A
nuanced, deeply sensual fairy tale of erotica set in modern-day corporate
America.
Written in 100-word
“drabble” chapters, the story revolves around the relationship between Juliana
Crowne, a beautiful executive whose father is CEO of the company (she’s “de
facto princess of the realm”), and Alexander Knight, a guy with midnight hair
and penetrating eyes who works in the IT department. A single dominant into
BDSM, Knight is searching for a woman to share his darkest desires. After a
routine security review in which he inadvertently uncovers Juliana’s erased
internet history—she’s viewed submissive photo galleries and posted dominance
and submission stories on an erotica website—he devises a cunning plan to win
the heart of the “heiress to the throne.” But with a holiday ball quickly
approaching, not to mention that Juliana’s boyfriend is ready to pop the
question, Knight must act quickly and decisively. This short novel’s charm
comes from its fairy-tale tone and delightful fusion of unbridled sexuality and
enchanting ambiance. (It even begins with “Once upon a time….”) Even though the
sexual content tends to be understated—in an early scene, Juliana’s boyfriend
is described thusly: “Thrusting politely, he climaxes”—the attraction and
connection between Juliana and Knight is palpable. However, one major criticism
of this unconventional love story is its drabble format, which, rather than
adding to the reading experience, actually diminishes it by severely limiting
the author’s ability to flesh out a scene, literally and figuratively. The
short chapters keep the pacing brisk and the tone relatively light, but readers
may wonder how much more penetrating the story could’ve been if the author
lengthened and deepened the narrative.
Pleasingly
erotic and romantic, without being gratuitous.
-- Copyright ©2012, Kirkus Media LLC. All rights reserved.
TITLE INFORMATION
ONCE UPON A TEMPTATION
Hallows, Kaye P. Kaye P. Hallows (168 pp.)
$7.99 paperback, $2.99 e-book
ISBN: 978-0615618029;
March 31, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment