THE BEARSKIN RUG Author: Jennifer Stevenson ISBN: 9780345500243 7/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: BALLANTINE
Right here and now, I'm going to admit I read THE BEARSKIN RUG out of curiosity. I mean, who wouldn't be curious? The title is fun, the cover features a pitchfork-wielding demon and the first two books in this series, THE BRASS BED and THE VELVET CHAIR, generated some buzz. So, it was curiosity that brought me to step onto THE BEARSKIN RUG with my reading glasses. What kept me reading? I'm not quite sure. Stubbornness? Probably. Although this book irritated me right from the first paragraph, I kept reading. I was determined to find a point to the story. Somewhere, somehow... there had to be a point, right? I just had to find the whole underlying reason behind this series. Even if it killed me.The good news? I think I found it. The not-so-good news? It was buried under a lot of... well, let's just say it was buried. The final book in this series has loads of highly kinky sex and weird, unforgettable characters. A loosely woven plot that centers on a sex demon, two-hundred-year-old curse and an erotic film studio is the platform the can't-get-'em-out-of-my-mind lunatics use to lend credence to their strange sexual escapades. I'll bet you're wondering how I know I can't get the characters out of my mind. Believe me, I've tried. They just won't leave. It's sort of like one of those itchy, red rashes you get after... well, you'll have to take my word for it. They won't go. And the mind pictures I've got of their orgies, unnaturally long "schlong"s (the author's word, not mine) and other assorted out-of-body bedroom antics? They won't leave, either, although I wish—with all my heart and soul—they would.I said this book irritated me from the first paragraph. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't explain that statement. Right in the first few lines of this book I got a taste of what I can only think was the author's attempt at being clever, but was a true point of contention for me throughout the book. Plainly put, Ms. Stevenson sees fit to use idiotic phrases to indicate her story is set in a city. The first paragraph contained "da mayor" instead of "the mayor". Honestly, my hackles rose at the words. Unfortunately, they never settled because almost every page has some sort of derogatory language issue on it. Yes, I called them derogatory. What else can I term it when characters say "youse" and "da" and "At's", to name just a few, with unending regularity? There are many ways for an author to establish location. Maligning city dwellers with jabs at their language isn't one of them. I'll allow, my city living may have something to do with my taking umbrage with this issue. Maybe it wouldn't bother a reader whose roots aren't connected to city streets. I can't speak for all readers. Me? I was insulted. I could go on and on, but I won't. I think any reader can already see what I thought of this book. Besides, I'd like to get this whole bearskin experience behind me. At the beginning of this review I said I think I've uncovered the theme to this series. It was buried, but I found it. Before Randy, the sex slave, can actually find release from bondage, he has to connect with a woman in a way that makes both of them open and receptive. Not to sex, but to love. They have to find love. Tender. Truthful. Effortless. They have to trust themselves, and each other, enough to surrender to love. Easy to understand, isn't it? The search for love is the most common romantic theme in history. It is, I believe, what drove this series. Yes, curiosity made me read THE BEARSKIN RUG. Curiosity, plain and simple. But you know what they say, don't you, about curiosity? It killed the cat—and this reviewer's desire to read anything else by this author. Kay James |
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