Taint

the first half of the book is intriguing

I will admit that the synopsis for the story had me intrigued, I was hoping for some dimension to the chraacers, something new and different with a perspective from a ‘master’ that could enlighten and educate women, as they improved their skills. As a premise – it was stellar.

And then, the questions started: like what motivated Justice to start this business, make no mistake, it is a business and he uses language to shock, intrigue and even shame people into following his instructions. He really doesn’t seem, at the core, to like or respect women, and he’s not very good at being challenged.

Now, the first half of the book is intriguing: watching his varied proclamations about the trophy wives who have come to him for that one ‘trick’ that will make them irreplaceable. And perhaps that is part of his attitude: he knows that no one is irreplaceable: the new students that clamor at his doors prove that.

I can’t say that he’s actually a hardened alpha: he talks brash, he acts brash, and he even manages to keep the façade up for a good portion of the story. But then, with one encounter with the girl who wouldn’t accept his belittling and orders, he is a mushy, mousy wimp – prone to clumsily applied poetic rambles and breaks in his confidence and brashness that make him feel like a man with a split personality. I didn’t find those moments helped me to understand the change in him, not to that extent.

And Allison really needed to have a couple of chapters in her POV, in my opinion. As we read it – we are only seeing Justice’s approach and handling, or mishandling of her challenge. I liked her humor and her ability to liven up the plot with some pointed (and well, frankly spot on) comments about him that lead to several encounters that end in storming off. But they do try to make a friendship, even though both seem to want something more, but Ally is married, and well, no one seems to have a chance at answers.

Because when the last page is turned – there are still questions that are HUGE, and unanswered. There wasn’t as much sex as I expected, not from the setting or the blurb, although what is there is very steamy and entertaining, it just isn’t always dramatically unique. Now, I read a ton of erotica, and lots of disenfranchised characters – but neither of these elements quite hit that right note for me in this book, and the lack of resolution to so many questions that are integral to the plot, combined with a THAT’S the Ending sort of whingey moment leave this book firmly in the ‘I’m not sure” category. I was interested and engaged enough despite the issues to read it through to the end: it could be your next favorite.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.