Clara Martelli clings to Book Nirvana, the Oregon bookshop she and her late husband Jared built together. When rising rents and corporate competition threaten its survival, her best hope is their extensive erotica collection, locked behind a red door. In dreams and signs, her dead husband tells her it’s time to open that door and move on. When a dark and handsome stranger’s powerful magnetism … jolts her back to life and he wants a look at the treasures of that secret room, she can’t help but want to show him more.Professor Nick Papadopoulos is looking for historical erotica. Book Nirvana’s collection surpasses his wildest dreams, and so does its lovely owner. A widower, he understands Clara’s battle with guilt, but their searing chemistry is too strong to resist. Besides, he will only be in town for two weeks, not long enough for her to see beyond the scandal that haunts his past.
more
As I was reading Through the Red Door, I couldn’t help but think of the Spanish proverb that says (in translation), “a life lived in fear is a life half-lived.” A year after her husband’s sudden death in an accident, Clara Martelli has morphed from her initial trauma into a state of timidity and indecisiveness. She looks for signs and dreams to help her figure out how to get through each day. She continues to operate the bookstore, Book Nirvana, that she and her husband ran, but she has been unable to go “through the red door” into a room where her dead husband’s special project, a collection of historical erotica, is housed.
Sadira Stone’s strength is in characterization. We see this fearful and frustratingly indecisive woman come to flower. To do so means giving up “safe” alternatives such as the friendly local high school teacher, Doug, and to learn to ignore well-meaning but faulty advice given from those who love her, as well as from those who are not so well-meaning.
Clara is immediately drawn to a vibrant, sexually magnetic anthropology professor, Nick Papdapoulous, whose academic studies are centered on the erotica behind the red door. He enters Clara’s bookstore, and her life changes forever.
Clara is far from the only interesting and well-drawn character is this book. Those friends and bookstore staff members, and Nick himself, are characters to remember. I, for one, found Nick’s academic research fascinating enough to wish I could read his book! Other strengths of the writing include the settings which Stone draws in careful detail, making the book rich and cinematic.
Overall, this is a well-written and engaging work. And it has those steamy parts which are fun to read! I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion. Recommended.
When do we know when we’re ready to move on from the loss of a great love? That question is the subject of Sadira Stone’s debut novel THROUGH THE RED DOOR.
Almost a year ago, bookstore owner Clara Martelli lost her husband Jared in a tragic accident. She still dreams of him – vividly – and wonders if she will ever get to the place where she can move on. She wonders if she even wants to.
One day, a handsome stranger walks into her bookshop with a request to view the extensive erotica collection Jared and Clara stored in their bookshop. Clara is drawn to Nick, a university professor doing research of sexual mores and erotica, and he stirs up a desire within her she thought to never feel again. When another man comes into her life, teacher Doug, a soon-to-be-divorced nice guy, Clara realizes she needs to make a choice between the two men.
The erotic scenes in this book were off the charts – even the ones that were only Clara’s“dreams.” Ms. Stone’s debut novel is a rich mix of love, sex, and thoughtful introspection as she tries to move on with her life.
I don’t usually give 5 stars to a debut author, but this book soundly deserves it. Thank you to Netgally and the WILD ROSE PRESS for allowing my a sneak peek at such a good book.
Extremely entertaining, captivating and interesting sexy read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong, intriguing characters. I want to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Very erotic romance.
The high level of eroticism in it is undeniable… from the graphic descriptions of the erotica collection that’s locked in a room of Claire’s bookstore to the interactions she has with a professor with an intellectual interest in that particular collection…
But the eroticism, is not everything,is actually more. Great characters,captivating story and really funny parts.
Keep your Kleenex handy,too. Some moments are very touchy.
All in all, it makes for a very enjoyable read. Ready for more books from this author
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book takes the reader on a journey through the life of Clara, a recently widowed attractive woman, who owns a bookshop with an erotic book section kept behind a red door. Clara offers the reader a chance to put themselves into the tough position of someone who recently lost their soulmate to tragedy and then has to decide how or if they move forward in life and love.
I believe that if a person does not sow their wild oats when they are young before they marry then there can be issues that come later. There is that feeling of regret that could cloud a marriage and lead to the ‘mid life crisis’ issue. What we have here is Clara who never did anything then married and was widowed and needs to sow.
The author seems to not clearly know what kind of a book they are attempting to convey. If it is a fluffy hot erotic romance that is fine and fun. If it is a romantic story with deep emotions that is fine. Here it tries to be both. It is done so with Nick saying he loves Clara with deep emotion. Clara showing her love by grabbing his private parts.
The book has so many conflicts that the reader almost has trouble keeping track of them. There is an epilogue that ties up all but one loose end with a bow but that is troublesome. If the reader has to wade hip deep through deep conflicts of every possible kind, it would only be right to have a couple of full chapters that let a reader enjoy the closure.
The book could have used the last 20% for closure instead of three more huge conflicts. Just too conflicted in both structure and plot to really appeal to a wide audience.
My Rating: 4 stars
An engaging read. If you want to know the plot – check out the blurb, all the important things are there.
I liked that it was about a woman who had already lived a full life, yet wasn’t ready to give up on love just because she became a widow.
Very steamy from the start…
And the books! The way the bookstore is described just makes one want to go and live there.
I love this line “…taking a chance on me. For listening to your heart instead of your fear.”
A well-written romance by Sadira Stone.
*Oh, I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.