The Way She Reads

Before I start my review I have to confess to not having read Frankie & Al, the first book in this series. It is quite possible I would have had a tougher time getting to appreciate Ed if I had the earlier book first. As it is, Ed is a very unsympathetic character when we first meet him in this book. And I wouldn’t say he’s suddenly transformed into a ray of sunlight when he meets Marchant. But he does gradually mellow and, as we find out about his past, it becomes ever easier to sympathise with him. In fact, by the time I was half way through the book I’d started looking at him not as a horrible man but rather has a scared and scarred little boy, doing what he had to in order to keep his head above water.

Marchant was a wonderful character from the moment he was introduced. Smart, sensitive and kind he also has a huge bull-shit radar and figures Ed out in no time at all. The way he manages to slowly draw Ed out of his shell and teach him how to look at his past and the world around him in a new light was breathtaking.

Much as I loved Marchant, Ed was the man I fell for in this novella. His journey was frightening (for him) and difficult. Yet, as soon as he’s given permission to be himself he starts showing his good and human side. His transformation kept me mesmerised from start to finish and I was sad when the end of the book forced me to say goodbye to him.

For a book with relatively little explicit sex in it, this book was incredibly hot. The slow seduction of Ed and his courage when he gives and receives what he’s always considered wrong, perverted and deviant was more enticing than any detailed sex scene could ever be.

My admiration for Sue Brown’s storytelling talent grows with every book by her I read. I’m lucky because there’s still a long list of titles I haven’t read yet. Catching up is going to be fun.

Don't forget to visit Sue Brown's website for a free follow-up read about Ed & Marchant, with a wonderful, if kinky, Christmas atmosphere.