Better to Marry than to Burn is s short erotic story of a small town in the Texas Territory several years after the Civil War. The residents of the town are all black, most of them are former slaves. In order to grow this town, the Purity Patrol has banned all prostitutes from the town and decreed that all single men must marry or pay an additional residential fee. The town is having a lottery for woman that are being sent to the town to marry the men. One former slave does not want to participate in the lottery. His wife died in childbirth so he does not want another women to love. He advertises for a mail order bride and love is not required. The woman that he chooses is a free woman from Philadelphia that has to find a place to live as her family disproves of her lifestyle as a lesbian. Upon her arrival, Queen and Caesar have an instant attraction. He kisses her in a way she has never been kissed by a man before and she is surprised to be sexually attracted to her. They marry the day she arrives. She is also surprised that a former slave is so educated and has a knowledge of literature. These two both have strong wills and don’t want to compromise but things get settled. This book is erotic in nature and should not be read by anyone under 18. I recommend this book.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Love-unexpected but welcome- now filled his heart."

If you are looking for a super short, inst-lovey novella, this might be for you. I found the writing disjointed where scenes flipped randomly around to much for my taste. Certain phrases and descriptions were repeated too often for the length of the story, like him sucking either air into his mouth or teeth. I'm not sure why he calls her "ice princess" when literally she ends up naked within two seconds of arriving home- and this is after having relations with him on the way there.

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review.
#BetterToMarryThanToBurn #NetGalley

In post-civil war Texas a township has already run out the single women and the whores and the single men are next in line. Cesar King is part of that group and he is determined to keep his land after being freed from slavery. Rather than give into the women of the town and leave or choose a bride they have found he writes a newspaper ad that is replied to by Queen Esther Payne. The two have a tumultuous beginning that quickly turned to lust.
I am not sure if this was long enough to have a story other than a fight for dominance but it was also quick enough to continue to hold my attention and a fairly enjoyable read.

In a town of former slaves, the leaders say every man must marry or pay a fine, or leave with all the women deemed inappropriate. Ladies from back East are coming to town, the only real alternative. One man rejects this plan, saying it’s just a different form of slavery.
This man, aptly named Caesar, has his own plan, having put out an ad for the kind of woman he wants. He didn’t explain what he means by “legacy,” so that leads to some difficulties when the woman who answers the ad shows up. She’s not what he expected: cultured, erudite, kinky, and gay. But then she didn’t expect him to be similar (except for the gay part) despite his lack of schooling. This is not a case of opposites attract, because they realize how alike they are.
That’s the one thing I took away from this book: they recognize their similarities and rejoice in them, at least after some initial stubbornness and ego from both sides. And it’s always a pleasure to read characters that use words most people don’t know (and I do, speaking of ego).
Just tell me Purity Patrol cannot be a real thing. . .

The story of Queen and Ceasar was interesting. Caesar's wife died and he needs a bride. He writes a letter for a mail order bride and Queen responds. This story is about their marriage and first night together. Queen is demanding and Ceasar is as well. Who will get their way? Read to find out.

Wow, I was hooked from beginning to end on this historical read. The story is fast-paced with great characters, steam and a story that held my interest throughout. I loved it.

It's hard to describe exactly what this was. Somewhere between short story and novella, western and erotica, historical and fantasia. The 19th-century African-American hero is forced to remarry or pay a hefty tax to his marriage-minded town, so he advertises for a wife. Neither of them is interested in love. This read more like a romance from a few generations ago, in which the heroine repeatedly protests against the hero's advances, but seems secretly interested anyway. A little uncomfortable from a modern consent perspective, even in historical context.

i'm not 100% sure about this book. I was slightly dazed and confused after reading it. It had an interesting storyline but maybe would have benefited from being slightly longer. I found some aspects of it somewhat disturbing but overall it was an ok read.

This is a good premise of a book but I would have liked more of the story and the characters. I just felt it could have been a longer book.

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #BetterToMarryThanToBurn #NetGalley
-Because it's such a short story (1/2 hr), the characters' development is quick: indifference, battle of the wits, lust, burn, love.
-It's a tug of war between groom and bride on their wedding night. Who will conquer/control the other? Who will win their way?
-There's a bit of lesbianism & bisexuality (talked about), light BDSM, lots of details how our bodies reacts during intercourse.
-Charming and disorienting at the same time. Who do you vote for? Satisfying end.
-It's erotica, certainly not Christian, but there's also no romance. It still has an HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book (from NetGalley). All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First, this novel is not for young readers.
I also think this one could have been considered a short story more than a novel. It was interesting enough to portray a longer chunk of the characters' lives--more so than just a glimpse into their first moments. It included what seemed to be historically accurate materials (though maybe not so much with the characters' behaviors). The verbal interactions of the couple was playful and creative--the characters, being fairly well developed for such a short plot. (Other than a reverend's involvement in a quick marriage, I am not sure how it was considered a work of Christian fiction, however.) I would read this author again.