Review: Original but flawed ~ 3.5 stars
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2014
"Selling Scarlett" is the first book in the Love Inc. series by Ella James. It is also the first book by this author that I have read. Further, it is the first book I have read that I would deem to be an erotic mystery.The main characters of "Selling Scarlett" are Hunter West, a professional poker player and heir to a bourbon empire, and Elizabeth "Libby" DeVille, the heiress of the DeVille Water Bottle Co., who employs the pseudonym Scarlett. The book is based in California and in Las Vegas, and though Libby is an heiress, she has little money because her mother, and addict, is in and out of rehab. When Libby's best friend ends up in a motorcycle accident and his parents refuse to assist in his care, Libby decides that she will sell her virginity to the highest bidder to pay her friend's expensive bills.Hunter is dealing with his own issues involving blackmail and a missing escort from a brothel called Love, Inc. He has a deep, dark past, but has a soft spot for Libby. After many turns of fate, they live happily ever after.While I'm not sure about the credibility of the information regarding California, I was very disappointed to see that there wasn't any research done on Las Vegas. While I understand that this is a work of fiction, if you are going to use a real place then your facts should be correct. One of the main settings in this story is a brothel set just outside of Las Vegas, which is illegal, as brothels aren't allowed in the entirety of Clark County, Nevada. Based on the description of where the brothel is located, this setting would be an impossibility and I found its inclusion in the story very distracting.In summary, I gave "Selling Scarlet" 3.5-stars based upon my reading of this book. It was a great story concept, though parts were flawed. However, it kept my attention sufficiently that I will probably read more from this author.