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Becoming Venus

Name: Becoming Venus
Brand: Simon & Schuster NZ
SKU: 9781761639296
Price: 37.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

Rose had no idea empowerment could look like this ...

By Esmé Louise James

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Brief Description

The feminist Fifty Shades of Grey, Becoming Venus is one woman’s journey of sexual self-discovery through Melbourne’s underground sex clubs. A debut novel from viral sensation Esmé Louise James (Kinky History creator with 3.5m+ followers). Years after PhD student and literature tutor Rose thought she’d left... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$37⁹⁹

Pre-order

Releases 1^st September 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order "Becoming Venus" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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Becoming Venus

$37⁹⁹

The feminist Fifty Shades of Grey, Becoming Venus is one woman’s journey of sexual self-discovery through Melbourne’s underground sex clubs. A debut novel from viral sensation Esmé Louise James (Kinky History creator with 3.5m+ followers).

Description

The feminist Fifty Shades of Grey, Becoming Venus is one woman’s journey of sexual self-discovery through Melbourne’s underground sex clubs. A debut novel from viral sensation Esmé Louise James (Kinky History creator with 3.5m+ followers).

Years after PhD student and literature tutor Rose thought she’d left Adrian in the past, an impulsive message pulls her back into his orbit. It reignites a spark long since buried beneath the weight of her carefully constructed life. Five years ago, their fleeting night together left her in a whirlwind of desire that continues to haunt her fantasies. Now, only a few weeks after ending her long-term relationship with financier Sebastian, Rose finds herself reaching out again.

Loosely inspired by the erotic classic Fanny Hill and set against the vibrant backdrop of Melbourne, Rose becomes drawn into a seductive underground of erotic clubs and play, leading her into new realms of sexual exploration and empowerment. It’s here she begins to redefine and understand her identity and boundaries. Exhilarated but terrified by this new world opening up to her, Rose begins to understand that what she wants is far more complex than she has ever allowed herself to believe.

Forced to confront the scars of her past, Rose redefines her understanding of intimacy, trust and what it means to truly know yourself and your desires.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761639296

Publisher: Affirm Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2026

Country: Australia

Imprint: Affirm Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 320

Collections

Contemporary Romance Esmé Louise James Fiction General Fiction Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Romance

About the Author

Dr Esmé Louise James (@dr.esme.louise) is best known for her Kinky History series, which has gained a following of over 3.5 million people across social platforms. Esmé received her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2024, her research exploring the erotic as an aesthetic in eighteenth-century literature. She has written for The Age, the ABC and The Conversation, and is the author of the internationally released book Kinky History (2025). She is a three-time AACTA nominee for Best Digital Creator, was named Media Week’s Best Digital Talent in 2024 and received AiMCO’s ‘Influence for Good’ Award in 2026. She is also the recipient of the University of Melbourne’s Rising Star Award, was a speaker at TEDx Sydney in 2022, was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2026 and runs her own media production company specialising in edu-tainment.

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