What begins as a calamity soon becomes bliss when Jackie Barbosa pairs off a rejected bride with a lusty best man in Carnally Ever After.

Louisa has been left at the altar by her groom, Grenville, because she is fat! Well, that is what she believes anyway. The best man, a man she has had fantasies about, is a witness to her humiliation. Instead of mocking her as she would expect, he tells her how he is attracted to her curvaceous form. With delight, Louisa and Alistair retire for an afternoon of lusty instruction which will trap the lovers before long.

Well, not all men think Louisa is fat; in fact, Alistair, Earl of Holyfield has been lusting after her for quite some time. Problem is, he knows the plans both families have for Grenville and Louisa, and they do not include him. How to show the young woman beauty that she is desirable without actually taking her virginity? That is an exercise in forbidden delights and a titillating afternoon of carnal bliss.

Short and succinct; Carnally Ever After is an “un-put-down-able” story that packs a wallop. Alistair and Louisa are an explosive combination of intelligence, wit, charm and sizzling sexual energy. How many women will be able to identify with Louisa’s body image fears? She is a wonderful woman who only wants to be loved and she is certainly loved in every way by Alistair. She is loyal, passionate, caring, and compassionate. Alistair is a strong hero who sets out to show his woman how desirable she is, accomplishing that by mind and body. He is passionate, protective, noble and willing to do what it takes to keep the woman he loves. Though short in words, Carnally Ever After is long on quality. Jackie Barbosa’s brilliant descriptive powers allow the reader to become a voyeur, giving a bird’s eye view of the passionate coupling and the consequences of the fateful love affair. This is a story I will gladly recommend and have put Ms. Barbosa on my “watch” list.

Reviewed by: Scarlet