Title: Raven’s Girl
Author: Anastasia Vitsky
Print Length: 123 pages
Publication Date: July 29, 2016
Category: Lesbian romance
A sugar mama can buy anything, even love. Right?
When stay-at-home author Alena struggles to make ends meet, she receives an odd but intriguing proposition.
Raven lost her entire family in a car accident years ago, and her inherited wealth can’t assuage her loneliness. She wants a girl to discipline, and she will pay a generous stipend to do so.
The catch?
Alena must spend 24 hours each week at Raven’s house and do whatever she says.
No safeword.
No negotiations.
Can Alena give up her freedom in exchange for financial security and the possibility of more?
Or will her stubbornness drive Raven away?
What a delightfully sweet summer read. Short enough to be read in an afternoon on the deck, long enough to be a fully satisfying and complete story.
For the most part, this is purely fun with little of the complexity of many of the author’s other works. While part of me misses the spark and the depth I’ve grown to love, I still felt like this one was worth showing up for. It makes for a nice break from heavier topics.
Raven is set in the same world as Gemstone. It’s not necessary to read that one first, though I did think it helped some with the context. It was also a treat for fans to get another bit of Mistress Lorelei. This time, Alena, one of Lorelei’s online acquaintances, gets a story.
There’s a bit of tension between Raven and Alena at their first meeting, due to miscommunications. However, they’re able to move past them with little angst. This is largely about the two of them deepening their connection with one another. They strike me as a bit of an odd couple, but it works for them, and they do have good chemistry.
This is one of the few times I would have liked to see more. I think this could easily have been a longer work, with more detail about Alena. We certainly know her as a person, but we know very little about her life outside of the current moment and relationship. The only history we see is her fascination with spanking/discipline. We see a bit more about Raven’s history, but we get less of her life outside of her desire to have a girl of her own. In both situations, I’d like to have known more about what we were missing.
That aside, they are both well-developed, personality-wise. I particularly enjoyed Alena’s forays into e-auctions. Alena is highly relatable, especially her experiences as a career author. I didn’t connect as well with Raven, perhaps because I’ve never lived in her world as a wealthy benefactor. Still, I thought she was also fascinating, especially her insecurities when it came to Alena.
Overall, this is an enjoyable story, if a bit on the fluffy side. For new readers, welcome to the club—this is just the tip of the iceberg. For seasoned fans, a nice interlude between the more intense reads.
For sweet naughtiness, delightful characters, and a relaxing summer read, this gets 8/10 fountain pens.
Heat Rating: 2 ink wells (mild/implied sensuality)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JDJVSYU/
Cookie queen, wooden spoon lady, and champion of carbs, Anastasia Vitsky specializes in F/F fiction. She hates shoes and is allergic to leather. When not writing about women who live spankily ever after, she coordinates reader and author events such as Spank or Treat, Love Spanks, and Sci Spanks. Her favorite event is Ana’s Advent Calendar, a month-long celebration of books, community, and making a difference.
She is too afraid to watch Doctor Who, but she adores The Good Wife and anything with Audrey Hepburn. In her next life, she will learn how to make the perfect pie crust. She can be found at governingana.wordpress.com and on twitter @AnastasiaVitsky.
