Review: Great book when taken in context
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 20, 2012
I enjoy reading reviews of books almost as much as I enjoy reading the book itself, and after reading the negative reviews of "The Harlot Bride" I'm convinced that they are coming from readers who are just ignorant to the genre of authentic Victorian erotica. Yes, the main character Lucy Farquar endures some seriously painful discipline at the hands of Edward Tazewell, but that's typical of Victorian erotica. Despite the buttoned-up image of the era, the Victorians had a very dark and edgy side that extended into their sexuality. Look at some of the photography from the period - there's birching and caning and tawsing - hardly the erotic OTK stuff some readers like.This is why it always pays to read the description before buying the book; it saves you the time of reading something you don't like and it spares the author the bad reviews of readers who should know better. Brutal Victorian erotica isn't my favorite, either. And I was less than thrilled by the ending (hence the four stars). But the book was well-written, historically accurate and chock full of sex and spankings. I'd recommend it, but ONLY for those who can handle its content.