Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book if it ever sees the light of day.
Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it's no deal.
Nora's grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him or returning to his bed?
Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.
"Dazzling, devastating and sinfully erotic, Reisz writes unforgettable characters you'll either want to know or want to be. The Siren is an alluring book-within-a-book, a story that will leave you breathless and bruised, aching for another chapter with Nora Sutherlin and her men."
-Miranda Baker, author of Bottoms Up and Soloplay
The Original Sinners series certainly lives up to its name: it's mindbendingly original and crammed with more sin than you can shake a hot poker at. I haven't read a book this dangerous and subversive since Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. The most shocking thing, however, is how much you'll feel for the characters. If your heart doesn't break at least ten times over the course of The Siren, check yourself into a morgue."—Andrew Shaffer, author, Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love
"The Siren is a powerful, evocative tale of discovering who you truly are. Tiffany Reisz nails the complicated person inside all of us."
-Cassandra Carr, author of Talk to Me
"Provocative, smart and downright cheeky. The Siren put me through my paces and had me begging for more."
-Emma Petersen, author of Reign of Pleasure
"Daring, sophisticated, and literary. . .exactly what good erotica should be."
-Kitty Thomas, author of Tender Mercies
There was no such thing as London fog—never had been. The London Fog of legend was only that. In reality London fog was London smog, and at the height of the Industrial Revolution it had killed thousands, choking the city with its poisonous hands. Zach Easton knew that in the offices of Royal House Publishing, he was known as the London Fog, the disparaging nickname coined by a fellow editor who disapproved of Zach's dour demeanor. Zach had no love of his nickname or the editor who'd coined it. But today he was eager to earn his epithet.
As he knew he would, Zach found John-Paul Bonner, the chief managing editor of Royal House Publishing, still hard at work even after hours. J.P. sat on the floor of his office, piles of manuscripts stacked about him like a paper Stonehenge in miniature.
Zach stopped in J.P.'s doorway and leaned against the frame. He stared his chief editor down and did not speak. He didn't have to tell J.P. why he was here. They both knew.
"Death—she comes to me on an Easton fog," J.P. said from the floor as he sorted through another stack of books. "A poetic enough way to die. You are here to kill me, I presume."
At sixty-four and with his gray beard and spectacles, J.P. was literature personified. Usually Zach enjoyed playing word games with him, but he was in no mood for repartee today.
"Yes."
"'Yes'?" J.P. repeated. "Just 'yes'? Well, brevity is the soul of wit after all. Help an old man off the floor, will you, Easton? If I'm going to die, might as well die on my feet."
Sighing, Zach stepped into the office, reached down and helped J.P. stand. J.P. patted Zach gratefully on the shoulder and collapsed into his chair behind his desk.
"I'm a dead man anyway. Can't find that damn Hamlet galley for John Warren. Should have had it in the mail yesterday. But happiness is good health and a bad memory they say, and I am a happy, happy man."
Zach studied J.P. for a moment and silently cursed him for being so endearing. His affection for his boss made this conversation far less pleasant. Zach walked over to J.P.'s bookshelves and ran his hand along the top of the case. He knew J.P.'s habit of stashing important papers where even he couldn't reach them. Zach found a manuscript and pulled it down. He threw it on J.P.'s desk and watched it kick up a small cloud of dust.
"Bless you," J.P. said, coughing as he put his hand over his heart. "You have saved my life."
"Now I get to be the one who kills you."
J.P. eyed Zach and pointed at the chair across from the desk. Zach reluctantly sat down, pulling his gray coat around him like a suit of armor.
"Easton, look," J.P. began but it was as far as Zach let him get.
"Nora Sutherlin?" Zach infused the name with as much disgust as he could muster, a considerable amount at the moment. "You must be joking."
"Yes, Nora Sutherlin. I've thought about it, looked at the sales projections. I think we should acquire her. I want you to work with her."
"I will do no such thing. It's pornography."
"It's not pornography." J.P. peered at Zach over the top of his glasses. "It's erotica. Very good erotica."
"I had no idea there was such a thing."
"Two words—Anai's Nin," J.P. retorted.
"Two more words—Booker Prize."
J.P. exhaled noisily and leaned back in his chair.
"Easton, I know your track record. You're one of the top talents in the industry by far. I wouldn't have paid to import you here to New York if you weren't. Yes, your writers have won Booker Prizes."
"And Whitbreads, Silver Daggers—"
"And Sutherlin's last book outsold your Whitbread and Silver Dagger combined. We're in a recession, if you hadn't noticed. Books are a luxury. If it can't be eaten, no one is buying it right now."
"So Nora Sutherlin's the answer?" Zach challenged.
J.P. grinned. "Janie Burke at the Times called her last book 'highly edible.'"
Zach shook his head and looked up at the ceiling in disgust.
"She's a guttersnipe writer at best," Zach said. "Her mind's in the gutter, her books are in the gutter. I wouldn't be surprised if her last publishing house kept its offices in the gutter."
"She might be a guttersnipe, but she's our guttersnipe. Well, your guttersnipe now."
"This isn't My Fair Lady. I'm not Professor Henry Higgins, and she is no Eliza bloody Doolittle."
"Whoever she is she's a damn fine writer. You would know this if you'd bothered to read one of her books."
"I left England for this job," Zach reminded him. "I left one of the most respected publishers in Europe because I wanted to work with the best young American writers."
"She's young. She's American."
"I did not leave England, my life " Zach stopped himself before he said, "and my wife" After all, it was his wife who'd left him first.
"This book has real potential. She brought it to us because she's ready to make a change."
"Give her twenty shillings for a pound if she wants change. I leave for L.A. in six weeks. I can't believe you want me to set everything aside and give my last six weeks to Nora Suther-lin. Not a chance."
"I've seen your in-box, Easton. It's not so full you can't work with Sutherlin while you tie up loose ends around here. Don't tell me you don't have the time when we both know you just don't have the inclination."
"Fine. I don't have the time or the inclination to edit erotica, even good erotica, if there is such an animal. I'm not the only editor here. Give it to Thomas Finley." Zach named his least favorite coworker, the one who'd given him his nickname. "Or Angie Clark even."
"Finley? That pansy? He'd make a pass at Sutherlin, and she'd eat him alive. If you punched him in the face, he wouldn't even know how to bleed right."
Zach nearly laughed in agreement before remembering he was fighting with J.P.
"Then what about Angie Clark?"
"She's too busy right now. Besides "
"Besides what?" Zach demanded.
"Clark's afraid of her."
"Can't say I blame her," Zach said. "I've heard grown men practically whisper her name at parties. The rumor is she slept her way to her first book deal."
"I've heard that rumor, too. But she hasn't slept her way to this one. Unfortunately," J.P. said with a playful grin.
"I read on Rachel Bell's blog that she never leaves the house in any other color than red. She said Sutherlin's got a sixteen-year-old boy working as her personal assistant."
J.P. smiled at him. "I believe she prefers 'intern' to 'personal assistant.'"
Zach nearly choked on his own frustration. He'd been ready to leave for the evening, even had his coat on, when some demon voice in his head told him to check his work email one more time. He had a note from J.P. telling him that he was considering acquiring erotica writer Nora Sutherlin and her latest book for their big fall/winter release. And since Zach didn't have much to occupy him until he left for L.A. in a few weeks
"I need you to do this for me. You and no one else," J.P. said.
"Why am I the only one who can handle her?"
"Handle her?" J.P. practically chortled the words before turning serious. "Listen to me—no one handles Nora Sutherlin. No, you're just the only one I've got who can keep up with her. Easton Zach. Hear me out, please."
Zach swallowed and resigned himself to a moment's detente. It was a rare thing indeed when John-Paul Bonner called anyone by his first name.
"She writes romances, J.P.," Zach said quietly. "I hate romances."
J.P. met his eyes with sympathy.
"I know you've been through hell this past year. I've met your Grace, remember? I know what you've lost. But Suther-lin she's good. We need her."
Zach took a slow, deep breath.
"Has she signed the contract yet?" Zach asked.
"No. We're still ironing out the terms."
"Is there a verbal agreement in place?"
J.P. eyed him warily. "Not yet. I told her we'd have to look at the figures and get back to her, but we were leaning toward yes. Why?"
"I'll talk to her."
"A good start."
"And I'll read the manuscript. If I think there's any chance she—we—can make something decent out of her book, I'll give her my last six weeks. But the book doesn't go to press until I sign off on it."
J.P.'s eyes bored into Zach. Zach refused to blink or look away. He was used to having final say on all his books. He wasn't about to relinquish that power, not for J.P., not for Nora Sutherlin, not for anyone.
"Easton, one Dan Brown title will outsell in a month what the entire poetry section of a bookstore will sell in five years. Sutherlin's 'pornography,' as you call it, could pay for a lot of poetry around here."
"I want the contract in my hands, J.P., or I won't even meet her."
J.P. sat back in his chair and exhaled loudly through his nose.
"Fine. She's all yours. She's got a nice little place in Connecticut. Take the train. Take my car. I don't care. She'll be home on Monday, she said."
"Very well then." Zach knew he was likely safe. When the mood struck him, Zach could be merciless to an author about his or her book's shortcomings. The great writers took the criticism. The hacks couldn't handle it. If he was hard enough on her, she'd beg for another editor.
The argument now at a stalemate, Zach rose tiredly from the chair and with hunched and aching shoulders headed toward the door.
A small cough stopped Zach before he could leave the office. J.P. didn't meet his eyes, only ran his hand over the first page of the Hamlet reader's copy in front of him.
"You should read this book when it comes out," J.P. said, tapping the page. "Fascinating exploration of the feigned madness of Hamlet—'I am but mad north north-west '"
"'But when the wind is southerly, I can tell a hawk from a handsaw,'" Zach finished the famous quotation.
"Sutherlin's only as mad as Hamlet was. Don't believe everything you've heard about her. The lady knows her hawks from her handsaws."
"Lady?"
J.P. closed the book and didn't answer the insult. Zach turned to leave again.
"You know, you're still young, Easton, and too handsome for your own good. You should try it sometime."
"What? Madness?" Zach asked, nodding toward the book.
"No. Happiness."
"Happiness?" Zach allowed himself a bitter grin. "I'm afraid my memory's too good for that."
Zach returned to his office. His assistant, Mary, had left Nora Sutherlin's manuscript on his desk along with a file folder.
Zach flipped the file open and barely glanced at Sutherlin's bio. She was thirty-three, about a decade younger than him. Her first book had come out when she was twenty-nine. She'd released five titles since then; her second book, entitled Red, had created a minor sensation—great sales, lots of buzz.
Zach studied the numbers in the file and saw why J.P. was so eager to acquire her. With each subsequent release, her sales had nearly doubled. Zach ran through the little he knew of erotica writers in his mind. These days erotica was about the only growth market in publishing. But it shouldn't be about the money. Just the art.
Zach threw Sutherlin's bio and sales projections in the trash. He'd stolen his philosophy of editing from the old New Critics—it's just about the book. Not the author, not the market, not the reader one judged a book only by the book. He shouldn't care that Nora Sutherlin's personal life was rumored to be as torrid as her prose. Only her book mattered. And his hopes for the book were not high.
Zach examined the manuscript with suspicion. Mary knew he preferred to read his books in hard copy versions. But she'd obviously had a little too much fun printing out this one for him. Across the scarlet-red cover blazed the title in a lurid Gothic font—The Consolation Prize. Editors almost invariably changed a book's title, but he had to concede it was an interesting choice for a work of erotica. He opened the manuscript and read the first sentence: "I don't want to write this story any more than you want to read it."
Zach paused in his reading as he felt the shadow of something old and familiar whisper across his shoulder. He brushed the sensation off and read the line again. Then the next one and the next one
MMMReader
Posted May 19, 2012
I think it is wrong to call this erotica. This is literary fiction about BDSM and about erotica, with BDSM elements and erotic elements, but it is not erotica.
There is something deep, exotic, powerful and all-encompassing in the world this book creates. It overcomes you slowly, but then you are in over your head, uncomfortable, consumed and learning to breathe, in this strange exotic journey of discovery. But the end is what makes this book worth reading. Reisz manages to find the perfect ending. It is not a rushed HEA (happily ever after), it is not a miserable Hamlet-style tragedy and it is not one of those awful non-ending cliff hangers. It is the perfect ending.
Once I dropped my fantasies of what this book was (ie. once I surrendered my preconceived idea that this was an erotic fantasy- an idea I didn't successfully surrender until about half-way through the book) I was able to sink into and enjoy the world Reisz created. It is a bit of a heavy read. This book is a challenging and uncomfortable read. In the end, it is well worth the read. It is powerful and edgy. And the joy of reading a book that is ended so perfectly makes up for the slower first half. But it isn't erotica in the expected sense. And it should not be read for the escapist, fantasy purposes for which I generally read erotica. This book deserves to be approached with a different mindset. And the reward for reading it is an ending that is better than nearly any other book I have read, ever.
The first half is slow. But at about the 50% mark the action picks up and won’t let you go.
The Siren's characters are deep and complex. The heroine does things I wouldn't tolerate in a friend and will puzzle the reader. The big, bad, scary guy has a weird way of showing it, but does love the heroine in a way that could be seen as sweet... if looked at from a slightly deviant angle. The whole cast is riddled with their own issues. It can't be broken down to the good guys and the bad guys. The love they feel for each other is more layered and conflicted. They break nearly every major sexual taboo in our society. But the scenes while graphic are not as explicit as things I have read in more “main stream” genres are definitely less explicit than what I expect from “erotica”. This book is more than erotica or romance normally contain. Nothing is black and white and no one love is clearly greater than the others. The world they inhabit has realities and pressures that, while foreign to those not "in the scene", are far more real than in the escapist books referenced above. This is not an escapist read.
Reisz's writing is neither fantasy nor wish fulfillment. It is much more as the name The Siren suggests, writing which lures the reader into a dangerous pit in which there is no comfort and from which there is no escape, but where there is something exotic, exciting and lovely. There are not extended scenes of degradation for degradation's sake. While there are references to rape in the past, the BDSM activity is all arguably consensual. The BDSM elements are harsh, but not offensively so, I think. However, this world is foggy, there is no black and white. The Siren asks a lot of uncomfortable questions for which there are no easy answers... or perhaps any answers at all. That, as I understand it, is the job of literary fiction, not erotica. And The Siren does that quite effectively.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It will leave you wanting more!
Okay...so let me get this out of the way. This book will throw you for a loop, it will mess with your mind, and in the end you won't be able to put it down. You won't be able to get your hands on the next one soon enough. THE SIREN is not your normal BDSM book, I wouldn't say it's anything like 50 SHADES. It's different and spectacular.
Nora is an erotica writer and predominant in the BDSM underground. She's upfront and honest to a fault. I loved her. She will jerk you around and mess with your head and you'll love every minute of it. I was torn with her reactions to Zachary, Wesley, and a few other characters. There's nothing about her trio of men that will seem mundane or ordinary. If my saying trio makes you think you won't like the book, then you're missing out. There are snippets of her current work throughout the story that will engage you as much as Nora and Zachary's story.
Zachary is Nora's new editor. At first I wasn't sure what to think about him. There was an instant connection and I wanted him and Nora to end up with their happily ever after while at the same time I didn't. It's hard to to explain why without giving too much of the book away. But Zachary left his home and wife and deep down wants to go home. This layer of THE SIREN is enough to keep you reading even without the rest of the book.
Every part of this book is great. The secondary plot lines, secondary characters, and everything in between are well developed and intriguing. I struggled reading this book because I wasn't able to read fast enough. I'd get so worked up over what was going on (frustrated, anxious, sad, you name it) that I had to put it down and then come back to finish. The heartache and pain is worth every bit of joy and love you find at the end. Consider the end of THE SIREN a happy for now with lots more to follow.
I highly recommend you check out THE SIREN.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 17, 2012
Had to put this book down after a few chapters. I am a fan of erotic romace. Cannot condone or read about men and women causing serious physical pain to each other and calling it love when they are beating the crap out of their "lover" to the point of drawing blood. Too sick for my taste.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Poignant and provocative, The Siren is a “must read”!
“I don’t want to write this any more than you want to read it.” From a novel defined by its subtext and constantly shifting relationship focus, one thing I am absolutely certain of is that I did want to read it; right from the very start I couldn’t put it down.
The book-within-the-book that serves as the premise for The Siren is probably my least favorite part of the story, which is saying something, considering I enjoyed most of the ‘manuscript’ nearly as much as the actual novel. There were a few instances where the dialogue excerpts felt dry and overly-literary, but I attribute that mostly to my general disdain of all things “high literature” (If I have to work to read it, I’m not interested; if story comprehension requires me to remember the 19th century lit I suffered through in high school, you’ve already lost me!). The basis for the story is that Nora is writing a book she feels very strongly about personally; it’s obviously paralleling something in her past or present even though the names of the characters are different. What makes this such a masterpiece is the depth of the comparisons between her real life and those of her characters, the way it seems to predict and shape her actual relationships, and the ease with which it flows through all the men in her life to represent each of them at one time or another. I actually felt a little dim when I neared the end of the story and realized who the manuscript was truly about. ’How did I miss that?’ ‘Shouldn’t that have been obvious?!’ I beat myself up over that a little until I thought back on it, which I’ve done a lot since I finished it over a week ago, and realized that while yes, the story-within-the-story was primarily about one couple, it also embodies the spirit of each phase Nora travels through on her personal journey for freedom. It’s poignant, heart-breaking, and right. Never before have I been so content to be so conflicted about so many characters.
And with that segue, we absolutely must talk about Soren. I both hated and respected him, and sometimes even liked him. That man is a sinfully complex puzzle of layer on layer of authority, responsibility, generosity, gentleness, cruelty, and wisdom. He’s the kind of man I hope I never know, yet somehow envy Nora for having in her own life. Soren cares deeply and completely, and his focus is absolute… and therein lies the danger of loving Soren because, as an alpha sadist, god help any woman who chooses to submit to him! Wesley is the perfect vulnerable young attendant; puppy eyes, boundless optimism, morally strong, and endlessly forgiving, I liked him from his very first scene. Zach, the main male character in the story, was also immediately likable, though much more for his presence of personality and initial staunch refusal to compromise than for any friendly overtures. As Nora’s stubborn editor, Zach is a man with a razor-sharp tongue and a quick wit, and it's sexy as hell. He’s also a little broken, and his storyline kept me reading even when Nora’s became too overwhelming to try to relate to.
Nora Sutherland. Vivacious, intelligent, driven, self-assured, and provocative on multiple levels, our heroine is the epitome of a “siren”. Men flock to her, whether to submit to her, to dominate her, or just to love her, and her personality is so beautiful that you just know it must be fundamentally flawed. She’s the kind of friend I wish I had until I realized I’d probably wither in the shade of the sheer force of her magnetic brilliance.
Ms. Reisz warns us up front that this is no love story; there are multiple instances of this theme being debated by various characters throughout the book. It leaves the reader wondering and hoping for a happily ever after, while privately preparing for the worst. The Siren doesn’t just have the right ending, heartbreaking as it might be for some, it has the only ending… and is beautiful in all its sadness and joy.
Zachary may quip that cleverness is the last recourse of an amateur, but Tiffany Reisz is the real mastermind, schooling and twirling her prose like a sleek whip… oh so sexy and it hurts so good. From the very first page, The Siren drew me in and spun me up in threads of wit, tenacity, desperation, need, and strength. Both halves of the focus couples are dynamic and appealing, in their own, scintillatingly individual ways. For those interested in BDSM or who already live the lifestyle, The Siren is magnetic and heart-breakingly essential, and a “must read”!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CBell1
Posted June 14, 2012
Tiffany Reisz, in my opinion, has penned the best piece of erotic literature since Anne Rice’s Beauty series (and even at that, I enjoyed this far more). Here’s why:
This is a fascinating peek into the mind of an incredible woman and the world of BDSM. If you’re hoping for “mommy porn”, this isn’t it. This might not be a romance, per se, but, mark me, it is a love story on every level. In fact, I can’t think of a single aspect that doesn’t revolve around love. Giving love, wanting love, sick with love, struggling for self-love, sacrificing for love…in fact, you want to know “Who wrote the book of love”? The answer is Tiffany Reisz. And when I reached the last twenty pages, I skimmed. Then, once I got the gyst, I sat with it a long while before I opened it back up again and read it for real. I couldn’t take it. I wanted…needed to know what happened, but in the same way I donate to the animal shelter but canna watch those Sarah McClaughlin commercials, I couldn’t look directly at it because of all the pain. The characters bleed all over the pages, both figuratively and literally, and I found myself moved for every single one of them. Just when you think you know who to root for, it changes on a dime. This isn’t a book you can pick up and breeze through.
That’s not to say it isn’t fun. It is. Nora has a wicked sense of humor and flings one liners out like Chinese throwing stars. The banter between her and two of the men in her life is fresh and funny and a much-needed respite from the emotional battering ram that is the rest of the book.
And that’s not to say that it’s not sexy. It is. That said, there is very little actual “on-screen” sex in the book, and none of it is gratuitous. It’s almost like Zach edited the author as well as Nora, which was another layer I loved, but I digress. What sex there is, is well written and oftentimes (necessarily) brutal. The stand out for me, though, was the un-sex that permeates the other 90% of the pages. It was just as affecting as the rest of the book in a different way. Compare it to, say, a chill-inducing slow dance to an Otis Redding song in a low-lit club rather than flicking on Cinemax to catch Balls Deep #7, Going Even Deeper. It was both delicious and relentless and compelled me to email the author and beg for deleted scenes. (That happened. Seriously.)
As I re-read the above, I see a pattern and I think I sum it up here. The thing that makes this book a true masterpiece is balance. The prose is lovely without even a hint of lilac, the pacing is measured, but not meandering, the sex is raw but never crass, the dialogue is snappy yet not glib, and the plot is dramatic, hold the “melo-”.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DianaPaz
Posted May 27, 2012
THE SIREN is funny, sexy, and gorgeously written. I fell in love with the characters from the very first pages, and I read it in two sittings without even meaning to! I hated putting this book down, and when I could finally get back to the story I raced through the pages.
Nora is my hero. I love how confident she is, and her ambition and drive. It's so fun to read a character who feels real to me from the get-go, and who is so daring and smart, and at the same time, has more going on beneath the surface. Zachary is so sexy. He has just the right amount of harsh, unyielding coldness to him, which made Nora his perfect match. This book is made of swoon. I was sad as I reached the final pages because I knew it would be over, soon. Sequels, please!
I bought IMMERSED IN PLEASURE as soon as I finished THE SIREN, and Tiffany Reisz is definitely and auto-by for me!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 8, 2012
This book has been interesting, but im having a hard time really getting into it! It is kinda slow!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 5, 2012
Does anyone know what book comes after "the siren"?
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 30, 2012
This book scared the crap out of me! I was repulsed, shocked and threw this book in the trash. Holy Hell
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 7, 2012
Loved The Siren...once the book took off there were several very interesting twists that kept me reading to the end... Want book 2 like yesterday! Started to read again from the beginning and picked up small details that I didn't the first time...a book that keeps on giving!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 16, 2012
This story was nothing short of miraculous. Nora's character is one of
the few character's that I can truly say is three dimensional. She's
witty, charming, dark and the strength she carries is admirable.
Tiffany Reisz writing is amazing. Each and every character in the book
served a purpose in the person that is Nora. Zach- The handsome stuffy
editor that helps Nora reach her writing potential. In turn Nora teaches
him to forgive himself for past failings. Zachary is introduced as a
main character but to me he seemed to only serve the purpose of showing
me Nora's world or a reason for Nora to expose her world. Wesley- He's
a nineteen year old college student living with Nora under the
assumption that he's her intern; however, he serves to be more of a
calming to her storm. He secretly loves her and hopes that one day she
can give up her lifestyle in order to be with him. Wesley is an amazing
character with the way he cares for Nora in her dark hours. Soren-
Where do I begin with this man? Soren is a sadist he enjoys inflicting
pain on others to the point of drawing blood. Nora is the only woman
that he has ever loved and from my understanding is the only woman he
will ever love. Reviews state that Soren scares them but I respect him.
Do I have to understand his lifestyle choice? No, but at least he's
honest to himself and to others about who he is and what he wants. He is
the sheer definition of a Dominate. Through tolerance of the pain he
inflicts on Nora, she is the only one that can truly feel the love the
man possesses. This story is not for the weak or closed minded
individual. I cannot wait for the next installment of Nora's life.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.FromTheFork
Posted August 9, 2012
_The Siren_ is one of the better crafted works of modern fiction I've read in a long time. Yes, it gets off to a rocky start: The dialogue's canned in places, and until you get a bit into the book, the characters seem flat and fleshed out only with stereotypes (having never read erotica before, I wonder if this is part of the genre). There's a club scene that could have been shortened as a lot of the sexual violence in it struck me as egregious. But don't misread me. Even that scene--every scene in the book, in fact--contributes to the larger plot, pushing the novel forward. This is truly plot in the Forester sense, and not just story. It's been a long time since I've read a contemporary book this tightly and expertly crafted. In fact, let's just be honest here and say it: Tiffany Reisz makes plot and structure her b*tch.
I also agree with the poster who said it's wrong to label this erotica. This book is literary fiction, hands down. I think it's been mislabeled because the author so skillfully uses erotica as device to tell her story of faith, emotional entanglement, and the human condition. In this way, her writing very much reminds me of Nabokov. Not that erotica fans won't get something from it--one scene in particular is very racy--but I worry that non-erotica readers won't give this book the chance it most definitely deserves.
Wholeheartedly recommend!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.llindsay
Posted July 1, 2012
The Siren is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that unfurls like a flower…with thorns. From the first page to the last, even as I cringed, cried, cheered, and sighed my way through it, I simply loved everything about this book. The characters are brilliant, the prose is brilliant, Tiffany Reisz is brilliant. I won’t lie; there is some seriously smoking hot kink going on in this novel. Stark BDSM abounds, but for the love of all that is holy don’t let that stop you from reading it. For any who might shy away from BDSM content on principle, I challenge you to see it for what it actually is here: The perfect metaphor for the complex polarities inherent in love and human nature. The Siren expertly captures both dark and light. It is intensely perverse and stunningly sweet, abhorrent yet beautiful, and at its conclusion you will feel both heartbroken and jubilant. Read it, read it, read it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 10, 2012
Fictional BDSM always frustrates me. Possibly because this isn't my experience of kink, nor would it be an experience I would like.
Aside from that, the blatant abuse of power in nearly ALL the relationships in this book make me extremely angry. As well written and powerful as this book is, I cannot like it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BardicChick
Posted May 1, 2012
Siren is an amazingly complex novel that touches the very soul. Tiffany Reisz captured the world of her characters perfectly. Far from the basic idea of an erotica novel, Reisz has brought out the complex nature of the inner workings of the human soul. Not for the faint of heart, this is an amazing novel that will leave you breathless in anticapation.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 16, 2013
I had never heard of this book until I went to the BAE in March. While standing in line I met a lot of great people and one of the books that they couldn't stop talking about was this one. So I finally decided I better just read it. WOW! I am glad that I did. What a fantastic story. I love a good BDSM story. I can't imagine living the lives of some of the characters in this book. The love gained and lost was a roller coaster for my emptions. I loved this book. I can't wait to read more from Tiffany Reisz.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was way out of my comfort level. It is very well written. I guess this is dark erotica. I thought I had read BDSM before but this was a whole new level that I didn't even know about. Scary but intriguing. Read this over several days not something I could sit down and digest all in one sitting. I had to read a little at a time break myself into what kind of relationship this book was going to have. Very good just not what I was expecting when I picked up the book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.aRaven30
Posted March 20, 2013
Love this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.xydrella
Posted February 25, 2013
Tiffany Reisz is one hell of a writer. She essentially wrote a book within a book with The Siren, and I was pleased as pie to see that done with such ease and finesse. And this wasn't just a story, this was a journey (albeit the beginning) of multiple paths, each entwining and overlapping, each undulating on it's way. There was depth to each ribbon in the weave.
I got the sense that Ms. Reisz really knew her characters before she wrote them, that they were already well developed off paper, and further development happened organically. So often books are black and white, good and bad, harsh and kind. However, this story, these people were beautifully gray. Perfectly flawed.
I felt a certain undercurrent of urgency from beginning to end. Almost life or death, save or be saved - ever so subtly underneath the whole of the story so that when it was time to kick it up a notch, or 4, the feeling was thrilling, shocking, and almost a relief because something was coming and you just weren't sure how that was going to play out. Or with whom.
This was a book I only put down when I had to. I mean really had to. No, I cannot read and drive my kids to/from drama club. Yes, I fell asleep while reading at 4am and only awoke because my tablet came loose from my hands and smashed me in the face. This is now a series I am committed to, and I can't wait to see what is in store.
Anonymous
Posted February 13, 2013
great story and it keeps on getting better
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Overview
Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book if it ever sees the light of day.
Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the ...