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marsh_mall0w's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
Minor: Pregnancy
effy's review against another edition
1.25
I picked up this book because I had heard it described as being the spiciest thing that several readers had ever read. What this book taught me is that spicy =/= sexy. I guess it should be kind of obvious but this book really wasn't it :(
It is clear that this book has a lot of fans but I find such fans hard to conceptualise as this books is such a hard sell. The concept of a mysterious man asking this woman to participate in scenes where they recreate famous paintings is interesting enough. And I didn't really mind the twist / reveal so long as the incesty ramifications are ignored. My issue is with the sex scenes themselves; one reviewer described them as being too clinical and that feels like it hits the nail on the head with a touch of the scenes being described in minute detail. Even though I can somewhat understand as not everyone enjoys the same kind of smut and just because it isn't my cup of tea doesn't make it bad (duh!). What specifically makes it difficult to wrap my head around this book having found its audience is the breadth of kink that is explored and some of the kinks are quite niche.
To go into a little more detail about some of the issues that made this book not for me... the feeling of dubious consent was an issue for me. The book went to great pains to tell the reader that Mona was consenting but it just felt really awkward when the man (can't remember his name!) was inserting glass bottles into her, fucking her whilst she slept, and deceiving her into having sex whilst he was transformed into a minotaur. The fact that she didn't seem to have a way of safeing out of a scene - big red flag.
In addition to the consent issues, one of the paintings that they were re-creating was a depiction of a slave market and it just felt fetish-y and weird to be pretending they were at a slave market.
Favourite quotes:
It is clear that this book has a lot of fans but I find such fans hard to conceptualise as this books is such a hard sell. The concept of a mysterious man asking this woman to participate in scenes where they recreate famous paintings is interesting enough. And I didn't really mind the twist / reveal so long as the
To go into a little more detail about some of the issues that made this book not for me... the feeling of dubious consent was an issue for me. The book went to great pains to tell the reader that Mona was consenting but it just felt really awkward when the man (can't remember his name!) was
In addition to the consent issues, one of the paintings that they were re-creating was a depiction of a slave market and it just felt fetish-y and weird to be pretending they were at a slave market.
Favourite quotes:
Twenty-five means you're old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway.
The devil wants your soul. I only want your body.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Incest, Murder, Sexual assault, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
bookgurl488's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, Sexual content, Torture, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Blood
There is no romance
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