While reading this book, I found myself skimming through some of the pages. I love reading erotica, but I would have to pass on this book.

What started out as a clever ploy to get in as many fantasies in a smut book as possible turned into an interesting story.

I even found a thought provoking snip about the sexuality of women overwhelming some men to the point that they reduce her to an object or a simple 'whore'. I found this part of the story heartbreaking as Mona 'found herself' in this persona and found out that many people (in general of course) would not be able to accept her.
While her tastes do not particularly appeal to me (there are just certain things that do not belong in my body *shudder*) I would not judge her for what she does in the privacy of her own home with consenting adults.

Anyways.
Good times are had by all with minimal angst. If you are looking for a down and dirty love fest this should certainly be on your list. We even get a happy ending riding off into the sunset (yay no cliffhangers!).

***5 ‘Our Little Secret’ Stars***

Why did I not dive into this book sooner?

Okay, I know WHY, but I think it’s still a valid question to put forth even if it’s a rhetorical one because I’m actually kicking my own ass right now for taking so damn long to finally get my shit together and read it. The Red was nothing like I thought it would be and yet everything that makes me happy when I willingly dive head first into the rabbit hole.

So what did it for me? The entire concept of the book did it for me. I loved how the artwork was integrated into the story and how it was brought to life in a most erotic, titillating and enticing way that had my panties melting. The fantasy aspect was done very well. It had me questioning my own sanity at one point. Okay, may be more than one, but I had to keep from jumping ahead to see if my guesses were correct. (I didn’t. I was good and felt very well rewarded in the end.)

Now for the topic that I’ve seen brought up in other reviews. Is this a romance? According to the last bit in the book’s description it isn’t. It is erotic fantasy. According to me? No, but connections are made and emotions run high, so IMHO a relationship is formed, just not in a conventional way. Am I okay with that? Yes. Yes I am.

I just finished the book and now I want to re-read it and look up all the artists and pieces that are used in it now. I’m a bit of an art closet geek. I didn’t in the first run because I just didn’t want to interrupt the flow of the story, but now I can, and most likely will.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Utterly delicious kinky smut of the best kind. Ms. Reisz takes us on a ride through art, kink, domination and submission and oh, you do NOT want to miss this one.

This is erotica, not erotic romance, so be clear about what you'll be getting. It's a quality addition to Ms. Reisz's body of work.

I'm picky AF about written kink, but I know I can trust this author because she gets it RIGHT.

I loved this book. A fan of the Siren and the Original Sinners series, this tale drew me in immediately. Loved!

A smoking hot read, be prepared going in. This is erotica, so expect it to be erotic. While there is a storyline attached, the steamy scenes are the star of this novel. I say be prepared because each chapter delves into a different…kink so to say. Some may not be to your tastes while others might have you needing a cold shower. If you are uncomfortable with having your sexual boundaries pushed, you may want to pass this one up.

That being said, if you are an erotica fan, this is definitely a novel for you. I won’t ruin the ending, but can say that, while unexpected, fit the story perfectly. This is the first novel I have read from Reisz, but it won’t be the last. A talented writer as well as storyteller with original creative ideas when it comes to sex, I look forward to reading more from her.

This book was truly amazing. It was one of the hottest reads I was fortunate enough to get in my hands this year. I couldn't recommend it more! I gave it a 5-star rating on Goodreads & Amazon.

Received a free copy from NetGalley

This book wasn't my cup of tea , I really struggled my way through it .
Initially i drawn to it because the plot sounded interesting but this wasn't for me .
The character were not believable , the sex scenes were very weird and there wasn't enough storytelling for me .

However I liked how the art aspect was introduced and utilised in the book.

This was the first time I have read something from this author and I fear it might be my last.

I didn't think I was a fan of erotica until I read this book. Wow, talk about hot! It isn't just about the kinky stuff though, as there is also a really good story. Great ending too.

There is no one but Smart Bitches, Trashy Books to blame for the 500% increase in romance novels on my Kindle. The problem with breaking in a new genre is that you don't know how to find the gems; I'm good at finding the right fantasy and sci fi books for me, but I never had the context for romance before.

But now, I have a neverending supply of romance novels highly rated by smart feminists with good taste, and I am rolling in it.

This is where I read this review of The Red, by Tiffany Reisz. I don't know that I've ever read published erotica before; there's plenty of that in fanfic, whether you're looking for it or not. But the review was glowing, and I was curious, and the book was on Netgalley, so now I'm reviewing erotica, which....does that change the rating on this blog?

I have specific critiques that would get kind of X-rated, so let's skip that. I'll say that I really liked the structure, how the protagonist and her lover came to an agreement--a sexual relationship for a year that includes whatever he wants, in exchange for enough money to save her art gallery (called, titularly, The Red), delivered in the form of art. I loved how much pleasure the deal gave her, and the balance between Malcolm's demanding dominance and his desire to bring her happiness.

My main complaint came toward the end, so I'll be vague for spoilery reasons: I found the relationship at the end to be way TOO alpha-male takes what he wants. I think the book tried to pull off a switch where my goodwill was transferred from one situation to another, and the switch didn't quite work for me.

But we're talking last-ten-pages quibbles. If what you're looking for is a fun, sexy story that's a little bit fantasy and a little bit kinky, this is a really nice starting place. It reminded me of the things I like about sexy fanfic, but it managed to do those things while getting me invested in characters I've never met before, which I think is pretty impressive.

There. I reviewed erotica. But I think, new rule: no Netgalley requests that I'd be embarrassed to talk to my coworkers about!

Full body of review:

Title: The Red
Author: Tiffany Reisz
Genre: Erotica/Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
Page Count: 235
Publication Date: July 11th, 2017

Plot (from goodreads):
Mona Lisa St. James made a deathbed promise that she would do anything to save her mother's art gallery. Unfortunately, not only is The Red painted red, but it's in the red.

Just as she realizes she has no choice but to sell it, a mysterious man comes in after closing time and makes her an offer: He will save The Red if she agrees to submit to him for the period of one year.

The man is handsome, English, and terribly tempting...but surely her mother didn't mean for Mona to sell herself to a stranger. Then again, she did promise to do anything to save The Red...

The Red is a standalone novel of erotic fantasy from Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author of The Bourbon Thief and the Original Sinners series.

Review:
First off trigger/content warnings, cause this book is a lot: dubious consent, magical drugging (possibly? definitely magic altering perspective without the person knowing fulling that's going to happen), minotaur sex(I don't know how else to describe that scene?).

I don't even know else to mention - if you're hesitant, put yourself first, but if you've got any clarifying question I don't mind answering here or on twitter. (you can even ask me to follow so you can DM me and it isn't public, completely fine).

I was enjoying this book at different levels at different points. Up until the halfway point I was just kind of like meh, the characters felt more flat then her others have, and the plot felt predictable. And, even predicting it, the minotaur sex scene was weird. And I'm good with weird, fine with weird but... it was almost weird for me? Not weird enough I DNFed the book, though, which... you have to go far for me to do that, I'm pretty meh.

I did like that it kind of fucked everything up, though, plot wise. Overall, besides that scene we're not mentioning again, the sex scenes were pretty well written. Not as good as some I've read by her, but I think that's just because she used the word 'prick' a few times, which is not a sex scene word to me and made me wince. Why. Don't use prick in a sex scene, it's not sexy.

Otherwise, I wasn't attached to either of our main characters through out most of the book - Mona and Malcolm - but, by the end, I did really like both of them. Didn't love either of them, but I would 100% read a prequel about Malcolm's life before this book, it sounds bonkers. And I'm just in that?

Tiffany Reisz I hold to higher standards then I probably should, just because I love her Original Sinners series so much - a ridiculous amount, I'm not even kidding. I'd get an eighth circle tattoo, probably, after it's been a few more years. I just love those characters so much. This was still good, even though I was hesitant to go into it because she compares it to Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty series, which I put the first book down after ten pages. Phew, those are... hard to read.

This one isn't as hard to read as that, things start off consensual and it does feel muddied at points. However, I did appreciate that when she does tell him to stop and leave, he does stop and leave. He doesn't stay away forever, but the ball is more in her court to start things again then is.

Overall, if you want a fun and weird as fuck at points erotica book that's written well, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out. However, I'd recommend checking out her other series more. Her Men at Work series - Harlequin style romance series, super cute and pretty steamy. If you don't mind a trigger/content warning list as long as my entire body, I cannot recommend Original Sinners highly enough. The characters, the writing, the sex scenes are not cringey. There is some bloodplay though in the very beginning of the second book, just to give an example of how real it gets.

If you end up checking this one out, or any of her other books - or you already have - please let me know, I'd love to talk to you. Especially if you, too, worship the ground that Kingsley Edge walks on.

Happy reading!

(links to goodreads and to buy here)

Well this was not the book I was expecting. I thought this would just be your normal run of the mill type erotic novel, but I should have known better. This book contained a lot of steamy encounters obviously as it is erotica after all, but it also contained a distinct air of mystery and intrigue. Don't let the fact that a lot of paintings are referenced in this tale put you off, a simple google search will enlighten the reader enough, although as I was not familiar with a lot of the paintings mentioned I really should have done so myself. But my lack of knowledge about the paintings did not hinder my enjoyment of the story, as they were described in such a way that there was not any need to. The writing was superb at building and maintaining an air of mystery around Mona's benefactor Malcolm. But pleased be warned, this is not an erotic romance by any stretch of the imagination so do not read it if that is what you are wanting, do read it if you want excellent writing, a bit of education in art and a super sexy mysterious main character.

Tiffany Reisz has written one hot and sexy read with a touch 9f fantasy. Her characters were wonderfully written with some really great chemistry and were very intriguing. This story captured me from page one. Truly a must read if you enjoy fantasy erotic fiction. Mona Lisa St, James loves art and The Red the art gallery her mother owned. Mona Lisa made a deathbed promise to her mother that she will do whatever she has to, to keep The Red opened. Malcolm is a stranger who comes in one night and offers Mona Lisa help in saving The Red on one condition she submit to him. This was an exciting read and I highly recommend this book.

This, unfortunately, didn't do it for me and ended up on my DNF shelf.

"The Red" was one of those books I read in 2 sittings. It is an erotic romance with a intriguing plot. The main character owns an art gallery that is going under. She receives an unusual offer from a mysterious man that will save it. He offers expensive art in return for a few nights for one year of unconditional sexual meetings. The books gives a little "50 shades" feeling of the unknown without the indecision and hesitation on her part. The ending was completely unexpected to me and was a nice twist I found it to be an easy and enjoyable read. If you like your books HOT with a little bit of the unusual, check this book out.

Yowza! Is this book ever smokin’! I’ve read two other books by Reisz, but they were more on the contemporary side. I loved them both, so I didn’t hesitate to grab The Red, which definitely falls more in the erotica realm. It’s so well written and has a dreamy, magical feel that I got completely lost in. It really is an intriguing story that involves making a deal with a mysterious stranger. What a delicious stranger he is!

Mona is a great character. I love how she is unapologetic and owns what she agrees to. No only that, but truly enjoys it. It’s cool the way the story unfolds and how art in incorporated, and I was absolutely thrilled with the ultimate outcome.

I need more Reisz in my life!

This book was exactly as advertised: pure, one hundred percent erotica. The Red is amongst some of the more explicit erotIca I've ever read. It had the lovely imaginative writing that is the hallmark of any Tiffany Reisz novel, and while I enjoyed its hotness, I felt it needed more character development and a stronger finish. 4 stars for fulfilling its erotic promise, but not something I particularly loved.

Where to begin? Ok, this was my first Tiffany Reisz book, and although I wasn't crazy about it, it won't be my last. I really want to read her Original Sinners series. But alas, this book was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so here we go.

So the sex scenes at times were really hot, and other times just really really weird and borderline silly. I think I may have given a few eye-rolls here and there. I mean, it was unique, I'll give her that, but I just don't think I could appreciate the story as well as other people might. The whole nymph and satyr thing... I just couldn't. I could not! It was just so... just... weird! So a few scenes set aside, it wasn't really that bad of a concept. It had an odd "twist" at the end, which of course was just SO not believable, but whatever. It's a story of fiction. It was a short 200 page book that I read in an afternoon that had a handful of hot scenes. It passed the time while I was home sick in bed. I'm actually surprised at how high the ratings are on this. I must be the minority here. Again, it wasn't BAD, just not really my cup of tea. I am much more excited to read some of her more popular books.

Mona Lisa ST. James made a death bed promise to her avant garde mother that she would save "The Red"; her mothers art gallery. In order to do that she accepts a deal with the "devil" She'll do whatever he asks for a period of one year, with encounters once or twice a month. Each of their liaisons is based on an actual painting; which I found fascinating! Their relationship is very complex and there are several twists I did not see coming. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

I saw this gorgeous beauty on NetGalley and the stunning cover simply called to me. Then I read the description and was so curious. Something about the idea of famous artwork as inspirations spoke to me and it sounded so different than what I normally read and I decided it would be a fun guilty pleasure summer read for me.

The story was a very quick read. It was heavily naughty, and in ways that didn't speak to me at all. However, it must be someone's cup of tea?? I was intrigued by the story and I knew it would change gears so I was happy to keep reading because I was so curious about Mona and Malcolm's relationship and I could not wait for the reveal to make sense.

The ending was not at all what I expected, and without giving anything away, it did make sense, but not in the way I'd hoped. It was absolutely interesting, but I was disappointed that the ending came about with a <spoiler>paranormal/supernatural explanation that really working it out.</spoiler> <i>note:</i> that wasn't really a spoiler, but it would give things away and I'm such a spoiler phobe that I would not want to ruin for someone in any way.

Rec this? Sure, it was different and I think fans of this author will probably love it. The writing style is so smooth and she definitley pulled me into the story. I was not sure about the ending, but some people may love it.

Happy reading!