September 6, 2007 • Print This Post

A few weeks ago, I issued a challenge. With four Avon Red mass market books in my hand, I asked for two volunteers to read two each and gives us some feedback. Several of you volunteered, winners were randomly selected and now we have some comments. In fact, we have a fabulous write-up by author Darlene Ryan and Mr. Wonderful (that would be her husband). They read Cathryn Fox’s Pleasure Control and Leda Swann’s Sugar and Spice and offer both a female and male perspectve on the books. They did an amazing job. Thorough and smart…and how often do we get a male perspective on erotic romance books? Check this out.

—————-

Avon Red—Hot Stuff

When I told one of my friends that I was going to review a couple of books in the new Avon Red line she laughed. A lot. “Those are sexy books,” she said. “You’re not exactly the sexy type. You own more turtlenecks than any other woman on the east coast. You’ve never shown cleavage in public. And the only wild thing you’ve ever done with a guy was that time back in tenth grade when Tom Milne’s mouth had two tongues and yours didn’t have any.”

Okay, so people tend to describe me as organized and practical, not wild and sexy. In my defense, turtlenecks are very slimming and I get cold easily. I don’t show cleavage in public—or anywhere else—because I don’t have any cleavage. And sticking my tongue in Tom Milne’s mouth back in tenth grade is not the wildest thing I’ve ever done with a guy…but it’s close.

No, I’m not the type of woman who would rip a man’s shirt off in wild abandon. I think about things like who’s going to sew all those buttons back on, and if they don’t all get picked up they’re going to clog the vacuum cleaner. But just because I don’t do wild things doesn’t mean I don’t like reading about women who do. The only requirement I have is that the sexy stuff makes sense in the context of the plot. I’m coming to the story willing to set aside my disbelief. I promise not to wonder when the heck does the heroine shave her legs and doesn’t she ever have a fat day and wear granny underpants? All I ask is that the author make all the sex more or less logical. (Yes, I just used sex and logical in the same sentence.)

Both Pleasure Control, by Cathryn Fox, and Sugar and Spice, by Leda Swann, make the sex scenes an integral part of the storyline. Laura Manning and “Wildman” Jay Cutler in Pleasure Control are scientists working on a male libido suppressant. With funding for their project and their careers dependant on their lust-dampening formula, they decide to test the drug on Jay—and use Laura to test him.

Laura and Jay’s story is very sexy, but it’s also very romantic. And I liked the fact that they weren’t kept apart by contrived obstacles or a lack of communication.

Sugar and Spice is a trio of connected short stories which take place at Mrs. Bertram’s Sugar and Spice Health Spa for Married Couples in Victorian Cornwall. Mrs. Bertram’s establishment is a very sexy place. The combination of setting—Mrs. Bertram’s—and three troubled marriages, make all the sexual encounters a believable part of the storylines.

Obsessed is Gwendolyn and Adam’s story and it was my favorite. Gwendolyn is determined to win her husband’s heart by any means, although their problems could have been solved much sooner if they’d just talked to each other.

Lillian and Felix are featured in Enslaved. Felix blames his philandering on his wife’s lack of interest in sex, but he finds out her desire just needs to be properly stirred.

As a sexy, romantic hero Felix didn’t work for me. Although I know Victorian mores are very different from today’s, I didn’t like the scenes where Felix forced his wife into sex, even though she came to enjoy the encounters.

Cora and Gareth’s tale is Exposed and it’s the story with the most graphic sex, including voyeurism, group sex and multiple partners. I think I blushed all the way through this one. (Really.) Gareth may seem like a proper British gentleman, but he has desires that may be a match for his very sensual wife.

If I keep on reading books like these I definitely won’t need all those turtleneck sweaters. Both Pleasure Control and Sugar and Spice are hotter than anything I’ve read before and depending on your taste in sensual, wild reading that can be a good thing.

Mr. Wonderful Has His Say:

Being a noble, loyal, self-sacrificing husband I offered to read both Pleasure Control and Sugar and Spice and weigh in with a guy’s opinion and my opinion is: Nice. Very nice.

I can see the attraction of these books for women—there’s lots of romance along with the sex. The main thing that would attract most men to the stories would be the sex scenes. And they’re well done in both books. Some guys would probably skip over the romantic stuff. [Wife’s note: Big surprise here!]

Cathryn Fox in Pleasure Control was great at building anticipation. [Wife’s note: Aha! So he did read more than the sexy parts.] Does the formula work? Can Laura seduce Jay? And in both books the writers did a good job of creating motivation for all that sex—there was a plot in both books and in the case of Pleasure Control even a bit of a mystery. The three stories in Sugar and Spice are more graphic—voyeurism, bondage, group sex and might even turn some women off.

I probably wouldn’t go out and buy these books, but if my wife did I’d read them and I think a lot of other guys would too.

————-

Thank you both!! And, extra thanks to Mr. Wonderful for being such a great husband and terrific sport.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Comments are closed.