I make no secret of the fact that I prefer the longer form in writing. I like to take time developing my characters when I write, and when I’m looking for my next read, I tend to look for books that have allowed the author to do the same.
Writing shorter stories takes skill. The need to show enough in a short space of time to draw a reader to the characters and the story. Unfortunately, not everyone possesses that skill. So it’s always good to find someone who can do it.
This is my first encounter with a book by Isabelle Lauren, and it won’t be my last. Erotica is a genre that seems a perfect candidate for the short story. Take the reader somewhere, introduce the scenario and the characters, and blow their socks off. It sounds easy, but it isn’t.
There are countless short stories available – some very short indeed – that are less than inspiring. Written porn is the somewhat derogatory term often applied to these works, and some are dire.
But there’s nothing inherently wrong with writing with the sole intent of turning the reader on, hoping they get off on your words. Indeed there are some very good authors out there who set out to do just that, and this book is a good example.
Rachel is a librarian. Near the end of her working day, she sees a couple making out in a quiet corner of the library, and they know she has been watching. She allows the man, Chris, to blackmail her into joining them on the next occasion.
She’s led into a world of control and submission, with Chris determined to break her, but Rachel is no novice and willingly allows him to push her boundaries. She’s testing herself, more than anything else. How far does she want to go? Chris is not as in control as he thinks he is, and as their encounters begins to include others, their roles blur.
The basic story is hardly original, but the author tackles it with a combination of menace and softness, and a deftness of touch that pulls you along, wondering what will happen next. Along the way, it becomes clear to us – and to Chris – that Rachel’s past isn’t as innocent as he’d assumed.
The secondary characters are, of necessity, fleeting. But several emerge from the page as fully believable and instantly likeable or unlikeable, depending on their role. To achieve this in just a few words of dialogue, or a sentence or two of description is some feat.
The sex comes thick and fast, one scene closely following another, as Rachel and Chris head to a place they both want to go, but for different reasons; at least, initially. It’s well written, with the occasional surprise, and the eroticism oozes from the page. The conclusion is a satisfying end to the tale.
If you’re looking for a beguiling shorter story with plenty of sex, then this book may well meet the need. As in all novellas, there are one or two unanswered questions and a couple of dead ends, but it’s an enjoyable read, taking you on an excursion into a world many of us find intoxicating.
This is a review of the 2020 Kindle edition.
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