Author : Helena Harker
Genre: Historical Erotica
Heat Rating : 3 / 5
Stars : 4 / 5
Reviewed by : Niina C ( from For The Love of Reading )
"India dreads her occupation as a prostitute at Carnal Pleasures, a brothel in an alternate nineteenth-century London.
In order to kindle India’s passion for her work, Madam Rowena introduces her to Phineas, a renowned scholar in the field of sexual psychology. With the help of Phineas, his fornication facilitators and the Kama Sutra, India attempts to reinvent herself as a sophisticated courtesan named India of Rajasthan.
Phineas is a scholar and an intellectual. In India, he finds a woman of imagination and intelligence who needs guidance to realize her full potential.
Not only does he help her believe in herself, but she in turn helps him indulge in a fantasy he has kept hidden for years—the sin of male-male love."
This exotic erotica reads a bit like a manual of sexology, which features heavily in the novella. Carnal Devices very sciency and explanatory and delves into the life of India in a psychological manner. For an erotica title it was quite brainy and the first half was almost all explaining and background - which I admit I wasn't fond of for erotica.
I did find myself wanting to skip a little when it got too "heavy" - now by heavy I don't mean sex, but a lot of talk and researching the mind. Like I mentioned above half of the book was just talk, now the last part of the novella was more up my alley, we get seduction, and some pretty serious fornication in the cathedral, a threesome and some steamy carriage ride M/M which sure, is hot but not something read. I also found the steampunk sex toys an interesting touch, you don't see those everyday!
Want to read the whole review? Checkout Page 45 to see it!
