Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by solaceinprose
Dirty Desires by Crystal Kaswell
1.0
I originally gave this book 3 stars, but the more I think about it and the more I let it sit, this book is actually quite rubbish. I usually don't bother rating books I read for free off of Prime Reading because I usually know what I'm getting isn't the best, but I've been surprised before so I took a chance.
When the blurb said that Eve was 18, I paused but went ahead because age gaps are a guilty pleasure of mine. It can be done well, I've seen it done well. This? Was not done well. Not only was Eve 18, but she was BARELY out of high school when this book starts. She thinks she's smarter than she is but when it came to actually being able to articulate or respond to anything Ian said, it's always just "Oh." "I want to fuck you senseless." "Oh." REALLY? That's the best she could come up with? I'd have taken, "Cool, same" over another goddamn "Oh." Eve was supposed to be goth and punk rock and it's supposed to be this big thing, but she's living in New York where "alternative" looks are part of the every day norm. The fact that her looks and her stupid high heel combat boots (ah yes, so fucking punk) felt fetishized. Ian fetishized her the entire fucking story. It wasn't sexy nor was it romantic.
The fact that everyone, but Ian's brother (who I actually really liked and would read his story) didn't bat an eye that she was 18-FRESH OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL- seemed a little creepy and honestly, these are the people I wouldn't want to be around. Then again, the rich have their own set of rules so I guess that was fitting for this book. Just another rich dude preying on a vulnerable poor barely legal girl and can make her problems disappear if she sleeps with him. That's the only reason I can think as to why this book as such high ratings is the amount of wish fulfillment is in this book.
I could also talk about how deeply disturbing it is and how it reeks of racist undertones to have Ian be a Black man, but I'm not wasting my time on that. Romance authors barely touch on the nuances of race in their stories, so why fucking bother.
The writing was also pretentious as hell the more I think about it. This wasn't good, and as interested as I am in Tyler's story, I just can't be bothered to read another one of her stories.
When the blurb said that Eve was 18, I paused but went ahead because age gaps are a guilty pleasure of mine. It can be done well, I've seen it done well. This? Was not done well. Not only was Eve 18, but she was BARELY out of high school when this book starts. She thinks she's smarter than she is but when it came to actually being able to articulate or respond to anything Ian said, it's always just "Oh." "I want to fuck you senseless." "Oh." REALLY? That's the best she could come up with? I'd have taken, "Cool, same" over another goddamn "Oh." Eve was supposed to be goth and punk rock and it's supposed to be this big thing, but she's living in New York where "alternative" looks are part of the every day norm. The fact that her looks and her stupid high heel combat boots (ah yes, so fucking punk) felt fetishized. Ian fetishized her the entire fucking story. It wasn't sexy nor was it romantic.
The fact that everyone, but Ian's brother (who I actually really liked and would read his story) didn't bat an eye that she was 18-FRESH OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL- seemed a little creepy and honestly, these are the people I wouldn't want to be around. Then again, the rich have their own set of rules so I guess that was fitting for this book. Just another rich dude preying on a vulnerable poor barely legal girl and can make her problems disappear if she sleeps with him. That's the only reason I can think as to why this book as such high ratings is the amount of wish fulfillment is in this book.
I could also talk about how deeply disturbing it is and how it reeks of racist undertones to have Ian be a Black man, but I'm not wasting my time on that. Romance authors barely touch on the nuances of race in their stories, so why fucking bother.
The writing was also pretentious as hell the more I think about it. This wasn't good, and as interested as I am in Tyler's story, I just can't be bothered to read another one of her stories.