Switch

Another average book, kinda slow and boring too to be honest.

I see several other reviews for this book complaining that it wasn't erotic enough. I will admit it wasn't as sex-oriented as many other erotica books I have read, despite having its fair share of very explicit sex scenes. If that is all you are looking for, then yeah - you should probably get a different book. Explicit, yes. Totally focused on sex? No. This is the first book by this author I have read, and I was *very* impressed with her skill. Many erotica books are ONLY about sex. This one was so, so much more than that. The characters were very real - fully fleshed out, with complicated families and issues and problems, just like we all have. It actually had a plot - which so many erotic books seem to forget. This book held me captivated to the last word and I started and finished it the same day. The most impressive part of this story was the author's understanding of dominance and submission and what it is really all about. Sexy erotica abounds with people getting tied up and spanked and all that. But those who truly live the lifestyle know it goes a lot deeper. This book illustrated it in a way that vanilla readers can still understand and relate to. Kink doesn't necessarily include pain and toys and all the trappings of a Dominatrix. It can be (and most often is) as subtle and powerful as this story. In my opinion, this was an EXCELLENT book, a great read and thought-provoking at the same time.

Switch isn't your typical erotic story. It's more about Paige as a person than about the sex. Paige is a single divorced young women with an ex who wants her back, a best friend that she doesn't really like, a hot neighbor that catches her eye, a mother she will do anything not to be like, a father who had a family before her and a family after her and last but not least, a demanding boss. Will all these secondary characters you'd think that there was too much going on but Hart does a great job of getting the reader into Paige's mindset when dealing with those around her. When anonymous notes start arriving in her mail box, Paige reads them before slipping them into the correct box. These notes all demand something from the person the note was originally intend for but Paige also feels compelled to obey after reading them. But when she ultimately finds out who the notes were intended for, her world flips upside down and she's got a lot of thinking to do. This was my first Megan Hart book and I loved it. Paige was all too real to me and the best part is that I was guessing until the end. I really had no clue who she would end up with or even if she would end up with someone until the very last page. I recommend this one for anyone who loves an erotic story more focused on relationships than sex.... but there are still quite a few steamy scenes!

Paige is a lover of stationary and pens. She appreciates the different colors, textures and thicknesses of good writing paper. She appreciates the silky smooth flow of the ink when it meets paper. She even enjoys the unique smells inks and papers have. When she opens her mailbox in the lobby of her upscale apartment building, she is puzzled and equally thrilled to find an envelope and card, made of the high quality linen, containing instructions for the beginning of a sort of game. The card gives simple instructions for the reader to make a list of 5 flaws and 5 strengths and deliver them to an address by a certain date. When Paige looks closer at the address on the envelope she discovers that the envelope was placed in her box by mistake. She reluctantly puts the envelope in its correct box but decides, for kicks, to follow the instructions anyway. Over time more letters and instructions are mistakenly placed in her box and Paige always opens them, reads them and then promises herself to obey the instructions before placing the cards in their correct mailbox. The cards instructions range from the simple, like what to wear, to the sexual, like writing in explicit detail an essay about your most erotic experience. The notes add a mystery to the story, as to who is sending them and who is really receiving them. They also add a sexual and voyeuristic aspect to the story. Paige discovers a little bit more about herself via the letters and their tasks. While the letters are an important part of the book, Paige's relationships with the people in her life are really center stage. Her family, her boss, her friend, her ex-husband and the hottie in her building, all add to the fabric of this compelling tale. What I like about Megan Hart's writing is she always has me assuming the story is going to be about one thing, like this one and the letters, and then she always surprises me with added complexities and emotional ties that place her books on a whole other level. It's not just about the sex, although that is always a huge plus, it's about all those other human reactions and emotions that come into play in and out of the bedroom. She has Paige exploring all the feelings and emotions that spark with a new love interest, the excitement that comes with the new and unknown, the promise of discoveries and firsts. Then she has Paige reexamining old relationships and the excitement that comes from comfort and the knowledge of each others bodies and of wants and needs and the fulfillment of those things without having to ask or instruct. I was completely spellbound by Switch from page one, and could have devoured it in one sitting. The erotica is exemplary, the story salacious. Switch is highly recommended to fans of erotica and anyone who enjoys both complete control and complete submission. Cherise Everhard, March 2010

High quality erotica requires the author to tread a narrow path; too little discussion of the sexual aspects and it is not erotica. If there is too much it becomes pornography, which is a simple hyped (fake moans) listing of sexual activity. Paige is a lusty young woman that would like to continue her ways. She has an ex-husband named Austin that is ex in legal terms only; they still have extreme sexual passion for each other and find opportunities to experience it. However, Paige doubts whether it can be anything more than that, although she finds it hard to admit. Paige is the illegitimate daughter of her father and mother, her father is married to another woman and her mother has had a succession of boyfriends. This has led to strained relationships between Paige and her parents, they talk to each other but none can acknowledge the sludge that coats their relationships. There are two younger brothers, Paige's best friend Kira and other incidentals. Another great character is her boss Paul, a neurotic man who needs things to be very precise in his work environment. Paige is a stabilizing influence in his life, the woman with chaos in her emotional life providing emotional stability for her boss. Paige lives in an apartment house and her life dramatically changes when she receives a note meant for a man in her building. That and subsequent notes are the basis for a playful female dominant game. Paige finds it very stimulating to read the notes, act on them and then pass them on to the intended recipient. He is a doctor named Eric and they begin a casual relationship where the sexual tension is never far from the surface. Paige has to juggle all of her relationships so her feelings are never strongly capped; every time she interacts with someone there is an underlying tension. One of the unique features of this story is the role that high quality paper, the writing instruments and the ink play in the eroticism. In Paige's mind, it is very close to a sex toy. Another feature is that there is no closing scene where Paige ends up in the arms of her man and then in bed. The book concludes with some uncertainty regarding Paige's romantic future; a feature that I believe enhances the story. Paige has never really had certainty in her life; so having it just happen with a sudden happy ending would be out of character.

Summary: Don't think. Don't question. Just do. The anonymous note wasn't for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in the habit of reading other people's mail, but it was just a piece of paper with a few lines scrawled on it, clearly meant for the apartment upstairs. It looked so innocent, but decidedly-- deliciously--it was not. Before replacing the note--and the ones that followed-- in its rightful slot, I devoured its contents: suggestions, instructions, commands. Each was more daring, more intricate and more arousing than the last... and I followed them all to the letter. Before the notes, if a man had told me what to do, I'd have told him where to go. But submission is an art, and there's something oddly freeing about doing someone's bidding...especially when it feels so very, very good. But I find that the more I surrender, the more powerful I feel--so it's time to switch up roles. We play by my rules now. Reading this book felt a lot like sitting down with some of my favorite characters. There was an amazing connection that just ignited as soon as the words started to leap off the page. The fact that this book is extremely hot on the steam factor level and all the characters were beautiful and so humanly flawed helped out. There is a connection between the readers and the characters in this book because the reader can imagine themselves in the character's shoes. Taking the note out of your mail box, opening it, blushing, and rushing to put it in someone elses. Who doesn't secretly long for an adventure like that? That is what this book gives to this reader, an adventure to use as your own. The characters all have their own individual issues and problems. They are all strong vibrant characters and the ending suited everyone well. The plot only dipped a tiny bit towards the beginning and once you get half way you wont even be able to think of putting this book down. The writing was beautiful and elegant through most of the book, surprisingly sometimes, because of the erotica genre it this book is classified in. I would have really loved to see what was in the note towards the end (nope not giving anything away) and I would really love to see a certain secondary character get his own book and find his own happy ending. This book is great, I would recommend it to any and everyone who likes erotic fiction.