A Review of In Gods' Hands by Jessa Callaver

In Gods' Hands by Jessa Callaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've never been a huge fan of erotic fiction, and not because I dislike the graphic love scenes. Quite the contrary. In many cases, I simply find the theme and plot to be lacking and the intimate scenes to be nauseatingly detailed.

But, Jessa Callaver's short erotic fiction has grown on me. In this particular story, I immediately empathized with the heroine, Cassie, a college-dropout who moved to Italy in hopes of finding a good time. What she got, on the other hand, was caught up in an abusive relationship with no hopes of ever bettering herself. Jessa portrays this theme of emptiness and self-loathing so well that it's palpable. Instead of being inclined to roll our eyes at Cassie's mental state, we're wishing that she could turn her life around.

And then, during a particularly bawdy street festival, Jessa runs into (literally) a big hunk of an American tourist named Troy as she's driving drunk on a motor scooter. Troy seems by all appearances to be rather the knight in shining armor type, but when he and Cassie end up in his hotel room, the story takes on a life of its own. You have to read it to believe it!

I loved the twists and the tie-ins to Greco-Roman deity mythology. Up until the surprising turn of events, however, I stumbled over some confusing descriptions and language, particularly those revolving around Cassie's Italian boyfriend and his lover. The last third of the story, however, unfolded vividly and smoothly and led to a satisfying (and just) ending.

As far as the intimate scenes, Jessa writes these with ease. They're neither clunky, nor overly graphic. I think Jessa's got a lot more surprises in store for the romantica movement. I'll definitely be on the watch for her next move.

For a quick, erotic read with mythologic flair, grab a copy of In Gods' Hands today!

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