Diana in Love by Jen Besser; Shana Feste
Finding Her Voice Among Friends and Heartbreak
Day two of living in the Dirty Diana series! I have to say, this installment was even better than book one. I’m not sure if it’s the Paris setting or the fact that the story is hitting its stride, but I am hooked. I love the concept of Diana’s site, and it’s satisfying to see her work through the “stuckness” she felt in the first book.
The character development was a highlight for me, especially the camaraderie among the female friends. There’s something so relatable about women supporting each other through life’s difficult transitions while traveling together. This book also delivers on the spice—it’s all on display without ever feeling “cringe.”
As Diana’s erotic artistic endeavor comes to light, I’m genuinely curious to see how it affects her personal relationships and her life as a mother in a small town. The messy, wavering feelings of divorce made me feel so much empathy for Diana and Oliver—and especially for their daughter, Emmy, as the tension begins to impact other areas of her life.
Admittedly, I struggled to feel a strong romantic connection between Diana and her various interests; I’m still not quite sure who she is truly “in love” with. While I sometimes feel middle books in a series can lack the necessity of the first, I’m invested enough to dive straight into Diana Says Yes. Like the first, this ends on a cliffhanger, and I’m excited to see how it all wraps up. My only wish? That it was a little longer!
