Novel Review: Blush by Opal Carew

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: Erotica

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: 2008

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kama Sutra, Tantra, Ménage…are you ready to blush?

Hanna Lane wishes she could shed her inhibitions and unleash her wild side in the bedroom.  When she meets J. M.--a Kama Sutra and Tantra master--they embark on a sizzling path of discovery, exploring the ancient sensual arts and discovering new techniques that allow Hanna to unlock her naughtiest fantasies and make them a red-hot reality.  But when Hanna’s exboyfriend Grey re-enters her life determined to win her back, Hanna longs to share herself with both men.  But can she tell J.M. and Grey her most taboo fantasy?  And who will win her for keeps?

The Cover:

I like the cover above. It kind of fits the book, maybe I guess, but mostly I just like how it looks. It's pretty, it's eye-catching, it's unique (at least as far I know), and it even hints at this being erotica without being too obvious.
This cover, though, (my cover,) I kind of hate. The color is just plain bad; the position of the models looks weird to me, awkward and way too close, with her neck too far stretched up.

Quotes:

• "He sounded a lot like her sister. She talked about being guided by her higher self, while others talked about channeling spirits or angels, or all manner of energy beings. Hanna had always preferred her sister’s description of knowing what you need for yourself rather than other random beings telling you what to do.” (Paperback, pg. 81)

Review:

I actually enjoyed this book, which I wasn’t sure I was going to.

I picked it up forever ago, kind of read some of it, but didn’t really enjoy it and so put it back on the shelf. I finally picked it back up, and found that it really wasn’t too bad.

Hanna has a hard time orgasming, and always has. Her ex-boyfriend Grey tried to help, but it wasn’t working. But now that she’s met J.M., a guy who knows what he’s doing, Grey wants her back.

I felt a little bad for Hanna, given her orgasm problem, and then not knowing what to do about the men in her life. I didn’t really like how she was kind of fooling around with both of them, though, without being completely honest about it. (She told them some things, but not everything, which caused some problems.) I also felt bad for the guys, though—they both wanted her, and they both wanted to help, but they didn’t know what to do about it.

The solution was a little surprising, since I wasn’t sure if that’s where this book was heading, and I wasn’t sure at first how I felt, but I do kind of like how it ended up. And since they all seem happy to accept it, good for them.

I liked the way the romance developed, how the three of them worked through it all. The sex was pretty good, although it wasn’t all that kinky or intense for me. It was still nice, though, and easy to read. There was quite a bit of spiritual talk, going with the whole tantra and kama sutra thing, which I just didn't really care for. It wasn't bad, just not really an interest of mine.

Overall, I did rather enjoy this book, and I’m happy about that.