The Siren (The Original Sinners 1) by Tiffany Reisz Review by Erin

The Siren (The Original Sinners 1) by Tiffany Reisz-Adult Contemporary Erotic Romance

Review done by Erin

*18+ Readers*

Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book...if it ever sees the light of day.

Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it's no deal.

Nora's grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him...or returning to his bed?

Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

Erin's Take:

My, oh my. How do you write a review for a book like this??!! How do you find the right words to explain how a book left you completely baffled, raw, and bereft of any logical reason why your heart and your conscience are both completely at odds but also completely in sync? Because that's about where I'm at, and I'm struggling with where to begin!

The Siren is not a love story. It's not a tale of kinky sex. It's not even your typical BDSM erotica novel. And trying to describe a story when you can't even place it comfortably into a genre is not easy! Siren is a dark, twisted look into the world of sadism and masochism in a way that reveals some of the disturbing truths behind it, and it is absolutely not something to be taken lightly. I have read my fair share of dark erotica stories that pushed my boundaries well past what I every would have thought possible, and this one still left me feeling numb. But before you go running in the opposite direction, let me say it was also an incredibly intriguing and captivating book that left me breathless and surprisingly impressed. Me, the ultimate "but do they end up together in the end??!!" reader. I'm astounded to say that while this book absolutely doesn't give you the fairytale ending where it all turns out okay, somehow I still loved it. Maybe I shouldn't, maybe it's really wrong for me to feel the way I do about this book...but that's what has me completely blown away!

There were so many working parts to this story, it's hard to wrap them all up in the nice pretty box of a review. The Siren takes you on Nora's fateful journey as she writes her latest novel, a story that rings so very true to life for her and marks the evolution in 3 relationships in her life that are of utmost importance. Wesley, her beloved and very young assistant who moved in with her and connects with her tame side; Zach, her new hard-nosed editor who shreds her work as well as she sheds his willpower; and Soren, "He who shall not be named". Soren, the one everyone fears, loathes, or loves, or maybe a combination of all of the above. Yes, behind the seductive, sultry erotica novelist who wants to make her latest book one to remember, Nora has a secret. Well, a few really. She met Soren as a teen and fell for him, and from the age of 20 up until five years ago, she belonged to him; the man who unleashed incredible pain to bring her pleasure and show her just how much he loves her. My reaction, as was probably the case for most readers, was to scoff at the idea of excruciating pain being a way to pleasure or love. But to them, it's undeniably so, and he's still the love of her life. Yep, feel free to bang your head on the wall at this point, because trust me, I was!

I still feel that a woman has to be completely messed up in the head to think that a man that can hurt her like this actually loves her. I kept thinking to myself that a man should protect, not harm. But Nora's life and the way she goes about it are exactly the opposite of what you'd expect her to, anyway. She's tormented daily by her desire for Wesley, the young man she refuses to "stain" with her lifestyle, and Zach, who entices her yet represents what she'll never have. It was sad, really, watching Nora just not quite 'fit' anywhere in her own life. She's such a sexual being, and at times it felt like she was Goldilocks going through the cottage. She had three men, each so completely different and so incredibly alluring, but there's no cup of porridge that's "juuuuuust right" for her in this story. But I loved how she embraced all three of them for what they were, despite herself. Her story was a sort of therapy as she wrote it, many times feverishly pounding away at the keyboard only to erase everything she had put down. She toughed her way through leaving Soren when it tore her to pieces, she embraced a job that was at best questionable but had helped get her started in life, and now she's spreading her wings to rise above...or is she?

Aside from the obviously disturbing fact of Nora's young age when she and Soren fall in love, I know a lot of readers will take issue with the secret behind Soren, too. It's a tough one to swallow (no pun intended!!), and it really makes you question everyone's sanity!! And the ending...I will admit, it really got to me. I was sick to my stomach, because what helped me get through this story was that things were consensual and the pain was superficial. But after this ending, I'm really struggling!! This is definitely one of those stories that sticks with you long after you finish, and I am both excited and terrified to start on the rest of the series now!! But, my final say: amazing story, but READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

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