Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
POV: 3rd Person
Sensuality: Burning (Menage, BDSM)
Violence: One disturbing scene but most happens off page
My Grade: B+
Laid Bare by Lauren Dane is a beautiful book. It’s definitely not the sort of story I would have chosen to read had it not been for the glowing reviews. For a start, it’s an erotic romance. Unless you count a few Harlequin Blazes, I’d never read an erotic romance before, and had no real inclination to do so. The second aspect to Laid Bare which gave me pause is that it features a three-way relationship between a woman and two men. This definitely takes me beyond my comfort zone. Nevertheless, I was intrigued enough by the reviews that I decided to push my personal envelope and give it a try.
Erin Brown is a 24-year-old musician living in Seattle. She and her younger brother, Adrian, are trying to break into the Seattle music scene, playing in grotty clubs, and hoping to make it big. Todd Keenan is a straight-laced cop. He lives next door to the Brown siblings. Todd is attracted to Erin but dismisses her as potential girlfriend material.
When Erin instigates a sexual relationship, Todd is willing, and they have a passionate affair. This is Todd’s first experience of BDSM. A few months later, Todd ends their affair as he’s unwilling to admit to himself that the BDSM element of his sexual relationship with Erin is part of who he is. He can’t commit to someone he feels he has no future with, and Erin and her dreadlocks don’t match his vision of the perfect wife and mother.
Ten years later, Todd is back in Seattle following his divorce. He’s no longer a cop and has set up a private security firm with two friends. He realizes that he made a mistake thinking that he could settle down with a meek and mild wife, essentially denying who he truly is. He’s determined not to make the same mistake again. By chance, Todd walks into a coffee shop and discovers Erin working there. He’s thrilled to see her, but surprised, as he’d thought she’d moved to LA with her band and become successful.
Erin is shocked to see Todd after so many years. She came back to Seattle four years previously. Following the tragic death of her baby daughter, she quit the music business and moved back home to live with her older brother, Brody. She now runs the coffee shop which is attached to his tattoo parlour. Fragile and grieving, Erin is in no mood for a relationship. Yet the attraction to Todd is still strong. Erin and Todd gradually reignite the spark which they had so many years ago and discover that there’s a lot more between them than just good sex.
As the story progresses, Erin and Todd’s relationship extends to include Todd’s friend, Ben. Ben is bisexual and has been in a three-way relationship before. While the primary relationship is between Todd and Erin, in many ways Ben completes them. With Todd and Ben’s help, Erin works through her grief and starts to see that there might be some light in her future after all.
My description of the story doesn’t really do it justice. It’s very well done. Although a three-way relationship is not something which would normally interest me in a romance novel, Lauren Dane pulls it off. That said, my favourite elements in the book were Erin’s interaction with her two brothers and the thoughtful way in which her grieving process was handled. Despite the hot sex scenes, this book is a definite tear-jerker.
The one niggle I had with the book is Ben’s role in the relationship. I never felt he was an equal partner. And despite Erin’s position as a submissive, I thought she had the most power in the triad. This fear is voiced by Ben’s mother at one point in the story, and I found myself agreeing with her.
While the menage storyline is not necessarily one I’d seek out regularly in a romance, Laid Bare is proof that it’s sometimes worth reading outside your comfort zone. This book is a gem and I can highly recommend it.
Also in this series:
Coming Undone (January 2010) – Brody’s story
Inside Out (November 2010) – Cope’s story
Other Reviews of Laid Bare:
Leontine’s Book Realm – 4.5 stars
The Geeky Book Worm – 5 out of 5 cubes
The Good, The Bad, The Unread – C+
RT Book Reviews - 4.5 stars
Thrifty Reader – B+
Fiction Vixen – 4 out 5 hearts
{ 18 comments }
Another amazing, thought-provoking review. I don’t have a problem with menages but sometimes the BDSM elements push me past my comfort zone, and not always in a good way. I guess as long as everything is consensual and there’s no humiliation or withholding of pleasure as punishment, I’m good with it. And this sounds like a wonderful story.
I love Erin she is one of my fave characters!
I am not a massive menage fan, (tho I seem to have read a lot of them) but Dane handles this one well, and actually addresses a lot of the buttons menages normally push for me. Though I do think Ben could have gotten a little more time..
@Stacy ~ Thank you, Stacy! Funnily enough, the BDSM element didn’t bother me at all. As this was the first romance I’ve read featuring BDSM, I can’t compare it to other books. But I didn’t think it was hardcore.
@Edie “Though I do think Ben could have gotten a little more time..”
Maybe that’s why I wondered if he was truly an equal partner in the relationship. Hmm…
Lauren does have a way in writing deep, thought provoking stories. I have this in my TBR pile.
Great review!
I have this one too, bought it after the many rave reviews, but still have to read it. I did read Dane’s Chase Brothers series, those are contemporary reads and I liked those very much. Great review!
How awesome is that you made a note of POV? Fantastic. Thank you. =]
I really must check out this book, everyone has raved about it.
@katiebabs She’s a new-to-me author. After enjoying Laid Back, I bought Undercover and Relentless. I also intend to buy Come Undone when it’s released in January.
@Marissa I read the first Chase brothers book and liked it, although not as much as I liked Laid Back.
@Maili LOL! It was your suggestion on Twitter that made me add that to my new review layout.
@Colette I hope you enjoy it!
I’ll admit it — the BDSM I can handle (in fiction, though — only in fiction), the threesome I can handle (ditto), but the tattoos freak me out. (I know — that’s just weird, right?)
So before I buy this book, can someone assure me the tattoos aren’t some recurring motif? (I can’t stop thinking about how they’re going to look when the characters are in their 70s.) A brief description would be okay, but more than that would skeeve me out.
So, perhaps a new element to your review layout: Degree of tattoo-iness.
@Magdalen Erin’s tattoos are mentioned in the text but not constantly. I remember her piercings more clearly! Hope that helps!
This book is definitely outside my comfort zone, too.
So are you going to start reading erotic romances regularly now?
I’m happy you enjoyed this book.
Still my favorite for this year so far!
I just got this book today *happy dance* I’m keeping this comment short b/c your post makes me want to start reading Laid Bare INSTANTLY. Great review!
Wow, you really did step out of your comfort zone with your first erotic romance! Menage, m/m/f, bdsm. I’m glad you were in Lauren Dane’s excellent hands for your first foray. I love her writing because she really does convey the emotions and relationships so beautifully. I haven’t read Laid Bare yet, but I loved Relentless, and am working on her Cascadia Wolves series.
For me it’s the bdsm that pushes the envelope for me, though I’ve read a couple that have worked for me. Beth Kery’s Wicked Burn comes immediately to mind.
Excellent review, Sarah!
@heidenkind
Put it this way: I finished Laid Back with the intention of reading more books by Lauren Dane. I’m not sure I’m ready to embrace the erotic romance genre as a whole.
When I said I’d never read erotic romance before, that wasn’t quite true as I have read a few short stories. This was my first full-length novel. I’d been put off the idea of erotic romance because I assumed the emphasis would be on sex with very little time given to the development of the relationship. In Laid Back, that’s definitely not the case. BDSM and menage elements aside, it’s basically a very good contemporary romance.
@SusiSunshine Yeah, I bought it after reading your Leontine’s ARC review and your review on Amazon.de!
@K.C. Smokinhotbooks Thanks! Hope you like it.
@Renee Thank you! I have Undercover and Relentless. I’m looking forward to reading them.
This is the second reference to Beth Kery I’ve read in the past two days. I just realized I have Wicked Burn in my TBR pile…
What a great review! I agree, sometimes it’s worth it to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. I did this with Lilli Feisty’s Bound To Please and was pleasantly surprised.
@Fiction Vixen Thank you! I just saw your advance review of Brody’s story, Coming Undone. Wow! It sounds like a great book. I can’t wait to read it.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and that you pushed yourself to continue reading it.
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