The Pleasure Device

Kammer (Hadrian and Sabina: A Love Story) starts her Victorian-era Harwell Heirs erotica series with a lighthearted, medical-themed story centering on the electric vibrator, popular as an in-office remedy for female “hysteria.” Dr. Julius Christopher, wanting to experiment in detail with the device, takes in lusty servant Grace Danby and hires on young colleague Dr. Nicholas Ramsay, the protégé of his former lover, Lady Foxley-Graham. Nicholas and Helena Phillips become smitten with each other during the festivities of London’s social season. Julius realizes he’d rather experiment on a virgin than on experienced Grace; Helena’s mother, Lady Sophia, is addicted to him and his machine, so he manipulates her into promising to give him Helena. Though Kammer focuses on the female orgasm, her story is heavily filtered through the male gaze; the women describe their responses only when the men ask, and although it’s made clear that the women either already know how to masturbate or are trained by the doctors, readers are rarely privy to interesting solo sessions. This is cookie-cutter fluff without enough over-the-top villainy to carry off the humor of the setup. [em](BookLife) [/em]