Young Widow (Unabridged‪)‬

These days, we could all use a little trip back in time, before Covid-19, before the Internet, before cell phones, when life was simpler...at least in some ways. This book was written in 1960, a very different time from today. It's what as known as a "bodice-breaker," an erotica-romantic novel, but one far tamer than such books today. It has plenty of passion but is written in 1950's style, where there is a lot of sex but it is not explicit either in language or description. For example, "But all the time she was whimpering softly, body grinding against his, and then the inevitable happened, and when it was over, Jim lay on his back looking at the ceiling."   

As for the plot, here's some of what the book jacket says, in typical '60s over-the top fashion: "Jim Watson has that urge only women can satisfy. And because the need inside him was so real and consuming, you'll cheer his success and bewail his failures. You'll share his passionate conquests of beautiful trusting Janet - the fiery redhead Mabel - the blonde insatiable Rowena. And you'll understand what happens when he meets the young widow, Cynthia...that is, if you've ever scaled the highest peaks of joy, kissed the throbbing lips of heaven, caressed the burning flesh of hell...."

Here's what some of today's reviewers have to say about the story. "Unlike many novels of its type, this has a very interesting plot and well developed characters." Another says, "Young Widow is a good balance of class and trash." And a third, "Hastings is the perfect pandemic escape. Don’t think. Indulge in light, vaguely perverse, oddly metaphorical, extremely dated sex novels."