Sarah Michelle Lynch

This is a strange book; organized into different parts and different sections. Nothing out of the ordinary, but, when I first saw the Table of Contents, I was a bit overwhelmed. That sounds silly, but I was! The forewords give you a clue as to the path the story is going to take, but even then, it comes as a surprise!

I have a rule as a reviewer that if I can’t read a book, then I won’t review it and a few times, the sheer honesty of this book made me hover over whether or not I’d finish it. But I did. What do I mean by honesty? Sarah’s so honest with her writing, she’s almost brutal. Her candour and bluntness are almost unnerving until you get accustomed to her and Charlotte, the main character’s, voice.

Lottie is a well-written character, so much so that she ceases to be just a part of a story. She’s integral. Through her, we see pain and suffering, sexual release and need, hunger and a desire to be loved. Not just for her, but in ourselves. In fact, she’s so well-crafted that Sarah deserves a pat on the back.

This isn’t a comfortable read. The sex scenes are highly detailed and Sarah doesn’t pull her punches here, either. Some things will make you cringe; others will get you hot. A Fine Profession is a book that will stick with you, one that will make you ponder and rehash. Especially the ending. I know there’s a book two coming out and I can’t help but wonder where it will go and if Lottie will be a part of that.

I can easily recommend this book, but don’t expect your average piece of erotica. This is so much more.

A Fine Profession tells the tale of Charlotte, a cancer survivor who undergoes a sexual awakening after the death of somebody close to her and transforms herself into Lottie, a naughty hotel chambermaid, meeting the love of her life in the process which eventually causes her to have second thoughts regarding her lifestyle. As a writer myself knowing how difficult it is to write sex scenes, I take my hat off to Ms Lynch (or would it be my basque in this case!) who seemingly manages to write about Lottie’s sexual encounters effortlessly.

If erotica is your thing, then look no further than A Fine Profession.