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A review by justinkhchen
The Awakening of Ivy Leavold by Sierra Simone
3.75
An erotic Jane Eyre, it has been awhile since I pick up a book from Sierra Simone, and this is a good reminder how much I resonate with her writing—the way she articulates sexual tension and steam is like no other—bold, stimulating, but never steer into crass. The writing style also fits surprisingly well for a period piece (I've only read her contemporary romance in the past). All of this is elevated by Zara Hampton-Brown's emotive performance in the audiobook.
I'm a bit surprised for this re-release (the audiobook was produced in 2024, while the novella was originally published in 2015), the publisher didn't bundle the series together, as The Awakening of Ivy Leavold on its own is not really self-contained, ending abruptly on a cliffhanger. As much as I enjoyed the story, its close resemblance to the character and plot point of Jane Eyre made it more like an erotic fan fiction, rather than an entity that can exist on its own; without the knowledge of Charlotte Brontë's classic, the heroine and hero as described on page is rather shallow in personality.
There's something inherently alluring about combining gothic romance with explicit sex (physical isolation vs. eruption of emotion). This is a promising start to the series, and I'll be curious to see if it will move into more original territory after this familiar setup.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
I'm a bit surprised for this re-release (the audiobook was produced in 2024, while the novella was originally published in 2015), the publisher didn't bundle the series together, as The Awakening of Ivy Leavold on its own is not really self-contained, ending abruptly on a cliffhanger. As much as I enjoyed the story, its close resemblance to the character and plot point of Jane Eyre made it more like an erotic fan fiction, rather than an entity that can exist on its own; without the knowledge of Charlotte Brontë's classic, the heroine and hero as described on page is rather shallow in personality.
There's something inherently alluring about combining gothic romance with explicit sex (physical isolation vs. eruption of emotion). This is a promising start to the series, and I'll be curious to see if it will move into more original territory after this familiar setup.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**