Moan by Kenya Wright

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Character composition: BW/WM

Released: February 23, 2016

Pages: 138

Purchase @: Amazon

Typically I am a pretty solid fan of Kenya Wright. She's an author who dares to take chances and has a voice that makes her writing stand out. While I still appreciate these qualities and the writer, I didn't love Moan. It fell short for me on many levels, which was disappointing because at the core of it there was a very interesting and bold story going on.

What It's About

Emily is a journalist who has built a reputation for doing what it takes to tell a story and reveal the truth. She is approached by her editor with a request to interview Roman Meade, a wealthy erotic event planner to the rich and powerful. No reporter has ever had the opportunity to actually interview him or attend one of his private parties before and Roman has asked for her specifically. What she doesn't know is Roman needs her help and if things go wrong it could not only cost her an exclusive story, but also her life.

What I Liked

The basic plot – I liked the bones of the story. I can't go into it without giving major spoilers, but it had the makings of a very intense and intriguing erotic thriller.

What I Didn't Like

Emily is an investigative reporter with a policy to never interview attractive men. Why? Because she'll end up in bed with them by the end of the day. Say what now? Okay, now I'm all for female characters having a healthy libido, but what kind of policy is that? Wouldn't this severely limit her ability to do her job? Wouldn't this prevent her from being a top-notch reporter if she had to stop an interview or an investigation because the man was hot? This was a character weakness I just didn't care for and honestly I don't think it benefited the story at all.

The relationship - This is a prime example of a relationship (if you can call it that) moving too fast. These two don't know each other. They find one another sexually attractive and Roman is a bit of a Emily fanboy, but this doesn't equal love. I felt the reader is denied the opportunity to see them as a true couple. Extreme attraction, extreme circumstances and danger don't equal a love match. Plus, the first time they have sex... under the circumstances I just didn't see it happening when and where it did. Too much was at stake.

The pace - This story had some real possibilities and deserved more attention. Instead it was short and fast and a lot of opportunity was lost. A shame.

My Final Thoughts

In my opinion, this wasn't one of Kenya Wright's best. It had the potential to be a really interesting erotic thriller with unexpected and shocking twists and surprises. Sadly, that gets buried beneath the writer's need to drive home the point that these two hot individuals were hot for each other. This might work for some because it is written with the author's usual writing boldness. For me, the actual plot deserved more attention than what it got. I wanted a well fleshed out thriller with the expected erotic elements that I've come to expect with this writer. To make it worse, I didn't feel anything for the main characters. While I wanted their plan to work, I didn't care what happened to them personally. A disappointment.

I'm giving Moan a 2 out 5 star rating. 

*I was given this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*