Review of Blue Angel, Fallen Angel & Naked Angel by Logan Belle

Title: Blue Angel, Fallen Angel & Naked Angel

Author: Logan Belle

Publisher: Canvas

Published: November & December 2012 in UK

ISBNs: 9781472106148, 9781472106155, 9781472106162

Rating of series overall: 3.5/5

Blue Angel

Mallory Dale gets a surprise for her birthday when her boyfriend Alec takes her to a burlesque show.  Mallory is drawn to one of the dancers, and is surprised again when she is taken on stage and becomes part of the act; which in turn unleashes an unexplored side in Mallory.

As soon as Mallory moves in with Alec she begins to question if she’s made the right choice, especially after the burlesque show.  It becomes apparent that Alec is fairly self-centred and only wants something if he has chosen it, and he wants to hold Mallory back once he’s opened the equivalent of Pandoras box.  He wants Mallory to have a threesome throughout the book; so when his attitude does a completely 360 change because Mallory eventually agrees I found it irritating at the cop out after he made so much of a fuss about it.  He has a lot of double standards in this.

I’m glad the author told me in advance via our conversations what Pasties are – having no prior knowledge of burlesque costumes, I thought they were of the pastry kind until it was explained they were decorated fabric to cover the nipples, probably with tassles on – used mainly in burlesque shows were nudity is not allowed.

As Mallory explores and experiences burlesque, I was as mesmerised as she was.  All the luxurious costumes (which again, I didn’t realise the performers generally made their own costumes). 

When Poppy, a newbie to the burlesque scene wishes Bette would take her under her wing, she gets more than she bargained for.  I was surprised by the amount of f/f relationships within the book, as there’s no hint of that – however it did give this an interesting angle.

Bette, the lead performer at Blue Angel comes across as a manipulative and self serving dancer.  I don’t like the way he uses Poppy, crushing her, possibly without realising she’s doing it as Poppy is in love with her.

Fallen Angel

Mallory works as a paralegal by day, and by night she is a burlesque dancer.  Things have progressed since the last book – Mallory and Alec are now comfortable having threesomes with unknown females and Alec is occasionally working at the Blue Angel.

From the start I didn’t like Violet.  She came across as very uncaring and out for whatever she could get.  When she tries her hand at blackmail I wasn’t sure what her angle was.  The way she treats Poppy is crud as well, I’m surprised by just how much Poppy is submissive and doesn’t stand up for herself.

This instalment has m/m scenes in as well as sub/dom, f/f and m/f scenes, so a different mix of sexual scenes this time.

Naked Angel

I enjoyed this instalment of the trilogy the most, not least because it has a burlesque steampunk outfit in ;p Did I mention I love steampunk?!!

Again, I don’t like Violet in this one – but at least someone gets one over on her this time, which was very satisfying!  Gemma doesn’t seem very personable at first, so I slowly warmed to her.  Justin’s story with Martha isn’t one I predicted.  Justin looks to be a heartthrob, and is married to a very dowdy older lady; which surprises Mallory.  They do have a unique marriage, but the extent of the marriage isn’t realised until later in the book when Martha confesses to Mallory.

If you’re looking for some quick reads (in comparison with Shades of Grey anyway!), this trilogy is a sensuous exploration into sexuality, celebrities and burlesque, with a mini celebrity element that is adventurous with its bisexual, gay, lesbian and erotic themes.

Source – Many thanks to the author’s publicist, copies were received in return for an honest review.  To read more about the trilogy please see the web chats with Logan Belle.

Continued chat with Logan Belle, Author of the burlesque Angel Trilogy

Please welcome back Logan Belle, author of Blue Angel, Fallen Angel and Naked Angel.  As promised, here is our live chat for you all to read :)

Was the concept of the tattoo in the book yours? Is it something that the majority of professional burlesque dancers have for their establishment?

A lot of performers have tattoos, but it's really my own interest in tattoos that made me incorporate them into the novels. I don't have one, but my fiancé did get at Blue Angel tattoo!  We even made temporary tattoos out of the design and gave them away when the book published in the U.S.

In the last book, Poppy takes a back seat, was that planned? I thought she may have stepped in when the ballerina couldn’t perform?

I had originally planned to have all three book centred on the same hero and heroine. But my editor suggested that by the third book, it was time to bring other people into the drama and give them some time in the spotlight. I deferred to her experience with series. She felt that to keep giving the same hero and heroine so much drama would make them unrealistic or unsympathetic after a while. Readers would start thinking, why don't they just give it up already!

I was surprised by the amount of variety in f/f relationships within burlesque in the books, there aren’t many regular relationships portrayed, which made it an interesting read - is that fairly typical of the burlesque scene?

On the contrary, most of the women I met were in committed relationships with men. One couple I met had been together since college. 

Again, the f/f angle was something I wanted to explore.

Thank you for taking the time out to chat with me, the world of Burlesque is less of a mystery now I’ve read the books and soaked up the atmosphere! These are recommended reads if you're curious about Burlesque; but also if you want some steamy hot alternatives to Shades of Grey!

Web chat with Burlesque author Logan Belle

Please join me in welcoming Logan Belle (pen name of Jamie Brenner), author of the Angel Trilogy, a refreshing burlesque themed trio which brings the world of Burlesque and entertainment to readers –  the trilogy is out in the UK now, as well as taking the US by storm.  Jamie will be web chatting with me later today about her books, so if you have any questions for her drop me an email or respond to this post and we’ll see if we can get them answered :)

Jamie was kind enough to answer my questions about the world of Burlesque, and how she came to write the Angel Trilogy – my review of the books will follow tomorrow:

Jamie, I was intrigued and curious as to your reflections on your experiences within the world of Burlesque.  What made you choose Burlesque as a theme?

My boyfriend took me to a burlesque show on my birthday a few years ago. He didn’t tell me where we were going or what we were doing – he just took me to the club and it wasn’t until I got there that I realized what the show would be. I had mixed feelings about it, and that is how I opened Blue Angel – a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. Like, this could be cool, but is it for me, or for him? But by the second act of the show, I was hooked. I was amazed by the performers, the energy of the crowd, the wit of the MC.  I thought about it for days afterwards, wondering who these women were and if they had “day” jobs. What were their backgrounds? Had they gone to university? Did they have boyfriends? Husbands? I was fascinated by the world. When I actually got to meet the women, I was even more impressed. They were smart, passionate, creative (they make their own costumes) and extremely dedicated to their craft.

Did you get to try on any of the decadent costumes the dancers wear?

Although I did go back stage at a show, I never tried on any costumes. However, one performer was selling hand-made pasties during intermission one night and I bought a set. Pasties are these sequined discs that performers put over their nipples at venues where complete nudity isn’t allowed. They’re colorful, usually match the theme of the costume, and often have tassels on the end. Sometimes performers where them just for the tassels, because twirling is a basic burlesque skill and the crowds usually get really excited about that.  Anyway, I bought a pair of the pasties and tried them on at home one night. I didn’t try twirling them, though!

With so many dancers from various backgrounds that you met, what was it that drew people specifically to Burlesque?

I think the one thing that attracted all these different women – different in background, different in body type, different in artistic sensibility – was the rich history of burlesque, and the absolute freedom of expression that comes with performing burlesque.

Were there many differences in the audience or spectators of Burlesque at the different types of places Jamie visited - I wonder if they were all drawn to see Burlesque for the same reasons?

The audiences at burlesque shows ran the complete gamut: young and old, gay and straight, single people alone and couples out on dates. To me, the variety and passion of the audience was the most amazing thing about burlesque shows. I don’t know if they all came for the same reasons. I think some guys come just to see naked women, but they are probably in the minority. A lot of gay men seem to appreciate burlesque for the costumes and the overall artistry. Some people, like me, love watching any form of dancing and love the costumes and music. Burlesque offers something for everyone, and every show is different enough to let you experience something new.

Burlesque shows aside...I think in the UK Burlesque is becoming not only a dance form but also exercise for some - one of my friends attended Burlesque classes for that very reason!

Yes, a prominent burlesque performer in New York, Jo Weldon (also known as Jo Boobs), founded the New York School of Burlesque, and some people take classes to in order to start serious careers in burlesque, and others are just women who want a more fun way to exercise. I’ve never done it myself. I love watching burlesque, writing about burlesque, and reading about burlesque, but I really do not have the urge to do it.  I’m not sure why not – maybe it’s just because I don’t like exercising J

Character outlines from the books:

Mallory Dale – A recent law school grad, Mallory moved to New York to be with her college boyfriend, Alec, and to begin her legal career. As someone who has played by the rules all her life, Mallory’s world is turned upside down when Alec introduces her to burlesque. Suddenly, she finds herself questioning her choices, and discovering an edgier side to her sexuality – and finds herself having to choose between her more liberated self, and her relationship with Alec.

Alec Martin –  Mallory’s boyfriend. A journalist in Manhattan, Alec loves Mallory, but at the same time, finds his head turned by the temptations of living in New York’s fast lane. When Mallory starts coming out of her shell and finding temptations of her own, he’s not sure he can handle it.

Bette Noir – a beautiful burlesque dancer who has segued into mainstream stardom. She becomes Mallory’s mentor.

Poppy LaRue –  A pretty blonde, new to the burlesque scene and determined to make a name for herself. She competes with Mallory for Bette Noir’s attention, and for her place at Blue Angel.

Violet Offender – A dominatrix by day, burlesque performer by night – and overall trouble-maker.

Agnieszka “Agnes” Wieczorek -  a former Warsaw ballerina, Agnes is the owner of the Blue Angel burlesque club. She is a tough task-master, but acts like a den mother to all the girls.

 Billy Barton – Alec’s boss, a young, wealthy bon vivant and magazine owner.