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I was far too innocent for Gabe Griffin… until I wasn’t.

His dark and dominant energy scared me, and so he backed off. He stopped coming around the bar where I worked. He just… disappeared. I thought I’d never see him again.

But then I was taken, trafficked, and sold in a brothel to disgusting strange men.

Tonight that man is Gabe.

Only he isn’t buying me for the night. He’s buying me forever.

The books in the Pleasure House world are standalones that can be read in any order.

First published March 27, 2017

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About the author

Kitty Thomas

56 books4,960 followers
😈 Author of Comfort Food, published in early 2010: The OG (original gangster/the first) Dark Romance 😈

NEW RELEASE:

RUTHLESS DEVOTION: A dark stalker forced marriage romance:

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"If dark romance with obsession, danger, and just the right touch of chaos is your thing, Ruthless Devotion is a must-read. Aidan is intense, unhinged in the best way, and completely fixated on Maddie—yet somehow, you can’t help falling for him.”-Booksnliftsdiary, Goodreads

"Dark, Twisted, and Addictively Compelling.” – Good Booking Girl, Goodreads

"Maddie is strong, she is smart, and I love her. I’ll be honest I was not sure how Kitty Thomas was gonna get me on team Aiden but she did! I can’t wait to read more from this author!” – Katlyn, Goodreads


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Kitty began publishing in early 2010 with her bestselling, COMFORT FOOD.

Thank you for reading!


Kitty ^.^

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
Profile Image for warhawke.
1,554 reviews2,234 followers
April 4, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: Third Person
Rating:




Julie had with a dream of a perfectly normal middle class family. As a bartender, the clientele were not exactly meeting her specification except for one of her regular customer.

Gabe Griffin has been coming to the bar for months, but their interaction was limited to drink transactions. When he finally asked her out, he was hoping for something much more, but she might not be able to fulfill his particular needs.



Before starting this book, I had a certain expectation even though the blurb barely gave anything. It turned out completely different than I imagined.

“But what I really want is someone who will call me 'master'. And I want that someone to be you.”


Gabe was a Dom, but he was not the typical kind. He didn't believe in coercion but wanted his sub to learn in a different way.

She couldn't imagine being subject to pain and humiliation at Gabe's hands, not only for him to see her like this, but to participate in her degradation. She just couldn't.


Julie's personality was not something I like for heroines. I love fragile characters but she was too innocent and too clueless. And her incessant crying grated my nerve.

I'm known as the nice one around here, but that doesn't mean I'm a pushover.


This book was a lot lighter than I expected with minimal eroticism. I believe I get what the author was trying to do with the storyline, but the execution fell short.



I like there was an unexpected turn of event in the beginning. However the dark subject was portrayed in a too light manner, it just felt off. The characters were barely introduced and I couldn't feel any connection with them individually or together. This is a shame because Gabe’s character and his role in the story could have been something really good.

"I will awaken something inside you that you never dreamed was possible. I will make your body and soul sing for me. I will wrap you up in the kind of warmth and security you thought only happened in fairy tales. So, Julie, are you mine?"


Surrender plays with the theme of choices and free will between a Dom and his acquisition. It would appeal to readers looking for stories in light BDSM setting.

Note: This book is a standalone but occurs in the same world as Guilty Pleasures and Broken Dolls with reoccurring settings and characters. I have not read either one. Even though it's not required to read before this book, I think it would probably be helpful to have knowledge of previous books because I feel like I really didn't know much about Gabe and his background.



♞✤♞ . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC . . . ♞✤♞


For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

Profile Image for CC.
1,257 reviews725 followers
April 4, 2017
description

Julie was raised in a sheltered household where her sole dream was to have a white picket fence, a provider husband and 2.5 kids. But with the reality, Julie wasn’t able to make her own choices, so she fled her family and found a bartending job in an edgy part of town. Upon meeting a regular customer, Julie wants him to ask her out but appearances aren’t always what they seem to be.

“But the back of him was nothing compared to the front of him and those startling green eyes that seemed as though they could read all your secrets.”

Gabe Griffin is a sexy and predatory man who’s been watching Julie for many months but knowing his tastes are nowhere close to vanilla, he’s been hesitant to enter her life. Despite trying to protect her innocence, Gabe needs to know more about Julie’s submissive side and just how kinky she is willing to be.

“He could have talked to her, eased the tension, but he liked her tension. If this was the most of that delicious energy he could get from her, he'd take it where and how he could get it.”

As Gabe confirms his instincts with Julie, they part and during this time, Julie’s life irrevocably changes. By chance, Julie and Gabe reunite and this transaction pushes Julie to see the other sides of kink, submission and surrender. Gabe is determined to make Julie his slave yet she fights him until she realizes what is really at stake.

“But what I really want is someone who will call me ‘master.’ And I want that someone to be you.”

While I liked the idea of these characters and the plot, it felt like much was undeveloped. With the theme and Gabe’s methods, there was a good opportunity to delve into Julie’s psyche as she began to process all her emotions based on her recent experience and how she transitioned to her final choice. While there were a couple of significant moments between Gabe and Julie, I just wanted more of everything.

In seeing this book is part three of a series, and even though the author noted how it was meant to be read as a standalone, I wonder if there was a previous build-up leading to more dimension and background of Gabe’s character since he seems to have been part of this world for some time. The secondary characters did add to the atmosphere and served to humanize both Gabe and Julie. One character in particular, is intriguingly psychotic and should get his own dark and depraved book. *Update - that character already has his own book - the second in the series.

This book would appeal to those who wish to test the shallow waters of kink.


Standalones within the same world:
Guilty Pleasures by Kitty Thomas Broken Dolls by Kitty Thomas Surrender by Kitty Thomas


*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey!



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Profile Image for Elle ✟ Søren's ♡ (i'm too old for this shite).
690 reviews481 followers
August 31, 2018
3* ready or not STARS!

Kitty Thomas as always blow me away. You can read this as a standalone but I recommend to read Guilty Pleasures and Broken Dolls because it is still in the same universe. I almost forgot, who is Gabe? If I'm not wrong, he's the not-really-sadistic Master with warm heart.

Julie is just an ordinary woman with decent job as a bartender. She's dreaming of white picket fence and happy ending. When her regular customer, Gabe ask for a date, she accept his invitation. For months, Gabe has been patient to get to know Julie but she doesn't know who is the real Gabe. But Julie is 100% positive vanilla and he couldn't pursue her anymore. Six months later, Gabe met Julie again in unexpected event and it shocked him. This time, Gabe decided to keep her forever.

As a heroine, Julie was too 'virgin' for me. She's living in the bubbles. Well, Julie almost go to covenant. She's confused with her life and when she was taken away, I was like... oh, man... Time flies, Julie has changed so much. She became too 'mousy' and I couldn't handle her trauma turns into drama. Too depressing & annoying for my sake.

description

Gabe is a Master in his own way. He didn't believe in forced submission and that's why he wait for Julie to come forward. I'm so frustrated with this couple because the back and forth non-existence chemistry. I couldn't feel any of their attraction. Gabe appears so wasted and nothing keeps me going anymore.

I'm totally sure this book is less dark than the previous. I liked the idea of "Surrender" without being forced but it took too long and in the end, Gabe became a manipulative bastard to bound her to him. I'm not a firm believer of vanilla turns into kinky in one bite. Just because of her shyness, it didn't make her a submissive.

The story has very minimal sexy times. I feel so dry most of the time. Julie's submission really didn't work for me. Also the ending was too rushed and finished abruptly. Overall, the story didn't WOW me enough. I'm expected a lot from Gabe but reality sucks. Meh :(

description
Profile Image for Louise H's Book Thoughts.
2,039 reviews316 followers
November 28, 2020
Just in case you get the wrong impression as you read further through this, I’m going to state now that I loved this story. I continued reading it far too late into the night and picked it up as soon as I awoke the next morning. This was 5 stars all the way, all the way, though you might not guess that from what I’m going to say later in the review.


Julie, the heroine of this tale, totally, utterly and completely made the book a winner for me. Every scene from her pov absolutely captivated me, she drew me into this story and I adored her. She coped bravely, and fiercely with all the slings and arrows life threw her way. She never bent, never broke, but forged her own, quiet path to happiness.


That total and utter enjoyment was in spite of, but confusingly also because of, what a self-centred, narcissistic prick Gabe is. After having read 3 of the interlinked books, I fully expected to adore him and worship at his feet. Instead I frequently wanted to throat punch the selfish, self-pleasing, sack of excrement. A fantasist who liked to paint himself as the knight in shining armour, which he was very much not. The whole implied threat of 'be my slave or you aren't safe from Brian', even after all his promises, proved that to be true.


Oh he generally said all the right things, mainly because he was so convinced by his own pretty lies, but he didn’t really care about the trauma Julie had been through. What he truly cared about was how it would affect his training of her, and her responses to it, or whether she would ever agree to submit. It’s rather funny because he is one of the very few Kitty Thomas heroes to actually use the 'love' word, but he was the one I least believed that emotion from. I know the author deliberately avoids that word in general, as her men aren’t good guys, they aren't men who know normal emotions, except social norms, so I do wonder if this was another of her little mind fucks for the reader to unravel and digest!


But folks, BUT, this in no way ruined my enjoyment, in fact I think it added extra layers and depth. Because I chose to view this not as all Gabe’s desires and dreams coming home to roost, but as Julie’s journey into not only surviving her time at Dmitri’s but in finding a way to live with it and live beyond it. Gabe fulfilled her needs perfectly and because she was happy and content, so I was too. I didn’t even mind that he also got all his wishes granted too. Though I'm still a little mad at him for not recognising how much Julie had needed him after their first proper session in the dungeons.


I loved how Kitty messed with my head, how she made me so angry with Gabe, made me really dislike him but also made me want him to adore and treasure Julie, because SHE deserved it. And he did adore her. And it did scramble my brains into mush. And I still want to knee him in the balls. That is as long as it wouldn’t upset Julie too much.
Profile Image for Cécile Smits .
1,465 reviews287 followers
November 29, 2020
Surrender is the third book in this delicious series.
And having read it again,i found i still enjoyed it as much as the first time.
Even though Gabe wants to corrupt Julie from the first time they meet.
Even though he still wants to corrupt her after saving her from 6 months of living in hell.
Because deep down,very deep down,Julie wants him to corrupt her.
Even though she’s afraid of what she’ll become.....

Welcome back to The Pleasure House. Share your shattered dreams,and surrender to find a better future. Kitty knows just the Master to help you mend.

Gabe has wanted Julie from the first time he saw her at work in the bar he visited.
Too sweet,too innocent,but he wanted her.
When he finally decided to test if she could meet his needs,he frightened her. So,he left.
If only he hadn’t.....Julie hurt after that date.
She missed Gabe with a vengeance,still wanted him,even though he díd frighten her that time.
When a russian bothers her at work,and she brushes him off,things turn ugly.
He doesn’t accept refusal and takes her.
The next six months are hell.....

When Gabe is asked to meet with a potential partner for the house,he goes,reluctantly.
But when he sees a familiar face,his world stops.
Right there,in a second,he decides she is his.
No matter how,he wíll take her home with him.
But he has his work cut out for him,because she has been through hell.....
Can he fix what’s been broken?
Can he get what he still dreamt about?
Can Julie want that too?
In spite of what happened to her,can she still want the man that Gabe is?

I love the Pleasure House,and all the dreams that dó come true.
The way each Master finds his perfect slave.
Profile Image for Angel (huge fan of all things Totoro).
589 reviews14 followers
June 28, 2018
I am absolutely pissed about giving this book a 1 star. I love me some Kitty Thomas. She grabbed me with “Comfort Food”; she tormented me with “tender Mercies”; and she made me shudder with “Guilty Pleasures”. When “Broken Dolls” came out, which is a companion book to “Guilty Pleasures”, I insta-bought it. Loved it. Kitty has a way with words, I tell ya. She knows how to fuck with the mind.

So when I saw “Surrender”, which is Gabe’s story, I insta-bought it, too. The beginning started off awesome. I loved Julie’s personality, and I loved Gabe’s conflicting emotions. Ya see, Julie has no experience with men. She’s the typical virginal snowflake that is so common now in BDSM erotica. I was annoyed with this, but I thought, “Hey, Kitty is badass. She’ll make this trope into something new.”

Well, she doesn’t.

When Julie gets kidnapped and put into a prostitution ring, I got ready for the mind-fuck Kitty is known for. Gabe recused Julie, annnd I still waited for the psychological goodness. Nothin’.

From the middle, the book just goes downhill.

I am so disappointed with this book. Julie has a big problem with being owned. She was forced to have sex with mean strangers for 6 monthes. Hey, I’d feel the same way! She is not a piece of property that can just be bought. So the fuck what if Gabe paid half a mill just to “rescue” her from the bad guys. He says he did it just to free her, like a ransom, but deep down he sees her as something he owns. Julie doesn’t know if she is kinky, but Gabe persists that she is. Well, Julie states that even if she is, it doesn’t mean she wants to be treated like cattle. She does NOT, I repeat, want to be owned! Gabe, the fucking dumbass, doesn’t seem to get it. He shows his true colors and yells that she belongs to him, she is his prisoner for the rest of her life, and he can do whatever he pleases and share her with whomever he wants.

Julie says then he’s just like the asshole who prostituted her. This snaps Gabe out of his monster-self and he tries apologizing. Yeah, BULLSHIT! He may say he deeply cares for her and will always protect her, but when she puts up a fight about how she doesn’t want to be owned by anyone, he basically turns his back on her.

When the residential sociopath takes her down to his dungeon where he’ll torment her, Julie begs and blurts out that Gabe is her master, which is the only thing that will stop Brian from hurting her. Gabe comes down and is about to abandon her until she calls him her master. So after this, she becomes Gabe’s slave because it’s the only choice she has, but Kitty Thomas makes it seem like she willingly chose this. Of course she did! She either would have been fucking tortured and raped, or she had to be a slave to the lesser of two evils.

To-make-it-worse, the-constant-use-of-hyphens-drove-me-NUTS! The grammar seems like there wasn't an editor around or something. Usually Kitty is good with her writing, but this book just sucked.

I am officially not on the auto-buy list for Kitty Thomas. Like I said, this book pissed me off royally. Such a disappointment.
Profile Image for ✦ Ellen’s Reviews ✦.
1,765 reviews360 followers
April 4, 2017
I ALWAYS love a Kitty Thomas book! This one is dark yet very intriguing and sexy. It can be read as a standalone.

This story started off very promising for me. I was fascinated by Julie, who worked as a waitress in a bar but dreamed of a normal life and family. Gabe was a regular customer who finally asked Julie out on a "normal" date. It was pretty clear from the beginning that Gabe was not interested in the white-picket-fence thing.

I love a dark story but this one felt just a little rushed for me. The story took a very surprising turn at the beginning. Gabe comes to Julie's rescue but he is far from a knight in shining armor. He is very clear about his intentions right the start. Julie has feelings for Gabe and wants to please him but is not sure she can ever accept his lifestyle.

I liked that Gabe never apologized for who he is. He wants to take care of Julie. I felt that Julie's wide-eyed innocence was little unrealistic but this story was engrossing enough that I wanted to see where her and Gabe's story ended up.

I loved the scenes with Gabe and Julie together. This book was not as heavy on the erotic, steamy scenes as I would have expected, but I loved the plot and the pacing. Would Julie ever learn to trust Gabe and her true feelings?

Kitty Thomas is an incredible writer and I absolutely love her books. 'Surrender' ended a little abruptly for me and while this story was not my favorite, I will continue to read anything this woman writes!

“But what I really want is someone who will call me 'master'. And I want that someone to be you.”
25 reviews
April 21, 2024
Disappointing and Disturbing

Of all the characters in the 4 books, I didn’t expect Gabe to be the ultimate monster. It maybe in Julie’s nature to be submissive, but gabe took too much advantage of her. Telling her that he won’t force her, but she only accepted him because she was terrified by Brian. Gabe knows that but still, he took advantage of her,brainwashed her and denied her in coming for a month. He maybe was good in beginning but he did the ultimate sin of all of them.
Profile Image for Amanda.
924 reviews4 followers
August 22, 2019
Another great book by Kitty Thomas!

As per usual Kitty Thomas doesn’t disappoint, I love all of her books so far. Surrender is another great read and addition to the Pleasure House series, I was a little surprised with the way Gabe trained Julie, especially the orgasm denial and arousal cream everyday and night , after her trauma and experience with men, that definitely wouldn’t have worked for me and made me feel cherished and safe at all but it seemed to work for her. I found it interesting the that house psychopath Brian worked to heal Mina’s trauma through orgasms and tender loving care while the one in the house you would have expected to be that way took a month of pleasure for himself before giving any to Julie and only after she begged. I really expected him to be more loving and tender so I was surprised. I was a little disappointed that her first orgasm was given to her with toys and not him, seemed impersonal and cold to me and not what I personally would have needed or expected especially with her history. Although I couldn’t see myself flourishing in that situation, everyone is different and I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. After reading this book I love Brian even more though, crazy as that is, give me the psychopath!!
Profile Image for Kelly_Reads_Books.
2,127 reviews192 followers
November 17, 2020
This Pleasure House tale focused on Gabe and Julie. This couple meets in a bar and Gabe finally asks her on a date only to realize she is too innocent for him. They part ways but then the unspeakable happens to Julie.
When Gabe sees her again he cannot believe what she has been through and takes her to Pleasure House.
I loved Gabe's patience and kindness with Julie, but he was also demanding enough to stay true to himself, and make sure Julie follows his expectations.
A fabulous story and series!
Profile Image for mads ꫂৎ.
198 reviews29 followers
July 18, 2024
➵ 3 stars

This one didn’t quite draw me in like the others in the series did. It felt very slow paced and I was pretty bored. I didn’t really connect or root for either of the mc’s. Plus some of the topics of conversation rubbed me in the wrong way. And the ending was way too rushed in my opinion. This just fell flat for me.
Profile Image for NhaughtyV says Damn the Zon Save the Reviews .
1,289 reviews193 followers
March 24, 2017
Received ARC copy from author for honest review

In Kitty Thomas’ Surrender, we revisit the world she created in her books Guilty Pleasures and Broken Dolls. You do not need to have read those stories to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend them. Go ahead and pause reading this review and go forth and one-click those books! Ready? Let us begin…

Gabe Griffen…sigh…his name is everything you need to know. “…if you give it a chance, I will awaken something inside you that you never dreamed was possible. I will make your body and soul sing for me. I will wrap you up in the kind of warmth and security you thought only happened in fairy tales…” I have been awaiting my favorite trainer’s story, and Kitty Thomas does not disappoint. Surrender is more of an emotional journey of seduction and training rather than an erotic one. When innocence is destroyed, it will take patience and discipline to mold and train Julie to realize she was born to wear Gabe’s collar.

Highly recommend this book or any of Kitty’s other stories!
Profile Image for Jacque.
998 reviews22 followers
March 27, 2017
Can I just say how excited I was to read Surrender! I have been a long time fan of Ms. Thomas and knowing it was set in the same world of not one, but two of her other books, had me squealing. Now let me start by saying if you are a new fan or back for more Kitty, it is not necessary to read those previous books. That loosely translates into this is not a series. That's right, not a series. BUT, if you have read them, you will be happy to know Gabe gets his own story.
*Snoopy dance time*

Seeing that the blurb is fairly short and not loaded with details, I was not exactly sure what was going to happen. It's obvious that Gabe meets someone who has different 'wants' than his. Domestic bliss and a white picket fence? I'm I reading the right book? As I start reading, my brain is still struggling with this and I'm wondering is this a new twist. However, I keep going because there is another clue that I'm not giving up on. "...too innocent, then too broken."

On that note, I'm going to stop because let's face it, if the author wanted you to know more, it would have been in the blurb. What goes on between Julie and Gabe is not erotic but more emotional and to a certain point, mental. Let's be honest, aren't all of Kitty books a mental game. The game in Surrender has a bit of a love story-ish feel to it, well one you can have that involves collars and slaves.

And the ending, of course, left me wanting more. That's what is to be expected when you don't want the book to end. You want more, to find out how their lives continue on. Well, tough! There is no more...except. Remember, this is not a series. This is a book set in the same world as two previous books. Have you read them because more may be something you actually get after all. *Insert evil grin*


I received this book from the author prior to release with the express purposes for an honest review.
The opinions, contents and rating of this review are mine.
Stars - 4.5, Flames - 4
Profile Image for Pepca.
334 reviews
March 29, 2018
Not what I expected either in terms of erotica or romance, but I think my issue was mostly with story-telling.

Thomas definitely seems well aware of the issues the set up for the story brought for both characters, mainly consent, choice (or lack thereof), and trauma, and puts in the effort to have both characters consider those issues and work through them, but unfortunately does so by employing too much 'telling' instead of showing. It really is a classic example of how not to write.

I think the story could use at least another 50+ pages, so that characterisation and relationship development could be explored and presented more organically by the way of showing what happens instead of just telling us about it.

For example, it would be good to see a few of Julie and Gabe's 'normal' dates when he courts her, so they can get to know each other, because we could use getting to know them better, too; but, alas, they are only mentioned.

Same goes for Julie's interaction's with other women in the house, especially Annette and Mina: we are told about their talks but we never witness more that a few short exchanges in passing. I think Julie's conversation with Mina was of particular importance, and yet we are only told about it happening.

These shortcomings (and more, but I'll stop here) were the reason why in concept Surrender could have been a rich story but fell flat, and it didn't even have any significant amount of smut (although fittingly, considering the situation) to compensate for it.
Profile Image for Kristina.
1,589 reviews74 followers
July 26, 2017
Alluring Darkness

I really enjoy the world Surrender took place in (although it's NOT part of a series), and loved getting a further look at Mina and the super scary Brian. 😈
Julie's story goes to some extremely dark places, so I appreciate how the author wrote through and over some of the more awful times, allowing some distance for the reader.
I know I needed it.
As dark as this was, it was also one of the author's more emotional reads - as in: heartfelt feelings and emotions expressed between characters, rather than 'just' ownership or possession as the main bonding force (don't get me wrong, I dig those emotions and see them as strong as/as enduring as, love).
I've seen a few reviews mention an abrupt ending, but I loved it. I felt the characters reached exactly where they needed to be, and I'm just happy I got see it (ahem, Big Sky - yeah, I'm looking at you 😉).
I always enjoy a Kitty Thomas book, and highly recommend Surrender.
95 reviews
May 19, 2017
Little disappointed. . .

This my forest time reading any of Kitty's books. I thought that they would be too dark, but this one want realt dark at all. At least not in the DARK way if you know what mean.

I enjoyed reading about Gabe and Julie but I don't think the was enough of a love connection to make the story believable. It would have been nice if he chose monogamy because she was the love of his life, however, I think Julie comes off as a "eh, whatever" from him.
All in all, this was okay, I just wish that I was able to buy into it a little more.
1 review
December 13, 2020
I normally love Kitty Thomas books, but I hate that Gabe is a selfish egotistical person to force a damaged innocent girl to become his slave, especially when she continually tells him she doesn't want to be his property.

Then I always hate, when the so called hero basically says "I will never share you, but oh yeah I will be having sex with with every girl in the house." Ah, definitely not!

Also, he loves her so much that her first orgasm is on a vibrating machine. Yeah so loving, puke.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Dawn.
283 reviews
April 17, 2017
Another Good read by Kitty Thomas!

I have to say that I am happy we got to read Gabe's story. I loved that he had issues but still was the hero! Which made for great read and interesting journey for Julie. I am happy these two found each other.
Additionally, I do wish there was a little more of them as a couple. I felt there should have been a little more to the ending for Gabe & Julie's story. I was not ready for it to end, an epilogue would have been lovely.
278 reviews
May 23, 2018
I usually enjoy her books but this one was horrible. It felt like it ended in the middle of the story. What the heck? No real closure. The characters were flat. I actually hated the hero. This did nothing for me. If you enjoyed her other books, pass on this one!
Profile Image for RogueAlpha.
85 reviews
April 6, 2024
I need to separate two things with this book :

It was very well written and I loved the story and the kink. As always Kitty writes beautiful, nuanced characters.

HOWEVER... I do feel bad for Julie and actually think Gabe might be the worst of the house just after Anton.

Lord. That poor girl of course is convinced she was saved by him and he's convinced he saved her and struggled to stay be morally good. I read this book as what it was : a depiction of Stockholm syndrome where everyone is confused between love, possessiveness, kink, crime,...

It was definitely a dark romance. But not the rosy glassed kind. I loved the nuance personally so I'm a fan of the series BUT Gabe is definitely an smooth asshole 🤣
116 reviews3 followers
May 20, 2018
I love spending time in the Pleasure House, and Surrender gets 4.5 stars for another great story about its occupants. Brian and Mina will always be my favorite (and it was great to have an opportunity to see what they're up to, as they do play a minor role in this book), but Gabe and Julie had an interesting tale to tell, as well.

Gabe, professional Dom and favorite trainer at the Pleasure House, is drawn to bartender Julie, despite the fact that he figures she's too sweet, and would likely run in the other direction if she knew his true desires. He takes her on one date, which he uses as a sort of 'interview' to determine if she might have any underlying submissive tendencies, but discovers that, as a virgin, she's even more sheltered and innocent than he'd expected. When she freaks out during an aggressive kiss, he decides that, despite her pleas for a chance to give her time, it's better for her if he disappears from her life.

Cut to six months later when Gabe is visiting a potential business associate, and discovers that Julie is one of the guy's unwilling prostitutes, and a pretty terrible one, too, because she's very close to being "retired" (ie: killed). He immediately buys her, rescuing her from her prison/certain death, and brings her back to the Pleasure House where he battles between his affection for her/not wanting to cause her further trauma, and wanting to take her and make her his. After spending six months as an ill-treated possession, Julie has zero desire to be owned and made a slave again, not even to the man she fantasized as her hero, Gabe. However, she can't stop caring about and wanting him. Gabe has a thin line to walk as he tries to prove to Julie that she has submissive tendencies, and could actually be happy calling him Master; trying to do it without breaking her; and trying to undo the trauma she experienced as a forced-prostitute and teach her to love again. It's quite the challenge! But luckily, Gabe seems to be up to it.
Profile Image for Melinda.
650 reviews11 followers
August 9, 2017
I received a free copy through Goodreads.
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All Julie wanted was a simple life, with a husband, children and the whole white picket fence. But sadly her future turned out much differently than she expected. First of all, she was kidnapped and treated as a sex slave for months on end. Second, just when she think she is saved, she finds out she can never go back to her old life.

Poor Julie. She was so innocent in the beginning, and left so damaged during those six months. It is a wonder she struggles to open up and trust Gabe and what he does. I feel that Gabe should have been more patient with her, given what she went through. I mean just because she has the tendencies leaning towards what he wants (master and slave), it doesn't mean she is ready to embrace it all. Look at how she reacted when he disciplined her and rewarded her. Clearly the scares from her time at the other place is having a huge impact on her.

I like that there were a lot of people who tried to help Gabe and Julie through all this. .

This is a good story and the scenes with Gabe and Julie are steamy even without a lot of sex involved...yet! I would have liked it to be not as rushed with some parts of the story.
Profile Image for Leesa.
25 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2017
Surrender had just the right amount of spice to make it nice! I definitely enjoyed reading it. In my opinion, Julie was realistically written and I was able to see her develop and come to life as a character. I loved her innocence, hesitancy, and the fight she had in her. I mean, heck! Stepping into her shoes, I'd probably be the same way she was too. If I was a submissive I would be like Julie. And If I'm “Julie” then I want my own Gabe! Holy Hallelujah! H.O.T!
I’m daydreaming about my own “Knight in Dior” with half a mill to spill. I was bummed when I read the last page. I’ll admit that I wanted MORE but Surrender was enough to satiate my itch for BDsm, for now anyway. I’m definitely intrigued to learn more about the house and read about the other characters, specifically Brian. Looking forward to the other books. I recommend!
Profile Image for Marishka.
465 reviews59 followers
nope
April 26, 2018
Note to self and others -

From the author's newsletter:

Pretty Lies occurs in the same world as Guilty Pleasures, Broken Dolls, and Surrender. All four are stand alones and can be read in any order. Pretty Lies is a "prequel". It is Anton and Annette's origins story. (They are already together in the other books.) It's also the origins story of the pleasure house.
Profile Image for K.
1,412 reviews52 followers
May 19, 2017
This felt like half a book to me. Definitely not my favorite.
225 reviews
May 8, 2020
A christian, virgin female bartender- no experiences with guys at all- is dating slavemaster Gabe? Really?

Gabe waited 8 months to ask her out?

They kiss on their first date and she freaks out after he says he wants to tie her up. Ofcourse she freaks out!

The odds of Julie interacting with two dangerous men in the same period of time is very slim.

Gabe takes the blame for something that happened to her and he couldn't control.

This isn't my kind of book. The drama already starts on the first date and it goes on and on.

I can 't even read beyond 50%.
'Comfort food' was great. Other books from Kitty Thomas disappointed me so far.
Profile Image for Daniella Fadljevic.
92 reviews
May 11, 2025
I’m really quite enjoying this series. What I like about it is, despite being interconnected stand-alones, the plots are quite different and the characters and their relationships are completely different. Usually I get sick of interconnected series but so far I’m really enjoying these books.
They’re super quick reads that aren’t just solely focused on smut despite being called the ‘Pleasure House’ series.
Profile Image for Tanya Rae ~ TaSTy WordGasms.
2,518 reviews
November 20, 2020
Surrender is book 3 in the Pleasure House Series. You can read this book and the whole series as a series of standalones but I would think if you do that you are missing out on the stories of the other characters that play important roles. This is Gabe Griffin’s and Julie’s story.

I have loved Gabe the best out of the others that we have been introduced to in the previous books. I am not alone in that opinion after reading Surrender. Gabe does have some a-hole moments though. Julie was an innocent and then she was broken. Gabe rescues Julie but to what kind of life was she rescued too. Yes that is vague but I don’t want to give anything away.

This is another book that I couldn’t put down. I am loving this series and I am glad that these other characters spoke to Kitty Thomas that they needed their stories told too!

The next book is Pretty Lies, book 4 and is Annette Waincott & Anton Volikov’s story.
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