Cirque du Minuit By Annabel Joseph

Only Annabel Joseph could make me read a book about the circus...and love it.



Seriously, if I had seen a book titled Cirque du anything written by anybody else, I'd have passed it up without a second glance. I hate the circus. I mean, I hate the circus. I'd rather have oral surgery—without anesthesia—than go to the circus. The one time I took the kids, I had to get up and take a walk to the bathroom during the aerial acts



At the root of my issue with the circus is, of course, fear of heights—and by extension, fear of watching some performer spatter head-first onto the ground. I remember attending the circus as a child and loving the clowns and the jugglers and the animal acts…and then watching in horror as tightrope acts, trapeze artists, and silk acrobatic performers risked their very lives for the sheer entertainment value of it. Not to put too fine a point on it, I was terrified. My little sister was enthralled, but I was literally sick with fear, and every now and then, a certain combination of popcorn, cotton candy and animal odors brings that gut-clenching feeling roaring back.



Obviously I have no control issues. Nope. Not me.



So needless to say, books about the circus never even make it into my TBR pile, much less rise to the top. After I read the blurb, I was even less thrilled about the plot of Cirque du Minuit. It was actually about the circus, not just some circus-themed window dressing for a bunch of hot BDSM scenes. Here it is:

It's no easy feat transitioning from the disciplined arena of competitive gymnastics to the artistic whirl of the Cirque du Monde. Kelsey Martin finds secret inspiration in Theo Zamora, a dark, taciturn trapezist–until his partner dies in a tragic accident and he decides to leave the circus for good.



Theo doesn't understand why Kelsey reaches out to him, only that she compels him with her unique combination of innocence and recklessness. Before long the two are collaborating on an aerial silks act for a new production, the Cirque du Minuit. Theo's impatience with Kelsey's naivete is matched only by his passion for her, and the two soon become embroiled in a tempestuous, consuming romance.



But some still blame Theo for his partner's accident, and danger wraps up the two performers as inevitably as the scarlet silk of their act. Theo and Kelsey must find a way to connect and trust one another as he leads her deeper and deeper into a dangerous world of control and desire.

See what I mean? But dammit, this was Annabel Joseph. Annabel freaking Joseph. How could I not read it? Hadn't she made me adore books about dance, of all things? I mean, most days I'd rather pound my own forehead with croquet mallet than read a book about dance, and yet Annabel had managed to draw me into her world and made me soar (and bleed) right along with her characters—and I mean during the dance scenes, too, not just the BDSM scenes.



So I bought the book yesterday and started reading, interrupting the longest, most productive writing binge I've had in over a year. (I really never even hesitated. After all, this is Annabel Joseph we're talking about.)



Having read the excerpt, I had an idea of what was coming, and I promise you, my stomach was knotted with anxiety throughout the entire first couple of chapters. But once again, I found myself sucked into her world and loving it. Annabel's worlds and her characters are so inextricably bound that if you fall in love with one, you fall in love with both.



And I did fall in love with both Theo and Kelsey and the world they inhabited. Both characters were flawed and driven, and Kelsey was just so damn gutsy! Even when she edged into her little paranoid phase, she was totally lovable and relatable to me, even though I've never been any kind of athlete. I loved that she was an American girl on her own in France, unable to speak the language. I loved her youth and innocence, and her conflicted need for something dark and depraved. I loved that she wanted to talk to her mother, even when she was doing things that would have curled her mother's hair. I loved that Theo enjoyed her innocence even as he relished making her dirty. And I absolutely loved Kelsey (and felt bad for her even as I laughed out loud) when Theo thought She was the world's worst fellatrice, perhaps, but they could work on that.



What's more, I loved that she went after Theo, even when she didn't consciously intend to, and kept after him even in the face of his cruelty. I was never afraid for Kelsey, even when she was at her most vulnerable—she was that strong a person, stronger than even Theo, in my estimation. Kelsey was my idea of the perfect BDSM heroine—an emotionally heroic sub.



As for Theo, I hardly know what to say, except that Annabel got him totally right. He's that elusive blend of compelling and repelling that spells DOM to me. You scare the shit out of me and I can't take my eyes off you. He was the kind of irresistible that defies logic and taste and predefined personal standards, the kind that can make you accept a whole hell of a lot more (or less) than you ever thought you would.



It probably goes without saying I loved the D/s elements. The first sexual encounter between Theo and Kelsey was so incredibly intense, I get breathless just remembering it—that collision of ruthless dominance and ballsy innocence, that eye-opening "Oh shit, what have I just opened myself up to?" moment for Kelsey, just blew me away.



And I even enjoyed my foray into the circus. I liked seeing the behind-the-scenes aspects, the training and dedication, and most importantly, the safety precautions, so much so that I might even reconsider my long-standing avoidance all things circus and go see a show, if I can find a really good one.



One final note: The writing was smooth and seamless, rich and compelling, and the technical aspects of the book were very nearly perfect. If only all books were produced so professionally and with such great attention to detail!



So if you enjoy a wonderful love story, pulse-pounding BDSM elements, and excellent writing, I'd definitely recommend Cirque du Minuit as a must-read.