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A review by nikitanavalkar
Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Hello, welcome to a Sierra Simone book. Come for the profoundly sexy smut, stay for the pretty turns of phrase and the occasional philosophical discussion. Or is it the other way round? Anyway whatever you came for be rest assured you will find it and more. The woman knows how to snare your senses with beautifully woven word tapestries cleverly disguising stories of exquisite pain and torture and sex and sorrow and heart squeezing joy underneath. Is it any wonder I’m obsessed with her word magic?
Coming back from that tangent, with this foray into the Lyonesse world, Ms Simone is back within her favored hunting grounds of DC and international politics, secret agency shenanigans, moody Cornish cottages, and elegantly dirty high society kink. A combination no one else can pull off with such panache. I know I said this in my Salt in the Wound review, but it bears repeating, this series feels like returning home to my Camelot loving heart, even though it’s not at all like Camelot other than for the obvious connections. And yes, do not directly jump into this book, reading SitW first is mandatory to make it make sense. While SitW gave us the first taste of the dynamic between Mark and Isolde and the tiniest hint of Tristan, Salt Kiss lets us sink our teeth in the other relationships of the series. And they are ~fraught~ you guys.
Bebe Tristan is in deep deep shit, falling first for his step uncle slash boss and then for said boss’s fiancé. And that’s not even the half of it. The boss is Mark Trevena, enigmatic former spy now kink club owner extraordinaire, and his affianced is Isolde, platinum spooned (and haired hehe) banking heiress with religious aspirations tempered with a penchant for blades and pain. And bb Tristan is the cinnamonest of rolls. With an edge, but still the goldenest of retrievers. All he wants is love, the poor puppy. Must proteccc at all costs. Ironic, since he’s the bodyguard, but lord sneaky and lady stabby are the ones wanting to do the protecting.
Speaking of the devils, Simone has created a truly delightful morally corrupt antihero in Mark Trevena, ruthlessly cold and diabolical. Machiavellian mastermind. Unlike her usual heroes, who tend to be ultimately noble and good even when they’re freaky sadists in the sheets, Mark is none of those things (except for a sadist) and therein lies his appeal. Basically Mark can pull my hair and step on me, and I’ll say thank you. Not that we know any of his motivations or plans yet, he’s one sneaky daddy dom. Isolde too, is all restrained elegance and silken strength, but we already know she’s hella diabolical. Isolde can also step on me. Bebe T has his work cut out for him.
Can you believe I’ve written half a paper on this book and not even mentioned the 🌶️ content? Ms Simone is a legend among her peers, and a poet among (erotic) writers. No matter what dirty and depraved activities she’s writing about, reading it feels more sacred than prayer, and more transcendent than meditation. Never tell me romance is just porn. Ms. Simone is as skilled at edging her readers as Mark Trevena is his subs, and that’s saying something, because we are brought enticingly close to confirming theories and proving speculations but then you’re already at the edge of that cliffy and all I can do now is wait for March so I can be relieved from my misery and longing. And SO CAN THEY! They will be right, Ms Simone?! RIGHT???
CW:
Cheating (ish) but they all like each other so it’s fine don’t worry about it, mentions of PTSD and war (in the past), bdsm (I don’t think this needs to be a warning but if you need it) this is a kinky book okay
*I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*
***
Post bonus scene musings:
This scene is a thing of beauty. In that you can absolutely go about your life without it and you won’t be missing critical info. But at the same time it teases and baits and foreshadows and will overall enhance your reading experience of the series. So you should go read it anyway. And yes, it’s wonderfully smutty
Coming back from that tangent, with this foray into the Lyonesse world, Ms Simone is back within her favored hunting grounds of DC and international politics, secret agency shenanigans, moody Cornish cottages, and elegantly dirty high society kink. A combination no one else can pull off with such panache. I know I said this in my Salt in the Wound review, but it bears repeating, this series feels like returning home to my Camelot loving heart, even though it’s not at all like Camelot other than for the obvious connections. And yes, do not directly jump into this book, reading SitW first is mandatory to make it make sense. While SitW gave us the first taste of the dynamic between Mark and Isolde and the tiniest hint of Tristan, Salt Kiss lets us sink our teeth in the other relationships of the series. And they are ~fraught~ you guys.
Bebe Tristan is in deep deep shit, falling first for his step uncle slash boss and then for said boss’s fiancé. And that’s not even the half of it. The boss is Mark Trevena, enigmatic former spy now kink club owner extraordinaire, and his affianced is Isolde, platinum spooned (and haired hehe) banking heiress with religious aspirations tempered with a penchant for blades and pain. And bb Tristan is the cinnamonest of rolls. With an edge, but still the goldenest of retrievers. All he wants is love, the poor puppy. Must proteccc at all costs. Ironic, since he’s the bodyguard, but lord sneaky and lady stabby are the ones wanting to do the protecting.
Speaking of the devils, Simone has created a truly delightful morally corrupt antihero in Mark Trevena, ruthlessly cold and diabolical. Machiavellian mastermind. Unlike her usual heroes, who tend to be ultimately noble and good even when they’re freaky sadists in the sheets, Mark is none of those things (except for a sadist) and therein lies his appeal. Basically Mark can pull my hair and step on me, and I’ll say thank you. Not that we know any of his motivations or plans yet, he’s one sneaky daddy dom. Isolde too, is all restrained elegance and silken strength, but we already know she’s hella diabolical. Isolde can also step on me. Bebe T has his work cut out for him.
Can you believe I’ve written half a paper on this book and not even mentioned the 🌶️ content? Ms Simone is a legend among her peers, and a poet among (erotic) writers. No matter what dirty and depraved activities she’s writing about, reading it feels more sacred than prayer, and more transcendent than meditation. Never tell me romance is just porn. Ms. Simone is as skilled at edging her readers as Mark Trevena is his subs, and that’s saying something, because we are brought enticingly close to confirming theories and proving speculations but then you’re already at the edge of that cliffy and all I can do now is wait for March so I can be relieved from my misery and longing. And SO CAN THEY! They will be right, Ms Simone?! RIGHT???
CW:
Cheating (ish) but they all like each other so it’s fine don’t worry about it, mentions of PTSD and war (in the past), bdsm (I don’t think this needs to be a warning but if you need it) this is a kinky book okay
*I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own*
***
Post bonus scene musings:
This scene is a thing of beauty. In that you can absolutely go about your life without it and you won’t be missing critical info. But at the same time it teases and baits and foreshadows and will overall enhance your reading experience of the series. So you should go read it anyway. And yes, it’s wonderfully smutty
Content Warnings
Moderate: War