Unfurl: Alchemy, Book 1

There is so much to love about this book.Belle - raised conservative strict catholic has remained a virgin up until 22yo. She meets Rafe who is significantly older than her (16 years I think) who has stepped away from the Catholic Church.The beautiful thing about this story is that you see the two main characters build a relationship based on mutual religious trauma in a way that is deep and meaningful and healing. As an ex-evangelical who was deeply entrenched in purity culture this part of the story spoke to me. I also always struggle with age gap romances mostly because the relationships seem shallow and not based on anything beyond the sex. This helped bridge that gap and made the age gap feel less icky.The spice was amazing and I loved that it was a quick read with a fast character arc and much more depth than I expected. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic! Truly enjoyed the story, so well written. And the spice was wonderful. I'm excited to start the next story of Alchemy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book right up until the climate and conflict came to play. It was a little obvious the author is a progressive liberal but during the climax of the story, the author kept harping on the fact the FMC father was a “religious extremist” for being a strict or acting Catholic and how horrible it was. Acted like the father was abusive but strictly stated he wasn’t. The talking point in this section of the book were like a talking point playlist for liberal lgbt agenda on sexuality. It was distracting and so clear what the author viewed was “morally acceptable”. I don’t want to read the authors actual views or feel like I am. I’ll read the next book in the series as this is very good writing in general, and great character development. Hopefully, the agenda is toned down a bit.

This book is so damn hot!!! Definitely one of the hottest books I've read. Makes me want to find a club to go too....

It seemed to start a little slow, but then it took right off and didn't stop!! I love Rafe and Belle!! Some great spice too 😁🔥🔥🔥

Format(s) available: book, e-book, audiobookFormat read: audiobookThe following ratings are out of 5.Romance: 💚💙💜🧡❤️Heat/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Story/Plot: 📘📗📖📕📙Funny/Humor: 😂😂😂.5Character development: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂The Hero(s): Rafe one of four owners of a shmex club, playboy and older neighbor of Bel and her parents.The heroine: Bel is the daughter of Rafe's neighbors. She is tired of being of for being a virgin and wants her first time to be with someone who can do it right.Premise: 20 something Bel is ready to loose her V-card, unfortunately she has to get past the shemex shaming and religious shame she experiences from her father and the religious school she grew up in. Her bestie Maddie tells her that her sexy neighbor Rafe owns a shemex club and they offer a grow for people with little to no experience called Unfurl. Naturally Bel does the only correct thing to do and goes right to the source Rafe. He gets her enrolled in the program and Bel is indeed Unfurled.My Thoughts: When I tell you I thoroughly enjoyed this book. When Bel goes to Rafe to ask him about the club, he is compassionate and understanding. He informs her about the program and does a bang up job of making sure that she is comfortable.Some of the side characters like Maddie and Cal made the book more fun to read. The characters are funny AF and loyal. It has the perfect amount of drama. I was constantly waiting for the shoe to drop and there be a third act break-up. Not in this world and I love it. It's so refreshing not to have to worry about them breaking up over a misunderstanding etc. Nope, they act like the adults they are and talk it out. I'm officially hooked on the world that is Alchemy.I listened to this on audiobooks and honestly they could not have gotten better voice actors, they brought the story to life for me.

Spoilers.Ok, yeah. This book is intense on so many levels. As an over-the-top fantasy about sexual initiation by a darkly gorgeous sensualist, as a story of a young woman taking control of her own sexuality, and of finding her way from religious indoctrination to someone who can develop her own beliefs and defend them to a beloved but toxic family member.The sexual initiation fantasy is all there in gorgeous, erotic detail, but the philosophical subtext for Belle’s journey is unusually deep for a romance story centered around a sex club described as “porno Disneyland.”It’s the whole fantasy, right? To have your first experience with sensualists who are all of your fantasies come true. Then for one to become obsessed with you.I liked that there was no third act breakup, that his ability to “see” her never wavered, and that their communication was so good it sensibly overcame misunderstandings.I also appreciated how intelligently Hart discusses art, and the rich language throughout the novel: Immaculate. Defile. Ardently.Highly recommended.

Belle is a 22 year old college graduate who has agreed to look after her parents pricy apartment for the next four months while they tour Europe. Before leaving, her parents have a small get together and she meets the newest member Rafe who has purchased the penthouse apartment. They are instantly attracted to each other even though he is 36 years old. But Belle has a problem that is stopping her from acting on the attraction, one is embarrassed about, she is still a virgin,mostly because of her religious upbringing. Luckily Rafe can help her out, he just happens to be one of the owners of a swanky sex club called Alchemy in London England. They use Belle's religious background to he!p her lose her virginity. Along the way Belle and Rafe fall in love.There's a lot of religious talk centered on Catholics which is Belle religion which at times slows down the story, but when Belle and Rafe act out her fantasies, it's really spicy but good. This is the first of seven books centered around Alchemy and I plan on reading them all. Good start.

Bless me father for I have sinned…or don’tLord have mercy, this was HOT 🔥🔥🔥Belle & Rafe are sinfully delicious.I’m deducting .5 ⭐️ for the cringe worthy calling her parents, mummy and daddy, no absolutely NO

Jesus! This book is all about Belina's sexual discovery. This woman has some kinks and maaaaaaaaaaannnn the Alchemy club AKA Rafe delivered. Just read it with a fan because you'll need to fan yourself the whole time, OMG

Spicey! Delightful and easy uncomplicated read, perfect for a rainy windy day, or a poolside, or anywhere but sitting next to 346 people on a long flight!

For me, the beginning of this book was all about a certain aspect, and I struggled with that. Once it moved on, I really settled in and enjoyed this book. I understand why it was written this way as it gave a great insight to the characters.Rafe was just the ultimate, and the blossoming of Belle was enlightening. The way Elodie Hart approached the topics in this story was amazing.Rafe and Belle were the perfect fit.I read on Kindle and read along on Audible. The narration was on point and well done.

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🌹𝕌𝕟𝕗𝕦𝕣𝕝🌹 - 𝔼𝕝𝕠𝕕𝕚𝕖 ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ℙ𝕝𝕠𝕥 📚📚📚📚𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 🌶🌶🌶🌶𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆-𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎!Such a steamy read! I just love the way this is written, where the author references real life to set the scenes. I found Bella's shyness and prudeness very comical, I had a chuckle at: "...I'm about to let his vaby maker inside my body."Belina's journey from a life constrained by patriarchal Catholic norms to exploring the Unfurl program at Alchemy (the high end Sex Club owned by her hot as sin neighbour, Rafe) is a fascinating exploration of self-discovery and liberation.The theme exploring the contrast between faith and pleasure, and the idea of embracing the grey areas is thought-provoking and very well executed.Rafe, the hot, rich neighbor - Belina left an impression on him from the moment he laid eyes on her! Surprisingly, it's his tenderness that makes him even more irresistible. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between them as Belina navigated new territory, with Rafe ensuring her pleasure and care were always at the forefront of their encounters." 💖