Review: Sensual Story with Strong Female Friendships at Its Center
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 30, 2014
“The Worst Dilemma” is a short erotica novel about friendship, looking for love, and making hard decisions about what you really want out of a relationship. Chantrelle, the main character, is a tattoo artist who owns several tattoo parlors and models on the side; when she catches her boyfriend having a three-some in her bed, she’s almost angry enough to give up on love. That is, until she meets the handsome, martial arts instructor Rasheed—and also finds herself physically drawn to her best friend, Ashley. Chantrelle’s other friends also struggle with relationship woes of their own, and each woman gets her own space in the story to explore her sexuality and find fulfillment.This book is spicy and for adults only, which should appeal to erotica fans, but the best part of it is the richness of the female friendships—Chantrelle, Ashley, Ariel, and Alexis are all realistic and have their own distinct personalities, and they fight, have fun, and look out for each other’s best interests just as real women do. You come to care about Chantrelle and her choice between Rasheed and Ashley, as well as about Ariel and her search for happiness at the White Lotus. The friendships reminded me of a short version of Jennifer Weiner’s “Little Earthquakes” or “Waiting to Exhale.” (Though this is a series, so I imagine we will learn more about these women in future installments.) I did take away one star because the book could use a cleaner edit—there are some spelling/grammar errors, as well as misused words that are a little distracting. However, it’s still a good read and I would recommend it to erotica fans who are looking for a sensual book with more depth and complexity than is usual in this genre.