REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!!! S.E.C.R.E.T. : A Novel by L. Marie Adeline

about book:

The first book in a sexy and sophisticated series of erotica, with a new twist:  this time, women control their fantasies and men will do anything to satisfy them.

Cassie Robichaud is thirty-five and widowed.  After a life filled with disappointments, her days are dull and gray:   she waits tables at a rundown cafe in New Orleans, and every night she heads home to a one-bedroom apartment alone.  But when she discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman, Cassie's world will never be the same.  The notebook's shocking and scandalous contents lead her to S.E.C.R.E.T., an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, darkest, and most intimate sexual fantasies.  The S.E.C.R.E.T. motto:  No judgement.  No limits.  No shame.  Cassie soon embarks on a tantalizing and unpredictable erotic journey, completing ten fantasy-steps toward sexual fulfillment - discovering acceptance, courage, surrender, and more - with gorgeous men in rapturous scenarios beyond her imagination.  As she is set free from her inhibitions, the satisfaction and bliss she experiences bring her new confidence that transforms her forever.  Equal parts scintillating, liberating, and emotionally powerful, S.E.C.R.E.T. is a world where fantasy becomes reality.

my thoughts:

I lied.  I said I didn't like erotica fiction and it turns out that I kind of do. You see, I recently won an ARC of S.E.C.R.E.T., a book that I had seen flashed around on various bookish sites.  Now, I never really paid any attention to what the book was about and actually thought it had to do with a secret society of witches - this idea stemmed from the book cover of a bracelet with Roman numerals (really, it did).  Well, I wrong.  When I got my copy and started reading, I quickly realized that this was going to be a book about sex - lots and lots of sex.  Oh my.

So, of course I took the book with me to work, so that I could read it during my lunch hour - after all, who doesn't need a distraction from the humdrum banality of data entry, right?  Suffice it to say, I got my distraction alright - in the form of a surprisingly captivating story about an unhappy widowed woman named Cassie.  Once married to a horrible husband who took it upon himself to knock her around, physically and emotionally, Cassie has become a sad, lonely woman who waits tables during the day and then spends her nights waiting for the next day to begin.  Her life is work, eat, sleep and that is all. Its pretty bleak.  Luckily for Cassie, her unhappy days are numbered, thanks to a little leather notebook and a ten step program.  S.E.C.R.E.T. has found Cassie and they want to help her become the woman that she wants to be - dynamic, vibrant, and full of life.  So, how exactly is S.E.C.R.E.T. going to achieve such a transformation in such a broken woman?  Sex.

Yep, S.E.C.R.E.T. is a secret society of women who select certain women to undergo a ten step program that will change their lives forever more.  Basically, the ten steps are sexual fantasies that the woman has shared with the group; their job is to make these fantasies come to life and it is up to the woman to experience the fantasy.  Upon completion of each step the woman is given a gold charm etched with a Roman numeral and a word - both of which represent the step.  At the end of the program, she is asked whether or not she would like to become a member of S.E.C.R.E.T. or if she would prefer to walk away with the memories of her experiences and never look back.  Sounds pretty unreal, right? Well, reading about it was unreal and at times, I just couldn't get over the fact this group of women would do so much for these other women - but then again, why not?  In the name of sisterhood, why not help a fellow sister, right? 

Anyhow, the book pretty much consists of Cassie experiencing her sexual fantasies and how each one awakens something inside of her - a desire to be wanted, seen, and heard.  She wants to be out in the world embracing life and wants it to embrace her right back.  The journey she embarks on is one of many firsts for Cassie and it winds up providing her with a sense of fulfillment that she never even realized she wanted or needed.  I have to admit that I really did enjoy reading about Cassie's transformation - it was exciting how much she changed in a year (so much happened!).  Plus, I really liked the fact that the book did not have sex scenes on practically every page; instead it focused on Cassie's transformation (yes, sex was there, but it wasn't everywhere).  I guess I sort of expected the book to be oversexed based on the other two erotica books I have read - I'm so glad I was wrong!  I think that's actually why I enjoyed the book so much - it was a story that had some naughty bits mixed in, not the other way around.

S.E.C.R.E.T.  was a sexy and provocative story that was fun to read.  I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to all fans of chick lit and erotica fiction.  In case you want a chance to read the book for yourself, check out the details for my giveaway below:

GIVEAWAY (Open to US residents only):
Thanks to Danielle over at Crown, Broadway, and Hogarth of Random House,  I am able to provide a copy of S.E.C.R.E.T. to one lucky reader!!  All you have to do is leave me a comment.  Don't forget to include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.  Also, for those of you who are too embarrassed to leave a comment ( I know you are out there), just send me an email letting me know you are interested in this giveaway - you can find my email address in the about me section on my blog. I won't announce a winner, I'll just email the winner and let the publisher know so that they can send you your copy. Last day to enter is 1/31/13.  Good luck!!