Jennifer Stevenson, The Brass Bed: Oh, this was fun as well as funny and involving. The paranormal plot involves a Regency lord whose magician mistress punished him for being a crappy lover by turning him into a sex demon and imprisoning him within a brass bed until he'd satisfied one hundred women. His name is Randall; his nickname is of course Randy. By our time, the bed has fallen into the possession of Clay, who's a second-generation con man, and believes his persuasive powers make women see sleeping in the bed as sex therapy. Cue Jewel, who works for the city of Chicago, and is trying to bust Clay for fraud. Oh, and there are a lot of magical things happening, seemingly at random, in Chicago, which official policy says aren't really happening, but which Jewel keeps getting stuck with. As part of her investigation, she tries sleeping in the brass bed. And we're off! The next two in this series are due out this summer, following the adventures of the same characters.
Jewel is great fun: sarcastic, a softy, and with giant intimacy issues. Her friend Nina is a trip, too.
I completely recommend this.
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Victoria Janssen
The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom and Their Lover, Harlequin Spice, 12/08
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