American Prince is book number two in Sierra Simone's menage-a-trois New Camelot series. In the first book we heard from the queen, Greer Galloway, aka Queen Quinevere, aka the first lady of the United States. This time it's VP Embry Moore's turn, aka Sir Lancelot.
American Prince picks up where
American Queen left off, with Greer having disappeared. Her husband, President Maxen "Ash" Colchester can't go after her himself so he sends his vice president. Thankfully, Greer's disappearance is quickly resolved with minimal violence.
So many thoughts - where to begin?
First, Greer, Ash, and Embry have a dominant-submissive relationship with Ash being the dominant one. Greer is a total submissive. Ash snaps his fingers and Greer falls to her knees on his feet. Embry is a different kind of submissive. He always gives in to Ash, there's never really a question that he won't, but he likes to argue more. I have a hard time with the dominant-submissive relationship between Greer and Ash. On the one hand, I accept that they both want this type of relationship. On the other hand, at the end of the day I see Ash as a rich, powerful man who gets to have what he wants, whenever he wants, the way the wants it. He literally gets to treat the people he claims to love like objects, like his personal playthings, like slaves. I just don't find anything sexy or romantic about that. Technically they have a safe word but Greer never uses it so the idea that Ash will stop doesn't quite seem like a real thing. Supposedly Ash and Greer are equals outside the bedroom but it never feels that way.
But this Embry's story, so second, I like Embry slightly more, if only because he doesn't need to hurt or dominate his loved ones in the same way Ash does. He isn't a true submissive in the way Greer is and as such, his relationship with Ash seems to be on more equal grounds. I loved reading about how the relationship between Embry and Ash developed. Whereas Greer and Ash meet, have a 2-minute conversation, and decide they're in love, Embry and Ash's relationship develops over several years. They are colleagues, then friends, and then lovers. It was sweet, sexy, and romantic.
Third, a common complaint about bad erotica for that matter is the lack of a story. Good erotica should have a good story along with the sexy bits. There is definitely a story here. Admittedly, I am not well versed in the King Arthur legend so I can only assume that Ms. Simone is following the outline of the legend. Perhaps that is why I find some parts of the story so disturbing. There's incest. There's drugged sex. I feel like I've been reading a soap opera in the best and worst ways.
On to book three,
American King. It's Ash's story so who knows how that will go.
There are two parallel mysteries in The Cruelest Month. The one Inspector Gamache is sent to investigate is the murder of a woman who appeared to have been literally scared to death during a seance. The second mystery is the Arnot case, a case alluded to in previous books. All that is known initially is that Gamache brought down a dirty cop, Arnot. Some in the police form praise Gamache for his actions, while others want to damn him for those same actions. The Arnot case is over in the sense that Arnot is in prison but it is not over because Gamache's enemies are still gunning for him. The theme uniting the two mysteries is jealousy. The murdered woman was a little too perfect for some and Gamache is a little too happy for others.
