Anne Marsh | From Russia With Love

What's so sexy about Russia? Hint: it's not just the mail order brides. Russia, through Western eyes, has always seemed more than a bit mysterious and exotically other. Russia also has more than a hint of the barbarian-- from the Cossacks riding down their prey to the steely-eyed, sensual Moscow princes, Russian heroes are more alpha, more determined, more something. Russian heroes move through a fantastically wealthy world of expensive sables, vast country estates, long nights, and absolute, feudal power. Today, there are fewer Russian heroes—the ones I’ve met star in slightly older romance titles, where the heroes are deliciously alpha but slightly more questionable in their pursuit of sensual pleasure and happily-ever-after.

Susan Johnson is the queen of the Russian princes. The sensual exploits of Nikki Kuzan (SEIZED BY LOVE) and Sasha Kuzan (LOVE STORM) are unforgettable. In Johanna Lindsey’s SECRET FIRE, Lindsay’s prince ruthlessly drags Lady Katherine St. John off to have his wicked way with her. The illegitimate daughter of a Russian tsar, Rosemary Rogers’ heroine is tracked by her hero through the glittering court of Petersburg in BOUND BY LOVE. Fern Michaels gives us medieval Russia, the Cossacks, and a rampaging hero in WHITE FIRE.

The hero of my new book, BOND WITH ME, may live in Moscow, but he’s no fairytale prince. Brends Duranov is an alpha among alphas, a former heavenly prince and now a fallen angel who ruthlessly plots his way back into the Heavens. He rules Moscow’s seedy underworld, promising (and delivering, of course) untold pleasure to any woman who dares to mate with him. One favor. One soul. That’s the deal and Brends has a line of women eager to trade him their souls in exchange for that favor. He’s sexy, dark and irredeemably bad to the bone—until he meets Mischka Baran and discovers that, this time, he wants more than a soul. He wants all of her—including her love— and he’ll stop at nothing to win her. Russia is the perfect setting for Brends Duranov, who is at turns brutal, sensual and determined to win the heart and soul of his perfect match by lavishing her with sensual attentions—and, in the end, by sharing with her the man behind the alpha mask.