No way in fucking hell, Carina. You just lost a customer for life.
This is how Carina announced The Dirty Bits, the line under which this is being published:
This year at RWA, the Carina Press team excitedly announced the launch of a new line of sexy novellas. Coming this September keep your eyes peeled for The Dirty Bits.
A new line that’s meant to be fun, sassy and, well, dirty. Although these romances are shorter in length, we are definitely not compromising on that high heat level we’re known for.
The Dirty Bits from Carina Press are “micro-romances”, designed to be read in an hour or two. Quick and dirty, just the way we like it. For those times when size does matter. These sex-filled stories are guaranteed to pack a punch and deliver a happily ever.
This is not romance. This is a power imbalance. There is nothing sexy about an adult male in a position of authority having sex with a high school student. There is nothing aspirational or romantic about it. It's sure as hell not "sassy."
It's flat out creepy. It's abusive. He is abusing his power and his position. I don't care if the female character is 18, because this is being explicitly sold as "taboo," which is so fucking unspeakably awful.
(Can we also stop calling this "taboo" romance, as if they are giggle-giggle naughty and "hee, hee, I'm so brave for reading this? Look at me, I'm flouting social convention, ha ha, take that, you biddies!" This isn't brave. There are laws against incest and sex before the age of consent, and policies against student/teacher relationships and other "taboos," not because the biddies want to suck the joy out of your reading, dears, but because these situations are TRAUMATIC and HARMFUL and ABUSIVE. In fact, I'm all for calling these books - which are also not romances, because how can there be a happy ever after for a grown adult who knowingly exploits teenagers under his/her authority? - "power abuse erotica." Not so giggly a term, now, is it?)
I'm legit furious, thinking of the 18 year old women in my life, and picturing them in this situation, packaged as light entertainment for an afternoon stroke session. Or even those women reading this and thinking it is, in any way, a fun fantasy. It isn't. There is nothing fun about romanticizing the sexual exploitation and abuse of high schoolers by older adults in a position of power. And to have this be sold in a short novella with a HEA, so there's no room for any emotional consequences?! WTF?!
K. Webster can sell her cynical, money-grab, shittily written power abuse eroticas on her website all she wants. And readers are welcome to buy from her. If this is your bag, that's between you and your brain. But an arm of a Big 5 publisher peddling this? As "sassy?"
Shame on you, Harper Collins.