The Bet by Leigh Court
It all started with a simple but outrageous claim. Viscount Atherton, Damian Hunt, was drunk when he made the claim that he could bring a woman to climax with words alone. But George Beringer dares his friend to prove his claim by making a wager, at stake is Damian’s prized racehorse and George’s London townhouse. But George gets to choose the woman and to Damian’s surprise he chooses his virginal sister Claire. What can George be thinking by using his sister in this bet? But when Damian sees Claire the stakes become much higher than losing a prized racehorse…he might lose his heart.

The Boy Next Door by Hannah Murray
Isabella Carelli is searching for the perfect man in all the wrong places. She wants someone who can meet all her varied needs and so far no one is fulfilling her requirements. After looking high and low Mr. Right is going to come from the last place she would have looked-right next door.

Devil in a Kilt by Nicole North
Shauna MacRae was looking to see some sexy men in kilts when she took a trip to the Highland Games. What she didn’t expect was to see was a sexy kilt wearer from 400 years in the past. But that is exactly what happened when she touched Gavin MacTavish’s claymore. Now she must break a curse and save Gavin from an evil witch who wants him for his sex slave.

Heart’s Storm by Liane Gentry Skye
As the last fertile mermaid of her brood, Sirenia must find the Lost Son of Triton, the only merman who can save her kind from extinction. What she didn’t expect was to save Byron Burke, an injured Navy SEAL, and be sealed into a life debt. Nor did she expect to find it so hard to ask Byron for her freedom, even if it means dooming her kind.

I’m usually not a big fan of historicals, I sometimes have a hard time getting past the romanticized elements of the story, not the romantic bits but the time frame itself. The lack of bathing and the general unsavory elements that were very much the norm in the era of the stories just gross me out. With most books set in this time I usually can’t forget the reality versus the fiction but in this case all was forgotten. With The Bet by Leigh CourtI I was able to focus completely on the characters and their antics and enjoy it immensely. This is probably my favorite of all the stories in the anthology and I liked them all so that’s saying something. The interaction between George, Damian, and Claire had me giggling and blushing by turns. I especially liked Claire in her role as the innocent who manages to get the best of the two “superior” men. My next favorite was The Boy Next Door was a sexy hot read and just goes to show how appearances can be deceiving. You never know when the mild mannered man living next door will whip out his red satin ropes and indulge in a bit of kink. I especially liked how Ms. Murray handled the situation with humor but still delivered on the steamy sex. I also enjoyed the other two stories in this anthology and recommend Secrets 27: Passions Unleashed if you are looking for a solid anthology with not one story being weak or lackluster. From beginning to end this book was filled with hot men, sexy women, talented writing and solid plotlines. Pick up your copy today!

Reviewed by: Hayley