Susan Johnson is an accomplished writer of erotica and has penned over thirty novels and many short stories. Her writing runs the gamut from historical to contemporary but she's most well known for her scorching sex scenes and smoldering heroes and heroines. I classify her books as erotica because the sex plays a major part in her plots. I would go so far as to say the sexual acts and resulting sexual connection between her heroes and heroines is so important to her plots it's almost a characters in and of itself! Her heroes are Alphas to the core--dominant, arrogant, profligate, and most other appellations ascribed to this type of man. Her heroines are usually women who find themselves in an unhappy situation who fall for the hero in spite of themselves...and these heroines also become almost slaves to their libidos. It's that almost involuntary pull that sometimes makes me want to toss her books against the wall. So be warned before you pick up one of her novels.

"Gorgeous as Sin" is Susan Johnson's latest historical (is that an oxymoron?) and her characters and plot run true to form. He's an almost despicable womanizer, a Duke, vastly wealthy, and 'gorgeous as sin'. She's a widow whose book store is the only thing standing in the way (literally) of his latest construction project in 1890s London. Although they begin as antagonists, it doesn't take long for them to connect sexually and become almost addicted to each other. The rest of plot revolves around their affair and their business...and neither runs as smoothly as either would wish.

In the end, I didn't fling "Gorgeous As Sin" against the wall. Instead I finished it. There were no surprises, but the Duke did finally 'evolve' into something less despicable and more palatable. This isn't a book that will go on my keeper shelf, but it did provide me an afternoon's entertainment and several sweaty moments! ( )