What do you think?
Rate this book
Private Research: An Erotic Novella by Sabrina Darby
The last person PhD candidate Mina Cavallari expects to meet on her research trip to London is the sexy financier whose rejection devastated her. But Sebastian Graham is even more irresistible than he was two years ago, and she's no longer the innocent girl shocked at his indulgent pursuit of physical pleasure. Now she's ready to embark on a love affair on her terms—and is using every possible moment to live out her fantasies.Sebastian is more than happy to help Mina make her passionate dreams a reality. But he wants more, luring her into a search for a mysterious, underworld club where they can explore all of their sexual desires. He needs Mina completely at his mercy, and, unlike two years ago, this time he may not let her go.
Mass Market Paperback
First published October 29, 2013
81 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Darby
21 books193 followersSabrina Darby has been reading romance since the age of seven and learned her best vocabulary (dulcet, diaphanous, and turgid) from them. She started writing romance the day after her wedding when she woke up with an idea for a Regency; she’s been back in the early 19th century ever since.
She currently resides in California with her husband.
And for more historical romance fabulousness, join Sabrina at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILove... for fun discussions led live every Thursday by a different guest co-host.
She currently resides in California with her husband.
And for more historical romance fabulousness, join Sabrina at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILove... for fun discussions led live every Thursday by a different guest co-host.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 10, 2016
It started off good and then it went down hill ... DNF.
October 24, 2013
this review was originally published at the passionate reader
Ms. Darby's Private Research: An Erotic Novella is a fun read. I enjoyed much of the novella. It is really erotic. I loved the detail about the heroine's academic research. But I finished it unsatisfied. The leads leapt from lust to love for reasons I couldn't fathom. The story needed to be longer to sustain its conclusion. I could have read less about the heroine's--Mina Cavallari--obsession with fellatio.
Ms. Cavallari is in London for a few weeks searching for proof that the somewhat famous Brontë-era female novelist upon whom her thesis is based also wrote as a male. (This part of the novella reminded me, oddly enough, of Possession ) One day, while taking a break at a café at the National Archives, Mina hears the voice of the one "English acquaintance" she knows: Sebastian Graham.
Mina last saw Sebastian two years ago when they were both graduate students in the States. They'd formed a chatty relationship and Mina harbored hopes it might become something more. Then one fateful night Mina encountered her bitchy naked roommate and Sebastian in her kitchen. Mina was mortified and shocked when Sebastian casually suggested a threesome, something Mina awkwardly declined.
Since then Mina has traded in her good girl status and has a long string of one night stands under her belt (so to speak). It's clear that Mina embarked on this sexual journey because of her encounter with Sebastian. Currently, Mina is not engaging in hookups but when she sees Sebastian she decides to sleep with him. She thinks doing so, for one night, will somehow erase the lingering feelings of low self-worth she has when she thinks about him.
Mina, who correctly pegs Sebastian as a player, thoroughly enjoys her multiple orgasm night with him. And she shocked, when in the morning, Sebastian makes it clear that he wants to continue seeing her. But since the sex was smoking, and she's always had a thing for the guy, Mina embarks on a relationship with Sebastian. She doesn't let herself take it too seriously because she's going home in just two weeks.
To say that Mina and Sebastian have an active sex life would be a gross understatement. Sebastian, not yet thirty, can get it up five times a day which suits Mina just fine. For a while all Mina does, with the exception of going out for expensive meals paid for by Sebastian, is bone Sebastian and research her thesis. Ms. Darby writes about both of these activities in interesting and great detail. The academic aspect of Mina's life offers enjoyable breaks from her entertaining amorous escapades.
Unfortunately Sebastian has a research topic of his own. He is determined to find out all there is to know about a mysterious sex club, the Harridan House, his grandfather mentioned in the journals he wrote chronicling his adventures as a young man. Sebastian coaxes Mina to help him with his research and that plot line eclipses in emphasis the story of Mina's own.
The novella is narrated by Mina. This proved problematic for me. Sebastian is a cipher. I didn't know what he really felt or thought. This makes the feelings he professes to have for Mina and Mina alone suspect. Furthermore, because Ms. Darby uses Mina's own insecurities as the primary barrier between Mina and Sebastian, Mina is an unreliable narrator.
I did like a lot about Private Reseach. Ms. Darby's prose is engaging, her sense of place strong, and her sense of humor accessible. It is a very sexy book and readers looking for an erotic read will not be disappointed. I wish that Ms. Darby had given us a longer story, one that honored Mina's work and better illuminated Sebastian. I wanted a novel rather than a too brief novella. I give it a B.
Ms. Darby's Private Research: An Erotic Novella is a fun read. I enjoyed much of the novella. It is really erotic. I loved the detail about the heroine's academic research. But I finished it unsatisfied. The leads leapt from lust to love for reasons I couldn't fathom. The story needed to be longer to sustain its conclusion. I could have read less about the heroine's--Mina Cavallari--obsession with fellatio.
Ms. Cavallari is in London for a few weeks searching for proof that the somewhat famous Brontë-era female novelist upon whom her thesis is based also wrote as a male. (This part of the novella reminded me, oddly enough, of Possession ) One day, while taking a break at a café at the National Archives, Mina hears the voice of the one "English acquaintance" she knows: Sebastian Graham.
Mina last saw Sebastian two years ago when they were both graduate students in the States. They'd formed a chatty relationship and Mina harbored hopes it might become something more. Then one fateful night Mina encountered her bitchy naked roommate and Sebastian in her kitchen. Mina was mortified and shocked when Sebastian casually suggested a threesome, something Mina awkwardly declined.
Since then Mina has traded in her good girl status and has a long string of one night stands under her belt (so to speak). It's clear that Mina embarked on this sexual journey because of her encounter with Sebastian. Currently, Mina is not engaging in hookups but when she sees Sebastian she decides to sleep with him. She thinks doing so, for one night, will somehow erase the lingering feelings of low self-worth she has when she thinks about him.
Mina, who correctly pegs Sebastian as a player, thoroughly enjoys her multiple orgasm night with him. And she shocked, when in the morning, Sebastian makes it clear that he wants to continue seeing her. But since the sex was smoking, and she's always had a thing for the guy, Mina embarks on a relationship with Sebastian. She doesn't let herself take it too seriously because she's going home in just two weeks.
To say that Mina and Sebastian have an active sex life would be a gross understatement. Sebastian, not yet thirty, can get it up five times a day which suits Mina just fine. For a while all Mina does, with the exception of going out for expensive meals paid for by Sebastian, is bone Sebastian and research her thesis. Ms. Darby writes about both of these activities in interesting and great detail. The academic aspect of Mina's life offers enjoyable breaks from her entertaining amorous escapades.
Unfortunately Sebastian has a research topic of his own. He is determined to find out all there is to know about a mysterious sex club, the Harridan House, his grandfather mentioned in the journals he wrote chronicling his adventures as a young man. Sebastian coaxes Mina to help him with his research and that plot line eclipses in emphasis the story of Mina's own.
The novella is narrated by Mina. This proved problematic for me. Sebastian is a cipher. I didn't know what he really felt or thought. This makes the feelings he professes to have for Mina and Mina alone suspect. Furthermore, because Ms. Darby uses Mina's own insecurities as the primary barrier between Mina and Sebastian, Mina is an unreliable narrator.
I did like a lot about Private Reseach. Ms. Darby's prose is engaging, her sense of place strong, and her sense of humor accessible. It is a very sexy book and readers looking for an erotic read will not be disappointed. I wish that Ms. Darby had given us a longer story, one that honored Mina's work and better illuminated Sebastian. I wanted a novel rather than a too brief novella. I give it a B.
November 27, 2013
Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, & The Unread:
When I was offered this book for review, it had a much more interesting (to my mind) blurb than the one currently on Amazon, and one that also more accurately reflected what the book’s about, in my opinion. Billed in its extended title as ‘an erotic novella,’ this feels closer to a short novel, and, while there’s lots of sex, most of the scenes aren’t quite as in depth as I was expecting. Having said all that, the twin non-romance plot-lines did grab my attention and managed to hold onto it for the majority of the story.
Mina is in London undertaking archival research for her English PhD and has only two weeks left out of her five-month stay in which to prove that a contemporary of the Brontës wrote not just the seventeen works currently attributed to her, but also another three under a very different name. All Mina needs is to find one document in the archives or in the authors’ descendants’ records that will prove the two shared more than a writing style and a publisher. Grabbing a quick coffee break, Mina runs into Sebastian, the maths PhD turned financier with whom she had a brief flirtation two years earlier before catching him exiting her roommate’s bedroom.
At that time, Sebastian was far more sexually adventurous than Mina, suggesting she join the two of them in a threesome. Mina refused, but that suggestion sent her into what she terms her ‘dark age’: a series of one-night stands ultimately jeopardising Mina’s academic career. So they have history, and Mina is about to go back to the US; what’s the harm in them going out for dinner and seeing where things lead this time?
Of course, dinner leads to more, and then Sebastian drops his proposition into Mina’s lap. He has inherited a large collection of journals written by his grandfather, Viscount Stanton, and is particularly intrigued by the references to a secretive club, Harridan House, which had existed for at least 150 years before being destroyed during the Blitz (a sort of cross between the Hellfire Club and the Café de Paris, in terms of its history at any rate). Sebastian’s grandfather inherited the title and then married during the war, at which point he gave up his former dissolute ways, but Sebastian wants to know whether the club continued into later decades at a new location.
Mina is the only person outside the family who Sebastian can trust with this secret, as well as the only person he knows who might be able to ferret out the truth for him. He sweetens the deal by offering to pay her a good hourly rate for her research skills and to put her up at his flat once her current lease in shared accommodation runs out. No other strings attached, of course. After some wavering, Mina takes Sebastian up on the offer and proceeds to split her time between the two research projects and lots of sex and dinners out with Sebastian (he’s supposed to be a quant, but comes home on time a remarkable proportion of the time compared to most London financial types I’ve met).
The pair encounter various members of Sebastian’s family in pursuit of his goal, along with more people connected with Mina’s PhD project, but just as she seems about to make a breakthrough on the latter, they are summoned to a clandestine meeting which proves that the club really does exist, although in a slightly different form and with an altered membership demographic from its pre-War days. The pair is offered membership, mainly as a way of ensuring their silence, and begin a series of voyages of self-discovery and ever-wilder sexual exploration (still described in tamer details than in some other books I’ve reviewed lately).
Of course, they eventually push each other that little too far and have to face up to whether what they have is just a fling or something that might turn into a lasting relationship. And are they both really as wild as they’re trying to be?
I enjoyed the research parts of this story more than I did the sex scenes and would have preferred a slightly longer story in which the two research sub-plots were tied up more neatly, and we see a little more of how the relationship between the two worked out rather than having an epilogue that still leaves some loose ends hanging. I’m not a total convert to the author’s contemporaries, but I’d definitely give another of them a try at some point.
When I was offered this book for review, it had a much more interesting (to my mind) blurb than the one currently on Amazon, and one that also more accurately reflected what the book’s about, in my opinion. Billed in its extended title as ‘an erotic novella,’ this feels closer to a short novel, and, while there’s lots of sex, most of the scenes aren’t quite as in depth as I was expecting. Having said all that, the twin non-romance plot-lines did grab my attention and managed to hold onto it for the majority of the story.
Mina is in London undertaking archival research for her English PhD and has only two weeks left out of her five-month stay in which to prove that a contemporary of the Brontës wrote not just the seventeen works currently attributed to her, but also another three under a very different name. All Mina needs is to find one document in the archives or in the authors’ descendants’ records that will prove the two shared more than a writing style and a publisher. Grabbing a quick coffee break, Mina runs into Sebastian, the maths PhD turned financier with whom she had a brief flirtation two years earlier before catching him exiting her roommate’s bedroom.
At that time, Sebastian was far more sexually adventurous than Mina, suggesting she join the two of them in a threesome. Mina refused, but that suggestion sent her into what she terms her ‘dark age’: a series of one-night stands ultimately jeopardising Mina’s academic career. So they have history, and Mina is about to go back to the US; what’s the harm in them going out for dinner and seeing where things lead this time?
Of course, dinner leads to more, and then Sebastian drops his proposition into Mina’s lap. He has inherited a large collection of journals written by his grandfather, Viscount Stanton, and is particularly intrigued by the references to a secretive club, Harridan House, which had existed for at least 150 years before being destroyed during the Blitz (a sort of cross between the Hellfire Club and the Café de Paris, in terms of its history at any rate). Sebastian’s grandfather inherited the title and then married during the war, at which point he gave up his former dissolute ways, but Sebastian wants to know whether the club continued into later decades at a new location.
Mina is the only person outside the family who Sebastian can trust with this secret, as well as the only person he knows who might be able to ferret out the truth for him. He sweetens the deal by offering to pay her a good hourly rate for her research skills and to put her up at his flat once her current lease in shared accommodation runs out. No other strings attached, of course. After some wavering, Mina takes Sebastian up on the offer and proceeds to split her time between the two research projects and lots of sex and dinners out with Sebastian (he’s supposed to be a quant, but comes home on time a remarkable proportion of the time compared to most London financial types I’ve met).
The pair encounter various members of Sebastian’s family in pursuit of his goal, along with more people connected with Mina’s PhD project, but just as she seems about to make a breakthrough on the latter, they are summoned to a clandestine meeting which proves that the club really does exist, although in a slightly different form and with an altered membership demographic from its pre-War days. The pair is offered membership, mainly as a way of ensuring their silence, and begin a series of voyages of self-discovery and ever-wilder sexual exploration (still described in tamer details than in some other books I’ve reviewed lately).
Of course, they eventually push each other that little too far and have to face up to whether what they have is just a fling or something that might turn into a lasting relationship. And are they both really as wild as they’re trying to be?
I enjoyed the research parts of this story more than I did the sex scenes and would have preferred a slightly longer story in which the two research sub-plots were tied up more neatly, and we see a little more of how the relationship between the two worked out rather than having an epilogue that still leaves some loose ends hanging. I’m not a total convert to the author’s contemporaries, but I’d definitely give another of them a try at some point.
September 29, 2013
Review: The Private Research of Sebastian Graham I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I grabbed this book, but I will say I was unexpectedly surprised!Mina Cavallari is in London researching her dissertation topic and her time is running out. She still hasn’t found the information she needs to back up her paper. The one person she never expects to run into is Sebastian Graham. Sebastian is a part of her past, one she’d rather forget. Their last interaction in the states left her realizing how inexperienced and naïve she was and she has spent the last two years changing that.
But the numerous one-night stands and casual sex weren’t what she wanted either and her downward spiral left her reeling at missing deadlines and meetings that could have jeopardized her future. She buckled down and changed her ways again, but she was no longer the virginal girl that Sebastian would remember.Dinner plans lead to an opportunity for Mina to finally get her taste of Sebastian… and she isn’t going to pass it up, but she’s also going in with her eyes open, fully aware that Seb is a very sexual man who wasn’t into commitment. “He was this odd mix of elegant, perceptive, and crude. Oddly, the crude didn’t bother me.”And let me tell you, the crude didn’t bother me either!!“Do you have any idea how sexy you look right now? Spread open for me? Your pussy soft and wet. The taste of you still on my lips.” I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. I can’t lie… I completely fell for Sebastian. What Mina thinks is going to be a one-night stand with Seb turns into something neither of them expected. Though it’s definitely not all play for them. Seb is researching his grandfather’s journals and on the search for a Gentlemen’s Club called Harridan House. He asks for Mina’s help and so she extends her stay in London and moves into his flat. I thought the pacing of the story was really well done and the characters were fairly well fleshed out. I truly enjoyed getting to know them. This story is told in Mina’s perspective so we do only get one side of the story, but I think that Darby did a really good job of showing us as readers that Mina’s perspective was a bit skewed based on her history with him. She never really could see him as something serious simply because she couldn’t let herself go there. The chemistry between the two of them was so well done… my only complaint though and this is just a personal thing… I really hate using the word penis in love scenes. It just is so jarring to me for some reason. I mean I totally get that is what it is, but I’m a girl who likes the word cock or dick lol (OMG I just typed that!) I really liked the evolution of their ‘relationship’ to the discussion of their fantasies … and I really loved what Mina had to say when asked about hers… “There’s a difference between what turns me on and what I really want to experience.”Harridan House offers them a safe haven of sorts to experience some of the things they desire… but it also opens up a lot of issues for Mina and ultimately something happens that had me cringing because OMG. All that said, the thing that stood out the most for me about this story is that the characters acted their ages. Sebastian, rather than push Mina away when a misunderstanding arises forces conversation and they work through whatever might be the problem. I absolutely loved loved loved seeing a hero who could act mature. I did think that toward the end, Mina’s work on her dissertation ended up taking a backseat to the sexy times and the hunt for Harridan House. Though we do get a bit of a wrap up at the end, I was surprised it wasn’t more a part of the actual story since it was kind of a big part of it throughout. If you’re looking for something that toes the line … makes you step outside your comfort zone, this might just be the book for you… (though not for you BFF… not for you.) I'll definitely be looking for more stuff from Darby in the future.Definitely give this one a read when it comes out in October!
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare
:
But the numerous one-night stands and casual sex weren’t what she wanted either and her downward spiral left her reeling at missing deadlines and meetings that could have jeopardized her future. She buckled down and changed her ways again, but she was no longer the virginal girl that Sebastian would remember.Dinner plans lead to an opportunity for Mina to finally get her taste of Sebastian… and she isn’t going to pass it up, but she’s also going in with her eyes open, fully aware that Seb is a very sexual man who wasn’t into commitment. “He was this odd mix of elegant, perceptive, and crude. Oddly, the crude didn’t bother me.”And let me tell you, the crude didn’t bother me either!!“Do you have any idea how sexy you look right now? Spread open for me? Your pussy soft and wet. The taste of you still on my lips.” I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. I can’t lie… I completely fell for Sebastian. What Mina thinks is going to be a one-night stand with Seb turns into something neither of them expected. Though it’s definitely not all play for them. Seb is researching his grandfather’s journals and on the search for a Gentlemen’s Club called Harridan House. He asks for Mina’s help and so she extends her stay in London and moves into his flat. I thought the pacing of the story was really well done and the characters were fairly well fleshed out. I truly enjoyed getting to know them. This story is told in Mina’s perspective so we do only get one side of the story, but I think that Darby did a really good job of showing us as readers that Mina’s perspective was a bit skewed based on her history with him. She never really could see him as something serious simply because she couldn’t let herself go there. The chemistry between the two of them was so well done… my only complaint though and this is just a personal thing… I really hate using the word penis in love scenes. It just is so jarring to me for some reason. I mean I totally get that is what it is, but I’m a girl who likes the word cock or dick lol (OMG I just typed that!) I really liked the evolution of their ‘relationship’ to the discussion of their fantasies … and I really loved what Mina had to say when asked about hers… “There’s a difference between what turns me on and what I really want to experience.”Harridan House offers them a safe haven of sorts to experience some of the things they desire… but it also opens up a lot of issues for Mina and ultimately something happens that had me cringing because OMG. All that said, the thing that stood out the most for me about this story is that the characters acted their ages. Sebastian, rather than push Mina away when a misunderstanding arises forces conversation and they work through whatever might be the problem. I absolutely loved loved loved seeing a hero who could act mature. I did think that toward the end, Mina’s work on her dissertation ended up taking a backseat to the sexy times and the hunt for Harridan House. Though we do get a bit of a wrap up at the end, I was surprised it wasn’t more a part of the actual story since it was kind of a big part of it throughout. If you’re looking for something that toes the line … makes you step outside your comfort zone, this might just be the book for you… (though not for you BFF… not for you.) I'll definitely be looking for more stuff from Darby in the future.Definitely give this one a read when it comes out in October!
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare
:
November 16, 2013
Mina Cavallari is in London doing research for her PhD. She has spent months working on her paper. She is a determined young woman who trying to go after what she wants professionally and become a success. The last person she expects to see is the one man that not just rejected her but she still has fantasies over.
Sebastian has regretted letting Mina go years ago but now that he has a second chance, he is unwilling to make the same mistake again. He is a unique and smart man. He figures out a way to indulge what he wants, to research his families past, and Mina’s love of research to get her to stay.
The chemistry between Mina and Sebastian is blistering hot. The sex scenes were hot and spicy. I enjoyed seeing Mina and Sebastian try new things. The more persistent Sebastian was the more Mina opened up to him. I loved the scenes toward the end where she convenes Sebastian to have sex with another woman. It seems to push Mina into confronting her feelings for Sebastian.
Overall, this was an enjoyable story. I found this story well written. I hope we get to see more from Mina and Sebastian in the future. While I have not read anything by this author before I will be looking for more by this author in the future.
Sebastian has regretted letting Mina go years ago but now that he has a second chance, he is unwilling to make the same mistake again. He is a unique and smart man. He figures out a way to indulge what he wants, to research his families past, and Mina’s love of research to get her to stay.
The chemistry between Mina and Sebastian is blistering hot. The sex scenes were hot and spicy. I enjoyed seeing Mina and Sebastian try new things. The more persistent Sebastian was the more Mina opened up to him. I loved the scenes toward the end where she convenes Sebastian to have sex with another woman. It seems to push Mina into confronting her feelings for Sebastian.
Overall, this was an enjoyable story. I found this story well written. I hope we get to see more from Mina and Sebastian in the future. While I have not read anything by this author before I will be looking for more by this author in the future.
January 3, 2015
This was just ok for me. The sex was extremely hot and well written but unfortunately Mina killed it for me.
Mina had her issues and while I don't hold those against her, I got progressively more annoyed at the way she tried to pass everything off on Seb *it's all because of how he treated me 2 years ago* and just totally disregarded his feelings. She wasn't stupid and that made it worse, because she clearly did know how he felt. She was just absolutely determined that she was going to regard everything as 'just sex', even when she knew she was lying to herself.
Sebastian was wonderful and is the whole reason I kept reading when I felt flouncing coming on. It was a little bit ironic that the male MC was the one who was adult and wanted to face problems head-on and talk them out and the female MC wanted to stick her head in the sand and pretend everything was all fine and just casual sex. *sigh*
It wasn't an awful book, but once I've gotten annoyed with a main character, it pretty much colors everything else with the same brush for me. Still, it was well written enough (and defintely hot enough)that I certainly wouldn't mind trying more from this author.
Mina had her issues and while I don't hold those against her, I got progressively more annoyed at the way she tried to pass everything off on Seb *it's all because of how he treated me 2 years ago* and just totally disregarded his feelings. She wasn't stupid and that made it worse, because she clearly did know how he felt. She was just absolutely determined that she was going to regard everything as 'just sex', even when she knew she was lying to herself.
Sebastian was wonderful and is the whole reason I kept reading when I felt flouncing coming on. It was a little bit ironic that the male MC was the one who was adult and wanted to face problems head-on and talk them out and the female MC wanted to stick her head in the sand and pretend everything was all fine and just casual sex. *sigh*
It wasn't an awful book, but once I've gotten annoyed with a main character, it pretty much colors everything else with the same brush for me. Still, it was well written enough (and defintely hot enough)that I certainly wouldn't mind trying more from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2017
3 1/2 Platypires for Private Research by Sabrina Darby
This is the second book that I have ready from author Ms. Darby. I actually read On the Silken Sheets which would be considered a stand-alone prequel to this novel. I didn't realize that part till I sat down to write this review. Again both novels are stand-alones.
While I really did like On the Silken Sheets, I felt Private Research did not push the envelope. Don't get me wrong, it did have risque scenes but I felt it kept apologizing for them. I didn't like the back and forth and the immediate shame Mina felt after doing something she really enjoyed. I felt either go for it or don't but the constant internal struggle was a tad annoying.
Now all that being said I did enjoy this book and even liked the sub-plot as well. I look forward to reading more books by Ms.Darby.
This is the second book that I have ready from author Ms. Darby. I actually read On the Silken Sheets which would be considered a stand-alone prequel to this novel. I didn't realize that part till I sat down to write this review. Again both novels are stand-alones.
While I really did like On the Silken Sheets, I felt Private Research did not push the envelope. Don't get me wrong, it did have risque scenes but I felt it kept apologizing for them. I didn't like the back and forth and the immediate shame Mina felt after doing something she really enjoyed. I felt either go for it or don't but the constant internal struggle was a tad annoying.
Now all that being said I did enjoy this book and even liked the sub-plot as well. I look forward to reading more books by Ms.Darby.
November 21, 2013
I wasn't really sure what to expect from Private Research, but what expectations I did form upon beginning to read were quickly overturned. What I found was a pretty decent read and discovered an author I am curious to read more from.
The plot was a bit weak at parts - I simply was hoping for more. When I saw the whole PhD candidate characterization in synopsis, I was curious as to how that would play out. It was played up some, but in the latter half of the book, it kind of took the back seat. I wish that would not have happened. That aside, the rest of the plot was really well crafted. There was mystery around the research, along with a good portion of steamy romance.
The characters were a mix - I thought that Mina was an intriguing character with some great qualities, but at time I wish was a bit more bold. She paled in comparison to Sebastian in many aspects.
Overall, this was quite a great read from Sabrina Darby. Readers who love a good romance will be more than satisfied with the saucy read.
The plot was a bit weak at parts - I simply was hoping for more. When I saw the whole PhD candidate characterization in synopsis, I was curious as to how that would play out. It was played up some, but in the latter half of the book, it kind of took the back seat. I wish that would not have happened. That aside, the rest of the plot was really well crafted. There was mystery around the research, along with a good portion of steamy romance.
The characters were a mix - I thought that Mina was an intriguing character with some great qualities, but at time I wish was a bit more bold. She paled in comparison to Sebastian in many aspects.
Overall, this was quite a great read from Sabrina Darby. Readers who love a good romance will be more than satisfied with the saucy read.
February 21, 2017
I received this free eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Huh. Yeah, not so much for this novel. I thought since she was getting her PhD in English that I would relate, as a fellow English Major, but no. Plus the whole hooking up but not in a relationship, although I'm staying with him and sharing every waking moment with him? Yeah, quite fooling yourself chicka.
Also, there was SO MUCH going on. Finding the club, doing her dissertation, worrying about the past, worrying about the future, worrying about what she was or wasn't with Sebastian. It was a lot happening and not a lot being resolved.
I was glad I got this for free and I'm bummed I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. It might work for other readers, I just didn't relate to most of the content nor liked the way Mina acted through most of the novel.
Huh. Yeah, not so much for this novel. I thought since she was getting her PhD in English that I would relate, as a fellow English Major, but no. Plus the whole hooking up but not in a relationship, although I'm staying with him and sharing every waking moment with him? Yeah, quite fooling yourself chicka.
Also, there was SO MUCH going on. Finding the club, doing her dissertation, worrying about the past, worrying about the future, worrying about what she was or wasn't with Sebastian. It was a lot happening and not a lot being resolved.
I was glad I got this for free and I'm bummed I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. It might work for other readers, I just didn't relate to most of the content nor liked the way Mina acted through most of the novel.
November 18, 2013
I had so enjoyed Darby's Entry-Level Mistress novel, that I quickly picked this one up hoping to find the same enjoyment of the first. Alas, this one was considerably slower, with competing plotlines - research about some literary author and that of Sebastian's ancestors secret club, taking up a lot of space and focusing attention away from the connection of the hero/heroine. The last part of the book was also quite a surprise and disappointed me as a reader, but understand and appreciate it's shock value. All in all, found myself struggling to stay connected and lacking the sizzle from the prior book of Darby's. Hopeful this is not reflective of others as think she has great talent as a relatively new author.
May 14, 2025
And now for something a little different. It’s still romance but not historical.
This is the first contemporary romance I’ve read as well as the first book I’ve read by the amazing voice of Sabrina Darby.
I am hooked on this author’s writing style; it’s very elegant and succinct and there is much more going on under the surface. I read an excerpt from this book after hearing about it on Twitter and bought it immediately for my Nook. It says it’s a novella, but it’s really not; the author says it’s 250 pages.
This is the first contemporary romance I’ve read as well as the first book I’ve read by the amazing voice of Sabrina Darby.
I am hooked on this author’s writing style; it’s very elegant and succinct and there is much more going on under the surface. I read an excerpt from this book after hearing about it on Twitter and bought it immediately for my Nook. It says it’s a novella, but it’s really not; the author says it’s 250 pages.
January 8, 2014
Full review on my blog
http://icanthelpwheremymindgoes.blogs...
http://icanthelpwheremymindgoes.blogs...
December 15, 2013
Full review to come, but for now...
December 3, 2013
Hot!!!!!
October 6, 2015
Can I rate a 3.5? It's not that bad but I can't say it's super good. Base on the intro, I didn't expect to read something so twisted and yet not that twisted.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews