Reviews
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Praise for A Someday Courtesan
Unapologetic, hilarious, and uplifting deep dive into the life of a modern woman.
But as a male of the species, I was shook. This book is not only the memoir of an artist. It is a deep dive into human sexuality and the meaning of femaleness in contemporary America, wrapped in a breezy, sometimes whimsical tale of a young, sensitive girl and her journey into adulthood. And it made me see the world in new and startling ways. This work is joyous, unexpected, shattering, and beautiful. And also extremely funny.
--R. Rapstine, Amazon
Candid, compelling coming of age story that makes you laugh and cry.
Sephe Haven writes with honesty and candor, but never in a way that is sharp or biting. She relays the actions of others in a factual matter (some of whom deserve a thrashing), with an emphasis on her response and reaction.
Every vignette is a twist, a turn, a steppingstone from childhood to womanhood, that begins as an amusing anecdote until, with a twist of poignant insight and growing maturity, Haven's confronts the reality behind "growing up girl in the U.S."
I'm of similar age to the author and while our journeys were different, there are too many similarities to not feel a kinship with this woman who also struggled with sexuality and self-worth, body image, worth, power, and achievement...all based according to a male meritocracy.
Thank you for telling my story through your story, Ms. Havens.
--M. Connor, USA Today Bestselling Author
Very highly recommended. Whatever you think you know
about how women “fall” into prostitution, you don't know the whole story.
Sephe Haven gives us hers in A Someday Courtesan, and it is intelligent, warm, sad, infuriating, and powerful. The writing is superb and the pacing is brilliant. I was desperate to wring her neck many times, and then wrap her in a blanket and hold her and tell her not to worry. That everything will be okay....I'm quite glad I read that one first because where she is wholly self-assured in An Escort's Tale, A Someday Courtesan would be harder to digest if I didn't know she made a roaring success of it. This is another great book by Haven and I am so happy to have stumbled upon it.
-- Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite (Book Review & Award Contest), readersfavorite.com/
An impassioned narrative. An eye-opening story...
...One that tells us that while our free society embraces social justice and equality, it still has a long way to go as many of us still expect certain things that a woman should do. Given Haven’s lived experiences and how she embarks on building a sense of self, anyone interested in women’s studies and life writing will find this memoir a must-read. This is a woman’s voice, a woman’s experience, that should be given plenty of room on the shelves and in public discourses.
-- Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite (Book Review & Award Contest), readersfavorite.com/
Praise for My Whorizontal Life: Book 1
I took on this fascinating true life experience with some expectation
that I would read it at my leisure and get turned on in a physical way.
Boy was I wrong!!!
Turned on YES, but not in a physical way... emotionally, intellectually and spiritually were the constant turn ons. Sephe takes us through her journey, trepidation’s, hesitations, observations, growth and humor in a remarkable book...well worth spending time reading and digesting. I devoured this book in a couple hours of pure enjoyment. Cannot wait for the next six months to appear in Amazon. Please share more soon!!! -- Amazon Reader
I'm happy to see this memoir receive so many ecstatic reviews,
since I'm just as thrilled by it.
While Sephe Haven had me at "tale of an escort," I had no idea I was in for a gifted writer's journey to seek an extraordinary life. And it's jaw-dropping! The twists and turns in this story are phenomenal, as are Sephe’s wit, warmth and literary flair. I'm already impatient for the continuing saga and can't wait to see where she'll take me next. -- Amazon Reader
Absorbing! I devoured this in one sitting on a long-haul flight.
In the first few chapters it was more cinematic, entertaining and engaging at a deep emotional level, than most of the movies the airline had available...and then it got better the deeper I traveled with the author.This is a harrowing, not-fluffy journey. Can't wait for her to so sincerely show me more of her world. Really well-written...seamless...funny...fun... -- Amazon Reader
Five stars! This is a wonderful, kind and very touching book
about a lot more than being an escort.
What makes the book so great is being written by an intellectual and an artist. She gives very graphic details of escorting but they are not sleazy or obnoxious (a huge turn off for me when I read most sex workers' memoirs). Her details are just humorous or plain honest. This highly intelligent woman gives a full picture of being a sex worker, a 100% normal woman without any mental issues or addictions. On top of being a normal human being she is extremely compassionate, patient and understanding.... Deeply enjoyed reading it and highly recommend to all, even those who don't care learning about escort career because the book goes far beyond it... -- Amazon Reader
Unexpectedly Heartwarming… I ended up wanting to know SO MUCH MORE than the author was able to fit into this book.
I think I was expecting something a little more salacious but all of the more explicit scenes are grounded, not sensational. The focus of the author, in her above ground life as well as in her underground life is all about connecting with what is real, what is in the moment, and what we have
in common rather than what is different about us. Definite recommend, and, seriously hoping for several sequels. -- Amazon Reader
Wow! What a book!
Beautifully descriptive language. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next.
An accurate description of the escorting business, with captivating stories. What a lovely woman with such a gentle spirit. I love how she told the tales without insulting any of the clients. Or their bodies
(she could have, as they would’ve had no idea about the book, but she didn’t. Respect to her). Sephe, whoever you are, you’re a great writer. I hope to see this book on the screen sometime.
Rooting for you <3 -- Amazon Reader
I loved this book.
The writer is hilarious - horribly honest, and offering an unrestricted view on a hidden world. She's so likeable that you're with her every step. I hope there's a follow up - I can't wait to hear more of her stories. -- Amazon Reader
Left me wanting more...
This is not a genre of memoir I would normally read. The subject matter suggests stories designed to titillate and shock, and I presumed that this topic would be a kind of romp into soft porn, like some other memoirs written by women who get paid to have sex, are. Wrong. Happily wrong.
This book is well-written and the author's intelligence, sensitivity and empathy - as well as her struggle to find acceptance within herself and by others - is beautifully written and well-articulated. Yes, she describes sex scenes, but these are often witty observations or reflections on human nature rather than descriptions of sex acts; one of the author's strengths, I believe. The sex scenes are there to support the story, they're not *the* story, which is what makes this book work.
A sensitively written and observant book on not only the travails of being a 'working girl', but the struggle all creatives battle with - how to fulfill our dream and yet make enough to make living? I can't wait for the second part. -- Audible Listener
Bold, sizzling, and candidly narrated...
My whorizontal Life is the first book in An Escort's Tale series by Sephe Haven, a memoir that covers the author's first six months as an escort. Readers are pulled into the author's search for love through the most unlikely path: prostitution. The levity, the lightness and the humor with which the story is told had me reading on….buy into her worldview, sit at her feet and listen to her story. It is interesting how the author transforms a painful journey into something that is fun and entertaining and, at times, the reader wonders if this is a real-life narrative or fiction. My Whorizontal Life made me want to meet this author. She is so genuine, so honest, and so funny that even a saint would want to listen to her story.
-- Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite (Book Review & Award Contest), readersfavorite.com/
I admit, to the fascination felt by many women...
If they’re honest, with their ‘fallen’ sisters and how they could engage in such a profession. Sephe Haven’s honest memoir shines a light into the dark corners of the alleged oldest profession….It’s an historic piece, pre-dating mobile phones and the internet…The author …leaves the more graphic details to the readers’ imagination…Overall, it’s a brave undertaking to tell this story, and I have only admiration for her. -- Goodreads Reviewer
I devoured this book.
It was going to be my summer read, but I have no self control so it was inhaled in one day, with a glass of wine and a box of tissues. This book is not just a series of salacious and laugh-out-loud hilarious tales of an escort's adventures (although most of the chapters will leave you in stitches). It is at once engaging and relatable story with big heart. I never thought that I would relate to the main character/author and figured I would just be a passive voyeur, but I soon discovered that I related to her as a woman navigating the complicated world of love and dating and connecting to men, as a young woman who was rejected and ridiculed for my appearance, as an artist struggling to make ends meet, as a friend betrayed by those I trusted the most. This book is a must read. If you have a heart and a sense of humor - read this book. Heck, if you have a heartbeat - READ THIS BOOK! -- Goodreads Reviewer
There are so many things to like about this book.
The book is written in a first-person narrative, and when one reads it, one becomes emphatic toward the main character. One tends to understand the reasons she did what she did and might even support it; this is the effect the book had on me. I have always had reservations towards sex workers, which is expected, but the book has made me see things differently. Some people are lonely and need the company of these women. Some of these women are literates who have had it difficult to be accepted because of their career choice, as seen with the main character who desperately wants to be an actress and goes to Juilliard but is still not given the slightest acknowledgment. I'm not saying I approve of that choice of vocation, but I understand better now. The author passed a strong message with this book. -- Online Book Club Reviewer
