When I picked up The Erotic Secrets of a French Maid a year ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never read Cach before and the premise threatened to exasperate me. The story, however, was an extremely pleasant surprise, not at all what I expected from the somewhat misleading (or merely tongue-in-cheek?) title and cover. What I remember of the experience was laughing - a lot. Happily, this story loses nothing of its charm or hilarity in the reread.
The premise is campy: Emma Mayson is an architecture graduate turned cleaner, forced to take up odd jobs whilst she applies for internships in her chosen field. Emma is twenty-six years old, bubbly, beautiful and just embarking on her career. She is instantly attracted to her latest client, Russell Carrick, software entrepreneur and wealthy businessman. Through a series of amusing misunderstandings, Emma contrives to set herself up as Russell’s mistress (which takes care of her financial straits and Russell’s inability to meet women). As the couple enjoy some very funny, endearing sexual adventures, they eventually fall in love. But can bubbly Emma and straight laced Russ make a go of it, particularly as they are in such different places in their lives?
Right from the start, Ms Cach ticks all the boxes for me. Everything that usually makes me uncomfortable with contemporaries - huge power imbalances that are never acknowledged, let alone addressed; non-organic language and archaic morality, so that I feel as though I’m in some weird timewarp - are absent. Moreover, Emma and Russ are absolutely delightful, so relatable and human; adorable in their imperfections.
Whilst Emma finds Russ attractive and authoritative, for his part, Russ is utterly daunted by Emma:
She’d probably thought him a grumpy tight-ass, instead of what he really was: a geeky guy who who’d never learned to relax around an attractive woman.
He is horrified at the idea of this beautiful young woman cleaning up after him - Emma is thrust upon him by a pushy sibling - and resolves to do his laundry and clean his bathroom before she visits (see? Adorable!) Although he is successful and established, Russ feels stunted and bored with his life. He is keenly aware of the gap in terms of life experience and expectations between himself and Emma, who is ten years his junior. This is hugely refreshing for me, and the fact that both Emma and Russ are able to think about this seriously wins me over from the start.
Despite his money, his lovely house and his greater age, there is something endearingly mundane about Russ. He drives a hybrid, is a bit of a slob with a dash of geek, and sweetly self-deprecating to boot. His initial attempts to talk to Emma are a hoot:
(over the phone, explaining what his company does).
“We design software for tracking inventory.”
“Oh.”
Oh, she’d said. Oh, how boring. “You’d be surprised at how big an industry it is. Everything from apples to the chemicals used in producing drugs has to be tracked by companies.”
“Oh,” she said again, and he could hear her effort to sound fascinated.
He pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead, shutting his eyes against the embarrassment of trying to impress her with inventory software.
Similarly, Emma is immensely relatable. She is starting out in her chosen field and finding out that it is far harder than she ever expected. Her life is only beginning, and this is reflected in how she sees herself as Present Emma (flawed and unformed) and Super Emma (the successful woman she hopes to become). Early on she admits that she is not looking for long term commitment at this stage in her life. Attracted to Russ, she researches him on the internet and, daunted by his success, reflects that ‘she didn’t want to ride on a man’s coattails, or feel inferior to him based on her earnings.”
Despite all this, Emma and Russ embark on their unorthodox relationship in relatively short order, thanks to some spectacular miscommunication (at first, Russ thinks he is agreeing to home-cooked meals). From then on, we are entertained with a series of sexual scenarios, set up by the enthusiastic and eager to please Emma, and endured by a bemused Russ. Although the scenes are very sexy, Cach has an eye for the absurd and this makes her characters infinitely human, though no less romantic for it.
The Erotics Secrets of a French Maid is highly recommended, particularly to those of you who, like me, might ordinarily steer clear of contemporaries. Kudos, moreover, to Ms Cach for turning a potentially provocative and charged scenario into something that defies expectation and left this reader utterly disarmed.
This entry was posted by Meriam on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 6:35 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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December 1st, 2008 at 7:20 am
I too have never read any of Cach’s books. However, I like contemps! So I definetely would give this a read. I enjoyed all of VLT’s Nerd series… and Russ sounds like a nerd too. I agree that the title sounds more like an opening for an erotic historical, but it does capture your attention to look further.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:22 am
I must have picked this up and put it down 6 times when it was first released. I’d read the back blurb and think “oh, yeah that one” and put it back on the shelf. Your review has me wanting to track one down.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I liked it too. But what’s happened to the format on here? And why is it that the blogger’s name is so tiny it’s barely visible?
December 1st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Cach is a new to me author; I’ve never heard of her but I love Contemporaries so she will be in my sights.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Thanks for the info on this book… I have not had the pleasure of reading Cach either!
December 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I lovelovelove Cach and have read almost all of her books. EROTIC SECRETS was wonderfully earthy and real. My favorites are some of her paranormals, though. GEORGE AND THE VIRGIN was her best, I think–it’s the ultimate campy fun! WILDEST SHORE was great, too. A contemp that I loved was DR. YES. I wish more readers would discover Cach, because I don’t think she gets the attention and recognition she deserves!
December 1st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
This sounds like a good one!
I like the sidebar with the icon and blurb!
December 1st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Laura, do you like it? I think it looks great.
Bekke, I haven’t read the Cach backlist but I’ve heard good things about George and the Virgin (Campy fun is very much to my taste…)
December 1st, 2008 at 3:35 pm
It’s a bit too bright for my tastes (and eyes), Meriam.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I’m glad I took the time to read your review. The title of the book didn’t jump out at me. I love a good contemporary.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Cach is a new author to me. I will definitely look for this one. Thanks for the review!
December 1st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I have read a few of her books and enjoyed them. I hadn’t seen this one, but it is now definately on my list!
December 1st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I haven’t read any of Cach’s books before, but after reading this review, it looks like I’ll have to! I love romances, I love comedies, and any book that combines them is practically an instant fave
December 1st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
I have not read a Lisa Cach book either, but this one sounds funny, endearing, and romantic. I’ll have to check this author out. Thanks for the reccomendation!
December 1st, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I have this book on my tbr. I also, have not read any of Lisa’s books and look forward to reading this one.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:19 am
Sounds good! I think I will check this one out. Thanks for the review.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 am
[...] romance. Two commenters on each post will win a copy of the chosen selection. Up first–Meriam’s musings on The Erotic Secrets of a French Maid by Lisa [...]
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:34 am
I’ve never read any of Cach’s books, but this one sounds really interesting and like a lot of fun.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 am
I’ve seen this book and have considered it, but for some reason never did. Your review is convincing me otherwise though. Adding it to the tbb list.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:21 am
Wasn’t Lisa the author that had a mermaid book for Leisure a few years ago? Trying to track it down on my bookshelf. As I recall, it was good…
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Thanks so much for this review! If I’d seen this book online or in a store, the title would have *forced* my eyes to move on…and it almost did the same when I saw the subject of the review. Fortunately, I read on…this looks like a definite must-read.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Sounds sexy. I love nerd heroes.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
That’s what a well written review can do for a book - tweak my interest so I want to go out and get it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I’ve not heard of this book before. It’s sounds really fun!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I always enjoy learning about a new book. I am not familiar with Ms. Cach’s books. Sounds like I need to remedy that as soon as possible.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Sounds interesting. I work with computer software and it’s not sexy as how Ms Cach’s story sounds.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:33 am
Thank you very much for the review! I’ll be on the lookout for this book.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:34 am
I must check that out. The unaddressed power imbalance is a huge issue I have in romance, as well (nothing is as much of a thrill-kill as feeling like there’s something abusive about the relationship between the hero and heroine), so it’s always nice to find a new author who deals with power imbalances with skill.
December 4th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Congratulations to Ms Valerie and Mrs. P - they are soon to be proud owners of The Erotic Secrets of a French Maid. I hope you enjoy it…