William’s boring lovemaking leaves Catherine unsatisfied. Harboring fantasies she can’t put into words, she longs for a sexual voice but finds herself too stifled by her proper social upbringing.

When a blackout hits their resort hotel and William proposes a sexy version of hide-and-seek, playtime takes on a whole new salacious meaning. Charlotte’s mind races with sexual scenarios. But even her fantasies fail to compare to the titillating adventure her husband has planned for her—with the help of another man.

Soon everything she knows about lust will be irreversibly changed—and she’ll moan for more.

Title: PARTY GAMES
Author: Elise Hepner
Series: standalone
Genre: Erotica
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2011, May 10
Format: eBook
Source: received an e-copy from author for review

First line:
< Charlotte could point the finger at William for this childish party game. b>Memorable Scenes:
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Note from reviewer:
I've called this a DNF-review in the title but actually it's not a review but more an explanation of why I couldn't finish the book. As a matter of fact I don't think it can be called a review if you don't make it past the first chapter. Still I didn't want to let this book go by unaddressed as 1. I received it for review and 2. what doesn't work for me, might for work perfectly for someone else as we all bring different backgrounds, history, experiences, hot buttons and pet peeves to our reading.

Elise Hepner is one of two authors whose work I recently first encountered with and those first encounters weren’t stellar. However, I did really like the writing styles and voice of both authors so this week I read a second book of both authors and while the other author was redeemed, unfortunately this wasn't the case for Elise Hepner.

I started reading PARTY GAMES and being intrigued by the blurb and the premise I was positive I would like it.

I read the first paragraph and once again was impressed by Elise Hepner's powerful, edgy writing. And then I read the next passage:

“Then take me.” She sought out his lips. The thrill of possible sin with another man made her flesh burn from his touch.
William must have his fair share of dalliances outside their marriage bed. What would be the harm in her having just this one? Her husband worked nights often. She knew what the sewing circles whispered. William had never made any motion to make her doubt the gossip. If anything, his actions only enforced the rumors because he would come home at night with different women’s perfumes on his skin and wrinkles in his untucked shirts.
Briefly, the thought of her husband in an affair stung until she buried it away. They didn’t know each other well enough, like other married couples, for her to waste so much time on her emotions. Their courtship had never been a match of love, but their marriage was one of business between families.
So it didn’t make sense to waste pain on the hypothetical. It wasn’t as if she could change things. Where would hurt get her in the end? She wouldn’t be any better for it, so it was best for her to lock it away.
But surely William didn’t care enough for her for this to hurt him? He’d never done much but scold, reprimand or mount her―that is, when they saw each other at all. William couldn’t deny her curiosity. Not when David might bring her to life again. She couldn’t resist when the timing was so right.
If anything, William should be pleased that she might finally have fun in the bedroom—or a closet. Maybe this would teach her to bring her own desires to her husband. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

This is a total deal-breaker for me. And yes, I know this is erotica and not erotic romance so a HEA into the sunset was not to be expected but the purposeful cheating, intent to cheat and emotional distance between the main characters are things that just don't work for me. So I had to stop reading there and declare this a DNF. I read a book once where there was cheating in the book and decided then and there I would not do that again, as much as I hate not to finish a book, especially sent to me for review, I read for pleasure and enjoyment and I don’t want to read about things I cannot reconcile with enough to enjoy the book.

When I read the above page in the book I knew this book was not going to work for me and that's because in my reading I look for that emotional connection with and between the main characters and I didn't think this book was going to give that to me.

Despite this being a DNF I must say that if you read and enjoy non-romance erotica, Elise Hepner is an author to keep an eye on because her writing is excellent and her voice absolutely fits darker edged erotica. For me it didn’t work but that doesn’t mean it won’t for someone else.

Rating:
No rating as this was a DNF within the first chapter