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Bride Trilogy #3
I Take You
The next alluring novel from internationally bestselling author Nikki Gemmell-a companion to The Bride Stripped Bare and With My Body-the final installment in the captivating "Bride" trilogy
"One of the few truly original voices to emerge in a long time." -Time Out New York
Internationally bestselling author Nikki Gemmell has spent the last decade exploring the hidden lives of women. First, in The Bride Stripped Bare, she offered readers a glimpse into the life of a new bride, a young woman whose dark and sensual double life shocked readers. Next, in With My Body, Gemmell showed the world a wife and mother, a woman marked by memories of lost love and deep secrets. Now, in the final installment in the "Bride" trilogy, Gemmell plunges into the mind frame that With My Body concluded with-the story of a woman safe within her marriage, yet bursting with desire and the will to act upon it.
Under her Chanel suit and designer lingerie, Connie Carven is no longer the typical banker's wife. When Cliff's horrible skiing accident shifts the balance of their relationship, Connie becomes a willing submissive to her husband's every desire. Cliff is eager to explore new, and troubling, avenues of passion. Connie, ever the dutiful wife, follows wherever he leads. While at first she enjoys a perverse sense of freedom within the ever-tightening bonds of her marriage, Cliff's dark and seductive desires soon consume her entirely. She finds herself surrendering to an act that will forever remind her that she belongs to her husband alone-to be unlocked only by him, whenever he pleases.
But, it is also this act that awakens Connie from the numbness that has taken over her life. In the communal garden of her posh Notting Hill home she meets Mel and discovers the thrill of true intimacy…and the price of risking everything for it.
"One of the few truly original voices to emerge in a long time." -Time Out New York
Internationally bestselling author Nikki Gemmell has spent the last decade exploring the hidden lives of women. First, in The Bride Stripped Bare, she offered readers a glimpse into the life of a new bride, a young woman whose dark and sensual double life shocked readers. Next, in With My Body, Gemmell showed the world a wife and mother, a woman marked by memories of lost love and deep secrets. Now, in the final installment in the "Bride" trilogy, Gemmell plunges into the mind frame that With My Body concluded with-the story of a woman safe within her marriage, yet bursting with desire and the will to act upon it.
Under her Chanel suit and designer lingerie, Connie Carven is no longer the typical banker's wife. When Cliff's horrible skiing accident shifts the balance of their relationship, Connie becomes a willing submissive to her husband's every desire. Cliff is eager to explore new, and troubling, avenues of passion. Connie, ever the dutiful wife, follows wherever he leads. While at first she enjoys a perverse sense of freedom within the ever-tightening bonds of her marriage, Cliff's dark and seductive desires soon consume her entirely. She finds herself surrendering to an act that will forever remind her that she belongs to her husband alone-to be unlocked only by him, whenever he pleases.
But, it is also this act that awakens Connie from the numbness that has taken over her life. In the communal garden of her posh Notting Hill home she meets Mel and discovers the thrill of true intimacy…and the price of risking everything for it.
314 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2013
28 people are currently reading
1061 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Gemmell
35 books304 followersNikki Gemmell has written four novels, Shiver, Cleave, Lovesong, The Bride Stripped Bare and The Book Of Rapture, and one non-fiction book, Pleasure: An Almanac for the Heart. Her work has been internationally critically acclaimed and translated into many languages.
In France she's been described as a female Jack Kerouac, in Australia as one of the most original and engaging authors of her generation and in the US as one of the few truly original voices to emerge in a long time.
The French literary review "Lire" has included her in a list of what it calls the fifty most important writers in the world - the ones it believes will have a significant influence on the literature of the 21st century. The criteria for selection included a very individual voice and unmistakeable style, as well as an original choice of subject. Nikki Gemmell was selected along with such novelists as Rick Moody, Zadie Smith, Jonathan Safran Froer, Rohinton Mistry, Tim Winton, Colum McCann, Michel Faber and Hari Kunzru among others.
Born in Wollongong, Australia, she now lives in London.
In France she's been described as a female Jack Kerouac, in Australia as one of the most original and engaging authors of her generation and in the US as one of the few truly original voices to emerge in a long time.
The French literary review "Lire" has included her in a list of what it calls the fifty most important writers in the world - the ones it believes will have a significant influence on the literature of the 21st century. The criteria for selection included a very individual voice and unmistakeable style, as well as an original choice of subject. Nikki Gemmell was selected along with such novelists as Rick Moody, Zadie Smith, Jonathan Safran Froer, Rohinton Mistry, Tim Winton, Colum McCann, Michel Faber and Hari Kunzru among others.
Born in Wollongong, Australia, she now lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
August 24, 2015
I Take You is the third book in the Bride Trilogy by Australian author, Nikki Gemmell. Notting Hill wife Constance has known wealthy banker Clifford Carven for nine years, and been married to him for four of those, playing The Good Wife and enjoying his wealth and prestige. Cliff is not a considerate lover, but Connie has never enjoyed a fulfilling sex life, even before Cliff. All that changes when Cliff is injured in a skiing accident, two years after their wedding. His paralysis precludes physical sex between them. To help their relationship, she reveals her deepest desires. And Cliff becomes a voyeur, master, owner, pimp, as emphasised by a certain jewel-encrusted padlock.
Mel Jones is a gardener taking care of the private communal garden attached to their exclusive residential row. Connie finds herself attracted and intrudes into his private space, where the inevitable happens. Will the spoiled wife leave her crippled husband and her indulgent life for her working-class lover? This contemporary Lady Chatterley’s Lover consists of sixty-five (mostly) short chapters, each introduced by quotes from Virginia Woolf. Readers should be prepared for certain concepts that are touched on in this novel like voyeurism and genital mutilation, as well as some fairly explicit descriptions of sex; this is erotica, after all
There is some lovely prose “Yet increasingly she’s finding there’s something … all-calming … about her Sunday morning experiences at the family-crammed church of St Peter’s in its high, shouting ochre on Notting’s hill. It’s an astonishing leak through a veneer of aspirant coolness and moneyed cynicism; a gentle drip, drip, through her restless, caged, unsettled life. Connie feels righted by these assignations, balmed, lit” and “She comes from a country of soft days, soft rain, soft light, where morning quietly clears its throat. Australia’s not like that - it’s a full roar into the day and how she loves the exuberance of that. Through wide windows the garden greenery tosses in the sea breeze like the heads of wild ponies and nature presses close, she can feel the great thumb of it”; however, not enough to redeem a rather ordinary effort.
Mel Jones is a gardener taking care of the private communal garden attached to their exclusive residential row. Connie finds herself attracted and intrudes into his private space, where the inevitable happens. Will the spoiled wife leave her crippled husband and her indulgent life for her working-class lover? This contemporary Lady Chatterley’s Lover consists of sixty-five (mostly) short chapters, each introduced by quotes from Virginia Woolf. Readers should be prepared for certain concepts that are touched on in this novel like voyeurism and genital mutilation, as well as some fairly explicit descriptions of sex; this is erotica, after all
There is some lovely prose “Yet increasingly she’s finding there’s something … all-calming … about her Sunday morning experiences at the family-crammed church of St Peter’s in its high, shouting ochre on Notting’s hill. It’s an astonishing leak through a veneer of aspirant coolness and moneyed cynicism; a gentle drip, drip, through her restless, caged, unsettled life. Connie feels righted by these assignations, balmed, lit” and “She comes from a country of soft days, soft rain, soft light, where morning quietly clears its throat. Australia’s not like that - it’s a full roar into the day and how she loves the exuberance of that. Through wide windows the garden greenery tosses in the sea breeze like the heads of wild ponies and nature presses close, she can feel the great thumb of it”; however, not enough to redeem a rather ordinary effort.
June 9, 2013
I've always enjoyed reading Nikki Gemmell, particularly The Bride Stripped Bare. However, although this book was mildly entertaining, it was more of the same.
Gemmell seems to have been deliberately controversial in this one, and rather than employing the use of symbolism to add a little delicacy to the subject, she blindsides you with a little jeweled padlock. I felt this to be distasteful, to begin with, and downright obvious to end with. There is simply no beauty in this writing.
Another issue with this book is the repetition of the verse mechanism that Gemmell so clings to. Yes, new and exciting, unusual even in 'Bride' - a few books down the track though, and there's a stodgy blandness about the whole thing that made my brain sigh.
Combining Woolf's writing with Lawrence's idea also was a let down for me - I was left disappointed in the worst way. There's no going back once a favourite let's you down like this.
Finally, ENOUGH with the submission theme that is dominating so much of women's literature at the moment! It is neither new nor provocative at the moment, so if one wants to be confronting, controversial, or in-your-face smutty, then one needs a new idea. I certainly have better things to read about.
Gemmell seems to have been deliberately controversial in this one, and rather than employing the use of symbolism to add a little delicacy to the subject, she blindsides you with a little jeweled padlock. I felt this to be distasteful, to begin with, and downright obvious to end with. There is simply no beauty in this writing.
Another issue with this book is the repetition of the verse mechanism that Gemmell so clings to. Yes, new and exciting, unusual even in 'Bride' - a few books down the track though, and there's a stodgy blandness about the whole thing that made my brain sigh.
Combining Woolf's writing with Lawrence's idea also was a let down for me - I was left disappointed in the worst way. There's no going back once a favourite let's you down like this.
Finally, ENOUGH with the submission theme that is dominating so much of women's literature at the moment! It is neither new nor provocative at the moment, so if one wants to be confronting, controversial, or in-your-face smutty, then one needs a new idea. I certainly have better things to read about.
September 21, 2013
By far one of the weirdest books that I've read in a very long time. In fact maybe forever, which is the longest of times.
As the 'erotic fiction' market becomes more popular I can't help but notice that many authors such as Vina Jackson are now creating situations within their plots that seem to do nothing but place the reader out of their comfort zone. Plots developing about submissive women who put themselves into siuations for their 'loves' but without really wanting to. Connie clearly does not enjoy her role as her husbands submissive, and that immediately makes me as a reader feel uncomfortable with the whole plot. Therefore the premise that she finds freedom and acceptance with Mel is one that I was interested in reading, yet I felt that Gemmell didn't manage to pull that off.
The developing and 'life-saving' relationship between Connie and Mel is so disrupted by short chapters and a staccato and broken writing style, that it seemed to take away my ability to physically read words!
I had to slow my reading down entirely and really digest each part before moving on - Having never read a novel by this author before, I do not know if this is the norm or an attempt to parody the literary greats she discusses. This left the story too fragmented as half the time I wasn't sure where Connie was or who she was even with.
The monologues given to Connie were very reflective of - to me anyway - The Great Gatsby where the lead narrator Nick was hyper-aware of society and its flaws and used very superfluous, hyper aware language as if he were the superior character in a cast of severely flawed characters. So much effort was spent with Connie talking about irrelevent topics in such literary language that again, I lost the train of the relationship between Connie and Mel.
Given that this novel was again, supposed to be erotic, I couldn't help but wonder where the erotic part was?! Sure, Gemmell dropped the C-Bomb a couple of hundred times but apart from that there was a real lack of description about anything even remotely erotic, as again, she allowed for long metaphors or euphemism to dominate.
Fifty Shades of Grey was poorly written, but at least it did what it said on the tin and gave you some action worth reviewing.
As the 'erotic fiction' market becomes more popular I can't help but notice that many authors such as Vina Jackson are now creating situations within their plots that seem to do nothing but place the reader out of their comfort zone. Plots developing about submissive women who put themselves into siuations for their 'loves' but without really wanting to. Connie clearly does not enjoy her role as her husbands submissive, and that immediately makes me as a reader feel uncomfortable with the whole plot. Therefore the premise that she finds freedom and acceptance with Mel is one that I was interested in reading, yet I felt that Gemmell didn't manage to pull that off.
The developing and 'life-saving' relationship between Connie and Mel is so disrupted by short chapters and a staccato and broken writing style, that it seemed to take away my ability to physically read words!
I had to slow my reading down entirely and really digest each part before moving on - Having never read a novel by this author before, I do not know if this is the norm or an attempt to parody the literary greats she discusses. This left the story too fragmented as half the time I wasn't sure where Connie was or who she was even with.
The monologues given to Connie were very reflective of - to me anyway - The Great Gatsby where the lead narrator Nick was hyper-aware of society and its flaws and used very superfluous, hyper aware language as if he were the superior character in a cast of severely flawed characters. So much effort was spent with Connie talking about irrelevent topics in such literary language that again, I lost the train of the relationship between Connie and Mel.
Given that this novel was again, supposed to be erotic, I couldn't help but wonder where the erotic part was?! Sure, Gemmell dropped the C-Bomb a couple of hundred times but apart from that there was a real lack of description about anything even remotely erotic, as again, she allowed for long metaphors or euphemism to dominate.
Fifty Shades of Grey was poorly written, but at least it did what it said on the tin and gave you some action worth reviewing.
May 26, 2022
Lady Chatterley's Lover is arguably Lawrence's worst book, but at least it asked some interesting questions. This retelling by Nikki Gemmell did not.
June 14, 2013
I really wanted to love this book. I consider myself Nikki Gemmell's biggest fan (!) and had the honour and thrill of interviewing her for my podcast last year. The writing in Bride Stripped Bare (a book that pretty much changed my life) and With My Body is exquisite. So the bar was set quite high for this one, the third and final instalment in that theme for Gemmell. I Take You is, at a simplistic level, a modern retelling of Lady Chatterley's Lover. A woman trapped in a loveless and in I Take You's case an emotionally abusive marriage finds comfort and sexual awakening with a solid and simple guy from a very different walk of life (in both cases, a gardener).
I started reading this on the plane home from Australia and after a couple of chapters felt I needed to put it away and read it in less crowded surroundings! The beginning of the book is quite racy (well, I guess that depends on what you've done in your life!) which is never really recaptured in the later scenes with Connie and Mel. I found their relationship not all that remarkable or convincing (not until the end anyway)...I'm still trying to figure out why.
I also found a lot of crossover with her non-fiction book Honestly, which in all fairness I had also just read on the plane. Clearly this book and her columns were written around the same time so they would reflect what was going on for her and what was important then. But it suggested to me that I Take You did not come from the same place that Bride and Body did, if that makes sense.
While enjoying the read, and some of the writing is really beautiful in true Gemmell style, the book did not truly come alive for me again until the end. That was when I realised what the point was, what Gemmell was trying to say with this one. No matter how bad something gets there's always a way out. Take control. Be happy. Write your own story and don't ever let anyone deny you your voice. And the scene at the airport was really lovely (I won't ruin it but lets just say fans will enjoy it).
So, much as it pains me to admit because I love Nikki and would buy a book about paint drying if it had her name on the cover, I Take You doesn't quite have the urgent poetic beauty that the first two books had but the wonderful ending redeemed it for me - I think you'll enjoy it if you're a fan of the first two.
I started reading this on the plane home from Australia and after a couple of chapters felt I needed to put it away and read it in less crowded surroundings! The beginning of the book is quite racy (well, I guess that depends on what you've done in your life!) which is never really recaptured in the later scenes with Connie and Mel. I found their relationship not all that remarkable or convincing (not until the end anyway)...I'm still trying to figure out why.
I also found a lot of crossover with her non-fiction book Honestly, which in all fairness I had also just read on the plane. Clearly this book and her columns were written around the same time so they would reflect what was going on for her and what was important then. But it suggested to me that I Take You did not come from the same place that Bride and Body did, if that makes sense.
While enjoying the read, and some of the writing is really beautiful in true Gemmell style, the book did not truly come alive for me again until the end. That was when I realised what the point was, what Gemmell was trying to say with this one. No matter how bad something gets there's always a way out. Take control. Be happy. Write your own story and don't ever let anyone deny you your voice. And the scene at the airport was really lovely (I won't ruin it but lets just say fans will enjoy it).
So, much as it pains me to admit because I love Nikki and would buy a book about paint drying if it had her name on the cover, I Take You doesn't quite have the urgent poetic beauty that the first two books had but the wonderful ending redeemed it for me - I think you'll enjoy it if you're a fan of the first two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2013
What was i thinking buying this book? Gemmells first offering of the bride stripped bare at least seemed to have a storyline. This book was 50 shades but without the annoying inner goddess references. This is just pure trash and i put it down at page 40....... It is ridiculous.
June 9, 2013
Wow talk about steamy. Read the full review at OurBookClub.
October 27, 2013
A contemporary retelling of DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, I Take You introduces readers to blonde waif Connie Carven, once a model and now the dutiful trophy wife to an aggressively successful American banker, Cliff. After a youth of unsatisfying sexual encounters with men who never tried to awaken her, Connie finds herself married to a man she can't even stand kissing. But after his horrific skiing accident leaves him paralysed from the waist down, Connie submits herself further to the role of submissive wife by sharing her dormant desires with Cliff, opening the door to a new and more sexually exciting relationship - as long as Connie believes in her role in it.
Yet her newfound love for her husband is a façade that begins to crumble after he pushes their dominant-submissive relationship a step too far, and emptiness fills Connie. It isn't until she sees the new gardener in the communal garden of her home in London's Notting Hill that something comes alive in her. Mel is a seemingly taciturn, aloof man, separated from his wife and wishing nothing more than to be left alone. His first impression of Connie is replaced by one of concern and growing love after he sees what her husband has done to her, and their illicit relationship sets Connie free.
Or does it? She is still the wife of a dominant, domineering man who, now more than ever, needs to retain control over everything in his sphere of influence - especially his wife. Connie's presence by his side is not something he's willing to lose; and Connie has little experience fending for herself or living a life of low income. Can she find the courage to make a new life for herself? Can she find the courage to realise what she really wants in life, and give herself permission to grab hold of it?
Forbidden love. Repressed desire. A coming-of-age fairy-tale. The interesting thing about this retelling of Lawrence's classic novel is how it starts. Gemmell turns the current popularity for dominant-submissive, sexual-awakening stories on its head by presenting a couple who have already established such a relationship, and then drawing the heroine away from it. Unlike other erotic-based novels, in which the female narrators discover their own latent desires and then find the courage to explore them and express themselves in positive ways, we meet Connie in what seems like such a relationship, but which slowly dissolves into a different kind of repression.
Instead of Connie suppressing her submissive desires, she has embraced them for the sake of her relationship with her husband, Cliff. She has unconsciously recognised in him the need for control, for keeping up a particular appearance that will benefit him in his work; and in herself, a self-sacrificing element to her personality that ensures she will martyr herself - both to prove his family wrong in their judgement of her as a gold-digger, and to prove to herself that she made the right decision in marrying him.
She's allowed herself to be subsumed by Cliff and is torn between the genuine excitement and thrill and sensual pleasure she gets from their new sexual relationship - not to mention the first orgasms she's ever had - and a new feeling of coldness, rawness, of being "skinned by her husband." She's lost herself and is only now realising it.
It's been many years since I read Lady Chatterley's Lover - a class at university, though I can't remember which one - and I wasn't terribly impressed at the time. A bit obvious, I found it; can't help that dose of presentism sometimes. But I really don't remember it well, so I can't give any kind of proper comparison or analysis in that respect. Yet, the symbolism is present and correct, and still obvious. Cliff: moneyed, controlling, abhorring of nature, children, all things untamed and out of his control. Tight, heartless, cold, all those adjectives that position him clearly in the mechanical spectrum.
Contrast Cliff with Mel, the gardener, who is posited as "a real man". Not afraid to get his hands dirty, lives amongst the plants and trees and weather, understands the true patterns of life and death. Has no money, possibly not much education, but is everything Cliff is not. He represents nature. Connie, meanwhile, has been dazzled by wealth and glitz, comfort and ease, but has lost her soul in the process. Her shift back to reality, to the natural world and the path to discovering her real self, is a journey akin to many other fables that position the modern, industrial world as the antithesis, or enemy even, to the natural one. It's not original, no; it's as old as industry itself. So where does Gemmell break free of the tropes and make her own mark?
Possibly, it's in the language. Gemmell's prose - written in third-person present tense (and we all know that the use of present tense is a pet peeve of mine these days) - is both lyrical and poetic, but also oddly awkward and at times even jarring. You could say it is reflective of Connie's life and journey itself, but I'm never convinced that it's all that consciously done (in the past I've been impressed by McCarthy's The Road and Saramago's Blindness , applauding their prose as artistically creative and reflective of the nature of the stories themselves, only to discover afterwards that those authors always write like that - so I've learned not to give authors too much credit, sadly).
There were passages that I loved, lines that spoke volumes and that grasped the heart of the matter. At other times the prose style seemed almost an obstacle to real understanding, character development and a kind of integrity that stories like this need in order to feel grounded. I Take You never quite planted its feet firmly on the ground; it always seemed to float in way that gave it a daydreaming quality, a lack of realism even. But there were also great insights, not just into human nature but into the wider worlds of art, storytelling and truth. This one gave me pause for thought:
I Take You began strongly, with a great sense of atmosphere, suspense and that thrill of uncertainty that invigorates the reading experience: you assume things that turn out not to be true, and you have to reassess quite often in the first, oh, hundred pages. But the drawn-out ending lacked a sense of oomph. The mystery was gone, the thrill and eroticism completely vanished, and it ends up a simple narrative of "will she won't she" leave Cliff. My interest in Connie - as a person, as a woman trying to write her own narrative after years of living someone else's - waned. In truth, she reminded me rather vividly of a Christine Feehan-esque insipid romantic heroine. She is bland, not just lacking in strength of character but in personality as well. She ended up Cliff's beautiful but simple wife because she really is simple. She comes across as frighteningly naïve, and while it's true that the story wouldn't quite work if she wasn't, it still makes it a little, well, dull.
There are strong, important and interesting themes in this novel, but for me their impact was overshadowed by the plot, the under-developed characters, even the prose, which was hit-and-miss for me. Each short chapter is prefaced by a quote from Virginia Woolf, and the one thing Gemmell did succeed with here, was to make me want to tackle Woolf again and see if age, experience, maturity and so on, would give me a better experience with her work than I had at university. The fact that my final thoughts on this novel centre around a completely different author will tell you that I didn't find I Take You as satisfying as I'd hoped, but I did find it thought-provoking and while I didn't love it, it has its merits.
Yet her newfound love for her husband is a façade that begins to crumble after he pushes their dominant-submissive relationship a step too far, and emptiness fills Connie. It isn't until she sees the new gardener in the communal garden of her home in London's Notting Hill that something comes alive in her. Mel is a seemingly taciturn, aloof man, separated from his wife and wishing nothing more than to be left alone. His first impression of Connie is replaced by one of concern and growing love after he sees what her husband has done to her, and their illicit relationship sets Connie free.
Or does it? She is still the wife of a dominant, domineering man who, now more than ever, needs to retain control over everything in his sphere of influence - especially his wife. Connie's presence by his side is not something he's willing to lose; and Connie has little experience fending for herself or living a life of low income. Can she find the courage to make a new life for herself? Can she find the courage to realise what she really wants in life, and give herself permission to grab hold of it?
Forbidden love. Repressed desire. A coming-of-age fairy-tale. The interesting thing about this retelling of Lawrence's classic novel is how it starts. Gemmell turns the current popularity for dominant-submissive, sexual-awakening stories on its head by presenting a couple who have already established such a relationship, and then drawing the heroine away from it. Unlike other erotic-based novels, in which the female narrators discover their own latent desires and then find the courage to explore them and express themselves in positive ways, we meet Connie in what seems like such a relationship, but which slowly dissolves into a different kind of repression.
Instead of Connie suppressing her submissive desires, she has embraced them for the sake of her relationship with her husband, Cliff. She has unconsciously recognised in him the need for control, for keeping up a particular appearance that will benefit him in his work; and in herself, a self-sacrificing element to her personality that ensures she will martyr herself - both to prove his family wrong in their judgement of her as a gold-digger, and to prove to herself that she made the right decision in marrying him.
Her cage and she has constructed it, of course. With her obedience, her compliance, her truth. Cliff continues reading the paper, lost in his mergers. Connie now gazing out the window, thinking of Picasso, how he said that all women were goddesses or doormats and if they weren't doormats at the start of the relationship then he'd do his level best to crack them into it. Herself? She's never been any threat. It's why his tight, moneyed family likes her, she knows that. One of those sweet ones who will not rock the boat; a pleaser, primed for a rubbing out; instinctively his family of strong women recognized it despite the slight niggle of a gold-digger, she can sense it; but she's sure they're like that with anyone who comes into their fold. [p.75]
She's allowed herself to be subsumed by Cliff and is torn between the genuine excitement and thrill and sensual pleasure she gets from their new sexual relationship - not to mention the first orgasms she's ever had - and a new feeling of coldness, rawness, of being "skinned by her husband." She's lost herself and is only now realising it.
Cliff wants to participate with an observer's coolness, wants others to admire, covet. Draws power from envy and adulation; is smooth with it, silvery with his thatch of greying hair, buoyant. Has always seen his hedge fund clients as objects rather than people - fools, sops, muppets - and Connie wonders how far this extends into other areas of his life.
To her it means almost nothing except that she gives herself to him, as the good wife. It is a kind of love, what he allows her to do now; no, it is love, she tells herself. Generosity of spirit, finally, yes; to be fulfilled by other men. The small price to pay: that he be allowed to watch. Control, yes, always that, for he is a controlling man. Pure head, no belly, no heart. And she is his adornment, his most beautiful trinket, her pliancy and servitude his triumph. [p.81]
It's been many years since I read Lady Chatterley's Lover - a class at university, though I can't remember which one - and I wasn't terribly impressed at the time. A bit obvious, I found it; can't help that dose of presentism sometimes. But I really don't remember it well, so I can't give any kind of proper comparison or analysis in that respect. Yet, the symbolism is present and correct, and still obvious. Cliff: moneyed, controlling, abhorring of nature, children, all things untamed and out of his control. Tight, heartless, cold, all those adjectives that position him clearly in the mechanical spectrum.
Contrast Cliff with Mel, the gardener, who is posited as "a real man". Not afraid to get his hands dirty, lives amongst the plants and trees and weather, understands the true patterns of life and death. Has no money, possibly not much education, but is everything Cliff is not. He represents nature. Connie, meanwhile, has been dazzled by wealth and glitz, comfort and ease, but has lost her soul in the process. Her shift back to reality, to the natural world and the path to discovering her real self, is a journey akin to many other fables that position the modern, industrial world as the antithesis, or enemy even, to the natural one. It's not original, no; it's as old as industry itself. So where does Gemmell break free of the tropes and make her own mark?
Possibly, it's in the language. Gemmell's prose - written in third-person present tense (and we all know that the use of present tense is a pet peeve of mine these days) - is both lyrical and poetic, but also oddly awkward and at times even jarring. You could say it is reflective of Connie's life and journey itself, but I'm never convinced that it's all that consciously done (in the past I've been impressed by McCarthy's The Road and Saramago's Blindness , applauding their prose as artistically creative and reflective of the nature of the stories themselves, only to discover afterwards that those authors always write like that - so I've learned not to give authors too much credit, sadly).
There were passages that I loved, lines that spoke volumes and that grasped the heart of the matter. At other times the prose style seemed almost an obstacle to real understanding, character development and a kind of integrity that stories like this need in order to feel grounded. I Take You never quite planted its feet firmly on the ground; it always seemed to float in way that gave it a daydreaming quality, a lack of realism even. But there were also great insights, not just into human nature but into the wider worlds of art, storytelling and truth. This one gave me pause for thought:
Are all female narratives of empowerment narratives of escape? [p.197]
I Take You began strongly, with a great sense of atmosphere, suspense and that thrill of uncertainty that invigorates the reading experience: you assume things that turn out not to be true, and you have to reassess quite often in the first, oh, hundred pages. But the drawn-out ending lacked a sense of oomph. The mystery was gone, the thrill and eroticism completely vanished, and it ends up a simple narrative of "will she won't she" leave Cliff. My interest in Connie - as a person, as a woman trying to write her own narrative after years of living someone else's - waned. In truth, she reminded me rather vividly of a Christine Feehan-esque insipid romantic heroine. She is bland, not just lacking in strength of character but in personality as well. She ended up Cliff's beautiful but simple wife because she really is simple. She comes across as frighteningly naïve, and while it's true that the story wouldn't quite work if she wasn't, it still makes it a little, well, dull.
There are strong, important and interesting themes in this novel, but for me their impact was overshadowed by the plot, the under-developed characters, even the prose, which was hit-and-miss for me. Each short chapter is prefaced by a quote from Virginia Woolf, and the one thing Gemmell did succeed with here, was to make me want to tackle Woolf again and see if age, experience, maturity and so on, would give me a better experience with her work than I had at university. The fact that my final thoughts on this novel centre around a completely different author will tell you that I didn't find I Take You as satisfying as I'd hoped, but I did find it thought-provoking and while I didn't love it, it has its merits.
April 21, 2014
I'm going to call this.. the anti-Fifty Shades of Grey. I also don't even think this can be called erotica because while there is some sex, not nearly as much as you would get in a regular romance novel even, it isn't really even the theme of the book. If I had to come up with a generalized theme it would be how relationships are give and take, compromise, and nobody should ever feel obligated.
Full disclosure: this book has a fairly graphic scene in chapter nine. You know by now that there isn't much that will make me squirm in a book. But there are piercings, essentially done against her will, and a padlock acting as a chastity belt almost. Let that sink in- a padlock on your vaginal opening.
Don't worry, it took a full night to get the chills out of my system and even now, thinking about it makes me want to vomit. Because you know what I had to do, right? I had to search Google images because I haven't even seen something like this and I'm a visual person. And oh lord- the horrors I saw. Folks, you can't un-see anything like that so just take my word for it, it's not natural.
Anyways.
So the story is about Connie who is married to Cliff. Cliff and Connie aren't really compatible sexually, never have been, yet she loves him and she aims to please. So when Cliff has a skiing accident that leaves him paralyzed and unable to perform, they "compromise" on other things. What ends up happening is a really odd BDSM relationship Connie doesn't really want, but it's the only way she ends up being sexually satisfied so she complies. Until the piercing. The piercing is basically the straw that broke the camel's back.
Connie begins to drift away and contemplate a life without Cliff. He's rich and she is not, so she's stuck in the predicament that people judge her for being selfish and divorcing her poor, disabled husband, even though he's a bit of an asshole.
But in walks hunky gardener Mel with a lifetime of baggage. And hot sex, complicated feelings, drama, and angst. Because you see, I really don't think Mel likes Connie. He sees her as a stuck up, kept woman even though he has no issues banging her in the garden. It's like he's trying to devalue her almost while at the same time she's falling in lust with him. I also don't think she really loves him either, she sees him as a ticket out of her personal hell. You're left hoping she gets the hell out, but at the same time you just want to say, do it on your own- stop depending on a damn man you loser.
If you are looking for a really fast read, I really do recommend this only because you'll whip through it and it is a pretty good read. Her chapters are short so you could easily pop this in your purse and read a chapter or two while waiting around somewhere.
Full disclosure: this book has a fairly graphic scene in chapter nine. You know by now that there isn't much that will make me squirm in a book. But there are piercings, essentially done against her will, and a padlock acting as a chastity belt almost. Let that sink in- a padlock on your vaginal opening.
Don't worry, it took a full night to get the chills out of my system and even now, thinking about it makes me want to vomit. Because you know what I had to do, right? I had to search Google images because I haven't even seen something like this and I'm a visual person. And oh lord- the horrors I saw. Folks, you can't un-see anything like that so just take my word for it, it's not natural.
Anyways.
So the story is about Connie who is married to Cliff. Cliff and Connie aren't really compatible sexually, never have been, yet she loves him and she aims to please. So when Cliff has a skiing accident that leaves him paralyzed and unable to perform, they "compromise" on other things. What ends up happening is a really odd BDSM relationship Connie doesn't really want, but it's the only way she ends up being sexually satisfied so she complies. Until the piercing. The piercing is basically the straw that broke the camel's back.
Connie begins to drift away and contemplate a life without Cliff. He's rich and she is not, so she's stuck in the predicament that people judge her for being selfish and divorcing her poor, disabled husband, even though he's a bit of an asshole.
But in walks hunky gardener Mel with a lifetime of baggage. And hot sex, complicated feelings, drama, and angst. Because you see, I really don't think Mel likes Connie. He sees her as a stuck up, kept woman even though he has no issues banging her in the garden. It's like he's trying to devalue her almost while at the same time she's falling in lust with him. I also don't think she really loves him either, she sees him as a ticket out of her personal hell. You're left hoping she gets the hell out, but at the same time you just want to say, do it on your own- stop depending on a damn man you loser.
If you are looking for a really fast read, I really do recommend this only because you'll whip through it and it is a pretty good read. Her chapters are short so you could easily pop this in your purse and read a chapter or two while waiting around somewhere.
July 1, 2013
Lady Chatterley's Lover meets Fifty Shades of Grey, with Virginia Woolf thrown in for good measure and what have you got? I Take You. Hmmm, interesting.
The book opens a la 50 Shades (although much better written): Connie is completely submissive to her overbearing and crippled 'down there' husband. The first few chapters detail a shocking and intimate invasion of Connie's sexuality.
Which creates a turning point, both for Connie and for the story. Lady Chatterley's Lover takes over from here. Enter a gardener, down to earth and very earthy. He needs no kinky sex or domination, just back-to-nature, even animal tenderness. There is a clear moral to be implied in this - Connie can no longer stomach the denaturalised, degenerate sexual encounters demanded by her husband. These are a product of the city, over-civilization, enormous wealth and privilege and resultant emotional crippling. Thus the world of 50 Shades is exposed as a twisted sham, and DH Lawrence's earthiness embraced.
But where does Virginia Woolf come in? Gemmell begins each chapter with a quote from Woolf and has both her hero and heroine read and love the author. Clearly she is of fundamental importance. The answer only comes at the end. From utterly submissive and powerless, Connie moves towards female self-determination, Woolf-style. She is writing her story and her life. This book is her answer to the would-be domination of her crippled husband, and her own claiming of freedom.
So did it work, this experiment in three authors by a fourth? I'm not sure. It threw up some interesting ideas, but I am not convinced by the conclusion either of the ideas or of the book. Gemmell's writing is utterly beautiful in places, to the point of poetry. (I wish she would use the word 'vast' more sparingly, though.) A literary reaction to the phenomenon that was 50 Shades of Grey.
The book opens a la 50 Shades (although much better written): Connie is completely submissive to her overbearing and crippled 'down there' husband. The first few chapters detail a shocking and intimate invasion of Connie's sexuality.
Which creates a turning point, both for Connie and for the story. Lady Chatterley's Lover takes over from here. Enter a gardener, down to earth and very earthy. He needs no kinky sex or domination, just back-to-nature, even animal tenderness. There is a clear moral to be implied in this - Connie can no longer stomach the denaturalised, degenerate sexual encounters demanded by her husband. These are a product of the city, over-civilization, enormous wealth and privilege and resultant emotional crippling. Thus the world of 50 Shades is exposed as a twisted sham, and DH Lawrence's earthiness embraced.
But where does Virginia Woolf come in? Gemmell begins each chapter with a quote from Woolf and has both her hero and heroine read and love the author. Clearly she is of fundamental importance. The answer only comes at the end. From utterly submissive and powerless, Connie moves towards female self-determination, Woolf-style. She is writing her story and her life. This book is her answer to the would-be domination of her crippled husband, and her own claiming of freedom.
So did it work, this experiment in three authors by a fourth? I'm not sure. It threw up some interesting ideas, but I am not convinced by the conclusion either of the ideas or of the book. Gemmell's writing is utterly beautiful in places, to the point of poetry. (I wish she would use the word 'vast' more sparingly, though.) A literary reaction to the phenomenon that was 50 Shades of Grey.
January 9, 2014
Connie Carven lives the high life, enviable by those who don't know the dark secrets of her relationship with her damaged husband. A tragic turn of events forever changes their lives. Determined to save her marriage, Connie gives into her husband's new needs. One fateful night those desires go way too far.
But a horrible act ultimately leads Connie to finding herself, and possibly love, again. Can she make the necessary sacrifice to finally embrace love? Or is she too damaged and her life too predetermined?
Nikki Gemmell, similar to her other books, does an excellent job building characters and scenarios to challenge them to their core. Too often, I find erotica tries so hard to be cutting edge that it misses out on character and story--it simply becomes a sexual tale for shock value. Gemmell never seems to fall into that trap. There is a horribly disturbing act in this book, but it's not played for shock value. Instead, it's meant to showcase just how far people can go to have control over their loved ones.
My only complaint, which shows how much I came to care about Connie, was how quickly her story was wrapped up. When you've been through a character's suffering and there's a hint of salvation or moments of happiness, you hate to see it rushed. Still, I recommend this book to readers who like a character they can sink their teeth into--a character with plenty of flaws, but something still makes you care about her and root for her to come out on the other side.
Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.
But a horrible act ultimately leads Connie to finding herself, and possibly love, again. Can she make the necessary sacrifice to finally embrace love? Or is she too damaged and her life too predetermined?
Nikki Gemmell, similar to her other books, does an excellent job building characters and scenarios to challenge them to their core. Too often, I find erotica tries so hard to be cutting edge that it misses out on character and story--it simply becomes a sexual tale for shock value. Gemmell never seems to fall into that trap. There is a horribly disturbing act in this book, but it's not played for shock value. Instead, it's meant to showcase just how far people can go to have control over their loved ones.
My only complaint, which shows how much I came to care about Connie, was how quickly her story was wrapped up. When you've been through a character's suffering and there's a hint of salvation or moments of happiness, you hate to see it rushed. Still, I recommend this book to readers who like a character they can sink their teeth into--a character with plenty of flaws, but something still makes you care about her and root for her to come out on the other side.
Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.
September 6, 2016
I never read Lady Chatterly's Lover, so to find out this was a retelling of that tale was a surprise to me. I really really appreciate Nikki Gemmel and her approach to romantic/erotic/interesting storytelling. A few years ago, every time someone told me that I would love 50 Shades of Grey I first punched them in the face and then I told them they should read With My Body instead.
Gemmel knows that there's a time to be subtle, a time when exploring the psychological and emotional aspects of a relationship are just as sexy as an encyclopedic description of the act. That in fact, in a world so obsessed now with kinkiness and how wild and open and bizarre we can all be in our sex life, sometimes all you need is someone who actually just wants to touch you and treat you kindly. Her women are strong, and while they may not know it initially, they know what they want and they know how to ask for it or go and get it.
People are off put by the graphic opening of this book (no pun intended), but I think it's important because, if you really want to dig into the meaning, it shows you how harsh and cold and unfeeling that world can be. It's a perfect balance to the other side of her.
This book isn't perfect. It seems a little more choppy and artsy than With My Body, almost like epic poetry, and there were some loose ends I would have liked to have seen tied up, but it definitely makes me want to go read The Bride Stripped Bare since it's the only one in the trilogy I haven't read.
Gemmel knows that there's a time to be subtle, a time when exploring the psychological and emotional aspects of a relationship are just as sexy as an encyclopedic description of the act. That in fact, in a world so obsessed now with kinkiness and how wild and open and bizarre we can all be in our sex life, sometimes all you need is someone who actually just wants to touch you and treat you kindly. Her women are strong, and while they may not know it initially, they know what they want and they know how to ask for it or go and get it.
People are off put by the graphic opening of this book (no pun intended), but I think it's important because, if you really want to dig into the meaning, it shows you how harsh and cold and unfeeling that world can be. It's a perfect balance to the other side of her.
This book isn't perfect. It seems a little more choppy and artsy than With My Body, almost like epic poetry, and there were some loose ends I would have liked to have seen tied up, but it definitely makes me want to go read The Bride Stripped Bare since it's the only one in the trilogy I haven't read.
April 9, 2014
I Take You is a curious collaboration of D.H.Lawrence, Virginia Woolfe and Nikki Gemmell.
Clifford is paralysed. Connie loves him. (Why, isn't explained. He is presented as a bombastic, cold man who would like to see the squirrels in his garden trapped and burned while he watches.) Connie is a puzzle. She has no talents or interests apart from the erotic games she and her husband devise to compensate for his impotence. The opening scene is gut-wrenching. Connie is summoned to an assignment involving voyeurs, chains, dogs and mutilating instruments. But Clifford has gone too far and poor Connie shuts down. No more games.
She is only able to find the lost woman in herself with Mal, the gardener. Mal is an earthy man who enjoys making love on sacks on the floor, or smearing dirt on Connie's naked form. Connie now feels loved and appreciated. (?)
Does Connie leave Clifford? Does she foresee wider interests than shopping for her designer shoes? What price would Clifford extract, given his need to win?
Connie has colluded in sexual displays that make farmyard couplings seem prudish and dainty. We must hope her epiphany leads to happiness. It's hard to care a lot, but there's one consolation. Whatever happens to her, anything has got to be better than Clifford.
The plot has a few holes perhaps attributable to Lawrence, and there is some nice writing by Virginia Woolfe, finally acknowledged at the end of the book.
Clifford is paralysed. Connie loves him. (Why, isn't explained. He is presented as a bombastic, cold man who would like to see the squirrels in his garden trapped and burned while he watches.) Connie is a puzzle. She has no talents or interests apart from the erotic games she and her husband devise to compensate for his impotence. The opening scene is gut-wrenching. Connie is summoned to an assignment involving voyeurs, chains, dogs and mutilating instruments. But Clifford has gone too far and poor Connie shuts down. No more games.
She is only able to find the lost woman in herself with Mal, the gardener. Mal is an earthy man who enjoys making love on sacks on the floor, or smearing dirt on Connie's naked form. Connie now feels loved and appreciated. (?)
Does Connie leave Clifford? Does she foresee wider interests than shopping for her designer shoes? What price would Clifford extract, given his need to win?
Connie has colluded in sexual displays that make farmyard couplings seem prudish and dainty. We must hope her epiphany leads to happiness. It's hard to care a lot, but there's one consolation. Whatever happens to her, anything has got to be better than Clifford.
The plot has a few holes perhaps attributable to Lawrence, and there is some nice writing by Virginia Woolfe, finally acknowledged at the end of the book.
March 23, 2014
Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I Take You is a modern retelling of D.H. Lawrence’s classic, Lady Chatterly’s Lover. We meet Cliff, an American banker, and Connie, his wife, living in the posh London neighborhood of Notting Hill. After suffering a skiing accident two years prior that left him in a wheelchair, unable to perform sexually, Cliff becomes Connie’s Dominant and orchestrates sexual liaisons for her with strangers, so that she may continue to be sexually fulfilled, but not have to cheat outside the marriage. Once Cliff pushes her limits too far, Connie makes major changes in her life, primarily pursuing an affair with the gardener, Mel.
The prose of the book harkens to an age where sexual content was shrouded in allegory and innuendo, however in keeping with the modern day tolerance for explicitness, the language is brusque.
I Take You is a three and a half star read. It may not appeal to the traditional romance reader as it takes some risks, both in style and content that may be uncomfortable to many. The book is well written, but with its short chapters and harsh language, it may have trouble attracting fans of either contemporary romance or that of the Lawrence crowd.
I Take You is a modern retelling of D.H. Lawrence’s classic, Lady Chatterly’s Lover. We meet Cliff, an American banker, and Connie, his wife, living in the posh London neighborhood of Notting Hill. After suffering a skiing accident two years prior that left him in a wheelchair, unable to perform sexually, Cliff becomes Connie’s Dominant and orchestrates sexual liaisons for her with strangers, so that she may continue to be sexually fulfilled, but not have to cheat outside the marriage. Once Cliff pushes her limits too far, Connie makes major changes in her life, primarily pursuing an affair with the gardener, Mel.
The prose of the book harkens to an age where sexual content was shrouded in allegory and innuendo, however in keeping with the modern day tolerance for explicitness, the language is brusque.
I Take You is a three and a half star read. It may not appeal to the traditional romance reader as it takes some risks, both in style and content that may be uncomfortable to many. The book is well written, but with its short chapters and harsh language, it may have trouble attracting fans of either contemporary romance or that of the Lawrence crowd.
June 12, 2017
Nikki Gemmell's books tend to get a bad rap when being reviewed. Some say they are badly written, some say there is no story line. I would disagree on both accounts. Though this book was mostly the same as The Bride Stripped Bare I found it had a certain passion to it. It is essentially a love story, with one woman's quest to satisfy others before herself, and in doing so, finds her freedom. The first two hundred pages are excellent, the words flowing like poetry as Connie seeks approval and denies her passions. And many might find the whole genital mutilation thing a bit off-putting, Gemmell pulled it off, making it bearable and slightly erotic. I also loved that each chapter has an opening script, the words of Sylvia Plath. They are necessary to the mood and tone of the book. The last hundred pages felt a bit flat, with Connie breaking free and flying away, and what should have been a triumphant ending was dragged out too long and ruined the moment. Overall, this was a good book, but I can see why some people won't like it. I'll read more by Gemmell.
October 16, 2013
well why not....when i first read some reviews for this i was led to believe it was a 'rip off' version of lady chatterleys lover' and not as is quite clearly stated on the back blurb a re-imaging.....moral no.1 don't believe everything you read in a review...
the story of rich man rich woman (connie), relationship built on constant 'wanting more', rich woman has lightening moment, forges relationship with poor man, realises rich lifestyle is shallow and relationship is wrong on all levels....so, a coming of age story for adults....
The 'kink' in this story fell a bit flat for me neither one thing nor the other just a tool to push the story in the right direction and it works well from the respect; connie is someone who has our sympathy which is important, her husband cannot be seen as the victim here!
This story wasn't as strong for me as the other two in the series, however i'm glad i read it the series is tied up nicely
the story of rich man rich woman (connie), relationship built on constant 'wanting more', rich woman has lightening moment, forges relationship with poor man, realises rich lifestyle is shallow and relationship is wrong on all levels....so, a coming of age story for adults....
The 'kink' in this story fell a bit flat for me neither one thing nor the other just a tool to push the story in the right direction and it works well from the respect; connie is someone who has our sympathy which is important, her husband cannot be seen as the victim here!
This story wasn't as strong for me as the other two in the series, however i'm glad i read it the series is tied up nicely
October 18, 2013
I enjoyed the honesty of Nikki Gemmell's Bride Stripped Bare and With My Body and not necessarily about the sex but also about being a wife / mother. However, I found this book too weird. I had no connection with it. I didn't like the start of it - I am all for kink but this felt uncomfortable and more like abuse. I hoped the second half would prove better with the main character growing as she became less passive, but for me she simply didn't. In general I felt the second half lacked the passion and energy it needed to balance the severity of the beginning. Instead, the story drifted to an ending I felt ambivalent about because I didn't care enough about the main character.
I like Nikki Gemmell's writing style but I was disappointed with this story.
I like Nikki Gemmell's writing style but I was disappointed with this story.
November 12, 2013
I received this book as part of a Goodreads first read giveaway, and it is the first book that I have read by this author. I enjoyed the story and the plot of the book, however, I was not sure of the "chapters" as there were 65 chapters in a less than 300 page book and most chapters were less than 2 pages if that. Moving on, however, the story flowed quickly and was a good read until the end....the end was slightly abrupt and left me wondering what happened to the rest of the story....there was no flow to the end and no build up to the ending of the book. All in all it was a good book and I would try others that she has written. The only disclaimer I have is that it is erotic and graphic at parts so some may want to know this before reading.
August 10, 2016
I am torn in my feelings for this book. It was a great storyline and I love Mels character, I don't know how I feel about Cliff or Connie.
I am very happy Connie and Mel got their happy ending but I'm conflicted over Cliff. He was cruel but also had been dealt a cruel hand. I think I would have preferred him get a happy ending as well than the cruel comments he ends on. But I can hardly blame him when his wife cheats and leaves him.
Then again can't blame her when the marriage is what it is. So I'm very conflicted and that is why I give only 3 stars. But overall a great read that shows you money never has bought happiness. A good story well worth the read.
http://twinopinionsreview.blogspot.co...
July 4, 2013
To compare this novel to 50 shades is a serious misunderstanding of what the novel is about. For me, it spoke of courage and bravery to break away from a life that no longer (or ever) made you happy and readers should look beyond the submissive sexuaI element to the message it sends. Although I seemed to glide through the first half without taking much notice because I felt I had read it all previously in bride and with my body, and only really got into the story when Mel came in. That said, Nikki Gemmell is one of my favourites and I enjoy her writing style so overall this book was an enjoyable read.
August 15, 2013
I have always loved Gemmell's writing and books, but this novel unravelled me with its cloying repetitions and thickly applied 'literariness'. I felt that the writing was inherently lazy, using and reusing the same phrases and structures already done to death in her previous two novels, and emphasising the main characters' wealth merely by name-dropping luxury brands at every possible opportunity. I finished it because I started it, but I doubt I'll ever crack its covers again. There was nothing new here.
November 7, 2013
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I must say if I would have had to buy this book I would have mad. From the start, I couldn't connect with this book at all. I have never ready this author, but if her other books are like this I think I will pass. This book to me is not erotic fiction, but about a wife that is abused and used, partly by her own doing. I am glad that she got a chance to start over, but it was just a weird book. The writing was like a play that was being narrated instead of acted out and to me that is not entertaining.
August 23, 2013
I was quite disappointed with this book. Originally I thought that Nikki Gemmell was a very talented author who wrote with raw emotion. She certainly has a vivid imagination and knows how to develop her characters but I found this book to be very boring. She uses the same exact phrases in this book as she did in 'With My Body'. I lost interest very quickly and don't think I will pick up another book written by her for a long time.
August 2, 2013
Once again I found I couldn't put this book down. The beautiful lyrical way in which Gemmell writes is mesmerizing. I would in no way compare any of her work to fifty shades. To me this series is about the strength of women, the inner wildness and beauty. While telling the story of Connie the lead character, it takes the reader along for the journey as a closed down obedient woman discovers actual love aswell as herself. I would recommend this book to everyone!!
September 8, 2013
An exciting follow up to With My Body.
The narrative begins with too-insistent comfort with unfolding events before the veneer is shattered and the heroine drops her scales and bindings. The scales of her heart are cheered off by the reader as she finds what every woman deserves - a true intimacy and unfettering.
Every woman, especially one who felt 'liberated' by Fifty Shades (ugh!), deserves to read I Take You.
The narrative begins with too-insistent comfort with unfolding events before the veneer is shattered and the heroine drops her scales and bindings. The scales of her heart are cheered off by the reader as she finds what every woman deserves - a true intimacy and unfettering.
Every woman, especially one who felt 'liberated' by Fifty Shades (ugh!), deserves to read I Take You.
January 4, 2014
Okay, the only reason I got this book was because it was the first "erotic" book that I had seen in my local library. There wasn't really anything erotic in the book at all.
One problem I had was that this book was it had one page chapters. I absolutely hate one page chapters, don't know why just do.
This book is just boring and baffling beyond belief. I gave up after 110 pages. It's pure shite.
One problem I had was that this book was it had one page chapters. I absolutely hate one page chapters, don't know why just do.
This book is just boring and baffling beyond belief. I gave up after 110 pages. It's pure shite.
December 31, 2013
I love the way Nikki Gemmell writes, but this is not her best book. The first half was all sex with barely a story-line. It did improve in the second half, but still, the story-line was weak. Having said that, if you are into 'Fifty Shades of Grey' then read this. It is written better and I didn't want to throw this book at the wall.
January 2, 2014
Skipped through it bc I just couldn't take the writing anymore. Not the worst book I've ever read. I skipped to the ending to see what happens after making it 50% through the book. Yes, I patted myself on the back.
I don't mind the weirdness. I mind the narrative and couldn't care to read any more.
I don't mind the weirdness. I mind the narrative and couldn't care to read any more.
February 23, 2014
A beautiful story interrupted by static and jumpy prose that was often unsettling to read. The saving grace were moments of pure brilliance that painted delightful emotional images. A blatant wrestling of O and Chatterly into one tale but that was acceptable, almost believable. By the end I felt overwrought with the metaphors but I would still recommend it.
March 12, 2014
Am a big fan of Nikki Gemmell's work. While I had some minor reservations about the previous two books, primarily because they were written in second person, I Take You won me.
For my full review link to my blog http://www.ecstasyfiles.com/blog/book...
For my full review link to my blog http://www.ecstasyfiles.com/blog/book...
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