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Publisher:
NAL Trade
Release Date:
December 2, 2008
Genres:
Contemporary Romance
Erotic
ISBN:
Print
9780451225030
Kindle
No
ISBN
Bookmark Rating:
Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray
Review Posted:
December 2008
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As three couples near their seventh wedding anniversaries, each become conscious
of that fabled ‘seven year itch’. The wives devise an unorthodox plan to stave
off the possibility of sexual boredom in their husbands by offering a one time
only ‘free pass’. While on vacation, each husband will be allowed to dally with
a stranger of their choice.
Of course, what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander…
When I first read the premise of Elizabeth Scott’s book FREE PASS,
I honestly wasn’t sure I wanted to read this one. The blurb on the cover smacks
of infidelity, something I couldn’t believe I would be able to easily read.
But I’ve read this author’s work before, numerous times. She has always come
through with tales I at least like and often love. So I decided to continue to
trust her, given her track record thus far, and settled in to read FREE
PASS.
From the start, I have to say I was impressed that the author did not go the
route I was so afraid she might by making it easy for the characters to ‘cheat’
on their spouses. From the very beginning of the story, each of the six friends
struggles with the idea of spending a night outside of their marriage beds.
Indeed, this struggle continues throughout the story, easing my mind a great
deal.
Are the characters titillated by the idea? Yes, for the most part. But they
worry over the effect these trysts will have on their significant others and
ultimately, their relationships. Even so, they all harbor reasons why going
through with this idea is more tempting than it should be.
For Debra and Gordon, the fact that they were both virgins when they married
certainly makes them curious about the idea. When they spy some sexy
exhibitionist neighbors making love on their nearby patio, neither Debra nor
Gordon can look away. Striking up a friendship with the other couple reveals
that their new friends are more than just exhibitionists – they happen to be
swingers, and they are more than interested in playing with Debra and Gordon.
Cherisse and Wesley each find partners who help affirm their desirability to the
opposite sex while vacationing at the beach. Although their desire for each
other has never waned, that affirmation ramps up their mutual attraction even
more. Their flings serve to remind them how much they truly love each other and
how lucky they are to have found their soul mates.
As for Melanie and Thomas, things are a little more complicated. Thomas has no
desire to use the free pass that Melanie offers him, but swiftly realizes his
wife needs this experience to help her deal with her ongoing fears concerning
the stability of their relationship. Plagued by insecurities caused by her
father’s abandonment, the free pass scheme might be just the ticket to prove his
devotion and commitment to her once and for all.
With each of the three couples, their motivations are admirable, even if their
methods may seem a little misguided to some of us. They each want to keep their
marriages fresh and exciting, and believe that giving each other a taste of what
the grass is like on the other side is the best way to curb the sexual
wanderlust that destroys so many relationships. To these couples, they aren’t
cheating because they have a ‘FREE PASS’ from their partners
sanctioning the act.
Having now read FREE PASS, I have to say that I am impressed with
how Elizabeth Scott handled what could have been a very offensive plot. She
never lost sight of the fact that these people are doing something that many of
us can’t easily abide, and she never glorified it. She showed these characters’
internal issues as they deal with the ramifications of their flings and how they
work through them together.
And she did all that while delivering some really hot love scenes… *grin*
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