Crushed Velvet by Alicia L Wright is a captivating, dark and thrilling erotic novel that pushes the boundaries of romance. Scorching hot, sizzling, intense and darkly seductive, this novel exposes romance, emotions and a more realistic side of the world. The novel follows a gorgeous college dropout named Theresa, who, at an all time low, signs a contract with the Velvet Undervault. Getting naked with strangers gets the bills paid, but this is not the life she had envisioned for herself. She regrets the decision, but she is bound too tightly to walk out of the life she has created for herself. 

She meets with Andrew; he is her bodyguard so that no one uses her for more than what she is being paid for. The relationship between the two intensifies when Andrew starts seeing Theresa as more than just a prostitute who sells her body. He genuinely cares for her and wants to help her, even if it means that he will be destroyed in the process. Theresa does not need to rely on any man, but soon she realizes that some good can come out of her life as well. 

So real and deep, the main characters are so lost. They are flawed and that’s what makes them so beautiful to the reader. You can easily connect with Theresa, who is insecure and unsure of herself, while Andrew is a strong man, yet he too has his moments when he is not as poised as he makes out to be. What I loved about this novel is that it is not just a wishy-washy romance. It has character, drama, psychological elements and is somewhat sweet at times. You will be lost in the plot and you won’t be able to stop reading. So intense and breathtakingly good.