Saturday, May 21, 2016

Review: The Virgin

The Virgin
Tiffany Reisz
The Original Sinners:White Years/Book 3
Erotic
Harlequin - MIRA/March 31, 2015

For years, Kingsley Edge warned Eleanor the day would come when she, the mistress of a well-respected Catholic priest, would have to run and hide. She always imagined if that day came she'd be running away with Søren. But instead, she's running from him.

Knowing Søren and Kingsley will their use their influence to bring her back, Eleanor alone, penniless and scared takes refuge at the one place the men in her life cannot follow: the abbey where her mother has taken orders. Behind the cloistered gates of the convent, Eleanor hides from the man she loves and hates in equal measure.

She cannot, however, hide from her true nature. When Eleanor befriends a young virginal nun, she faces a startling sexual awakening. But Eleanor can't stay forever, and the lure of her real life beckons beyond the locked gates. But to follow her fate means to leave Kyrie behind, a sacrifice Eleanor refuses to make.

The lure of the forbidden. The temptation to sin. The price of passion has never been higher, and Eleanor will have to pay it if she ever wants to go home again.

If you're like me and have not read this series, you mind be a little lost at the beginning if you start with The Virgin. I felt like I stepped into the middle of a mystery and all the clue had already been revealed. As the story progresses, we find out how the characters came to be where they are now. This helped tremendously in filling out the characters and what made them tick.

The three main characters are also lovers. Elle, Søren and Kingsley have known each other for years and are comfortable with where their relationship is. But it hasn't always been that way. The author does well in showing how the dynamics of this unique relationship work. Not only are they lovers but they also have serious relationships with other lovers. To put it one way, the beds are busy and always occupied!

As the story begins, Elle, Søren and Kingsley are in Scotland for a wedding. As they prepare for the celebration, talk comes up about something that happened years ago. It's a sensitive subject and one that was never discussed but long overdue. It's Elle and Kingsley who tell the story of what happened twelve years ago. Both went through hell, finding themselves at loose ends with not idea how to get back to their lives or if they even want to go back.

I did feel a little let down when we find out why Elle ran away. She is presented as a strong character but she lets the men in her life push her around and I didn't like that about her. She does seem to have changed as she has aged but it ultimately comes back to putting her needs after Søren and Kingsley's.

Søren and Kingsley are both interesting characters with Kingsley playing a larger role in the story. We didn't see much of Søren so I don't feel I know him as well. He's a Jesuit priest and a sadist with numerous lovers. Yeah, that about says it all.

The two main story lines held my interest if only to see how they end. There was some dragging of the plot and I would have liked more participation from Søren. He was the catalyst for what happened but afterwards almost incidental to the story.

I don't see myself going back and reading the previous books or continuing with the series. While the writing is good, I was not left with any desire to know the rest of the stories.

*This is hardcore BDSM and it gets very intense at times. If you're looking for light BDSM or a traditional romance, you won't find it here.

Rating: C

The Original Sinners Series ~

The Siren
The Angel
The Prince
The Mistress
The Saint
The King
The Virgin
The Queen

2 comments:

  1. Hmm… I believe I still have The Siren in my TBR!! I'm not usually a fan of BDSM in MF romances or elsewhere, unless I know they are well-done. Your review doesn't encourage me to try the series.

    Thanks for the review!

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    Replies
    1. If you're not a fan of BDSM then you should skip this one.

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