Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey

From the Publisher

How realistic is it to believe that one lover can satisfy a woman's every fantasy?

Nia Simone Bijou is a woman who has it all - and is driven by the desire for more. Born in Trinidad, reared in Los Angeles, living in Atlanta, Nia is a writer, a thinker, and a woman in conflict. She's dealing with two sides of her Gemini self, feeling as if there are two women living inside her, both struggling for domination. One side of Nia is a logical yet heartbroken person who has never let go of an old pain, while the other side is a sensual woman who will not let her rest, desiring intimacy and sexual freedom, demanding Pleasure.

In the sweltering heat of July, loneliness, desire, and a struggle with both the sensual self and fantasy inspire Nia to become sexually adventurous, meeting lovers who arouse her in diverse ways, lovers who give her unimaginable experiences, generous lovers who desire to please her as much as she desires to satisfy them. Fantasies spiral out of control, and with her life on the line, Nia discovers that Pleasure does not come without pain.

Filled with passion, populated with characters that are sexually uninhibited, Pleasure is an unforgettable journey into a free-spirited world.

Publishers Weekly

Is obsession required to experience the ultimate in sexual fulfillment? Dickey searches for the answer to that question in his latest steamy romance (after Waking with Enemies) via Nia Simone Bijoux, a ghostwriter recently moved to Atlanta. A devout Anaïs Nin fan, Nia's in hot pursuit of the perfect lay. Enlivened by sometimes catchy narration ("Self-pleasuring was popcorn.... My body was telling me it needed steak"), Nia's adventures with "identical sins," twins Mark and Karl, introduce her to the dubious delights of threesomes and more, leading eventually to a showdown with Mark's wife, Jewell Stewark, a TV anchorwoman. Marred somewhat by Nia's pretentious airs (her self-involvement can be crippling to the narrative), this erotic potboiler still delivers its message that saying "yes" to pleasure can also lead to self-enlightenment. (Apr.)

Sandy Glover - Library Journal

Asked in an April National Public Radio interview whether his latest novel, about a ghostwriter pursuing pleasure and exploring sex while avoiding overwhelming relationships, fit into the literary, romance, erotica, or pornography genres, New York Times best-selling author Dickey (Waking with Enemies) replied, "Probably all." Though some listeners may be put off by the graphic descriptions of Nia's sexual encounters, Susan Spain's (Satin Nights) emotionally nuanced reading successfully translates the book to audio format. Recommended primarily for urban libraries with Dickey fans. [Audio clip available through library.brillianceaudio.com; the Dutton hc, released in April, is currently an Essence best seller.-Ed.]

Kirkus Reviews

Dickey (Waking with Enemies, 2007, etc.) shifts focus to pure erotica, peeping in at a beautiful, frustrated woman anxious to explore her deepest desires. Fresh from breaking up with a lover who refuses to believe it's over, writer Nia Simone Bijou is ready for some no-holds-barred, commitment-free sex. She thinks she's found it with a pair of identical, constantly competing twins, a married real-estate developer and a single erotic photographer. Nia tries to keep it simple-well, as simple as it can be with two men in the same bed-but complications (particularly the photographer's bisexual female client, who's crushing on Nia, and the developer's unsettlingly angry wife, a locally famous newscaster) insist on intruding. Readers in search of steamy, kinky sex scenes in various locations and combinations will probably be happy with what they find here. The problem is that Dickey is clearly aiming for something more profound, an emotional and spiritual release as rich as the many physical releases Nia experiences. That doesn't happen. Nia is a bundle of incompletely realized attitudes, not a person. Supposedly she's an intellectual with a fierce regard for grammar, but her first-person narration (overstuffed with references intended to indicate how well-read she is) is riddled with sentence fragments and grammatical errors. The reader is meant to admire her for assuming a role that she believes only men claim: someone who seeks pleasure without guilt and without implying commitment, but instead, she comes across as petty and selfish-a narcissistic little girl who has had the good fortune to get lost in a candy store. And unfortunately, her faults aren't interesting, or real, enough to makeher a true villain. Will leave you hot and bothered, but mentally unsatisfied.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0525950451
  
• ISBN-13: 9780525950455
• Format: Hardcover, 304pp
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• Pub. Date: April 2008
• Sales Rank: 3,617