The Book of the Most Precious Substance

The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran is an exciting new supernatural erotic thriller, marking the debut of Gran's new publishing label Dreamland Books. I think it's important to provide a content advisory at this point, this book is appropriate for adult readers only, age 18 or older. Though I had previously read Gran's book Come Closer, this novel represented a departure from my typical reading fare. It was a very sexual story detailing the adventures of an author-turned-book-dealer named Lily, on her quest for a very rare occult volume. Lily's husband Able has some form of early on-set dementia, and the sale of this desired yet elusive Book of the Most Precious Substance could provide much needed life changing money. Thus Lily goes on a globe trotting adventure chasing rumors of the book. Even though I don't normally read erotica, I was really drawn in by the thriller and supernatural/horror elements of this story. I wanted to know if Lily and her associates would find the book, if the magic was real, and ultimately where this volume was going. I enjoyed the ride for the most part. I did think the plot got a bit thin at a few points, and perhaps the page count was a bit long (over 100 pages longer than Come Closer). There were a few places where I think the book could have been tightened up. Yet, overall I did find the mysteries and suspenseful elements compelling and Gran's prose to be well written. The ending was a mixed bag for me, I felt lots of conflicting emotions, but overall I enjoyed this story. I look forward to seeing what's next from Dreamland Books and Sara Gran ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️