Second Bookses

I read Tiffany Reisz's erotic novel The Angel -- via an advance copy from NetGalley -- not long after the first book in her Original Sinners series, The Siren, and was considering myself the leader of what I was calling the TeamSørenDIAF club. I was not a fan of Søren and Nora's relationship, which I viewed as Master/slave: not my thing.Ms. Reisz challenged me on Twitter to read The Angel and see if I felt the same.Let me back up first, however. The Angel is not particularly Nora and Søren's book, even though the book may open with them. For those who have read The Siren (and I suggest you get back and read it) if you haven't, The Angel is, at its heart, Michael's book: Nora's "Angel", the teen who tried to kill himself because he was interested in kink and no one, least of all his parents, could accept it.When a situation arises at Søren's church, Søren suggests that both Nora and Michael make themselves scarce, and what better way than having Nora, world-reknowned former Dominatrix, train Michael as a sub? She takes him to her friend Griffin's for the summer. Meanwhile, Søren is the subject of an investigative reporter's research; the reporter thinks SOMETHING is going on with him, and is determined to get to the bottom of it. Before he allows Nora and Michael to leave, however, Søren tells Nora that Griffin is not allowed to have sex with Michael.Set fuse, toss dynamite.You can probably guess what happens next, but I don't want to spoil it for you in case you can't. I will warn the squeamish that the novel does involve blood play, and some references to incest. However, the book is something I didn't expect: sweet and romantic. Michael's story is heart-crushingly addictive, and I found myself reading the book straight through, unable to put it down.So then how do I review a book I don't want to spoil any of? The Angel surpassed all my impressions of The Siren: the same incredible voice was there in the writing, but it also has a swoony romance that will crush even the Grinchiest heart. But the big question I'm sworn to answer: Does Søren given up his need to control everything? No, not really, but you see a softer side, and while I may not be jumping on the #TeamSøren bandwagon any time soon, the DIAF tag is gone, at least for now. In short, The Angel is the most disruptive erotic fiction on the market. It's a provocative look into real-life BDSM, and cuts out the overblown fantasies that have been dominating the booklists lately. THIS is the book I was looking for: an eye-opening and heart-rending glimpse into the real world of a healthy, loving BDSM relationship. Where The Siren was shocking, The Angel will melt your heart.