12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great erotic scenes, but with the same old romance plot..., September 13, 2006
This review is from: Show Me (Aphrodisia) (Paperback)
The premise for this erotic novel seemed interesting. After all, it is the story of a young Regency lady wanting to explore her sexuality and the man who teaches her how to pleasure herself. But soon it becomes a typical romance in the tradition of Judith McNaught and Eloisa James. Miss Portia Carew's reputation is practically ruined. Her fiancé leaves her after she gives him her virginity. To make matters worse, he boasts about his conquest and tells everyone that Portia is of "easy virtue." Now in an effort to salvage what remains of her reputation, Portia and her mother go as guests at the Barrington estate to attend assemblies, with her mother hoping Portia will land a husband and save them from ruin and social ostracization. But Portia doesn't want to be married. She wants to learn how to pleasure herself and not rely on a man for anything ever again. And a trip to the erotica section at the Barrington library is when lessons of erotic delights with the handsome and dashing Mr. Knightson begin. Escaping the clutches of a widow, Knightson goes to the Barringtons' to run away from the marriage market, for he has no intention of ever marrying anyone, but things change when he meets the lovely, wanton Portia...
The scenes where Portia shatters her inhibitions and discovers the depths of her sexuality are quite enjoyable. That is, after all, the reason why I picked up this novel. Celia May Hart has a talent for describing the sensations the heroine goes through as she's being taught certain things. I wanted erotica without the usual emotional entanglements found in romance novels. Well... a little emotion isn't a bad thing at all, but I wanted the erotica aspect to be the main theme of this book. I like erotica with a plot, but a plot that is different from others I've read. I had a hard time enjoying this novel to the full because Knightson is a cad from beginning to almost the end. His treatment of Portia, the misunderstandings and the ultimate humbling and apologizing reminded me of a Judith McNaught novel. I like JM and she is one of my favorite authors, but this kind of storyline is what I want to get away from at the moment, for I'm a bit worn out of romance novels and want to read something different. But it wasn't meant to be. Well, on a positive note, at least Portia has a mind of her own and isn't a ninny. The Regency aspects are fine, kind of anachronistic at times, but that is to be expected from an erotica. All in all, Show Me is an okay read. The Aphrodisia imprint, though far more explicit than anything Kensington has produced before, is still a long way away from being Black Lace and other more explicit erotic imprints. Let's see if they can release more original material in the future.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!!, February 3, 2007
This review is from: Show Me (Aphrodisia) (Paperback)
I loved this book. It is about a strong young woman who starts out believing she wants nothing to do with men, and so must learn to pleasure herself. She is observed in the midst of this self exploration by an incredible man of passion and expertise. The very sexy hero takes our young heroine on a journey of carnal exploration that is (sigh) amazing.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but not great., December 20, 2006
This review is from: Show Me (Aphrodisia) (Paperback)
Compared to other books I've read published by Aphrodisia, this book was relatively tame. Though I did enjoy reading it, at times I wished the main male character, Knightson, could have been a little less 2 dimentional. I know this is erotica and I shouldn't ask for much in the character development department, but I've read better. The ending dissapointed me the most. It just somehow seemed rushed. But, overall, like I wrote earlier, I did enjoy reading this book and would still recommend it for anyone looking to get lost in erotica with a 19th century British twist.
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