Official Review: Tales From The Outskirts of Life

[Frannie Annie]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tales From The Outskirts of Life" by B. K. Sunshine.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Tales From The Outskirts Of Life by B.K. Sunshine is about a sexy encounter between Justin, an entrepreneur new to town, and Olivia, the Director of Surgery at the local hospital. The catch is, Olivia is already married. When she attends his business seminars, they both feel an intense attraction to each other and start meeting every Tuesday to have a passionate affair. But what consequences will befall the two troublemakers when Olivia's husband finds out and Justin decides that one lover isn't enough to satisfy his desires?

Overall, I think the story was executed fairly well. My favorite part was seeing Justin and Olivia's twisted motives for getting involved in an affair that they both knew was wrong. Justin quickly grew dependent on the boost to his fragile ego, while Olivia wanted to feel what it was like for someone to crave her sexually again.

The book seems to be going for a sexy, mysterious atmosphere with a little foreshadowing mixed in. Although I enjoyed reading about these characters' desires, some of the intrigue was lost on me. Part of it was the words that the author used when she described characters as "large and in charge", or when Olivia goes "a-puffin and a-fluffin" to recapture her disinterested husband's attention. I've always found this language slightly tacky, and the context in which these words are used makes it worse. Why on earth would I be turned on at the thought of some "secret dance of sublime and subtle passion" between Olivia and Justin when it's obvious that one of them is married?

Speaking of passion, there are a lot of explicit sex scenes in this book. I thought they were well done, especially since the characters' feelings and circumstances affect their performance in these scenes. I will say the author overuses the words "goodie box" and "mountain" just a little. I hadn't realized the book was erotica at first, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

What I disliked the most was the pacing toward the end of the story. Olivia's desire to uncover her husband's activities led to a back and forth search that seemed rushed, and there were plot points that seemed to be thrown in just to lead to more erotic scenes. Even though it sets up a good atmosphere, I still think some of the plot could have been handled more neatly.

Sadly, I had to take away a star for all the errors I found in the book. The dialogue also appears unpolished because it often doesn't end with the proper punctuation. For example, some questions end with a comma rather than a question mark. Sometimes the author will break up the dialogue by starting a new line when the same character is speaking, which makes it more confusing to keep up with.

I give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. Pacing issues and punctuation aside, the story was entertaining and I finished it quickly. The ending was satisfying and appropriate for all of the characters involved. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy looking at what happens when two people screw up their lives with a series of bad decisions.

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Tales From The Outskirts of Life
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[LinaJan]

Hhmm... It sounds to quite an easy read. On the other hand, I'm a sworn fan of 'smart' language, so those tacky phrases that you mention in your review would rattle me a little too. Erotica can be classy, but this one does not sound like it falls into that category.

Thank you for such an informative review!

[AvidBibliophile]

I kind of had to laugh at the phrase “a-puffin and a-fluffin” because that’s certainly not commonplace terminology one often encounters. The brazen infidelity aspect does often make legitimate romances more challenging for me to fully accept as well, but overall, it sounds like this one had some positive aspects worth exploring. Love the cover, and thanks for your insightful review!

[Usma Khann]

Why do I feel this is one of those stereotypical forbidden erotica romantic novel. Nevertheless, appreciate the insightful review.

[Joseph_ngaruiya]

I smiled when reading your review. It's detailed and I'm tempted to say that new arrivals in town are always a hot catch in some countries. I like the book cover artwork. With a few amendments, this book will make it on the bookshelves of many.

[kljrox]

I got a kick out of your review and had to laugh at the unfortunate phrases in the book. I’m curious about the book now and just might have to read it myself. Thank you for a fun and informative review.