Review: An Anthology of Evil Men by Esme Oliver #AnAnthologyofEvilMen #EsmeOliver #Anthologies #Essays #NonFiction #MetToo #TimesUp

(product photo courtesy of www.riverdaleavebooks.com)

An Anthology of Evil Men by Esme Oliver 

$19.99 US/$9.99 ebook

I love writing book reviews. It gives me a chance to veer from the norm of writing about beauty products. And it gives me a chance to actually perform my favorite pastime: reading. An Anthology of Evil Men is a non-fiction compilation of stories that took place during Esme Oliver's life in her mid 20's and early 30's when she worked on Capitol Hill and as an attorney in various law firms. What makes it so interesting it that it could have happened to any of the millions of women in this country. It is familiarity from which all women share the same viewpoint, the same "oh yeah, I'm familiar with that type of guy". That is what makes it so interesting yet so sad at the same time.

Esme Oliver starts off with discussing her relationship that occurs when she is interning on Capitol Hill for a Congressman from Indiana. Her job is to answer to basically do grunt work. She meets Alex, a guy she went to college with, who happens to be one of the only other people she knows in Washington, D. C. and falls in love. But over time she finds that this guy is not all he is cracked up to be. In this story we hear about her drinking too much and correlate that with her self-esteem issues. 

Then she kind of backtracks to her third year in law school and has made the Law Review. She meets a really great guy, Paul, who seems to be everything she wants, yet takes her for granted. Things heat up when she gets a job at a top firm and he wants a job there too. More important notes on the drinking and self-esteem pop up and even Ms. Oliver notices. 

In the third story we meet a man, Silas, who is 15 years her senior but is everything she wants in life at this time. He is older, cool, confident and gets it. She falls head over heels but still has self-esteem issues. And Silas doesn't want her drinking at all. Ah, a control freak. What does she do? Big drama in this chapter for various reasons I will not spoil. 

Finally, in the last story we meet two men of power, Ezra and Jack. Ezra takes Esme under his wing only to corrupt the relationship in what we know is called sexual harassment. The same can be said of Jack, whom she meets when working on Capitol Hill again, this time while working for a Senator from Idaho. 

What is the moral to these stories? Is there a lesson that can be learned from them? Does something resonate with me about them? Yes, yes and yes. Oh yes, there is a moral, that all men seem to want just one thing from women and that seems to be sex. They will take advantage of it if you let them. There is a reason there is a double standard in any industry. If you are seen sleeping with a man, you are seen as less of a woman and more of a 'slut' but a man is seen as more of a man. This has to stop. Women should be able to be women too. We should have equal rights everywhere and that includes the bedroom. I have met men like this everywhere. All they want from you is to have a good time, even though they know you are incredibly smart and talented but they just want what they want and then they will move on. 

An Anthology of Evil Men showcases how all men are in certain circumstances. Esme Oliver has a keen eye for detail in picking up how a man will attract you, lure you to his side and then cut you up and throw you down. It is an excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone in the #MeToo, #TimesUp era. She is also the author of Smoke, Drink, F*#K, a romance novel about a woman who meets a man in Italy and plans to rendezvous with him in Portugal. However he plans to go to Istanbul instead and she is ghosted around the world. 

Esme Oliver has worked as an attorney, a health-care lobbyist and a legislative director for two US Senators. She eventually left Washington DC for the midwest, where she now writes grants and stories. She enjoys travel and a long list of other activities that pair well with a Pinot Noir. 

An Anthology of Evil Men by Esme Oliver is available online at www.riverdaleavebooks.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com. And in Barnes and Noble stores. 

Until Next Time~

Marie Papachatzis

I Am THE Makeup Junkie

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(This was sent for consideration)