Stacia in Progress

Adult review for very dark/somewhat taboo erotic content. "Verbal abuse? Zach, where I come from 'slut' is a term of endearment. Want to see where I come from?""No."And so begins our tale of an erotica writer and her editor...or does it? You might want to throw out your preconceived notions of what to expect with this book because it's doubtful that any of your expectations will be met.The Players in our twisted game :Nora - She has three men by the balls, yet somehow can't seem to keep a firm grip on any of them.Zach - The editor with demons to exorcise.Wesley - The inexperienced virgin who just might know more than we give him credit for.Soren - Big bad. You hate him, you're intrigued by him, you know he's not one to be messed with.Grace - The ghost of a person who isn't even dead.Ladies and Gentlemen! Step right up and watch as 'The Siren' singlehandedly wrecks havoc in the lives of our cast members. No admission fee required (except for the cost of the book)!If there's one thing that worked for this story, it was the curiosity factor. At first, I wasn't sure where we were headed. From the way the book starts, you automatically assume one thing. By the time you make it about halfway, you realize there's no way you can assume anything. There were definitely surprises a'plenty.I honestly couldn't find fault with the writing or the story. I'd been expecting a dark erotica but found that this read more like "mainstream literature reinterpreting erotica," which is interesting, considering that this was exactly what the female author character in the book was trying to do. We were wrapped in a story within a story and it made me wonder how much of The Siren came from Tiffany Reisz's own experience. That, to me, is a sign of accomplishment in writing.If you're wondering why I didn't go for a higher rating, I'll have to say that my own personal opinion of where the book should have gone did dampen my enthusiasm. With some books, the ending could be one I despised, yet I'm still able to award 5 stars because of an emotion brought out in me (yes, I have been pissed off at a book to the point of hatred and still felt it worthy of 5 stars). Unfortunately, the only emotion I felt when I came to the end was melancholy and not in "bawling my eyes out" sort of way. In this instance, melancholy just felt like a bit of a letdown. I saw the reason for the decision but failed to care for the solution.If the mixing of religious undertones and sexual overtures will make you uncomfortable, you'll want to stay away from this book. I can't say anything without giving a spoiler but expect some of that, along with some dark BDSM notes. For better or worse, this was an exquisitely written book. "If you come back to me," he said, making a rare concession, "will you run or will you crawl?"Resting her head on his strong shoulder, she watched as a tear forged a river down his long and muscled back."I'll fly."