Double Fantasy by Cheryl Holt

Readable but disappointing erotic romance

3 stars

Jamieson Merrick and his twin brother Jack were hidden away at birth, denied their inheritance and forced to endure a tough and difficult life. Now they are back and Jamie is determined to get back what is rightfully his.

Orphaned Anne Carstairs has always been at the mercy of ruthless relatives and she’s not sure that Jamie Merrick – now the Earl of Gladstone – is going to be much better.

Anne is just a pawn in Jamie’s plans for revenge but he never guessed that she would be so alluring, so sweet and so tempting. But there are people that are less than pleased with the new earl that puts everyone in jeopardy.

I have always enjoyed Cheryl Holt’s erotic romances but unfortunately this one really didn’t hit the mark for me.

The characters weren’t particularly endearing and it was hard to muster much enthusiasm for them. Jamie was your typical overbearing alpha male but he took a little too long to realise his true feelings for my liking. Anne was the biggest disappointment for me as I found her far too weak and spineless and she really let Jamie (and some other characters) walk all over her.

The book was also quite erotic but it wasn’t as hot and spicy as many of Cheryl Holt’s previous novels and, for me, was a let down in that sense. I also found the behaviour of some of the secondary characters was quite disturbing and made for some quite uncomfortable reading – not ideal for a romance novel.

Despite all it’s faults, Cheryl Holt’s writing style makes her novels readable and easy to finish. It’s not a book that I would read again but it’s still worth 3 stars.