Karen Anderson and Itashi Akinawa are best friends and business partners.  To cross that line would be risky, hurtful.  What Karen fails to see is that her longing for Itashi is mutual. One night he overhears her telling a friend that she could never become involved with him because Japanese men are said to not quite measure up below the waist.  Itashi decides to teach Karen a well-earned lesson.   Once his plans are in full swing, he learns that his heart craves more sustenance than sex and physical dominance with the woman he loves. 

Itashi’s Pride waves its crimson erotic romance flag and takes down hostages with every heated word.  Sadly, the romance is sometimes as distant as a mirage in a heat wave. There was too much bank placed on the fact that Karen and Itashi already have an established relationship so not a lot of effort was put into the romance department.  I would have liked to see a bit more angst and emotion, and was willing to surrender the sex to get it.  Seeing that aspect of their regard for one another would have made it easier for me to feel something for Karen.  I wanted to understand what made her tick and why I should care.  The reasons laid out seemed a bit superficial.  In all fairness, I felt more in touch with Itashi because his anxiety was addressed more.  Frankly, the way he schemes and accomplishes his revenge on Karen gave me a kick.

The story needed more character detail and fleshing out.  I feel that Tigra-Luna LeMar would do an amazing job with this story if she extended it another 15-20 pages with character development, relationship building and setting.  What I admire the most about the author is that she was willing to take on a stereotype and challenge it an erotic way and managed to flip the script.  All other concerns and nitpicking aside, I have to admit that Itashi’s Pride is devilishly fiery in all its unabashedly sexual glory.