"You aren't entitled to want anything. You have been extremely bad, and you need to be punished." 
 THE REASON? 
 I chose to read BETTIE PAGE PRESENTS: THE LIBRARIAN first, because it was sent to me for the purposes of review. (And, of course, please note that my review is completely honest and is entirely uninfluenced by the manner in which the book was received). Second, I chose to read this one because I read that Regina, our main character, is a librarian and a self-professed book nerd. I mean, she loves Henry James, Tom Perrotta, and Michael Chabon -- so, she can't be all bad, right? 
 THE PLOT? 
 So, Regina is a shy, bookish virgin who has recently moved to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming a librarian. She is thrilled to have landed her dream job at the New York Public Library, although she is slightly disappointed to realize that she has been assigned to the Delivery Desk, completing more menial tasks than what she had expected after graduating with her Master's in Library Science. However, she's passionate about books and reading so she's satisfied to work her way up through the most perfect library in existence. 
 Well, things get off to a rough start between Regina and her boss Sloan, but Regina does manage to get involved with a committee of young library donors where she is assigned to read various novels by writers who are age 35 or younger in order to contribute her votes to a major writing award. One day, before her meeting, she walks in on a gorgeous man engaged in some kind of kinky sexual activity with an unknown woman, right in a room in the public library. Definitely rattled by what she sees, Regina is shocked to learn that the man in question, Sebastian, will be working closely with her as part of the donor committee. Awkward! 
 So, Regina is instantaneously smitten by Sebastian, attracted to his rugged good looks while being simultaneously appalled by what she witnessed in the library room. When Sebastian orders Regina to meet him outside work, though, he offers to open her up to a world that is completely and utterly foreign to her --- that of the community of BDSM. 
 After her first sexual experience with Sebastian, Regina is hooked -- and he soon orders her to be his submissive, adhering to his commands without question. He sends her fancy underwear and designer heels to work, and she must wear them as she meets him afterwards for whatever kinky activities he has planned for the day. 
 Soon, Regina fears she is falling in love with Sebastian, but he makes it pretty clear that he's only in it for the sex. At the same time, Regina finds herself distracted at work, missing days and showing up late, which threatens to jeopardize the position of her dreams. Is it all worth it -- for a man who tells her up front that he's not willing to commit? 
 MY THOUGHTS? 
 I enjoyed the concept of a librarian as a main character, and I was smitten by her position at the New York Public Library as well as the role she took in the committee of reading through new novels to determine which are worthy of the prize. As a voracious reader myself, I wanted to adore this character, given her mutual love of all things fiction... 
 But, I just couldn't like Regina -- or Sebastian for that matter. I mean, starting with Regina -- first, she just made no sense! Why would I, as a reader, believe that a woman as shy and innocent as Regina would just jump into the world of BDSM when she's completely sexually inexperienced? Of course, she avoids social situations, especially those involving men, but at the same time we are supposed to see her as this unknowingly gorgeous woman who is completely desired by this strange man at first glance? And when he pretty much introduces himself by giving her a key to a hotel room, she complies -- because she's tired of being afraid and following her own shy, fearful routines? Sorry, I'm not buying it, Regina. Additionally, she explained at several points that she was jealous or angry about imagining Sebastian with other women. What exactly did she expect, especially given that her first encounter with him was his act of public sex in the library? 
 And, Sebastian -- wow. I suppose Regina was attracted to his stunning good looks and his wealth, but I saw nothing else attractive about his character in the least. Even beyond the whole BDSM thing, he was bossy, stalkerish, and completely insensitive even from his first introduction in the novel. Also, does his participation in the BDSM community mean that he needs to stalk and seduce a random woman in the library by ordering her to wear the fancy underwear he bought, demanding she undress and pleasure him in her own workplace, and creeping her out with the confession that he wanted to have sex with her in the library from the first time he saw her? Am I to believe in these type stories not only that all of these men are unable to conduct themselves in public and all of these clumsy, shy women are happy to readily comply with whatever creepy scenarios these men create -- even on the first meeting? 
 At a few points throughout the novel, Regina presented the ruse that she was going to stand up to Sebastian and refuse to go any further in their strange relationship. Yet, each time, she immediately allowed herself to submit to him, wearing what he asked, doing what he demanded, and being who he wanted her to be, even after telling us that she was ready to stand her ground. Regina was just overall an extremely weak character that came off as incredibly unlikeable from start to finish. 
 The end of the novel, although meant to be sweet, was entirely laughable, I felt. I don't want to spoil it, in case anyone who reads this feels obliged to go ahead and read the story anyways, but I don't see how the reader is expected to believe that Sebastian would go so strongly against everything he preached throughout the novel to bring himself to THAT ending. And, Regina? She told us for page after page that THIS was her dream job and that she was ecstatic to finally be employed by the New York Public Library. So, if she packed up and moved to New York specifically for this job, why did she allow herself to so quickly disregard everything about her job to the point of getting fired? Was the stalker worth it all? 
 "if we are engaged in something you say 'stop,' I'll ignore you" 
 RECOMMENDATIONS? 
 I haven't read FIFTY SHADES OF GREY yet, but I suppose that readers who were attracted to that series would probably enjoy BETTIE PAGE PRESENTS: THE LIBRARIAN as well. I'd also guess that those who enjoy light BDSM would like this novel, although I don't know quite enough about the genre to speculate. 
 Of course, for those who dislike weak female characters, cheesy stalker men, or weird BDSM relationships, I'd probably avoid this one. 
 MY VERDICT? 
 Two stars. I like the bookish theme, but everything else was completely unbelievable to me.