Review: Crash Into You

Crash Into You (Loving on the Edge - Book 1) by Roni Loren


Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Erotic Romance, BDSM
Pages: Paperback, 323pp
ISBN-13: 978-0425245248

ISBN: 0425245241

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Heat)


Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Roni Loren on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter


Books in the series: Crash Into You (2012), Melt Into You (2012)


CoverArt: Click on the picture for a larger, clearer picture of the covers in this series. 

Excerpt from Crash Into You (WARNING: this excerpt is not appropriate for readers under 18 years of age.)


Synopsis:


Her heart won't forgive, but her body can't forget...


Brynn LeBreck has dedicated herself to helping women in crisis, but she never imagined how personal her work would get, or where it would take her. Her younger sister is missing, suspected to be hiding from the cops and criminals alike at a highly secretive BDSM retreat - a place where the elite escape to play out their most extreme sexual fantasies. To find her, Brynn must go undercover as a sexual submissive. Unfortunately, The Ranch is invitation only. And the one master who can get her in is from the darkest corner of Brynn's past. 


Brynn knows what attorney Reid Jamison is like once stripped out of his conservative suit and tie. Years ago she left herself vulnerable, only to have him crush her heart. Now she needs him again. Back on top. And he's all too willing to engage. But as their primal desires and old wounds are exposed, the sexual games escalate - and so does the danger. Their hearts aren't the only things at risk. Someone else is watching, playing by his own rules. And his game could be murder.


Thoughts:


Crash Into You is the debut novel by Roni Loren. It is the first book in the erotic romance series, Loving on the Edge. Loren brings readers a contemporary romantic suspense novel with erotic overtones that will get the heart pumping and the blood flowing in all the right places! Loren explores the BDSM scene against the back drop of an elitist retreat known for it's discretion and fulfillment of some of the more base and dark fantasies of it's patrons. But, The Ranch, isn't all fun and games, when they are at their most vulnerable, they find there is a killer in their midst. 

Not only is this book a first in a series, but it's also a debut novel, which generally means the writer is still learning the ropes and I tend to be a little more lenient in my review, but that was completely unnecessary with this book. Roni Loren has crafted a novel that is satisfying on so many levels. Everything from the character development to the setting was spot on with this one. Loren obviously knows her d/s (dominant/submissive) p's and q's. And her impression of what a BDSM retreat should be all about was totally believable. Readers who are looking for a book that is both emotionally riveting as well as scorching hot, need look no further.

I was hesitant when I first picked this one up for a few reasons. When I'm thinking about reading a romance, whether it's mainstream or erotic I tend to pick books with a more historical setting. It's not that I don't like contemporary tales, it's just a preference. But if more of them were like this one, I might have a change of heart. Set in the here and now, Crash Into You focuses on issues that any couple might face today. From previous heart break to the all too real affects of a rape. The setting was incredibly important to the overall story. Loren's use of setting was most apparent in her choice of how to set up the BDSM retreat she needed to complete the story arc she had created for Brynn and Reid.


Loren's characters were complex and very engaging. Brynn is a very no-nonsense, world weary young woman. She grew up way too fast and had more on her plate than anyone should. She was the one in control, always helping those around her, her mom, her sister, and never taking time for herself and her own needs. She was a character that will resonate with readers who have seen more than their fair share of heartache. Loren drew me in with Brynn in a deep way. She was the just the right kind of person to take pleasure and gratification from the submissive role she is placed in. I thought Loren did a fantastic job with her character. Showing her vulnerability in a way that was unexpected and came across as very genuine. 

I have to admit that I really loved Reid. Here you had a guy who had everything. Money, good looks, a career that offered him a chance to show his intelligence and keen sense of purpose. But, just below the surface of control that he shows to the outside world, he is simmering, holding onto his control so hard that his body literally shakes with his own desires. I loved the barely contained power that emanated from this character. When he lets go and lets his darker, edgier desires come to light he is beyond sexy. 

A book like this can challenge the readers idea of what the dominant/submissive relationship is all about. I think some people think it's all about someone wanting to possess or own another person, and there is an element of that in this kind of relationship but it is certainly not the main focus. I think Loren did a fantastic job of showing the complete trust that develops between people who show each other a side of themselves that is so deeply personal. It was a beautiful thing to read!

I recommend this one to erotic romance readers who like a little bit of adventure and suspense with their sexual exploits. Crash Into You not only has the sexual aspect of things nailed, but the suspense is riveting. The story doesn't rely on the sizzling scenes to pull the story ahead, they are more of by product of the intensity of the story line, which is a good thing in my opinion. I don' t like a book that reads like a porn video. I think there needs to be a significant story and Loren has it down with this one. The twists and turns were sometimes completely unexpected and that was really satisfying. In short... I liked this one a lot! Can't wait for book two later this year!

Crash Into You is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

 

Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. After earning a master’s degree in social work from LSU, she worked in a mental hospital, counseled birthmothers as an adoption coordinator, and did management recruiting in her PJs. But she always returned to writing.

Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars concerts. Her debut novel, CRASH INTO YOU, will be published by Berkley Heat January 3, 2012!