Erotique, by Alessia Brio

And now for a change of pace: an erotica short story. Erotique, by Alessia Brio got a very interesting review from Mrs. Giggles which caught my attention.

Without that, no way I would have picked this up. Man, that cover is scary (and scarily bad!)

Mandy stands to inherit the family legacy – a famous Philadelphia adult toy store and museum called Erotique – but she first has to meet the terms of the will and spend the night. With the help of her best friend, Bruce, she soon discovers the exhibits are VERY educational and her feelings for Bruce run deeper than she realized.

Don't let the creepy cover give you the wrong impression. Erotique is sexy, playful erotica, with a paranormal touch, yes, but not a scary one. For a short story, it's pretty good, though I really think it would have been better if it had been longer... maybe novella-length? Still, good enough for a B-.

The plot is pretty simple, and works well. Mandy's aunt has recently died and left her her very successful adult store. Provided, that is, Mandy spends a night in it first. The store is a fascinating place and includes a famous museum, full of historical sex toys and exhibits, and Mandy soon discovers touching some of those exhibits makes her see and experience some very interesting things!

It's a vey entertaining story. The characters are not terribly deep, but Brio manages to draw them well enough for me to actually get a feel for who they are, and at first glace, at least, they seemed to be people I would like. The plot is interesting, and the descriptions of the exhibits and the effects they have are pretty fascinating... and pretty erotic, too.

I also quite liked the little romance we did get. Bruce and Mandy are good friends, and though it's clear to both that Bruce would like to move from friendship to a more intimate relationship, Mandy is reluctant. At the end of the day, it seems clear that they are headed in the right direction, and that's all I ask in order to consider an ending a happy one.