I have to be honest. I’m not sure how to rate and review this book. So yes, it was off the charts steamy – a one-hand read for sure, but the plot was a bit off. The line between reality and imagination was blurred quite a bit and while I loved the straight to the point writing. There was no extra filler and that I loved. The way the twist happened still leaves me wanting more.

So, Mona is trying to save The Red from bankruptcy as her mother’s dying wish. One night a man is in the gallery and he offers her a huge amount of money to become his for the year approximately once a month and in payment he will give her enough art pieces to save the gallery.

I personally was fine with the first 75% of the story. Yes, the characters aren’t really developed, but it is mostly about Mona’s fixation with Malcom and yes, we know very little about Malcom. My main problem is when we get the twist about Malcom. I guess I’m still stuck on the reality vs. imagination aspect of the earlier scenes in the story. All that being said, I really did enjoy the story even if in the end it didn’t seem to fit reality. I hope we get more about Mona’s new life.

Hero 4 stars / Heroine 5 stars / Steam 5 stars / Plot 4 stars / Overall 4.5 Stars
Keys: Her POV, MF, MFM, Standalone, BDSM, Twisted, Non-con elements
#MSBB - I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Wow, just wow. Seriously unlike anything I've ever read and I wasn't expecting it. I was hooked from the beginning and completely devoured this book. I feel like anything I write won't even do it justice but if you like erotica and don't mind a little taboo-read this book. Such an original story and well thought out. I loved it.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

A provocative read.

THE RED is about a young woman named Mona who decides to entrust herself for a year in the company of a mysterious man, Malcolm, who repays her time by giving her rare pieces of artwork to save her art gallery. The plot is largely straightforward and intensifies from a simple relationship into a surreal experience where Mona begins to question who the man really is.

Essentially, I like the blunt dynamic of the relationship. The agreement between Mona and Malcolm is not based on love, but is more of a business arrangement. And yet, things get complicated when Mona starts to realise more about Malcolm, set over the backdrop of the art industry.

I really liked the fact that art is referenced throughout, but never so much that it becomes an overwhelming heap of info-dumping. In fact, the loose descriptions of artwork really help to add a dream-like, surreal structure to the story which fits in well with the ending. Even without looking at the paintings, I still have a vivid image of what they look like.

However, where this story fell short for me, was due to a slight lack of characterisation. We never see Mona interact with anyone else outside of Malcolm and another minor-role male character. Therefore, we have no idea if she acts towards everyone as she does to Malcolm, or what she is really like as a person.

The steamy scenes were very detailed and creative, if strangely executed. Essentially, I liked the suspenseful dynamic of the relationship and the surreal, unconventional ending for the genre. Therefore, I would recommend THE RED to anyone looking for a steamy romance with a twist.

Kindly received a free copy from Net Galley, thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book.

Tiffany Reisz is the queen of erotic fiction, and this title proves it.. This was probably one of the most sexually explicit books I have ever read, ever. That said, there was a build up in the beginning with wonderful writing but the ending seemed a bit rushed.

Thanks Netgalley!

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I am obsessed with Tiffany Reisz’s books, specifically The Original Sinners. The fact that Nora, the main character of that series, was ‘writing’ this book had me so excited. I’ve never read a book written by my favorite character! Needless to say that this was one of the most bizarre, most erotic books I’ve ever read. Considering it’s Tiffany Reisz’s work, I’m not sure what that means! haha But I loved it.
As always, Tiffany Reisz has a way with words that have me smiling to myself, and then looking around to see if anyone could tell what I’m reading.
From the very beginning I was infatuated by Malcolm. He was extremely vulgar, but mature and wise. The word ‘whore’ rolled off his tongue seductively. At 6 feet and wearing riding boots, he had me. What is it about Tiffany, tall men, and those extremely erotic boots? *swoon* He was a man who new what he wanted, and got it too. Boy, oh boy, I was not disappointed
“He seemed terribly dangerous. But he didn’t seem very violent. There was a difference.”
Mona was perfectly paired with Malcolm. Confident as hell while perfectly meek when necessary. She had the wit I expected from Nora; “Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway“, and though she did what she could to save The Red, I was glad to see she found herself as well. The concept of art is used in such an enticing way, completely in tune with the story line, Seductive and beautiful. I found myself looking up each piece and it’s history as soon as it was mentioned and found it gave me a much better experience with each scene. Tiffany Reisz delivers an erotic fantasy that consumes you, and while you’re having a WTF moment, you’re also having an “OH YES” moment. She’s that good.
For a chance to win these amazing cards from the book, as well as a kindle copy, visit the

This book had me hooked! Fantastic read. So spooky, but oh so delicious! The end was a bit weird, but can we really complain? This book has been a weird, riveting roller-coaster and I willingly bought a seat in the front!

The Red had the elegant and mature writing that we've come to enjoy from Reisz, along with the unabashed verve into erotica and BDSM she;s known for. Unfortunately, even with all of that, I wasn't able to get into the story. It felt very distant, as if both characters were so proper that they didn't have feelings, not in life, for objects, for each other. For me, erotica only works well when there's some form of emotion under the sex, whether that be lust or love or a strong sense of attraction. I didn't feel any of that with either character and if I can't feel anything from them toward one another, it's impossible to feel anything, at that point, as a reader toward them either. Without emotion it's very robotic, as if we're all just going through the motions -- and unfortunately, I need some romance in my erotica to connect to any part of a book. This book was not for me, but that's not to say others won't find it enjoyable.

Wicked and Sexy, Red is sinfully delicious.

A sensual sort of Alice in Wonderland story, I don't know that it will appeal to all readers but the ones it will appeal to will love it. I especially enjoyed the added bonus of a mini art lesson ;-) This is not, personally, my favorite by Reisz but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Her writing is impeccable and her characters are so alive.

Hi, sweeties! Finally I’m back! I couldn’t wait to review this book, that’s gonna be published on 11th July. This was my first time as a reader with Tiffany Reisz, undoubted queen of erotic romance and erotic romances. What can I say? I loved it from the very first word to the last. I hope ya all will enjoy my review!

PREMISE
I had never read Tiffany Reisz, but I have always heard good things about her books. In Italy people love her, and I felt like I was the only one here who hadn’t read one of her books. Three days ago, out of the blue, I decided to gave her a try. That was the best decision I ever made. Tiffany Reisz is truly the queen of the erotic novels.

SYNOPSIS (FROM GOODREADS)
Mona Lisa St. James made a deathbed promise that she would do anything to save her mother's art gallery. Unfortunately, not only is The Red painted red, but it's in the red. She soon realizes she has no choice but to sell it.

Just as she realizes she has no choice but to sell it, a mysterious man comes in after closing time and makes her an offer: He will save The Red if she agrees to submit to him for the period of one year.

The man is handsome, English, and terribly tempting...but surely her mother didn't mean for Mona to sell herself to a stranger. Then again, she did promise to do anything to save The Red...

The Red is a standalone novel of erotic fantasy from Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author of The Bourbon Thief and the Original Sinners series.

REVIEW
Mona Lisa St. James is the daughter of a bohemian art lover, she was born in an antique brass bed from a lover her mother choose among the others and she lives with e for art. After her mother’s death, Mona has many troubles with the art gallery, The Red, which is in the red: if she doesn’t do anything, she will have to close it. The art gallery got famous around the sixties, when it was known as a place where people did illegal things, many of them connected with the free expression of love. Mona isn’t the kind of saint girl you would expect in a novel. She loves sex and she loves does it with men who understand how to please her. Her ex-boyfriend, or better, a friend with benefit, was a younger guy who had just finished high school and was preparing for going to college. Ryan was a sort of escape from the misery of her life and he served his purpose: let her live a moment of bliss among those frequent moment of tiredness and sadness. Now she has to close the art gallery because she hasn’t the money to keep it open. Everything will change when she will meet Malcolm, a hot guy who knows what he wants and did what he wants to women. Malcolm proposes a deal to Mona: he will help her to save her art gallery if she will let him do what he wants with and to her body, as he said “carte blanche”. After considering this carefully, she decided to do it. Malcolm will pay her with painting and sketches from famous painters if she will let him to be his whore. This kinda of selling herself for saving the gallery opens up a new world for Mona. She will discover new ways of giving and receiving love from her lovers. She will find her inner whore and she will like it very much.
Malcolm is a handsome and mysterious guy in his older thirties, he is an art lover and he loves whoring other women. He is everything every woman ever wanted: tall, lean, sexy and with a sexual stamina that seems endless. Malcolm will show Mona Lisa, his Mona, his unique and sole Mona how the sex can be with him. Beautiful, emotional, that can put the pieces of your soul together and then tear them up with a wash of his hand. A sex so full and fulfilling that Mona will never find someone like him.

“(…) Art should be dangerous, you know. It should say something society that society doesn’t want to hear. Do you know what the opposite of art is? Propaganda. There’s too much of that in the world: not enough art.”
(Malcolm)

Join this epical sex journey between dream and reality. Malcolm will put up scenes from paintings and will turn them into erotic orgies or erotic adventures for him and Mona. The bond between them will become thicker than ever. Mona will give all of herself to him: body, soul, mind and heart. A game so thrilling that will get reader as wet as Mona.

“They had always played this game and they always should. That was how it should be heaven and hell. Were in this and they had one foot in each.”
(Mona)

Like the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci, Malcolm will treat his Mona, will love each part of her body. He will venerate her. If before I loved history of art and art in general, this steamy hot novel made me fall in love with it. I love the direct and explicit style of Tiffany Reisz. She describes everything connected to sex, from the anatomical parts to the feelings that Mona felt while she was having sex with Malcolm.
I strongly recommend this book for everyone who loves erotic novel well written and wants to go beyond his limits (mine was the inability to read BDSM books because I didn’t like at all Fifthy Shades of Grey).
“This was heaven. This was bliss. This was everything she’d been too afraid to dream but would have dreamed if she’d dared.”
(Mona)

xoxo,
Giada

PS: This review can be read both in Italian and English on my blog.

DNF at 45%.
Really tried hard to finish this after receiving an ARC but I got stuck at 45% with no desire or willpower to delve any further into this very unsexy (for me) erotica. After reading a friends review who equally struggled, I decided to swallow my guilt and just call it a day. I give up!
Like Angela said " you win some, you lose some".
This was a definite loss for me and I feel bad as this was my first read by Tiffany Reisz and I had such high hopes for it.

You win some; you lose some. This story never got off the ground for me, and I struggled my way through The Red.

The story is obviously meant to be a fantasy. Even so, I expect authentic connections with characters, and that wasn’t the case here. I didn’t find any of the characters to be endearing or believable.

This is hardcore erotica, so of course it contains sex—lots and lots and lots of graphic sex. I can handle that, but I found most of the sex scenes to be either silly, confusing, or disturbing. To make matters worse, the storytelling between naked times is very brief and lacks interest.

Honestly, I find it hard to believe that Tiffany Reisz wrote this. I might not be her biggest fan, but she is a more than capable storyteller. The writing in this book is mundane and melodramatic. The flow of the narrative is extremely choppy.

If you want to get your smut fix—hey, no judgment—and don’t mind a thin plot, then this may suit you. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me.

The Red is about Mona St. James who is trying to save her mothers art gallery. Mona is in debt and she's desperate to save the gallery. She meets a mysterious man one night at the gallery who offers to save the gallery in exchange for her body.

I don't know how to feel about the book. It was interesting and definitely different from anything I have read this year. I'm usually not into such books but it was intriguing to say the least. I had trouble with some aspects of the books and scenarios. Though, I thought the third act was really well done and I was not expecting that.

4 HOLY MALCOLM STARS!

Let me begin by saying that this was my first read by Tiffany Reisz, with that being said... HO-LY MO-LEY WHAT A BOOK, now I just want more!!

The Red takes erotic to new levels. If you're shy on the whole BDSM world and FSOG made you uncomfortable then abort. This is nothing like Christian Grey y'all. Christian Grey is child's play compared to Malcolm *sigh*. Now, if you're not shy then just lay back and read this one in the privacy of your own home, preferably alone in the bedroom *wink*

At first I was confused as all hell. In my mind I was like, 'what a strange book' but I just shrugged and found myself falling even further down the rabbit hole with this one.

I really don't want to say anything else about this book because really it's a story, you the reader, must read on their own and experience for themselves, but I will tell you this one last thing. It has been a while that a book has truly just left me in awe. Like I still can't get over it. I'm speechless and have no words other than bravo, Tiffany!

Seriously, my mind is forever freaking blown!! At the end everything is explained and made so much sense. But still, I can't even!!

NOT OVER IT. I'LL NEVER BE OVER IT!! LOL!! I'm just going to stay here and contemplate my life because it's forever changed.

2.5 Stars!

The Red was a book I was so happy to read. I was literally buzzing. It was going to be my first Tiffany Reisz, and some of my book friends love her, so I was pretty sure I was going to love it. I was so wrong.

As the book was nearing the end, I wanted to cry. But then, the last chapters helped a little bit. You know, I do love reading steamy scenes as much as the next girl, but if you're gonna give me sex, sex, sex, the least you can do is make me feel it, right? But I didn’t feel a thing here. My lack of connection with the characters, as well as the lack of chemistry between them was the downfall from enjoying this read. I thought about DNF the book, but the mysterious man kept my curiosity high and kept me reading.

The storyline and the writing were solid, appealing. I have never read anything like this before. So that's why I found myself disappointed by how the steamy scenes took control of the story.

Although I did not enjoy the story, it still had its moments. I’m interested in reading more from this author since I found her writing very intriguing.

If you're looking for a porn-ish story, then this is the book for you.

I have to say I do love reading porn, but this time I was expecting MORE!

I am still quite a new reader to Tiffany Reisz's work, but seeing she had a new release coming out i thought i need to read this but this book was not as agreeable as her work i have read so far. It is very sexy , and i loved that i mean downright super sexy at times again no complaints. But i just found the story very predictive to a point, ie the sexy, mysterious wealthy man swooping in to save the day. However, there was many surprises i did not suspect, the description also of the paintings was so vivid i could almost picture them as they really are, when i searched for them to see for real what they look like. As i am so new to this authors work, i am going to give this book another try after i have read more of her previous works, as i feel it needs another attempt and i may change my review rating to more stars

review on goodreads under the name kimothy

This is not your typical erotica. It is not a simple story about girl meets boy. It is so much more.

Ms. Reisz has written The Red in the same elegant rhythm of Anais Nin. It is precise and clear with broad enough strokes to paint the picture she wants you to see. With dark undertones it captures your attention almost immediately and demands your full attention. Within the first few chapters you are caught up in Malcolm and Mona’s actions. Then before you realize it, it’s no longer about the erotic acts, but about the secrets each painting and subsequent act reveals.

I suggest you go into this read with very little information. Trust this author to point you in the direction you should go. Then just enjoy the journey.

ARC provided through NetGalley

3.5 Artistic CROWNS

Tiffany Reisz has provided readers with an erotic experience that is incredibly unique. Tying in famous paintings and bringing them to life while having tantalizing sexual experiences that awaken the heroine is really unlike anything I've ever read before.

Malcom is the mysterious patron that is there to save The Red, but readers know very little about him throughout the book. He has certain sexual proclivities and craves a woman who will own them. He pushes boundaries and the limits of the heroine in this book. Even though readers and Mona know little about him, there is something enticing about his power and dominance, and both are hard pressed not to fall under his charm and prowess.

Mona is an interesting heroine, and her journey into her sexual desires, owning them and demanding them, is unlike one I've read before. With each encounter she begins to crave what she once thought of as taboo or scandalous. She begins to accept that these encounters are what she craves and now what she needs in order to have satisfaction not just in the bedroom but her life. Her sexual awakening throughout the novel creates a more empowered heroine than readers meet at the beginning of the novel, and I enjoyed this transformation immensely.

The story is erotic, hence the classification, but every chapter depicts a different piece of art, a different sexual encounter. What is lacking for me is the plot line of the story. Very little is revealed about Malcolm until the end, and although we witness the transformation of Mona, readers know little about her outside of her interactions with Malcolm and the art gallery. The plot of the story really picks up in the last 4-5 chapters of the book, and this is when I truly became engaged in this story. The ending blew my mind, and I really hope she continues this story.

This has been my first Tiffany Reisz book, but it won't be my last. I really enjoyed her writing and the unique twist on erotic romance. It was dirty, it had fantastical elements, and it showcased sexual reformation. All the things I love in a good erotic book. If she continues to write the journey of Mona and Malcolm, I will certainly be reading it.

"Things aren’t what they seem.”
Ain't that the truth of all times !. Scandalous story of an Earl of Godwick -Malcolm Arthur Augustus Fitzroy. The Earl of Godwick. He's a man of his word. A promise on a deathbed and he's a soul hanging in limbo. He handpicks Mona to get a rightful heir and in the process , he comes alive.
Mona , is a gallery owner - The Red. Its actually going under , burdened with debts she accrued while taking care of her ailing mother. She promises her mother on her deathbed that she'd do anything to save the Gallery.
And then she meets the Devil ,Who smiles ....no he smirks! He offers to save her gallery, but she'd have to sell herself like a whore to him, for a year.
He’d made her three promises when they’d made their deal: He promised to pay her enough in art to save the gallery. He promised to tell her the provenance of the paintings. And he promised he would leave her.
During this year , He brings her hidden desires to surface. Role playing and enacting the paintings he gifts her. They're pulsating with life and she explores them under the hand of Malcolm. Are they hallucinations, dreams, enactments .....

Olympia
Dora And the Minotaur
The luncheon on the Grass
The Roman Charity

Each painting just breathes and unfolds like a theatrical play right in front of our eyes and by becoming captive IN them, Mona unlocks and frees her own inhibitions and some ancient mysteries.
The story is not written, but displayed in front of you. Words morph into visions and swirling colours and babbling Brooks and dancing nymphs and growling minotaur and swishing crops . Tiffany bleeds emotions on the paper and strikes deep into your soul . My whole being thrummed with intense aftershocks reading the passionate animalistic, raw sexual encounters.
By this time my mind is playing tricks on me. But i am beyond care.
I'm craving Malcolm as a worshipper craves her God
He was a god to her now, a god of sex and sin.In hell where the sins of lust were punished, they said the lascivious damned tore each other apart with their desires , and the rent and bleeding pieces still found ways to meet and mate with each other. How was that hell, she wondered? These theologians had never met Malcolm.
I'm amazed by the spread of Tiffanys imagination, it's an endless ocean of visions and poems. Carefully weaving and interspersing till you forget where you are, what you're reading or where you're supposed to be. You just meander in a world she creates with a candle light. You just see only what is in front of you , rest is dark and unknown. That's where the magic lies!!!
What magic was it, what sorcery that could turn an act of violence and pain into an act of adoration and affection? It was alchemy, the art of turning base things into gold.
Same could be said about Reisz !!
One of a kind story
One of a kind writer
One of a kind characters
“Millions of paintings in this world. Only one Mona Lisa. Billions of women in this world. Only one you, Mona Lisa St. James.”
And Malcolm ....what can I say about him . He could be the Devil , “The devil wants your soul. I only want your body.”
But he's just a man trying to fulfill a promise he made. He suffers because he fell in love with a woman he shouldn't have !!
"There's debauchery but no debasement " is perhaps the most profound sentence of the story.that separates Mona from all the other submissives.shes not obligated , but she's obliged.
She doesn't Fuck Malcolm for Degas, but she does because he gives her Degas..
Delve Deep ladies....theres a whole pool of light in here
I'm so enamoured by Tiffany, I'm going to drink every word she's ever written, even if it takes me a lifetime. And I won't ingest, just swirl them around in my brain so I can feel them for ages !!
And then go hunting for an antique brass bed with knobs<3
From inside his frame, the portrait of Malcolm smiled. Or was it a smirk?
5 artsy stars
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