This book... Lord, this book. I honestly don't know where to even begin. So this review will be real, unfiltered, my honest to God's opinion, more than I probably ever have before. It even inspired me to create this blog rather than vent on Goodreads! Ooooooh... Here comes trouble.
I'll just admit to something upfront: while debating whether or not to read this book, I discovered I am a total hypocrite. Why? Because I discovered that had the roles been reversed, had Julia been the one to find herself on the verge of cheating instead of Sebastian, I would've jumped on this bandwagon faster than a lightning bolt... *ducking my head in utter shame* oh, shush, you! I'm a drama, angst, thrills ho ho ho. The more the merrier, I say! Heh. The thing that had me second guessing my choices was the fact Sebastian would be the one to do the cheating. Psychologically speaking, I think it's because as women (personally speaking now), one of our (my?) greatest fears is being cheated on and I'm a hypocrite because it's easier when we're playing the cheating role. It's sick, it's horrible, I know... but it's my truth. I really enjoy cheating books nonetheless because they are the epitome of FEELING with all our senses and emotions. These books mess with our heads in such manner that it's impossible to shake them off. They are gritty, raw, visceral. They gut me from the inside because it's undoubtedly such a moral mistake, such a cruel thing to do... but such a thrilling ride at the same time. But let's get on with my review of VIP (which, by the way, stands for "Very Important Pussy". Yep, you are so welcome for that tidbit of info!)
I really don't feel comfortable rating this book simply because I feel that the reason I disliked it was because of my own inner struggle. But if I must, my say is only a (very generous, mind you) rating of 3 stars. I don't know if it was because of the preconceived notion I had going in, my prior reluctance to embrace the book fully... I just really didn't feel anything other than anger at Sebastian, Julia and especially (!!!) Olivia and Ysabelle. I was angry at everyone! And funny thing is, the person I was least angry with was Sebastian. Funny, huh? My brain was such a jumbled mess afterward.
Firstly I would like to say I am truly a woman. Haha! This sounds so wrong, but hear me out. I'm truly a woman because I was extremely ticked off by other women. It's just a trait of ours, girls. Most of us, anyway. I am a very jealous person, which I reckon is not the most charming trait to have. But what can ya do, eh? So I was super ticked off by Olivia. It's not the poor girl's fault, either, but I could feel from the get-go that Julia was head over heels in love with Sebastian and BAM! In comes Olivia. The moment the poor chap laid eyes on Olivia, he was done for. But *I* wasn't done for. No, ma'am, I was not amused. Don't get me wrong, I didn't really fancy Jules and Sebby, either. I just didn't really fancy anyone in this book, come to think of it... but anyway. I really felt for Julia. But my female instincts were on point during this book: in the beginning I was 99% sure Olivia was gonna die. And I was also 99% sure Julia was going to kill her. I got one of those right, hey! Hope y'all are clapping for me, heh.
I really, really disliked Ysabelle. I don't know why. I don't think it's because she was "the other woman" or even because of her job. It was just her. I couldn't connect with her nor did I want to. I found myself skimming her introductory chapters because I just didn't give a damn, even though I read Sebastian, Julia and Olivia's intently. The moment I failed to connect with her was probably the moment the book lost me. Therefore, while the sex scenes were on point and the sexual chemistry was there, I just didn't feel any of it. At all. I found myself cringing at them even, praying for them to end. I guess one other factor I took into account was that this was not only adultery, but there was a CHILD involved. I'm pretty open minded, liberal, go with the flow kinda girl... The farthest thing from a prude you can have, but even that had me stomp my foot and say, "No! Enough is enough." Despite this, I managed to finish.
Listen, I do sympathize with Sebastian and Ysabelle. I, too, experienced an all-consuming love and a love triangle. I believe Olivia (now Ysabelle) was it for Sebastian and he grabbed onto Julia, albeit unconsciously, as a consolation prize. THAT is not okay. As women, that is not a pretty sight to behold. As for the end of the book, I think this is the ending I'm most unhappy about in all the (huge!) amount of books I've ever read. I don't want to spoil you guys, but it's just... ugh. If you love Ysa and Sebby you do get a mild happy ending, but for me, none of the possible outcomes would've made me happy because I just wasn't invested in anyone whatsoever. Pity.
Don't be discouraged, though! People call this one "not a love story, but a story about love." I do agree with that, despite all my reservations. If you are okay with cheating, love an angst-filled book, thrive on steamy and forbidden sex scenes, then do buy this book. If not, I'd steer clear from it. These are my two cents, as usual. Ta-ta!
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{ RATING: 3 stars
SEX SCENES: Steamy
GENRE: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
LENGTH: 594 pages
AUDIENCES: 18+
HAPPY ENDING: Depends on your preferences
SEQUEL: Maybe }
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