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Sweet Agony
New job, new boss, and he’s cold, strict, but terribly attractive. Does Molly Parker stay or does she go? Because beneath Cyrian’s chilly front, there may be a heat that’ll burn her up.
Giving in was vicious bliss.
The live-in position is an opportunity for Molly to earn and escape a problematic family. There’s just one drawback. Her employer is the most eccentric, aloof and closed off man she's ever encountered. His rules are bizarre and his needs even more so, and caring for his ramshackle Dickensian home is far more than she ever bargained for. Only their increasingly intense conversations stop her heading for the door. Cyrian Harcroft is a man of many mysteries and secrets, and the more she learns the greedier she is for each and every one. Especially when she discovers his greatest fear: any kind of physical contact. Now all she has to do is dig a little deeper, to unearth the passion she knows he can feel…
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2015
76 people are currently reading
2203 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Stein
117 books2,131 followersCharlotte Stein is the RT and DABWAHA nominated author of over fifty short stories, novellas and novels. When not writing deeply emotional and intensely sexy books, she can be found eating jelly turtles, watching terrible sitcoms and occasionally lusting after hunks. For more on Charlotte, visit: www.charlottestein.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
May 28, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins UK, Avon and NetGalley.)
“I am horrible. I told you clearly when I hired you – I am cruel and hateful and ill-tempered, and if you find any of that objectionable then you should leave now.”
This was a bit of a strange story, about a sex-starved girl, and a very odd man.
Molly was a bit of a strange girl. Why she talked this bloke into giving her a job, when he really didn’t want to employ her I don’t know, and the way he read her dirty stories was very strange.
The storyline in this was basically Molly talking Cyrian into giving her this housekeepers job, and then her getting all turned on when he read her dirty stories. He was then shocked when she started masturbating in front of him, and he then felt the need to punish her. This relationship was a bit odd though, Cyrian was one heck of a weird character, and why Molly even wanted to have sex with him I don’t know.
6 out of 10.
“I am horrible. I told you clearly when I hired you – I am cruel and hateful and ill-tempered, and if you find any of that objectionable then you should leave now.”
This was a bit of a strange story, about a sex-starved girl, and a very odd man.
Molly was a bit of a strange girl. Why she talked this bloke into giving her a job, when he really didn’t want to employ her I don’t know, and the way he read her dirty stories was very strange.
The storyline in this was basically Molly talking Cyrian into giving her this housekeepers job, and then her getting all turned on when he read her dirty stories. He was then shocked when she started masturbating in front of him, and he then felt the need to punish her. This relationship was a bit odd though, Cyrian was one heck of a weird character, and why Molly even wanted to have sex with him I don’t know.
6 out of 10.
May 23, 2015
I was very excited to read this book. Given the fact that I had never read anything from this author before, I went in blind when I got this early copy.
Before I start my review, I want to point out that the writing style and the first person point of view might be a bit strange for some. At first, it confused me but in the end it worked for me.
Molly is a young woman in search for a job. Her last hope is the live-in housekeeping position a wealthy man has to offer. Needing an escape from her dysfunctional family, she uses her last resources and makes the trip to the large and impressive mansion.
Her interview doesn't go as she expected. Her employer is an elusive and arrogant man, hiding behind the safety of his ominous house. His behavior is odd and his way of speech too refined for Molly to feel comfortable but she doesn't back down. She needs the position and she will do anything in her power to win the secretive man over.
Once they meet face to face, Molly is shocked to discover the man hiding behind closed walls. Cyrian Harcroft is a handsome yet difficult man. He is locked away from the world and his only contact is with Molly.
Their relationship is unorthodox; their time together an escape for Molly's loneliness. Cyrian seems like a man trapped in the old ages. Molly is at once fascinated by him. Attraction blooms but it is hard to tell if her growing love is reciprocated...Until, a certain incident.
Molly realizes one defining thing about Cyrian; he doesn't like to be touched. Touch is abhorrent to him. And so, her feelings seem like they will never be returned.
But Cyrian is a mystery and when he starts reacting in certain ways to Molly's subtle advances, she is stunned.
The odd man craves human interaction but he doesn't know how to offer it or receive it.
Their affair starts developing and the sexual attraction gets stronger by every moment they spend together. Now Molly must decide if his disgust for touch will end or start their odd affair.
Will Cyrian ever accept Molly's desperate need for him and his touches or are they forever doomed to live a life without ever touching one another?
What I loved most about this book is how the author managed to create such sensuality when her main male character couldn't even stand to be touched.
I love how she developed Molly. Sweet, brave Molly who accepted Cyrian with all his faults and didn't think for a moment to ever change him.
'What is this?’ I find myself asking, in a slightly scared and wondering tone. And in the end I’m glad I do. It means I get to hear him say: ‘I’m hugging you. This is me hugging – am I doing hugging wrong? Molly, tell me, am I doing it wrong? It feels awkward and awful so I have to imagine this is not right, but would appreciate some sort of confirmation.'
Cyrian must be one of the most complex heroes I've ever had the pleasure of discovering. His kindness and his fierce will to satisfy Molly's wants and needs made him perfect in my eyes.
I also loved how the author incorporated the sensitive subject matter of abuse in this story. I loved how she made these two imperfect characters come together in this bittersweet tale of love and lust.
Just amazing!
I highly recommend it, but be aware that this book is not for the lovers of the vanilla side. It's raw and dirty and altogether sensual.
5 Agonising Stars!!!
Release Date: May 28th...
*I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.(via NETGALLEY)*
Before I start my review, I want to point out that the writing style and the first person point of view might be a bit strange for some. At first, it confused me but in the end it worked for me.
Molly is a young woman in search for a job. Her last hope is the live-in housekeeping position a wealthy man has to offer. Needing an escape from her dysfunctional family, she uses her last resources and makes the trip to the large and impressive mansion.
Her interview doesn't go as she expected. Her employer is an elusive and arrogant man, hiding behind the safety of his ominous house. His behavior is odd and his way of speech too refined for Molly to feel comfortable but she doesn't back down. She needs the position and she will do anything in her power to win the secretive man over.
Once they meet face to face, Molly is shocked to discover the man hiding behind closed walls. Cyrian Harcroft is a handsome yet difficult man. He is locked away from the world and his only contact is with Molly.
Their relationship is unorthodox; their time together an escape for Molly's loneliness. Cyrian seems like a man trapped in the old ages. Molly is at once fascinated by him. Attraction blooms but it is hard to tell if her growing love is reciprocated...Until, a certain incident.
Molly realizes one defining thing about Cyrian; he doesn't like to be touched. Touch is abhorrent to him. And so, her feelings seem like they will never be returned.
But Cyrian is a mystery and when he starts reacting in certain ways to Molly's subtle advances, she is stunned.
The odd man craves human interaction but he doesn't know how to offer it or receive it.
Their affair starts developing and the sexual attraction gets stronger by every moment they spend together. Now Molly must decide if his disgust for touch will end or start their odd affair.
Will Cyrian ever accept Molly's desperate need for him and his touches or are they forever doomed to live a life without ever touching one another?
What I loved most about this book is how the author managed to create such sensuality when her main male character couldn't even stand to be touched.
I love how she developed Molly. Sweet, brave Molly who accepted Cyrian with all his faults and didn't think for a moment to ever change him.
'What is this?’ I find myself asking, in a slightly scared and wondering tone. And in the end I’m glad I do. It means I get to hear him say: ‘I’m hugging you. This is me hugging – am I doing hugging wrong? Molly, tell me, am I doing it wrong? It feels awkward and awful so I have to imagine this is not right, but would appreciate some sort of confirmation.'
Cyrian must be one of the most complex heroes I've ever had the pleasure of discovering. His kindness and his fierce will to satisfy Molly's wants and needs made him perfect in my eyes.
I also loved how the author incorporated the sensitive subject matter of abuse in this story. I loved how she made these two imperfect characters come together in this bittersweet tale of love and lust.
Just amazing!
I highly recommend it, but be aware that this book is not for the lovers of the vanilla side. It's raw and dirty and altogether sensual.
5 Agonising Stars!!!
Release Date: May 28th...
*I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.(via NETGALLEY)*
March 13, 2016
Good god the story dragged forever and ever. I gave up at 60%.
I've read some books by C. Stein and liked it, with her writing being slow paced and all. This one however, bored me. The potential was huge for this book to be good, but the fact that heroine's inner monologues took up 70% of what I read, was hard to stomach.
Two people in a ginormous house talking and then, after a while, fucking. It all would've been fine if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of their dialogue was told through heroine's inner monologue. "He told me to... Then he went on saying that... He asked me if I..." You seldom get to read them conversing directly. Don't even try to skim it. You jump over a paragraph til the next time the hero says something and realise that things had been said and done already.
There was so much inner babble, yet so little background info on the characters. Both are pretty weird, but you don't get any explenation why they are the way they are. That's why it was hard to connect to and like the characters. I read it til 60% and I still didn't know who they were.
The story is not a complete disaster, but nothing to brag home about. You have to be in a specific mood to read it. I'm being generous and giving it two stars.
I've read some books by C. Stein and liked it, with her writing being slow paced and all. This one however, bored me. The potential was huge for this book to be good, but the fact that heroine's inner monologues took up 70% of what I read, was hard to stomach.
Two people in a ginormous house talking and then, after a while, fucking. It all would've been fine if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of their dialogue was told through heroine's inner monologue. "He told me to... Then he went on saying that... He asked me if I..." You seldom get to read them conversing directly. Don't even try to skim it. You jump over a paragraph til the next time the hero says something and realise that things had been said and done already.
There was so much inner babble, yet so little background info on the characters. Both are pretty weird, but you don't get any explenation why they are the way they are. That's why it was hard to connect to and like the characters. I read it til 60% and I still didn't know who they were.
The story is not a complete disaster, but nothing to brag home about. You have to be in a specific mood to read it. I'm being generous and giving it two stars.
May 8, 2015
This book is ..."Secretary" meets Jane Eyre.
That's the most perfect way to describe it.
But if you are not familiar with movie(s), it's another one of Stein's quirky setups with weird, damaged people falling in love. This time,though, with a little power imbalance dynamic thrown in since Cyrian is Molly's employer.
Set up is simple and rather familiar: Molly is working as housekeeper for weird, recluse landlord who is quite possibly the most aggravating man ever born. The more they play their game, the more it becomes clear they are attracted to each other.
Entire story is told from Molly's pov, in Stein's trademark first person narrative style.
Molly is not hard to like- she wants the job desperately because it's her getaway ticket, but she stays because she is intrigued by man hiding behind acerbic tongue. Hero, on the other hand, is a bit of a challenge to like. He is aloof, detached and really, really bent on making it hard for her. He is high class, posh, stuffy guy who is rich enough for his rudeness to be perceived as eccentricity. He has issues of his own which explains his reluctance to form any relationship, but I, personally, didn't need for it to be explained, or "justified". The big reason for that is because I was in Molly's head all the time and Cyrian's cynical wit and disdain turned her on more than anything.
I always think how in Stein's books, sex actually starts before characters even touch. It starts as soon as they start talking.
Hank Moody said it perfectly:
"She said one thing, I said another, next thing I knew, I wanted to spend the rest of my life in the middle of that conversation."
Banter and conversation between main characters is always sexually charged even when they talk about weirdest things. It's a foreplay and Stein likes to dwell on this tantalizing, double entendre parts longer than some other authors. It's the case here as well.
Which brings me to kink. Remember I wrote at the beginning how this book reminds me of "Secretary"? Cyrian is man of peculiar tastes and Molly is more than eager to indulge him. So, if you read only her "Under the Skin' trilogy- this is kinkier. There is some...domestic discipline.
;)
I chucked a star off mainly because ending felt a bit staged. Molly read Cyrian perfectly from the start, so her doubting at the end didn't really read believable to me.
Hot, smart & sexy read.
*Copy recieved from author. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.
March 2, 2017
Holy christ on a cracker. I kept having to force myself to slow down or stop because I didn't want this book to end. This is, in my opinion, one of Charlotte's best works yet. I'm not going to say much about the plot because I think it's best discovered on your own. I will say that the hero is possibly my favorite thing ever and the sex is infinitely dirty and amazing( even when literally performed through a sheet). Also...dialogue!!! While I've enjoyed and loved every Charlotte Stein book I've read, one of the things that I've always wished for was more dialogue. And she so delivers here. The banter between the hero and heroine is lovely and adorable. So, go forth and read my friends, and discover the intriguing and mysterious Cyrian for yourselves.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for honest review
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for honest review
October 28, 2015
This was steamy story and my first from this author. I don't know what else is there to say. I couldn't put it down until it was done. It sure kept my interest during my long night.
Molly and Cyrian were hot but also fun characters. There isn't to much that I can say without spoiling the story.
Molly and Cyrian were hot but also fun characters. There isn't to much that I can say without spoiling the story.
May 25, 2015
3 stars from me. Just to be honest that book didn’t actually work for me. Not that it was bad I just didn’t manage to get connected to the main heroes. When I saw the book in netgalley I felt really intrigued and didn’t hesitate a moment to ask for an advanced copy but I guess I expected something else. Although I give this book 3 stars rating because it was one of the most weird and bizarre stories I have read and it kind left me intrigued even though the story didn’t turn out what I expected. It is the first time if I remember well that I read a book exclusively written in first person point of view so the whole writing style was something different from those I was used to and it kind left me a bit of confused until the end. I am not the kind of vanilla girl so the dark side of the book didn’t actually bothered but definitely it was the strangest romance ever and this first person writing made it a little difficult for me to follow.
The story is about a young woman Molly who is about to take a new job as a housekeeper. In order to escape from her life and her being abused past she accepts the job. There she has to deal with Cyrian a complex mystery and rich man who has definitely very serious emotional problems. Well know that I am thinking maybe Cyrian is one of the most damaged heroes I have ever read about. He doesn’t like people touching him a kind of a detail that made the story so clever and left us with the mystery of how this strange romance could actually work out. Molly surprised me with the way she has handling the whole situation. It was incredible how the writer managed to give as such an erotic atmosphere even though there were not touching.
It was really intelligent the story but I just missed the depth in the characters and I found the ending a little abrupt. Though for those who want to read something different I recommend this book. It didn’t work for me but doesn’t mean it is not a sexy and hot read that worths a chance.
Arc provided via netGalley for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley "
June 16, 2017
This was really... weird. I know it's not supposed to be funny, but I found myself laughing at some parts. It must have been the cheesy sex lines. I must be crazy.
It was like a baby born from Willy Wonka, 50 Shades of Grey, and Jane Eyre.
This is not your typical romance story.
Molly is a broke young girl in dire need for a job. She get a job as a maid at Cyrian's house. Honestly, this girl is a bit crazy. The strangest things turn her on like a faucet.
Cyrian is an oddball due to his rough childhood. Emotions are hard for him to grasp. Molly slowly invades his soul. She is understanding of his boundaries and walls. There is a lot of back and forth in their relationship. One step forward, two steps back.
Seriously.... sometimes you just want to yell at them to hurry up and do it. I'm surprised I completed reading this book. I think it was so different and odd that I wanted to finish it.
It was like a baby born from Willy Wonka, 50 Shades of Grey, and Jane Eyre.
This is not your typical romance story.
Molly is a broke young girl in dire need for a job. She get a job as a maid at Cyrian's house. Honestly, this girl is a bit crazy. The strangest things turn her on like a faucet.
Cyrian is an oddball due to his rough childhood. Emotions are hard for him to grasp. Molly slowly invades his soul. She is understanding of his boundaries and walls. There is a lot of back and forth in their relationship. One step forward, two steps back.
Seriously.... sometimes you just want to yell at them to hurry up and do it. I'm surprised I completed reading this book. I think it was so different and odd that I wanted to finish it.
January 16, 2016
I am huge Charlotte Stein fan and this book represents why. All the lovely little details, the literary allusions, the sexual tension, the humanity, playing with troupes, and falling in love.
The point of view is very personal. Usually, I would feel smothered but here I am just immersed.
I am into BDSM romance but the sexuality of the leads is character driven and ultimately burning hot.
The fact that they are huge bookworms for very different reasons and the waterfall of literary allusions puts me over the moon.
I love how they adore each other minds and accept each other fully.
The self doubt at the end on the heroine's part might be in character but it was annoying.
This is a dark and erotic romance but it is full of hope as well.
Great read.
The point of view is very personal. Usually, I would feel smothered but here I am just immersed.
I am into BDSM romance but the sexuality of the leads is character driven and ultimately burning hot.
The fact that they are huge bookworms for very different reasons and the waterfall of literary allusions puts me over the moon.
I love how they adore each other minds and accept each other fully.
The self doubt at the end on the heroine's part might be in character but it was annoying.
This is a dark and erotic romance but it is full of hope as well.
Great read.
August 4, 2020
That was a weird, wild ride. Like Jane Eyre on acid, with more spanking and no mad woman in the attic.
January 13, 2023
Wrote some thoughts about this book in a blog post, which you can find here.
Some additional Goodreadsy-type thoughts that didn't make it into the post. This is a high-heat, short read, with a favorite trope that I have personally named "weird for you" : when two characters are delightfully strange in the exact right way that makes them fit together with each other and nobody else. Sweet Agony has an absolutely no-holds-barred approach to the eroticism of both bodies and words, and the two come together in some wildly delightful, over-the-top prose.
As many other reviews and my post mention, the hero is initially presented as touch-averse. I would say that the approach to this feels to me (very much a non-expert) to be dealt with sensitively, but not necessarily with an eye to realistic clinical representation, which may be worth knowing going in. It felt more in keeping with the rest of the tone of the book, which is just slightly off-kilter from reality in a deliberate, stylized way.
This book is a RIDE and I loved every minute of it.
Some additional Goodreadsy-type thoughts that didn't make it into the post. This is a high-heat, short read, with a favorite trope that I have personally named "weird for you" : when two characters are delightfully strange in the exact right way that makes them fit together with each other and nobody else. Sweet Agony has an absolutely no-holds-barred approach to the eroticism of both bodies and words, and the two come together in some wildly delightful, over-the-top prose.
As many other reviews and my post mention, the hero is initially presented as touch-averse. I would say that the approach to this feels to me (very much a non-expert) to be dealt with sensitively, but not necessarily with an eye to realistic clinical representation, which may be worth knowing going in. It felt more in keeping with the rest of the tone of the book, which is just slightly off-kilter from reality in a deliberate, stylized way.
This book is a RIDE and I loved every minute of it.
June 1, 2015
Nobody can write an intense story like Charlotte Stein and this story is no different. Wow, what a dark storyline that was truly sweet agony. My only complaint was that I thought it ended too abruptly and I wanted to see what happened when they got back home.
October 31, 2016
3.5 stars
Erotica with a touch of modern Gothic crossed with a repressed Victorian flavor. Vivid writing with a very distinct sense of place and atmosphere. Not sure I actually liked the story itself. But the characters were interesting.
Erotica with a touch of modern Gothic crossed with a repressed Victorian flavor. Vivid writing with a very distinct sense of place and atmosphere. Not sure I actually liked the story itself. But the characters were interesting.
June 16, 2015
Not my favorite by her, but still that awkward erotic sex I love. ;)
November 12, 2020
My deep abiding desire to read something different, something that would sweep me off my feet (because these days it is really, really, really hard to find a book that does this to you), is the reason I ended up reading my very first book by Charlotte Stein. Reading Sweet Agony made me wonder why I had not come across a book by Ms. Stein prior to this. Maybe I have and never thought much of it or thought it wasn’t for me (which seems highly unlikely). Either way, I am glad I came across this delectable, delicious, and angst ridden (in the best way possible) read that I would forever hold close to my heart.
Sweet Agony begins when 22 year old Molly Parker answers an advert seeking a housekeeper and finds herself hired after the most invigorating job interview that I have ever come across in a book, and all that without Molly even laying eyes on the man who hires her, aka 34 year old Cyrian Harcroft.
Cyrian is the quintessential definition of a loner, preferring to hole himself up in a house that is as forbidding and closed off to the world as he is. However, from the onset, there is something about Molly that sets a fire blazing inside him as he does in her, and there is no stopping the tidal wave of lust, love, tenderness, and other emotions that comes gushing forth between the two.
With every word that Cyrian speaks or writes to Molly, to her it is as if someone is reading out the verses of a book of poetry written specifically for her. And even though Molly knows that it is the height of impropriety to lust after her boss, she does just that, even when she knows that Cyrian is not for the likes of her.
One thing leads to another and Ms. Stein delivers so spectacularly on the build up of the sexual tension that wraps around you so tight. It is almost as if you cannot breath through certain parts of the book; yes, Ms. Stein’s play with the words is nothing short of mesmerizing.
In Cyrian’s words towards the end, they are soulmates, no question about it. Both having undergone difficult childhoods in their own ways, it is only Molly who is able to bring Cyrian out of his inward shell, the one in which he believes himself to be unworthy of love.
The best thing about Sweet Agony for me were the main protagonists, specifically Cyrian. He is a hero to die for, the demanding and tender side to his character unbound layer by layer to reveal his true self as seen through Molly’s eyes. He is sexy in a way that is indescribable, a hero worth swooning over in the years to come.
I will never get over how he just sat down and started reading dirty passages from the book he was supposedly writing, and not even by the mereest flicker of an expression did he show how it affected him. That was in part one of the most glorious aspects of this book and I fell completely and head over heels in love with Cyrian without even trying.
Molly was just as wonderful, having that right touch and balance to her character which helped her gain insight into what Cyrian was about and what he needed. The fact that Cyrian thinks he is unworthy, when he already is what Molly needs and more, was the icing on the cake as the novel reached its ultimate conclusion.
The only reason that Sweet Agony did not get the five stars that the story truly deserves was because of the lack of an epilogue which was sorely felt. Having gone through that roller-coaster of a ride with Cyrian and Molly, readers deserve an epilogue, maybe something five or ten years down the line, just to show us how they were faring. In my mind, Cyrian is still that forbidding man he is to everyone else except for Molly, for whom his face lights up with the merest gaze.
I would also have loved to know more about Cyrian and Molly’s pasts – even though I know the story had enough tidbits to serve as such, just enough to make that emotional connection needed for readers to thoroughly enjoy the story.
Highly recommended, especially for those who love an erotic tale that is akin to poetry written for your soul.
Final Verdict: Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein is beautifully crafted poetic eroticism done right. Definitely recommended!
Rating = 4.75/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
Sweet Agony begins when 22 year old Molly Parker answers an advert seeking a housekeeper and finds herself hired after the most invigorating job interview that I have ever come across in a book, and all that without Molly even laying eyes on the man who hires her, aka 34 year old Cyrian Harcroft.
Cyrian is the quintessential definition of a loner, preferring to hole himself up in a house that is as forbidding and closed off to the world as he is. However, from the onset, there is something about Molly that sets a fire blazing inside him as he does in her, and there is no stopping the tidal wave of lust, love, tenderness, and other emotions that comes gushing forth between the two.
With every word that Cyrian speaks or writes to Molly, to her it is as if someone is reading out the verses of a book of poetry written specifically for her. And even though Molly knows that it is the height of impropriety to lust after her boss, she does just that, even when she knows that Cyrian is not for the likes of her.
One thing leads to another and Ms. Stein delivers so spectacularly on the build up of the sexual tension that wraps around you so tight. It is almost as if you cannot breath through certain parts of the book; yes, Ms. Stein’s play with the words is nothing short of mesmerizing.
In Cyrian’s words towards the end, they are soulmates, no question about it. Both having undergone difficult childhoods in their own ways, it is only Molly who is able to bring Cyrian out of his inward shell, the one in which he believes himself to be unworthy of love.
The best thing about Sweet Agony for me were the main protagonists, specifically Cyrian. He is a hero to die for, the demanding and tender side to his character unbound layer by layer to reveal his true self as seen through Molly’s eyes. He is sexy in a way that is indescribable, a hero worth swooning over in the years to come.
I will never get over how he just sat down and started reading dirty passages from the book he was supposedly writing, and not even by the mereest flicker of an expression did he show how it affected him. That was in part one of the most glorious aspects of this book and I fell completely and head over heels in love with Cyrian without even trying.
Molly was just as wonderful, having that right touch and balance to her character which helped her gain insight into what Cyrian was about and what he needed. The fact that Cyrian thinks he is unworthy, when he already is what Molly needs and more, was the icing on the cake as the novel reached its ultimate conclusion.
The only reason that Sweet Agony did not get the five stars that the story truly deserves was because of the lack of an epilogue which was sorely felt. Having gone through that roller-coaster of a ride with Cyrian and Molly, readers deserve an epilogue, maybe something five or ten years down the line, just to show us how they were faring. In my mind, Cyrian is still that forbidding man he is to everyone else except for Molly, for whom his face lights up with the merest gaze.
I would also have loved to know more about Cyrian and Molly’s pasts – even though I know the story had enough tidbits to serve as such, just enough to make that emotional connection needed for readers to thoroughly enjoy the story.
Highly recommended, especially for those who love an erotic tale that is akin to poetry written for your soul.
Final Verdict: Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein is beautifully crafted poetic eroticism done right. Definitely recommended!
Rating = 4.75/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
July 27, 2020
Dare I say this is my new favorite Charlotte Stein? This is one remarkable erotic romance that does not quit when it comes to building the tension between Molly and Cyrian. She’s in desperate need of a job and he ostensibly needs a housekeeper, though he tries to talk applicants out of it. On the surface, he seems like a snobby recluse of a boss but Molly sees there’s so much more to him. And when I read this line, “He saw me reading. And so gave me books,” this story had me in its snares. But let me back up to unpack that a bit: he caught her reading a book when she was supposed to be cleaning and then took her to his giant library to clean as “punishment.” Molly can only see the kindness in this gesture, as books and words mean the world to her. But he refuses to see any kindness in it and says he’s despicable. It’s true, he can be but really he’s just scared of rejection. Angst on top of angst! And then there’s a little BDSM thrown in for fun. I loved everything about how their story unfolded.
I do want to note that Cyrian, at least at first, appears to be touch-averse and possible sex-repulsed. I’m not sure how this portrayal will land with touch-averse or sex-repulsed readers but Molly largely seemed respectful, to me, of his boundaries and allowed him to do things at his own pace. There’s also a lot of ableist language, mostly around the use of crazy, insane, and blind.
CW: heroine’s parents were abusive, touch-averse, cigarette smoking/nicotine withdrawal, hero’s father repeatedly tried to drown him in the bathtub and beat him, ableist language
I do want to note that Cyrian, at least at first, appears to be touch-averse and possible sex-repulsed. I’m not sure how this portrayal will land with touch-averse or sex-repulsed readers but Molly largely seemed respectful, to me, of his boundaries and allowed him to do things at his own pace. There’s also a lot of ableist language, mostly around the use of crazy, insane, and blind.
CW: heroine’s parents were abusive, touch-averse, cigarette smoking/nicotine withdrawal, hero’s father repeatedly tried to drown him in the bathtub and beat him, ableist language
February 13, 2024
co to wgl było lmao. zaczynało sie fajnie bo myslalam ze to nie bedzie jakiś manipulatorski wiecej niz 50 twarzy graya trope ALE BYLO JESZCZE GORZEJ!! first of all this annoying bitch that couldnt even recognize that a sexy but insulting her all the fucking tiem NOT ASKING FOR CONSENT THEN APOLOGIZING IN THSI WEIRD ASS SEXUAL SETTING BRUSH MASSAGE ??? MAN is NAWT worth it. Girl fucking stand up. Thats why we'll never be free😭😭😭😭The sex scenes are so dull they're crazy yes but insanely unrealistic and just Too... too much. ALSO that enemies to lovers fuck 😅not for me
June 6, 2015
I was not prepared for how erotic this book was, good lord new panties are needed. Molly sometimes bites off more than she can chew, and tends to put her foot in her mouth, "I asked a man I can never have to tell me all the things he knows about sex. And now I have to sit here and listen." She's easily side tracked especially when Cyrian is well being Cyrian, "I want to, but you just said “erection” and then I lost the train of whatever we were talking about." Cyrian has a hard time showing his emotions but in time and with Molly's help I think he'll come around, "of course it must have been. Anything you feel is important to me – do you not understand that by now? I might not be able to deal with emotions properly, but at the very least I can honour yours,’ he says." I liked this book with all it's naughtiness.
January 2, 2016
3.5 stars!!
Thanks Kristal for reccing this to me, it was wickedly funny and sexy all at the same time! The banter between Molly and Cyrian was great, and I just loved the Gothic inspired house and library and all.
The cream colored stationery and wax seal and fountain pen? The library gift? *swoon*
Thanks Kristal for reccing this to me, it was wickedly funny and sexy all at the same time! The banter between Molly and Cyrian was great, and I just loved the Gothic inspired house and library and all.
The cream colored stationery and wax seal and fountain pen? The library gift? *swoon*
July 15, 2015
Great balls of fire, what a smoking hot read this was! Tension you could cut with a knife and foreplay that was off the charts. Stein's usual writing ticks: I wanted more dialogue less internal monologue, but good gravy - did I mention the sexual tension?!?!
December 11, 2016
Seriously, I laughed so hard throughout the first half of the book that was sweating! Sweating people! If you're having a crappy day read this book and laugh your cares away. Keep 'um coming Ms. Stein.
Read
January 25, 2023Well, guess what! I am appalleD too.
May 25, 2015
*I actually read this book twice in the hopes of having something coherent to say about it, but I'm still struggling, so this is going to be a fairly rambling review.
It's no surprise to me that Charlotte Stein has written a book focused on two wonderfully unique, quirky characters-- it's one of her best gifts. She can take a trope, as in here with the stoic, repressed male lead, and enrich it with so many charming details and such a fresh perspective, that it actually feels entirely new, as if this idea has never been written before. And in this book, it's not just her characterizations that are impressive, it's her construction of the setting in general. The story presumably takes place in the modern day in some unnamed English city, but the world she describes actually exists, for most of the book, within one house-- a house that belongs to said stoic-hero, who purports to be looking for a housekeeper, and ends up with Molly, to both his horror and delight.
Stein's language is evocative, always funny, and generally unpredictable. Her dialogue is sharp, as always, and as important in the development of the relationship between Cyrian and Molly as any actual physical foreplay would be. But in this book, her language in the service of the setting is particularly lovely; I feel like I'm wandering around the house alongside Molly, and marveling at all its quirky secrets.
In what is a fairly short novel, we get a very clear understanding of both characters, what motivates them, and what holds them back. Not unlike Rochester, a character Stein openly compares Cyrian to in the text, the male lead manages to be flamboyant, sneering, and fumbling in his attempts towards Molly, like a school boy not sure whether to pull his crush's hair, or pick her flowers. But we understand his struggles to relate to other people, to receive affection or even physical touch, just like we come to understand Molly's reasons for craving his attention and happily looking beyond his often cruel words to his more revealing, often romantic actions.
I think the only problem I had with the book is that I felt like it ended in the second act. The characters themselves refer to the fact that they live in a sort of dream world, or a vacuum, where they rarely allow the outside world to intervene, but it would be interesting, I think, to see the development of their relationship after getting over the first hurdles, and to see how it progresses as they encounter people and circumstances outside of the comfortable nook they've made for themselves.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
It's no surprise to me that Charlotte Stein has written a book focused on two wonderfully unique, quirky characters-- it's one of her best gifts. She can take a trope, as in here with the stoic, repressed male lead, and enrich it with so many charming details and such a fresh perspective, that it actually feels entirely new, as if this idea has never been written before. And in this book, it's not just her characterizations that are impressive, it's her construction of the setting in general. The story presumably takes place in the modern day in some unnamed English city, but the world she describes actually exists, for most of the book, within one house-- a house that belongs to said stoic-hero, who purports to be looking for a housekeeper, and ends up with Molly, to both his horror and delight.
Some apocalypse happened to this place and this place alone, and now it sits like a bad tooth in a mouth of pristine white ones.
Stein's language is evocative, always funny, and generally unpredictable. Her dialogue is sharp, as always, and as important in the development of the relationship between Cyrian and Molly as any actual physical foreplay would be. But in this book, her language in the service of the setting is particularly lovely; I feel like I'm wandering around the house alongside Molly, and marveling at all its quirky secrets.
In what is a fairly short novel, we get a very clear understanding of both characters, what motivates them, and what holds them back. Not unlike Rochester, a character Stein openly compares Cyrian to in the text, the male lead manages to be flamboyant, sneering, and fumbling in his attempts towards Molly, like a school boy not sure whether to pull his crush's hair, or pick her flowers. But we understand his struggles to relate to other people, to receive affection or even physical touch, just like we come to understand Molly's reasons for craving his attention and happily looking beyond his often cruel words to his more revealing, often romantic actions.
'You honestly want me to repeat one of the things I just said, despite the fact that most of them were sneering insults?' 'Are you kidding? The sneering insults were the best parts.'
I think the only problem I had with the book is that I felt like it ended in the second act. The characters themselves refer to the fact that they live in a sort of dream world, or a vacuum, where they rarely allow the outside world to intervene, but it would be interesting, I think, to see the development of their relationship after getting over the first hurdles, and to see how it progresses as they encounter people and circumstances outside of the comfortable nook they've made for themselves.
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2016
***ARC received in exchage of an honest review***
This book had a very "Beauty and the Beast" feel to it. And if you know me at all, you know that's reason enough for me to want to read a book! I was not wrong. But our hero isn't a beast at all, despite thinking that about himself.
He has a voice that can make you come and is gorgeous. He also has a tormented past and is British. Just thinking about all the filthy things he says in a hot British accent makes me want to fan myself! Did I mention he is besides filthy-mouthed, filthy rich? Oh yeah, that is a deadly combination for me!!
Molly is a girl with a past she doesn't like to think about. Her family treated her like trash and even took her books, her most favorite thing in the world. So going to an old mansion for a live-in housekeeping position and being interviewed by this rude, entitled man is nothing compared to what she's been through.
I love the fact that she gets to ruin every one of our hero's barries. I love they communicate through letters living in the same house, I love that he, just like the Beast, gives her a library...and I absolutely LOVE the fact he is kinky behind all his cold, allusive, samrt and entitled façade.
This book was seriously HAWT!!!! I love how this two find each other and become exactly what each other needs even though they didn't know they do.
It does give us a ton of details about her past or even his past, although it gives us more about his than hers. But we don't need it. Because focusing on their story was more than enough to make me hooked on the hotness that they are together! :)
This was a very entertaining read, with a different style than my usual "entertaining" reads. I wasn't expecting the turn it made, but surely enjoyed it!! Every bit of it! :)
One of the things I didn't like though was the way the dilogues were written. They were written in the middle of the descriptions, so there wasn't really a real place foe them. Which got me confused at times. I even missed some dialogues and realized one of them said something (specially he, because the story is narrated by Molly) and realized after she mentioned something later, so I had to go bak and see that there was actually a dialogue or one of his "lines" there.
But even despite that I enjoyed this book,,the story is intriguing from the start and the banting between the main characters is precious! Molly is full of sass and just what our hero needs!!
I do wish it had an epiolgue or something because I was really enjoying their time together, but the ending was satisfactory without one too!
This is somewhat of a real, modern and kinky fairytale. From the moment the misterious hero appears andthe way our heeoine handles him, you get hooked and just want more of them, just to see what they'll do the next page!
Fool post here: https://beautyandthebeastlybooks.word...
This book had a very "Beauty and the Beast" feel to it. And if you know me at all, you know that's reason enough for me to want to read a book! I was not wrong. But our hero isn't a beast at all, despite thinking that about himself.
He has a voice that can make you come and is gorgeous. He also has a tormented past and is British. Just thinking about all the filthy things he says in a hot British accent makes me want to fan myself! Did I mention he is besides filthy-mouthed, filthy rich? Oh yeah, that is a deadly combination for me!!
Molly is a girl with a past she doesn't like to think about. Her family treated her like trash and even took her books, her most favorite thing in the world. So going to an old mansion for a live-in housekeeping position and being interviewed by this rude, entitled man is nothing compared to what she's been through.
I love the fact that she gets to ruin every one of our hero's barries. I love they communicate through letters living in the same house, I love that he, just like the Beast, gives her a library...and I absolutely LOVE the fact he is kinky behind all his cold, allusive, samrt and entitled façade.
This book was seriously HAWT!!!! I love how this two find each other and become exactly what each other needs even though they didn't know they do.
It does give us a ton of details about her past or even his past, although it gives us more about his than hers. But we don't need it. Because focusing on their story was more than enough to make me hooked on the hotness that they are together! :)
This was a very entertaining read, with a different style than my usual "entertaining" reads. I wasn't expecting the turn it made, but surely enjoyed it!! Every bit of it! :)
One of the things I didn't like though was the way the dilogues were written. They were written in the middle of the descriptions, so there wasn't really a real place foe them. Which got me confused at times. I even missed some dialogues and realized one of them said something (specially he, because the story is narrated by Molly) and realized after she mentioned something later, so I had to go bak and see that there was actually a dialogue or one of his "lines" there.
But even despite that I enjoyed this book,,the story is intriguing from the start and the banting between the main characters is precious! Molly is full of sass and just what our hero needs!!
I do wish it had an epiolgue or something because I was really enjoying their time together, but the ending was satisfactory without one too!
This is somewhat of a real, modern and kinky fairytale. From the moment the misterious hero appears andthe way our heeoine handles him, you get hooked and just want more of them, just to see what they'll do the next page!
Fool post here: https://beautyandthebeastlybooks.word...
March 16, 2016
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review:
Sweet Agony is Charlotte Stein's saucy, sexy kiss off to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, that is, if Jane Eyre were suddenly to strip off her skirts and chase Mr. Rochester around the moor. Sexy gothic good times interspersed with Charlotte Stein's trademark cheeky humor, this was impossible to put down or ignore.
I loved that this was also a weird valentine ode to the sexiness of reading:
Sweet Agony is Charlotte Stein's saucy, sexy kiss off to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, that is, if Jane Eyre were suddenly to strip off her skirts and chase Mr. Rochester around the moor. Sexy gothic good times interspersed with Charlotte Stein's trademark cheeky humor, this was impossible to put down or ignore.
"You are a very, very wicked girl."
"I know. You should probably do something about that."Molly and Cyrian are unlike any Romancelandia hero or heroine you've ever met before. Awkward, rude, insecure and belligerent somehow melds into steamy, steamy scenes. Also, bonus point for using the word "temerity" in a sex scene.
I loved that this was also a weird valentine ode to the sexiness of reading:
It is almost definitely going to be rougher now. I love books more than people. His speaking voice sends me straight to sex hell. How am I supposed to cope with him reading stuff to me? I can barely stand to see him riffle through the pages.I loved that this was a weird riff on Jane Eyre but every bit as mad and passionate as Mr. Rochester for Jane.
But if an easy life must be paid for with the absence of you then I find the price too steep to so much as contemplate. I am your creature now, wholly and completely - so do with me what you will. I shall not turn you away.I'm a huge fan of Charlotte Stein but I have to say that Sweet Agony really went to new lengths to titillate and tease. She is developing such an amazing unique voice and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
April 3, 2016
This strange, alluring romance is the story of Molly and Cyrian. When Molly takes the job of live-in housekeeper to an eccentric aloof man, she finds herself exposed to him in more ways than one. Cyrian is by all rights someone whom she should stay far away from, a man who makes no effort to reveal any more of himself to her than at all necessary. But as she uncovers him layer by layer, she finds herself more and more attracted to the enigma that he is. And when Cryrian starts to return her feelings, things between them heat up considerably. But is an affair all this is, or is it leading to something deeper?
Though I know it's not to everyone's taste, Charlotte's introspective first person point of view found in many of her stories, including this one, really works for me. You know everything that the character of Molly feels, sees, imagines, frets over, lusts for, and despairs about. The romance between her and Cyrian unfolds like the petals of a rose, stripping away Cyrian's standoffish veneer until the heart of him is exposed. I loved how the romance contains elements of suspense to keep you on edge, wondering if they will ever get to be truly together or if that will just be too much for Cyrian. The sex is raw and blunt, sometimes even shocking and yet the romance is sweet, creating a contrast that works well and makes the story unique. For me, it was thoroughly entertaining and I bought into this unlikely couple finding their way to a happy ending. 5 stars.
Favourite quote: ‘You just tasted my pussy on a paintbrush.’
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
Though I know it's not to everyone's taste, Charlotte's introspective first person point of view found in many of her stories, including this one, really works for me. You know everything that the character of Molly feels, sees, imagines, frets over, lusts for, and despairs about. The romance between her and Cyrian unfolds like the petals of a rose, stripping away Cyrian's standoffish veneer until the heart of him is exposed. I loved how the romance contains elements of suspense to keep you on edge, wondering if they will ever get to be truly together or if that will just be too much for Cyrian. The sex is raw and blunt, sometimes even shocking and yet the romance is sweet, creating a contrast that works well and makes the story unique. For me, it was thoroughly entertaining and I bought into this unlikely couple finding their way to a happy ending. 5 stars.
Favourite quote: ‘You just tasted my pussy on a paintbrush.’
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review.
May 8, 2016
"Oh, that was just marvelous." This is what I exclaimed, out loud, when I hit the last page of this book. I really, truly enjoyed it. Granted, the first half more so than the second, but still an over all win. The voice was just to die for.
I call the first half the comic half and the second the erotic, and I imagine if either one wasn't the sort to thrill you they would feel they went on forever. But for me, I ended happy. The first chapter alone had me laughing so hard I bounced the hammock I was laying in, which of course just made me laugh harder. Eventually, I just put the Kindle down and let myself have a minor hysterical moment. Alternatively, the second half left me wishing for a few moments alone with my other half. Unfortunately, my 5-year-old declared, quite innocently, "You will never get rid of me," so...
Stein's humor, though a little on the juvenile side for a 34-year-old protagonist, managed to hit just the right note for me and I thought the sex was hot. There was a lot of it once it eventually hit the page. It was maybe even too thick, but it still scalded my knickers. All in all, though not a perfect book (I was especially squinked out by the use of sex as a rudimentary cure for past abuse and psychological illness), it left me wanting more and I'll be looking for further Stein novels.
I call the first half the comic half and the second the erotic, and I imagine if either one wasn't the sort to thrill you they would feel they went on forever. But for me, I ended happy. The first chapter alone had me laughing so hard I bounced the hammock I was laying in, which of course just made me laugh harder. Eventually, I just put the Kindle down and let myself have a minor hysterical moment. Alternatively, the second half left me wishing for a few moments alone with my other half. Unfortunately, my 5-year-old declared, quite innocently, "You will never get rid of me," so...
Stein's humor, though a little on the juvenile side for a 34-year-old protagonist, managed to hit just the right note for me and I thought the sex was hot. There was a lot of it once it eventually hit the page. It was maybe even too thick, but it still scalded my knickers. All in all, though not a perfect book (I was especially squinked out by the use of sex as a rudimentary cure for past abuse and psychological illness), it left me wanting more and I'll be looking for further Stein novels.
May 16, 2016
Sweet Agony was my first Charlotte Stein book and it won't be my last. This book made me feel so much, and although I sympathized a lot more with heroine Molly's "common" POV, I found myself really pulling for this couple. There are a few references to Jane Eyre in this one and as I first started reading, I was immediately thrown into that world. We have the gothic house with mysterious nooks and crannies, the fish-out-of-water heroine/housekeeper, and a hero who is surly and clearly hiding some major damage underneath his impeccable clothing. Cyrian is gorgeous, but goes out of his way not to show it. He has many rules and it becomes clear he cannot handle being touched in any way. Having come from another world, Molly sets about tearing down his walls. As she does, she becomes more and more fascinated by the man and their relationship becomes shockingly sexual. However, even though Molly manages to change Cyrian's manner of thinking, can she ever really become a part of his world? We've seen this sort of story before but what makes it so fresh is Ms. Stein's narrative. She has a wonderful way with words and I often found myself smiling at her turns of phrase. I think I'll be thinking of this one for some time to come.
May 18, 2015
It's been a while since I read a Charlotte Stein book, so I was pleased when this popped up in NetGalley. I didn't even bother to read the blurb - it's Charlotte Stein, who needs a blurb? - so when I dove in and started reading I thought I was reading a paranormal. The setting was so Gothic, the lead male so impossibly mysterious, that I couldn't fathom out where the book was going.
It didn't turn out to be a paranormal, but this isn't a bad thing. Instead, what I got was a typically bonkers (in a good way) Charlotte Stein novel that made me feel as though I'd fallen down the fabled rabbit hole and come out in some kind of kinky, Gothic Wonderland. The hero is about as far from typical as it's possible to get, and I don't know if it was deliberate, but I envisioned him to be Benedict Cumberbatch's kinky evil twin. The heroine is delightfully funny and off the wall, and very likeable. This was a book that was wonderfully twisted, and kept me guessing right until the very end. It's supremely sexy, utterly unique and ideal for erotic romance fans who are looking for something different and clever. Recommended.
It didn't turn out to be a paranormal, but this isn't a bad thing. Instead, what I got was a typically bonkers (in a good way) Charlotte Stein novel that made me feel as though I'd fallen down the fabled rabbit hole and come out in some kind of kinky, Gothic Wonderland. The hero is about as far from typical as it's possible to get, and I don't know if it was deliberate, but I envisioned him to be Benedict Cumberbatch's kinky evil twin. The heroine is delightfully funny and off the wall, and very likeable. This was a book that was wonderfully twisted, and kept me guessing right until the very end. It's supremely sexy, utterly unique and ideal for erotic romance fans who are looking for something different and clever. Recommended.
May 16, 2017
I think this will be my favorite book by Stein. I know without reading the rest. There is a beauty about this book that is different than the rest, like she took every beautiful, descriptive thing she could say and put it in this book. I think that is why some people don't/won't like it. But my gods I loved it and will love it forever.
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