As Francesca

_As Francesca_ tells an intriguing story of one woman's adventure to find the ultimate sexual encounter. This novel is unusual in that it is simultaneously erotic and plot-driven. The characters are interesting and original. I recommend this book to anyone who has an open mind about sex or wishes they did.

My 4 stars are based on the fact that it's a very entertaining book with some kink and online sex thrown in.... if that's your cup of tea - go for it.

There are three main things I loved about this book. One is the gorgeous use of language. Two are the incidental insights that grace almost every chapter -- sensations that we have all experienced in private moments, but never put a name to, and are amazed to discover that someone else has seen the same phenomenon. Like Proust. Three is the intellectual conceit that is the engine of the book: that somehow there is a relationship between public power(dominance) and private submissivenss. Politics as a sado-masochistic exercise. I don't necessarily think the paradigm holds true, but it's certainly fascinating to explore.

Overall quite a decent effort. Think Pauline Reage meeting William Gibson; as told by Dilbert. The characters kept my attention and the story flowed quite well, predictable perhaps but never boring. To be read while working on your tan.

For a first-time effort, Martha Baer does an exceptional job of intermingling suspense and erotica in As Francesca. Her protagonist, Elaine, like so many working women, finds herself in a less-than-perfect career. Elaine finds her only way to move onto the fast track is by stimulating her mental focus through submission to an on-line dominatrix. When she mistakenly logs on using her real name, the suspense begins. Baer's characters are strikingly similar to those I've encountered in my own working life - the icy female supervisor, the unapproachable department head, the gossiping underlings. Readers looking for "juicy" sex will be disappointed - As Francesca is a tale which examines the relationship between the nocturnal and the diurnal, and the consequences when the masks we wear are stripped away.