Impossible to put down. There just is something special about friends becoming lovers. Especially if it is a relationship that goes against the odds. Impossible to put down. There just is something special about friends becoming lovers. Especially if it is a relationship that goes against the odds. It makes for an even better read with Karen Erickson's knack at making the characters seem 'real'.
Having read nothing but books by Ms Erickson for days now, I've yet to find a 'perfect' character. They all have their issues, making it easy to connect with them, which brings their story up a level, which again makes them perfect. Or perfectly imperfect, if you wish.
The cover image is a little misleading. This isn't about a girl and two boys. Forbidden is about Michaela and Austin, roommates and best friends. Michaela watches her best friend's revolving door of (male) lovers, and quietly pines for him. Austin watches his best friend's boyfriends, knowing he's better than them for her, and quietly pines for her.
Austin, in his desperation, asks his very gay ex-boyfriend, Brad, about how to win Michaela's heart. Brad, never having been with a woman, is of little to no help. Though he tries. It's just that girls squeak him out.
Austin, finally ready to put himself on the line, doesn't take no for an answer, and soon the two best friends are at it like crazed monkeys. They aren't afraid to play and Austin soon brings out Michaela's kinky self. They even end up at a sex club watching and engaging in group sex with a man and a woman. Something that has Michaela running for the hills once she sobers up.
That's one thing that kinda annoyed me, Michaela's inane insecurity and tendency to run away all the time. When you have a man like Austin (who by author's description in the book looks a lot like bad boy Jared Leto), why would you run away from him? Fuck, I'd be running towards him!
I couldn't put this book down, and I was seriously bummed when I got to the end of the book. I want more of Austin and Michaela!
Merged review:
Impossible to put down. There just is something special about friends becoming lovers. Especially if it is a relationship that goes against the odds. It makes for an even better read with Karen Erickson's knack at making the characters seem 'real'.
Having read nothing but books by Ms Erickson for days now, I've yet to find a 'perfect' character. They all have their issues, making it easy to connect with them, which brings their story up a level, which again makes them perfect. Or perfectly imperfect, if you wish.
The cover image is a little misleading. This isn't about a girl and two boys. Forbidden is about Michaela and Austin, roommates and best friends. Michaela watches her best friend's revolving door of (male) lovers, and quietly pines for him. Austin watches his best friend's boyfriends, knowing he's better than them for her, and quietly pines for her.
Austin, in his desperation, asks his very gay ex-boyfriend, Brad, about how to win Michaela's heart. Brad, never having been with a woman, is of little to no help. Though he tries. It's just that girls squeak him out.
Austin, finally ready to put himself on the line, doesn't take no for an answer, and soon the two best friends are at it like crazed monkeys. They aren't afraid to play and Austin soon brings out Michaela's kinky self. They even end up at a sex club watching and engaging in group sex with a man and a woman. Something that has Michaela running for the hills once she sobers up.
That's one thing that kinda annoyed me, Michaela's inane insecurity and tendency to run away all the time. When you have a man like Austin (who by author's description in the book looks a lot like bad boy Jared Leto), why would you run away from him? Fuck, I'd be running towards him!
I couldn't put this book down, and I was seriously bummed when I got to the end of the book. I want more of Austin and Michaela!...more
This book wasn't as engaging as the first one. The main character, Paige, is too messed up. There just was no connecting to her. Even for a BDSM storyThis book wasn't as engaging as the first one. The main character, Paige, is too messed up. There just was no connecting to her. Even for a BDSM story, I found the Dom, Carter, to be too violent.
Sure, her last Dom was an abusive prick, and the excuse for Paige taking the beating is that she was new and didn't know better. But I'm not buying it. When a "spanking" leaves you blue and purple, you know it's not right. And a quick search on the internet would confirm that. And what irks even more, is that they belong to a sex-club, yet no one catches it.
New Dom Carter is supposed to be kinder than the other one, but he's still too heavy-handed to be believed as a "hero". I'd be running away, screaming, from someone like that. If Paige has never had anything up her ass before; plowing all the way in with only a little bit of stretching, and her not feeling like she would die from the pain... Not buying it. Sub or no, I would kill the man who did that to me. Above all, a good Dom takes care of his sub.
The book is well written, and you do get somewhat engaged. I just wish that Paige had been less chaotic, and the "scenes" had been more streamlined. And, an abusive prick is still an abusive prick, no matter how "nice" he is to the woman outside of the "scenes".
Merged review:
This book wasn't as engaging as the first one. The main character, Paige, is too messed up. There just was no connecting to her. Even for a BDSM story, I found the Dom, Carter, to be too violent.
Sure, her last Dom was an abusive prick, and the excuse for Paige taking the beating is that she was new and didn't know better. But I'm not buying it. When a "spanking" leaves you blue and purple, you know it's not right. And a quick search on the internet would confirm that. And what irks even more, is that they belong to a sex-club, yet no one catches it.
New Dom Carter is supposed to be kinder than the other one, but he's still too heavy-handed to be believed as a "hero". I'd be running away, screaming, from someone like that. If Paige has never had anything up her ass before; plowing all the way in with only a little bit of stretching, and her not feeling like she would die from the pain... Not buying it. Sub or no, I would kill the man who did that to me. Above all, a good Dom takes care of his sub.
The book is well written, and you do get somewhat engaged. I just wish that Paige had been less chaotic, and the "scenes" had been more streamlined. And, an abusive prick is still an abusive prick, no matter how "nice" he is to the woman outside of the "scenes"....more
Ms Erickson confirms her spot as my new favorite author with this book. Sommer sees, likes, and takes Ted for her own. These two have hot monkey sex aMs Erickson confirms her spot as my new favorite author with this book. Sommer sees, likes, and takes Ted for her own. These two have hot monkey sex anywhere and anytime they can get their hands on each other.
So far, what I like the most about Ms Erickson's books, are her characters. It's easy to connect with them, and best of all, they're flawed just like you and me.
Merged review:
Ms Erickson confirms her spot as my new favorite author with this book. Sommer sees, likes, and takes Ted for her own. These two have hot monkey sex anywhere and anytime they can get their hands on each other.
So far, what I like the most about Ms Erickson's books, are her characters. It's easy to connect with them, and best of all, they're flawed just like you and me....more
Sometimes I'm just not sure how to review a book I've just read, sometimes even putting off the review for a while doesn't help either. This is one suSometimes I'm just not sure how to review a book I've just read, sometimes even putting off the review for a while doesn't help either. This is one such book.
This is slightly more than "just" a smutty menage, but not a whole lot. The story itself is too short to make any connections with the characters, and there is little to no unresolved sexual tension going to keep the reader at the edge of their seat. They pretty much just jump into things from the get-go.
This is the first book in a series, but reading the blurbs, the other books focus on new characters. With how short this story is, and how little you get to know the characters, I was hoping that the rest of the books would be about the same people. Since it's not, and seeing how short these are, I'm not going to dive into the rest of the series. I need to feel like I connect with the characters for a book, much less a series, to hold my attention. 2 1/2 stars.
Merged review:
Sometimes I'm just not sure how to review a book I've just read, sometimes even putting off the review for a while doesn't help either. This is one such book.
This is slightly more than "just" a smutty menage, but not a whole lot. The story itself is too short to make any connections with the characters, and there is little to no unresolved sexual tension going to keep the reader at the edge of their seat. They pretty much just jump into things from the get-go.
This is the first book in a series, but reading the blurbs, the other books focus on new characters. With how short this story is, and how little you get to know the characters, I was hoping that the rest of the books would be about the same people. Since it's not, and seeing how short these are, I'm not going to dive into the rest of the series. I need to feel like I connect with the characters for a book, much less a series, to hold my attention. 2 1/2 stars....more
The Curio books are like addiction. And every time a new vignette comes out, it feeds that addiction. It's better than Christmas!
I know some people wiThe Curio books are like addiction. And every time a new vignette comes out, it feeds that addiction. It's better than Christmas!
I know some people will read these stories, and think oh this is erotica, not really looking beyond the smut. And I know some people, like me, will look beyond the smut, and connect with the characters and their joys and pains.
Having written Curio, and having captured all those little nuances that makes a person, I can't even imagine having to go back into that mindset and write five more stories like this. The way that Cara McKenna manages to get under her characters' skins, is a rare skill. And it is one she has honed well.
A lot of the time, when reading erotica, you'll get the smut, you'll get characters you'll either hate or love, but you won't get that glimpse into their imperfections and fears. This is what you get when you read something Cara McKenna has written. This is what you get when you read Curio, Coercion or this one, Craving.
Coercion was from Didier's point of view, and we finally got to find out a little more about what makes him tick, so to speak. We found out about his hopes and dreams and insecurities. With Craving we're back with Caroly and her hopes and dreams and insecurities.
What gets me the most with Caroly and Didier, is how much they feel for each other, and how hard it is for them to admit to one another exactly what they feel. I just want them to talk and move on! I want Didier to quit his 'job' and just ask Caroly to move in with him already. They need each other. More than anything, I really want a happy ending for these two. And I want them to stop hurting with all these insecurities.
But that's the thing with Cara McKenna, she'll give you "real" people that stay with you instead of glossy characters you'll soon forget. And there just is no telling if she'll give you a book with a standard happy ending where everyone lives happily ever after, or if she'll leave you with an ending where the characters have a sad goodbye and move on without each other. With Cara McKenna all bets are off. And I kinda like that about her.
Merged review:
The Curio books are like addiction. And every time a new vignette comes out, it feeds that addiction. It's better than Christmas!
I know some people will read these stories, and think oh this is erotica, not really looking beyond the smut. And I know some people, like me, will look beyond the smut, and connect with the characters and their joys and pains.
Having written Curio, and having captured all those little nuances that makes a person, I can't even imagine having to go back into that mindset and write five more stories like this. The way that Cara McKenna manages to get under her characters' skins, is a rare skill. And it is one she has honed well.
A lot of the time, when reading erotica, you'll get the smut, you'll get characters you'll either hate or love, but you won't get that glimpse into their imperfections and fears. This is what you get when you read something Cara McKenna has written. This is what you get when you read Curio, Coercion or this one, Craving.
Coercion was from Didier's point of view, and we finally got to find out a little more about what makes him tick, so to speak. We found out about his hopes and dreams and insecurities. With Craving we're back with Caroly and her hopes and dreams and insecurities.
What gets me the most with Caroly and Didier, is how much they feel for each other, and how hard it is for them to admit to one another exactly what they feel. I just want them to talk and move on! I want Didier to quit his 'job' and just ask Caroly to move in with him already. They need each other. More than anything, I really want a happy ending for these two. And I want them to stop hurting with all these insecurities.
But that's the thing with Cara McKenna, she'll give you "real" people that stay with you instead of glossy characters you'll soon forget. And there just is no telling if she'll give you a book with a standard happy ending where everyone lives happily ever after, or if she'll leave you with an ending where the characters have a sad goodbye and move on without each other. With Cara McKenna all bets are off. And I kinda like that about her....more
So I’m without internet for a few days, and I can’t download new books, so moved on to book two. This one is not any better. On the contrary, this is So I’m without internet for a few days, and I can’t download new books, so moved on to book two. This one is not any better. On the contrary, this is worse. But hey, I like to torture myself! And I’m bored.
The writer clearly doesn’t know the ins and outs of the music business. Whatever she’s seen on TV and read up on online, is not the reality of things. This is a business I know intimately, and the way the story is written, it just would not happen. Creative license or not, you still need to know what you write and write what you know. This writer does not know what she’s writing.
Oh my god, all the yap-yap-yap and everyone explaining everything all the bloody time! How are people enjoying these books??? Even the smutty scenes are full of yip-yip-yip. Reminds me of ankle-biting dogs always yipping.
And I hate how everyone is apologizing all the time. WTF? Who does that? They’re so remorseful all the time it’s insincere. Over-explaining and beating it to death. None of these conversations are natural! Who talks like that?
The basic idea of these books is good, it’s just the execution that is bonkers.
There is one thing about this book that is worse than everything else combined. And that’s the rape. When a grown ass woman takes advantage of an inebriated 18 year old boy, who is too drunk to know what’s what, that is called rape. Plain, and simple. We’re living in “me too� times, and if it’s not okay for women to be taken advantage of, it certainly is not okay for men to be taken advantage of. Everyone is talking about women being raped, but no one is talking about men being raped. And for this writer (I refuse to call her author) to glorify rape of an 18 year old boy is wrong on too many levels. Yes, I realize it’s “just a book� and not “real�. It still doesn’t make it right for this writer to go there.
Merged review:
So I’m without internet for a few days, and I can’t download new books, so moved on to book two. This one is not any better. On the contrary, this is worse. But hey, I like to torture myself! And I’m bored.
The writer clearly doesn’t know the ins and outs of the music business. Whatever she’s seen on TV and read up on online, is not the reality of things. This is a business I know intimately, and the way the story is written, it just would not happen. Creative license or not, you still need to know what you write and write what you know. This writer does not know what she’s writing.
Oh my god, all the yap-yap-yap and everyone explaining everything all the bloody time! How are people enjoying these books??? Even the smutty scenes are full of yip-yip-yip. Reminds me of ankle-biting dogs always yipping.
And I hate how everyone is apologizing all the time. WTF? Who does that? They’re so remorseful all the time it’s insincere. Over-explaining and beating it to death. None of these conversations are natural! Who talks like that?
The basic idea of these books is good, it’s just the execution that is bonkers.
There is one thing about this book that is worse than everything else combined. And that’s the rape. When a grown ass woman takes advantage of an inebriated 18 year old boy, who is too drunk to know what’s what, that is called rape. Plain, and simple. We’re living in “me too� times, and if it’s not okay for women to be taken advantage of, it certainly is not okay for men to be taken advantage of. Everyone is talking about women being raped, but no one is talking about men being raped. And for this writer (I refuse to call her author) to glorify rape of an 18 year old boy is wrong on too many levels. Yes, I realize it’s “just a book� and not “real�. It still doesn’t make it right for this writer to go there....more
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