Review of ‘The Good Girl’ by Madeleine Taylor,

Audiobook narrated by Tessa Stavers

During a business trip in New York, Emily Evans has a one night stand with a woman that she meets at a bar. One night of passionate sex leads to a second one and Emily feels her attraction growing stronger, even though she knows very little about the mysterious woman. Is her attraction one-sided? And what kind of secrets does she hide?

This is the first book published by Madeleine Taylor, but judging by the quality of the writing, it doesn’t have the typical shortcomings of a debut novel. It’s hard to determine if this is a pseudonym for an already established author though I suspect it is. Regardless, this novella is a very good example of how to write lesbian erotica.

Written in first person from the exclusive point of view of Emily, the story follows her sexual experimentations which clash with her usual ‘good girl’ behaviour. The sexual affair challenges Emily’s preconceptions of who she thinks she is contrasting with how she was raised in a religious family. As she starts to uncover the secrets hidden by the mysterious woman, Emily will either have to follow her heart or go back to her boring life.

I love that this book is not only a hot erotica story but also a character’s identity exploration with a little side of intrigue and romance. Emily is a surprisingly multilayered and deep character for an erotica novella. Ms. Taylor definitely goes the extra mile for this kind of stories making it more meaningful and extra enjoyable.

The audiobook is narrated by Tessa Stavers who was new to me though not new to this genre. I’ve really enjoyed her performance, she made it sound authentic and exciting which is no easy feat. Her voices were distinctive and natural, even the male ones. I’d heard good things about the novella itself but I wasn’t expecting such a top-notch audio performance. Highly recommended.

Overall, a very good lesbian erotica audiobook with a bit of substance and romance on the side recommended for the fans of the genre. 5 stars.

Duration: 4 hours and 3 minutes.