Hot to the Touch

Claudia is once again promised to an elderly man. She has been bought and paid for by Publius Maximus of Pompeii. She's already a widow at the age of 24. Claudia has never known passion or love. This changes when her brother Cassius brings Karl and Pius, the twin sons of a king, back as slaves. It is Karl who captures her interest and desire. Their love is forbidden but they cannot resist it. When a boat trip leading to her future husband is stopped by the deadly flames of Vesuvius, Claudia and Karl know it is fate. This is their chance for a true relationship!

I enjoyed Margrett Dawson's style of writing. I could imagine Rome in the year of 79 B.C., with the good and bad flaws it had. Claudia was portrayed as a woman with a good heart, despite her highborn status. Her perfect hero is Karl. He is a man filled with passion and intelligence. Claudia and Karl set the pages aflame with the desire and love they have for one another. Claudia never dwells on the fact that he is of a lower class than she in her society. This was refreshing for a reader such as myself to read in a story. This quickie could easily have been stretched into a full-size novel. I look forward to reading more from Margrett Dawson.

Reviewed by: Anita