Illicit Education

The Intern's Submission Duet #1

by Jessalyn Jameson

All bets are off the table. And I'm on it. Strapped to it.
Because my cocky new boss isn't just controlling; he's Dominant with a capital D.

Rylan
Cabot Reed is beautiful. Infuriating. Dripping with wealth and power. He’s also my new boss–and the heir to the Reed Enterprises throne.
But when our paths cross outside the office, and I discover that his need to dominate isn’t just a facet of his professional life but the very fabric of his existence, all bets are off the table.
And I’m on it. Strapped to it, in fact.

Cabot
She’s an intern. Green as they come and far too young. She’s also completely consumed me.
From the fire in her eyes to her defiant little mouth, Rylan Blake is all I can think about. Taking her under my wing at work is one thing; showing her the ins and outs of my personal life is another thing entirely–a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Teaching Rylan to submit to me could be my salvation. Or it could crumble the empire I am set to inherit.


Content Warning: BDSM, dubcon, cliffhanger
Not intended for readers under eighteen years of age.

Previously titled ILLICIT and released in June of 2022 as part of the ABC's of Love multi-author series, this story has been rewritten to include dual points of view.

ILLICIT EDUCATION is now the first book of The Intern's Submission and takes place in the same world as the Completely Rocked Series; more specifically, in and out of the underground club, The Rabbit Hole.

Genres: BDSM, Contemporary, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Dark Romance, Workplace

329 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2023

About the author

Steamy Romance Author
Love, Lust, and a little Chaos

Happily ever after... with a little bit of chaos and a lot of heat between the sheets!

Jessalyn Jameson writes sexy, troubled guys and the strong women who love them. The road to happily ever after may not be easy, but it is always worth the wild ride.

When she’s not writing, you can usually find her with a drink in hand and a far-off look in her eyes, always dreaming up her next chaotic couple. Jessalyn resides in Sunny Southern California with her husband, their teen daughter, and a sweet -but-wild rescue dog.

Reviews

[Kade Gulluscio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Can I just say I loved the name Cabot for a character?!
But moving on, this was a spicy hot "romance." There is a LOT of spice, but there is also a really good storyline / plot as well.
There is a cliffhanger, but believe me, this book is so worth the read even with that.
Check it out.

[Flufyundacrakas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is proper chick lit. Not your down and dirty erotica but something much more light hearted. A hot egotistical boss, newbie intern, BDSM club and many laughs along the way. Perfect summer reading.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
3.5 on the spice scale

[Chiara]

This book was so refreshing to read. I had feared the topes would have made it into a cliche, but I was so wrong that I am so happy that I managed to get a copy of this book!

The character development was incredible, especially Cabot. He moved from an hard ass boss to basically a marshmallow to Rylan!

The smut wasn't a lot, but I enjoyed getting there. I thought the BDSM was going to be a lot for me to take, but it was explained and performed with great taste I appreciated also the many talks about consent.

Now I need to see what happened about that lovingly bomb Cabot's dad dropped at the end of the book!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

ILLICICT EDUCTION (The Intern’s Submission)

The story is between Rylan and Cabot. Rylan Blake is the new intern at Reed Publishing. When she runs into a man in an inconvenient way (in desperate need of using the bathroom, knocking loud and incessantly is required), on her way to her first day interview, she knows things are going to be rocky.

When she ends up in the elevator with the same ruggedly handsome man wearing earbuds, she’s sure she’s going to lose her composure. It’s obvious to Rylan that this guy is a rich ‘Thad’ or ‘Chad’, whatever; a trust fund baby for sure. When her heel gets caught on her pantleg, she ends up in the arms of the man who smells so good and makes her knee’s weak. How is this possible?

Cabot Reed is instantly drawn to this woman. So much so, he took the public elevator rather than his express elevator. When he finds the stunning woman in his arms, he isn’t prepared for just how much he likes the beautiful brunette.

When he realizes it’s his new hand-picked intern, he knows he’s in trouble. He still needs to break things off with someone else who knows his secret life and he needs to make sure his father hands off the business to him. In doing this, he can’t act on any attraction he has for Rylan. But he’ll be damned if he doesn’t take their proximity seriously.

Rylan has an unpaid internship so that means she needs to find a paying job. Enter White Rabbit, and very upscale lingerie, adult store with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Also the secret entrance to The Rabbit Hole, a fetish club. In order to work at the White Rabbit, Rylan has to sign an NDA. The people who frequent the club are well known and like their privacy. Rylan agrees and is taken to the Rabbit Hole.

Her surprise at seeing what exactly the club is also enlightening to her. He discovers how much she enjoys what she sees. And then she spots Cabot, or Master Creed. A play on his real name, Cabot Reed.

The two finally give in to their desires and all is well until someone from Cabot’s past comes forward and lets the cat out of the bag. What will this do to the Reed legacy and Reed Romance? Will they be able to handle the scrutiny? How will they face this?

This is the first book in the two book series. It is smart, sexy, funny, emotional and absolutely riveting. I can’t wait for the second book, Point of Contention. I have already pre-ordered it and am counting the day until it’s released.

This was the first book I’ve read of Jessalyn Jameson and boy am I glad I found her and her series. I highly recommend this author and this book.

[Maddison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I was worried that this story would feel cliche due to the tropes however it flowed so well and kept me interested the whole time. It was fast paced, I read it in less than half a day. I adored the character development and wanted more of everything so cannot wait to dive into the second book in this duet. The ending was quite predictable but I liked that in this book, it leads on to a conflict that will be well explored throughout the next book and I cannot wait. The smut was not too much, was tasteful in exploring the BDSM world and added to the plot instead of overruling it, which I really appreciated. It was way better than 50 shades of grey in my opinion and I was hooked. Probably one of my favourite romances I have read this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to reading Jessalyn Jameson's future works.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read from Jessalyn Jameson, and I really enjoyed it. There were a few scenes between Cabot and Rylan that left me speechless and warm. I enjoy the sunshine-grumpiness trope, and Jessalyn was able to execute those two characters with ease.

I immediately purchased the sequel to this novel, and I am excited to start it!

[Jess Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay. Fine. I've made my peace. These books were never meant to showcase anyone's creative brilliance or razor-sharp prose. They exist to get money from readers who want to shut their brains down and enjoy some well-worn tropes. It's hardly as though I'm above mindless entertainment. I can still name every third-tier Laguna Beach character. I relate.

But GOOD GODDAMN. Can you people at least make some of these characters just the teensiest bit likable? How am I supposed to bask in the shamelessness of it all when, within a single chapter, I'm already hoping both the protagonists end up dying in a poorly made submersible? He's an ass, she's a flake, they deserve each other, shut the fuck up.

Of course, only this kind of instahate can lead to a full review. So here we go with Jessalyn Jameson's Illicit Education, first of two installments in her The Intern's Submission duet. The description for the second installment isn't online yet, but we can safely assume it'll involve them breaking up over a misunderstanding; "happening" to run into each other in a public place; letting their genitals do all the thinking from then on; dealing with dark secrets and a homicidal archnemesis; and fucking happily ever after. And there'll probably be a bodyguard in there somewhere. Can't leave that out.



But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We begin with our female lead, Rylan Blake—hello, r/tragedeigh!—desperately needing to take a shit.

...You know, people make jokes about how we rarely see anyone on TV using the bathroom, even when we follow them over every minute of an entire day. Happy now?

Rylan is headed for her first day as an intern at Reed Romance, an imprint of Reed Publishing, a subsidiary of Reed Enterprises, located at Reed Tower. She goes to the lobby coffee shop, presumably Reed Java, to use the bathroom, presumably the Hieronymus J. Reed Memorial Crapper. Even superhero movies are better at naming corporations than this. At both the building entrance and the bathroom entrance, her awkwardness draws the attention of a "tall, dark, and sexy smirker" with "deep blue eyes, intense and dark" wearing "a bespoke gray suit." Guess what his surname is. Go on, guess.

More importantly, his first name is Cabot. Cabot Reed, of the Reedsport Reeds, you know, the ones who live in Reedmont Manor. He's in charge of the publishing company, and he wants all the bad rich people his family knows off his shit. What he wants even more than that is Rylan:

Something about that interaction amused me, but even more intriguing was the way her eyes held such fire when they'd met mine.... I wanted to test that defiance, test her. Find her limits, then make her beg for me to surpass them again and again. My cock jumped at the thought...

All that while she was trying not to look like this?



Yeah, I think you're reading too much into her eye fire, sonny. Her intestinal fire was clearly in charge.

They ride the elevator together and openly ogle each other. Rylan nearly trips over her own pants into the office. Cabot steadies her. He notices that she dropped a romance novel. She gets outraged at his quirked eyebrow and tears a strip off him for his implicit judgment. He's very impressed and doubly horny because she's chosen to argue with him in a professional setting, instead of looking ready to suck his cock right then and there, as the blond who joins them in the elevator does.

You know what would be fun? If she didn't react to him at all. If she acted like every fellow elevator passenger on Earth and spent the whole ride scrolling through her phone. If she gave him nothing to work with. That would throw him for a loop, I bet.

By the way, this elevator ride takes up nearly three chapters.



Cabot uses that day's security sign-ins to find Rylan's name. He recognizes her as the intern he handpicked on account of her "different," "special" application. (As if this man ever sees internship applications.) What makes her so different and special? He doesn't say. Let's just assume she enclosed a lock of brown hair with it. By lunchtime he's sent her a limited-edition gilded copy of her favorite romance author's 10th novel.



But don't worry, Cabot's not going to pursue his young unpaid intern for a sexual relationship. He'd like to, but if the nefarious Roderick Rombauer—another moneyed scion, but, you know, the bad kind—learned about that, he'd use it to bring Cabot down. And you know what? He should.

Besides, Cabot already has a hot brunette secretary. Who is also his regular sub.

Cabot, you idiot.

I wish I could say Rylan starts looking for another job to get out of what's already become a very fucked-up situation. But mostly it's because she needs the money. In their seventh or eighth chance encounter that day, Cabot finds her applying for a coffeehouse job and informs her that she'll be shadowing him instead of the editorial director. No mention of compensation, even though he's surprised when she tells him that interns at his company don't get paid. Not that it matters. The prospect of angry elevator sex is evidently enough for Rylan. And her bestie, Greer, hooks her up with a job at a lingerie store that's partnered with a BDSM club, and they're going to that club this very night.



Even by Kindle Unlimited standards, Jessalyn suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks at building suspense. "I'm so glad I'm going somewhere away from Rylan/Cabot! WHAT?! Rylan/Cabot is here after all? God, I'd love to insert things into Rylan/Cabot. Alas, I cannot make with the insertion, for Rylan/Cabot is so very wrong for me." The endless, yammering club scene plays out like this on a loop, and no insertion ensues. But it's only a matter of when.

Another day of this at the office. Cabot spews big-dick (in both senses of the word) energy. and Rylan handles it with the maturity of a Buzzfeed article about Millennial stereotypes. Finally Cabot admits that he "can't stop thinking about" Rylan. And she says "I believe you have a sexual harassment issue on your hands here, Mr. Reed."



After she inwardly squees over him confirming their attraction is mutual.



And not just because she's a fiery brunette instead of a meek brunette or a gold-digging blonde. It's also because she's really good at books. We've seen her doing some manuscript coverage by now, but we haven't read any of her notes. I'm guessing they include "so hot," "melted my Kindle," and "ALL. THE. FEELS."

At the end of the week, Cabot asks Rylan if she's confident that she can separate her personal and professional lives. When she says she can, he invites her to join him at the club to help him teach a Japanese rope play class, since his subcretary (who hates Rylan, by the way) can't make it. Hey, Cabot, weren't you mentally caning yourself over what a dumb idea it was to hire your sub as your secretary? What do you call this, then?

Need is what he calls it. He's been "testing" her at the office by giving her assignments. Work-related assignments. The kind anyone at the office might get from anyone else on a daily basis. Though she's had a "smart mouth" about a few of those, the fact that she completed those assignments proves to Cabot that she "was born to be a submissive." And even though he's spent his non-Rylan scenes reminding himself to clean up his act, lest the board find a way to oust him, sex with his immature, mouthy intern of informed ability is just too tempting.



There's no ropes class. Cabot just brings Rylan there to make out with her briefly and give her the standard sub agreement. These books have so much paperwork. The mousy 50-something Canadian civil servant who read Fifty Shades on the O-Train—yes, there's a transit system in Canada called the O-Train, and, no, it does not live up to its name—ruined five Winners pantsuits on this crap.

On the topic of Os and trains: It just occurred to me that if these two get married by the end, her name will be Rylan Reed. I could put a GIF here, but the best one would be highly inappropriate.

Cabot dispenses with Stella's services. Some of them, anyway. She picks up immediately that it's because of Rylan, in no small part because Rylan shows up for work the next Monday in an emerald-green bustier.

I once worked for a TV channel managed and hosted almost entirely by former right-wing political hacks. It was still more professional than this place.

Rylan's in. She's doing scenes with Cabot like a pro in no time at all. But they're even sharing meals and trips to the park. So much for separating personal and professional.



It takes Mina, the lingerie store/club's spankmistress general, to yell at them both for being raging idiots. She knows Rylan is Cabot's intern, and employer/employee relationships between partners in her domain is strictly verboten. And they've been doing those scenes in Stella's presence, so they haven't even been discreet about it. But worst of all, she can tell that Cabot hAs NeVeR fElT tHiS wAy BeFoRe, which means he's not about to smarten up now. Rylan is rather indignant about all this:

I bristled at the implication in her words.... Like, somehow, because I wanted him, I was no longer capable of making decisions on my own, or for my own best interest.



Mina snaps at them both to leave. She's going to talk Stella out of any schemes she might have to reveal to the board that an obscenely rich man named Cabot Reed kinks it up with his young nubile employees. And if she didn't have any such schemes yet, well, Mina is about to give her one.

Meanwhile, Cabot and Rylan confess their love and go to his ancestral mansion for some intercourse. They've made it this far down the path of insanity, so why stop now? Indeed, it's far too late to go back on this, because their spankytimes end up on the cover of a tabloid the very next morning.

And here Jessalyn subverts my expectations! There's no third-act breakup after all! Instead there's an ingenious plan from Cabot's father to save both their asses.



Dad tells Cabot about this plan in advance. He blindsides Rylan with it at a press conference. Cabot pretends he didn't know. So now she'll have something to get mad about in the next book. Whee.

[Rhea Morrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illicit Education isn't really my type - written in first-person / dual point of view, and also not something I'm big on reading (BDSM, though I will read it sometimes). However, kudos to Jessalyn for writing characters that kept my attention! Of course, I wanted to smack the immaturity out of Rylan most of the way through the book. And the aloofness Cabot exhibited, too. *That* is what kept me reading - wondering if they were going to get their 'stuff' together. A great story and well-written!

[Booksopi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book.

WOW. I absolutely loved this book. It was very easy to read, and had me hooked! Now I need the second book.
The settings as well as the characters were well chosen. I loved Rylan, her personnality matches perfectly Cabot and make this book very entertaining.
The spicy scenes were chef's kiss.

I would highly recommend it! It is out on the 27th of June (today) so don't hesitate to give this one a go, you won't be disappointed!

[Fae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book 1 of the intern’s submission duet and even though the story takes place in a span of two weeks, the author managed to make it feel like a slow burn. The writing is good and the smut does not over power the plot. Overall this book gets a 3.5 ⭐️ from me and I can’t wait to read book 2 cause the audacity of the MMC’s dad has me wondering how the MCs are going to handle the situation.

Read if you like:
Age gap
BDSM (light)
Workplace romance
Billionaire romance
Insta lust

[WBS-S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous book!

This story was well-written and quite engaging! The characters are fabulous and I feel like I want to have dinner with all of them! I’m excited to now read the second book in this series! Don’t let the title fool you! This was a completely different story that. I thought it would be! Very clever!

[Kristen Bauerle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illicit Education by Jessalyn Jameson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I absolutely devoured this book. I think I read it in 2 days because I couldn’t put it down. The Rylans sass was something to behold and it was amazing seeing her push all Cabbots buttons. I also really enjoyed Cabbot and his whole persona. How he was kind and genuine and yet still somehow the jerk we all love to hate. Their whole dynamic seemed to be a perfect fit for each other, and created a spectacular balance. Their smut scenes together were very well done, filled with passion, adventure and lost of bonding. However, I do feel like we missed a lot of their relationship building because it happened “off screen”. I’m not a huge fan of insta love, and while this book does a great job with that trope, I just wanted to read more of the behind the scenes bonding between them. But everything else was so well done, it remains 4 stars. The spice wasn’t repetitive and I LOVED that we actually got into Rylans head for the Shibari scene. I personally do not practice the lifestyle so I can’t attest to the accuracy of it, but as a reader of many types of BDSM novels, I thought it was very well done compared to a lot of them. I can’t wait to read the next one! I received my ARC copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

[Summerlynn83_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book from the very start! There wasn’t a meet cute, in fact, the beginning was a very funny/silly need for a potty break that only lead to more awkwardness from Rylan. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a strong female character, but I also adore when they are quirky and full of heart, which we find out Rylan is both.
Cue Cabot Reed, whom gets a front row seat to Rylan’s rough start on her first day as intern and he is more intrigued than I would have expected, but it was that first meeting that set things in motion for an banter and steam filled book that I throughly enjoyed.
Cabot and Rylan break stereotypes of the dorky bookworm and the uptight businessman. The scenes at the Rabbit Hole were entertaining and HOT but it was the one on one intimate moments between Cabot and Rylan that made me fall for them over and over and got me all in my feels. They had witty banter, open and honest conversations and a real connection. I am already using grabby hands for the next one in this series.

[Renee Teague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

I'm loving the connection these two have. Hello curve ball. Looking forward to the next book. You will not be sorry. This story is exceptional.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This caught me by surprise! I went in assuming pure smut/spice but this had plot and character development as well. And wasn’t even insta-burn (but not slow burn either). The writing definitely has personality and was charming and even comical at times. Some things that might bother other readers would be how unrealistic her internship gets, on top of an eventual second job, but I can suspend disbelief for a fun, indulgent story. I personally loved their relationship and how equal it felt

Fans of Sylvia Day Crossfire series and billionaire romances in general would like this one.

Also, I requested before I saw it was a cliffhanger, something I am normally wary of BUT I liked how this one was handled. I’m intrigued enough to want to read the next but not overly annoyed to not have it yet. Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Co-op, and Jessalyn Jameson for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Yeri (wildflowerreader) · Rating 1 out of 5]

h a t e d

Hated it because I hated it and because it sucked. 50 Shades of Grey really brought an era of unnecessary trilogies. That’s it, that’s all I’ve got.

[Lauren]

If you can make it past the first chapter about the FMC having to 💩 so bad that she almost craps her pants in front of the MMC/future boss then go for it.

DNF at 50%

[Sherri Leisure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness gracious… where do I even start. This is the first book I have ever read by Jessalyn Jameson and it definitely will not be the last. Illicit Education is far superior to Fifty Shades of Grey in my opinion. Oh, how I would love to see this on the big screen. Illicit Education is one of my top favorite books that I have read in 2023 and I am so excited to read the sequel. The book had my complete attention from the very beginning and never let go until I read the very last page. Jessalyn made it impossible not to love Cabot and Rylan. I was able to connect with them easily and that is important for this type of book. Talk about intense chemistry - Cabot and Rylan had that in spades. Their intimate scenes were intense and the foreplay leading up to those scenes was just as good. While the book was predictable it still had me on the edge of my seat anticipating each interaction between Cabot and Rylan. This author has gained a new fan after just reading one book and I am more than certain Jessalyn will become one of my favorite authors in this genre.

Cabot is on the cusp of becoming the CEO of Reed Publishing once his father retires. Rylan has earned an internship in the field of editing. These two meet on her first day and the interaction between them does not go quiet the way a new intern would desire. But, one thing is for sure the chemistry between Cabot and Rylan is intense and their fate was sealed from the moment they looked into each others eyes. Rylan's journey into the world of BDSM as Cabot's sub is one you don't want to miss.

I received a free advance review copy for this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anij · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The attraction between us was an actual, palpable force of nature.”

Let me start with a warning. Despite the blurb stating quite clearly that this is a stand alone book, it’s not. This book ends with a cliffhanger and the next part isn’t due to be released until May of next year. I don’t even know if that will be the rest of the story or if there will be even more parts to it. I know some readers don’t mind cliffhangers. I personally don’t care for them. I will sometimes read one but only if the recast of the story is already available. I never deliberately read a cliffhanger before the series is complete. More than that, it annoys me to no end when a writer doesn’t disclose it’s a cliffhanger up front.

As to the book itself, this was an entertaining story. It had a surprising amount of humor in it, something you don’t often see in BDSM romances. Cabot was an interesting Dom and Rylan made me laugh. The scene where she’s googling shibari and ends up on Etsy looking at macramé plant holders was so funny! I loved the interactions between the two of them and thought they were great together. Really my only complaint with this book was the undisclosed cliffhanger ending. Otherwise it was a great story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gets 4 stars for the sheer accuracy and information crammed into one book. No spoilers though.

The plot - this is a workplace romance, with your classic forbidden romance and forced proximity. It is a dark romance simply because of the heavy BDSM aspect surrounding the book. It’s a cliffhanger, as it’s apparently part of a duet? Who knew I guess. The smut was banging, 3/5 on the spice scale only because it was more tension than actual smut. I had a horrid feeling that this was gonna be an awkward ending to the story, hence why it isn’t 5 stars. And the whole “oh no they betrayed me” storyline is so frustrating that I couldn’t tolerate it. However, the focus on consent and informed decisions was such a heavy focus that it brought the book back up to 4 star standing.

The MC - Rylan was a difficult one to love. I hate how in books where people can’t separate certain aspects of their lives and suddenly are ‘overcome’ with the emotions. Unrealistic and the embodiment of Rylan Blake. We get it, homegirl is a hoe.

The male counterpart - cannot lie, the name Cabot makes me wanna tweezer my eyebrows one by one. However, the man himself is a force to be reckoned with. Dominant, grumpy, arrogant and also… able to voice his feelings. Crazy scenes here from a male in a romance novel. Loved him.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is a page turner and absolutely perfect as my holiday read. Smartly written, funny, steamy and with all the feels and I just adore both characters most specifically our heroine Rylan who manages to be almost as kookie and mishap prone as I am.

So, Rylan is the new intern at Reed publishing and - quite literally - falls into the arms of soon to be big boss Cabot Reed after an even more embarrassing start - he of the same company name!

The attraction between the two sizzles despite the slapstick start and the intimacy between the two gave me shivers.

Cabot is a rather interesting Dom so there are elements of BDSM here as Rylan desperately also needs paid employment and finds herself at the White Rabbit Club, but it is all well dealt with.

It is a well worn trope, kookie girl meets uptight billionaire with added age gap but I didn't care as this is a thoroughly entertaining read.

Beware though, it isn't a stand alone and we have to wait until May of 2024 to get the next Rylan and Cabot fix.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but didn't love it.

I really appreciated how the author represented the BDSM lifestyle. It was accurate with either great research or knowledge of it.

Cabot was a man of many facets. He was hot then cold. Harsh and demanding then soft and caring. I didn't mind his many personalities. It's was made me love him. I would be his intern any day.

Rylan... I really couldn't stand her. I usually am annoyed by most FMC. If I'm not, I don't think the book really any good then. With that being said, Rylan annoyed me way too much. I know a lot was her age with her immaturity but it was more than that. And the whole not being able to think around Cabot's scent was a little over the top. I get it, the man smells great. Appreciate it a couple times and move on.

My biggest grievance was with Rylan's best friend, Greer. Her response when shit hit the fan was just ignorant. Thinking Rylan was forced into something when she knows that anything that happens has consent.

I hope a few questions I have are answered in book two because I felt like some issues/aspects were either brushed under the rug or will be resolved in book two.

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illicit Education is an expanded re-release of a novella previously titled Illicit. The age-gap office romance is now told from both main characters' POVs. I thoroughly enjoyed Rylan's tongue-in-cheek account, which has a lot of funny moments that had me laughing out loud. Unfortunately, I found myself unimpressed with Cabot, who came across as self-centered and arrogant for a good part of the book. There's explosive chemistry between them and it's their acting on it that causes a chain of events that have the potential to destroy their lives. There seems to be a handy solution - but will it work? That answer will have to come in the second part of the duet!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily and honestly leaving a review.

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I usually don't deviate from my usual genre when it comes to reading, but the cover really drew me in with this one so I had to read. Boy oh boy, was I surprised with this one! Rylan is a very determined, driven, and energetic main character that did not take any BS... until you add Cabot, our inflated ego of a CEO (and very handsome individual) into the mixture. They cannot help that they are attracted to each other but obviously don't want to be and we are off to the races with this steamy story, ya'll. We are left with the opportunity for a sequel at the end, and I believe there will be one.. I suspect I will tune in for that as well.
Very good read, and I am glad I gave it a go.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book, I did not expect it to begin with a humorous bathroom scene, but it set the tone for future interactions between Rylan and Cabot. After securing an unpaid internship working for her ideal company and CEO, Rylan also needs paid employment and stumbles upon a BDSM club. On the outside, Cabot wears the perpetual, entitled smirk and never loses control. However, around Rylan, the Dominant can't seem to stay away. The romance was sweet, the kink was mild and Rylan may have started out as the girl next door, but not after getting a whiff of Cabot. I would have loved to have read his point of view throughout their romance.

[Bibliophile Unicorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well well well! Isn’t this the interns cliché!

I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that the BDSM life kind of just fell into her lap! Cabot in the other hand drives me a bit crazy because is so contradictory! He is supposed to be this strict, proper business man but he makes the biggest mistake at mixing pleasure and business (And I’m not talking Rylan but his previous sub) and the way we ended it and started with Rylan it felt too fast!

The spicy scenes were good! I was expecting a bit more in terms of character development but this is relatively a small book so maybe in the next!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Single POV from Rylan. After nailing her dream internship, Rylan has an awkard run in with her boss, although she doesn't know it. Since the internship is unpaid, she needs a second job, which she secures at White Rabbit. After Rylan is introduced to the BDSM world, she knows she wants more. Is she ready for the man who wants her or will she run? We have a guest appearence by someone from the Completely Rocked Series... but you have to read to find out who.
*I received this book as an ARC copy and voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Mia Orozco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected

Meeting Jessalyn Jameson in person and getting to know her writing style is what makes these reviews so important and helps her basically get what I’m looking for right in terms of a good book.

***No Spoilers***
I totally thought I was gonna read a very hot and naughty romance book, but right from the beginning Jessalyn had me laughing my butt off with Rylan Blake’s shenanigans and with the haughtiness Cabot Reed seems to push ALL her buttons.

Can’t wait for book 2 Complicit.