Strange Attractions

Rating:
Summary: Best romance/erotica book ever!!!
Review: This book truly is the best in its field and this comes from a girl who owns the entire set of black lace erotica, plenty of other erotica, a good sampling of ellora's cave, and pretty much everything considered mainstream romance that flirts with and sometimes puts out for the erotic. I am not uninitiated. My first romance was Robin Schone's AWAKEN MY LOVE when I was 12. I truly feel qualified to make this statement: Emma Holly with her hybrid background, is the divine and reigning empress of both worlds. While her mainstream romance is very enjoyable and earns very high marks, deep down, as a reader, I really wonder what else would be present in those stories if they were completely uncensored. I like to think that her characters in her romances are acting like her Black Lace characters on pages that were ripped out of my edition.
Holly fans will of course compare this book to Menage, which is another fine book, but the dynamic of the relationship and the characters are very different. If I were to oversimplify what this book is, I would say "Menage meets Dara Joy's High Energy." But anyone familiar with Emma Holly knows that there is nothing simple about her work.
Charity is a fun loving and open minded free spirit who has nothing to lose when offered a chance to live with a man who seriously turns her on and his strange "boss." The boss turns out to be a megarich physics genius who likes to play games. Oh, the "on the verge of turning mad" scientists get to me every time. It's almost enough to make me want to take out a personals ad in a science magazine. BG is a powerful, attractive, and personable man, yet he is a recluse who has a hard time figuring out his relationship to other people including his lover Eric. Eric and BG were childhood friends and later sweethearts, but while their love and physical affection is alive and extremely active, somehow in the breakdown of their relationship, BG always has the upper hand. Eric would never try to be on top of any situation, even if it was for BG's own good. Enter carefree Charity who adds the perfect weight to even out their offbalance relationship. She truly turns out to be that missing ingredient that turns a good dessert recipe into a treasure map.
And yeah, the sex is hot, but you knew that... Hopefully, Strange Attractions will have to surrender it's title in June, 2006 when her next "pervy chick lit" novel will be released.

Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal! Quantum physics, steamy sex and WHAT a story!
Review: I've been reading Emma Holly's wonderful stories since her black lace days and I think this is her best book yet.

Charity is recruited to be a 'guest' at reclusive physicist B. G. Grantham's estate by the sexy Eric for some experiment in the art of desire. Emma really outdid herself on this one! The story has wonderful characters, sexy scenes, fascinating science facts and a mystery to boot!

This story is touching, funny, spiritual, smart and sexy as all get out!

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: I've read all of Emma Holly's erotic novels. This is the first that has truly disappointed me. Character development is usually a strong point for Ms. Holly, though not so here -- the heroine and her cohorts are stock. The story was cliche ridden and the erotic passages were not up to the author's usual standard. It's not bad, it's just ordinary, and I expect more than ordinary from an Emma Holly book.

Rating:
Summary: Very sexy
Review: I've read her other erotica and wasn't always excited about it. This is the first one I really like. Be warned that the males are bisexual and even that is well written. You will enjoy this one.

Rating:
Summary: It's All About Pleasing and Being Pleasured...
Review: My initial thoughts once I realized BG - "Benjamin", the self proclaimed and acknowledged "Master" researcher of human desire and quantum physics - conducted gratifying sexual `tests' with men and women involving multiple bisexual partners, cameras, adult toys, I thought of a modern day `Caligula' scenario. However, once Emma Holly developed and elucidated compassion towards each character (especially BG), I became enthralled. The story is more dripping wet erotica (sex, sex and more sex) versus romance (focusing more on plots developing into a meaningful relationship between heroine and hero). The familiar themes dealing with built up sexual tension and repressed expressions of love coupled with the need for release soared high - regardless of the orientation of the recipient and method of release. The baser "strange" ambiance swirling around human DESIRE and NEED - to unconditionally love and be loved - won out. So forgive me for appearing totally carnal minded, BUT...Good golly Ms. Holly!

If you enjoyed Ms. Holly's "Ménage", you will surely enjoy this. Although I missed the sensual spontaneous role playing of "Ménage", I enjoyed BG's mystery mansion and gentle seductiveness; Charity's wittiness, maturity and level headedness in decision making; Eric's honesty with his sexuality and feelings of love; and the remaining characters' realistic personalities / individuality.


Rating:
Summary: As die hard Emma Holly fan .... this isn't my cup of tea ...
Review: Sooner or later I guess the 'in' fashion of homo and bi-sexuality certainly had to hit one of my favotite authors. Too bad cause I think this is one of the very few Emma Holly books that I give anything less than 5 stars .....


First of all the story is a fantasy, highly unlikely in the real world. One of the authors strenghts in her other books is to take real people in real situations and spin extraordinary erotic tales. In Strange Attlractions we have a young woman, Charity Wills, accepting a contract to become a sexual experiment for BG Grantham (Bill Gates type of super wealthy nuclear physicist) and his man Friday, Erik Berne (super good looking male model type). In return she gets her Harvard style nuclear etc etc degree fully paid for by BG.


You get the picture.... well the book totally falls appart from the get go. When Erik appears at the place where poor little Charity is working as a lowly clerk, she immediately strat on 'I'm not that kind of girl' thing and I have slapped previous men who make degrading offers ... fine and good .... only thing is that a few pages later she's not only sitting in BG's Rolls with Erik on the way to the campus/home of BG, but, they just happen to stop along the way when Charity screams stop the car "I want this man to take me, and I'm not going any farther until he does"! So, on page 56 the driver just does that and of course takes Charity while BG is watching through a minature camera that was installed in the limo....


Enough of Charity's character development ...


OK so now to BG and Erik ... well the relationship is very sexual and if you like books that describe men getting it on together .. well then you'll rate this one as five stars .... for me, I found the scenes of these two sexual olympians to be a complete turn off, contrived, shallow, and just plain dumb ...


Certainly not Emma Holly type erotica this book is more like wealthy people in cheap porn ......


Rating:
Summary: Sensual and Enticing
Review: Strange Attractions is a highly sensual book, with graphic sex scenes dominating the theme. In addition, there is an interesting story in between the sex. There are a few things going on: 1) a woman makes a deal where she agrees to be a sexual experiment, 2) a love triangle occurs with two men and a woman, 3) the men in the triangle are bisexual. The first two elements appeal to me but the third kind of ruined the sexual part of the book for me. However, the story was so good that I didn't mind that too much. I felt it could have been a little more romantic, for which I took away one star, but otherwise it was quite good and I recommend it, especially to men who might be into bisexual stuff (you won't find better than this - except maybe "Tristan" in "Beauty's Release" - which even got me a little excited about bisexual men!). As for women, there is some good erotica in this book for you too, but I would also recommend "Bedtime Stories for Women" or again, "Beauty's Release" for a truly erotic experience.

Rating:
Summary: For Teens?
Review: This is pretty racy, I'm just surprised to see this on the same page as Lemony Snicket, C.S. Lewis and Meg Cabot. Is this an oversight?

Rating:
Summary: A real love story
Review: With the exception of one, the elusive In the Flesh, I've read all of Emma Holly's novels and Strange Attractions is my favourite by far. This is a real love story. It might be unconventional, but the feelings shared by the three lead characters feel real and that's what makes it work.

A quick synopsis of the plot: Eric and B.G. have been best friends since childhood and lovers since College. From the outside looking in they appear to have a Dom/sub relationship with Eric following B.G's instructions as both an employee and sexual partner. However, B.G. has begun to sense his lover is looking for a relationship that is much more stable than what he can offer. So, out of love for his friend he begins to search for a partner to take his place in Eric's life. He finds one, or rather Eric picks one unknowingly, and things go well until B.G. begins to fall in love with her himself.

As characters go, I found all three leads fit well together (pun intended). I found Eric was the best developed with B.G. remaining a bit of mystery till the end. Charity had just the right blend of experience, ambition and lust to make it all believable. The supporting players were very well done with the Chauffer being a favourite of mine. In most erotic novels the secondary characters are only there to give the author more sexual opportunities but these guys have something to do that helps the plot along.

Again, the highlight of this novel was the love Eric, BG and Charity shared and it's what I think sets Emma Holly apart from other erotica novels. Sex is great, hot and steamy sex is even better, but it is much nicer when the characters care about each other. I really hope Ms. Holly writes more novels along this lines.

Rating:
Summary: flawless Multi-POV makes this brilliantly spellbinding
Review: You never quite know what to expect from Emma Holly, which is obviously her intent. She is a writer that continually fascinates me. I don't choose erotic fiction as a matter of routine, because honestly, most of it fails to deliver on the one level I want most - makes me care about the characters. Recently in a debate about the levels of sexuality in Romance in general, some came down on the side of sizzling hot, some for chaste Regency Romances. I said, "Frankly, I don't care which road you ask me to travel; tell a good story, and I will enjoy it." And for me, that is so true. I enjoy Sandra Heath Regency tales as much as I enjoy Angela Knight or Emma Holly, two of the red-hot sizzling writers of today. Why Holly continually leads me down roads I'd travel less is she starts with the most important ingredient: characters. She creates very human, very alive people, reaches in and grabs your heart, and then proceeds to push emotional and physical boundaries like no other writer around.

Once again, with her newest work, Strange Attractions, Holly delivers up a spicy, but emotional dish. An O.T.T. scientist is obsessed with knowing the why of everything. And the most elusive why to him is emotional response and feelings. When he is not being this era's Albert Einstein, Grantham unwinds by playing games with people - his very own human Kens and Barbies, trying to figure out what makes them react as they do. A one man Think Tank, B.G. Grantham very selectively chooses his candidates, looking for people that are strong willed, but flawed. His right hand is Eric Berne - Grantham's Man Friday and Ken doll rolled into one. It's time for Grantham to unwind from his more earth-saving pursuits, so he sends Eric out to find a new subject.

Eric has chosen sexy, wisecracking Charity Willis. Charity immediately wins the readers over. She is a gal who loves being a woman, short skirt, tight tops. Coming from a less than spotless background of a mother who moved about, and "uncles" who moved in and out of Charity's life with the regularity of the Navy, Charity has learn to protect herself. She is wound, yet resilient; she won't take gruff from people who mistake her delight in being sexy as a come on to any Tom, Dick and Harry. But life has not given Charity any breaks. She means well, but she's been fire from more jobs than she had "uncles". She's bright, but little applies herself, because what's the point?

Charity has seen Eric around the offices where she works, Future-Tech, even had the strange sensation he was following her on several occasions. She is attracted to the sexy man, but feels that a man like him would be interested in a girl like her for only one reason. When she's called to the personnel office, she at first fears getting fired for perpetually being late. She is ushered into the office by Eric who says he has a proposal for her. Charity steels herself for the usual, and is ready to put him in his place. Instead, Eric tells about his employer, how he likes to study people, their pleasure, what makes them tick and offers her the job of being Grantham's personal Barbie Doll for a period, after which they will pay for her college education, see she gets a good position with a job that has a future. After hearing the terms of the contract, Charity agrees feeling life has never given her a chance to get ahead before. Since the contract spells out that anytime she feels uncomfortable with Grantham's requests, she just has to say the word, they will bring her back to her home and the contract will end, Charity thinks she has nothing to lose.

So begins the journey of education of this touching brave young woman, that leaves the reader spellbound, with Eric as her guide. A modern twist, a cross between Svengali and My Fair Lady, done as only Holly can do. She strongly, flawlessly uses Multi-POV (point of view) to keep the reader attuned to all her characters inner emotions. Simply put, Emma Holly told me a good story and I enjoyed it. Her brilliance, her open-mindedness, and her willingness to test the envelope mark her as the brightest star in fiction - par none!