Review of Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha

Erotica review today! As usual, this is an 18 and over review. Click below to read.

On Travel: A Review of Wanderlust by Elieba Levine

As I said yesterday, I promised to review this book, and so I shall. Because it's an erotica book, we're going to make this review 18 and over (just in case).

On Gray: A Review of Sweet Surrender by Maya Banks

One of the things I wanted to review more of this year is erotica. With the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey, it's something that's getting more attention, both negative and positive. It would be too easy to dismiss the lot of it as dumb porn for women, not deserving of criticism, but when we do that the critics of genre fiction win. So here we have Sweet Surrender, from the popular and prolific author Maya Banks.

This review is 18 and over, folks. Please click to read at your own discretion.

Misc. Monday: No, I'm Not Going to Read 50 Shades of Grey. Thanks.

Every now and then I make the mistake of trying to explain my reading/reviewing hobby to a friend or acquaintance who rarely or never reads for pleasure.

"I read romance and fantasy."

"Oh, like Fifty Shades?"

No. Not like Fifty Shades of Grey. Not at all. I read good books.

The truth is that I did skim through this infamous novel in an attempt to determine if it was worth reviewing, even just for comedic purposes, and I just couldn't work up the motivation. The writing is bad. And I don't mean so bad it's funny, I just mean bad. If there's one thing I've learned from reviewing, it's that the best seller list is a lousy indication of quality.

Now, I know there are readers out there for whom Fifty Shades of Grey is their favorite novel. Someone out there, somewhere, uses this book as the bench mark for comparing all books. I know, because this book is a best seller that has a movie deal. I don't understand why. I assume it goes back to the idea that books (and movies, and so forth), can be deeply flawed and yet still have some mysterious quality that captivates you on a deep, visceral level.

It also seems like a lot of people who have picked up Fifty Shades and loved it were experiencing erotica for the first time. I talked to one older lady that said she, "Can't believe the things people are writing these days." As though BDSM erotica is brand new. I once tracked down a copy of the third book for a wife who claimed that they had "livened things up quite a bit!" Good for you, lady. Novelty can be a powerful thing.

For me erotic romance is old news, so this doesn't impress me. It's similar to the reason Twilight itself didn't work for me--I'd been reading PNR for years by the time it came to my attention so...meh.

So that's why I won't be reviewing Fifty Shades during Romance month, despite the fact that it falls well within the genre and is very popular. Besides, what could I say about it that hasn't already been said by better reviewers than myself?

That said, if you read it and enjoyed it and having nothing but good things to say about it? That's cool. Feel free to tell us about it in the comment box. Happy Reading!

On Alien Erotica: A Review of Brianna by Judy Mays

As most of my followers are no doubt aware, I don't review erotica very often. I have several reasons--1) I don't read it very frequently 2) When I do read it, I usually go for the shorties and novellas which don't give me much to talk about 3) Reader reactions to erotica are really subjective, and consequently the books are hard to grade. But when I found Brianna on my "read eventually" shelf at home, picked it up, and started reading, I felt like this one might just give me something to talk about.

Because of the content of the book, the following discussion is meant for readers 18 and over only. Thanks for your discretion.

Fins vs. Legs: A Review of Awakening by Kitty Thomas

A Sleeping Mermaid by Josephine Wall

I decided to give Awakening by Kitty Thomas a try after seeing it reviewed positively by several helpful bloggers. This is a very short story, but it's nicely written and heavy on the erotic elements. It's about a mermaid, Nerina who's taken captive by a human man, Kyros. Legend has it that if a man can arouse a mermaid sufficiently, she will transform for him--growing legs in place of her tail. Kyros is convinced that the legend is true and determined to make Nerina transform for him so that he can keep her as his own.

Positive Comments:

I'm fond of mermaids and other fantasy sea creatures. The use of them in this story is simple, but compelling. Thomas manages to describe a little bit about mermaid culture and way of life, and we get a small glimpse into how important those things are to our heroine. They also serve as a sharp contrast to the new life and way of thinking she encounters after she's captured.

I liked the idea of using arousal as a method for transformation. As far as erotic plot devices go, I thought this one was quite successful--it's unique and makes for beautiful imagery.

The author at least starts to explore the master/slave relationship and skims the surface behind the psychology of that on both sides. It certainly isn't a complete exploration, but it's as much as I can expect in such a short story.

Negative Comments:

This is definitely erotica--pretty, interesting erotica--but it isn't romantic. By this I mean, the connection between Nerina and Kyros never strays outside of owner/possession territory. Kyros is possessive of Nerina and happy to have her--as one might be with a really nice car. Nerina is dependent on Kyros to survive, and she happens to not hate his erotic attentions. The book doesn't have the page space to deal with anything deeper, and that's a shame.

In both the relationship and the mythology, this felt like the prologue to a really good book. I hate to put "too short" as a criticism--that seems unfair. Instead I'll say that it was a bit too ambitious for it's length. A lot more could be done with this world and these characters.

Rating:

This is a well written and very interesting tale. If you like erotica and don't mind the master/slave theme, I'd suggest this book. 4 stars

On Mates: A Review of Amber Eyes by Maya Banks

This is a bit different from what I usually read and review. Not only is it erotica, which I tend to avoid reviewing, but it's a ménage a trois story. It was a quick enjoyable read, but also surprisingly emotional, so I decided it was worth commenting on.

Kaya is a shape-shifter, and having been left behind by her family she's spent most of her life as a cougar in the wild. She's been watching Jericho and Hunter, two men who live in an isolated cabin, and they have been watching her. When she is hurt, she allows them to help her--and they discover that their wild cougar companion is in fact a beautiful woman. They both form an attachment to her, and are reluctant to leave her even when their work calls them away.

I liked that the plot was slow and mellow. It has a quiet, isolated feel that I found relaxing. It isn't an adventure story, and the paranormal element is uncomplicated and matter-of-fact. That simplicity really fit the story and set the tone.

While reading this story, I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how the author intended to characterize each of her protagonists. Kaya comes across as a bit weak and helpless, but then you have to bare in mind that she hasn't had much human contact. Still, I feel like the author could have spent a little time establishing that Kaya does have some innate strength, and isn't totally dependent on her men to provide for her. Hunter is portrayed as the more closed off, emotionally isolated of the two men. Why that is is never fully explained. I can't really get a handle on Jericho's personality at all, other than that he's a bit more open than Hunter. Both men are, of course, insanely protective and intent on caring for Kaya. I think part of the problem at work here is page limitation. It's a short book, so there is only a limited amount of time to establish everyone's personality and allow them to develop.

My other "complaint" is the sunny, slightly sugar coated ending. Everyone is accepting of Kaya and her relationship with two men. Nobody comments or thinks it's odd. Everybody is just part of a big happy family. That's a bit unrealistic. But then, this book has shape-shifting so I guess I shouldn't demand realism.

All told, for a novella you can read in one day, this is worthwhile. It has steam, emotion, and a fairly satisfying happy ending. 3.5 stars.

On Science and Sex: A Review of Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh

Lora Leigh is one of those writers who many people like, and who has produced a ridiculous number of books in her lifetime. For many people her work is like crack. And if that's the case for you, awesome. I've only had one experience with her work, and it was...less than positive. Tempting the Beast was the very first book I ever read on my Kindle, and it has stuck in my mind ever since as a pretty big WTF? Here is my review: Beware the Minor Spoilers.

Science: Saving the world, one genetic abomination at a time.

So obviously this is erotica, and I realize erotica is pretty subjective and hard to grade. But to me, this was just bad.

The premise was actually somewhat promising. Callan is one of several genetically manipulated humans--he has lion DNA in his genome--who are all part of some top secret highly unethical experiment. Merinus is a journalist who is eager to expose what was done to Callan and his fellow "Breeds", and requires his cooperation. They meet, sparks fly in a big way, and we find out that they have some sort of intense biological connection. As in, they are in heat and absolutely must have sex, lots of sex, or they suffer painful consequences.

I may have actually been able to ignore the very contrived nature of the plot and all the hokey science fiction, had the characters been likeable. But they are not. Merinus is the worst--she is absolutely too stupid to live. She's understandably upset at being forced into a sexual relationship with Callan. But she uses it as an excuse for the stupidest decisions possible. She gets mad and blames him, though it's not his fault. She lashes out at those trying to help her. She runs away. She gets angry at Callan for killing rapists who would have killed him. She insists that she's tough and un-girly, but her toughest action in her moment of desperation is to call her big brother for help. And Callan isn't much better. He instantly falls into the overly possessive caveman routine so common to this sub-genre of romance. He's arrogant and sexist. While he says he admires Merinus' tough act, he continuously says things along the lines of "her brothers should have trained her better" and other things that demonstrate an utter lack of respect. This is all justified by saying that it's his nature, he can't help it, this is how all men would be were it not for that pesky feminism keeping them in check.

As stated above the plot is contrived entirely to get the main couple to boink a lot. In erotica, that's to be expected. I know a lot of women like the whole fated mate concept--you see it in Christine Feehan, J.R Ward, Kresley Cole, and Eileen Wilks. I don't have a problem with it if it's handled well. By that I mean, if it isn't used as a substitute for real emotional relationship building and depth of feeling that is only gained with time. Well, this book doesn't have much relationship building outside of the sex, so that was a problem for me.

Also, the plot is kind of...gross. There's a doctor and several assistants helping to figure out what's going on with Callan and Merinus. And the research process involves a lot of swabbing and sample taking before and after they have sex. And the doctor comes up with some kind of  birth control, but just as soon figures out that it probably won't work long term. This medical/science drama really took me out of the sexy moments and were just plain creepy.

I was told by people who have gone ahead and read this entire series that this isn't the best book to judge by. I may attempt book two at some point to see if it improves, but probably not soon. I'm giving this book 1.5 stars.