Review: Escape From the Harem (Oriental Affairs Book 1) by Daria Charon
Erotic Romance
Released: November 1, 2014
Self Published
Reviewed by Sheena
Favorite Quote: “…Marry me at last?” The relief made Kate feel weak at the knees. “So that I can be the mother of your children? If that is the case, I’ll probably never find out what a condom is.”
This is either going to be epic….or horrible….my thoughts as I began this novel. I expected something different, knew it would be explicitly sexy, knew it would feel historical-ish and maybe even a little bizarre. I can honestly say this was a very different book. I have never read anything like it and that alone was interesting. Heroine Laila is a young girl, on the brink of womanhood who lives her life at a Harem. Her mother fell in love with the Pasha (Ottoman Empire reigning Harem King as it were) and took Laila to live the life of what amounts more to a little more than a sex slave. Laila is ushered into the world of the Harem women who live to serve the Pasha when she is little more than a girl and dreams of nothing but to one day be called as one of his favorites, bringing honor to herself as well as her mother who has since fallen from favor and is a shadow of the woman who first arrived at the Harem.
I have some serious problems with Laila as a character. I never felt like I knew her, seemingly overnight she changes from aspiring to be a favorite among the women, to a brave rebel who wants to see the world and live a different life. She blows hot and cold, this way and that way and I never made a connection with her as she was never believable. She held no credibility for me with her many shifts in motivations and characterization. Hero, Justin Grenville is a slave, captured as a lad for a ransom that was never paid and sent to live in the Orient Harem where Laila was raised. There is a deadly sibling power struggle and the Pasha is usurped by his younger, apparently evil brother Karim (though he never really comes across as soooo bad to me- he freed many of the slaves in goodwill when he took power and granted Laila mercy when she needed it the most). Karim frees Justin, a virgin who has never known the touch and feel of a woman, and he sails home to London- unknowing that Laila has stowed away and awaiting him in his cabin. They strike a bargain of sorts, he ensures her safety aboard the voyage to London and she will teach him how to love a woman. Author Daria Charon does a far more appealing job writing Justin as a hero. His motivations are clear. You sympathize with him, you root for him and he is consistent in his behaviors. I was moved by Justin and wanted nothing more than to transport myself to him and show him my own ways of….loving.
“Is that all now?” he asked with mock disappointment. She smiled, and his heart hammered painfully against his ribs. “For everything else you need a lover, not a teacher.” He looked into her violet eyes, which were shining like jewels. he would have loved to ask her if she wanted to be his lover, but he didn’t want to go too far, and instead he settled for pulling her head to his shoulder and putting his arms around her. Cuddled up like this they dozed off and enjoyed each other’s closeness and warmth.
Justin Dreamed.
He loves her and she is indifferent. The most consistent Laila was in this story was on the boat voyage to London. She was strong and guarded. She had cracks in her exterior and softened and hardened toward Justin with the rolling waves. As a woman I raged for her, I hated her mother for essentially selling her child to chase after a man. I loathed her lot in life and was proud when she made choices to protect herself. unfortunately the time aboard th vessel was too short and Laila became unrecognizable to me once more. They arrive in London and to Justin’s horror, Laila runs off into the night and flees to her grandfather’s estate.
What the hell?
The next series of events, sees Laila with a name change (Kate, as it were) rebuffing an arranged marriage by her cantankerous grandfather, and forming a life saving alliance with a rich widow who sees a kindred spirit in Laila. It is like a completely different story has been dumped in my lap. It is jarring and kept me on edge- in a bad way. Laila lives her new life and assumed identity as a down on her luck widow for a while and runs into Justin again- needless to say- he is freaked the hell out to see her and they reconnect in a turbulent way.
There is more push and pull between them. More twists and turns, but I was checked out by the time Laila tried to publicly pretend as if she did not know Justin and then regress to the Laila we met in the beginning of the story. I no longer had a dog in the fight. I suppose there is a HEA, I think Justin was wasted as a character in this story. The novel had potential to be amazing. Justin gave me a deep, emotionally driven male reminiscent of Antonio Bandares’ character in Original Sin….Justin was written THAT good, that much depth and meat. But Laila/Kate was unrecognizable from scene to scene and the story twists were too much for me, fiction or not- especially when the allegedly dastardly Karim arrives in London to see the sights (and maybe procure more women) *throws hands up* Yeah, that was probably my breaking point.
As an erotic romance, there was plenty of sexy times and I was in smexy heaven…scenes ranged from sensual to smutty to clinical to passionate to YES JUSTIN YES *flings panties across room* Then there was this:
She rubbed the swollen lips slowly and started to thrust her fingers into the thirsting crack in the same rhythm as she was moving the dildo in her mouth.
Now this gave me pause. I literally had to put my e-reader down. Thirsting crack. I thought I had read it all, from weeping flower, to pink folds to cunt to snatch to throbbing pussy…but this “thirsting crack” lingo is a new one. Ha!
Though this novel kept me off-balance and gave me some trouble, the next book is about Laila’s benefactress, Serena who was an absolute spitfire, and Pasha Karim…and I just may check it out…
Grade: C
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