Thursday, January 8, 2015

Review: A Tortured Soul by Marc Nobbs

A Tortured Soul by Marc Nobbs

Link to buy A Tortured Soul : Tutelam Venit Book Two

Story Rating: 3 out of 5

Review:

A Tortured Soul is about 19-year-old Paul Robertson who has just returned home to England after a prolonged road trip across the United States. He's back just in time to start college where he's immediately thrust in with a whole new group of friends. Paul has a number of advantages in life, including money, good looks, and a fast-developing reputation for sexual prowess. The one thing he doesn't have is the girl he loves because she died a year ago.
           
This book is an example of a problem within the New Adult genre. Namely, all books with protagonists between the ages of 18 and 25 are tossed onto one big bookshelf, regardless of any other characteristics of the book.

If Tortured Soul were a regular adult book and Paul were a 40-year-old lawyer instead of a 19-year-old law student, this book might be classified as erotica. A great deal of time and many graphic descriptions are devoted to Paul's near-constant sexual encounters, including such details as explicit descriptions of the many and varied locations he aims his orgasms. Certainly not everyone who picks up a New Adult book wants to read graphic sex. By the same token, not everyone wants to read mysteries or fantasy or science fiction, either, so narrowing down sub-genres of New Adult would be beneficial.

So readers beware – or readers be excited, depending on your preference – A Tortured Soul has substantial erotic content. Paul has sex with nearly every girl he encounters, but he can't be with the one he wants because of her untimely death. He's drowning his sorrows in an endless stream of casual sex with girls who are essentially strangers. He doesn't even have to go out to seduce them; one of his new college friends has spread the word about Paul's skills in the bedroom, which resulted in a waiting list of cute coeds eager to indulge in what came to be called "The Paul Robertson Experience."

There are a number of unrealistic elements to this book, not the least of which is that, despite Paul's long list of partners, condoms aren't a priority for him. Also, Paul's status as a living sex god at college begins when he promises a girl that he's so good he can make her pass out during the act. He keeps his promise. Then he proceeds to keep his promise with every other girl on the list for The Paul Robertson Experience.

All the satisfying sex with beautiful girls doesn't make Paul happy, though, and he has a voice in his head that constantly mocks him for his endless stream of conquests. It's this "tortured soul" element of the book that gives the protagonist room to grow and develop throughout the story. Paul certainly has room to grow and address his demons, although in one particular area, he doesn't need to develop at all. From Page 1, Paul has a solid handle on how to keep coeds happy.

Reviewed by Amanda 

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