Tori Carrington, Wicked

Wicked

Tori Carrington

Harlequin Blaze, Aug 2004, $4.75, 256 pp.

ISBN: 0373791496

In Ohio, ER Dr. Will Sexton feels a bit put out when his girlfriend informs him that she is a born again virgin. Adding to the British doctor's uneasiness is running into his neighbor Renae Truesdale whose belly dancing costume leaves little to the imagination and to the very British Dr. Sexton he can fantasize the removal of the garb. Seeing scantily clad Renae every morning is a better wake up than coffee (make that tea). Separately every evening Will and Renae visualize what a fling between them would be like.

Renae is attracted to her sexy Brit, but he tries to keep his distance as he remains loyal to his girlfriend though that is not an easy achievement. As Will gets hornier by the page, he tires of remaining faithful to his suddenly untouchable girlfriend, he and Renae start to share an intimacy and an attraction. Renae wants a few nights to quench her desire while Will desire the return of circulation to his upper head. However, the thirst of desire keeps growing until love blossoms, but both have "secrets" that once revealed will probably end their relationship before it can go anywhere meaningful beyond the boudoir.

Tori Carrington satirizes their own heated romances with an amusing tale that is fun because of Will. His conflict between desire and loyalty leaves him in a state of desperate disarray mindful of Harry Reems' terrific character Dr. Young from Deep Throat (the Lovelace movie not any of the president's men). Renae may not have a throaty tingle, but every night she dreams of Will tickling her tingle. Tori Carrington tickles contemporary readers with this enjoyable torrid tongue in cheek (and elsewhere) tale.

Harriet Klausner