At a secret masked ball at Yale, Naomi Costa is literally swept off her stiletto-blistered feet by a man with a killer jawline, a perfect body, and an even-better kiss. They bust out of an emergency exit and have axis-shaking sex. He pours whiskey in her belly button and after they run out of condoms, they have to get creative. That kind of sex. The next day, she learns that he is none other than Dr. Benjamin Beck, a brand new member of the Yale faculty and the hottest thing to happen to academia since… well, ever. She has to take his damned junior seminar to graduate, but it gets worse. He’s also her College Master: her boss, her advisor, her everything. And he’s just moved in, right downstairs. They can’t stay away from each other. They’re either fusion or fission or both. They’re making out in libraries, hiding notes between stones, and sneaking off to nautically themed AirBnbs. Hear that sound? It’s the academic code of ethics going up in flames. Other tasters’ notes: HEA. Sweet. Funny. Dirty. Muddy. Wet. Inspired by a real professor.
Written in an unusually quirky style, Professed is a student/teacher romance about Ben, a college professor and 20-year-old Naomi. I will admit that it took me some time to get into this story, but once I did, I was engrossed in this very hot and at times very funny taboo romance.
First, heed the warnings about this book and be aware that this story is VERY explicit! Ben and Naomi meet at a secret masked ball and immediately begin a passionate affair. Dr. Ben Beck is a philosophy professor who has written a book and has been invited to join the faculty at Yale. He has always questioned the existence of love and now ironically, now finds himself head over heels in love with the smart and beautiful Naomi.
Once they become aware that Naomi is Ben’s student, they are acutely aware of the risks they are taking. Naomi could lose her place at Yale andBen could lose his position on the faculty, at the very least. But this is actually a very fast-paced book and the author’s brisk writing style and sense of humor make this a very readable story.
“Forbidden fruit is always the sweetest.”
There are lots of things I loved about this book and some, not so much. I loved reading about Naomi’s background and her family: she was raised by her father, a lobsterman in a New England town and she struggles to pay her way through college and to fit in at Yale. I would have loved to read more about Ben’s background! The book is told in alternating POV’s and the humor and brisk writing style lightens up the very explicit scenes.
Naomi’s character was unusually mature for her age. Although I did not have an issue with the age gap, I was not totally convinced what a 38-year-old would find so alluring and compelling about a college junior. I would have also loved to have known more about the “secret society” masked ball where Naomi and Ben first met.
I loved Naomi’s best friend Lucy and I know her story will be hilarious! This is certainly not your average student-teacher forbidden romance and for that, I applaud the author. Overall, Professed is a very sexy, very enjoyable and promising debut story.
ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.
3.5 – 4 Stars
Nicola Rendell writes dirty, funny, erotic romance. She likes a stiff drink and a well-frosted cake. She is at an unnamed Ivy and prefers to remain mostly anonymous for professional reasons. She has a PhD in English and an MFA in Creative Writing from schools that shall not be named here. She loves to cook, sew, and play the piano. She realizes that her hobbies might make her sound like an old lady and she’s totally okay with that. She lives with her husband and her dogs. She is from Taos, New Mexico.
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CONFESSED is coming September 14th!
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