Gemma, a young artist, falls in love with her inspiration and idol, famous sculptor Jordan, and must break through his walls before he falls in love with her two - but they'll have an affair in the mean time. This was a very different kind of Harlequin romance and raised my eyebrows a couple times. Gemma and Jordan are both expressive, non-traditional, experimental artists, and they attraction is unabashedly and powerfully sexual. Set in London, Gemma is an art student who primarily uses oils, but dabbles in sculpture on the side and has studied the sculptures of 33-year old Jordan, a modern master of the art of sculpture. His post-modern interpretation is extremely and almost offensively sexual, so the shock value has certainly catapulted him to fame. They have a curious arousing effect on Gemma, almost cartoonishly so, because every time she looks at them she gets all flushed and heated and it's honestly a little hilarious.
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Gemma's dream comes true when she and a few other students are introduced to Jordan by one of their teachers at alumni event at Goldsmiths, and there is instant chemistry between Gemma and Jordan. Many of his intensely sensual, sexual sculptures are inspired by ancient Indian temple sculptures, and Jordan is immediately impressed when Gemma identifies this as they begin talking. They walk together away from the group, and it is clear they want each other. Jordan invites her to sculpt with him, which from Gemma's point of view is basically an invitation to sleep with him since that is how she sees his sculptures and so she delightedly agrees.
There is a heavy erotic quality in their conversations as Jordan and Gemma sketch out concepts for her sculpture and they decide on a woman in a kind of ecstasy - it can be a spiritual ecstasy, a sexual ecstasy, or just ecstasy over life, and the discussion heats them up so much that they kiss and fool around, though they stop short of consummating their feelings, since Jordan says he doesn't want to "take advantage" of her. This makes Gemma love him even more. She tries to break through the inner wall of his reserve over the time they spend working together, talking together late into the night as they smoke in the studio, and when they go out for late night drinks. Jordan lets her get close to him, but keeps details of his childhood private firmly, and doesn't seem to want to let her into his heart, although it is clear he wants her in his bed. The bartender at his favorite bar confides in her that Jordan turned more intensely to sculpture ever since his first love, ten years ago, died in a car accident. Gemma feels deeply sympathetic and wants to nurture and heal Jordan, but they are distracted as the day of Gemma's first sculpture exhibition, which she will do in conjunction with Jordan, draws near. The exhibition opening is a great success, and later in the night when Jordan and Gemma are drunk and kissing in celebration, they fall into bed together and afterwards Jordan tells her that is the first time he has felt so close to a woman in a decade, and tells Gemma protectively that he will never let her go. Gemma replies that she doesn't intend to go anywhere, and they snuggle and go back to sleep, discussing everything they will do in the future together.
Best part of story, including ending:
I enjoyed learning about the process of sculpture making.
Best scene in story:
When Gemma's classmate Philippa jokes that some of Jordan's sculptures are more risque than the naughtier magazines she reads.
Opinion about the main character:
I liked Gemma's sexually liberal attitude and that it was portrayed positively.
