This is another book where the authors have good intentions, but don't really execute them that well. I think it's wonderful that Laurelin Paige and Sierra Simone wanted to write a book that includes the very real issues within the adult entertainment industry, including rapes and sexual assaults. I think that if they had done a little more to, no pun intended, flesh things out, then the book would have been excellent.

I loved the comparison of Devi/Logan to mythology and astronomy, but I think that sometimes it wasn't as developed as it could have been. Of course, neither were the characters. Each felt a little flat, which was disappointing because I could tell that they were aiming to build these really strong characters. Instead, Logan becomes the epitome of a NiceGuy stereotype and really isn't as in touch with respecting women as he thinks he is, while Devi comes off as whiny and immature. Even the villains/antagonists in the story aren't fully-formed. When I finished reading the story, I felt almost like I had wasted hours of time on reading this book. I hate feeling like reading a book was a waste of time, especially when it is a book that could have been excellent.

The sex scenes were okay. They weren't over-the-top or even all that racy like you might expect with a book on porn stars falling in love. They were just okay. I couldn't understand how the characters were having mind-blowing sex when the writing wasn't really all that mind-blowing. Some of it was gross, but a lot of it just seemed blah. I know it was meant to shock and titillate, but it was, like porn, too over-the-top. It didn't seem like realistic behavior, and all seemed like it was a performance. A lot of it was also grossly coercive, which doesn't promote the sex-positive message that the writers were intending to share via the story.

There were some elements that were a bit racially insensitive and a little bit off on how bisexuality works. The idea that Devi is "exotic" fetishizes her for displaying traits associated with the Persian ancestry on her father's side. I'm sure that Paige and Simone didn't mean to say anything racially insensitive, but they did make statements that were cringe-inducing. The descriptions of bisexuality really dumbed down the research. While I appreciate the attempt to address the research that shows women are rarely heterosexual when it comes to arousal, saying all women are bisexual based on arousal is untrue; most are bisexual, followed by homosexual, and then heterosexual, but that doesn't define their sexuality. Yes, most women can be turned on by other women, but sexual orientation isn't just about arousal. The same studies that determined that women are rarely heterosexual also say that most men are either heterosexual or homosexual in their arousal, which effectively erases bisexual men. They also show that women can become aroused by watching animals having sex, which could be used to suggest that women are into bestiality, and that's just interpreting the study in the most literal way possible. It dehumanizes women and bisexuals.

It also engaged in bi-erasure by suggesting that if a person is more attracted to one gender than another, that they cannot be bisexual. Devi enjoyed sex with women and fooling around with women, but she preferred men, especially Logan more. In fact, she based her identity as heterosexual solely on the attraction to Logan. Enjoying sex or preferring sex with a particular person or with a particular gender does not make someone not-a-bisexual. Dating one person exclusively or marrying them does not change their sexual orientation. Bisexuality is hard enough for most who identify that way without encountering these stereotypes & common misconceptions.

It was mentioned toward the end of the story that the romance developed over the course of two months, but it seemed like it was closer to three weeks. Maybe there was more going on that wasn't included in the story, but I think I might have found the story more believable or realistic if there was more of a sense that they were doing more than just having sex and talking about astronomy. It was also a little weird that the one who was more wealthy was Logan. Porn is one of the few industries where women out-earn men; top female talent make $2000-2500 per scene, whereas the most well-known male stars make $1500 per scene. To live the lifestyle he lived, he would need to be working more often and investing a good deal of his check. The only reason Devi would be making less is (1) the refusal to work in heterosexual porn and (2) the lack of experience. Otherwise, she would be out-earning him.

I think the book had an interesting premise and I might recommend it if you just want to read something a bit smutty, but I wouldn't tell anyone to have high expectations for it. Maybe it won't disappoint you if you don't go in expecting too much. ( )