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erincataldi's review
4.0
An erotic tale that hints at being a little more than that, a memoir perhaps? Jessica Love is not only the narrator, she is the author, and nothing pleases her more than teasing the reader. Jessica recounts her early days, her college experiences, and meeting her husband. But her story doesn't start to get really juicy until she and her husband Mark decide to take their love life to the next level. They venture into Seattle's sex scene by going to a very kinky nightclub. At first they don't engage anyone but each other, but after a couple months they become a little more adventuresome and Mark elicits help from some very willing strangers. Jessica, doesn't mind, in fact she's thrilled by all the extra attention her body receives. Mark, on the other hand has a harder time dealing with it. They become estranged and both throw themselves into their work (they're both attorneys) doing what they can to forget about each other. On a whim Jessica decides to go back to the club alone, little knowing the impact it would have on her life.
While this book clearly has erotic elements, there is much more to the story than that. It's a memoir filled with suspense, the narrator blithely hinting at the craziness to come. An air of mystery builds as Jessica suffers one set back after another til the final crippling blow arrives. Unlike other erotic tales this story also has a major family component (and no not incest you perv!), Jessica is very attached to her French grandmother and builds her life (and her walls) along the advice of her grandmother.
I'll admit, I was surprised the complexity of the character and the depth of the story. It went well beyond sex and there actually was a plot. Good for fans of erotic suspense or people looking for an introduction to erotica. It wasn't too hardcore or overbearing (and the sex was mostly believable).
I received this book for free from the publisher in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
While this book clearly has erotic elements, there is much more to the story than that. It's a memoir filled with suspense, the narrator blithely hinting at the craziness to come. An air of mystery builds as Jessica suffers one set back after another til the final crippling blow arrives. Unlike other erotic tales this story also has a major family component (and no not incest you perv!), Jessica is very attached to her French grandmother and builds her life (and her walls) along the advice of her grandmother.
I'll admit, I was surprised the complexity of the character and the depth of the story. It went well beyond sex and there actually was a plot. Good for fans of erotic suspense or people looking for an introduction to erotica. It wasn't too hardcore or overbearing (and the sex was mostly believable).
I received this book for free from the publisher in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
meandmypaperback's review
3.0
(Received this book via netgalley for an honest review)
3 stars.
That was a very long winded synopsis for this book. But basically it sums up what this book is about.
I give this books 3 stars, because I really enjoyed the beginning of it. Then it somehow lost my interest. I think the beginning was enticing, because she kept giving us little snippets of her past, and saying how these certain (sexual) escapades made her who she is today. A very successful lawyer who likes to participate in group sex at a 'secret' club. All fine and dandy... The problem I had was that the emphasis she placed on her past voyeuristic sexcapades making her a bad seed and everything, didn't really come into play later into the novel... Or maybe it did and I just skimmed through those parts? I just felt like there as a discontinuity with why she liked fucking in public and the whole reason to her law mission...
I didn't even realize that Jessica Love was the 'author' of this book. So, the story may be more 'true' than it is let on as well... Or just a clever marketing ploy.
So all in all, it was a decent read. But not great. I kept reading just to see what would happen, then ... nothing...
"Everything passes. everything weary, everything breaks"
3 stars.
That was a very long winded synopsis for this book. But basically it sums up what this book is about.
I give this books 3 stars, because I really enjoyed the beginning of it. Then it somehow lost my interest. I think the beginning was enticing, because she kept giving us little snippets of her past, and saying how these certain (sexual) escapades made her who she is today. A very successful lawyer who likes to participate in group sex at a 'secret' club. All fine and dandy... The problem I had was that the emphasis she placed on her past voyeuristic sexcapades making her a bad seed and everything, didn't really come into play later into the novel... Or maybe it did and I just skimmed through those parts? I just felt like there as a discontinuity with why she liked fucking in public and the whole reason to her law mission...
I didn't even realize that Jessica Love was the 'author' of this book. So, the story may be more 'true' than it is let on as well... Or just a clever marketing ploy.
So all in all, it was a decent read. But not great. I kept reading just to see what would happen, then ... nothing...
"Everything passes. everything weary, everything breaks"
nicolemarcell's review
3.0
Received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Just based on the premise, I knew this book was going to be interesting: sex clubs? Attempted murders? A woman set on finding herself and getting some revenge? What else could I ask for in a book?
Despite my initial interest in this book, Exposed exceeded my expectations. It’s honestly amazing how much stuff was just packed into this 236 page novel: character development, thoughts on slut shaming and sex, conversations about moving on from the past and into a better future. I was prepared for sex, attempted murder, and intrigue, and I get all of that and so much more. Love really dug down deep and came out with a novel that opened up conversations: for example, why is it acceptable for a man to be promiscuous, but a woman is considered a slut for doing the same? Why do women need to bend over backwards for the delicate egos of men? How far do you need to escape from your world in order to find yourself? Exposed comes with a lot of self-discovery from the main character I wasn’t prepared for, but that I am pleased with nonetheless.
It’s hard to find a book that deals with these kinds of topics that really develops the main character; most of the time, the novel centers in on the sex, the murder attempt, the revenge plot, the court cases, and the drug scandals. Jessica was so fleshed out, I felt like I had gotten to know her the same way you get to know a future friend. She spoke honestly and unabashedly. She gave up her every secret to the readers and the outcome was honestly just so incredible.
I think my only complaint for Exposed had to do with the writing and the pacing. Love did a lot of telling rather than showing, and it sometimes ripped me away from her. I felt less immersed in the novel because of this lack of showing me what was going on. The pacing seemed off as well; very little happened in the beginning, but then everything started happening within the last quarter of the book. I suddenly felt overwhelmed with all of the drama that was going on, to the point that it almost felt forced or fake. Then, smack in the middle of all of this drama, came a death and a trip to France that slowed down the pace so rapidly, it felt like I was getting whiplash. But when you have an interesting plot and an incredible character portrait like Exposed does, the writing sort of takes a backseat anyways.
In many ways, Exposed didn’t really feel like a book about romance or revenge; it didn’t feel like erotica or mystery. It felt a lot more like a character breakdown, like a portrait of a woman and her thoughts on the world and herself. Exposed provided an introspection that was so unexpected for me, and I loved the surprise of it.
Just based on the premise, I knew this book was going to be interesting: sex clubs? Attempted murders? A woman set on finding herself and getting some revenge? What else could I ask for in a book?
Despite my initial interest in this book, Exposed exceeded my expectations. It’s honestly amazing how much stuff was just packed into this 236 page novel: character development, thoughts on slut shaming and sex, conversations about moving on from the past and into a better future. I was prepared for sex, attempted murder, and intrigue, and I get all of that and so much more. Love really dug down deep and came out with a novel that opened up conversations: for example, why is it acceptable for a man to be promiscuous, but a woman is considered a slut for doing the same? Why do women need to bend over backwards for the delicate egos of men? How far do you need to escape from your world in order to find yourself? Exposed comes with a lot of self-discovery from the main character I wasn’t prepared for, but that I am pleased with nonetheless.
It’s hard to find a book that deals with these kinds of topics that really develops the main character; most of the time, the novel centers in on the sex, the murder attempt, the revenge plot, the court cases, and the drug scandals. Jessica was so fleshed out, I felt like I had gotten to know her the same way you get to know a future friend. She spoke honestly and unabashedly. She gave up her every secret to the readers and the outcome was honestly just so incredible.
I think my only complaint for Exposed had to do with the writing and the pacing. Love did a lot of telling rather than showing, and it sometimes ripped me away from her. I felt less immersed in the novel because of this lack of showing me what was going on. The pacing seemed off as well; very little happened in the beginning, but then everything started happening within the last quarter of the book. I suddenly felt overwhelmed with all of the drama that was going on, to the point that it almost felt forced or fake. Then, smack in the middle of all of this drama, came a death and a trip to France that slowed down the pace so rapidly, it felt like I was getting whiplash. But when you have an interesting plot and an incredible character portrait like Exposed does, the writing sort of takes a backseat anyways.
In many ways, Exposed didn’t really feel like a book about romance or revenge; it didn’t feel like erotica or mystery. It felt a lot more like a character breakdown, like a portrait of a woman and her thoughts on the world and herself. Exposed provided an introspection that was so unexpected for me, and I loved the surprise of it.
liferhi_inspired's review
1.0
My first thought when I was done reading Exposed was 'What the hell did I just read?' From the first pages of this book I felt like I just couldn't connect to the story, and unfortunately that didn't change at all during this book.
Exposed is written as an anonymous autobiography and spans her whole life in such a short amount of time, that this book feels more like a cliff note version of an actual story. I was also disappointed that this book was considered an erotic novel; while there are some sexual based scenes, a lot of them are fast forwarded over all of the juicy aspects. The synopsis also mentions that this book is suppose to have a suspense aspect to it, I never really saw one. Again, this book jumped all over the place, so there was no time for any suspense to actually be built. While the ending is suppose to be a bit uplifting, it fell flat like the rest of the book.
Another aspect of this book that I did not care for was the way it was written. Exposed is narrated from Jessica's point of view. With the book being written this way, situations are discussed more than described and there isn't a lot of dialogue to help set the tone of the book. I also found I was unable to connect with Jessica as a main character, so there was no hope in enjoying the story with Jessica narrating the entire book.
*I received a copy if this book in exchange for my honest opinions*
Exposed is written as an anonymous autobiography and spans her whole life in such a short amount of time, that this book feels more like a cliff note version of an actual story. I was also disappointed that this book was considered an erotic novel; while there are some sexual based scenes, a lot of them are fast forwarded over all of the juicy aspects. The synopsis also mentions that this book is suppose to have a suspense aspect to it, I never really saw one. Again, this book jumped all over the place, so there was no time for any suspense to actually be built. While the ending is suppose to be a bit uplifting, it fell flat like the rest of the book.
Another aspect of this book that I did not care for was the way it was written. Exposed is narrated from Jessica's point of view. With the book being written this way, situations are discussed more than described and there isn't a lot of dialogue to help set the tone of the book. I also found I was unable to connect with Jessica as a main character, so there was no hope in enjoying the story with Jessica narrating the entire book.
*I received a copy if this book in exchange for my honest opinions*
gudzilla's review
2.0
Received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I could not decide whether to give 1 or 2 stars hence 2 stars at the end. This one is autobiography of Jessica Love herself or I don't know if that is an imaginary characters - I didn't look it up because I simply doesn't care.
What I don't like is description of novel, it doesn't give correct image. It is self reflection kind of novel and loved the part where Jessica went to France and found more about her grandmother. That was simply touching and I guess life altering for Jessica. It is not all trashy but have some good strong characters but it goes out of window because of authors negativity toward herself and others. Her carefree writing is nothing but rude and I-don't-care-what-you-think attitude would be okay for some readers not for me.
I could not decide whether to give 1 or 2 stars hence 2 stars at the end. This one is autobiography of Jessica Love herself or I don't know if that is an imaginary characters - I didn't look it up because I simply doesn't care.
What I don't like is description of novel, it doesn't give correct image. It is self reflection kind of novel and loved the part where Jessica went to France and found more about her grandmother. That was simply touching and I guess life altering for Jessica. It is not all trashy but have some good strong characters but it goes out of window because of authors negativity toward herself and others. Her carefree writing is nothing but rude and I-don't-care-what-you-think attitude would be okay for some readers not for me.
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