Her Very Special Robot

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Synopsis

One year ago, Allie Webster's husband, Jack, died from injuries he sustained while performing a dangerous movie stunt. His best friend, Trace Foster, has been attracted to Allie since before she married Jack, and has been there for her as a friend, offering emotional support since his death. Knowing that Allie is desperate to work out her sexual frustrations, but uncertain as to whether she can see him as anything more than a friend or could ever accept that he works in the same daring profession as her husband, Trace comes up with an elaborate scheme. Giving her an all-expense paid trip to the House of a Thousand Pleasures adult resort, Trace poses as an android robot programmed to fulfill her every desire, but when he reveals his true identity, can Allie accept him for himself?

Review

Her Very Special Robot is an erotic quickie with a very "different" premise, which I unfortunately had a little trouble buying into. For some reason, I initially had the impression that the House of a Thousand Pleasures resort actually had robots to pleasure the guests. Since I'm not aware of any such artificial intelligence actually existing, it was an idea that seemed more well-suited to an alternate reality romance than a contemporary one. After thinking it through carefully, I realized that I was wrong and that Trace had engineered the scenario based on the movie he was making. Even still, I thought that Allie was rather naïve to believe technology had advance that far, and I couldn't help wondering about why Trace's makeup didn't come off especially when certain body parts got wet. I decided I was probably just over-thinking things like I usually do though. When I just tried to go with the flow of the fantasy, it was easier to get into, although Trace's extensive "hardware" was a bit much for my taste. However, that's more a personal preference than a criticism, and I must say, I got quite the "education" on male genital piercings.

On the upside, Her Very Special Robot had some satisfying elements to help make it a more balanced read for me. As always, Ann Jacobs wrote some enjoyably steamy love scenes (there were actually two packed into this short novella), and somehow she managed to create an emotional connection between Trace and Allie, as well as give them a solid HEA in only 22 pages, something that many authors can't accomplish in a much longer story. I was surprised to discover that this novella takes place over Christmas, one of my favorite times of the year. Although it was a small part of the story, Trace did use the opportunity to give Allie a very special gift, so it could make for a fun read during the holiday season. If it hadn't been for the rather far-fetched premise, I definitely would have given Her Very Special Robot a higher rating. As is, it was still a fairly enjoyable read for a free quickie. Her Very Special Robot is available as a free download from the publisher, Ellora's Cave, and other e-book retailers.

Note: This novella contains explicit language and sexual situations, including extensive intimate piercings and anal play with a toy, which some readers may find offensive.

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Ann Jacobs

Themes

Christmas Stories
Friends Before Lovers