Book Review: The Lovers

Author: Eden Bradley
Title: The Lovers
Publisher: Spice
Publish Date: November 1, 2010
Rating: 2 stars
Book Blurb: THE LOVERS was a very different kind of story for me. Not only does Bettina embark on a journey of healing and self-discovery, but she does it by exploring a part of herself previously unrecognized: her desire for another woman. This leads to a number of conflicts for her, one of which is her equally stunning attraction to Jack.
Bettina is one of my most complex characters to date, and that sort of deep psychology-who are we? Why do we do the things we do, crave the things we crave?-is absolutely fascinating to me.
Audrey, the other woman in the story, ended up with a lot more page time than I'd originally intended. But she has that sort of irresistible charm. Bettina, Audrey and Jack together are a force to be reckoned with. Their combined sensuality made for some of the hottest sex scenes I've ever written-hot for me, at least. The ensemble cast of characters and the beautiful setting on the California coast, just north of Santa Barbara, made this a very visual experience for me. I feel this is some of my best work to date, and I hope readers will agree.

Review: The Lovers was a totally different story from what I expected. Bettina is a writer with a lot of psychological issues. At the retreat she meets Audrey who she is attracted too. This is something new for her, having never had a relationship with another woman. However Audrey isn't really much of a character except when it comes to the lovemaking scenes, which Ms. Bradley wrote perfectly.

The three characters in the love triangle just didn't seem to fit. You kind of expected them to break apart, but you are never sure why they'd want to. Only Bettina seems to have any real feelings. Audrey and Jack just hint at them, just as they hint at the problems they've faced that have made them the way they are. I give Jack brownie points because he really tried towards the end to be what Bettina wanted him to be. Audrey however gets left behind by both of them. She was like a flame that burned hot and fast, but when the other two found each other no matter how hot that flame was, it faded and died.

I think that's what disappointed me the most with this story. The menage a tois didn't last. There were a few really hot scenes, that left you clamoring for a glass of water, but all to soon it was just hot sex between Bettina and Jack and her issues with Jack not wanting to try a relationship.

I would have loved to really get to know Audrey better and even Jack, both main characters that just didn't feel anything other than one dimensional. I felt closer to some of the secondary characters, especially Vivienne who I would have enjoyed getting to know more about, especially of her initial relationship with Jack. There were so many people on this writer's retreat and it would have been nice to really see them as people, just as it would have been nice to really understand why Bettina was attrached to Audrey and Jack.  Being pretty and handsome doesn't really cut it.

If you are reading this book for the steam factor, it will appeal to you, but if you want more than that, sadly it doesn't deliver.

~ Ebook provided by Net Galley