“Do you trust me?” he asked… “Because I need you to trust me.”
We could all be so many things. Victims and criminals. Sinners and saints. Devious and virtuous…
Who was I?
And who the fuck was Dylan?
SQUEEEE!!!! Oh, this book rocked my world!
With it’s sexy mysterious hero, strong feisty heroine, and captivating story, I was addicted to this story from start to finish!! The hero was just the kind of guy I fall in love with the most! He was scarred and sexy… just mysterious enough to keep me wondering, just tortured enough to tug my heart strings, just sweet enough to make me swoon, just dangerous enough to give him an edge, but with that possessive and protective edge that defined him as an Alpha male.
I loved him, I loved her, and I loved the book!!
Ok so first things first. This is how the story was first described to me: “a gritty and erotic romance where a phone call from a mysterious stranger is picked up by the wrong woman and ignites a dangerous game of seduction.” <—— I read that and was SOLD!!
I didn’t think answering someone else’s cellphone would change my life. But the stranger with the low, deep voice on the other end of the line tempted me, awakened my body, set me on fire. He was looking for someone else. Instead he found me.
And I found a hot, secret world where I felt alive for the first time.
His name was Dylan, and, strangely, he made me feel safe. Desired. Compelled. Every dark thing he asked me to do, I did. Without question. I longed to meet him, but we were both keeping secrets. And mine were dangerous. If I took the first step, if I got closer to Dylan—emotionally, physically—then I wouldn’t be hiding anymore. I would be exposed, with nothing left to surrender but the truth. And my truth could hurt us both.
The story begins with the heroine setting up in a trailer park after fleeing her abusive husband. Everything in her life is upside down and she has so much to figure out. But right after she moves in, a phone rings… only it’s not hers. She answers it and that is the first of many times that she talks to Dylan.
“You can hang up whenever you want. Say the word and this is over. But if you want to keep going, it’s my rules.”
I clutched the phone in my hand.
“Yes or no?”
My heart was racing ever since that phone call. I’ll also say that I loved the premise of the story and I loved the first chapter but it was the writing of chapter two that fully made realize that this was going to be an awesome book because we got our first glimpse at Dylan’s life… and he caught my full attention.
I thought the author did a really great job of making Annie a very strong heroine. She reached the point where she was no longer going to allow anyone to control her life, and even though it went against everything she’d ever been tought or conditioned to think, she pushed herself to be stronger every day. I loved the way she didn’t just give in to anyone without questioning things or investigating it for herself. After so long being controlled by other people, I admired her drive to be brave and independent.
And I just could not freaking wait to find out more about Dylan. Ahhhhhhh this guy was so sexy and mysterious and clearly tortured in some way. I luuurve tortured heroes!!! With each new phone call or each little snippet from his POV, I’d piece together tiny new bits about who he was and what his past was but it was never enough to get a clear picture so that just made me read even faster. It was kind of like seeing something out of the corner of your eye — the harder you look, the more it slips away but that just makes you even more desperate to see what it is it!
He was forgetting. She was making him forget.
He came from a long line of villains. And that shit couldn’t be forgotten… He was still the beast. The bad guy in the stories. She just didn’t know it yet. And he was forgetting. He was letting himself forget. Because he’d somehow gotten addicted to the sound of her voice. The way her voice made him feel.
Sometimes it was nice pretending to be the hero.
But it was time to stop.
The thing that impressed me the most about this story was that the author did such an amazing job of building palm-tingling, heart-racing, scorching hot sexual tension between Dylan and Annie even though, for the majority of the book, they’d literally never even met!!!!!! It was seriously impressive! That was the thing that made me the most wary about this story when I first heard about it — building the foundation of a believable relationship literally only over a phone — but it worked SO well!!! I felt their connection just as though they were standing in front of each other.
“Are you safe?” he asked.
The question with it’s implied concern bit into me… Tears burned my eyes. No one had worried about me. Not in a very long time…
“Yes.” My voice was gruff and thick. “I’m safe.”
“You sure?”
I got the sense that if I told him no, that I felt threatened or scared, he would do something about it. Arrive at that metal door to help me.
The temptation to trust him was not insignificant.
But the upside of their physical separation was that it allowed them, well especially her, the freedom to open up to each other in a way that they may never have otherwise done given both of their pasts. Without any physical strings to each other, they could also talk about their most erotic fantasies without any fear of judgment. And let me tell you, it was HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT!!! This is definitely a scorching romance so if you’ve been looking for something sexy and sizzling to read, definitely pick this book up!
The story is told in alternating POVs — hers is first person (and is the majority of the story), and his is third person (making him even more mysterious) and I found the transition between them smooth and very well done. Oh my gosh, this book is filled with amazing quotes! I have so many highlights!
What he heard in her voice told him everything he needed to know about her. That she was scared, but she was trying… In her voice he could hear every dark and forbidden thing she craved. And he wanted to give it to her. Everything she wanted and the things she didn’t know to want, yet.
How far would she go?
She wanted dark? He had all the dark. All of it. And he’d show her every midnight corner of it.
The pacing is really great — the story is always moving forward and there’s never a dull moment. There are twists and surprises, a great sense of community that is build with the supporting characters, a very strong and erotic connection between the main couple, and a really unique plot. I genuinely loved it!
Now, since this is a 2-book series, the number one question I’m being asked is whether this one has a cliffhanger. Technically, yes. But, if you ignore the very last two pages, then it’s more of a hopeful happy-for-now ending. I mean, let’s be honest, the last two pages were thrown in to hook readers into the next book. Like, obviouuuuusly no matter how bad it gets, the issue will be resolved and it’s external to the relationship so *shrug* since things were good between the hero and heroine at the end, I was fine with this ending even though technically it is a cliffhanger (but only because of the last two pages). Also, good news is that the sequel is live!
All in all, I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next. It was sexy, mysterious, intriguing, exciting, thrilling, romantic, sweet, gritty, and addictive. I highly recommend it!
“Hey.”
“You okay?”
I smiled at his familiar opener. “Why do you always ask that?”
“Because it’s the only thing that matters.”
Rating: 4.5 stars. Contemporary Adult romance. 2-book series.
PS: I’ve since read the sequel and thought it was a wonderful conclusion to the series!
_______________________________
*** FULL SERIES ***
Both books are about the same couple.
#1 EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback
#2 THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback
Porsha says
aaaaaaaaaand that’s a one-click for me. thank you!!!
Aestas says
Woohoo!! Very welcome 😀
Rachel says
I was looking for a sexy new romance. Getting this tonight. Thanks!
Aestas says
You’re welcome!! Happy reading 😀