Book Review: Manwhore - Katy Evans

Today's review is of the sexy New Adult Romance, Manwhore by Katy Evans.
(Readers 18+)

Synopsis

"Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played?This is the story I've been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention. Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in. Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career. But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I'm the one discovering him...or if he's uncovering me.
What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin?" (Goodreads)

Character Development...?

I feel like a lot of cynics would assume that all erotic romances have very little plot or character development. I've read quite a few NA books and I'm happy to report that, though they don't shy away in the heat department, the stories still move, the characters still grow and change, and, if done right, the sexual tension between the main characters is palpable.

Not the case with Manwhore. Rachel Livingston, our main character, has several interesting ways to grow (her career, her family life, her friendships, her undeniable attraction) and the only way she "changed" was in falling in love with the man she "shouldn't be". Okay, that's fine, it's a romance after all. But then why introduce all of these other facets of Rachel's life? Her friendships, her passion for writing, the protective way she feels about her mother...all of these things held so much promise and could've easily moved along with the story (or never been introduced if we weren't going to touch on them to a better effect). It felt half-formed, and that bummed me out.

And Malcolm Saint...it's kind of hard not to get massive 50 Shades vibes at first. A young, successful businessman who likes control and order? A public figure who still lives behind a cover of people's perceptions? SOOOOO Christian Grey. Luckily, he wasn't the same (he was kinder, not as possessive, and not into BDSM like everyone's favorite creep). Still, here's another character, an IMPORTANT character, who slowly opened up in interesting ways but who is ultimately there to bring pleasure to Rachel.

Double Standards

The title of this book doesn't really hold a lot of promise in the "it's okay to be sexual" department. Malcolm Saint is the manwhore in question. He's a guy who gets around and it's understandable: he's a hot dude and women want him! Rachel justifies his (not wrong) behavior by saying that any healthy, sexual man would obviously be open to the women who put themselves out there for a chance to be with the hottest bachelor in Chicago. That's great! You're not judging! You're realizing the situation and you're understanding it, though that usually is the case for men.

And then...

Rachel consistently refers to the women that Malcolm and his friends spend time with as "whores" and "floozies" and there is no justification. She just doesn't approve of their behavior. You could argue that it's a jealousy thing, but it's not. She feels that way before she even realizes that she has feelings for Malcolm and she thinks the same for any woman who spends time with his friends (guys that she doesn't have any feelings for, by the way) . I was so disappointed, because I truly thought that I was going to be reading a book that left double standards in the dust and kept things equal after her initial statement. 

Why Don't You Just End???

Cliffhangers. Bittersweet ways to leave a reader wanting more. They are excellently frustrating when you're reading a fantastic book series. In the case of Manwhore, it just pisses me off. If I want to know what happens (and I think we can all predict) I have to read another 300+ pages and then maybe read another novella JUST TO FINISH THIS SIMPLE STORY? No thanks. The worst part is, I do kind of want to see how it unfolds. It just didn't keep me hooked and it frustrated me more than anything. I'd like to think that the characters become more fleshed out in the sequels. But do I think I'll be picking them up when there are much better books to be read? No thanks.

Overall

2/5 stars.  I really think the description held a lot of potential for a fun, Never-Been-Kissed-esque tale (and I looooove that movie). Unfortunately, I was let down. So bummed.