Pandora's Box — Allison Hobbs

Ambition, desperation, and redemption abound in nationally bestselling author Allison Hobbs's unforgettable novel about a woman forced to sink to the darkest depths of morality -- and her quest to fight her way back.

Victoria Carlton invested everything into her dream of becoming a singer -- her hopes, her time, her life savings -- only to fall victim to the harsh realities of the recording industry. Her dreams are getting further and further from her grasp when a last chance record deal falls through. Crushed, Victoria sinks into a deep depression until an eviction notice galvanizes her. In her desperate, hasty job search she notices an ad for employment at Pandora's Box, a seedy massage parlor located in downtown Philadelphia.

This establishment is opened twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Victoria is appalled by the behavior of both the clientele and the women that ruthlessly compete with one another for the clients' business. Men come to Pandora's Box to satisfy their kinky sexual desires. Compromising her morals and her dignity, Victoria repeats to herself that this is temporary.

When a handsome, immaculately attired young man shows up one day as a client, her luck seems to change. He is immediately drawn to Victoria and a steamy love affair quickly ensues. But her job at Pandora's Box complicates their affair.

Sinking further into this sordid world, Victoria finds it difficult to climb out. That is, until crime is committed and someone ends up dead. Victoria is forced to confront her lifestyle and remember her dreams and values.