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Pride Trilogy #1
The Bartender's Pride
*BOOK 1 IN THE CARDINAL SERIES*
This *erotica novel follows Lara as she moves to a new city and comes to terms with her desire for another woman; a seductive bartender with a supernatural secret. (Also available in audiobook).
~Semi-finalist for the BBNYA (Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award) 2020~
Lara’s world is turned upside down when her boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend and she’s forced to move to a new city. Desperate for money, she lands a job in an LGBT nightclub, but her racing heart and inappropriate thoughts about the club’s owner, Harry, must have everything to do with the stress she’s under. She’s not gay.
There’s something about Harry. She’s stunning, cocky, and looks far too good in a shirt and tie, ignoring the fact she’s telepathic and can read Lara’s emotions like a book. Harry is one of seven managers at the Cardinal, and she has a set of skills that can help Lara, but she has to manage her own feelings about three of the other managers in the meantime—Lust, Gluttony, and Envy.
When things go downhill for Lara, can Harry ultimately make her proud of who she is without admitting their deadly secret? Or will Lara’s shame, depression, and her homophobic parents, lead her down a path of destruction?
*18+, mature and sexually explicit content, 1 x brief M/F scene, depression/attempted suicide
This *erotica novel follows Lara as she moves to a new city and comes to terms with her desire for another woman; a seductive bartender with a supernatural secret. (Also available in audiobook).
~Semi-finalist for the BBNYA (Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award) 2020~
Lara’s world is turned upside down when her boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend and she’s forced to move to a new city. Desperate for money, she lands a job in an LGBT nightclub, but her racing heart and inappropriate thoughts about the club’s owner, Harry, must have everything to do with the stress she’s under. She’s not gay.
There’s something about Harry. She’s stunning, cocky, and looks far too good in a shirt and tie, ignoring the fact she’s telepathic and can read Lara’s emotions like a book. Harry is one of seven managers at the Cardinal, and she has a set of skills that can help Lara, but she has to manage her own feelings about three of the other managers in the meantime—Lust, Gluttony, and Envy.
When things go downhill for Lara, can Harry ultimately make her proud of who she is without admitting their deadly secret? Or will Lara’s shame, depression, and her homophobic parents, lead her down a path of destruction?
*18+, mature and sexually explicit content, 1 x brief M/F scene, depression/attempted suicide
366 pages, ebook
First published October 24, 2019
176 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
June 3, 2021
3.5 stars. This was surprising. What if there is a building where you can indulge in the 7 deadly sins and what if these sins are in fact personified? Then you’re reading this book. This idea of using the deadly sins and portraying them is absolutely great in my opinion.
Before I continue I want to explain my rating a little bit better. This is an erotica book and that is why I rounded my rating up, the sex scenes and sexual tension were very good. The book also has a super interesting premise, but unfortunately, the execution of this premise did not entirely work for me, so if I were to rate this book based on the plot I would have had to round my score down to a 3-star rating.
What I liked best were the seven sins themselves and how their “sin” is reflected in their personality. This was spot on (with the exception of Dylan, who I didn’t understand). Together they make an interesting group and I liked getting to know them with Harry as their ring leader and sex goddess. Did I mention the sex scenes? Ow boy, there is plenty of that and in all different flavors.
What I struggled with was the fact that the information I was looking for was given too late in the book. From the beginning you realize that the cardinal is no “normal” bar and its managers are no “normal” people, and I had so many questions, where do they come from? How do they function together? Why do they stick together? Why are people not freaked out by them? I could go on for a while and unfortunately only at the end of the books some answers are given (and many remain unanswered). I think if I was given bits of this information at an earlier time point I would have been more invested in the plot. I have to admit that especially in the beginning I put the book down several times, read something else, and picked it up again. It felt too much like a string of sex scenes, which is something I can’t read non-stop. It also didn’t help that the changes between the various book parts (there are several POVs, a different one per part, all in first person) could be rather abrupt, sometimes changing the theme completely and pulling me out of the story.
While this is an erotica book there is actually a little bit of romance here and there and some sweet moments and I liked that, I can’t help it, I need a bit of romance. However, the romance is always secondary to sex opportunities, so I can’t classify it as a combination of romance and erotica. I would have liked the romance to be a bit more pronounced, but it’s erotica so it doesn’t have to include romance. That is not to say that the MCs do not share a special bond as they do and I found that very intriguing. It makes me curious about the next book, this 7 sins idea is a lot of fun and I hope I will get to learn more about the mysterious sins and their backgrounds in the next book.
Before I continue I want to explain my rating a little bit better. This is an erotica book and that is why I rounded my rating up, the sex scenes and sexual tension were very good. The book also has a super interesting premise, but unfortunately, the execution of this premise did not entirely work for me, so if I were to rate this book based on the plot I would have had to round my score down to a 3-star rating.
What I liked best were the seven sins themselves and how their “sin” is reflected in their personality. This was spot on (with the exception of Dylan, who I didn’t understand). Together they make an interesting group and I liked getting to know them with Harry as their ring leader and sex goddess. Did I mention the sex scenes? Ow boy, there is plenty of that and in all different flavors.
What I struggled with was the fact that the information I was looking for was given too late in the book. From the beginning you realize that the cardinal is no “normal” bar and its managers are no “normal” people, and I had so many questions, where do they come from? How do they function together? Why do they stick together? Why are people not freaked out by them? I could go on for a while and unfortunately only at the end of the books some answers are given (and many remain unanswered). I think if I was given bits of this information at an earlier time point I would have been more invested in the plot. I have to admit that especially in the beginning I put the book down several times, read something else, and picked it up again. It felt too much like a string of sex scenes, which is something I can’t read non-stop. It also didn’t help that the changes between the various book parts (there are several POVs, a different one per part, all in first person) could be rather abrupt, sometimes changing the theme completely and pulling me out of the story.
While this is an erotica book there is actually a little bit of romance here and there and some sweet moments and I liked that, I can’t help it, I need a bit of romance. However, the romance is always secondary to sex opportunities, so I can’t classify it as a combination of romance and erotica. I would have liked the romance to be a bit more pronounced, but it’s erotica so it doesn’t have to include romance. That is not to say that the MCs do not share a special bond as they do and I found that very intriguing. It makes me curious about the next book, this 7 sins idea is a lot of fun and I hope I will get to learn more about the mysterious sins and their backgrounds in the next book.
January 10, 2021
So sinful.
This is the first book of the Pride Trilogy. Lara is forced to live in a new city after being cheated on by her boyfriend. Desperate for money, she ends up working at an LGBT nightclub where she meets the stunning and cocky bar manager Harry and for the first time Lara discovers she might be gay. Harry who rocks a shirt and tie is one of seven managers at the Cardinal (I'm picturing an adult-only club med crammed in a single building). Harry is telepathic and has a set of skills that can help Lara through her shame, depression and homophobic parents. But Harry's attention is also divided by her feelings for the other managers.
This is an erotica that is perfect for people who just want to indulge in sinful and steamy sex. And for those of us who want even more, it throws in two romances and a mischievous storyline.
The premise of the book is that the seven managers are special and to make it even clearer, they are the personification of the seven cardinal sins. I was intrigued by the whole concept of it all and was anxious to find out where the author was going with this. The author deliberately kept the actual storyline vague until the end and had me reading endless sexual encounters in between. Some of which, I felt convoluted the nature of the relationship among the seven sins. But I'm not complaining because the sex was downright erotic leaving me with a slight crush on Harry. And the most important thing is the author delivered an exceptional storyline that left me impressed.
This is the first book of the Pride Trilogy. Lara is forced to live in a new city after being cheated on by her boyfriend. Desperate for money, she ends up working at an LGBT nightclub where she meets the stunning and cocky bar manager Harry and for the first time Lara discovers she might be gay. Harry who rocks a shirt and tie is one of seven managers at the Cardinal (I'm picturing an adult-only club med crammed in a single building). Harry is telepathic and has a set of skills that can help Lara through her shame, depression and homophobic parents. But Harry's attention is also divided by her feelings for the other managers.
This is an erotica that is perfect for people who just want to indulge in sinful and steamy sex. And for those of us who want even more, it throws in two romances and a mischievous storyline.
The premise of the book is that the seven managers are special and to make it even clearer, they are the personification of the seven cardinal sins. I was intrigued by the whole concept of it all and was anxious to find out where the author was going with this. The author deliberately kept the actual storyline vague until the end and had me reading endless sexual encounters in between. Some of which, I felt convoluted the nature of the relationship among the seven sins. But I'm not complaining because the sex was downright erotic leaving me with a slight crush on Harry. And the most important thing is the author delivered an exceptional storyline that left me impressed.
Read
May 3, 2022Harry has my heart. 💘
October 25, 2024
I always find it difficult to appreciate a book when it compels me to ask a lot of questions about the believability of the plot or of the circumstances that are happening within it. What I do is write these questions down, and see if the author will address them later on.
With this book, I was left with one big question that has nagged me throughout my reading: Is there even a plot?
In the end, I found the answer wasn't a simple yes or no.
One problem I've observed lots of erotica novels are plagued with, is that they heavily bank on the sex alone to make things interesting, with the quality of the plot itself taking a back seat. Sadly, that is the case here.
To be fair, a glimpse of what could be called the beginnings of a plot appeared near the end. It seems the story was written with the sequels in mind, which then raises the question: Did this book tell a substantial enough story to encourage me to read the rest of the series? Unfortunately, my answer is no.
This book is divided in seven parts, written in first person, using the POV of a single character to which a part was assigned. The POV alternated between Lara (who has four parts) and three of the Seven Deadly Sins—Lust, Gluttony, and Envy (who has one part each).
Mostly, I was in the dark about where things were headed. I was constantly mulling over Lara's significance, since she's one of the MCs, yet her narrative doesn't come across as consequential. Despite having mild homophobic beliefs in the beginning (which we could fault her parents for), she was instantly attracted to Harry (Pride), enough to have a wet dream about Harry after their first meeting in Chapter 1. It was kind of hypocritical, so it didn't sit well with me. The entire Part 1 revolved around Lara's attraction to Harry, but then in Part 2 the story suddenly jumped to Lara dating another character, and I'm like... what? Safe to say, the author took shortcuts when it comes to continuity in this book.
And just because Lara found out she likes women, doesn’t mean she’s automatically a lesbian. She could be bi/pan too, ya know 😒 After all, she’d been with a guy before. There's no problem if she does realize she's a lesbian, despite having dated a guy. I just didn't like that she was automatically presumed to be one when she recognized her attraction to women, without regard for her history of dating men.
Also, seeing all characters crave Harry's attention left a sour taste in my mouth. To put it simply, everyone wants to fuck or be fucked by Harry, as if she's the only being in the world who could satisfy their utmost carnal desires. It doesn't matter if they were in a relationship with someone else or if they lusted after others on the side, getting bedded by Harry is the pinnacle of EVERYONE'S fantasies 😑 Oh, and I think I should mention that everybody has no qualms about fucking everybody too 🤷🏻♀️
Things I liked:
- Part 2: Althea's (Lust) narrative. Ironically, it's the only part where sex wasn't used as a means to an end for the characters involved here. It's the only place where deeper feelings were actually present in the sexual activities that took place. But then just as the story was getting good, to my frustration, this part was cut short. The significant relationship in this arc could only be visited again in the background of the other characters' stories. It's a shame because I learned it's the only arc I became invested in.
- Lara's girlfriend's birthday surprise for her was really sweet.
- The sex—those with actual build-ups leading to it—were hot. You're in for a ride if you enjoy strap-on sex. Pun intended.
The author's writing was okay, but this book is in need of a much better editing. The problems include: forgetting quotation marks for dialogues, interchanging type style for telepathic and normal conversations (italic vs non-italic), among other things. These were constant distractions from the story.
I could also do away with the contrived drama pushing one character in self-destruct mode. Most importantly, this book should come with a trigger warning for attempted suicide. Authors can't just mention "Depression" to get away with making a character spiral down then supernaturally cure them. That's not how these things work 😒 It's like trying to escape the responsibility of having to deal with a very serious problem, which you deliberately put there in the first place.
Anyway, here are my spoilery questions (which weren't answered):
TL;DR:
- There's almost no plot unless you reach the last few chapters near the end.
- Numerous circumstances were problematic.
- There's sex in almost every chapter. Some are enjoyable but most are gratuitous.
- There's lots of strap-on sex.
- You won't like this if you want romance in your erotica.
- Trigger warning: attempted suicide.
With this book, I was left with one big question that has nagged me throughout my reading: Is there even a plot?
In the end, I found the answer wasn't a simple yes or no.
One problem I've observed lots of erotica novels are plagued with, is that they heavily bank on the sex alone to make things interesting, with the quality of the plot itself taking a back seat. Sadly, that is the case here.
To be fair, a glimpse of what could be called the beginnings of a plot appeared near the end. It seems the story was written with the sequels in mind, which then raises the question: Did this book tell a substantial enough story to encourage me to read the rest of the series? Unfortunately, my answer is no.
This book is divided in seven parts, written in first person, using the POV of a single character to which a part was assigned. The POV alternated between Lara (who has four parts) and three of the Seven Deadly Sins—Lust, Gluttony, and Envy (who has one part each).
Mostly, I was in the dark about where things were headed. I was constantly mulling over Lara's significance, since she's one of the MCs, yet her narrative doesn't come across as consequential. Despite having mild homophobic beliefs in the beginning (which we could fault her parents for), she was instantly attracted to Harry (Pride), enough to have a wet dream about Harry after their first meeting in Chapter 1. It was kind of hypocritical, so it didn't sit well with me. The entire Part 1 revolved around Lara's attraction to Harry, but then in Part 2 the story suddenly jumped to Lara dating another character, and I'm like... what? Safe to say, the author took shortcuts when it comes to continuity in this book.
And just because Lara found out she likes women, doesn’t mean she’s automatically a lesbian. She could be bi/pan too, ya know 😒 After all, she’d been with a guy before. There's no problem if she does realize she's a lesbian, despite having dated a guy. I just didn't like that she was automatically presumed to be one when she recognized her attraction to women, without regard for her history of dating men.
Also, seeing all characters crave Harry's attention left a sour taste in my mouth. To put it simply, everyone wants to fuck or be fucked by Harry, as if she's the only being in the world who could satisfy their utmost carnal desires. It doesn't matter if they were in a relationship with someone else or if they lusted after others on the side, getting bedded by Harry is the pinnacle of EVERYONE'S fantasies 😑 Oh, and I think I should mention that everybody has no qualms about fucking everybody too 🤷🏻♀️
Things I liked:
- Part 2: Althea's (Lust) narrative. Ironically, it's the only part where sex wasn't used as a means to an end for the characters involved here. It's the only place where deeper feelings were actually present in the sexual activities that took place. But then just as the story was getting good, to my frustration, this part was cut short. The significant relationship in this arc could only be visited again in the background of the other characters' stories. It's a shame because I learned it's the only arc I became invested in.
- Lara's girlfriend's birthday surprise for her was really sweet.
- The sex—those with actual build-ups leading to it—were hot. You're in for a ride if you enjoy strap-on sex. Pun intended.
The author's writing was okay, but this book is in need of a much better editing. The problems include: forgetting quotation marks for dialogues, interchanging type style for telepathic and normal conversations (italic vs non-italic), among other things. These were constant distractions from the story.
I could also do away with the contrived drama pushing one character in self-destruct mode. Most importantly, this book should come with a trigger warning for attempted suicide. Authors can't just mention "Depression" to get away with making a character spiral down then supernaturally cure them. That's not how these things work 😒 It's like trying to escape the responsibility of having to deal with a very serious problem, which you deliberately put there in the first place.
Anyway, here are my spoilery questions (which weren't answered):
TL;DR:
- There's almost no plot unless you reach the last few chapters near the end.
- Numerous circumstances were problematic.
- There's sex in almost every chapter. Some are enjoyable but most are gratuitous.
- There's lots of strap-on sex.
- You won't like this if you want romance in your erotica.
- Trigger warning: attempted suicide.
March 30, 2020
What the hell did I just read!
What a f***ing wicked ride!
I was prepared to read an erotica, I was not prepared for a full-blown, well drawn out, fully fleshed character driven story. Originality at its best for a story centred around a young woman coming into her own surrounded by the Seven Deadly Sins in the live, flesh, and blood. I didn't exactly understand what the author meant by the Sins until I read the actual book. Damn, every single one of them shined with their own brilliance and quirks. Little innocent lamb, Lara, had no idea what she was getting herself into when she walked into Harry's LGBT bar, other than the fact that she was instantly drawn and attracted to the tall, handsome, and mysterious soft butch manager. Just as soon as the author let us get to know Lara and watch her blossom within her newly found sexuality, the author switched it up, changing perspectives, and we got to see life through other members of the Sins. I liked how the author broke the story up in different parts, but kept the story moving forward and keeping all the characters strongly connected without losing focus.
Let's talk about the erotic portion(s) of this book. Holy Hell is an understatement. Vanilla would be blushing bright if it walked in on any scenes in this book. Vanilla has no place for a story like this. There was a taste for all palettes ranging from butch/femme, butch/butch, dominance/submission, slight BDSM, toys, rough, tender, messy, sensual, multiples. I was hot reading every single scene.
A strong storyline driven by the Deadly Sins and that base need that every single soul desires, craves, needs, wants... sex. I cannot wait for the sequel.
What a f***ing wicked ride!
I was prepared to read an erotica, I was not prepared for a full-blown, well drawn out, fully fleshed character driven story. Originality at its best for a story centred around a young woman coming into her own surrounded by the Seven Deadly Sins in the live, flesh, and blood. I didn't exactly understand what the author meant by the Sins until I read the actual book. Damn, every single one of them shined with their own brilliance and quirks. Little innocent lamb, Lara, had no idea what she was getting herself into when she walked into Harry's LGBT bar, other than the fact that she was instantly drawn and attracted to the tall, handsome, and mysterious soft butch manager. Just as soon as the author let us get to know Lara and watch her blossom within her newly found sexuality, the author switched it up, changing perspectives, and we got to see life through other members of the Sins. I liked how the author broke the story up in different parts, but kept the story moving forward and keeping all the characters strongly connected without losing focus.
Let's talk about the erotic portion(s) of this book. Holy Hell is an understatement. Vanilla would be blushing bright if it walked in on any scenes in this book. Vanilla has no place for a story like this. There was a taste for all palettes ranging from butch/femme, butch/butch, dominance/submission, slight BDSM, toys, rough, tender, messy, sensual, multiples. I was hot reading every single scene.
A strong storyline driven by the Deadly Sins and that base need that every single soul desires, craves, needs, wants... sex. I cannot wait for the sequel.
September 8, 2022
3.75/5 Stars
This was such a fun read!!! I have been really into reading sapphic erotica recently and the author themself recommended this to me on Twitter because it's set in Scotland and has a main character called Althea! How cool is that??! This is a supernatural erotica that had definitively some of the best sex scenes that I've ever read in it. If I based my rating on the sex scenes alone this would get 100 stars! The supernatural aspect was really interesting and if you know me, I love stories featuring groups of people that have come together and love each other/found family, so having the Seven Deadly Sins owning all the businesses in this one building in Edinburgh and seeing them interact and..uhh...have sex with each other was really great! The reason my rating is a bit lower is because the supernatural element wasn't really explained until the end, with the human main character, Lara, never questioning anything, which was a bit frustrating. And, although we did get some explanation at the end, it just wasn't enough for me, but I'm very hopeful it is explained more in the subsequent books, which I'm so excited to get my hands on and devour!
This was such a fun read!!! I have been really into reading sapphic erotica recently and the author themself recommended this to me on Twitter because it's set in Scotland and has a main character called Althea! How cool is that??! This is a supernatural erotica that had definitively some of the best sex scenes that I've ever read in it. If I based my rating on the sex scenes alone this would get 100 stars! The supernatural aspect was really interesting and if you know me, I love stories featuring groups of people that have come together and love each other/found family, so having the Seven Deadly Sins owning all the businesses in this one building in Edinburgh and seeing them interact and..uhh...have sex with each other was really great! The reason my rating is a bit lower is because the supernatural element wasn't really explained until the end, with the human main character, Lara, never questioning anything, which was a bit frustrating. And, although we did get some explanation at the end, it just wasn't enough for me, but I'm very hopeful it is explained more in the subsequent books, which I'm so excited to get my hands on and devour!
January 21, 2021
This was a whirlwind of a book to read and I have to say I loved it. It threw me at first when the focus of the story went from one person to the other, but it all made sense in the end.
I really felt for Lara too... what happened with her folks was intense, and triggering. And I'd rather have the Cardinal Sins on my side over some of the self-righteous virtues that's for sure. I can't wait to read the next book in this Trilogy.
Luckily, I don't have to wait... onto the next one for me!
I really felt for Lara too... what happened with her folks was intense, and triggering. And I'd rather have the Cardinal Sins on my side over some of the self-righteous virtues that's for sure. I can't wait to read the next book in this Trilogy.
Luckily, I don't have to wait... onto the next one for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2023
Ehhh..
I know this is an Erotic Romance but.. just not feeling it.
Too long for what it is
3 stars
4 on the spice scale
I know this is an Erotic Romance but.. just not feeling it.
Too long for what it is
3 stars
4 on the spice scale
September 22, 2022
I don't read a lot of f-f stories, but this is one of the most hard-core books I have encountered. There are 9 or more women engaged in athletic sex in various combinations, with lots of sweat and screaming orgasms.
Beyond that, there is an intriguing story that unfolds slowly. I had forgotten the blurb, so I was enchanted by the development of the characters. Lara is so naïve at first, and makes some questionable decisions along the way, only to learn that she's been manipulated in unexpected ways.
The book is over 350pp, and moves from one character to the next, with Lara providing the common thread. The writing was fluid, with a bit less description than I like, and a bit too much repetition which became noticeable later in the story. There were some off-screen scenes that I would have liked to experience. Emotional reactions were extreme, but that was justified by the underlying premise.
I will read more by this author.
PS: I was amused by the trigger warning for a brief M/F scene.
Beyond that, there is an intriguing story that unfolds slowly. I had forgotten the blurb, so I was enchanted by the development of the characters. Lara is so naïve at first, and makes some questionable decisions along the way, only to learn that she's been manipulated in unexpected ways.
The book is over 350pp, and moves from one character to the next, with Lara providing the common thread. The writing was fluid, with a bit less description than I like, and a bit too much repetition which became noticeable later in the story. There were some off-screen scenes that I would have liked to experience. Emotional reactions were extreme, but that was justified by the underlying premise.
I will read more by this author.
PS: I was amused by the trigger warning for a brief M/F scene.
July 28, 2020
OMG WOW!
When Lara’s boyfriend cheats on her, she packs up everything and moves to another city a few hours away from her home town. Desperate for money, she takes a job at a LGBT nightclub, even though she has a bit of a problem with gay people. Totally her parents doing… Anyway, after meeting the enigmatic manager of the club, a beguiling and sexy woman named Harry, it’s only a matter of time, and not much of it, before she is enchanted by her. Lara’s life will never be the same again. Harry is one of seven women who run The Cardinal, a collection of businesses in one building. Harry has a special knack for reading Lara and its not long before Harry is teaching Lara more than just how to work in a club….
This book is THE hottest thing I have read in a very long time! It was so intense, sensual and sexual with lovely emotional connections… OMG….Unreal! Other than that, it was just a really great novel! The writing was engaging and swallowed me up. I read until it was done because I just could not put this drama down. It was nearly 4 am when I finished and of course I was wound pretty tightly, so there was very little sleep for me that night! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the characters! Harry was, of course the, best, most cocky and sexiest of the bunch, although Althea and Emilia had my motor racing as well. She was the glue that held the book together. I adored her bonds with Althea and Lara. They shared not only sexual favours but an intense friendship and deep love (although different for each woman). The care they took with and showed each other was a delight to behold. The other women were pretty special as well. I loved the story. There was so much going on here. Beside the erotica and the interpersonal relationships, the work and play at the bar and Lara’s story were excellent too. Watching her go from a sheltered and slightly homophobic woman to embracing her lesbianism and her sexual side was wonderful. Her love story with Zoe was beautiful too. The only thing I didn’t like in the whole book was a brief M/F/F scene but I skipped right over that part and don’t think I missed anything vital. This book is already in my favourite pile and I am sure it won’t be long before I read it again.
When Lara’s boyfriend cheats on her, she packs up everything and moves to another city a few hours away from her home town. Desperate for money, she takes a job at a LGBT nightclub, even though she has a bit of a problem with gay people. Totally her parents doing… Anyway, after meeting the enigmatic manager of the club, a beguiling and sexy woman named Harry, it’s only a matter of time, and not much of it, before she is enchanted by her. Lara’s life will never be the same again. Harry is one of seven women who run The Cardinal, a collection of businesses in one building. Harry has a special knack for reading Lara and its not long before Harry is teaching Lara more than just how to work in a club….
This book is THE hottest thing I have read in a very long time! It was so intense, sensual and sexual with lovely emotional connections… OMG….Unreal! Other than that, it was just a really great novel! The writing was engaging and swallowed me up. I read until it was done because I just could not put this drama down. It was nearly 4 am when I finished and of course I was wound pretty tightly, so there was very little sleep for me that night! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the characters! Harry was, of course the, best, most cocky and sexiest of the bunch, although Althea and Emilia had my motor racing as well. She was the glue that held the book together. I adored her bonds with Althea and Lara. They shared not only sexual favours but an intense friendship and deep love (although different for each woman). The care they took with and showed each other was a delight to behold. The other women were pretty special as well. I loved the story. There was so much going on here. Beside the erotica and the interpersonal relationships, the work and play at the bar and Lara’s story were excellent too. Watching her go from a sheltered and slightly homophobic woman to embracing her lesbianism and her sexual side was wonderful. Her love story with Zoe was beautiful too. The only thing I didn’t like in the whole book was a brief M/F/F scene but I skipped right over that part and don’t think I missed anything vital. This book is already in my favourite pile and I am sure it won’t be long before I read it again.
September 22, 2022
So Much Sex | Multi-POV | Coming Out | Telepathy | Strap-ons
Ratings (out of 5 stars)
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Story
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Main Characters
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Supporting Characters
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Enjoyability
🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 Sex
If you want to read hot sex with an interesting storyline and you’re good with a LOT of strap-on sex, read this book!
There is so much to say about this book, and I think that is both my sincerest praise and deepest criticism. The blurb sets expectations very well as far as content and storyline but there were so many points of view! I got flustered that I couldn’t get deeper into any one perspective, BUT I enjoyed the story enough to read the next in the series hoping I get to know the characters even more. My only specific criticism is that the humans just accept the telepathy with no questions or concerns for FAR FAR FAR too long. Who are these people? I would have asked so many questions right away. I was interested enough to ignore it but it does have me side-eyeing Lara. There is not really a HEA here. There is not single “couple” that is the focus of the book that ends up together in the end. People are coupled up, but none of them are monogamous.
There is a birth scene in this book. It seems like such a strange thing to be in an erotic novel, but it works. I am going to talk about that quite a bit because I used to be a doula and I have a lot of thoughts. Skip down to content warnings below if you don’t want to read it, except don’t because I think what I have to say matters, thank you very much :) The birth is beautiful. All these women come together despite their differences and welcome a child who is so loved into the world. It’s not scary. No one panics (much). It’s treated as a normal human experience and not a medical emergency and that just fills me with joy. The scene doesn’t get into the nitty gritty physiological parts of birth, but more the general experience. I’ve give birth at home surround by only women and I think this was beautifully done and really adds to then sense of love, support, and community the “sins” have for each other. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Content Warning
Ratings (out of 5 stars)
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Story
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Main Characters
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Supporting Characters
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Enjoyability
🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥 Sex
If you want to read hot sex with an interesting storyline and you’re good with a LOT of strap-on sex, read this book!
There is so much to say about this book, and I think that is both my sincerest praise and deepest criticism. The blurb sets expectations very well as far as content and storyline but there were so many points of view! I got flustered that I couldn’t get deeper into any one perspective, BUT I enjoyed the story enough to read the next in the series hoping I get to know the characters even more. My only specific criticism is that the humans just accept the telepathy with no questions or concerns for FAR FAR FAR too long. Who are these people? I would have asked so many questions right away. I was interested enough to ignore it but it does have me side-eyeing Lara. There is not really a HEA here. There is not single “couple” that is the focus of the book that ends up together in the end. People are coupled up, but none of them are monogamous.
There is a birth scene in this book. It seems like such a strange thing to be in an erotic novel, but it works. I am going to talk about that quite a bit because I used to be a doula and I have a lot of thoughts. Skip down to content warnings below if you don’t want to read it, except don’t because I think what I have to say matters, thank you very much :) The birth is beautiful. All these women come together despite their differences and welcome a child who is so loved into the world. It’s not scary. No one panics (much). It’s treated as a normal human experience and not a medical emergency and that just fills me with joy. The scene doesn’t get into the nitty gritty physiological parts of birth, but more the general experience. I’ve give birth at home surround by only women and I think this was beautifully done and really adds to then sense of love, support, and community the “sins” have for each other. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Content Warning
September 26, 2022
There's a budding romance somewhere here, but this story definitely belongs under the umbrella of erotica. If you enjoy strap-on sex, you're in for a treat. There are copious sex scene and nearly all involve strap-on sex, including one scene where the female top pegs a guy.
The story is told in two parts and has a paranormal feel/element to it that made me scratch my head a great deal - but all is not lost. All is explained near the very end.
I really can't think of much more to say without focusing on the sex. Even a birth became sexual because, you know, endorphins help lower pain.
I did enjoy the theme/play on the seven deadly sins.
In short, if you're looking for a book heavy on sex, this could be just the ticket.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story is told in two parts and has a paranormal feel/element to it that made me scratch my head a great deal - but all is not lost. All is explained near the very end.
I really can't think of much more to say without focusing on the sex. Even a birth became sexual because, you know, endorphins help lower pain.
I did enjoy the theme/play on the seven deadly sins.
In short, if you're looking for a book heavy on sex, this could be just the ticket.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 31, 2021
I picked this up on a whim after it kept popping up on my instagram and goodreads feeds. Woah, I was not expecting the amount of sex in this (which is odd, as it is labelled erotica!). In saying that though, a big thumbs up to T.J. Dallas who made each sex scene different so I was not bored once. Also, the storyline in this was really interesting so I'm giving it 5 stars for the originality of it but also because it kept my attention throughout its 366 page read.
November 27, 2021
Pride would always put herself above all others.
3.5 stars. I'm surprised but also delighted by how much I really liked this. It's more erotica than romance, and I guess I was in just the right kind of mood for it. It follows the immortal personifications of the seven deadly sins, and the businesses that they run in a seven storey building in Edinburgh.
Specifically, the story follows Lara, a new bartender at the gay bar that belongs to Harry (Pride) and how her life entwines with Harry and some of the other sins. This was just really entertaining, and like, really hot?? Harry is lesbian catnip; even though arrogance is my least favourite quality in a person, she just carried it really well. All of the sins are women and they have complicated relationships that they work out and explore with one another. Though this isn't a romance, there are a couple romances in here that I really liked. I also really adored that Harry and a couple other women in this are butch and super strong-willed, but there are also moments of vulnerability and softness that were really well-written. The paranormal aspects of the story are very light, and seldom even commented on. That sorta annoyed me at first (I had to wonder why Lara wasn't questioning the supernatural things happening) but then I just leaned into it and embraced the fact that a solid 50% of this is just about boning down.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Scarlett Rose and I have to admit, she's pretty much the reason I'm rounding up on this 3.5. I'm not that much of an accent ho but omg. 😳 I have a newfound appreciation for Scotland. But it wasn't just her accent; her voice and the narration in general were pretty quality, and made this read fly by. I do want to continue the series eventually, but I'm definitely going to wait until it's out in audio. I've been hearing about this series for a while; super glad I gave it a try.
Content warnings: .
December 20, 2022
Sinful is a very adequate description for this book and yet the Author also makes the sins humane.
Story starts with a struggling girl who finds a job in a lgbt vibes bar and she hopes no one she knows will identify her association. The story moves from her to other character POVs and we get intimate with the characters as well insights into why they are who they are.
The early chapters had me curious as to the mind reading, i got to understand that towards the end. While the suspense was a bit annoying for me, the overall delivery made for a good entertaining erotica read. A lot of it was crazy but entertaining all the same.
Story starts with a struggling girl who finds a job in a lgbt vibes bar and she hopes no one she knows will identify her association. The story moves from her to other character POVs and we get intimate with the characters as well insights into why they are who they are.
The early chapters had me curious as to the mind reading, i got to understand that towards the end. While the suspense was a bit annoying for me, the overall delivery made for a good entertaining erotica read. A lot of it was crazy but entertaining all the same.
December 1, 2019
I honestly did not know what to think of this book as I was reading. It jumps between several character points of view throughout reading. To be honest, I wasn't sure what the plot was early on. I was enjoying each character, they all had interesting personalities. The main protagonist of the story Lara, however, seemed fairly irrelevant and the least developed of them all.
Closer to the end though, things started falling into place. Things that seemed unimportant made sense in the grand scheme of things and Lara finally felt like she had a legitimate purpose. I won't lie, I was indifferent to the book until this point. I liked the plot twist and how it shook everything else up and change everything, including character dynamics.
It did feel like this book was mostly just setting up for a bigger story that I hope continues in the rest of the trilogy without the need for as much of it in them. This book started out a little bit weak, but ended strong and has me curious for the next one.
Closer to the end though, things started falling into place. Things that seemed unimportant made sense in the grand scheme of things and Lara finally felt like she had a legitimate purpose. I won't lie, I was indifferent to the book until this point. I liked the plot twist and how it shook everything else up and change everything, including character dynamics.
It did feel like this book was mostly just setting up for a bigger story that I hope continues in the rest of the trilogy without the need for as much of it in them. This book started out a little bit weak, but ended strong and has me curious for the next one.
May 10, 2020
4.5 stars, an erotica book based on the 7 deadly sins, hello. 😉😀
All of the sins are women living & working in a Glasgow high rise building. Six of the 7 are bisexual, with one being a lesbian.
This book was more than I had expected for erotica. This book focuses on several main characters (sins & mortals) so you get to see things from all vantage points.
The sex scenes were hot & varied. They included elements of bdsm, roleplaying, butch, femmes, toys, e.t.c.
Some you'll want to read twice. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
All of the sins are women living & working in a Glasgow high rise building. Six of the 7 are bisexual, with one being a lesbian.
This book was more than I had expected for erotica. This book focuses on several main characters (sins & mortals) so you get to see things from all vantage points.
The sex scenes were hot & varied. They included elements of bdsm, roleplaying, butch, femmes, toys, e.t.c.
Some you'll want to read twice. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
December 1, 2019
I really enjoyed this tale of the Seven Deadly Sins, the complex relationships between them, and the humans that are caught up in their lives. The sex and love scenes were many, hot, and varied. I prefer to keep my reviews without spoilers so I’ll just say I loved the twists on who was good and who was bad in the story. The Bartender’s Pride kept me entertained to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 21, 2024
This was a wild ride. It was erotica with an average of 4% of story between spicy scenes. But also there was some interesting lore too? Not only that, but the spicy scenes all stand out and are unique in their delivery.
Highly recommend if you're into spice, but any spicy books read immediately after you might feel downright mild in comparison.
Highly recommend if you're into spice, but any spicy books read immediately after you might feel downright mild in comparison.
April 28, 2022
To my utter delight, this book was set in Edinburgh, and anyone familiar with me knows it's my favourite city ever. When I studied there years ago, I was taken to a private members club/bar near the pink triangle, and I had no problems envisioning this as the setting for the bar in this book. I love when my imagination is fully engaged like this.
The Bartender's Pride was an interesting premise, centering on 7 characters who personify the Seven Deadly Sins. This book is mostly centered on Pride (Harry), with Lust, Gluttony and Envy on the side. Lara, a regular character, is also heavily featured as she learns to accept herself and her sexuality. However the execution was shaky, focusing almost solely on the sex and a very light plot without getting into the deep stuff: like the 7, how they came to be, their purpose, their history, etc. In the last chapter we get a brief explanation, not a lot, which for me was just too late. It would have been much stronger if this history was peppered throughout the book in order to flesh out the characters more as they are introduced. But the flow is basically sex, drinking way too much, sex, everyone wants Harry, more sex, something about a young relationship, a fairly intense depression/suicidal intent scene, then more sex. I get it, it's erotica, but often the sex was just gratuitous.
Also lightly explained is an introduction to the Virtues, characters that are supposed to balance out the sins, but I just did not get this. I hope it is better explained later on.
That being said, I feel like I am now invested because this was book 1, and I see promise in this author. I can handle a rocky start in the hopes that the others in the series show more depth, complex emotions, and make me want to know the characters. So I did like it, didn't love it, but I am also not giving up on it. 3/5.
The Bartender's Pride was an interesting premise, centering on 7 characters who personify the Seven Deadly Sins. This book is mostly centered on Pride (Harry), with Lust, Gluttony and Envy on the side. Lara, a regular character, is also heavily featured as she learns to accept herself and her sexuality. However the execution was shaky, focusing almost solely on the sex and a very light plot without getting into the deep stuff: like the 7, how they came to be, their purpose, their history, etc. In the last chapter we get a brief explanation, not a lot, which for me was just too late. It would have been much stronger if this history was peppered throughout the book in order to flesh out the characters more as they are introduced. But the flow is basically sex, drinking way too much, sex, everyone wants Harry, more sex, something about a young relationship, a fairly intense depression/suicidal intent scene, then more sex. I get it, it's erotica, but often the sex was just gratuitous.
Also lightly explained is an introduction to the Virtues, characters that are supposed to balance out the sins, but I just did not get this. I hope it is better explained later on.
That being said, I feel like I am now invested because this was book 1, and I see promise in this author. I can handle a rocky start in the hopes that the others in the series show more depth, complex emotions, and make me want to know the characters. So I did like it, didn't love it, but I am also not giving up on it. 3/5.
March 17, 2021
There is somewhat of a intriguing plot somewhere in here, slightly paranormal. Some scenes were a little confusing to me, trying to work out who was where and who was speaking with whom.
As stated it is an erotica so you know what you’re in for. Another round of editing would be good. But I wouldn’t rule out reading the rest of the series to see how the story develops.
As stated it is an erotica so you know what you’re in for. Another round of editing would be good. But I wouldn’t rule out reading the rest of the series to see how the story develops.
July 21, 2022
I’m a little speechless. The way I’m emotionally invested in this story and the characters are beyond me🤯 (I think I have crush on every 7 deadly sins.)
October 31, 2025
I would definitely sin to be near Harry. Because wow... ENERGY.
May 11, 2022
With apologies to the friend who recommended this book to me, let me just start by saying I don't understand the hype here, to be honest. There was no distinguishable plot and just gratuitous amounts of sex that honestly didn't work for me. I guess I like romance with my erotica and nothing here is very romantic. I've been told that this book is setting up the other books in the series, which may be why it's so disjointed, but, for me, each book in a series must work as a standalone, and this book just doesn't.
On the positive side, I really did like the character building TJ Dallas does in this novel. The characters are interesting, even if their actions don't make a lot of sense. And, to be honest, that character development has me curious to see if book 2 is better than book 1 because the potential is there.
This one just didn't work for me. And given the average rating of the book, I'm left wondering what everyone saw in this that I didn't. So please take everything I write here with a grain of salt. I'm clearly an outlier and YMMV.
On the positive side, I really did like the character building TJ Dallas does in this novel. The characters are interesting, even if their actions don't make a lot of sense. And, to be honest, that character development has me curious to see if book 2 is better than book 1 because the potential is there.
This one just didn't work for me. And given the average rating of the book, I'm left wondering what everyone saw in this that I didn't. So please take everything I write here with a grain of salt. I'm clearly an outlier and YMMV.
February 16, 2024
The personification of the 7 deadly/cardinal sins was too alluring for me that I overlooked the erotica part of the blurb. Thus, I was underwhelmed by the lack of supernatural element in the story. However, it was quite clever of the the author to situate the Sins running businesses amongst humans based on their expertise. That was the hook I hung on to but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep me interested until the end.
I DNFed the book, unfortunately, because I think the demisexual in me was rejecting the insatiable sexual appetite of the characters. This has nothing to do with the author’s writing prowess. TJ Dallas’s work was tastefully done. The characters, the scenes, the conflicts were superb. I’m the problem in this equation. I couldn’t go through the unquenchable libido of the characters every chapter.
So, if you’re into smut and smut. Give this a go. It’s a good book if you’re into smut.
I DNFed the book, unfortunately, because I think the demisexual in me was rejecting the insatiable sexual appetite of the characters. This has nothing to do with the author’s writing prowess. TJ Dallas’s work was tastefully done. The characters, the scenes, the conflicts were superb. I’m the problem in this equation. I couldn’t go through the unquenchable libido of the characters every chapter.
So, if you’re into smut and smut. Give this a go. It’s a good book if you’re into smut.
May 5, 2020
This was really interesting and hot as hell. Just wow. Look forward to seeing what happens next :)
June 22, 2025
At first, I skipped this book for the type of cover, but I backtracked my silly ways, gave it a try and I am very happy I did. I stand humbled and had a lot of fun reading it. It sides heavily into smut, for those concerned either way.
Interesting setup and spicy start to the series.
Interesting setup and spicy start to the series.
July 29, 2024
So book 200
January 25, 2021
I'm not happy about trashing a book in a niche genre where most writings are from horny men (ew!).
But the writing left a LOT to wish for, so I can't in good conscience recommend this unless you want to read women loving women porn, because the sex scenes were written better than the rest (maybe the author started out with sex scenes and evolved from that?)
It's a whole can of worms why this book didn't land:
Story: this book is fantasy erotica. It's about the 7 Deadly Sins (7 hot lesbian and bi-sexual women) and their 7 Virtue counterparts. The virtues are men. Who knows what their sexualities are. We meet one in particular and he's a jerk. The Sins have skills. They can telepathically communicate. They are immortal. They can influence the emotions they control. Maybe they can do other stuff too.They are also in some weird open relationship with each other, even some of the Virtues are involved.
But none of that is the story. It all appears to be background fluff. The real story: Lara (a normal human) turns up. Lara was cheated on by her meanie ex bf and skips town. In Edinburgh she has to get a job fast and she turns up by chance at Harry's (PRIDE) gay club. Gay people are EW! But Lara has no choice because she needs money. So then she realizes she's gay. She has sex with two of the Sin women at once! Then she randomly starts dating a human woman.
Meanwhile: Harry is in *turmoil*. She has sex with everyone. But she's apparently in love with Althea (LUST). She has sex some more. Others have sex. We skip to Georgia (GLUTTONY). Georgia is having a baby! Yeah! Amazing. More sex scenes with many people. We skip to Maddison (ENVY). She's jealous and hates Harry. Also she's hot for Harry. Maddison plots to take Harry down. They have sex!
Too late though, the plot to take Harry down somehow involves Lara and in a stupid plottwist, one tiny moment of jealousy ruins Lara's entire life. Boom! Relationship over, rebound and suicidality. That was quick.
So you see, the story is all over the place.
It didn't help that the book featured prime examples of bad writing: many adverbs. Lack of focus. Poor structure. Skipping to POVs that seem to have no relevance. Sex scenes where there shouldn't be any. Characterization that leaves you puzzled about what X person wants and means. Many thinks could have been fixed by the bare minimum of editing.
This book also ventured to portray harder topics: homophobia, comp het, depression and suicidal ideation. And it did so badly. Lara was homophobic in the beginning because "religious upbringing". She also thinks she is straight, which is quite common for lesbians. Despite that, she forgets about both these things and after seeing Harry for the first time and being called pet, she goes home "confused".
But not too confused to get horny and masturbate to the memory of a woman she met for the very first time. That's crazy! That's not how denial works. Then, we are told by the narrator that a couple of weeks (or months.) have passed, and Lara is suddenly cool to have a no-strings-attached threesome.
That's crazy! That's not how anyone goes from straight to lesbian! Also, we get no character development that explains this sudden change of mind.
In any case, this is the gist of how character development works in this book. We are told that character X thinks/feels A. A few pages later, the character does B. Surprise development!!
The way depression was handled ... It was bad. My opinion on heavy topics is that if you have no intention of going in deep, just leave it. There is no reason why you can't write meaningless fluff for the rest of your life. The world can always handle another uplifting, positive vibes only romance. But the badly done portrayals of mental illnesses have to stop. Depression is a serious, lethal illness. It's also an illness that piles up over time; just because the root issue goes away, doesn't mean the depression will. In the book, Lara is ok, until she ruins everything and she suddenly is depressed and suicidal. Depressed people are depressed even in a happy relationship. They need treatment. Depression doesn't go away because you have one fun day or a good routine or nice friends.
So those are the three reasons I deducted stars: bad writing, bad structure/plot, awful portrayal of serious issues.
December 3, 2019
I loved very much this erotica book, it is great. Well written and the characters are very interesting.
The story is about Lara and her journey to self-acceptance when she arrived at the Cardinal. A place with seven different businesses run by seven mysterious and very enthralling managers. Her boss Harry (Harriet) the most intriguing, stronger and top of them all will help her through her pride journey.
This is a book I enjoyed greatly, is absolutely sexy. The storyline and the tale of the complex relationships between the managers and their involvement in Lara’s life are skilfully written. It is written in first person, several POV’s. When I started reading I wasn’t sure of what I was reading, but didn’t fail to keep me interested. Then, I understood we were getting to know the seven deadly sins, I won’t say more to avoid spoilers. But it is a great read, the plot, twists and turns are undoubtedly a page-turning book.
I am giving it four stars instead of five because chapter 10 isn’t my cup of tea, otherwise would have been perfect. So fair warning for others that might not like F/M interactions, just skip chapter 10 is not relevant to the story. Go directly from chapter 9 to 11.
I would like to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys great sex and love scenes, strap-on and a little very little bit of BDSM, this book is the perfect choice.
It is insanely hot, so I also recommend reading it in private, not a good idea to read in public.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story is about Lara and her journey to self-acceptance when she arrived at the Cardinal. A place with seven different businesses run by seven mysterious and very enthralling managers. Her boss Harry (Harriet) the most intriguing, stronger and top of them all will help her through her pride journey.
This is a book I enjoyed greatly, is absolutely sexy. The storyline and the tale of the complex relationships between the managers and their involvement in Lara’s life are skilfully written. It is written in first person, several POV’s. When I started reading I wasn’t sure of what I was reading, but didn’t fail to keep me interested. Then, I understood we were getting to know the seven deadly sins, I won’t say more to avoid spoilers. But it is a great read, the plot, twists and turns are undoubtedly a page-turning book.
I am giving it four stars instead of five because chapter 10 isn’t my cup of tea, otherwise would have been perfect. So fair warning for others that might not like F/M interactions, just skip chapter 10 is not relevant to the story. Go directly from chapter 9 to 11.
I would like to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys great sex and love scenes, strap-on and a little very little bit of BDSM, this book is the perfect choice.
It is insanely hot, so I also recommend reading it in private, not a good idea to read in public.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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