GRR Reviews Beyond Shame (Beyond series) by Kit Rocha

Beyond Shame is an interesting mix of post-apocalyptic dystopia and erotic romance that sets up a very interesting world that's an odd mix of scifi, MC, and different worlds tropes about self-discovery and redemption, and it was certainly interesting.

Noelle Cunningham wanted to rebel against her prim and proper role as councilman's daughter in a closed post-apoc dystopic society, Eden, that turned against immorality so far, pre-marital sex is illegal. After a conviction for fornification, she was dumped out the gates of Eden, with just the clothes on her back, into the gang-controlled sectors that she only read about. Stalked by low-life, she was barely rescued in time by an unlikely savior... // Jasper "Jas" McCray is a bootlegger and cage fighter for Sector 4's boss Dallas O'Kane. He fought his way up from nothing to be the right-hand man of the boss, and sworn into the gang... all for one and one for all. He did not expect to deal with a sheltered innocent city princess who literally fell into his arms. And Noelle is so snow-white innocent... she's still a virgin, and intensely curious about sex. And soon she and Jas will explore every one of her fantasies, with a little help from O'Kane's band of misfits, including Lex, O'Kane's squeeze, to nurture, and accept her own power of sexuality... and embrace it...

The world-building was virtually seamless. You can read the subtext AND the context simply through the actions of the characters, no info-dump needed. There *are* some info-dumps, but not a lot, and the sex scenes are frequent, that this could be termed erotic romance, but the point is outside of Eden, anything goes, and sex is nothing to be ashamed of, except that society tells you. I don't quite get the reason for such extreme morality, but that's why it's a dystopia. I look forward to reading the future volumes. So why 4/5?  It's just a little shy of perfection, as it's a bit too obvious bodyguard story.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: In a dystopic future, a councilman's daughter was dumped out the gates for trying to have sex, and was rescued by gang's top fighter...

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.