Short Story Review: Misbehaving by Tiffany Reisz

Title: Misbehaving

Author: Tiffany Reisz
Publication Date: February 1, 2014
Publisher: Cosmo Hot Reads from Harlequin
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Kobo
Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Wanted: Adventurous, open-minded man willing to try anything…

As a popular sex blogger, Beatriz gets paid to have orgasms. So being on deadline the week of her sister’s wedding isn’t as rough as it sounds. There’s just one hitch: Bea’s assignment is to write a review of a sex position manual, but she doesn’t have a plus one to play with.

The good news: Ben, the one who got away back in college, is also attending stag--and he's as temptingly gorgeous as ever.

The bad news: Ben turned down Bea’s offer of graduation night sex five years ago.

The best news: He’s not planning on making the same mistake twice.

If you don't already know, I am a huge Tiffany Reisz fangirl. Her Original Sinners series is fantastic and I'll pretty much read anything that she releases. When I heard that she was releasing a new short story about a blogger who writes about sex and her weekend wedding fling with the one that got away, I jumped at the chance to read it. Could Reisz pull off a satisfying romance without without the BDSM and without the familiar cast of her Original Sinners series? I'm happy to say that Reisz does not disappoint and Misbehaving is a fum, sexy and laugh out loud funny read that will leave you wanting more.

Of course, this being Tiffany Reisz, even her more conventional romances are anything but vanilla. Beatriz is a sex blogger. She's paid to orgasm and write about it. Bea is off to her sister's wedding where Ben, her college crush and the one who got away, is the best man. Five years have passed but the attraction is still there. An urgent deadline for a sex book provides the perfect excuse for Bea and Ben to pick up where they left off years ago.

I had a good time reading this. While I missed the angst and kink that usually comes with a Tiffany Reisz novel, Misbehaving is a fun read that you'll finish in no time. I liked how open both Ben and Bea were with their sexuality and how willing they were to try new things. Their review sessions were often hilarious while still being super sexy.

I didn't give this a higher rating because I had a couple of small issues with the story. First, I thought that Bea's sister and her husband totally overreacted when when the big conflict happens. To me, it just didn't seem like the most rational response to the situation. I also didn't like how Bea immediately turned on Ben when he wanted to find out more about the situation before taking sides. I thought his reaction was the most rational one but Bea was ready to throw him out the door. A little bit of calm thinking and discussion could have prevented a lot of strife, but then I guess there would't have been on obstacle to overcome.

This is an easy, fun read - just the thing for a day at the beach or a bit of light vacation reading. Fans of The Original Sinners series might find this a bit tame compared to that series but Reisz knows how to spice up any story. If you haven't read any Tiffany Reisz yet, this is an easy primer into her writing and I would definitely recommend it for fans of sexy romps and romance.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

The Last Good Knight Blog Tour: Review and Q&A

Hi, everyone! I am really excited to be on the The Last Good Knight blog tour today, hosted by The Novel Tease. If you're a reader of this blog you know how much I adore Tiffany Reisz's writing and I am happy to be on the tour for her newest novella in the Original Sinners series. This novella is being released in 5 parts, and the first part is available now. Read on for my review of all 5 parts as well as a Q&A with Tiffany at the end of the post. 

Title: The Last Good Knight (Parts I - V)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Publication May 6, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Genre: Adult Romance/Erotica
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

The Last Good Knight is an Original Sinners novella starring Mistress Nora, released in five parts.

The Last Good Knight by Tiffany Reisz is a prequel novella set 3 years before the events of The Siren. The Last Good Knight is a delicious and naughty tale that is just the thing for all of the Sinners fans eagerly awaiting the next novel in Reisz's Original Sinner series, The Saint, due out in June. The story has been serialized into five parts and includes some of your favorite Sinners characters, including Nora, Søren, Kinglsey and new love interest Lance. While the story could probably be read without reading the other books in the series, I would not recommend it. These characters all have a long history with each other and it's best to know that history to get the full effect of the story. Besides, the series is awesome and you won't regret reading it.

I am going to review and rate each part by itself and then give my thoughts on the story as a whole at the end.

Part I: Scars and Stripes - 4 stars

Reisz cuts right to the chase in the first part of The Last Good Knight. When Nora encounters a good looking male sub at the bar of the 8th Circle, she doesn't waste any time getting to submit to her whims. A steamy session follows and Nora finds Lance to be the perfect sub. Though they've just met, she begins to feel that there may be more than just a one night stand between them. They are about to head into another round of fun when their night is interrupted by Søren telling Nora that a female Domme has been attacked and that she needs to go to Kinsley's immediately.

This was a good intro into the story and drops us right back into the world of The Original Sinners. Nora is her usual irreverent self and it's interesting to see what her life was like after leaving Søren and working near him on a regular basis. The two definitely still have amazing chemistry even when they are not together.  Like Nora, I immediately liked Lance and wanted to know more about him.

Part II: Soft Spots - 3 stars

Nora and the employees of The 8th Circle all convene at Kingsley's house and learn the details of Natasha's assault. The news of how badly she was beaten and the fact that the culprit is still on the loose rattles the of The 8th Circle. Though somewhat shaken herself, Nora knows that she needs to put on a brave face for the others and she decides not to alter her schedule. Though he's not happy about it, Søren agrees as long as she has a bodyguard. Kingsley ends up sending Lance to be Nora's bodyguard with the rule that they cannot have sex while he is working for her. This complicates things as all Nora can think about is having sex with Lance.

Lance escorts Nora to her various appointments throughout the day, including one to a kindly old judge who has a foot fetish.  During their drives, Nora takes the opportunity to learn more about Lance. We find out the particulars of his divorce and the circumstances of his child custody case. It's clear that Lance is a honorable and good man and, the more Nora learns about him, the more she wants him. Frustrated, horny and unable to sleep with Lance, Nora turns to the one man she knows how can take care of her needs.


Part III: The Games Destiny Plays - 4 stars

Nora shows up at Søren's house, needing release and knowing that he can give it to her. He wastes no time and what they both need. This is one of my favorite parts just because I love Søren and Nora together. We definitely get to see they dynamic at work here and we can see why they are so good together. Nora is struggling because she still loves Søren but doesn't want to give up her freedom. Her growing feelings for Lance don't help the matter and she even asks Søren for advice.

Lance is, at first, angered by the bruises that he sees on Nora but later understands that her needs are similar to his own and that he cannot judge her for it. Part III ends on a cliffhanger when Kingsley informs Nora that the perpetrator has made another move, this one against Nora.



Part IV: Fit To Be Tied - 4 stars

Part III left us with the knowledge that the attacker had broken into Nora's dungeon. However, Griffin (love Griff!) was there and was able to apprehend him. Without the threat of an attacker on the loose, Lance and Nora no longer have to abide by Kingley's rule not to have sex. So their clothes come off and the cuffs come on. :)

While I really liked the love scene between Lance and Nora, I have to say that I was a little disappointed in this part. The fact that the attacker was detained so easily and with so little fanfare was quite a letdown. I expected more since the attack was the entire premise for the story and I wanted a little more from it. But the love scene is pretty awesome so I can forgive the lame ending to the mystery.




Part V: The Last Good Knight - 4 stars

The threat of the attacker is gone and Nora no longer needs a bodyguard. Her feelings for Lance have grown and she feels like she may want to keep him. Unfortunately her plan to help him get his daughter back might just be the thing that keeps them apart.

The last installment of The Last Good Knight is a bittersweet one Lance must make a difficult choice and choose between two people he loves. I thought that the ending was very fitting and really showed how much Nora and Lance cared about each other. But, as the song says, love isn't always enough and sometimes having one thing means giving up another. This segment was a really emotional one that tied up the story really well.

Overall:
This is a great little novella in The Original Sinners series. Lance and Nora are a great couple and it was really interesting to see a male sub/female Domme relationship. The story also gives us more insight into Nora and Søren's relationship prior to The Siren. While I thought that each part was well paced and started and ended at a good spot in the story, I am still on the fence about serialized stories, especially ones that are as short as this one. Since this is a short story, each part is really short, and I think the serialized format would work better for me with a full length novel. That said, this is still a great, sexy read. I don't recommend reading it without having read at least The Siren. You'll get much more out of it if you have some context of the people and relationships involved.

Overall rating:

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

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Q&A with Tiffany Reisz

Hi, Tiffany! Thank you so much for coming onto the blog today. We are so excited to have you and to hear more about your new release, The Last Good Knight.

Happy to be here! Spanks for having me!

Can you tell us a little bit about The Last Good Knight? Where in the timeline of the Original Sinners does it fall? 

The Last Good Knight takes place three years before The Siren. Nora has broken up with Søren and is working as a professional Dominatrix for Kingsley. She’s struggling with how much she misses Søren but isn’t ready to give up her freedom yet. She spies a handsome male sub at the club and seduces him. Why? Because she’s Nora.

Serialized stories and novels seem to be gaining popularity with publishers lately. Why do you think this is and why did you think that this story would be best told in that format?  

Originally serials were the main form of popular fiction distribution. Almost all of Charles Dickens’s books were told in serial format in newspapers. I love this old-fashioned format. It’s a fun throwback to the old days. My publisher simply asked me for a linked story about Nora’s life as a Dominatrix and this is what came out of my head.

Was the writing process for a serialized story like The Last Good Knight different than your normal writing process?

Not really. The only thing you have to do with a serial like this is have a strong ending at the finale of each part and make sure there’s some sexual content in all five sections. Fitting in that much sex is the trickiest part.

Tell us a little bit about Lance, the new love interest in The Last Good Knight.

Lance was inspired by a man I met at a book event. He’s the bodyguard and collared submissive of a professional Dominatrix. A lot of people don’t realize how tough and manly male submissives can be. They’re not all sweet little angels like Michael. Some of them can kill you. Lance’s crisis in the book is unfortunately based on true events. A Dominatrix I used to see for pain sessions had to quit her dungeon when she went through a divorce and a custody battle for her child.

Is there anything that Nora won't do? 

Cook. It’s just not her thing.

Thank you, Tiffany. This was so much fun and we wish you the best with The Last Good Knight! 

Thank you and spank you!

Thank you to Tiffany, The Novel Tease and Harlequin MIRA for including us on this tour!

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Visit the author online at tiffanyreisz.com, Facebook and follow her on Twitter @tiffanyreisz. 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

Book Ball 2014 Recap + Giveaway (US)

Hi, everyone! Happy hump day. I hope you're almost over the hump (I know that sounds totally dirty). Which is how I am going to segue way into my recap of Book Ball 2014, hosted by the lovely authors Christina Lauren at the Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach. The event boasted an awesome lineup of authors that included Alice Clayton, Sylvia Day, Katy Evans, Ruthie Knox, Christina Lauren, Cara McKenna, Monica Murphy, Kristen Proby, Tiffany Reisz, and Andrew Shaffer. I had heard about the event a while ago and knew that I wanted to go because I love, love Tiffany Reisz. However, due to life happening, we did not decide to go until the day of, but I am really glad that we rallied and went for it.

My partner in crime was Kimberly from The Windy Pages. Like I said, we actually didn't decide to go to the signing until about an hour before it started. And we live about an hour away from the venue, and that's with good traffic. With the crazy rains in LA over the weekend, I wasn't sure if we were going to run into any traffic but I was confident that we would make it for most of the event. We managed to make pretty good time even with the weather and got to B&N at about 2:15pm for the 2pm signing. I thought there was going to be a Q&A or presentation but it was just a straight signing. There had been a get together the night before with the authors and I think they did most of their talking then. Also, with such a large number of authors, I think a full presentation would have been difficult.

We quickly purchased our books (after a lot of deliberation on which ones to buy) and headed back upstairs for the signing. The line was quite long but the B&N was really organized and the staff was very friendly. We ended up skipping part of the line because the authors we were seeing had shorter lines than some of the others.

First up was Tiffany Reisz! Peeps, if you read this blog you know how much I adore Tiffany Reisz. Her books are fantastic and totally racy and I love her to bits. She was super sweet and funny and was not fazed as Kimberly and I fangirled her. We talked bout the next book in the Original Sinner series that comes out later this year about a young, crazy Nora Sutherlin. I can't wait. I had her sign my copies of The Siren and The Prince, and she and I bonded over the fact that The Prince was our favorite book of the series. 

Next up was Christina Lauren, the writing duo behind the Beautiful Bastard series. Like an idiot, I had left my Christina Lauren books at home but I bought one for a giveaway and had them sign it. They are always so fun to talk to and it's easy to see that they are good friends. We talked a bit about their new book Sublime that is coming out in a few months. I just received and eARC of that one and they told me to tweet them while I was reading it (unless I hated it). :)

This is my favorite picture of the event. I don't even know what was happening here, but I love it.

The last author we saw was Alice Clayton. I have heard so many good things about Alice and finally picked up Wallbanger to try. Alice was super sweet and was lovely to talk to. I am really excited to finally read one of her books.

After the signing we went for a cheesecake break and ended up coming back to B&N to buy more books from their signed stock. I picked up a book by Kristen Proby and Katy Evans, who were both extremely popular at the signing. All in all it was a really fun signing and we met some great people in line as well. B&N did a fantastic job at the event and everything seemed to run really smoothly. I would definitely go back for another signing. Shout out to A Reading Nurse who we chatted with at the event.

Alright, now it's time for a giveaway. I have a signed copy of Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren to give away along with a couple of bookmarks. This is open only to US residents. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US residents only. 
2. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. 
3. One set of entries per household please. 
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz Blog Tour - Review + Q&A

Today we are hosting a stop of The Mistress Blog Tour. I love this series and am super excited to be participating in the tour. Thanks to The Novel Tease for putting together this tour and for including us in it. This is going to be a pretty long post with a review, short Q&A and a giveaway. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to stop by the other blogs on this tour. Full tour schedule here.

The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4) 

by Tiffany Reisz

Publication date: 30 July 2013 by Harlequin MIRA

ISBN 10/13: 0778315703 | 9780778315704

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

AMAZON  

Book Synopsis:

There's punishment-and then there's vengeance.

Nora Sutherlin is being held, bound and naked. Under different circumstances, she would enjoy the situation immensely, but her captor isn't interested in play. Or pity.

As the reality of her impending peril unfolds, Nora becomes Scheherazade, buying each hour of her life with stories-sensual tales of Søren, Kingsley and Wesley, each of whom has tempted and tested and tortured her in his own way. This, Nora realizes, is her life: nothing so simple, so vanilla, as a mere love triangle for her. It's a knot in a silken cord, a tangled mass of longings of the body and the heart and the mind. And it may unravel at any moment.

But in Nora's world, no one is ever truly powerless-a cadre of her friends, protectors and lovers stands ready to do anything to save her, even when the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak…

Manicure Monday (25): The Mistress

Hi, everyone! I hope you all had an awesome weekend. I got my X-Men on and saw Wolverine (fun and way better than the last one) and ate a lot of tasty food. Unfortunately it's Monday which means work, but it also means Manicure Monday. This week I have a fun manicure inspired by The Mistress by Tiffany Reiz.

As you can see, I don't have a physical copy of the book. I have an e-galley which doesn't have a cover. I had to pull up this cover on its own on my phone an take a pic. 

While I love this series, the cover to this one wasn't particularly inspiring. So decided to go a manicure that I think embodies The Mistress herself, Miss Nora Sutherlin. I did a black base on fingers and stamped them with Cheeky plate CH11 with a fishnet pattern in silver. I figure that Nora is the type of Dom who would wear sexy fishnets to work. On my ring finger I made a corset using some tape and a dotting tool. The red is a color by Bondi NY called Horny Mistress. How could I not use that color for this manicure?  Finally, for the thumb I used a pure white, taped off a stripe, and then overlaid it with a matte black polish called Fetish. Aren't these polish names perfect?

Colors used in this manicure:

• Wet N Wild Black Creme
• CND Silver Chrome (silver)
• Bondi NY Horny Miistress (red)
• Wet N Wild French White Creme
• Cult Nails Fetish (matte black)

The Mistress Files - Review

The Mistress Files (The Original Sinners #3.5) 
by Tiffany Reisz

Publication date: 01 June 2013 by Harlequin MIRA

ISBN 10/13: 1459239091 | 9781459239098
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes 

Category: Adult Erotica/Romance
Keywords: Romance, erotica, BDSM, short stories
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Kingsley Edge, king of kink himself, wants Mistress Nora to write a training manual to instruct his other professional Dominants how to take better care of their clients. But Mistress Nora can't put pen to paper without churning out a sexy short story and Kingsley's training manual quickly turns into true tales of her adventures with her favorite clients.

A female submissive who can't orgasm.​

A male Dominant too scared to do kink with his blind wife.​

A rock star with a secret.​

A vanilla gay woman with an embarrassing little problem. ​

A male switch with an itch for more than just pain.​

These are their stories.

Review:

I hate to give this collection such a low rating. I am a really big fan of The Original Sinners series and was looking forward to The Mistress Files. While The Mistress Files was entertaining, there was just something missing from these stories that I can't put my finger on. Maybe I just have high standards after reading the first three books in the series but I really expected more from this collection.

The "files" start off in first person but then switch to third person, and thank goodness for that. Nora's inner monologue is a little too manic for me and starts to grate if left unchecked. I much prefer her in third person.

The majority of the stories are not not memorable to me. They were entertaining but I wasn't invested in any of the characters. I've read all of Reisz's free short stories on her website and I love most of them.This collection is very flat and felt very clinical. There was kink but I was missing some of the emotional connection that I usually have with her characters. They felt a little rushed and the characters under developed. The exception to this was The Story of the Secret Switch, which is about Kingsley, and is my favorite of the bunch. I love Kinsley and this story showed a different side to him. I really liked seeing the dynamic between him and Nora and it gave me some insight into their relationship. It was also ridiculously kinky and hot.

If you're looking for something to tide you over until The Mistress hits bookshelves and you've already read her free short stories, I think this is still worth the $1.99 price tag. The Story of the Secret Switch alone is worth the price of the book for me. While you don't have to have read the whole series before reading this, I would definitely recommend at least reading The Siren. You don't have to. You won't be lost without it but I think you'll get more out of it if you do. While this wasn't my favorite release by Tiffany Reisz, I am still really excited about The Mistress. I love Nora, Kingsley and Soren and can't wait to see what happens next!

 

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Visit the author online at www.tiffanyreisz.com and follow her on Twitter @tiffanyreisz


Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

The Angel - Review

The Angel (Original Sinners #2) 
by Tiffany Reisz

Publication date: 27 Sept 2012 by Harlequin MIRA

ISBN 10/13: 0778313999 | 9780778313991
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Contemporary Erotica/BDSM
Keywords: Erotica, BDSM, romance
Format: Paperback, eBook
Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley

* If you haven't read The Siren yet, you may want to skip the synopsis and review as it contains spoilers for book 1. You have been warned.

Goodreads synopsis:

No safe word can protect the heart.

Infamous erotica author and accomplished dominatrix Nora Sutherlin is doing something utterly out of character: hiding. While her longtime lover, Søren—whose fetishes, if exposed, would be his ruin—is under scrutiny pending a major promotion, Nora's lying low and away from temptation in the lap of luxury.

Her host, the wealthy and uninhibited Griffin Fiske, is thrilled to have Nora stay at his country estate, especially once he meets her traveling companion. Young, inexperienced and angelically beautiful, Michael has become Nora's protégé, and this summer with Griffin is going to be his training, where the hazing never ends.

But while her flesh is willing, Nora's mind is wandering. To thoughts of Søren, her master, under investigation by a journalist with an ax to grind. And to another man from Nora's past, whose hold on her is less bruising, but whose secrets are no less painful. It's a summer that will prove the old adage: love hurts.

Review:

Wow. Tiffany Reisz continues to impress me with her ability to write original and emotional character driven stories. She continues to push the envelope while still remaining accessible to all readers (as long as you’re not afraid to try something new). When I read a Tiffany Reisz novel, I go through the gamut of emotions – joy, lust, rage, sadness, frustration, fear – and that’s just in the first few pages.

The Angel takes us deeper into Nora’s world and explores old relationships as well as new ones. It picks up about a year after the events of The Siren, and Nora finds that she must leave town when a journalist comes poking around Søren’s congregation. Nora holes up at the estate of Griffin Fiske, a friend and fellow Dom. She takes with her Michael Dimir, the damaged young man that we met in The Angel. Michael is Nora’s protégé for the summer and Nora plans to teach him everything she knows.

Before reading The Angel, I was on the fence about Søren. I wasn’t his biggest fan after the last book but the Angel sheds a lot of light on his past and now I can see why Nora fell in love with him. He is an extremely compelling character with a very dark past. There’s so much that makes up Søren and I think we’ve only scratched the surface.

The other half of the book focuses on Michael, aka The Angel. Michael is struggling to figure out who he is and to accept himself. I loved that Nora and Griffin encouraged him to be himself. Under their tutelage, he sheds his painfully shy exterior and lets out the confident, funny, and thoughtful young man inside. Ultimately I think Michael’s story is one of healing and acceptance. One summer with Nora isn’t going to cure all his problems, but he is getting there.

I have to say that I fell in love with both Michael and Griffin. They were the cutest couple and it was fun watching them both try not to fall in love and failing miserably. I know that the age difference (Michael is 17) might bother some people, but I did not feel that at all. Age is never an issue as they are well matched in personality and maturity.

With each book, I fall deeper into the rabbit hole that Tiffany Reisz has created. Well written, sensual, emotional, and unapologetic, The Original Sinners series is one that you won’t soon forget. I cannot wait to read The Prince, which will give us more insight into Søren and Kingsley’s relationship. I have a feeling it’s going to be the best one yet!

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

 

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Visit the author online at www.tiffanyreisz.com and follow her on Twitter @tiffanyreisz

The Siren - Review

The Siren (The Original Sinners #1) 
by Tiffany Reisz

Publication date: 24 July 2012 by Harlequin MIRA

ISBN 10/13: 0373605692 | 9780373605699
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Category: Adult Erotica/Romance
Keywords: Erotica, romance, BDSM
Format: Paperback, eBook
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book...if it ever sees the light of day.

Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it's no deal.

Nora's grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him...or returning to his bed?

Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

Review:

“Love isn’t always gentle. Sometimes love is rough and brutal. Sometimes it needs to be.”

The quote above is from a free short story on Tiffany Riesz’s website (Daniel, Chapter 7) which is a prequel to Seven Day Loan, in which The Siren’s main character, Nora, first appears. While it isn’t in specific reference to The Siren, I think it perfectly sums up how I felt about the first book in Reisz’s Original Sinner series. Let’s be clear. The Siren is not a traditional love story. The relationships in it are complicated, messy, and painful. Happily ever after is not a foregone conclusion and love doesn’t always conquer all. You’ve been warned.

The Siren is the story of best selling erotica writer and Dominatrix, Nora Sutherlin, who is writing her next and most personal novel. A major publishing house agrees to publish Nora’s book, but only if editor Zach Easton can get the novel up to his high standards in three weeks. Zach doesn’t want to be Nora’s editor, and hopes to intimidate her into quitting. But things don’t work out quite the way that Zach anticipates and he finds himself drawn to Nora and her world. They push each other to their breaking points and each must decide what they really want.

I don’t think I’ve ever met another character like Nora. Unapologetic and full of life, Nora is a woman that you both love and hate. She’s complicated and constantly evolving. Nora is a rare bird in the BDSM world. She’s a switch - a person who can be both dominant and submissive. I think this matches her personality well, as she is a blend of both extreme confidence and extreme vulnerability.

The Siren also has a great cast of male characters. Zach is the hard assed editor who challenges Nora to be a better writer. He’s a bit lost at the beginning of the book, but he eventually finds his way. And Wesley, sweet Wesley. His innocence is such a contrast to Nora and the affection and love they have for each is surprisingly tender. Then there’s Soren, who is probably the most mysterious character on the book. He and Nora have a...complicated relationship. I don’t know if I like Soren or not but I am looking forward to learning more about their relationship as the series continues.

The Siren isn’t for the faint of heart. Don’t expect to come out of it with the warm and fuzzies.Though it broke my heart a little, I think the ending was perfect for these characters. Brutal and raw but also hopeful, The Siren is a book that you will think about long after you’ve put it down.

 

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Visit the author online at tiffanyreisz.com and follow her on Twitter @tiffanyreisz. You can also find some free great short stories set in the Original Sinners world on Tiffany's blog (but read The Siren first).