The Siren

So, what happens when a seminary student working on her Master’s in Theology drops out to become an erotica author? The Siren . I’ll admit I had NO intention of reading this book. I don’t really care for erotica, or S&M—probably because, though I have a high tolerance for it, I do not actually enjoy pain. But I’m sooo glad I did! Though I’d seen numerous 5 star reviews, I’d never read beyond the first one or two lines—"this isn’t an erotic romance" … "this isn’t a love story" … "there is no HEA". And I love an HEA! So why read it? Simple. A while back it was the "daily deal" at Amazon and I just can’t seem to help myself when a highly rated book is discounted to 99 cents or a $1.99. I know … I’m such a pushover. It’s true, curiosity got the better of me, but at least I knew going into the read what not to expect. Right? “Don’t judge a book by its mother. Just read.” Nothing could have prepared me for The Siren—think modern day Thornbirds, but much, much darker. The readers who said this story had no HEA … well, that isn’t entirely true. I’m not even going to try to summarize the story, other than to say, this isn’t a love story, per se, but an intensely complex, thought provoking story about love, relationships, faith, and desire. “I don’t want to write this story any more than you want to read it.” Much like her protagonist in the story, the author doesn’t shy away from controversial topics. Her writing is fearless, shameless and unapologetic. Her characters are…

Coloring inside the lines and following the rules of romance is not something that applies to Tiffany Reisz or the story she has written with; The Siren. She has made up her own rules for her characters and the story progress, and I was engrossed by it. The Siren might not be a romance in the traditional sense of the word but it is in fact a story of the heart, of emotions, of conflict and passions. Not every author makes such a story work for me because I need characters whom I care about and whom fit an out-of-the-box story. All I can say is that Tiffany Reisz hit the mark with Nora, she is the epicenter of The Siren in which everything revolves around. I am blown away by the depth and layered characterization of each character but Nora was fascinating me from the get-go. She is full of joie de vivre, unapologetic in her passions, straight forward in her opinions and with each page I wanted more of her. Her inner conflicts resonated with me, connected me to her and kept me on edge where she would go and what she would ultimately choose for herself. Reisz created such a distinct and memorable female lead with Nora that it is a good thing she created equally distinct and memorable men to opposite Nora. Zach, Søren and Wesley are three men in Nora's life for different reasons. Zach is an editor and assigned to Nora's new erotica book. He is layered and conflicted with an attitude that, in combination with Nora, made the pages sizzle and burn just by their interaction alone.…

WARNING: SPOILERS! And this is the replica of the review I left on Goodreads, so forgive me if it's jarring in how it's broken up by dates when I commented while reading this book. September, 7, 2012 I'm on chapter 7, and holy crap, I love this story! It's exactly what I needed after a rough week. I identify with both Nora and Zach perfectly. I love how there's a subtle triangle with Wesley, her intern. So much glorious pain; it drags my heart on the ground as I'm reading. I love it when a story holds me prisoner and won't let go! There are so many facets of this story that ring true to me and reflect portions of my own life. It's almost scary. I feel like this author took from my soul and embellished my life into a well-weaved tapestry of pain, destruction, passion and breath. I fear I may not get anything done today because I'll be glued to this book. It started out a little slow and bland for my taste, but then it snowballed into a delightful mess, and I was hooked completely. I absolutely have to share the most poignant moments and my burning thoughts: When Nora delves into Zach's name and background right away, disarming him with how much she knows about him, I had to laugh. I could see myself doing research on somebody I anticipated meeting, and then freaking them out in the process when I reveal what I know. She's relentless in her pursuit for knowledge on this man, and I don't even think she knows why she's compelled to do this. I do. I know exactly... but it's…

Flustered. That is how this book left me feeling. Completely and utterly flustered. What started as a reasonably slow paced book which initially failed to grab my full attention, quickly became something that overtook all my thoughts and made me want more. I find it really difficult to summarise this book into a nice little paragraph. I don't believe the events in this book are as important as what Nora goes through emotionally. I see Nora as an exquisitely developed character with such an interesting personality whose colourful facets make this book exciting. Each one of the secondary characters - Zach, Søren and Wesley - represent a different side of Nora. Zach challenges her mind, makes her see herself as a serious writer but makes her work for it. He also awakens the seductress in Nora. He represents something she can have but is not sure whether she really wants. Seducing Zach is a fun game, it brings out the playful and confident woman in Nora, a woman that goes after what she wants and has fun doing it. Wesley makes Nora question her life choices and makes her want to be a better person. He is 100% vanilla but he is safe, comforting, self-sacrificing and pure. She doesn't see herself as evil or bad but she is not sure whether she would ever deserve someone as good as Wes, or whether she would ultimately end up corrupting his soul. Wesley's love for Nora is black and white. He knows who and what she is, he knows what she does and he does not like it. He does not…

Review contains spoilers. The Siren starts off promisingly, with two middle-aged characters named Zach and Nora who are well-developed and, though not totally likeable, interesting. Nora is the Dominatrix-cum erotica writer-cum Serious Novelist who's hoping to make a name for herself in the literary world. Zach is her reluctant editor, and also the Everyman, the average reader's window into Nora's BDSM world and all of its wonders. The problem is, by the final third of the novel, the wonders are getting overplayed and over-the-top, and so is Nora and everyone else in her coterie. Let's see, we've got the impossibly innocent and wholesome Wesley (an infatuated 19-year-old who lives with her and is her "best friend"); a "zut-alors!" accented Frenchman whose name I can't be bothered to remember, but who runs the BDSM club where Nora works; Nora's on-again-off-again lover, an alpha male Catholic priest named Soren; and a few inconsequential female characters who inevitably pale in Nora's light and wander off, never to be seen again. We are often told that Nora is hypnotic, entrancing, and--my favorite--"dangerous." In fact, Zach's estranged wife says that Nora is the only Other Woman whom she could forgive her husband for straying with. She's just that compelling, yo. In the midst of all this, Zach is a calming influence. He's got his baggage (see: estranged wife), but he's an intelligent, thoughtful man with a really well-developed voice and perspective. His POV sections…