Blood Cherries

Reviewed by Dan Russell © 2006

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2006

Title: Blood Cherries
Author: Annabelle Lee
Publisher: Freya's Bower
Genre: Vampire/Erotica
ISBN: 0-9771314-4-0
Release date: May 2006

On first impression, Blood Cherries appears to be a novelette in the dark erotica genre. On reading, it turns out to be two closely linked shorts of around eight pages each. Both stories touch upon the title fruit, the first explaining the origins and the strange effect the cherries have on the diner, and in Spin the Bottle, what happens when a cherry-made wine arrives at a tasting.

Annabelle Lee has a straight talking approach to her writing and you are swept along at a good pace without being bogged down too much. The characters in the first story, Nick and Gabby, are believable and built well. The story turns a shade darker when Gabby eats of the fruit she was warned against. I don't want to give too much away of what happened next, let's just say the sweetness of the fruit has an affect on her sex drive!

Speaking of sex, it is handled well and is believable, the feelings, emotions and desires gone into more detail than the physical side. The dark aspect goes hand in hand with it, giving a new take on a classic genre. Although dark, I would warn horror fans away. The slight violence might not be enough to satisfy the hardened gore fans out there and to be honest, the piece benefits from holding back.

Here comes the biggest problem with Blood Cherries. The first story just seems to end without any real resolve. I was left looking at the page, thinking '...and then?'

Lee could have expanded the story (okay, there is another story, but we'll come to that) as I was left wanting to know what happened to Gabby and Nick. This had the potential to be a 40K novella I think, the story has the legs and hook to go that far at least. Lee obviously has talent and is good at what she does, but I feel she sold herself short here.

Spin the Bottle. I thought the second story had nothing to do with the first until I read in a little. Turns out the evil fruit is now in wine form and carried by a mysterious man called Stefan. He coaxes River, at her brother's party, to partake in the delicious beverage. She soon finds herself in the closet, having all her new urges satisfied beyond her imagination.

The second piece was an anticlimax after the first. Rather than continuing with Gabby and Nick, we are introduced to a new cast and don't have enough time to get to know them properly. Almost straight away, River is rushed into the sex and it feels like a repeat of the sex scene from the first story.

Again, if the story was expanded, this would work as chapter slotted in. On its own, it just doesn't fit. The link between the stories is frail, being the wine and the possible identity of Stefan. I won't spoil your fun by issuing my own theory. Blood Cherries is a decent, well written story that would do well as a novel. The package here is let down by a weaker second story.

Rating: 2.5 Cats

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To find out more about how to purchase Blood Cherries, visit Freya's Bower.