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How Sweet It Is #1

A Taste of Sin

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When a family crisis calls her home to Miami, Desiree Nichols, deciding to live up to her bad reputation, attends a vast array of private parties where she fulfills her every desire and meets a sensual new partner who introduces her to a new world of intense passion that changes both of their lives. Original.

280 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2006

129 people are currently reading
670 people want to read

About the author

Fiona Zedde

59 books414 followers
Jamaican-born Fiona Zedde is the author of several novellas and novels of lesBiQueer love and desire, including the Lambda Literary Award finalists, Bliss and Every Dark Desire. She loves French pastries, English cars, Jamaican food, and currently lives in Spain.

Her novel, Dangerous Pleasures, received a Publishers Weekly starred review and won an About.com Readers' Choice Award for Best Lesbian Novel/Memoir. Her latest book, Just Like Her, is out now. Find out more about her catalog of 30+ books at www.FionaZedde.com.

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5 stars
174 (41%)
4 stars
133 (31%)
3 stars
83 (19%)
2 stars
24 (5%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud.
Author 2 books763 followers
July 10, 2020
I like my reviews to be well-thought-out. I like getting into why I enjoyed or, sometimes, disliked a book, why other readers should give it a try or, occasionally, a miss. Yet some books stump me. When that happens – not too often, fortunately –, it’s usually because the book took me by surprise, unbalanced me, be it with the story or because of the way it’s written, or how much it made me feel. So it’s usually books I’ve enjoyed but that leave me discombobulated.

As you have probably guessed, that’s what happened with A Taste of Sin.

When we first meet Dez, she’s getting dumped by the gay man she unexpectedly fell in love with. Immediately after, she accidentally finds out that her mother is fighting cancer. Both events bring her back to Miami, where, newly single and heartbroken, she takes up her old habits of meaningless sex. A lot of it. Until she meets her twin brother’s best friend Victoria, who really gets under her skin.

There’s something in this story that reminded me of Choderlos de Laclos’s Les Liaisons dangereuses. Dez’s encounters with countless women should be sexy – Fiona Zedde writes sex brilliantly –, and they are to some extent, but they’re also sordid and sad. Dez’s and her friends’ freedom is an illusion – they’re wealthy enough to not have to work, therefore can play as often and as hard as they wants –, an escape she refuses to see as such, pretending to be content and satisfied.

Victoria on the other hand isn’t fleeing anything. She’s wary of Dez but also very attracted, and tackles that attraction head-on, with wide-open eyes. I love that she’s named Victoria because while I had Les Liaisons dangereuses in mind when reading about Dez, Victoria struck me as… Victorian.

Beyond Dez and Victoria’s story, I loved Zedde’s take on family. I also absolutely loved how the sex is written, how the writing evolves from those joyless pre-Victoria scenes to the scenes with more feelings, and how Zedde writes safe sex into them without it ever feeling contrived.

While I like light and fluffy romances, I also enjoy dark and raw. This fit the bill perfectly.

One last thing: while I’ve never consciously shunned authors of colour (AOC), I’ve come to realise recently that the huge majority of the books I read and review are written by white people. I’ve been content reading the books that came my way, through reviews or suggestions, but that doesn’t feel right. The world isn’t all white, not even mostly white, so why should my books be? So I decided to make more of an effort to get some sort of (probably imperfect) balance. Which means going back to read older books too and explains why, in 2020, I’m reviewing a book first published in 2006. Better late than never, I guess.
Profile Image for K.J. Charles.
Author 65 books12.2k followers
Read
September 26, 2023
Erotic romance, with more erotic than romance. The plot takes a back seat: we raise a bunch of issues (mother's cancer, hostile relationship with brother whose best friend is the heroine's love interest, the question of the heroine having an inheritance that means she doesn't have a job, hobby or purpose in life, jealous exes) that don't really get much resolution. It's mostly about Dez shagging more or less every woman she can get hold of until she finally falls in love. Very well-done shagging, too.

I'm not generally an erotic romance reader as I need more plot, but 'rich Black woman has masses of wild queer sex' is going to be a *lot* of people's cup of tea, and it is perfectly brewed here.
Profile Image for Corrie.
1,693 reviews4 followers
May 31, 2018
A Taste of Sin (How Sweet It Is #1) was my first taste of Fiona Zedde’s work and good gravy, does this woman know how to write about sex! Main character Dez (Desiree) Nichols and her small cadre of friends sure like to have it… lots of it. Money enough to never have worked a single day in her life her days are filled with women, booze, drugs and good food.

When we meet Dez she just had her heart broken by her gay (yes, a guy) lover and on top of that she finds out her mother had hidden the fact she had (and was recovering from) cancer. So she moves home to Miami to re-connect with family and friends to drown her sorrows and party hard. Falling in love again was never in the cards for Dez, until there is this one woman she can’t charm into bed. And that’s the one that gets under her skin.

f/f, f/f/f explicit

Themes: so... much… sex…, Desiree is such a player, this was the first time I read about having sex whilst having your period (not counting the odd lesbian vampire who didn’t mind), Dez’s charmed life (monetary wise) felt a tad unrealistic, do people really live like that? But I liked the story and Zedde’s writing style, it flows really well, the many sex scenes did not bore me to tears either because the author kept it diverse and entertaining. Looking forward to part 2.

4 stars
Profile Image for Dee.
2,012 reviews106 followers
January 6, 2018
This was a deliciously smutty read, but more than that, it touches on some pretty deep topics. The dreaded C, sibling rivalry, familiar conflict, and best of all, there's a budding love story.

Kudos to the author for addressing safe sex, the use of dental dams.

Lesbian, FF, FFF, multiple partners, strap-on fun, anal play...

$1.00 on Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Sin-How-...
Profile Image for hubsie.
621 reviews86 followers
January 7, 2019
Maybe this just wasn't my thing. I didn't have a problem with content, but really did not like any of the characters. Victoria was ok but......meh. For the first 100 pages or so nothing was happening except aggressive threesomes, tons of drugs and drinking, and wealth spilled all over the place. No responsibility, no direction in life for the MCs..... I was almost wondering if a dude wrote this, haha. After reading some reviews I decided to keep reading rather than DNF. It was....ok. I finished it in a day and won't look back on it.
Profile Image for Joc.
770 reviews198 followers
November 17, 2017
This was by no means an easy read but it was fantastic. Dez is seemingly a hedonist swaggering from party to party without much care beyond her group of friends and maybe her mother. I didn't think I was going to like her much and in turn, not be particularly taken by the book either. Page by page her motives and depths were revealed and I found myself rooting for her completely.
There is no mincing of words in the sex scenes - they are unashamedly explicit - but no more explicit than many of the heterosexual romances I've read. I love the way Zedde writes and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.
Profile Image for Val.
412 reviews16 followers
June 1, 2017
Not as good as the second book in the series. I just didn't like Desiree very much. And I really didn't understand her relationship with the guy either. It has a pretty good love story but a lot of it was just not for me. That being said, if you want some seriously wild women and debauchry, this book is for you!
Profile Image for Heather Henkel.
1,404 reviews23 followers
May 23, 2017
Great story

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the wild partying and the maturing relationships of this story. I like that would girls can grow up!
Profile Image for Patricia Foort.
339 reviews32 followers
February 22, 2020
This was... There were pieces that were good, but most of the book was just bad. I wanted to NF, but skipped almost every page and only read the parts between Dez and Victoria. All the sex between Dez, Remi and f... of the night. Totally not hot at all. And all the drinking and drugs in the beginning. Pfff will not be reading this again.
Profile Image for Heatherblakely.
1,170 reviews7 followers
February 24, 2018
Somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4. Lots of diversity, lots of sex positivity (and protection), cute story, good sex scenes.
Profile Image for OOSA .
1,802 reviews237 followers
August 16, 2008
Sinfully Good

At the age of fourteen, Desiree "Dez" Nichols didn't just come out the closet, she kicked the door open, forever changing the dynamics of her family. Hit and run, smash and grab, stick and move was Dez's motto, leaving many satisfied women behind. Her friends and family then couldn't be more surprised when she ran off to see the world with her lover...her MALE lover. Every good thing must come to an end and that end comes quickly two years later when lover boy decides to dump a devastated Dez. Still reeling from their break up, her anxieties compound when she gets a phone call from home. Her mom has the big C - ovarian cancer. Dez returns home to be by her mother's side. She gets reacquainted with old friends and meets a new one, her twin brother's best friend, Victoria Jackson. Knowing his sister's reputation and sexual antics, he doesn't want Victoria to be just another conquest, dismissed and forgotten. But the attraction between the two is undeniable.

"A Taste of Sin" offers readers more than just a taste of Fiona's talent and creativity. Those who enjoyed her debut novel, "Bliss," will definitely find delight in her sophomore effort. Brash and sassy yet vulnerable Dez made for an interesting and likeable character. I also liked Dez's group of friends. I'd love to see more written about them, particularly Remi. A character driven plot, titillating sex scenes, raw and well-written, "A Taste of Sin" is an engrossing and entertaining read.

Reviewed by: Toni
Profile Image for Sincerly China.
7 reviews
January 7, 2014
o.O I definitely did not expect this. I really should stop scanning descriptions of the books in the library. Any who, I LOVED it! Love is love, and I thouroughly enjoyed this book. We definitely got a Taste of Sin !
26 reviews2 followers
March 4, 2009
This book didnt really catch my interest at all...it sucked
Profile Image for Jhosy.
231 reviews1,146 followers
abandoned
August 27, 2018
This is obvious that I will not be able to finish reading this book.
I just couldn't feel the story
Who knows next time...
617 reviews21 followers
August 31, 2018
I enjoyed this read overall. The sex scenes were hot and were well thoight out. I will check out the other books in this series.
Profile Image for mina reads™️.
644 reviews8,457 followers
June 7, 2018
Initial thoughts: This was a fun book however I had quite a few issues and disappointments in terms of the narrative presented but I also really loved alot about it. I’m gonna think on it a bit and write a review soon.
3.5 stars

Review:
sex sex sex sex sexxxxxxxx this book was overwhelmingly about sex
So we have Desiree a rich black woman who leads a life of pleasure and decadence. This is basically a story about her having lots of sex and then finding the one person she wants to be monogamous with and have sex.

Pros
>I love that this story is about a black queer woman and her friends having fun, being rich and living wild free and indulgently. It was something I've never read before and I adored that. It was so fun
>As I mentioned sex is a hugeeee part of this story and I must say that it was very steamy, amazingly done erotica so kudos to the author for that
>Desiree is really funny and uncouth so I loved her as a narrator
>two successful black queer women in a relationship!

Cons
>the story lacked depth, it tried to create depth and emotion with various plot points such as (Des' father left the family when she came out, her favorite aunt died leaving Des a great deal of money, and Des' mother having cancer-which serves as a catalyst to her returning to her hometown) but for me personally it all fell a little bit short
>The romance also lacked depth, the two's relationship seemed solely based on sexual desire and at no point did I feel like they were two people in love. they seemed more like two people in lust and infatuated with one another.
>there's this really confusing plot point where Des has just been broken up with by her boyfriend of two years. so I assumed oh she's bi or something, but then Des in multiple different ways conveys that she's a lesbian. so I assumed maybe she was experiencing compulsory heterosexuality.....but then she claimed to be physically attracted to him and that she loved him romantically. It just seemed confusing and frankly unnecessary since he played little to no role in the story and he broke up with her in the first page of the novel.

Now I do want to express that I did have lots of fun reading this but I feel like there were some definite issues and the sex really over powered what could have been an amazing story. So read it if you have an interest because I really enjoyed it but the ways in which it disappointed me couldn't be ignored
Profile Image for Euftis Emery.
Author 29 books78 followers
January 30, 2018
Gomorrah has been resurrected…

Zedde tells a mesmeric tale of lust set in the backdrop of Miami. I am attracted to erotica in which I can potentially expand my own sexual horizons by learning something new or have a voyeuristic peek into things that I am incapable of experiencing (ie, lesbian relationships).

I read this book wide eyed. Like a young boy who falls upon his fathers nudie magazine collection for the first time as he thumbs through the pages quickly while keeping both ears open and glancing over his shoulder repeatedly hoping that they don’t get caught.

Fiona does not give us a…taste…of sin. Ohhh no! She stuffs the reader with a banquet of it. I must say after reading this book I am…very…satisfied. However, although I enjoyed the intensity, passion, and remorseless…sinning…of the women that Ms. Zedde created in this hedonistic tale. I am more impressed with Fiona’s writing style. At times her words literally dance on the page with a life of their own.

It’s official. I am now a Fiona Zedde fan. Great book. Great writer. Five stars.


Euftis Emery
Author of Off the Chain
Profile Image for h.
511 reviews2 followers
March 13, 2019
This is not the type of book that I would normally read so I was a little hesitant going into it. Even for the first few chapters, I enjoyed the fun, passionate, and wild partying of the main character, but I could not see how this somewhat superficial behavior would be able to stay interesting throughout the novel. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much character development occurred throughout the story. We get to see Dez's struggle with different aspects of her own life and character as she learns to balance her desires. I enjoyed the growth we got to see Dez go through, and the romance was sweet, but I wish that this kind of development could have been given to her love interest as well to make the relationship seem more realistic. The majority of the book was well-written, but there were certain things I did not understand, primarily her past relationship with a man. However, overall this was an enjoyable read.
239 reviews20 followers
June 20, 2020
Positively luscious!

I'm backtracking a bit in Zedde's repertoire (to 2007) but "A Taste of Sin" has lost none of its charm over the past 13 years. This is top class f/f erotica, with everything from sensual and romantic love-making, to sexy, hard fucking: "Victoria settled a warm palm on the small of her back, then another on her hip. Succulent, heavy breasts nestled just below her own." The descriptive language used is rich, engaging, and beautiful. It's not all sex though, we see Dez get over an awful breakup and deal with some long-standing family drama. The growth shown by various characters really showcases the author's talents.

In addition to the human characters, Miami itself is described in loving, living detail, never more so than at the beach: "Dawn was a glimmer beyond the stars, a slow graying of black skies, and the most subtle of blushes where the sky met the ocean."
Profile Image for Diane Rembert.
1,267 reviews42 followers
October 13, 2021
Dez Nichols is a free spirited woman, without a care in the world. Living off of an inheritance, left by her beloved Aunt Paul, most nights are spent with friends, partying and chasing women…until she meets Victoria “Tori” Jackson. What started out as an initial attraction, suddenly became so much more. Only problem…Tori is Desiree’s twin brother Derrick’s best friend.

This book focused on relationships. That of mother and daughter, brother and sister, best friends, and friends to lovers. That’s what I loved about this book the most. Little did I know, it was the beginning of a series that have been added to my TBR List.

I recommend this 💎💎💎💎 book by @fionazedde.
Profile Image for zenzeromante.
182 reviews27 followers
Read
July 13, 2023
Mixed opinions on this one. My main issue was that everyone in this book appears to mostly, if not only, think about sex, in a way that isn't necessarily what I enjoy in fiction. It made sense at the start: Dez's life revolves around money and sex, and that does influence her background and storyline. Cool. I actually enjoyed the introspection that takes over the actual romantic plotline. But all the secondary characters only exist for the sex and/or to show how sexy the two main characters are. We don't know that much about Victoria, also. The thing with Victoria's friends is just left up to debate at the end.
It might be a 2 stars read from me.
Profile Image for Jen.
1,300 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2019
Very Entertaining

I was hesitant about reading this book but I'm glad I took the chance because 💯 I loved this story!!!! It was a very enjoyable & easy to read as the story developed & unfolded with a good cast of characters.

I mean, a good, entertaining story with interesting characters & hot sex scenes extremely well-written… what more do you really need to have a good time reading?! I'm definitely anticipating the next part of this series.
Profile Image for fats.
740 reviews8 followers
August 23, 2018
The first really good, well written ff story I've read, with compelling, well written characters and enough interesting plot to keep it from being dry. Being erotica, there is a loootttt of sex and holy fucking hell it's the hottest stuff you'll have read for ages and guaranteed to leave you squirming and pressing your thighs together ;)
Profile Image for Best Lesfic Reviews.
668 reviews114 followers
March 24, 2019
With Zedde you can be assured of luscious women and almost suffocating treacly sex. Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you’re looking for. The emotionless couplings and group sex doesn’t work for us.

Read the full review @ https://www.bestlesficreviews.com/201...
Profile Image for Kaisa Sild.
1,036 reviews5 followers
dnf
August 5, 2024
I got like 33% in, but I just really don't like when erotica/romance books have spicy between the main character and other people other than the love interests and during 117 pages there were 2 of those and hardly 3 very brief conversations between Dez and Victoria, sorry I have no interest to read in detail how one of the characters fucks her way through the town.
Profile Image for Amber McAllister.
8 reviews
April 8, 2019
The story was pretty good. It's a good "before bed" book to read because there are lulls that I was able to put the book down during. The erotica part was the saving grace of this book though because I dont think I would have finished reading without it.
4 reviews1 follower
July 25, 2020
A Taste of Sin is a terrific read, and there's no denying that Fiona Zedde really knows how to write about sex in a way that creates excitement and allure.

The Good Bits has published a sexy story excerpt of A Taste of Sin!
https://thegoodbits.com/sexy-stories/...
265 reviews
January 19, 2023
The series

This is the first book I’ve read of Fiona’s and it is a great start to a fantastic series. It gets me right in the feels with the budding relationship, and there are a lot of sexy scenes.
Profile Image for Tania Johnson.
212 reviews
July 29, 2024
3.5 ⭐️. First time reading a Fiona Zedde’s book and I enjoyed it. This was more character driven than plot driven especially from Dez’s POV. More erotica than romance and tastefully done. Loved all the characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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