Naked
(The Blackstone Affair, #1)
By: Raine Miller
Publisher: Atria
Published: Dec. 21, 2012
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both.
Not sure why but I didn’t fall into this story like I thought I would. It started out good but it felt like the author was trying too hard and the story seemed a bit choppy at times. The sex scenes were nice but I found that a lot of Ethan’s “dirty talk” was a bit too much. He would go on and on about how he felt and what he wanted to do with her that I sort of forgot what they were talking about originally and not in a swoon worthy way. I also found what I would consider a nod to 50 Shades (which for me isn’t a good thing) with an insane amount of texting back and forth.
It wasn’t a horrible read but I wasn’t clamoring to read what happened next. However, I will still give it a go because at the end we are left with a spin that may help change the way the book was going and give it more back story.
All In
(The Blackstone Affair, #2)
By: Raine Miller
Publisher: Atria
Published: Dec. 21, 2012
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
The second part in The Blackstone Affair series! Looming danger. A love worth fighting for. A man who’ll go all in.
Ethan Blackstone has a problem on his hands. He’s broken Brynne’s trust and she’s left him. He’s unwilling to live without her and isn’t giving up—he’s dead-set on getting his beautiful American girl back. The passion between them was explosive, but the secrets they hid from each other are dark and chilling and are powerful enough to destroy their shot at a life together. With political threats now directed at Brynne, Ethan is running out of time and he’ll need to gather all his strength and agility to protect her from the dangers that could take her away from him forever. Will Ethan be able to save Brynne from a past that keeps her locked in fear? Will he ever feel the warmth of her touch, the solidity of her trust again? This is a love-struck man who is willing to do whatever it takes to possess the heart of the woman he loves. He’ll go to any lengths to protect her. He’ll go all in.
Here is the fiery story of what happens when two people surrender to a love so great it can heal the scars of the past and give way to a life of pure, rapturous ecstasy.
In book one we read through Brynne’s point of view but in All In, it’s all done in Ethan’s point of view. I was hopeful that I would enjoy the second story more than the first since we start off with Brynne knowing that Ethan was hired to protect her. However, it isn’t long that they are back together and everything is back to where it was before. Not only is the dialogue still choppy but Ethan is a simpering jealous mess. What was once a rough Special Forces vet, is now more like a 19 year old boy. Not to mention his bedroom lines read more like something from “Smooth Talking for Dummies”. And I think that’s what got me. The dialogue seemed incredibly fake that I found myself skipping over the long talk sessions and just trying to get back to the story and that is when I decided to just stop.
What little bit of story it did have was not for me. It consisted of bedroom talk and play rather than an actual storyline. Had I known that beforehand, I wouldn’t have read it. I like a solid story with my romance/erotica.
“It happens that way sometimes. You find the one for you and that’s all there is to it. Men have been falling in love with women since time began, son. You just finally made it to the head of the queue.”
