Review: Treasured by Crystal Jordan

Title: Treasured
Author: Crystal Jordan
Genre: Historical Romance, Erotica
Heat Index: 3 out of 5
Release Date: April 22nd, 2008
Word/Page Count: 81 pages
Format: Purchased

A love for which even time stands still.

Graduate student Rebecca Small is so obsessed with the past—especially the Golden Age of Piracy—she doesn’t mind her unglamorous job preparing museum displays. This display is about her favorite subject, James Morrow, a famous pirate who mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Becca touches the pirate’s antique sword, and finds herself on a ship in the middle of a sword fight, saving the sexy captain from being stabbed in the back—literally. Once the smoke clears, the man who claims he’s her husband is more than eager to reward her for her timely assistance.

James Morrow knows very little about the woman he was forced to marry five years ago, but the woman who saved him doesn’t fit the portrait he’s painted of her in his mind. She’s strong, brave, and submits to his every dark desire. She seems the perfect woman for a pirate, but he makes his living among the dishonest and disreputable—trust isn’t a commodity he trades in.

Maniai's Review:

WARNING: Since this is a short erotic piece, my review/criticisms contain explicit language.

That said, Treasured had promise to be a really nice erotic short. The setup and storyline hit all my happy buttons. Time travel? Check. Pirates? I hate to admit it, but I'm a sucker for them. Hints of BDSM? Check.

Unfortunately, most of the story was smut. Which wouldn't be unfortunate at all, if the smut wasn't so flawed. It wasn't the worst smut I've read, and it did have heat despite its flaws, but after a certain point, I tuned out. If you're going to write multiple sex scenes, mix it up a bit. I really liked that the first sex scene was so unconventional, but then every one after that seemed like the same stuff over and over again - the same phrases, the same nipples contracting under his laser-eyed stare, the same pussy-cream (Which just grosses me out. If it's "creamy" it makes me think there's a yeasty problem happening down there), the same pre-come flick of the tongue, the same fisting/milking cunt. Also, I have never known any woman who has ever had the experiences of being so aroused her "cream" actually trickles down her thigh. After the sexing? Sure, maybe. But just arousal? No. With our heroine, it happens every time, which leads me to my next criticism.

Repetition of phrase, both good and bad. And there were actually a couple of neat lines, but authors need to remember that a unique turn of phrase is only effective once. Use it more than once (especially in such a short context), it starts to look desperate and like you don't have any more creative tricks in you. Two particular examples here: Her cunt/pussy "fisting". It was a neat image the first time. But it happened every time, and just - it loses its effect. Also, sucking on teeth (this was not in an erotic context). At first I was taken aback, but then I thought about it, and it was actually a really cool description. Unfortunately, it happened again, and in reaction to the same villain. Clever descriptions and metaphors stick out to a reader. Which means we'll notice when they get recycled.

Anyway, like I said, this could have been a really nice erotic short, but it was so heavy in unpolished erotica that it lost a lot of points.