June 25, 2012

Review: The Siren by Tiffany Reisz (18 +)

The Siren
By Tiffany Reisz

Paperback, 384 pages
Published October 18th 2011 (first published September 20th 2011)
by Spice

The Siren is a modern-day retelling of My Fair Lady with uptight English literary fiction editor Zachary Easton as an unwilling Professor Higgins and well-known wild child Nora Sutherlin as his erotica-writing Eliza Doolittle. Zach only has six weeks left at Royal House New York before he heads to Los Angeles to take over as Chief Managing Editor at Royal West. When his boss orders him to help Nora Sutherlin rewrite her latest novel, Zach agrees to work with her only if he is given complete control over the fate of her book. If Nora doesn’t rewrite it to his satisfaction in six weeks, Royal won’t publish it.


When this book was first offered to me it was compared to Fifty Shades of Grey. After reading it, I have to say it is nothing like Fifty. I am glad however for the comparison because it caused me to pick up the book. Now don’t get me wrong, I see where some might say it is like Fifty Shades. You have a broken soul who even though she won’t admit it, I think she feels incapable of real love. But I don’t think Nora is an easy fix. And not just one man can make her happy to change.

Nora is unlike any character I have read before. She is smart and witty and powerful, she knows what she wants and has the drive to get it, but she is also so stupid and so aggravating at the same time. I want to jump into the book and slap her, but she might like it and take it as affection, not a wakeup call. Choosing one bad situation after another, it can make you scream. Yet through it all she captures a piece of my heart. I could not help but love her in the end.

There are so many men in Nora life and each one so different I never knew where or who she would turn to next or who in the end she would be happy with. Zach her editor is separated from his wife. The sexual tension between them was there right from the beginning and drags on as they get to know each other. Yet Zach is still in love with his wife and maybe always will be. Even though I wanted these two to hook up and be happy with each other, I had to wonder if it was ever going to work between them. Wes her roommate and assistant is a nineteen year old college student and still a virgin. Nora wants to deflower in in so many ways but is afraid she will hurt him in the end, however this does not stop her from trying to seduce him at every turn. I think to her it was just a game of seduction. Wes being the stronger one always shoots her down. He is love with her and wants her to be safe, but knows he can never change her. And then we have Soren, her ex. He and Nora had been together since she was fifteen. Leaving him five years ago was the hardest thing she has ever done in her life, but did she really ever leave him? So wrong for her on so many levels, she just can’t let him go and walk away.

All of these men think they know what’s best for Nora and want her to be what they want her to be. Mostlt that is just Safe! But Nora is who she is and even thought she wants the perfect picket fence life. She is realistic in that she knows it will not happen. All three want her, but none are really right for her. Can she find the right one and be happy? Though her book and thoughts that she writes down you can see her horrid past, but these are sweet memories to her, she loved all the pain and never really wanted it to end. You also see her love of another she knows she can never really have.

This is a dark twisted world where the wolves are out is sheep’s clothing. A tale of seduction and lust among the characters but never really love at least not how most view it. I found this book mesmerizing and painful, but I could not stop reading. Some shocking things along the way made me view the world a bit darker. Is anyone really safe? Can love be so painful and still be ok? I really hope the next book is more about Nora and her decisions. I was left wanting so much more and never wanted this book to end. I loved Nora’s world as crazy as it was. The ending had me crying and breathless for Nora and for the hope she can be happy and in love with herself someday.

I could just go on and on about this book I loved it that much. I recommend this to anyone who wants a really good book about a woman’s insights and her coming to terms with who she is and where she belongs even if it is wrong. Not your typical love story but yet a dark underground love story it is.

5 out of 5 stars

8 comments:

  1. I like the cover. Great review. This sounds like an interesting story.

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  2. I received this book as a gift; and I was a little hesitant to read it. Thanks for the insightful review. I think I will add it a little higher in my TBR pile.

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  3. This sounds like a good book. It's not my usual genre but i think maybe I will give it a go.

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  4. Hmm. Interesting. Though it's not my cup of tea.

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  5. Wow, that was a fantastic review. So completely thorough and compelling that I went over to Amazon and promptly bought the book. Thank you!

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  6. I have heard such fabulous things about this novel. I really love the sound of how dark it is. Those are usually my favorite :)

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  7. What an interesting story. I like unconventional characters, like Norah. Great review!Thanks for recommending this book.

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  8. Wow, thanks for this review and for putting it in front of my face. I'm not a fan of this cover and would most likely pass this book up, but now that I know what it is about, I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!

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