One day, I will get the hangup this getting the reviews in on time I finish this book a long time ago. I have to say it was a fairly decent book. The story was good. It had its moments. It had its good moments. It had bad moments.

For some reason, it reminded me another book. I read mixed with a television show that I’ve seen. I just can’t place the two but honestly, I like the book.

Thank you Night galley and publishers were giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Audiobook file did not work. Will attempt to find it at library. Disappointed ☹️ rating is reflection of my experience, not the author's work.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced dystopian novella. It drew me in with the first line and kept me hooked all the way through

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I’m not sure what I expected here. As an audiobook, I didn’t know it was going be that short. I wanted more — there were so many plot points that could be expanded upon. I understand that it was intentionally written as short fiction, but is the intention to leave readers wanting more? I also think because it is short fiction, the writing style was too clipped and passive, rendering it unenjoyable. I often leave short stories saying “okay, and…” and this did that to, but it also left me wanting more. The audiobook narrator lacked emotion. I wanted more from this book.

A surprising tale of revenge and social uprising that's almost a superhero origin story, except it focuses on someone who knew the hero pre-resurrection. Basically, imagine a Spider-Man story told through best friend Ned's eyes within a futuristic dystopia.

Even though i did enjoy this i felt that we weren't given enough information about the dystopian world. The writing was great but i was left wanting more.

Interesting, creepy lil speculative, sci-fi, ghosty fiction adventure about class, sex work and revenge, Very different, a great listen.

An interesting short story set in a dystopian society. I enjoyed the narrator of this story but not so much the story itself. There seemed to be too much world building for a story of this length which was distracting to the overall story and what was going on in the present.

"And What Can We Offer You Tonight" by Premee Mohamed is an enthralling anthology that transports readers into a realm of unsettling beauty and haunting wonders through its diverse and thought-provoking stories.

Mohamed's skillful storytelling invites readers on a journey through a series of speculative and often eerie narratives, each offering a unique blend of horror, science fiction, and the supernatural. The collection's strength lies in its ability to subvert expectations, offering unexpected twists and turns that challenge conventional storytelling.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Mohamed's writing is the vividness of her world-building. From dystopian futures to unsettling dimensions, each story immerses readers in a meticulously crafted universe, rich in detail and atmosphere. The author's knack for painting haunting landscapes and creating multifaceted characters elevates the reading experience, leaving a lasting impression.

Furthermore, the diversity of themes explored within the anthology is commendable. Mohamed deftly tackles profound subjects such as identity, memory, and the human condition, weaving them seamlessly into narratives that range from the eerie and surreal to the deeply introspective.

While the stories are rich in imagination and depth, some readers might find the darker and more unsettling themes to be quite intense. Additionally, the nonlinear storytelling and unconventional narrative structures in certain tales may challenge readers accustomed to more traditional formats.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was interesting but not sure it was for me. It loved the atmosphere but just felt like I had no idea what was going on. Maybe that was the point but I think if this was a full fleshed out tory I would have loved it! The narrator did a good job.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for granting me access to an audio-ARC of And What Can We Offer You Tonight? in exchange for an honest review.

This short, snappy tale is dark and dystopian, centred around Jewel, a prostitute who's friend is murdered by a client.

Unfortunately, this book has a lot happening but, at the same time, nothing really happens at all. It very much focuses on the atmosphere rather than the actual plot which leaves many plot holes. None of the characters are fully fleshed out and the reader spends a lot of time wondering 'how?'

This story had a lot of potential but, in order for it to fully have an impact, it needed to be longer in order to flesh out the world, the characters and the plot.

A short dark tale, about a frightening future when the economic divide and climate catastrophe has forced everyone into cities to work to serve the rich.

I am not sure I liked any character in this book, and the despair, unfairness and suppressed rage under complacence, makes the reader tense and sad.

Much of the story is glossed over, like how Whin managed to be alive or why Nero was assaulted or Jewel’s muddled motivations.

This is one of those "all vibes, no plot" books, which honestly isn't my thing.

I loved how the worldbuilding is very lush and immersive. You really feel like you're in a dark, Gothic, dystopian city along with the MC, especially since it's written in first person.

But other than that, I had no idea what was going on. I don't remember any of the characters except for the MC and some dude with wings? It felt like I was dropped halfway into a story, so I had no time to develop any connection with the either the characters or plot.

I loved the writing and it made me want to check out more of Premee Mohamed's work, so I guess that's a positive.

Thank you to Bespeak Audio Editions and NetGalley for this arc.

Premee Mohamed’s “And What Can We Offer You Tonight” is an ambitious, speculative-fiction novella. The main character, Jewel, is a prostitute in a very good house, but her situation goes horribly wrong when, first, one of her friends is murdered by a client. This friend then comes back to life to find revenge for her own murder. Then, another friend is mutilated by his own client. When Jewel and her dead friend go after the attacker, Jewel puts her own comfortable existence at risk.

Novellas are hard to write because they often must cut corners on one element or another: lack of characterization, lack of exposition, lack of narrative drive... Limiting the world-building to mostly inside the brothel walls and using a first-person perspective helped with that. I would like more background regarding Jewel and the world in which she exists. How did she get where she was? Why did the world become what it is? What magic exists to bring people back from the dead?

The narrator, Elana Dunkelman, did a great job. She was a good fit for Jewel’s first-person narration. She made this audiobook a very fast, satisfying listen. I definitely recommend it. I received this book from NetGalley.

(3.5 stars) "And what can we offer you tonight" is a dystopian set in the future, where laws do not exist, however money rules. The novel follows Jewel, a prostitute, her life is turned upside down, when her friend is murdered by a client. When her friend somehow comes back to life, Jewel starts to question the life she lives in and vows to seek revenge.

This book was... interesting. In its few pages, it says the story of Jewel and her friends revenge quite well. However, the writing kind of lost me and it took me a while to actually start to understand the story. It was one of those stories which are interesting, however the execution of it, might confuse its readers (or listeners in my case). Would I listen to it again? Yes, I feel like this book would be understood better the more times you read it, as I believe books like these are ones that have layers which this one surely does. Although this is fictional, you can see elements of how it correlates with today's day and age, and how should laws be eradicated, money would dominate and humanity would change. Overall the book was enjoyable, I recommend it. ☺️

Exciting, heartbreaking, inspiring; excellent feminist Dystopian Speculative Fiction. I perceived (from my own view, not to claim this is the author's intent) overtones of the Science Fiction of Pamela Sargent and Linden Lewis, and the Speculative Fantasy of P. Djeli Clark. So for certain I am off on a journey, a marathon of reading Premee Mohamed's oeuvre. Yes, indeed.
Read (or listen) to this, and see if your soul doesn't keep you awake at night, pondering.

And What Can We Offer You Tonight is a story about power and the lack thereof, humanity and livelihood, and the meaning of true freedom. Because this novella is just 80 pages, to say too much would be giving away the heart of it. And What Can We Offer You Tonight is set in a murky, dystopian future. In many ways, Mohamed’s world is far too similar to the worst of our own. There are class divisions, indentured servitude, and a power echelon of people who control society. This dystopian setting is comfortable for readers of the speculative fiction genre – it isn’t wildly new.

However, Mohamed uses characters others might overlook to tell her story. The story’s protagonist is a courtesan, and all the other characters are also involved in sex work in some way. Mohamed uses these forgotten and overlooked characters to investigate the meaning of humanity, personhood, and freedom. It’s fascinating and something I haven’t seen examined this thoroughly. And What Can We Offer You Tonight is about who we allow to have power, how they keep power, and what happens when someone threatens that power.

Final Thoughts: This novella packs quite a punch in a small package. In just 80 pages (and just under three hours on audio), Mohamed tells a story that is incredibly impactful. The novella is well-written, and the forthcoming audiobook is incredibly well-narrated; I highly recommend you pick it up.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Full review will go live on Back Shelf Books on December 3, 2023 at the following link: https://backshelfbooks.com/2023/12/03/back-shelf-review-and-what-can-we-offer-you-tonight-by-premee-mohamed/

This novella is tightly written and has a strong voice and is set in a vivid dystopian world. This interestingly tackles themes of justice and wealth/power disparity and plays with the typical revenge story in a unique way. I liked this fairly well, I think it accomplishes a lot in such a small page count, it's not a new favorite or anything but I think it's pretty good for the length.

Although I just read this, can someone explain to me what I just read???

The premise sounded good, but as others mentioned, it was just very difficult to follow! This takes place in the future in a dystopian society where there seem to be no rules, and no boundaries…for the wealthy. Only…

Told thru the world of Jewel, a sex worker (not by choice…she has been bought and sold to do this)…. She is good at her job, but when a close friend is murdered…she is not happy. But is she really dead, or living in some type of alternate world?

Again, very difficult to follow, and very jumbled for me.

2 ⭐️⭐️ because it sounded so good in theory, but did not connect with me at all.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ECWPressAudio and #BespeakAudioEditions for an ARC of the audiobook which releases December 15.

#AndWhatCanWeOfferYouTonight by #PremeeMohamed

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Thanks for reading! 📚📖
And please, tell me your thoughts!!

This was a really fascinating and compelling novella following the courtesans of a high end brothel as they face the death and unexpected resurrection of one of their friends. I thought the relationship between Whinfield, Jewel and Nero was great. You got a real sense of how much they all meant to each other, which I really appreciated. I also thought the plot was fast paced and it kept my interest throughout. Premee Mohamed is fast becoming one of my go-to authors and I will continue to pick up whatever comes next!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.