books_ergo_sum's Reviews (933)

I really enjoyed this!

Though, I think ‘curious history’ is a bit of a misnomer. What this book was really about is summed up in these last lines:

“We must talk about consent, pleasure, masturbation, pornography, love, relationships and our own bodies. Because the only way we will dispel shame is to drag sex out in the open and have a good long look at it. History has shown us how damaging shaming sexual practices, in all their myriad forms, can be. Let’s learn the lesson.”

For the most part, this was a rebellious and well-researched challenge to our culturally inherited (and kinda nuts) preconceived notions on sex and sexuality. 

The only reason it’s a four, and not a five star, is that there were a few chapters more in line with the title and vibe of it cover (ie more of a humourous tidbit-y history), which I liked less.

But most of the chapters were excellent and the book was at its best when it dealt with topics that taboo and misogyny have made difficult to research: the clitoris, female orgasm, virginity, periods, pubic hair, impotence, prostitution, and masterbation. 

I definitely recommend the audiobook. Hearing the author’s voice helped convey the tone: irreverent, sarcastic, and subversive.

Ah!! This book is my new favourite book, in a favourite series! The pining! The longing!

This story was going along, feeling good. We had some hurt comfort backstory, a re-meeting, so many hand clenches and intense gazes… and then. AND THEN—

Literally the hottest and most emotional library scene ever. How was it so hot? And so emotional? I kept glancing down at the page number because I couldn’t believe a scene with that much intimacy was happening that early? And pulling it off?

These characters were just so unique! And their compatibility was so intense that it was squeezing my heart to bits!

Our heroine Necessity was a self-made business woman from the wrong side of town. She was ambitious, irreverent, intelligent, and she was hot and she knew it. She was just.. cool! I’ve never read a romance heroine like her.

And Oliver was more than just your average scarred and reclusive earl. He had this over-thinking and obsessive personality and I loved the way Necessity made him feel so off-kilter. He was pursuer-y but he also so solicitous? ..flexible? I can’t even find the word to describe it, it was just such a uniquely masculine approach to this relationship.

I love the way this author writes scenes, they’re so cinematic. I’m a sucker for characters who keep something that belongs to the other MC in their pocket (because they’re just so in looove 🥰). I loved the dynamic between Oliver and Xander from the previous book. Plus, this was just a god-tier social class difference trope.

Lose the idea that this book is enemies-to-lovers, even mild-dislike-to-lovers (though that involves a certain amount of delusion because that’s what the book was telling us it was).

This was childhood-friends-to-lovers with the transition to ‘more-than-friends-feelings’ happening before the book began. Not a deal breaker, but not my fav.

Also lose the idea that their relationship is forbidden in a Montagues and Capulets way (again, this requires some delusion because the book was really pushing this angle)—there’s no Mercutio moment and anytime these two did anything together, they got smiled at, winked at, cheers-ed at, or just generally encouraged. It just was not forbidden, despite what the characters kept insisting.

The romance plot actually was: years of mutual crushing; our heroine set to marry someone else and not taking our hero’s flirtation seriously due to his rakish reputation; and our hero not thinking about marriage, having only recently inherited the title from his father.

It was a actually an engaging story with great banter, some adventure, and scampering around the Welsh countryside. Also, the Welsh accents in the audiobook were a blast.

This should have been a four star for me—all the positives I mentioned with a few non-deal breaker meh moments: their pre-established relationship, an underwhelming steamy moment, and a meh reformed rake character arc (if he’s loved her for years, but has also been sleeping with other women; I’m going to need more information on why he’ll act any differently moving forward).

But the disconnect between what the story was Telling me it was versus what it was Showing me it was got real old, real fast. And more than that, the story spent a lot of time establishing plot lines that never went anywhere (like any members of their feuding families disapproving their match) meanwhile the plot lines that ended up being important (years of pining, reformed rake) were left underdeveloped 🤷🏻‍♀️