Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein

 


From Goodreads

New job, new boss, and he’s cold, strict, but terribly attractive. Does Molly Parker stay or does she go? Because beneath Cyrian’s chilly front, there may be a heat that’ll burn her up.

Giving in was vicious bliss.

The live-in position is an opportunity for Molly to earn and escape a problematic family. There’s just one drawback. Her employer is the most eccentric, aloof and closed off man she's ever encountered. His rules are bizarre and his needs even more so, and caring for his ramshackle Dickensian home is far more than she ever bargained for. Only their increasingly intense conversations stop her heading for the door. Cyrian Harcroft is a man of many mysteries and secrets, and the more she learns the greedier she is for each and every one. Especially when she discovers his greatest fear: any kind of physical contact. Now all she has to do is dig a little deeper, to unearth the passion she knows he can feel ...

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story in exchange for an honest review.

I toyed with giving this a 4 or 5 star. I wish they did half stars. As I've given it a 9/10, so that'll be a 4.5 stars.

This is the tale of Molly who's searching for a job and stumbles upon the chance of working for the reclusive Cyrian. As Molly takes on the job, which comes with accommodation for her in his house. She's not too sure what she has taken on, but it's a job.

Cyrian is odd and has certain quirks. He has rules that she must obey while working in his house. He has ways of disciplining Molly if she breaks the rules. Molly liked to push the boundaries and break the rules.

There was a lot of sexual tension in this book. I enjoyed the story and others have likened it to a cross between Jane Eyre and the film The Secretary starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader. I must say if you've never seen this film and you enjoy quirky films with a bit of kink then it's worth watching. I can see why people have mentioned these, I also saw it a little like Beauty and the Beast too.

It's the first story by Charlotte Stein and I will be reading others, I quite enjoy an erotic read that titillates a little and causes you to create certain images in your head. However, if you're not keen on erotic reads then it's definitely not for you.