Desperate

by Athena Daniels

How do you start over while your past still stalks you? Meticulous planning gets Ivy half way across the world, with a new identity. But Blake is no ordinary ex-husband, he is a corrupt private investigator with links to London’s underworld. Eric Prescott, a handsome and successful property developer knows Ivy is hiding something, and from someone. At first Eric only wants to help, but soon finds himself falling for this beautiful woman with the haunting eyes. In one night of explosive passion, Ivy finally gives in. And discovers love, the way it’s meant to be. Ivy finally dares to believe she is free, but soon faces losing all that she has come to love the day her ex-husband is released from jail. She knows it is only a matter of time before he will return to serve the full force of his deadly vengeance.

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2015

About the author

Athena Daniels is the #1 international bestselling author of the award-winning Beyond the Grave paranormal romance series and the romantic thrillers Desperate and The Scream Behind Her Smile.

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ATHENA'S BOOKS:

Beyond the Grave Series:
-The Seer's Daughter (Book 1)
-The Alchemist's Son (Book 2)
-Girl Unseen (Book 3)
-When Darkness Follows (Book 4)
-(Book 5) Coming Sept 2019

Standalone Books:
-Desperate
-The Scream Behind Her Smile

In 2016, Athena was nominated for Author of the Year and Best New Author in AusRom Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

Her novel Girl Unseen won the Silver Medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite® International Book Awards and was awarded a Silver Medal in the 2017 Literary Titan Book Awards, and finalist in the TopShelf Book Awards 2018. Girl Unseen is a semi-finalist in The Kindle Book Review Awards, ‘Official Selection’ in the New Apple Annual book Awards and nominated for 2017 Book of the Year in AusRom Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

When Darkness Follows won the Bronze Medal in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite® International Book Awards, Silver Medal in the 2018 Literary Titan Book Awards, and was nominated for the TopShelf Book Awards 2019 and nominated in the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA) 2018 awards for Favourite Paranormal Romance.

The Seer’s Daughter was the solo Medalist Winner in the Suspense/Thriller category of the 2016 New Apple Annual Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing.

The Seer’s Daughter was also a finalist in the 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards in Suspense and in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite® International Book Awards. Additionally, The Seer’s Daughter was nominated for 2016 Book of the Year and 2016 Cover of the Year in AusRom Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

Girl Unseen and The Seer’s Daughter are both 5-star Top Picks at The Romance Reviews.

Athena has a natural curiosity about the “more” there is in life and holds several qualifications in metaphysics and natural therapies. She is a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, life coach, and feng shui specialist.

Athena lives on the northern beaches of sunny Western Australia. Follow her on Twitter @AthenaDaniels11 and on Facebook at /AthenaDaniels11.

Reviews

[Laura Kavanagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desperate is an exciting, terrifying, captivating book which will have you hooked from the minute you pick it up. The story line was so gripping, and the book so full of suspense that I really struggled to put the book down - I just had to find out what happened next.

The story is of a woman, Ivy, who makes the brave decision to leave her abusive husband for good and make a new life for herself, knowing deep down that it is only a matter of time before her past catches up with her.

It is told from a first person perspective, adding 'immediacy' and making the story much more personal. This writing style made me really feel all of Ivys emotions and feelings myself as I lived through her journey with her, making Ivy's character very easy to connect with.

As someone who has come out of an 'unhealthy' relationship, I felt the book perfectly encaptured some of the very real emotions and issues a woman in Ivys position would have gone through - the book has clearly been written with some personal perspective and I felt I could really identify with Ivy. I feel this book will inspire others who have been in abusive relationships that there is hope to move on however bad the situation, and that they are not alone, and give insight into abusive relationships for others who have not been through it themselves.

This book is definitely steamy so be prepared to read some scenes that may make you blush! - it is certainly a book for a more mature audience.

Although I am not an avid reader, 'Desperate' was well worth the read, and I will definitely be recommending this book to others!

[A. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a couple of months since I read and reviewed this book for OnlineBookClub.org (read my official review here: http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/view...), but this is one of those books that has just stuck with me long after I finished reading it.

I love the idea of moving away and "starting over" in a new country (says the girl who moved from the US to Japan all alone, almost five years ago!), and when I came across that theme with this book, I just knew I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did! It was a bit darker than I expected. It was also a bit sexier and steamier than I was expecting, but in the end, I'm so glad that I read this book.

It was easy to connect with Ivy and the traumatic experience that she had gone through, and I found myself cheering for her throughout the book. Actually, all of the characters in the book are well-portrayed.

This book is definitely on my list of books to recommend to anyone who enjoys a steamy romance with lots and lots of suspense.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to read that this was the debut novel for Athena Daniels as it is written with the skill and style you would expect from a long-term established author. Desperate is not for the faint hearted. It touches on the important subject of domestic violence and I loved how Athena didn't hold back when it came to describing the harrowing experience of the lead character Ivy. As it's written in first-person I felt Ivy's desperation to escape her traumatic past and I was so caught up in the moment throughout reading it, I often caught myself holding my breath. The suspense had me. I really enjoyed this book and what I liked the most of all was the message of hope. Desperate is a must read for anyone wanting to read a novel by an author who is honest and not afraid to write about a topic that many shy away from. (less)

[🌈 Ali 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it. Be prepared for a gripping and emotional ride. I read the whole book literally holding my breath every time I turned the page needing to know what was going to happen. I was totally absorbed in Ivy's journey. Desperate is a brilliantly written and an emotional story. Athena Daniels is a new author for me, and I'll definitely be reading her future books!

[Dawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexy, alluring and suspenseful

Oh my... what an incredible story. The story line flowed. I could NOT put this book down. what happens next. And I am not against the intimate scenes with Eric. Being a survivor myself, I identified with Sarah/Ivy. Ah true love and trust. I hold no regret over this book.

[Cherie Melbourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Engrossing

A very heart wrenching story. Being a survivor of domestic violence, this story totally drew me in, made me shed tears and even laugh at the chocolate mousse. A very well written story. I have now read all of Athena Daniel's stories & I can't wait for more to satisfy reading habit, they're addictive!

[Cyndi Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read I enjoyed it little different than my typical Reed however it's always nice to read something different this is a very hot romantic suspense book you get lots of suspense and romance and everything in between I have so far left all of Athena Daniels books and look forward to more

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

DESPERATE had so many conflicting overall messages throughout that I'm still debating as to whether or not I liked it. Abused and on the run from her husband after five tortuous years together, Ivy Jones moves a continent away to Australia to try and build a new life for herself. But she's still looking over her shoulder, knowing that Blake, the man she left, will no doubt find her eventually. While working as an assistant to an interior designer, Ivy meets Eric Prescott and feelings that she long thought buried are brought to the surface. Eric knows something doesn't fit with the new girl on staff, and he desperately wants to know what that is. As soon as Eric spots Ivy, his boys says "That's her, she's yours." But getting Ivy to trust him after all she's been through won't be easy; in fact, it may turn out to be impossible. I really had mixed feelings about DESPERATE. I loved it for the entire first half, and you could truly feel the fear and terror that Ivy experienced waiting for Blake to come after her. But...and I don't want to give too much away...after she finds herself truly feeling safe, this book went downhill fast. The element of suspense was gone, leaving the focus to be on Ivy and Eric's love story. It was nice, sensual, erotic, sweet, well written and solidly done...it just did absolutely nothing for me. Eric seems like a wonderful man, but his focus on Ivy's physical beauty put me off. He repeatedly called her "beautiful" and told her over and over how stunning and gorgeous she was. Oh yea, and occasionally she's the strongest woman he knows, too. I don't know what it was about this book that just rubbed me the wrong way, as technically it was very well written and focused on the incredibly important topic of domestic violence. I simply found that after the fear went away the first time, the book stalled out for me. Bottom Line: DESPERATE features palpable fear, sensual sex and an HEA that may make you want to save the world. - See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...




- See more at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/view...