Saturday, September 14, 2013

LUNCH by Karen Moline

Avon, April 1996 (re-released 2013)
paperback
Obtained via:  publisher
ISBN: 978-0-06-227011-5
Erotic Fiction


Karen Moline has penned a dark and very disturbing tale of loneliness, desire, self hatred and desperation from the point of view of a superstar’s best friend and confidant.  LUNCH is not a steamy erotic tale ala Fifty Shades of Gray.  It is, however, well written with a psychological roller coaster ending that leaves readers both sad and pleased at the same time.

Late to a lunch date at a trendy London restaurant, renowned artist Olivia Morgan meets the acquaintance of superstar Nick Muncie and his bodyguard M.  When she shows no interest in him, Nick, who is used to his fame and his sexual charisma always getting him what he wants, is all the more entranced.  With M’s help, Nick commissions a portrait from Olivia and sets the stage to seduce her.  While Olivia thinks herself impervious to Nick’s charm, she is strangely drawn to him while he sits over several weeks for the portrait.  Soon she finds herself having lunchtime trysts that turn into a destructive cycle of overwhelming sex and submission.

Karen Moline’s LUNCH is truly a sad and disturbing story.  It is a uniquely well written tale told through the eyes of a third party, one who watches the entire story secretly taping the entire affair as it unfolds for the benefit of a superstar not used to hearing the word no.

It is sadly difficult to believe readers will become invested in any of the characters and perhaps that is why this story fails to receive a higher rating.  Nick and even M to some extent were both deeply emotionally scarred growing up and that carried into their adult lives sexually.  Neither character ever really knew love and didn’t know what to do with it when they saw it.  Olivia fell into Nick’s seductive games and then couldn’t find a way out.  Ultimately, it was M who had to rescue her.  The erotica was dark and lacked the emotional aspects most erotic novels show today.  And though the ending wrapped up this tragic story nicely, it did nothing to leave readers feeling anything but sad.  


Reviewed by T. Barringer
"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book."

 


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