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Dark Nights #2
Don't Let Go
Junior FBI Agent Samantha Holmes is assigned the case of a lifetime, along with an enigmatic new partner, Ian Hennessy. She's determined to prove herself to the bureau legend, but late nights and stolen moments lead to more than respect. They lead to desire, and soon she's fallen for the one man forbidden.
Together they hunt for the FBI's most wanted man. A criminal. A psychopath. But when they get close, Samantha may end up prey instead. She must face her dark past to stay alive--and to protect the man she loves.
Don't Let Go is a dark erotic novel that contains dubious consent and captivity. Not intended for those under eighteen or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.
Together they hunt for the FBI's most wanted man. A criminal. A psychopath. But when they get close, Samantha may end up prey instead. She must face her dark past to stay alive--and to protect the man she loves.
Don't Let Go is a dark erotic novel that contains dubious consent and captivity. Not intended for those under eighteen or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2013
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1967 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
November 23, 2013
3.5 thought-provoking but HUH? stars
I read Wanderlust a while back and absolutely LOVED it, so imagine my excitement when I found out the author has a “dark erotica” series! It's supposed to be:
Dark?
Kidnapping?
Dubious content and maaaaaaaaay have some Stockholm syndrome plus kinky business going on?
Well, this lady is SOLD! Especially with the first few lines…
“There were lies people told you. Like when the case worker said, ‘You’re going to love your new home, Samantha.’
Then there are lies you tell other people. ‘My father passed away.’
But the darkest lies were the ones you told yourself. They lurked in the shadows of your subconscious, undermining you and twisting your perceptions. They hid the answers in plain sight, right when you needed them most.”
...but I didn’t feel it. I mean, this book was certainly twisted, but not dark nor erotic in my standards. Then again, I’ve read countless number of books that truly mindfucked the brains out of me so this one was…tamer compared to others. While certain twists and turns left me ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘ahh-ing,’ the feeling I got the most was confusion. I felt mind-boggled. And lots of ‘huh?’ This is exactly what I looked like:
Now let me try to explain...
This is one of the rare books where I valued the intellect of characters over the romance (GASP, I know!!!). Don’t get me wrong, I totally dig kinky sex, but here, in this book , I was WAY more interested in the thought processes and reasoning behind characters’ actions. The analyzing, the internalizing, and the projecting, I devoured it all.
“Every criminal, every man, every woman can be dangerous if their back’s against the wall. If you’re standing between them and something they want, you’re the enemy. Pretending otherwise, pretending you can be safe, is just a way to get yourself killed.”
“Like Peter Pan, he could fight and put on a good front, but he was just a boy at heart, never quite grown up. And who did that make me? Wendy Darling, thrust into a world she was unsuited for, in constant need of saving.”
“Only then did I realize the mockery he’d made of sex. Using the flogger to mimic a lover’s exploration. Blocking my senses. Using an object on an object, like making a doll fuck another doll.”
These scenes? I absolutely CRAVED. I just love it when the book makes me think, and makes me see behind the scenes so this aspect of the story? 5+ stars!
Now here comes the not-so-glowing part. I’m just going to say it: the character development is a big bummer. Most of the time it was very contradictory, and I honestly had no clue how to reconcile the personalities the author presented. Let’s start with the heroine Samantha.
Samantha
She’s a junior agent BUT she’s described as “top of her class” and an agent who can “outrun and outshoot every one of [her] male counterparts.” That’s pretty impressive for a rookie.
She’s also “heartless.” She can’t be “swayed by a bribe or intimidated by some crony..”
Yet when she’s sent out to her missions, she’s the complete opposite. She truly acts like the junior agent she’s branded as, and got a little too helpless for my tastes. Each spoiler tag details the differences between what she’s described as, and what she acts like.
I don’t know if it’s because of her naïveté or controversial personality, but Samantha was a mood killer in this book. On a scale from 1-5, she rates a 2.
The "hero" Ian Hennessy
This guy is a BUNDLE of contradictions. This is what he’s described as:
“Ian is one of our best agents. He’s closed a hell of a lot of cases. The Di Mariano family. And the Mencia? Maybe you’ve heard of it. Big jewel heist in Manhattan. A lot of high-profile cases, and now he’s going to give this one a try.”
Ian responds to that statement by saying:
“I’m not going to try. I’m going to close the case.”
Whenever he’s in a room, Samantha and others feel his ferocity. The shivers start. The trembling begins. Everyone’s jumpy and careful around him. The main problem I had with his character was how quick and fast he fell in love with Samantha when he's depicted as a guarded man. Right from the beginning, whenever he looks at her, he has a “soft gaze” for her, and isn’t really as cold or harsh to her as he is towards everyone else. This “insta-love” between the two caught me unawares, partially because there wasn’t much romantic development between them that I could pinpoint. It was mainly directing heated stares to each other and only after Samantha was when Ian suddenly developed more feelings for her. I just couldn’t make the connection here.
The ending left me raising eyebrows because it was like okaaaaaaay, that’s it? I didn’t feel like their story ended, and the scene it ended on wasn’t a place where I felt satisfied in letting the characters go. And the biggest question I wanted an answer to, but never got was
A good read, but not one that totally wowed me. However, this book made me super fascinated with Mia's character and her experiences so will I be reading her book?
Rating breakdown
Samantha: 2 stars
Ian: 2.5 stars
Carlos: 4.5 stars
Scenes that made me think: 5+ stars
Romance: 3 stars
Character development/descriptions: 1 star
Final rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you Skye for sending me a copy!
I read Wanderlust a while back and absolutely LOVED it, so imagine my excitement when I found out the author has a “dark erotica” series! It's supposed to be:
Dark?
Kidnapping?
Dubious content and maaaaaaaaay have some Stockholm syndrome plus kinky business going on?
Well, this lady is SOLD! Especially with the first few lines…
“There were lies people told you. Like when the case worker said, ‘You’re going to love your new home, Samantha.’
Then there are lies you tell other people. ‘My father passed away.’
But the darkest lies were the ones you told yourself. They lurked in the shadows of your subconscious, undermining you and twisting your perceptions. They hid the answers in plain sight, right when you needed them most.”
...but I didn’t feel it. I mean, this book was certainly twisted, but not dark nor erotic in my standards. Then again, I’ve read countless number of books that truly mindfucked the brains out of me so this one was…tamer compared to others. While certain twists and turns left me ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘ahh-ing,’ the feeling I got the most was confusion. I felt mind-boggled. And lots of ‘huh?’ This is exactly what I looked like:
Now let me try to explain...
This is one of the rare books where I valued the intellect of characters over the romance (GASP, I know!!!). Don’t get me wrong, I totally dig kinky sex, but here, in this book , I was WAY more interested in the thought processes and reasoning behind characters’ actions. The analyzing, the internalizing, and the projecting, I devoured it all.
“Every criminal, every man, every woman can be dangerous if their back’s against the wall. If you’re standing between them and something they want, you’re the enemy. Pretending otherwise, pretending you can be safe, is just a way to get yourself killed.”
“Like Peter Pan, he could fight and put on a good front, but he was just a boy at heart, never quite grown up. And who did that make me? Wendy Darling, thrust into a world she was unsuited for, in constant need of saving.”
“Only then did I realize the mockery he’d made of sex. Using the flogger to mimic a lover’s exploration. Blocking my senses. Using an object on an object, like making a doll fuck another doll.”
These scenes? I absolutely CRAVED. I just love it when the book makes me think, and makes me see behind the scenes so this aspect of the story? 5+ stars!
Now here comes the not-so-glowing part. I’m just going to say it: the character development is a big bummer. Most of the time it was very contradictory, and I honestly had no clue how to reconcile the personalities the author presented. Let’s start with the heroine Samantha.
Samantha
She’s a junior agent BUT she’s described as “top of her class” and an agent who can “outrun and outshoot every one of [her] male counterparts.” That’s pretty impressive for a rookie.
She’s also “heartless.” She can’t be “swayed by a bribe or intimidated by some crony..”
Yet when she’s sent out to her missions, she’s the complete opposite. She truly acts like the junior agent she’s branded as, and got a little too helpless for my tastes. Each spoiler tag details the differences between what she’s described as, and what she acts like.
I don’t know if it’s because of her naïveté or controversial personality, but Samantha was a mood killer in this book. On a scale from 1-5, she rates a 2.
The "hero" Ian Hennessy
This guy is a BUNDLE of contradictions. This is what he’s described as:
“Ian is one of our best agents. He’s closed a hell of a lot of cases. The Di Mariano family. And the Mencia? Maybe you’ve heard of it. Big jewel heist in Manhattan. A lot of high-profile cases, and now he’s going to give this one a try.”
Ian responds to that statement by saying:
“I’m not going to try. I’m going to close the case.”
Whenever he’s in a room, Samantha and others feel his ferocity. The shivers start. The trembling begins. Everyone’s jumpy and careful around him. The main problem I had with his character was how quick and fast he fell in love with Samantha when he's depicted as a guarded man. Right from the beginning, whenever he looks at her, he has a “soft gaze” for her, and isn’t really as cold or harsh to her as he is towards everyone else. This “insta-love” between the two caught me unawares, partially because there wasn’t much romantic development between them that I could pinpoint. It was mainly directing heated stares to each other and only after Samantha was when Ian suddenly developed more feelings for her. I just couldn’t make the connection here.
The ending left me raising eyebrows because it was like okaaaaaaay, that’s it? I didn’t feel like their story ended, and the scene it ended on wasn’t a place where I felt satisfied in letting the characters go. And the biggest question I wanted an answer to, but never got was
A good read, but not one that totally wowed me. However, this book made me super fascinated with Mia's character and her experiences so will I be reading her book?
Rating breakdown
Samantha: 2 stars
Ian: 2.5 stars
Carlos: 4.5 stars
Scenes that made me think: 5+ stars
Romance: 3 stars
Character development/descriptions: 1 star
Final rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you Skye for sending me a copy!
January 2, 2014
***1.5 stars***
I'm going straight to the point.
What I liked:
1. The idea behind the story. The book had all the elements to be a potentially great dark read.
2. Carlos. There was something there.
What I didn't like:
1. The cover. Heroine in this book describes her hands as small, soft and delicate. But look at that paw on the cover!
2. Romance and chemistry between the two main characters, or lack thereof. No build-up. She fell in love with him after one grouping session in the closet. They never went on a date, never had heart-to-heart conversation to get to know each other better. Her feelings for him were based only on observations of him. And there weren't that many of them. She had a two (?) meetings with him, and went to one interrogation with him, before she started having 'feelings' for him. During that time they exchanged only couple of sentences.
Not only there is nothing erotic going on, there is barely any romance at all. After one of their bickering sessions he pulls her into a closet, gropes her a little and kisses her. Not only it was out of the blue and random, there were nothing that happened before that that would indicate that things were heading that way. From where I was reading, the kiss felt awkward and wasn't all that, at all.
As for the kiss, I'm going to say this: A real man is not afraid to kiss a woman in public. And if he want's to kiss her 'properly', he will take her home and kiss her the way she deserves. That whole closet scene... No.
By the time I got to the 'erotica' (-ish) part, I couldn't care less about any of the characters.
3. Confusing genre. According to my device the book is 289 pages long, but for the first 119 pages nothing interesting happened. If I look at this story as a mystery thriller I could have a few good things to say, but I really don't know what this book is.
The first 40% of the book was all about this big case that our H and h wanted to solve. They are about to take down Americas most wanted criminal. They have a big problem, because no one has ever seen how the bad guy looks like. There is a lot of bickering between them. She is pissed that he doesn't want her on the case, because she is a rookie, and he is annoyed that she is on the case, because she's a rookie. They disagree on how things should be done.
It was constantly reminded that she graduated on the top of her class, meaning she is good, or at least suppose to be good at her job. Yet, when she goes to question Carlos ex-'girlfriend', she fails to ask the most important question: tell me how he looks like. Do you have any pictures of him? All she asks her is to tell her about who he is, she needs to understand the man better, who he is inside. Why in the hell is this important? They knew the day and location where he was suppose to be. Catch the fucker and get to know him in the interrogation room. How about that? Her investigation skills sucked ass.
4. Procrastinating heroine. Dear God, her inner self analyses were loooong and booooring, and came out at most inappropriate times. Every time she was in the middle of an interesting conversation, she would just dose off and start thinking of her father, remembering and comparing herself to some tree, then back thinking about her father again. By the time she came back to present, to the conversation, I've lost the connection to the scene and the characters in it. It kept happening every single time she was doing something or talking to someone, and I would disconnect every time. So frustrating. It prevented me from fully connecting to the story and the characters. One minute she was here, and the next, gone. Then a page later she would be back and he would be either telling her something, asking her something, fingering her or flicking her clit. And by that point I was whatthehellever.
5. The gazillion pointless questions. "But I already knew that, didn't I? He was right, wasn't he? You will make up for it, won't you? It was too late, wasn't it? He did, didn't he? I was, wasn't I? Had I known all along? Had I suspected it?" Ugh!!! It went on, and on, and on, through out the whole book. There were 562 questions asked in total!
***WARNING SPOILERS***
6. Him breaking her. Uhm, nope. The carefully planned take down goes horribly wrong and she gets kidnapped by infamous Carlos. He keeps her for 3 days, blindfolded and tied. Whips her couple of times and gives her gazillion orgasms. On the third day, one of his men makes a mistake and she escapes. There is no fuss, no fighting. She simply gets up, while the man is in the bathroom, walks out of the room, find a phone, call 911 and takes off. Easy peasy. So much for him being "a criminal mastermind", huh?
After that, for the rest of the book, she keeps thinking how he broke her and how he trained her well. I can imagine that being kidnapped, even for three days is traumatic enough, but to completely break a person and train her that well? Uhm, okay?
And then she goes on and on about how during those three days in captivity he managed to show her her true self. There wasn't a single sign about her being even slightly into BDSM, but after she escapes, it's all she thinks about.
But wait, there is this 'other' guy that she's in love with, her partner, Ian. Remember, nothing important or profound happened between them (not in my opinion), before that whole kidnapping thing. He never asked her for anything, they never talked about it being a long time thing, but when one evening she shows up at his door, wanting for him to make her feel normal, to forget about the horrors she experienced, he is all "Let me in,' he murmured 'Let me in." Like he have asked that a thousand times before, but she never did.
And then they made sweet, sweet love. So much for dark erotica.
***END OF SPOILERS***
7. Show and tell. There was no 'show', only a lot of telling. I only knew that she had feeling for him because she told me so. I only knew 'he' broke her, because she told me so. I only discovered Da Big Secret, because she told me so. There were no signs pointing towards him being the bad guy. And you know how Da Big Secret got revealed? The morning after, our heroine remembered him flicking at her clit in time with the music, a tune she've heard before. And it that moment, when she heard him humming in the shower, it downed on her that that was it, that was the tune he was flicking last night. You have no idea what a hysterically hilarious visual I had in my head :-D.
So in those couple of minutes, while she stood there, putting puzzle pieces together, she thought back about everything what happened. I did not get it. Those so called puzzle pieces made no f-ing sense to me. Yes, those things happened, but I never got that "OMG, that makes sense" feeling, only "What? WTF?" I never felt like I figure who he was together with the heroine, she just suddenly blabbed it out and started 'connecting dots' which were random. A lot of those things anyone could have done it, it didn't point specifically to him.
***WARNING SPOILERS***
She storms off with the attitude "The shit is about to go down!". Runts to the Bureau to tell on him. Because "I owed that to the Bureau, didn't I?" :-D. And... Ends up covering for his ass! Because... She loves him!!! Makes up some bull about Carlos sending her his cellphone in the mail. Which no one questions nor investigates.
Then there are more memories of her father, him molesting her and how much she enjoyed it. Thank God, her lover knew that, knew that she was abused as a child and craved abuse as an adult. Wow. It was written on her forehead, wasn't it? That's how he knew :-D. No amount of stalkerish background checks will ever reveal how a person feels inside and what they crave. But he knew. Puhlease.
And here comes the 'dark erotica' part. At the very end there are two scenes, in one he is chocking the living daylight out of her, until she sees black spots, and in the second one, he's slapping her face and gags her with his cock, because she needs to lear how properly give head. But do not worry, she enjoyed every bit of it, remember, she craves abuse. The end!
I'm going straight to the point.
What I liked:
1. The idea behind the story. The book had all the elements to be a potentially great dark read.
2. Carlos. There was something there.
What I didn't like:
1. The cover. Heroine in this book describes her hands as small, soft and delicate. But look at that paw on the cover!
2. Romance and chemistry between the two main characters, or lack thereof. No build-up. She fell in love with him after one grouping session in the closet. They never went on a date, never had heart-to-heart conversation to get to know each other better. Her feelings for him were based only on observations of him. And there weren't that many of them. She had a two (?) meetings with him, and went to one interrogation with him, before she started having 'feelings' for him. During that time they exchanged only couple of sentences.
Not only there is nothing erotic going on, there is barely any romance at all. After one of their bickering sessions he pulls her into a closet, gropes her a little and kisses her. Not only it was out of the blue and random, there were nothing that happened before that that would indicate that things were heading that way. From where I was reading, the kiss felt awkward and wasn't all that, at all.
As for the kiss, I'm going to say this: A real man is not afraid to kiss a woman in public. And if he want's to kiss her 'properly', he will take her home and kiss her the way she deserves. That whole closet scene... No.
By the time I got to the 'erotica' (-ish) part, I couldn't care less about any of the characters.
3. Confusing genre. According to my device the book is 289 pages long, but for the first 119 pages nothing interesting happened. If I look at this story as a mystery thriller I could have a few good things to say, but I really don't know what this book is.
The first 40% of the book was all about this big case that our H and h wanted to solve. They are about to take down Americas most wanted criminal. They have a big problem, because no one has ever seen how the bad guy looks like. There is a lot of bickering between them. She is pissed that he doesn't want her on the case, because she is a rookie, and he is annoyed that she is on the case, because she's a rookie. They disagree on how things should be done.
It was constantly reminded that she graduated on the top of her class, meaning she is good, or at least suppose to be good at her job. Yet, when she goes to question Carlos ex-'girlfriend', she fails to ask the most important question: tell me how he looks like. Do you have any pictures of him? All she asks her is to tell her about who he is, she needs to understand the man better, who he is inside. Why in the hell is this important? They knew the day and location where he was suppose to be. Catch the fucker and get to know him in the interrogation room. How about that? Her investigation skills sucked ass.
4. Procrastinating heroine. Dear God, her inner self analyses were loooong and booooring, and came out at most inappropriate times. Every time she was in the middle of an interesting conversation, she would just dose off and start thinking of her father, remembering and comparing herself to some tree, then back thinking about her father again. By the time she came back to present, to the conversation, I've lost the connection to the scene and the characters in it. It kept happening every single time she was doing something or talking to someone, and I would disconnect every time. So frustrating. It prevented me from fully connecting to the story and the characters. One minute she was here, and the next, gone. Then a page later she would be back and he would be either telling her something, asking her something, fingering her or flicking her clit. And by that point I was whatthehellever.
5. The gazillion pointless questions. "But I already knew that, didn't I? He was right, wasn't he? You will make up for it, won't you? It was too late, wasn't it? He did, didn't he? I was, wasn't I? Had I known all along? Had I suspected it?" Ugh!!! It went on, and on, and on, through out the whole book. There were 562 questions asked in total!
***WARNING SPOILERS***
6. Him breaking her. Uhm, nope. The carefully planned take down goes horribly wrong and she gets kidnapped by infamous Carlos. He keeps her for 3 days, blindfolded and tied. Whips her couple of times and gives her gazillion orgasms. On the third day, one of his men makes a mistake and she escapes. There is no fuss, no fighting. She simply gets up, while the man is in the bathroom, walks out of the room, find a phone, call 911 and takes off. Easy peasy. So much for him being "a criminal mastermind", huh?
After that, for the rest of the book, she keeps thinking how he broke her and how he trained her well. I can imagine that being kidnapped, even for three days is traumatic enough, but to completely break a person and train her that well? Uhm, okay?
And then she goes on and on about how during those three days in captivity he managed to show her her true self. There wasn't a single sign about her being even slightly into BDSM, but after she escapes, it's all she thinks about.
But wait, there is this 'other' guy that she's in love with, her partner, Ian. Remember, nothing important or profound happened between them (not in my opinion), before that whole kidnapping thing. He never asked her for anything, they never talked about it being a long time thing, but when one evening she shows up at his door, wanting for him to make her feel normal, to forget about the horrors she experienced, he is all "Let me in,' he murmured 'Let me in." Like he have asked that a thousand times before, but she never did.
And then they made sweet, sweet love. So much for dark erotica.
***END OF SPOILERS***
7. Show and tell. There was no 'show', only a lot of telling. I only knew that she had feeling for him because she told me so. I only knew 'he' broke her, because she told me so. I only discovered Da Big Secret, because she told me so. There were no signs pointing towards him being the bad guy. And you know how Da Big Secret got revealed? The morning after, our heroine remembered him flicking at her clit in time with the music, a tune she've heard before. And it that moment, when she heard him humming in the shower, it downed on her that that was it, that was the tune he was flicking last night. You have no idea what a hysterically hilarious visual I had in my head :-D.
So in those couple of minutes, while she stood there, putting puzzle pieces together, she thought back about everything what happened. I did not get it. Those so called puzzle pieces made no f-ing sense to me. Yes, those things happened, but I never got that "OMG, that makes sense" feeling, only "What? WTF?" I never felt like I figure who he was together with the heroine, she just suddenly blabbed it out and started 'connecting dots' which were random. A lot of those things anyone could have done it, it didn't point specifically to him.
***WARNING SPOILERS***
She storms off with the attitude "The shit is about to go down!". Runts to the Bureau to tell on him. Because "I owed that to the Bureau, didn't I?" :-D. And... Ends up covering for his ass! Because... She loves him!!! Makes up some bull about Carlos sending her his cellphone in the mail. Which no one questions nor investigates.
Then there are more memories of her father, him molesting her and how much she enjoyed it. Thank God, her lover knew that, knew that she was abused as a child and craved abuse as an adult. Wow. It was written on her forehead, wasn't it? That's how he knew :-D. No amount of stalkerish background checks will ever reveal how a person feels inside and what they crave. But he knew. Puhlease.
And here comes the 'dark erotica' part. At the very end there are two scenes, in one he is chocking the living daylight out of her, until she sees black spots, and in the second one, he's slapping her face and gags her with his cock, because she needs to lear how properly give head. But do not worry, she enjoyed every bit of it, remember, she craves abuse. The end!
November 6, 2013
4.75-5 Stars
“Samantha, love. What makes you think I’d let you leave?”
My eyes fell shut, and the hot tracks down my cheeks didn’t come from the shower. I turned in his arms, blindly, gladly. God. All I’d ever wanted was someone to keep me. To want me, even knowing all my faults.
“Normal?” he scoffed. “You wouldn’t like me half as much if I were normal. I saw you, I wanted you, I took you. You want me to fucking apologize for that? No. This is how it works. I’m an animal, remember? A monster. You put a slab of fresh meat in front of me, this is what happens.”
Bravo, Skye. Bravo.
This is Carlos’ book. Do you know how crazy that sounded when I heard this was happening? If you haven’t read her Dark Erotica Series, then this story might not have the same impact as it did on me. You have to understand: The things Carlos has done in previous books are seriously disturbing and severely cringe-worthy. I honestly did not believe he could be redeemable. Like, at all. However, I was still anxious to see how this series would end. Could I learn to love a man like Carlos? After this book, the answer is a resounding yes.
I didn’t want those men to hurt me because I liked pain. I wanted them to hurt me because I knew I deserved it all along.
Samantha is a junior FBI agent who was just handed the assignment of a lifetime. Her mission: To catch the uncatchable Carlos Laguardia. Samantha has come a long way from the little girl who turned her father in for murder. He was a notorious serial killer who killed young boys and girls. She’s always felt remorse for turning him in, but knew she did the right thing. However, that didn’t stop her from feeling the guilt of her betrayal. She’s damaged and very broken. It isn’t surprising that’s she’s always had daddy issues, wanting and hooking up with older men. So when she got partnered up with the sexy, slightly older FBI agent Ian Hennessey, it wasn’t shocking to find her heart and head in a flutter.
It took more strength to stand beside someone you loved, even when they were wrong.
Ian Hennessey is an enigma. That’s all I can really say about him. Well that, and he’s unbelievably smart and very good looking. He has a strong reputation in the FBI as the guy you go to when you want to catch the uncatchable. It’s no wonder they assigned him to the case. But why did they partner him up with Sam? She’s a rookie with no experience. Plus with her around, she can easily be a distraction, for her and for whom they are trying to catch.
“I don’t need your consent,” he murmured.
My swallow felt thick. “You have it.”
“I know.”
When a mission goes bad, Sam finds herself bound and kidnapped by the madman himself. Her stay with him, though brief, peeled away every layer of her cover, leaving her naked, raw and exposed. She was never the same again. She seeks pain, refuge and love. But where can she find that? Is it with Hennessey? Or is it with Carlos, the man who abducted and freed her?
My dream wasn’t to be a princess in a castle. I wanted to be Persephone, claimed by the god of the underworld.
Holy-mother-fucking-shit! This story is beyond fucking amazing. It wasn’t as dark as her previous stories, but it was still dark and the twist in the book was completely crazy!; I’m still left in utter shock. After reading this, I kept thinking about Carlos, pre and post this story. Have you ever seen the Broadway musical Wicked? No? Well, I’m still gonna say this anyway: After seeing that play, I never thought about the Wicked Witch of the West ever the same way ever again. I look back at how she was portrayed in the Wizard of Oz and can’t think of her as The Wicked Witch anymore; I see her as Elphaba, a person and not the monster she was portrayed to be. This is exactly how I see Carlos. I remember at all the horrible and disturbing things he’s done in the previous books and I begin to see his acts differently. My mind is completely blown! Who knew I could feel this way about Carlos? I love this author even more for what she was able to accomplish.
Seriously. Mind. Blown.
Bravo, Skye. Bravo.
Author provided copy for honest review.
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Pre-release thoughts:
HOLY SHIT, PEOPLE! This is CARLOS' book....CARLOS!! Do you know how epic this will be? After all the things he made us endure in the series, is he even redeemable?? Fuck. This is gonna be good.
“Samantha, love. What makes you think I’d let you leave?”
My eyes fell shut, and the hot tracks down my cheeks didn’t come from the shower. I turned in his arms, blindly, gladly. God. All I’d ever wanted was someone to keep me. To want me, even knowing all my faults.
“Normal?” he scoffed. “You wouldn’t like me half as much if I were normal. I saw you, I wanted you, I took you. You want me to fucking apologize for that? No. This is how it works. I’m an animal, remember? A monster. You put a slab of fresh meat in front of me, this is what happens.”
Bravo, Skye. Bravo.
This is Carlos’ book. Do you know how crazy that sounded when I heard this was happening? If you haven’t read her Dark Erotica Series, then this story might not have the same impact as it did on me. You have to understand: The things Carlos has done in previous books are seriously disturbing and severely cringe-worthy. I honestly did not believe he could be redeemable. Like, at all. However, I was still anxious to see how this series would end. Could I learn to love a man like Carlos? After this book, the answer is a resounding yes.
I didn’t want those men to hurt me because I liked pain. I wanted them to hurt me because I knew I deserved it all along.
Samantha is a junior FBI agent who was just handed the assignment of a lifetime. Her mission: To catch the uncatchable Carlos Laguardia. Samantha has come a long way from the little girl who turned her father in for murder. He was a notorious serial killer who killed young boys and girls. She’s always felt remorse for turning him in, but knew she did the right thing. However, that didn’t stop her from feeling the guilt of her betrayal. She’s damaged and very broken. It isn’t surprising that’s she’s always had daddy issues, wanting and hooking up with older men. So when she got partnered up with the sexy, slightly older FBI agent Ian Hennessey, it wasn’t shocking to find her heart and head in a flutter.
It took more strength to stand beside someone you loved, even when they were wrong.
Ian Hennessey is an enigma. That’s all I can really say about him. Well that, and he’s unbelievably smart and very good looking. He has a strong reputation in the FBI as the guy you go to when you want to catch the uncatchable. It’s no wonder they assigned him to the case. But why did they partner him up with Sam? She’s a rookie with no experience. Plus with her around, she can easily be a distraction, for her and for whom they are trying to catch.
“I don’t need your consent,” he murmured.
My swallow felt thick. “You have it.”
“I know.”
When a mission goes bad, Sam finds herself bound and kidnapped by the madman himself. Her stay with him, though brief, peeled away every layer of her cover, leaving her naked, raw and exposed. She was never the same again. She seeks pain, refuge and love. But where can she find that? Is it with Hennessey? Or is it with Carlos, the man who abducted and freed her?
My dream wasn’t to be a princess in a castle. I wanted to be Persephone, claimed by the god of the underworld.
Holy-mother-fucking-shit! This story is beyond fucking amazing. It wasn’t as dark as her previous stories, but it was still dark and the twist in the book was completely crazy!; I’m still left in utter shock. After reading this, I kept thinking about Carlos, pre and post this story. Have you ever seen the Broadway musical Wicked? No? Well, I’m still gonna say this anyway: After seeing that play, I never thought about the Wicked Witch of the West ever the same way ever again. I look back at how she was portrayed in the Wizard of Oz and can’t think of her as The Wicked Witch anymore; I see her as Elphaba, a person and not the monster she was portrayed to be. This is exactly how I see Carlos. I remember at all the horrible and disturbing things he’s done in the previous books and I begin to see his acts differently. My mind is completely blown! Who knew I could feel this way about Carlos? I love this author even more for what she was able to accomplish.
Seriously. Mind. Blown.
Bravo, Skye. Bravo.
Author provided copy for honest review.
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Pre-release thoughts:
HOLY SHIT, PEOPLE! This is CARLOS' book....CARLOS!! Do you know how epic this will be? After all the things he made us endure in the series, is he even redeemable?? Fuck. This is gonna be good.
November 6, 2013
Perfectly dark, gritty, emotionally, fulfilling, amount in each word till the end.
When I think of dark erotica books, Skye is one of the first authors that come to mind. First off her writing is brilliant, she captures me in each one of her books. There has not been a book of hers that I did not like. Second, it's dark erotica, and Skye knows how to write dark erotica and throws it out there and I just eat it up every way I can.
Let me throw this out there for you. This is Carlos's book. Carlos is the bad guy in the 1st, and 2nd book. He is the badass, mean, horrible boss that fucks everyone up and tortures them. So by saying that, I fucking love Carlos. There has always been this part of me that fell for him. Yes, he is horrible and he does horrible things. But.... I always fall for the bad ones, even the ones that they are way past being redeemable. And with Carlos, there is just something there that stuck with me in the last books. I was hoping to get a book with him in it. When I seen that this book was about Carlos I was doing fucking cartwheels, dancing, screaming at the top of my lungs in happiness. Am I fucked up? Probably!
So, as I was saying this is Carlos's book. There is Samantha, who is beyond broken, crushed, and fucked up. Her past is one for the record books I must say. I loved her though. Never in any of my thoughts did I feel that she was too weak, or over her head. There was a part when I wanted to jump in there to stop her from making the worst decision ever!!! Thank goodness she came to her senses cause this chick would have been fucking pissed. It all worked out for the better. Man did it work out. :)
Overall:
This was an outstanding book to finish the series. I am very sad to see it go. I want more of Carlos. I want more of everything this book gave me. It was a total mind fucked and had my mind working overtime to figure some shit out to know how my life is going to plan out after this book. Skye took this book above my expectations and delivered me a book that is going to my favorites!
Will there be more??? More Carlos??? Please??? :D
ARC provided by the author for exchange for an honest review.
When I think of dark erotica books, Skye is one of the first authors that come to mind. First off her writing is brilliant, she captures me in each one of her books. There has not been a book of hers that I did not like. Second, it's dark erotica, and Skye knows how to write dark erotica and throws it out there and I just eat it up every way I can.
Lies smoothed the way so we could go on pretending. They were the lube of life, and we all got a little messy in the process. But the darkness lies were the ones you told yourself. They lurked in the shadows of your subconscious, undermining you and twisting your perceptions. They hid the answers in plain sight, right when you needed them most.
Let me throw this out there for you. This is Carlos's book. Carlos is the bad guy in the 1st, and 2nd book. He is the badass, mean, horrible boss that fucks everyone up and tortures them. So by saying that, I fucking love Carlos. There has always been this part of me that fell for him. Yes, he is horrible and he does horrible things. But.... I always fall for the bad ones, even the ones that they are way past being redeemable. And with Carlos, there is just something there that stuck with me in the last books. I was hoping to get a book with him in it. When I seen that this book was about Carlos I was doing fucking cartwheels, dancing, screaming at the top of my lungs in happiness. Am I fucked up? Probably!
So, as I was saying this is Carlos's book. There is Samantha, who is beyond broken, crushed, and fucked up. Her past is one for the record books I must say. I loved her though. Never in any of my thoughts did I feel that she was too weak, or over her head. There was a part when I wanted to jump in there to stop her from making the worst decision ever!!! Thank goodness she came to her senses cause this chick would have been fucking pissed. It all worked out for the better. Man did it work out. :)
Overall:
This was an outstanding book to finish the series. I am very sad to see it go. I want more of Carlos. I want more of everything this book gave me. It was a total mind fucked and had my mind working overtime to figure some shit out to know how my life is going to plan out after this book. Skye took this book above my expectations and delivered me a book that is going to my favorites!
Will there be more??? More Carlos??? Please??? :D
ARC provided by the author for exchange for an honest review.
February 5, 2018
This one is a wicked wicked story!!
I don't into dark erotica reading but from the few I had read this one have to be on the top of my list!
I didn’t read the previous books from this series but I knew from those blurb what kind of monster Carlos was. I love Samantha, she is a china doll with a steele mind, and in a twisted dysfunctional kind of relationship she and Carlos are perfect!
For this type of Hero I used to only love Caleb and Hunter, now Carlos too! How sick is that? Oh well I can't help it:) My complaint is the book is too short, I wish there are more pages for Carlos and Samantha story. But perhaps Ms. Warren will write from Carlos POV too with more pages on it:)
I don't into dark erotica reading but from the few I had read this one have to be on the top of my list!
I didn’t read the previous books from this series but I knew from those blurb what kind of monster Carlos was. I love Samantha, she is a china doll with a steele mind, and in a twisted dysfunctional kind of relationship she and Carlos are perfect!
For this type of Hero I used to only love Caleb and Hunter, now Carlos too! How sick is that? Oh well I can't help it:) My complaint is the book is too short, I wish there are more pages for Carlos and Samantha story. But perhaps Ms. Warren will write from Carlos POV too with more pages on it:)
November 2, 2014
“Is that all I am to you?” I whispered. “A piece of flesh? Of meat?”
“Yes,” he said, and the conviction in his voice didn’t allow it to be an insult. “You’re meat when I’ve been fucking starving my whole life, so fucking accept it. You’re mine. Mine. Got it?”
"He took me roughly because it was the only way he could. He spoke to me cruelly because he knew I liked it best. And he held my hips so tightly, he left those finger-shaped bruises on my skin, because he couldn’t bear to let me go."
April 6, 2016
“But the darkest lies were the ones you told yourself. They lurked in the shadows of your subconscious, undermining you and twisting your perceptions. They hid the answers in plain sight, right when you needed them most.”
- Samantha
- Samantha
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1572968006i%2F3840999._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
December 22, 2013
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
Since Don't Let Go is the final installment of the Dark Erotica series, I feel like writing a eulogy. Eh, not the way those are used but just some of my own thoughts on the series.
When I started reading this series, I did it only because I was very moved by the author’s writing from her Beauty series, specifically book 1, Beauty Touched The Beast. Mind you, dark erotic, non-con stories weren’t my forte. At all. Yet I put my trust in Ms. Warren to guide me through this unknown territory or so to speak, and never once was disappointed. It was not a smooth journey by any means and it certainly wasn’t always nice but there was always hope and redemption at the end of every book. She delivered what she promised to the max.
When I heard of Carlos’s book, I had only one thought in mind... ‘OMG, whadda...? did she hear me or what?’ because I wanted to know this perverted criminal mastermind’s story since I met him in book 1, Keep Me Safe. Maybe I’m a little crazy myself but I had been fascinated with him. I don’t mean it as a compliment mind you, he made me cringe and had me agape with his activities, yet I couldn’t stop reading. But never once, I thought Ms. Warren would actually make him the ‘hero’ of a book!
But then, there it was.......
So how did it all begin?
In book 1, we’re introduced to Carlos who was the reason behind the kidnapping of Rachel, the h. Zachary, the H, was an undercover FBI agent who had to do some not-so-nice stuff to Rachel in order to blend inside the group. Yet, we learn that he is not only in FBI but he’s also related to Carlos. Nephew, I believe. This is the reason why Zachary so easily got inside the mafia group so successfully and ruthlessly run by Carlos. He was investigating a chain of human trafficking. He knew from his time with them that those reports were correct. It was clear as daylight that Carlos and his bunch of criminals are expert in training sex slaves.
We’re, also, soon introduced to Carlos’s various questionable sexual proclivities. Perversions that turn him on, most prominent one probably was his love for getting forced and rough blowjobs, whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted. I was like... holly.. what... huh...?????
Rachel and Zachary do find a way to escape but it distinctly felt like Carlos was still playing with them, then providing them with the opportunity to escape.
Book 2, Trust in Me was the story of one of Carlos’s kept women, Mia. It was the most twisted story of this series IMO.
Mia had been sexually abused by her father at a young age. It went on for a long time, until one day she ran. She had no money, nowhere to go and Carlos found her. She was fed, clothed and then acted as Carlos’s mistress for a while. Even with their somewhat big age differences, Carlos was her knight in shining armor. Then things started changing. Carlos began to become rougher with her at each passing day. I can’t really explain or tell you the things he made Mia do with him or with numerous of his men... or just to her, to humiliate her. To break her. But then he got off on those things he made Mia do, perverted bastard that he is. I didn’t know what to feel or think. I got sick of Carlos’s doings and wanted to crush his balls. I knew in this book that Carlos has very little, if any, redeeming qualities... at least that’s how I felt about him.
Mia was also working for the FBI in secret. Being a whore, she was ignored most of the times. She had plenty of opportunities to spy on Carlos’s dealings etc. while serving him or some other men as they never thought anything but a mindless little sex slave. However, she was more than those. It was fortunate that Mia was able to meet a childhood crush, Tyler, who was also an undercover FBI agent, trying to get into Carlos’s good graces. It worked... somewhat. But the best thing that happened to Mia in long years was the fact that she and Tyler were able to come together, a chance of knowing each-other once again… and make an escape from Carlos’s clutches. But did they escape on their own or Carlos let Mia leave? Or why was Mia that important for that matter to have a book of her own? These questions are answered in Don’t Let Go.
Book 3, Hear Me is not really directly related to Carlos or our FBI agent heroes. However, the heroine, Melody was one of the escapee from Carlos’s last group of sex slaves before things went wrong in Trust In Me. Melody has been trained to become a mindless thing bend on pleasure and pain, or pleasuring through pain. She’s rescued by a lonely carpenter living in the wood, Sam, who, it turns out, has his own proclivities. Melody gets under his skin right at the moment he rescues her. This is mainly their story with some luscious twists and unexpected turns. I loved it a lot, especially the ending.
Don't Let Go, book 4, starts out as it does generally, from the heroine’s POV. Samantha is a junior FBI agent. And as any other Dark Erotic heroines, she gives us a fair warning about her own dark past. She’s been raised in foster homes as her father was caught and imprisoned for rape and murder of young children. Samantha doesn’t talk about her father to anyone. She lies about him being dead. But the FBI knows of everything, of course.
Samantha’s becoming a cop/agent, to me, felt like an attempt at some kind of closure for what had happened to her, those memories of catching her father with blood in his hands. She feels guilty of ‘telling on’ him to the police that irrevocably condemned him to a life sentence in a tightly secured prison. After that, she has been sort of floating around, never taking roots anywhere; be it in foster homes or any other kinda relationships she’d tried in the past. Samantha likes older men, and thinks she has pretty bad ‘daddy issues’. This came in the story over and over again. I wasn’t sure I liked her repeating it though. What shocked me was the source of her ‘daddy issue’ when it was revealed in the middle of the book. Then again, I shouldn’t have. There had to be something seriously f*cked up about her being wanting to be dominated and seeking pleasure through pain; a fact that is still the deepest secret of Samantha’s heart. She wants this, but also knows she’s messed up inside if she thinks this is what she wants from a man.
One day, out of nowhere, her big boss, Brody calls her to his office. She goes in, not knowing she’d be hired to do a job that every FBI agent wants but also, is apprehensive about; the Carlos Laguardia case. The most wanted of FBI, a perverted criminal, who, like many, has also fascinated Samantha. So much so, she was going through his files in secret. But is there anything secret in FBI? And so, somehow, Samantha finds herself as the partner of a seasoned FBI agent, Ian Hennessey. Samantha is very surprised but agrees to work with him, reason we already know; her fascination with the man.
Makes you wonder, which man exactly was it?
It seemed, at first, Ian wasn’t happy being paired with a rookie cop, but they soon stuck a totally unexpected friendship laced with an attraction that should’ve been declared criminal in itself. Working together late night only fueled it. Ian is just the type of guy Samantha is generally attracted to; older, maybe in his early to mid 40s, handsome with gray-peppered light brown hair and silvery eyes. To top it off, he’s extremely intelligent and ruthless enough to have become one of FBI’s most successful agents. Samantha is 23 herself. And she can’t keep thinking of this man since day one without getting horny; more so when she sees those flickers of gentleness in his eyes or those rarest slight smiles that she has come to adore in their short time together. He even affectionately starts calling her ‘rookie’.
Laguardia comes off as one of the most elusive of criminals in History to Samantha as he must’ve been to her predecessors. Ian is very determined to see the man is caught and tried for his numerous horrible crimes that range from illegal trades of all kinds, sexual slavery, to kidnapping and murder. In every context, he is a ruthless man and cruel to boots. They interview some of Laguardia’s accomplices, mainly in prison. After a while, Samantha proposes that they interview one of Laguardia’s regular girls, Mia. Ian instantly opposes this and quite vehemently so. When Samantha tries to put forth her points, i.e. Mia’d know how Laguardia looks like (because he’s such an expert in disguise), Ian goes straight to the point of why exactly she wants to interview Mia... I’ll let you imagine what he says but that gave me the frisson of unease, and flusters Samantha rather bad. She definitely was interested in knowing Laguardia’s sexual perversions that Mia obviously knows firsthand.
It felt like I was in the brink of something that isn’t quite coming to me… I kept feeling that Ian… maybe… and damn I wish I didn’t read a spoiler-y review, so now I don’t know how hard ‘the revelation’ would’ve hit me in the first place. But I did have long moments of ‘OMG OMG OMG OMG... Oh My God, WHAT??’ in my head.
Samantha’s curiosity gets the best of her and she pays a visit to Mia, entirely hiding it from Ian. She told herself that she wanted to gain more information on Laguardia and yet, the talks always return to Carlos’s sexual perversions. Mia tries to evade most of it by a slight shake of her shoulders as if it was nothing, she was returning her ‘debts’ to Carlos for taking her in when she needed it most. But then, we all know it’d never ever be ‘nothing’. Samantha could see the momentary blankness in Mia’s eyes, which she’s fighting hard to stay sane... even for her loving, protective husband, Tyler. Samantha returns with the picture of a monster in her mind, yet no less intrigued by him.
Soon enough, Ian finds a trade route of Laguardia’s and decides to go for a hunt that’d surely catch Laguardia this time. Every FBI agent is needed for this task as this might be the biggest haul for them ever... Samantha is here for the job, excited, even oddly exhilarated that maybe finally they’d catch Laguardia. But things clearly go wrong. She’s kidnapped by someone, who later identifies himself as Laguardia. Samantha is blindfolded and bound, kept for 3 days. She’s beaten and heavily bruised but not really harmed big-time. Samantha tries her best to talk to him, to know Carlos but he’s as elusive as he had ever been. He touches her, ‘marks’ her, even performs sexual acts on her as if he knows how f*cked up she is and her deepest, darkest sexual desires. Samantha is scared as hell but her body has a different idea of its own that reacts positively to Carlos’s touches. But the man doesn’t really have sex with her and is oddly affectionate after one of those ‘sessions’ that he shows through kissing her whole body. He takes care of her too. He never speaks out loud; never enough for her to determine his true voice. One day, Carlos gives her one moment of respite by unbinding her hands and Samantha takes that chance. Before running away, all Samantha could see is a pair of brown eyes and curly hair... Not much to determine anything as her only thought was ‘escape’ before she locks him in.
Samantha’s life ‘after Carlos’ is different. She wants to find herself again, yet can’t stop thinking about him. Ian seems duly worried. At one point, Samantha decides the only way she can erase Carlos’s touch is to give into the temptation of Ian... And that’s what she does next. I loved what she did to get his attention. But I was also shocked when the revelation of her sexual abuse by her father comes up. Samantha was tired of trying to ignore this whole sh!tty mess, making up things in her mind to convince herself as if nothing ever happened. Her reasoning for telling about her father’s deed to the police was pretty damnable, and sick. Yet the only person she wanted to confess was to Ian, sensing he’d understand her. As if there’s something darker haunting him too... but would he reject her based on this? But of course not... The sex was hot and tender. In other words, nothing like Carlos. Yet, the next day, after a night of intense and thorough lovemaking, what Samantha discovers changes her life once again. That song, in a low baritone... the song she heard Carlos humming under his breath is coming from Ian’s bathroom. Samantha thought her brain was playing tricks on her, but it wasn’t. The similarity between the voices couldn’t be ignored. My mind was already spinning as I was anticipating (dreading?) this moment myself. Samantha’s thoughts go awry and the only thing she wants is to escape. Yet once again.
While debating what to do about this new and damning revelation, Samantha goes to work. She tells herself this is her chance for glory. She might even have a raise or two because of this... but once Brody calls her in and then, Ian comes in too, Samantha, in a nutshell, decides she doesn’t want to hand him over. She’s in love, however insane that might sound and she’s going to stick by him. When Brody makes statements about Ian being somehow involved with Carlos, Samantha even tries to save him. Brody doesn’t believe her of course and she finds herself with a timeout from her job. Samantha didn’t know if she’d run from Ian but she finds him in her house, already waiting. The whole scene was surreal. Ian’s words, vaguely alluding to the fact that he’s THE infamous Carlos were giving me goosebumps. It was unbelievable, yet there were moments of truth. And in this twisted love, there were some playful exchanges too, so unlike the monster I knew Carlos had previously been.
It was plain that apart from being brilliant, Ian is a master manipulator, yet I knew he cared for Samantha in a way he never did for anyone. I believed in it. Something about her snared him right from the start (even though Samantha looking a lot like Mia wasn’t a favorite point of mine), thus began the careful planning of getting what he wanted... And Ian/Carlos always gets what he wants. Samantha recognized all these in Ian and she had no intention of going away. No matter what he does to her. At one point, sex turns to talk, which in turn focuses on Ian’s own f*cked up childhood and then, to Mia, as Samantha confesses that she’d been to see her. Ian, in turn, confesses that he’d loved Mia, so much so that he wanted to break her, but she defied everything he did. It was plain to see that letting Mia go was also Ian’s intention because of course, he could’ve decided not to... A life with Tyler was a gift he gave to Mia for all that she suffered.
This kinda depresses Samantha. So does he love her? What it is that he feels for her? The answer is there, soon, when she teasingly asks if Ian has the same intention for her... This was very surprising, the possessive way he replies that he’s never letting her go, ever. At the end, Ian’s plan of erasing ‘Carlos’ was put to motion... After that, he very quietly tells Samantha that he’s doing it all for her; to have a life with her as he has promised, and he’s sure she’d ‘help’ him forget this side of him...
The epilogue showed me a very different Carlos; not wallowing in marital bliss of course. But whatever there was between them, I had that feeling of mutual understanding in everything. Samantha knew that no matter, she holds the ultimate power because Ian is quite obsessed, frantically so, where she’s concerned.
I kept thinking of Ian, and the ‘Carlos’ I thought I knew all along. I always envisioned Carlos as someone of middling height, stocky built, somewhat handsome, a guy with dark hair and eyes. Nothing like Ian. So what was it? I couldn’t believe that ‘Ian’ was the disguise... then again, come to think of it, I still don’t really know how exactly ‘Carlos’ looked like, just as I don’t know which his real name is or how old he actually is. Everything is vague and you make some assumptions, not knowing what fits. But that’s Ian/Carlos for you. If I knew everything about him, he won’t be the same to me; a fact Samantha recognized too. She was good with it as she has a long time ahead of her to discover the hidden, complex man inside. It was already a big development that he let her into his heart, shared things with her no one knew about him. Good or bad, it depends on your POV but I decided not to judge anything.
This is what I love most about Ms. Warren’s Dark Erotic stories. She made me want Carlos, which I thought would never happen even if the sun rises in the west. She made me think “Oh My, wow, he’s..... hot?” (and then rub my forehead in dismay). It was incredibly crazy (especially when I went and re-read Trust in Me just to slap myself out of the daydream) but it was also true.
Apparently, Carlos is human.
Someday I’d love to read a story from his POV to have a glimpse inside of that complex, perverted little head. I can only wish though... 4.5 stars.
This ARC of Don't Let Go was sent to me by the author herself in exchange of an honest review and I'd like to thank her for it.
Since Don't Let Go is the final installment of the Dark Erotica series, I feel like writing a eulogy. Eh, not the way those are used but just some of my own thoughts on the series.
When I started reading this series, I did it only because I was very moved by the author’s writing from her Beauty series, specifically book 1, Beauty Touched The Beast. Mind you, dark erotic, non-con stories weren’t my forte. At all. Yet I put my trust in Ms. Warren to guide me through this unknown territory or so to speak, and never once was disappointed. It was not a smooth journey by any means and it certainly wasn’t always nice but there was always hope and redemption at the end of every book. She delivered what she promised to the max.
When I heard of Carlos’s book, I had only one thought in mind... ‘OMG, whadda...? did she hear me or what?’ because I wanted to know this perverted criminal mastermind’s story since I met him in book 1, Keep Me Safe. Maybe I’m a little crazy myself but I had been fascinated with him. I don’t mean it as a compliment mind you, he made me cringe and had me agape with his activities, yet I couldn’t stop reading. But never once, I thought Ms. Warren would actually make him the ‘hero’ of a book!
But then, there it was.......
So how did it all begin?
In book 1, we’re introduced to Carlos who was the reason behind the kidnapping of Rachel, the h. Zachary, the H, was an undercover FBI agent who had to do some not-so-nice stuff to Rachel in order to blend inside the group. Yet, we learn that he is not only in FBI but he’s also related to Carlos. Nephew, I believe. This is the reason why Zachary so easily got inside the mafia group so successfully and ruthlessly run by Carlos. He was investigating a chain of human trafficking. He knew from his time with them that those reports were correct. It was clear as daylight that Carlos and his bunch of criminals are expert in training sex slaves.
We’re, also, soon introduced to Carlos’s various questionable sexual proclivities. Perversions that turn him on, most prominent one probably was his love for getting forced and rough blowjobs, whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted. I was like... holly.. what... huh...?????
Rachel and Zachary do find a way to escape but it distinctly felt like Carlos was still playing with them, then providing them with the opportunity to escape.
Book 2, Trust in Me was the story of one of Carlos’s kept women, Mia. It was the most twisted story of this series IMO.
Mia had been sexually abused by her father at a young age. It went on for a long time, until one day she ran. She had no money, nowhere to go and Carlos found her. She was fed, clothed and then acted as Carlos’s mistress for a while. Even with their somewhat big age differences, Carlos was her knight in shining armor. Then things started changing. Carlos began to become rougher with her at each passing day. I can’t really explain or tell you the things he made Mia do with him or with numerous of his men... or just to her, to humiliate her. To break her. But then he got off on those things he made Mia do, perverted bastard that he is. I didn’t know what to feel or think. I got sick of Carlos’s doings and wanted to crush his balls. I knew in this book that Carlos has very little, if any, redeeming qualities... at least that’s how I felt about him.
Mia was also working for the FBI in secret. Being a whore, she was ignored most of the times. She had plenty of opportunities to spy on Carlos’s dealings etc. while serving him or some other men as they never thought anything but a mindless little sex slave. However, she was more than those. It was fortunate that Mia was able to meet a childhood crush, Tyler, who was also an undercover FBI agent, trying to get into Carlos’s good graces. It worked... somewhat. But the best thing that happened to Mia in long years was the fact that she and Tyler were able to come together, a chance of knowing each-other once again… and make an escape from Carlos’s clutches. But did they escape on their own or Carlos let Mia leave? Or why was Mia that important for that matter to have a book of her own? These questions are answered in Don’t Let Go.
Book 3, Hear Me is not really directly related to Carlos or our FBI agent heroes. However, the heroine, Melody was one of the escapee from Carlos’s last group of sex slaves before things went wrong in Trust In Me. Melody has been trained to become a mindless thing bend on pleasure and pain, or pleasuring through pain. She’s rescued by a lonely carpenter living in the wood, Sam, who, it turns out, has his own proclivities. Melody gets under his skin right at the moment he rescues her. This is mainly their story with some luscious twists and unexpected turns. I loved it a lot, especially the ending.
Don't Let Go, book 4, starts out as it does generally, from the heroine’s POV. Samantha is a junior FBI agent. And as any other Dark Erotic heroines, she gives us a fair warning about her own dark past. She’s been raised in foster homes as her father was caught and imprisoned for rape and murder of young children. Samantha doesn’t talk about her father to anyone. She lies about him being dead. But the FBI knows of everything, of course.
Samantha’s becoming a cop/agent, to me, felt like an attempt at some kind of closure for what had happened to her, those memories of catching her father with blood in his hands. She feels guilty of ‘telling on’ him to the police that irrevocably condemned him to a life sentence in a tightly secured prison. After that, she has been sort of floating around, never taking roots anywhere; be it in foster homes or any other kinda relationships she’d tried in the past. Samantha likes older men, and thinks she has pretty bad ‘daddy issues’. This came in the story over and over again. I wasn’t sure I liked her repeating it though. What shocked me was the source of her ‘daddy issue’ when it was revealed in the middle of the book. Then again, I shouldn’t have. There had to be something seriously f*cked up about her being wanting to be dominated and seeking pleasure through pain; a fact that is still the deepest secret of Samantha’s heart. She wants this, but also knows she’s messed up inside if she thinks this is what she wants from a man.
One day, out of nowhere, her big boss, Brody calls her to his office. She goes in, not knowing she’d be hired to do a job that every FBI agent wants but also, is apprehensive about; the Carlos Laguardia case. The most wanted of FBI, a perverted criminal, who, like many, has also fascinated Samantha. So much so, she was going through his files in secret. But is there anything secret in FBI? And so, somehow, Samantha finds herself as the partner of a seasoned FBI agent, Ian Hennessey. Samantha is very surprised but agrees to work with him, reason we already know; her fascination with the man.
Makes you wonder, which man exactly was it?
It seemed, at first, Ian wasn’t happy being paired with a rookie cop, but they soon stuck a totally unexpected friendship laced with an attraction that should’ve been declared criminal in itself. Working together late night only fueled it. Ian is just the type of guy Samantha is generally attracted to; older, maybe in his early to mid 40s, handsome with gray-peppered light brown hair and silvery eyes. To top it off, he’s extremely intelligent and ruthless enough to have become one of FBI’s most successful agents. Samantha is 23 herself. And she can’t keep thinking of this man since day one without getting horny; more so when she sees those flickers of gentleness in his eyes or those rarest slight smiles that she has come to adore in their short time together. He even affectionately starts calling her ‘rookie’.
Laguardia comes off as one of the most elusive of criminals in History to Samantha as he must’ve been to her predecessors. Ian is very determined to see the man is caught and tried for his numerous horrible crimes that range from illegal trades of all kinds, sexual slavery, to kidnapping and murder. In every context, he is a ruthless man and cruel to boots. They interview some of Laguardia’s accomplices, mainly in prison. After a while, Samantha proposes that they interview one of Laguardia’s regular girls, Mia. Ian instantly opposes this and quite vehemently so. When Samantha tries to put forth her points, i.e. Mia’d know how Laguardia looks like (because he’s such an expert in disguise), Ian goes straight to the point of why exactly she wants to interview Mia... I’ll let you imagine what he says but that gave me the frisson of unease, and flusters Samantha rather bad. She definitely was interested in knowing Laguardia’s sexual perversions that Mia obviously knows firsthand.
It felt like I was in the brink of something that isn’t quite coming to me… I kept feeling that Ian… maybe… and damn I wish I didn’t read a spoiler-y review, so now I don’t know how hard ‘the revelation’ would’ve hit me in the first place. But I did have long moments of ‘OMG OMG OMG OMG... Oh My God, WHAT??’ in my head.
Samantha’s curiosity gets the best of her and she pays a visit to Mia, entirely hiding it from Ian. She told herself that she wanted to gain more information on Laguardia and yet, the talks always return to Carlos’s sexual perversions. Mia tries to evade most of it by a slight shake of her shoulders as if it was nothing, she was returning her ‘debts’ to Carlos for taking her in when she needed it most. But then, we all know it’d never ever be ‘nothing’. Samantha could see the momentary blankness in Mia’s eyes, which she’s fighting hard to stay sane... even for her loving, protective husband, Tyler. Samantha returns with the picture of a monster in her mind, yet no less intrigued by him.
Soon enough, Ian finds a trade route of Laguardia’s and decides to go for a hunt that’d surely catch Laguardia this time. Every FBI agent is needed for this task as this might be the biggest haul for them ever... Samantha is here for the job, excited, even oddly exhilarated that maybe finally they’d catch Laguardia. But things clearly go wrong. She’s kidnapped by someone, who later identifies himself as Laguardia. Samantha is blindfolded and bound, kept for 3 days. She’s beaten and heavily bruised but not really harmed big-time. Samantha tries her best to talk to him, to know Carlos but he’s as elusive as he had ever been. He touches her, ‘marks’ her, even performs sexual acts on her as if he knows how f*cked up she is and her deepest, darkest sexual desires. Samantha is scared as hell but her body has a different idea of its own that reacts positively to Carlos’s touches. But the man doesn’t really have sex with her and is oddly affectionate after one of those ‘sessions’ that he shows through kissing her whole body. He takes care of her too. He never speaks out loud; never enough for her to determine his true voice. One day, Carlos gives her one moment of respite by unbinding her hands and Samantha takes that chance. Before running away, all Samantha could see is a pair of brown eyes and curly hair... Not much to determine anything as her only thought was ‘escape’ before she locks him in.
Samantha’s life ‘after Carlos’ is different. She wants to find herself again, yet can’t stop thinking about him. Ian seems duly worried. At one point, Samantha decides the only way she can erase Carlos’s touch is to give into the temptation of Ian... And that’s what she does next. I loved what she did to get his attention. But I was also shocked when the revelation of her sexual abuse by her father comes up. Samantha was tired of trying to ignore this whole sh!tty mess, making up things in her mind to convince herself as if nothing ever happened. Her reasoning for telling about her father’s deed to the police was pretty damnable, and sick. Yet the only person she wanted to confess was to Ian, sensing he’d understand her. As if there’s something darker haunting him too... but would he reject her based on this? But of course not... The sex was hot and tender. In other words, nothing like Carlos. Yet, the next day, after a night of intense and thorough lovemaking, what Samantha discovers changes her life once again. That song, in a low baritone... the song she heard Carlos humming under his breath is coming from Ian’s bathroom. Samantha thought her brain was playing tricks on her, but it wasn’t. The similarity between the voices couldn’t be ignored. My mind was already spinning as I was anticipating (dreading?) this moment myself. Samantha’s thoughts go awry and the only thing she wants is to escape. Yet once again.
While debating what to do about this new and damning revelation, Samantha goes to work. She tells herself this is her chance for glory. She might even have a raise or two because of this... but once Brody calls her in and then, Ian comes in too, Samantha, in a nutshell, decides she doesn’t want to hand him over. She’s in love, however insane that might sound and she’s going to stick by him. When Brody makes statements about Ian being somehow involved with Carlos, Samantha even tries to save him. Brody doesn’t believe her of course and she finds herself with a timeout from her job. Samantha didn’t know if she’d run from Ian but she finds him in her house, already waiting. The whole scene was surreal. Ian’s words, vaguely alluding to the fact that he’s THE infamous Carlos were giving me goosebumps. It was unbelievable, yet there were moments of truth. And in this twisted love, there were some playful exchanges too, so unlike the monster I knew Carlos had previously been.
It was plain that apart from being brilliant, Ian is a master manipulator, yet I knew he cared for Samantha in a way he never did for anyone. I believed in it. Something about her snared him right from the start (even though Samantha looking a lot like Mia wasn’t a favorite point of mine), thus began the careful planning of getting what he wanted... And Ian/Carlos always gets what he wants. Samantha recognized all these in Ian and she had no intention of going away. No matter what he does to her. At one point, sex turns to talk, which in turn focuses on Ian’s own f*cked up childhood and then, to Mia, as Samantha confesses that she’d been to see her. Ian, in turn, confesses that he’d loved Mia, so much so that he wanted to break her, but she defied everything he did. It was plain to see that letting Mia go was also Ian’s intention because of course, he could’ve decided not to... A life with Tyler was a gift he gave to Mia for all that she suffered.
This kinda depresses Samantha. So does he love her? What it is that he feels for her? The answer is there, soon, when she teasingly asks if Ian has the same intention for her... This was very surprising, the possessive way he replies that he’s never letting her go, ever. At the end, Ian’s plan of erasing ‘Carlos’ was put to motion... After that, he very quietly tells Samantha that he’s doing it all for her; to have a life with her as he has promised, and he’s sure she’d ‘help’ him forget this side of him...
The epilogue showed me a very different Carlos; not wallowing in marital bliss of course. But whatever there was between them, I had that feeling of mutual understanding in everything. Samantha knew that no matter, she holds the ultimate power because Ian is quite obsessed, frantically so, where she’s concerned.
I kept thinking of Ian, and the ‘Carlos’ I thought I knew all along. I always envisioned Carlos as someone of middling height, stocky built, somewhat handsome, a guy with dark hair and eyes. Nothing like Ian. So what was it? I couldn’t believe that ‘Ian’ was the disguise... then again, come to think of it, I still don’t really know how exactly ‘Carlos’ looked like, just as I don’t know which his real name is or how old he actually is. Everything is vague and you make some assumptions, not knowing what fits. But that’s Ian/Carlos for you. If I knew everything about him, he won’t be the same to me; a fact Samantha recognized too. She was good with it as she has a long time ahead of her to discover the hidden, complex man inside. It was already a big development that he let her into his heart, shared things with her no one knew about him. Good or bad, it depends on your POV but I decided not to judge anything.
This is what I love most about Ms. Warren’s Dark Erotic stories. She made me want Carlos, which I thought would never happen even if the sun rises in the west. She made me think “Oh My, wow, he’s..... hot?” (and then rub my forehead in dismay). It was incredibly crazy (especially when I went and re-read Trust in Me just to slap myself out of the daydream) but it was also true.
Apparently, Carlos is human.
Someday I’d love to read a story from his POV to have a glimpse inside of that complex, perverted little head. I can only wish though... 4.5 stars.
This ARC of Don't Let Go was sent to me by the author herself in exchange of an honest review and I'd like to thank her for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2013
Things you should know before reading:
-This is extremely DARK erotica. Sensitive violent subject matter is presented that could offend and/or trigger some readers.
-It is possible to enjoy a book without actually liking the protags or the subject matter.
I have waited a long time to read Carlo's story. Seen randomly through out the series, he was the bogey man we feared. Head of the cartel dealing in human slave trafficking, Carlos has stood for everything evil in this series. Skye Warren takes us deep into Carlo's business and mind; revealing certain aspects we knew nothing about. The tool she uses? FBI agent Samantha Holmes.
Dark and intense, Warren's skill is apparent as she takes us down the rabbit hole and makes us understand, maybe even like, one of the cruelest fictional anti heroes I have ever met. While I can say I enjoyed the book as it is exceptionally written with a strong well plotted storyline, fantastic conflicts, and dep character development...I can't say I actually liked our protags. They were too damaged and too extreme in their peculiarities for me to honestly say I liked them. However, one of the best features of Ms. Warren's stories is her ability to make the "HEA" work for the MCs. It may not be what we would do and it may not be a normal in the truest sense of the word but it is perfect for them.
-This is extremely DARK erotica. Sensitive violent subject matter is presented that could offend and/or trigger some readers.
-It is possible to enjoy a book without actually liking the protags or the subject matter.
I have waited a long time to read Carlo's story. Seen randomly through out the series, he was the bogey man we feared. Head of the cartel dealing in human slave trafficking, Carlos has stood for everything evil in this series. Skye Warren takes us deep into Carlo's business and mind; revealing certain aspects we knew nothing about. The tool she uses? FBI agent Samantha Holmes.
Dark and intense, Warren's skill is apparent as she takes us down the rabbit hole and makes us understand, maybe even like, one of the cruelest fictional anti heroes I have ever met. While I can say I enjoyed the book as it is exceptionally written with a strong well plotted storyline, fantastic conflicts, and dep character development...I can't say I actually liked our protags. They were too damaged and too extreme in their peculiarities for me to honestly say I liked them. However, one of the best features of Ms. Warren's stories is her ability to make the "HEA" work for the MCs. It may not be what we would do and it may not be a normal in the truest sense of the word but it is perfect for them.
October 9, 2013
Ms. Warren’s most brilliant work yet... Beautiful. Poignant. Complex. Haunting.
Beta read.
Beta read.
September 4, 2025
3.5 stars but I couldn’t put it. It’s good if you’re looking for a romantic thriller. Right now I really want a romance with a good law court case or detective case that drives the plot so I decided to finish this sample and finally download the book.
I loved Book 2 of this series, and this one is different as it is more about the FBI case to take down the criminal boss/villain in Book 2.
Skye Warren loves her age gap. Another heroine with daddy issues. Giving this 4 stars to encourage Warren to return to writing dark stuff. You know what, her confession and the twist at the end? Yeah it was a little crazy but I respect when authors try to do something a little out there. Like. You know what. I don’t really get how that could have happened, but all right. And also damn that her confession went that dark but ok 👍🏽
I loved Book 2 of this series, and this one is different as it is more about the FBI case to take down the criminal boss/villain in Book 2.
Skye Warren loves her age gap. Another heroine with daddy issues. Giving this 4 stars to encourage Warren to return to writing dark stuff. You know what, her confession and the twist at the end? Yeah it was a little crazy but I respect when authors try to do something a little out there. Like. You know what. I don’t really get how that could have happened, but all right. And also damn that her confession went that dark but ok 👍🏽
November 13, 2013
Rating: A ... Heat: Sizzling
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review.
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Heed all warnings about this book: dubious consent, captivity, bondage, violence, forced submission, etc. It is very much a dark erotica. Though it starts out as a suspense, by the halfway mark, all of the things that go bump in the night are roaming free. And, if you're a fan of the dark side, that's when things really start to get interesting...
Samantha Holmes, FBI agent, was manipulated and abused at a very young age. She's been formed and warped by those experiences. Daddy issues? Sam's got those in spades. Her thoughts and feelings aren't at all usual. They're often bleak and ugly but they do give her insight into the criminal psyche that her fellow junior agents don't have. Sam can only hope that's why she was assigned to a case so far above her pay grade.
Ian Hennessy, her reluctant partner, has been hunting down notorious crime lord Carlos LaGuardia for years. LaGuardia always seems to remain one step ahead of the bureau, so Hennessey eats, breathes, and lives this case. Being partnered with a rookie should rankle, but he can't help but be intrigued by her.
But Carlos LaGuardia is not the sort of man to take kindly to the FBI's investigation. He's the sort of man more likely to bite back - harder. And Sam, who so closely resembles a former lover of his, is likely to become the one he'd prefer to... bite.
The more time Sam and Hennessy spend together during the investigation, the more captivated Sam becomes by him. Something about Hennessy is like a beacon to her. Not that she has been able to really get to know him. Hennessy is a complicated, secretive man. One moment he can seem like a stereotypical FBI agent and the next... not. I loved the mystery surrounding him. It only made me want to keep reading so I could unravel the enigma that is Ian Hennessy.
The chemistry between these two burns hot. The heat they create is utterly, darkly seductive. Combined with the emotions behind it, watching these two souls, broken beyond repair, find an unusual solace in each other... enthralling. Erotic. Breathtaking. And more than a little bit twisted and sexy. You'll enjoy your trip to the deviant side. I definitely did.
Don't Let Go is full of an ever increasing build up of suspense and drama. It draws you into its dark abyss and, well, doesn't let go. Be prepared to fall in love with one very scary monster. You may not always like him, but a part of you will still grow to love this villainous hero.
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review.
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November 12, 2013
OMG. I can't even believe it, Skye Warren just managed to make me want more Carlos. Mind blown.
I think this is my favorite of the series.
I think this is my favorite of the series.
November 25, 2013
It was a twisted sort of love, but it was the only kind I knew.
What a shocking turn of events. My mind is still trying to accept what happened. I can't believe how it all tied up and twisted everything I thought about Carlos. I've been outwit outplay and outsmarted, because seriously I've been fooled!
I didn’t have a vocabulary for what he did to me, but then no one had been able to define the man himself. An enigma, an abomination, a wish on a star. He consumed me, and I drifted inside him, blissed out on the ride.
Carlos is one despicable man, I never like him in the previous books, he was EVIL. Just the thought of what he did in the previous books makes me loathe and to grasp a different side of him, a part of him that was never been told, his past, his ideals and most of all his purpose. it was real and surreal at the same time.
His past doesn't excused him of what he did, all psychopaths are but it shed a new light for whatever reasons he was trying to work out all through the years. And in those moments I admired him, its crazy but I do, he's a smart man!
I saw you, I wanted you, I took you.
I *think* I like Carlos not much though but he redeemed himself in a way I could not explain, its complicated lol, but if I tell you then you will know the truth.
“You’re just as crazy as me, love. And we’re going to be happy together for a long fucking time.”
This book works more in the mind, lets you think all sorts of possibilities, makes you doubt and surprise by the unexpected twist in the story. I love how it all played well. The plot was excellent but I wish it was novel, reading it like a short story tied up all ends very fast especially the romance. Overall I enjoyed the crazy ride.
“the truth is, I’m never letting you go. Not really. You’ll walk around outside this place, away from me, but no matter where you go, I’ll always be here.” He tapped my temple gently. “I’ll always be with you.”
March 10, 2022
This was a great book by a new author to me..I have already read more of her books since. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars
Want to read
March 4, 2020🎁 Dark Nights Boxed Set: The Complete Series (Dark Nights #0.5-2) is FREE on Amazon today (3/4/2020)! 🎁
November 12, 2013
Don’t Let Go by Skye Warren has blown me away. Skye’s ability to make me feel like I am part of this dramatic, dark, and twisted story is so fucking fantastic I can only sit here and beg for more.
Don’t Let Go is the story of Samantha, who is pretty much a nobody with the FBI. Her boss, Agent Brody, has just changed her life in a matter of seconds and put her on the biggest case in the country with one of the toughest agents in the country – Ian Hennessy. The case? Carlos Laguardia. Oh yeah, if you are a fan of Skye Warren, you know exactly who Carlos is. We really got to know him back in book two, Trust In Me, when he was ruthlessly shoving his cock down Mia’s throat, and keeping her very captive. You got to see exactly how bad of a guy Carlos is, and even though you might have felt a bit Stockholm-y of him, too, you knew he was the big bad. So now Samantha and Ian are on the case.
QUOTE
“I’d only ever wanted to be normal, prayed for it, but it had always been too late for me. While other children had backed away from white vans, I’d looked at them with longing. I wanted to be special enough to be taken. I wanted to matter that much.”
END QUOTE
So Samantha has had a fucked up childhood. As it turns out, her single dad was one of the worst when it came to bad guys. Rape, murder, beatings… you name it. With children. It’s really messed with Sam’s head, and you can see in the way she thinks about things that something isn’t quite adding up to “well adjusted young woman”. But hey, we all have quirks, right? That’s how good this story is, because even though you know what Sam is thinking and feeling about all of these different things, you still like her. You still want the best for her. And in some small, dark way, you want to be her.
And when Sam meets Ian there are some definite sparks. And I’m all like “hell yeah!!!” The very first touch between them, a handshake, brings out this chemical reaction that is just tangible. And from that moment on, I’m counting down til something happens with them. Ian is a tough guy. He’s determined to bring down Carlos, and he’s none to thrilled about having the rookie being his partner. It’s hard to get a read on him, but I still like him. I mean, I can understand his point of view. But Sam is no ordinary rookie, and he will find out. She stands up to him, she shows him that she is smart, and that she pays attention. And I love every fucking minute of it.
QUOTE
“He cupped my face, his eyes searching mine. I felt infinitely delicate when he held me like this, as if I were made of porcelain and spun gold instead of flesh and blood. As if I mightbreak. His thumb ran along my cheek, softly, gently, the callused pad of his thumb catching my skin, tugging it, abrading it, sandpaper against silk.
He leaned toward me, and this time our kiss was slow, like the long incline of a warm beach with lazy waves, with languid caresses of his mouth on mine. His tongue nudged my lips, and I opened for him. Relaxed against him, submitting myself to the sweet torture of an unhurried kiss.”
END QUOTE
Yes, there is heat in this book. There is raw, sexual, needy heat. And it is divine in every syllable you read. It’s fueled by the adrenalin of the hunt for a worldwide criminal, and supported by this superior electricity between the two characters. I can’t say enough things about the sex and tension in this book.
And while all of this is going on, you don’t even realize what’s happening. You don’t realize that Skye is about to throw a grenade at you and change everything. But she does it, damn it. She does it and it worked out so well – and I CAN’T TELL YOU!!! Gah!!!! I know, it’s killing me! But you really have to read for yourself and see what all of these plot twists are about. Because trust me, if you are a fan of dark erotica, this is definitely the fucking book for you.
And one more quote, because this one just killed me and then killed me again. Sublime happiness here, folks. Read the fucking book. But read Trust in Me first.
QUOTE
“Is that all I am to you?” I whispered. “A piece of flesh? Of meat?”
“Yes, “ He said, and the conviction in his voice didn’t allow it to be an insult. “You’re the meat when I’ve been fucking starving my whole life, so fucking accept it. You’re mine. Mine. Got it?”
END QUOTE
Don’t Let Go is the story of Samantha, who is pretty much a nobody with the FBI. Her boss, Agent Brody, has just changed her life in a matter of seconds and put her on the biggest case in the country with one of the toughest agents in the country – Ian Hennessy. The case? Carlos Laguardia. Oh yeah, if you are a fan of Skye Warren, you know exactly who Carlos is. We really got to know him back in book two, Trust In Me, when he was ruthlessly shoving his cock down Mia’s throat, and keeping her very captive. You got to see exactly how bad of a guy Carlos is, and even though you might have felt a bit Stockholm-y of him, too, you knew he was the big bad. So now Samantha and Ian are on the case.
QUOTE
“I’d only ever wanted to be normal, prayed for it, but it had always been too late for me. While other children had backed away from white vans, I’d looked at them with longing. I wanted to be special enough to be taken. I wanted to matter that much.”
END QUOTE
So Samantha has had a fucked up childhood. As it turns out, her single dad was one of the worst when it came to bad guys. Rape, murder, beatings… you name it. With children. It’s really messed with Sam’s head, and you can see in the way she thinks about things that something isn’t quite adding up to “well adjusted young woman”. But hey, we all have quirks, right? That’s how good this story is, because even though you know what Sam is thinking and feeling about all of these different things, you still like her. You still want the best for her. And in some small, dark way, you want to be her.
And when Sam meets Ian there are some definite sparks. And I’m all like “hell yeah!!!” The very first touch between them, a handshake, brings out this chemical reaction that is just tangible. And from that moment on, I’m counting down til something happens with them. Ian is a tough guy. He’s determined to bring down Carlos, and he’s none to thrilled about having the rookie being his partner. It’s hard to get a read on him, but I still like him. I mean, I can understand his point of view. But Sam is no ordinary rookie, and he will find out. She stands up to him, she shows him that she is smart, and that she pays attention. And I love every fucking minute of it.
QUOTE
“He cupped my face, his eyes searching mine. I felt infinitely delicate when he held me like this, as if I were made of porcelain and spun gold instead of flesh and blood. As if I mightbreak. His thumb ran along my cheek, softly, gently, the callused pad of his thumb catching my skin, tugging it, abrading it, sandpaper against silk.
He leaned toward me, and this time our kiss was slow, like the long incline of a warm beach with lazy waves, with languid caresses of his mouth on mine. His tongue nudged my lips, and I opened for him. Relaxed against him, submitting myself to the sweet torture of an unhurried kiss.”
END QUOTE
Yes, there is heat in this book. There is raw, sexual, needy heat. And it is divine in every syllable you read. It’s fueled by the adrenalin of the hunt for a worldwide criminal, and supported by this superior electricity between the two characters. I can’t say enough things about the sex and tension in this book.
And while all of this is going on, you don’t even realize what’s happening. You don’t realize that Skye is about to throw a grenade at you and change everything. But she does it, damn it. She does it and it worked out so well – and I CAN’T TELL YOU!!! Gah!!!! I know, it’s killing me! But you really have to read for yourself and see what all of these plot twists are about. Because trust me, if you are a fan of dark erotica, this is definitely the fucking book for you.
And one more quote, because this one just killed me and then killed me again. Sublime happiness here, folks. Read the fucking book. But read Trust in Me first.
QUOTE
“Is that all I am to you?” I whispered. “A piece of flesh? Of meat?”
“Yes, “ He said, and the conviction in his voice didn’t allow it to be an insult. “You’re the meat when I’ve been fucking starving my whole life, so fucking accept it. You’re mine. Mine. Got it?”
END QUOTE
November 20, 2013
If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
This book was awesome! It may make me a creepy bitch, but I love these dark and twisted erotic romances.
So what's this about?
Samantha is a junior FBI agent whose just been handed her career changing case-- She's supposed to help catch the ever elusive Carlos Laguardia. Ever since turning her father into the police for murder, she's been set on the path of "doing good". While that may be so, sister is majorly damaged. Who wouldn't be, right? She also has daddy issues and is only attracted to older dudes. The current object of her desire is her new partner.
Seasoned FBI agent Ian Hennessey: Smart, sexy, and a puzzle. When someone wants to catch the uncatchable, Ian is who that someone calls in. While it's pretty obvious why Ian is on the Laguardia case, he can't quite figure out why they assigned Sam as his partner... She's a rookie who could be a major distraction and complication.
While working on the mission, shit goes cray-cray and Sam ends up being captured by the bad guy.
And let's just talk about this bad guy for a minute...
Carlos Laguardia. He's the bad guy in this story. And when I say bad, I mean BAD. He's the head honcho of a complete crime syndicate and we'll just mince words by saying that he's gotten his hands filthy doing some seriously cringe-worthy shit. He's gotten some face-time in the first few books, but this one is his time to shine... And I freaking LOVE him. He's an asshole, but that didn't stop him from turning me on.
So anyway-- Sam gets captured and wakes up bound and blindfolded. She is put through the wringer, and where this would break some people, it frees Sam. Carlos takes away Sam layer by layer leaving her exposed. Vulnerable. Raw. This changes her. Now she seeks the pain that frees her. Can she only find that with Carlos: murderer, kidnapper, rapist, all around bad guy, her savior? Or does Ian (moral, upstanding citizen, and basic "good-guy") still have something to offer her?
“Normal?” he scoffed. “You wouldn’t like me half as much if I were normal. I saw you, I wanted you, I took you. You want me to fucking apologize for that? No. This is how it works. I’m an animal, remember? A monster. You put a slab of fresh meat in front of me, this is what happens.”
Sweet mother of pearl...
What a RIDE this book takes you on. While it isn't the darkest, twist-iest, or even the sexiest book I've ever read, this has the perfect combination of all three to blow your mind. I will say that I was able to guess out the twist awhile in advance, but I was never 100% sure that I was right and I love it when that happens! Even though my guess was correct, I was still stunned. The author twisted things perfectly and things aren't as they seem. Loved the characters. Loved the book. The sex was humiliating and degrading. Despite the former, the sex was HOT. And I'm not one bit ashamed.
My eyes fell shut, and the hot tracks down my cheeks didn’t come from the shower. I turned in his arms, blindly, gladly. God. All I’d ever wanted was someone to keep me. To want me, even knowing all my faults.
4.5 Stars.
November 22, 2013
wow...this was interesting. it was mixture of everything. you get dark, erotic, mystery, mix with a whole lot psychology. it made me think. i could over look the sex and the romance. it had details and reasoning behind the characters and what they did.
i liked Samantha. the girl was a little naive and stubborn but she was determined and strong. she had her moments, yet she held on her own. her past wasn't pretty but she didn't let that phase her. it made her stronger. i could relate to her. it wasn't fake or overly done.
Ian...he sure was an enigma. he was strong, sexy, broody and mysterious. he took samantha under his wings...in a way. although he was a little cold and distant in the beginning. but he became her mentor and her lover. he gave her the gentleness she never had but also told her the harsh truth when needed. i fell in love with Ian's character. there wasn't a whole lot details on his background or how he came to be but it was enough. it was enough to make him understand.
Carlos. i don't even know...the man has some serious issues. he is quite sadistic. reading the first three books, i knew he was a harsh and scary man. samantha and carlos's time was brief but he managed to break her down and her defenses. i didn't how to feel about him. one part of me wanted this cruel man to be locked up and another part of me was absolutely shocked to see his softer side. i went back and forth and eventually i settled that he is neither the hero or the villain. there are thousand ways to interpret his character. but i haven't come to any conclusion yet.
i wanted the book to be longer. it was just a little rushed. i felt like the whole falling in love and samantha being special was hurried. but the book kept me thinking, which was refreshing. the revelation was kinda shocking. my eyes went wide and i was like "hell yeah, that's what i'm talking about." lol
i am tired of reading just sex, sex and sex. i loved the ending but again, i don't know how i feel about it. i am still going back and forth. but it was satisfactory and knowing me, i ended up falling for the bad guy :p
4.5 star
Carlos
Samantha
this series...especially this book, a DEFINITE recommendation
i liked Samantha. the girl was a little naive and stubborn but she was determined and strong. she had her moments, yet she held on her own. her past wasn't pretty but she didn't let that phase her. it made her stronger. i could relate to her. it wasn't fake or overly done.
Ian...he sure was an enigma. he was strong, sexy, broody and mysterious. he took samantha under his wings...in a way. although he was a little cold and distant in the beginning. but he became her mentor and her lover. he gave her the gentleness she never had but also told her the harsh truth when needed. i fell in love with Ian's character. there wasn't a whole lot details on his background or how he came to be but it was enough. it was enough to make him understand.
Carlos. i don't even know...the man has some serious issues. he is quite sadistic. reading the first three books, i knew he was a harsh and scary man. samantha and carlos's time was brief but he managed to break her down and her defenses. i didn't how to feel about him. one part of me wanted this cruel man to be locked up and another part of me was absolutely shocked to see his softer side. i went back and forth and eventually i settled that he is neither the hero or the villain. there are thousand ways to interpret his character. but i haven't come to any conclusion yet.
i wanted the book to be longer. it was just a little rushed. i felt like the whole falling in love and samantha being special was hurried. but the book kept me thinking, which was refreshing. the revelation was kinda shocking. my eyes went wide and i was like "hell yeah, that's what i'm talking about." lol
i am tired of reading just sex, sex and sex. i loved the ending but again, i don't know how i feel about it. i am still going back and forth. but it was satisfactory and knowing me, i ended up falling for the bad guy :p
4.5 star
Carlos
Samantha
this series...especially this book, a DEFINITE recommendation
November 7, 2013
If you've never read Skye Warren, her books are extremely intense. This series is called Dark Erotica for a reason. This book will probably hit buttons for some people, but I enjoyed reading it. There is violence and some really hot sex scenes. The characters are really deep, which I've come to expect from Ms. Warren.
Samantha is a very broken individual. She helped put her own father in jail at an extremely young age (I think she was 10). He was a pedophile and a killer of small children. He came home with blood on his hands and had even touched her cheek before washing off the blood. This can do some strange things to a small child, even when they grow up to be FBI agents.
She is a junior agent, who up until this point has done nothing more than make copies and fetch coffee. Then she is partnered with a very renown agent to work on an extremely large case for one of the FBI's most wanted. She has no idea why she was chosen, she does eventually find out why she was chosen.
I don't want to say too much. I don't want to give anything away. The plot is very thick. There is suspense and there are some very dark parts. This book can be read as a stand alone, though I would recommend reading the first three books, because it will help you learn more about Carlos and what a bad person he is. They are also great books, but I think this book can be enjoyed if it is read alone. Hopefully, it would encourage you to go back and read the others. Ms. Warren will takes you places you didn't know you wanted to go. Great end to a series.
I do want to say that there is non-consensual sex and some pretty rough slave type situations, so reader beware if you don't like this kind of dark erotica. It will be some of the best dark erotica you will read. Highly recommended.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author in exchange for an honest review.
Samantha is a very broken individual. She helped put her own father in jail at an extremely young age (I think she was 10). He was a pedophile and a killer of small children. He came home with blood on his hands and had even touched her cheek before washing off the blood. This can do some strange things to a small child, even when they grow up to be FBI agents.
She is a junior agent, who up until this point has done nothing more than make copies and fetch coffee. Then she is partnered with a very renown agent to work on an extremely large case for one of the FBI's most wanted. She has no idea why she was chosen, she does eventually find out why she was chosen.
I don't want to say too much. I don't want to give anything away. The plot is very thick. There is suspense and there are some very dark parts. This book can be read as a stand alone, though I would recommend reading the first three books, because it will help you learn more about Carlos and what a bad person he is. They are also great books, but I think this book can be enjoyed if it is read alone. Hopefully, it would encourage you to go back and read the others. Ms. Warren will takes you places you didn't know you wanted to go. Great end to a series.
I do want to say that there is non-consensual sex and some pretty rough slave type situations, so reader beware if you don't like this kind of dark erotica. It will be some of the best dark erotica you will read. Highly recommended.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Author in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2013
Jesus God...this book is pushing close to my 6 star rating.
Many years ago I read a Lora Leigh book with the H (also named Ian as the H is in this story) that I liked but didn't love...the H just wasn't bad enough though he was pretending to be to get his drug dealer pimp of a father locked up. I said to myself DAMN if he just crossed the line...wow.
Then I read the great Kitty Thomas 'Comfort Food' and thought how truly marvelous that tale was but there wasn't enough of the romance (plenty of kink) with the H/h.
But THIS story by Warren is like the best of those two stories combined.
Sick and twisted yep. But written in a way that for fiction...for non reality...makes sense...it's a lovestory. There is no one else for the H or the h but one another.
And there's no shock here...the reader knows from pretty early on *exactly* who Carlos is...I was only surprised how long it took for the h to figure it out.
Wouldn't be surprised if upon reread this rating does move up to my best of 6 stars...wanting and planning to reread a book the moment I finish it screams awesome.
Many years ago I read a Lora Leigh book with the H (also named Ian as the H is in this story) that I liked but didn't love...the H just wasn't bad enough though he was pretending to be to get his drug dealer pimp of a father locked up. I said to myself DAMN if he just crossed the line...wow.
Then I read the great Kitty Thomas 'Comfort Food' and thought how truly marvelous that tale was but there wasn't enough of the romance (plenty of kink) with the H/h.
But THIS story by Warren is like the best of those two stories combined.
Sick and twisted yep. But written in a way that for fiction...for non reality...makes sense...it's a lovestory. There is no one else for the H or the h but one another.
And there's no shock here...the reader knows from pretty early on *exactly* who Carlos is...I was only surprised how long it took for the h to figure it out.
Wouldn't be surprised if upon reread this rating does move up to my best of 6 stars...wanting and planning to reread a book the moment I finish it screams awesome.
November 13, 2013
I love the darker side of romance as long as the hero does not abuse the heroine (both physically or mentally). There was the case of abuse here (abducting, pain caused by emotional distress and physical injuries)
so therefore i would not give it the 5 star, i just simply never fell in love with the hero, but the thriller aspect of the story, dark and gritty kept me on the edge of my seat.
There was a little bit of similarity between this story and the movie Taking Lives (2004) wich I loved….
December 17, 2013
CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW & FAVORITE QUOTES
Skye Warren knows how to bring the dark and taboo together in the most tantalizing way, seducing the reader. I adore dark erotica and this series has been keeping me happily titillated and horrified at my perverted nature in [almost] equal degrees. The psychological aspects of sexuality that Skye delves into will make you think. There is quite a set-up with Don’t Let Go–Carlos’s story–and quite the mindfuck. Seriously, mind blown. And this book contains some of the absolute HOTTEST oral scenes I’ve ever read. Ever. This story is dark, sexy, and haunting, and it stayed with me for days after having read it. This is a must-read for dark erotica lovers.
Skye Warren knows how to bring the dark and taboo together in the most tantalizing way, seducing the reader. I adore dark erotica and this series has been keeping me happily titillated and horrified at my perverted nature in [almost] equal degrees. The psychological aspects of sexuality that Skye delves into will make you think. There is quite a set-up with Don’t Let Go–Carlos’s story–and quite the mindfuck. Seriously, mind blown. And this book contains some of the absolute HOTTEST oral scenes I’ve ever read. Ever. This story is dark, sexy, and haunting, and it stayed with me for days after having read it. This is a must-read for dark erotica lovers.
May 26, 2015
My dream wasn’t to be a princess in a castle. I wanted to be Persephone, claimed by the god of the underworld.
I enjoyed this book. It's no secret that I crave dark reads, and while Don't Let Go wasn't as dark as I thought it would be, it was still well written and the psychological aspect was a pleasure to read. I must say, the twist was rather brilliant. I was completely caught off guard, and that doesn't happen very often. Still, some things just didn't quite click with me. I was a bit skeptical of how the character in said plot twist was able to manage the double life BUT I salute Warren for piecing together something unexpected so greatly.
3.5 stars
I saw you, I wanted you, I took you.
November 22, 2013
A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for an honest review at Seductive Musings.
There are many writers who specialize in the darkest of erotic novels, both with and without romantic elements, but there are very few who are truly talented in this often misunderstood subgenre. One of those writers is Skye Warren, who has displayed her incredible talent again in what I believe is her best book yet - Never Let Go. This is the fourth entry in her Dark Erotica series, but a reader new to her work should have no problem reading it as a stand-alone. It features a couple who not only appear to be mismatched from the start, but who ultimately put a whole new spin on the terms “hero” and “heroine” that would normally be used to describe them here.
Samantha Holmes never had a real childhood, thanks to her father. He tortured and killed other children for years, but left her alive long enough to be the one who turned him in. No human could emerge from such an experience without some sort of serious emotional damage, yet Samantha is determined not to let anyone suspect that she is anything but normal. As a rookie agent for the FBI, her goal is to put the bad guys in jail, but as a woman, most of what she gets to do involves more mundane tasks, like filing and fetching coffee. So when she is abruptly assigned to one of the Bureau’s most high-profile cases, partnering with a legendary senior agent, she doesn’t let herself question too closely why she, of all people, would be chosen.
On the surface, Ian Hennessy seems to be exactly as he appears, namely the no-nonsense agent who always gets the bad guy and will stop at nothing to get Carlos Laguardia, even if it means dumping his new lady partner before she even has a chance to contribute. Samantha is drawn to him sexually in spite of herself, knowing that although the attraction is mutual, the outcome can’t be anything but bad. Who in their right mind would want a monster like her...unless that person was one, too?
Anyone who was following me on Twitter when I was reading Don’t Let Go got to see my instant reaction in a series of tweets where I expressed just how much I enjoyed it:
When a review book unexpectedly rewards you with
writing so perfectly nuanced and understated that it
makes you want to weep with joy. #win
It’s so damn good, this book.
I now have a book hangover THIS BIG and it’s all
@skye_warren ‘s fault. Wow. #win
I still can’t wrap my head around how much this book got to me. Although I am a long-time fan of truly deeply dark erotica, I normally shy away from books that reference extreme violence, especially against women or children. I’m also nearly burned out on romances where the heroine has been broken/damaged/whatever and can only be “saved” by a hero who is often also broken/damaged/whatever by similar circumstances. But Don’t Let Go morphs both of those tropes into something unique and fascinating, both as a character study and as a genuine romance between a man and a woman who ultimately agree that they are perfectly matched for one another...and all that that implies. To tell you any more would be to ruin all its secrets. But in a year when I’ve been fortunate enough to have read so many 5 star books, you should know that Don’t Let Go has immediately vaulted to the top of my list for 2013, and it will be a difficult task to dislodge it from that spot.
Ratings:
Overall: 5
Sensuality level: 4.5 (multiple scenes of violent dubious consent, bondage, flogging and use of sex toys; threats of rape and sexual violence; discussion of child sex abuse and murder)
There are many writers who specialize in the darkest of erotic novels, both with and without romantic elements, but there are very few who are truly talented in this often misunderstood subgenre. One of those writers is Skye Warren, who has displayed her incredible talent again in what I believe is her best book yet - Never Let Go. This is the fourth entry in her Dark Erotica series, but a reader new to her work should have no problem reading it as a stand-alone. It features a couple who not only appear to be mismatched from the start, but who ultimately put a whole new spin on the terms “hero” and “heroine” that would normally be used to describe them here.
Samantha Holmes never had a real childhood, thanks to her father. He tortured and killed other children for years, but left her alive long enough to be the one who turned him in. No human could emerge from such an experience without some sort of serious emotional damage, yet Samantha is determined not to let anyone suspect that she is anything but normal. As a rookie agent for the FBI, her goal is to put the bad guys in jail, but as a woman, most of what she gets to do involves more mundane tasks, like filing and fetching coffee. So when she is abruptly assigned to one of the Bureau’s most high-profile cases, partnering with a legendary senior agent, she doesn’t let herself question too closely why she, of all people, would be chosen.
On the surface, Ian Hennessy seems to be exactly as he appears, namely the no-nonsense agent who always gets the bad guy and will stop at nothing to get Carlos Laguardia, even if it means dumping his new lady partner before she even has a chance to contribute. Samantha is drawn to him sexually in spite of herself, knowing that although the attraction is mutual, the outcome can’t be anything but bad. Who in their right mind would want a monster like her...unless that person was one, too?
Anyone who was following me on Twitter when I was reading Don’t Let Go got to see my instant reaction in a series of tweets where I expressed just how much I enjoyed it:
When a review book unexpectedly rewards you with
writing so perfectly nuanced and understated that it
makes you want to weep with joy. #win
It’s so damn good, this book.
I now have a book hangover THIS BIG and it’s all
@skye_warren ‘s fault. Wow. #win
I still can’t wrap my head around how much this book got to me. Although I am a long-time fan of truly deeply dark erotica, I normally shy away from books that reference extreme violence, especially against women or children. I’m also nearly burned out on romances where the heroine has been broken/damaged/whatever and can only be “saved” by a hero who is often also broken/damaged/whatever by similar circumstances. But Don’t Let Go morphs both of those tropes into something unique and fascinating, both as a character study and as a genuine romance between a man and a woman who ultimately agree that they are perfectly matched for one another...and all that that implies. To tell you any more would be to ruin all its secrets. But in a year when I’ve been fortunate enough to have read so many 5 star books, you should know that Don’t Let Go has immediately vaulted to the top of my list for 2013, and it will be a difficult task to dislodge it from that spot.
Ratings:
Overall: 5
Sensuality level: 4.5 (multiple scenes of violent dubious consent, bondage, flogging and use of sex toys; threats of rape and sexual violence; discussion of child sex abuse and murder)
December 24, 2013
***Be warned: This isn't your typical romance or erotica novel, this is dark if that isn't your thing then believe me this isn't the right book for you**
When I first started this novel, I thought I wouldn't enjoy it. I struggled a lot with the first half of this book because frankly I thought it was going to set the mood for the novel as a whole that is until the moment that Junior Agent Samantha Holmes was kidnapped and everything I thought I knew about this novel changed.
Since she was a child, Samantha Holmes knew she wanted to be an FBI agent. It was an easy rode for her to take, one that most thought she shouldn't go down. Why? Because her father is a criminal who is now serving life in prison after he tried to kill her during her jail visit at the age of ten. Now grown up, she is a junior FBI agent. She hasn't been an agent very long, so imagine her surprise when her superior to her she would be working with veteran agent Ian Hennessy to apprehend Carlos LaGuardia who has been chasing him for a long time. Samantha is familiar with the case of Carlos LaGuardia having spent hours analyzing the surveillance photos and the evidence they have gathered against him over the years.
LaGuardia is a criminal and psychopath who's every move is cold and calculated. As they search for LaGuardia's next move, Ian and Samantha grow closer to one another and Samantha has feelings for him she never thought that she would. But her involvement in the case is questionable. Why not someone more experienced? Why someone who looks likes his ex-lover Mia? The closer Samantha gets to the case, the closer she becomes to being the prey and when she's kidnapped nothing will ever be the same again.
Where have you been all my life Skye Warren and why am I just now hearing about your work??? I'm always on the lookout for my next great read. I long ago grew bored with traditional romance and look for the darker side of erotica now. At first I thought this book was going to be slow and boring, but the more I read the more I became attached to Samantha. Throw everything you think this book is about in the first half because when everything comes crashing down it will leave you with your mouth hanging open. Samantha and Ian were so well developed and I enjoyed their story a lot more than I thought I would. I give it 5 fantastic stars and look forward to reading more of Skye's work in the future.
***ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review***
When I first started this novel, I thought I wouldn't enjoy it. I struggled a lot with the first half of this book because frankly I thought it was going to set the mood for the novel as a whole that is until the moment that Junior Agent Samantha Holmes was kidnapped and everything I thought I knew about this novel changed.
Since she was a child, Samantha Holmes knew she wanted to be an FBI agent. It was an easy rode for her to take, one that most thought she shouldn't go down. Why? Because her father is a criminal who is now serving life in prison after he tried to kill her during her jail visit at the age of ten. Now grown up, she is a junior FBI agent. She hasn't been an agent very long, so imagine her surprise when her superior to her she would be working with veteran agent Ian Hennessy to apprehend Carlos LaGuardia who has been chasing him for a long time. Samantha is familiar with the case of Carlos LaGuardia having spent hours analyzing the surveillance photos and the evidence they have gathered against him over the years.
LaGuardia is a criminal and psychopath who's every move is cold and calculated. As they search for LaGuardia's next move, Ian and Samantha grow closer to one another and Samantha has feelings for him she never thought that she would. But her involvement in the case is questionable. Why not someone more experienced? Why someone who looks likes his ex-lover Mia? The closer Samantha gets to the case, the closer she becomes to being the prey and when she's kidnapped nothing will ever be the same again.
Where have you been all my life Skye Warren and why am I just now hearing about your work??? I'm always on the lookout for my next great read. I long ago grew bored with traditional romance and look for the darker side of erotica now. At first I thought this book was going to be slow and boring, but the more I read the more I became attached to Samantha. Throw everything you think this book is about in the first half because when everything comes crashing down it will leave you with your mouth hanging open. Samantha and Ian were so well developed and I enjoyed their story a lot more than I thought I would. I give it 5 fantastic stars and look forward to reading more of Skye's work in the future.
***ARC provided by author in exchange for a honest review***
November 16, 2013
4 stars!
Holy moses! That was so twisted...so gritty, so good! I'm a big fan of dark romances...I don't know, something about mixing dark with light just does it for me! And this book did it well.
I can't give too much away about this plot...other than Samantha is a junior FBI agent put on a case with Ian, to take down Carlos, a drug lord. I can't say much more than that about what happens, but we get to know Carlos, and he ends up fulfilling twisted little Samantha in a way no one else can. But...she also happens to be in love with her partner, Ian.
Let me tell you. I was conflicted. I definitely fell for Ian, but at the same time, I knew Carlos had something that Samantha couldn't turn away from. Ugh, all just so twisted!
And that twist of the plot! Holy cow...I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! And usually I'm pretty good at seeing a twist coming before hand. This one took me completely by surprise. It made the story so much better too! Ugh, well done, Skye Warren!
My only complaint is that I wish the romance were a little more developed between the characters...but I understand that this is Dark Erotica...but still. I want my tummy to flip with more butterflies. This book didn't have that. lol Still really well written though!
Holy moses! That was so twisted...so gritty, so good! I'm a big fan of dark romances...I don't know, something about mixing dark with light just does it for me! And this book did it well.
I can't give too much away about this plot...other than Samantha is a junior FBI agent put on a case with Ian, to take down Carlos, a drug lord. I can't say much more than that about what happens, but we get to know Carlos, and he ends up fulfilling twisted little Samantha in a way no one else can. But...she also happens to be in love with her partner, Ian.
Let me tell you. I was conflicted. I definitely fell for Ian, but at the same time, I knew Carlos had something that Samantha couldn't turn away from. Ugh, all just so twisted!
And that twist of the plot! Holy cow...I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING! And usually I'm pretty good at seeing a twist coming before hand. This one took me completely by surprise. It made the story so much better too! Ugh, well done, Skye Warren!
My only complaint is that I wish the romance were a little more developed between the characters...but I understand that this is Dark Erotica...but still. I want my tummy to flip with more butterflies. This book didn't have that. lol Still really well written though!
January 28, 2022
Warning from amazon:
"Don't Let Go" is a dark erotic novel that contains dubious consent and captivity. Not intended for those under eighteen or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.
ME LIKEY!!!!!!!!!
That's me before reading this book:
I'm ready......
*****************************************
....and that's me after finishing this book:
I really liked Mia, though! And of course Martinez going all alpha. *sigh* So, I'm definitely gonna read their story!
"Don't Let Go" is a dark erotic novel that contains dubious consent and captivity. Not intended for those under eighteen or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.
ME LIKEY!!!!!!!!!
That's me before reading this book:
I'm ready......
*****************************************
....and that's me after finishing this book:
It was o.k., but I just expected more. My main problem with this story is that I couldn't connect with the "hero" and the heroine. Sure, the steamy scenes were pretty HAWT. But at the end, everything happend so fast
I really liked Mia, though! And of course Martinez going all alpha. *sigh* So, I'm definitely gonna read their story!
December 22, 2014
Warning: Contents may not be suitable for all readers.
I wanted to wait and read all 4 stories to see if I my feelings would change. Nope, I was right from the beginning. They were exactly what I was hoping Skye Warren would deliver. I now call her the Queen of Fucked-Upness. She leaves nothing behind. It's like you can feel every emotion as you're reading. You want to scream, cry and hurt all at the same time with the characters. Her stories are twisted, raw and perversely romantic. The men will make you want to throw up, choke your kindle, hide in a corner, make you look at your back seat before you enter your car at night, some really scary shit I tell you. But you learn that even Monsters need Love. It may not be the kind of love that you're used to, let's face it, wouldn't it be so boring if we were all the same.
This is one of my "Welcome to the Darkside" books "Enter at your own risk". I highly recommend them. They are short and I actually enjoyed that the author didn't need to feed you all this BS to prove a point. I hope you will give them a chance. Don't be a pussy ;0)
I wanted to wait and read all 4 stories to see if I my feelings would change. Nope, I was right from the beginning. They were exactly what I was hoping Skye Warren would deliver. I now call her the Queen of Fucked-Upness. She leaves nothing behind. It's like you can feel every emotion as you're reading. You want to scream, cry and hurt all at the same time with the characters. Her stories are twisted, raw and perversely romantic. The men will make you want to throw up, choke your kindle, hide in a corner, make you look at your back seat before you enter your car at night, some really scary shit I tell you. But you learn that even Monsters need Love. It may not be the kind of love that you're used to, let's face it, wouldn't it be so boring if we were all the same.
This is one of my "Welcome to the Darkside" books "Enter at your own risk". I highly recommend them. They are short and I actually enjoyed that the author didn't need to feed you all this BS to prove a point. I hope you will give them a chance. Don't be a pussy ;0)
November 20, 2014
I held off reading this book for awhile because I knew evil Carlos was going to be the dark "hero". I wasn't sure if I wanted to read that.
The author totally changed my perception of him, which I enjoyed.
Samantha, the heroine, was a fucked up character, in some ways even more so than Carlos.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
But, the movie "The Usual Suspects" was one of my favorites growing up, so I guessed what was going on pretty early in the book.
Still, the author did an excellent job with her plot. Ian/Carlos became a character I rooted for, though I had to ignore all the bad things he'd done to Mia in an earlier book.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dark romance like Consequences and Captive in the Dark.
The author totally changed my perception of him, which I enjoyed.
Samantha, the heroine, was a fucked up character, in some ways even more so than Carlos.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
But, the movie "The Usual Suspects" was one of my favorites growing up, so I guessed what was going on pretty early in the book.
Still, the author did an excellent job with her plot. Ian/Carlos became a character I rooted for, though I had to ignore all the bad things he'd done to Mia in an earlier book.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dark romance like Consequences and Captive in the Dark.
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