This book was like a breath of fresh air, loved it, well written and very original! I wanted to ask Natalie if she ever considered a BOB, but I don't think BOB is the answer if you can get a Ryan!

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The Lessons by Elizabeth Brown
Book #1: Off-Limits Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 1/5 stars
My Review:

**REVIEW IS SPOILERISH**

Dear Reader,

I think you can tell from my star rating that I was not at all impressed with Elizabeth Brown’s The Lessons. As always, I don’t feel like I can just slap a number on a review without explaining myself.

My primary objection to this read is the fact that nearly every character is lying piece of crap. Natalie literally moves across the country so no one she knows will know she is still a virgin at the age of thirty. You see, Natalie had a plan in place for her life, one which involved doing all the big life things on a schedule and that schedule was not to be deviated from. Unfortunately, when her first serious boyfriend came out of the closet, well, the plan was well and truly derailed!!

In order to get her plan back on track, Natalie has to lay the groundwork and she does this researching sexual surrogates. Knowing this is a service that is generally reserved for people with actual sexual issues, Natalie has to build an entire backstory in order to be accepted into the program. Not only does she make up at least two boyfriends but she also makes up abuse and lets the idea of a fictional rape cross her mind in order to secure her place with the shrink. I really should have stopped reading at this point but Natalie acknowledges how wrong this would be. But making up boyfriends and other forms of abuse is OK??

Moving on . . . . once Natalie begins her “treatment” she is to meet with a man who will help her overcome her sexual issues (and by that I mean her virginity!) and move on with her life and plan. It just so happens the man she is meant to work with is the ONLY man she has met since moving from New York. Really?? She moved to California and the only person (other than the shrink) she has had a real conversation is, is to be her sexual surrogate??? Sorry, but California is a big state and I just don’t believe in coincidence that much.

Moving further on . . . let’s talk about the breach of ethics that runs rampant in this read. One, there is the hot to trot sexual surrogate who knows he should remove himself from Natalie’s case but is just too damn attracted to her. Repeating over and over again how wrong his involvement is yet continuing to have sex with Natalie just doesn’t help the situation. Additionally, there is the actual shrink and her actions. I won’t give them away here but suffice it to say, she is a completely wretched human being.

The Bottom Line: I read The Lessons, cover to cover and can’t honestly say why I didn’t DNF this read. The things I listed above as problems for me with this read are really just the tip of the iceberg. There isn’t a single character in this read that is likeable let alone relatable and worth rooting for. The cover and synopsis offers a whole lot of promise but, unfortunately the story just doesn’t deliver. ( )

Natalie is a 30-year-old virgin. Life has thrown several obstacles in her way so she is years away from fulfilling her life's plan of job, marriage, 2.5 kids, dog and white picket fence. Ready to get her life back on track, she moves to San Francisco for a new job and therapy with a sex surrogate to remedy her embarrassing virginity situation.
Told in the first person from the alternating perspectives of Natalie and Ryan, the sex surrogate, this was an enjoyable, fun read. I was attracted to it because of the surrogacy plot, which I thought was quite unique.
Natalie and Ryan were both very likable characters and the first person accounts worked very well, with some good dialogue and humor. I enjoyed the author's entertaining and refreshing style of writing, which was easy to read and kept you engaged throughout.
There was some drama and some crises, but it was kept fairly light and all was resolved pretty quickly. I felt there was potential for a lot more depth to the story and to the characters, as some issues were only touched on in passing, e.g. Ryan's sister's mental health. But I'm glad there will be a second book, where she gets her own story.
Overall, a quick, entertaining stand-alone love story with some flirty romance and steamy sex scenes.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )