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Review from LASR

Cleaning Up by Jophrael L. Avario

March 14, 2014 by completedreviews Leave a Comment

Cleaning Up by Jophrael L. Avario
Publisher: Carnal Passions
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (20 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

A job application turns into a perfect sexy holiday.

When Carlie answers a job ad in the paper for a maid at Aphrodite’s Island, a holiday resort under the sun, she doesn’t expect to find Mr. Right there waiting for her. On the island for a weekend of fun and romance, Marcus takes a chance on the very confused woman, and together, they have a little fun in the mid-summer sun.

If all a reader is in the mood for is a sexy fantasy with role playing in a tropical paradise, this little snippet can do the trick.

Carlie is on her way to a job. It’s not what she thought at all and the owner/almost boss turns out to be a good egg about it. It left the heroine free to explore and what she finds is a pleasant interlude. The author made it clear that she wasn’t a loose woman. She had some standards and from what I gather, that means she won’t do sex for pay in any capacity. However, sex for fun, that’s a whole other issue.

Enter Marcus. He doesn’t explode on the scene. He comes to Carlie gently and seductively. The sparks were already there but he pursued the possible attraction. He seems to be a good guy but the author never fleshes out any of his character’s deep seated emotions, motivations or feelings. It’s all about what the island offers.

The tale is mostly told as third person point of view from Carlie’s perspective but every now and again, the author slipped into what seemed like Marcus’s POV. It didn’t make sense to me because Marcus didn’t have a lot of thoughts in his head except, ‘mine’ and possibly the feeling of jealousy. Most of the reflection and descriptions favor Carlie.

The ending is a happy for now. There’s no guarantees these two lovers’ relationship will see the light of day once the interlude ends but for now, Carlie is happy and that’s as good as it gets. It’s upbeat and hopeful at best.

Cleaning Up is a quick slam dunk into an erotic moment in time. If a reader wants to read a short story that can inspire a certain mood or frame of mind, this might get the job done because eroticism is explored but it never gets out of control. I appreciated that.