Book review stop! Today I’m delighted to be the host for Out in the Night, an erotica novel written by Elena Nix.
First thing first, let me thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of this book. Much obliged *hat tip*
MEET THE BOOK
Someone is watching Becca’s house at night.
Her only neighbor is also her only suspect. He’s abrasive and domineering, yet darkly compelling. Her life has been spinning out of control since he showed up at her door with an orphaned kitten.
She tries to keep her distance as mysterious warnings and increasingly erotic dreams keep her off balance, but he has no intention of letting her get away.
258 pages
Erotica
Publication date: 13/09/21
Purchase links
**
READ MY REVIEW
Cover: A bit too explicit for my tastes, but fair is fair: people judge a book by its cover, and they look at it to get an idea of what’s inside. This cover fits the theme.
I think I already mentioned how I feel about erotica: it’s a respectable genre, I used to read some M/M in my heyday, and I have a neutral opinion of it. The only real beef I have with erotica has to do with the plot: 95 times out of 100, it’s so thin it’s almost nonexistent, and that’s a big letdown.
Erotica is not porn, you know. There’s a clear distinction between the two genres, and while they can and will overlap, they aren’t the same thing. Treating them as such is a disservice to readers.
Nix seems to share my opinion on the matter, because Out in the Night is based on an interesting, believable plot I could sink my teeth into, and that detail alone is worth 2 stars—I’m not even kidding here.
Then, Nix also has a great grasp of her characters, and good writing skills to boot: the mood is set from the get-go, the story is fast-paced, and the third limited POV acts as the cherry on top, as it enhances Becca’s arc. Said arc is subtler than your standard one, mind, probably because it relies a lot on the showing rather than telling. Even the Dom/sub dynamics between Becca and Ben are there, but not as in-your-face as you’d expect them to be.
Another point goes to the minimal cast of characters. This is a personal bias, but I prefer to focus on the MCs rather than having to keep track of side chars left and right. Jimmy reads a little weak, considering, but given the POV it’s understandable. An impeccable editing completes the story—thank you!
The only complaint I could raise has to do with a mini POV shift in the second half of the book: that choice puzzles me because it’s the only one and it breaks the flow.
5 stars on GR.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Elena Nix is an author of erotic fiction. A lifetime love of literature and a very naughty mind proved to be the perfect combination for elevated erotica. Her imagination has some dark twists and frequently, her books do, too.
When she’s not wrangling wayward characters or taming twisted plots, her favorite place to be is curled up on the couch with her assortment of dogs, cats, and one husband, writing stories on her laptop that would make a succubus blush.
Bookshelves & Teacups 