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Safe in His Arms
For as long as she could remember, Becca dreamed of a dominant man to take her in hand, and Zac, the handsome Marine she met at her sister's wedding, filled the role with aplomb… for a weekend. Then the fling came to an end, Zac went off to war and died for his country, and Becca learned she carried a child who would be born without a father.
Seven years later, Becca has done her best to move on and forget about Zac… until the day she walks into her kitchen to find the man she believed she would never see again locked in mortal combat with her son’s nanny, and realizes everything she thought she knew about Zac was a lie.
Like all Black Ops agents, Zac doesn't exist in any government record. His life is a series of deadly missions, and relationships of any kind are unsanctioned. But he keeps one secret. He watches over Becca, the beautiful daughter of a rogue agent, and Parker, the six-year-old boy he fathered that fateful weekend. When he spots a known assassin in their apartment posing as a nanny, he's forced to reveal himself and take them to safety… whether Becca likes it or not.
While Becca may have enjoyed his dominance once, bending her to his will again may not be quite so easy. He is
determined to keep her safe, however, and if a long, hard spanking is required, he is more than willing to oblige. Having Becca over his knee rekindles more than his passion, though; even when the immediate danger has passed, he finds it much more difficult to “ghost out” on his family again. Must he resign himself to protecting those he loves from afar, or can he find a way to be the man Becca needs and longs for, the man who is worthy of her
submission and her love?
Publisher’s Note: Safe in His Arms is an erotic romance novel that includes both consensual and non-consensual spankings, anal play, graphic sexual scenes, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
Seven years later, Becca has done her best to move on and forget about Zac… until the day she walks into her kitchen to find the man she believed she would never see again locked in mortal combat with her son’s nanny, and realizes everything she thought she knew about Zac was a lie.
Like all Black Ops agents, Zac doesn't exist in any government record. His life is a series of deadly missions, and relationships of any kind are unsanctioned. But he keeps one secret. He watches over Becca, the beautiful daughter of a rogue agent, and Parker, the six-year-old boy he fathered that fateful weekend. When he spots a known assassin in their apartment posing as a nanny, he's forced to reveal himself and take them to safety… whether Becca likes it or not.
While Becca may have enjoyed his dominance once, bending her to his will again may not be quite so easy. He is
determined to keep her safe, however, and if a long, hard spanking is required, he is more than willing to oblige. Having Becca over his knee rekindles more than his passion, though; even when the immediate danger has passed, he finds it much more difficult to “ghost out” on his family again. Must he resign himself to protecting those he loves from afar, or can he find a way to be the man Becca needs and longs for, the man who is worthy of her
submission and her love?
Publisher’s Note: Safe in His Arms is an erotic romance novel that includes both consensual and non-consensual spankings, anal play, graphic sexual scenes, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
88 pages, ebook
First published July 23, 2013
94 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
About the author
Renee Rose
275 books4,895 followers15-Time USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She's sold over five million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today's Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy's Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and has hit the USA Today list with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, and Wolf Ranch books as well as various kinky anthologies.
For FREE RENEE ROSE BOOKS, go to this page: https://subscribepage.com/alphastemp
**Visit her blog at www.reneeroseromance.com
**Follow Renee at www.Facebook.com/ReneeRoseRomance - She loves to chat with readers!
**Follow her on Tiktok @authorreneerose
**Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/reneeroseromance
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RENEE'S BOOKS:
"I savor Renee Rose's books as if they were the finest of champagnes" ~USA Today Bestselling Author Sierra Cartwright
"Renee Rose has an ability to write the most captivating, most intriguing, and the hottest books around." ~ USA Today Bestselling Author Alta Hensley
"A sexy tale for modern women that's as steamy as a locker room shower." ~Kirkus Reviews
"I've been completely blown away by this series" ~The Romance Reviews
"Nobody writes a bad boy hero like Renee Rose" ~USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol
"If you are looking for a romance you can lose yourself in and think fondly of for days after, look no further. This is a Renee Rose book and this author is very good at what she does." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Maren Smith
"Hands down Renee Rose writes the sexiest, naughtiest, set your Kindle on fire romance." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Natasha Knight
"If you love your men dominant alphas and get considerable pleasure out of watching them have their lives turned upside down by the women in their lives on the way to their happily ever after, then you'll love this story." ~The Romance Reviews [TOP PICK]
"Rose always delivers with her erotic stories. It's hot, it's sexy, & don't forget the icy drink & fan when you read this one." ~Manic Readers
"I have yet to read a book by Renee Rose that I don't enjoy so much as to read it again and again." ~Bottoms Up Book Reviews
For FREE RENEE ROSE BOOKS, go to this page: https://subscribepage.com/alphastemp
**Visit her blog at www.reneeroseromance.com
**Follow Renee at www.Facebook.com/ReneeRoseRomance - She loves to chat with readers!
**Follow her on Tiktok @authorreneerose
**Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/reneeroseromance
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RENEE'S BOOKS:
"I savor Renee Rose's books as if they were the finest of champagnes" ~USA Today Bestselling Author Sierra Cartwright
"Renee Rose has an ability to write the most captivating, most intriguing, and the hottest books around." ~ USA Today Bestselling Author Alta Hensley
"A sexy tale for modern women that's as steamy as a locker room shower." ~Kirkus Reviews
"I've been completely blown away by this series" ~The Romance Reviews
"Nobody writes a bad boy hero like Renee Rose" ~USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol
"If you are looking for a romance you can lose yourself in and think fondly of for days after, look no further. This is a Renee Rose book and this author is very good at what she does." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Maren Smith
"Hands down Renee Rose writes the sexiest, naughtiest, set your Kindle on fire romance." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Natasha Knight
"If you love your men dominant alphas and get considerable pleasure out of watching them have their lives turned upside down by the women in their lives on the way to their happily ever after, then you'll love this story." ~The Romance Reviews [TOP PICK]
"Rose always delivers with her erotic stories. It's hot, it's sexy, & don't forget the icy drink & fan when you read this one." ~Manic Readers
"I have yet to read a book by Renee Rose that I don't enjoy so much as to read it again and again." ~Bottoms Up Book Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
June 22, 2017
Safe in His Arms didn't work for me. I had problems believing that Becca would take Zac back and trust him with her body as soon as he waltzes back into her life. I know this novel is a short one and things have to move fast but I think the need for more character development shouldn't have been overlooked. There was also a moment when Zac omitted important information from Becca that had me fuming and then Becca doing something incredibly stupid to get Zac's attention.
So what's the story about?
Becca has a one night stand with a Marine she meets at her sister's wedding. They shared a moment of passion and then he walks away. Unexpectedly, Becca finds herself pregnant with his child. In the present, Becca and her son Parker are doing well until they find their latest nanny fighting a man she recognizes as Zac in their home.
Zac is part of a Black Ops group. He doesn't "exist" but this has never stopped him from following Becca and Parker's life. He has been monitoring her and helping her in any way he can from afar. When he realizes they are both in danger he's ready to make himself visible again. Just one problem, he wasn't counting on not wanting to leave them ever again.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
So what's the story about?
Becca has a one night stand with a Marine she meets at her sister's wedding. They shared a moment of passion and then he walks away. Unexpectedly, Becca finds herself pregnant with his child. In the present, Becca and her son Parker are doing well until they find their latest nanny fighting a man she recognizes as Zac in their home.
Zac is part of a Black Ops group. He doesn't "exist" but this has never stopped him from following Becca and Parker's life. He has been monitoring her and helping her in any way he can from afar. When he realizes they are both in danger he's ready to make himself visible again. Just one problem, he wasn't counting on not wanting to leave them ever again.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
October 23, 2013
Who knew a little mistake of broken condom could lead to such journey???
As a HUGE lover of Ooopsie-Babie stories I naturally fell in love with it... also a huge lover of a good Alpha Male with strong military background... Sexy danger factor... ooooh and can't forget a nice Kink!
I absolutely loved this story. As short as the story was I didn't feel like it was lacking in anything content or development it was JUST RIGHT!
PS there is a bit of Paranormal hint to the book only that the main character
As a HUGE lover of Ooopsie-Babie stories I naturally fell in love with it... also a huge lover of a good Alpha Male with strong military background... Sexy danger factor... ooooh and can't forget a nice Kink!
I absolutely loved this story. As short as the story was I didn't feel like it was lacking in anything content or development it was JUST RIGHT!
PS there is a bit of Paranormal hint to the book only that the main character
July 23, 2020
If you like a good spanking this book might be the one for you. I used to enjoy an occasional hot erotic romance but this one left me cold. The trope is not that uncommon, two strangers hook up at a wedding, then part when the alpha male disappears on a blacks op mission. Yeah this happens all the time, right?
Zac suddenly shows back up in Becca’s life after seven years killing her nanny who is not a nanny but an assassin. Becca is now the mother of a precocious six year old son Parker and is not ready to accept Zac with open arms. Um, yeah, nor should she. Zac wants to control Becca with sexual commands that I found ridiculous in this situation yet she went along with. I’m sorry but if I hadn’t seen or heard from a man in seven years there is no way I would just automatically agree with his commands. Zac and his son have an instant connection that complicates everything. Dangers ensues, Zac comes to his family’s rescue and Becca realizes what is important.
I could only give this story 2 stars, maybe years ago more but now it just doesn’t work for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.
Zac suddenly shows back up in Becca’s life after seven years killing her nanny who is not a nanny but an assassin. Becca is now the mother of a precocious six year old son Parker and is not ready to accept Zac with open arms. Um, yeah, nor should she. Zac wants to control Becca with sexual commands that I found ridiculous in this situation yet she went along with. I’m sorry but if I hadn’t seen or heard from a man in seven years there is no way I would just automatically agree with his commands. Zac and his son have an instant connection that complicates everything. Dangers ensues, Zac comes to his family’s rescue and Becca realizes what is important.
I could only give this story 2 stars, maybe years ago more but now it just doesn’t work for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.
September 11, 2013
2.5 stars
Super hot spanking in this domestic discipline story.
The scenes were great. Focused, passionate and thoroughly about Zac and Becca's needs for D/s and spanking respectively. I loved the way the characters interacted, but the actual plot of the story was a miss for me.
One needs to suspend belief and just accept the fantasized thriller or be utterly frustrated. Which though I often roll my eyes at, I was like, "Okay, sure. Take me on the magic carpet." What really annoyed me were inherent character flaws for both protagonists. Becca's really a bit of a dolt and Zac's kinda an alphahole.
I want to rate this BIG points for the kink. Majorly hot if DD is your thing. The other half that pays attention to character and plot is going--aahhh...No. What I'd really like to see is a representation of sexual differences in a way that doesn't imply that a fundamental flaw with the individual is necessary for these to be desires. I would love to read these scenes in that context.
Favorite quote:
Super hot spanking in this domestic discipline story.
The scenes were great. Focused, passionate and thoroughly about Zac and Becca's needs for D/s and spanking respectively. I loved the way the characters interacted, but the actual plot of the story was a miss for me.
One needs to suspend belief and just accept the fantasized thriller or be utterly frustrated. Which though I often roll my eyes at, I was like, "Okay, sure. Take me on the magic carpet." What really annoyed me were inherent character flaws for both protagonists. Becca's really a bit of a dolt and Zac's kinda an alphahole.
I want to rate this BIG points for the kink. Majorly hot if DD is your thing. The other half that pays attention to character and plot is going--aahhh...No. What I'd really like to see is a representation of sexual differences in a way that doesn't imply that a fundamental flaw with the individual is necessary for these to be desires. I would love to read these scenes in that context.
Favorite quote:
If I exist in any form--if there is a man to know--I would want him to be the one I am when I'm with you.
November 4, 2013
Can I just say when I requested this book from Netgalley (thank you Netgalley!!!) that I was not expecting what I got at all.
Some sort of second chance romance, yes.
Baby's daddy drama's, yes.
Military man, possessive, alpha loving, yes.
Domestic Discipline? Who knew!!! hahah, loved it.
Although it sort of came out of no where.... the spanking lefting me tickled pink about this book.
The characters where interesting and there was even an element of the paranormal in there.
This was a short, kinkilicious book. If I saw another by this author I would definitely give it a go.
Some sort of second chance romance, yes.
Baby's daddy drama's, yes.
Military man, possessive, alpha loving, yes.
Domestic Discipline? Who knew!!! hahah, loved it.
Although it sort of came out of no where.... the spanking lefting me tickled pink about this book.
The characters where interesting and there was even an element of the paranormal in there.
This was a short, kinkilicious book. If I saw another by this author I would definitely give it a go.
August 9, 2017
Safe in His Arms by Renee Rose Author: Renee Rose Title: Safe in His Arms Series: Cover Rating: Book Rating: Buy This Book:
For as long as she could remember, Becca dreamed of a dominant man to take her in hand, and Zac, the handsome Marine she met at her sister's wedding, filled the role with aplomb… for a weekend. Then the fling came to an end, Zac went off to war and died for his country, and Becca learned she carried a child who would be born without a father.
Seven years later, Becca has done her best to move on and forget about Zac… until the day she walks into her kitchen to find the man she believed she would never see again locked in mortal combat with her son’s nanny, and realizes everything she thought she knew about Zac was a lie.
Like all Black Ops agents, Zac doesn't exist in any government record. His life is a series of deadly missions, and relationships of any kind are unsanctioned. But he keeps one secret. He watches over Becca, the beautiful daughter of a rogue agent, and Parker, the six-year-old boy he fathered that fateful weekend. When he spots a known assassin in their apartment posing as a nanny, he's forced to reveal himself and take them to safety… whether Becca likes it or not.
While Becca may have enjoyed his dominance once, bending her to his will again may not be quite so easy. He is
determined to keep her safe, however, and if a long, hard spanking is required, he is more than willing to oblige. Having Becca over his knee rekindles more than his passion, though; even when the immediate danger has passed, he finds it much more difficult to “ghost out” on his family again. Must he resign himself to protecting those he loves from afar, or can he find a way to be the man Becca needs and longs for, the man who is worthy of her
submission and her love?
Safe In His Arms is a seriously hot read, break out your thermometers ladies Zac's punishments are steamy! Both sexy and thrilling Safe In His Arms serves up a delightful dish of Erotic Romance. Dominant Black Ops Agent Zac and sweet submissive Becca meet at a wedding and wind up spending an entire weekend exploring the kinkier side of sex together, until finally life took them back to their daily lives only Zac left something behind. Becca finds out that she's pregnant.Unfortunately Becca is told that Zac has died so she hires a nanny to help her with their son only to stumble in on Zac fighting the nanny! Becca finds out the real truth about what's going on and once again Dom and Sub can't resist each other. This book is beyond hot! WARNING! If you can't handle extreme sexual situations, this book may not be for you but if you love testing the limits of tolerance dive in baby because this will leave you gasping!
Until next time book lovers...
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
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For as long as she could remember, Becca dreamed of a dominant man to take her in hand, and Zac, the handsome Marine she met at her sister's wedding, filled the role with aplomb… for a weekend. Then the fling came to an end, Zac went off to war and died for his country, and Becca learned she carried a child who would be born without a father.
Seven years later, Becca has done her best to move on and forget about Zac… until the day she walks into her kitchen to find the man she believed she would never see again locked in mortal combat with her son’s nanny, and realizes everything she thought she knew about Zac was a lie.
Like all Black Ops agents, Zac doesn't exist in any government record. His life is a series of deadly missions, and relationships of any kind are unsanctioned. But he keeps one secret. He watches over Becca, the beautiful daughter of a rogue agent, and Parker, the six-year-old boy he fathered that fateful weekend. When he spots a known assassin in their apartment posing as a nanny, he's forced to reveal himself and take them to safety… whether Becca likes it or not.
While Becca may have enjoyed his dominance once, bending her to his will again may not be quite so easy. He is
determined to keep her safe, however, and if a long, hard spanking is required, he is more than willing to oblige. Having Becca over his knee rekindles more than his passion, though; even when the immediate danger has passed, he finds it much more difficult to “ghost out” on his family again. Must he resign himself to protecting those he loves from afar, or can he find a way to be the man Becca needs and longs for, the man who is worthy of her
submission and her love?
Safe In His Arms is a seriously hot read, break out your thermometers ladies Zac's punishments are steamy! Both sexy and thrilling Safe In His Arms serves up a delightful dish of Erotic Romance. Dominant Black Ops Agent Zac and sweet submissive Becca meet at a wedding and wind up spending an entire weekend exploring the kinkier side of sex together, until finally life took them back to their daily lives only Zac left something behind. Becca finds out that she's pregnant.Unfortunately Becca is told that Zac has died so she hires a nanny to help her with their son only to stumble in on Zac fighting the nanny! Becca finds out the real truth about what's going on and once again Dom and Sub can't resist each other. This book is beyond hot! WARNING! If you can't handle extreme sexual situations, this book may not be for you but if you love testing the limits of tolerance dive in baby because this will leave you gasping!
Until next time book lovers...
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has a QR code for your phone!
Save
January 16, 2014
3.5 star feel good book! This is a delicious domestic discipline (DD) story for those just getting into reading spankings and domestic discipline. Becca met the man who could finally bring her sexual fantasies to life and then he disappears. She does keep a souvenir from him...a child. Zac is a "ghost" who in an agency specializing in wet works. He can't have any relationships because of his job. He breaks some rules because things become personal.
This story from a suspense perspective is a bit weak. It's still fine by me. I don't read it for the suspense. Read this story for good points about DD. Because the characters, specifically Becca is a bit foolish. There are a couple of Becca's actions which made me want to smack some sense into her. Let's get to the good stuff.
“What if, instead of getting hung up on who is right and who is wrong, you just kept it in the realm of what you like from your man? What if you just decided you would obey me because it makes you wet to submit, not because I know better than you or I never make mistakes.” (p.91)
“I didn’t spank you because I’m right,” he said mildly.
Some of the remaining resistance in her fell away. “Why did you spank me?” she asked, expecting an answer about her temper tantrum, or disrespect.
“Because it calms you down so we can talk.”(p.134)
“I don’t spank you because I know better, or because I’m right. I spank you because you need it.” (p. 135)
THIS! For many people, they find it to be a parent/child relationship. Sometimes people take exception to domestic discipline because they feel they are being "corrected". Who does the guy think he is to always be right? Does he get spanked if he makes a mistake? What Ms. Rose indicates here is definitely how I feel about DD and I just never knew how to put it into words. At least this is how I think about domestic discipline even though I have no issues with being "corrected" like a child. Yes, it's because I'm into ageplay too. Where is my Daddy Dom? I digress.
This story is sweet and easy to read. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't stop. Where their some character flaws? Yes. Is it realistic in the flaws? I would like to say no, but I've been seeing some really poor decisions in real life by people who should know better so I can't really say otherwise.
Recommended for kinky readers who are interested in domestic discipline.
This story from a suspense perspective is a bit weak. It's still fine by me. I don't read it for the suspense. Read this story for good points about DD. Because the characters, specifically Becca is a bit foolish. There are a couple of Becca's actions which made me want to smack some sense into her. Let's get to the good stuff.
“What if, instead of getting hung up on who is right and who is wrong, you just kept it in the realm of what you like from your man? What if you just decided you would obey me because it makes you wet to submit, not because I know better than you or I never make mistakes.” (p.91)
“I didn’t spank you because I’m right,” he said mildly.
Some of the remaining resistance in her fell away. “Why did you spank me?” she asked, expecting an answer about her temper tantrum, or disrespect.
“Because it calms you down so we can talk.”(p.134)
“I don’t spank you because I know better, or because I’m right. I spank you because you need it.” (p. 135)
THIS! For many people, they find it to be a parent/child relationship. Sometimes people take exception to domestic discipline because they feel they are being "corrected". Who does the guy think he is to always be right? Does he get spanked if he makes a mistake? What Ms. Rose indicates here is definitely how I feel about DD and I just never knew how to put it into words. At least this is how I think about domestic discipline even though I have no issues with being "corrected" like a child. Yes, it's because I'm into ageplay too. Where is my Daddy Dom? I digress.
This story is sweet and easy to read. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't stop. Where their some character flaws? Yes. Is it realistic in the flaws? I would like to say no, but I've been seeing some really poor decisions in real life by people who should know better so I can't really say otherwise.
Recommended for kinky readers who are interested in domestic discipline.
August 18, 2013
I've enjoyed several of Renee Rose's historical spanking books, and, when I saw the name of the heroine in this one, decided I had to add it to the list. ;)
This was a fun and erotic book, filled with hot scenes and much spanking. I didn't read it for the cloak and dagger parts, since that isn't generally my favorite scenario, but it did add to the spiciness in this case. The back story isn't particularly realistic, but, if you can suspend belief and enjoy the fun, it wraps up with a satisfying HEA.
Becca isn't the strongest heroine I've ever read, she has one TSTL moment that had me rolling my eyes and looking for a name change, but she is fairly realistic, given the unrealistic situation she falls into.
All in all another fun Renee Rose spanking story, I'd recommend to those who like a dash of spice with their reading.
This was a fun and erotic book, filled with hot scenes and much spanking. I didn't read it for the cloak and dagger parts, since that isn't generally my favorite scenario, but it did add to the spiciness in this case. The back story isn't particularly realistic, but, if you can suspend belief and enjoy the fun, it wraps up with a satisfying HEA.
Becca isn't the strongest heroine I've ever read, she has one TSTL moment that had me rolling my eyes and looking for a name change, but she is fairly realistic, given the unrealistic situation she falls into.
All in all another fun Renee Rose spanking story, I'd recommend to those who like a dash of spice with their reading.
October 24, 2013
Warning: This book contains bondage, spanking (with hand(s), paddles, wooden hairbrushes, a blind pole... and other things but I've forgotten them), and dominance/submission role playing.
I recommend this book to mature readers (over 18) only.
I was surprised when I started reading this book by how much I enjoyed it.
I liked the writing, characters, and the story.
There is a bit of 'paranormal content' to the story, and it works well with the characters.
Well done Ms. Rose.
arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
September 27, 2015
Stopped reading at 20%.Can't give a review because it is a DNF.
December 3, 2013
http://bookslifewine.wordpress.com/20...
This is short story/novella length. I find reading and reviewing shorts/novellas to always be rather challenging - so I can only imagine that writing them must be just as challenging. There's a lot of information that needs to be condensed down to its purest version to be able to fit into the required word count.
And that is the exact same reason why I find reading shorts to be challenging - I want so much (from the book, the author, the characters, the plot) but there's so little space available. *sigh* One of the biggest issues I normally have with shorts is the relationship of the characters themselves (not the relationship the characters have with the reader). How do you convey the appropriate amount of tension and intimacy while not writing a full length novel? The mind, it boggles.
I entered this particular read with little expectations. I've read some Domestic Discipline (DD) books before but not a ton of them. As I come to DD from the sub-genre BDSM...I do have these conceptions in my head of WHAT a physically chastising relationship should be built on: trust, communication and rule creation. Meaning that I expect that the people in the power exchange relationship will trust each other, will communicate clearly any expectations of each other and will discuss before hand any rules that the couple will live by.
This story...pushed a lot of my buttons in the wrong way. The heroine meets the hero at her sister's wedding. They have what amounts to a one night stand (the whole weekend...but weddings are usually on a Saturday...) in which the heroine, Becca, tells the hero, Zac, of her particular kink - spanking - right from the start. They have a lovely weekend and then Zac disappears. Later, after discovering she's pregnant, Becca tries to contact Zac (who is military). Becca gets a response that Zac has died in the line of duty but she's given his pension so that she can raise his child.
Seven years go by. Becca has a plot moppet son, Parker, who seems to have a very active imagination. He claims his father is "a ghost" and that his new nanny is "not really a nanny." (Let's not discuss the fact that a not-rich Becca is able to afford a nanny on a single parent income.) Parker just "knows things" - he inherited this from his father. Who also "knows things" and has had out of body experiences. This bit of the paranormal is thrown in but never fully developed. Mostly it seemed to just assist in moving along the plot when necessary.
So, one day Becca walks into her apartment with her son...and there is Zac. Killing the nanny in Becca's kitchen. He bundles Becca and the kid up and spirits them out of the apartment, calling for clean up as he goes. He tells Becca that he's Black Ops deep cover (no identity so he doesn't "exist" - he's a ghost) and that the "nanny" was an assassin. He tells her not to contact anyone so he can keep her safe. As soon as they reach a safe house, Becca tries to use a phone to contact someone. Zac catches her and pulls her into a bathroom. Where he commences to trying to spank her for not listening. She fights at first, they talk for a hot second, and then she goes "You can spank me now." Then they have sexy times. WTF??! Seriously??! I get that Becca likes DD but this is a man that she does not really know, that she just saw commit murder, that [now] clearly faked his own death and that has not been seen in the last seven years. While she raised his son alone. That would require some SERIOUS conversation from me.
I just...had a problem with the huge amount of intimacy that the couple have without any real reason for them to be so close so quickly. They have not known each other long - a SINGLE one night stand [well, one weekend stand] that resulted in a pregnancy - and she knows jack-shit about him. I can understand a little hanky panky during a one night stand - but the level of trust she displays on the same day she watches him appear out of nowhere and kill someone made me roll my eyes quite a bit.
Safe in His Arms is basically a "love at first sight" book - without those exact words being said. And that frustrated me as they have a relationship that has to be built on trust...but what has he done to show that she can trust him? The H/h part ways again - this time after a single night as the government cleaned her apartment from the nanny murder. Zac sends her a text after she and Parker are gone, "I'm sorry. I'll always love you. Do not reply." WTF? Really? Have I just entered a Whitney Houston song but no one told me about it??? Well, to give Zac some credit it seems he's been stalking watching Becca for the last seven years (and she is the mother of his child) but still. They've now spent how much time interacting with each other? Less than a full week.
“A Tremor ran through his body straight to his already eager cock at the sight of her, so exquisite in full nudity, the pink of her spanked skin and the humility of her pose conveying utter submission. He’d never craved submission from a woman before he’d had it from her, but now…the power of it, the trust – that was it, wasn’t it?
He had very little trust in his life. His government trusted him enough to kill, to not roll over under torture, to carry out missions no one else would or could. But they might just as easily order his death on a whim. So that wasn’t trust. And there was the tenuous trust between other agents – with Marcus more than others. But that, too, was false. If he showed up unexpectedly at any one of their homes, they’d pull out a gun and shoot him before asking questions. All of them lived in as much fear of being eliminated by their own organization as by an enemy. No, Becca was the first person who trusted him, and who made him want desperately to be worthy of her gift. Her trust unsteadied him, even as it shored him.”
Safe in His Arms, Pages 37-38
Speaking of stalking - this guy has it down. Zac is a better stalker than the guys in Kristen Ashley (KA) books (who's heroes stalk preeeeety well). Not only does he have the house wired (KA's been there, done that and has the t-shirt) but he has her computer bugged, too! He can hit a button and instantly see what she's reading/watching/researching/doing. Wow. That's...disturbing.
This book really irritated me but I don't think everyone will have my issues with it. I thought the writing itself was fine - what pulled me out of the story wasn't oddities of phrase but holes in plot. The characters did not seem cardboard and I enjoyed the (few) sex scenes. What pushed my buttons was the intimacy level. There was none of the back and forth, give and take of a couple getting to know each other. All of the drama in their relationship came from outside influences: Zac's career (he's not supposed to have relationships) plus the major plot movement that brought Zac back into their lives: the murderous nanny.
I think - for me, at least - if the book (short) had allowed for Zac and Becca to know each other a bit more it would have worked better. I needed a better reason for her to allow this amount of trust and intimacy so easily after the way he abandoned her for seven years. I did have some problems with the plot moppet, too. Parker was the perfect plot moppet. Only seen and heard from at the most opportune moments - and while only six able to be distracted enough with headphones and a movie to allow his parents to get down and dirty loudly - I'm sure all parents would love that kid.
The book's ending was...a bit different than I was expecting (good) but deus ex machina came along and wrapped everything up nicely and then tied it with a bow.
And I'm a little annoyed with this review, to be honest. I enjoyed the writing and I wanted to love the storyline but this review makes it seem as if I enjoyed neither. Safe in His Arms has all the ingredients I look for in this kind of romance: alpha male, impact play, and DD without age play. I can only imagine that it was the quick intimacy that killed so much of the vibe for me. I will give this author another go in the future. But a full length book and I'm skipping the shorts/novellas.
I do feel that a lot of people may enjoy this one more than I - and I still give it 3 stars.
Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Safe in His Arms and other domestic discipline/spanking stories by Renee Rose can be found at Renee Rose's website.
February 9, 2014
As an erotic contemporary romance story, Safe In His Arms felt short. The novella is about Becca, a young woman who longs for a spanking spice in her bedroom, and Zac, the undercover special ops ex marine who's more than happy to help her out.
For starters, I think for the general plot, this novella should've been a full blown novel. It may be an erotic story, but the subplot of assassin involvement in Becca's life, the mystery of who is behind the act of treachery, and the fact that Becca and Zac have a child, all required more exploration. Unfortunately we never get fulfilled regarding these issues. The only thing we enjoy to the fullest is the spanking. And though I'm up for a bit of that action, the way it was told, it seemed like they took the spanking and made it more than kinky bed play, they made it a way to resolve their arguments and issues. Whenever Becca tried to argue a point with him, he spanks her. If Becca doesn't want him to give their son ice cream before dinner, Zac spanks her. Becca is aroused, Becca is out of the shower, Becca is bored, Zac spanks her. I haven't read any domestic discipline books before this, so I don't know if this is the general tone of these books, but I can say I wasn't overjoyed with the way they integrated their kink into their lives.
I did, however, like the idea of flashbacks appearing every once in a while before a chapter. They added a nice touch and romanticism into the story.
As for the hero and the heroine’s romance, I didn't think they had that. It was as if they met, had spanking sex, and then Becca was pregnant and Zac was away. It's seven years later, and suddenly Zac is back and so is the spanking, and even the existence of a child doesn't make much of a difference between them. Which was another problem I had with this story. When a child is involved I'm one to look for caution and emotion. However in this case, the potential emotional engagement is wiped away by their child's-what I can only call- psychic powers that enabled him to meet with his dad years ago. So when Zac finally shows up, they don't have to go into the whole father/son reunion because they've known each other on the psychic plane. That, I'm afraid, didn't make sense to me at all, and it didn't fit into the story.
The characters didn't impress me, either as individuals or as a couple. Becca was too submissive for my taste in a heroine, and Zac was too pressing in his role of the dominant. If their dominance/submission play was limited to their bedroom, I could understand that. But we're talking about a woman who raised her child for seven years without his father, she should have every right to demand an overview of how they were to proceed since Zac is now being involved, or how they are going to blend him into their lives, but the one tiny attempt she makes is shut down by Zac's spanking yet again. I would've preferred a few more chapters to resolve this issue rather than read about Zac bending Becca over his knee for ‘punishment’.
A short story that I wish was longer to accommodate the emotional, I recommend this book to those who want their erotica with a lot of spanking without much plot to get in the way.
For starters, I think for the general plot, this novella should've been a full blown novel. It may be an erotic story, but the subplot of assassin involvement in Becca's life, the mystery of who is behind the act of treachery, and the fact that Becca and Zac have a child, all required more exploration. Unfortunately we never get fulfilled regarding these issues. The only thing we enjoy to the fullest is the spanking. And though I'm up for a bit of that action, the way it was told, it seemed like they took the spanking and made it more than kinky bed play, they made it a way to resolve their arguments and issues. Whenever Becca tried to argue a point with him, he spanks her. If Becca doesn't want him to give their son ice cream before dinner, Zac spanks her. Becca is aroused, Becca is out of the shower, Becca is bored, Zac spanks her. I haven't read any domestic discipline books before this, so I don't know if this is the general tone of these books, but I can say I wasn't overjoyed with the way they integrated their kink into their lives.
I did, however, like the idea of flashbacks appearing every once in a while before a chapter. They added a nice touch and romanticism into the story.
As for the hero and the heroine’s romance, I didn't think they had that. It was as if they met, had spanking sex, and then Becca was pregnant and Zac was away. It's seven years later, and suddenly Zac is back and so is the spanking, and even the existence of a child doesn't make much of a difference between them. Which was another problem I had with this story. When a child is involved I'm one to look for caution and emotion. However in this case, the potential emotional engagement is wiped away by their child's-what I can only call- psychic powers that enabled him to meet with his dad years ago. So when Zac finally shows up, they don't have to go into the whole father/son reunion because they've known each other on the psychic plane. That, I'm afraid, didn't make sense to me at all, and it didn't fit into the story.
The characters didn't impress me, either as individuals or as a couple. Becca was too submissive for my taste in a heroine, and Zac was too pressing in his role of the dominant. If their dominance/submission play was limited to their bedroom, I could understand that. But we're talking about a woman who raised her child for seven years without his father, she should have every right to demand an overview of how they were to proceed since Zac is now being involved, or how they are going to blend him into their lives, but the one tiny attempt she makes is shut down by Zac's spanking yet again. I would've preferred a few more chapters to resolve this issue rather than read about Zac bending Becca over his knee for ‘punishment’.
A short story that I wish was longer to accommodate the emotional, I recommend this book to those who want their erotica with a lot of spanking without much plot to get in the way.
October 25, 2015
Oh. My. Goodness. Pardon me while I get a cold drink!
This was a new author to me and this was somewhat different from what I was expecting. I was drawn to the blurb that mentioned Undercover Ops and Assassins. I got that and a whole lot more!
Becca has a weekend fling with a military guy before he ships out. A weekend that fulfills her fantasies about 'spanking'. Yes, there are episodes of spanking, although it is well written and is a bit graphic. There are a lot of flashbacks and remembrances in great detail about the spanking.
Seven years later, she is a single mom as a result. To her credit, she did try to contact him and was told that he had died. Unbeknownst to her, Zac is very much alive, just undercover, and has been finding ways to help her financially without revealing himself.
But Becca and her son are in danger ... and he will do whatever is necessary to protect them. Much to her dismay, she is not happy at all... especially when she learns that her son has had a sixth sense about his father. He is not surprised at all.
All in all, I think this is a bit more than Romantic Suspense .. it borders on Erotica. So if erotica is not your thing, then maybe you should skip this one.
Other than that part of the book, the rest of the story line is quite entertaining. Zac is a natural hero with a touch of sixth sense that he evidently has passed on to his son. He's a macho guy with a soft spot for the woman he's never forgotten and the son he would like to help raise.
Becca is a strong woman, she's managed to raise an extraordinary boy and she, too, has never forgotten her military man. The biggest problem for him is keeping her safe. The biggest problem for her is finding a way to keep him .. to give themselves a second chance.
My thanks go to the author / Stormy Night Publications /Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members' Titles / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
This was a new author to me and this was somewhat different from what I was expecting. I was drawn to the blurb that mentioned Undercover Ops and Assassins. I got that and a whole lot more!
Becca has a weekend fling with a military guy before he ships out. A weekend that fulfills her fantasies about 'spanking'. Yes, there are episodes of spanking, although it is well written and is a bit graphic. There are a lot of flashbacks and remembrances in great detail about the spanking.
Seven years later, she is a single mom as a result. To her credit, she did try to contact him and was told that he had died. Unbeknownst to her, Zac is very much alive, just undercover, and has been finding ways to help her financially without revealing himself.
But Becca and her son are in danger ... and he will do whatever is necessary to protect them. Much to her dismay, she is not happy at all... especially when she learns that her son has had a sixth sense about his father. He is not surprised at all.
All in all, I think this is a bit more than Romantic Suspense .. it borders on Erotica. So if erotica is not your thing, then maybe you should skip this one.
Other than that part of the book, the rest of the story line is quite entertaining. Zac is a natural hero with a touch of sixth sense that he evidently has passed on to his son. He's a macho guy with a soft spot for the woman he's never forgotten and the son he would like to help raise.
Becca is a strong woman, she's managed to raise an extraordinary boy and she, too, has never forgotten her military man. The biggest problem for him is keeping her safe. The biggest problem for her is finding a way to keep him .. to give themselves a second chance.
My thanks go to the author / Stormy Night Publications /Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members' Titles / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
December 27, 2020
ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
First off this was a super quick read and thus made connecting to the characters very hard. There was also so much information thrown together it was all kind of a mess. There’s not enough time to explore possibilities and just like the relationship between the MC’s it goes from non existent one minute to full on the next, it was hard to stay on track. I didn’t really love the story to be honest, I think most of it was just too far fetched and I really hated the way the heroine latched on to the hero and did stupid things to get his attention. After hooking up at her sisters wedding seven years ago, the heroine has been a single mother since their two nights together. She was quickly told her baby daddy died in battle and has gone on living her life thinking the same. Until one day he appears in her apartment in a deadly fight with her son’s nanny. Things go from zero to 300 in no time flat and unfortunately and it really bothered me how quick the heroine allowed him into their lives and became obsessed with keeping him around. She even goes so far as to travel to a dangerous neighborhood under false pretenses hoping the hero will come to her rescue even after he informed her they’d never see each other again. At the time, he’s not even in the country so not only did that stupid move threaten her life but that of their sons. Throw in some spanking fetish between the two, super secret government ops and some random non-explained supernatural type powers and you get the book in a nutshell. I think with more elaboration the book could have been better but theres just so much crammed in and it’s so short there’s not much time to grasp anything or enjoy the characters and their journey.
First off this was a super quick read and thus made connecting to the characters very hard. There was also so much information thrown together it was all kind of a mess. There’s not enough time to explore possibilities and just like the relationship between the MC’s it goes from non existent one minute to full on the next, it was hard to stay on track. I didn’t really love the story to be honest, I think most of it was just too far fetched and I really hated the way the heroine latched on to the hero and did stupid things to get his attention. After hooking up at her sisters wedding seven years ago, the heroine has been a single mother since their two nights together. She was quickly told her baby daddy died in battle and has gone on living her life thinking the same. Until one day he appears in her apartment in a deadly fight with her son’s nanny. Things go from zero to 300 in no time flat and unfortunately and it really bothered me how quick the heroine allowed him into their lives and became obsessed with keeping him around. She even goes so far as to travel to a dangerous neighborhood under false pretenses hoping the hero will come to her rescue even after he informed her they’d never see each other again. At the time, he’s not even in the country so not only did that stupid move threaten her life but that of their sons. Throw in some spanking fetish between the two, super secret government ops and some random non-explained supernatural type powers and you get the book in a nutshell. I think with more elaboration the book could have been better but theres just so much crammed in and it’s so short there’s not much time to grasp anything or enjoy the characters and their journey.
July 23, 2020
If you like a good spanking this book might be the one for you. I used to enjoy an occasional hot erotic romance but this one left me cold. The trope is not that uncommon, two strangers hook up at a wedding, then part when the alpha male disappears on a blacks op mission. Yeah this happens all the time, right?
Zac suddenly shows back up in Becca’s life after seven years killing her nanny who is not a nanny but an assassin. Becca is now the mother of a precocious six year old son Parker and is not ready to accept Zac with open arms. Um, yeah, nor should she. Zac wants to control Becca with sexual commands that I found ridiculous in this situation yet she went along with. I’m sorry but if I hadn’t seen or heard from a man in seven years there is no way I would just automatically agree with his commands. Zac and his son have an instant connection that complicates everything. Dangers ensues, Zac comes to his family’s rescue and Becca realizes what is important.
I could only give this story 2 stars, maybe years ago more but now it just doesn’t work for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.
Zac suddenly shows back up in Becca’s life after seven years killing her nanny who is not a nanny but an assassin. Becca is now the mother of a precocious six year old son Parker and is not ready to accept Zac with open arms. Um, yeah, nor should she. Zac wants to control Becca with sexual commands that I found ridiculous in this situation yet she went along with. I’m sorry but if I hadn’t seen or heard from a man in seven years there is no way I would just automatically agree with his commands. Zac and his son have an instant connection that complicates everything. Dangers ensues, Zac comes to his family’s rescue and Becca realizes what is important.
I could only give this story 2 stars, maybe years ago more but now it just doesn’t work for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.
October 16, 2013
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5 Sizzling Stars & Too many to count Sizzling Hearts for the
Sizzle Factor
Publisher’s Note: Safe in His Arms is an erotic romance novel that includes both consensual and non-consensual spankings, anal play, graphic sexual scenes, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
So I knew going into this book exactly what I was getting into. It's not a roses and candy love story. But it's a beautiful love story anyway. Zach was the strong hand Becca needed and Becca got the discipline she needed but also found an unconditional love she never dreamed of.
Spanking for them wasn't always about the discipline or punishment.
When things got a little off track. This is how they dealt with them.
But amongst the sexy and steamy as hell encounter and the dangerous situations that Becca put herself in. There was an underlying and extreme beauty to this relationship that grew by each page. I was so enthralled with how much Zach loved and adored Becca and their son. He had been alone for so long that they were there to heal a heart that had shut down on emotions. The scenes with Zach and Parker showed the true tender soul that lived in this protective warrior. When Zach opened up and showed his true feelings Becca had to have felt cherished and adored.
I loved story and even thought it was short it didn't lack in development or depth.
Looking forward to more from this author.
****AND NOW FOR THE WARNING AND LESSON OF THIS STORY****
THIS IS CALLED A SPANKING LONG DISTANCE
August 3, 2016
What would you do if you find out that your child’s dad did not die?
That he has been alive and watching over you for the past 6 years and you had no idea.
How would you react?
Exactly, I would be super upset yet elated that he was alive. This is how Becca felt.
One weekend of passion turns into a pregnancy for her and when she tries to let Zac know that she is pregnant, she finds out that he is dead. She lives her life for Parker always taking care of him and just being the loving mother she can. Out of the blue Zac appears to defend Parker and Becca from the Nanny of all people. What she doesn’t understand is that Zac is basically a Ghost. He doesn’t exist and was on a mission when he meets her. What she doesn’t know is that the mission was about her dad. Her dad had disappeared 15 years prior to that. Zac and her dad are apart of the group that doesn’t exist on paper and military secrets were spilled. This is what causes her to be upset. She feels used and I honestly didn’t blame her but she is also happy because now that Zac is alive, Parker can have his dad.
Zac is a dominant man that has secrets and feels like he needs no one. When he meets Becca he didn’t realize what was missing but he cannot change his past to fit his future so even though he loves Becca to keep her and Parker safe he has to not exist and that is what I love most about him. He is selfless and that is such an enduring quality and you cannot help but love him. He is so sorry for not being there and really expresses it in a way that would be considered less macho but for me, the more the merrier. It really shows what type of person he is. Becca for me is unknowingly a submissive.
Zac really brings that out in her and man it was really sexy to read. They are beautiful together and between you and me, I was completely jealous. Parker is the topping on the cake for me. He is such a sweet boy and to love unconditionally is such a beautiful thing to read and both Becca and Zac love this kid to no end and they will all do what they can to keep him safe. That is called being a parent and I loved how it was represented in this story. This story to me at the end of the day was about forgiveness. If you are truly sorry and trying to change then give that person a chance. It is a risk and even though it is ok to be hesitant, taking that chance may make your life better.
I enjoyed this story and so will you.
This review brought to you by Yang from WickedLovely Book Bloggers
That he has been alive and watching over you for the past 6 years and you had no idea.
How would you react?
Exactly, I would be super upset yet elated that he was alive. This is how Becca felt.
One weekend of passion turns into a pregnancy for her and when she tries to let Zac know that she is pregnant, she finds out that he is dead. She lives her life for Parker always taking care of him and just being the loving mother she can. Out of the blue Zac appears to defend Parker and Becca from the Nanny of all people. What she doesn’t understand is that Zac is basically a Ghost. He doesn’t exist and was on a mission when he meets her. What she doesn’t know is that the mission was about her dad. Her dad had disappeared 15 years prior to that. Zac and her dad are apart of the group that doesn’t exist on paper and military secrets were spilled. This is what causes her to be upset. She feels used and I honestly didn’t blame her but she is also happy because now that Zac is alive, Parker can have his dad.
Zac is a dominant man that has secrets and feels like he needs no one. When he meets Becca he didn’t realize what was missing but he cannot change his past to fit his future so even though he loves Becca to keep her and Parker safe he has to not exist and that is what I love most about him. He is selfless and that is such an enduring quality and you cannot help but love him. He is so sorry for not being there and really expresses it in a way that would be considered less macho but for me, the more the merrier. It really shows what type of person he is. Becca for me is unknowingly a submissive.
Zac really brings that out in her and man it was really sexy to read. They are beautiful together and between you and me, I was completely jealous. Parker is the topping on the cake for me. He is such a sweet boy and to love unconditionally is such a beautiful thing to read and both Becca and Zac love this kid to no end and they will all do what they can to keep him safe. That is called being a parent and I loved how it was represented in this story. This story to me at the end of the day was about forgiveness. If you are truly sorry and trying to change then give that person a chance. It is a risk and even though it is ok to be hesitant, taking that chance may make your life better.
I enjoyed this story and so will you.
This review brought to you by Yang from WickedLovely Book Bloggers
September 6, 2013
A fun read. It packs a serious punch and is fast paced from the moment you start reading and all the way until you're done. I'm glad it wasn't longer, with the fast pace and intensity of the book, it would have been too much.
I love how Zac connects with his kid on a paranormal wave. It gives the story that extra touch. I may be biased since I'm a huge fan of the Paranormal genre, but it just fits in perfectly with the story. Well, basically I just love Zac. Talk about your Alpha! He's just dominating enough to turn a girl's head, and he's not afraid to take charge of any situation. Loved how he went all out in order to protect his family.
Zac loves Becca, and he's been going out of his way to make her life easier without giving away it all was coming from him. And he's been pretty clever about it too.
The kink in this one isn't all that kinky, Zac is a little dominating with her and spanks her some. But Becca needs it to clear her head and to be able to think. I don't find spanking to be much of a turn-on, but Ms Rose writes it well enough to get anyone hot and bothered.
The suspense part of the book is well written and pulls even you further into the book. I like the way the book concludes. I was a bit worried about how the end would come about. I was hoping for some kind of happy ending, but I didn't feel that was guaranteed.
Will I pick up another book by Renee Rose? Yup. Just point me in the right direction.
Review can also be found at From the Bottom of a Frappe.
I received this book as an e-galley from Stormy Night Publications via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
I love how Zac connects with his kid on a paranormal wave. It gives the story that extra touch. I may be biased since I'm a huge fan of the Paranormal genre, but it just fits in perfectly with the story. Well, basically I just love Zac. Talk about your Alpha! He's just dominating enough to turn a girl's head, and he's not afraid to take charge of any situation. Loved how he went all out in order to protect his family.
Zac loves Becca, and he's been going out of his way to make her life easier without giving away it all was coming from him. And he's been pretty clever about it too.
The kink in this one isn't all that kinky, Zac is a little dominating with her and spanks her some. But Becca needs it to clear her head and to be able to think. I don't find spanking to be much of a turn-on, but Ms Rose writes it well enough to get anyone hot and bothered.
The suspense part of the book is well written and pulls even you further into the book. I like the way the book concludes. I was a bit worried about how the end would come about. I was hoping for some kind of happy ending, but I didn't feel that was guaranteed.
Will I pick up another book by Renee Rose? Yup. Just point me in the right direction.
Review can also be found at From the Bottom of a Frappe.
I received this book as an e-galley from Stormy Night Publications via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.
December 22, 2013
Arc courtesy of Netgalley, Thank you, thank you thank you!!!!!
Loved this book, it's a quick fast paced read, with great main characters.
Becca meets Zac at her sisters wedding and winds up spending the weekend exploring with him her secret desire to be dominated and spanked ; for Zac bring a black ops agent assigned to keep an eye on her and look out or a family member of hers he truly having hsvcakebandeting it too. The weekend goes all too quickly and they must part with a promise to try and stay in touch Becca walks away with a little something extra , a pregnancy then soon after finds out that Zac has been killed and if sh can prove proof of paternity she will be entitled to death benefits or the baby!
Becca is a single mother struggling to raise her son Parker who in her eyes as a huge imagination and difficulty accepting that his father is dead , heis Lways making up stories about his father being a spy, his father visiting him etc..
Becca gets th suprise of her life when she finds thievery man who is supposed to b dead in her kitchen attacking her Nanny who pulls a gun on him.
Zac has come back int Becca and Parker's life to protect them when he finds tht a assasin is living with and pretending to be her nanny and he needs to find out If it has anything to o with his black op life or her family member who was involved.
The author hooks you in with the intrigue a few plot turns and aongthat way you get a hot dom in Zac, a great natural sub in Becca and wonderful hot sex scenes nd she throws in a little paranormal hook when it omes to Zac and Parker.
Great read!!
Loved this book, it's a quick fast paced read, with great main characters.
Becca meets Zac at her sisters wedding and winds up spending the weekend exploring with him her secret desire to be dominated and spanked ; for Zac bring a black ops agent assigned to keep an eye on her and look out or a family member of hers he truly having hsvcakebandeting it too. The weekend goes all too quickly and they must part with a promise to try and stay in touch Becca walks away with a little something extra , a pregnancy then soon after finds out that Zac has been killed and if sh can prove proof of paternity she will be entitled to death benefits or the baby!
Becca is a single mother struggling to raise her son Parker who in her eyes as a huge imagination and difficulty accepting that his father is dead , heis Lways making up stories about his father being a spy, his father visiting him etc..
Becca gets th suprise of her life when she finds thievery man who is supposed to b dead in her kitchen attacking her Nanny who pulls a gun on him.
Zac has come back int Becca and Parker's life to protect them when he finds tht a assasin is living with and pretending to be her nanny and he needs to find out If it has anything to o with his black op life or her family member who was involved.
The author hooks you in with the intrigue a few plot turns and aongthat way you get a hot dom in Zac, a great natural sub in Becca and wonderful hot sex scenes nd she throws in a little paranormal hook when it omes to Zac and Parker.
Great read!!
October 30, 2013
Boy oh boy! This is the most overtly erotic book that I have read in a while. Renee Rose holds nothing back in her description of the intensity of the "spankings" that Zac dishes out to Becca, and Becca loves it. Zac is a Black Ops agent whose life isn't his own and Becca is an English teacher who loves literature, quotes Shakespeare, and discovers that she enjoys being spanked really, really hard and quickly skips down the BDSM path. I have to note that I don't mind a spanking scene in an erotic book, but Rose took this concept to a whole new level for me. Becca and Zac meet the weekend of Becca's sister's wedding and are immediately attracted to one another. The chemistry between the two is strong and swift and they have a whirlwind weekend affair. Zac tells Becca that he is a Marine about to deploy and that he would not be able to see her again anytime soon after their weekend together. Seven years later, Becca is a single mother raising a son when Zac appears again but under extreme circumstances. Becca then discovers that Zac has been a part of their lives in ways that she could never have imagined.The book is a quick read and you get as complete a picture as you can in a short novel, so I am not at all disappointed in the book, I just don't know if I can handle the intensity of the discipline that Becca seemed to crave from Zac which he more than willingly administers.
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July 27, 2013
I think I've called Renee Rose the queen of spanking romance before but I'm going to repeat myself today. Safe in His Arms was completely different than the last two I read by her (The Westerfield Affair and The Devil of Whiskey Row) in that it was a contemporary romance. It opened hot and fast - as expected from Renee Rose - I think we were spanking within a few pages - which I always appreciate...especially when there's a story to go with it! And what a story!! A spy - who doesn't find that hot?? - and he spanks among other things... So much action in this book but also so much emotion. I think it's hard to write a contemporary romance where there is a child involved or a single parent and Becca was that single parent and having that child in the story only made it more robust. Loved it, learned something new but I won't tell that in my review...
August 31, 2013
Completely over the top but I truly loved every second of it! Zac and all is alpha yumminess!!!! Quick novella with an HEA. Read it, you'll like it :)
NetGalley ARC Read Now
NetGalley ARC Read Now
September 29, 2013
I saw the blurb on this one and was intrigued to give it a try. Spies and Spankings? Yeah, it totally caught my attention. For being what started out as a curiosity read, I found it was definitely better than what I thought it would be.
In the interest of full exposure (snicker- that might be construed as a pun), I do want to admit that this was my first spanking romance or Domestic Discipline story. I don't know what the protocol with that is, but from what I can tell things were handled properly.
The story has a prologue from the past with a gentle hint as to who the players in the latter part of the book will be and then it jumps to the present. Becca has been raising her son, Parker, alone for the last six years. Parker is the only evidence left that she had once had a brief weekend affair with a marine who was killed in the line of duty. She is a bit lonely and melancholy at times over the man who was her every fantasy come true when he heeded her drunken request for a fling with a man who would spank her and discipline her during sex. Zac really got her on all levels and ruined her for anyone else too bad he's gone.
So it with great shock that she hears a disturbance in her kitchen and finds a very much alive Zac in a death struggle with her recently hired housekeeper/nanny. Parker recognizes him immediately and calls him dad. Parker has been sharing fantasized tales of his father for years and it bothered her. Trying to keep her son out of the way and watching Zac kill someone, brings on her asthma attack, but her world keeps spinning when he tells her that her housekeeper was a hit woman, she isn't safe and must come with him immediately.
Zac was a black ops man on a mission when he met Becca and he disappeared out of her life like he should, but he was changed from that time he spent with her. He couldn't completely let her go. He puts her under surveillance and watches over her and his son doing what he can to provide for them without letting them get suspicious. That all changes when an assassin infiltrates their home. He knows he deserves all of Becca's feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal, but even so he makes her accept his protective custody. It doesn't miss his notice that she still gets hot and bothered when he gets stern and threatens discipline if she disobeys and defies him. He set clear safety rules and it wasn't long when her lack of trust causes her to break one. Let the spankings commence.
Becca is confused and frustrated, but ultimately she is glad that he's alive and back- he really wasn't back for good though. She tries to accept and close herself off again from the pain of his impending departure when the all clear comes, but just gets even more worked up not to mention there are Parker's feelings to consider now that he knows his dad. She doesn't completely understand it, but Parker and Zac share a psychic gift. Intuition and the ability to 'ghost' to each other in their dreams.
Getting past the first sign of danger is just the beginning of this exciting erotic and suspenseful story. I'll stop there with the summary so I don't give too much away.
The plot on this one is both romantic with the second chance romance between Zac and Becca and suspenseful with the suspense element of discovering what the mystery is surrounding the old case of Becca's dad and how it ties to her in the present. I totally didn't see the answer to that one coming and it got pretty exciting near the end. I was figuratively biting my nails over how Zac would get them out of the tight spot they were in.
As to the additional kinky side to Becca and Zac's relationship, all I can say is its sizzling. I was curious, but I honestly had no idea what to expect when it came to the discipline stuff. When they first meet, they are just experimenting, but this time they've both had years of research to now give DD a serious go. At first, it was all about Becca's needs. She needs the pain of the spanking and the sense of being punished for infractions to get her in a better place. In this situation, she has a lot of pent up anger and fear and trust issues (understandably so). She lashes out and does at least one incredibly stupid thing. Zac seems to slide naturally into his role as a strong person who reads her well, knows what she needs, truly cares for her well being, but won't tolerate her balking at his orders or lashing out when a calm head is needed. Just to be clear, she has agreed to the arrangement of him being in charge ahead of time and this time she wasn't drunk. I was aroused by their activities, but I was also really fascinated by this sort of relationship. It's like a D/s relationship, but there is a different feel because of the needs and motivations as well as the end goal. Although some of their talk near the end made me wonder if they were heading that way.
And one more thing along the lines of character relationships. I adored Parker and I loved seeing them all interact as a new and tentative family. Zac has been a cold-hearted trained killer leading a lonely existence for so long that it was enjoyable seeing him blossom in the bosom of his little family that he has always protected, but now wants to be a part of more than anything. A dad who can curl up in his child's bed and read a night-time story just warms my heart to near bursting.
In the end, it was a fab read that kept my interest on all fronts leaving me want to read more from the author because of her writing voice, plot and characters. I can recommend this to those who enjoy steamy Romantic Suspense paired with Domestic Discipline.
My thanks to Net Galley for providing the book for review purposes.
In the interest of full exposure (snicker- that might be construed as a pun), I do want to admit that this was my first spanking romance or Domestic Discipline story. I don't know what the protocol with that is, but from what I can tell things were handled properly.
The story has a prologue from the past with a gentle hint as to who the players in the latter part of the book will be and then it jumps to the present. Becca has been raising her son, Parker, alone for the last six years. Parker is the only evidence left that she had once had a brief weekend affair with a marine who was killed in the line of duty. She is a bit lonely and melancholy at times over the man who was her every fantasy come true when he heeded her drunken request for a fling with a man who would spank her and discipline her during sex. Zac really got her on all levels and ruined her for anyone else too bad he's gone.
So it with great shock that she hears a disturbance in her kitchen and finds a very much alive Zac in a death struggle with her recently hired housekeeper/nanny. Parker recognizes him immediately and calls him dad. Parker has been sharing fantasized tales of his father for years and it bothered her. Trying to keep her son out of the way and watching Zac kill someone, brings on her asthma attack, but her world keeps spinning when he tells her that her housekeeper was a hit woman, she isn't safe and must come with him immediately.
Zac was a black ops man on a mission when he met Becca and he disappeared out of her life like he should, but he was changed from that time he spent with her. He couldn't completely let her go. He puts her under surveillance and watches over her and his son doing what he can to provide for them without letting them get suspicious. That all changes when an assassin infiltrates their home. He knows he deserves all of Becca's feelings of anger, hurt and betrayal, but even so he makes her accept his protective custody. It doesn't miss his notice that she still gets hot and bothered when he gets stern and threatens discipline if she disobeys and defies him. He set clear safety rules and it wasn't long when her lack of trust causes her to break one. Let the spankings commence.
Becca is confused and frustrated, but ultimately she is glad that he's alive and back- he really wasn't back for good though. She tries to accept and close herself off again from the pain of his impending departure when the all clear comes, but just gets even more worked up not to mention there are Parker's feelings to consider now that he knows his dad. She doesn't completely understand it, but Parker and Zac share a psychic gift. Intuition and the ability to 'ghost' to each other in their dreams.
Getting past the first sign of danger is just the beginning of this exciting erotic and suspenseful story. I'll stop there with the summary so I don't give too much away.
The plot on this one is both romantic with the second chance romance between Zac and Becca and suspenseful with the suspense element of discovering what the mystery is surrounding the old case of Becca's dad and how it ties to her in the present. I totally didn't see the answer to that one coming and it got pretty exciting near the end. I was figuratively biting my nails over how Zac would get them out of the tight spot they were in.
As to the additional kinky side to Becca and Zac's relationship, all I can say is its sizzling. I was curious, but I honestly had no idea what to expect when it came to the discipline stuff. When they first meet, they are just experimenting, but this time they've both had years of research to now give DD a serious go. At first, it was all about Becca's needs. She needs the pain of the spanking and the sense of being punished for infractions to get her in a better place. In this situation, she has a lot of pent up anger and fear and trust issues (understandably so). She lashes out and does at least one incredibly stupid thing. Zac seems to slide naturally into his role as a strong person who reads her well, knows what she needs, truly cares for her well being, but won't tolerate her balking at his orders or lashing out when a calm head is needed. Just to be clear, she has agreed to the arrangement of him being in charge ahead of time and this time she wasn't drunk. I was aroused by their activities, but I was also really fascinated by this sort of relationship. It's like a D/s relationship, but there is a different feel because of the needs and motivations as well as the end goal. Although some of their talk near the end made me wonder if they were heading that way.
And one more thing along the lines of character relationships. I adored Parker and I loved seeing them all interact as a new and tentative family. Zac has been a cold-hearted trained killer leading a lonely existence for so long that it was enjoyable seeing him blossom in the bosom of his little family that he has always protected, but now wants to be a part of more than anything. A dad who can curl up in his child's bed and read a night-time story just warms my heart to near bursting.
In the end, it was a fab read that kept my interest on all fronts leaving me want to read more from the author because of her writing voice, plot and characters. I can recommend this to those who enjoy steamy Romantic Suspense paired with Domestic Discipline.
My thanks to Net Galley for providing the book for review purposes.
November 21, 2017
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this book.
Renee Rose writes about a spanking fetish, in almost all her books, however, I have found that there is also a fantastic story that incorporates the disciplinary lifestyle, with a dramatic background story which always holds my interest.
This is a romance, with political intrigue and a 'spook' spy thrown together, to make one h3ll of a good yarn.
Renee Rose writes about a spanking fetish, in almost all her books, however, I have found that there is also a fantastic story that incorporates the disciplinary lifestyle, with a dramatic background story which always holds my interest.
This is a romance, with political intrigue and a 'spook' spy thrown together, to make one h3ll of a good yarn.
May 7, 2018
Domestic discipline isn’t for me. Not a terrible book but prefer her shifter series.
August 19, 2013
The connection that a son and father have is beautiful in this story. Only that there are too many secrets that surround Becca that can either break her or make her stronger to hold dear the people she loves. Things are never what they seem or could they be.
Becca is a single mother that believed that the man she slept with died for his country, until the day that she finds a man fighting with her nanny in the kitchen in her apartment. She met this man seven years ago at her sister’s wedding. Becca had a wonderful, blissful weekend full of erotic fantasies that were fulfilled but left her wanting more. That weekend with a Marine she experienced some levels of the BDSM lifestyle, especially the dominate side with a side of erotic spanking. Only that night he walked out of her life he had a mission and she didn’t know if she would ever hear from him but she also got a little piece of him, Parker.
Zac is on a mission, he is a Black Ops agent and he has been assigned to find a family member of Becca. He never thought that a weekend with Becca would change his life, something about her changed him that weekend, he had never thought about a house, the wife the 2.5 kids. Becca knew what she wanted in life, knew what she wanted to be and what about him was he happy in the life he had been dealt or was he just a person that was dead inside. He was a foster kid so joining the Marines then Black Ops was easy; when he went under the radar of course there was no one that missed him because he had no one. He knew that something went wrong when condemn slipped he should have been frightened but he wasn’t he wanted to say something but he didn’t. Did he hope to have a child, something that lived when he was just a “Ghost”?
Becca is a strong woman that has been supporting herself and Parker just fine. Sure there are hiccups that everyone goes through but for some reason there were times that it seemed fate was at her side. Then she has this kink about visiting websites that deal with Dominance but is she really a submissive or is it just the thought of getting spanked that had her squirming. Only she does show a vulnerable side when she sees Zac again but at first she is angry at him, he was supposedly dead, why did he fake his death. Zac knows that he needs to protect the woman that he slept with 7 years ago and his child; he knows he shouldn’t be there but they are his responsibility. He has been keeping an eye on them but he has a sixth sense that seems to have been inherited by their son. It was kinda weird how Parker knew that the person fighting in his kitchen was his father or that he knew that his father was in their apartment. Only now Zac is finding it hard to leave them behind and this is not giving him the clear mind he needs to protect Becca and Parker. He wants to be a father to Parker; he wants to help Becca but most of all he wants Becca and her trust. He wants her and their son in his life forever until she says she needs a full-time father for their son and full-time Dom/ husband; because that is something he is not able to do. Only can he walk away from them or could they come to an agreement.
Safe in His Arms has everything rolled up in one, its action packed, suspenseful, it has steaming hot romance, hot as hell spanking but most of all a man, a woman and a child that love each other. It was a great book, it was a quick read for me but one that when I started reading I didn’t want to put it down. This is my first read by Ms. Rose and I have to say that this will definitely not be my last. The plot is fast paced and has plenty of twist and turns which were intriguing. The characters are well developed and I was able to connect with them. The author’s style is easy to read and has a good sight on writing a good romance story with a touch of suspense but also sensual, erotic sex scenes. Zac is a very dominant man that does not like it when Becca defies him or acts like a child when she doesn’t get her way. The spankings she gets are pleasurable but they are also meant to reconnect, she needs it in order for her to calm down and they are able to speak. Becca knows that she enjoys it when Zac tells her to bend over the bed she is ready for his hand, for what may be in his hand, only he can give her what she needs. Yes at times it seems Zac may go a little far in his spanking but never to the point of abuse it’s all consensual.
An applause to Ms. Rose for a good written novel, one that I recommend to readers that love romance with a twist of suspense and of course a happy ending.
Becca is a single mother that believed that the man she slept with died for his country, until the day that she finds a man fighting with her nanny in the kitchen in her apartment. She met this man seven years ago at her sister’s wedding. Becca had a wonderful, blissful weekend full of erotic fantasies that were fulfilled but left her wanting more. That weekend with a Marine she experienced some levels of the BDSM lifestyle, especially the dominate side with a side of erotic spanking. Only that night he walked out of her life he had a mission and she didn’t know if she would ever hear from him but she also got a little piece of him, Parker.
Zac is on a mission, he is a Black Ops agent and he has been assigned to find a family member of Becca. He never thought that a weekend with Becca would change his life, something about her changed him that weekend, he had never thought about a house, the wife the 2.5 kids. Becca knew what she wanted in life, knew what she wanted to be and what about him was he happy in the life he had been dealt or was he just a person that was dead inside. He was a foster kid so joining the Marines then Black Ops was easy; when he went under the radar of course there was no one that missed him because he had no one. He knew that something went wrong when condemn slipped he should have been frightened but he wasn’t he wanted to say something but he didn’t. Did he hope to have a child, something that lived when he was just a “Ghost”?
Becca is a strong woman that has been supporting herself and Parker just fine. Sure there are hiccups that everyone goes through but for some reason there were times that it seemed fate was at her side. Then she has this kink about visiting websites that deal with Dominance but is she really a submissive or is it just the thought of getting spanked that had her squirming. Only she does show a vulnerable side when she sees Zac again but at first she is angry at him, he was supposedly dead, why did he fake his death. Zac knows that he needs to protect the woman that he slept with 7 years ago and his child; he knows he shouldn’t be there but they are his responsibility. He has been keeping an eye on them but he has a sixth sense that seems to have been inherited by their son. It was kinda weird how Parker knew that the person fighting in his kitchen was his father or that he knew that his father was in their apartment. Only now Zac is finding it hard to leave them behind and this is not giving him the clear mind he needs to protect Becca and Parker. He wants to be a father to Parker; he wants to help Becca but most of all he wants Becca and her trust. He wants her and their son in his life forever until she says she needs a full-time father for their son and full-time Dom/ husband; because that is something he is not able to do. Only can he walk away from them or could they come to an agreement.
Safe in His Arms has everything rolled up in one, its action packed, suspenseful, it has steaming hot romance, hot as hell spanking but most of all a man, a woman and a child that love each other. It was a great book, it was a quick read for me but one that when I started reading I didn’t want to put it down. This is my first read by Ms. Rose and I have to say that this will definitely not be my last. The plot is fast paced and has plenty of twist and turns which were intriguing. The characters are well developed and I was able to connect with them. The author’s style is easy to read and has a good sight on writing a good romance story with a touch of suspense but also sensual, erotic sex scenes. Zac is a very dominant man that does not like it when Becca defies him or acts like a child when she doesn’t get her way. The spankings she gets are pleasurable but they are also meant to reconnect, she needs it in order for her to calm down and they are able to speak. Becca knows that she enjoys it when Zac tells her to bend over the bed she is ready for his hand, for what may be in his hand, only he can give her what she needs. Yes at times it seems Zac may go a little far in his spanking but never to the point of abuse it’s all consensual.
An applause to Ms. Rose for a good written novel, one that I recommend to readers that love romance with a twist of suspense and of course a happy ending.
August 23, 2013
I really really enjoyed this book (minus a few things we’ll get to in a minute) and I will definitely be looking for more from this author in the future because she wowed me with how much she managed to pack into 124 pages!
What I loved:
I loved the characters and their personalities. They were both incredibly well wrote and for being such a short book I didn’t feel like they were under developed at all. Becca has this personality that just jumps off the page. Her conflicted emotions were portrayed realistically and I liked that she had some weaknesses with her body (severe asthma)…limitations that Zac pushed, and often.
Zac, The Ghost, was just panty dropping yummy. Tough, kinda a jerk, alpha to the core he was everything I like in my hero. I liked how he never really “left” Becca even though she didn’t know he was the one providing for her and watching out for her everywhere. Ok, yeah, it was kinda stalker creepy, but I can’t explain it. It just worked. He also always had Becca’s and his sons best interests at heart even when he was on the other side of the world.
There was also some really good action scenes and a black ops plot that kept me interested in between the sexy times. I was amazed how much of a plot the author managed to squeeze into the limited time frame.
The sexy times….oh my the sexy times were well done too. Lots of spankings and domestic discipline going on with Zac at the helm. The man could certainly wield a paddle with accuracy and didn’t hesitate to demand Becca’s submission when she got out of line. Zac could go from hard handed to insanely gentle in a split second and his face never gave away his intentions. *swoon* I just really liked him.
What I didn’t like:
While I found the sex scenes to be well done there was one thing that pushed my buttons…and it was the fact that Becca “squirted” a lot. Sigh. I hate that word to describe a female orgasm. HATE. IT. It takes a steamy scene that I’m enjoying immensely and turns it into a cheap porn movie complete with horrible music in my head. I would look it up on Google to prove that normal women do not “squirt” but honestly, I’m afraid of what that search would uncover. It’s just…gross…crude…yucky. Pick one. I don’t like it. *shudder*
Then there was the part where the author tells us that Zac’s balls tighten when he’s in a life or death situation. Which may or may not be true…I have no clue. I don’t really care. Although I did ask my husband and he looked at me liked I’d grown two heads and told me that no…that had never happened to him in a high tension situation. But more then that was the fact that this ball tightening happened when he looked at a picture of his kidnapped son bound and gagged. Um…weird. Heart pounding? Sure. Stress heightener? Yup. Headache Inducing? You bet. Ball tightening? No…it’s weird. Especially when looking at your 6 yr old son.
Overall, Safe In His Arms kept me reading and it incorporated a lot of elements I really enjoy. There were a couple of hangups that took away from that enjoyment, but all in all I liked this one.
I give Safe In His Arms by Renee Rose 3.50 stars!
What I loved:
I loved the characters and their personalities. They were both incredibly well wrote and for being such a short book I didn’t feel like they were under developed at all. Becca has this personality that just jumps off the page. Her conflicted emotions were portrayed realistically and I liked that she had some weaknesses with her body (severe asthma)…limitations that Zac pushed, and often.
Zac, The Ghost, was just panty dropping yummy. Tough, kinda a jerk, alpha to the core he was everything I like in my hero. I liked how he never really “left” Becca even though she didn’t know he was the one providing for her and watching out for her everywhere. Ok, yeah, it was kinda stalker creepy, but I can’t explain it. It just worked. He also always had Becca’s and his sons best interests at heart even when he was on the other side of the world.
There was also some really good action scenes and a black ops plot that kept me interested in between the sexy times. I was amazed how much of a plot the author managed to squeeze into the limited time frame.
The sexy times….oh my the sexy times were well done too. Lots of spankings and domestic discipline going on with Zac at the helm. The man could certainly wield a paddle with accuracy and didn’t hesitate to demand Becca’s submission when she got out of line. Zac could go from hard handed to insanely gentle in a split second and his face never gave away his intentions. *swoon* I just really liked him.
What I didn’t like:
While I found the sex scenes to be well done there was one thing that pushed my buttons…and it was the fact that Becca “squirted” a lot. Sigh. I hate that word to describe a female orgasm. HATE. IT. It takes a steamy scene that I’m enjoying immensely and turns it into a cheap porn movie complete with horrible music in my head. I would look it up on Google to prove that normal women do not “squirt” but honestly, I’m afraid of what that search would uncover. It’s just…gross…crude…yucky. Pick one. I don’t like it. *shudder*
Then there was the part where the author tells us that Zac’s balls tighten when he’s in a life or death situation. Which may or may not be true…I have no clue. I don’t really care. Although I did ask my husband and he looked at me liked I’d grown two heads and told me that no…that had never happened to him in a high tension situation. But more then that was the fact that this ball tightening happened when he looked at a picture of his kidnapped son bound and gagged. Um…weird. Heart pounding? Sure. Stress heightener? Yup. Headache Inducing? You bet. Ball tightening? No…it’s weird. Especially when looking at your 6 yr old son.
Overall, Safe In His Arms kept me reading and it incorporated a lot of elements I really enjoy. There were a couple of hangups that took away from that enjoyment, but all in all I liked this one.
I give Safe In His Arms by Renee Rose 3.50 stars!
August 10, 2013
SAFE – AND SPANKED! – IN HIS ARMS
Edit
“SAFE IN HIS ARMS” is a 125-ish page story priced at $4.95 (OUCH!) by Renee Rose, who believes that “no romance story is complete without a spanking”. The publisher of her book plainly states:
“Safe in His Arms is an erotic romance novel that includes both consensual and non-consensual spankings, anal play, graphic sexual scenes, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book”.
Sue me. I don’t listen well. (Good thing there is absolutely NO desire on my, or The Man’s, parts to do “domestic discipline”, because quite frankly? I’D NEVER SIT DOWN AGAIN.) The plot line sounded so damn interesting that I chose to apply to review this book, and overall, I’m glad I did!
At her sister’s wedding, Becca has a weekend fling with Zac, who is being deployed the following week. He leaves her with memories… and pregnant. Six months later, she’s told that he was killed in combat. Seven years later, he shows up in her kitchen trying to kill the nanny.
Renee Rose REALLY has great character & story development. Her machinations of the romantic suspense create just that – suspense. There are twists and turns in the story; a paranormal element; and yes, some abso-SMOKIN’-ly hot sex. Quite frankly, if she started writing more of these special ops romantic suspense stories, I’d be all over them the minute they were published! No issue with erotic spankings being thrown in, either. After all, I consider myself pretty open-minded. I have friends of all cultures, religions, sexualities, incomes, political parties … I find learning about other people to be extraordinarily interesting… That said – I just absolutely DO NOT ~GET~ the Domestic Discipline “thing”, where the wife is spanked in an effort to cause her pain in order to punish &/or “correct” her. Sorry, my Mom spanked MY ass quite enough as a child, don’t want it as an adult, thankyouverymuch. I’ve ranted to an author friend of mine before about how my sense of fairness (or support for the underdog, as it were) makes me want to question just who in the hell spanks the shit outta the guy when HE forgets to put down the toilet seat, etc… Well, thankfully it appears that I’m not COMPLETELY being a reactive, judgmental witch, because obviously the subject of “how to accept punishment from someone who is fallible” is an issue in the spanking community – and Renee Rose has written a blog post about just that subject (using excerpts from “Safe In In Arms” – go check it out :) !!!). I still don’t “get” it…but at least I understand the concept now.
If you want to read a romantic suspense book that is a quick read… with a hot special ops super-spy hero learning to parent while trying to save the world… having some combustible sex… and either like, or don’t mind, or can skim through, writings on punishment &/or erotic spankings in a domestic discipline relationship… don’t hesitate to read “Safe In His Arms”!
September 26, 2013
What could be hotter than a hotshot military guy who was thought to be dead, returned from said "death" to protect the woman he left behind and his son? Well, add some kink into that, with a dash of spying and bit of suspense/action and you have "Safe In His Arms" by Renee Rose.
This is a novella length book and given that, there isn't too much backstory though the reader is given a glimpse into the hot weekend Zac and Becca spent together before he left for Iraq. Back then, she thought he was a Marine. She found out she was pregnant and then, 6 months later, he was killed. Becca then raised their son, Parker, for 7 years. She never anticipated ever seeing or hearing from Zac again. In fact, other than the pension that was available because Parker was his son, Becca never expected anything.
She certainly didn't expect him to show up in her house and battle her nanny in a fight to the death.
But he did. And this book explores the relationship they had-the one that started on their first weekend and, now that Zac showed again, could resume. Or could it? Zac had secrets. And he didn't really exist either. But now he was faced with Parker, his son, and the one woman he hadn't wanted to leave behind. Could he change his life? Did she love him? Did he love her? And what of their kink? Was it just a game to Becca or more?
Well all that is answered in this book and, though I've read a lot of books in my life, I've never quite read one like this, which involves domestic discipline. I'd seen some aspects of it before in other BDSM books but never where both characters are learning about it and putting it into practice like Zac and Becca are. Although Zac is clearly a dom (and Becca a sub) they aren't totally experienced. Mistakes are made, there is some miscommunication between the two (often resulting in some super steamy scenes! Wowza!), but because of the length of the book, the conflict is not drawn out or belabored.
All in all, this was a good way to spend a few hours of the afternoon and though it wasn't perfect, it has got me thinking about checking out more books about this subject. The writing was well done and the plot was well structured and thought out given the length. I didn't see any loose ends left untied by the end nor did I catch any editing errors that jarred me out of the story. In fact, I thought the editing was very well done. I look forward to checking out the author's other books, both those in the past and hopefully, future ones as well.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
This is a novella length book and given that, there isn't too much backstory though the reader is given a glimpse into the hot weekend Zac and Becca spent together before he left for Iraq. Back then, she thought he was a Marine. She found out she was pregnant and then, 6 months later, he was killed. Becca then raised their son, Parker, for 7 years. She never anticipated ever seeing or hearing from Zac again. In fact, other than the pension that was available because Parker was his son, Becca never expected anything.
She certainly didn't expect him to show up in her house and battle her nanny in a fight to the death.
But he did. And this book explores the relationship they had-the one that started on their first weekend and, now that Zac showed again, could resume. Or could it? Zac had secrets. And he didn't really exist either. But now he was faced with Parker, his son, and the one woman he hadn't wanted to leave behind. Could he change his life? Did she love him? Did he love her? And what of their kink? Was it just a game to Becca or more?
Well all that is answered in this book and, though I've read a lot of books in my life, I've never quite read one like this, which involves domestic discipline. I'd seen some aspects of it before in other BDSM books but never where both characters are learning about it and putting it into practice like Zac and Becca are. Although Zac is clearly a dom (and Becca a sub) they aren't totally experienced. Mistakes are made, there is some miscommunication between the two (often resulting in some super steamy scenes! Wowza!), but because of the length of the book, the conflict is not drawn out or belabored.
All in all, this was a good way to spend a few hours of the afternoon and though it wasn't perfect, it has got me thinking about checking out more books about this subject. The writing was well done and the plot was well structured and thought out given the length. I didn't see any loose ends left untied by the end nor did I catch any editing errors that jarred me out of the story. In fact, I thought the editing was very well done. I look forward to checking out the author's other books, both those in the past and hopefully, future ones as well.
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
October 11, 2013
Safe In His Arms is a steaming hot novella that packs a lot of punch into what amounts to just over 100 or so pages.
Becca meets Zac over the weekend of her sister's wedding and she winds up having a weekend fling with someone she believes is a Marine. After that steamy weekend, she finds out that Zac went off to war and was killed. Shortly after, she finds out she's pregnant.
Fast forward seven years and we find Becca coming home from work to find her son's nanny in mortal combat with a man who is the man she believes died seven years before.
Becca finds out most of the truth, that Zac is a Black Ops agent, which means he doesn't actually exist anywhere. But he has been watching over Becca and their son for all of these years. Now he's back because he believes Becca and their son to be in danger. It becomes difficult quickly for Zac to stay away from Becca and their son. On the flip side, Becca and Zac's short-lived Dom/sub weekend are not forgotten and Becca's desires to have her Dominant man back in her life set off a lot of fires.
Overall, it's a really good little book. If you don't mind reading sexual scenes containing BDSM, you'll probably enjoy the book. The love story is good and it makes sense. The decisions that Zac has to make over the course of the book and in the end are all natural and unforced.
The relationship between Zac and his son is sweet. And I like how Renee Rose writes these characters so that there is some tension between Becca and Zac when Becca is all like, "uh, excuse me, you show up after seven years and want to just be part of raising our son?" How they work that out in the bedroom is something you just have to read for yourself.
I'm not a huge reader of Erotica but when combined with romance and when written tastefully, I do enjoy them. The only thing I may have wanted (because I can't say I disliked it), was less of the spanking. It seemed to get to where every sexual encounter was relentless punishment spanking and after a while it begins to feel like there's some abusiveness going on. And it gets redundant after a while. There is some non-consentual spanking that occurs as well and I didn't like it even though I knew prior to reading that it would be there. Renee Rose writes it well so I was fine to just not like it and keep going. The story around all of the spanking is why I kept reading and why I liked the book.
If you like a good, well-written, hot, steamy, sexy, erotic story with romance and spies, you'll like this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review in return.
Becca meets Zac over the weekend of her sister's wedding and she winds up having a weekend fling with someone she believes is a Marine. After that steamy weekend, she finds out that Zac went off to war and was killed. Shortly after, she finds out she's pregnant.
Fast forward seven years and we find Becca coming home from work to find her son's nanny in mortal combat with a man who is the man she believes died seven years before.
Becca finds out most of the truth, that Zac is a Black Ops agent, which means he doesn't actually exist anywhere. But he has been watching over Becca and their son for all of these years. Now he's back because he believes Becca and their son to be in danger. It becomes difficult quickly for Zac to stay away from Becca and their son. On the flip side, Becca and Zac's short-lived Dom/sub weekend are not forgotten and Becca's desires to have her Dominant man back in her life set off a lot of fires.
Overall, it's a really good little book. If you don't mind reading sexual scenes containing BDSM, you'll probably enjoy the book. The love story is good and it makes sense. The decisions that Zac has to make over the course of the book and in the end are all natural and unforced.
The relationship between Zac and his son is sweet. And I like how Renee Rose writes these characters so that there is some tension between Becca and Zac when Becca is all like, "uh, excuse me, you show up after seven years and want to just be part of raising our son?" How they work that out in the bedroom is something you just have to read for yourself.
I'm not a huge reader of Erotica but when combined with romance and when written tastefully, I do enjoy them. The only thing I may have wanted (because I can't say I disliked it), was less of the spanking. It seemed to get to where every sexual encounter was relentless punishment spanking and after a while it begins to feel like there's some abusiveness going on. And it gets redundant after a while. There is some non-consentual spanking that occurs as well and I didn't like it even though I knew prior to reading that it would be there. Renee Rose writes it well so I was fine to just not like it and keep going. The story around all of the spanking is why I kept reading and why I liked the book.
If you like a good, well-written, hot, steamy, sexy, erotic story with romance and spies, you'll like this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review in return.
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