Private Pleasures (Pleasures Series) [Paperback]

Bertrice Small (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pleasures Series | Publication Date: July 5, 2005

Nora Buckley's worst nightmare has just come true. After years of being a devoted, dutiful housewife, she's found out her husband is leaving her for a younger woman. Then her friends let her in on their delicious and dirty little secret. It's called The Channel, and it lets every woman unleash passions beyond her wildest dreams. Suddenly Nora is living out her most intimate and sensuous fantasies-and before long, she realizes she can have everything she ever wanted.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bertrice Small is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five historical romances and four erotic novellas. She has been married to her husband, George, for forty years. They have a son, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Signet (July 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451216075
• ISBN-13: 978-0451216076
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bertrice Small is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 34 novels in print. She lives in the oldest English-speaking town in New York state. Her website is bertricesmall.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hit and Miss, October 25, 2004

By 

Kim "Kim" (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Private Pleasures (Pleasures Series) (Paperback)

I wanted to like this book as several friends had recommended it but I just really couldn't get into it. I don't necessarily need a HEA, especially in erotica but this wasn't erotica either.

Whether it's erotic romance, erotica or whatever, I need to be able to like the main character and Nora was likeable for a while but by the end her change of personality was neither likeable nor believable.

The sex was all right, some of it was downright hot, the premise of the story and the idea of the Channel was interesting enough although I liked it in Videodrome better.

All in all, I walked away annoyed and not convinced of much, I thought the dialog was stilted in many places and the character development was weak. I have liked some of Small's other works but this one really wasn't one of them.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Different Type Of Story From A Great Author!, July 27, 2004

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Private Pleasures (Pleasures Series) (Paperback)

This is a new direction for Ms. Small. As a result people should avoid comparing it to her older works such as the Skye O'Malley series. This is a contemporary romance with a little sci-fi thrown in for a twist.

Nora Buckley's perfect little world has come crashing down around her. Her husband has finally asked for a divorce after playing the field for many years. Nora has been so busy being super mom, and super housewife that she now finds herself having to fight her retched husband for her very existance. Her friend turns her on to a special channel that plays out your most secret fantasy. Before she knows it Nora is living in two worlds literally. One is reality, and the other one is with Kyle in the channel and it's sinful, steamy, and sensual to say the least. But can she have it both?

As I stated earlier this is a departure from what Ms. Small has penned in the past and as a result some long time fans may have a problem with the setting. It should also be stated that this is a shorter story then most of her other stories and as a result not as in-depth as we are used to as well. This book is not just sex and there is in fact the storyline regarding Jeff and Nora's break-up that is rather detailed. In any event this story was entertaining and one I would recommend for a fast read. Ms. Small is one of the best and you should come to this story with an open mind.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dull and Frustrating, May 2, 2007

By 

Lux Valentine "professional troublemaker" (West Chester, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Pleasures (Pleasures Series) (Paperback)

I was beyond disappointed with Small's novel. Not only did the ending make little to no sense at all, but the whole work was obviously overlooked by an editor. There were plenty of spelling errors, not to mention horrible exposition and a tremendous problem with redundancy. If you somehow skim over an event, don't worry: It will probably be explained three more times. (Por ejemplo: The main character--Nora--does something or other. She calls up her best friend to tell her what happened. Her best friend tells her husband. Nora calls both her children and her mother and tells them what happened. And so on.)

And granted: I'm aware that this is fiction, even fantastical fiction. But the novel is written so poorly and so unrealistically that I keep being drawn out of the story by the characters' unbelievable conversation and ways of speaking, especially the men in this story--aside from Jeff--who speak somewhat femininely and are all wrapped up in interpersonal relationships. Small knows her audience is primarily women, but that's no reason to be sloppy about it.

As a previous reviewer mentioned, Nora is not even likable. Her blind trust and naivety is nauseating, and will annoy many modern readers. The only reason readers may experience any sympathy from her is because she's a foil to her husband Jeff, who has not one likable characteristic to his name. I kept turning the pages in hopes that Nora would kick him in the crotch or something to that effect. Alas.