Publication Date: October 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Pages: Paperback, 400pp
ISBN-13: 9780425243152
ISBN: 042524315X
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Heat)
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Shayla Black (Shelly Bradley) on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter
Excerpt from Belong to Me WARNING: This excerpt is inappropriate for readers under 18 years of age.
Synopsis:
She's undercover and in over her head...
When FBI analyst Tara Jacob's fellow agent and best friend goes missing while investigating a sex ring. Tara goes undercover as a submissive in a Dallas BDSM club called Dominion. But no man can top a woman with Tara's moxie convincingly enough - until an edgy, dangerous Dom takes control of the scene and sets her heart racing with a single, commanding glance. Too bad he's also the man who stole her innocence years ago - and one to whom she will never submit.
He's got everything under control... until he falls for her again.
Navy SEAL, Logan Edgington once left the woman he loved to save her life. He knows Tara will never forgive him, but he has no doubt that he possesses the knowledge to help her master her fears and the strength to guide her through an unfamiliar world of pleasure and pain. He alone can protect her on a dangerous mission that reveals both wicked depravities and terrible secrets. Logan relishes the exquisite torture of holding her again and feeling her uninhibited response. No matter how much Tara insists their fling will end after this mission, he's determined that she will be his once more - and this time, he'll never let her go.
Thoughts:
Shayla black returns with the fifth book in the Wicked Lovers series, stretching the readers horizons with a gritty crime thriller that will leave them breathless. Belong to Me is a taut, edgy contemporary erotic suspense novel, that has enough heat to scorch. Black flexes her descriptive muscles in this novel by taking readers to Dominion, a BDSM club that is filled with strong men who are unafraid to take what they want. Without going too far, Black pushes the limits with this gripping novel that brings two highly expressive characters back together when it seems they were destined to live a life of loneliness.
Lead character Tara Jacobs has her hands full when she takes on a field assignment that requires her to be submissive. But the knowledge she needs is best doled out by a former lover, who will stop at nothing to possess her body and soul. Black has a knack for creating characters that are believable which can be really hard to do with a BDSM storyline. Tara is a strong woman, but probably not quite cut out for the job ahead of her. Readers will sympathize with Tara and her failed attempts at finding the missing part of her life and soar with her as she explores her submissive nature with the only true love of her life. Tara's character has been deeply hurt by Logan in the past and it's amazing to watch her take the risk of letting him get close enough to do it again, yet hoping for something lasting.
Logan is such a great character. Black writes this character with such a heart felt personality. He may be a big bad Dom but he has a heart of gold and readers will literally fall in love with him. The depth of his feelings for Tara were so palpable you could feel his heart ache when she rejects him and his passion is electrifying. Black shows the reader a kind of deep love and passion that is very hard to find in real life, but doesn't make it seem impossible. Logan exudes an aura of command and I think that is really necessary to pull off this character. He is a Navy SEAL which shows his need for excitement and that carries over into his personal life. The passion he feels from his work is reflecting in his sexual preferences. He wants to be in control to push the limits and he makes it very inviting. I wish the book had been longer just to read more about him, he was so interesting.
The suspense aspect of the book was very well written. I did not think that the erotic elements overshadowed the story at all. They meshed well together and enhanced each other. I honestly don't read a lot of contemporary romance, I tend to lean more toward paranormal or historical titles when I want to read romance, and I was highly surprised at the depth of my reaction for this book. I can say that it is easily the best erotic romance I've read this year. I liked the fact that the author doesn't sugarcoat the kinds of things that can happen to women in an increasingly dark world. She also allows the reader to see a different side of the BDSM scene. It isn't all about whips and chains and forcing your will on someone else, it's about the exchange of passion and the deep amount of trust required in this kind of relationship. It was intriguing and I believe readers will be deeply affected by it, if they open themselves up to the possibilities. Excellent novel!
I recommend this one to erotic and contemporary romance fans, as well as mystery and suspense readers who are looking for some passion thrown into the mix. It's definitely not appropriate for younger readers as it has adult themes, language and whole lot of scorching heat. Bring a cool glass of water and fan with you when you start this one, you're gonna need it!
Belong to Me is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Shayla
Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the national bestselling author of 30+
sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for
multiple print and electronic publishers. She lives in Texas with her
husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her "free" time, she
enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
Shayla
has won or placed in over a dozen writing contests, including
Passionate Ink's Passionate Plume, Colorado Romance Writers Award of
Excellence, and the National Reader's Choice Awards. Romantic Times has
awarded her Top Picks, a KISS Hero Award and a nomination for Best
Erotic Romance of 2007.
A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every book.
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