The Wine Dark Sea
19/20 Seriously Reviewed
From the opening paragraphs, I knew I was reading something special. Vivid descriptions perfectly depicted the life of a Parisian. The scents, sounds and sights. I breathed in France and felt the romance of the city.
But the story was so much more than a great setting. Daniel is a character that will stay with me for some time to come. His life was a struggle to find balance. Work and relationship. Loving someone and being loved. I ached with him. I wanted so much more for him than he was willing to settle for. Even when betrayed, even though in his gut he knew he didn’t have in a partner what he deserved, he still tried to give to others what he wanted for himself. He deserved better men the ones he’d had. He loved completely and the story, The Wine-Dark Sea was his journey to discovering he needed loved with equal ferocity.
After pages of turbulent, gut-wrenching story—good, bad, sexy, emotional, erotic—I was ready to see Daniel risk for what he wanted. The ending is outstanding. Nothing was missing, nothing was left unanswered. The story isn’t just a romance (the romance manifests itself at the end of the story, but you feel it building throughout). At times the story is edgy and erotic, and others sensual and emotional.
The story has depth and layers not typical in erotic romance. The sex wasn’t always long drawn out passages, but more often, it was the desire behind the act that caused the heat in my chest and the flutter in my belly. Review: please click this link.
Review by Serena Yates, Rainbow Book Reviews
http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/the-wine-dark-sea-by-aj-llewellyn-at-the-pele-press
This is an amazing book on so many levels. The main character, Daniel, is desperate for someone to truly love him. The two secondary characters, Francois and Daniel’s former lover, Alain, have painful realizations of their own waiting for them. Then there is the mysterious man who finally teaches Daniel about love. An exceptional group of people who pulled me into the story and kept my attention throughout. I just want to know what would happen to them!
I loved the vivid descriptions of the characters, the situations they found themselves in, Paris as a city, the Parisian society. I felt as though I was there, and having visited Paris a few times, recognized many of the places I love.
Daniel has a hard path to go from a man who accepts what others do to him to becoming a man who can stand on his own two feet and enter a relationship from a position of strength. I felt for him and cheered him on every step of the way.
Francois, the “stupide” French boyfriend, deserves accolades of his own – but not because he is nice or even likeable. I hated him with a vengeance – while admiring A.J.’s ability to describe such a horrible character with consistency and mind-boggling realism. The sad part is that people like this actually exist!
Alain is a story all of his own, and I can’t say anything about him without spoiling the surprise. I admire A.J. for drawing him, too, with utter realism and treating his journey with enormous sensitivity.
All in all, this is a book well worth reading! Be ready to be delighted, surprised, and shocked in equal measure. This is a story I will definitely read again – and never be able to forget.
