melissakuzma's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this book up because a) it had been on my to-read list for a while and b) it takes place in Mallorca and I'm obsessed with Mallorca at the moment. I can't say I LIKED this book, per say, because the subject matter is pretty disturbing. HOWEVER the ending was so awesome and surprising, and I literally didn't see it coming until the last paragraph. And if you can do that to me, you get at least 3 stars.
danb93's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Very hot under the collar but poor ending in my opinion.
cher_n_books's review against another edition
1.0
1 star - I really hated it.
Based on the synopsis, I was expecting a drama filled summer read about the after effects of a mother betraying her daughter and husband. What I read instead was soft erotica for mature women that harbor cougar fantasies...definitely NOT my cup of tea. The synopsis does a very poor job of accurately representing what the novel actually entails.
The plot was extremely unrealistic and unbelievable. The reader is supposed to accept that a 17 year old "ripe and beautiful man-boy" (CLEARLY not my words), who has several young beautiful girls throwing themselves at him, instead lusts after and seems to fall in insta-love with an average woman old enough to be his mother. Right.
Let's say you can suspend disbelief and you would like to enjoy a nice little bit of cougar fantasy erotica (erotica that isn't even hot on the sizzle index, mind you). There is still the significant problem of the writing being horrible; the book is filled with short choppy sentences. The main character is also very inconsistent in character, doing 180 degree turns as the author saw fit to advance the plot. Excerpts are below, but also please don't forget about the "ripe and beautiful man-boy" description. That explains much in and of itself.
Nothing moves. The darkness deepens. Jenn shivers, intoxicated by the magic of the hour. The road is no longer visible. The first stars stud the sky.
He has his back to her. He smooths his wet hair back. Seawater trickles down his neck and shoulders.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: N/A
First Sentence: The sun drops low on the horizon and, with it, the distant hum of life starts up again.
Based on the synopsis, I was expecting a drama filled summer read about the after effects of a mother betraying her daughter and husband. What I read instead was soft erotica for mature women that harbor cougar fantasies...definitely NOT my cup of tea. The synopsis does a very poor job of accurately representing what the novel actually entails.
The plot was extremely unrealistic and unbelievable. The reader is supposed to accept that a 17 year old "ripe and beautiful man-boy" (CLEARLY not my words), who has several young beautiful girls throwing themselves at him, instead lusts after and seems to fall in insta-love with an average woman old enough to be his mother. Right.
Let's say you can suspend disbelief and you would like to enjoy a nice little bit of cougar fantasy erotica (erotica that isn't even hot on the sizzle index, mind you). There is still the significant problem of the writing being horrible; the book is filled with short choppy sentences. The main character is also very inconsistent in character, doing 180 degree turns as the author saw fit to advance the plot. Excerpts are below, but also please don't forget about the "ripe and beautiful man-boy" description. That explains much in and of itself.
Nothing moves. The darkness deepens. Jenn shivers, intoxicated by the magic of the hour. The road is no longer visible. The first stars stud the sky.
He has his back to her. He smooths his wet hair back. Seawater trickles down his neck and shoulders.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: N/A
First Sentence: The sun drops low on the horizon and, with it, the distant hum of life starts up again.
stephh's review against another edition
1.0
I absolutely picked this book up for its cover - it looked like a fairly quick, fun, summer read that I'd enjoy. However almost as soon as I started it I realised that I probably wasn't going to be much of a fan.
'The Lemon Grove' is set in Mallorca on a family holiday. Middle aged stepmum Jenn is having a bit of a mid life crisis, and when her step-daughter Emma brings along her new boyfriend on the family holiday, the family dynamic takes a nosedive. Emma and Jenn are already at loggerheads, and when Jenn realises she's attracted to Emma's boyfriend, and begins flirting with him, she threatens to tip everything over the balance.
My main issue with this is that it's an erotic book based around a sexual relationship between a middle aged woman and a 17 year old man. I just think if you were reading a book where their genders were reversed you would expect to be entirely repulsed, but this relationship is played up where the literal child is suggested to be the exploitative villain of the pair, not the adult having sex with him. The book was also completely plotless bar this unenjoyable 'forbidden romance'. The characters were 2D and I just didn't find myself gripped at any point.
'The Lemon Grove' is set in Mallorca on a family holiday. Middle aged stepmum Jenn is having a bit of a mid life crisis, and when her step-daughter Emma brings along her new boyfriend on the family holiday, the family dynamic takes a nosedive. Emma and Jenn are already at loggerheads, and when Jenn realises she's attracted to Emma's boyfriend, and begins flirting with him, she threatens to tip everything over the balance.
My main issue with this is that it's an erotic book based around a sexual relationship between a middle aged woman and a 17 year old man. I just think if you were reading a book where their genders were reversed you would expect to be entirely repulsed, but this relationship is played up where the literal child is suggested to be the exploitative villain of the pair, not the adult having sex with him. The book was also completely plotless bar this unenjoyable 'forbidden romance'. The characters were 2D and I just didn't find myself gripped at any point.
katforbooks's review against another edition
2.25
Creepy, pathetic middle-aged women and family drama. It was a quick read at least
mayblegrace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sweetbreads's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
What a ridiculous book. Nobody is likeable, not even the 15 year old daughter. Jenn becomes obsessed with Nathan out of nowhere. Honestly don't get what the author was on when she wrote this pile of shitÂ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
atlantic_reader_wannabe's review against another edition
4.0
This book wasn't what I was expecting: Cougar finds boy toy and has wild sex everywhere. An exotic locale, obsession, and a scandal made this book a very interesting one. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes erotica.
*won on GoodReads First Reads*
*won on GoodReads First Reads*
ruthsomerset's review against another edition
2.0
I really disliked all the characters in this book - none of them had any redeeming features at all. The main character was a 40 year old having an affair with her 15 year old step-daughters boyfriend. There was no suspense, no passionate glances, no building of romance, in fact the boy isn't a nice character either and I don't understand why a "happily" married woman would find him attractive in the slightest. They meet and were almost immediately having sex, with no apparent guilt from either party, which seems so unbelievable.
The dialogue was stilted and clunky, and as for those "steamy" sex scenes that were promised on the back cover blurb...where were they??!
The best parts of this book were the descriptions of the country and landscape which totally transported me to the location, and the fact that this book is very short and quick to read.
The dialogue was stilted and clunky, and as for those "steamy" sex scenes that were promised on the back cover blurb...where were they??!
The best parts of this book were the descriptions of the country and landscape which totally transported me to the location, and the fact that this book is very short and quick to read.
stephjones71's review against another edition
3.0
Liked the writing & setting but ugh who would sleep with their daughter's boyfriend?