Sometimes you read a book that is supposed to be fiction, and immediately question whether it isn’t a true story loosely fictionalised and with a few character names changed, so the author doesn’t lose face if it’s not well received. Wicked Games is no such book, because you’re told from the outset that it’s a real life erotic memoir. And, while the author still has some discretion regarding how much or how little she shares, you genuinely come away feeling like you’ve just read a startlingly intimate description of a real person’s private life.
| Wicked Games by Kelly Lawrence | |
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| Category: Autobiography | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Page
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| Summary: An educator gets an education of her own in this real life erotic memoir. Easy to read and enjoyable (plus a little bit hot to boot) | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 256 | Date: July 2013 |
| Publisher: Black Lace | |
| ISBN: 978-0753541715 | |
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Kelly is an adult education teacher, getting by with the help of your odd friend with benefits when Alex shows up in her life. She works with him – in fact in some respects she works for him – so it’s not the ideal start to a relationship, but she’s as drawn to him as he is to her, and so things progress in a certain direction. What Kelly doesn’t know, when she starts up with him, however, is exactly what Alex is into. Because Alex likes to play games. Kinky games. Erotic games. Sometimes downright dirty games. And Kelly has to decide whether she wants to join in and become his playmate, or leave him along to play by (or with) himself.
I actually had this book in a to-read pile for over a week before I picked it up, and kept finding others to read first because I thought the cover looked a bit cheap and the blurb sounded like there was the potential for the contents to be cringe worthy. I could not have been more wrong. I absolutely adored this book, both the storyline and the manner in which the story was told. This book didn’t need to be a true story for it to be an enjoyable read, but the fact that the author is open about it being one definitely adds another dimension to it. And the same time, it reads beautifully and is much more natural than some memoirs can be. It is incredibly easy to get into and hard to put down.
This is not the sort of book you would expect to read at 6am – it’s definitely more of a late night read, with the lights low and a fire going (except on weeks when England is playing at having a summer). However, the boy likes to sleep in more than I do, so I did read this early one morning. I read it for a good hour and a half, engrossed in the story. And then his lie in was over, because at that point let’s just say I felt the need to roll over and wake him up.
This is by many people’s definition a dirty book. It’s published by Black Lace who are known for doing Erotica aimed at women, and while this one’s a bit different because it’s a memoir, it definitely fits in with their style. While the writing is not overly crude, the imagery is explicit, so if things like nipple clamps and butt plugs and spanking offend you, you are unlikely to enjoy it as much as I did. The book, that is.
Comparisons need to be drawn between this and Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James a book which has at the same time everything and nothing in common with Wicked Games. I got the impression that Kelly was a nicer, less neurotic heroine than Ana, but I think I’d probably choose Christian over Alex. This book is shorter, and all the better for it, because there’s little beating around the bush (except when the paddles come out) and while a prolonged, drawn out build up can be hot, so can the realization that sometimes people sleep with people they’ve just met and manage to enjoy it without over-analyzing everything. This book, like Fifty Shades, has a BDSM angle, but you’d don’t need to be into that to enjoy either of them, as long as, as I said earlier, the ideas don’t offend you to your core.
I enjoyed this book a lot, more than I thought I would when it arrived. It is a simple, easy to read book, and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. The characters are likeable and real (well, duh!) and the story has enough twists to keep you invested. Highly recommended.
Thanks go to the publishers for sending us this book.
Finish off the trilogy with E L James' other works, or why not investigate The Sex Diaries by Arianne Cohen or Deep Inside by Polly Frost
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You can read more book reviews or buy Wicked Games by Kelly Lawrence at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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