Jenny Nordbak

A broken love made whole again.

3-3.5-ish stars

Ok, so I enjoyed a lot of this book but it is with caveats. I loved the first book in this series, His Leading Lady so I was kind of disappointed but still would recommend Her Filthy Rockstar . . .

First, what I loved - the sex work representation was so good ESPECIALLY for FSSW. People have families and significant others AND do sex work - and it is just that: work. It is a job and people do it for many reasons; some people love their jobs, some people hate their jobs and some folks are indifferent - the spectrum of reasons and feelings are all valid- Jenny did a wonderful job showing that! I also really liked how Zane was into Maia meeting with clients - it became part of their own role-play - AND it really makes you think about body autonomy. You own your body so you choose what you do with and to it. Being in a relationship with someone does not mean they own your body and all of your choices. I liked all the scenes about life on tour - how it is necessary, as a musician, but also comes with so much pressure! There are some beautifully written tender moments between the Maia and Zane that made my heart smile. Along with those beautiful moments there was some great boundary and trust conversations. I also appreciated how non-monogamy was approached.

Now what just didn't work - although I really enjoyed the flashback scenes, I did not like what was happening in a lot of the present-day scenes. Like, the deceit and kidnapping just did not work for me at all. So many "friends" were in on this plot and I did not like it. It was difficult to suspend belief for "romance reasons" and I think it could have been handled better - it felt so uneven (however, after about 70ish percent in, I was back to enjoying it). This is a second chance romance and I wanted more of how past Maia and Zane became their present-day selves, right? I was interested in how Zane came to be into fire-play and how Maia came to be so successful in both careers. Also, the virginity thing. Uff ok so I do not believe in virginity - it is a social construct and very much relies on gendered roles. Zane never had p-in-v sex when he hired Maia for sex (this is how they meet) but he has experience with giving and receiving oral. So, for me, making a big deal out of him being a virgin was weird - like, I get Jenny may have been trying to subvert the virgin role with this but it was a huge miss for me. And Zane is queer so like, what the fuck?

Also what didn't work but isn't just an issue with this book - way too much entanglement between all supporting characters and the MCs. I want people to have space and that just is not possible when everyone you work with is in your shit and also dating your partner's brother, etc. etc. Again, this isn't just an issue I have with this book but with MANY romance books. Some series are better at creating a world where characters know one another but there is enough separation between them all - and this wasn't something that previously bothered me but now I'm in a place where I just don't like it. Maia works for Zane's brother, Alex, who is dating Maia's co-worker, Elana. And another good friend/co-worker of Maia's who knows everyone in Zane's band was in on kidnapping her like wtf.

I definitely recommend this book for many reasons , but I would add that it felt like a bit of a mess at times.… (altro)

I loved this book! There are issues I have with some of the plot devices but I just loved these characters so much it was easy to overlook them.

Something I really enjoyed about this book is the illustration of the worlds the main characters exist in and who has power and how it is given. Lady Elena receives her power from willing clients and is well regarded by her peers who have agreed to give her the title "Lady". The people recognizing Lady Elena and the other Mistresses are mostly women. Whereas, in Alex's world, it is masculine engery ruling supreme and these folks are not gifted their titles - they take them thru any means necessary. Not all men are bad but the power exchange does not always come with enthusiastic consent as it does in Lady Elena's world. In Alex's world, men seem to be the taste-makers but it is not so in Lady Elena's.

things that didn't work for me but did not diminish my love:

so fake dating is a trope I can enjoy however . . . it didn't work for me in this story. I'd rather have Alex hire Lady Elena to consult him and then organically they. begin to date . . . the whole fake dating set-up was clumsy and distracted me. Alex and Lady Elena had amazing chemistry from their first meeting - a butting of heads lol - so there was no need to fake date. When Elena decides to leave the Pro Domme world, I support that however it felt too tied to Alex, event though he was supportive of whatever she chose to do with her career. Finally, we learn Elena doesn't have p in v sex and hasn't for over 5 years. That's cool in fact that made the sex scenes exquisitely steamy. There is a p in v scene at the very end and it was hot but like felt like a letdown. Am I the only one who was hoping for anal play or something more risky than a "oh please just fuck me already"?? Again, I absolutely LOVED this book and felt it did a wonderful job writing about sex work and sex workers in an authentic and affirming way; just didn't vibe as much with some parts of the story.

I'm curious about who else is going to be included in this series . . . will Alex's brother becoming a member of the Key Club? with a certain chef???? coz I feel that needs to be a thing!… (altro)

Okay, this was actually a lot of fun to read! The two main characters are so well suited to each other on many levels, (although admittedly I'm a sucker for a monster x monster situation) and seeing them get under on another's tough exterior was delightful. Their witty banter was one of the best parts of the story.
The two main downsides for personally were the whole scene where there's a whole moment of "I wOn'T bE aBlE tO sToP mYsElF!!" which is a cringy trope that I find a little problematic, as well as the epilogue being one of those cozy little domestic "holiday" scenes. It just felt quite jarring slapping that epilogue on, especially after that final chapter.
But still, overall, lots of fun, and I actually enjoyed it much more than I anticipated.… (altro)

First and foremost, I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press Netgalley and Jenny Nordbak for my advanced copy of The Scarlett Letters My Secret Year of Men in an L.A. Dungeon in exchange for my honest review. I want to start off by saying I picked this book simply based by it’s description. I use Netgalley as a way to sometimes step out of my comfort zone with books and enjoy books as a new experience. This book was one of those times and I am so glad I did. If you are looking for some kind of fifty shades reboot to spice things up in your reading you WILL NOT find it here. This is so MUCH better.
“On an unorthodox quest to understand her hidden fantasies, Jenny led a double life for two years. By day she was a construction manager, but at night she became Mistress Scarlett.´
This is straight forward and honest and hands down the best book I have read so far in 2017! Jenny sums up her year with chapters titled after clients that impact or teach her something, while the tales are erotic there is an underlying strength and courage that makes this story even more relateable and enjoyable. I wont give too much away but I will say that if you pass this one up you will be disappointed. I believe every woman should go on an eye-opening journey of their own, but for now go on this 5 star Journey with Ms Nordbak, absorb it enjoy it and share it I have already shared it with every uptight female in my life and trust me they need it I may even buy a paperback copy for my sister just to watch her blush!… (altro)