A review by lauriereadslohf
The Red by Tiffany Reisz

mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

This started out so interesting and fantasy-like and fun. The setup is completely ridiculous and I loved it. A woman on the cusp of losing her mother’s legacy makes a deal with a handsome devil. He’s willing to pay her debts (and then some) for the ownership of her body once a month or so. No boundaries, no safe words, no complaints, and anything he wants goes. Sounds good to me but somewhere along the line it started to lose me and I think I can safely blame it on the fact that we learn little but the shallowest of details about the two main characters and there is very little relationship growth and also because I’ve read too many Black Lace novels in my past and nothing here was exceptionally shocking to me. This is not a romance and I wasn’t expecting an in-depth love story or anything like that but I would’ve been less bored in the latter half if there were a wee bit more of something outside of the sexual encounters, maybe some fun, witty banter perhaps? Yeah, that would’ve gone a long way to hold my attention better. But maybe I ask for too much. I also felt weirdly distanced from the characters. They seemed a little stiff (don’t <i>even</i> @ me because I say what I say, haha) and formal. 

I also have to say, I loved this dude's honesty. I mean, really:

“You won’t do anything perverse to me?

I’ll do everything perverse to you.”

Anyhow, everyone else seems to adore this one so don’t listen to my grouchery. Go and read it for yourself. You may love and adore it. Glass bottle, riding crop, minotaur and all!

I’d give the first half a 4, the second half closer to a 2 so I suppose I’m giving it a 3. Don’t make me do the math.