"The Pleasure Trap" by Emelie Olsson

 

"The Pleasure Trap" by Emelie Olsson is a spicy romance following three couples spending their vacation in Mexico. I expected a thriller, but it is more an erotic romance with an original twist. The sentence "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" ("Anna Karenina") sums this book up to a T.

Alice and Tom are teachers who have been married for sixteen years and are undergoing infertility treatments. After the failure of their latest treatment, Tom's parents send them on an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico to recover. Melissa and Callum are newlyweds on their honeymoon. Melissa is a social influencer living for likes online and trying to increase her number of followers. Callum works in real estate and is unhappy with it. Rebecca and Ryan both come from wealthy families and spice up their marriage by playing an immoral game. They choose targets, and each attempts to seduce their chosen partner. The one who manages to have sex with their target first wins this depraved game. The paths of the three couples cross at the resort, and the rest is history.
  
I should have suspected something when I saw the title. But, what am I, a skeptic? It is a trap, all right, for the unwary, but I wouldn't call it "pleasure." It is anything but. The writing is great, I would give it that, and despite my reservations, I couldn't stop reading. The plot is fascinating in its human angle and its social critique. I kept waiting for the thriller element to kick in, expecting a murder or two, but the book remained firmly focused on the relationships and dynamics between the characters. The thriller angle comes from the emotional turmoil the characters go through and the tension of whether they will give in to temptation.

The dynamics and relationships between the couples were quite interesting to read. The book explores themes of infidelity, loving and finding yourself, infertility, empowerment, and the impact of online porn on young people. All important themes in themselves. Each of the couples has some issue with their marriage. Alas, the overwhelming number of explicit sexual scenes shifted the focus away from these themes and turned what could have been a great book into something much closer to porn. An interesting choice, as the book set against porn which creates unrealistic expectations for men.

The book alternates between third-person POVs following the couples and Rebecca's first-person POV, perhaps with the intention of making us like her. It didn't work. I didn't like her or her husband. In fact, I didn't like any of the characters and was disappointed by their choices. That doesn't mean I didn't find them fascinating. Their flaws, motivations, and relationships were some of the most interesting parts of the book. The setting was great, and I love visiting all the places they went to.

I found Rebecca and Ryan deceptive and manipulative, not to mention immoral. They try to present themselves as somewhat ethical by not targeting couples with children, but I felt they crossed too many lines and were unethical in plotting their course of action. They may have helped some of the couples with their advice, but I felt the damage they caused outweighed any insights they gave them.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, especially the exploration of the relationships, the exposure of human flaws, and the way the characters are forced to accept them and grow and mature in their personal lives and relationships with each other. The ending was satisfactory as well. Therefore, I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4. I recommend the book to people who like complex character studies and don't mind a lot of smut.
 
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Pleasure Trap" by Emelie Olsson

"For Want Of A Dragon" by Wendy Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Want of a Dragon: Pride and Prejudice meets The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books! Add dragons and a talking caracal, and you’ve got me hooked. Wendy Dayby’s For Want of a Dragon is a sweet, cozy fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice, following a dragon groomer who dreams of flying with dragons

Told in first-person POV and present tense, the book follows twenty-six-year-old Livvy Stoud, a human dragon groomer in the mountain village of Eshan, a community of mixed races—mortals, Fae, gnomes, and other magical creatures. Her childhood dream was to ride dragons, but only Fae are allowed to bond with them. A ward placed on its borders keeps the magic manageable for its human denizens. Livvy lives in a cozy cottage with a talking pet caracal named Mr. Bennet—how cool is that?—and her best friend is Marinn, who is a half-Fae, half-human.

Livvy’s luck takes a turn for the better when her village hosts the annual dragon jousting tournament. She agrees to groom the dragons despite her dislike of the contest and its professional riders, as she needs the fees to pay for her ailing father’s treatment. Along the way, she meets several riders, including the amiable Thaddeus Cedar and his aloof friend Asher. Livvy’s prejudices toward the riders clash with the pride of the Fae, creating several entertaining moments, with a dash of romance.

The atmosphere is charming, with small-village life, quirky Merchants’ Guild meetings, the excitement of the Drakonas Tournament, and even the playful use of 'berries' as a curse word. I especially loved Mr. Bennet, who brought so much humor and personality to the story. I just wish there were more scenes with him

The plot closely mirrors the original tale, with just a few twists. The premise is original—I loved the idea of a dragon groomer and a talking caracal. I also enjoyed the friendship between Livvy and Marinn, and the way they supported and cared for each other. There is some slow-burn romance, which I loved, but there were too few interactions between the love interests, making their romance develop too quickly. Some quotes and scenes, such as the letter written by Asher and Livvy's meeting with his aunt, followed the original too closely at times, making them predictable.

The writing was a bit simple and didn’t flow always smoothly, perhaps due to the present-tense narration. The pacing felt uneven at times, and some sections were repetitive. World-building wasn't developed enough—why can only Fae bond with dragons?—and the Fae lore wasn’t particularly original. There were also a few plot inconsistencies, such as Asher’s father being mentioned as deceased in one instance and alive in another. On the positive side, I loved the concept of the book, and the different characteristics of the dragons and their variety.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Fine-tuning the writing and plot would make it stronger. I loved the ending, though an epilogue would have been appreciated. Still, the story is sweet and enjoyable, so I rate it 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4. If you’re looking for a sweet, feel-good read with dragons, cozy village charm, and a touch of slow-burn romance, For Want of a Dragon will fit the bill.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "For Want Of A Dragon" by Wendy Day

 

"The Man Next Door" by Sheila Roberts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



"The Man Next Door" by Sheila Roberts is a slow-burn novel that follows three generations of women navigating life, family dynamics, and fresh starts: a 44-year-old broke divorcée, her house-bound mother, and her adult daughter.

Zona’s been dealt a rough hand in love and money. Her first husband cheated on her, and her second destroyed their savings—including her daughter’s college fund—with gambling. She had to move back in with her mom, Louise, and is trying to make ends meet by taking a second job so she can help put her daughter through nursing school.

Her mother, Louise, hasn’t had much luck either. After breaking her leg on a senior singles cruise, she is now house-bound. She and her caretaker spend their days spying on their mysterious new neighbor. They’re influenced by the movie Rear Window and other true-crime series, so tensions and imaginations run high. Her neighbor, Martin, is a great help, but she is too shallow to really appreciate him.

Bree, Zona’s daughter, has trust issues due to her mother’s bad luck with men. She works as a waitress and has put walls around her heart. She’s afraid of being in a relationship, so she doesn’t take any risks. And she definitely doesn’t want her mother to have a relationship with the new, dangerous neighbor—or any man, for that matter. They also have a dog named Darling, who keeps running away to explore the area. Things come to a head when the woman next door disappears, and they suspect foul play.

I liked the relationship between the three women. Zona was a great mother and daughter. Louise was also great. Bree was a whiny young woman. While I liked Louise and Zona, Bree irritated me. She whined a lot, kept blaming her mother for ruining her life, acted like a brat, and even tried to dictate who her mother could date. 

Bree was too judgmental and bossy for my taste, always trying to control her mother’s life. I could understand her bitterness—she wanted to enroll in nursing school but now lacked the funds—but she took it out on the wrong person: her mother. Her mother did everything she could to fix the situation by taking on a couple of side jobs, and didn’t get the appreciation she deserved—at least not at first.

Another thing that nagged me was the dog. He kept running away, and I found it irresponsible. He ran away several times, and it became tiring after a while. Enough already! And another thing—the story moved at a slow pace. I enjoyed it, but I never felt compelled to keep reading.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I liked the psychological games playing on our minds—not being sure what to think of the man next door—and the story arc. The writing was good, alternating between viewpoints in third-person POV and giving us a window into their feelings. However, I expected a thriller based on the description. While it bears a weak resemblance to Rear Window—a house-bound woman spying on a suspicious neighbor, a dog digging in his garden, and a cynical, middle-aged nurse—it lacks the tension of the movie.

After consideration, I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. While I did enjoy it, it wasn’t the suspense tale I expected. It’s more of a family drama than a thriller, so keep that in mind. There’s plenty of drama and a subtle hint of mystery, but little suspense to speak of. Still, if you adjust your expectations and approach it accordingly, you’ll likely enjoy it.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book:  "The Man Next Door" by Sheila Roberts