Monthly Archives: Oct 2021

Book Review- Pretending by Holly Bourne

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Pretending by Holly Bourne

TW: Rape, sexual assault

Synopsis:
April finds herself constantly being rejected by men. So in a bid to take back the power she feels she’s lost, she creates the imaginary Gretel. She’s the kind of woman she thinks men want; funny, sexy, carefree with no baggage.

Pretending to be Gretel, April meets Joshua and decides she’ll make him fall in love with her, and then reject him, as she has been rejected. After all Joshua,is just another man and for April, all men are the same…arent they?


What can I say about this book? It’s not an easy read and for good reason because it’s suppose to make you feel uncomfortable.

I’d take notice of the trigger warnings. This is a book that deals with pretty upsetting subject matter, so look after yourselves and give this a miss if the subject matter is too close to home.

But for others, dont let the serious subject matter put you off. It’s also funny in places,  thanks to the monologues (especially around online dating).

April is such a complex and flawed character. Her journey through recovery is sensitively done. It’s full of raw emotions that meant it was a book I had to dip in and out of and is definitely one you need to be in the right frame of mind to read.

It also comes with a strong feminist message, sometimes a little too strong and in your face. Aside from that I’d have liked a stronger plot which is sacrificed for the sake of character development.

Rating: 4/5
I’ve chosen not to do a spice rating on this book due to the subject matter.

Book Review- The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

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The idea of you by Robinne Lee

Synopsis:
Art-gallery owner and newly divorced single mum Solene Marchard expectedly finds herself escorting her daughter to see August Moon, her favourite band, in Vegas. But it’s during VIP meet and greet backstage, that Solene meets band member Hayes Campbell.

An instant attraction between the two leads to an agreement to lockup, only for Hayes and Solene to embark on a globe trotting love affair. Solene more reluctantly so, with the weight of their age gap and the lack of privacy that comes with dating someone famous, weighing heavily on her.


I remember rolling my eyes when I first read the blurb for this book. It sounded cheesy as hell and not my usual kind of read. But any preconceptions I had were soon dispelled when I found myself finishing the book in two days.

Like the novel’s protagonist, The Idea of You is a classy, sexy affair. Despite the outlandish premise of an older woman dating a famous musician and following him around the world, it all felt very believable, which is no small feat.

The sexual tension between Solene and Hayes was some of the best I’ve ever read. Its never cheesy or smutty, just adult descriptions of two people enjoying sex.

What I loved was the way the book used this relationship to explore societies double standards when it comes to an older woman dating a young man. This is held in contrast to Solene’s ex-husband’s relationship with a younger woman, one that goes unquestioned. It showed the price Solene pays an older woman, the judgements and the extremes of fandom.

The band, August Moon, reminded me of One Direction, and Hayes is a Harry Styles doppelganger, particularly his early relationship with an older woman, Caroline Flack and the abuse she received.

Undoubtedly, The Idea of You has become one of my favourite books of 2021 and one of the hottest, at that.

Rating: 5/5
Spice rating 5/5

BOOK REVIEW: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang


Thirty year old Stella is under pressure from her mother to settle down. Stella has Aspergers which makes her socially awkward and sex is uncomfortable for her.

“Husbands meant boyfriends. Boyfriends meant dating. Dating meant sex. She shuddered.”

But it’s a passing comment by Philip, a colleague, and just the type of man that her mum wants her to marry, that starts her thinking. He says,” a word of advice from a man who’s been around the block a few times: Get some practice. When you’re good at it, you like it better, and when you like it better, men like you better.”

If practice makes perfect, she thinks, “then maybe sex was just another interpersonal thing she needed to exert extra effort on.”

So she comes up with the idea of hiring Michael, a male escort, to teach her about sex and how to be a good girlfriend.

The premise of a Pretty Woman style role reversal (which they even joke about at one point) was what drew me to this novel.

The Kiss Quotient has quickly become one of my favourite novels this year. Not only is it a heartwarming story but boy is it steamy! I have to hand it to Helen Hoang, this book had some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve read in a while. The girl knows how to write a good sex scene, or five.

As a former teacher, I laughed out loud at Stella’s “lesson plans” with Micheal which included, ‘hand job lecture and demonstration’, ‘hand job practice’ and ‘performance review’.

The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5/5 was that i didnt quite buy into Stella suddenly losing some of autistic traits, such as those to do with the way Micheal smells and being touched by him.

What I did love, besides the smut, was the sense of community when exploring Michael’s Vietnamese heritage and the lighthearted scenes with his family and this is probably where the book works best.
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Rating:4/5
Spice rating: 5/5