Opening Line: “Arms folded across his chest, Alex Rycroft leaned back in the hard plastic chair and stared across the stainless steel table into the pOpening Line: “Arms folded across his chest, Alex Rycroft leaned back in the hard plastic chair and stared across the stainless steel table into the prisoner’s dark, defiant eyes.”
This was my very first read from Kayla Cross, even though I’ve been hearing about how awesome she is for years. I’m not sure what I was waiting for but it was worth it; living up to all the hype with a fantastic, smart and sexy romantic suspense. I will definitely be picking up her entire back catalogue. I should also mention that while this is book #5 and the last from her Titanium Security series I read it as a standalone and did just fine. (Followers of the series will appreciate a wedding at the end including cameos from all past heroes/couples.)
I have to mention first off how much I loved reading about a more mature couple, I’m just a couple years younger than the heroine Grace and I’m not dead either so this was a welcome change. And Alex, jeez what can I say? A fit and fine (like wine) 51. Bring it on.
I think one of my favourite things about this story was Alex’s unwavering love for Grace. From beginning to end he just loved her and was willing to do anything even if that involved just waiting (for 4 years). He unapologetically admits to not having slept with anyone else in that time as they just couldn’t compare, sigh. Grace doesn’t give in easily, I mean there’s a lot of hurt for her to work thorough but come on, how could she resist? Together their sexual tension is palpable and then there’s that little indiscretion in the hotel car park. Nice.
Four years ago Dr Grace Fallon lost everything in a terrorist attack. Left alone with a bullet wound to her belly, she lost her future and the man she thought she knew as Jack. Turns out he was just using her as part of his latest mission; their love affair was a farce.
NSA agent Alex Rycroft had no choice but to leave Grace in the hospital and he’s kept a quiet distance ever since not wanting to inflict any more pain in her life. But when his nemesis Malik Hassani escapes custody and locks his sights on Grace and the chemical weapons she’s involved with eradicating nothing can keep him away from her. He’s willing to sacrifice everything to save her including his life and she’s forced to except his protection.
Rekindled is an edge of your seat, action packed, emotional read. It’s a sweet and sexy second chance at romance between a mature couple with intelligent writing, steamy sex scenes, a great bad guy and a nice virtual vacation via the exotic location in Pakistan. Not much more you could ask for really.
403jb3
Merged review:
Opening Line: “Arms folded across his chest, Alex Rycroft leaned back in the hard plastic chair and stared across the stainless steel table into the prisoner’s dark, defiant eyes.”
This was my very first read from Kayla Cross, even though I’ve been hearing about how awesome she is for years. I’m not sure what I was waiting for but it was worth it; living up to all the hype with a fantastic, smart and sexy romantic suspense. I will definitely be picking up her entire back catalogue. I should also mention that while this is book #5 and the last from her Titanium Security series I read it as a standalone and did just fine. (Followers of the series will appreciate a wedding at the end including cameos from all past heroes/couples.)
I have to mention first off how much I loved reading about a more mature couple, I’m just a couple years younger than the heroine Grace and I’m not dead either so this was a welcome change. And Alex, jeez what can I say? A fit and fine (like wine) 51. Bring it on.
I think one of my favourite things about this story was Alex’s unwavering love for Grace. From beginning to end he just loved her and was willing to do anything even if that involved just waiting (for 4 years). He unapologetically admits to not having slept with anyone else in that time as they just couldn’t compare, sigh. Grace doesn’t give in easily, I mean there’s a lot of hurt for her to work thorough but come on, how could she resist? Together their sexual tension is palpable and then there’s that little indiscretion in the hotel car park. Nice.
Four years ago Dr Grace Fallon lost everything in a terrorist attack. Left alone with a bullet wound to her belly, she lost her future and the man she thought she knew as Jack. Turns out he was just using her as part of his latest mission; their love affair was a farce.
NSA agent Alex Rycroft had no choice but to leave Grace in the hospital and he’s kept a quiet distance ever since not wanting to inflict any more pain in her life. But when his nemesis Malik Hassani escapes custody and locks his sights on Grace and the chemical weapons she’s involved with eradicating nothing can keep him away from her. He’s willing to sacrifice everything to save her including his life and she’s forced to except his protection.
Rekindled is an edge of your seat, action packed, emotional read. It’s a sweet and sexy second chance at romance between a mature couple with intelligent writing, steamy sex scenes, a great bad guy and a nice virtual vacation via the exotic location in Pakistan. Not much more you could ask for really.
Reread 2022. Listened to this on Audible and enjoyed it just as much as I did 10+ years ago.
This one's a keeper. I absolutely loved this book it's gotReread 2022. Listened to this on Audible and enjoyed it just as much as I did 10+ years ago.
This one's a keeper. I absolutely loved this book it's got everything you could possibly want in a romantic suspense; uber alpha-male hero, exotic locations, suspense, drama, explosions, gunfights, hot sweaty jungles, passionate love scenes, psychotic villains, movie-worthy action scenes and some of the most touching dialogue I've read. (gotta love those tortured heroes) There's also a sweet secondary romance and best of all a whole team of Black Ops just waiting to have their stories told next....more
4.5 Stars Enjoyed this one a bunch. Sweet and romantic but not your traditional college romance. Corey and Heartly's friends to lovers/neighbors/gamin4.5 Stars Enjoyed this one a bunch. Sweet and romantic but not your traditional college romance. Corey and Heartly's friends to lovers/neighbors/gaming buddies situation felt realistic. Great setting, unique story. A feel good ending....more
I enjoyed this a lot, except maybe for that ending. However in Ward's defense my Golden Retriever companion of 12 years died recently too, so I get itI enjoyed this a lot, except maybe for that ending. However in Ward's defense my Golden Retriever companion of 12 years died recently too, so I get it Ward, even if some of your readers don't. I get the pain, the emptiness, the loss that you were feeling regarding Writer Dog. I get your non traditional, non HEA ending.
We don't always get our loves for as long as we want....more
Opening Line: “You wanted me to catch you, didn’t you?”
Shooting Scars picks up right where Sins & Needles left me hanging over the cliff; with Ellie tOpening Line: “You wanted me to catch you, didn’t you?”
Shooting Scars picks up right where Sins & Needles left me hanging over the cliff; with Ellie taking a step backwards in her life and giving Camden a second chance at his. Ellie has of course just given herself over to her ex-boyfriend Javier, the man she’s been on the run from for 6 long years. She’s now his prisoner and her running days have officially come to a close. In her words she’s “trapped with a man who would either love me or kill me.”
Karina Halle once again drops us into the thick of things from the onset, as Camden’s little family reunion with his wife doesn’t go exactly as planned and Ellie finds herself on a yacht heading for Mexico after agreeing to assist bad boy Javier in murder. The excitement continues with car chases, gun fights, the shocking, anguished and unexpected.
One of the things I really liked about Shooting Scars (preferred actually) is that it’s been written using a dual POV. That’s right ladies we finally get into Camden’s head. Now I’m assuming she had to write it this way because Ellie and Camden actually spend most of the book apart. With Ellie slowly falling back under Javier’s spell and Camden chasing her down in a fixated rescue attempt.
I’m going to be completely honest now folks, that was the only thing I preferred about this book. Unlike Sins& Needles which I found fresh, exciting and unputdownable the magic was just missing for me here and the whole story fell flat.
Unlike tons of other reviewers I just don’t get the whole team Javier thing, I mean this is the man who cheated on her and killed her Uncle Jim in front of her plus I’m pretty sure he’s certifiably psycho. How is this suitable love triangle material? I was left stunned at the things Ellie did with him and not in a good way either. Quite honestly her whole character just confused me here and I never understood her emotions or reasoning.
Camden also lost me a bit. Gone was the mysterious, double crossing, and sexy antihero from the first book. This new Camden was living on one track (see obsessed) Must find Ellie, need more pain killers, must get to Ellie, going to Kill Javier, I love Ellie. Truthfully he began to annoy me after a while maybe that’s why I liked his travelling companion Gus so much. (Pretty sure I’m team Gus.)
I really wanted to love this as much as I did the first book and I’m in the minority with my rating so don’t take my word for it, this is super popular trilogy and it will probably work for you. Cheers.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) who provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Line: “It wasn’t the memory he would have chosen -not when he couldn’t remember his own name.”
I’m a big Cindy Gerard fan so of course I was moOpening Line: “It wasn’t the memory he would have chosen -not when he couldn’t remember his own name.”
I’m a big Cindy Gerard fan so of course I was more than a little excited to read this mash-up connecting her Black Op Inc and One Eyed Jacks characters. Yup, Merry Christmas to me!
Simply put CG is the master of romantic suspense. Her action scenes and exotic locations always drop you right into the thick of it. With proper military jargon and weapons lingo she doesn’t stray into OTT territory either. Gerard also excels at writing the tortured hero (I’ve lost track of how many literary boyfriends this woman has given me) yet still manages to provide comic relief with some serious male bonding and a bromance or two.
The Way Home was no different; it hit all my happy buttons even though I will admit to being slightly put off by the small-town-romancy feel we had going in the beginning. Jess and Tyler’s romance was just a little too sweet for me (although lots of people like those Virgin River-ey type reads) However when you pair that aspect up with the events taking place with her presumed dead husband in Afghanistan you’ve got something special.
I found these two divulging storylines very clever, because as the reader you’re watching Jess and Tyler fall in love, healing and learning to love again but you’ve also got the knowledge that Jess’s husband J.T is getting closer and closer to rescue. And with that the whole story flips and becomes more poignant, taking on a level of suspense and heartache, because you know that this just can’t end well for anyone.
I loved all of Jeff (J.T’s) scenes in Afghanistan, now this is the epitome in a tortured hero, (however more in the literal sense here.) His story is absolutely heartbreaking on so many levels and I give kudos to the amount of research that must have gone into not only head trauma and PTSD but the realistic view we also get of an Afghani woman’s life. Rabia was an excellent, well fleshed out heroine and I appreciated learning the little things about her life; regarding her religion, what she’s allowed to do (drive), say, how to dress as well as her fear of the Taliban and Americans. Her love scenes were written differently too, more respectful, fade to black. Very much in character.
Ultimately this book was everything I had hoped for; romantic, angst filled and passionate. I seriously didn’t know how CG was going to bring these two romances together and make them work. Oh and there’s also one hell of an action scene for the big extraction which goes from bad to worse to FUBAR and includes cameos from Mike and all the BOI’s (we even get a couple Reed-isms Yay!) Just a great read. Cheers
*My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books, who provided a copy in exchange for an honest review. 393jb45
"Just as they’re planning their wedding and new life together, Jess receives shocking news: her husband is alive, and under the care of a young Afghani woman hiding him from the Taliban. Even as he sees their happily-ever-after slip away, Ty arranges for the One Eyed Jacks and Black Ops, Inc. teams to make a daring and dangerous rescue mission to bring Jeff home. The hardest thing Ty or Jess has ever done is to let the other go."...more
Opening Line: “God help him if he didn’t make it to the airport by seven.”
Well hello lick-worthy cover! Romantic suspense lovers (and fans of Cindy GOpening Line: “God help him if he didn’t make it to the airport by seven.”
Well hello lick-worthy cover! Romantic suspense lovers (and fans of Cindy Gerard) may want to check out Tonya Burrows' new HORNET series. Featuring a rag-tag band of (yummy) former military men who once they get the kinks worked out might actually be able to do the job. Unruly, unorganised, unprepared and underequipped, these misfits make up the newly formed hostage rescue and negation team of "Hornet". They’re all experts in their assorted military fields fields’ but they’re also just a little off, hence being available on a moment’s notice.
Within hours of being put together the guys find themselves on a plane bound for Bogotá Columbia. Led by our hero de jour Gabriel Bristow; a former Navy SEAL on involuntary early retirement after a foot injury sidelined him. Rather than park his ass behind a desk in Washington Gabe takes his best friend Quinn up on his offer to command a privately funded merc-for-hire group which keeps him in the adrenaline charged soldier game he loves. A minute to consider his new life would have been nice but, they already have their first mission; finding and extracting a wealthy businessman from Columbian rebels. This thrown together unit is of course nowhere near ready to go, never mind working together, they’re a mess and that’s what makes them awesome.
This is an action filled read that gets going almost immediately, introducing flighty artist Audrey Van Amee as the sister of the hostage whose invaluable Spanish skills see her becoming a somewhat distracting member of the team. We spend a bit of time getting the introductions out of the way of course (as this is a first book in the series) so there’s some info dumping. But I have to say Burrows did a great job of giving us just enough page time on each of the team members (and their troubled pasts) that I’m intrigued enough to anticipate the next book.
Burrows uses a fair bit of military jargon here, which I loved as it put me more into the story and I also appreciated the often hilarious f-bomb filled banter between the guys. Gabe and Quinn in particular have a very sweet bromance going. Where I had a problem was the melodramatic internal dialogue (mostly spouted on Gabe’s part) which seemed out of sync with the whole tone.
“Her pleading all but shattered his heart. He couldn’t deny her, even though every instinct screamed to get far, far away.”
The ending wraps things up very nicely, leaving us anticipating the next Hornet to have his story told and as Gabe seemed the least screwed up it seems sure we’ll get a tortured hero.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing who provided a copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Much like Christmas the BDB only comes around once a year and it's still my favorite book release of the year, even if I am starting to feel a little Much like Christmas the BDB only comes around once a year and it's still my favorite book release of the year, even if I am starting to feel a little too old to believe in "Santa" F-bombing it out in his leather pants.
Killing Me Softly is a love story but not in the typical sense; it’s obsessive, all consuming, violent, inOpening Line: “He knew he was going to die.”
Killing Me Softly is a love story but not in the typical sense; it’s obsessive, all consuming, violent, intense, desperate and ultimately terrifying. And oh my god is it good. I literally could not put this down.
If I could compare this book to anything I would say that initially it reminded me of a combination of 9 ½ weeks and that Richard Gere/Diane Lane movie from a few years ago (Unfaithful) -based on the passion, intensity and utter randomness of our couples first encounter. Of course it then unravels into a tense psychological thriller which much in a car wreck sort of way you can’t take your eyes off of. Throughout I had a feeling of, this just can’t end well.
I should mention that despite the fact that the blurb on the jacket describes this book as ‘erotic’ all the sex scenes are off page; it’s still sexy as hell -in an alarming sort of way. And I’ll admit to being very uncomfortable in sections, shaking my head at our heroine’s decisions and basic lack of “self” (“what the hell are you thinking girl?”) I also doubted myself, doubted Alice and Adam and was left utterly raw and heartbroken by the end. Just the kind of reading experience I love.
Alice Loudon has it all: a comfortable life, a stable (nice) live-in boyfriend, a good job, clever friends, and then one day while walking down a London street on her lunch hour she sees him, standing there, staring, as if waiting for her. The attraction is immediate; it’s unexplainable, like a lightning bolt that neither of them can turn away from. He is Adam Tallis and without speaking a word she follows this complete stranger to his apartment where she proceeds to let him take her clothes off and engages in the most intense love making she has ever known. In fact with Adam she needs a new word for sex. He envelopes her, obliterates her, he is unlike any man she has ever known, and within days she is lost to him.
Abandoning everything (and I mean that literally) Alice leaves her boyfriend and moves in, within months they’re married. Nothing matters except him and them and her world becomes very small. She barely recognizes herself in the mirror anymore as Adam begins to possess every aspect of her being. He worships her, desires her, loves her in an all-consuming way and there isn’t room for anyone or anything else. Alice’s world shrinks to being just Adam; the stranger she fell in love with on a street.
Adam. Her enigmatic husband, world renowned mountain climber, guide and reluctant hero after his last expedition in the Himalayas left half of their group dead. Adam comes with a whole circle of mysterious and exotic friends and it’s when Klaus decides to write a book about the tragedy of the Chungawat expedition that Alice opens her eyes. Reality creeps in, jealousy and doubt takes hold and the tension level rises. How well does she really know this man? Told entirely from the first person we witness Alice’s inner turmoil, doubts and fears as curiosity about her husband’s past and former lovers becomes in of itself an obsession.
“What a ghastly farce it all was. Our whole marriage was built on desire and deception.” 359jb5...more
Opening Line:“This will be the last time. I’ve said that before. I’ve said it a lot.”
Well this was different, different good, and a welcome change. AnOpening Line:“This will be the last time. I’ve said that before. I’ve said it a lot.”
Well this was different, different good, and a welcome change. And while I don't think I’m the age demographic this book was aiming at (not telling) I still couldn’t put it down. Right from the opening chapter that plunks you straight into the chaos that is con artist Ellie Watt’s life as a scam goes bad and she’s climbing out a seedy bar window, running to her stolen car and trying to figure out which one of her multiple fake identity’s to use next, I knew this was going to be something special. And that was even before I met Camden!
Camden McQueen, what can I say… he is the ultimate beta antihero, written in such a way that you can’t help but lust after his hot inked up bod. With ongoing descriptions of his tattoos, piercings, spikey hair, nerd glasses, muscular arms and ripped abs this former high school reject has a lot going for him these days. After a stint in LA he’s now the owner and proprietor of Sins & Ink, he also plays in a band and has girls (and I’m sure some boys) salivating after him and his talented tattoo gun.
Both main characters here are flawed, damaged and charming, so that as much as you like them there are also times where you just don’t and can’t believe the way they’re using and hurting each other. That’s also what makes this awesome though, I was constantly surprised.
Ellie Watt is on the run again. The daughter of a grifting team she grew up on the make, often used by her parents in whatever their latest scam might be. As an adult she has excelled in making this her chosen profession, changing her name and appearance on a whim while leading a life on the run. But this last close call has made her rethink her choices and why she’s going back to California and pulling out the one identity she hasn’t touched in years. Her own.
Told from a first person POV Ellie alternates between “now” and “then” slowly aging Ellie through the “then” chapters, revealing her shocking past and history with Camden. I have to say I loved how everything wasn’t exposed all at once, sure it was frustrating (what happened to your leg!?) but it also helped me gain a level of understanding and sympathy for both characters I otherwise wouldn’t have had.
So now that Ellie’s gone straight she needs a legit job, which let’s be honest, is going to suck. Luckily on one of her first days back she runs into Camden and damn the years he spent in LA have been good to him. No longer the high school freak, he’s, well he’s freakin hot. So in about a minute they’re chatting each other up and then going to a gig together and then Ellie’s back at his place and try as she might temptation rears its ugly head in the form of a cash register and safe full of cash. Is she really going to rob the one person who actually knows her?
The romance here is more cat and mouse than true love story and something about the chemistry was just off for me somehow. I’m not sure what it was exactly because their scenes together are smoking hot (the one on the hood of the car in the middle of the desert when he rips her designer dress off… Jesus!)
So in the end this was a great read however I could have done without the cliff-hanger ending. Guess I’ll be reading (Shooting Scars) next. Cheers 388jb4
A couple of my favourite quotes; “Some of the best laid plans are foiled by wine. Though perhaps in our case they were made better.”
“Good morning” he said as if we were old friends. Old friends that didn’t want to kill each other. I glared at him. “Is the gun really necessary?” “No" he admitted. "It’s just fun to have one” “Like an extra penis” I mused. He smiled unkindly. “Something like that.”...more
Opening Line: “A heavy fist connected with this jaw.”
The Risk Taker is part of Harlequin's “uniformly hot” series and well I’ll be honest, the cover cOpening Line: “A heavy fist connected with this jaw.”
The Risk Taker is part of Harlequin's “uniformly hot” series and well I’ll be honest, the cover caught my eye! Then after reading the blurb I was hooked because I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to the tortured heroes plus in this case we also have a reunited lovers theme which is another one of my fav’s -well let’s just say reunited they never actually made it to the lovers part all those years ago, not for lack of trying on the heroes part.
Anyways with all that going for it I wish I could say I liked this more but for some reason I just never engaged with the story. The premise and opening chapters are great; Gage Harper returns to his hometown from Afghanistan after a high profile rescue from Taliban insurgents. Blaming himself for a mission gone WAY wrong resulting in his teams capture, torture and the fact that his best buddy is now in hospital minus a limb. Gage has a lot of guilt to live with and is dealing with it by allowing his opponent beat the crap out of him in the underground (full contact) boxing ring. Every news agency in the country now wants his story and Gage finds himself an instant celebrity but all he wants is to be left alone and the blessed numbness the next blow to his face will provide.
Enter Hope Rawlings willing to do just about anything to get his story as it will guarantee her dream job with the Atlanta Courier and a way to get out of her hometown. As Hope puts it “Gage Harper was her ticket out of Sweetheart” She’s also willing to use her IN that none of the other reporters have, She and Gage grew up together in fact they were best friends right up until he enlisted and stupidly told her he loved her, they haven’t spoken since and now she’s got to make sure he doesn’t get himself killed at “Fightclub” before she gets her story.
So like I said the first few chapters are great but as soon as the story takes us back into the town of Sweetheart “where Valentine’s Day was sacred and folks started celebrating a week in advance” it started to lose me. There was a fair amount of world building done here –is that right? I don’t know, but we meet a bunch of family members and get their back stories while Gage and Hope dance around each other and help prepare for Valentine’s day which includes a “Cupid couples week” that the two are paired up for.
One of the other problems I had was with the writing and maybe this is just me but Kira Sinclair spends a lot of time with internal dialogue, so much so that kept having to go back to figure out what they the hell they were talking about or what question was being answered. They even manage to have a full-on conversation complete with about a page of internal dialogue during an oral sex on the kitchen counter scene (it is Blaze after all). I'm thinking really; they said all that with her Va-jay-jay two inches in front of his face?
Anyways Gage is still all kinds of awesome as our hero riding around on his Harley and pining over his childhood love, all muscled up and full of angst, trying to forgive himself. And I really enjoyed the buildup to the love scene that takes place at the bowling alley, who knew bowling alleys could be so hot?
There are some good moments towards the end too where Hope explains why she was never able to return Gage’s love before and ultimately had to let him go. Cheers....more
Opening Line: “Duncan could not wait to get the fuck out of this sand pit.”
Now this is how to start a romantic suspense series. Get the entire back stOpening Line: “Duncan could not wait to get the fuck out of this sand pit.”
Now this is how to start a romantic suspense series. Get the entire back story and set up out of the way without the distraction of a romance, -which is especially relevant here because JM Madden has taken the time to give us some real heroes. I loved how this 40 page prequel gave us all three soldiers stories from the very beginning, starting in the frontlines of Iraq and then through their injuries and subsequent treatment at a VA hospital. These aren’t your standard romance heroes battle scars either, these are real injuries and they haven’t been glossed over for which I want to thank Madden.
Our men have missing limbs, disfiguring burns and are wheelchair bound for the rest of his life. These are gut-wrenching, life altering wounds. We also get all the horror of war, the pain, the anger, the humiliation, the flashbacks and the grief over their lost bodies. Who they once were and the bewilderment about what their futures can hold for them now. Yup, these are heroes that needed their stories told first without the distraction of a romance.
My only real criticism here would be that at times I got the men confused, whose head we were in as they were often referred to by either their rank or a first or last name which was confusing.
In this well written prequel to (The Lost And Found Series) we meet three wounded warriors as they recover in hospital. Marine 1st Sargent Duncan Wilde- badly burned and learning to walk again and oh his girlfriend is expecting another man’s baby, doh!, Sergeant Chad Lowell who lost a leg and doesn’t relish returning to his hometown and its ongoing sympathy party, and Gunnery Sergeant John Palmer who is confined to a wheelchair, full of F-bombs and angry at the world.
Emotionally and physically torn apart we witness as a friendship is forged on adversity. But as their bodies heal and a new reality is faced they wonder what will they do now? How can they still give back to society? Surely there must be a way to still utilize their military talents despite their setbacks and limitations. And it’s here that “Lost And Found Investigative Services” is forged.
Can’t wait to start Embattled Hearts, just wish I had a Kindle so I could continue with John’s F’n story right now LOL 362jb45...more
Opening Line: "I have survived day three post-Christian, and my first day at work."
Okay now I get what all the fuss has been about. I’m so glad I deciOpening Line: "I have survived day three post-Christian, and my first day at work."
Okay now I get what all the fuss has been about. I’m so glad I decided to continue on with this series after the confusion and bizarreness of ”Grey”. That book was just all over the place for me, very juvenile, and well weird, I think I actually called it YA erotica. Thankfully the characters and writing has matured here and because of this “Darker” turned out to be just a fantastic read. Granted I am a sucker when it comes to the tortured, messed up heroes and with Christian I couldn’t ask for any more shades of f-d up. Especially with his past slowly being reveled throughout, yup, I fell hard.
His lifestyle choices and need for absolute control finally made sense to me so that he didn’t just come across as overbearing and stalkerish. His actions actually made me sad. That scene where he falls to his knees and begs Ana not to leave him and submits to her… Jeez so unexpected and heartbreaking. I actually fell a bit in love with him myself there. Up until that point his over protective, stalker tendencies had kept me wary. Even Ana grew on me here, finally having grown a pair she at last became a worthy companion for Christian and ultimately the one in control of the relationship. Who woulda guessed?
I liked that this story involved a bit of suspense, and I enjoyed a return to the emails which as well as being fun and playful were a way for our characters to show their true selves while hiding behind the mean machine and Blackberry. Ana’s triple axel, back flipping, pouting, cheering inner goddess again kept me in stiches.
On a personal note I would have kept Ana and Christian broken up a bit longer. I mean what was it, like 5 days? Hardly worthy of all the angst and weight loss, plus a longer separation would have made their getting back together that much more meaningful and explained how they were able to grow and be willing to change for each other to not have to face that pain again. I guess I’m also just a bit twisted because I wanted to see them heartbroken, making bad decisions and missing each other longer.
My only real issue with “Darker” would be the very last scene which felt tagged on solely for the purpose of introducing a third book, it was unnecessary. We the readers were already going there. Cheers 335jb5 ...more