Double Whammy!

An ENE Review of the novels
Playtime & 99 Martinis by Kim Corum

 

Reviewed by JZ Sharpe

 
After reading 99 Martinis and Playtime, I am convinced that there are two routes to trouble in this world: fibs and fantasies. Any fan of Seinfeld can tell you how a simple lie can blossom into a maze from which there is no escape. As for fantasies, especially the unrealized kind, the ones that burn under your skin, begging to be realized? Trouble, my friends, nothing but trouble.
 
99 Martinis is actually two books: the novel reviewed here, and a novel written by Kendra Hatmaker, a Tennessee tease with ambitions of literary greatness. Her manuscript is discovered by one Mark O'Daniel, who is employed in the mailroom of Sungle Publishing, the lowest rung of the corporate ladder. Although he reads and enjoys her submission, what really catches Mark's eye is the picture Kendra encloses with the book, which produces love at first sight. So although the book is destined for rejection, he writes to its author, passing himself off as an editor and complimenting her on her writing talent. Could she come to New York to meet with him, and bring the rest of the novel? Ah, the trouble here has just begun.
 
Playtime tells the story of Mona, married too young to Clay and itching for variety. Divorcing him in what has to be the most amicable divorce in history (because to be married while living out her fantasies would be "cheating"), she continues to live with him while indulging in relationships with several other men and a smorgasbord of creative experimentation (sex with other women, X-rated movies, food, etc.). It's all done to gain experience -- but what Mona eventually learns may surprise you. Once again, a life spent in the pursuit of fantasy may not be much of a life after all.
 
Don't worry about choosing between them, because both books are real winners. Quick, informal reads, they weave a tangled tapestry from the choices the characters make and the consequences that ensue. Don't try to second guess Kim Corum either. I would find myself turning the page, convinced that I knew where the story would head next -- only to be completely surprised. If you're a writer, you'll especially like 99 Martinis. On the other hand, if you fantasize about sex (and who doesn't?), you'll enjoy Playtime. If you're looking for fun between the pages of a book, you'll enjoy them both. I sure did!
 
Playtime

Playtime by Kim Corum is available for purchase through Amazon.com

What would you do if you were married but wanted to have sex with other people? If you're like most people, you'd just cheat and probably get caught, which would probably lead to...divorce or some other such thing. If you're like Mona, you'd convince your spouse that you're ready for a little "playtime" and then you'd fulfill all your sexual fantasies. Or most of them, anyway.

 
99 Martinis

99 Martinis by Kim Corum is available for purchase through Amazon.com

About the Author: Kim Corum has been married for ten years. A few years ago, after an intense conversation with her husband, she got an idea for a book about relationships. Playtime was born. When she's not writing, she works in social services. She is 31 years old and lives in the South.

For the past five years, JZ Sharpe has been making up for the time she lost in a 20-year writer's block. She lives in the Pennsylvania mountains, where most of her friends and coworkers would be shocked and amazed by her secret life as a writer of erotica and science fiction. JZ Sharpe is a regular contributor to ENE. You can also find her work at About's Amateur Erotica, Adult Story Corner, Biblio Eroticus, Blood Moon Zine , Dare , Erotica Readers Association, HotErotica.Com and Scarlet Letters . Get lashed by the Sharpe Tongue.

 
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