Review: Pearl by Kelly Rand

Pearl

By Kelly Rand

April 26, 2012

Transgender/Period Historical 20's/Erotica (semi)/Romance

36 pgs- 9.6K words

Storm Moon Press

Edith sleepwalks through a life so normal as to be boring. She lives with her mother, works a mundane job to support them, and makes no waves among the ladies of her sleepy 1920's Canadian town. Secretly, though, she watches the flappers and so-called "loose women" with envy, dreaming of what glamorous lives they must have. And that's before Clark walks into her life.

Clark embodies the world that Edith wishes she could be a part of. He's slick and dangerous and sexy in a way Edith has never experienced. So when Clark offers her a window into his world, she dives through without thinking. On the other side, though, her black and white world explodes into shades of gray, challenging Edith in ways she never imagined.

I saw that this author has an f/f book coming out. I thought it’s out already so I went searching and didn’t see it on Amazon. In the meantime, I’ve discovered it’s not actually out yet. But that search led me to this book. The blurb really grabbed me and I was excited to read it.

There are already so many great reviews of this book on both Goodreads and Amazon, so I don’t need to say much.

I loved, loved this book. Kelly Rand managed to get in a short amount of space a great story with just the perfect dance between these two unlikely characters. She created an authentic 20’s era atmosphere and offered just enough hint of who these two people are to get a good feel for them.

What I liked especially about this story is the lack of conflict-- as it were. I guess in many stories that would make it boring, but in this case, these two societal outcasts—in their own way—hook up in an almost easy, dreamy way that brings out something better in both of them.

I loved both of them. Edith just goes along with the status quo in every sense except after she meets Clark. She’s not sticking with the status quo due to a lack of an adventurous spirit though, it’s more that she seems a bit naïve about how to allow herself expression of that part of her. When she discovers the truth about Clark, there is no judgment, or fear, or angsting or even thrill about being rebellious about her attraction to him. She simply opens up and goes with it as if he was the person she should be with all along and she wasn't trapped in mundane life all along.

Clark, for his part, is not ashamed at all about the fact that he moves through the world as someone who society would never accept if they knew. He’s found his way through life and is rather content and confident actually. I loved that somehow he sees something in Edith that will respond positively to him coming on to her and that he isn't shy about going for it with her.

Their interactions are very sweet and highly erotic at the same time, even if not written in the graphically sexual language.

Being that it’s such a short book, I was rather surprised at how fleshed out and fulfilling this story was to read. It’s just an all-around heartful and emotionally pleasing read.

I’ll be getting Kelly Rand’s upcoming f/f Portrait of a Crossroads and hoping it’s just as good!

Heat Level: 0-2 – I felt the one sex scene was very erotic, but the language is more sensual than graphic.

Grade: Loved!!!