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City Affairs: My Quest For Love
"THIS BOOK REIGNITED MY LOVE FOR A GOOD ROMANCE"
An epic tale of heartbreak, despair, hope and second chances, inspired by a real life story. Felicité has a reasonably successful career, working in London’s Canary Wharf financial district; and is a faithful, doting wife. Her husband is an author and serial cheater. After catching him cheating for the umpteenth time, she sets him an ultimatum. Meanwhile, a dreamy mega-rich hedge fund manager has been showering her with attention. A chance encounter one lunchtime will have profound ramifications beyond her wildest imagination.
As she struggles to make sense of everything, she is forced to confront her inner demons and grapple with the difference between fate and destiny. A strange confluence of circumstances conspires to present her with her greatest dilemma yet.
The book is set in London, with scenes in France and New York.
An epic tale of heartbreak, despair, hope and second chances, inspired by a real life story. Felicité has a reasonably successful career, working in London’s Canary Wharf financial district; and is a faithful, doting wife. Her husband is an author and serial cheater. After catching him cheating for the umpteenth time, she sets him an ultimatum. Meanwhile, a dreamy mega-rich hedge fund manager has been showering her with attention. A chance encounter one lunchtime will have profound ramifications beyond her wildest imagination.
As she struggles to make sense of everything, she is forced to confront her inner demons and grapple with the difference between fate and destiny. A strange confluence of circumstances conspires to present her with her greatest dilemma yet.
The book is set in London, with scenes in France and New York.
448 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2017
1 person is currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Seb King
5 books20 followersSeb was born and raised in the green and pleasant land. His real passion in life is writing.
Conversant in five languages, Seb is a sucker for learning about different cultures and peoples. His dream is to become a celebrated author, travelling the world to engage with his readers.
Conversant in five languages, Seb is a sucker for learning about different cultures and peoples. His dream is to become a celebrated author, travelling the world to engage with his readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 21, 2018
Made it thru. Conflicting thoughts. 2.5 Stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book was definitely an interesting read. There were two places from the start where I truly thought I would just give up and not continue. There are multiple issues with the structure of sentences and the flow of the story, especially in the beginning.
However, I did persevere and I am glad I did. I think it’s interesting to look at different points of view and writing talents by authors.
Because this book is written by a man and also not an American writer, which I mainly read, there are a few things to overcome.
With the theme of the book a BDSM romance, there is definitely no flowery, soft romantic words. There is no soft touch romantic introduction to the BDSM lifestyle. It’s a very abrupt start and you can definitely tell this is a man version of the story. The romance is just not there.
There is also some interesting use of language and style of writing that takes getting used to. In some areas I was laughing out loud because it seemed very ridiculous.
On the upside, the middle of the book and onwards, the writing improved. It is broken into chapters by character but is not written in first person.
The character development was decent but needed definitely more work. The main female character, Lessie, had some serious issues with self esteem but was overall a likeable person. However, I could not stand her friend, Cathy. Definitely an issue with her. Horrible person.
Plus, I never got that big connection to the leading guy, Pierre, that those of us who love romance stories look for and crave. I never really connected with any one character. (I also had a huge issue with Pierre’s name as his description definitely does not fit his name).
The ending had a nice twist to it and although I wish we could have experienced the HEA, the fact that there was one is good to know.
Overall the story has a good plot. Many of the scenes in the middle and onward were quite hot. But there is definitely improvements to be made with the conversational areas, the editing, and flow of the entire book.
I am going to be generous and give this a 3 star rating which is rounded up from 2.5 stars
* copy received for review consideration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book was definitely an interesting read. There were two places from the start where I truly thought I would just give up and not continue. There are multiple issues with the structure of sentences and the flow of the story, especially in the beginning.
However, I did persevere and I am glad I did. I think it’s interesting to look at different points of view and writing talents by authors.
Because this book is written by a man and also not an American writer, which I mainly read, there are a few things to overcome.
With the theme of the book a BDSM romance, there is definitely no flowery, soft romantic words. There is no soft touch romantic introduction to the BDSM lifestyle. It’s a very abrupt start and you can definitely tell this is a man version of the story. The romance is just not there.
There is also some interesting use of language and style of writing that takes getting used to. In some areas I was laughing out loud because it seemed very ridiculous.
On the upside, the middle of the book and onwards, the writing improved. It is broken into chapters by character but is not written in first person.
The character development was decent but needed definitely more work. The main female character, Lessie, had some serious issues with self esteem but was overall a likeable person. However, I could not stand her friend, Cathy. Definitely an issue with her. Horrible person.
Plus, I never got that big connection to the leading guy, Pierre, that those of us who love romance stories look for and crave. I never really connected with any one character. (I also had a huge issue with Pierre’s name as his description definitely does not fit his name).
The ending had a nice twist to it and although I wish we could have experienced the HEA, the fact that there was one is good to know.
Overall the story has a good plot. Many of the scenes in the middle and onward were quite hot. But there is definitely improvements to be made with the conversational areas, the editing, and flow of the entire book.
I am going to be generous and give this a 3 star rating which is rounded up from 2.5 stars
* copy received for review consideration
September 2, 2017
I was warned beforehand that I shouldn’t read this book when I’m easily offended by fiction involving adultery or even BDSM, so I knew what I was walking into. After said that, I don’t mind those things happening in a book IF it is written in a believable manner. And that was definitely NOT the case in this particular book. Without going into much detail (I’m trying to avoid spoiling too much) One of the characters makes out with the boyfriend of a good friend of hers right after learning that she herself has been cheated on for the fourth time by her husband (which she was of course devastated about), but in the days following this event she never expresses real guilt to herself or her friend in any way. Which is totally not a believable scenario.
The rest of the book was very clearly inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey. A normal girl meets a very rich guy with an enormous ego who is into bdsm. This guy also has a traumatic past which he doesn’t want to say anything about. I’m really sorry to say this but, I liked Fifty Shades better (and I didn’t even liked that one).
In the first half of the book the narrator changes very often. This annoyed me quite a bit, and was most of the time completely unnecessary. 90% of those conversation could have been way better if it would just have stayed with Felicité (the main character) narrating the story. You could easily skip those other 10% without missing out on anything. Staying with the same character creates a better bond between the reader and said character. By changing the narrator too often, it just felt a lot like speed dating. You get a very short amount of time to get to know some one, you try to understand what there motives are. But suddenly you are out of time and put before a new complete stranger!! In the second part of the book the story was mainly narated by Felicité, the main character in this book. I thought this was a change for the better.
The whole book is written very careless. At one point there is a reasonably long conversation about someone who needs to drink fresh grape juice because he needs to drive that night. It was a very boring conversation but I got the point. but afterwards they spend the rest of the night driving around in a taxi? It truly felt like the writer forgot what he had written only one or two pages ago. I had to go back many times to check if I didn’t misread anything.
The rich guy in this book, Pierre Jumblatt, a Lebanese who is wort 50 million (it could have been 50 billion… either way, a lot of money) shares 90% of his character with Christian Grey (for people who live under a rock, that’s the rich guy from Fifty Shades of Grey). The differences are that Pierre is a complete *sshole and never ever ever during this story opens up in any way. Everything you get to know about him, you get from side characters. This is such a shame if you ask me! There is almost no character development, it would have been really nice to see the Pierre and Felicité learn a bit more from there mistakes and develop to more decent people!
Felicité herself was no smart cookie. She didn’t seem to think a lot of things through and reminded me a lot of this gif:
She made the same mistakes over and over and over again and seemed to be the worst employer in the whole building. But if you ignored her weird behaviour sometimes she wasn’t too bad.
One thing that also really bothered me is the fact that the whole book is a summary of how filthy rich this guy is, and how many important people he knows, but still he takes taxis and drives his own car around London. That just totally didn’t make sense to me.
It’s also really sad that the ending went so incredibly fast!! This book would have been so much better with a bit of character development in the end. And just a bit more info on what happened between the two last chapters could have made everything so much better.
The story did have a lot of potential, it went to different countries and it wasn’t just about sex all the time. I just feel like it could have used a bit more love.
Blog | Tumblr
The rest of the book was very clearly inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey. A normal girl meets a very rich guy with an enormous ego who is into bdsm. This guy also has a traumatic past which he doesn’t want to say anything about. I’m really sorry to say this but, I liked Fifty Shades better (and I didn’t even liked that one).
In the first half of the book the narrator changes very often. This annoyed me quite a bit, and was most of the time completely unnecessary. 90% of those conversation could have been way better if it would just have stayed with Felicité (the main character) narrating the story. You could easily skip those other 10% without missing out on anything. Staying with the same character creates a better bond between the reader and said character. By changing the narrator too often, it just felt a lot like speed dating. You get a very short amount of time to get to know some one, you try to understand what there motives are. But suddenly you are out of time and put before a new complete stranger!! In the second part of the book the story was mainly narated by Felicité, the main character in this book. I thought this was a change for the better.
The whole book is written very careless. At one point there is a reasonably long conversation about someone who needs to drink fresh grape juice because he needs to drive that night. It was a very boring conversation but I got the point. but afterwards they spend the rest of the night driving around in a taxi? It truly felt like the writer forgot what he had written only one or two pages ago. I had to go back many times to check if I didn’t misread anything.
The rich guy in this book, Pierre Jumblatt, a Lebanese who is wort 50 million (it could have been 50 billion… either way, a lot of money) shares 90% of his character with Christian Grey (for people who live under a rock, that’s the rich guy from Fifty Shades of Grey). The differences are that Pierre is a complete *sshole and never ever ever during this story opens up in any way. Everything you get to know about him, you get from side characters. This is such a shame if you ask me! There is almost no character development, it would have been really nice to see the Pierre and Felicité learn a bit more from there mistakes and develop to more decent people!
Felicité herself was no smart cookie. She didn’t seem to think a lot of things through and reminded me a lot of this gif:
She made the same mistakes over and over and over again and seemed to be the worst employer in the whole building. But if you ignored her weird behaviour sometimes she wasn’t too bad.
One thing that also really bothered me is the fact that the whole book is a summary of how filthy rich this guy is, and how many important people he knows, but still he takes taxis and drives his own car around London. That just totally didn’t make sense to me.
It’s also really sad that the ending went so incredibly fast!! This book would have been so much better with a bit of character development in the end. And just a bit more info on what happened between the two last chapters could have made everything so much better.
The story did have a lot of potential, it went to different countries and it wasn’t just about sex all the time. I just feel like it could have used a bit more love.
Blog | Tumblr
November 10, 2017
I requested this book on Netgalley in return for an honest review
Nope. Really bad. Stupid characters, awful dialogue and I did not care about anybody or anything. Whoops.... I wanted to like it, I can enjoy a sexy/bdsm story at certain moments but this didn't do it for me. I found the main character to be annoying, someone should smash her hard so she wakes up and see the real world. I'm all for a bit of rough sex, but I dislike it when I have to read about someone (man or woman) who's saying no clearly but still gets touched it undressed. I know it can be part of a game, if that is made, it's fine! But in this book, in the beginning, it's not. I don't know how the rest of the book is, I'm sure there's a lot more sex with clear agreements, but I'm not willing to find out. Ow, and Pierre is one of the most arrogant twats i've ever read about. His poetic words made me want to vomit.
So. Not my cup of tea....
Nope. Really bad. Stupid characters, awful dialogue and I did not care about anybody or anything. Whoops.... I wanted to like it, I can enjoy a sexy/bdsm story at certain moments but this didn't do it for me. I found the main character to be annoying, someone should smash her hard so she wakes up and see the real world. I'm all for a bit of rough sex, but I dislike it when I have to read about someone (man or woman) who's saying no clearly but still gets touched it undressed. I know it can be part of a game, if that is made, it's fine! But in this book, in the beginning, it's not. I don't know how the rest of the book is, I'm sure there's a lot more sex with clear agreements, but I'm not willing to find out. Ow, and Pierre is one of the most arrogant twats i've ever read about. His poetic words made me want to vomit.
So. Not my cup of tea....
May 28, 2017
I was pleased to have won this book in a recent Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I was born and raised in Greater London, not that far from the Canary Wharf. Mind you, the Canary Wharf was nothing like it is now when I was born. I moved away from London in 1981.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and whilst I rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others, I do recommend it.
I was born and raised in Greater London, not that far from the Canary Wharf. Mind you, the Canary Wharf was nothing like it is now when I was born. I moved away from London in 1981.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and whilst I rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others, I do recommend it.
September 5, 2017
This was a very interesting and exciting read. The characters were very well written. I wish that the epilogue was a little longer. Maybe there will be a follow up book! That would be awesome. There was a lot of chemistry with Lissie and Pierre that started right from the beginning all the way to the end. I would recommend this book to others that enjoy a darker romance novel.
September 12, 2017
This book is SOOOO BORING! For the publisher to email me to make sure I was ok reading this book because there was going to be sexual "triggers", I was expecting something more excited & a lot more provocative. I also had issues with all the different point of views. Not everyone needs their own pov, it's unnecessary. Also, this book is taken place in & around London. So it was written with British slang & a lot of British/European words that I just confused me, which in turn was taking away from the story. I really had huge expectations for this book, especially where the publishers made sure I was ok reading this book where it's supposedly a highly sexual book. For me, This book was a huge let down.
November 29, 2017
I requested this book from Netgalley
Though not my usual read or genre, this book had an interesting premise to it.
The characters showed real humanity but I was a little disappointed with the story overall. Some of the chapters could have been better written as they seemed to drag on and didn't really add to the overall story.
The addition of a disclaimer for the triggers was good but the story really didn't contain anything that would have been upsetting to me. In general, an enjoyable read, though a little lengthy in parts. I would recommend it if the premise of the story interests you.
Though not my usual read or genre, this book had an interesting premise to it.
The characters showed real humanity but I was a little disappointed with the story overall. Some of the chapters could have been better written as they seemed to drag on and didn't really add to the overall story.
The addition of a disclaimer for the triggers was good but the story really didn't contain anything that would have been upsetting to me. In general, an enjoyable read, though a little lengthy in parts. I would recommend it if the premise of the story interests you.
November 29, 2017
Well... the writing was great. Let me start off on the right foot here. Seb King writes a good story.
I just couldn't like the characters, neither of them. Felicite didn't have a backbone, Pierre was kind of a slick kitty and the BDSM I felt was rather benign. Having said that the warnings didn't bother me, I've read much darker and detailed and this was neither.
The book did have good flow and the backstory was tight. I do understand why he wrote them the way he did, but Felicite just came off as so pathetic it almost made me put the book down. I made myself forge ahead hoping he could turn her around. I almost felt bad for him.
I did want to like this much more than I did and would have were it not for her whiny, pitiful behavior that no man should put up with.
**arc from NetGalley and many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to review**
I just couldn't like the characters, neither of them. Felicite didn't have a backbone, Pierre was kind of a slick kitty and the BDSM I felt was rather benign. Having said that the warnings didn't bother me, I've read much darker and detailed and this was neither.
The book did have good flow and the backstory was tight. I do understand why he wrote them the way he did, but Felicite just came off as so pathetic it almost made me put the book down. I made myself forge ahead hoping he could turn her around. I almost felt bad for him.
I did want to like this much more than I did and would have were it not for her whiny, pitiful behavior that no man should put up with.
**arc from NetGalley and many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to review**
October 16, 2017
DNF
I never give up on a book this quick, but I literally couldn't get past the 3rd page! It needs some serious editing and proofreading before being published because the writing turned me off from the first page. Incomplete sentences were a huge issue.
I almost felt like this book was translated using a free online service from a different language and no one checked to make sure it made sense in English.
I never give up on a book this quick, but I literally couldn't get past the 3rd page! It needs some serious editing and proofreading before being published because the writing turned me off from the first page. Incomplete sentences were a huge issue.
I almost felt like this book was translated using a free online service from a different language and no one checked to make sure it made sense in English.
December 5, 2019
I've given this one star because no stars isn't an option. Looking at other reviews, this seems to be a Marmite book, everyone loves it or hates it. At least it isn't provoking indifference, which I'm sure is what an author fears most!
Although I'm not keen on reading books with a lot of BDSM in them, I've read a few that have had good characters and plausible stories and enjoyed them despite the sex rather than because of it, but the characters in this book seemed to be about nothing BUT sex. Even when Lissy gets together with her best friends, there is never any passing reference to their work or families, they launch straight in to detailed descriptions of their sex lives. Maybe it's because the main character is a woman being written by a man, he hasn't really got women sussed.
I also found the book riddled with errors of spelling and grammar. Fair enough, I was reading an ARC so these might have been corrected before publication, but I have to admit to laughing out loud when one of the characters was "balling her eyes out" rather than "bawling her eyes out" because in the context of the book, this could well have been about to happen in another chapter!
Finally, there was no explanation of how the story progressed from the ending of the last chapter to the epilogue and it left me thinking that if so much space hadn't been devoted to describing humiliating and debasing sexual exploits there might have been room in the book to tell the story properly
Although I'm not keen on reading books with a lot of BDSM in them, I've read a few that have had good characters and plausible stories and enjoyed them despite the sex rather than because of it, but the characters in this book seemed to be about nothing BUT sex. Even when Lissy gets together with her best friends, there is never any passing reference to their work or families, they launch straight in to detailed descriptions of their sex lives. Maybe it's because the main character is a woman being written by a man, he hasn't really got women sussed.
I also found the book riddled with errors of spelling and grammar. Fair enough, I was reading an ARC so these might have been corrected before publication, but I have to admit to laughing out loud when one of the characters was "balling her eyes out" rather than "bawling her eyes out" because in the context of the book, this could well have been about to happen in another chapter!
Finally, there was no explanation of how the story progressed from the ending of the last chapter to the epilogue and it left me thinking that if so much space hadn't been devoted to describing humiliating and debasing sexual exploits there might have been room in the book to tell the story properly
July 6, 2017
5 Stars
I received this book for my honest review.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was reserved going into this book because of the freshness and that this really isn't my type of normal read but this author brought so much to the table when I opened the ebook.
I admit it didn't catch me at first page and a lot never do but this book by page four had me wanting to read more but at the same time not read more. It's kind of a catch for me when reading books that I agree with and disagree with but somehow this author managed to capture me and held me to the last word was read.
I am not a typical reviewer that will give anything away but if your looking for a indepth kind of read, one that will capture you and get ice cubes out then this is the read for you. The screaming towel I highly recommend too.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Happy Sexy Reading
I received this book for my honest review.
This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was reserved going into this book because of the freshness and that this really isn't my type of normal read but this author brought so much to the table when I opened the ebook.
I admit it didn't catch me at first page and a lot never do but this book by page four had me wanting to read more but at the same time not read more. It's kind of a catch for me when reading books that I agree with and disagree with but somehow this author managed to capture me and held me to the last word was read.
I am not a typical reviewer that will give anything away but if your looking for a indepth kind of read, one that will capture you and get ice cubes out then this is the read for you. The screaming towel I highly recommend too.
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Happy Sexy Reading
July 14, 2017
Amount of sex 4.5 / 5
How explicit 4.5 / 5
BDSM/Fetish 5 / 5
Story 3.5 / 5
Overall: 3.5 / 5
Review:
In some ways, this is three books with one conclusion. I say this as first the book is written in two different styles and second, the characters' purpose/plot shifts. Parts one and two are written in 1st person perspective and switches between several characters. Meanwhile, the third part is only in Felicité's perspective. The plot of the book is written in three different ways. The first part of the book is about Felicité's spiral into despair after her husband's latest infidelity. The second part of the book is about Pierre's pursuit of Felicité. The third part of the book is about Felicité's coming to herself through her BDSM relationship with Pierre and a slight mystery as to Pierre's intentions with Felicité's. When you realize City Affairs is based on a real story, you can understand the bit of meandering that happens in the first part of the book. I was happy the book becomes more focused the second half of the book with the pursuit of Felicité and her relationship with Pierre.
When the book reaches the latter half and becomes more focused, it is a great read. The dynamics between Pierre and Felicité is intriguing as the BDSM aspect of the relationship takes the forefront of the book. The book doesn't get better just because it includes some nice juicy parts, but it clarifies where the book is finally going. At first, it felt very much like Bridget Jones' Diary with more sex and then shifts to more Fifty Shades of Grey (which the author acknowledges the influence of Fifty Shades of Grey plays both through the characters themselves and in the afterword). Both books I like, by the way. When the meat of why Pierre enjoys his relationship with Felicité is explored, this is what makes the book focused and interesting.
** Voluntarily reviewed from an advanced copy **
How explicit 4.5 / 5
BDSM/Fetish 5 / 5
Story 3.5 / 5
Overall: 3.5 / 5
Review:
In some ways, this is three books with one conclusion. I say this as first the book is written in two different styles and second, the characters' purpose/plot shifts. Parts one and two are written in 1st person perspective and switches between several characters. Meanwhile, the third part is only in Felicité's perspective. The plot of the book is written in three different ways. The first part of the book is about Felicité's spiral into despair after her husband's latest infidelity. The second part of the book is about Pierre's pursuit of Felicité. The third part of the book is about Felicité's coming to herself through her BDSM relationship with Pierre and a slight mystery as to Pierre's intentions with Felicité's. When you realize City Affairs is based on a real story, you can understand the bit of meandering that happens in the first part of the book. I was happy the book becomes more focused the second half of the book with the pursuit of Felicité and her relationship with Pierre.
When the book reaches the latter half and becomes more focused, it is a great read. The dynamics between Pierre and Felicité is intriguing as the BDSM aspect of the relationship takes the forefront of the book. The book doesn't get better just because it includes some nice juicy parts, but it clarifies where the book is finally going. At first, it felt very much like Bridget Jones' Diary with more sex and then shifts to more Fifty Shades of Grey (which the author acknowledges the influence of Fifty Shades of Grey plays both through the characters themselves and in the afterword). Both books I like, by the way. When the meat of why Pierre enjoys his relationship with Felicité is explored, this is what makes the book focused and interesting.
** Voluntarily reviewed from an advanced copy **
December 21, 2017
What can I say? I found this book disturbing but I wanted to keep an open mind so I decided to finish the book. It reflects, I think the darker side of BDSM. Felicite/Lissie a beautiful looking woman who had confidence in her career but not in herself. I still can not get over the fad that the plot was based on a true story. It is amazing what the rich and powerful can do to manipulate someone else's life. In Lissie case Pierre influenced her job without her knowing. He kept her from getting let go and engineered a promotion for her. Lissie thought it was based on Merit. Pierre introduced Lissie to BDSM but I do not think he knew how warped his brutality was. Lissie had a fragile disposition and Pierre saw it and was attracted to it. She had little self confidence and I felt sorry for her. After her second husband was caught cheating on her for the fourth time, she still wanted to hang on to the marriage even though it was over and her spouse had already checked out of the marriage. It just seems that she was desperate not to be alone and wanted the idea of a relationship. I think she settled for Pierre because she craved what affection he offered when he offered it. But everything was his terms. I do not think he was a true Dom. It seems he used BDSM for release of his high pressure job and family problems. Not that he was treating Lissie all the time with love and consideration. He had impossible standards that Lissie tried to meet but towards the end she was crushed and took destructive action. Later in the story Lissie gets the relationship she desires from Pierre. Good Bad who knows You'll have to read the book and make up your own mind. I voluntarily received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from NetGalley.
October 29, 2017
So, this galley came with a ton of warnings abour sensitive content, I had to give mt personal guarantee that the content would not offend me or something. I never got to be shocked at all.
I unfortunately only got to read about half of this book, and it didn't do much for me.
The beginning builds extremely slowly, there are like six different POVs and I was almost shouting at my tablet for the author to "get on with it already!", because I didn't see the point in so many barely related POVs.
It got much better when the author actually narrowed the POVs down, and the central storyline finally got developed. That's also when the more sensitive content came into play, but it didn't do much for me except maybe get me a bit annoyed at the main character and her submission.
I'm not the biggest fan of BDSM erotic content, but I do somewhat enjoy in some cases. Not this one.
So to sum up, I believe people who like something in the realm of 50 Shades might like this, because the writing isn't bad at all, but I wasn't unfortunately captured by this storyline
I unfortunately only got to read about half of this book, and it didn't do much for me.
The beginning builds extremely slowly, there are like six different POVs and I was almost shouting at my tablet for the author to "get on with it already!", because I didn't see the point in so many barely related POVs.
It got much better when the author actually narrowed the POVs down, and the central storyline finally got developed. That's also when the more sensitive content came into play, but it didn't do much for me except maybe get me a bit annoyed at the main character and her submission.
I'm not the biggest fan of BDSM erotic content, but I do somewhat enjoy in some cases. Not this one.
So to sum up, I believe people who like something in the realm of 50 Shades might like this, because the writing isn't bad at all, but I wasn't unfortunately captured by this storyline
December 24, 2017
This wasn’t a winner for me.
Aware of the warnings before I requested this book I was expecting heart pounding moments, moments that made my heart hurt, basically I expected to feel something whilst reading this book. I found myself skim reading which I hate doing when I know the author has put time and effort into writing a book, but it just couldn’t be helped. The story or characters didn’t grip me at all unfortunately. The excessive POVs were just that, excessive and at times confusing. There were grammar and spelling errors, although that hasn’t effected my rating as these may be proofread and corrected before the book goes live...
All in all, despite the grammar and spelling g errors, the writing was good but after reading the warnings and expecting more from this book, I felt it fell a little flat.
Triggers
There are a limited number of scenes containing: depictions of sex; BDSM; infidelity, dubious-consent; domineering men and adult language.
**ARC kindly provided by NetGalley**
Aware of the warnings before I requested this book I was expecting heart pounding moments, moments that made my heart hurt, basically I expected to feel something whilst reading this book. I found myself skim reading which I hate doing when I know the author has put time and effort into writing a book, but it just couldn’t be helped. The story or characters didn’t grip me at all unfortunately. The excessive POVs were just that, excessive and at times confusing. There were grammar and spelling errors, although that hasn’t effected my rating as these may be proofread and corrected before the book goes live...
All in all, despite the grammar and spelling g errors, the writing was good but after reading the warnings and expecting more from this book, I felt it fell a little flat.
Triggers
There are a limited number of scenes containing: depictions of sex; BDSM; infidelity, dubious-consent; domineering men and adult language.
**ARC kindly provided by NetGalley**
June 2, 2017
To me London is the most romantic and fascinating city in the world. I definitely favour books set in its streets. City Affairs does it justice by giving us a glimpse of its inner workings, from the magnificance of the Bank of England, to fast-paced Canary Wharf and gentry-laden Mayfair with its exclusive members-only establishments.
All of this as a backdrop to a gripping tale of second chances (another favourite!). I was immediately hooked by poor Lissie's utter devastation and downward spiral following the break-up of her marriage. And then her apparent desperation to get back into the game.
Fortunately for Lissie, her knight in shining armour is on his way. The chemistry is smoking smoking hot and Lissie gets to learn a thing or two about her own sexuality. Their relationship is an up and down emotional (and physical) rollercoaster for Lissie, that kept me reading at every spare moment and late into the night.
I have to admit to shedding a tear or two.... In between the cold showers ;). Thoroughly enjoyable book and highly recommended!!!
All of this as a backdrop to a gripping tale of second chances (another favourite!). I was immediately hooked by poor Lissie's utter devastation and downward spiral following the break-up of her marriage. And then her apparent desperation to get back into the game.
Fortunately for Lissie, her knight in shining armour is on his way. The chemistry is smoking smoking hot and Lissie gets to learn a thing or two about her own sexuality. Their relationship is an up and down emotional (and physical) rollercoaster for Lissie, that kept me reading at every spare moment and late into the night.
I have to admit to shedding a tear or two.... In between the cold showers ;). Thoroughly enjoyable book and highly recommended!!!
February 9, 2018
I was given this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This novel has me torn and I find reviewing it with a definite star rating difficult.
I adored the writing style and descriptive way the personalities of the characters were played out, drawing me into the life of Felicite, appreciating her nature of mistrust and desire for control to be taken out of her hands. Pierre was the perfect dominant personality, knew what he wanted, and went for it.
Where my torn feelings come in is that so many chapters took me through with Felicite, long winding to understand her past. Pierre came into her life and you grew through their relationship. Then it all ends so suddenly almost like there was a force to finish the book, and I felt it was cutoff and an Epilogue thrown in just to appease. It left me feeling cut short which dampened the feeling I had for the novel.
This novel has me torn and I find reviewing it with a definite star rating difficult.
I adored the writing style and descriptive way the personalities of the characters were played out, drawing me into the life of Felicite, appreciating her nature of mistrust and desire for control to be taken out of her hands. Pierre was the perfect dominant personality, knew what he wanted, and went for it.
Where my torn feelings come in is that so many chapters took me through with Felicite, long winding to understand her past. Pierre came into her life and you grew through their relationship. Then it all ends so suddenly almost like there was a force to finish the book, and I felt it was cutoff and an Epilogue thrown in just to appease. It left me feeling cut short which dampened the feeling I had for the novel.
August 29, 2017
I'm afraid I really didn't enjoy or connect with this book, it wasn't the BDSM scenes or bad language etc it was because there wasn't a character in the book I could honestly say that was at all likeable so I just ended rushing through the book as I didn't care in the least what happened to them. The ending was also rather strange not sure what actually happened and it was no clearer from the epilogue.
That said I see a lot of reviewers have given it 5 stars so for this book it's obviously a matter of personal taste.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly
That said I see a lot of reviewers have given it 5 stars so for this book it's obviously a matter of personal taste.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly
August 30, 2017
City Affairs: My Quest for Love is by British author Seb King. Set in London, our heroine Felicite has discovered her husband was cheating on her. Again. I was disappointed she even wanted to give him another chance, and yet all the while she seemed looking for just the right man. When Pierre set his sights on her and begins wooing her, she is enthralled. The story is very British and is obviously written as such that the average American reading the book might wonder what certain words and phrases are. I definitely had trouble following along in certain places. That being said, it would be worth your while to pick up a copy and read.
July 14, 2017
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway, and honestly, it's just boring. None of the characters have a spark to them, and there are far too many narrative voices, all of which read exactly the same. Dialogue is awkward and bland, and there are too many chunks of exposition; give me a character's background if it's relevant to the story, and organically, not just in several paragraphs at the beginning of their unnecessary narration.
January 25, 2018
I'm sorry but yes.....50 shades of ...something. It could be because the whole bdsm is not my scene but even then a good story line would be appreciated. It just seemed like losing control and just doing it to say you did it but not even liking it? It's a circle in square. I get it that world has no boundaries but there is discipline which to my understanding from reading other bdsm books control was key to heightened the pleasure. Not in this book. sorry
March 2, 2018
I started this book back in Sept 2017, made it half way and quit. I hated to DNF this book so the first of 2018, I picked it back up; I hate to say this - I forced myself to finish reading City Affairs. The book has a good base but it was too wordy in places and I didn't connect with the characters. I love finding new authors and the blurb is what made me want to read this book but I am sad to say this, the book wasn't as good as I was hoping for.
March 2, 2018
This is a very exciting story. The characters have amazing chemistry between them. This is a darker romance story. I was hooked from the first page. I just couldn't put this book down. This book flows really well from chapter to chapter and the back story was well written. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book
www.obsessedbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book
www.obsessedbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk
March 19, 2018
While the first half of the novel was a little slow and probably could have been edited to tighten it up, the second half was totally hot!! The author certainly knows how to depict sexual scenes that are enticing and provocative. Well done. If you didn’t like 50 shades of grey don’t go here but if you did it is better!! The characters were diverse and added colour to the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and author for a ebook copy to read and review.
Thank you to Netgalley and author for a ebook copy to read and review.
March 21, 2018
Seb King is a new-to-me author. I liked the title and the cover. The blurb needs work, but that is because the book needs work.
What I liked about the book was that it has potential. The characters were flawed enough to entice me to read further.
What bothered me about the book was the plot. It had none. It meandered.
My advice would be to submit the book to an editor who does more than address sentence structure. And then try to relaunch it.
What I liked about the book was that it has potential. The characters were flawed enough to entice me to read further.
What bothered me about the book was the plot. It had none. It meandered.
My advice would be to submit the book to an editor who does more than address sentence structure. And then try to relaunch it.
October 1, 2017
The story is interesting. It is about adultery, BDSM and more about the woman finding her identity. The story is all about the transformation of the protagonist, Felicité and her internal conflicts she faces with having to make challenging decisions.
It was a great read and I liked the characters in the book.
It was a great read and I liked the characters in the book.
November 30, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was an "interesting" read; on the other hand, I thought the sex was overdone. There was a plot, but it's overshadowed by the BDSM.
Thanks to Revival Media and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Revival Media and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2018
I requested this book on Netgalley in return for an honest review
I am all for a good romance book, but this one just did not do it for me. I really struggled and eventually called is quits. Sorry!! maybe next book.
I am all for a good romance book, but this one just did not do it for me. I really struggled and eventually called is quits. Sorry!! maybe next book.
October 18, 2017
Not for me at all.
Poor writing and uninteresting characters.
This book is NOT romance and should not be categorized as one.
Poor writing and uninteresting characters.
This book is NOT romance and should not be categorized as one.
October 8, 2017
first off - thank you to the folks @Netgalley for getting me a copy of this book - definitely one that's a bit different than what i've been reading lately even in the genre. I'll start off by saying that i'm a bit mixed about this one. The story itself is a good one, but i feel like it's a bit over written in places - where the vocabulary and the banter is more high brown than it needs to be, even when it's used to make a point.
That being said - we have at the core a sweet story about our female lead Lissie who has found herself in yet another bad situation with her husband - someone that she's been married to for 3 years, but has caught cheating 4 times already. When she crosses paths with Pierre - the fiance of a friend, well sparks are flying and that in itself leads to so much confusion.
When they go off on a joint holiday, we see that things are getting even more interesting. Lissie wants to call her husband out on his indiscretions and Pierre wants to find a way to spend more time with Lissie. So we can all imagine what that means right?
Throughout the rest of this story - we see Lissie grow a pair - she gives her husband an ultimatum, and then try to sort out how she can be her own woman while being 'alone' doesn't really suit her. Her mind is taken up 24/7 by Pierre yet she won't allow that to be something that comes into reality....until she does.
He's persistent, and his Dom side really takes us to the next level on that. That's actually kind of where this story goes a bit awry to me too. I feel like he's definitely the alpha dom, but he doesn't seem to have the compassion and the emotion that we typically see from Doms. There's usually more of a reciprocated connected, and he still seems like a playboy who wants to have his slave and the women fawning over him.
So from there we see Lissie's friends question his motives, we see some powerful people voice their concerns and then we see the proverbial shit hit the fan when people dig too deep in places they should stay out of. What that means for everyone involves, Lissie, Pierre, Anne (the fiance), Laura (the PA) and well just about everyone else, well - you'll have to read to find out. It's not where you expect the story to go - that's for sure.
That being said - we have at the core a sweet story about our female lead Lissie who has found herself in yet another bad situation with her husband - someone that she's been married to for 3 years, but has caught cheating 4 times already. When she crosses paths with Pierre - the fiance of a friend, well sparks are flying and that in itself leads to so much confusion.
When they go off on a joint holiday, we see that things are getting even more interesting. Lissie wants to call her husband out on his indiscretions and Pierre wants to find a way to spend more time with Lissie. So we can all imagine what that means right?
Throughout the rest of this story - we see Lissie grow a pair - she gives her husband an ultimatum, and then try to sort out how she can be her own woman while being 'alone' doesn't really suit her. Her mind is taken up 24/7 by Pierre yet she won't allow that to be something that comes into reality....until she does.
He's persistent, and his Dom side really takes us to the next level on that. That's actually kind of where this story goes a bit awry to me too. I feel like he's definitely the alpha dom, but he doesn't seem to have the compassion and the emotion that we typically see from Doms. There's usually more of a reciprocated connected, and he still seems like a playboy who wants to have his slave and the women fawning over him.
So from there we see Lissie's friends question his motives, we see some powerful people voice their concerns and then we see the proverbial shit hit the fan when people dig too deep in places they should stay out of. What that means for everyone involves, Lissie, Pierre, Anne (the fiance), Laura (the PA) and well just about everyone else, well - you'll have to read to find out. It's not where you expect the story to go - that's for sure.
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