Errol is the owner and operator of a small but successful security firm in Beijing, China. When Errol receives a request to from a prominent Chinese politician, Yun Lang, to guard his nineteen-year-old daughter, Errol is reluctant to take the position, as the firm is busy with many clients. Errol quickly changes his mind when Yun Lang offers 10 million Yuan for not only the services of all of Errol's security guards but also his personal presence as bodyguard to Yun Lang's daughter, Chi Lai.

Errol and six other guards are to live in the same house as Chi Lai to provide around the clock protection. Rebellious and promiscuous Chi Lai's guards are quickly taken with the curvaceous young woman. On the first night, Errol wakes up to check on the two guards stationed at Chi Lai's door only to discover Chi Lai performing oral sex on the infatuated men. Trying to show no reaction to the erotic scene, Errol quickly breaks it up and reprimands the guards. Chi Lai swears violent at Errol when she realizes that although aroused by the scene he will not give in to her sexual overtures and decides to seduce her new bodyguard to her wishes.

It does not take long for Errol's lust to give in to Chi Lai's advances but Errol soon discovers that he has fallen in love with Chi Lai. Errol knows Yun Lang will never gives his consent to allow his daughter to marry a bodyguard so they keep the affair secret. As their lives are complicated with a break in to the house and the bombing of Yun Lang office their relationship becomes harder to hide.

While Chi Lai: A Chinese Love Story presents a promising story idea, the tale falters with a lack of balance and development. Told in the first person, I never felt apart of the story or close to the action, as the language tends to be passive. Chi Lai and Errol Jiu are two intriguing characters with hints of complex personalities, which are not developed, and as result the story lacks emotional tension or love. While the story is explicit I found the love scenes to be more mechanical than erotic and the sentence structure and imagery are often clunky. I also found a few of the scenes either unnecessary or confusing and at the end of the book there are still unanswered questions. The preface of the book is told in first person by Ellen Sanders but the story itself is conveyed entirely by the hero, Errol Jiu. Ellen has apparently become Errol for the course of the book but no reference to Ellen is made once the story begins so we must believe Ellen has become Errol Jiu with no remembrance of her former life or sex. It gave me the feeling that the prequel was included only as a means for female readers to identify with a male hero telling the story but Mrs. Simon missed a great opportunity to explore an interesting faucet of her character. A quick read Mrs. Simon's story is not explored to its full potential.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Larenda Twigg
January 31, 2005