Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dark Hunter #1, St. Martin's, December 2001, Rating: A

Sex therapist Dr. Grace Alexander finds herself in an strange predicament. Under the influence of a few glasses of wine on her twenty-ninth birthday, she and her Gypsy friend Selena summon a Greek god, Julian of Macedon, from an ancient book Selena found at a bookstore. He's a love-slave and Selena thinks he would be good for her friend who has snubbed her nose at relationships at intimacy due to a bad and demeening experience in college. They're not counting on the fact that the summons will work and that Julian of Macedon is flesh and blood, complete with feelings and a past that began over two thousand years ago.

Julian of Macedon was cursed by his half-brother for an indiscretion. Sent to the book Selena found, he is released by saying his name three times and is subject to the summoners bidding. His inability to climax makes him a lover that many crave but none take his feelings or desires into account, until Grace. A history, both before he was cursed to the book and during his time cursed, that is both tragic and sympathetic, Julian of Macedon is a hurting man who has only wanted love in life.

In this book we get to meet Greek gods Eros (Cupid), Aphrodite, Athena, and others who all seem to be living in the current day, blending in with humans. Eros is part of a biker gang. Set in New Orleans, we get a nice introduction into the city and the various opportunities someone has there to experience different things. Some are conspiring against Julian and some are not, the difficult is in determining who is on his side and whether they really want to help him try to break the curse.

An imaginative story, Fantasy Lover, brought an interesting twist to both the paranormal and time travel genres I'm fond of. It's kind of a genie in a bottle story, only Julian of Macedon is a walking love-slave who turns womens heads and makes men jealous wherever he goes. I liked Grace and Julian and enjoyed Grace's friend, Selena. A very enjoyable read, I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this book. I rate it an A and look forward to more Dark Hunters.

©Susan Falk and phantomroses.com