Cruel Venus by Susan Lewis

Cruel Venus reads as tense as any good thriller, and even the occasional smut does little to distract from the seriousness of the plot.

On Goodreads, Cruel Venus is listed as Chick-Lit. But nothing could be further from the truth.

The book reads as tense as any good thriller, and even the occasional smut does little to distract from the seriousness of the plot.

As my book club’s Book of the Month pick for August, Cruel Venus was a page turner from start to finish, while raising more questions than it answers

Synopsis

The lives of Allyson and Bob, a celebrity couple, are upended when news gets out that Bob is cheating on his wife with her nineteen-year-old assistant, Tessa. However, what appears to be a simple matter of uncontrolled loins spirals out of control, as Tessa’s twisted motives are revealed for what they are.

But that’s not all.

Danger lurks in the backyard with Shelley, Allyson’s best friend and work colleague, with dark secrets, jealousy, and a potentially deadly love triangle brewing. Along with their new boss, Mark, the lives of these powerful men and women are intertwined in tight knots that may be hard to untangle.

And, in the process, no one’s lives will remain the same.

Thoughts

Before Cruel Venus, I hadn’t read romantic thrillers before. So, it was quite a surprise to find that only a few minutes after starting the book, I found it hard to put down. Such was the intrigue as I rushed through, eager to discover more.

The three or four main characters are impressively written. In just a few pages, the author has readers hating, loving, rooting for, and hoping for the downfall of specific characters.

While the sex scandals are the predominant themes in the books, it’s easy to forget that there are several lessons to be learned from them. In many ways, this book is an exposé into the real lives of celebrities. In a world where money and fame are a given, interests are ironically every bit as base as what you’d expect of the worst set of unprivileged people.

The focus on instant sexual gratification, emotional immaturity, and mental fragility are themes we all too often see in the lives of modern-day Hollywood stars. Fame often finds many unprepared, and the result is often messy relationships and divorces. It’s like giving an inexperienced chef the most expensive ingredients to prepare a large, complex meal: failure is the inevitable result.

In the case of Cruel Venus, we see Bob, a weak, insecure man, make libido-inspired decisions that cost him his marriage and career. His equally insecure wife, while truly a victim in the matter, proves that she’s no better by pursuing a relationship with her new boss, risking the ire of Shelley, who laid the first, albeit failed, claim. I mean, there are bro codes. There should be girl codes, too. Right?

But no.

Allyson is a weak woman whose lily-livered choices contribute to a series of events that have severe consequences.

Her best friend, Shelley, is no different. Beautiful, rich, and powerful, she embodies the strong, independent woman whose beauty and successes have made it challenging for her to find a serious relationship. Rather than learning from past experiences, her actions show that she’s gullible, cheap, and childish.

Tessa’s case is a bit more pitiful, as her motives are understandable. Indeed, one feels sorry for her after a while. But, the worst of the lot, in my opinion, is the boss, Mark, who represents everything bad about the alpha male.

Verdict

The ending of Cruel Venus makes it impossible for me to rate it anything more than 3.5/5 stars.

Still, it’s a thoroughly engrossing read that I’d recommend to readers who love messy scandals and the intrigue of unravelling them.