Publication Date: 1/3/2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Erotic Romance
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 1250105412
ISBN-13: 978-1250105417
(Received for an honest review from St. Martin's Paperbacks)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, itunes
Lora Leigh on the WEB: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads
Books in the series:
Bound Hearts
1. Surrender
2. Submission
3. Seduction
4. Wicked Intent
5. Sacrifice
6. Embraced
7. Shameless
8. Forbidden Pleasure
9. Wicked Pleasure
10. Only Pleasure
11. Guilty Pleasure
12. Dangerous Pleasure
13. Secret Pleasure
14. Intense Pleasure
Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from Intense Pleasure, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.
Synopsis:
The brand new, never-before-published novel in #1 New York Times bestseller Lora Leigh's deliciously sexy Bound Hearts series, where one woman must accept--or reject--the love of a lifetime.
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
Her name is Summer, as beautiful and occasionally fierce as her name suggests. Her past has just come back to haunt her, and suddenly she’s not sure who she can trust. Her longtime confidantes Falcone and Raeg seem to have Summer’s best interests at heart. . .but it’s clear that their desire for her still burns between them. Can they find a way to keep Summer safe―or will a bitter rivalry stand in their way?
TOO HOT TO HANDLE
Her name is Summer, as beautiful and occasionally fierce as her name suggests. Her past has just come back to haunt her, and suddenly she’s not sure who she can trust. Her longtime confidantes Falcone and Raeg seem to have Summer’s best interests at heart. . .but it’s clear that their desire for her still burns between them. Can they find a way to keep Summer safe―or will a bitter rivalry stand in their way?
Falcone and Raeg need to work together, now more than ever, if they intend to protect Summer from an old enemy who knows her dangerous secret. When Summer’s identity as a sweet, Southern socialite gets out, the two men must find a way to draw out the ruthless assassin on her trail. . .and keep their illicit romance with her under wraps. But some passions are so intense they can’t remain hidden. What are Falcone and Raeg willing to risk for the woman they both crave like no other, in Intense Pleasure, the next Bound Hearts novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh.
Thoughts:
When many readers think erotic romance, Lora Leigh's name usually comes to mind. Her Breeds series, is one of my favorites, but I had never read any of the Bound Hearts books before. Intense Pleasure is book fourteen in the series, which means I'm starting kind of late and that likely influenced how I felt about this book. If a menage story just isn't your thing, this ain't the book for you! lol. Readers looking for a book that is both passionate and suspenseful will find this one very satisfying.
What I liked:
I really like this author. I have read a ton of Lora Leigh's books and I have to say there are very few that I didn't like. She knows her stuff. When it comes to erotic romance and what the reader needs from the genre, Leigh just seems to get it. It takes a fine line balance to make this kind of romance work. You have to have those intense sexual experiences, but you also have to have some emotional aspects and even a bit of conflict to make the story move. It's not all about the sex, at least for most readers. Leigh often has the scales balanced perfectly for me and I had great expectations for this read.
There is a lot of great stuff in Intense Pleasure, from the menage, three way relationship to psychopathic killers. Writing a great romance between two characters is hard enough, but adding a third to the mix takes some talent. The brothers, Raeg and Falcon are as alpha male as they come. Dominant, protective and very sexy. That's not what I think of when it comes to someone who is good at sharing anything, especially a woman. Leigh not only makes it work, but she makes it believable. Falcon is the charming, funny brother, while Raeg is the dark and broody one. You can guess which one was my favorite. Raeg has a lot of emotional stuff going on and provides a lot of conflict for the story. Yes, they are trying to protect Summer from a killer, but Raeg and his relationship issues still takes center stage.
Summer was my kind of heroine. She is independent and strong. She does what she has to do. Unfortunately, that involved killing someone she loved and thought was her friend. That would take an emotional toil on anyone. I loved her big southern family and the Georgia setting for this one, but more importantly I loved Summer as a character. She did seem a bit needy here and there and that did not seem true to character, but she had her reasons and they were for the most part believable.
What I didn't like:
Oh, the secrets we keep! This book thrives on secrecy. The brothers have secrets. Summer has secrets. There are underlying currents of things not being said that need to be said. I had a bit of a struggle trying to keep it all straight and then when I thought it going to be revealed I still had to wait. I'm not even sure I still have it all right, lol. It was one of those books that I really felt I would have benefited from reading the entire series. There were characters and situations that I felt completely clueless about. And then all the sudden we get a very convenient ending that pulls it all together. I suppose I wanted more revealed in small doses throughout than all at once.
There was a ton of emotional angst and general heart wrenching, shredding and shattering going on. These poor boys were a mess at times. I felt bad for Raeg. I felt bad for Falcon. I felt bad for Summer. Maybe a little less feeling bad for everyone and more feeling glad they were together. I needed a bit less emotional brouhaha and more understanding and communication. I know that without it the book would have suffered, but I still got too much of it.
Bottom Line:
This is a good book. There are some very good points. Sexy brothers. Menage action. Great heroine. But there were some on the negative side too. Too much drama, not enough explanation. Way too many secrets. It kind of balanced itself out, which doesn't surprise me. This author is a master at balance. The sex was great by the way. I've always wondered if one person got left out in this kind of situation lol. Apparently, not! (wink)...
Intense Pleasure is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
#1 New York Times bestseller Lora Leigh is the author of the Navy SEALS, the Breeds, the Elite Ops, the Callahans, the Bound Hearts, and the Nauti series.
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