is normally all business. But when a hurricane bears down on the exclusive resort she’s sharing with two sexy businessmen, it’s time to throw caution to the tropical winds. How often do you find two gorgeous men with the hots for you . . . and the willingness to share?

Wolf Martin and Jon Carlson have been friends for years, and their taste in women has never overlapped . . . until now. Wolf, Jon, and Christie use the luxurious resort to take the kind of sensual journey that only total isolation will allow. But when the storm recedes, will they be ready to leave their island paradise?

The Review:

Storm Bound by Alice Gaines is a sinfully sexy erotic romance. A luxurious resort and an exotic, isolated island are the perfect setting for this decadent threesome to act on their wicked desires. Their relationship heats up when Christie, Wolf and Jon indulge in an erotic ménage in the midst of a hurricane. But what will become of this explosive threesome when the storm has ended?

Jon and Wolf are business partners and the best of friends. For the first time in the history of their relationship, both men are attracted to the same woman. Extremely competitive, they set out to win the woman they both desire.

Christie Lovejoy is a sexually confident woman who knows what she wants and does not hesitate to manipulate events to get it. Instantly attracted to both Wolf Martin and Jon Tucker, she quickly senses both men’s desire for her. When she becomes aware Jon and Wolf are willing to share her, Christie eagerly begins to fulfill her passionate fantasies.

From voyeurism and masturbation to some light bondage and spanking, the sex scenes in Storm Bound are varied and plentiful. The chemistry between Christie, Jon and Wolf is scorching and the resulting sex between them is explosive. What begins as a short term affair quickly takes on deeper meaning for Christie, Jon and Wolf. While not a conventional happily ever after ending, this threesome comes up with a creative solution for their non-traditional relationship.

If you are looking for a quick read that is delightfully naughty and just a little bit on the wild side, then you are going to love Storm Bound. Alice Gaines’ Cabin Fever novellas provide a wonderful escape from every day life.

Read my review of Heat Rises HERE.

1 Comment

Filed under Alice Gaines, Avon, Cabin Fever Novella, Erotic, HarperCollins, M/F, M/F/M, Menage, Rated B, Romance, Storm Bound

Heat Rises by Alice Gaines

Title: Heat Rises by Alice Gaines
A Cabin Fever Novella
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Avon Books
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: 144 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Snowbound in a cabin . . . able to live out all her fantasies . . .

Laura Barber has dreamt of doing unspeakably delicious things with Ethan Gould for years. Now, stuck in a mountain cabin, she just might get her shot. Ethan offers her the chance to live out each and every one of those desires. They may be rivals in the business world, but in the bedroom they’re a perfect match. Knowing they have only a few days, Laura shakes off all her inhibitions. Every secret need, every lust-filled thought . . . it’s all fair game.

The Review:

Cabin Fever by Alice Gaines is a sexy romance that is deliciously sensuous and steamy. Laura Barber cannot forget the embarrassing night she spilled all of her erotic fantasies to Ethan Gould. Snowbound with no place to go except a mountain cabin with Ethan, will she finally act on her secret desires for Ethan?

Cabin Fever begins with pretty tame sex scenes, but it is not long before Ms. Gaines turns up the heat. Laura is socially awkward and sexually inexperienced. She is also uncomfortable with her desire for kinky sex. Ethan pushes her out of sexual comfort zone and she confesses her darkest desires. Acting out her fantasies for one illicit weekend? No problem. Convincing Laura they have future together? Not so easy, but Ethan won’t give up Laura without a fight.

Cabin Fever is well-written story that is fast-paced and engaging. Laura and Ethan are appealing characters and their past history makes their romance believable. The sexual chemistry between them is incendiary and their sex scenes progressively become more explicit and erotic.

A marvelous novella about embracing your sexuality, Cabin Fever is perfect for anyone who enjoys their romances with a little extra sizzle.

6 Comments

Filed under Alice Gaines, Avon, Cabin Fever Novella, Contemporary, Erotic, HarperCollins, Heat Rises, Rated B, Romance