Be aware that there are important SPOILERS in this review. Do Not Read if you do not like SPOILERS
Let me start off by saying that I love Sophie Jordan as a writer, seriously shes fantastic and fun and it is a complete joy to read her work.
If you want an accurate recap of a book; a dramatic reading of the back of any romance is your best way to go. Its both entertaining to see how many innuendos the publisher could get the author to fit into 3 paragraphs AND to see how uncomfortable you can make the people around you. That being said, here’s my hand at the second best.
Rosalie is a “step sister” Declan sincerely never wished to see again. After being sent to an all girl boarding school for formal education, Rosalie has outstayed her welcome…. by a few years. Her mother is not a fan of motherhood, and wants as little to do with it and Rose as possible. Her one option? Live with Declan. A seriously rakish Duke that loves his bachelor pad just the way it is. Her biggest problem? Declan wants very little to do with her, going so far as to privately deny her claim at being his step sister. The solution? Give Rosalie a Dowry so outrageously huge that she will be gone within a few months. With the addition of a sex club (Sodom) and a mistaken identity what could possibly go wrong?
I have read a LOT of romance books, like a lot. Like an amount that is not healthy for a social life. This books number one thing that sets it apart is the whole step siblings bit. THEY ARE NOT BLOOD RELATED. I repeat, they do not share any of the same DNA. What do they share? A bad mother figure here and a jealous father figure there.
Now for the Good, the Bad and the Romance.
The Good:
1) She wrote about something taboo, and did it well. It was nice and refreshing. I liked going into this novel and not being 100% certain on where she was going to lead me.
2) Aurelia. A character we meet who turns out to be my favorite person in this book. She’s funny and free spirited when left to her own devices. She is the instigator for going to Sodom, the private club where illicit activities are the norm. I kind of really want to read her story.
The Bad:
1) The step mother sexually assaults/ abuses 14 year old Declan, which causes his completely normal loving father to kick him out and almost disinherit him. I found that given the relationship between son and father before this, it was harder to believe and a bit forced just for the benefit of more conflict.
2) Rosalie meets Declan in the club disguised in a wig and different clothes and deepens her voice and Declan doesn’t have a clue its her. * Looks around* Who would that fool?!?!?!?!?! That’s like putting a pair of sunglasses on and expecting no one to recognize you. The fatal meetings (there were 2) between Declan and mystery/ non mystery girl for those of us who have seeing and thinking things, were not really necessary.
3) The Big blowout. It happens in Every. Single. Romance. Novel. We got one in this novel. Let me say, in most novels, there’s a reason, no matter how far fetched or silly the reason, there is always a catalyst for our lovers blowout. I want you to guess what the reason is for this novels fight. If you say because she went to Sodom and pretended to be someone else, and he found out, you could be right. He had a right to be angry, but the whole Sodom sub plot was a good idea that was executed in a way that weakened the story as a whole.
The Romance
1) My friend and fellow reviewer and I have a slight scale that we use to decide whether or not we liked the sexy times in a romance novel. Generally we need at least 3 to 5 well written and explicit scenes to consider a novel well written where the actual physical romance is concerned. This novel, while having a decent amount of scenes as well as having each one being well written, got a very late start. We don’t see the actual romance until much later in the plot. I don’t know about you, but one of the reasons why I enjoy reading romance novels is for the actual romance scenes, and when an author takes until ¾ of the way through the book to actually have someone get physical, its more off putting. Now that’s not to say that those novels do not have their place or that they are not well done. This is just MY personal preference.
2) The chemistry between the two main characters would be rated 6 out of 10, it was there, but I would have liked to have seen their relationship bloom even more outside of being in Sodom. Give the reader more time to see them as being more than strangers or step siblings.
My Overall Rating:
All in all this was a fluffy fun read. Sophie Jordan can always be counted on to give her readers a solid novel and I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys rogues or rakes who aren't afraid of a bit of taboo. As a final numerical score, I would give this book a 6.25 out of 10.
Review by Renegade Arielle
9/04/2014
You can purchase the book here if you want a touch of taboo that doesn't descend to Lannister Creepiness Levels.
Let me start off by saying that I love Sophie Jordan as a writer, seriously shes fantastic and fun and it is a complete joy to read her work.
If you want an accurate recap of a book; a dramatic reading of the back of any romance is your best way to go. Its both entertaining to see how many innuendos the publisher could get the author to fit into 3 paragraphs AND to see how uncomfortable you can make the people around you. That being said, here’s my hand at the second best.
Rosalie is a “step sister” Declan sincerely never wished to see again. After being sent to an all girl boarding school for formal education, Rosalie has outstayed her welcome…. by a few years. Her mother is not a fan of motherhood, and wants as little to do with it and Rose as possible. Her one option? Live with Declan. A seriously rakish Duke that loves his bachelor pad just the way it is. Her biggest problem? Declan wants very little to do with her, going so far as to privately deny her claim at being his step sister. The solution? Give Rosalie a Dowry so outrageously huge that she will be gone within a few months. With the addition of a sex club (Sodom) and a mistaken identity what could possibly go wrong?
I have read a LOT of romance books, like a lot. Like an amount that is not healthy for a social life. This books number one thing that sets it apart is the whole step siblings bit. THEY ARE NOT BLOOD RELATED. I repeat, they do not share any of the same DNA. What do they share? A bad mother figure here and a jealous father figure there.
Now for the Good, the Bad and the Romance.
The Good:
1) She wrote about something taboo, and did it well. It was nice and refreshing. I liked going into this novel and not being 100% certain on where she was going to lead me.
2) Aurelia. A character we meet who turns out to be my favorite person in this book. She’s funny and free spirited when left to her own devices. She is the instigator for going to Sodom, the private club where illicit activities are the norm. I kind of really want to read her story.
The Bad:
1) The step mother sexually assaults/ abuses 14 year old Declan, which causes his completely normal loving father to kick him out and almost disinherit him. I found that given the relationship between son and father before this, it was harder to believe and a bit forced just for the benefit of more conflict.
2) Rosalie meets Declan in the club disguised in a wig and different clothes and deepens her voice and Declan doesn’t have a clue its her. * Looks around* Who would that fool?!?!?!?!?! That’s like putting a pair of sunglasses on and expecting no one to recognize you. The fatal meetings (there were 2) between Declan and mystery/ non mystery girl for those of us who have seeing and thinking things, were not really necessary.
3) The Big blowout. It happens in Every. Single. Romance. Novel. We got one in this novel. Let me say, in most novels, there’s a reason, no matter how far fetched or silly the reason, there is always a catalyst for our lovers blowout. I want you to guess what the reason is for this novels fight. If you say because she went to Sodom and pretended to be someone else, and he found out, you could be right. He had a right to be angry, but the whole Sodom sub plot was a good idea that was executed in a way that weakened the story as a whole.
The Romance
1) My friend and fellow reviewer and I have a slight scale that we use to decide whether or not we liked the sexy times in a romance novel. Generally we need at least 3 to 5 well written and explicit scenes to consider a novel well written where the actual physical romance is concerned. This novel, while having a decent amount of scenes as well as having each one being well written, got a very late start. We don’t see the actual romance until much later in the plot. I don’t know about you, but one of the reasons why I enjoy reading romance novels is for the actual romance scenes, and when an author takes until ¾ of the way through the book to actually have someone get physical, its more off putting. Now that’s not to say that those novels do not have their place or that they are not well done. This is just MY personal preference.
2) The chemistry between the two main characters would be rated 6 out of 10, it was there, but I would have liked to have seen their relationship bloom even more outside of being in Sodom. Give the reader more time to see them as being more than strangers or step siblings.
My Overall Rating:
All in all this was a fluffy fun read. Sophie Jordan can always be counted on to give her readers a solid novel and I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys rogues or rakes who aren't afraid of a bit of taboo. As a final numerical score, I would give this book a 6.25 out of 10.
Review by Renegade Arielle
9/04/2014
You can purchase the book here if you want a touch of taboo that doesn't descend to Lannister Creepiness Levels.