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Contrasting Lives: A Novel Of Second Chances
She offered him more than he was expecting.
Can he give her all that she needs?
Widower and now a single father of four, Matt Pendleton is all work and no play. Between being a hotshot detective and caring for his children, there leaves little time for fun. Desperate for some passion and connection, Matt hires an escort for the night.
But one night turns into much more.
Emily Coulter is beautiful, charismatic, and fiercely independent - determined to make her own way in the world. Blindsided by their attraction for one another, neither can resist their intense desire. But Emily's past with a vicious Dom contradicts Matt's present as a cop and a dad. Can two people with contrasting lives discover a way to merge their different lives into one?
Can he give her all that she needs?
Widower and now a single father of four, Matt Pendleton is all work and no play. Between being a hotshot detective and caring for his children, there leaves little time for fun. Desperate for some passion and connection, Matt hires an escort for the night.
But one night turns into much more.
Emily Coulter is beautiful, charismatic, and fiercely independent - determined to make her own way in the world. Blindsided by their attraction for one another, neither can resist their intense desire. But Emily's past with a vicious Dom contradicts Matt's present as a cop and a dad. Can two people with contrasting lives discover a way to merge their different lives into one?
- GenresRomance
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2015
33 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Leah Dempster
8 books26 followersLeah Dempster is a pseudonym used by author D.S. Williams (The Nememiah Chronicles, Protective Hearts) for her sexier books.
Leah Dempster specializes in hot, sexy romances, with plenty of heart. With Leah, it’s all about the story, not just the sex. While she writes steamy scenes – she mainly wants you to remember the story, long after you’ve finished reading.
Characters you’ll fall in love with, hot and steamy love scenes, but there’s also a strong story line to enjoy.
Leah lives in Ellenbrook, Western Australia with her beloved husband, four young adult children, and their furry friends, Tuppence & Angus.
An introverted homebody, she loves books in every shape and variety. Her favorite books are set in medieval times, or in the modern world with a touch of the supernatural.
Leah Dempster specializes in hot, sexy romances, with plenty of heart. With Leah, it’s all about the story, not just the sex. While she writes steamy scenes – she mainly wants you to remember the story, long after you’ve finished reading.
Characters you’ll fall in love with, hot and steamy love scenes, but there’s also a strong story line to enjoy.
Leah lives in Ellenbrook, Western Australia with her beloved husband, four young adult children, and their furry friends, Tuppence & Angus.
An introverted homebody, she loves books in every shape and variety. Her favorite books are set in medieval times, or in the modern world with a touch of the supernatural.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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May 28, 2017
I received this book free from Amazon and I am voluntarily writing an honest review. Matt is a homicide detective, a widower with four children. While he is still very much in love with his wife she is gone and there is an empty void in his life. He meets Emily thru unusual circumstances and wants to continue seeing her. Emily's current situation and dark past may be more than the two of them can overcome.
April 11, 2016
Story of Matt and Emily. Matt's a widower with 4 kids; Emily's an escort. Their meeting is convoluted and not romantic at all. Matt's struggling with his present situation while Emily is struggling with her past AND present. She's a sub that has been mistreated in the past and wants a loving D/s relationship.
So if it's not enough that Matt's family is in crisis, he's falling in love with Emily, a woman significantly younger than he is, an escort, and a submissive... with a Dom who's willing to stop at nothing to either kill her or sell into slavery.
And this is where things get wonky. A stronger book could have eliminated the ex-Dom and concentrated on stronger character and plot development.
This author needs an editor with a heavy hand. There is so much detail and inner monologue, that the dialogue gets lost. There was no need for the ex-Dom story.... and it would have been sufficient to just have the family in crisis after the loss of the mom. That being said, I felt like she threw cutting into the mix because it "helped" but grief is sufficiently painful. In addition, this is supposed to take place in the US, but it's clear that this author is not American. There are too many nomenclature (e.g., "bench" instead of "countertop") and phrasing issues that come off as British English, not American English. Set this in England or Australia and this would have been taken care of... I'm just not sure why this was set in Seattle to begin with.
There's a lot of discussion about whether M can be a Dom or not... outside of the bedroom he's a weak man who has no idea how to deal with his kids or his family or Emily. Inside the bedroom, his name for her as "little subbie" was again, weak and not very sexy.
I'm still not sure what makes these two tick together outside of everything sexual and even then I wasn't that convinced.
So if it's not enough that Matt's family is in crisis, he's falling in love with Emily, a woman significantly younger than he is, an escort, and a submissive... with a Dom who's willing to stop at nothing to either kill her or sell into slavery.
And this is where things get wonky. A stronger book could have eliminated the ex-Dom and concentrated on stronger character and plot development.
This author needs an editor with a heavy hand. There is so much detail and inner monologue, that the dialogue gets lost. There was no need for the ex-Dom story.... and it would have been sufficient to just have the family in crisis after the loss of the mom. That being said, I felt like she threw cutting into the mix because it "helped" but grief is sufficiently painful. In addition, this is supposed to take place in the US, but it's clear that this author is not American. There are too many nomenclature (e.g., "bench" instead of "countertop") and phrasing issues that come off as British English, not American English. Set this in England or Australia and this would have been taken care of... I'm just not sure why this was set in Seattle to begin with.
There's a lot of discussion about whether M can be a Dom or not... outside of the bedroom he's a weak man who has no idea how to deal with his kids or his family or Emily. Inside the bedroom, his name for her as "little subbie" was again, weak and not very sexy.
I'm still not sure what makes these two tick together outside of everything sexual and even then I wasn't that convinced.
January 21, 2016
Even with the many steamy scenes, Contrasting Lives by Leah Dempster is more suspenseful than titillating. The riveting storyline unfolds from two points of view. Matt Pendleton, a widower with four children, meets Emily Coulter, an escort with a dark past. Sparks fly from the get-go, but each must come to terms with personal demons before they can develop a mutual trust. Many things happen that test the budding relationship.
Emily is a sub who likes to be dominated sexually. Can Matt become the person she can submit to? This is the first book I’ve read about BDSM, a “variety of erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, dominance and submission, sadomasochism.” The author successfully demonstrates the interpersonal dynamics involved in this form of sexual expression. Without becoming pedantic, Ms. Dempster stresses the importance of respect and demonstrates how out-of-hand BDSM can get.
The characters are multidimensional. As a result, there are many subplots that need resolution, which makes the story interesting. Whether you root for Matt or Emily, you will keep the pages turning to see the outcome.
If you enjoy reading thrilling steamy romances with likable characters, I recommend Contrasting Lives by Leah Dempster.
Emily is a sub who likes to be dominated sexually. Can Matt become the person she can submit to? This is the first book I’ve read about BDSM, a “variety of erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, dominance and submission, sadomasochism.” The author successfully demonstrates the interpersonal dynamics involved in this form of sexual expression. Without becoming pedantic, Ms. Dempster stresses the importance of respect and demonstrates how out-of-hand BDSM can get.
The characters are multidimensional. As a result, there are many subplots that need resolution, which makes the story interesting. Whether you root for Matt or Emily, you will keep the pages turning to see the outcome.
If you enjoy reading thrilling steamy romances with likable characters, I recommend Contrasting Lives by Leah Dempster.
May 13, 2015
This is the story of Matt Pendleton, police detective, widower and father to four children. He's already got a lot on his plate but his whole life is about to turn upside down when he meets Emily.
She's a woman with good intentions but a dark past and some baggage of her own.
This is a great story with lots of depth to the plot. I really enjoyed all the challenges the two main characters faced in their quest to be together. The difficulties they faced helped us delve a little deeper into their lives.
The dual POV worked well, showing us how the characters behaved when they weren't together and ultimately added more layers to them.
There's a whole entourage of lovable characters and plenty of endearing scenes with Matt and his children.
This book has a little bit of everything; romance, sex, drama and a hint of thriller. Highly recommended!
She's a woman with good intentions but a dark past and some baggage of her own.
This is a great story with lots of depth to the plot. I really enjoyed all the challenges the two main characters faced in their quest to be together. The difficulties they faced helped us delve a little deeper into their lives.
The dual POV worked well, showing us how the characters behaved when they weren't together and ultimately added more layers to them.
There's a whole entourage of lovable characters and plenty of endearing scenes with Matt and his children.
This book has a little bit of everything; romance, sex, drama and a hint of thriller. Highly recommended!
December 8, 2016
Contrasting Lives
Well.....this book was not what I was expecting. A widower police detective with 4 kids and a submissive escort? Ms. Dumpster has a wicked imagination.
Good book. I was horrified, hostile, sad, and had my heart break. So many emotions. I couldn't put it down.
My favorite part was when five year old Millie said she was responsible for the end of the kidnapping because she had to pee. Enjoy this book as much as I.
Well.....this book was not what I was expecting. A widower police detective with 4 kids and a submissive escort? Ms. Dumpster has a wicked imagination.
Good book. I was horrified, hostile, sad, and had my heart break. So many emotions. I couldn't put it down.
My favorite part was when five year old Millie said she was responsible for the end of the kidnapping because she had to pee. Enjoy this book as much as I.
May 22, 2015
This read was a great mix of all my fave genres. Matt and Emily are wonderful characters that I could really get into and their flip flop POV was the best. I cant wait to read more from this author.
did-not-finish
January 31, 2018DNF@20%
Me da la impresion de ser partes de otros libros.
Dialogos cliches y aburridos.
Me da la impresion de ser partes de otros libros.
Dialogos cliches y aburridos.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews