On Demand

by Justine Elyot

Book Review by Ashley Lister

Rather than mourn the passing of the Black Lace imprint, I thought it would be more fitting this month to glance at one of the final titles they released before the legendary erotic publishing house closed their doors.

On Demand, by Justine Elyot is typical of the material that Black Lace produced and made successful within the market place.  Sophie Martin’s story is the tale of a young woman who enjoys sex in hotels.  You might be reading this and thinking, ‘But Ashley, we all enjoy sex in hotels.  They leave free biscuits on the pillows and someone else has to wash the sheets.’ However, Sophie Martin enjoys sex in hotels so much she turns this hobby it into a career.

On Demand is a delightful romp that follows Sophie story from the first time she strolls into a hotel with mischief on her mind.  Justine Elyot’s story-telling is controlled, measured and manages to balance a practical British realism with enough erotic imagination to make the story sing. 

You have to wonder if the recent spate of genuine kiss-and-tell stories from hotel/sex career women has undermined the audience for fictional narratives of such incidents.  (Obviously all narratives are fictionalised, little more than the subject claims and opinions of the authors regardless of their alleged factual basis: but most people argue that there is a difference).  If that is the case, then there are a lot of readers missing out on the chance of a story that is entertaining, exciting and wholly enjoyable from beginning to end. 

I don’t like using the words ‘bawdy romp’ in reviews because it always sounds as though I’m comparing the title to a Carry On movie.  Nevertheless, I’m tempted to label this book with that dubious honour because it is relentlessly rude and continually cheerful as the story goes from one unexpected development to the next.

However, Elyot always makes sure the story remains in the realm of the real world with a straight-talking central character who comes across as human and pragmatic, as well being perpetually horny in a hotel environment.

On Demand is a good and enjoyable read.  It’s a shame Black Lace shut up shop when they were still producing such quality titles as this and it’s sincerely hoped that Justine Elyot finds another publisher soon who appreciates the talents of a good author capable of writing compelling erotic fiction.

Ashley Lister
February 2010

On Demand by Justine Elyot
(Black Lace, December 2009; ISBN 0352345438)
Available at Amazon

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© 2010 Ashley Lister. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Ashley Lister is a UK author responsible for more than two-dozen erotic novels written under a variety of pseudonyms.His most recent work, Swingers: True Confessions from Today's Modern Swinging Scene (Virgin Books; ISBN: 0753511355), a non-fiction book recounting the exploits of UK swingers, is his first title published under his own name.
Ashley’s non-fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines, including Forum, Chapter & Verse and The International Journal of Erotica. Nexus, Chimera and Silver Moon have published his full-length fiction, with shorter stories appearing in anthologies edited by Maxim Jakubowski, Rachel Kramer Bussel and Mitzi Szereto. He is very proud to be a regular contributor to ERWA.
Websites: www.ashleylister.co.uk / ashleylister.blogspot.com

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