Exit to Eden

by Anne Rampling (Pseudonym)

Welcome to the club to satisfy all your desires. In the Caribbean sun, the champagne flows and the games of pain and pleasure never stop. Lisa is the perfectionist. Elliot, the client. In their meeting, they discover that Eden is a state of heart and mind where innocence and love can be recaptured.

Genres: Erotica, Fiction, Romance, BDSM, Fantasy, Adult, Smut

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1985

About the author

Pseudonym of author Anne Rice.

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the romance your mother never had the guts to read. The sexual escapades you never thought to dream of and will probably never attempt.

She is the your alter-ego as you sweep floors and clean toilets wishing instead you were flicking leather whips onto the backside of firm tanned flesh. He is the man holding in a secret wish to be dominated in a world where his wealth and good looks make him lord of all he sees. Harlequin Romances are for children, Anne Rice wrote a love story for adults.

[Hydra Star · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’d heard a lot of good things about this book prior to purchasing it. I’ve never seen any parts of the movie that bares its title, but had read some place that Anne Rice had denounced it because it so greatly varied from the original story. I found that encouraging considering the movie is marketed as a buddy cop comedy and I don’t really enjoy comedy mixed in with my BDSM erotica, which is what the book is marketed as.

The book’s storyline centers around and is told from the first person point of view of two individuals involved in the BDSM lifestyle. One is, Lisa, the female co-founder and operator of a sex club simply called The Club that is stationed on some unidentified island. From the very start you get a sense that she’s a woman divided, mostly due to her families deep Catholic faith and her own ‘sex is beautiful and never sinful’ mentality. The other half of the story is told by, Elliott, a man soon to be employed by The Club as one of its many sex slaves. The impression is given that he has a strong leaning towards being a homosexual and only a mild interest in women.

Soon our two characters find themselves at The Club; Lisa at the end of a trip to visit her family and Elliott at the start of his two year contract as a slave. Elliott is ill-suited for the position of slave and quickly gets himself in trouble. What follows is what one would expect from BDSM erotica and Lisa becomes Elliott’s owner/lover, but she’s just not as “into it” as she should be. After some good play between the two of them, Lisa ups and bust Elliott out of The Club and they travel to New Orleans. That’s where things start to go down hill.

Once out of The Club all BDSM elements of the book practically disappear and its basically all vanilla sex and traditional love story from there on out. That doesn’t make it a bad read and it is quite thoughtful and insightful into human nature, but just isn’t up to snuff with the book’s opening or marketing. Call me old fashioned, but when I read BDSM erotica I want there to actually be some bite to the sex sense.

I’m also not so big on a main character who after falling in love with her “slave” becomes so overcome with guilt and shame at her sexual history that she practically can’t function and starts to drink herself silly. A little conflict; a little surprise at having feeling so deeply for someone who’d otherwise have been just a fling or a good time, but hitting rock bottom and crying her eyes out and going around asking her friends is she “bad” because of the way she has lived is way over the top and frankly a bit insulting to anyone with even a little kink and love in their lives. I’m not going to give away the ending for anyone who might be considering reading this work, but I will warn you that it’s about as predictable as they come and my impression of the message of this book is that love will save you and cure you of your kinky desires. I think, if this is Mrs. Rice’s feelings about BDSM and sex in general, it’s a good thing she stuck so long to writing books about vampires and didn’t devote more energy to creating erotica. The world really doesn’t need more shame over sex and sexuality spread around.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

i like anne rice. i like erotica. so i figured i would at least enjoy exit to eden. it was okay. a few parts were hot and enjoyable. but, as always with an anne rice book, the story was good and the writing was not. the premise was great. slave goes to island to perfect his trade. the master there falls in love with him. they escape said island. hilarity sex ensues. it was just not the best writing i've ever seen. and one thing just disgusted me. no, not the SM. no, not the anal rape with a double dildo. nope, it was the guy's unrealized fantasy, which he realized after they'd escaped the island. he rubbed butter and cinnamon on her breasts, her cooter and IN her cooter. yep, he put butter and cinnamon inside her. INSIDE HER. i hate it when people write about that shit. it is so unsanitary and potentially unsafe to put a food product inside yourself or another. and too, who the fuck wants to lick butter? ugh. i mean, chocolate, peanut butter, whip cream, sure, but butter? greasy. but back to the real issue. if you don't get that shit cleaned out, you open yourself up to the potential of yeast infections and other gross shit. and you know you ain't gonna get all that cinnamon outta there for at least a couple days, no matter how much he licks or your rinse in the shower. and don't tell me douche, cause that's bad for you too. but besides the not super writing and the gross ass butter scene,

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary

Secluded island. Hundreds of consensual sex-slaves bound by a 2-year contract. Couldn't get better than this, right? Not until a little thing called 'love' makes things complicated.

Positive Critiques

If Exit to Eden is a tree then Fifty Shades of Grey is a flowery branch.
Well-written.
Scenes became a 'movie' in my head.
I felt for the character's emotions.

'Meh' Critiques
I don't even want to call this a negative critique--This specific genre is not my clique. I don't mind a book with sex. It just gets 'outside my box' when it is male-male, female penetrating male, and "consensual rape". Wow, I never thought I could define "consensual rape". If you are curious, look mid-way in the book for the 'games'. You'll understand.

This is where the book gets a low rating from me. It is written well, it was just not really in my genre of books to read.

Negative Critiques
I am pushing to find a negative critique: The ending of the story wrapped up quickly. I would have enjoyed the ending of the book more-so if the main characters had more personal obstacles/roadblocks/what not to overcome.

[edited two weeks later] - Now I know what was bugging me about this story. The two main characters are described as athletic, fit, muscular, gorgeously-nude people. However, all throughout the book, they continuously drink a lot of alcohol. I mean a lot of alcohol. They should have beer bellies, not six pack abs.

[Craven · Rating 1 out of 5]

One good thing about traveling is that you often have to read whatever comes your way and are more likely to have to stick with it. Not to say that I wouldn't read smut back home, but there is no way I could justify finishing this turd of a book if I had access to my local library and my own bookshelf.

So anyway, WEALTH, there is nothing more boring (not to mention revolting) than a bunch of rich porknobs who are wallowing in the shit. The main character, Elliot, is a rich playboy who was spoiled rotten by his father, who bought him expensive whores and young boys and whatever to play with. He lived a life full of adventure tossing his daddy's money around, one that we all could only dream of. Through his father's connections, he also became a photojournalist who covered the war in Beirut, where he saw all kinds of the horrors of war and photographed them, only to big-heartedly become famous. After witnessing all this horror but not being able to participate in it, he became a masochist fetishizing the pain he never experienced or was able to inflict when covering war. So he spends more of his father's money to be a slave on an island of wealthy perverts to fulfill this fetish. In the meantime, in spite of his hard, worldly, rugged heart, he falls for his master or spankstress or whatever on this fantasy island. Not stranger to old money herself, she also founded and runs this island of spankers, where she's the iron-willed dom in charge. But they both go soft for each other and fall in love so deeply over a couple of days that they take off from this island paradise and run around the states throwing money at limousines and five star restaurants and elaborate hotels and dumb rich people bullshit while reverting to a tender vanilla sex relationship. Elliot reads his love passages from his favorite book "On The Road" while a limo waits in the lobby with no apparent awareness of the irony.
OK, so this book is really dumb. I need say no more. But what really stands out and moves me to write about it all is the fact that these characters suck. They've seen no real struggle and wallowed in money their whole lives and are as boring and one-dimensional as hell, in spite of being lucky enough to live rich lives full of experience. But this is fantasy, so apparently, a lot of people are so obsessed with wealth and power that they get off on reading about such dirtbags and feeling the twist of the knife when they can't pay their bills. Maybe they fantasize about such a life for themselves. It was odd to me that in a genre fiction escape novel such as this, the reader would prefer characters who have had no obstacles to overcome whatsoever and fetishize the wealth and ease of some trust fund babies. Weird. I just found the whole thing to be completely confounding and insulting. The real masochism in this book is what your average reader experiences when they read this crap while struggling to get by.
To think I came away with all of this; if I had been at home I would've just skipped to the dirty parts.

Here's a couple of quotes, just for the hell of it:
"The cabin was OK. Rich, brown leather armchairs, mirrors all over the place, large bunk with too many cushions, built-in video monitor with a library of films on laserdisc under it. Sherlock Holmes of all things and the erotic classics "Story of O", "Justine", "Claiming of Sleeping Beauty" Beauty's Punishment", "Romance of the Rod"."

An author has license to plug two of her own books as classics in her own book, right?

[Marleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eden, a secret, mysterious and elegant island in the Caribbean is a play-ground for the rich. It is the place where those with enough money can come to fulfil their fantasies about dominance and submission. A paradise where willing slaves are available for those who would be masters, where pain and pleasure intermingle and nothing is forbidden or impossible.
Lisa is the perfectionist mastermind behind Eden. She has set the rules, invented the games and oversees the smooth running of the whole operation. Eden is what Lisa has been yearning for all her life, the answer to all her sexual and spiritual needs and yet, when she returns to Eden after a vacation away, Lisa finds herself restless and, for the first time ever, unsure of what she really wants.
Elliot is a client. Suffering from severe burnout he has been trained to be a slave in Eden and has recently signed a contract to stay there for two years while he flees the life that no longer satisfies him.
When Elliot and Lisa meet sparks fly. Neither of them expected to find real attraction in Eden and neither of them, but least of all Lisa, is prepared for the conflict and confusion these new feelings bring with them.
When Lisa flees Eden, taking Elliot with her, she’s not only breaking all the rules she so carefully set herself, she is also opening herself up to the sort of turmoil she’s ill equipped to deal with.

This is very much a book in two parts. While the first half of the story is very much about sex, submission and dominance, the second half is more of a psychological study, with sex very much in the background.
In the first half the reader learns, in rather graphic detail, about the training slaves go through before they get to Eden and about the pain, pleasure, humiliation and power they experience from that training and life in Eden.
During the second half though, all of that fades away. The story now takes into the minds of Elliot and Lisa. And while Elliot has a pretty good idea what he feels, what he wants and how to deal with his emotions, Lisa is lost. When Lisa finds herself in a neverland between no longer feeling at home in Eden and deep fear of what a future away from the world she created might mean, she is in real danger of ending up with nothing.

I found this to be a fascinating book because it goes beyond what could so easily have been a purely erotic story. It is obvious that Rice is a talented and experienced author. Her sentences and the story flow with ease and she captures the reader as much with her erotic descriptions as she does with the non-sexual scenes.
Both Lisa and Elliot are wonderful characters to read about; flawed and struggling to find their way they are made for each other yet unprepared for that discovery.
I would have loved to have the opportunity to read more about the two of them, would have enjoyed seeing them return to Eden together and what they might get up to as a team. Since that particular book hasn’t actually been written I will have to be satisfied with what I found in this story and that which my own fantasy can come up with.

Yes, it would appear that I have developed a taste for Erotica in my “old age”.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anne Rice published this book under the name Anne Rampling in 1985. To add to the mystery or a marketing decision?!

The first 200 pages read like SF with well thought out details of how "The Club" works. The next 80 pages or so turn into a bad tourist guide for New Orleans when Elliott and Lisa visit many famous restaurants and bars and eat and drink excessively. That's when they realized they are madly in love with one another. The sudden change in the storyline was very disappointing.

[Julio Genao · Rating 3 out of 5]

barely remember it—but what i do remember bears exactly zero resemblance to the rosie o'donnel film of the same name.

no wonder anne rice hates hollywood.

[Rosemary Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I returned to reading over three years ago, specifically reading Contemporary Romance and Erotica, I needed more stories that are more literary than raunchy. I love reading Erotica that is more like a poem, an ode to the passion between two individuals. It is hard to find books about BDSM that is encouraging of the lifestyle without the criticism that it is abusive, psychologically detrimental or even criminal.
Published over 30 years ago, Exit to Eden is a buried treasure of Erotic literature. I was over ten years old when the film Exit to Eden first came out, and memory recollects that it is a comedy and a quick online search shows that it is a far departure from the beautiful story written by Ms. Rice. I haven't seen the film and after reading this amazing book, I won't. It will taint such an amazing romance between two people seeking something deeper than their kink.
The beauty of this book is that the Domme, Lisa, who is also known as the Perfectionist, is a strong female lead in every aspect of the BDSM industry. However, lying deep within her is a vulnerable side that she never planned to reveal or allow for another person to penetrate until Elliott shows up on the island where her BDSM Club resides.
Elliott wants to be a slave and submit fully to the lifestyle. In my estimation, he is avoiding his true desires, actually running away from being with a woman who makes him love because she makes him think and feel the passion for life he is trying to exile himself from.
When I really love a book, I take my time to read it, putting it down to absorb the story and think through the events, thoughts and feelings of the characters. Exit to Eden was no exception. While I wanted to devour it and turn the page, I also didn't want it to end. I feared that Lisa and Elliott wouldn't get their happily ever after because how can two people become a couple when one is the leader of the Masters and one is a slave for many people to enjoy?
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I would love to see this book turned into a film. I would also love it if Ms. Rice would write a new novel about The Club or a sequel to Lisa and Elliott's love story--maybe, a child produced from the union and how he or she is living life after being raised by sexually liberated parents.
If you love Romance with a BDSM kick, then Exit to Eden is the book for you.

[La Petite Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

“…nobody has ever been able to convince me that anything sexual between consenting individuals is wrong.” This quote rung most true with this reader. Anne Rice has an amazing ability to portray exotic situations in an unassuming tone. She strips away all previously conceived labels that either we or society has placed upon sexuality. Instead she writes about the rawness, the need, the baser instincts - she reduces the characters to their primal natures. Written in Anne Rice’s eloquent yet direct style, ‘Exit to Eden’ is one of the best erotic novels this reader has enjoyed. Not only is it well written with a strong plot, the characters are so vibrant that every nuance feels real. Having said all this, the book does drag in the middle and even gets a little boring. This book is a good introduction to Anne Rice’s writing style. More character driven than her Sleeping Beauty trilogy, ‘Exit to Eden’ portrays the same erotiscism without being as shocking.

At its core, Exit to Eden is a love story. I suppose this could be said about most erotic novels, however what set this one apart for this reader was that it was about two individuals stripping away themselves through raw sexuality and in the end finding love - instead of two individuals finding love and then trying to cope with their sexual issues. As usual, Anne Rice's frank portrayal of exotic sex took this reader to previously unexplored realms. In the broadest sense, this novel explores the dominant/submissive lifestyle. However, in the process of training submissives, Rice never fails to create unique forms of humiliation that this reader can only marvel at. The true eroticism in this book lies with the scenes she creates, the ultimate fantasy island where ‘nothing is taboo’. It is a integrally erotic book that doesn’t rely on frequent, repetitive sex to make it so.This reader, for one, doesn’t understand why this book is not talked about more and wishes there would be more discussions on it! So read it and let this reader know your thoughts!

[Katrine Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just a good time from way back.

[Dmitri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pliny the Younger recounted that while living at his the house of his uncle, the famous Pliny the Elder, that the uncle would make, "extracts of everything he read, and always said that there was no book so bad that some good could not be got out of it." (Letters 3.5.8-12)

It seems that Ms Rice has spent her professional career trying to prove the elder Pliny wrong. Of the three books of hers that I have read, this is probably the one that comes closest to succeeding. Her writing, always reminiscent of a failed freshman composition student, becomes truly awful. To call the plot "contrived," would be inaccurate: it is no more contrived than, oh, a "Mad Lib." Finally, the only book that I've seen that has characters who are described more poorly is a telephone directory.

However, it can not be said that even this miserable hack has definitively proven the author of Naturalis Historia to be in error. The good in it is that it inspired a film. Now, I have not seen the film, and have no intention of ever so doing. However, just the idea of the existence of a Rosie O'Donnell/Dan Aykroyd cop-buddy-bondage-comedy somehow makes this a better world.

[Lisa Weber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a novel that explores aspects of S&D/B&D and some of the psychology behind these preferences. A handsome, successful young man sets off on the adventure of his lifetime, to become a submissive sexual slave on a private island which houses "The Club". There, he meets his ideal dominatrix.

While I can see the attraction this would have for some (this is a great fantasy idea), I myself vacillated between interest and repulsion for much of the book. I like hot sex scenes and consensual B&D, but I find deliberate belittlement and depracation repugnant, and not at all exciting. It's a fine line and a matter of personal taste. Ann Rice, in the guise of her alter egos, likes to explore the world of submission and dominance in directions that are fascinating in some ways, but not really to my personal taste.

I'm mystified by those reviews that claim this book isn't graphic. Nuh-uh, it's graphic. It isn't wall-to-wall hardcore porn, but there are definitely graphic sex scenes. Nothing wrong with that, just be aware of it if you don't want a sexual book.

Finally, the book's ending really bothered me. without including spoilers, the shift from fantasy porn to harlequin romance really bothered me. It was as if she glued 2 completely separate books together. Bad choice.

[Marie Meriwani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be my favorite Anne Rice book, and one of my top 10 books of all time. It's a step beyond erotica and S&M; it's more of a journey of how love grows when one doesn't even know it.
Lisa's character is very raw, her sexual growth is very real, her experiences are something that a lot of people go through when they grow into sexuality at an early age, and then start discovering what their feelings are.
Elliot...oh dear, Elliot kills me, I just love him. Elliot is very real, he's the imperfect man that's so perfect because of his reality, because he's unafraid to be in touch with his sexuality, to live those dark fantasies most of us have but never dwell upon.
I also have to express my deep love for Martin Halifax; he's the pillar of the cloud.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. With so many new stories about BDSM, I find myself always going back to this novel as if it is some sort of "source material" that others used and created new tales with. The storyline is steamy. I keep trying to find stories that feel original, and just cannot find something like this. Truly one of my favorite Anne Rice novels.

Not to mention, there's a cute film adaptation if you're interested in adaptation theory.

[Pedro Fernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

A diferencia de su trilogía erótica de “La Bella Durmiente”, este libro me parece que va más a lo romántico. La premisa es de una historia de dominación y cuero, pero se transforma rápidamente en una novela rosa. La parte sexual es escasa, se promete mucho, pero se muestra poco. Está bien escrita, es coherente y los personajes se mantienen, pero temáticamente es un libro que no se define. Amo el trabajo de Anne Rice, pero creo que este libro no es para mí.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do believe this is the last of Anne Rice/Rampling’s fictional books. I’ve officially read them all.

[KME · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a while ago and recently re-read it. After reading Fifty Shades of Gray and being sorely disappointed from the hype, I recalled this book as one of the first "erotica" I read and remembered how good Anne Rice was writing this genre. The sex/love scenes weren't just a novelty like it felt in 50, but a major part of the development of Lisa and Elliot's love. I first read this book when I was a teenager so of course the hype of the sex exposure was more influential and memorable to me at the time. After reading it again now I really appreciate the vulnerability and openness of both characters. Although both characters' circumstances are completely out of scope for me personally, I could relate to that raw edge of emotion and figuring out how to deal with it one "fuck up" at a time. Aside from the obvious and sometimes overabundant pop culture references and the description of some of the club "acts" going a little too far, like when Elliot was forced at the whipping post, the arcade scene with wrestling (and then some!), and Lisa and Elliot's first sexual encounter (which wasn't too bad, but was shocking for me when I was 16! Ha.) While I appreciate how these sections move the story forward, a less detailed recollection would have been fine, especially the arcade scene... I was positively affected by Lisa and Elliot's relationship; way more than a lot of other love stories I've read. Even though the ex-factors of their story are unrealistic for me, the love they shared was very real. Their exchanges were open and honest, as well as captivating because they were intelligent people who had specific tastes in books, loved to dance, had fears and flaws, opinions based on actual events/experience and bonded beyond the skin. I love finishing a book knowing that I went through the journey with the couple from beginning to end and feeling like the love developed came from not just a character, but as if he or she were real people. There are too many romance stories out there that try to create love too simply and unnatural like a magic trick; pulling a bunny from a hat. Or focusing way too much on the sex and writing about it like it was strictly a science experiment (no creativity or elements of progression within the character) and as if sex is the only way people can fall in love. Love is definitely NOT one-dimensional. I'm happy to say, you won't feel that way with this book!

[Eroti Cliterature · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first "adult" book I ever read... and what a great beginning it was. Anne's lush writing style and frank descriptions of sex drove my young brain and body into a fevered overdrive. I wanted to go to the island she described. I wanted to feel the sting of the crop on my legs. And when the two of them escaped to New Orleans, I wanted to experience the buttery nipples, dusted with cinnamon... It lit me on fire.

The book took me places in my imagination that eventually led to my first satisfaction. I wanted to review it first because it was my first, and it opened my eyes to the possibilities of love that insipid cartoons and romance novels had held closed. I am so grateful this book existed, along with Belinda which I read immediately afterwards, because sometimes even fiction can still speak Truth.

[Ceilidh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Erotica should never be boring. No excuses, Rice!

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts off hot and sexy, but develops into a typical romance. I liked the book enough to finish it, but I was a bit disappointed.

[Briar 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good concept. Bad writing. Idk how as her vampire and witch books are wonderful.

[Javier Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al mejor estilo de la narrativa que se muestra en la saga de La Bella Durmiente, Anne vuelve a presentar una historia de amor fuera de lo común. Una trama que todo fan de Las 50 Sombras de Grey (ya que ha surgido la insultante comparación) debería leer para que luego quemen esos tres libros que son una ofensa a ese mundo tan fascinante que nos presenta Anne Rice en esta serie de literatura erótica. Esta entrega en especial describe el descubrimiento del amor en un universo lleno de pasión. Lisa es un personaje muy bien construido, algo dañado pero fuerte, que cae en la inevitable debilidad de la vida junto con un hombre que resulta atractivo en todos los sentidos posibles. Dicho esto, y después de una sesión sobre feminismo literario a la que tuve la oportunidad de asistir, me puse a pensar y veo que Anne Rice sabe construir personajes femeninos muy buenos pero que, al fin y al cabo, no resultan tan encantadores y seductores como los personajes masculinos que elabora. Podría escribir ensayos sobre eso, citando múltiples ejemplos que ilustren lo fascinantes características de esos personajes. Hacia el Edén no es más que otra maravillosa entrega que, con un tono menos intenso, resulta sugestiva y atractiva para quienes les gusta este tipo de literatura.

[Cindi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the concept of this novel. Alternate sexuality and lifestyles were not a common subject to see in print at the time it was released. (Which is around the time I read it.)
The novel goes along well enough for the first half, but then the main characters 'go conventional'. The word that came to mind for me was 'back-pedaling'. This can work, if you truly feel there has been an inclination on the part of the character to do so. In this case I didn't feel it was justified. The novel appeared to be making a point about unconventional lifestyles, and the acceptance of such things, but then did a quick turn and tried to become a simple romance.
It's important characters stay true through-out a novel, otherwise it comes off as a cop-out on the author's part. At the time this was written it could've been considered somewhat groundbreaking in subject matter, but, in the end, it falls short of this. Shying away from this gave me the impression that it morphed into a morality tale. That was a shame.
I'm a fan of Rice's writing, but at times I do feel she falls into formula, and lacks the edgy dark beauty that she is capable of.

[Richard Albion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Rice by any name has written both fiction and fantasy novels. Exit to Eden is a work of fiction, not fantasy is are the “Sleeping Beauty” trilogy (which is more extreme BDSM). Her writing is to her usual standard, meaning much better than most erotica writers, who concentrate on sex only, rather than sex, and sensuality as Anne Rice does. The story line makes sense; the characters are well drawn and developed within the confines of this novel. In the realms of BDSM, it is more on the lines of BD (bondage and discipline) and DS (domination and submission) than the SM (sadomasochism) end of the lifestyle.
The private island, and the running of it, unbelievable. Why? Richard Branson of Virgin Air owns an island in the Caribbean, and he is not the only one, a stretch maybe, but not impossible. A lot of the story does not even take place on the island. Ms. Rice carries you along for the ride Lisa and Elliot enjoy. I have read this novel several times, it stands up against a majority of the competition very well. A good read and recommended.

[Kelly Wyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, whereas I hated the Sleeping Beauty series, I really enjoyed Exit to Eden. I even liked the movie (*ducks fruit*). There were plenty of nods to consent in the kink scenarios, I liked the characters, and I even liked the balls-to-the-wall waaaay out there fantasy island idea. Who *wouldn't* want to give Eden a try?

I particularly enjoyed some of the scenes in the book that could never have graced the big screen, (the carnival scenes, for example), but I must say... I got a little irritated in the second half of the book that focused far too much on the, "Woe 'tis me, I guess I must have a relationship, hm?" I'm all for a happy ending, but it got a tad long-winded here and there in the messy diatribe of "Should I or shouldn't I be with him?"

Cue the flailing heroine and me fetching my gin and tonic in an effort to read on with renewed determination.

Overall, however, it was a hot, fun, silly read, which can be some of the best.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not great at writing book reviews, but here goes...

I LOVED this book....right up to the last 1/4. It was sexy and provocative and everything you'd want in a book of this type. It had SO much promise. .....And then it turned into a moderately schmaltzy romance novel. Don't get me wrong, I understand (sort of) why the book went in the direction it did. People change. Your way of looking at life changes. And I LIKED the way it ended. I didn't LOVE the way it ended.

I like how you get to know the characters. Even if you don't get into the S&M/B&D scene personally, you can begin to understand why it can be appealing to the people who do.

All in all, I liked it. A lot. And I would recommend it. Its not to every taste. But I think if you can get your head around the premise, which will be easier for some than others, you'll enjoy this book.

[Sarah Brousseau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 49/55: Exit to Eden by Anne Rice. Ah yes, I can never go wrong with an erotica by Anne Rice. Full of desire, mystery and smut that not everyone enjoys, it's a specific mood for me and it's an off button for the brain after reading so many dark dystopian or horror novels. What can I say about this one, it was different than the Beauty series she has, but all in all in the same category with a smithering of love to add some intrigue to the story. The ending was cute, didn't expect to use the word cheesy and adorable for an ending but it's the altogether vibe I got and enjoyed.

[Sidney אוֹר · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first reading was exiting. The concepts were still new, embryonic... Eventually one may be turned off though by the gratuitous gore in her other work - over-reliance on the Grand-Guignol, and, come to realize that her palette - even of the Scene-milieux is limited. This was reinforced by an encounter at an event in SF with AR in the late 1980's. AR was doubtless a good storyteller, but with an unfortunate aesthetic-trajectory.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh just no. I picked this up looking for a really well written steamy romance that bypassed all the silly clichés. I knew this book would be kinda far out there but it tried to make consensual rape a thing and I just don't agree. Then it got very theoretical on S&M and love with very little character development. I expected more from Anne Rice.