Our Review:
When I picked up this novella series my only intention was to just sneak in a few pages to see what it was all about because I was in the middle of reading something for an upcoming blog post. Well, I kept telling myself "just one more page" until I finished the entire series. In one day.
Yes, texts from Shelley made me do the same exact thing! I stayed up until about 1:30 am one night with class the next day to one more page it. And the writing just sucks you in and keeps you where there really isn't any other way for it to go! To me, it was worth it. Although, at this point if I don't become a zombie during the day, I feel I am doing a superb job at life.
Before I go any further, I should let everyone know that Alessandra Torre does not gently ease you in to the sex happening in this series, but if you've ever read any of her other books you know that easing us in would be completely against her style. She does not sugar coat the sex scenes and she definitely holds nothing back. So I guess what I'm saying is, if you are shy about sex, or prudish, or delicate when it comes to reading about sex, steamy, hot sex...if you are looking for normal behind closed doors bedroom sex, this is probably not the series for you.
Ummm....I don't think I've ever thought the words Alessandra Torre and gentle in the same sentence! The way she writes is raw and intense and in your face right from the beginning, and I love it! So yes everyone, heed the above warning because it is classified as erotica for a reason...
Now that the sex talk is out of the way..haha..let's discuss this series. The protagonist, Candy/Jenny, is a stripper who has several encounters with a very affluent business man (AKA Nathan) and ends up being whisked away from her stripper life and into his life. Through each new installment in this series we come to understand more about what he expects and why he expects it. We see Candy/Jenny go from a pay check to pay check existence to one where she can afford virtually anything...and how quickly she learns that money only goes so far in leading a happy existence. We learn more about her father, the men who surround Nathan, and the reason Nathan has chosen to be involved with Candy/Jenny. And, in the final installment we discover just how weak or strong Candy/Jenny is when it comes to her feelings and interactions with Nathan.
This mini-series is such an original idea. I thank the Lord in heaven above that there is only a week between each release for you guys, because it is so good, and leaves you in a semi good place but also dying to know what comes next. I got so into it that I couldn't believe that I had already read one part! It went by so fast. There is the obvious sex we just had the talk about, but there is also intrigue and mystery and why is she going along with this and why is he doing this that kept us guessing. The story is told through the eyes of Candy/Jenny and this poor jaded girl while making some bad street smart decisions is still a likeable character to root for. Nathan is very, very mysterious from page 1...so we get small bits at a time in trying to figure him out!
The writing in this series is stark which I think is fitting when you consider the content. Candy's story at the beginning is so desperate and disheartening, then as she becomes involved with Nathan the tone of her narrative matches the loneliness and frustration and passion and love of her new life. Alessandra strips the superfluous details away and plunges us straight into heart of the story. Because these are novellas, they aren't and don't need to go too far in the past or too far in the future to get the story told...and if anything that would be my complaint..I'd love to see these fleshed out in to a full length novel. But, since that's not the intent in this series, I'm satisfied with where we end...not that I was even sure of how the ending was going to happen until the very, very end.
Each emotion came through and made me feel it with her, which to me is hard to do with each part only being 60-70 pages. I too want more, more, more and we are always so needy, huh. I only had a bit of confusion about the outcome of one of the characters, but then decided not to overthink it since that person did not effect how I wanted the story to end. In a round about way, that person did resolve their arc, but it goes so fast I had to think about it for a while after.
Alessandra Torre never fails to surprise me with each new book that she writes. I never know what subject matter or type of protagonist I'm going to meet when I open up her books...and for that I will always be looking for her next book to open. No doubt. She writes like I said before a very intense original story, every single time, so I am always looking forward to reading what she thinks up!
Shelley: 5 Stars
Courtney: 5 stars
September 30
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