Barbarian Prize by Deanna Ashford
After a failed uprising in Britannia, Sirona, a princess of the Iceni, and her lover, Taranis, are taken to Pompeii and sold as slaves. While Taranis is used to satisfy the demands of a rich Roman lady, Sirona is confined at the home of a lecherous senator until his step-son, General Lucius Flavius rescues her.
The lovers are briefly reunited but their situation takes a turn for the worse. Sirona finds herself in the clutches of the erotic cult of Dionysis and Taranis must fight for his life as a gladiator in the arena. Meanwhile, beneath Mount Vesuvius, there are forces gathering that even the power of the Romans cannot control.
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Let me first start off by saying Deanna Ashford is an absolute delight in person. She truly is. Funny, charismatic and boy can the woman pen a sex scene. Is it hot in here or is it just me? After having the pleasure of meeting Ms. Ashford at RWA Nationals, I brought home the book she kindly offered me—Barbarian Prize. I’d never read a historical Black Lace novel before so I was skeptical at first. By page ten all my doubts were out the window. Wow. That about sums it up. Let me repeat that… WOW! Ms. Ashford can write not only sex but she captures the details and accuracy of the time period with ease, weaving them in a way that makes you forget about everything but her characters and their dilemma. I’m a sucker for an HEA and she had me wondering if it was going to happen. I won’t give any spoilers but I will say, she didn’t disappoint me. I’d also like to say… I want Taranis all to myself.
