Limecello’s review of Seduction 101 by Moira Reid
Contemporary Erotic Romance released by Samhain Publishing on 20 May 08
I thought that the premise of this book sounded very interesting. I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers stories. It’s also nice, and actually refreshing, to have a heroine who isn’t a vamp. Sadly, this book was did not deliver, and I found it very disappointing.
The main (and only) female character, Julia, is an idiot. She’s willing to bend over in 4″ heels to try to get a man, but balks at wear a dress that’s low cut, she thinks her good friend is gay for five years, even though they’re coworkers and spend weekends and various other times together. They’re so very close – yet she just upped and decided he’s gay because he doesn’t brag about nailing some tail. She’s also pretentious. We’re told she’s Phi Betta Kappa twice within a few pages. There’s also nothing [that] shocking about the male fantasy of a woman making any meal for him in lingerie (or naked), yet it freaks Julia out for pages.
Another thing that bothered me was the mixing of cultures. Random points from The Art of War – Chinese-and even more random use of the word sensei – Japanese- for even less reason. Nobody goes around randomly saying sensei – not even people who speak Japanese. The similes went too far for me, the imagery was perfect… and then the sentence would continue on, and the description would become cheesy. E.g. “Eric said her name against her lips with [quiet] reverence.” But the sentence is “Eric said her name against her lips with the quiet reverence of someone speaking inside a cathedral.” Considering he’s feeling her up, it just seems wrong.
Eric, the “hero,” annoyed me too. For his part, he couldn’t decide what he was. Obviously he’s nice and sensitive – so much so that Julia thought he was gay (Yeah, I can’t get over that). But once they get together, Eric becomes something of an ass, telling her she has to submit to him, do what he says, etc. Then he tells her she belongs to him. Maybe it’s supposed to be hot – all primitive like the shifter/were-heroes, but the impression I got here, was not the same. It feels like Ms. Reid is trying too hard.
Julia supposedly knows nothing about sex, but she has no problem unzipping the Eric’s pants and grabbing him when they’re only kissing, so really, try pulling the other one. I felt that there was also a extremely unnecessary bondage scene. It didn’t add anything to the sex, or Eric and Julia’s relationship. Reading it only irritated me.
This book read like too many used clichés and badly put together catch phrases and punch lines from other books. The premise could be interesting and cute, but the story does not deliver.
Grade: F
Summary:
No one knows the advertising game better than Julia-sell the sizzle, not the steak. However, selling sirloin and selling herself are two different things. When she tries to generate sizzle in a coworker, he’s more interested in paper shuffling than anything juicy she has to offer.
Eric, her long-time best friend and co-worker, feels the sizzle all right. The sizzle of the rare and beautiful Julia…and a searing jealousy as he watches her try to seduce another man. If Julia is ready to hit the sheets with someone, he’s determined it’s going to be him. But he needs a plan. Like her clients, Julia doesn’t respond to the direct approach; she needs to learn to generate her own heat.
So Eric cooks up his own little continuing education class. Something he likes to call Seduction 101.
Read an excerpt here.
