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jdemaere's review
5.0
Awesome story.
Milo being the.... rougher of the three... I thought his story would be very different than it is. It was very different than I expected, but not disappointing! I love Alice and would love to read what happens next!
Milo being the.... rougher of the three... I thought his story would be very different than it is. It was very different than I expected, but not disappointing! I love Alice and would love to read what happens next!
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~I have enjoyed this series quite a lot, but this book was probably my least favorite of the three. I ADORE a good sadist, and in the first two books, Milo was just that. Alas, in this one, we barely get any glimpses of the Milo from the first two books. In fact, I kind of felt he spent most of this book being a whiny douche. That said, it was still a very well-written book. It was fast-paced and on the shorter side with it clocking in at just under two hours of reading time. It was told in a dual POV format. Last, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. Being that this was the series finale book I was hoping for a further into the future look at all three of these couples. The ending I got was really just an happy for now which left me a little disappointed.
~HERO~
MILO...Sigh. Milo was OK. I preferred his character in the first two books. In this one, he came across too wishy-washy. Especially in his inner thoughts. I wanted him to be the bada$$ sadist he was in the first two books. That said, he had a few moments (few and far between as they were) that I got glimpses of the sadist Milo, so he wasn't a complete wash. I also loved that he was all about Alice (no OW) once they reconnect.
~HEROINE~
ALICE...What can I say, I struggled with Alice's character as well. I prefer my heroes to do the chasing so I got a bit annoyed with Alice doing all the chasing. I really wanted her to say; "You know what? You don't want to try to have a relationship with me, fine. I'll go find someone who will". Obviously, there wouldn't have been a book if that happened, but it would have been nice for Milo to at least ONCE be pushing for a relationship instead of Alice always throwing herself at him. C'est la vie.
~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There weren't all that many secondary characters in this one. We see a little of both couples from the previous books. We also see a bit of both Milo's and Alice's parents, but this was a more main character driven book.
~HEAT LEVEL~
Medium. There are a handful of spicey scenes in this one. Some are pretty hardcore. Actually, pretty much all of them are hardcore. This couple actually never has "sweet" sex, which wasn't an issue for me. Milo is a sadist, so we get a lot of pain. Whipping. Tying up. Nipple and clit clips. Anal, etc. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of scenes in the Gallery. Again, because of how Milo was portrayed in the first two books I was expecting more.
~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~
Highish. Milo pushes Alice away a lot and is a jerk quite a few times. That said, there is no OW drama or OM drama. Milo is not with any other women after he reconnects with Alice. Although, he does go to the Gallery and attends a B-day party gang bang (but doesn't take part). Neither were virgins. Just as a side note, can I just say how tired I am of the cliché "pushing 40 years old player that never had a serious relationship and sleeps with a different woman every week." hero. <--- If you are pushing middle-aged and still f-cking everything that walks having never had a single relationship, most women are not going to look at you with lust in their eyes. They are going to be wondering WTF is wrong with you (lol).
~IN THE END~
So yea, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed it, but it had quite a few things that left me MEH. I struggle with both main characters (especially Milo). Maybe my expectations got the better of me (shrug). That said, the series overall was pretty damn good. This author is a fantastic writer. This book was fast paced and the plot engaging. Therefore yours truly is going to give this one a solid thumbs up.
beckiebookworm1974's review
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-4/6/18
I'm a big fan of Annabel Joseph's books and though not my favourite of her works I still really enjoyed "Dangerous Control"
So first this can totally be read as a stand-alone; no issues whatsoever.
There are three books in this series all set around the gallery; a secret BDSM club with its own set of exclusive rules.
In this instalment, we are re-introduced to Milo; who is a hard-core sadist and dominant.
This is one story I was looking forward to and I did find this very entertaining.
There were just a few teeny issues that Pulled my enjoyment down slightly; I still found this a great read but with a few tweaks this would have a higher rating from me.
So here we have Milo and Alice.
As I said earlier Milo is a sadist and he has been in awe of Alice most of his life; placing her on an unreachable pedestal he loves and worships her from afar.
Alice; La La growing up has loved Milo forever but has no idea whatsoever of his perversions and kinks.
Family friends; who have literally grown up together; both from a musical background these two have so much in common.
There love for each other and violins being a start; Milo plays and builds them; Alice is a musical prodigy.
I was wholeheartedly rooting all the way for these two.
So my issues here; I would have maybe liked Milo to be a bit more pro-active in his attraction to Alice.
She was the one who seemed to do most of the pursuing; which Is fine; I'm a modern woman and all; it just seemed to me that she was doing the majority of the chasing at the expense of her self-respect.
Don't get me wrong as a reader I was aware of Milos affections towards his lovely La La.
But considering he was constantly pushing Alice away she obviously wasn't aware of his inner thoughts at all; she's hardly a mind reader.
I was cringing a bit at her blatant honesty in regards to the constant rejection Milo sent her way.
And even when these two finally did connect; I was still slightly annoyed that he just couldn't take Alice's affections at face value.
Questioning and analyzing everything she said and did and acting all soft.
I like me a good old sadist in my fiction and got to say; I was a trifle disappointed in Milos wishy-washy demeanour; when he just let himself go; he shone and came totally into his own; it was magical to perceive; But when he got all guilt filled I just wanted arsehole Milo back; I liked him so much better than the lighter less sadistic version.
Despite my above gripes I still found this a worthy contender in BDSM fiction.
"Dangerous Control" was kinky as hell and hot as fuck.
The sexual antics between Milo and Alice were hardcore in their intensity.
There was nothing sweet about there interactions in the bedroom.
Milo shows his passion through pain and Alice though a novice to the scene revels and grows within Milos sadistic arms.
The then contrast in his actual feelings is obviously the reason he struggled so much in his attraction to Alice; wanting to love her but also hurt her; he finds this abhorrent and wants to save her from himself.
We also get the added bonus here of reconnecting with our previous couples; that was a nice touch.
I've read one of the other books but still need to read the second.
Got to mention as well before I go "Fuckable Hair" OMG; I have never heard a hairstyle actually described that way; so made me smile that.
So while this was not my favourite in the Gallery series I still really enjoyed myself here.
A greatly enjoyable read.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of "Dangerous Control (Dark Dominance, #3)" of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
thesassybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~I have enjoyed this series quite a lot, but this book was probably my least favorite of the three. I ADORE a good sadist, and in the first two books, Milo was just that. Alas, in this one, we barely get any glimpses of the Milo from the first two books. In fact, I kind of felt he spent most of this book being a whiny douche. That said, it was still a very well-written book. It was fast-paced and on the shorter side with it clocking in at just under two hours of reading time. It was told in a dual POV format. Last, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. Being that this was the series finale book I was hoping for a further into the future look at all three of these couples. The ending I got was really just an happy for now which left me a little disappointed.
~HERO~
MILO...Sigh. Milo was OK. I preferred his character in the first two books. In this one, he came across too wishy-washy. Especially in his inner thoughts. I wanted him to be the bada$$ sadist he was in the first two books. That said, he had a few moments (few and far between as they were) that I got glimpses of the sadist Milo, so he wasn't a complete wash. I also loved that he was all about Alice (no OW) once they reconnect.
~HEROINE~
ALICE...What can I say, I struggled with Alice's character as well. I prefer my heroes to do the chasing so I got a bit annoyed with Alice doing all the chasing. I really wanted her to say; "You know what? You don't want to try to have a relationship with me, fine. I'll go find someone who will". Obviously, there wouldn't have been a book if that happened, but it would have been nice for Milo to at least ONCE be pushing for a relationship instead of Alice always throwing herself at him. C'est la vie.
~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There weren't all that many secondary characters in this one. We see a little of both couples from the previous books. We also see a bit of both Milo's and Alice's parents, but this was a more main character driven book.
~HEAT LEVEL~
Medium. There are a handful of spicey scenes in this one. Some are pretty hardcore. Actually, pretty much all of them are hardcore. This couple actually never has "sweet" sex, which wasn't an issue for me. Milo is a sadist, so we get a lot of pain. Whipping. Tying up. Nipple and clit clips. Anal, etc. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of scenes in the Gallery. Again, because of how Milo was portrayed in the first two books I was expecting more.
~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~
Highish. Milo pushes Alice away a lot and is a jerk quite a few times. That said, there is no OW drama or OM drama. Milo is not with any other women after he reconnects with Alice. Although, he does go to the Gallery and attends a B-day party gang bang (but doesn't take part). Neither were virgins. Just as a side note, can I just say how tired I am of the cliché "pushing 40 years old player that never had a serious relationship and sleeps with a different woman every week." hero.
~IN THE END~
So yea, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed it, but it had quite a few things that left me MEH. I struggle with both main characters (especially Milo). Maybe my expectations got the better of me (shrug). That said, the series overall was pretty damn good. This author is a fantastic writer. This book was fast paced and the plot engaging. Therefore yours truly is going to give this one a solid thumbs up.
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~I have enjoyed this series quite a lot, but this book was probably my least favorite of the three. I ADORE a good sadist, and in the first two books, Milo was just that. Alas, in this one, we barely get any glimpses of the Milo from the first two books. In fact, I kind of felt he spent most of this book being a whiny douche. That said, it was still a very well-written book. It was fast-paced and on the shorter side with it clocking in at just under two hours of reading time. It was told in a dual POV format. Last, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. Being that this was the series finale book I was hoping for a further into the future look at all three of these couples. The ending I got was really just an happy for now which left me a little disappointed.
~HERO~
MILO...Sigh. Milo was OK. I preferred his character in the first two books. In this one, he came across too wishy-washy. Especially in his inner thoughts. I wanted him to be the bada$$ sadist he was in the first two books. That said, he had a few moments (few and far between as they were) that I got glimpses of the sadist Milo, so he wasn't a complete wash. I also loved that he was all about Alice (no OW) once they reconnect.
~HEROINE~
ALICE...What can I say, I struggled with Alice's character as well. I prefer my heroes to do the chasing so I got a bit annoyed with Alice doing all the chasing. I really wanted her to say; "You know what? You don't want to try to have a relationship with me, fine. I'll go find someone who will". Obviously, there wouldn't have been a book if that happened, but it would have been nice for Milo to at least ONCE be pushing for a relationship instead of Alice always throwing herself at him. C'est la vie.
~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There weren't all that many secondary characters in this one. We see a little of both couples from the previous books. We also see a bit of both Milo's and Alice's parents, but this was a more main character driven book.
~HEAT LEVEL~
Medium. There are a handful of spicey scenes in this one. Some are pretty hardcore. Actually, pretty much all of them are hardcore. This couple actually never has "sweet" sex, which wasn't an issue for me. Milo is a sadist, so we get a lot of pain. Whipping. Tying up. Nipple and clit clips. Anal, etc. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of scenes in the Gallery. Again, because of how Milo was portrayed in the first two books I was expecting more.
~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~
Highish. Milo pushes Alice away a lot and is a jerk quite a few times. That said, there is no OW drama or OM drama. Milo is not with any other women after he reconnects with Alice. Although, he does go to the Gallery and attends a B-day party gang bang (but doesn't take part). Neither were virgins. Just as a side note, can I just say how tired I am of the cliché "pushing 40 years old player that never had a serious relationship and sleeps with a different woman every week." hero.
~IN THE END~
So yea, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed it, but it had quite a few things that left me MEH. I struggle with both main characters (especially Milo). Maybe my expectations got the better of me (shrug). That said, the series overall was pretty damn good. This author is a fantastic writer. This book was fast paced and the plot engaging. Therefore yours truly is going to give this one a solid thumbs up.
sarah_'s review
4.0
This was a great ending to this trilogy, and I'm already eager to see what Annabel Joseph has in store for us next! This one was her usual mix of dirty and sweet, and I really liked both characters, especially Alice.
There were some things I didn't love--I was totally wild about Milo from the start, but after he and Alice finally slept together, his self-tormenting "No, I can't hurt her because I love her!" attitude began to wear on me. Kind of demeaning to the countless women he'd been with before, no? But the buildup and anticipation was completely delicious, that's for sure.
Second, I know that jealous hero is a super common trope in romance novels, so a lot of women must love it, but I'm mostly tired of it, especially with this trilogy repeating the theme of these guys who just love to share women until they meet one they love. I would have been much more into it if we could have seen Milo loving Alice *and* enjoying the shit out of sharing her with other men at The Gallery.
Still, in the end, it's Annabel Joseph and she's just so good, so overall I enjoyed this novel and the whole trilogy. She just does such a good job writing sexy stuff and feelings about that sexy stuff. And she's completely brilliant when it comes to writing the anticipation phase of a relationship. Well worth a read of this is your kind of thing.
There were some things I didn't love--I was totally wild about Milo from the start, but after he and Alice finally slept together, his self-tormenting "No, I can't hurt her because I love her!" attitude began to wear on me. Kind of demeaning to the countless women he'd been with before, no? But the buildup and anticipation was completely delicious, that's for sure.
Second, I know that jealous hero is a super common trope in romance novels, so a lot of women must love it, but I'm mostly tired of it, especially with this trilogy repeating the theme of these guys who just love to share women until they meet one they love. I would have been much more into it if we could have seen Milo loving Alice *and* enjoying the shit out of sharing her with other men at The Gallery.
Still, in the end, it's Annabel Joseph and she's just so good, so overall I enjoyed this novel and the whole trilogy. She just does such a good job writing sexy stuff and feelings about that sexy stuff. And she's completely brilliant when it comes to writing the anticipation phase of a relationship. Well worth a read of this is your kind of thing.
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