Dirty

I read this book and still can't stop thinking of it-- it's explicit but it wasn't the intimate scenes that made this book -- but the characters.Elle is a woman who doesn't want attachments preferring quick physical encounters. She counts as a way of coping and calming--making her keep a distance. Dan is someone unusual he sparks her interest and they begin a torrid affair on her terms. Like with all things it doesn't end up the way she planned and she has to decide if meeting her nightmares head on is worth the power of a healthy relationship.Elle is very difficult to like because she is so closed off-- but you can't help wanting to see her find happiness. Dan is a compelling strong character-- not over the top but able to match Elle in interest, he finds himself drawn to her and refuses to give up on her-- for that alone it is worth reading.Elle has a compelling and tragic secret-- and I find her ability to fight for forgiveness admirable-- even when as a reader I could not forgive such betrayal- maybe that says something about me or the fact the author brings to Elle a depth of compassion which is heart wrenching and admirable.This was very well done and it will stay with me for a long while.

Such a sad, sad story! Elle is a complicated woman who is free with her body but not with her heart. Dirty is the title which is how Elle's mother refers to her & how Elle feels about herself, until she happens upon Dan. We find out little by little about Elle's past, only as much as Dan gets her to reveal. This man knows exactly when to cautiously proceed & when to push his way into Elle's heart. Each time Dan is able to get Elle to open up a part of herself that she has never shared before, then she pushes him away. Elle is very intelligent with Rainman abilities to count items which helps her focus on anything besides her inner pain, just like sex is a distraction for her heartbreak. She allows herself to have sex with Dan & is open to anything but intimacy - no kissing on the mouth, no oral anything. By the middle of the story Elle has a new friend (a co-worker), a boyfriend of sorts (Dan), and is helping a teenage neighbor boy who is lost & harms himself. I would have liked Elle to seek therapy but growing up in a Catholic family she seeks out church & religion, her confession being the first time we see her cry about her past. Her abuse as a teenager is unbelievable & so very sad that I'm not surprised she feels the way she does about herself. Her mother certainly doesn't help as she puts most of the blame on Elle. I had many moments in the book that made me sigh, mainly from Dan's sweetness. He notices her scars & doesn't push her to share how she got them, instead sharing his scars & saying how they are survivors. This is the first time Elle offers him a real kiss. There is also one very hot moment, when they are just getting to know each other, when Dan brings another man into a hotel room & shares Elle. And the man is Jack, the young tattooed man from the book Strangers! OMG how cool! I am really enjoying this author and her broken, complex female characters!

An outstanding piece, well written, intelligent, deep, at times disturbing but ultimately uplifting. If you're looking for straight literary sex, Megan is not your author. If you want a plot with dark edges, real people, real problems intermingled with explicit interaction - she's your girl. Megan goes to the trouble of researching her topics. If you know anything about psychology, you will recognize specific psychiatric conditions when you read this book. The main character has definitive psychopathology as a result of childhood trauma. The details of Elle's issues are well delineated by the author, and legitimately representative. She is obsessive compulsive (a protective mechanism). She has guilt issues; self abusive; a lack of capacity for intimacy. I like the way Megan goes about developing the plot and the character, providing early clues and then bringing things together towards the end. First person is a challenge here, because the story is told through the voice of someone who is far from objective and is overwhelmed. The reader is afforded the 'responsibility' of realizing that the speaker's perspective is 'skewed'. The quicker the reader accepts this challenge, the more interesting he or she will find the book.There are complaints among readers that they just don't like the protagonist. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. There is no literary rule that says the reader has to like the protagonist, and I'm quite sure that Elle's 'likability' is not a priority with this piece, particularly in the early chapters. In fact, that may be part of the genius here. Few people could accept Elle as she is presented early on, but once we see where she is coming from, it's much easier to empathize with her.

Megan is one of the best writers around; this is definitely more of a book with a great story that contains erotic sexy stuff than an erotic book that contains a shallow story to pretend it is something more. It is best read afternoon with a pot of tea than late night to get things started. Megan has a way with characters and the depth and pain hidden in families .She deserves a wider audience than the limits of romance/ erotic.

It takes a while to get into this book but it is so worth persevering. It is told in the first person from the perspective of Elle. A woman who is a product of her past and lives her life with barriers and walls to protect herself. It is as real a love story as any I have read. It is honestly written in a wonderful way.

This book was excellent!!!! I read it in about three days nd loved every word of it!!!!!! Dan and Elles relationship was twisted but believable Dan made my heart race and it was nice to read about characters that weren't picture perfect. Will definitely b looking to read others books by this author she writes with such ease and realism without a lot of waffling to fill the pages. Give it a read u won't be disappointed.

Really enjoyed this book

Great story it's nice to have one where the man is not really tall got a six pack and is hung Like a donkey cos let's face it girls I have never found one like that!!!! So it made the story real. Give it a go you will enjoy the read. Though I would like to say it's nothing like fifty shades even though it says for fans of fifty shades!!!!