As 2020 began and the world closed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming services soared as they became the most convenient window for escapism. Then, Netflix released 365 Days—a Polish erotic thriller film.

Its effect was immediate. Its dark themes and explicit eroticism made it a hot topic on social media, enhanced by the lockdown. Panned by critics but loved by audiences, the film made way for the novels that inspired them to get an English release.

The 365 Days book series by Blanka Lipińska is dark. It is a concoction of sex and violence that discusses triggering content about dubious consent from the idealized perspective of a romance novel, making it reproachable for some—and alluring for others.

1. The Plot: Interplay of Love, Sex, and Violence
2. The Books: A Complete Trilogy
3. The Characters: Captive Erotica Staples
4. The Romance: Dark and Dangerous
5. Themes: Forbidden Fantasies
6. 365 Days Book Series Review: Should You Read It?

The Plot: Interplay of Love, Sex, and Violence

Despite vacationing in beautiful Sicily alongside her boyfriend, Laura Biel is a profoundly unhappy Polish woman who feels stuck in a life she doesn’t want. Things only get worse for her once she is kidnapped.

Since then, her life is no longer her own. She is now in the hands of her captor, Don Massimo Torricelli—the leader of a Sicilian mafia family.

He is young, dark, dangerous, and handsome. However, he has a weak spot: an obsession with the beautiful woman who continuously appeared in his hallucinations when he was on the brink of death—a woman who bears an identical resemblance to Laura.

From then on, a game begins. The goal? Her heart. Laura will remain as Massimo’s captive for 365 days in a gilded cage, and any attempts to escape will end with the death of her entire family. However, if she can withstand the 365 days and not fall in love with him, she will be free to leave. But can she resist the seduction of this dangerous man?

The Books: A Complete Trilogy

The 365 Days book series comprises three (3) books, all centered around Laura and Massimo.

The first book, 365 Days, follows the main plotline outlined in the summary, highlighting the initial meeting between Massimo and Laura.

The second entry in the collection is titled This Day and starts right after the first one, continuing the budding relationship between the two leads and introducing Nacho, an alluring temptation for Laura and a dangerous enemy for Massimo.

Finally, the last book in the franchise is The Next 365 Days, the thrilling conclusion full of twists and turns—and a love triangle with a resolution that cannot be spoiled.

The Characters: Captive Erotica Staples

The story has well-defined characters that, while not entirely subversive or revolutionary, match prevalent and sought-after archetypes within the genre.

The heroine is Laura Biel (Anna-Maria Sieklucka), fulfilling the quintessential role of a naïve newcomer introduced to a dark world she has never explored before. She is not entirely helpless or passive—instead, she fights and resists Massimo’s advances, yet cannot help but be intrigued by what he represents in contrast to her boring life.

Opposing her is Massimo Torricelli (Michele Morrone), a man accustomed to enjoying violence and power, familiarized with getting what he wants whenever he wants. Nonetheless, his aggressiveness is partially subdued by his strong feelings towards Laura.

Surrounding them are a plethora of secondary characters that are little more than filler or plot devices to push the narrative of the two main leads. However, the sequel books introduce a second love interest that deserves special attention.

The second entry in the 365 Days book series brings Nacho to the forefront—Massimo’s gardener who strikes a friendship with Laura that eventually evolves into something deeper and far, far more dangerous.  

The Romance: Dark and Dangerous

The 365 Days book series is, first and foremost, an erotic tale meant to be a titillating fantasy. It Is intended to appeal to certain proclivities and has its target audience.

Nonetheless, it approaches dark and heavy topics that are not particularly suited for the average reader. It bears repeating that it contains triggering scenes of sexual coercion, violence, and dubious consent. It also includes BDSM elements that may be appealing to readers as mere fantasy, but enthusiasts of this lifestyle criticize it as far from accurate.

Massimo is aggressive, hot-headed, and dangerous—the narrative doesn’t hide his villainous-like behavior, yet he is still seen from the alluring lens of erotica. It is a fantasy novel that doesn’t intend to be a guideline for a healthy relationship, yet it may be too realistic for some readers to submerge themselves in the story.

It’s polarizing, controversial, and highly criticized. But despite the contentious reception, the book answers to consumer demand and, according to its author, the unspoken fantasies of women.

Themes: Forbidden Fantasies

In an interview with The Big Thrill, Blanka Lipińska admits that the 365 Days book series was an accident. She claims she never intended to be an author, but “the guy I was with didn’t want to have sex with me (…), so I wrote that sex for myself, and it turned out that women around the world liked it too.”

This statement colors the focus of the series: letting women explore dark and dangerous fantasies within the safety of book pages. In particular, Lipińska highlights the exploration of dubious consent as the central theme.

“We like to fantasize about sex without consent, which does not mean we want to be raped,” said Lipińska in the same interview. “The sex in the fantasy is perfect (…), but the resistance is the most important factor.”

This is a controversial statement that can be dangerous if generalized. Naturally, not all women fantasize about non-consent, which is evident when analyzing the books and movies’ contentious reception. But for the percentage that does enjoy this type of fiction, the 365 Days book series provides a safe outlet.

Despite the dubious consent from Laura to Massimo within the story, readers give their tacit consent the moment they purchase this book, allowing them to safely engage in “consensual non-consent” by proxy. The experience ends when they want, and all it takes is closing the book or pausing the audio.

365 Days Book Series Review: Should You Read It?

Critics have panned the book trilogy, and it remains polarizing among readers. Nonetheless, this controversy mostly resulted from its sudden and unexpected popularity—it left the niche circles it was meant for.

Because that is what the 365 Days book series is: an erotic adventure written by the author for herself and other like-minded women. It’s dark, controversial, and does not intend to be anything other than a fantasy, so anyone unbothered by dark content and lured by twisted erotica may find a captivating tale in the series (check more dark romance books, like The Mindfuck Series to dive into the abyss.) 

If you like reading book series reviews like this, check out more: the Silo book series, the Firefly Lane book series, the Maze Runner book series, or the dark Cartel Book Series.