thelindashow's review
This book was not for me. I really did not like the non consensual/consensual theme.
xakyr's review against another edition
2.0
Normally, I really enjoy the books in this series, but this one was different and I really didn't enjoy it that much. Each one has explored a different form of erotic foreplay, or kink, and this one was no exception, but this one's eroticism was both unpleasant and uncomfortable for me to read about. It focused on rape fetishes, and as a former marital rape victim, it really hit some wounds for me. The other plot element, the impending divorce of Sunny and Liam/Dash, really spoke to me and saved the book from a one star rating. It was interesting to see how they worked to save their marriage, and their mistakes along the way. I was able to easily connect to them in that capacity, but the second things started heading for forced sex in the bedroom, I was in Skimsville, because I really didn't want to read about that. Normally, I re-read the books in a series when I restart it, but this is one book I may just skip over in my re-reads of this series. If I wasn't so OCD in having to have every book in a series if I like it, I would probably delete it from my Kindle Library.
scorchingnix's review
4.0
Reviewed at http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/a-nix-erotic-review-hard-way-by-katie.html
You’ll see this on every review of this book but it needs to be said again. This book contains rape fantasies and violent sex. This isn’t overplaying the storyline; there are several points when Dash refers to himself as her “rapist”. This is not to say that the violence doesn’t have a role in the story, I’m just pointing out that, if you have issues with this type of tale, it might be wise to sit this one out and pick up this truly excellent series on the next book.
One of the things that I have truly enjoyed about this series is the boundaries that it pushes. What other series will feature autoerotic asphyxiation as a main kink? This one though, this one was, at certain points, too much for me. I discussed it on twitter with someone and she said that the first part of the novel tore her to pieces and the next half built her back up and that is the most apt description I have for it. The first half of the book was so God-damn painful to read that I put it down a couple of times. There is no question in my mind that the sex, and the violence, was consensual. Still, I struggled with it immensely because there was a LOT of violence including face slapping. There was a point that I nearly put it down and then a scene saved me. I think at certain points I questioned the love between them, but then she safe-worded out and he stopped. Not only did he stop, he asked if she was OK and let her make the decision on what would happen next. It may sound silly to some of you but trust in this book was hard for me to come by. At that scene, I melted and I started to enjoy the book. I knew from the onset that these two were using this type of sex to break through the facade both of them had adopted over the years, but I couldn’t see beyond the violence. At that specific point, I started to see the love.
Both of these characters are hard to relate to. I don’t know if that is an intentional decision on the part of the author but it fits well with the story. Dash is an angry ball wrapped up in a happy-go lucky shell. He keeps things so well hidden he doesn’t even really notice that he is having issues with Sunny until she asks for a divorce. He was a difficult man to pick apart but there was one thing that I never questioned and that was his determination to get Sunny back. Yes, I questioned his motives, wondering whether pride and sex were his only motivators, but I knew he wanted her back. It was only when they started to “be honest” with each other outside of the bedroom that I grew to like him. He showed a deep vulnerability and charm that isn’t apparent at the start of the tale and he grew in my affections. Sunny is slightly more relate-able but her side relationship was a little off-putting to her character. I didn’t believe in it (she spent far too much time trying to avoid him) but it was enough to make me weary of her. She didn’t grow as much in my affections as Dash but she did grow as she started to realise that not only Dash was the problem in their relationship.
The sex in this book often feels like a war. Looking beyond the violence to the arousal and pleasures of the characters took a huge leap for me (and a clever scene from the authors) but once I could, I found the scenes to be just as kinky and hot as the others in the series. The scenes nearer the end *fans*
So overall what did I think? How do I close this review with one catchy sentence? I can’t. It is a book of two halves but where that half way point lies is a completely personal decision. At points this book was hard and often painful to read but then, suddenly, it develops into a full blown erotic romance that certainly packs a punch. As my kink is not your kink, I suggest you make your own mind up about this one! Bravo to the author...another big risk in a series I am expecting to be constantly surprised by.
You’ll see this on every review of this book but it needs to be said again. This book contains rape fantasies and violent sex. This isn’t overplaying the storyline; there are several points when Dash refers to himself as her “rapist”. This is not to say that the violence doesn’t have a role in the story, I’m just pointing out that, if you have issues with this type of tale, it might be wise to sit this one out and pick up this truly excellent series on the next book.
One of the things that I have truly enjoyed about this series is the boundaries that it pushes. What other series will feature autoerotic asphyxiation as a main kink? This one though, this one was, at certain points, too much for me. I discussed it on twitter with someone and she said that the first part of the novel tore her to pieces and the next half built her back up and that is the most apt description I have for it. The first half of the book was so God-damn painful to read that I put it down a couple of times. There is no question in my mind that the sex, and the violence, was consensual. Still, I struggled with it immensely because there was a LOT of violence including face slapping. There was a point that I nearly put it down and then a scene saved me. I think at certain points I questioned the love between them, but then she safe-worded out and he stopped. Not only did he stop, he asked if she was OK and let her make the decision on what would happen next. It may sound silly to some of you but trust in this book was hard for me to come by. At that scene, I melted and I started to enjoy the book. I knew from the onset that these two were using this type of sex to break through the facade both of them had adopted over the years, but I couldn’t see beyond the violence. At that specific point, I started to see the love.
Both of these characters are hard to relate to. I don’t know if that is an intentional decision on the part of the author but it fits well with the story. Dash is an angry ball wrapped up in a happy-go lucky shell. He keeps things so well hidden he doesn’t even really notice that he is having issues with Sunny until she asks for a divorce. He was a difficult man to pick apart but there was one thing that I never questioned and that was his determination to get Sunny back. Yes, I questioned his motives, wondering whether pride and sex were his only motivators, but I knew he wanted her back. It was only when they started to “be honest” with each other outside of the bedroom that I grew to like him. He showed a deep vulnerability and charm that isn’t apparent at the start of the tale and he grew in my affections. Sunny is slightly more relate-able but her side relationship was a little off-putting to her character. I didn’t believe in it (she spent far too much time trying to avoid him) but it was enough to make me weary of her. She didn’t grow as much in my affections as Dash but she did grow as she started to realise that not only Dash was the problem in their relationship.
The sex in this book often feels like a war. Looking beyond the violence to the arousal and pleasures of the characters took a huge leap for me (and a clever scene from the authors) but once I could, I found the scenes to be just as kinky and hot as the others in the series. The scenes nearer the end *fans*
So overall what did I think? How do I close this review with one catchy sentence? I can’t. It is a book of two halves but where that half way point lies is a completely personal decision. At points this book was hard and often painful to read but then, suddenly, it develops into a full blown erotic romance that certainly packs a punch. As my kink is not your kink, I suggest you make your own mind up about this one! Bravo to the author...another big risk in a series I am expecting to be constantly surprised by.
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