Review: Danger, Sexual Awakening, and an Interesting Plot
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 28, 2014
“Dawning Passion” is the first in an erotica/suspense series featuring Juliane (Julie for short), a young woman whose marriage is unfulfilling and whose life is lonely. Though she’s only been married for one year at the start of the book, she and her husband aren’t happy—Daniel travels for work and sees her infrequently, and on top of that he’s suggested that they both try one “freebie” infidelity.Julie takes him up on his suggestion and finds herself plunged into a sexual awakening she couldn’t have imagined, as well as into a very dangerous situation—taking lovers goes too far, and even fleeing to America to where her husband now works won’t give her a new start.“Dawning Passion” is well-plotted, with Julie’s exploration of her sexuality (and eventually others’ exploitation of it) progressing in a way that keeps the pages turning with suspense. Though there are few female characters—Julie and Tanja are really it—they are complex and memorable; Erich and Horst also have distinct personalities that project off of the page. I also enjoyed Julie’s progression through the novel of a victim (of a bad marriage, of sexual manipulation, etc.) to a woman who has begun to take charge of her own life and lust. The sensual scenes are frequent but not overly explicit; recommended to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction and erotica that is not too graphic.