The Beauty of a Rose
The Rose by Tiffany Reisz published by MIRA. I was lucky enough to receive an arc of the first book The Red and it is amazing! So when I saw the arc of this one and I knew I had to read it. I have to say when I am in the mood for erotica Tiffany Reisz is my girl! I know many people are picky with the erotica but this is a must read. Anything by this author is worth the time. I would have finished this much sooner if work had not gotten in my way what a shame. I love how the author pours love into each component, character, plot and subplot and in the end this one gives you a perfect Rose. I love that the Greek history and Myths are accurate and it makes my nerdy side thrilled when my brain can be worked in between sexy pages. The blurb for this book is so spot on. Lia is gifted what she’s told is a magical erotic cup, and she is believably reticent about its powers. Even when she and the male lead, August, take their first sips of wine from it and descend into the myth of Andromeda and Perseus, she chalks it up to something rational like hallucinogenic compound traces in the clay paired with hypnosis. The amount of disbelieve in this book makes Lia and August’s journey with the cup such a beautiful slow burn that it is worth every minute you spend with it. Thank you to Netgalley and all parties involved for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I hope that this series continues because I am a fan through and through. ( )

If you combine Reisz's signature mindf*ckery, panty-melting erotic scenes, and banter with Greek mythology and the modern British peerage... you get The Rose.

I devoured this book. It's delicious. I don't have better words to say this, so I'll just give you my initial impression:

I would like to drizzle this book over a lover and lick it off.

Where The Red was an experiment in pain/pleasure and pushing the boundaries of reality and the physical body, The Rose is a little sweeter. Of course, it isn't too sweet, because this is Tiffany Reisz and she doesn't do that.

The Rose opens with a young woman, daughter of an Earl, about to have a graduation party as she's just wrapped up her time at university. She's 21, and she has a bit of a secret. You see, she's a Madam. She arranges appointments and handles the financial bits for several of her friends. She's got the connections, they've got the skills and desire to use them.

This is all going smoothly, until the night of her graduation party. Her father has invited a stranger to the party as a sort of consolation prize. You see, Ophelia's father outbid August Bowman at an auction recently. The piece up for bid? A rose kylix (an ancient cup made for drinking wine, decorated with an image of a young woman and a rose). August is sexy as hell, but he also warns Ophelia that the kylix is dangerous and has the power to transport people who drink wine from it into their deepest sexual fantasies. You see, August is a prostitute with the Cult of Eros and this Kylix is a gift given from Aphrodite to her son (Eros).

She tells him to go away and figures that's that.

Until the artist (and terrible person) who took her virginity blackmails her. Unless she pays him 1,000,000 pounds, he's going to tell the papers about her escort service and destroy her life. This leads Ophelia to go to August with a deal - he gives her the money, she gives him the Kylix. But she doesn't need the money for a week... so why shouldn't they play with it first?

The week that follows is the bulk of the book, and it's full of Reisz's combination of erotic scenes, angst, and enough mythology to satisfy fans. It's like reading the myths again, but without the X-Rated bits removed. As a bonus, since Ophelia and August are acting these scenes out, it's pleasurable when Achilles forces Briseis into his bed every night. It's hot as hell when a shower of literal gold glides over and into Danae/Ophelia's body. And it's romantic as hell when August and Ophelia fall for each other while they explore the bounds of their trust.

The Rose is lighter on BDSM and I wouldn't say it contains dubious consent like The Red, but only because Ophelia is knowingly entering scene wherein the original character was raped. These are her fantasies, and August is there to protect her. It's still a big mindf*ck, but not like The Red was. There are several content warnings, which I've listed below, but I think that if you had a difficult time with The Red, this one will be easier. If you loved The Red, you'll probably enjoy The Rose, too.

Oh and there's definitely a happy ending.



Content warnings: mention of rape, blackmail, "pleasurable rape" fantasy, character in peril, bad first-time sex

Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review. ( )

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.

I loved everything about this book!

I first have to preface this review by saying that I haven’t read the first book in the series but that did not affect my comprehension or enjoyment of this book. It can be read as a standalone. This is also my first Tiffany Reisz book.

This is some damn good erotica. There is a lot of sex, but it was done so well. Sometimes erotica can be a little cringey, but this one wasn’t. Who knew that greek mythology fantasies could be so hot?

I loved that there was also a plot; it wasn’t just all sex. There was actual substance to it.

The characters were fantastic as well. Lia and August had sizzling chemistry. They were perfect together. Lia’s parents were an unexpectedly hilarious touch. Even though they were barely in the book, I liked Lia’s friends. They seemed so cool and I low-key want a spin-off book about their sexual adventures.

The book is also incredibly well written. I can tell why so many people love Tiffany Reisz’s book. She knows how to write!

Lastly, the book was so sex-positive. There was a lot of emphasis on both men and women enjoying sex.

Overall, this was an impressive erotic romance. I will definitely be reading more from Tiffany Reisz. ( )

I absolutely loved this book. I love Ophelia, and I loved August. Such a great story. Extremely erotic, but also very sweet. If you like Greek Mythology or if you just love love, then this is the book for you! ( )

Absolutely loved this book. It has everything. Romance, suspense, thrills. I read it in one day, could not put it down. The writing is superb and the story is amazing.