"I fell in love with Brutal Blackthorn in The Miner’s Wife. He was a big ole sweet man who tried to be tough, but once he fell in love with Hannah, she was his whole world and I liked that. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside that a hero as tough as Brutal would become putty in Hannah’s hands. As for Hannah, for having gone through what she did, she was an extremely strong, intelligent woman. She was in control of Brutal without him even knowing it, and I loved that!
The Miner’s Wife is the first book I have read written by Lara Santiago and it will not be the last. The storyline kept me spellbound and the romantic interludes of the characters were extremely erotic. In fact, I couldn’t put this book down until I read the last word. Lucky for me, there are two more books in Ms. Santiago’s Wives Tales Series, The Executive's Wife and The Lawman's Wife, that I look forward to reading! If you are a fan of futuristic books, or even if you aren’t, The Miner’s Wife is just a good, all-around read that is totally satisfying!" —Talia Ricci, Joyfully Reviewed
"The Miner's Wife will take you into a future where women are reduced to mere possessions in a male society. Hannah’s plight will have you empathizing with her even as you realize how much Brutal truly needs her, and not just for his sexual desires either. They’re both wonderful characters who are wronged by the very people who should have cared for them. This story is powerfully moving and truly a delight to read. I can’t wait to read the other two books in The Wives Tales series. 4.5 Blue Ribbons " —Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies
"This book is a never-ending adventure, and readers will find themselves wrapped up in the drama that Brutal and Hannah create. Brutal lives up to his name with a dark and sensual air that readers will love. Hannah is a free spirit who finds that maybe all men aren't alike. The love scenes are so hot, the pages almost burn with the heat. This is the first book I have read by Lara Santiago and Siren Publishing. I can certainly say that I will be on the lookout for more of this author's work in the future. 4.5 Hearts " —Angel, The Romance Studio
"Lara Santiago has a refreshing and delightful writing style. Not only is The Miner's Wife a very creative story but her characters are mature and well developed. I really appreciated that while Hannah did not embrace what happened to her, she didn't place blame on Brutal, which allowed them to have a sweet, fun, and healthy relationship. The humor is perfectly timed, as is the action and adventure. Not only are the love scenes hot but they are also sweet and full of emotion. I highly recommend The Miner's Wife and look forward to reading the other books in The Wives Tales series! 4.5 Kisses " —Kerin, Two Lips Reviews
"The Miner’s Wife is a science fiction story about a future controlled by a corporation and the archaic laws that they enforce concerning women. It is a novel idea for a story even though I think I would probably be one of the first women to form a rebellion against the nitwits. There was considerable thought up into the universe that Ms. Santiago has come up with. There is a plausible explanation for the new laws and how they affect the female population. Ms. Santiago’s characters are believable and very likable or despicable depending on the character. The love scenes for the most part are very, very hot. Brutal turns out to be a very gentle and caring lover when Hannah allows him to be. I am interested in reading the rest of the series to see if the women really do take to these new laws [or] if they rise up and stomp some bureaucrat’s ass. 4.5 Stars " —Oleta M. Blaylock, Just Erotic Romance Reviews
"Taking us into a world where women are no more than property and sexual tension relievers, this author pens an interesting story of a couple brought together under less than ideal circumstances. Hannah [is] a woman after my own heart even if she no longer has rights in her country, because she still shows spunk when she’s not fainting. Her miner isn’t half bad either because from the onset, he is willing to protect the woman he initially sees as an energy source and outlet for his needs. After making the best of their situation, these two become ideal partners in and out of the bed. With its action, passion and touching moments, readers will enjoy this [first book in] The Wives Tales Trilogy. 4.5 Unicorns " —Rachelle, Enchanted in Romance
"The Miner’s Wife is Ms. Santiago’s first foray into the scary world of the Tiberius Group and a glimpse into the future of ‘what if’? What if extremism rules the day? What if American women were to suddenly find themselves not even second-class citizens, but little more than chattel? Though her treatment of the love story between Hannah and Brutal was sweet and grew in the appropriate places, it was my interest in the world she creates that really made the story and kept my interest. In future installments, I hope to see characters actively involved in overthrowing the tyranny they find themselves living under. A very enjoyable read! 4 Kisses " —Loribelle Hunt, Romance Divas
STORY EXCERPT
THE EXECUTIVE’S WIFE
The Wives Tales, Book 2
By Lara Santiago
Copyright © 2006
Sophie didn’t want to die anymore. She was saved. Orin turned around to glare at her. One strand of hair had escaped the confines of the swirl plastered to his bald head and hung limply down the side of his face. The look he gave her after being defeated by Matthew Westland radiated pure waves of unrelenting rage.
Yeah, how dare she allow herself to be bid on by someone with more money, the nerve of her? The lock of greasy hair hanging unattractively to his chin made Sophie even more grateful he wasn’t about to be her–what was it the crazy new world order referred to this as?—her lord and master.
Orin looked the exact same way as he had on her first day of work. His nostrils flared in righteous indignation at having been thwarted by Matthew…again.
The auctioneer cleared his throat impatiently and motioned her off the stage urgently, as if she should hurry because he’d just made a bunch of money on her. She instead sauntered to the steps, earning his frown. She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him as she passed behind him on stage.
“If you would step over here, sir, we can officiate the contract,” the Tiberius representative said to Sophie’s future husband at the foot of stairs off the stage.
The contract of marriage these days had a whole different meaning. Promising to love and honor et cetera went by the wayside to be replaced by who got what percentage of funds spent for the bride being auctioned off.
Sophie’s worthless scum of a father, a sperm donor at best, got to have a whopping ninety percent. Eight percent went to the auctioneer, and finally two percent went into the coffers of the Tiberius group. A cut they told everyone they earned by officiating the contract and ceremony joining the couple in matrimony. Plus the forty-eight hour body scan done to ensure consummation of each and every union. They certainly didn’t want people getting married to escape Tiberius persecution.
Men being forced to have sex with whomever they married supposedly made them more cautious about their ultimate choices. But Sophie only understood the rules favored men, and they could do as they pleased regardless of their initial choices. An uncontrollable and unwanted urge to weep came over her and she fought to stay serene.
The official Tiberius marriage broker stepped up and motioned impatiently for Sophie to come off the stage. It was time to meet the groom. As if he read her mind, Matthew Westland looked up at her, still paused on stage, and smiled lightly.
From behind her, Sophie heard the auctioneer say, “We’ll start the bidding for the next bride at five thousand and see where it takes us.” She paused at the head of the steps and gazed at her groom.
“Hello,” he said warmly and held out his hand.
Sophie remained quiet, fighting tears threatening to spill over burning eyes as she descended the few steps. If she so much as uttered one word, she’d burst into loud, uncontrollable sobbing. Her desolate mood stemmed from the narrow escape with the deviant in the front row along with the general horror of the auction. Unqualified and here-to-date unknown relief now raced through her, making her very emotional. A single tear slipped out and ran down her face before she could wip
e it away.
“Why the tears? Is there someone else you would prefer to marry?” he asked in a low voice, taking her arm.
Sophie reached up and wiped away moisture and shook her head. “It’s the whole auction situation I find disturbing.” She then added quietly, “And if I ever find out who authored the Working Woman’s Auction Memo, which put me up for sale in my own damn company, I’m going kick his balls up his ass.”
Matt’s eyes widened briefly but didn’t acknowledge her response. He simply led her to a room behind the stage where the funds would be paid and the ceremony performed. Sophie could smell his expensive cologne as they stood together, the scent of which sent her right back to last December and the wall she’d been pressed against when he’d kissed her that first time…and then…more.
Sophie watched him out of the corner of her eye. Her whole body vibrated with the memory of the last time they were together. He saved her, again. Maybe he remembered the kiss at Christmas. Maybe he felt something for her.
“Thank you for saving me.”
His sudden sardonic smile startled her as he whispered, “I didn’t actually do it for you.”
“Then why would you marry a veritable stranger? I can read the papers. I know you have…well, other choices.”
“You aren’t exactly a stranger,” he said, leaning in close, whispering in her now sensitive ear. “I know exactly how you taste, how you smell, and especially how you feel in my arms when you scream in climax. It’s an intriguing combination. One I found I couldn’t pass up.”
Sophie closed her eyes and felt her face go hot in memory of that supremely gratifying sensation, which had stabbed through her at his assistance long ago, as if she were experiencing it all over again. “I didn’t think you remembered. You never…” Her head bowed and she found she couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Neither did you,” he stated coolly as she felt his arm circle her shoulders.
“You were my boss,” she snapped with accusation in her tone, still unable to look him in the eyes.
“Yeah, that was my excuse, too. But it isn’t an issue any longer.” He squeezed her shoulder once and pulled her closer. “Is it? Are you ready to marry me, Sophie?”
This time she looked in his beautiful blue eyes before answering. “Yes. I would be…grateful to marry you.”
“I don’t want gratitude.”
“What then?” She sounded breathless to her own ears.
He laughed before he said, “Well, for starters, I’d like to finish what we began in the parking garage hallway. That particular experience, while gratifying in many ways, has always seemed a bit incomplete to me.”
The combination of his warm, sexy body pressed up close, his sultry voice caressing her senses, and his decadent I-want-to-fuck-you-this-second cologne wafting all around made another rush of moisture accumulate between her legs in readiness. Sophie’s heart beat so thunderously in her chest, she couldn’t speak. She took short breaths to calm herself, but with it came Matthew’s sexy scent, the fragrance of which made her insides quiver in long awaited need.
He leaned in suddenly, right into her personal space. “And then I’d like to do it some more. And then some more after that.”
“Oh…” Sophie managed to say as a rush of air whooshed out of her lungs.
ADULT EXCERPT
THE EXECUTIVE’S WIFE
The Wives Tales, Book 2
By Lara Santiago
Copyright © 2006
“I promise I’ll never say this to you again, but please don’t make a sound,” Matthew said.
Sophie nodded her understanding yet again and felt a blush creep up to her face. No moaning or screaming out loud like she had under the mistletoe.
The only thing worse than getting caught, she decided, was getting caught and failing to succeed in their task to secure their future.
And given the choice, she sincerely wanted a life with Matthew Westland, whatever it took.
Matthew twisted his head and placed his lips on hers, seductively teasing them open with a single lick as his hand moved further up her leg. Nimble fingertips buried themselves quickly under her skirt. His tongue quickly wrapped around hers in erotic plunder. He grabbed her underwear and tugged them down a few inches. She stifled the urge to suck in a sharp breath at his bold actions and concentrated on his lips to forget where she was.
Don’t make a sound, don’t make a sound, don’t make a sound, she chanted to herself.
Matthew had the most luscious mouth. It took all her focus to not react like she wanted to. A moan of appreciation bubbled up in her throat wanting to escape. His fingers niggled their way between her legs and stroked once, the sensation of which sent a sharp longing through her body. She was embarrassed to be wet for him already. She’d moistened up with supreme gratitude upon hearing his deep rich voice say, “one hundred thousand dollars.”
Not because she cared about his money. She honestly didn’t. No, she realized right away that with his generous bid, she’d get the opportunity to finish up what they’d started under that sprig of mistletoe. She was about to get her Christmas wish after all, albeit four months later than expected.
Moistening up was not hard for her to do when Matthew Westland said anything. Besides, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t longed for him aching through each and every lonely night since the Christmas party months ago. His magnetic presence enveloped her as powerfully now as it had back then.
Matthew kissed a path from her lips to her throat as he pulled the crotch of her panties aside. She felt his fingers slip inside of her very moist aching core, ever so slightly brushing past her clitoris, and she stifled the urge to jump through the tinted skylight she noticed in the ceiling of the limo. She was wet and ready for him, and now he knew it, too.
Should she be embarrassed? No time.
Matthew shifted silently on the seat and prepared to mount her. Her legs were spread as wide as they would go across the leather seats now caressing her half-naked butt. She managed to relax and opened her legs wider. She opened her eyes and caught sight of the not-distant-enough newspaper in her view. It only made her tense up again, so she turned her face away and buried it in Matthew’s shoulder.
She couldn’t believe Asher couldn’t hear them. Matthew already had his zipper undone and she hadn’t heard it. She felt the ridge of his enormous cock resting on the inside of her thigh. Another thrill ran through her at the knowledge she was about to find out if he was as big as she suspected. Her first feel of him was a memory from back under the mistletoe. Those oft whispered rumors of his impressive size were not at all exaggerated…then or now.
“Ready,” he whispered. She turned away from his shoulder to look in his face and nodded her assent. She held his sexy gaze until Matthew lowered the lids of his eyes seductively, and pierced her to the hilt with one very deep and very satisfying thrust. She sucked in silent breath of unbelievable pleasure as he quickly stroked inside her again, and again and again. The immense thickness of him penetrated and stretched her core to the limit with each deep stroke of his cock. Her body accommodated him…barely, but he kept up the pace of his thrusts even as she wondered what his definition of a few strokes was.
Sophie melted into the smooth rhythm of his powerful thrusts, relaxing to allow the pleasure of it to seep into her tingling body. She pushed her hips forward to meet his next thrust and his cock seemed to slide even deeper. Whisper quiet, Matthew drove his cock inside her yet again. The angle of his thrust almost stroked her clit with every other push and the stirrings of a bone shaking climax grew within her.
The combined scent of the leather her half-naked butt rested on with Matthew’s unique scent of starched shirt and fuck-me-now cologne tinged with the acrid knowledge of being caught caressed and yet heightened her senses. Thrust. Stroke. Thrust. Stroke. Matthew was about to make her climax. She held back fearful she’d scream like a banshee if the wash of climax took her suddenly. Thrust. Stroke. Thrust.
God, he fel
t incredible. Better than she ever thought possible. She’d wanted his cock buried inside her desperately. With him driving repeatedly into her now, sending bolts of delicious sensation deeply inside her core, she was on the verge of release. Sophie held back even though she wanted to sing, moan, and scream.
Oh, God, did she just make a noise?
Sophie heard the newspaper at the other end of the small space rustle. This was quickly followed by a choked gasp and the sharp thud a brandy glass being dropped hitting the carpeted floorboard of the limo.
“What the fuck?” Asher screeched, trying to stand as his rumpled newspaper fell aside in the center of the limo aisle.
REVIEWS for The Executive's Wife
"Once again Lara Santiago has written an intriguing and engaging story in The Executive's Wife. Having waited ever so patiently for this follow up to The Miner's Wife, I can honestly say it was worth it. Sophie and Matt have an explosive chemistry which is immediately apparent. Initially, they are concerned with the employer/employee relationship but once the Tiberius Group institutes its changes, all bets are off. Matt will use any means at his disposal to get the one woman he wants. Sophie's character may seem a little unruffled at first, but it is soon obvious that she's got a will of steel and will do anything in her power to help those that she loves. The premise of this story follows the previous in that Matt is bio-genetically engineered but there are subtle differences. The adversity that they immediately face in their marriage adds an intensity and urgency to their relationship which is revealed in their frequent lovemaking. In addition to all of that, this well paced story also has a lot of suspense and even a few surprising twists in the plot. The Executive's Wife is a must read for fans of Ms. Santiago as well as the Wives Tales. 5 Stars " —Trang, Ecataromance
"The Wives Tales 2: The Executive’s Wife was refreshing and scary at the same time. I’m sure someone in the world would love nothing more than to see women’s rights taken away and Lara Santiago presented what would happen in detail. The fact that Sophie got the man she always wanted was good fortune, but life did not work out so well for her sister. I’m dying to read [Hannah's] story, but I was more than satisfied with The Wives Tales 2: The Executive’s Wife. Sophie and Matt were dynamic characters that kept me turning the pages. I wanted to see more of them and the love they shared. Their sex life was stimulating and well earned. Matt’s father was obnoxious as well as determined. The man just would not give up on his dream for his son. It was more like an obsession. I had to give him credit for his gumption. Moreover, he made the story more interesting. After reading The Executive’s Wife, I am greedy for more. While I wait for the next installment, I plan to read the first Wives Tale [The Miner's Wife]. 4.5 Stars/Hot " —Suni Farrar, Just Erotic Romance Reviews
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