Claudine by Barbara Palmer ~ Book Review

Book Snyposis:

Maria Lantos has a secret. She’s a post-grad student researching early erotic literature at Yale who puts her studies to work after hours as a courtesan named Claudine specializing in erotic role play. Her allure and stock of sexual tricks command top dollar from international clients. When Maria receives anonymous text messages filled with chilling threats, she knows her secret is out, and someone is hunting her—someone who knows a lot about her past and who’s intent on playing a starring role in her present.

As Claudine, she loves the brief anonymous liaisons that allow her to explore the darker side of power and desire. But now it’s Maria’s turn. Two men—charismatic Yale professor Reid Whitman and her business manager, Andrei Barinov—will test the limits of her sexuality and safety, forcing her to discover the depth of the dark places within her.
Claudine combines the pace of a thriller, the deep emotional connection of a romance, and the heat of a beautiful woman’s sexual discovery.

Purchase your copy today on Penguin Canada or direct from Barbara Palmer's website.

About the Author:

The author is a bestselling, international award-winning Canadian novelist whose work has been published in many countries. She's writing under the pen name Barbara Palmer, inspired by the famous seventeenth-century English courtesan and royal mistress.

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Review:

After reading the book synopsis and watching the trailer I was really intrigued by the storyline, I couldn't wait to read it! I can tell you I wasn't let down one bit. This has been a great read, right from the beginning. Aside from being an erotic novel it has very suspenseful and at times an emotional story.

Barbara Palmer writes a novel that stands out from the other erotic novels, it wasn't your typical dominatrix or BDSM. Maria is an entertainer in the sex biz, she uses the name Claudine. Claudine is only for the wealthy and has a one time only rule with her clients. Andrei is her right hand man, he checks into each potential client and takes Claudine to each event. I found myself really liking Maria, there is just something about her that I liked right away. She is a lost sole on a mission to become a career woman and not be taken advantage of. She is independent and strong willed. She lives almost like two separate lives, Maria, a Yale student working on her thesis and Claudine, a sought after entertainer. Maria has a dark past and we learn a little about her past as we go through the story. Right from the beginning I felt the emotions between Andrei and Maria, actually I found Barbara Palmer did a fabulous job of making me feel for the characters throughout the book. The story flowed at a great pace, where it wasn't too quick to make you feel lost but it wasn't too slow either to feel like it was dragging on. I wasn't expecting the ending. I was actually really worried that it wasn't going to be the ending I was hoping for but in the end I was very happy on how things ended.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars! I look forward to reading more from Barbara Palmer.