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Control #1

Surrendered Control

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When unwilling erotic dancer Amy Jones was gifted a holiday to Lanzarote she had no idea how much it would change her life. Everything she knew was about to fall apart thanks to an encounter with a handsome blue-eyed stranger. He will show her truths and help her face her innocence, but can she live with his need to control and the reasons behind it?

Debonair businessman James North is running from his past. He refuses to face it, preferring to hide behind his rigid control. But when he meets a blonde haired beauty the volcanic eruptions of passion between them show him that life isn't the black and white he was lead to believe.

Surrendered control is the debut novel of the author Anna Edwards. It tells of the fledgeling love between James and Amy and how their pasts twist and turn to tear them apart. The novel is set in London, but through business travels, it is given an international feel based on the author's personal life.

Are you ready to step inside the world of Control?

225 pages, ebook

First published October 24, 2016

631 people are currently reading
646 people want to read

About the author

Anna Edwards

93 books717 followers
Nestled in the tranquil rural landscape near London, I'm a British author whose journey from the world of accounting to the realm of writing has been nothing short of transformative. While I occasionally revisit my numbers-oriented past, my days are predominantly filled with the harmonious dance between crafting compelling narratives and tending to my cherished family—my husband, two children, and a lively household of four cats and one dog
.
In those rare leisure moments, you'll find me lost in the enchanting world of poetry, delighting in the creation (and indulgence) of decadent cakes or fervently capturing moments through the lens of my camera.

Writing emerged as my beacon of hope in navigating the labyrinth of depression and anxiety. My insatiable love for literature and the boundless horizon of travel infuses my tales with the rich tapestry of my adventures. I strive to breathe life into my stories with an air of authenticity that resonates with readers.

Within the pages of my books, you'll encounter heroes exuding charisma and rugged allure, heroines embodying both grace and tenacity, all enveloped in the cloak of dramatic suspense.


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Email: hello@authorannaedwards.com

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5 stars
175 (36%)
4 stars
147 (30%)
3 stars
94 (19%)
2 stars
46 (9%)
1 star
20 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Chris  C - A Midlife Wife.
1,831 reviews463 followers
February 6, 2017
3.5 Stars -

This is the first book by this author so I was excited to check out her work. I love it when I can find a series of books that I can just power read at one time, especially when they delve into the genres I love.

This Romance brings in a bit of suspense and a light touch of erotica. The author sets up an interesting storyline that leaves us wondering about the background and underlying history of James and Amy.

For me, the writing style of this author is very proper and stiff. It is not written in a conversational manner so the flow of the story is a bit slower. For instance, the phrase "I am sorry" was used sooo many times. Most people would say "I'm sorry".

Plus I found the characters to be a little formal and stiff with each other too. I think I remember only one time that James used an endearment (beautiful) while speaking to Amy and I don't believe she ever called him anything other than James. Most couples don't do that. So to me that was a bit odd.

Overall, the story is interesting and parts of it are a bit sexy with a small bit of kink. However, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, which kind of stunk. So I'm diving into book two right now. This is definitely a book and series that you have to read in sequence.

Not bad for a first effort. I am looking forward to a more developed story as we move forward into book two.
Profile Image for QuinnReads.
3,716 reviews204 followers
February 23, 2022
Terrific Banter and Chemistry

Fantastic banter, along with great chemistry, between James and Amy really make this book. I really love how they grow together in such a short time. James' mom and sister are great supporting characters and help provide some laughter amongst what could be a lot of doom and gloom.

As I mentioned, the chemistry is terrific. Explosive, even. 🔥❤🎉

"You’re a bad, bad girl."

"Punish me then?"

-- James North and Amy Jones


Things are definitely NOT all fun and games for this couple. Past trauma surfaces and has to be dealt with. In addition, things go decidedly topsy-turvy in the present and come to an unexpected ending, which is really a cliffhanger. (Of course, if I'd read the blurb, I may have known to expect that but I frequently choose books based on title, cover, and/or author. 🤷‍♀️😁) I'm looking forward to seeing where things go from here.

I read my copy of the book and listened to an author copy of the audio. I really liked the narrator, Kyo Sija. Of course, I'm often a sucker for a British accent. 🥰🎧🇬🇧🥰

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Profile Image for Aղցela W..
4,522 reviews320 followers
December 13, 2018
This was a good read that I liked. Amy is a twenty-one year old who dances in her uncle's strip club. Because of who owns the strip club, she is never made to have to perform like the other girls. Although she is naive to many things, her strength of character is what pushes her above the rest. While on holiday she meets James he is a hot sexy billionaire with a dark past who also runs out on her. While back in London he begins finding out everything about her he becomes obsessed with her. He feels he isn't good enough for her and becomes overprotective as his past comes back to hunt him. This was a pretty good read both of these character's have a lot of chemistry. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
January 8, 2023
💝FREE on iBooks today (6/2/2018)!💝

Profile Image for Harris Danielle.
878 reviews
February 7, 2017
Smoking hot read

Holy cow this book is super hot. This is intense, emotional ride, with some dark moments.

Amy ( erotic dancer) meets tall dark and handsome James ( billionaire) at a holiday in Lanzarote. The chemistry between these two is incredible.

I can't wait to read more from this author.
Profile Image for Tanaka K.
898 reviews7 followers
December 6, 2016
Surrendered Control is the first debut book by Anna Edwards and it is my first book by her. I mean when I started reading the first page of the book, I was so skeptical. But as soon as I got into the story, I just fell in love with the book. It was everything I look for in a book. I was enthralled. Surrendered Control definitely captivated me to a whole other level. It was a book that definitely got me questioning my thoughts while I was reading. That was just brilliant.

Surrendered Control is a the story about James, a self made billionaire and Amy, an erotic dancer who meet at a holiday in Lanzarote. They develop an spark. A few weeks later, they meet at an unlikely circumstances. Danger is imminent and secrets and lies are told. I love every moment of this book. It was beautifully written and portrayed a story about control, love and ultimate passion. I was so pulled into the story that my eyes were firmly glued to the book while reading it. I found myself in awe of the intensity and emotions that it definitely consumed me and crippled my soul. Every page and scene in the book screamed suspense at its finest point. I was on edge through out. I found myself wanting going crazy wanting to know what happens next. Plus the sex scenes in this book were crazy hot. Wow, I was fanning myself. What a powerful and spectacular book. Seriously I was swept away by the story. I was alos surprised that they were some lighter and darker tones thta gave a unique yet powerful dynamic. I was definitely floored.

The characters were amazing. James and Amy have that chemistry that is so believable and just so damn sexy to read. I loved that they had that banter that just added a quirky and fun dynamic to the story. At first I did not like James. He was secretive and I did not like that he was hiding things. He was sometimes an asshole but he changed my mind when he started acting protective. Plus him being in control is sexy as hell. Amy is a feisty and independent woman. Yes she was submissive but I loved that she was capable of standing up to James. She had strength and sass that made her such a likable character.

Surrendered Control was such awesome read. I will definitely will be reading more books from Anna Edwards.

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jo.
1,491 reviews12 followers
May 21, 2017
I really don't enjoy writing reviews such as the one which is to follow. Particularly when it relates to a debut novel. What I will say, is that looking at the reviews, I am very much a minority voice, so if the synopsis intrigues you, I encourage you to read the book and come to your own decision.

There might have been the kernel of a decent story here. Unfortunately, for me, the execution was sub optimal.

As the reader, I never really felt the connection between the two main characters, nor did could I really believe the correlation between the trauma in James' past and the way it affected him.

That aside, I found that even the basic conversations between the two felt stilted and unnatural due to the lack of any contractions or everyday language usage.

Added to that, I'm afraid that the final trauma/conflict didn't make me feel that there was any threat to the safety of the main characters.

This book simply didn't work for me on many levels.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews144 followers
November 21, 2018
Out Of Control😵

Billionaire 💰 British Business man, James🐺🍆🌋, has a deep dark bunch of secrets that have affected his ability to have a real relationship with a woman. He wants Amy💃💋, a young woman he met at a resort, yet he runs out on her after their first time together. What a GUY!

Back in London, he has his private investigator find out everything he can about her. James🐺🍆🌋 is infatuated with her but his past gets in his way at every turn. He feels he isn't good enough for her. Not up for discussion!
So he gets over protective of her, so much that Amy💃💋feels suffocated. Yes, he's a controlling SOB about everything!

There is a criminal element to the story and it ends in a cliffhanger! Brits are really big on knives🔪 since handguns🔫 are mostly 🚫illegal.
339 reviews
November 21, 2018
Loved it

This story gripped me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. This story brings you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. A hot and steamy romance with with twists. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.
Profile Image for Nicole Chu.
213 reviews3 followers
July 13, 2018
Fabulous

Omg this book was insanely good. I
Didn’t see any of these twists coming.
Love James love love!
My girl was fire but totally blind to things around her. Now I need the next book because damn you cliffhangers
Profile Image for Lisa Lenox.
921 reviews13 followers
November 18, 2018
I’m less than 10 pages in and it’s already a stinker. Don’t bother with this trifle.
Profile Image for J.L. Leslie.
Author 60 books689 followers
December 26, 2016
I'm so glad I connected with Anna Edwards and received a complimentary copy of this book! I was sucked in right from the start! James and Amy meet while they're both on holiday and the sparks fly. James is very guarded and due to his status (a very wealthy man in the public eye), decides to keep an eye on Amy after their meeting. Good thing he did! This book has a good healthy amount of suspense and danger...which I loved...and a good amount of teasing about what James' past could possibly be about or what might've happened to him to cause him to be so guarded with Amy. Amy is a strong heroine but does have her naïve moments. I think that's what also makes her likable for me. She's human and wants to believe the best in people. It does end in a cliffhanger, but I always suspect this any time I see a book that's in a series unless the blurb tells me it's a full-length novel. I don't mind cliffhangers and can't wait to read book two!
Profile Image for Sara Reece.
108 reviews13 followers
November 16, 2016
*****5 Star Must Read*****

I adore Amy and James. They have an amazing connection and beautiful relationship with undeniable natural trust. After they first meet, both natural raw instinct kicks in. My heart hurt for what Amy had to grow up with and an ultimate betrayal from a family member that she trusted. 

The way James feels, he has to completely control himself and everything which is such a caveman thing to do, but he needs someone he can totally be himself with and also trusts himself around. Is Amy that person?? 

Beautifully written story that keeps you gripped from page one and keeps you on your toes. Would you Surrender control to James?? GOD I already have!! #fangirl #loveJames #loveAmy #surrenderControl 

Reviewed for Amo & Sarah Book Corner
25 reviews
November 17, 2016
Who need enemies with family like Amy's????
Poor Amy only has one family member left and finds out after a one night stand takes more of an interest in her life that that family member has lied to her since her parents died and is using her to get what he wants from her.
James has a controlling and protective nature and wants to do anything and everything he can to protect her but puts her more in danger.
I really liked this debut novel from Anna Edwards and the plot and storyline is really great.

Gifted for an honest review.
Reviewed by Shelley Smith on behalf of Amo and Sarah's book corner.
Profile Image for Elen Free.
Author 9 books12 followers
April 25, 2017
A very hot read indeed! At first it started kind of slow, but later on you have to hold on to your seat. Lots of action and steamy scenes, life crashing events, especially for the girl of this story, who is too naive for that kind of environment.

Male character is kind of hiding his desires from his true self, because of bad past experiences, but Amy finds a way to them :)

The ending was unexpected also, but I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Krystal Amora Book Reviews.
193 reviews13 followers
May 9, 2017
Surrendered Control by Anna Edwards
This is the first book I have read from Anna and it was a refreshing change. In the typical books that I read you start out with some girl who runs into some guy; boy gets girl. By the middle of the book something happens and boy loses girl. By the end boy has girl again HEA. NOT IN THIS SERIES!!!!!YES!!!!!
It was a refreshing read where the couple work through their insecurities and try to keep the relationship moving. Amy is a young woman whose parents were killed in an accident and is being taken care off by her uncle. We meet Amy when she is on vacation where she meets James. There is instant chemistry between these two and the night they have together is electric. Amy is a dancer in her uncle’s club but is naïve in what goes on there.
Meet James successful dominant man who owns his own development company. He is intrigued with Amy and has his body guard Matthew find her and learn everything about her. One night James decides to pay the club a visit and hire Amy for the night. This is where the story starts to get interesting and fast which by the way is in the first few chapters.
Amy learns about her uncle’s real business during this encounter with James at the club and he takes her away to his home. It is difficult to continue with any details on their relationship without giving away the twists and turns which make this story flow. There are secrets about his past James is hiding and hopes they will not destroy his chances with Amy. While Amy is trying to deal with the business she didn’t know her uncle was into.
The million-dollar question is do they end with a HEA? Excellent question and the answer is yes and no. Hahaha you will just need to read to find out why that is. What I will tell you is the book sets up nicely for the second book which I was eagerly needing to read.
If you are looking for a romance that has a dominant and a sub component; isn’t typical romance and gives you both HEA and not so much, then this twisted romance book is for you.
I highly recommend this series.
Profile Image for Delphine.
316 reviews
January 29, 2019
I had a few issues with this book.

Firstly, I didn't find the plot remotely plausible, and even though I am aware books are not real life, the premise simply didn't work for me.

The other major problem I had with this book was the sheer volume of editing / continuity / grammar errors and typos. It's up there. Disappointingly so. Sloppy, in fact.

In Chapter 1, she has honey-blond hair, which becomes strawberry-blond in Chapter 2, and then reverts to just 'blond' later on in the book. At one point, she goes to see a doctor and considers having her 'beasts' augmented. There are so many clangers that, to be honest, it ended up detracting from the plot. I would recommend that the author has an unfamiliar editor have another pass at the material to tidy it up, because it is letting her down at present.

The way I see it - if Sarah J Maas can write Kingdom of Ash and not have a single typo in 350,000 words, how can this be excused? It can't. Hence the low star rating. Apologies.

Will I read more by this author? Well, I downloaded book 1 from another series at the same time as this one, and I have paid for it - so, perhaps. But if I hadn't...probably not. Apologies again.
Profile Image for J.
4,063 reviews19 followers
February 28, 2022
This is book 1 in Edwards' Control series and be forewarned it ends in a cliffhanger - no HEA to be found here but plenty of control to be found in both our main characters Amy and James. Amy comes across as naïve and James is smitten from the very beginning and vows to do all he can to protect her. As the book progresses we discover what has our main characters broken, what secrets are being hidden and what dangers lurk around the corners. A thrilling read with an ending that will have you begging for more and wishing for a HEA - but also knowing and understanding where both are coming from. Narration was good - I thought the tone / pitch change for the different characters was a little more exaggerated than it needed to be but as the book progressed I became accustomed to the lilt of the narrators voice. Overall a job well done all around and I'm looking forward to listening to more in this series!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.
*this review is based on the audio version of this read
437 reviews6 followers
May 8, 2017
This is the debut novel by Anna Edwards and I found it captivating.

Amy loves to dance. She is an erotic dancer in her uncle's club.

Amy's uncle cares for her after the death of her parents and pays for her to take a break to Lanzarote. Whilst there she meets James.

James is dark and mysterious. After sleeping with her he runs out of her appartment and doesn't look back.

James and Amy meet again when he goes to the club to see her. Little does Amy know James isn't all he seemed and her life is about to be turned upside down. Can and should she trust him!!

Will the people she thought she could trust, betray her in the most imaginable ways?

Will she be able to save the person she loves or will she have to walk away to save herself?

I have downloaded the next book in the series straight away to see where this series will go.

I love James' bodyguard Matthew and I can not wait to see what the future also holds for him.
Profile Image for Biggs_bookshelf.
1,603 reviews27 followers
February 15, 2022
It’s so weird when you read so many books and you get a set of books that are by different authors, genres and themes and you end up being left with the same feeling. This one starts off with a bang. I fully expected a super dark and dirty read with tons of action. It skirts so many of those themes with out really truly committing. There’s a bdsm theme but it’s really more the idea of it instead of full fledged. Same goes with the alpha male with a broken past. The middle just falls flat with the repetitive we are in this together then not. Plus all the action of the first of the book goes on vacation till the last few chapters and then comes out swinging. The book does leave me wanting to pick up the next one but over all it’s just an eh read/listen for me. The narrators aren’t bad and it may have been the story but I wasn’t wowed by them nor was like disappointed either.
382 reviews14 followers
April 11, 2018
There are some books that you can’t put down, that stay with you long after you finish reading and leave you needing more. Surrendered Control is that type of book.

Anna Edwards does a masterful job at extracting every emotion possible from a reader. The character development and world development of this book is incredible. The journey and heartache of both main characters cannot adequately be described in a review; I can only say that this is one of the best books I’ve read. It had a true level of complexity between two people in a relationship that is rarely seen.

The path through this book was so addictive that I had to surrender control and finish it in one setting regardless of the fact I needed sleep. It was absolutely addictive and Anna Edwards is now on my favorite author list. I immediately bought book 2 because I need more. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Shan ~A~.
3,379 reviews65 followers
August 12, 2019
First of all there were contractions used in places that the shouldn't have been and it annoyed the deal out of me. Still, I didn't give up because I was curious about Any and James.

James was clearly hiding something from his past that he was ashamed of, and you can tell what ever it was made him ashamed of his nature.

Any had a deviant uncle who had been pulling the wool over her eyes, until the prospect of money came into the picture.

Wanting to know the outcome of both these things kept me engaged, plus I held hope that the thing that annoyed me wouldn't continue in other books in the series.
30 reviews3 followers
August 16, 2018
Surrender Control is my first book to read by Anna Edwards. I must say I fell in love with writing style and James and Amy. THE broken man James is and the naivie Amy brings the two people together and tries to fix each other. Meeting one and having a one night stand Amy never thought she would see him again but the twists and turns that happen he is there and saves her from someone she thought would never hurt her. Their journey is one that make you think how you would handle these emotions and brokeness. Looking forward to reading the second book to see where James and Amy goes
Profile Image for Molly.
19 reviews
October 22, 2021
Okay, yeah I gave it two stars. But hear me out. I know a starting book when I read one. Rough, new, learning. This book? Not the greatest. Not one I’ll read again. But I’m going to keep reading the series for a couple of reasons. As the book went on, the characters started to slowly grow. The author started stretching out and completing thoughts fully. I want to see where the characters and the author go from here. Everyone has a starting point. No one starts out as a great author. But they grow into one.
188 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2018
Enjoyable book, not too sure about the number of books in the series though....

This book was enjoyable but had several items that just didn't work for for me. For one, James is supposed to be this gorgeous worldly man, but he is also portrayed as an extremely vulnerable person. Amy, on the other hand, is supposed to be this innocent, naive young girl and she turns out to be extremely worldly. I am also, once again, not thrilled with the number of books in the series. All that said, I will probably read more of the books if they go on sale.
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,844 reviews20 followers
February 13, 2019
This was my first read by Anna Edwards and firstly I have to say that I found the writing "stiff" in places but it was a good read and as the authors debut book it didn't hold me back from reading it until the end.
Amy and James met in holiday and had no intention of seeing each other again but life had other plans bringing these two together again for some of the worst times of their life.
Billionaires.. liars .. cheats... twists.. love.. happiness... honesty.. this book has it all.
Profile Image for Mk.
108 reviews3 followers
Read
April 12, 2019
Hot hot hot

A very much great read, another author to add to my favorite reads. Excellent characters, love the fact that this is not a convoluted story, and the romance, honey yes yes yes. I loves me some good sex scenes. Perfect wording for the scenes and although sometimes the English was a bit different it was still easy to follow. I will definitely be reading more if her books in the future.
Profile Image for Adam Windsor.
Author 1 book5 followers
February 1, 2020
This is a clumsily written, emotionally empty, pro forma 'kinky' romance that runs on far-too-familiar rails to a destination that's halfway between stations because you have to buy book two if you actually want to finish the journey. Fortunately for me, I have no interest in doing so.

(Also, the author makes such frequent references to the female lead's "tiny fist(s)" that by the end of it, I was imagining her as about two feet tall).
Profile Image for Yoneidis.
2,149 reviews12 followers
July 21, 2025
It's not bad, but it didn't really catch my attention either.
Amy and James meet on vacation and have a passionate encounter that ends abruptly when James simply walks away. On their way back home, their paths cross again when James saves her from a dangerous situation.
It seemed like too much in a short time, I don't know. But at least it's entertaining to read, and it doesn't get boring either.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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