Review: story about a couple that wants to make each other happy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 30, 2011
Short, quick, well written erotica novella.At it's heart this is a story about a married couple who want to make each other happy sexually. It isn't any more complicated than that. When Margie figures out that maybe Evan might be curious/interested about having an encounter with a male one evening, she makes it happen for him as a birthday present on the eve of his 30th birthday.The two of them are young and stupid in love. They position this as a last hurrah before they settle down to mature, responsible adulthood.So Margie sounds out Paul. He is a bouncer at their favorite neighborhood bar and, because Margie does her research, she knows he's bi and might just be receptive. Having seen Margie and Evan frequent the bar, Paul is intrigued and attracted to the idea. He's in. Although Margie also participates, it is mostly to allow Evan to explore that side of his sexuality.What follows is an intense but very much enjoyable few hours for all three.I admit it, I am a fangirl of Cara Mckenna. As I have said in other reviews I've written of her work, I just plain old like her written voice. She makes erotica both intelligent and accessible. What could be a very awkward prospect, somehow becomes very simple, almost matter-of-fact in her story. Maybe it is because she makes her characters for the most part well adjusted and easy in their own sexuality?It was interesting reading this book and contrasting it with another of her books that explored the same theme, Ruin Me. In that book, a member of the couple was also intrigued by another guy and is given permission to explore a bit. Reading this book was almost like reading a mirror image of that one. I like how she explored the same themes but with different personalities, different levels of trust and with different outcomes. It showcases a very nuanced writing sensibility.Highly recommended