Assumed Calling

by Lila Munro

At the seasoned age of fifty-six, Allen Bourke has resigned himself to the fact he’ll probably never find someone to top he can also love. While he’s had wives and lovers, none of them endured and he’s come to the conclusion the clock’s ticking and age is working against him. Then a very intriguing Nicki Cartwright pings on his radar at what Allen determines will be his last house party. He can’t help but notice while he and his friends are getting older, the players emerging on the scene are forever getting younger. Nicki's no exception. Determined to resist the vibes humming between them, he only agrees to service her after his old friend, Kyle Montgomery, convinces him it's entirely feasible. Then it’s brought to Allen’s attention who Nicki really is. Knowing their pasts are forever intertwined, as hard as he tries to ignore his heart, he finds himself yielding to the tides of fate.

Born to senatorial royalty, Nicki Cartwright has spent her entire life trying to shield her mother from her father’s wrath while drifting further and further into a world where panic is normal and anxiety is always on the edge of her reality. Tired of burning the candle at both ends and forever trying to live up to the picture of All-American perfection her father James Cartwright touts as his ace in the hole during election cycles, Nicki finds herself on the path of self-discovery in search of relief from the stressors continually swamping her mind. What she doesn’t expect is to find who she thought she was is truly just a shadow of the person she really is. And what scares her most is the fact Allen, the only person she thought she could trust, has been holding a secret since before she was born which could destroy her entire family.

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2012

About the author

Lila Munro currently resides on the coast of North Carolina with her husband and their two four-legged kids. She’s a military wife with an empty nest and takes much of her inspiration for her heroes from the marines she’s lived around for the past fifteen years. Coining the term realmantica, she strives to produce quality romance in a realistic setting. Her genre of choice is contemporary romance that spans everything from the sensual to BDSM and ménage. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading everything she can get her hands on, trips to the museum and aquarium, taking field research trips, and soaking up the sun on the nearby beaches. Her works include The Executive Officer’s Wife, Bound By Trust, Destiny’s Fire, Salvation, Three for Keeps, the Force Recon series, the Slower Lower series, and the Identity series. She’s a member in good standing of RWA and Passionate Ink. Currently she’s working on sequels to several series to be released throughout 2012. And has a brand new line scheduled for winter 2012-13. Ms. Munro loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted via her website http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Lila_Munro Pinterest at https://pinterest.com/lilamunro/ Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... You can also contact her via email at lilasromance@gmail.com

Reviews

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a somewhat confusing start, due to this book being part of a series, this story soon goes into overdrive as the story of two people damaged by the past try to overcome their hurts in each other's arms. Allen is sick of the circuit and how meaningless the BDSM parties have become. He's still handsome and charismatic but knows time's getting away from him. After three unpleasant divorces he's also lonely, but unsure of wanting to put his heart on the line again. After meeting Nicki he knows she's got emotional baggage but she's the first woman to stir his heart in a long time. She's much younger than him with a father who enjoys destroying others but he can't help wanting to be her hero....for perhaps longer than they originally planned.

Nicki's life has been one full of emotional pain courtesy of her father. It's left her with moments of child-like behavior that show a woman still carrying scars that no amount of therapy or pills can help. She soon finds solace in Allen's strength if she can just let herself trust him. Things don't automatically turn around though as her father rears his ugly head and the story takes a darker turn into cloak and dagger revenge that leads to a powerful ending.

Throughout the story are many steamy scenes taking place in the BDSM world. These scenes are tastefully done but don't shy away from the intensity of BDSM-play. The age difference might be a problem for some but I felt the deep connection between these two and the healing power of their love for each other. I've only read Ms. Munro's historical books before this but after reading this heartwrenching story I'll be sure to read the rest of this exciting series from the start.

[Suzzana Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am new to the reading world of BDSM so when I started to read this I was like wow....and it caught my interest immediately and Allen was the man that drew me in. I love the older sexy man and here Lila created for me exactly what I like...sighs...love this character. And Nicki I knew as soon as I met her I liked. Learning about her past and despicable father kept my interest as did the other characters Miss Munro created.

It gave me a look into a world I find intriguing and interesting that of bondage. I am learning fast, but Miss Munro has me hooked.

Her writing is precise, informative and her characters believable and beyond interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed Assumed Calling.

I liked the older man younger woman...No I loved it.