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Just One Night #1.1 (included in #1)
The Stranger
This book is no longer sold separately but included in Just One Night.
In this New York Times bestselling erotic enovella trilogy, a buttoned-up businesswoman takes her friend’s advice and has a fling with a stranger on a trip to Vegas—only to find herself under his mysterious, sexy power both in the boardroom and the bedroom.
Kasie Fitzgerald knows who she’s supposed to be. She’s a rising-star-workaholic at a global consulting firm. She’s the fiancée of a well-connected man who’s won the approval of her parents. People know that she’s reliable, serious, proper, cautious, pragmatic, and yes, a little predictable. She’s who Dave and her family want her to be.
But as her thirtieth birthday looms, buried feelings begin to resurrect. Her friend takes her to Vegas for one last wild and crazy night. In a dress much shorter and sexier than anything she has ever dared to wear before, she hits the blackjack tables. And meets him. Under the tailored clothes it’s clear that this is a man who is intense, powerful, and maybe even a little dangerous. With a touch of trepidation she accepts his invitation to get a drink, and before long, she’s in his hotel room.
She never gets his full name. Perhaps his anonymity is one of the reasons she’s able to give herself over to him and to the moment so completely. Perhaps it’s why she’s just had the most exquisite and passionate sex of her life. Shaken by her own behavior, Kasie tries to chalk it up to one crazy night. But when the mysterious gentleman she’s just had a fling with shows up in her office—as the CEO of a firm her company does a billion dollars of business with a year, demanding that she handle his account, and so much more—things will never be the same again. And there’s no telling where this will go…
In this New York Times bestselling erotic enovella trilogy, a buttoned-up businesswoman takes her friend’s advice and has a fling with a stranger on a trip to Vegas—only to find herself under his mysterious, sexy power both in the boardroom and the bedroom.
Kasie Fitzgerald knows who she’s supposed to be. She’s a rising-star-workaholic at a global consulting firm. She’s the fiancée of a well-connected man who’s won the approval of her parents. People know that she’s reliable, serious, proper, cautious, pragmatic, and yes, a little predictable. She’s who Dave and her family want her to be.
But as her thirtieth birthday looms, buried feelings begin to resurrect. Her friend takes her to Vegas for one last wild and crazy night. In a dress much shorter and sexier than anything she has ever dared to wear before, she hits the blackjack tables. And meets him. Under the tailored clothes it’s clear that this is a man who is intense, powerful, and maybe even a little dangerous. With a touch of trepidation she accepts his invitation to get a drink, and before long, she’s in his hotel room.
She never gets his full name. Perhaps his anonymity is one of the reasons she’s able to give herself over to him and to the moment so completely. Perhaps it’s why she’s just had the most exquisite and passionate sex of her life. Shaken by her own behavior, Kasie tries to chalk it up to one crazy night. But when the mysterious gentleman she’s just had a fling with shows up in her office—as the CEO of a firm her company does a billion dollars of business with a year, demanding that she handle his account, and so much more—things will never be the same again. And there’s no telling where this will go…
133 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2013
255 people are currently reading
5959 people want to read
About the author
Kyra Davis
29 books1,521 followersNew York Times bestselling author of JUST ONE NIGHT, DECEPTIVE INNOCENCE, the Sophie Katz mysteries, SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING and the upcoming DANGEROUS ALLIANCE, JUST ONCE MORE and JUST ONE LIE (July 28th, 2015).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 668 reviews
December 2, 2012
Kasie Fitzgerald is a good girl. She’s become everything that her parents and her boyfriend expect her to be. She’s been to college, she’s climbing the corporate ladder and she’s about to become engaged to her safe and dependable boyfriend and she is the complete opposite of her wayward sister, much to the smug satisfaction of her parents. She’s living the life she was always expected to live without ever considering her own repressed desires.
Her boyfriend Dave hasn’t proposed but has talked about budgeting for engagement rings and wearing sensible shoes to go shopping for them. Before she slumps into marital obscurity, Kasie goes to Las Vegas for the weekend with her best friend Simone and vamps it up in a Hervé Léger bandage dress and teeters across a casino in heels she is unaccustomed to and draws the attention of every man in the place, including Robert Dade.
Their attraction is instant and, despite her better judgements Kasie spends the night with him in his suite and awakens something inside her she didn’t even know was there. Their night together is primal, carnal, deeply passionate, and spontaneous – the complete opposite of everything she has with Safe Dave. Never has a glass of scotch been so sensual!
Dave and Robert Dade are polar opposites of each other, one at each end of the spectrum of passion – Dave sees the woman he wants Kasie to be, expects her to be, Robert sees beneath her façade to the true passionate nature she has long since buried in an attempt to conform to everyone else’s expectations.
After her trip to Vegas, Kasie attempts to put her indiscretion firmly in her rear view mirror but Mr Dade has made her suddenly feel alive, something long repressed within her has been awakened and will not lie down again, however hard she tries.
It would be easy to judge Kasie for her infidelity here but she’s not a married woman, she’s a girl teetering on the edge of making a mistake that will blight the rest of her life and she’s been shown something dazzling and enticing – an intense detour from the path of expectation she’s been walking for so long. She’s always taken the safe route, now she’s tempted to divert off-course and follow her basest instincts.
Kasie has decisions to make – she’s always cherished belonging to a relationship, liked the rules, cherished the confines but now she is stepping out of her comfort zone. Robert attempts to convince her that she doesn’t love Dave, that she’s making a mistake but Kasie is torn between what she truly desires and what everyone expects of her. Dave offers the safety of a gilded cage with his proposal whereas Robert Dade offers the intoxicating freedom of adventure. It’s a tough choice to make and, by the end of the novel, not entirely her decision.
I have to say that I’m a little bit in awe of the writing style – this is exceptionally well written and I enjoyed every second I was with this book. It’s intensely sensual, the sex scenes are incredibly HOT and this is another trilogy that’s going to have me desperately waiting for each new instalment. The ending of this one promises a rockier journey in part 2 and I, for one, can't wait.
The entire book is told from Kasie’s POV; it is, after all, Kasie’s story so I don’t feel by the end of this book that we’ve had much of an insight into Robert Dade. Besides the sex, they haven’t gotten to know each other very well even though he wants to know her better. I’m hoping that we’ll learn more about him, his past and his motivations in the next 2 books. Also, there’s no reference to safe sex or contraception either which is fairly unusual in erotic fiction.
So, yes, this is another trilogy with a billionaire CEO desperately seeking the woman he wants but it’s a really good one and I am going to highly recommend it. It’s not very long – probably a similar length to Raine Miller’s Naked.
Kasie & Mr Dade
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books & Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss
For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
Her boyfriend Dave hasn’t proposed but has talked about budgeting for engagement rings and wearing sensible shoes to go shopping for them. Before she slumps into marital obscurity, Kasie goes to Las Vegas for the weekend with her best friend Simone and vamps it up in a Hervé Léger bandage dress and teeters across a casino in heels she is unaccustomed to and draws the attention of every man in the place, including Robert Dade.
Their attraction is instant and, despite her better judgements Kasie spends the night with him in his suite and awakens something inside her she didn’t even know was there. Their night together is primal, carnal, deeply passionate, and spontaneous – the complete opposite of everything she has with Safe Dave. Never has a glass of scotch been so sensual!
Dave and Robert Dade are polar opposites of each other, one at each end of the spectrum of passion – Dave sees the woman he wants Kasie to be, expects her to be, Robert sees beneath her façade to the true passionate nature she has long since buried in an attempt to conform to everyone else’s expectations.
After her trip to Vegas, Kasie attempts to put her indiscretion firmly in her rear view mirror but Mr Dade has made her suddenly feel alive, something long repressed within her has been awakened and will not lie down again, however hard she tries.
It would be easy to judge Kasie for her infidelity here but she’s not a married woman, she’s a girl teetering on the edge of making a mistake that will blight the rest of her life and she’s been shown something dazzling and enticing – an intense detour from the path of expectation she’s been walking for so long. She’s always taken the safe route, now she’s tempted to divert off-course and follow her basest instincts.
I stare at the woman in the mirror, her hair loose around her shoulders, commanding, sensual.
“I want to know you,” I say to her.
Kasie has decisions to make – she’s always cherished belonging to a relationship, liked the rules, cherished the confines but now she is stepping out of her comfort zone. Robert attempts to convince her that she doesn’t love Dave, that she’s making a mistake but Kasie is torn between what she truly desires and what everyone expects of her. Dave offers the safety of a gilded cage with his proposal whereas Robert Dade offers the intoxicating freedom of adventure. It’s a tough choice to make and, by the end of the novel, not entirely her decision.
“I’m getting married.”
“To a man you don’t love.”
“He’s the man I want.”
“What a seductive little liar you are.”
I have to say that I’m a little bit in awe of the writing style – this is exceptionally well written and I enjoyed every second I was with this book. It’s intensely sensual, the sex scenes are incredibly HOT and this is another trilogy that’s going to have me desperately waiting for each new instalment. The ending of this one promises a rockier journey in part 2 and I, for one, can't wait.
The entire book is told from Kasie’s POV; it is, after all, Kasie’s story so I don’t feel by the end of this book that we’ve had much of an insight into Robert Dade. Besides the sex, they haven’t gotten to know each other very well even though he wants to know her better. I’m hoping that we’ll learn more about him, his past and his motivations in the next 2 books. Also, there’s no reference to safe sex or contraception either which is fairly unusual in erotic fiction.
So, yes, this is another trilogy with a billionaire CEO desperately seeking the woman he wants but it’s a really good one and I am going to highly recommend it. It’s not very long – probably a similar length to Raine Miller’s Naked.
Kasie & Mr Dade
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books & Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss
For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews
February 9, 2021
Me gustó, aunque no era precisamente lo que esperaba. La parte erótica de la novela está bien, pero tampoco es descollante. El principal empeño de la historia es sumergir al lector en el conflicto de Kasie -la protagonista- cuando decide engañar a su pareja sólo una noche y con un desconocido, y cómo ese conflicto emocional alcanza niveles insospechados cuando el supuesto desconocido irrumpe en su vida, descalabrando todos sus principios y la construcción de vida ideal que había levantado a su alrededor.
Considero que la autora hizo un muy buen trabajo al sustentar los miedos e inseguridades de Kasie en algunos episodios de su niñez, sin embargo, no me gustó la construcción del personaje respecto de cómo enfrenta las situaciones. Creo que pocas veces me he encontrado con un personaje tan desleal, cobarde y sin convicción.
Como esta entrega no tiene un desenlace y es casi una invitación obligada a leer el siguiente libro, realmente espero un crecimiento del personaje, una transformación por así decirlo, y que esa sea la esencia de esta trilogía.
Reto #14 PopSugar 2018: Un libro por un autor de una etnia diferente a la tuya
Considero que la autora hizo un muy buen trabajo al sustentar los miedos e inseguridades de Kasie en algunos episodios de su niñez, sin embargo, no me gustó la construcción del personaje respecto de cómo enfrenta las situaciones. Creo que pocas veces me he encontrado con un personaje tan desleal, cobarde y sin convicción.
Como esta entrega no tiene un desenlace y es casi una invitación obligada a leer el siguiente libro, realmente espero un crecimiento del personaje, una transformación por así decirlo, y que esa sea la esencia de esta trilogía.
Reto #14 PopSugar 2018: Un libro por un autor de una etnia diferente a la tuya
December 5, 2014
I have mixed emotions about this book. I was drawn into the story but I didn't enjoy it, if that makes sense. It was the type of story that left a bad taste in my mouth.
I'll start with the positives:
1) Thank F-ing GOD we finally got a sexy billionaire that isn't in his 20s. Thanks to the description of "salt and pepper hair", I'm going to assume he is in his 40s. I wish there were more age details on him though.
2) Robert (sexy billionaire) is a great character, self confident and smart. I'm not sure exactly what he sees in the insipid Kasie but I liked him more than the male leads I usually see in these kinds of books.
The negatives:
1) I don't like cheating. I fundamentally dislike it and don't find many things romantic about it. I kept frowning at Kasie in my mind as I was reading the story. Not exactly a promising sign.
2) They never used protection! Come on, if you are cheating on your boyfriend and you feel even a bit remorseful about it, why wouldn't you try to protect everyone involved from diseases? She goes right from one man to the other in less than 24 hours with no condoms used by any party. ::shudder:: ::vomit::
3) Kasie was irritating, unprofessional, and wishy washy to the point where I'm not sure how she she could ever be a successful business woman. It made no sense to me.
All in all, I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. It was middle of the road for me and I'm not sure I would continue with the series. The infidelity issue makes me too uncomfortable but maybe some other readers won't mind it.
**This book is a read-to-review for NetGalley**
I'll start with the positives:
1) Thank F-ing GOD we finally got a sexy billionaire that isn't in his 20s. Thanks to the description of "salt and pepper hair", I'm going to assume he is in his 40s. I wish there were more age details on him though.
2) Robert (sexy billionaire) is a great character, self confident and smart. I'm not sure exactly what he sees in the insipid Kasie but I liked him more than the male leads I usually see in these kinds of books.
The negatives:
1) I don't like cheating. I fundamentally dislike it and don't find many things romantic about it. I kept frowning at Kasie in my mind as I was reading the story. Not exactly a promising sign.
2) They never used protection! Come on, if you are cheating on your boyfriend and you feel even a bit remorseful about it, why wouldn't you try to protect everyone involved from diseases? She goes right from one man to the other in less than 24 hours with no condoms used by any party. ::shudder:: ::vomit::
3) Kasie was irritating, unprofessional, and wishy washy to the point where I'm not sure how she she could ever be a successful business woman. It made no sense to me.
All in all, I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. It was middle of the road for me and I'm not sure I would continue with the series. The infidelity issue makes me too uncomfortable but maybe some other readers won't mind it.
**This book is a read-to-review for NetGalley**
December 30, 2012
Review is posted on my blog
January 15, 2013
4 Gold Stars – A Sensuous Story about Personal Transformation (This is not another Billionaire story)
First, let me clarify how this is not another billionaire story: no stalking, no whimpering heroine, no BDSM, no over-the-top villains, and no domineering hero. Responsible Kasie Fitzgerald, the heroine, is a woman who has it all: Harvard education, PR job with global company, boyfriend (with a very healthy investment portfolio), and proud parents. She’s an accomplished woman.
The Stranger is the beginning of a series about a twenty-nine year old woman who plays a high-risk game one night in Las Vegas. Ironically (or symbolically), the stakes are raised higher when her one night in Vegas infiltrates her everyday life. She can either win or lose big. Sometimes you have to take the losses with the wins and decide how much to thrown in. Cash out now or take a risk for something big?
At first, Kasie seems easy to understand. She’s in a long-term relationship with a practical man, who underwhelms in the bedroom. I was prepared for a simple (and hopefully enjoyable) erotic romance weaving a fantasy around torrid lovemaking with a stranger. Then, the hero falls madly in love with the heroine. Finally, he wins her heart via genius sexy moves and talented narrative. Please note: The Stranger isn’t about sex. Not really. It’s about a woman living in a gilded cage.
Kasie’s catalyst for change begins when she wears a sexy Herve Leger dress with high heels (she can barely walk in) to a high-stakes blackjack table. Her feelings while she’s outside her comfort zone go against her nature; she finds them confusing. Kasie is alive in a way she’s never been with a perceptive man who spies her innermost nature. The plot compellingly progresses. The heroine gains layers. The possibilities are intriguing.
The heroine takes us on her personal journey. Her transformation is erotic, difficult, exciting, sad, and incomplete. She’s the dutiful daughter shaped by a sister’s failures and her parent’s great expectations. Kasie makes choices I don’t usually respect, but Ms. Davis’s talented characterization effectively provokes empathy. (I want Kasie to be free!)
If you’ve ever felt the weight of expectations, regretfully chose the practical over the exotic, you may truly appreciate this story for the enticing gem it is. This contemporary erotic romance is well-written, emotional, and enthralling. The Stranger has absolutely earned its praise. I definitely recommend it!
Release Date: January 21, 2013
Just One Night series
The Stranger, #1 – releasing soon
Exposed, #2 – March 13, 2013
Binding Agreement, #3 – May 20, 2013
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Netgalley
Buddy read with Michelle She also gave it 4 stars! (Sorry for leaving you to eat my dust with this BR, Michelle! HA!)
“Let's say there was a little girl, and from the time she could understand, she was taught to fear... let's say she was taught to fear daylight. She was taught that it was her enemy, that it would hurt her. And then one sunny day, you ask her to go outside and play and she won't. You can't be angry at her can you?”
– Charles Dickens, Great Expections
First, let me clarify how this is not another billionaire story: no stalking, no whimpering heroine, no BDSM, no over-the-top villains, and no domineering hero. Responsible Kasie Fitzgerald, the heroine, is a woman who has it all: Harvard education, PR job with global company, boyfriend (with a very healthy investment portfolio), and proud parents. She’s an accomplished woman.
The Stranger is the beginning of a series about a twenty-nine year old woman who plays a high-risk game one night in Las Vegas. Ironically (or symbolically), the stakes are raised higher when her one night in Vegas infiltrates her everyday life. She can either win or lose big. Sometimes you have to take the losses with the wins and decide how much to thrown in. Cash out now or take a risk for something big?
At first, Kasie seems easy to understand. She’s in a long-term relationship with a practical man, who underwhelms in the bedroom. I was prepared for a simple (and hopefully enjoyable) erotic romance weaving a fantasy around torrid lovemaking with a stranger. Then, the hero falls madly in love with the heroine. Finally, he wins her heart via genius sexy moves and talented narrative. Please note: The Stranger isn’t about sex. Not really. It’s about a woman living in a gilded cage.
Kasie’s catalyst for change begins when she wears a sexy Herve Leger dress with high heels (she can barely walk in) to a high-stakes blackjack table. Her feelings while she’s outside her comfort zone go against her nature; she finds them confusing. Kasie is alive in a way she’s never been with a perceptive man who spies her innermost nature. The plot compellingly progresses. The heroine gains layers. The possibilities are intriguing.
The heroine takes us on her personal journey. Her transformation is erotic, difficult, exciting, sad, and incomplete. She’s the dutiful daughter shaped by a sister’s failures and her parent’s great expectations. Kasie makes choices I don’t usually respect, but Ms. Davis’s talented characterization effectively provokes empathy. (I want Kasie to be free!)
If you’ve ever felt the weight of expectations, regretfully chose the practical over the exotic, you may truly appreciate this story for the enticing gem it is. This contemporary erotic romance is well-written, emotional, and enthralling. The Stranger has absolutely earned its praise. I definitely recommend it!
Release Date: January 21, 2013
Just One Night series
The Stranger, #1 – releasing soon
Exposed, #2 – March 13, 2013
Binding Agreement, #3 – May 20, 2013
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books via Netgalley
Buddy read with Michelle She also gave it 4 stars! (Sorry for leaving you to eat my dust with this BR, Michelle! HA!)
July 4, 2013
4.5 DAMN, THAT WAS HOT, ANGSTY STARS!
Me while reading this book.....
Gosh, I just love finding a book that's under the radar that I completely devour in a day. Well, the fact that it's pretty short helped that fact but anyways.... This book delivers a shit-ton of that tug of war push and pull that makes you turn page after page just to get answers
First and foremost, if you're against cheating, this book is NOT for you. It's basically based on an affair......
When Kasie's best friend Simone talks her into a fun night out in Vegas, she had no idea how it would change her perfectly controlled life. Kasie, the perfectly put together Harvard grad, a person who feels most comfortable in a stuffy business suit can't believe Simone talked her into wearing the scrap of a dress to The Venetian casino. But when all eyes turn to her, she's left with a feeling of freedom and exhilaration like she's never felt. She's unofficially engaged to her man of 6 years Dave....if he only knew what she looked like now, he'd think she lost her mind.
When she steps up to a Blackjack table and sets her eyes on a handsome man with salt and pepper hair, $600 Dior jeans, and a t-shirt that shows every ripple of muscle beneath, she's surprised where her thoughts wander.... To Simone telling her she should sleep with a stranger. Get it out of her system. When this guy invites her up to his suite, sparks fly and she does what she never thought she'd ever do....betray her "fiancé" Dave.
The chemistry between them was off the charts but when the deed is done, she's quick to get dressed and get out of there. Little did she know, she'd set eyes on the distinguished Mr. Dade when she finds out he's hired her firm to facilitate his security company in going public. Specifically requesting Kacie.....
Don't laugh at me but literally this ENTIRE book I visualized Richard Gear and Julia Roberts. When the author describes Robert Dade's salt and pepper hair along with his corporate hotness, Mr. Gear stuck.
Kacie can't believe this break! A huge deal for a rising person in her company. When she sets eyes on Robert, she's torn between anger for his manipulation, fear of the night coming out, and the off the hook chemistry she still harbors for him. She can't do it again. It was a one time deal. Famous last words.....
The book hooks you fast. The scenes were scorching......
But let's just say it's a good thing the whole series is out because that ending......
So, if you're looking for a fast read with a lot of heat, this delivers.
Onwards and upwards......
Me while reading this book.....
Gosh, I just love finding a book that's under the radar that I completely devour in a day. Well, the fact that it's pretty short helped that fact but anyways.... This book delivers a shit-ton of that tug of war push and pull that makes you turn page after page just to get answers
First and foremost, if you're against cheating, this book is NOT for you. It's basically based on an affair......
When Kasie's best friend Simone talks her into a fun night out in Vegas, she had no idea how it would change her perfectly controlled life. Kasie, the perfectly put together Harvard grad, a person who feels most comfortable in a stuffy business suit can't believe Simone talked her into wearing the scrap of a dress to The Venetian casino. But when all eyes turn to her, she's left with a feeling of freedom and exhilaration like she's never felt. She's unofficially engaged to her man of 6 years Dave....if he only knew what she looked like now, he'd think she lost her mind.
When she steps up to a Blackjack table and sets her eyes on a handsome man with salt and pepper hair, $600 Dior jeans, and a t-shirt that shows every ripple of muscle beneath, she's surprised where her thoughts wander.... To Simone telling her she should sleep with a stranger. Get it out of her system. When this guy invites her up to his suite, sparks fly and she does what she never thought she'd ever do....betray her "fiancé" Dave.
The chemistry between them was off the charts but when the deed is done, she's quick to get dressed and get out of there. Little did she know, she'd set eyes on the distinguished Mr. Dade when she finds out he's hired her firm to facilitate his security company in going public. Specifically requesting Kacie.....
Don't laugh at me but literally this ENTIRE book I visualized Richard Gear and Julia Roberts. When the author describes Robert Dade's salt and pepper hair along with his corporate hotness, Mr. Gear stuck.
Kacie can't believe this break! A huge deal for a rising person in her company. When she sets eyes on Robert, she's torn between anger for his manipulation, fear of the night coming out, and the off the hook chemistry she still harbors for him. She can't do it again. It was a one time deal. Famous last words.....
The book hooks you fast. The scenes were scorching......
But let's just say it's a good thing the whole series is out because that ending......
So, if you're looking for a fast read with a lot of heat, this delivers.
Onwards and upwards......
October 14, 2014
4 stars
This one totally took me by surprise, I went in thinking about the usual storylines “one night stand”, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, “good girl gone bad” but holy cow, I was not expecting a whole fuckery of things, it just kept on evolving, another new layer being added but not to the point where it’s overly confusing, frustrating, yes but not confusing.
***********************************************
Kasie, plays it safe, control of all her outcomes and steers far from risk or anything that will put a ripple in her perfect little world. Her best friend talks her into a weekend getaway to Vegas, one final hoorah before her boyfriend buys her “the ring”. Dave Beasley is safe, he is comfort and she likes him enough to having him buy her the ring. So for one night, she puts on a dress that leaves no room for imagination, some “fuck-me” heels and sets off to go “flirt”, because there is no way she is having a one-night stand…until she the stranger sits beside her at the black-jack table
Mr. Dade is devilishly handsome and has an commanding aura about him that you just can’t say no to, his smile both an invitation and a warning, so for just one night, she lets her inhibitions go, nothing can go wrong, right? it’s only one night
Kasie works at a global consulting firm, thanks to Dave who got her the interview, but takes pride in knowing that with her Harvard degree she was able to make it. A surprise by her boss let’s her know that she has been personally requested to lead a team for their prestigious new client, a client who met her in Vegas
Kasie is freaking out Mr. Dade doesn’t know the real her, and no one knows about the woman from Vegas ” I buried that woman in a garment bag”.
Mr. Dade’s a powerful force, Kasie can’t seem to keep her body from responding to him, and even in her mind he is there. But Dave, her ever faithfully-boring man is there, no matter how many times she calls it quits with Mr. Dade, it never seems to end.
Kasie is torn; she doesn’t know who she is, what she wants or what to do. What happens when deep down you know you’re far from perfect, what do you do when your inner angel and devil are at war?
Kasie has a great sense of obligation to everyone around her, everyone but herself. Family drama has made Kasie be the “perfect daughter” her relationship with Dave made her the “perfect girlfriend”
A short book that packs a lot of punch causing me to have all kinds of reactions, and the ending let’s just say I’m really glad book 2 was already out or else I’d be pissed…lol Dave annoyed me, he was too nice and just so “vanilla” and “blah”, so much so that I really felt no sympathy for him when . I managed to keep my annoyance with Kasie in check, he constant going back and forth was driving my up the wall BUT she managed to pull herself out of it, I’m just not a big fan of .
************************************
edited on 4/11/13 due to flag
”I’m sensual, I’m commanding, I’ve been touched by a stranger.”
This one totally took me by surprise, I went in thinking about the usual storylines “one night stand”, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, “good girl gone bad” but holy cow, I was not expecting a whole fuckery of things, it just kept on evolving, another new layer being added but not to the point where it’s overly confusing, frustrating, yes but not confusing.
***********************************************
Kasie, plays it safe, control of all her outcomes and steers far from risk or anything that will put a ripple in her perfect little world. Her best friend talks her into a weekend getaway to Vegas, one final hoorah before her boyfriend buys her “the ring”. Dave Beasley is safe, he is comfort and she likes him enough to having him buy her the ring. So for one night, she puts on a dress that leaves no room for imagination, some “fuck-me” heels and sets off to go “flirt”, because there is no way she is having a one-night stand…until she the stranger sits beside her at the black-jack table
”I’ve never had a one-night stand. I’m studious. I’m the girl everyone can count on for her rock-solid, solemn consistency. Except tonight. Tonight I’m the girl who is going to sleep with a stranger.”
Mr. Dade is devilishly handsome and has an commanding aura about him that you just can’t say no to, his smile both an invitation and a warning, so for just one night, she lets her inhibitions go, nothing can go wrong, right? it’s only one night
” I cry out one more time as we come together, right there on the floor of a suite at the Venetian. I didn’t know it could be like this.”
Kasie works at a global consulting firm, thanks to Dave who got her the interview, but takes pride in knowing that with her Harvard degree she was able to make it. A surprise by her boss let’s her know that she has been personally requested to lead a team for their prestigious new client, a client who met her in Vegas
” Sometimes when our dream life sneaks into our waking world, it causes a chemical reaction. And when that happens, everything explodes.”
Kasie is freaking out Mr. Dade doesn’t know the real her, and no one knows about the woman from Vegas ” I buried that woman in a garment bag”.
”Dave sees the aspiration of what I want to be while Mr. Dade sees the woman I’ve been running from.”
Mr. Dade’s a powerful force, Kasie can’t seem to keep her body from responding to him, and even in her mind he is there. But Dave, her ever faithfully-boring man is there, no matter how many times she calls it quits with Mr. Dade, it never seems to end.
“This is the last time,” I say one more time as I lean back against his desk and open my legs. “So let’s make it good.”
Kasie is torn; she doesn’t know who she is, what she wants or what to do. What happens when deep down you know you’re far from perfect, what do you do when your inner angel and devil are at war?
” I stare at the woman in the mirror, her hair loose around her shoulders, commanding, sensual.
“I want to know you,” I say to her.
And in response she smiles.”
Kasie has a great sense of obligation to everyone around her, everyone but herself. Family drama has made Kasie be the “perfect daughter” her relationship with Dave made her the “perfect girlfriend”
“I’m getting married.”
“To a man you don’t love.”
“He’s the man I want.”
“What a seductive little liar you are.”
A short book that packs a lot of punch causing me to have all kinds of reactions, and the ending let’s just say I’m really glad book 2 was already out or else I’d be pissed…lol Dave annoyed me, he was too nice and just so “vanilla” and “blah”, so much so that I really felt no sympathy for him when . I managed to keep my annoyance with Kasie in check, he constant going back and forth was driving my up the wall BUT she managed to pull herself out of it, I’m just not a big fan of .
************************************
edited on 4/11/13 due to flag
![Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1448463806i%2F5557851._CR0%2C13%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 14, 2013
01/14/2013 -- Full Review posted on http://www.2geekgirlsreviewbooks.com
Overall Rating = 4 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 3 / 5 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 5 Stars
Character Development = 3.5 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4.5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 4 Stars [$1.99 Amazon or B&N]
As mentioned before, I really liked this book.
On the blog, we are trying out something new. Please check it out. You'll see me rate 5 other recently read books with a brief review. Hope and I were killing ourselves trying to review everything we read. But RL was getting in the way. For a little while, this will be our format. Give it a go and let us know what you think.
Happy Reading!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
01/11/2013 - 4 Stars
Really well done. I hadn't heard of this author before and she is REMARKABLE. Can not wait until the next in this series -- comes in March 2013. Full review coming soon.
Buddy read with Anna who left me eating her DUST! Thanks to her for the encouragement to read this little gem. Really worth it.
Thanks to the author and publisher Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall Rating = 4 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 3 / 5 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 5 Stars
Character Development = 3.5 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4.5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 4 Stars [$1.99 Amazon or B&N]
As mentioned before, I really liked this book.
On the blog, we are trying out something new. Please check it out. You'll see me rate 5 other recently read books with a brief review. Hope and I were killing ourselves trying to review everything we read. But RL was getting in the way. For a little while, this will be our format. Give it a go and let us know what you think.
Happy Reading!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
01/11/2013 - 4 Stars
Really well done. I hadn't heard of this author before and she is REMARKABLE. Can not wait until the next in this series -- comes in March 2013. Full review coming soon.
Buddy read with Anna who left me eating her DUST! Thanks to her for the encouragement to read this little gem. Really worth it.
Thanks to the author and publisher Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2013
Damn, this was GOOD
I am not a fan of volume style stories as I hate the wait for the next installment and each volume is so short. Same case with this part one of The Stranger, but this first part was so stinking good, I just hope the momentum holds for the next two installments.
I think for me, there are a few outstanding characteristics of this book; the maturity and intelligence of the H/h, the writing style of the author and the authors voice.
I became emotionally connected and attached to the H/h very quickly in the story, which is another testament to this author’s talent.
I read a lot and I do not often find an author that can so eloquently and convincingly describe emotions using rubies and African Violets. (I will include direct quotes in my final review.)
Until then, I will say this is probably going to be a favorite erotic read for me in 2013!
YAHOO
*ARC courtesy of Simon & Schuster via Netgalley
January 28, 2013
ARC courtesy of Edelweiss and Poket Books
-1* no condom
-1* cheating
-1* love triangle + winded talks and introspection
Now that I outlined why I gave such a low rating I’ll tell you guys why I still finished the book. I am having finals(it started on Friday) so my bullshit meter is very low in this period of time. I used the novella as a reward for studying, kind of like this: finish a boring chapter and read 2 from the book. It even worked! I, in no way condone or find sexy one night stands with no condoms or cheating, but since the stuff I study is mind numbing, anything would have been better.
The book revolves around Kasie and her inability to make an honest to God decision! She preferred to get around rather than talk to her 6 year boyfriend. As you might have guessed, since this is only the 1st part of the serial, it blew in her face. The writing isn’t bad, but neither is it so amazing that I would rise the rating on it alone.
On the + side: she didn't talk out loud
Kasie’s inner talks drove me mad since she knew she was, all in all, lying to a man she’s supposed to marry. Dave we didn’t see much of, him being the party who’s lied to, but what I did see I can’t say that it endeared him to me. Robert, well, I don’t know what to say about him, he’s compelling, charming, passionate, but at the same time he encourages Kasie to cheat! The secondary characters weren’t better: the best friend gave crappy advice, the co-workers were bland and the parents were idiots.
Would I recommend the book: Finally, after this “glowing” review, I have to admit that I am intrigued how this whole drama will end. I can’t recommend the novella, but since I’m reading the 2nd part, I can’t be a hypocrite and say “don’t read it”. All in all if you have no problem with tow-timing, probability of STDs and lengthy introspection, I say go for it.
Final rating: 2*
-1* no condom
-1* cheating
-1* love triangle + winded talks and introspection
Now that I outlined why I gave such a low rating I’ll tell you guys why I still finished the book. I am having finals(it started on Friday) so my bullshit meter is very low in this period of time. I used the novella as a reward for studying, kind of like this: finish a boring chapter and read 2 from the book. It even worked! I, in no way condone or find sexy one night stands with no condoms or cheating, but since the stuff I study is mind numbing, anything would have been better.
The book revolves around Kasie and her inability to make an honest to God decision! She preferred to get around rather than talk to her 6 year boyfriend. As you might have guessed, since this is only the 1st part of the serial, it blew in her face. The writing isn’t bad, but neither is it so amazing that I would rise the rating on it alone.
On the + side: she didn't talk out loud
Kasie’s inner talks drove me mad since she knew she was, all in all, lying to a man she’s supposed to marry. Dave we didn’t see much of, him being the party who’s lied to, but what I did see I can’t say that it endeared him to me. Robert, well, I don’t know what to say about him, he’s compelling, charming, passionate, but at the same time he encourages Kasie to cheat! The secondary characters weren’t better: the best friend gave crappy advice, the co-workers were bland and the parents were idiots.
Would I recommend the book: Finally, after this “glowing” review, I have to admit that I am intrigued how this whole drama will end. I can’t recommend the novella, but since I’m reading the 2nd part, I can’t be a hypocrite and say “don’t read it”. All in all if you have no problem with tow-timing, probability of STDs and lengthy introspection, I say go for it.
Final rating: 2*
January 6, 2013
I hate not finishing books but there are so many things I'm not enjoying about this one that I just can't bring myself to carry on reading it.
Kasie was one of the most irritating heroines I've had the displeasure of coming across and I hate the way she is so quick to drop her knickers every time she sees Robert when she already has a fiance who she has been dating for 6 years. Admittedly the fiance is a completely wet blanket but it feels like the author tried to make him as boring as humanly possible in order to justify Kasie cheating on him. Well guess what - cheating is wrong and you're never going to sell that to me! I could have dealt with it if she'd been attracted to someone else in Vegas, made the mistake of cheating, realised what she had been missing and come home and broken up with the fiance but she doesn't. She keeps going back to the new guy for more but refuses to break up with the old one & that just really, really irritates me. If you're not happy with your partner the least you can do is have the decency to break up with them before you start things with someone else.
Even if you completely discount the cheating issue I still have problems believing the attraction between Kasie and Richard. I just didn't feel the connection between them and the sex scenes turned my stomach rather than turned me on. Sex with some random stranger you met less than an hour ago with no thought of wearing a condom to protect from pregnancy or disease is just icky!
I think it's pretty obvious that this book wasn't for me, I only made it through 40% before I reached the point where I was about to throw my kindle across the room and it was safer to just stop reading. I don't think it'll come as a surprise to hear I won't be continuing with the series.
Kasie was one of the most irritating heroines I've had the displeasure of coming across and I hate the way she is so quick to drop her knickers every time she sees Robert when she already has a fiance who she has been dating for 6 years. Admittedly the fiance is a completely wet blanket but it feels like the author tried to make him as boring as humanly possible in order to justify Kasie cheating on him. Well guess what - cheating is wrong and you're never going to sell that to me! I could have dealt with it if she'd been attracted to someone else in Vegas, made the mistake of cheating, realised what she had been missing and come home and broken up with the fiance but she doesn't. She keeps going back to the new guy for more but refuses to break up with the old one & that just really, really irritates me. If you're not happy with your partner the least you can do is have the decency to break up with them before you start things with someone else.
Even if you completely discount the cheating issue I still have problems believing the attraction between Kasie and Richard. I just didn't feel the connection between them and the sex scenes turned my stomach rather than turned me on. Sex with some random stranger you met less than an hour ago with no thought of wearing a condom to protect from pregnancy or disease is just icky!
I think it's pretty obvious that this book wasn't for me, I only made it through 40% before I reached the point where I was about to throw my kindle across the room and it was safer to just stop reading. I don't think it'll come as a surprise to hear I won't be continuing with the series.
December 3, 2012
Rating: C ... Heat: Hot
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review.
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Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger proves that what happen in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas…
Kasie Fitzgerald is living a very boring and dull life. Her career, her relationships, it is all very safe. She spends so much time striving for perfect that her life has become… uninteresting. But, for one night – and at the urging of her best friend Simone, Kasie decides to let her inner devil loose in Las Vegas.
Where she meets a dark and handsome stranger at a blackjack table and, after a few small exchanges and a few fingers of whiskey shared, they go back to his suite. And sexy times ensue. Including some very creative uses for ice cubes.
Once the rendezvous is over, Kasie has had her fun and is ready to go back to her not-quite fiance, Dave. Or so she thinks. But her stranger turns out to be Robert Dade, owner of a security firm, and he is not satisfied with a one-time fling. So he decides to pursue Kasie by engaging her PR firm and hiring her to bring Maned Wolf public. As expected, drama follows.
The premise, the idea of sex with a stranger, letting your inner devil out to play—it’s all very exciting and titillating. And, at first, so was this story. But then it started to feel more like a midlife crisis. Or, well, I suppose it'd be a quarter life crisis. While I can understand Kasie’s indecisiveness, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. She was up and she was down. She was all-in with Robert and then backpedaling to Dave. I think Robert himself sums her problem up quite succinctly—
“Self-awareness is sexy. Delusions are not.”
I also had a problem with the excess use of hyperbole and metaphors and idioms that fill nearly every page. I mean, at one point Kasie describes Dave as a baked potato. And, while that particular metaphor is kind of hilarious, at some point you simply want the author to say exactly what she means. Which she nearly never does.
He studies me for a moment. He knows I’m purposely ignoring his question but senses that this is not the time to push me. After all, I’ve already gone out on a limb tonight. I’m so far outside of my comfort zone, I might as well be in Mozambique.
And I hadn’t planned on ending up in Mozambique. I don’t know the language or the laws and I’m completely unfamiliar with the currency… but, God, is it ever beautiful here.
I’m sorry, but… What?! It’s simply… too much.
Other than Kasie’s self-delusions and my dislike of excessive hyperbole, Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger was not that bad. And the ending did leave me wanting to know what happens next… I’m curious to see where the author will take these characters. But it definitely wasn’t without its issues.
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review.
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December 11, 2012
I didn't realize this was a serial romance! The ending:
OMG I must have the next book now.
One hot read that's not like 50 Shades in any shape or form. A very different type of sexy romances. You can understand fully where the heroine is coming from and why she does the things that she does.
Builds up as an erotic thriller, especially reagrding last few pages and what's to come.
OMG I must have the next book now.
One hot read that's not like 50 Shades in any shape or form. A very different type of sexy romances. You can understand fully where the heroine is coming from and why she does the things that she does.
Builds up as an erotic thriller, especially reagrding last few pages and what's to come.
January 4, 2013
Arghhh!! Another cliffhanger and this one is not an easy breezy one!!What is happening?? What is going to happen?? Is Kasie going to be stupid?? Has she come to her senses with this crazy curveball ending??
Okay I will rewind a bit.. Ahem. Okay, calm now.
Hello, I very happily recieved this book, The Stranger, as an Arc from Netgalley. It sounded good and just a little bit different. Different from the usual anyway of this new theme at the moment with the controlling billionare....yada,yada, you know what I am talking about.
Just to clarify , they are not all the same and all need to be judged individually,DON'T STEROTYPE THESE BOOKS PEOPLE!!
Anyway, back to the review. I like the premise of this book, the idea that one night can change you. No matter what, every choice you make has a reaction and sends you down a different pathway.
Kasie is convinced by her best friend to sleep with a stranger,be wild for just one night. It has to be said that Kasie is in a long term relationship, so if you do not condone cheating in anyway shape or form you might not like this book.
However, sometimes we can find ourselves in situations of our own making. Find ourselves unhappy trying to mold ourselves into something that isn't us, and that is what we "think" we want to be but actually it's we think we should be. Because of this I believe we have to step outside our little boxes and not judge.
Sometimes changes and risks need to be taken to get us back onto the right path. So, even though I don't condone cheating, I was sort of on cheering on Kasies devil, if you know what I mean. She needs something differnt, god, does she ever need something different.
I do not want to give anything further away about this book, I liked it, it was intriguing, it didn't go the way I expected it to go and now, urgh, I have to wait and see what happens next.
I am fully on board to read the next installment in this sexy, angsty book.
Okay I will rewind a bit.. Ahem. Okay, calm now.
Hello, I very happily recieved this book, The Stranger, as an Arc from Netgalley. It sounded good and just a little bit different. Different from the usual anyway of this new theme at the moment with the controlling billionare....yada,yada, you know what I am talking about.
Just to clarify , they are not all the same and all need to be judged individually,DON'T STEROTYPE THESE BOOKS PEOPLE!!
Anyway, back to the review. I like the premise of this book, the idea that one night can change you. No matter what, every choice you make has a reaction and sends you down a different pathway.
Kasie is convinced by her best friend to sleep with a stranger,be wild for just one night. It has to be said that Kasie is in a long term relationship, so if you do not condone cheating in anyway shape or form you might not like this book.
However, sometimes we can find ourselves in situations of our own making. Find ourselves unhappy trying to mold ourselves into something that isn't us, and that is what we "think" we want to be but actually it's we think we should be. Because of this I believe we have to step outside our little boxes and not judge.
Sometimes changes and risks need to be taken to get us back onto the right path. So, even though I don't condone cheating, I was sort of on cheering on Kasies devil, if you know what I mean. She needs something differnt, god, does she ever need something different.
I do not want to give anything further away about this book, I liked it, it was intriguing, it didn't go the way I expected it to go and now, urgh, I have to wait and see what happens next.
I am fully on board to read the next installment in this sexy, angsty book.
February 9, 2013
"His eyes don't just move over me, they consume me."
Hot hot hot! The chemistry between them was amazing! Straight off the bat i knew i was going to love them together.
"I bend my head and softly bite his shoulder; I suck on his neck, I want to devour him even as he consumes me"
The sex scenes just get better as the book goes on!
"You're a concealed weapon. A pistol hidden inside an Hermes handbag"
Kasie is such an interesting character, i loved her! You can just tell there is so much depth to her, so much more to discover.. i cannot wait to read the next book!
"What a seductive little liar you are"
I was so shocked by the ending, i was left desperate for more!
I cannot wait to read the next book.. to find out what happens..
Amazing. Loved it!
I would recommend & plan on reading more by this author.
Hot hot hot! The chemistry between them was amazing! Straight off the bat i knew i was going to love them together.
"I bend my head and softly bite his shoulder; I suck on his neck, I want to devour him even as he consumes me"
The sex scenes just get better as the book goes on!
"You're a concealed weapon. A pistol hidden inside an Hermes handbag"
Kasie is such an interesting character, i loved her! You can just tell there is so much depth to her, so much more to discover.. i cannot wait to read the next book!
"What a seductive little liar you are"
I was so shocked by the ending, i was left desperate for more!
I cannot wait to read the next book.. to find out what happens..
Amazing. Loved it!
I would recommend & plan on reading more by this author.
June 23, 2013
4.5 Stars
HOLY- FUCKING- CLIFFHANGER. Are you serious? Thank GOD I waited for the whole series to be out because I would have been a very unhappy reader. I am desperate to know what happens next with Kasie, Dave, and Robert. This love triangle is killing. Kasie needs to get rid of Dave. There is something about him that i do not like. I have a feeling he is hiding something. He is too perfect and does not allow Kasie to be who she really is. Every time Kasie tries to comes out of her shell. Dave is very quick to make her feel bad about her self. As if she is less then him. On the other hand, Robert wants her to fly and to be free and to be that woman she wants to be and not give a fuck what people think. Lets not forget the HOT Sex scenes with Robert {fanning myself}.
HOLY- FUCKING- CLIFFHANGER. Are you serious? Thank GOD I waited for the whole series to be out because I would have been a very unhappy reader. I am desperate to know what happens next with Kasie, Dave, and Robert. This love triangle is killing. Kasie needs to get rid of Dave. There is something about him that i do not like. I have a feeling he is hiding something. He is too perfect and does not allow Kasie to be who she really is. Every time Kasie tries to comes out of her shell. Dave is very quick to make her feel bad about her self. As if she is less then him. On the other hand, Robert wants her to fly and to be free and to be that woman she wants to be and not give a fuck what people think. Lets not forget the HOT Sex scenes with Robert {fanning myself}.
May 8, 2013
I need to write up my review while the feels are still coursing through me. This was my first exposure to Kyra Davis.
ETA: I also want to point out that whoever compares this to FSoG needs to get their head examined. The steam factor is actually much higher, the sex scenes are described rather well, and there is no abusive asshole in this one, though that's being hinted at for part 2.
I had a metric ton of issues with this book. It's not actually a whole book, to be honest, it's only part of a book called Just One Night. There's apparently a full version, but that wasn't available on Netgalley. This book, this part of the book, ends in a huge cliffhanger that made me very upset.
So, this review will have spoilers. Lots of them. Though, considering that much of the plot is already in the blurb, perhaps it won't be as spoilerish as I think. Either way, proceed with caution.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Spoilers start here:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Kasie Fitzgerald, the heroine (and I use this term lightly here), is having one last moment of freedom when she goes with her friend Simone to Vegas for a night of gambling and possible debauchery, something that Simone recommends when she says, "You should sleep with a stranger". Apparently, Kasie is in a relationship with a 'safe' man, a reliable man - a boring man. He's a tax attorney, which fits his stereotype description. He touches her gently, reverently, carefully. He makes love.
While in Vegas, dressed in borrowed, form-fitting clothing, Kasie meets Robert Dade. She doesn't know who he is - he's a complete stranger to her. They flirt, they go to his suite, they have sex. This is where I had my first conniption fit.
She goes with a stranger to his room. She doesn't ask him about anything, not even his name. He offers her a drink. Seduces her. Fucks her with his fingers while she sits in a chair. She comes. He rips off her panties and then really fucks her. Neither of them makes any mention of a condom. Neither seems to be worried about STDs or unwanted pregnancy. After he comes inside her, she leaves the suite, sans panties, presumably while dripping his cum. That's NOT hot! There's not even any mention of her cleaning herself up when she gets to her own room.
When Kasie gets back home to her safe, reliable, boring Dave, she doesn't say a word to him about what happened in Vegas. Clearly, what happens there, stays there. Thankfully, her guilt, or possibly the fact that she's asking him to fuck her like the stranger did, prevents them from having reunion sex. Though, she does have sex with Dave later, after having sex with Robert the same day. So, she basically sleeps with a man without protection, then proceeds to carry whatever possible STDs she picks up to her fiance. She's a real peach, eh?
Then, it turns out, Robert Dade is the owner/CEO/billionaire of a global security company, aptly named Maned Wolf. I guess the author wanted to evoke some kind of wilderness image here, pitting the untamed Robert, a man who goes after what he wants, against the mild-mannered Dave. Anyway, Robert decides that he will have Kasie again, so he demands that she handle his account. This is a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen, but even while the topic is brought up in banter, it's actually never explored.
Still, part of me liked Robert. He was honest. He wasn't playing games. He wanted Kasie, and he went after her. It's a bit selfish, yes, considering that she's told him about her fiance after the 2nd encounter, but he is at least not lying about what he wants. Not to her, not to himself.
They have cyber sex via Skype or something. Kasie feels guilty afterwards, but not enough to either break of the relationship or end things with Dave.
Then, for their first team meeting to discuss their plans for the account, Kasie chooses to show up early and lets Robert bang her in his office, again sans condom. I guess she just dripped into her panties during the meeting after. Not the kind of image I wanted in my head.
Meanwhile, she's been ring-shopping with Dave. He wants a diamond, she wants a ruby. They argue a bit, but even their arguments lack passion, just like their relationship does. He arranges for a surprise engagement party, and Kasie, pressured by their families watching this go down, agrees. I had another conniption fit.
The book ends with Kasie being found out by Dave, while she's on Robert's boat, trying to get him to stay away from her. Dave threatens her with her job and full exposure of what she's done.
And then I blew a gasket. The texts from Dave are threatening (!!!), and Kasie. Fucking. Leaves. The. Boat! To go with Dave. Who is threatening her. WTAF?
There is one good thing I have to say about this book - the writing was superb. The wording isn't purple or flowery. It's crisp, precise, explicit.
The author drew me into the story from the start. It's titillating. It's forbidden. It's a fantasy. It's a strong man going after a woman, knowing what he wants, who will not be denied. It's a woman, stuck in a passionless relationship, being overcome by desire, want and need. Titillating, right?
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough background given as to why Kasie felt pressured to choose Dave, other than some hints about her late sister, who chose to be free and paid the price, and to please her parents, as if she owed it to them. Sorry, but that's not a good reason. It shows a lack of backbone, at the very least. It was almost as if Kasie didn't really know herself, didn't know what she really needed, only what people told her she needed. She didn't have any backbone to stand up for her needs, and even when she tried, she allowed Dave to shut her down.
For a while there, I felt sorry for Dave. He seemed like a nice guy, a bit clueless and stuffy, perhaps, but nice. He initially showed emotion, tried to please her, though only on his own terms and his own ideas of what he wanted from a woman. He does try to manipulate her, though, again to mold her into his ideal of what he thinks she should be. He doesn't really know Kasie as well as he thinks he does, but that's not entirely his fault. She never fully lets him in, portraying herself as a lady, when she's miles away from that. They are absolutely wrong for each other, and if this marriage actually happens, which I hope it won't, I don't think it'll make it. They're not honest with each other, and that is not a good foundation for any relationship.
Kasie is an idiot. She whines about being stuck in a life she doesn't really want, yet does NOTHING to change it, too afraid to either rock the boat or disappoint her parents or be without the safety net of having Dave. She waffles for a moment, but then chooses the boring, gilded cage. Well, for now, I suppose, since Dave has now found out and we'll likely see the aftermath in the next installment.
I gave this two stars, primarily because of the writing, which kept this book from tanking completely. I don't think I'll be reading the rest. A book, even one that's part of a series, needs to be able to stand on its own, with a beginning, a middle and a satisfactory ending. This book doesn't. If you are interested in reading this book, either buy the full version or wait until all three parts are available.
I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. Hopefully, S&S won't hate me after this, but I feel that I have to be honest.
ETA: I also want to point out that whoever compares this to FSoG needs to get their head examined. The steam factor is actually much higher, the sex scenes are described rather well, and there is no abusive asshole in this one, though that's being hinted at for part 2.
I had a metric ton of issues with this book. It's not actually a whole book, to be honest, it's only part of a book called Just One Night. There's apparently a full version, but that wasn't available on Netgalley. This book, this part of the book, ends in a huge cliffhanger that made me very upset.
So, this review will have spoilers. Lots of them. Though, considering that much of the plot is already in the blurb, perhaps it won't be as spoilerish as I think. Either way, proceed with caution.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Spoilers start here:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Kasie Fitzgerald, the heroine (and I use this term lightly here), is having one last moment of freedom when she goes with her friend Simone to Vegas for a night of gambling and possible debauchery, something that Simone recommends when she says, "You should sleep with a stranger". Apparently, Kasie is in a relationship with a 'safe' man, a reliable man - a boring man. He's a tax attorney, which fits his stereotype description. He touches her gently, reverently, carefully. He makes love.
While in Vegas, dressed in borrowed, form-fitting clothing, Kasie meets Robert Dade. She doesn't know who he is - he's a complete stranger to her. They flirt, they go to his suite, they have sex. This is where I had my first conniption fit.
She goes with a stranger to his room. She doesn't ask him about anything, not even his name. He offers her a drink. Seduces her. Fucks her with his fingers while she sits in a chair. She comes. He rips off her panties and then really fucks her. Neither of them makes any mention of a condom. Neither seems to be worried about STDs or unwanted pregnancy. After he comes inside her, she leaves the suite, sans panties, presumably while dripping his cum. That's NOT hot! There's not even any mention of her cleaning herself up when she gets to her own room.
When Kasie gets back home to her safe, reliable, boring Dave, she doesn't say a word to him about what happened in Vegas. Clearly, what happens there, stays there. Thankfully, her guilt, or possibly the fact that she's asking him to fuck her like the stranger did, prevents them from having reunion sex. Though, she does have sex with Dave later, after having sex with Robert the same day. So, she basically sleeps with a man without protection, then proceeds to carry whatever possible STDs she picks up to her fiance. She's a real peach, eh?
Then, it turns out, Robert Dade is the owner/CEO/billionaire of a global security company, aptly named Maned Wolf. I guess the author wanted to evoke some kind of wilderness image here, pitting the untamed Robert, a man who goes after what he wants, against the mild-mannered Dave. Anyway, Robert decides that he will have Kasie again, so he demands that she handle his account. This is a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen, but even while the topic is brought up in banter, it's actually never explored.
Still, part of me liked Robert. He was honest. He wasn't playing games. He wanted Kasie, and he went after her. It's a bit selfish, yes, considering that she's told him about her fiance after the 2nd encounter, but he is at least not lying about what he wants. Not to her, not to himself.
They have cyber sex via Skype or something. Kasie feels guilty afterwards, but not enough to either break of the relationship or end things with Dave.
Then, for their first team meeting to discuss their plans for the account, Kasie chooses to show up early and lets Robert bang her in his office, again sans condom. I guess she just dripped into her panties during the meeting after. Not the kind of image I wanted in my head.
Meanwhile, she's been ring-shopping with Dave. He wants a diamond, she wants a ruby. They argue a bit, but even their arguments lack passion, just like their relationship does. He arranges for a surprise engagement party, and Kasie, pressured by their families watching this go down, agrees. I had another conniption fit.
The book ends with Kasie being found out by Dave, while she's on Robert's boat, trying to get him to stay away from her. Dave threatens her with her job and full exposure of what she's done.
And then I blew a gasket. The texts from Dave are threatening (!!!), and Kasie. Fucking. Leaves. The. Boat! To go with Dave. Who is threatening her. WTAF?
There is one good thing I have to say about this book - the writing was superb. The wording isn't purple or flowery. It's crisp, precise, explicit.
The author drew me into the story from the start. It's titillating. It's forbidden. It's a fantasy. It's a strong man going after a woman, knowing what he wants, who will not be denied. It's a woman, stuck in a passionless relationship, being overcome by desire, want and need. Titillating, right?
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough background given as to why Kasie felt pressured to choose Dave, other than some hints about her late sister, who chose to be free and paid the price, and to please her parents, as if she owed it to them. Sorry, but that's not a good reason. It shows a lack of backbone, at the very least. It was almost as if Kasie didn't really know herself, didn't know what she really needed, only what people told her she needed. She didn't have any backbone to stand up for her needs, and even when she tried, she allowed Dave to shut her down.
For a while there, I felt sorry for Dave. He seemed like a nice guy, a bit clueless and stuffy, perhaps, but nice. He initially showed emotion, tried to please her, though only on his own terms and his own ideas of what he wanted from a woman. He does try to manipulate her, though, again to mold her into his ideal of what he thinks she should be. He doesn't really know Kasie as well as he thinks he does, but that's not entirely his fault. She never fully lets him in, portraying herself as a lady, when she's miles away from that. They are absolutely wrong for each other, and if this marriage actually happens, which I hope it won't, I don't think it'll make it. They're not honest with each other, and that is not a good foundation for any relationship.
Kasie is an idiot. She whines about being stuck in a life she doesn't really want, yet does NOTHING to change it, too afraid to either rock the boat or disappoint her parents or be without the safety net of having Dave. She waffles for a moment, but then chooses the boring, gilded cage. Well, for now, I suppose, since Dave has now found out and we'll likely see the aftermath in the next installment.
I gave this two stars, primarily because of the writing, which kept this book from tanking completely. I don't think I'll be reading the rest. A book, even one that's part of a series, needs to be able to stand on its own, with a beginning, a middle and a satisfactory ending. This book doesn't. If you are interested in reading this book, either buy the full version or wait until all three parts are available.
I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. Hopefully, S&S won't hate me after this, but I feel that I have to be honest.
December 12, 2012
I give this 2.5 stars and a grade of C-.
I was really really really excited to read this book. I'd heard it was similar to 50 Shades and the Crossfire Series. Although I am not a fan of the 50 Shades Series, I tend to like books that are described as similar to the series.
Why?
Because the book tends to have three things: Hot Sex, Alpha rich guy, and Intense Relationship.
This book came close but didn't hit the marks for me.
It was well-written and possessed a clear plot line, but in the end it was just. . .
MEH
I mean don't get me wrong. There was some conflict but. . .excuse me for a minute....
And the heroine was a bit. . .I don't know. Boring I guess. I get the whole not realizing who you are but. . .I just didn't feel like walking through her journey. I didn't want to be her or hang out with her.
Simone, her friend, was pretty groovy though.
Plus, I really didn't enjoy I mean come on. We've all been in unsatisfying relationships, but just yank up your big girl panties (I stole this saying from Mrs. Joseph) and end the relationship.
The hero was also a bit....
And then the ending just kind of came out of no where. . .
And FYI, if some dude ever did to me, what Dave did to her at the end...We would have been in the police station that night!
I mean seriously. Let's pretend like I'm the main character, and I'm talking to MR. Dade. I get that ridiculous .
I would've told Mr. Dade, "Hold on for a minute. I have to go do something. I'll be right back."
*whistles as I walks down to the car to see Mr. Dave aka .
"Hey Dave!"
"What did your text say again, Dave?"
[image error]
But. . .she didn't do anything. Which is fine for now. . .because I do plan on reading the second book. I'm praying that there is a scene where she beats the crap out of him. AND I'm wondering where this series is going.
December 28, 2012
this review and others at http://totallybookedblog.com/
Gitte: I was so impressed by this novella Jenny, what a surprisingly fab read! I love this Authors style of writing, it’s addictive and I was hooked immediately! The depth of the characters and the way it simmered then suddenly took flight – flawless! This was a refreshing, seductive and highly enjoyable erotic romance filled with plenty of drama and dare I say it a tense and thrilling *whispering* cliffhanger!
Jenny: I’m with you there Gitte, I really enjoyed this one as well. I agree, the authors style of writing is quite different and yes like you, I also found the story addictive. I felt the author conveyed all the inner torment Kasie was going through and we really got to feel the conflict she was experiencing. It was definitely a slow burner but when it took of I found I couldn’t put it down. The cliffhanger! There’s no *whispering* about it my book soul mate! I need to know what happens after that final scene! Like….NOW!.
Gitte: I have to say all the twists and turns and the not knowing where this story was going kept me reading. The main characters of Kasie, Robert and Dave are extremely deep and intense. For such a short read I felt like we just scratched the surface yet knew enough to connect and become completely intrigued. I was left thinking I had them figured out, then suddenly I was thrown completely of that course and down a different road and I loved it!
Jenny: This story definitely kept me on my toes and I have to say I thought I had it sussed. I thought I’d guessed how it was going to end and then…….I didn’t see that coming! This novella felt like an introduction to the next book (Exposed, Just One Night #2 due out March 2013) and I can’t wait to see where that book takes us! I enjoyed this erotic drama filled read. The sex scenes were very steamy but not over the top. There was a good balance of story and steam in this one.
Gitte: I found Kasie to be such a contradiction. Her true inner self is dressed up in a façade of the extreme opposite. She strives for perfection in an understated way in all aspects of her life. She lives in accordance to other people’s expectations; she is a straight and narrow good girl following the path of expectations rather than her own true desires. A sparkling diamond shrouded in a dull and boring cloth never showing the pure exciting brilliance. When she changes the game one night it pulls at the thread of her façade and exposes some of her hidden self and desires. This story is entirely told from Kasie’s POV but I would love to hear Robert and Dave’s inner thoughts in the next installments of this trilogy!
Jenny: Kasie is organised. Her personal life, her work life…everything has its place and she is living a life to keep everyone else happy, to live up to their expectations. Kasie appears to be going through the motions in her relationship with Dave. Dave……grrr couldn’t stand him! Dave doesn’t bring out the real Kasie. The Kasie that’s hidden underneath, that even Kasie isn’t aware is there. He somehow suppresses her from being the Kasie she could be. I’m absolutely with you on the POV’s Gitte. I would love to hear from Dave and Robert. That would certainly add a new dimension to this story.
Gitte: I immediately loved Robert. He is an older, sexy and powerful man. He knows what he wants and he wants Kasie. During that ‘one night’ Robert manages to find a way to unlock something hidden in her, something she didn’t know was even there, something forgotten. Their one night together is passionate, wild and impulsive. Something she never experiences with Dave who is Robert’s complete opposite. Dave is predictable, straight and non-adventurous something which he in return expects and wants Kasie to be. The dynamics between these three characters, with Kasie as the focal point lends to the age old argument of whether the grey area exists or is it simply black and white.
Jenny: I know some people won’t like this book because of the cheating aspect, but you do somehow see their liaison as grey area, well, at least that’s how I saw it. I accepted it because I saw how Robert changed Kasie in that one night and I liked the Kasie she could be with him. Oh yes, Robert Dade. He of the gorgeous sexy, wealthy man with the salt and pepper hair. Yes, one night with him in Vegas definitely brings out the Kasie that we know is in there somewhere. Their one night together just sizzled and showed Kasie there is more to life than the mundane she is used to with Dave. Robert Dade throws her thoughts and world into chaos.
Gitte: So yeah I thought this story was extremely well written and I really enjoyed it! It was intense, sensual, thrilling and very sexy. I cannot wait for the next instalment as yeah I’ll say it again: shhh cliffhanger!! We hate them right Jenny??!!
Jenny: This was such a good introduction to book two and that’s what I felt this book more than served to achieve. It set us up nicely to want more, to find out what happens and the very small issues I may have had with this book I’m sure will be addressed in Exposed so I can’t wait for March! Don’t talk to me about cliffhangers! You know my feelings on them! They kill me and this one certainly did that. After a glimpse of Exposed I really do need this book right now Gitte! How are we going to last ‘till March?
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books & Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss
Gitte: I was so impressed by this novella Jenny, what a surprisingly fab read! I love this Authors style of writing, it’s addictive and I was hooked immediately! The depth of the characters and the way it simmered then suddenly took flight – flawless! This was a refreshing, seductive and highly enjoyable erotic romance filled with plenty of drama and dare I say it a tense and thrilling *whispering* cliffhanger!
Jenny: I’m with you there Gitte, I really enjoyed this one as well. I agree, the authors style of writing is quite different and yes like you, I also found the story addictive. I felt the author conveyed all the inner torment Kasie was going through and we really got to feel the conflict she was experiencing. It was definitely a slow burner but when it took of I found I couldn’t put it down. The cliffhanger! There’s no *whispering* about it my book soul mate! I need to know what happens after that final scene! Like….NOW!.
Gitte: I have to say all the twists and turns and the not knowing where this story was going kept me reading. The main characters of Kasie, Robert and Dave are extremely deep and intense. For such a short read I felt like we just scratched the surface yet knew enough to connect and become completely intrigued. I was left thinking I had them figured out, then suddenly I was thrown completely of that course and down a different road and I loved it!
Jenny: This story definitely kept me on my toes and I have to say I thought I had it sussed. I thought I’d guessed how it was going to end and then…….I didn’t see that coming! This novella felt like an introduction to the next book (Exposed, Just One Night #2 due out March 2013) and I can’t wait to see where that book takes us! I enjoyed this erotic drama filled read. The sex scenes were very steamy but not over the top. There was a good balance of story and steam in this one.
Gitte: I found Kasie to be such a contradiction. Her true inner self is dressed up in a façade of the extreme opposite. She strives for perfection in an understated way in all aspects of her life. She lives in accordance to other people’s expectations; she is a straight and narrow good girl following the path of expectations rather than her own true desires. A sparkling diamond shrouded in a dull and boring cloth never showing the pure exciting brilliance. When she changes the game one night it pulls at the thread of her façade and exposes some of her hidden self and desires. This story is entirely told from Kasie’s POV but I would love to hear Robert and Dave’s inner thoughts in the next installments of this trilogy!
Jenny: Kasie is organised. Her personal life, her work life…everything has its place and she is living a life to keep everyone else happy, to live up to their expectations. Kasie appears to be going through the motions in her relationship with Dave. Dave……grrr couldn’t stand him! Dave doesn’t bring out the real Kasie. The Kasie that’s hidden underneath, that even Kasie isn’t aware is there. He somehow suppresses her from being the Kasie she could be. I’m absolutely with you on the POV’s Gitte. I would love to hear from Dave and Robert. That would certainly add a new dimension to this story.
Gitte: I immediately loved Robert. He is an older, sexy and powerful man. He knows what he wants and he wants Kasie. During that ‘one night’ Robert manages to find a way to unlock something hidden in her, something she didn’t know was even there, something forgotten. Their one night together is passionate, wild and impulsive. Something she never experiences with Dave who is Robert’s complete opposite. Dave is predictable, straight and non-adventurous something which he in return expects and wants Kasie to be. The dynamics between these three characters, with Kasie as the focal point lends to the age old argument of whether the grey area exists or is it simply black and white.
Jenny: I know some people won’t like this book because of the cheating aspect, but you do somehow see their liaison as grey area, well, at least that’s how I saw it. I accepted it because I saw how Robert changed Kasie in that one night and I liked the Kasie she could be with him. Oh yes, Robert Dade. He of the gorgeous sexy, wealthy man with the salt and pepper hair. Yes, one night with him in Vegas definitely brings out the Kasie that we know is in there somewhere. Their one night together just sizzled and showed Kasie there is more to life than the mundane she is used to with Dave. Robert Dade throws her thoughts and world into chaos.
Gitte: So yeah I thought this story was extremely well written and I really enjoyed it! It was intense, sensual, thrilling and very sexy. I cannot wait for the next instalment as yeah I’ll say it again: shhh cliffhanger!! We hate them right Jenny??!!
Jenny: This was such a good introduction to book two and that’s what I felt this book more than served to achieve. It set us up nicely to want more, to find out what happens and the very small issues I may have had with this book I’m sure will be addressed in Exposed so I can’t wait for March! Don’t talk to me about cliffhangers! You know my feelings on them! They kill me and this one certainly did that. After a glimpse of Exposed I really do need this book right now Gitte! How are we going to last ‘till March?
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books & Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss
December 21, 2012
I am having problems writing this review not because of the writing from the author, but from a major plot point that irks me. Why are the last few books I have read about one person cheating on another? I don't like this happening in real life and I certainly don't like it in my books.
Kasie is engaged to a man named Dave. While Dave is orderly and not quite passionate in the bedroom area, he is stable and compatible. When her friend suggests they go to Vegas, she also tells Kasie to have fling with a stranger. I didn't find her friend to be to supportive and frankly a lousy friend for suggesting this.
Kasie meets Mr. Robert Dade at the Blackjack table. They make a wager and Kasie loses. She now must pay up by having a drink with him at the bar. Things progress from the bar to his room and leads to a wild and passionate filled escapade. After the deed is done, Kasie takes off and leaves him alone.
Upon returning to her regular life, she falls back into the role of nice and sweet. She is not wild and doesn't like people getting the wrong idea about her. Mr. Dade contacts her company and requests Kasie to work on his file. When they meet to discuss the plans of the work she will do, Robert throws out how they are going to be doing it again. He teases her through the meeting and she leaves. When she shows up early for a regular meeting with his company, they do the naughty again in his office. She tells him this is the last time. She has just been out shopping for engagement rings with Dave.
This is where I couldn't read any further. While the writing wasn't bad and the author did pretty well with the building of the story, I just couldn't continue reading about the affairs. Kasie had plenty of chances to break it off with Dave, but she never says a word to him. To me, cheating is wrong and I just didn't like reading about someone doing this.
If a reader doesn't mind escaping into the fantasy world for a bit that involves cheating, then by all means give this book a try. The writing is good and the characters are just okay, but this is one story I just didn't love.
Kasie is engaged to a man named Dave. While Dave is orderly and not quite passionate in the bedroom area, he is stable and compatible. When her friend suggests they go to Vegas, she also tells Kasie to have fling with a stranger. I didn't find her friend to be to supportive and frankly a lousy friend for suggesting this.
Kasie meets Mr. Robert Dade at the Blackjack table. They make a wager and Kasie loses. She now must pay up by having a drink with him at the bar. Things progress from the bar to his room and leads to a wild and passionate filled escapade. After the deed is done, Kasie takes off and leaves him alone.
Upon returning to her regular life, she falls back into the role of nice and sweet. She is not wild and doesn't like people getting the wrong idea about her. Mr. Dade contacts her company and requests Kasie to work on his file. When they meet to discuss the plans of the work she will do, Robert throws out how they are going to be doing it again. He teases her through the meeting and she leaves. When she shows up early for a regular meeting with his company, they do the naughty again in his office. She tells him this is the last time. She has just been out shopping for engagement rings with Dave.
This is where I couldn't read any further. While the writing wasn't bad and the author did pretty well with the building of the story, I just couldn't continue reading about the affairs. Kasie had plenty of chances to break it off with Dave, but she never says a word to him. To me, cheating is wrong and I just didn't like reading about someone doing this.
If a reader doesn't mind escaping into the fantasy world for a bit that involves cheating, then by all means give this book a try. The writing is good and the characters are just okay, but this is one story I just didn't love.
January 10, 2013
There was one other book that had cheating in it that really didnt matter to me. Now dont get me wrong, I dont think its right. I honestly dont really like to read about it. But in this book, it almost seemed necessary. Not that anyone deserved it but its like the main character needed to do this to find herself.
Kasie lives a very staid life. Every thing about her is predictable and normal. No hair is ever out of place. A weekend away turns her life upside down. One man, a stranger, changes everything. Her life isnt black and white anymore. It screams for more.
Back to reality, Kasie now faces the one man who she thought was only going to be seem in her dreams. He waltz into her life and brings back the chaos that is still bottled up inside her. Secrets and betrayal now cloud her mind and nothing will shake her from this haze.
But like a drug, the fix only lasts so long. Will she stay with whats comfortable or will she spread her wings and lose everything? I cant wait to find out!!!
see all my reviews at www.upallnightreviews.blogspot.com
Kasie lives a very staid life. Every thing about her is predictable and normal. No hair is ever out of place. A weekend away turns her life upside down. One man, a stranger, changes everything. Her life isnt black and white anymore. It screams for more.
Back to reality, Kasie now faces the one man who she thought was only going to be seem in her dreams. He waltz into her life and brings back the chaos that is still bottled up inside her. Secrets and betrayal now cloud her mind and nothing will shake her from this haze.
But like a drug, the fix only lasts so long. Will she stay with whats comfortable or will she spread her wings and lose everything? I cant wait to find out!!!
see all my reviews at www.upallnightreviews.blogspot.com
April 5, 2013
OMG, I love it. Sooooo hawt and Robert Dade....... Ahhhhhhhh swoon like a giddy school girl for this man.
This is a story about how one decision of freedom and abandon leads Kasie to question who she is truly. Especially with a man showing her the way. Robert Dade knows her true self and sees beyond the perfect facade Kasie has created. Unfortunately, Kasie has a boyfriend/fiancé. She feels guilt for what she has done but can not walk away from Mr. Dade.
This is a story about how one decision of freedom and abandon leads Kasie to question who she is truly. Especially with a man showing her the way. Robert Dade knows her true self and sees beyond the perfect facade Kasie has created. Unfortunately, Kasie has a boyfriend/fiancé. She feels guilt for what she has done but can not walk away from Mr. Dade.
December 18, 2014
Well, this is one book that took me completely by surprise. I expected yet another 50 Shades' copycat and though it's not a completely different story, in the end Just one Night managed to differentiate itself from all the books I've read with similar plots.
To start with, I expected Just one Night to be erotica; it's not. There's plenty of character development, especially in the heroine's part and too few sex scenes IMO to be categorised as such
. On top of that, the sex part was for me the least interesting part of the whole story 
. Yes, Robert and Kasie were good together, but their sex was not the kind that puts pages and ereaders on fire:) Especially since the "kinky" stuff of this book was not your usual fare of BDSM, but exhibisionism, something that's a total turnoff for me. To answer your question, no, there aren't real sex scenes with other people watching the couple, but there're recurring fantasies of that and I wonder if we'll see it actually happening in the next books.
I found the writing style of Ms Davis very unique and to my taste. She writes a bit pompously to be sure, but it's an elegant prose with a distinctive voice not usually encountered in this genre and, though the book's subject was prime for this, almost completely devoid of melodrama. For the writing alone, I look forward to read more books by the same author.
But what made the book for me, was Kasie's character. Yes, Kasie is a cheater: she's engaged -or almost engaged- to a man and sleeps with another. Surpisingly this is one of the few books that this kind of plot worked for me, because I was able to understand and empathize with her. If you haven't spent a big part of your life trying to live your life in a way that would make you feel accepted by others (family, society, friends, coworkers, etc) then you won't be able to understand the motivation Kasie has for acting as she does. Unfortunately, I can very well put myself in Kasie's position: coming from a small town where I was always adviced by my own family to "give the perfect example" and refrain from doing anything that would bring censure on them, I lived a huge part of my life doing what others expected from me and not what I felt like doing, and -as such habits are hard to break- still do sometimes. So, it didn't seem unreasonable at all that Kasie would feel pressured to go on with an engagement that suited more her parents than herself; instead I envied her power to go after what she truly wanted even if that caused heartache to so many people and even though she didn't always have the strength to stay on that path. Because Kasie, just like most people out there, is not just a dutiful daughter, a modest, preppy woman, an ambitional professional; she's passionate, a bit wild, a bit adventurous and when she finally meets a man who can see through her facade and appreciates this hidden part of herself, it's hard for her to resist. Because what Robert offers her more than anything is not passion: it's a chance to truly be herself with someone who knows her as she really is and is not trying to supress her.
Kasie's professional personna:
Kasie as Robert sees her in the casino:
Though the book did get too philosophical and filled with monologues at times, I enjoyed the pace as a whole and was looking forward to read more and find out if Kasie would finally have the strength to stand up to her past. I also really liked Robert, the Stranger that turned Kasie's life upside down; he's not your usual fare of brooding, control-freak hero but a strong man who knows what he wants and will try to gain it but won't become a stalker in his efforts to do so. He respects Kasie's inner strength and won't deem her weak and pathetic for following the path she's chosen (or others have guided her to), even if he can see how wrong this is for her. However, since this book though was just about Kasie, I felt that a lot of Robert's personality was left in the shadows and would like to know more about him in the future. Same goes for Dave, Kasie's fiance; I think we need to see him more like a three-dimensional character in the next books than an evil-fiance caricature, if these books are going to have a bit of substance and refrain from becoming too formulaic.
Robert:
Dave:
If you like your contemporary romance with a lot of struggle and anguish and more self-development than sex or true romance, I highly recommend this short story. If though, you've never felt the need to do what others expect from you and your favorite motto happens to be "my way or the highway", I don't think this book is for you: you'll only end up disliking Kasie and her cheating ways and thus hate her story with a passion. I can only assure you though, having been through an upbringing similar to Kasie's, that her feelings and way of thinking are indeed authentic and realistic of someone in that situation and not just a justification or writer's trick to make the cheating/expirementing more palatable to the reader.
Favorite quote:
Suddenly I want to get out of the restaurant. But I can’t make myself do it. That’s the funny thing about cowardice. People think it makes you run away and hide but it’s more likely to be a facilitator of something darker. It’s the emotion that allows you to be passively led to places and fates you would otherwise reject.
ARC provided by NetGalley
To start with, I expected Just one Night to be erotica; it's not. There's plenty of character development, especially in the heroine's part and too few sex scenes IMO to be categorised as such
. On top of that, the sex part was for me the least interesting part of the whole story . Yes, Robert and Kasie were good together, but their sex was not the kind that puts pages and ereaders on fire:) Especially since the "kinky" stuff of this book was not your usual fare of BDSM, but exhibisionism, something that's a total turnoff for me. To answer your question, no, there aren't real sex scenes with other people watching the couple, but there're recurring fantasies of that and I wonder if we'll see it actually happening in the next books.I found the writing style of Ms Davis very unique and to my taste. She writes a bit pompously to be sure, but it's an elegant prose with a distinctive voice not usually encountered in this genre and, though the book's subject was prime for this, almost completely devoid of melodrama. For the writing alone, I look forward to read more books by the same author.
But what made the book for me, was Kasie's character. Yes, Kasie is a cheater: she's engaged -or almost engaged- to a man and sleeps with another. Surpisingly this is one of the few books that this kind of plot worked for me, because I was able to understand and empathize with her. If you haven't spent a big part of your life trying to live your life in a way that would make you feel accepted by others (family, society, friends, coworkers, etc) then you won't be able to understand the motivation Kasie has for acting as she does. Unfortunately, I can very well put myself in Kasie's position: coming from a small town where I was always adviced by my own family to "give the perfect example" and refrain from doing anything that would bring censure on them, I lived a huge part of my life doing what others expected from me and not what I felt like doing, and -as such habits are hard to break- still do sometimes. So, it didn't seem unreasonable at all that Kasie would feel pressured to go on with an engagement that suited more her parents than herself; instead I envied her power to go after what she truly wanted even if that caused heartache to so many people and even though she didn't always have the strength to stay on that path. Because Kasie, just like most people out there, is not just a dutiful daughter, a modest, preppy woman, an ambitional professional; she's passionate, a bit wild, a bit adventurous and when she finally meets a man who can see through her facade and appreciates this hidden part of herself, it's hard for her to resist. Because what Robert offers her more than anything is not passion: it's a chance to truly be herself with someone who knows her as she really is and is not trying to supress her.
Kasie's professional personna:
Kasie as Robert sees her in the casino:
Though the book did get too philosophical and filled with monologues at times, I enjoyed the pace as a whole and was looking forward to read more and find out if Kasie would finally have the strength to stand up to her past. I also really liked Robert, the Stranger that turned Kasie's life upside down; he's not your usual fare of brooding, control-freak hero but a strong man who knows what he wants and will try to gain it but won't become a stalker in his efforts to do so. He respects Kasie's inner strength and won't deem her weak and pathetic for following the path she's chosen (or others have guided her to), even if he can see how wrong this is for her. However, since this book though was just about Kasie, I felt that a lot of Robert's personality was left in the shadows and would like to know more about him in the future. Same goes for Dave, Kasie's fiance; I think we need to see him more like a three-dimensional character in the next books than an evil-fiance caricature, if these books are going to have a bit of substance and refrain from becoming too formulaic.
Robert:
Dave:
If you like your contemporary romance with a lot of struggle and anguish and more self-development than sex or true romance, I highly recommend this short story. If though, you've never felt the need to do what others expect from you and your favorite motto happens to be "my way or the highway", I don't think this book is for you: you'll only end up disliking Kasie and her cheating ways and thus hate her story with a passion. I can only assure you though, having been through an upbringing similar to Kasie's, that her feelings and way of thinking are indeed authentic and realistic of someone in that situation and not just a justification or writer's trick to make the cheating/expirementing more palatable to the reader.
Favorite quote:
Suddenly I want to get out of the restaurant. But I can’t make myself do it. That’s the funny thing about cowardice. People think it makes you run away and hide but it’s more likely to be a facilitator of something darker. It’s the emotion that allows you to be passively led to places and fates you would otherwise reject.
ARC provided by NetGalley
December 27, 2012
Gitte: I was so impressed by this novella Jenny, what a surprisingly fab read! I love this Authors style of writing, it’s addictive and I was hooked immediately! The depth of the characters and the way it simmered then suddenly took flight – flawless! This was a refreshing, seductive and highly enjoyable erotic romance filled with plenty of drama and dare I say it a tense and thrilling *whispering* cliffhanger!
Jenny: I’m with you there Gitte, I really enjoyed this one as well. I agree, the authors style of writing is quite different and yes like you, I also found the story addictive. I felt the author conveyed all the inner torment Kasie was going through and we really got to feel the conflict she was experiencing. It was definitely a slow burner but when it took of I found I couldn’t put it down. The cliffhanger! There’s no *whispering* about it my book soul mate! I need to know what happens after that final scene! Like….NOW!.
Gitte: I have to say all the twists and turns and the not knowing where this story was going kept me reading. The main characters of Kasie, Robert and Dave are extremely deep and intense. For such a short read I felt like we just scratched the surface yet knew enough to connect and become completely intrigued. I was left thinking I had them figured out, then suddenly I was thrown completely of that course and down a different road and I loved it!
Jenny: This story definitely kept me on my toes and I have to say I thought I had it sussed. I thought I’d guessed how it was going to end and then…….I didn’t see that coming! This novella felt like an introduction to the next book (Exposed, Just One Night #2 due out March 2013) and I can’t wait to see where that book takes us! I enjoyed this erotic drama filled read. The sex scenes were very steamy but not over the top. There was a good balance of story and steam in this one.
Gitte: I found Kasie to be such a contradiction. Her true inner self is dressed up in a façade of the extreme opposite. She strives for perfection in an understated way in all aspects of her life. She lives in accordance to other people’s expectations; she is a straight and narrow good girl following the path of expectations rather than her own true desires. A sparkling diamond shrouded in a dull and boring cloth never showing the pure exciting brilliance. When she changes the game one night it pulls at the thread of her façade and exposes some of her hidden self and desires. This story is entirely told from Kasie’s POV but I would love to hear Robert and Dave’s inner thoughts in the next instalments of this trilogy!
Jenny: Kasie is organised. Her personal life, her work life…everything has its place and she is living a life to keep everyone else happy, to live up to their expectations. Kasie appears to be going through the motions in her relationship with Dave. Dave……grrr couldn’t stand him! Dave doesn’t bring out the real Kasie. The Kasie that’s hidden underneath, that even Kasie isn’t aware is there. He somehow suppresses her from being the Kasie she could be. I’m absolutely with you on the POV’s Gitte. I would love to hear from Dave and Robert. That would certainly add a new dimension to this story.
Gitte: I immediately loved Robert. He is an older, sexy and powerful man. He knows what he wants and he wants Kasie. During that ‘one night’ Robert manages to find a way to unlock something hidden in her, something she didn’t know was even there, something forgotten. Their one night together is passionate, wild and impulsive. Something she never experiences with Dave who is Robert’s complete opposite. Dave is predictable, straight and non-adventurous something which he in return expects and wants Kasie to be. The dynamics between these three characters, with Kasie as the focal point lends to the age old argument of whether the grey area exists or is it simply black and white.
Jenny: I know some people won’t like this book because of the cheating aspect, but you do somehow see their liaison as grey area, well, at least that’s how I saw it. I accepted it because I saw how Robert changed Kasie in that one night and I liked the Kasie she could be with him. Oh yes, Robert Dade. He of the gorgeous sexy, wealthy man with the salt and pepper hair. Yes, one night with him in Vegas definitely brings out the Kasie that we know is in there somewhere. Their one night together just sizzled and showed Kasie there is more to life than the mundane she is used to with Dave. Robert Dade throws her thoughts and world into chaos.
Gitte: So yeah I thought this story was extremely well written and I really enjoyed it! It was intense, sensual, thrilling and very sexy. I cannot wait for the next instalment as yeah I’ll say it again: shhh cliffhanger!! We hate them right Jenny??!!
Jenny: This was such a good introduction to book two and that’s what I felt this book more than served to achieve. It set us up nicely to want more, to find out what happens and the very small issues I may have had with this book I’m sure will be addressed in Exposed so I can’t wait for March! Don’t talk to me about cliffhangers! You know my feelings on them! They kill me and this one certainly did that. After a glimpse of Exposed I really do need this book right now Gitte! How are we going to last ‘till March?
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books & Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss
Jenny: I’m with you there Gitte, I really enjoyed this one as well. I agree, the authors style of writing is quite different and yes like you, I also found the story addictive. I felt the author conveyed all the inner torment Kasie was going through and we really got to feel the conflict she was experiencing. It was definitely a slow burner but when it took of I found I couldn’t put it down. The cliffhanger! There’s no *whispering* about it my book soul mate! I need to know what happens after that final scene! Like….NOW!.
Gitte: I have to say all the twists and turns and the not knowing where this story was going kept me reading. The main characters of Kasie, Robert and Dave are extremely deep and intense. For such a short read I felt like we just scratched the surface yet knew enough to connect and become completely intrigued. I was left thinking I had them figured out, then suddenly I was thrown completely of that course and down a different road and I loved it!
Jenny: This story definitely kept me on my toes and I have to say I thought I had it sussed. I thought I’d guessed how it was going to end and then…….I didn’t see that coming! This novella felt like an introduction to the next book (Exposed, Just One Night #2 due out March 2013) and I can’t wait to see where that book takes us! I enjoyed this erotic drama filled read. The sex scenes were very steamy but not over the top. There was a good balance of story and steam in this one.
Gitte: I found Kasie to be such a contradiction. Her true inner self is dressed up in a façade of the extreme opposite. She strives for perfection in an understated way in all aspects of her life. She lives in accordance to other people’s expectations; she is a straight and narrow good girl following the path of expectations rather than her own true desires. A sparkling diamond shrouded in a dull and boring cloth never showing the pure exciting brilliance. When she changes the game one night it pulls at the thread of her façade and exposes some of her hidden self and desires. This story is entirely told from Kasie’s POV but I would love to hear Robert and Dave’s inner thoughts in the next instalments of this trilogy!
Jenny: Kasie is organised. Her personal life, her work life…everything has its place and she is living a life to keep everyone else happy, to live up to their expectations. Kasie appears to be going through the motions in her relationship with Dave. Dave……grrr couldn’t stand him! Dave doesn’t bring out the real Kasie. The Kasie that’s hidden underneath, that even Kasie isn’t aware is there. He somehow suppresses her from being the Kasie she could be. I’m absolutely with you on the POV’s Gitte. I would love to hear from Dave and Robert. That would certainly add a new dimension to this story.
Gitte: I immediately loved Robert. He is an older, sexy and powerful man. He knows what he wants and he wants Kasie. During that ‘one night’ Robert manages to find a way to unlock something hidden in her, something she didn’t know was even there, something forgotten. Their one night together is passionate, wild and impulsive. Something she never experiences with Dave who is Robert’s complete opposite. Dave is predictable, straight and non-adventurous something which he in return expects and wants Kasie to be. The dynamics between these three characters, with Kasie as the focal point lends to the age old argument of whether the grey area exists or is it simply black and white.
Jenny: I know some people won’t like this book because of the cheating aspect, but you do somehow see their liaison as grey area, well, at least that’s how I saw it. I accepted it because I saw how Robert changed Kasie in that one night and I liked the Kasie she could be with him. Oh yes, Robert Dade. He of the gorgeous sexy, wealthy man with the salt and pepper hair. Yes, one night with him in Vegas definitely brings out the Kasie that we know is in there somewhere. Their one night together just sizzled and showed Kasie there is more to life than the mundane she is used to with Dave. Robert Dade throws her thoughts and world into chaos.
Gitte: So yeah I thought this story was extremely well written and I really enjoyed it! It was intense, sensual, thrilling and very sexy. I cannot wait for the next instalment as yeah I’ll say it again: shhh cliffhanger!! We hate them right Jenny??!!
Jenny: This was such a good introduction to book two and that’s what I felt this book more than served to achieve. It set us up nicely to want more, to find out what happens and the very small issues I may have had with this book I’m sure will be addressed in Exposed so I can’t wait for March! Don’t talk to me about cliffhangers! You know my feelings on them! They kill me and this one certainly did that. After a glimpse of Exposed I really do need this book right now Gitte! How are we going to last ‘till March?
ARC courtesy of Pocket Books & Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss
June 11, 2013
Initial thoughts: Thank you Kyra Davis for writing an erotic serial tale that actually turned out very nicely, at least in its first part. Probably one of the best ones I've read as of late.
Full review:
I originally finished this book on January 9th, 2013, and recently re-read it in June, and the story was just as strong as I remembered it being when I finished the work. One thing to bear in mind in this reflection: this is the first part of a serial novel. I read this as it's own work in galley form, so my impressions will probably be different from someone who peruses the complete work.
A few things to start with: some of you know that I do not really like stories of cheating spouses or indecisive characters. But usually, if I can see inside the head of a character and understand their sentiments through the work, I can still usually like the characters and story for what they offer to the table. To me, "Just One Night: The Stranger" was a story of a woman who falls in the hands of a lover that makes her feel alive, question her structured life, and then become a toggle in power plays that ultimately come to a head at the end of the work, leaving a cliff hanger where anything could happen.
The writing in this is beautifully crafted in its contrast throughout. Kasie's urged by a friend (Simone) in the beginning to "sleep with a stranger", and while I winced at the suggestions that Simone offered, I did admit I felt the chemistry between Kasie and Robert Dade. Kasie meant for the night in Vegas to stay secret, forgotten. At least until her new client back at home, offering the chance of a lifetime in her company, turns out to the same guy she slept with.
From there, it's a war of emotions inside Kasie, and I felt they were palpable for the scenario presented. Kasie's drawn into the chemistry that she has with Robert, but she's torn for her affections and stable life with Dave. I thought that the narrative did a nice job showing the contrast in her conflicts, having her realize how wrong her actions were, but at the same time coming to terms gradually with the realization that her life wasn't what she wanted it to be. Did I think it was morally right on her part? No. Did I think she was silly for not taking the opportunities to tell her fiance what happened? Yes, absolutely. But at the same time, I could suspend my disbelief because the story carried the narrative well enough to toggle her affections for both men, and also note her distrust in going with someone who may give her lust, but didn't give her the stability, comfort, and level of expectations of a life she'd already known.
But then it all build up to a rather tense ending. Holy crud. I was probably more surprised on my first read through of this, because I didn't see it coming, but the second read through confirmed that it was an interesting way to end it and lead off into the next story, because it made me realize the role of the power play, and why Kasie made the decision she did. Kasie always came across as the person to choose some familiar constricted sense of stability over uncertainty, so that was a factor in why she made the decision she did. Even if she knows it will cost her. I don't think it was a decision based on love, but rather going back to own up to her actions and try to salvage something that she's on the verge of losing.
As to what it will cost her, I'm looking forward to seeing what that promises in the next book. "The Stranger" is an interesting moral play on the strings of lust, power, and stability, with erotic go-betweens. I'm definitely going to read the next part of this story to see where it goes, and I hope it's something that can be palpable based on this first story. Very well written, intense, and worth the read.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Pocket Star.
Full review:
I originally finished this book on January 9th, 2013, and recently re-read it in June, and the story was just as strong as I remembered it being when I finished the work. One thing to bear in mind in this reflection: this is the first part of a serial novel. I read this as it's own work in galley form, so my impressions will probably be different from someone who peruses the complete work.
A few things to start with: some of you know that I do not really like stories of cheating spouses or indecisive characters. But usually, if I can see inside the head of a character and understand their sentiments through the work, I can still usually like the characters and story for what they offer to the table. To me, "Just One Night: The Stranger" was a story of a woman who falls in the hands of a lover that makes her feel alive, question her structured life, and then become a toggle in power plays that ultimately come to a head at the end of the work, leaving a cliff hanger where anything could happen.
The writing in this is beautifully crafted in its contrast throughout. Kasie's urged by a friend (Simone) in the beginning to "sleep with a stranger", and while I winced at the suggestions that Simone offered, I did admit I felt the chemistry between Kasie and Robert Dade. Kasie meant for the night in Vegas to stay secret, forgotten. At least until her new client back at home, offering the chance of a lifetime in her company, turns out to the same guy she slept with.
From there, it's a war of emotions inside Kasie, and I felt they were palpable for the scenario presented. Kasie's drawn into the chemistry that she has with Robert, but she's torn for her affections and stable life with Dave. I thought that the narrative did a nice job showing the contrast in her conflicts, having her realize how wrong her actions were, but at the same time coming to terms gradually with the realization that her life wasn't what she wanted it to be. Did I think it was morally right on her part? No. Did I think she was silly for not taking the opportunities to tell her fiance what happened? Yes, absolutely. But at the same time, I could suspend my disbelief because the story carried the narrative well enough to toggle her affections for both men, and also note her distrust in going with someone who may give her lust, but didn't give her the stability, comfort, and level of expectations of a life she'd already known.
But then it all build up to a rather tense ending. Holy crud. I was probably more surprised on my first read through of this, because I didn't see it coming, but the second read through confirmed that it was an interesting way to end it and lead off into the next story, because it made me realize the role of the power play, and why Kasie made the decision she did. Kasie always came across as the person to choose some familiar constricted sense of stability over uncertainty, so that was a factor in why she made the decision she did. Even if she knows it will cost her. I don't think it was a decision based on love, but rather going back to own up to her actions and try to salvage something that she's on the verge of losing.
As to what it will cost her, I'm looking forward to seeing what that promises in the next book. "The Stranger" is an interesting moral play on the strings of lust, power, and stability, with erotic go-betweens. I'm definitely going to read the next part of this story to see where it goes, and I hope it's something that can be palpable based on this first story. Very well written, intense, and worth the read.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Pocket Star.
January 23, 2013
CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A BOOK?
CAN A SHORT BOOK FILL YOU WITH ENDLESS, MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION WAITING FOR IT'S SEQUEL?!
***pulls hair, takes deep breath***
This book was FUCKING.UNBELIEVABLY.AWESOME.
It was perfect in every way I love a book to be. And actually with it's short life it is a novella, not really a book. But damn...packed within it's short pages was an amazing, thougful and surprisingly deep read.
I LOVED THIS. I adored it. I almost cried when it ended and in my desperate attempt to be closer to it's sequel, I pre-ordered it on amazon. Unfortunately my poor self has to wait the agonizing 2 months or so for it's release. Someone kill me now.
Now, I know there has been some backlash because the main heroine cheats. Let me just say I do NOT condone cheating in any way. I actually abhor it, but...BUT, this is a fictitious novella for one, and the story was so moving and rich I actually decided to try and understand why Kasie did what she did. Okay, there. Let's get on with the review.
Kasie is a late twenty-something woman who is successful, independent and dying to break from her self-imposed prison of how to live her life and act, as apposed to how she WANTS to live her life and act. She is almost engaged to a successful, young up and coming lawyer who wants her to be something she tries but ultimately rebels against. By cheating.
In Vegas with her best friend Simone, Kasie meets and sleeps with a stranger. But Robert Dade is not just any sleaze bag looking for a good time. He is a successful, sexy-as-hell man out to figure out the real Kasie.
Of course what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas and Robert and Kasie encounter each other again. We see Kasie going between what she truly wants but is alarmingly afraid of, and what she actually presents to the world.
There were some truly thoughtful questions presented in this book. It was the farthest thing from flaky and I was in love. Kasie is fighting demons here that refuse to go away. She doesn't know what to do, but she sure as hell knows what her body wants from Robert. The whole book is a struggle for her and since it's in her POV, we feel her pain, her struggle and ultimately her release.
Her fiance, Dave is what is safe and steady. She continually tries to convince herself that he is all she needs. But when Kasie shows her other self to him, the self clawing to come to the surface, he rejects her. I found that scene to be pivotal to how her thoughts and actions progressed. She feels guilty, but not agonizingly so. We see a repressed woman breaking under the pressures from her family and fiancee. The light at the end of her tunnel is Robert.
Robert was one of those characters that was so desperately sexy and mysterious that you honestly couldn't fault Kasie, almost. And although I don't agree with what she did, I could understand. But really if she isn't sure, or if she feels she's living the life of someone else or withholding on who she really is then she should have taken a break from Dave. But her family life, professional life and history are entwined with her facade.
This was sooo good and I.FUCKING.LOVED.IT.
Exposed, part 2 relases March 18, 2013. If I don't see it delivered one minute past midnight that day, so help me God, I am going to seriously kick someone's ass!
CAN A SHORT BOOK FILL YOU WITH ENDLESS, MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION WAITING FOR IT'S SEQUEL?!
***pulls hair, takes deep breath***
This book was FUCKING.UNBELIEVABLY.AWESOME.
It was perfect in every way I love a book to be. And actually with it's short life it is a novella, not really a book. But damn...packed within it's short pages was an amazing, thougful and surprisingly deep read.
I LOVED THIS. I adored it. I almost cried when it ended and in my desperate attempt to be closer to it's sequel, I pre-ordered it on amazon. Unfortunately my poor self has to wait the agonizing 2 months or so for it's release. Someone kill me now.
Now, I know there has been some backlash because the main heroine cheats. Let me just say I do NOT condone cheating in any way. I actually abhor it, but...BUT, this is a fictitious novella for one, and the story was so moving and rich I actually decided to try and understand why Kasie did what she did. Okay, there. Let's get on with the review.
Kasie is a late twenty-something woman who is successful, independent and dying to break from her self-imposed prison of how to live her life and act, as apposed to how she WANTS to live her life and act. She is almost engaged to a successful, young up and coming lawyer who wants her to be something she tries but ultimately rebels against. By cheating.
In Vegas with her best friend Simone, Kasie meets and sleeps with a stranger. But Robert Dade is not just any sleaze bag looking for a good time. He is a successful, sexy-as-hell man out to figure out the real Kasie.
Of course what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas and Robert and Kasie encounter each other again. We see Kasie going between what she truly wants but is alarmingly afraid of, and what she actually presents to the world.
There were some truly thoughtful questions presented in this book. It was the farthest thing from flaky and I was in love. Kasie is fighting demons here that refuse to go away. She doesn't know what to do, but she sure as hell knows what her body wants from Robert. The whole book is a struggle for her and since it's in her POV, we feel her pain, her struggle and ultimately her release.
Her fiance, Dave is what is safe and steady. She continually tries to convince herself that he is all she needs. But when Kasie shows her other self to him, the self clawing to come to the surface, he rejects her. I found that scene to be pivotal to how her thoughts and actions progressed. She feels guilty, but not agonizingly so. We see a repressed woman breaking under the pressures from her family and fiancee. The light at the end of her tunnel is Robert.
Robert was one of those characters that was so desperately sexy and mysterious that you honestly couldn't fault Kasie, almost. And although I don't agree with what she did, I could understand. But really if she isn't sure, or if she feels she's living the life of someone else or withholding on who she really is then she should have taken a break from Dave. But her family life, professional life and history are entwined with her facade.
This was sooo good and I.FUCKING.LOVED.IT.
Exposed, part 2 relases March 18, 2013. If I don't see it delivered one minute past midnight that day, so help me God, I am going to seriously kick someone's ass!
May 4, 2015
Este libro lo tenía en inglés y no me atrapó tanto, así que lo dejé. Sin embargo, una vez que lo tuve en español, decidí leerlo de una vez por todas. La verdad es que después de haber leído muy buenas novelas eróticas, El desconocido no me presenta nada nuevo ni nada destacable. No obstante, dadas las novelas eróticas que han inundado las librerías en meses recientes, que son bastante ammm "singulares" y algunas pecan de una vulgaridad extrema, puedo asegurarles que Kyra Davis ha salido bastante bien de esta prueba.
Tenemos una trama trillada. Una chica que vive de apariencias, que es pura y casta como dicta la sociedad pero que tiene deseos que van más allá de lo que es "normal". Tiene un buen trabajo, está prometida con un chico perfecto y su vida debería ser una maravilla, salvo que no lo es, ella quiere más, pero no sabe cómo pedirlo. Hasta que aparece el chico malo, el hombre que adivina lo que ella necesita y no parará hasta darle todo lo que la satisfaga.
Kasie, la protagonista era un poco irritante, pero la comprendía. No debe ser fácil salirte del modelo que te han dicho que debes se seguir. Y recordemos que ella ya tenía novio... Así que aunque ese punto de la mmm ¿infidelidad? no me terminó de agradar, entendí por qué las cosas sucedieron así.
En cuanto al protagonista, Robert, creo que es un personaje muy rescatable, su personalidad era la adecuada y al inicio es un poco chantajista en cuanto a cómo consigue a Kasie pero al ir avanzando en la novela descubres otras cosas de él que hacen que te simpatice. Aun así, he tenido mejores acercamientos a machos alfa en novelas de este género así que no es el mejor protagonista tampoco. Ahora bien, al ser el primer libro de una trilogía, no sé cómo se vaya a comportar después y quizá tome más fuerza.
La novela en sí, es bastante rescatable, sus escenas de cama están bien hechas, muy cuidadas y no caen en la vulgaridad (ni son vomitivas como algunas de Maya Banks, ver Éxtasis), me han gustado porque siento que la autora supo encontrar ese equilibrio entre el erotismo y lo pornográfico.
January 15, 2013
I really enjoyed this short book, part one of three. It has some similarities to fifty shades as in his a CEO of a business, but to me that was the only one.
Kasie has gone to Vegas for a last fling ordered by her best friend before she marries, safe reliable Dave her soon to be fiancée who she has been with for 6 years.
While in Vegas she meets our mr Dade (Robert), and he is domineering in a sense but in a good way ;) He is not like a mr grey as in a total control freak, he's actually quite well rounded and very appealing. After a one night stand she leaves never to see him again.
Kasie has a good has a job back in the real world, and is surprised by a new contract that requires her to head up the team.........enter mr Dade, who wants Kasie working for him in many ways......
Okay I'm no one who endorses cheating
It's not good, but Dave is lacking something, yes his reliable, rich, comfortable. Were as Robert is sexy, exciting and I believe quite loveable.
Kasie puts herself through the ringer for cheating on dave, but wow some serious sexual attraction going on here and some hot sex going on...
How long can you carrying on cheating? Could it be more than just hot sex, how can you decide, can you keep away even if you wanted too - Kasie must have a headache!
I liked the story and the characters as I found Kasie a strong, sexy woman even if under wraps, Robert sexy and fun and exciting could he be reliable??? And of course we have Dave our mr reliable or is he????
What an ending, bit of a shocker!!!!!
Looking forward to part 2.
https://www.facebook.com/TraceysVampy...
**I received this copy through netgalley for an honest review**
Kasie has gone to Vegas for a last fling ordered by her best friend before she marries, safe reliable Dave her soon to be fiancée who she has been with for 6 years.
While in Vegas she meets our mr Dade (Robert), and he is domineering in a sense but in a good way ;) He is not like a mr grey as in a total control freak, he's actually quite well rounded and very appealing. After a one night stand she leaves never to see him again.
Kasie has a good has a job back in the real world, and is surprised by a new contract that requires her to head up the team.........enter mr Dade, who wants Kasie working for him in many ways......
Okay I'm no one who endorses cheating
It's not good, but Dave is lacking something, yes his reliable, rich, comfortable. Were as Robert is sexy, exciting and I believe quite loveable.
Kasie puts herself through the ringer for cheating on dave, but wow some serious sexual attraction going on here and some hot sex going on...
How long can you carrying on cheating? Could it be more than just hot sex, how can you decide, can you keep away even if you wanted too - Kasie must have a headache!
I liked the story and the characters as I found Kasie a strong, sexy woman even if under wraps, Robert sexy and fun and exciting could he be reliable??? And of course we have Dave our mr reliable or is he????
What an ending, bit of a shocker!!!!!
Looking forward to part 2.
https://www.facebook.com/TraceysVampy...
**I received this copy through netgalley for an honest review**
January 28, 2013
For this Review and more Live Read and Breathe
I didn't know what to expect from this novella but I was pleasantly surprise. There was lots of chemistry, passion and orgasms.
I'm not usually a fan of cheating as I always believe that if you are questioning things than it's time to communicate or break up versus cheating but I understand the doubt, desire and confusion to lead people to make certain decisions.
Kasie is prisoned in a world of what everyone wants her to be but not until she meets Robert does she realize that there is so much more to her and everything around her. Robert opens up a part of her, the true passionate side of her which brings her alive but comfort and stability are plaguing her to believe that what she truly wants and feels is wrong.
Together Kasie and Robert have extremely explosive chemistry and just feel right together...you guessed it. I am so Team Robert, was there any doubt there.....No there wasn't. I believe we should be in a relationship that makes us truly happy and not complacent.
Robert has that sexy powerful feel about him that oozes out of him yet he has a softer side that can see Kasie for who she really is. Hmmm hard to fault Kasie when it's Robert that is getting her attention.
The ending. OH! BOY! another cliffhanger....what is going to happen with Dave and Robert? So many questions are left unanswered. Can't wait for the next two installments.
I didn't know what to expect from this novella but I was pleasantly surprise. There was lots of chemistry, passion and orgasms.
I'm not usually a fan of cheating as I always believe that if you are questioning things than it's time to communicate or break up versus cheating but I understand the doubt, desire and confusion to lead people to make certain decisions.
Kasie is prisoned in a world of what everyone wants her to be but not until she meets Robert does she realize that there is so much more to her and everything around her. Robert opens up a part of her, the true passionate side of her which brings her alive but comfort and stability are plaguing her to believe that what she truly wants and feels is wrong.
Together Kasie and Robert have extremely explosive chemistry and just feel right together...you guessed it. I am so Team Robert, was there any doubt there.....No there wasn't. I believe we should be in a relationship that makes us truly happy and not complacent.
Robert has that sexy powerful feel about him that oozes out of him yet he has a softer side that can see Kasie for who she really is. Hmmm hard to fault Kasie when it's Robert that is getting her attention.
The ending. OH! BOY! another cliffhanger....what is going to happen with Dave and Robert? So many questions are left unanswered. Can't wait for the next two installments.
January 4, 2013
First, my review is based on the QUALITY of the writing, pace, if the story drew me in. That said, yes, this is about deceit and infidelity at first look. Not 'happy' topics, not the first books written about the topics. But, I was completely sucked in to this story!
Kasie Fitzgerald, is a successful, educated business woman who has always tried to fit into the molds expected of her. She was the perfect daughter, the perfect employee, the perfect girlfriend, dressing appropriately, acting appropriately, ignoring the side of her that wanted to be free.
One night in Las Vegas with a friend changed her, perhaps beyond the ability to go back to her 'perfect' little world, finding a side of her that seemed to complete her being. She had a one night stand with a mysterious and compelling stranger, thinking she would be able to resume her life and forget about it.
Kasie returns to work and finds that a new client has requested she run his account. His business is huge for her firm and she discovers it is Robert, her one night stand.
Kasie must decide what is right for her, and she is struggling with doing 'the right thing' by marrying Dave, a lukewarm, yet good man or tossing everything away for Robert and how he brings her to life.
The erotic portions of the book were passionate, but not overpowering. The characters were real, the writing intense with emotion.
This ARC copy of Just One Night: The Stranger Part 1 was given to me by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster - Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review. Published Date January 21, 2013. A definite five-star for me!
Kasie Fitzgerald, is a successful, educated business woman who has always tried to fit into the molds expected of her. She was the perfect daughter, the perfect employee, the perfect girlfriend, dressing appropriately, acting appropriately, ignoring the side of her that wanted to be free.
One night in Las Vegas with a friend changed her, perhaps beyond the ability to go back to her 'perfect' little world, finding a side of her that seemed to complete her being. She had a one night stand with a mysterious and compelling stranger, thinking she would be able to resume her life and forget about it.
Kasie returns to work and finds that a new client has requested she run his account. His business is huge for her firm and she discovers it is Robert, her one night stand.
Kasie must decide what is right for her, and she is struggling with doing 'the right thing' by marrying Dave, a lukewarm, yet good man or tossing everything away for Robert and how he brings her to life.
The erotic portions of the book were passionate, but not overpowering. The characters were real, the writing intense with emotion.
This ARC copy of Just One Night: The Stranger Part 1 was given to me by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster - Pocket Star in exchange for an honest review. Published Date January 21, 2013. A definite five-star for me!
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