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cala_p's review against another edition
4.0
Voluntarily reviewing an ARC of this. All opinions are objective and my own.
This is my first novel by Helen Hardt. For the most part, I was impressed. It’s like 50 Shades but more intense.
I was very hooked by the story. There’s a small level of mystery in it, surrounding Braden to keep it really interesting. I had no complaints about Skye. She’s got a bit of spunk to her, she’s funny, and she fights back against Braden. What I disliked in this book, was Braden. While everyone critiqued Christian Grey and Edward Cullen, I enjoyed their characters, so my critique of Braden surprised even me. There’s sexy control and then there’s being mean, and I felt Braden fell into the mean category, especially at first. He talks down to her often, orders her around, and only seems to humor her want of a relationship, but not actually be in it. There was many scenes that unfortunately had me cringing. On the other hand, I also liked how refreshing he was. After the first time they have sex, he gets her a car home and it’s over. No snuggles, no emotions, and she doesn’t even stay in the house, but elsewhere, and for his type of character, this does make sense.
Skye is working for a media influencer as the photographer. Through Addison, she meets Braden who is instantly smitten with her and this starts her whirlwind romance. Again, she’s great for resisting at first. The romance has its sweet moments, but I did find it super realistic. She’s a woman in like, and he’s fairly ‘whatever’ about it. After reading the cliffhanger, I wonder if it’s truthful, because his character is aligned with those beliefs. His actions toward her throughout does suggest the cliffhanger having more truth to it than not.
The sex is insanely hot. I really enjoyed how it worked up to the BDSM and it wasn’t a fact right away. He always knew his goal with her, but didn’t scare her off.
All in all, it’s a good read and I definitely want to read the rest of the series. I enjoyed it quite a lot, save for Braden.
This is my first novel by Helen Hardt. For the most part, I was impressed. It’s like 50 Shades but more intense.
I was very hooked by the story. There’s a small level of mystery in it, surrounding Braden to keep it really interesting. I had no complaints about Skye. She’s got a bit of spunk to her, she’s funny, and she fights back against Braden. What I disliked in this book, was Braden. While everyone critiqued Christian Grey and Edward Cullen, I enjoyed their characters, so my critique of Braden surprised even me. There’s sexy control and then there’s being mean, and I felt Braden fell into the mean category, especially at first. He talks down to her often, orders her around, and only seems to humor her want of a relationship, but not actually be in it. There was many scenes that unfortunately had me cringing. On the other hand, I also liked how refreshing he was. After the first time they have sex, he gets her a car home and it’s over. No snuggles, no emotions, and she doesn’t even stay in the house, but elsewhere, and for his type of character, this does make sense.
Skye is working for a media influencer as the photographer. Through Addison, she meets Braden who is instantly smitten with her and this starts her whirlwind romance. Again, she’s great for resisting at first. The romance has its sweet moments, but I did find it super realistic. She’s a woman in like, and he’s fairly ‘whatever’ about it. After reading the cliffhanger, I wonder if it’s truthful, because his character is aligned with those beliefs. His actions toward her throughout does suggest the cliffhanger having more truth to it than not.
The sex is insanely hot. I really enjoyed how it worked up to the BDSM and it wasn’t a fact right away. He always knew his goal with her, but didn’t scare her off.
All in all, it’s a good read and I definitely want to read the rest of the series. I enjoyed it quite a lot, save for Braden.
emfornaris's review against another edition
3.0
Sigh… reading this book to me felt like when your friend is on aux and plays an artist you hate but then you secretly Shazam a song that kinda hits.. it took me FOUR months to get through this book but 2 days to read. It was so hard to pick up but when I did, man did I rock it until the wheels fell off. AND I DONT KNOW WHY..
This book has two plots I lowkey hate: PWP and MCs who are not girl boss slay queens. Even then.. I was ultimately satisfied and enjoyed reading it WHEN I picked it up. Poor book went through extremes; from collecting dust on my nightstand to falling on my face because I fell asleep reading until 3am.
It’s so odd because the world building was pretty good for being PWP and it was so short that it was easy to “one more chapter” it. I was honestly more invested in the “plot” than the point of the book which I’ll be guessing is not the plot. The book ended on a semi cliff hanger and.. Even though it took me ages to finish it… I will be Shazam-ing the sequel.. don’t look at me I’m already embarrassed. Also the cover sucks sorry
When to read: want a side book for your main book, mutuals? to lovers, like to read before bed, PWP, a decent series, need excitement but not too much that you’ll need to press your LifeAlert, idk I’m more interested in the dudes backstory tbh
This book has two plots I lowkey hate: PWP and MCs who are not girl boss slay queens. Even then.. I was ultimately satisfied and enjoyed reading it WHEN I picked it up. Poor book went through extremes; from collecting dust on my nightstand to falling on my face because I fell asleep reading until 3am.
It’s so odd because the world building was pretty good for being PWP and it was so short that it was easy to “one more chapter” it. I was honestly more invested in the “plot” than the point of the book which I’ll be guessing is not the plot. The book ended on a semi cliff hanger and.. Even though it took me ages to finish it… I will be Shazam-ing the sequel.. don’t look at me I’m already embarrassed. Also the cover sucks sorry
When to read: want a side book for your main book, mutuals? to lovers, like to read before bed, PWP, a decent series, need excitement but not too much that you’ll need to press your LifeAlert, idk I’m more interested in the dudes backstory tbh
kelly_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
Follow Me Darkly is a beautifully written story about infatuation and possession. Helen Hardt creates her characters and lets them tell their stories in the best way possible.
Braden and Skye come together in an unusual way and they both struggle with their relationship, both trying to hold on to the control they feel they need. The struggle is real, the action and reactions are true to this couple throughout the book.
I am excited to see what happens next for this couple!
Braden and Skye come together in an unusual way and they both struggle with their relationship, both trying to hold on to the control they feel they need. The struggle is real, the action and reactions are true to this couple throughout the book.
I am excited to see what happens next for this couple!
crystal_methany's review against another edition
1.0
I am honestly so underwhelmed by this book. It caught my eye in the store and looked like a perfect spicy romance book. But once you get more than three chapters in, it's no longer worth it. This book plays heavily on the miscommunication trope, which I can't stand. Especially in a book trying to cover BDSM topics, which requires so much communication to be done properly. The two main characters just can't figure out how to have an adult conversation, and everyone around them is annoyingly cryptic. They keep building towards this sort of big bad secret about the male main character (I can't even remember their names) only to make the lamest reveal in the last three pages. Don't waste your time if you have high expectations for the book. The semi spicy scenes are the only thing that make it worth it
ahappyhermit's review against another edition
4.0
Bad writing, hot sex. Overall 4 stars because of the spice.
ameserole's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, that ending was kind of meh.
In Follow Me Darkly, you will meet Skye and Braden. She's an assistant to a social media influencer. He's a self-made billionaire. When they first meet, it's kind of awkward because him and her boss do not get along. Like at all. There's obviously some serious beef between them but the annoying thing about it is they never say what really went down. Like why they despise one another!?!
The unknown really frustrated me. Other than that, Skye is slightly obsessed with the guy, and he seems to only really want sex from her. While their relationship was more like friends with benefits, I wasn't completely invested in them. Sure, some of the smutty scenes were hot but they gave me a lot of whiplash.
In the end, I just have a lot of questions and if the ending was a real cliffhanger, well, I probably would have dived into the sequel right then and there. Unfortunately, it wasn't one in my eyes. So, in other words, I will be saying goodbye to this series and taking an uber into another one.
In Follow Me Darkly, you will meet Skye and Braden. She's an assistant to a social media influencer. He's a self-made billionaire. When they first meet, it's kind of awkward because him and her boss do not get along. Like at all. There's obviously some serious beef between them but the annoying thing about it is they never say what really went down. Like why they despise one another!?!
The unknown really frustrated me. Other than that, Skye is slightly obsessed with the guy, and he seems to only really want sex from her. While their relationship was more like friends with benefits, I wasn't completely invested in them. Sure, some of the smutty scenes were hot but they gave me a lot of whiplash.
In the end, I just have a lot of questions and if the ending was a real cliffhanger, well, I probably would have dived into the sequel right then and there. Unfortunately, it wasn't one in my eyes. So, in other words, I will be saying goodbye to this series and taking an uber into another one.
justinejanstan's review against another edition
1.0
DNF’d this book. Never have I ever not finished a book. I got half way through and felt the story lacking any depth. It was shallow. And cringe-worthy. Just not for me. I would definitely try something else from this author though.
sanna678's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
ace97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shedevilreads's review against another edition
5.0
I received an advanced readers copy of Follow Me Darkly by Helen Hardt that will be released on September 29, 2020.
This is the first book of Helen’s that I have read and it definitely won’t be my last. I was hooked from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Skye and Braden.
The book does end on a cliffhanger but that wasn’t a surprise since it’s the first book in the Follow Me series. I can’t wait for the next book Follow Me Under to be released on January 26, 2021.
I would highly recommend if you like erotic romances or billionaire romances.
This is the first book of Helen’s that I have read and it definitely won’t be my last. I was hooked from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Skye and Braden.
The book does end on a cliffhanger but that wasn’t a surprise since it’s the first book in the Follow Me series. I can’t wait for the next book Follow Me Under to be released on January 26, 2021.
I would highly recommend if you like erotic romances or billionaire romances.