Tag Archives: PWP

Book Review: A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor, by Kathryn Moon

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I’d seen Kathryn Moon‘s A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor recommended several times. So, when I saw it as an Amazon freebie, I snagged a copy.

a lady of rooksgrave manor cover

On the brink of losing her position as a maid and with no prospects to go on, the offer of a place at Rooksgrave Manor—a house of ill and unusual repute—sounds like a perfect fit for a young woman with Esther’s inclinations. Even better, the invitation comes by the hand of the handsome Dr. Underwood, a delicate gentleman with a ferocious alter ego who knows exactly what he wants from Esther.

Upon arrival, the men and the daily decadence of the manor feel too good to be true for a girl of Esther’s station. There are rules to be followed, expectations to meet, and Esther is afraid she might be too wicked even for a place like Rooksgrave.

Temptations lurk around every shadowy corner and Esther has never been a girl able to resist. But the risk of disappointing her new gentlemen isn’t all that’s threatening Esther’s new position. Rooksgrave Manor’s protections for its unusual patrons are failing, the wards are crumbling, and Esther’s new and exquisitely pleasurable life may all come tumbling down.

my review

I have no general problem with Porn Without Plot…or without much plot. It can be a lot of fun, and I knew what kind of book I picked up. But I think I can officially now say that almost 400 pages of it is just too much. As much as I liked Ester and her men, I got booooored. Especially once everyone had made nice and become a happy family. After that, what little tension of interest there was evaporated.

a lady of rooksgrave manor photoI did appreciate that Esther was a woman who gleefully enjoyed sex. I mean, sure, if you want to be critical, it plays into the women can’t control their urges and are slaves to their desires narrative that has been so bad for women throughout so much of history. But I also think Moon was trying to subvert it a little bit. And honestly, I’m just not interested in delving into it. Mostly, this was a sweet kinkfest worth taking at face value.

I liked the characters. What little world there is, is interesting. The writing is perfectly readable. All in all, I enjoyed it. 400ish pages was just too much to keep me interested in with as little plot as there is.

Other Reviews:

Review of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon

Reading After Dark: A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor [Tempting Monsters Series #1]

fury unleashed

Book Review: Fury Unleashed, by N.J. Walters

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I grabbed a copy of N.J. Walters‘ Fury Unleashed when it had a free day on Amazon. Fury Unleased NJ Walters

Maccus Fury, a fallen angel, is trying hard to keep his sanity. Seems being an assassin might be catching up with him. Now, Heaven, or Hell, has sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. Lovely. She’s pretending to seduce him, and he’s okay with that. She’s smart and snarky—but she has no idea what she’s walked into. And he’s more than peeved that they only sent one person. They’re going to need an army if they want him dead.

Morrigan Quill is one of Hell’s bounty hunters. She sold her soul to keep her sister safe, and now she’s working off her contract by catching bad guys and dragging them back to hell. When Lucifer makes her a new offer––that’s definitely too good to be true—she can’t say no. All she has to do is kill a powerful and crazy-hot fallen angel, who will totally kick her ass in battle.

Good thing he won’t see what’s coming next.

my review

This was an OK version of what it is. Unfortunately for me (because it’s not really what I wanted), what it turns out to be is pretty darned close to PWP (porn with plot). The lust is INSTANT. I’m talking they meet, tell each-other their names, have a little bit of a distraction in which they separate (maybe ten minutes), then he kisses her, and they go to his house for 5 orgasms and about 400 ‘I should just kill them, but I want to have more sex firsts’.

Having said that, once I accepted that the plot was gonna be pretty flimsy, the book and I got alone fine. I liked both Morrigan and Maccus. They showed a true desire to support one another and had plenty of chemistry.

I did feel that the ‘nevers’ were a little over played. He’d never been happy, even before his fall. She’d never had a friend, apparently even before her mom died. He’d never told anyone; she’d never realized, etc. He’d never, she’d never, he’d never. There were a lot of things they’d never had or done, which seems unlikely for a man who’s lived for millennia. But whatever. All in all, as a set up for a further series, it wasn’t a total flop. I’d read another. I’d just be going in a little more prepared for what to expect this time.

fury unleashed