The Pleasures of Winter

I am probably the only woman in Ireland who hasn't read Fifty Shades of Grey! I read so many bad reviews about the writing that I decided not to waste my time.

On the other hand, The Pleasures of Winter was recommended to me. And I had read some of the books published by one half of Evie Hunter- yes, this book is a collaboration - by two Irish writers, Eileen Gormley and Caroline McCall.

Now, I don't normally read erotica, but this book is more than simple erotic fiction. It's a good story and it's a love story (OK, I'm a romantic - I need a good romantic story to keep me interested!). While there are plenty of hot sex scenes, and lots of spanking, it wasn't the single purpose of the story. In other words, there is a story, with sex in it. But it's not a story tacked onto the sex. Abbie, the main female character, is three-dimensional, if a bit stereotyped. An independent-minded journalist, with a wishy-washy fiancé, she finds herself on a private plane out of Honduras, where she was following a drug-trafficking story. After the plane crashes in the jungle, she discovers a passion for Jack Winter, a Hollywood actor with a reputation, and a dark secret. (He saves her life a few times too). She finds out, much to her surprise, that being dominated turns her on. She tries to resist Winter's pull, but his love and obsession for her are magnetic!

As I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey, I can't really compare, but I thought that The Pleasures of Winter was well written and was a good story (and I will read the sequel, if there is one). The sex was a bit tamer than I had expected, though. I did read The Ages of Lulu many years ago, and I did find the sex scenes in that book a lot hotter, I have to admit! So maybe that was the yardstick I was using. Must dig that book up and read it again. I was a lot younger when I read it after all!