Romance / Erotica
In Harnisch’s depiction of mentally-ill sexual abuse victim, Ben Schreiber undergoes psychiatric sessions while rambling through memories of real and imagined sexual exploits. The absence of a discernible plot and the difficulty in sorting fantasy from reality make the novel a frustrating read. Additionally, the character's are not well developed, and even Ben’s fetishistic interests fail to positively engage the erotic imagination.
In Toronto, Lily, a fashion magazine assistant with body issues, and Willow, a child of a wealthy family trying to strike out on her own, work at Jagged Edge, a publication owned by billionaire venture capitalist Ryder, whose past is intertwined b Lily's. A complex plot is spun from these three, involving mental disorder, child abuse, and passion. But the story seems disconnected from its characters, the narrator telling rather than showing at intimate moments and engaging in long digressions. The prose also needs significant polishing. The characters are, however, quite likable.
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This is a test assessment.
