Paperback Reader

Jaci Burton’s latest erotic romance anthology, Wild, Wicked, & Wanton does little to close the gap between what is strong fiction and what is barely momentary entertainment. Though in all fairness, it’s clear that Burton’s goal here is heat, not lasting greatness. Titillation and sizzle are delivered in abundance, but the never-ending sex scenes come at the expense of the most precious of fiction’s commodities: believability.

Heroines Abby, Blair, and Callie have been the best of friends for years and even have an abdominally cute nickname for their little group, the ABCs. One night over cocktails Blair suggests a bet: each woman will spend a weekend of no-holds-bar sex with a partner of the other two women’s choosing. Plausible? Not so much. But it is an important element in establishing the tone of all three stories and quickly gets the reader to understand that this work reaches for fantasy and views reality as an unnecessary tether.

The action begins with Abby in “Wild.” When Abby’s internship at a veterinary clinic comes to a close, the two bachelor vets Abby worked under, Mike and Seth, propose that she really work under them. Or over them. Or to the side of them. The ménage a trios that follows is a reverie-come-to-life as both Mike and Seth selflessly cater to Abby’s every desire. The most compelling aspect of “Wild” is wondering whether Burton will tie the story up with a three-way-happily ever after and, if not, then wondering how she’ll deal with the loose end of a third party. Unfortunately the wondering doesn’t last long as Burton takes the least fastidious approach possible by making one of the men a bit of an emotionally disconnected sex-buddy. By doing this, whatever climb to drama might have been is eliminated along with the heroine’s need to choose.

In “Wicked,” the friends’ bet (which is really more a dare than a wagered action) allows Blair to let go and be with Rand, the one man she’s always been afraid to be with. Since high school, Rand has seen through all of Blair’s bawdy and ballsy Samantha-from-Sex-In-The-City like talk, and somehow knows her secret desire is to be dominated. There is something less-than-convincing about Blair’s quick acquiescence, first to seduce Rand when she’s literally been running from him for years, then to be dominated by him, when she’s been running from her own desires for an equally long time. There is, however, something always satisfying about a long-in-love couple who finally drop their barriers and unite. In this case, the point at which the domination/submission façade slips is surprisingly tender and makes an otherwise paint-by-numbers romance more unique.

After Abby and Blair fulfill their bet-required weekends of hot sex and exit them happily paired off, it’s Callie’s turn to get between the sheets. In “Wanton” Callie’s widowhood-induced-celibacy ends when she discovers that Jack, whom she knows only as a costumer from her coffee shop, shares her turn ons: voyeurism and exhibitionism. Throughout the story it remains difficult to understand exactly what Callie and Jack see in each other when each is so preoccupied with who they can peep on or who might stumble upon them. “Wanton” is the weakest story of the lot, deficient of the curiosity that “Wild” inspires and the sweetness “Wicked” stumbles into.

These superficially plucky heroines and their sexy heroes are often hampered by dialogue that is both wooden (Callie: I’m a voyeur and exhibitionist. I like to watch, and I enjoy having sex in public.) and repetitive (every single male character: Come for me, [fill in heroine’s name here]. Come on my cock.) Lacking plausible dialogue and without other strong fundamentals buttressing these stories their success or failure comes to rest on the individual reader’s willingness to first submit to the fantasy scenarios presented, then believe that “I love you” is possible after a weekend of the sort of quick physical intimacy that precludes emotional intimacy.

There is abundant criticism to be made of Wild, Wicked, & Wanton. The plot hinges on a manipulative device, the prose is often crude, and Burton’s principles have some sexual peccadilloes that are referred to as disorders in medical circles. All of this adds up to a work that is demanding of the reader. Never intellectually demanding, but rather challenging for the tremendous suspension of disbelief required to buy into the stories. The writing’s lack of nuance, skill and artistry, somehow manages not to get in the way of the work being compulsively readable, almost enjoyable. Burton’s sharpest tool is titillation which she wields to great effect on every page. What is lacking in building blocks like character development is made up for on the page with scorching heat. At its shallowest, Bis a cover-to-cover sex romp and at its deepest, well, there’s no deep end of the pool here.

You can visit Jaci here and purchase this book here and here.