Publication Date: 08/05/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 0425272982
ISBN-13: 978-0425272985
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound
Maya Banks on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Surrender Trilogy
1. Letting Go
2. Giving In
3. Taking It All
Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from, Taking It All, courtesy of the author's website (half way down the page)
WARNING: This is an erotic romance and is not appropriate for readers under 18 years of age.
Synopsis:
“MAYA BANKS…I’M READY FOR THE NEXT RIDE NOW!” SAID USA TODAY. AND NOW, MAYA BANKS IS READY TO DELIVER. FROM THE “MUST-READ AUTHOR” (ROMANCE JUNKIES) OF LETTING GOAND GIVING IN—THE NEW NOVEL IN HER SURRENDER TRILOGY.
In her sensational Breathless Trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks tested the boundaries of desire. In her new trilogy, there’s only one thing left to do: cross them. And for a married couple taking steps to renew their marriage, the consequences of one single moment of inattention may come at a price the husband never expects…
Chessy and Tate have been married for several years. In the beginning, their relationship was everything she wanted. Passionate. All-consuming. She offered her submission freely and Tate cherished her gift with a tenderness that made her feel safe. Content. Wanted. Loved beyond all measure. But as the years have gone by, Tate has become more immersed in making his business a success, and Chessy has taken a back seat to his business obligations. Growing unhappy with the status of their once blissful marriage, Chessy knows that something has to give, or they stand to lose it all.
Tate loves his wife. Has always loved her. Providing for her has always been his number-one priority. But lately she’s seemed unhappy, and he’s worried. Worried enough that he arranges for a night together that he hopes will reignite the fire that once burned like an inferno between them.
But a business call at the wrong time threatens everything. Chessy’s safety, his concentration, his wife’s faith in him as her husband—a man sworn to love and protect her above all else. Gutted with the realization that he’s going to lose her—has already lost her—he readies for the fight of his life. Whatever it takes, he’ll get her back, show her that nothing is more important than her love. And that if she’ll allow him to prove himself one more time, he’ll take it all. Everything. But he’ll give back far more: Himself. His undying love.
Thoughts:
Author Maya Banks concludes her Surrender Trilogy with the final book, Taking It All. This is not your typical BDSM read! Banks takes readers beyond their comfort zones in more ways than one with this book. She uses raw emotion and passion to bring Tate and Chessy's story to life. It's all about what happens after, the happily ever after. Readers who are expecting the usual man meets woman, falls in love and rides off into the sunset story, are in for a surprise. This book is crammed full of emotion and drama, taking the reader on a whirlwind journey they won't soon forget!
What I liked:
Maya Banks is probably one of my favorite erotic romance writers. She has always had a knack for knowing what the reader wants to read about and how to show alternative lifestyles in an acceptable way. Her books are some of my favorites because she doesn't sugarcoat the obstacles and she doesn't put everything in a nice little wrapped up package. She is brave and confident in her writing and she isn't afraid to take the heat when some readers don't agree with her choices. I think that is very apparent in her latest book, Taking It All.
In this novel Maya stretches the boundaries of what readers might find acceptable. She takes the issue of trust and bares it wide open for the reader. The truth about things is often hard to take and I think Banks played on that idea in this book. Some readers might find it a little too much, but I think if you give it a chance you might be surprised at what it can reveal about your own idea of what trust is.
I loved the fact that she was thinking outside the box with this entire story. She gives readers non-typical characters, in that her couple in Taking It All has been married for awhile. They aren't the starry-eyed lovers who think nothing will ever change how much they love each other. Time has passed since their happy-ever-after and it's becoming obvious that sometimes life gets in the way of love. Just because their relationship involves BDSM, does not make it any less susceptible to trust and neglect issues. Banks does a fantastic job of making this abundantly clear to the reader early on.
Banks also brings this series to a complete conclusion. Not only do readers get to find out what happens to the main characters in this story, but all the couples form the previous two books in the series. I thought that was a nice touch. Bank doesn't just gloss over the other couples, but gives them a leading role.
What I didn't like:
I will be the first to say that there are some topics that I prefer not to read about in any context, BDSM or otherwise. But I think sometimes there is only one way to make a point. The main character, Tate has been grossly negligent in his marriage. He has taken Chessy for granted. He has neglected her and he has even broken her trust which is so very important in the kind of relationship they have. I found it hard to like him. I wanted to, because I understood where he was coming from, but once he made the decision to try to do better and make things right, he didn't follow through until something drastic happened. Something drastic had to happen to show his complete disregard for Chessy's feelings, her safety and their marriage in general. It was a necessary evil in this book to show the realism of it. The stark reality of how far something or someone can fall.
Bottom Line:
Overall, I thought Maya Banks did a great job with this one. It was as beautiful as it was harsh. She laid it all on the line and the title was certainly very accurate. I loved her confidence in what she was writing, her bravery and her understanding of how life can take just about everything from you, if you let. I might not have been quite so forgiving of Tate as Chessy was. I felt her pain. If an author can make you feel emotion over a subject, whether it be love, hate, betrayal or pain, they know how write and write well.
Taking It All is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
She lives in the South with her husband and three children and other assorted babies, such as her two Bengal kitties and a calico who’s been with her as long as her youngest child. She’s an avid reader of romance and loves to dish books with her fans and anyone else who’ll listen! She very much enjoys interacting with her readers on Facebook and Twitter, as well as in her Yahoo! Group and on her webiste.
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Taking It All by Maya Banks.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, August 21st.
1. Please leave a comment a situation in your own life where one moment in time changed everything.
2. Please fill out the FORM.
7 comments:
One moment in time completely changed my life. My boyfriend Scott and I had went to the same high school but didn't recognize each other when we meet again many years later. I won't call it love at first sight, but the night I saw him again, I knew there was more to it and I'm happy to say we are still together today 11 years later.
Thanks for the post and your honest review, I enjoyed reading it. One moment that changed my life was years ago. I was having fun living in an apartment with 2 girlfriends and going to college. One night I came home from work and soon the fire alarm went off and we realized the building was on fire. It was a complete loss and we had to move into another building. Lucky for me it was at the same time that a very hot guy was moving into the same building! I am married to him to this day! =D
Getting unexpectedly laid off and being unemployed for two years was a huge shock to me. It really made us reevaluate the important things in life.
Came home from an outing with friends late at nite; decided to check my email and saw a message from a man that I had chatted with over a year ago and decided to see what he had to say; we decided to meet and got married a few years later.
lovesthemets@yahoo.com
can't think of any
One moment in time that changed my entire life was when my husband ask me to marry him. I had to get used to living in a different area, and be around people I didn't know. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com
When I was hospitalized with blood clots in my lungs. Really changed the course of my future and so many things.
Post a Comment