The Pleasure House

Each book in this series is different and the characters diverse. The one thing that connects them is The Pleasure House and you have to read about it to truly understand it. The first book in this series starts us out with a bored housewife magnificently manipulated and quickly out of her element. The path and journey taken was decadent and unnerving, and the finale actually caused me to gasp in surprise. The second gives us a straight-out villain, and I adored this story. Brian and Mina both are some of the most interesting characters you will ever read about. They have depth, layers, complex and quickly changing emotions. Yet, they are both drawn to, and pull away, from each other. The third book gives us the goodtime guy, but not really. This is most definitely in the romance, with the emotions and feelings for each other front and centre, pushing the story along. All the things that Gabe and Julie choose to do, it is their feelings for each other driving that action. The fourth book is actually the beginning of the Pleasure House. Anton and Annette seem perfect together, then they don't. They comfort each other, then they do their best to hurt the other. They seem to be in sync, then it goes horribly awry. And the final book really ties all things Pleasure House together as two people who play an integral part of the House come together. This book has such depth of feelings, of insight into the how we human tick, and what makes us so different from other. Also, how we truly are such an adaptable species, and what we never thought possible, will change for us in a flash. A moment where we need to do what we have to, and make choices we never thought possible, highlighted Darwinism in all its; glory

Very often with a box set, or a longer series, you expect at least one duff read, but Kitty Thomas is the Mistress of writing gripping, twisty, shiver inducing reads that are very wrong but oh so right. This is the TL:DR version of the reviews of each individual book below. I read these out of order, starting with the final book first and then books #1 through to #4. So I knew what and where Vivian was and could guess at the whys and wherefores. And that didn't impact my enjoyment one little bit because Kitty Thomas writes with such passion, mystery and depth that I always find myself engaged by her characters. Even the ones I love to hate. This set is at times dark and disturbing, at times sexy and NSFW and at other times frustrating but always captivating. Some characters I hated and grew to love, some I loved until I decided they were prime bottom holes (I'm looking at you Gabe, and if you smirk I really WILL throat punch you, just like you deserve), some had my emotions switching like the toss of a coin, *cough* Anton *cough*. However the sheer pleasure and emotional release, fulfilment and satisfaction each heroine achieves by being with her tetchy alpha male makes all the rest worthwhile. The subtitle of all these books should be "Kitty's Version Of Happy Ever After Where The Heroine Gets What She Needs." Book 1 is all from Vivian's pov and is a story of letting go of your worries about what society considers normal and giving free reign to your sexual desires. It skates the edge of dubious and non-consent, because truly how can you consent to Hobson's choice? However is it really non-con if you secretly want and love it? Book 2 is Mina and Brian's story. It's the most unconventional love story of two individuals who can not be fixed but who somehow hold one anothers broken pieces in place. In contrast to book #2 it's very low steam but I didn't even notice that until I read reviews by others. The story just transfixed me and I didn't want to put it down. Book3 was where I discovered what a donkey's bottom Gabe truly is. Selfish, self centred, self serving, just self, self, self. However Julie was so amazing I was happy she was happy, so throat punching of the obnoxious POS that is Gabe was avoided. Book 4 was the least consensual of the books and the most compelling. At one point I made a note of "this scene just feels like too much too soon". I should have known to trust Kitty Thomas, because she already had plans for that! Boy is she Queen of the mind flux, Empress of the kink. Do I like Anton? I don't know. Do I love Anton and Annette? Indubitably. Book 5 was Lindsay's redemption and Shannon's reward. This book has a big twist and I do hope others don't spoil it. Like several others from this box set, it's a book that I just couldn't put down and led to a very late night (or early morning!) I highly recommend this series and box set.

Like Everything Kitty Thomas writes. Your taken on a journey you never want to come back from. Without giving anything away ,they are all my favorite but.......Bryan and Minas book is perfectly Sadistic ( if your into that kind of Kink which HELLS yeah, I sure Am) What I wouldn't give to be in Minas place and have Bryan's love!! You have to have All of them, you have to read All of them. Come and join me in The Pleasure House 😋