What do you think?
Rate this book
Curio #6
Exposure
This is the fifth title in the Curio Vignettes series, follow-up stories to the novel Curio.
Love can drive a normal man to extraordinary feats—inspire him to scale a mountain, swim an ocean, brave a raging fire.
Didier Pedra wouldn’t consider himself a normal man, but an unexpected romance has changed him nonetheless. A severe agoraphobe, he left his flat for the first time in years to prove himself worthy of the woman he loves. A long-enabled prostitute, he’s now given up the clients who’ve warmed his bed, padded his bank account and coddled his disorder, ensuring he need never venture outside the safety of his home.
For Caroly, he’s taken the ultimate leap of faith—boarded a train to travel farther than he has in half a lifetime, so they can celebrate the start of their future together with a trip to Provence. There are no gains without struggle, and this love is a prize worth fighting for.
Love can drive a normal man to extraordinary feats—inspire him to scale a mountain, swim an ocean, brave a raging fire.
Didier Pedra wouldn’t consider himself a normal man, but an unexpected romance has changed him nonetheless. A severe agoraphobe, he left his flat for the first time in years to prove himself worthy of the woman he loves. A long-enabled prostitute, he’s now given up the clients who’ve warmed his bed, padded his bank account and coddled his disorder, ensuring he need never venture outside the safety of his home.
For Caroly, he’s taken the ultimate leap of faith—boarded a train to travel farther than he has in half a lifetime, so they can celebrate the start of their future together with a trip to Provence. There are no gains without struggle, and this love is a prize worth fighting for.
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2012
9 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Cara McKenna
41 books2,241 followersSince she began writing in 2008, Cara McKenna has published nearly forty romances and erotic novels with a variety of publishers, sometimes under the pen names Meg Maguire and C.M. McKenna. Her stories have been acclaimed for their smart, modern voice and defiance of convention. She was a 2015 RITA Award finalist, a 2014 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award winner, a 2012 and 2011 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee, and a 2010 Golden Heart Award finalist. She lives with her husband and baby son in the Pacific Northwest, though she’ll always be a Boston girl at heart.
For release-day alerts: http://bit.ly/1KBzUZM
For release-day alerts: http://bit.ly/1KBzUZM
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 10, 2013
4.5 happy stars
So pleased that I've read this smart, unusual, sophisticated series. Cara McKenna has excelled again.
Didier and Caroly are great characters and their story flowed smoothly, I just loved it. We can finally see that Caroly is no longer a 'sexual neophyte!'
Perfectly written, the dual POV's were a bonus, as was finding out that Cara's muse for the series was the beautiful David Gandy.
(without knowing that, I've felt him on every single page of the entire series - seriously Didier was David!)
I just devour everything that this author writes. Her talent is infinite - thank God!
So pleased that I've read this smart, unusual, sophisticated series. Cara McKenna has excelled again.
Didier and Caroly are great characters and their story flowed smoothly, I just loved it. We can finally see that Caroly is no longer a 'sexual neophyte!'
Perfectly written, the dual POV's were a bonus, as was finding out that Cara's muse for the series was the beautiful David Gandy.
(without knowing that, I've felt him on every single page of the entire series - seriously Didier was David!)
I just devour everything that this author writes. Her talent is infinite - thank God!
September 9, 2014
***4.5 It's Good to be Bare Stars***
The conclusion was
Such an emotional and erotic ending to this journey. A beautiful tale of an unconventional relationship that blossomed into a soul deep connection with two imperfect people. Didier and Caroly will stay with me for a long time.
This was my first taste of Cara McKenna, but it certainly won't be my last.
The conclusion was
Such an emotional and erotic ending to this journey. A beautiful tale of an unconventional relationship that blossomed into a soul deep connection with two imperfect people. Didier and Caroly will stay with me for a long time.
This was my first taste of Cara McKenna, but it certainly won't be my last.
February 15, 2017
It seems I'd rather stand shaking beside her than atrophy in comfort, all alone.
I both loved and hated this ending. I loved it because it's Didier's POV and some of the realizations and revelations that happened in EXPOSURE took him, and the reader, by surprise. In a good way. But I hated it because of some of those surprises just felt a little too.. convenient. And also because it's all over.
"You've brought me so many gifts. Beyond wine and clocks and clothes. This sky and this air, and all the doors you've opened."
I love this couple so much. They have some so far in, realistically, a pretty short time. And yet when compared to a lot of other contemporary romances this was not quick at all. Six months of hard earned change, shaky steps, stumbles, and successes. It was all well earned. And the fact that at the end Didier is making plans for the future is so lovely; even as he acknowledges his anxiety forces him to look ahead for his worries, it's okay, because he has Caroly at his side to help him appreciate and bask in the present.
That all being said, I found his conclusion a little abrupt and a little repetitive and while I enjoyed the change of scenery part of me wishes we could have seen Didier back in Paris and a little past where this story ended. An epilogue. A tiny glimpse of something more. This feels more like a HFN instead of a HEA and I'm okay with that for most situations but with theirs being so complex, I would've preferred something a little more.
So while this one wasn't an easy, happy, four for me, it was still an absolutely wonderful, breathtaking, sexy, enchanting, unusual overall experience.
3.5 "in love, there's no predicting the end, only savouring the present" stars
I both loved and hated this ending. I loved it because it's Didier's POV and some of the realizations and revelations that happened in EXPOSURE took him, and the reader, by surprise. In a good way. But I hated it because of some of those surprises just felt a little too.. convenient. And also because it's all over.
"You've brought me so many gifts. Beyond wine and clocks and clothes. This sky and this air, and all the doors you've opened."
I love this couple so much. They have some so far in, realistically, a pretty short time. And yet when compared to a lot of other contemporary romances this was not quick at all. Six months of hard earned change, shaky steps, stumbles, and successes. It was all well earned. And the fact that at the end Didier is making plans for the future is so lovely; even as he acknowledges his anxiety forces him to look ahead for his worries, it's okay, because he has Caroly at his side to help him appreciate and bask in the present.
That all being said, I found his conclusion a little abrupt and a little repetitive and while I enjoyed the change of scenery part of me wishes we could have seen Didier back in Paris and a little past where this story ended. An epilogue. A tiny glimpse of something more. This feels more like a HFN instead of a HEA and I'm okay with that for most situations but with theirs being so complex, I would've preferred something a little more.
So while this one wasn't an easy, happy, four for me, it was still an absolutely wonderful, breathtaking, sexy, enchanting, unusual overall experience.
3.5 "in love, there's no predicting the end, only savouring the present" stars
February 22, 2015
3,5 stars
It's over. After a short novel, and five vignettes Caroly and Didier finally got their happy ending. They've come a long way from the virgin client with obsession with beautiful men and an agoraphobic prostitute, and given how much my opinion about them and the series has changed, you could say I've come a long way with them, too.
Their journey wasn't just a metaphorical one: they made an actual trip in Exposure. Anyone who has read any part of Curio stories will know what a huge thing that is for Didier. And while I did expect the exposure to be panic-inducing, Didier did surprisingly well. Finally, he didn't strike as a depressed man, but instead a hopeful one looking forward to the future, one that is no longer a bleak, lonely future. Now with Caroly, new job, and no clients there are a lot new possibilities ahead. Other employment, children, new home -- he has many dreams. And one of his dreams (anyone who's come this far in the series could easily guess which one) came true.
All in all, a lovely way to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in their relationship. After Curio I was skeptical, but now I firmly believe they'll make it together. I just love it when that happens. And now I'm smiling. Caroly and Didier made me smile?! Incredible!
Anyway, a very pretty ending.
January 2, 2013
Posted on Under the Covers
Cara Mckenna’s writing is beautiful, flawless, sensual and unique. With this series of vignettes, I am guaranteed an escape every time I read a Curio short. If I had to describe this series in one word, it would be: Exquisite.
EXPOSURE is written in Didier’s POV and as the last book in the series, we finally see him come out of his shell. Thinking back on his journey through this series, we see a much different person from the first book, someone who is more at home within himself. We get a deeper understanding of his love for Caroly and how her personality fits so effortlessly with his.
This vignette seemed a little like an epilogue where things seem to be slowly winding to an end. However, I am praying that McKenna continues to explore this world with Caroly and Didier. Their journey has been refreshing, a unique take on the prostitute idea. In a way, it’s the end for the series, but a new beginning for characters. I couldn’t be more happier with how things turned out.
The Curio series is a must-read for readers who love a sweet romance. McKenna’s writing is to die for and I’m certainly looking forward to whatever new horizon she peruses next.
*Review Copy provided by publisher
Cara Mckenna’s writing is beautiful, flawless, sensual and unique. With this series of vignettes, I am guaranteed an escape every time I read a Curio short. If I had to describe this series in one word, it would be: Exquisite.
EXPOSURE is written in Didier’s POV and as the last book in the series, we finally see him come out of his shell. Thinking back on his journey through this series, we see a much different person from the first book, someone who is more at home within himself. We get a deeper understanding of his love for Caroly and how her personality fits so effortlessly with his.
This vignette seemed a little like an epilogue where things seem to be slowly winding to an end. However, I am praying that McKenna continues to explore this world with Caroly and Didier. Their journey has been refreshing, a unique take on the prostitute idea. In a way, it’s the end for the series, but a new beginning for characters. I couldn’t be more happier with how things turned out.
The Curio series is a must-read for readers who love a sweet romance. McKenna’s writing is to die for and I’m certainly looking forward to whatever new horizon she peruses next.
*Review Copy provided by publisher
June 26, 2025
3.5⭐️
Exposure is the conclusion to a series that never needed to shout to be heard.
While I struggled a bit with the final chapters—particularly the resolution of Didier’s agoraphobia, which felt just a little too tidy for such a complicated issue—it didn’t overshadow how deeply invested I had become in these two.
The final moments are emotional, messy, and tender. Not everything is resolved, and that’s part of the beauty. For a story that began with a paid transaction, what it becomes is a story of mutual care, of risking vulnerability, and of rewriting one’s own story.
The Curio series may be short, but it lingers. If you’re looking for something that walks the line between erotica and emotional realism, and you don’t mind reading it as one long slow-burn romance in six acts, this is worth every page. This is erotica with real emotional weight—and I loved how it all came together.
Exposure is the conclusion to a series that never needed to shout to be heard.
While I struggled a bit with the final chapters—particularly the resolution of Didier’s agoraphobia, which felt just a little too tidy for such a complicated issue—it didn’t overshadow how deeply invested I had become in these two.
The final moments are emotional, messy, and tender. Not everything is resolved, and that’s part of the beauty. For a story that began with a paid transaction, what it becomes is a story of mutual care, of risking vulnerability, and of rewriting one’s own story.
The Curio series may be short, but it lingers. If you’re looking for something that walks the line between erotica and emotional realism, and you don’t mind reading it as one long slow-burn romance in six acts, this is worth every page. This is erotica with real emotional weight—and I loved how it all came together.
July 29, 2016
Oh my gawd! That ending.....
There's not a lot I can say in this final review for the Curio series that hasn't already been said. It's awesome. Perfect for a reader that is in the mood for steam coupled with touching emotion and personal growth. Didier is a perfectly wrapped package on the outside. Women flock to him as a male prostitute but it takes an awkward, quirky virgin to completely throw off his game. She knew below the wrapping was a beautiful man crying for help but nobody was willing to go that deep...until Caroly.
Personally, I think this was one of my favorite love stories. The way it's written, the beautiful backdrop of romantic Paris, and the characters coming together slowly, first physically and finally emotionally. Loved every second of it!
It's the perfect happily ever after for the man hiding in dark shadows...
And the woman hiding behind low self esteem and self doubt...
And I thank you,
July 20, 2014
4.5 love conquers all stars
Didier & Caroly’s journey continues as we fast forward a few months. He’s found a woman that has made him dismissed everything he thought of monogamy. She’s pushed him, challenged him and in the end taught him far more than expected.
This vignette takes us to the French countryside for a night, both in love and both finally able to share an experience for the first time, together.
Cara McKenna is an extraordinary writer, this short series was told in such a beautiful way that completely captures you. She is able to make you feel like a voyeur as you watch their story unfold. One moment an insecure virgin and an established male prostitute and the next two experienced lovers that not only embrace their desire but are chasing away all of their fears.
I had to savor this series, not ready to have to say farewell to these two characters, to this story. I have not encountered one story from this author that I did not absolutely fall in love with. There is just magic in the way she tells a story that feels as natural as breathing.
Didier & Caroly’s journey continues as we fast forward a few months. He’s found a woman that has made him dismissed everything he thought of monogamy. She’s pushed him, challenged him and in the end taught him far more than expected.
This vignette takes us to the French countryside for a night, both in love and both finally able to share an experience for the first time, together.
Cara McKenna is an extraordinary writer, this short series was told in such a beautiful way that completely captures you. She is able to make you feel like a voyeur as you watch their story unfold. One moment an insecure virgin and an established male prostitute and the next two experienced lovers that not only embrace their desire but are chasing away all of their fears.
I had to savor this series, not ready to have to say farewell to these two characters, to this story. I have not encountered one story from this author that I did not absolutely fall in love with. There is just magic in the way she tells a story that feels as natural as breathing.
December 28, 2012
These stories just get better and better--Cara McKenna has once again given us a perfect love story
Read
October 28, 2016This cant be how this ends ??? right ?? there must be some other one comin up .... right ?? :(
October 17, 2013
So glad it's finally over!
I don't think I'll read any more from this author. Even though I really liked her book After Hours for its wit and banter, all the books I've read from this author (including After Hours) have been so fucking depressing that I have a hard time classifying them as romances.
This serial was particularly depressing, and boring. There was just so much background noise, thoughts, sights, smells, descriptions, more thoughts... There was so much verbiage and so little action that I found it more fluff than substance.
Most (if not all) of the book is spent being in either of their heads, and their thoughts were on what was going on around them, from the smell of the roast, to how fucked up they are. So, it was like walking in a dream, nothing seemed real, it was all just thought. And very little happened anyway. Sex, talk (filtered through their heads), more sex, talk -about what they have done since last we met up with them (filtered through their heads), some more sex, an actual event -such as going out to eat (filtered through their head of course... because god forbid we see the action unfold, nooooo we have to hear about it from their thoughts/head and not see it from their eyes).
Yeah, really I don't have anything good to say about this set of novellas. I give it 3 stars because even though I did not like the style of this writing (at all), it wasn't necessarily bad, just not to my liking. And the premise of the book was ok. In fact all the elements were all, OK. Nothing special (at all) and nothing horrendously bad.
Again, just glad it's finally over and I can move on!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think I'll read any more from this author. Even though I really liked her book After Hours for its wit and banter, all the books I've read from this author (including After Hours) have been so fucking depressing that I have a hard time classifying them as romances.
This serial was particularly depressing, and boring. There was just so much background noise, thoughts, sights, smells, descriptions, more thoughts... There was so much verbiage and so little action that I found it more fluff than substance.
Most (if not all) of the book is spent being in either of their heads, and their thoughts were on what was going on around them, from the smell of the roast, to how fucked up they are. So, it was like walking in a dream, nothing seemed real, it was all just thought. And very little happened anyway. Sex, talk (filtered through their heads), more sex, talk -about what they have done since last we met up with them (filtered through their heads), some more sex, an actual event -such as going out to eat (filtered through their head of course... because god forbid we see the action unfold, nooooo we have to hear about it from their thoughts/head and not see it from their eyes).
Yeah, really I don't have anything good to say about this set of novellas. I give it 3 stars because even though I did not like the style of this writing (at all), it wasn't necessarily bad, just not to my liking. And the premise of the book was ok. In fact all the elements were all, OK. Nothing special (at all) and nothing horrendously bad.
Again, just glad it's finally over and I can move on!!!!!!!!!!!
December 31, 2012
"You've been so patient."
"And you've been so brave.
Not exactly what I had hoped for if this is truly the end of Didier and Caroly's story. If so, I believe it definitely needed an epilogue. This last installment just felt very unfinished. I'm hoping that the characters continue to speak to McKenna to the degree that she has no choice but to pen more of their voices. This is truly one of my favorite couples in erotic romance and McKenna's richly beautiful voice shines for this couple above and beyond the rest of her work. Not to say that her other work is by any means shabby.
"No one's ever made me feel so wanted, so longed for, so treasured as she does. She waited for me, she's said. Avoided men for ages, then sought me out as a rejection proof point of entry into the world of sex. Now she loves me, somehow. Wants me just as deeply as she did before those carnal initiations. Wants me as so much more."
This is probably my last read of 2012 so I raise my glass to Didier and Caroly in a toast to the New Year and with the hope of seeing this special couple again in the future.
"This affair feels like none I've fostered before. All the ones before this were as pleasant as a beautiful song or delicious meal. Though a twinge of sadness accompanied their conclusions, the world kept turning. With Caroly, it's rousing as a symphony, nourishing as a banquet, but vital as oxygen as well. Should all of this end, it won't go with any pang so simple as sadness. I'd grieve it like a death."
3.5/5 stars
June 29, 2013
I don't know if there will be any more of these, but this could be a satisfying end to this series. We have Didier and Caroly vacationing out in the middle of nowhere, and Didier is not freaking out. He's actually calm. And they talk about possibly moving someplace like the cottage where they are vacationing. Didier has a new job and has severed his relationships with his prostitution customers. Caroly has moved in with him. And this will be the first time they can enjoy each other with nothing between them -- no money, no customers, no condom...
Their "first time" is really sweet. I think one of the things I like so much about this series is how well written it is. The overall story itself feels almost like I'm intruding on their relationship... watching it grow and expand. Nothing of any real consequence happens. And when I say that, of course things happen, but there's no seemingly insurmountable conflict that arises that may keep them apart. Caroly is dedicated to him, and he to her. But there are so many interesting phrase turns... interesting ways to describe everyday objects, everyday tasks, everyday feelings. And it's been a great read overall.
Their "first time" is really sweet. I think one of the things I like so much about this series is how well written it is. The overall story itself feels almost like I'm intruding on their relationship... watching it grow and expand. Nothing of any real consequence happens. And when I say that, of course things happen, but there's no seemingly insurmountable conflict that arises that may keep them apart. Caroly is dedicated to him, and he to her. But there are so many interesting phrase turns... interesting ways to describe everyday objects, everyday tasks, everyday feelings. And it's been a great read overall.
December 27, 2012
I'm so sad this series is over but it ended on a perfect note.
I would kill for an epilogue though lol
I would kill for an epilogue though lol
December 30, 2012
Sigh.. I just love Didier and Caroly's relationship. So honest and real. No angst, no lies, no cheating. It makes such a refreshing change.
October 11, 2019
I think this book does not add anything new to the series, and there's not enough tension or problem to solve.
May 1, 2022
La quinta y última curio vignette, el lacito final, resulta solo un poco más interesante que la anterior porque se relata en primera persona por el protagonista, Didier, el gabacho que se prostituye. Más atractivo que Caroly, la torda yanqui curadora de un museo que compra su cuerpo, dónde vamos a parar... Aunque él es agorafóbico, aquí se van de viaje al sur de Francia, en un paisaje muy Cézanne. Todo es muy tierno y cuqui entre ellos, aderezado con sexo, claro, porque si no, no sería erótica. Solo que a estas alturas con ellos me pasa el efecto «tío Pepe y tía Josefina», que son como de la familia, te alegras por ellos, pero conocer sus intimidades te da un poco de grimilla. Como el resto de la serie, no recomiendo leerla aislada sino por orden. Y si lo dejas en la segunda o la tercera viñeta, no te pierdes nada.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
August 20, 2023
Good ending.
August 29, 2023
Absolutely beautiful and stark as the characters put it all out there, in the hopes their love is enough
December 27, 2012
OMG, I love Didier!!!! Yes he was a Parisian male prostitute, agoraphobic and a total pampered pet. This is how he was when we first met him in the original story, Curio but who would have thought that such a man could become the hero of a whole series of short stories? As Caroly states "You're the bravest man I know." At the end of the original story, Didier is about to lose Caroly as a client and realizes that he wants her as more than a client and takes his first steps outside in years to show her how much she means to him. It's such a simple thing but it's huge for him and as a reader, it leaves you all a flutter, yep super romantic. As the vignettes have come about, each one has been building upon those same simple steps. We get to follow along as Didier and Caroly take the first steps from prostitute and client to boyfriend and girlfriend. We get to eavesdrop on how best to plan the simple act of telling the other person that you love them and hoping that they won't laugh at you or reject your statement. We also get to see them make plans for the future and talk about all the things that should be talked about when a relationship is new. Someone smarter than me once said that the key to a good relationship is in the small details and this is brought home in blazing clarity in the Curio vignettes. Didier and Caroly know they have something special and will do whatever it takes to turn that small spark into a blazing fire that will last a lifetime. As stated above, love can drive a normal man to extaordinary feats and Didier has decided that if he wants a future with Caroly, he needs to change. Each vignette is a major milestone for Didier and Caroly but this one is by far the biggest.
In this vignette, Didier and Caroly decide to take a vacation. Now knowing that Didier is agoraphobic, you can imagine how huge this is. Didier is doing this to prove to himself that he is bigger than his disorder and to prove he can have a normal life with Caroly. Caroly has also decided to move in with Didier but she also has a surprise up her sleeve. She knows Didier's deepest, darkest desire and she has made plans to make it come true.
Cara McKenna is an artist at writing unconventional relationships and making them some of the most romantic things I've ever read. If someone said that I want you to read a story about a prostitute who's a pampered pooch, agoraphobic and gets lost in fixing watches. Who falls in love with one of his clients, oh and it's going to be the most romantic thing you've read to date. I'd probably have laughed, rolled my eyes, patted their arm in reassurance but ultimately would likely have passed on it. It would have been my biggest mistake.
Even though this is considered Exotica, I personally wouldn't place it in that category. Yes, it's steamy but I would say it's more in the CR category. I have loved, laughed, sighed heavily with dreamy wanting, cringed while Didier got lost, reveled in his stories, got frustrated along with Caroly, had my heart soar with the pigeons and got hot and bothered all at the same time. I'm going to miss these characters, as I'm pretty sure this was the last vignette but I know they are going to have a bright future. I just hope maybe in a few years Cara McKenna will write a short follow up story with their wedding and maybe their kids *grin and wink with my fingers crossed*
In this vignette, Didier and Caroly decide to take a vacation. Now knowing that Didier is agoraphobic, you can imagine how huge this is. Didier is doing this to prove to himself that he is bigger than his disorder and to prove he can have a normal life with Caroly. Caroly has also decided to move in with Didier but she also has a surprise up her sleeve. She knows Didier's deepest, darkest desire and she has made plans to make it come true.
Cara McKenna is an artist at writing unconventional relationships and making them some of the most romantic things I've ever read. If someone said that I want you to read a story about a prostitute who's a pampered pooch, agoraphobic and gets lost in fixing watches. Who falls in love with one of his clients, oh and it's going to be the most romantic thing you've read to date. I'd probably have laughed, rolled my eyes, patted their arm in reassurance but ultimately would likely have passed on it. It would have been my biggest mistake.
Even though this is considered Exotica, I personally wouldn't place it in that category. Yes, it's steamy but I would say it's more in the CR category. I have loved, laughed, sighed heavily with dreamy wanting, cringed while Didier got lost, reveled in his stories, got frustrated along with Caroly, had my heart soar with the pigeons and got hot and bothered all at the same time. I'm going to miss these characters, as I'm pretty sure this was the last vignette but I know they are going to have a bright future. I just hope maybe in a few years Cara McKenna will write a short follow up story with their wedding and maybe their kids *grin and wink with my fingers crossed*
October 1, 2024
What can I say? I loved this series. The books/story just kept getting better and better.
Didier is a male prostitute, but so different than all the other books I have read where the main male characters are whores. He had a lot of innocence and vulnerability in him and was so sweet.
Didier wasn't only the women's whore, he was more like a therapist to them. He really listened to their wants, and fears. His patience made them feel comfortable, beautiful and confident, and I would think loved too. Because he really cared and loved all his clients.
The story is only about him and one client Caroly. But he tells her some stories about his clients and that's how you come to find out how sweet, innocent, and vulnerable he is.
When Caroly first sees him, she thinks of him as perfect. The most beautiful man she's ever seen. But he's not. He has a huge fear, but that fear is what makes him humble, innocent, and vulnerable.
The more he and Caroly see each other, the more they learn to trust and confine in each other.
Caroly falls in love with him, fear and all. She is so strong and mature, and patient with him. She accepts him just the way he is and never nags or tells him to leave his profession. She know what he does, because she after all was one of his clients too. Never nags him. Because with the confidence he teaches her to have, she knows she's more then a client to him. She's special, and knows he has more feeling for her then any other client.
The sex scenes are so passionate, strong, even raw at times. And when sex turns into making love, they also become sweet, and so beautiful.
Their love, trust, and patience helps them both over come their, fears and insecurities. It was a lot easier for Caroly to over come hers, but I know that with her love he will also over come that huge fear that controls his life.
With love, trust, and patience there's nothing that can be impossible. I recommend everyone reads this story. I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I did.
Didier is a male prostitute, but so different than all the other books I have read where the main male characters are whores. He had a lot of innocence and vulnerability in him and was so sweet.
Didier wasn't only the women's whore, he was more like a therapist to them. He really listened to their wants, and fears. His patience made them feel comfortable, beautiful and confident, and I would think loved too. Because he really cared and loved all his clients.
The story is only about him and one client Caroly. But he tells her some stories about his clients and that's how you come to find out how sweet, innocent, and vulnerable he is.
When Caroly first sees him, she thinks of him as perfect. The most beautiful man she's ever seen. But he's not. He has a huge fear, but that fear is what makes him humble, innocent, and vulnerable.
The more he and Caroly see each other, the more they learn to trust and confine in each other.
Caroly falls in love with him, fear and all. She is so strong and mature, and patient with him. She accepts him just the way he is and never nags or tells him to leave his profession. She know what he does, because she after all was one of his clients too. Never nags him. Because with the confidence he teaches her to have, she knows she's more then a client to him. She's special, and knows he has more feeling for her then any other client.
The sex scenes are so passionate, strong, even raw at times. And when sex turns into making love, they also become sweet, and so beautiful.
Their love, trust, and patience helps them both over come their, fears and insecurities. It was a lot easier for Caroly to over come hers, but I know that with her love he will also over come that huge fear that controls his life.
With love, trust, and patience there's nothing that can be impossible. I recommend everyone reads this story. I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I did.
July 2, 2015
This is the last installment in the "Curio Vignettes" (mini) series and for me it delivered exactly what I wanted to read :) I love a happy ending, love happily ever after but I usually prefer it to be less sticky and more to the point of dealing with the problems or at least seeing a way out of them - just as this installment delivered.
Caroly and Didier leave Paris for a few days vocation in Provence. This trip is very significant for the both of them, first because it means Didier found another job (I loved the job that he found, I actually thought it would be cool if that's what he did and then I got exactly that :)) and it also means that he is dealing much better with his Agoraphobia. and naturally it means that the both of them can take the relationship to the next level.
I think it's beautiful how much the both of them changed in the past 5 months they have been together. Caroly is a much stronger woman who knows what she wants, the sexual experiences did a lot for her confidence and not only between the sheets and Didier naturally had a lot of change with his phobia but also he did a huge change in life choosing to live for himself and deal with the fear and not close himself up with his clients which on the one hand are fun for him and on the other hand they helped him confine himself in his apartment.
You already know I love this mini series and I already started adding tiny bits of books by Cara.
Caroly and Didier leave Paris for a few days vocation in Provence. This trip is very significant for the both of them, first because it means Didier found another job (I loved the job that he found, I actually thought it would be cool if that's what he did and then I got exactly that :)) and it also means that he is dealing much better with his Agoraphobia. and naturally it means that the both of them can take the relationship to the next level.
I think it's beautiful how much the both of them changed in the past 5 months they have been together. Caroly is a much stronger woman who knows what she wants, the sexual experiences did a lot for her confidence and not only between the sheets and Didier naturally had a lot of change with his phobia but also he did a huge change in life choosing to live for himself and deal with the fear and not close himself up with his clients which on the one hand are fun for him and on the other hand they helped him confine himself in his apartment.
You already know I love this mini series and I already started adding tiny bits of books by Cara.
August 30, 2013
To me this was a most satisfying ending to a beautiful story. Two fucked up people meeting in an unconventional way and falling in love, ultimately learning how to grow-up and turning into their better selves. I was emotionally invested with both of these characters, I loved their interactions and their growth. Who ever thought I'd think a love story including an agoraphobe prostitute is this amazing.
And I just adore Ms. McKenna's writing. I noticed it was written in first person present tense 'round story #4 and I really hate books written like that. That is a testament enough to her writing. It's just beautiful.
And she obviously has a talent for writing incredibly steamy sex scenes. Let me tell you, they are HOT!
And a quote I liked most from the entire series:
"We’re all foolish enough to dismiss fairy stories, until we find ourselves face-to-face with a dragon."
P.S. Dear Didier, being an agoraphobe would be so much easier if you had a little thing called internet. :D
And I just adore Ms. McKenna's writing. I noticed it was written in first person present tense 'round story #4 and I really hate books written like that. That is a testament enough to her writing. It's just beautiful.
And she obviously has a talent for writing incredibly steamy sex scenes. Let me tell you, they are HOT!
And a quote I liked most from the entire series:
"We’re all foolish enough to dismiss fairy stories, until we find ourselves face-to-face with a dragon."
P.S. Dear Didier, being an agoraphobe would be so much easier if you had a little thing called internet. :D
January 23, 2019
3.5 stars. a beautiful, explicable continuation to caroly and didier's story. written as beautifully and evocatively as all of the other shorts in this series, though perhaps not as compelling for me overall. i'd have to think onnit to figure out why: change in scenery? decreasing agoraphobic complications? too much happily-ever-after, not enough dramatic tension? hmm. i think it's perhaps that we've already seen caroly and didier in this state of comfort and mutual acceptance, and while this little literary postcard (whatever), updating us on their status, is lovely and heartwarming, there's not much actually new information. but i love this couple, and their author even more, so i'm not complaining!
January 2, 2013
3.5/5 stars. Love Didier and Caroly. Love this series. Love how much these characters have grown over the course of six stories. Caroly is able to embrace her sexuality comfortably now and has more confidence in herself. Didier stopped listening to the bullies in his head and ventured outside for the first in years. They challenged each other sexually and more so, emotionally. They helped each other work through their insecurities. There was no judging. Just love, support and lots of patience. They didn't make each other stronger. Didier and Caroly made each other WANT to become stronger.
January 17, 2013
This is one of the most beautiful, sensual and completely satisfying (not to mention SWOONWORTHY) books I've ever read.
Like ever, ever.
I only tend say good things on GR, but that's because Karma is a bitch, and I only review what I think is worth my time and others.
BEST EROTIC SERIES (This is novella #6) I've read so far in recent years.
5+++++++ STARS for Smexyness
5+++++++ STARS for Love it or Leave it.
For the entire series.
Only other erotic novella to hit me like this in 2012-present was Charlotte Stein's stand alone Deep Desires.
MIni-Review and full review coming soon at BookCrack: www.bookcrack.com
Like ever, ever.
I only tend say good things on GR, but that's because Karma is a bitch, and I only review what I think is worth my time and others.
BEST EROTIC SERIES (This is novella #6) I've read so far in recent years.
5+++++++ STARS for Smexyness
5+++++++ STARS for Love it or Leave it.
For the entire series.
Only other erotic novella to hit me like this in 2012-present was Charlotte Stein's stand alone Deep Desires.
MIni-Review and full review coming soon at BookCrack: www.bookcrack.com
January 1, 2013
If this is the last in the series then I will be severely disappointed. A brief interlude where Caroly and Didler travel outside the city and take a house in the country. I felt disconnected to this installment. Caroly's voice irritated me for some reason. So formal and constricted; no real warmth. I enjoyed the story overall but I felt as if Caroly still sees him as a prostitute...just one she owns completely. There is also no real ending. Not even a hint of an HFN. It just stops. I'd like some resolution.
December 29, 2012
In this episode, Caroly and Didier escape Paris for a "sunny day" in Provence -no rain coats necessary! I prefer Didier's voice over Caroly's. His is philosophical and reflective, while I feel like Caroly's words are all aimed at pawing and maiming the poor guy. McKenna managed to put tension in what amounts to two hot sex scenes interspersed with cheese and wine. But...yes, there's a but...Didier's reflections got repetitive around 50% and I started to skim.
May 12, 2013
This was a very good series of books. Probably easily could have been one book but I enjoyed each segment a lot. From just meeting each other to the culmination of their relationship the steps in their journey were beautiful and the author's writing matched. Their conversations were a joy, very lyrical almost like reading a romantic poem. The only negative I could have was that it was almost too perfect of a journey to be real but the prostitute and the virgin got their HEA.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews