I debated for a while on whether or not I would also review erotica on this blog. Eventually I decided yes. I am reading them; they are counting towards the challenge; why not? I have very eclectic reading tastes and this blog is obviously going to be reflecting that.I’ve read a couple of Shayla Black’s other books from a different shared universe series and have read nothing of Lexi Blake’s. Shayla Black’s writing isn’t the best technically and her characters do tend to fall into certain stereotypes, but the story is usually engaging, the sex scenes are steamy, and I always know what I’m getting when I go into one. There will always be an Alpha male (and if the story involves another guy, a sensitive, caring one), a feisty female, and a killer she’s on the run from. So far these things have been in every Shayla Black book I have read and this one does not disappoint.One thing I do want to mention about this book that was a major draw for me: this series, like her Wicked Lovers series, is a shared universe series. I loved shared universes. I will read series that I would normally pass on if they are this. A shared universe series is one where each novel doesn’t share the same characters or story line. They are tied together by the world they involve. Many times the main characters of another novel in the series will cameo in different installments. I just love these. A lot of the time for fun I will start with the second or third books before the first and then work my way through the series in the order of the characters and plots that most interest me, which sometimes leads to confusion, but I find it fun.The shared universe is both a strength and weakness in this story. In the fictional country of Bezakistan the norm for the royal families is for all the brothers to share one bride so they can all share the inheritance. Thin reasoning for socially acceptable quads, especially given that most of the men in this series are not from Bezakistan, but at least there was an attempt at an explanation for why no one seems to care about these strange relationship configurations. It gets confusing, though, when Black and Blake try to introduce men who will star in their own future installments in a way that is relevant to the current plot. Each book will feature three men. This gets hard to keep track of fast when in one chapter there are men either present or continuously name-dropped from the first book, the current one, and at least two future books. That’s like at least 12 dudes. I was so lost in that chapter that aside from the guys with Bezakistan names and the protagonists I was like “I am not even going to try to keep track of who is who.”Things I liked about this book: Compared to the Wicked Lovers books I read, the men all had a bit of nuance to them and I actually liked them as people. Dane is definitely Alpha, but he isn’t a total dick and he respects Alea. Landon is the caring one, but he is also sensitive about his intelligence. Cooper is the funny one (?) who just doesn’t want to be left out because he doesn’t always see himself as having a defined place in the relationship. Alea has gone through a terrible kidnapping ordeal and her attempts to push away her feelings for the guys is believable even if it is quickly moved past in the name if desert island sex scenes! Blake and Black do at least try to address her issues with intimacy in a drawn out way (or more drawn out than most erotica I’ve read).Things I didn’t like: The plot was thin, thin, thin. I knew who the kidnapper/attempted killer was by the first chapter. The pregnancy plot was so forced that even the characters commented on the fantastical things that had to happen logistics-wise to justify it even happening. After the sex finally happens the inevitable “break-up for drama” part had to happen, which also felt forced. I enjoyed reading the book for what it was, but I had to wonder what the story would have looked like if Black and Blake had let a story come out organically from the characters’ interaction. There was definitely enough there to each character, and for the plot as it was introduced in the first chapter, for there to be a good, hot story without all the ridiculous plot twists that were used to make everything more Exciting.Overall, I had a pretty good idea what I was getting when I opened this book, and it definitely delivered on that front. I was surprised by the level of characterization to all three guys and to Alea, but the plot was not the strongest I have seen out of Black. Still a good read, and I will definitely be reading other books in this universe to see if the faults improve (or get worse). (originally posted on pmshine.wordpress.com) This book was perfect escapism reading. Have you ever wanted to be a real princess? Have you ever wanted to be stranded on an island paradise? Have you ever wanted to be a princess, stranded on an island paradise with ridiculously hot, protective, and frequently funny men? Yeah, me too. This book was a super quick, ultra lite read and I enjoyed it immensely. It doesn't have a super intricate plot or a whole lot a mystery, but it was certainly enjoyable. The characters were likable and I especially liked how much the characters' insecurities (and they all have them) and their jealousies played out in the book. In so many menage books, jealousy is skirted over, but in this book, at least for the first half, jealousy is an issue. Alea, our heroine, is recovering (stagnating) at the beginning of this book after being kidnapped and tortured for months. Alea's psychological and emotional trauma is at the centre of this book and her character, and I am not entirely sure how I feel about that. In particular, the resolution to her trauma seems a little too neat and tidy for me. A note on the setting is needed. Am I the only one who thinks it is hilarious to create a fictional country in the Middle East, where some women marry multiple men and are known to have kinky sex with them all while enjoying vast amounts of wealth? Whenever I read the work Bezakistan I cracked up just a little.All in all, a fun, quick read with likable characters and more than a touch of escapist fantasy. Also, a bit of an obsession with balls... just sayin'.
What do You think about Their Virgin Princess (2013)?
Prince's and hot sex. That is all that needs to be said.
—angie
