Rating: 3/5 stars

The T Room by Victoria Lilienthal is an intriguing, experimental novel that delves into complex themes of identity, relationships, and societal pressures, but it left me feeling a bit mixed overall.

On the one hand, Lilienthal’s prose is poetic and often beautiful, with a distinctive style that sets it apart from more traditional narratives. The story is centred around the main character’s exploration of self in the midst of various relationships and encounters, particularly within the mysterious setting of “The T Room.” There’s an almost dream-like quality to the writing that pulls you in, making the book feel like more of an experience than a straightforward plot.

However, that same experimental nature is what made it a challenging read for me. At times, the plot felt disjointed, and the lack of clear direction made it hard to stay fully engaged. The characters, while interesting, could have been more developed, which might have helped create a stronger emotional connection. I found myself wanting to know more about their motivations and inner worlds, but the abstract style of the novel made it difficult to connect on a deeper level.

The novel does explore some compelling themes—particularly around the idea of personal liberation and the tension between societal norms and individual desires. Yet, for all its ambition, I felt that the execution didn’t quite live up to the potential of the ideas. The book sometimes felt more focused on style than substance, and while that will definitely appeal to some readers, it left me wanting more in terms of character development and emotional depth.

Overall, The T Room is a unique and creative novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy experimental and abstract writing. While it didn’t fully resonate with me, I can appreciate its artistic approach and the risks Lilienthal took in telling this story. It’s the kind of book that could generate very different reactions depending on what you’re looking for in a read.

This is certainly spicy. The main character, Vera, is flawed and yet entertaining. Even though she makes some not so great choices, you kind of root for her.

Vera, a bit all over the place in her personal life but slowly learning about the intuitive nature of her body and mind. Working in ‘The T Room’, Vera along with her boss Ernesto, carry on with a full fledged sexual affair. I thought I enjoyed Ernesto but as the pages flew by, I slowly felt disgust towards this man and how he dealt with everything. He was a walking red flag from the get go.
What come to light about Jean was delightful for me, it all came together and made so much sense once the booked wrapped up.
As flighty as Vera was, her daughter was smart and on the right path to success.

It is extremely rare for me to put down a book, yet here we are. First, let's get this out of the way: the heroine is having an affair with a married man. As an avid romance reader, this is a massive no-go for me. But even more disappointingly, this book doesn't have a clear story arc to it. What's the conflict? What's Vera's motivation? What's she doing and why should I care? Finally, this is marketed as erotica and I'm not sure why, seeing as this is one of the most stale examples of erotica I've ever read.

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley for the chance to review this book

I came out of my comfort bubble by choosing this book. Took the books while to be palatable to my senses and quite frankly I enjoyed reading it. The characters are flawed, reading them may give you an unsettling feeling but that's how humans are. At part weirdly contemplative and therapeutic, the author has done a marvelous job.

The T Room is a step out of my usual genre, but it’s one I’m glad I took.
I’m not into yoga (don’t worry, I’m not about to sing! Lol) or spirituality, but I do believe that mental anguish can manifest into physical ailments, so I found this not only a fantastic read but a mini reminder to listen to myself and my body more.
I know for some, this may seem like hogwash, but my own journey over the past two years has taught me the power of such practices as bodywork, yoga and, for me, meditation.
But do not think it is just a book about massages and spiritualism because it’s not.

The story follows Vera, her affair with her boss-turned-work partner, her daughter India, their dog Francisco and the many intrinsic people that enter Vera’s life.

Vera is strong, confident and feels in control of her life and the decisions she’s making but, like so many of us, is easily blinded by her infatuation and lust for her boss/partner.
But thanks to her tenacious kid and a powerhouse of a woman called Grace, her rose-tinted glasses start to fall, and she begins to see and feel things in a new light.

By far, this has to be one of the only books I’ve ever been able to read in one day. I didn’t want to put it down. Vera is a brilliant character. I love her. She’s funny and very relatable. And even though I felt frustrated with some of her choices, it is those choices that make her such a real character.

Why only four stars? I was hoping to know more about a relationship/connection Vera had and if it developed beyond sex. I also wished Grace was featured more. It’s not that the story lacked something by not having more of Grace. I just loved her and felt it would have enhanced the story.

I couldn't get past page 35 of The T Room. It felt like I was reading a character sketch rather than a novel. As mentioned in another review, it certainly has a feeling of being a stream of consciousness. Being labeled as erotica, it underwhelmed me with the sex scenes early on. I hope they pick up steam later on.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell flat for me and I couldn't connect with the characters enough to finish the book.

An odd yet intriguing story. I really liked it although it took me some time to get used to the writing style and the whole vibe of the book. The concept and the themes were things that I really liked. The characters were okay and while I wasn't totally attached to them, I was interested enough to keep on reading through the book. I'd love to be able to read more of the author's work soon.

An erotica- fiction book with a lot of self discovery and a lot of acknowledgment of what’s going on in one’s life … I really liked this book.
I probably expected the spicy scenes to be more but the main character’s journey to figuring out what’s wrong in her life and what’s the catalyst for all the bad vibes she gets, was really good!
For every expert (or not) of the world of yoga and balance, of chakra and alignment… this is the book for you.
I have to say that reading it made me reevaluate the importance of having a relaxed body and mind … I think I’m gonna start going through massage therapy honestly !!!!
I’m glad I had the chance to read this book!

This book felt really scattered. It was written with more "stream of consciousness" and felt discombobulated the whole way through. The main character wasn't especially likeable, and I felt like all the characters stayed on a surface level instead of diving deeper. I was disappointed.