Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion

SPOILER AWAY on our August Main!

I read this in one night last night. Very enjoyable.

Felicia wrote: "I read this in one night last night. Very enjoyable."

One night?? I need to get started! I like these quick reads for vaginal fantasy. They don't interfere with the rest of my reading schedule. xD

Also! Yay for sci-fi picks! Personally, I think we need more of those!

Ok, I confess, I was totally judgy about the cover. I mean, Photoshop'd plastic looking people, questionable font choice, generic space-like background..... it was looking sketchy.

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. This is actually a decent book hidden in that scary cover. Not a complex book, it's fast and easy all the way, but several positive things of note. Good find!

Holy crap...chapter one I was kind of "whatever" about it, then chapter two hit and I'm not putting this book down!!

is this only available in an e-book?

Neohgirl wrote: "is this only available in an e-book?"
Sadly, yes :(

Just finished chapter two and it's really going better than I expected. I'm guessing Daniel is the love interest so it'll be interesting to see him and Sam meet. Also, what is it with books where the male love interest has white hair??

Yeah, I liked this. It's a little Firefly mixed with the good parts of a classic Harlequin type romance novel and some decent sexual tension. Very quick read, a lot of fun, and cheap, too. I really enjoyed this. The characters were pretty good, too, better than I was expecting actually.

Just finished and holy crap I LOVED it!! Starting on the sequel now...I couldn't resist.

I really liked this book, I kind of had to push myself to finish the picks for the last two months, but this book really kind of pulled me in. I enjoyed the mystery, and I liked how clues were referenced throughout, so you could solved the crime along with the characters. Excellent book, loved the characters. Would definitely read more.

This was a fast paced quick read and I really enjoyed the story. It had a little Firefly vibe but I didn't mind.

I'm really liking the plot so far but the romance is happening waaaay to quickly for me. She's known the guy for like 5 minutes AND there's a murder yet still they're both about to get it on every time they speak. It's not bad, just kind of silly.

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Did some mental casting, which turned into 3 hours of photo manipulation.

Sallie wrote: "

Did some mental casting, which turned into 3 hours of photo manipulation."

THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN!

Sallie wrote: "

Did some mental casting, which turned into 3 hours of photo manipulation."

THIS IS AMAZING haha!!

I'm glad this month's pick was a quick read. I was definitely getting a mix of Firefly and Mass Effect vibes. My mental casting was just female Commander Shepard with red hair. Although I enjoyed reading this book, I didn't rate it very high just because I've read some books I've REALLY liked recently which kind of made this book just okay for me. I got a little bored towards the end as the mystery resolution was pretty obvious, and I wish that there was more character interaction with the courtesans. I also thought the romance was a little too easy; Daniel was just throwing out innuendo right off the bat and since Sam seemed desperate for any male action she was pretty much in from the start. The only conflict with their relationship was that they had to solve the murder first, so that kind of made the romance lose the excitement for me. Still, it was a nice break from the high fantasy last month and made me want to find more sci-fi outer space romance to add to my TBR.

Definitely enjoyed this one. I kept seeing Keely from Firefly whenever Jenny popped up. Basically that's how I pictured her. Casting Sam was easy Rose Leslie from Game of Thrones. She was kick-ass.
I liked that the murder investigation wasn't interrupted for sexysexy. I might be the only one, but I always thought it odd characters would stop for that when lives are in danger. It just made no sense to me when time mattered so much.
The Guild itself is a great nefarious overlord with tentacles throughout space. I can see it being an adversary as well. One that you can't quite escape or overthrow.
This does seem like a very bleak future though. Everyone so alone and cut off. Corporations and government so corrupt. No real privacy or freedom. It's a scary future.

I wanted to really like this book, but ended up just being OK with it. I feel like the author has some excellent ideas in terms of plot, characters, and world-building, but needs improvement in the general craft of writing genre fiction. I'm not an author so I can't pin down specifics for improvement, but there are things that I just know from having enjoyed well-crafted stories.

I know that authors strong in their craft can generate and build sexual tension without having to spell it out for the reader. Here we were told that Sam was horny as hell, told that Daniel was looking to get laid, and then given clumsy, innuendo-filled dialogue between her and Daniel that I found cringingly laughable instead of sexy. I know that authors strong in their craft can lead me to believe that characters can fall in love in extremely short amounts of time. There was zero leading here. It was just declared that they were in love.

Did anyone else find it creepy when Sean referred to himself as "Uncle Sean"?

I just thought this book was so boring. The story could of been interesting but it was way too dragged out and I couldn't get into it. Despite it being a short/quick read I had trouble getting through it.

Doesn't sound like it is worth borrowing an e-reader for this one, Guess I will catch up with next month's pick.

I wasn't expecting much from the blurb and the cover, but I did enjoy the book more than I expected.

Bonus points for being able to read it in under 4 hours.

Sasha wrote “he just shoves his soaped up penis right up in there”

I know I was like, nooooo- that is so wrong. The sex wasn't that great and that was just one of the many things that made me cringe. So I have to say I'm a hard sci-fi nerd, and because of that I couldn't get into this book. First it wasn't that engaging to begin with and second all the gravity crap kept making my brain fritz. I know this is supposed to be a fun escapist story but all the talk of low gravity, no gravity, turning it on and off was seriously hard to ignore for me. There are huge complications when human bodies are put into zero and low gravity situations and every time she mentioned it I would have to work at suspending my disbelief and frankly it just kept distracting me. In fantasy stories when the magic doesn't add up I just tell myself -a wizard did it- problem solved but this really bugged me and she wouldn't stop bringing it up. Other than that it was an OK story but not great. I would however pay theater prices to see the movie starring Felicia Day & Sebastian Stan, I love, love, love the poster. I'm sure the movie would have to be PG-13 though, Felicia is not that kind of girl.

I'm floundering halfway through but it looks like it gets interesting/funny soon so I'll push through. I'm so not into the abruptness of Sam and Daniel. It's one thing to have a quick romance but this is like lightning speed.

Ok, so it was just so-so, but the part that made me the most sad was that the mystery seemed like it was going to be a long foreplay session...which can be fun! Instead, I felt like I was being titillated, then my guy decided to go make a sandwich, call his buddies, play a few Halo sessions and then remembered that we were supposed to get together. So he grabbed me in the shower, and I was so grateful to be finally getting some action that I did not complain.

The book itself felt like a good idea but not quite finished.

Heather R. wrote: "Ok, so it was just so-so, but the part that made me the most sad was that the mystery seemed like it was going to be a long foreplay session...which can be fun! Instead, I felt like I was being tit..."

That pretty much sums up the book I think.

I agree that it seems like it was no quite thought through all the way. When I read the summary before reading, I thought it was going to be sort of like if Inara from Firefly got to run her own companion ship. The level of writing and the character building is what stopped me from getting totally into it. Many of the characters weren't totally fleshed out and sort of ran together (like Harkness and the mining foreman, etc). And more than one person had like silvery white hair? The human-like personalities of the Ship and Daniel's companion were interesting but not completely fleshed out? I did appreciate that queer relationships were presented as normal. But would have liked at least one of the mining leadership team or Grendel from the Guild to have been a woman.
All in all, worth a quick read between other books. Kinda like the novel equivalent of a B-movie.

The story was a good pace, with just enough sexy splattered throughout so it wasn't too overbearing. I kind of felt like the author was putting a little too much Kaylee from Firefly into the character of Jenny though.

I did love the idea of the Guild and its far-reaching power. I'll probably read the sequel.

I loved it. It did drag a bit towards the end but still…

It kind of felt like Firefly fan fiction.

Now that I'm reading this, I feel like I should go read Firefly soon...didn't even know that was a book! I'm frustrated as the story seems to have slowed down considerably in the middle. Hoping for a satisfying resolution soon.

I liked it! I've been reading a lot of really trashy stuff lately, so having an attempt at world building was definitely a positive for me.

And I also really liked that she didn't do the full-disclosure of her traumatised past - there are details, she'll tell them eventually but it wasn't the big reveal.

But as others have said - a bit too Firefly-y. Jenny was way too Kayley, the courtesans chambers had a bit too much Inara's shuttle.

Ehhh, I mostly thought this was pretty bad.

What I DID like about this book:

1. Sam Keller

2. The world and the book's scenario (the traveling spaceship brothel) were pretty original, at least compared to what I usually read, and so it was interesting to me.

Otherwise, the book didn't do much for me. I wish the procedural part of it were better thought out/researched, and therefore more realistic - the Marshal does some silly things and makes nonsensical choices during his investigation. Everyone's anxious to get the miners back to work, but he decides to interview the courtesans first even though they have nowhere to be. He's polite to some of the courtesan, and then a total d-bag to April for no reason. He completely dismisses certain suspects with really poor reasoning.

Oh, and you might not have a strong grip when you have advanced arthritis in your joints, but your arm strength isn't diminished, so your arm-wrestling ability wouldn't necessarily suffer. Besides which, the autopsy showed that Halley's windpipe was crushed with an object like a bat or a metal bar, so the killer didn't use his hands to strangle her, anyway.

Also I'm not sure I'm buying that turning gravity on costs so much more money (I needed an explanation for WHY) and the crew has limited clothing and books, ratty bath towels, and yet at the same time the ship can materialize anything you ask for right to hand...?

As for the romance, I didn't find it very believable. The book, up until the epilogue-type ending, literally spans about a 24 hour period, and by the end of that time they're already in love? And their dialogue was so cringeworthy at times; they're in the middle of a murder investigation, and they keep giggling over the slightest suggestion at innuendo like a pair of pre-teens. The sexy time at the end wasn't quite "fleshed-out" enough for me (heh heh).

Not a terrible book, but I was very glad when I was finally finished with it, and won't be reading on in the series.

I really enjoyed the book! Though the world building did remind me of Firefly, I still found it original enough and interesting. A space ship brothel is not something that I've seen often! Also, for a novella, the world building was well developed and I had no trouble picturing the story.

I liked both Sam and Daniel. I thought they made a good team and complemented each other well. Also, it was nice that Daniel was sensitive about Sam's backstory and wanted to see her get better.

The mystery wasn't overly complicated, but I enjoyed reading about it. I thought the bad guy might have been Sean when Sam was questioning him... His sad backstory made me suspicious!

Anyway, great choice! It wasn't a complicated book, but it was very enjoyable. I will definitely be reading the next one!

I feel like the actual writing of the book was mostly average, though there were some occasions where I groaned at the bad writing. Regardless, I still really enjoyed this book.

What I liked:

I liked that the romance between Sam and Daniel subverted a lot of the toxic conventions present in many romance novels. Sam wasn't a lilting virginal inexperienced waif, and while Daniel needs to learn about sexual harassment he also didn't display the nastier characteristics for male leads in romance novels. Furthermore, neither of them were super young, which I found very refreshing.

I also liked the world-building. As other people have pointed out, I feel like the author is a big Browncoat, so for me that's a point in the book's favor. She set up The Guild as a really great antagonist. I'd read more of the series just to see what The guild does (but will also do so because I like the book in general).

Some of the characters weren't super fleshed out, but I still enjoyed the supporting cast. I especially liked the motherly Innara-ish character and Sean.

What I didn't like:

The writing was a tad simplistic in some ways. I picked out the murder in the first few pages. The scene where Sam broke down in an anxiety attack was nice, but a lot of the writing for her trauma seemed to be too on the nose for me "I am traumatized and angsty and also sexually frustrated."

Speaking of getting laid, I never fully understood why being on a brothel-ship would be hard, but maybe that's just me. I found it even more curious that she would specifically choose that kind of ship as her self-inflicted punishment. She could surely find something even more punishing and difficult.

The payoff at the end was a bit anti-climatic. I feel like in the time I thought "yes, yes, now kiss" it was already over.
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Regardless of my criticisms, I still liked the book, and would recommend it. The characters, and the world-building pulled me in. The steamy scenes were more hit and miss, but still made me blush.

Also, my personal head-canon is that the Guild is run by the evil AU versions of Felicia Day's The Guild.

I really enjoyed this book! THANK YOU VF for introducing me to it.

It's a perfect summer read for a stressed-out sci-if fan. I'm onto the second book and having a blast combining Firefly and Star Wars for casting.

I'm 100% in favor of the legalization of sex work. It's fun to have that built into the world. It's developed even more I the second book. Maybe if I had a Sean on call I wouldn't be so stressed out!

The second book made me like the first one better. Had it been a stand-alone, I would have lowered its rating. Now I can see why they held off on some of the character development.

I didn't think the writing was bad. It's the editing that hurts the story. A good editor could fix the pacing issues and redundancies in copy.

So what I'm loving in this world is the gender parity. This would fit perfectly into the Wedonverse. Even the girlie girls kick ass. For example:

I broke a nail.” She scowled. Her nose was swollen, giving her a strange nasally speech impediment. “And I think my nose.”

I enjoyed the book overall but cringed when any mention of her past happened or of her fighting. it seemed so stiff and fake. I could have done without her troubled past that added nothing but a way to flashbsck.

I enjoyed it. I'm another one who got firefly vibes. I also can't be the only one who was hoping for a plot twist where Jenny was in on it. All her disarming qualities and her frequent popping in and out would have been perfect. Oh well. Still a fun quick read.

I personally love this book. The two main charachters where so fun and enjoyable. It made me want to replay mass effect just so I could enjoy more space sexy time. I hope you guys pick more book from this genera. If anyone has suggestions on more sci-fi romance Please let me know.

Gina wrote: "I enjoyed it. I'm another one who got firefly vibes. I also can't be the only one who was hoping for a plot twist where Jenny was in on it. All her disarming qualities and her frequent popping in a..."

I agree! I could tell what was going to happen, but I kept hoping something more would happen with Jenny.

I liked it. Didn't love it, but liked it. It was too obvious for me. Great premise though and a strong opening. Although Sam was a great protagonist, I felt her backstory could have been explored a little more. I also wanted a bit more intrigue and tension between the courtesans. Like, Game of Thrones-style. Still deciding whether to read the sequel or not.

My taste in space novels is well... different than this, more aliens, less ship repairs. However, I thought the book was decent. I found their insatiable horny state... weird? I mean... I think she had been on board like not even a year, 6 months? And she was... well, anyway, to each their own. I get why it was written like "UGH I need the sex", it was just a bit much at times. But I liked the characters for what we saw of them, and the story was alright. Meh.

I enjoyed the book and it was a quick read. It was a murder mystery that just happened to be in space and that was fine. I liked what would building there was with the guild having a wide reach in the economy and politics.
Sam was a strong self sufficient character that was easy to follow. For me the story wasn't as obvious as past novels (I'm looking at you Cupcakes, Trinkets and other Deadly Magic) so I will give it kudos for that.
I invite everyone to join us in chat for the hangout if possible. The chat is friendly and a lot of fun.

It was okay. It was a quick read and a pretty obvious mystery (Chekhov's laundry chute), but it was engaging enough that I didn’t drop it halfway through. The back end was about two chapters too long. Once the killer is found, there should be a quick wrap up, but instead it goes on and on.
What really bothered me and kept pulling me out of the story though was the bad science. Like why is there gravity on the colony but not on the ship to which it is physically attached? This is never explained. Pfft. Whatever, I’m willing to let it go.

But let’s talk about the zero gravity sex. For starters, fluids rush to your head making you feel like you’re constantly hanging upside-down or like you have a head cold. Add to that nausea from motion sickness, an upset stomach, heartburn, headaches, vertigo, fatigue, and a marked increase in flatulence. Hot, right? Plus the mechanics of coitus would require intricate harnesses so that the participants didn’t go flying across the room on the first thrust. Sorry to kill your romantic notions, but weightlessness is not sexy.

I could not stop thinking about the television show Firefly while reading this.
The killer felt obvious from the start & I could not stop questioning gravity through out. However it was a quick read for me & I enjoyed the characters & relationships.

I found the book enjoyable enough but there wasn't anything particularly mind-blowing about it. The clues to solve the mystery were there, which is nice, but I would probably liked a bit more of a twist of complexity.

As someone else mentioned some aspects of the book seemed a bit too on the nose for my taste. Personally, I think both Sam's trauma and the sexual/romantic attraction had a bit of a heavy feel. I also found my self occasionally feeling a bit grated by Sam's need to show utter independence: she seemed incapable of understanding that she could be strong but still accept help or even work with people. Her and Daniel falling so rapidly in love also seemed all the harder to believe given their complete inability to communicate every time the conversation ventured out of innuendos.
Some of lines had me laughing (sexy coffee drinking, anyone?) and others made me cringe.

That said, I think that both the setting and the characters had some great potential and would have loved to see them further developed if the book had been longer. I like the difference in communication between the two ship AIs. I could easily imagine The Guild as threatening overlords.

Jenny gave me a feeling of familiarity and I'm happy to have had the Kaylee comparison made clear to me by this thread.
Oh, and yes Sean calling himself 'Uncle Sean' made me feel a bit creeped out as well.

Sean wrote: "It was okay. It was a quick read and a pretty obvious mystery (Chekhov's laundry chute), but it was engaging enough that I didn’t drop it halfway through. The back end was about two chapters too lo..."

I agree. Not gonna lie, I definitely skimmed the last two chapters and was literally watching the completion percentage finish on my Kindle. I also had a hard time imagining the gravity-free sexy times and it made no sense to me.

Bexy wrote: "I found the book enjoyable enough but there wasn't anything particularly mind-blowing about it. The clues to solve the mystery were there, which is nice, but I would probably liked a bit more of a ..."

Ugh the Uncle Sean nickname was creepy. I couldn't really blame Sam for not wanting to utilize the courtesan's services because the two options she had were not great. I feel like this pleasure ship needed to really up its courtesan game.

I feel like this pleasure ship needed to really up its courtesan game.

So true. Though I suppose they'll be getting a couple of new ones so maybe there'll be an improvement in the quality.

Jessi, go on to the second book for more Sean. :)