Review: Claudine – Barbara Palmer

Maria Lantos has a secret. She’s a post-grad student researching early erotic literature at Yale who puts her studies to work after hours as a courtesan named Claudine specializing in erotic role play. Her allure and stock of sexual tricks command top dollar from international clients. When Maria receives anonymous text messages filled with chilling threats, she knows her secret is out, and someone is hunting her—someone who knows a lot about her past and who’s intent on playing a starring role in her present.

As Claudine, she loves the brief anonymous liaisons that allow her to explore the darker side of power and desire. But now it’s Maria’s turn. Two men—charismatic Yale professor Reid Whitman and her business manager, Andrei Barinov—will test the limits of her sexuality and safety, forcing her to discover the depth of the dark places within her.
Claudine combines the pace of a thriller, the deep emotional connection of a romance, and the heat of a beautiful woman’s sexual discovery.

Series:
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: by Berkley Trade
Source: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Elizabeth
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

The synopsis is what made the decision for me to review the book. On occasion, I enjoy a little erotica in my books and I’m a sucker for suspense/thriller type reads so I had high hopes when I started Claudine. Unfortunately, as I worked my way through the story, I realized that the book was going to be a challenge.

Keeping the review spoiler free, I won’t go into specific details but I will say that often times, Maria’s internal dialogue felt clinical. This could be due to the fact that I didn’t like Maria’s character at all. It’s not the content of the book that I’m speaking of; it was coming to terms with the delivery of the story that soured the reading experience for me.

The story failed to evoke my emotions. I started the book with an open mind but the content never lit a spark of interest. There were a few instances when Maria revealed parts of her VERY horrible past that I felt sympathy for her, but her character was stoical making it difficult to relate to her.

I also wished there was more of an emphasis on the eighteenth–century literature aspect in the book; it seemed like more of an afterthought than an essential part of the story. The concept of the plot was promising but the story just didn’t do it for me.