The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

October’s Book of the Month is the simply stunning The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!

This book has quickly become one of my favourites, not only for its cult-like status but for its brilliant storyline, its sexy and raunchy sex scenes and its ability to stand the test of time!

Originally published 13 years ago, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea has been given a new lease of life for the 15th Anniversary of Black Lace including a gorgeous new front cover!

In keeping with the oceanic theme of the Book of the Month, we're giving away a free waterproof PowerHead Rocket 4-Piece Massager Vibrator worth £9.99 absolutely free when you buy this brilliant book! Add it to your bargain sale basket today!

After you’ve devoured this fantastic piece of erotica, why not let us know your opinions by answering these questions:

• Did you enjoy The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?
• Had you heard of the book previously, before the Black Lace 15th Anniversary re-release?
• Do you think the book seems aged or dated since it was first published?
• What was your favourite sex scene?
• Would you call what happened a holiday romance or do you think it was something more?
• Who appealed to you more, Darius or Haldane?
• Did the theme of voyeurism appeal to you?
• As the book was originally given away with New Woman magazine, do you think it makes a good introduction to erotica?

For more information about The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, visit the Erotic Book Club blogs:
Book of the Month
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Extract
Take a look at the mythology behind the book and see what other people thought!

*promises herself the book when her student loan comes in*

Ooh I bought it, ooh and it's been despatched!

Am jealous!! Wonder if I can find it on readitswapit?! lol.

Meh what are student loans for if not dildos and erotic novels huh? Studying? what?

x

It's such a shame that New Woman went to the wall.  I'm guessing they might have given it away free again as part of their anniversary celebrations.

It's well worth buying this one though chicka.  As well as a great free vibe, this is one you'll read many times - trust me!

I'm going to tease you even more, with another hot excerpt.  As we join the story, Hillary is sunbathing on the beach:

"She was floating somewhere between dreams and reality, or perhaps she was dreaming, dreaming that someone gently brushed their fingers over her breasts.  Surely it was a breeze, or a small cloud of sand? She wanted to touch them herself, to discover what had caused the fine hairs to thrill but her arms were leaden, pinned to the sand by an invisible force. Her eyelids too were heavy, far too weighted down to flicker open even for a fraction of a second.  It happened again, the feint brush of fingertips against her naked skin, this time across her belly - once, twice, backwards and forwards, featherlight stimulation that set her whole body on fire.

This was not a force of nature, this was man, exploratory man with a knowledgeable hand, teasing her body with barely perceptible touches.  She was not dreaming, of that she was certain, but did it matter who was doing this to her? It was a confusing thought.  Should it matter?  Would it make a difference if the hands working their magic on her desperate flesh belonged to someone not of her own age, if he - and she was certain they did belong to a he - was very old, or a teenager perhaps?  But the touch was too practised, too skilled for a very young person and the hands were large, the skin on the palms slightly coarse, the arms when they brushed against her too hairy to belong to someone of tender years, or to a woman.

She found herself concentrating on the hands almost as much as on what they were doing.  Judging by the slight roughness of the palms , the owner must carry out a certain degree of manual work, although they were not the hands of a labourer.  The fingers teased her nipples, rolling them, then twisting and pulling them gently.  They were large fingers, large and wide. Occasionally she felt the slight scratch of a smooth-edged fingernail, so they were manicured nails, not bitten or broken but well cared for; that suggested the owner was either quite wealthy, or took inordinate care in his appearance, or both.  She was desperate to look to satisfy her curiosity once and for all, but the whole episode had a dreamlike quality that she was unwilling to shatter.  She was certain that her mystery man would disappear the moment she opened her eyes.

Now the hands were roaming her body freely, gliding across her oiled skin like skaters on ice.  Every now and then the hands dipped between her legs, stroking her inner thighs,  stray fingers occasionally fluttering against her barely covered mound.  At those times she felt like she might explode from frustration and curiosity, her clitoris pulsating so hard that she was certain he must be fully aware of her desire.  He did it again, his touch no more than a whisper against the desperately swollen hub of her arousal, as a reflex she clenched her buttocks, simultaneously allowing her legs to part slightly.  Her eyelids flickered of their own accord and the caresses stopped."

If this bit got you hot, check out from p188 in the book, where Hillary has an altogether pleasant run in with two Italian brothers. Talk about lying back and taking the pleasure!

OK, enough now, SOLD!

My copy has literally JUST arrived Ruth,

I'll report back as soon as possible on my er...findings.

Ahem, off to have a little peruse right now.

Will be back shortly.

Possibly.

Legs xx

I forgot to post this link! We managed to get hold of the fabulous Cheryl for an interview and not only was she a joy to interview but she was also very witty and gave us some brilliant insights into not only this book but the whole erotic writing experience in general!

Cheryl Mildenhall, author of The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Interview.

Check it out!

How are you finding it sublime?

Woo woo I've just finished it.  Will have to write a review but for now:

• Did you enjoy The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?  Oh yes lots and lots of sex scenes =
• Had you heard of the book previously, before the Black Lace 15th Anniversary re-release? No but I like this idea.  The reference to pubic hair reminded me that it was a bit older!!  We all seem to have it waxed off now
• Do you think the book seems aged or dated since it was first published?  Not at all (other than the pubic hair thing!)  At the end of the day, it's all about the sex scenes and those are timeless.  It's a really fun read.
• What was your favourite sex scene?  Hmmm now that is hard.  Probably in the shower or the one on the beach.
• Would you call what happened a holiday romance or do you think it was something more?  Well I have to say she does get around a fair bit!!  That's perfectly OK in reality or fantasy but I was surprised by the number of partners.  That's just me though.
• Who appealed to you more, Darius or Haldane?  Darius for looks but defo Haldane for attitude and everything else.
• Did the theme of voyeurism appeal to you?  Yes absolutely.  Would have liked a bit more on this and the orgy / fetish bits at the end.
• As the book was originally given away with New Woman magazine, do you think it makes a good introduction to erotica?  Yes but it's probably too much too soon for some.  It's pretty full on (as it should be).
• I really enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it to others.  It's more plot and sex scenes than character development but then what do you expect?!  I'd have liked longer scenes with more build-up but it's very good and very enjoyable.  It certainly did the trick

• Did you enjoy The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea? - Yes, overall it was a fab book!
• Had you heard of the book previously, before the Black Lace 15th Anniversary re-release? - No, the first time I saw it was on here.
• Do you think the book seems aged or dated since it was first published? - Yes, a little. There were a few things that stood out for me that  made me realise it had been previously published.
• What was your favourite sex scene? - I liked Hillary and Haldane having their mad session on the beach!
• Would you call what happened a holiday romance or do you think it was something more? - Given that Hillary wasn't 'exclusive' to anyone, I'd definitely say it was more of a fling thing. There wasn't much hint at romance or genuine feelings, just sex!
• Who appealed to you more, Darius or Haldane? - Haldane. He was more of an upfront kind of guy, not too mysterious or dark.
• Did the theme of voyeurism appeal to you? - Hell yes!
• As the book was originally given away with New Woman magazine, do you think it makes a good introduction to erotica? - Yes, I'd say so. It was incredibly erotic, but not too hardcore. The fact that there's some girl on girl in there too will appeal to women who also find that arousing.

I'm intrigued by what aged the book for you creative?  I was about when the book first came out, so am worried I might be out of touch 'with the kids'!

I've just returned from hols and almost finished the book!

Will reply and review by Weds xxx

LoveHoney - Ruth wrote:

How are you finding it sublime?

• Did you enjoy The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?  Yes, an easy to read sex fest!
• Had you heard of the book previously, before the Black Lace 15th Anniversary re-release?  No
• Do you think the book seems aged or dated since it was first published?  Although it could be contempory, there are a few things that give it away. Pubic hair for one! We all seem to wax within an inch of our lives these days so that was telling. The over-use of the phrase 'his/her sex' - although still justifyably used now it's over-emphasis was aging to me.
• What was your favourite sex scene? I loved it when Hilary was tied to a tree by Darius, the visual appeal of the photoshoot on the chaise when she abandoned herself to the situation, her encounter with Odile...ooh, I'm being greedy! The best sex scenes however were with the gorgeous Haldane, on the boat, on the beach, mmmm!
• Would you call what happened a holiday romance or do you think it was something more? Her relationship with Haldale was more of a holiday romance and certainly had the potential to develop as such at the end of the novel. All other liasions were purely sexual, of course they had elements of romance about them but I would not catagorise them as such. More wishful thinking and carnal desire!
• Who appealed to you more, Darius or Haldane? Haldane, hands down, no contest! I also found Theo (and Olile) very attractive indeed.
• Did the theme of voyeurism appeal to you? Voyeurism does turn me on. It is titillating and sexy but in this book Darius was just too screwed up and gave me the creeps. The thought of the dinner party guests viewing Hillary and the prostitute on the chaise-longue through the two way mirror was very erotic though!
• As the book was originally given away with New Woman magazine, do you think it makes a good introduction to erotica? Absolutely! It does not really challenge in any way (perfect as an inoffensive intro to erotica) but has a decent enough plot to carry the sex scenes which were for the most part very well written and pretty darn hot!

Weeee - Carly and I are super excited you all liked it!!!

Thanks for recommending it girls - you did a great job of enticing us!

Can't wait to find out what is next month's treat.

Yeah I bought it just for holiday and enjoyed it more than I thought so would defo buy more, more often.

Hugely exciting news!  The goddess that is Cheryl Mildenhall (author of The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea) will be joining us at Erotica!!

She'll be on hand to sign books, and generally be uber lovely!

So, if you have any questions for Cheryl, add them on here and we'll get you the answers!