wandering_seal 's review for:

There Arose Such A Clatter: Tales From The Naughty List by C.M. Nascosta

4.0

adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Ok so I'm going to have to give this a while to settle in and then re-read it because I am thoroughly conflicted by this book.

This is a series of five scenes featuring Krampus - and its all the same guy, with the stories taking place chronologically over the course of a year and a bit. What particularly surprised me is that the stories show how this one guy, through these interactions, grows and changes over the course of the year. It's a lot more than just spanking, aggressive blow jobs and hot hot cum (it's those things as well, check the triggers at the start people). I loved that that was the case, but it also meant that some of the stories hit differently for me than they would if they had all been smutty smut standalones.

This book is very, very sex positive (as I'd expect a C.M. Nascosta book to be). It's also got a hint of a critique of capitalism, something I'd have enjoyed more of. Krampus is a sex worker, and enjoys sex a lot. All cool and good. The first story establishes a post Christmas relationship/arrangement between Krampus and Dara, a Good Person who is also a former inadvertant recipient of his attentions. By the next story Krampus is back at work, only he ends up punishing someone who is on the Good List after an administrative mess up and it's apparent that this woman is very much into what Krampus has to offer (much like Dara). So establishing that Good People like non-vanilla fun times. Again all cool and good. In the third story Krampus is coming for someone who is very much on the Naughty List, and there's a suggestion that had she been treated right maybe it would have saved things for her. I actually loved this story the most, it had menace and was just really really good. And then we get to the fourth story, which if it hadn't related back to the first would have been great. Christmas is over and Krampus is on holiday, feeling unsure what to do because he ended things badly with Dara to go back to work. He gets with another Good Person, and decides he will go back to Dara (the contents of the fifth story). What gave me the ick was that, after deciding to return to his Good Girl Dara, he once again gets with the person he met on holiday. I know this is not cheating. But it felt like it to me and I just did not like it. The sex he had while Krampusing? Totally fine. But deciding you want to get back with someone and then having what is definitely not work sex with someone else? Nope don't love that at all.

So yeah. I think I'll give this some time and then reread it and see if it still bothers me. It was good. I loved that Krampus had an arc. Taken individually I loved the stories. Just that one thing gives me pause.