Review: Exactly the kind of BDSM novel the genre needs more of
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2013
I'll cut to the tl;dr chase: We need more books like this one.I'm not saying that because this was Nobel Prize-contender literary fiction, but because The Seduction Hypothesis is what's missing from so much of the erotica coming out right now: smart, funny erotica written for smart women (and men as well).When the story opens, Lindsey, our erstwhile heroine, is on her way to a con with a group of fellow smart people: grad students, comic book nerds, scientists... In other words, my kind of people. Lindsey is a big fan of Ball and Chain, a fictional graphic novel series with a BDSM theme. When she shared her interest in the novels with her boyfriend, he balked, leading to their breakup. Of course, they'd already made plans to attend the con together, so there they are, heading to the con with the same group of friends, where Lindsey plans to cosplay her favorite character from the series.While there, she meets the creators and is asked to fill in as her favorite character. And when ex-boyfriend Ben sees her in costume, well, he has to confront his own feelings about what Lindsey might have been asking and how he feels about it himself.The Seduction Hypothesis is a quick, fun read, but most of all, it's exactly what I've been looking for. For starters, it skips over the trope that every Dom out there comes with his own Barbie Dreamhouse Dungeon all ready for the spanking. It acknowledges that people come to the world of BDSM at their own pace, and sometimes after balking at it at first. It shows more of the give and take necessary for a couple to really find their way with this type of relationship -- i.e., it's more than checking things off on a pre-printed checklist.Best of all, the book features people who might really exist. Sure, Lindsey has a smoking body (as does Ben), but they are TOTAL DORKS. Ben stumbles his way through everything. They are at a con. Most of their conversations have to do with all manner of nerd-like things. I'm willing to bet that more people who read erotica can relate to these characters than the ultra-suave mega-rich characters currently overpopulating the genre.Give me a nerd in cosplay attire any day of the week. And more in this series, please.This review appeared previously on Goodreads.