Well, first of all, I’ve decided to move this out of what is now the normal-pop-lit collection (Literature, the Less: like~ Britain, the Less—right?) and into the sex stuff collection, and created the tag: ‘general sexual-romantic fiction’, right. It’s not a Jane Austen bop, right. (Although it is a sort of kissing cousin for “Jane Austen porn”, lol. 📖 😘). It’s not a polite romance. It’s not about marriage and pleasure-skeptical respectability, right. It just isn’t. It isn’t set in the 1810s. (Even plenty of plain-Jane 1810s romances are set there, to seem more, like a settled-person’s ‘parental’ romance, you know?)

And on the other side, it’s no less sexual, (no ‘dirtier’), than the vanilla-friendly/light, sorta, femdom novel I’m in the middle of. (Yes, I decided to start with the novels, right?…. After all these years! 🐶). I mean, I hate to get into spoilers, but Tessa shoved a corpse into the end of the first chapter, right. ‘My’ femdom sexual-romantic novel doesn’t have anything even vaguely like that. They’re literally both cop-soldier types, the girl and the guy, right, in the domme book.

But yeah: it’s certainly not the kind of book one reads for intellectual/detached/sociological satisfaction, right?…. When I read it the first time, the lack of non-conformity/‘surprise’…. Thought, almost…. Disgusted me practically to the point of pedantry, right: although I tried to hide it. I don’t like to think I’m a character from a play from the 1590s, right?….

But yeah: I figured out how I can read the book. Impersonal reading is here unsatisfying; and the guy is so completely unlike me, identifying with him is like…. Like, I’d hate to think I didn’t like somebody: but yeah….

So, I’ll just identify with the girl, Taylor.

—I could TOTALLY put one leg up in the air like that, while smiling like SpongeBob SquarePants or whatever, while touching her…. Arm…. Region…. For example…. (Whereas ‘thin’, to the extent I’ve historically been able to pull myself out of the 1590s and into bodily training, has always been more my ideal body type for myself, rather than muscular and buff, right.)

—“It is only through pinching pennies and rationing resources for years that I have been able to afford this truly luxurious beach house for six whole days” given that I make a living stocking bananas and grapes~ checks out.

—Taking care of one’s younger other-gender sibling, while practicing elaborate relaxation routines: yes, that’s the life, my friends…. That’s what all our arcane studies of the mysteries of alchemy carried out over many lifetimes, are designed to achieve….

—And yeah, voyeurism isn’t something that scares me: but I am rather…. Well…. VERY easily startled…. Frightened…. Ok: I’m a jump scare, ok? At least I don’t talk like Arthur Schopenhauer, right. (“Existence is something that should not have been…. (freaks out) WHY OH WHY is everything so bad…. (recovers) Life is most unsettling: the more you think about it, the more you realize, that we are unsafe: consider, for example….”).

So yeah: back me up on drums and call me Taylor, right. Give me a recording contract, I’ll…. Recite poetry, from the 1590s, 😉

(chipper automated voice) You have now alienated America….

(nods, then) Yup, yup; I can see that, given the state of affairs….

…. (Myles) Yes, this could be my girl…. She could break church windows playing softball and scorning, with sporty strength, plastic femininity, right…. (smiles, sighs)…. And then she could come home to me, take off her sweaty shirt, and yell that she’s hungry…. A-hahaha…. 🫶 🥎

…. “Apple orchard scent”

I feel like I like my cotton & lily deodorant is a nice scent, but, that’s interesting…. (closes eyes) Apples, hmm….

…. ~the marrying type…. Cape Cod, and not the Jersey Shore or Miami

~Wow, fuck you…. (laughs), (whistles) We’re just from the Jersey Shore; we’re not even a part of America, right; Boston/America was founded in 1666—it has stood the test of time, a beacon of light from the Outer Darkness; a shelter in the Storm of Satan also known as New Jersey…. But yeah: I guess there are no Latinos in Cape Cod, right; it’s like, well, if we hadn’t intentionally torpedoed the Mexican agricultural sector in order to fatten up the billionaire piggies, right….

But, I digress.

…. “the green-eyed menace”

That’s right: I am the green-eyed menace. (nods)…. Although, I’m completely safe, (giggles).

…. It’s obviously a sex novel; as well as being about the unsavory aspects of life in general, and a particular local setting, right. It’s not something that drips prestige, even if it does do a pretty good job of describing one pair of intersecting sex-life strategies and experiences, right…. But whatever: overall, it’s actually pretty well written, really….

…. “You’re going to keep me safe and make it hurt a little at the same time, aren’t you?”
~the girl to the guy

Yes; that’s what I’d say to a domme, lol. (Picard) So noted. (segue to more Starfleet BS)

Or I could say it to…. The Morrighan, lol.

lol.

…. It would be easy to dismiss all three as trivial, but the intersection of crime, sex, and local politics, is indeed rather curious.

…. Taylor at the library: I can totally imagine that happening to me—not later today, but later on in life, or in a future life.

…. “Some people like philosophy: but I think that science is important, too. Thank you for being my research associate-friend, together.” (nods seriously)

(laughs)

The first time I bought this book, I felt so cheated out of ten or fifteen dollars or whatever it was—and who spends 10-15 dollars on content creators whose work is un-creative nonsense? Certainly not a philosopher!—because I was reading about sex, (I guess I sorta knew it would be a sex-novel, even though the idea of that category hadn’t established itself in my system, yet), to, learn-about-sex-to-learn-about-life, right: and then I read it, and it just seemed…. Sexual, right. It wasn’t cool.

Now I see, I suppose: you can learn about sex, to learn about life…. But you also need to take things on their own terms. On their own merits: everything on its own terms, right?….

…. It’s sad how sex and romanticism wants, on some level, the church to fulfill a function that church refuses, on pretty much any level, to willingly play a part in—the loyalists, I mean. The romantics try to describe the role of church in a romantic relationship, in coming together, so to speak, and the good, liberal, happy Christian reacts by grimacing, and, overwhelmed by a heavy silence, debates introducing the terms of obedience and surrender, possibly choosing avoidance instead: while the super-gospel-Christian just attacks and attacks and attacks, hoping to wipe out, by a fire sacrifice, any evidence that there had been a battle, another side—another god—so to speak.

But yeah: when you have sex, you become like God, doing good and evil, and becoming the knower of all that is…. “You have had sex, Improbable Mesopotamian Name. You have become a god. You have become profound.”

…. The plot drama is pretty good; the relationship collisions are also done well.

“(I’m a) threat to the emotionless life you’re so determined to lead, (aren’t I?).”

There are certainly certain sorts of relationship BS I wouldn’t consider acceptable; but danger itself, itself, treating a woman, all women, as threats to the good life, the emotionless life…. I know now, that that isn’t right.

…. “There is nothing emotionless about guilt.”

(medieval voices) Witchcraft! Heresy! Heresy, heresy!…. Well, what are you waiting for? (bellows) Burn the witch!…..

…. Of course, I’m not ~exactly~ like the girl in the story, right: there are physical things; there are sociological things—those are both different….

But then there’s the psychological: the psychic, so to speak…. That’s not half so different, as the other things…. Almost more due to individual differences between any two individuals in a group: especially compared to that hunky, rough man who is NOT like me, lol…. No matter what I looked like, right: I would never be…. Like that guy….

Physical vs psychic…. Yeah; that’s what makes it really interesting…. 🧐 🌹

…. lol…. Kinda. 😂

But yeah: it’s actually a pretty good plot. Sexy danger; sexy time…. But a pretty good plot…. I guess it is more of a plot novel, than a really ‘subtle’ one, right…. But for what it is: it is indeed rather well done…. And yeah: anything to mess with Massachusetts and Connecticut, right: you know what I’m talking about. The parts of the region that still think it’s the 1790s….

I used to be an Episcopalian, you know. “Ah yes…. Contemporary entertainment; you know, I think it’s important to tolerate, all sorts of…. Oh, my.”

I hate to rub people‘s noses in the weak areas of their psyche: but I’m glad I’m not an Episcopalian, anymore…. I’m sorry, bro! I’m just telling you the truth! I’m telling you the truth about love! 🫨 🌹

…. It’s a cutesy, adorable story…. About, sex! 😙

This killer romance just about killed me dead.

Holy smokes! Bailey has written the perfect alpha marshmallow. Myles is aggressive, rude, disinterested in life, and totally besotted by Taylor. The first time he spots her he literally thinks she is as "cute as a button." What self respecting alpha male thinks that? Myles, that's who!

I loved Myles. I loved his struggle. I loved how emotional and vulnerable he was around Taylor, even if he didn't speak/show it. Every time she did or said something, his heart clenched or he got sweaty or he desperately wanted to kiss her. He's big, he's tattooed, he's unshaven and rides a motorcycle and he is a total dummy about his emotions. It's great.

Taylor is cute as a button, btw. She wears her heart on her sleeve, expressing emotions and showing vulnerability that just discombobulates Myles in the most perfect way.

Of course, a Tessa Bailey book is nothing without some serious steam. And it was hot, hot, hot! Taylor surprises Myles with her heretofore unspoken desires, but he is a quick study. They both feel an overwhelming attraction for each other and it quickly turns handsy and passionate. But Bailey really blends physical with emotional development and it felt natural for these two to fall in love so fast. ( )

4.5 stars ( )

3.5 ( )

I accept responsibility for missing the part where it said “SPICY” murder mystery. But dear Lord, it was all spice and no mystery. They even banged in a CHURCH. I read this during lent. I had to say a prayer. Beyond that, I just couldn’t wait for it to be over. There was nothing exciting about it. Even the spicy scenes weren’t the kind that had me all hyped up waiting for hubby to come home. I just wanted the whole thing to be done. I need to wash my eyes. ( )