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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
"You would see the men gathered around the horseshoe-shaped stage, hungry, gentle, and depraved. You felt yourself open, like a nocturnal flower. Only then did you let yourself be seen."
SOFT CORE is about Ruth, who moonlights as a stripper by the name of "Baby," who lives with her ex-boyfriend, Dino, a Ketamine dealer who one day just vanishes.
WOW - this book! It will be quite divisive. And, frankly, that little blurb I wrote makes it sound more action-packed than it is. This is definitely a "vibes, kind of plot" sort of story. Baby strips her way through various men, conforming to their kinks, and then promotes herself as a part time dominatrix at a BDSM club in another part of town, and in between she finds herself at dive bars and lounges, clubs and alleyways.
I loved Newell's ability to take sex and make it so tangible. The instability of Ruth (constantly eating or fucking, there really was no time to relax), the acts she must do for me - flip-flopping from sub to dom, at one point making a man drink her pee - and how her physical aches always echoed as emotional ones - her heart her, she missed Dino.
The emotion in this book was so well-written and thought out, I loved Newell's descriptions of Ruth's emotions. I almost preferred that to the actual story, in which this book kind of fell apart. The story really disintegrates, as it's so focused on Ruth, you would forget about Dino altogether if she wasn't so preoccupied with him.
TL;DR - extremely well-written and while I liked Ruth, I could see how others would find her a bit insufferable. The story was loose, and barely there, and if you need something greater to hold on to, look elsewhere. Much like Ruth, it's a bit aimless. A bit lost. But that only added to the charm for me.
If you're looking for a stark, magnified story into the life of a sex worker - this one is for sure for you! For fans of ANORA, for sure. Thanks FSG for the finished copy, this one's out today! Go grab ya a copy! Check it out of the library!
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was like a sexy fever dream?? I loved it but also am not sure if i really ‘got’ it lol. It felt like when i read Bunny and was never totally sure if anything was real? Idk, i gave it 4 stars cuz it sucked me in!
dark
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of Soft Core by Brittany Newell.
This was almost a DNF for me, I have a pretty weak stomach and gagged a bit during the beginning. I’m glad I kept going, but while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it either. We’re following Ruth/Baby who is a sex worker looking for her MIA boyfriend. The writing was beautiful and descriptive but fell flat at the end. A lot of side quests and random loose ends.
This was almost a DNF for me, I have a pretty weak stomach and gagged a bit during the beginning. I’m glad I kept going, but while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it either. We’re following Ruth/Baby who is a sex worker looking for her MIA boyfriend. The writing was beautiful and descriptive but fell flat at the end. A lot of side quests and random loose ends.
disclaimer: i work in the book industry and read an ARC. i really love the concept and plot of this book, however i felt it could have used some editing. the tangential and contextual thoughts and anecdotes felt very choppy and inserted, as opposed to flowing with the main story that is unfolding - every second page was introducing a relationship from the main character's past that i sometimes failed to see the point of. i will probably try it again at a later point, because it is an interesting story.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Like many others, the cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention. Then I read the description and thought, This has to be a must-read! Or so I thought
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
tense
The audio was great. Was kinda fun to listen to some stripper escapades. Was kinda confused what all happened with the boyfriend though. I finished the book with questions about what happened
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn't expect to enjoy this book this much, but it surprised me in a lot of ways.
While raw, unforgiving and bold, this is a story about the unraveling of a deeply traumatized woman who doesn't believe in herself, afraid to feel and actually afraid to be. The disappearance of her ex-boyfriend starts various different events in Ruth's life that will help her come closer to understanding herself and her trauma more.
Surprisingly, it was very easy to follow but, I had to sit and think about the meaning of that ending for a long time.
If I could compare this book to anything, it definitely gave me "My year of rest and relaxation" vibes, but only so so so much better!
4.25 stars from me.
Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC.
While raw, unforgiving and bold, this is a story about the unraveling of a deeply traumatized woman who doesn't believe in herself, afraid to feel and actually afraid to be. The disappearance of her ex-boyfriend starts various different events in Ruth's life that will help her come closer to understanding herself and her trauma more.
Surprisingly, it was very easy to follow but, I had to sit and think about the meaning of that ending for a long time.
If I could compare this book to anything, it definitely gave me "My year of rest and relaxation" vibes, but only so so so much better!
4.25 stars from me.
Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC.