What's In EthiopianSiren's Closet

There is a reason why Beth Kery books get “auto-buy/rush to the store/hound my local bookseller” treatment. Her erotic romance books are first-rate, expertly crafted with the right amount of character development, chemistry and emotion turmoil to make you care and boiling hot sex scenes to make you squirm. Wicked Burn has always been my favorite Beth Kery book, and really just one of my all time favorites, PERIOD. But Paradise Rules’ story of Jason Koa and Lana Rodriquez was just as good and now I’m a bit confused as to which is my favorite. Paradise Rules lived up to every expectation that the book summary promised, especially Jason being a beautiful, exotic dominant lover.

Successful Blues singer Lana Rodriquez has absolutely no desire to be in Waikiki, but she’s helping a good friend cope with a nasty divorce/custody battle with a girlfriend getaway. The nasty scars Lana has lived with through most of her adult life are tied to the island, and she copes by sweeping her Hawaiian heritage under the rug and putting defenses up when it comes to men. The touristy glitz of Oahu irks Lana. Jason Koa on the other hand, revels in it.

Jason is the winner of several gold Olympic medals in swimming, extremely comfortable in his own skin (*swims naked in the ocean near his yacht DAILY*) a smart businessman, a charismatic owner of the hot spot restaurant “Jace’s” and heir to part of the Koa family fortune – the most power family in Oahu. Unlike Lana, he is extremely proud of his Hawaiian ancestry and thinks there’s no better place to be than the island.

As you can probably guess, Lana and Jason do NOT hit it off, especially when she catches him in a compromising position while he’s suppose to be giving her and her girlfriend surf lessons. Jason’s been a fan of Lana’s beautiful voice for years, and he’s so disappointed at the woman behind the music. But the sparks fly anyway and their attraction can’t denied. Jason uses trickery to bed Lana the first time *very funny & completly unexpected turn of events I won't spoil*– but one night with Lana is simply not enough. Jason’s the perfect dominant lover to break down Lana’s sexual/emotional walls, but not without a lot of delicious tension/angst. Lana was so unlike an heroine I’ve previously read. She would absolutely melt under Jason’s touch, submit and give in to her desire for him…but then turn around and treat him in a cold, business-like manner 2 seconds later…like he didn’t just totally f*** her breasts and make her scream many times over. Lana’s flip flopping gave the story a real unpredictable edge that I just soaked up! And seeing Jason’s reactions…to quote a Beth Kery fan I met this weekend, “I just fell madly in love with Jason.” Well, I did, too! The sex was so emotionally charged - and that’s the perfect kind of erotic romance for me. Otherwise, why bother? And Jason is so ravenous for her, and she for him. He slips up a few times, safety wise, because he can’t control himself *deep sigh/fans myself* Much of Jason and Lana’s time together was on or near his yacht, but it seemed like everything was utilized and there was nice variety – bedroom/deck bench/ladder/ocean/secluded lagoons…just to name a few.

Also appreciated Paradise Rules’ unexpected plot twists. Jason has enemies on the island seeking a piece of the Koa estate, and the manner in which they strike caught me off guard. I also loved the vivid descriptions of Oahu – It’s been 3 years since my visit, but Beth Kery truly made me feel like I was there again. I laughed, gasped, screamed and squirmed. The extremely sexy scenes coupled with emotion that yanked at my heart strings– Paradise Rules was amazing and without a doubt a re-read for me.