Review: Everything from the plot to the choice of editor is misguided
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 05 21, 2014
Justice Drake is a big Ahole. Also his name (sadly) isn't Taint. He's some kind of sexpert whose job it is to reinforce gender apartheid and grope his students. These students are married women who have been unknowingly sent on this sex course by their husbands because those same husbands will inevitably get bored of them. Because women, amirite? So in order to keep their meal tickets in their grasping, diamond-dripping hands, these women must become sex virtuosos. And as far as I can see, being a sex virtuoso involves nothing more than realising you have breasts, getting a proper bra and tonguing strippers. But Taint (I'm calling him Taint) can only teach his students how to be sexy by having strippers grind up on him during class (while they indulge in the most lipstick of lesbianism). Taint can't show the class the wonders of the female anatomy by showing them a 3D model or a short film, he must have a medical student (for extra credibility) strip and bring themselves off for them. And if the women want to feel good about themselves, they must strip to their underwear and parade themselves before him. Only he has the last word on whether their fault-ridden bodies are acceptable for their husbands.So you're probably getting some hostility from me right now. To paraphrase the great philosopher Willam Belli, "My tone is very pointed right now." Look, I read romance. I love romance. I love ridiculously outdated alpha behaviour and silly virgins and baby billionaires and, yes, a lot of gender stereotypes. But this book offended me. It's an interesting concept, and it would work well as a way to demolish notions about society's expectations of women and their sexual obligations. But Jennings is happy to treat it seriously. These women are married to rich men who will leave them if they don't learn how to please them sexually. SO LET THEM LEAVE! GET A DAMN JOB! Am I expected to feel sorry for these women? To cheer them on in their endeavours to be lacklustre wh**** for their disinterested husbands just to keep their wallets topped up? Should I feel sorry for the heroine, Ally, as she stares mournfully into the distance, pondering her husband's runaway C***? I get that the husband is at fault here. Obviously. But when Ally is told that her husband sent her to Taint to learn how to better service him, why did she stay? Why didn't she say, as every sensible independent woman would, "F*** that. Gonna wash that man right outta my hair, gonna take my hips to a man who cares."Husbands sending their wives to sex classes without their knowledge as a form of blackmail is disgusting. The women being a bit shuffly and shifty-eyed, knowing they are failing in their wifely duties is unsettling. Taint's words and teaching methods, his aggressive sexism and reinforcement of 'P*rny Women are the Only Women' propaganda is gross.Jennings is a skilful writer but everything from the plot to the choice of editor is misguided. I don't want to read about sex as hollow-eyed currency (but dressed up as 'fun empowerment!'). I don't want to read about women eagerly drinking the Kool-Aid, afraid that their hot instructor will call them prudes if they object. And I don't want to see so many words used in the wrong context. Come on, people. Our vaginas are our own. And if your husband wants to claim he's cheating because you're not hot enough, leave the ba$tard.