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Beautiful Losers
"Would you like to watch us?"
Shira is deeply, achingly in love with her best friend, Jean. This is unfortunate, because he's gay. But with one flippant invitation, Shira, Jean, and his boyfriend, Sebastian, begin their obsessive journey into the dark heart of sexual excess. When even their own edgy subculture refuses to accept them, Sebastian builds a new world with new rules to shelter the threesome. But the baggage they've brought with them can't simply be left at the door and, when the real world breaches the carefully constructed walls, it does so with tragic consequences.
"Beautiful Losers" is the first novel-length work by erotic fiction writer Remittance Girl.
Shira is deeply, achingly in love with her best friend, Jean. This is unfortunate, because he's gay. But with one flippant invitation, Shira, Jean, and his boyfriend, Sebastian, begin their obsessive journey into the dark heart of sexual excess. When even their own edgy subculture refuses to accept them, Sebastian builds a new world with new rules to shelter the threesome. But the baggage they've brought with them can't simply be left at the door and, when the real world breaches the carefully constructed walls, it does so with tragic consequences.
"Beautiful Losers" is the first novel-length work by erotic fiction writer Remittance Girl.
228 pages, ebook
First published November 7, 2012
6 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
About the author
Remittance Girl
29 books426 followersRemittance Girl is a writer of erotic fiction. NOT ROMANCE OR EROTIC ROMANCE. Most of my work is short stories, but I do write some longer pieces – serials, novellas, etc. I live as an expat in a small Southeast Asian country, where I teach, write and grow orchids. I live with a cat called Seven. Although writing is not my main profession, it is the focus of my life. I hope that shows in the quality of my work.
As a writer, I feel very strongly that the erotica genre has suffered greatly over the years from a lack of quality, good editorship, and a dearth of publishers willing to put new material out there. It seems to have been appropriated by two literary camps: romantic fiction and pornography. These days most erotic fiction is either a romance novel with the spicy bits left in or, on the other side of the spectrum, stroke fiction with the solitary and express purpose of providing guided masturbatory fantasies.
This is sad, because I think erotic fiction, as a genre, should be neither and both those things, but it ought to be more, as well. I have no objection to representations of romantic entanglements in erotica, just as I have no objections to them in a sci-fi novel. Nor do I have any objections to a reader finding that a specific story arouses them to the point of wanting to masturbate. That’s also fine. But there are perfectly good genres where either of those reader desires are fulfilled specifically.
I believe that erotica, as a genre, should deal with the theme of erotic desire and, ideally, how desire informs, changes and manipulates the lives of the characters who are desirous. If erotic fiction can be this, then I think it has the potential to be an important cultural product, and should be proudly included in the literary cannon.
Some of you will have cleverly noticed that Remittance Girl is not the name I was born with. I decided to use a pseudonym because it is in keeping with the tradition of the Victorian pornographers. I could have chosen a name that sounded like a name, but where would be the fun it that. This is my identity for my writing, and for my online persona. I’ve had it for many years now.
The name itself is a reference to a “remittance man”. Wikipedia describes a remittance man thus:
Remittance Man
In the 19th century, the English usage of the word usually referred to money sent from England – the opposite direction to today’s usual usage of the term. A remittance man was an exile living on money sent from home. Within Victorian British culture, this often meant the black sheep of an upper or middle class family who was sent away (from the UK to the Empire), and paid to stay away. These men were generally of dissolute or drunken character, and may have been sent overseas after one or more disgraces at home.
If you wish to contact me, please email me at remittancegirl(at)gmail(dot)com
As a writer, I feel very strongly that the erotica genre has suffered greatly over the years from a lack of quality, good editorship, and a dearth of publishers willing to put new material out there. It seems to have been appropriated by two literary camps: romantic fiction and pornography. These days most erotic fiction is either a romance novel with the spicy bits left in or, on the other side of the spectrum, stroke fiction with the solitary and express purpose of providing guided masturbatory fantasies.
This is sad, because I think erotic fiction, as a genre, should be neither and both those things, but it ought to be more, as well. I have no objection to representations of romantic entanglements in erotica, just as I have no objections to them in a sci-fi novel. Nor do I have any objections to a reader finding that a specific story arouses them to the point of wanting to masturbate. That’s also fine. But there are perfectly good genres where either of those reader desires are fulfilled specifically.
I believe that erotica, as a genre, should deal with the theme of erotic desire and, ideally, how desire informs, changes and manipulates the lives of the characters who are desirous. If erotic fiction can be this, then I think it has the potential to be an important cultural product, and should be proudly included in the literary cannon.
Some of you will have cleverly noticed that Remittance Girl is not the name I was born with. I decided to use a pseudonym because it is in keeping with the tradition of the Victorian pornographers. I could have chosen a name that sounded like a name, but where would be the fun it that. This is my identity for my writing, and for my online persona. I’ve had it for many years now.
The name itself is a reference to a “remittance man”. Wikipedia describes a remittance man thus:
Remittance Man
In the 19th century, the English usage of the word usually referred to money sent from England – the opposite direction to today’s usual usage of the term. A remittance man was an exile living on money sent from home. Within Victorian British culture, this often meant the black sheep of an upper or middle class family who was sent away (from the UK to the Empire), and paid to stay away. These men were generally of dissolute or drunken character, and may have been sent overseas after one or more disgraces at home.
If you wish to contact me, please email me at remittancegirl(at)gmail(dot)com
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November 29, 2012
Review completed November 29, 2012
This gif symbolizes the opulent, highly erotic and smokin' hot sex of Beautiful Losers. What an orgy!
Would you like to watch us f@ck?
Shira has never watched anyone having sex. It's quite a revelation and it goes without saying that she won't remain unaffected…
First of all let's cover The Good:
PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX.
I think you get the gist.
Oh, as an afterthought…the writing is very good too. It's enticing, intriguing and lascivious.
Sebastian offered Shira some inspirational pointers how to give great head. Would you like to lick off some hot chocolate? Mmmm…
The Bad
I tried very hard to find it but I couldn't see a plot. When it comes down to it the sex is all over the place after all.
Smoking dope…
…and excessive drinking…
are things I dislike extremely. It doesn't matter whether it's real life or fiction. It's off limits. Period.
As I mentioned in one of my updates I couldn't bond with the characters. The only thing I really liked about Shira was her name. Shira is a beautiful and exquisite name. Love it! Shira as a person, however, did not work out for me at all because she has so many hang-ups. With that said, Shira is overly weepy, whiny, needy, insecure, immature and giggles too much. Also, she has issues with her low self-esteem. I was pretty shocked as well as very annoyed to see how easily Sebastian (and Jean) could manipulate her. Not once did she stand up to really enforce her opinion. That speaks for itself. It just happens that I prefer strong and confident women. Don't get me wrong. Being vulnerable or having other hang-ups is all right as long as the shortcomings don't grow out of perspective.
Jean & Sebastian. The gay lovers. They are the opposite of manly. Basically, I'm not into effeminate men though. Yeah, shallow me but to each their own, right? Jean is a sub and a hysterical drama queen. He loves eyeliner and black cherry lipstick and polish.
"So many shades of black, so little time."
Goth style. Without. A. Doubt. Not. My. Cuppa. Jean is weeping a lot and he is a giggler. In fact, a giggling man is a no-go!
Fair warning, this is a huge spoiler:
Sebastian is a highly manipulative and patronizing a@@hole. Even though I hated Sebastian I would never have
(…)The thing I'd become between them was someone I didn't know. All mindless meat and rapture and blind, senseless need. And over me, they had become both more, and less, than the men I loved.
Would I do this with other men? Would I care who they were, as long as they gave me the pleasure I craved? Knowing what I knew now, how could I ever unknown it? Everything else would forever be an insipid shadow of this. That terrified me.
Another huge spoiler:
Their whole "special" arrangement
Sebastian taught me how to walk on shifting sand. Not to let all the names we have for each other become the traps we live in. He taught me that people are people, regardless of our genes or the configuration of our body parts, how we are brought up, the clothes we wear, the people we choose to f@ck or the ones we love.
We are human. Absolutely everything else is negotiable.
And then there was Shira talking about loving Jean and rather unexpectedly, she even fell in love with Sebastian eventually. Having said this, I couldn't for the life of me feel this love or any affection at all. All things considered it felt too superficial. Maybe another case of "It's me and not the book or the characters." Who knows?
Warning
Beautiful Losers is not an erotic romance. Be aware, there is The story contains very explicit sex (including oral and anal), name-calling, voyeurism, spanking, bondage and ménage scenes.
Steam: 4.5 to 5 / Eroticism: 5 / Chemistry: 1 / Sensuality: 1
This gif symbolizes the opulent, highly erotic and smokin' hot sex of Beautiful Losers. What an orgy!
Would you like to watch us f@ck?
Shira has never watched anyone having sex. It's quite a revelation and it goes without saying that she won't remain unaffected…
First of all let's cover The Good:
PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX. PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE HOT SEX.
I think you get the gist.
Oh, as an afterthought…the writing is very good too. It's enticing, intriguing and lascivious.
Sebastian offered Shira some inspirational pointers how to give great head. Would you like to lick off some hot chocolate? Mmmm…
The Bad
I tried very hard to find it but I couldn't see a plot. When it comes down to it the sex is all over the place after all.
Smoking dope…
…and excessive drinking…
are things I dislike extremely. It doesn't matter whether it's real life or fiction. It's off limits. Period.
As I mentioned in one of my updates I couldn't bond with the characters. The only thing I really liked about Shira was her name. Shira is a beautiful and exquisite name. Love it! Shira as a person, however, did not work out for me at all because she has so many hang-ups. With that said, Shira is overly weepy, whiny, needy, insecure, immature and giggles too much. Also, she has issues with her low self-esteem. I was pretty shocked as well as very annoyed to see how easily Sebastian (and Jean) could manipulate her. Not once did she stand up to really enforce her opinion. That speaks for itself. It just happens that I prefer strong and confident women. Don't get me wrong. Being vulnerable or having other hang-ups is all right as long as the shortcomings don't grow out of perspective.
Jean & Sebastian. The gay lovers. They are the opposite of manly. Basically, I'm not into effeminate men though. Yeah, shallow me but to each their own, right? Jean is a sub and a hysterical drama queen. He loves eyeliner and black cherry lipstick and polish.
"So many shades of black, so little time."
Goth style. Without. A. Doubt. Not. My. Cuppa. Jean is weeping a lot and he is a giggler. In fact, a giggling man is a no-go!
Fair warning, this is a huge spoiler:
Sebastian is a highly manipulative and patronizing a@@hole. Even though I hated Sebastian I would never have
(…)The thing I'd become between them was someone I didn't know. All mindless meat and rapture and blind, senseless need. And over me, they had become both more, and less, than the men I loved.
Would I do this with other men? Would I care who they were, as long as they gave me the pleasure I craved? Knowing what I knew now, how could I ever unknown it? Everything else would forever be an insipid shadow of this. That terrified me.
Another huge spoiler:
Their whole "special" arrangement
Sebastian taught me how to walk on shifting sand. Not to let all the names we have for each other become the traps we live in. He taught me that people are people, regardless of our genes or the configuration of our body parts, how we are brought up, the clothes we wear, the people we choose to f@ck or the ones we love.
We are human. Absolutely everything else is negotiable.
And then there was Shira talking about loving Jean and rather unexpectedly, she even fell in love with Sebastian eventually. Having said this, I couldn't for the life of me feel this love or any affection at all. All things considered it felt too superficial. Maybe another case of "It's me and not the book or the characters." Who knows?
Warning
Beautiful Losers is not an erotic romance. Be aware, there is The story contains very explicit sex (including oral and anal), name-calling, voyeurism, spanking, bondage and ménage scenes.
Steam: 4.5 to 5 / Eroticism: 5 / Chemistry: 1 / Sensuality: 1
April 13, 2015
4.5 ***Insert Gif Below** Stars!!!
Hoooooooly Moly!!!!
Glow-Worm Seal of Approval!!!!!
***Review to Come***
Hoooooooly Moly!!!!
Glow-Worm Seal of Approval!!!!!
***Review to Come***
October 11, 2014
Already had a too much sex can be a bad thing shelf. Must now create a too much sex is never enough one as well.
Perhaps some other time though. This book has drenched me into a state of melancholia. So for now I'm just going to curl up into a ball, then lurk on the Sheesha for a bit and dance it all off tonight.
Perhaps some other time though. This book has drenched me into a state of melancholia. So for now I'm just going to curl up into a ball, then lurk on the Sheesha for a bit and dance it all off tonight.
Read
November 26, 2012A bold, well-written tour-de-force about a male couple taking their female friend into bed (and into their lives). I really wanted it to work for the characters, but even that ending worked for me. The sex is steaming hot, the writing strong, passionate and alive. My first work by RG, certainly not my last.
Apart from being extremely hot, this also examines gender, sexual orientation and attraction. A thinking person's erotica.
(Disclosure: I met RG is real life - and she's extremely cool - so I'm not exactly neutral. But even considerin that I wanted this to be good, it was much better than I'd hoped. Read it in one go.)
Apart from being extremely hot, this also examines gender, sexual orientation and attraction. A thinking person's erotica.
(Disclosure: I met RG is real life - and she's extremely cool - so I'm not exactly neutral. But even considerin that I wanted this to be good, it was much better than I'd hoped. Read it in one go.)
April 17, 2015
I'm not sure where to begin.
This book was one big, hot 3-way sex scene. Not that I minded, mind you.
Although, I do enjoy some story to go with my sex.
Smoke some spliff, drink some alcohol, have sex, repeat
This book was one big, hot 3-way sex scene. Not that I minded, mind you.
Although, I do enjoy some story to go with my sex.
Smoke some spliff, drink some alcohol, have sex, repeat
Read
April 10, 2015This story was straight lava, but the last few pages .. .
. . . Review to come.
. . . Review to come.
February 2, 2014
Beautiful Losers is the first novel-length work by erotic fiction writer Remittance Girl. I would have never guessed that this book didn't come from a seasoned writer. It was absolutely brilliant.
Shira is a young woman who is in love with her best friend Jean. The only issue is that her best friend is in love with someone else, and he's gay.
One night Jean and his significant other, Sebastian, invite Shira to watch them have sex. Normally, she would have said no. But the idea of getting a glimpse of the forbidden proves too tempting and soon she is a voyeur to the most erotic scene she has ever laid eyes on.
But it doesn't end there, Sebastian invites Shira to join them on the bed and before she know it she is in way over her head.
Sebastian has dealt with the world misunderstanding him for a long time. His art, his life, his choices. He has held it in and put on a cocky exterior to show the world.
The boys quickly enfold Shira into their lives and she is left wondering what her place is. When they go out together, she is reminded of just how unusual their arrangement is.
Shira's love for Jean is all consuming. She would do anything to be with him.
Shira comes to understand the motivation behind her inclusion in the threesome. Dark twists to the story unfold and she is left wondering where she belongs.
Sebastian's gruff exterior and harsh words push Shira away but she sees the hurt under the harsh exterior. She comes to care for Sebastian but she struggles to deal with their "arrangement" and what type of future it could possible hold for her.
As she falls further and further into the relationship, she struggles more and more to untangle herself from this strange addiction.
I am not going to give away the ending, but I will say...It wrecked me! I didn't see it coming.
The ending is why numerous people knocked a star or more off the rating for this book. It did end rather abruptly without a lot of wrapping up but it was not a cliffhanger. I think that it could have been done differently, but it didn't matter for me. The rest of the book was so all consuming that I still gave it five stars.
All of the characters had depth. They were normal people living in a tough world. The author told this story with class and a bit of humor. The sex was so erotic. It was forbidden and absolutely amazing. I know there are a lot of fans of gay erotica and I am not typically one of them. It takes a special writer to pull me in, Remittance Girl is one of them. She wrote this book so well that you don't care who has what parts or where they put them. It is just a feast of the senses.
I would highly recommend that you give this one a try. It was absolutely AMAZING! There is a lot of character development but it also had a lot of steamy action. This is definitely a highly erotic erotica book. *I would not recommend this to anyone who has a problem with strong sexual content. *
5 Fan-freaking-tastic Stars
November 29, 2012
I'm not going t say a lot about this book and hope that says enough. A young woman becomes the lover of her best friend and his lover. There is a lot of HOT, HOT sex. The ending will give you an unsuspecting kick in the gut.
November 23, 2012
I've read the last two chapters of Beautiful Losers several times and am still having a hard time believing this is how it ends. What an amazing love story Remittance Girl has written.
January 7, 2013
4.5 stars reviewed on:
http://totallybookedblog.com/2013/01/...
So I had no idea what to expect from this book. I hadn’t read any reviews and didn’t really know anything about it. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed it as much as I did as it completely took me by surprise.
To begin with, I wasn’t at all sure I was going to like it; I’ll be honest and admit I thought it was all about the sex scenes at first. However, this story turned out to be about so much more and the emotions it pulled out of me were incredibly intense at times. I also found it to have a really strong message, especially at the end.
Yes it was hot, sure, but it was also extremely passionate, emotional and it literally came alive in my hands. The writing is pretty amazing, the way in which this Author wrote such distinctive characters, with such depth and intrigue had me reading this in one sitting.
This story is daring and brave as it questions and examines gender and sexuality with such expressive and passionate writing that makes you feel as if you have gone on an exhaustive journey. It will confirm or deny what you perceive and it makes you take stock. The expressive characters taking you on a journey that could be set anywhere as it’s unique to our characters and their struggles, social “identities” and pegged sexual orientation due to social stereotyping.
Beautiful Losers is an M/M/F story about Jean (m) and Sebastian (m) who are very much in love. They ask Shira (F) Jean’s best friend to join them. The reasons for which are plenty yet not obvious. Their journey is dark, at times uncomfortable yet I couldn’t leave it.
The, for want of a better word, gothic setting accompanied by drugs, alcohol and music with an abundance of black eyeliner and lipstick was very dramatic and raw!
The characters are all damaged or broken in their own way with extreme insecurities hidden behind their own individual masks. The romance in this story is like looking for a needle in a haystack but when given snippets of it in its disguised guises and actions, it hit me real hard as it was so rarely there. Rather, love is almost a forbidden word.
Reading this book I had no idea where it was going but I had a feeling it couldn’t be good and I was on tenterhooks all the way through just waiting for something awful to happen. I don’t do spoilers so all I will say is that the ending is real abrupt and whether it has a HEA is debatable and depends on how you view things. Personally, I would have liked more, I needed more. The way in which I was forced to leave these characters felt unfinished…the Author was done…I wasn’t!!!
“We are human. Absolutely everything else is negotiable.”
For consistency of reviewing, I have to mention that there were some editing issues in this book.
http://totallybookedblog.com/2013/01/...
So I had no idea what to expect from this book. I hadn’t read any reviews and didn’t really know anything about it. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed it as much as I did as it completely took me by surprise.
To begin with, I wasn’t at all sure I was going to like it; I’ll be honest and admit I thought it was all about the sex scenes at first. However, this story turned out to be about so much more and the emotions it pulled out of me were incredibly intense at times. I also found it to have a really strong message, especially at the end.
Yes it was hot, sure, but it was also extremely passionate, emotional and it literally came alive in my hands. The writing is pretty amazing, the way in which this Author wrote such distinctive characters, with such depth and intrigue had me reading this in one sitting.
This story is daring and brave as it questions and examines gender and sexuality with such expressive and passionate writing that makes you feel as if you have gone on an exhaustive journey. It will confirm or deny what you perceive and it makes you take stock. The expressive characters taking you on a journey that could be set anywhere as it’s unique to our characters and their struggles, social “identities” and pegged sexual orientation due to social stereotyping.
Beautiful Losers is an M/M/F story about Jean (m) and Sebastian (m) who are very much in love. They ask Shira (F) Jean’s best friend to join them. The reasons for which are plenty yet not obvious. Their journey is dark, at times uncomfortable yet I couldn’t leave it.
The, for want of a better word, gothic setting accompanied by drugs, alcohol and music with an abundance of black eyeliner and lipstick was very dramatic and raw!
The characters are all damaged or broken in their own way with extreme insecurities hidden behind their own individual masks. The romance in this story is like looking for a needle in a haystack but when given snippets of it in its disguised guises and actions, it hit me real hard as it was so rarely there. Rather, love is almost a forbidden word.
Reading this book I had no idea where it was going but I had a feeling it couldn’t be good and I was on tenterhooks all the way through just waiting for something awful to happen. I don’t do spoilers so all I will say is that the ending is real abrupt and whether it has a HEA is debatable and depends on how you view things. Personally, I would have liked more, I needed more. The way in which I was forced to leave these characters felt unfinished…the Author was done…I wasn’t!!!
“We are human. Absolutely everything else is negotiable.”
For consistency of reviewing, I have to mention that there were some editing issues in this book.
November 28, 2012
I'm a big fan of Remittance Girl. She writes more than just sex scenes. I'm not sure where the story took place. If it was mentioned, I missed it. The culture and place take a backseat and the focus is almost entirely on the micro world the main characters create for themselves.
In this one, she offers a story about a threesome (a triad, as it's called when three people enter into more of a relationship) between two "gay" men and a woman.
She does a great job creating distinct character voices, and making her gay/bi people more human and unique and not the typical stereotypical types. A few minor characters do fall into this trap, but it's not grating since they appear so briefly and are used as a contrast to the main characters.
The sex scenes are also thoughtful, and no two are alike. As important as the sex, are the emotions felt by all the characters, though the primary voice and storytelling is from the female involved.
There's a sense of doom throughout, and I liked the fact that I didn't see what was coming in the end despite an impending sense that something horrible was going to happen. This is not a romance or a feel good story, despite its nice message about humanity at the very end.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
My only real issue with this book, aside from some editing mistakes (which are always irritating when you purchase something from a publisher and expect more), is that it ended too soon. I would have liked to find out more about what happened after the funeral, who killed Sebastian, and how it affected his lovers. To leave things where they were felt very unfinished. So much so that I thought something was wrong with my reader and had to go to Amazon and get a page count check. Maybe there will be a sequel to wrap up the loose ends.
Despite the editing issues, and lack of a satisfying and complete ending, I'm giving this one four stars because of the quality of writing and the very real-feeling glimpse into a poly triad relationship.
In this one, she offers a story about a threesome (a triad, as it's called when three people enter into more of a relationship) between two "gay" men and a woman.
She does a great job creating distinct character voices, and making her gay/bi people more human and unique and not the typical stereotypical types. A few minor characters do fall into this trap, but it's not grating since they appear so briefly and are used as a contrast to the main characters.
The sex scenes are also thoughtful, and no two are alike. As important as the sex, are the emotions felt by all the characters, though the primary voice and storytelling is from the female involved.
There's a sense of doom throughout, and I liked the fact that I didn't see what was coming in the end despite an impending sense that something horrible was going to happen. This is not a romance or a feel good story, despite its nice message about humanity at the very end.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
My only real issue with this book, aside from some editing mistakes (which are always irritating when you purchase something from a publisher and expect more), is that it ended too soon. I would have liked to find out more about what happened after the funeral, who killed Sebastian, and how it affected his lovers. To leave things where they were felt very unfinished. So much so that I thought something was wrong with my reader and had to go to Amazon and get a page count check. Maybe there will be a sequel to wrap up the loose ends.
Despite the editing issues, and lack of a satisfying and complete ending, I'm giving this one four stars because of the quality of writing and the very real-feeling glimpse into a poly triad relationship.
January 3, 2013
Remittance Girl writes beautifully dark literary erotica. This book is no exception; it's a wonderfully crafted M/M/F story with a bit of D/s. Even though this is literary erotica and focuses a bit on the psychological effects of the characters and events, this book also manages to blend in quite few steamy scenes. Overall, it's a heady mix of sex and intelligent writing that will make you think about what your reading long after you have finished the book.
October 5, 2018
Wow, I finished this yesterday and I am still haunted by these amazing characters.
SOUL CRUSHED
MIND BLOWN
COMPLETELY DEVASTATED
I wish there was a follow-up, but just WOW!!!
Thanks for the rec Nikki :) they are always spectacular!!!
SOUL CRUSHED
MIND BLOWN
COMPLETELY DEVASTATED
I wish there was a follow-up, but just WOW!!!
Thanks for the rec Nikki :) they are always spectacular!!!
November 19, 2012
Remittance Girl's previous stories are all magnificent. Each one a masterful demonstration of her undeniable literary skill, but therein lies my discontent. They occasionally left me with the nagging suspicion of an artist so focused on impressing the critics that an opportunity is missed - to look out into the darkness beyond the stage, see the rapt gazes, and seize the chance to use her imposing talent to utterly bespell the audience.
This tale represents something of a departure for RG. It betrays the confident swagger of one knows they're damn good but doesn't feel the need to prove anything. The result is a more relaxed and inviting reading experience, which is just what this book needed because it is a journey into the strange. A languid and achingly sensual drift into a gothic world of sin. And you'll never, ever want to leave.
This tale represents something of a departure for RG. It betrays the confident swagger of one knows they're damn good but doesn't feel the need to prove anything. The result is a more relaxed and inviting reading experience, which is just what this book needed because it is a journey into the strange. A languid and achingly sensual drift into a gothic world of sin. And you'll never, ever want to leave.
August 6, 2016
I'm not able to express a lot of flowery words about Beautiful Losers. It was one of those books that will remain with you in both the best and worst of ways. Let me start by saying that this book was exceedingly well written, and it just absolutely gutted me.
I've only had one other book be able to evoke that kind of emotion out of me, and this one just... I have no words. This was such an amazing read so I highly recommend it to you, but don't go into it expecting a HEA because the end is just devastating.
I fear that this one is going to haunt me for a long time. It was heart-breakingly beautiful.
Check out this and my other reviews over on
Blending Perspectives Book Reviews
I've only had one other book be able to evoke that kind of emotion out of me, and this one just... I have no words. This was such an amazing read so I highly recommend it to you, but don't go into it expecting a HEA because the end is just devastating.
I fear that this one is going to haunt me for a long time. It was heart-breakingly beautiful.
Check out this and my other reviews over on
Blending Perspectives Book Reviews
December 22, 2013
This exquisite story was absolutely beautiful, haunting and devastating. I loved every second of this raw and touching story. Remittance Girl can tell a story like no other. I cannot wait to start reading more of her work.
January 1, 2018
I've read a lot of Remittance Girl's short stories (published on her website - remittancegirl.com) and many of them are very good.
This, was not so good. Patchy writing, patchy editing and quite simply, not for me.
This, was not so good. Patchy writing, patchy editing and quite simply, not for me.
November 4, 2014
Beautiful, tragic, hilarious and heart-wrenching. Such a wonderful read and educational too *wink wink!
April 17, 2015
4 smoldering stars with a side of shock and awe...
To the author...
Review to come...
To the author...
Review to come...
February 6, 2013
I don't know where to start. Hm. I really loved Gaijin, and I think RG is incredibly talented. But I felt that this felt far short of her usual work.
I enjoyed the story, and the sex scenes were great (creative, interesting, and steamy) - but I felt that it was a little over-written.
I loved the depth and flaws of the characters. Sebastian was a fascinating, dark character. I would have loved to see him in a full-length novel.
However, the ending felt tacked-on and unnecessary. What did it add to the story? There seemed no purpose to it, no foreshadowing either, so it really feels unplanned and for the sake of drama. I was looking for a nice wrap-up to the story - not a pointless abruptness.
Shira was helping Sebastian and Jean to heal, and grow. Separately, and together. What now? I feel like moving forward, Jean and Shira's friendship would be broken from this event, and eventually grow apart. Maybe Jean, who is already so fragile, would turn to suicide. Not sure what I would have done instead, but I wouldn't have made it that ending.
I enjoyed the story, and the sex scenes were great (creative, interesting, and steamy) - but I felt that it was a little over-written.
I loved the depth and flaws of the characters. Sebastian was a fascinating, dark character. I would have loved to see him in a full-length novel.
However, the ending felt tacked-on and unnecessary. What did it add to the story? There seemed no purpose to it, no foreshadowing either, so it really feels unplanned and for the sake of drama. I was looking for a nice wrap-up to the story - not a pointless abruptness.
Shira was helping Sebastian and Jean to heal, and grow. Separately, and together. What now? I feel like moving forward, Jean and Shira's friendship would be broken from this event, and eventually grow apart. Maybe Jean, who is already so fragile, would turn to suicide. Not sure what I would have done instead, but I wouldn't have made it that ending.
January 19, 2014
Very, very well-written erotica. It was kind of a strange menage story but very different from what we usually see on the market. I have to admit that it did not resonate with me as much as it did with others, but that didn't stop me from absolutely devouring it and reading it as quick as I could. There were a lot of funny parts to it that I really enjoyed, especially when Sebastian was giving Jean and Shira lessons. Very amusing. I thought the character development and the settings were really well-written and this is a book that a lot of people would like, if exploration of sexuality doesn't bother you. Very good read.
February 27, 2015
This was such a weird experience Reading this book.
First, there really isn't much of a plot other than the sex between the characters.
Second, never have I read a book left with as many unanswered questions as this one. I litterally checked 4 times to make sure my book wasn't missing pages or that there is a second book in the series. But, no no no.
It was like the author was told to finish the book in 2 pages and just said "sure, no problem. Kill Sebastian. The end. "
What the fuck.....
First, there really isn't much of a plot other than the sex between the characters.
Second, never have I read a book left with as many unanswered questions as this one. I litterally checked 4 times to make sure my book wasn't missing pages or that there is a second book in the series. But, no no no.
It was like the author was told to finish the book in 2 pages and just said "sure, no problem. Kill Sebastian. The end. "
What the fuck.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2012
Remittance Girl builds a love story the way only RG can. The beauty is in the way the pieces struggle and shift to fit together. Edges cut at each other until they smooth. This is a read which will be even more satisfying the second time around. I think it's meant to be read more than once.
July 9, 2017
I really liked the first 94% than hated the last 6%. Most of the book was fantastic so I'm glad I read this even if the ending made me mad and then sad.
Not even sure how I want to rate this so I'll just go with 4 stars for the first 94% and two for what happened in the last 6%.
Not even sure how I want to rate this so I'll just go with 4 stars for the first 94% and two for what happened in the last 6%.
May 31, 2013
I read this one for Erotica Revealed.
Shira’s best gay pal Jean is partnered with the handsome – and a bit too suave – Sebastian. Shira has made peace with the fact that she’s got a crush (if not outright love) going on for Jean, and takes her singleness more or less in stride, right up until the moment when the two invite her to come back home with them and watch them have sex.
This begins Remittance Girl’s Beautiful Losers and sets quite a bit of the tone for the whole book – which is to say that so much of this book is these three people – gay, straight, male, female, many nuanced shades of in between – wondering if it’s possible for the three of them to make it work, whatever “it” might be.
Shira’s an interesting voice for the story in that she begins from – and, to some degree, maintains – a vantage of “closer to normal” than the other characters. She’s less experienced, yes, but she’s also a lot more mainstream than she’d likely wish to believe. A three-way relationship isn’t something she even really considers until it’s spelled out to her, and when Sebastian talks to her about someone being “sub” she doesn’t get what he means. This “one step removed” voice works for the novella, providing a good intermediary for the a reader to feel their own concerns (if any) with the various snarls and tangles that are evoked by the ongoing evolution of the relationship the three are entering. Shira consistently struggles with understanding what she might want, and Sebastian isn’t shy in telling her what he’d like her to want. Jean sometimes falls by the wayside, as the dynamic between Shira and Sebastian has more drama and sexual tension to it. But Jean isn’t reduced to a minor character by any means – for all that Shira is erotically attached to Sebastian, it’s Jean who has her heart. Her point of view for the majority of the two hundred pages is one of entropy – Shira doesn’t stock much faith in this relationship working. That struck me as a wonderfully realistic point of view for her – after all, Jean is gay. She’s a woman. This is a major conflict for her, and the progression of Shira’s world views are intriguing.
I’ve said all this and I’ve not really touched on the erotic content or style yet – believe me, it’s there. Remittance Girl’s style is nearly languid, but can switch to a more frenetic pace at the drop of a hat. Sebastian is generally the driving force – though there are rare and welcome moments with Shira taking a more active role – and the roles, like the sexuality and gender, aren’t always defined. Many a scene, role, and activity are played out in Beautiful Losers, and they’re all done well. There’s some bondage; anal features centrally from a plot point of view; and some scenes with chocolate are bound to make the mouth water, just to mention a few.
That said, there are a few trigger warnings to note – there are characters here with child abuse histories, and there were times – and one moment in particular – where I found Sebastian a bit forceful when Shira’s responses to his requests are less than “yes.” Sebastian comes across as controlling, and he is a dom, but there was a conversation about Shira needing to shave herself where I found myself leaning a bit away from the book. Sebastian grew a little less enjoyable for me when his response to “No fucking way!” was to simply grow more forceful.
On the shallower side, if you’re not a fan of the Goth style, there might be a struggle for you here and there, since the characters are decidedly that, and much of the descriptive colour is painted in these tones for the characters – nail polish, dark lipstick, a relentless fight against the normal. It’s not particularly a look or style I personally enjoy, so I had to suspend some disbelief to stay alongside Shira and fall in lust with how a particular shade of dark cherry lipstick made someone look. These are minor qualms though, and they’re my own. In no way does it make the characters less sensual or their interactions less erotic, and I’d be hard-pressed to call it a flaw.
And there are times where that gothic flavor really does add to the fun moments of the book. I had a few laugh-out-loud moments at turns of phrases or moments that spun from the gothic make-up or propensity for the colour black. Characters offering thankful prayers to Liploc after particularly sloppy kisses, or a bemused Shira wondering where Sebastian would have found a beautiful black blanket – perhaps knitted by a group of lovely old ladies who had fallen to the dark side?
Remittance Girl spins lovely prose, dancing between more guttural language and some truly memorable turns of phrase – I liked that Shira’s voice is so different from Sebastian’s and Jean’s, and that the dialog between them deftly revealed character. The events of the book are set at a near breakneck pace – the men setting the tempo very much, and Shira’s frustration at not being given time to decompress and process is vividly portrayed. The guys don’t want to wait; Shira is much less sure. The revelations that offer stumbling blocks for each of them in turn feel all the more painful for their headlong race. They – and the reader – aren’t often offered a place to catch a breath, which suits the tale perfectly. These characters are overwhelmed by their feelings and their attempts to stave off the societal pressure that they feel to fit what they have into some sort of label or easily defended status. Shira and Jean, especially, suffer here, and the events that knock them off balance ring true.
If you’re looking for a well-written and erotic coupling of two men and a woman, I think you’d be hard pressed to find many tales as nuanced as Beautiful Losers. Like the three characters themselves, it’s not a simple, nor straightforward, relationship. I put the book down a little bit stunned, since of all the things I expected the ending might be, turned out to be wrong. It was not remotely something I’d foreseen (that’s not a criticism) and the story percolated in my head for a long time after. It’s not often that I have that reaction – this story made me think and really had me examining some beliefs, and that is always a good thing.
Shira’s best gay pal Jean is partnered with the handsome – and a bit too suave – Sebastian. Shira has made peace with the fact that she’s got a crush (if not outright love) going on for Jean, and takes her singleness more or less in stride, right up until the moment when the two invite her to come back home with them and watch them have sex.
This begins Remittance Girl’s Beautiful Losers and sets quite a bit of the tone for the whole book – which is to say that so much of this book is these three people – gay, straight, male, female, many nuanced shades of in between – wondering if it’s possible for the three of them to make it work, whatever “it” might be.
Shira’s an interesting voice for the story in that she begins from – and, to some degree, maintains – a vantage of “closer to normal” than the other characters. She’s less experienced, yes, but she’s also a lot more mainstream than she’d likely wish to believe. A three-way relationship isn’t something she even really considers until it’s spelled out to her, and when Sebastian talks to her about someone being “sub” she doesn’t get what he means. This “one step removed” voice works for the novella, providing a good intermediary for the a reader to feel their own concerns (if any) with the various snarls and tangles that are evoked by the ongoing evolution of the relationship the three are entering. Shira consistently struggles with understanding what she might want, and Sebastian isn’t shy in telling her what he’d like her to want. Jean sometimes falls by the wayside, as the dynamic between Shira and Sebastian has more drama and sexual tension to it. But Jean isn’t reduced to a minor character by any means – for all that Shira is erotically attached to Sebastian, it’s Jean who has her heart. Her point of view for the majority of the two hundred pages is one of entropy – Shira doesn’t stock much faith in this relationship working. That struck me as a wonderfully realistic point of view for her – after all, Jean is gay. She’s a woman. This is a major conflict for her, and the progression of Shira’s world views are intriguing.
I’ve said all this and I’ve not really touched on the erotic content or style yet – believe me, it’s there. Remittance Girl’s style is nearly languid, but can switch to a more frenetic pace at the drop of a hat. Sebastian is generally the driving force – though there are rare and welcome moments with Shira taking a more active role – and the roles, like the sexuality and gender, aren’t always defined. Many a scene, role, and activity are played out in Beautiful Losers, and they’re all done well. There’s some bondage; anal features centrally from a plot point of view; and some scenes with chocolate are bound to make the mouth water, just to mention a few.
That said, there are a few trigger warnings to note – there are characters here with child abuse histories, and there were times – and one moment in particular – where I found Sebastian a bit forceful when Shira’s responses to his requests are less than “yes.” Sebastian comes across as controlling, and he is a dom, but there was a conversation about Shira needing to shave herself where I found myself leaning a bit away from the book. Sebastian grew a little less enjoyable for me when his response to “No fucking way!” was to simply grow more forceful.
On the shallower side, if you’re not a fan of the Goth style, there might be a struggle for you here and there, since the characters are decidedly that, and much of the descriptive colour is painted in these tones for the characters – nail polish, dark lipstick, a relentless fight against the normal. It’s not particularly a look or style I personally enjoy, so I had to suspend some disbelief to stay alongside Shira and fall in lust with how a particular shade of dark cherry lipstick made someone look. These are minor qualms though, and they’re my own. In no way does it make the characters less sensual or their interactions less erotic, and I’d be hard-pressed to call it a flaw.
And there are times where that gothic flavor really does add to the fun moments of the book. I had a few laugh-out-loud moments at turns of phrases or moments that spun from the gothic make-up or propensity for the colour black. Characters offering thankful prayers to Liploc after particularly sloppy kisses, or a bemused Shira wondering where Sebastian would have found a beautiful black blanket – perhaps knitted by a group of lovely old ladies who had fallen to the dark side?
Remittance Girl spins lovely prose, dancing between more guttural language and some truly memorable turns of phrase – I liked that Shira’s voice is so different from Sebastian’s and Jean’s, and that the dialog between them deftly revealed character. The events of the book are set at a near breakneck pace – the men setting the tempo very much, and Shira’s frustration at not being given time to decompress and process is vividly portrayed. The guys don’t want to wait; Shira is much less sure. The revelations that offer stumbling blocks for each of them in turn feel all the more painful for their headlong race. They – and the reader – aren’t often offered a place to catch a breath, which suits the tale perfectly. These characters are overwhelmed by their feelings and their attempts to stave off the societal pressure that they feel to fit what they have into some sort of label or easily defended status. Shira and Jean, especially, suffer here, and the events that knock them off balance ring true.
If you’re looking for a well-written and erotic coupling of two men and a woman, I think you’d be hard pressed to find many tales as nuanced as Beautiful Losers. Like the three characters themselves, it’s not a simple, nor straightforward, relationship. I put the book down a little bit stunned, since of all the things I expected the ending might be, turned out to be wrong. It was not remotely something I’d foreseen (that’s not a criticism) and the story percolated in my head for a long time after. It’s not often that I have that reaction – this story made me think and really had me examining some beliefs, and that is always a good thing.
November 15, 2020
Remittance Girl.
What a fantastic writer.
Well-written erotica. The best.
What a fantastic writer.
Well-written erotica. The best.
August 25, 2014
This is a story of a threesome amidst sexual discovery and acceptance. It delivers raw, complicated erotica, but the underlying didactic tone seemed over the top. Perhaps that's why the ending felt so unfinished. It just stops on a here's-the-moral-folks line: "We are human. Absolutely everything else is negotiable." Fine, I understood the moral before is was spelled out. But where's the ending? What happens to the characters? Do they endure? How badly are they broken?
The M and M in this MMF tale are emotionally and vulnerably beautifully. But the F, who narrates, has a somewhat detached voice. Her POV isn't as deep as I wanted, her passion--beyond the lust--is unavailable. I don't feel her love for her musical career, her ardor for her boyfriends, and I definitely didn't glimpse her pain at the end.
Nevertheless, the writing is smart and the sex scenes are deliciously lurid and frequent--nearly every page is filled with kinksual exploration.
Steam factor tested, wet panties approved.
The M and M in this MMF tale are emotionally and vulnerably beautifully. But the F, who narrates, has a somewhat detached voice. Her POV isn't as deep as I wanted, her passion--beyond the lust--is unavailable. I don't feel her love for her musical career, her ardor for her boyfriends, and I definitely didn't glimpse her pain at the end.
Nevertheless, the writing is smart and the sex scenes are deliciously lurid and frequent--nearly every page is filled with kinksual exploration.
Steam factor tested, wet panties approved.
February 14, 2015
I bought this book some time ago but only got around to reading it now. I do that with books. RUsh out to buy them and once I do, I become a literary Smeagol; stroking and admiring my unread books and whispering 'my precious'. I'm a tad disappointed with how this book began and ended. It seemed the story kicked off and then sex. I would've liked more time to work up it the act, get to know the characters first, so I could care about what happens to them. There's lots of sex in this book, but not enough plot. Almost every chapter, someone was getting their moan on. Don't get me wrong the scenes were well written. Shira struck me as a overly emotional crybaby, Jean; adorable man child and Sebastian, a mysterious bad boy. The ending came out of nowhere and left me wondering what was the point of it all. I didn't get the emotional outpouring of grief and anger the situation warranted. The story ended abruptly.
November 27, 2012
Goth style, black eye liner, black cherry lipstick, weed, booze and sex. Lots of explicit sex. That is what you will find with the two gay protagonists/lovers and the wimpy, insecure woman they bring into their fold. Incredibly flawed characters which is what draws you into the story. As far as chemistry, I felt very little between any of them. No real romance, only explicit sex, and more sex. Did I mention sex? Still, I was absorbed in the writing to see how the train wreck would end and fair warning; the ending is abrupt and no HEA.
January 15, 2014
Well hmmm...I have a feeling this book might sit with me for awhile. It was disturbingly erotic at the same time had all my internal red flags waving high in the air. Sebastian is the type of man I have always wanted to know but my kind and body run from.
Overall, the book was ok for me 2.5 stars maybe 3...almost every single chapter had some sort of sexual content with few words and then ended abruptly and left Shira with the instant knowledge of all Sebastian was trying to tell her. Just don't get it...worth a read if you like dark stories and M/M/F relationships.
Overall, the book was ok for me 2.5 stars maybe 3...almost every single chapter had some sort of sexual content with few words and then ended abruptly and left Shira with the instant knowledge of all Sebastian was trying to tell her. Just don't get it...worth a read if you like dark stories and M/M/F relationships.
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