The Merry Virgin by Dallas Coleman

When Ginie docks her ship, The Merry Virgin, into Campeachy her thoughts are on her lover Anne. Little does Ginie realise that old events are going to catch up to her, and she will find herself with more trouble on her hands then she thought possible.

Ms. Coleman has created a fast paced tale similar to the old pirate stories but with a twist. The characters she writes about will very quickly become real for the readers and all will empathise with the main character. The whole tale is dark and gritty and written in such a poetic way you will almost be able to taste the sea salt in the air.

Lady Luck by Julia Talbot

Deputy Samantha Kane doesn’t quite know what to think when Lady Luck breezes into town, but one thing’s for sure; she doesn’t want to have to trail her around to make sure she plays her cards straight. Maggie finds herself quite captivated by the young deputy assigned to watch her, and finds herself hoping they can get to know one another much better.

Lady Luck is an interesting story of two people who find themselves thrust together. The world of the traditional western is re-created and given a new polish by Ms. Talbot to produce a highly enjoyable and very hot story. Readers will enjoy the interactions between the various characters, and will find themselves being transported back to the hot and dusty time of the typical westerns.

Bustles and Doeskin by BA Tortuga

When the Wild West show comes to town, Eleanor doesn’t know what to think about the people she sees in front of her. Labelling them all savage barbarians she wants nothing to do with any of them, but that all changes when ‘Mad Minerva’ rides in and she finds herself not only a diamond in the rough but a project to keep her busy.

Taking place in a time where class was everything, the coming together of two groups of people from so far apart cause a great deal of excitement. Bustles and Doeskin is a slightly light hearted tale bringing two different cultures together in a wonderful meld of erotic lust and want.

No Business by Parhelion

Ever since Miss Vera Seward broke a film executive’s nose she has had a reputation for being a bit of a hard woman. In some ways her reputation has helped her line of business, although it has also meant that a lot of men try their luck with her. Now, face to face with a corpse, she has a murder mystery on her hands and an employer who she has started to have more then business feelings for.

This story is set in the late thirties with all the glamour and corruption of Hollywood. The feel of this era has been dutifully reproduced, and readers will feel as if they are walking down those ever so famous streets themselves. The mystery will keep readers on their toes and although everything is worked out in the end, the path to get there is a very winding one that will entertain all mystery fans.


Coming Home by Jennifer Joyce

May is finally back from her mission; six weeks has been a long time and she’s missing Cassie more then ever. Once reunited, Cassie says something that threatens to turn both their worlds upside down, and May is then left to work out if she can turn her back on the missions she so dearly loves doing.

We often have to make decisions that change the paths we walk down, and in Coming Home, readers will be able to follow the turmoil that is caused by having to make those decisions. The compassion and love that the two protagonists have for one another is clear, and all the scenes have been written beautifully, drawing the readers completely into their small world.

Free by Tracey Shellito

Jazz has been watching and planning for a long time. Her outfit complete, she introduces herself to the one final obstacle to completing her job. Being an assassin, Jazz has to be just part of the background; a life of anonymity has left her with more identities then she can hope to remember and more dead bodies then she cares to. Vrij is just a person she has to get around to finish her latest job, but suddenly it becomes more then a job - suddenly it becomes very, very personal.

Free is like all good spy stories; there’re guns, women and love involved, however this time it’s a female protagonist who’s extremely good at her job rather than a male orientated plot. The story starts off slowly but as the danger increases so does the pace, causing the reader to almost run along with this first person tale. The scenes are written with great care and the passion and lust just oozes off the pages. Readers will definitely not be disappointed.

Guarding Kate by Crystal Barela

Detective Erica Rivers is appalled when she and her partner are pulled off a case and she is thrown undercover in a fertility clinic for same sex couples. Her past means that this assignment is going to be a painful one for her, and it becomes more difficult when she develops feelings for Dr. Kate Ward. With her eye on the job and her partner close by, Erica sets off to discover who is threatening the doctor.

Guarding Kate is an interesting story with a mystery set deep in the heart of it. Ms. Barela has created an interwoven tale, which will keep readers guessing right till the end. The frustration that Erica feels and the pain she reveals will cause many readers to stop and think, the emotion clearly raw and very well written. All the threads are neatly tied up at the end, and readers will be able to see the whole picture without feeling cheated. I found Guarding Kate to be very well written and enjoyable to read.

Kiss of Steel by Crystal Barela

McClane has been found, but she is somewhat thankful that the person who has found her is Jane, her old lover. As they struggle, a realisation settles upon both of them that they can’t be parted again. Together they come up with a plan, and before their backup appears they flee. Life on the run is hard but they are together and things seem to be settling down until after they appear back in America, where they seem to have been found out.

In this second of Ms. Barela’s stories the passion between the two will cause readers to become just as hot and bothered as the protagonists. Kiss of Steel is, from the start, a fast paced tale spiralling higher and higher to an even more explosive ending. Each character is well written, and the violent world that they inhabit will become extremely real to all who read Kiss of Steel. I found this story to be slightly rougher then Guarding Kate, however I felt that the story had much more of an edge to it making it seem much more real.

Inexorable by Jodi Payne

Sabrina LaMarra designed and helped build Excalibur, and although she hates the man picked to captain it she would never allow her space ship out of the docks on its maiden flight without going along for the ride. It is just a quick, routine mission and Sabrina plans to make it her last; her lover is also on board the ship and soon they will be free to do whatever they want. However Sabrina’s about to find out that this mission is going to be anything but routine.

Inexorable is set in the far future when space flight is commonplace. Jodi Payne paints a picture of the future full of technology and telepaths with great skill. Once the scene is set Ms. Payne then delights in turning both the readers and the protagonist’s world upside down, building to a very explosive and shocking ending. Inexorable is a great choice to end the anthology, which is a snapshot of female passions throughout the years.

Locked and Loaded is just overflowing with strong female characters, and each story is unique and compliments all the others. As the editor, S.A Clements has done a wonderful job picking each of the stories, which all slot together seamlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology, although I can’t say which one is my favourite as each story has its merits. Readers will all find something that they like within these pages. All the stories have a degree of violence in them, which some readers may find uncomfortable, but nothing has been put in for shock value and all are in keeping with the stories. This is a definite read for people who are fed up with females being pushed into the background.

Reviewed by: Heidi