Book Review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey comes with an excellent story line: Literary student Anastasia Steele is sent to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey for the college newspaper. They are instantly attracted to one another and Ana longs for more, but when she finds out about Grey's appetite for dominance, she's suddenly whisked into the world of BDSM. Grey hounds her into joining his world; Ana has doubts and too many fears of what may be expected. The contract she is given doesn't help to alleviate her concerns. The two of them begin their sexual relations and Christian Grey shows Ana what it would be like to become his submissive.

As a writer and fan of erotica, I was excited to pick up this book and see what all the hype was about. It sounded like a great story, but from the first page, I was a bit disappointed. First of all, I should say I'm not into books written from a first-person perspective, but this one was. I decided to keep with it -- after all, Fifty Shades is a huge bestseller so it couldn't be that bad, right?

It wasn't a bad read, but it made me wonder about her editor. For instance, the characters didn't "say" anything. They whispered frequently and murmured a lot. My favorite memorable line of the book was, "I rolled my eyes at myself". Hmmm....

The relationship between the main characters was great, but again I was disappointed at the lack of BDSM play which I expected after hearing the reviews. The book is 514 pages long and there are only two scenes involving bondage or any type of kinky sex. They spend a great deal of time (and many pages) dealing with the contract but in the end, nothing really happens with it in this first book. Quite a bit of time is also spent with Ana and Grey exchanging emails -- way too many emails in my opinion. I wanted more interaction between the two.

The sex wasn't bad, but not as frequent as it could have been for an erotic novel. It was a very long read. I found myself reading one chapter, putting the book down, and then picking it up days later -- and then forgetting what the previous chapter was about.

A bestseller? I'm still wondering how. There are far better erotic or bdsm novels out there; however, Fifty Shades of Grey wasn't horrible. It kept me company on those lonely nights when I had nothing better to do and this may be the right book for some women (or men). Kudos to you. As for me, I doubt I'll be spending money on the second book in the series.

Book Review: When Angels Sing

Thanks to my assistant, Adam, who is helping me get some very much needed reviews to help promote my books. Check out this review of When Angels Sing.

http://book2review.tumblr.com/post/37634738909/when-angels-sing-by-shelby-patrick-when-jenna

Not too shabby. Outside of it being called offensive to some, which it may very well be. :-)

This book is intended for mature audiences and yes, the main male character is a bit rough around the edges (probably an understatement) but my editor claims out of the few books he's edited, this one is my strongest so far. So if you can get past the oversexed and overbearing Blaze Kerrigan, you'll be able to step into the world of suspense and danger of When Angels Sing.

Touching Evil by Kay Hooper: Book Review

Touching Evil: A Review

by Alina Jackson

Touching Evil tells the tale of Maggie Barnes, a telepathic police sketch artist that is determined to stop the evil that is terrorizing the streets of Seattle.   Knowing that it will be her personal responsibility to stop this madness, Maggie puts herself in life threatening situations.  With no clues or description of the perpetrator she must rely on her own special talents and the information a blinded victim can recall.  While pursuing the mad man she meets John Garrett, a self-assured successful business man, who finds it hard to believe in Maggie’s talents but begins to fall deeply in love with her.  As time progresses John becomes more convinced that Maggie is in serious danger.  Since no new leads develop,  John, with the help of the lead investigator, convince the Chief of Police to call in the little known special unit of the FBI to help end this terror.  Can this psychopath be caught before the evil touches more of Seattle’s young women and destroys the woman he loves? 

The opening prologue grabbed me from the first sentence but as the chapters continued I found it harder to get excited about the story. I kept turning the pages but I think that was due more to my determination than the thrill of the story. The characters in the story were flat. The supporting characters lacked depth to the point that I often forgot who they were and why they were there, making it necessary to go back a few pages to refresh my memory.  John Garrett, the love interest, seemed nice enough but I wanted to fall in love with him.  I knew little about his personality except that he didn’t believe that it was possible to possess any of the paranormal talents described in the story.  I would have liked to know where he came from and what drove him to be successful.  John and Maggie’s relationship could have used a more in-depth description.  What about John did Maggie love?  What about Maggie, other than her talents, did John love, hate, or fear?   Also, Maggie’s brother Beau added little to the story and didn’t show a side of Maggie that made her seem more real.  I was puzzled why he was even mentioned.  Then the villain came out of no-where.  It felt as though it was an afterthought where the author had to find a way to end the tale.  All I could think about was if John was a powerful and smart business man then why didn’t he see anything unusual when his sister became a widow?   The story ended with too many questions left unanswered.

Bared to You: A Crossfire Novel -- Review

Sylvia Day certainly keeps you on her toes with this first installation of the Crossfire series. I was captivated from the first moment Eva and Gideon meet, although I still find it fascinating at the intense animal attraction in that very first meeting. I understand that some people can have outstanding looks but is it really possible for one man to attract women to him like flies to honey? It seems every woman in this book can't keep their eyes off him as if he was a real modern Greek god come to life. I don't believe that can be possible. Yes, maybe a few women may have their heads turned and their legs go weak from one man but every single woman in the city that enters this novel? Hmm...

The book opens with a bang. Eva and Gideon meet but neither know who the other is only to find out that they work together. The attraction continues and heats up but then again, I have to ask the fans: The character's first exchange of words goes something like this:

Gideon: Are you sleeping with anyone?
Eva: I don't see how that's any of your business.
Gideon: I want to f*** you so I want to make sure no one else is in the way.

Hmm, makes you wonder. No small talk, no getting to know you stuff, he just gets blunt and to the point. Ladies, even if you were immensely attracted to the man, wouldn't you slap a guy for talking like that if it's almost the first thing out of his mouth? Although, if Ms. Day was going for shock value, it worked, and it did get the juices flowing to start this sensational erotic trek.

This book keeps you going from chapter to chapter. The characters had a strong chemistry that kept the pages hot. It's the ultimate in dom/sub relationships and Gideon Cross is definitely overpowering.

I enjoyed the story and couldn't wait to get the second in the series. If you want a good erotic tale, I would highly recommend this one.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty: A Book Review

I have always loved the tale of Sleeping Beauty. In fact, that is my favorite story of all time. I guess you can  call me a hopeless romantic. You can imagine my excitement when I saw the erotic novel, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, by Anne Rice (writing as A.N. Roquelaure). The most romantic story with an added edge of eroticism? I couldn't resist.

Now I wish I had.

The book opens with a bang. The Prince (who never has a name throughout the entire story) finds Beauty (who also is just known as that and no other name) and awakens her, but not with the usual tale of a kiss. This sleeping princess requires more hardcore stuff to open her eyes and so we get right down to the nitty gritty; however, something bothers me in this opening and continues until the end.

According to the book, Beauty fell asleep when she was 15 and slept for 100 years. Since she has not aged, I have to assume she is still a mere fifteen when the prince, who is 18, finds her. So basically he rapes her? Not as romantic as I first thought the story would be.

Anyway, he makes her his personal sex slave and demands she remains naked at all times. They travel back to his castle, all the while she's completely naked and on display for the public.

Other slaves, at the castle, are in the same predicament, but we also find out that they are young teenagers being used for the pleasure of the lords and ladies. Under age entertainment? Not my idea of a book that's supposed to excite me.

This book seemed lacking. The sex was rare and when it came, was fast; torture so constant that it was amazing any of these people survived more than a day; and no emotional commitment at all. The characters seemed dry. I couldn't get involved with them and as my editor told me, the reader needs to care about the character whether it be hating them or loving them. I didn't feel anything except horror. I didn't care what happened to the people in this book and I found it amazing at some of the things that were done.

I was sorely disappointed with this first book in the trilogy. Although I would like to see what happens, I don't know if I want to spend the money to get the second book. It certainly wasn't anything I expected an erotic version of a romantic story to be about.

The writing was less than stellar and some of the wording in the sex scenes was laughable. I have read quite a bit of erotica in my time and I can honestly say I haven't ever read passages like that.

How can you get involved with an erotic story if there's no emotion? There's a lot of telling and not enough showing, except for the punishments. This book is all about the punishment and not so much anything else. Personally, I think it should have been a story of Beauty and the Beast, not Sleeping Beauty.

Book Review: Secret Thirst by Evangeline Anderson

Secret Thirst
by Evangeline Anderson
Published at Elora's Cave
Review by Shelby Patrick

Modern day vampires have been romanticized in film and books. Instead of the blood-sucking fiends known throughout mythology, the media portrays them as lost souls looking for a little love. They are described as hot, sexy creatures with a longing for someone to fill their passionate needs. Evangeline Anderson, in the vein of today's True Blood, takes them to a whole new level in her book, Secret Thirst.

Dr. Lauren Wright is an average girl and slightly overweight. We aren't bombarded by a sexy lady with a size 4 body, which television seems to dictate as being the normal for anything remotely sensual or attractive. Lauren just happens to be a size 14 and the main female lead in a romantic liaison with a mysterious vampire.

Dr. Wright is a research scientist and when she completes her formula for NuBlood, an artificial blood substitute that is identical to donor blood, she attracts the attention of a vampire organization that has dreams of "coming out" to the world. They can only reveal their true selves if they can prove they aren't the blood-sucking demons people think they are. NuBlood will help them become registered citizens.

Unfortunately, things never go as planned. Nicolas Kris, a member of this secret vampire society, attempts to steal Lauren's work, but he gets more than he bargained for when he realizes he has stolen her most private and intimate fantasies. He promises to deliver on those fantasies if she will give him the formula.

This society that Kris belongs to is only a small portion of the vampire society. The rest think it's a futile attempt to once again be human, so they conspire against Kris by attacking Lauren. Kris has no choice but to spirit her away to one of their medical facilities, which happens to be in one of the most notorious bondage/Domination clubs in Houston.

The club is run by a vampire named Simon, who will do anything if the price is right. In order for Kris and Lauren to survive inside the club, they must perform Lauren's most erotic fantasies with Kris being her Master.

It's hard to pass through any chapter without an erotic scene displaying itself. Evangeline writes them well, but there's a fine distinction between erotica and pornography. Erotic should be defined as more of a softer, sensual side. It's not laced with technical terms for body parts or vulgar language, which Evangeline seems to get off on using quite a bit. Some readers may enjoy this but be warned, it's not for the faint of heart. It could contain some offensive material.

This was the first full-length erotic novel I have ever read and it was hard to put it down, not only for the erotic imagery but for the storyline as well. The book has a lot going for it, such as action, adventure, and a lot of danger. What's more exciting than entering the dark world of the vampire, where every bite could either mean pleasure or death?