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reading_cat's review
3.0
Well, quite an enjoyable read actually.
It was a neatly unfolded, nice story, with interesting turns.
I like the way this author writes. He made the story and the characters very believable and the events seemed to unfold in a natural way.
It was a neatly unfolded, nice story, with interesting turns.
I like the way this author writes. He made the story and the characters very believable and the events seemed to unfold in a natural way.
romana's review
4.0
Spoiler for fellow Reverse Harem fans: Aunt Penelope’s Harem is not at all an RH read despite the fact that it features a literal harem of men whose purpose is to please their mistress. If anything, the reverse harem protag would have been Penelope, who is dead by the start of the story. If that’s not a deal breaker for you, then this book is a very fine way to spend a couple of hours.
The above quote perfectly summarizes the self-aware nature of this book.
With less than 100 pages to it, Aunt Penelope’s Harem was clearly never meant as a portrait of the different shapes that love can take, but rather as a fun, sometimes raunchy read that aims for nothing more than a smile from its reader. And yet, it manages to portray an actually charming relationship between our main characters – one with real build-up, presented through multiple cute little scenes that show that their chemistry goes beyond physical attraction.
The fun nature of the writing and the sweetness of the relationship work together to help soothe the other, less-than-perfect aspects of the book. The plot – what little there is of it – is simple and predictable right down to the world’s most popular twist(The butler!) , nevermind the final “conflict” which, while I am no lawyer, I feel shouldn’t be a conflict at all. But it’s hard to hold these weak points against a book that's so self-aware.
After all, it never claimed to be a legal and family drama. No, this book is about a girl whose aunt left her a harem of (paid) love slaves as part of her inheritance. It’s absolutely ridiculous and it knows it. And that’s okay.
Melanie sighed. “So, let’s say I’m at a completely depraved orgy, where all of the male participants are being paid to provide these orgy services, and then I suddenly realize that I’m falling for one of them. That’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?”
“Carl, right?”
“Yeah.”
“It ain’t pathetic at all. He definitely likes you. But you’ve gotta consider the circumstances under which you’ve become acquainted. Not to slam my own profession here, but we’re sex slaves in a harem. It’s perhaps not the career choice most conducive to a loving long-term relationship.”
The above quote perfectly summarizes the self-aware nature of this book.
With less than 100 pages to it, Aunt Penelope’s Harem was clearly never meant as a portrait of the different shapes that love can take, but rather as a fun, sometimes raunchy read that aims for nothing more than a smile from its reader. And yet, it manages to portray an actually charming relationship between our main characters – one with real build-up, presented through multiple cute little scenes that show that their chemistry goes beyond physical attraction.
The fun nature of the writing and the sweetness of the relationship work together to help soothe the other, less-than-perfect aspects of the book. The plot – what little there is of it – is simple and predictable right down to the world’s most popular twist
After all, it never claimed to be a legal and family drama. No, this book is about a girl whose aunt left her a harem of (paid) love slaves as part of her inheritance. It’s absolutely ridiculous and it knows it. And that’s okay.
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