4.5 stars

When I started this, I expected a fluffy read, but that's not what I got. I really, really liked Braden & Laura. They were genuine and very likeable, plus, they had amazing chemistry. I thought it was great that Braden wanted to release Laura's wild side and I felt her reactions to some of the things he wanted were believable. The sex scenes were incredibly hot and the growing bonds between them a pleasure to read. Even though things happened quickly, nothing felt rushed. It just seemed like a natural progression to me. I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more of her work. ( )

Voyeur is one seriously hot and steamy read. With it being my first book by Lacey Alexander, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed it. This story was definitely my kind of erotic romance. The characters were relatable, there was actually a plot, and the writing itself was pretty solid. The sex scenes were not only hot but loaded with variety that kept them from weighing down the book or becoming boring. There's also a little story within a story as Laura breaks through her writer's block and things finally get moving with her mystery book. There are excerpts of Laura's new novel peppered throughout, and her main character finds herself in a relationship, which mirrors Laura's relationship with Braden. I have to give the author props for this, because as a writer myself, I know how difficult it can be to focus on developing just one story, so for Lacey Alexander to write two simultaneously, even though Laura's isn't as detailed, is still pretty impressive to me. All in all, Voyeur was a fun, enjoyable read.

Laura is a mystery author suffering from writer's block. Her best friend thinks she needs some sex to get her creativity going, but then again, her friend thinks sex is the answer to everything. Laura doesn't take her too seriously, but she does take her up on an offer to use her cousin's cabin in the Colorado mountains as a writer's retreat. When that alone doesn't seem to be working for her, she decides to indulge in a little self-pleasuring to see if there's anything to her friend's assertion. Even when she realizes there's a webcam in the house, she figures no one is likely watching, but the idea that someone might be only heightens her arousal. This one fateful decision opens the door to a whole world of sexual exploration and experiences she never knew existed. I really loved Laura's “good girl” persona. She's always been a sensible girl, who's only had sex in committed relationships, and never thought she would ever do any of the things she finds herself trying in this secluded moutainside cabin. She obviously has a very passionate side that she's really never explored before, and Braden was the perfect man to help her do that. I could totally relate to and understand her temptation to play the part of the exhibitionist but then feel guilty and uncomfortable about it afterward. The more Braden encourages her to do and the further she explores her passion with him, the more comfortable she feels in her own skin, until she finally owns that side of herself fully.

It takes a little while to get a feel for Braden, because at first, he's a mostly anonymous guy behind a computer screen, watching all the naughty things Laura is doing. When he finally shows up in the story in person, I liked him from the start. He's a wealthy playboy who's had his fair share of women, but there's something about Laura that calls to him like a siren song. He loves her air of “innocence,” and he loves being a part of her experiencing all these new sides of her sexuality. He's an incredibly generous lover, who wants to draw Laura out of her sensible shell and give her the most incredible pleasure she's ever experienced in her life. I love how seductive and gently persuasive he is. He's confident that she'll love everything he suggests if she can only bring herself to do it, but he always gives her a choice and is never forceful or demanding. Because of his parents' failed marriage and not having many other happy marriages to draw from for example, he's never really been a relationship guy. He's happy in his playboy lifestyle, but with Laura, everything feels a little different. Her hesitation to do what he asks is beguiling to him, and he derives so much pleasure and satisfaction from simply showing her what she's been missing. Despite her lack of experience in some of the things he wants to do with her, she ends up being the best and most memorable lover he's ever had.

In the beginning, both Laura and Braden view their relationship as a temporary affair, but in spite of that, it never felt tawdry or like simple lust gone wild. Their interactions are laced with emotion. Both of them are so generous and caring toward each other, focusing more on giving the other pleasure than on receiving. Laura gradually begins to trust Braden and he never does anything to break that trust. I think that's why their relationship felt so real to me, because IMHO, to reach that level of complete sexual surrender, trust is essential. Of course, by the time her retreat is drawing to a close, Laura's feelings have gotten tangled up in it, making it difficult to say goodbye. Even though he's pretty reticent about it and tries to blow it off, the reader can tell that Braden is starting to struggle a bit too with the idea of Laura leaving. There is a long separation at the end, but neither of them is truly able to move on with someone else, leading to a satisfying and happy ending. I think it can be rather difficult for erotic romance authors to find that perfect balance of hot, steamy sex and a deep emotional connection, but IMO, Lacey Alexander succeeded in spades. Voyeur completely hit that sweet spot for me, and now that I've finally read it, I'm kicking myself for waiting so long and can't wait to try more of this author's work.

Note: This story contains explicit language and sexual content, including voyeurism, exhibitionism, use of a sex toy, intimate shaving, spanking, anal sex, and a M/F/M menage a trois. There is also a brief F/F/M menage, but it only takes place in the hero's fantasies, not in real-life. ( )

I admit, I read this book solely for the Cherry Forums Book Club. Voyeurism isn't my kink, and I expected to find it entertaining (Cherry books are always well-written), but not to love it. I should have known better. Voyeurism still isn't my kink in real life, but for the space of this book, I was convinced.

Mystery writer Laura Watkins has writer's block. So she jumps at the chance to spend some time in a secluded mountain cabin belonging to a friend of a friend. Late the first night, she's still blocked, and decides to spend some time alone with her fantasies. She knows the owner has set up a webcam to keep an eye on the house, but decides he wouldn't be watching that late, anyway. And even if he is.... well, just the thought of it is tantalizing.

The next morning, she gets an IM from Flyboy, and sure enough, the cabin's owner, corporate raider Braden Stone, had seen her last night. She's simultaneously embarrassed, intrigued, and turned-on, and they begin a cyber-affair.

Laura's getting squicked by the whole thing, but she's also hooked and very aroused, and her writing is flowing faster than ever before. Still, her sensible side tells her it's time to either stop or move on to the next level--in person.

Which ratchets up the heat even more.

Braden pushes the edges of Laura's comfort envelope, but never crosses the line into coercion.

What made Voyeur really stand out wasn't the sexual acts themselves--it was the emotions and how it changed Laura's, and to a lesser extent, Braden's lives. I appreciated Laura's realistic reactions, and particularly the notion that the affair could only go so far online and that to progress, they had to meet in person.

The mystery novel was also a nice part--the events in the novel Laura was writing echoed the events in her life, and illuminated them. Very nicely done.

As for the not-my-kink issue--it takes skill to write sex scenes that will be hot to someone who doesn't share the fantasy. I think the key here is that Laura's character is written so clearly that we know how everything makes her feel, and those emotions and sensations are passed on to the reader.

I'll be looking for more Lacey Alexander books, as well as those by her alter-ego, Toni Blake.

ETA: Oh! I have read a story by Toni Blake. I gave it "points for inventiveness in the sex scenes." Heh. ( )

**Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques**

Getting away seems to be just what the doctor ordered when Laura finds herself saddled with a worrisome case of writer’s block, but her budget argues otherwise. When her best friend offers a cousin’s remote Colorado cabin as a destination, Laura jumps at the chance. Once there, however, the words still aren’t flowing, and she is at her wit’s end.

To relieve some of her tension, she gives in to a secret fantasy when she discovers the webcam set up in the living room. Pretending someone might be watching, she indulges the long-denied exhibitionist within her, playing to the camera with no real belief that she has an audience. Then the instant messages start. His name is Flyboy and he more than liked what he saw. In fact, he wants more. He pushes her limits, and takes her further than she ever dreamed she would be willing to go. Strangely enough, the experiences serve to release her block, and her story starts to unravel itself, albeit in ways she never expected.

But when Flyboy wants to take things to the next level and actually meet, Laura’s world tilts on its axis and her life will never be the same again!

I am not usually drawn to stories with voyeurism and exhibitionism as a theme, but something about Voyeur by Lacey Alexander intrigued me. I have not read Ms. Alexander’s work before, but I was captivated from page one! Her characters felt like friends from the very beginning, and I was easily caught up in their lives, reading as fast as I could turn the pages.

Laura Watkins is a character I identified with – a woman who has reached a point in her life where she feels stale, needs a change, but does not know exactly what kind of change. When an opportunity to break her own boundaries arises, she seizes it, even if she harbors a little trepidation along the way.

Flyboy, aka Braden, is – in a word – HOT. Decidedly dominant, yet with a smooth gentleness that seduces far more effectively than any command would. It is no wonder that Laura so easily submits to his sexual whims, even before she has met him. He is the kind of man that recognizes what a woman needs, what her secret desires are, and knows exactly how to make them a reality for her. When Laura’s own needs coincide so well with his own, the results are combustible!

The sex in Voyeur was undeniably scorching, but through it all, Alexander weaves a tender yet unconventional romantic tale that is guaranteed to sweep readers off their feet as easily as Braden did Laura!

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