January 29, 2018
Angel brings her adult film star cred to print with a set of giddily gleeful, empowerment-oriented, and mostly female-centered vignettes about the blossoming of a lonely novelty store employee, all strung together in a story-game format. Sexy opportunities drop into bisexual Taryn’s lap as she works the overnight shift at Dreamz and revitalizes the store. Characterization of the quirky inhabitants of Taryn’s world is shallow but consistent, and although Angel’s stereotyping is sometimes awkward, she treats the cross-dressing lumberjack, enthusiastic sex shop owner, and smart-talking masturbation party fans with fondness and good-natured acceptance. Angel writes thoughtfully about kinky sex through Taryn’s beginner lens, making this a comfortable education for someone newly exploring these concepts. The story threading mostly offers a choice between two related scenes, and after the scene is about half complete, the reader has an option to continue or go back, making the branches feel more like a way for the reader to change up the reading order of the fantasies than a way to make meaningful character choices. The marketing is unsubtle—the protagonist’s lovers include a sales rep for the author’s favorite toy company and Angel herself—but the effect is as playful as it is commercial. This interactive story is a fun way to enjoy a smorgasbord of sex scenes. Agent: Kim Koba, United Talent Agency.
March 1, 2018
In this choose-your-own erotic adventure, Taryn, facing the death of her academic dreams, finds herself working at an erotic novelty shop in Florida. There she encounters a range of eccentric customers and learns more about herself (and sexuality) than she ever had in school. Though awkward and fairly inexperienced when it comes to sex, she quickly catches on through the various steamy, raunchy, wild, and playful scenarios that unfold in her workplace--all of which readers can select via footnote directions that dictate the course of the plot. Encounters include an old friend who struck it rich and is treating his jocular posse, a customer convinced he doesn't measure up without herbal assistance and a special technique, and a bashful, burly lumberjack on the hunt for something with frills--who ends up playing a big role in Taryn's erotic education. Angel's (coauthor, Burning Angel) writing style is wry, witty, and engaging; readers will chuckle with Taryn's dry observations on the shop's odd happenings and cheer her on as she expands her repertoire. Unfortunately, there are a few rocky moments, including questionable inclusions of terms such as ethnic and midget and Taryn's unsettling assertion that women with degrees and lingerie don't mix. VERDICT Overall, this laugh-out-loud interactive tale is perfect for readers seeking a lively and enjoyable erotic read.
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