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The Enforcers #1
Maitrisée
« Aucun autre homme n’aura ce que tu me donnes, aucun autre homme ne sera capable de te donner ce que je te donne. Tu es mienne, et avant la fin de la nuit, tu sauras qui te possède, corps et âme. »
Et si le vice et la vertu étaient faits pour s’entendre ?
C’est ce que Drake voudrait croire lorsqu’il rencontre Evangeline. Cet homme séduisant est le propriétaire d’un club branché de New York. Un club dans lequel les gens viennent pour danser, et plus si affinités. Un club dans lequel Evangeline n’aurait jamais dû mettre les pieds. Même si son instinct lui dicte de fuir, la jeune femme ne peut rien contre l’attirance qu’elle éprouve pour Drake.
Et si le vice et la vertu étaient faits pour s’entendre ?
C’est ce que Drake voudrait croire lorsqu’il rencontre Evangeline. Cet homme séduisant est le propriétaire d’un club branché de New York. Un club dans lequel les gens viennent pour danser, et plus si affinités. Un club dans lequel Evangeline n’aurait jamais dû mettre les pieds. Même si son instinct lui dicte de fuir, la jeune femme ne peut rien contre l’attirance qu’elle éprouve pour Drake.
416 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2015
953 people are currently reading
6003 people want to read
About the author
Maya Banks
243 books21.5k followersMaya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 864 reviews
February 3, 2016
1 Star
This review is actually painful for me to write. Why? Because I used to love this author. I adored her Sweet series, and her early KGI series, so I know what she's capable of. This book? I felt like I was reading an entirely different author. I never thought I'd read a worse take on D/s than FSoG, but this took the cake. I kept reading in the hopes that it'll get better, and regretted that fully when I finished. Also the mere fact that the term of endearment; angel, is used almost 200 times had my eye twitching the entire time. Allow me to really break down my thought process here, and in doing so, this will contain spoilers. It can't be helped. Since I still can't form coherent thoughts on everything that didn't work for me, let's do this in the form of a quiz. I'll give you 2 scenarios along with my reaction and let you be the judge.
You're a special snowflake that's idealistic and super sweet. After holding on to your virginity until you finally gave to a "worthy man" who then proceeds to unceremoniously dump you, you're heartbroken. Your friends say the best thing to do is to dress up in your best duds, go to an exclusive club BY YOURSELF, and show him what he's missing.
Your reactions is:
A. Demean yourself thoroughly because you're nothing special and shouldn't have even tried to get a man, but go anyway.
B. Allow your girlfriends to dress you up and then go out drinking somewhere TOGETHER.
My reaction:
You go to said club and get accosted by your douchenozzle of an ex and borderline assaulted by him. The mysterious owner of the club (Drake) that saw all this on his monitors calls you up to his office and has his bodyguards come down to escort you.
You:
A. Go up there because you're completely subservient, see the owner and realize how hot he is and then allow him to go down on you on his desk barely a hot minute after entering his office.
B. Go up there then kindly thank the owner for his offer of cunnilingus but tell him you won't let him near your special oyster without at least knowing his medical clearance, spank you very much.
My reaction:
After the hot encounter, Drake demands to see you again but doesn't bother asking you. He tells you that you will be at his house tomorrow at 7. When you don't show up because you have to work, he sends his bodyguard to bring you to him after your shift ends at 4am.
You:
A. Go with them because it'd be rude not to.
B. Flip the guard the bird then proceed to your bed because it's freaking 4 am!
My reaction:
Drake tells you that he wants to be your lord and master your complete submission without doubt, question, or knowing fuck-all about him. He wants you to quit work, he will financially support your struggling parents, buy you a house and give you two million dollars. All after meeting him once.
Your reaction:
A. Put up a half-hearted attempt to argue but give in anyway because there's just something about the way he makes you feel.
B. Tell him you'll take his 2 mil and promise not to report his ass to the police.
My reaction:
YourLord and Master Drake has lots of bodyguards. They're all broody and intimidating, so you..
A. Make them cupcakes and make them all fall in love with you because you're such a speeshul snowflake and they can't help but fall for your self-depreciating, idealistic and naive ways.
B. Wonder what the hell it is that Drake does that he needs so many men guarding him.
My reaction:
I have none at this point because I give up.
Your best friends are (rightfully) concerned about your quick capitulation. After you drop everything including your home where you live with your roommates and your job, one of them visits you and proceeds to interrogate Drake and his intentions and threaten him to never hurt you. Your reaction is:
A. Dress them down because how dare they slightly insult one of the bodyguards you just met three minutes ago. And also, how dare they not be happy for you and question your questionable and naive decision making. How. Dare. They?!
B. Think that clearly you have badass friends and you had a moment of insanity then follow them home.
My reaction:
SPOILER ALERT
YourLord and Master Drake decides to bring in a total stranger to have sex with you while he watches because that's his will and he's convinced you'd enjoy it. You've never met or heard of this man.
You...
A. Hop on the bed and spread your legs while waxing poetically inside your mind about how wonderful Drake is and secretly enjoy the encounter.
B. Slap the shit out of Drake, kick the stranger in the balls and make a run for it.
My reaction:
You still have no clue about who Drake is, what he does for a living, or really any tiny detail about him. So you...
A. Give him your unwavering trust while telling him you hope to earn his eventually.
B. Begin to question shit because you're normal and not a speeshul snowflake.
My reaction:
Now if you answered mostly A, congratulations, you're the heroine. If that's something you can look past you'd likely enjoy the book. If you answered mostly B's, odds are this book will be painful for you to read. If you're me, by now you want to want to unread everything you just experienced.
Maya's characters have become almost caricatures of themselves as of late. They're either over the top, ridiculously domineering or bad ass, or they're speeshul snowflakes that are so idealistic and naive they make you want to peel your own skin off and throw it at something. Mastered is the perfect example of that. There was nothing hot about the hero. For me, there's a very clear line between sexy and dominant and plain old domineering and controlling. He wants to own the heroine minutes after meeting her and she's just dandy with that. And that's not even touching the ridiculous D/s element of their relationship. That's exactly the kind that gives other BDSM novels a bad name. As for the ending? I have no words. None. Will I be reading the next book? Hell no. That ending was enough to put me off this series. And as for this author? I think sadly it's time we broke up. I've loved her early work but none of her recent releases have been the same. I kept waiting for the same Maya Banks that I came to love in years past, but after 2 starring the last 3 books I read by her I think it's time to wave the white flag of defeat.
I apologize for my long winded review, but I couldn't help myself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to try to forget everything I just read...
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
This review is actually painful for me to write. Why? Because I used to love this author. I adored her Sweet series, and her early KGI series, so I know what she's capable of. This book? I felt like I was reading an entirely different author. I never thought I'd read a worse take on D/s than FSoG, but this took the cake. I kept reading in the hopes that it'll get better, and regretted that fully when I finished. Also the mere fact that the term of endearment; angel, is used almost 200 times had my eye twitching the entire time. Allow me to really break down my thought process here, and in doing so, this will contain spoilers. It can't be helped. Since I still can't form coherent thoughts on everything that didn't work for me, let's do this in the form of a quiz. I'll give you 2 scenarios along with my reaction and let you be the judge.
You're a special snowflake that's idealistic and super sweet. After holding on to your virginity until you finally gave to a "worthy man" who then proceeds to unceremoniously dump you, you're heartbroken. Your friends say the best thing to do is to dress up in your best duds, go to an exclusive club BY YOURSELF, and show him what he's missing.
Your reactions is:
A. Demean yourself thoroughly because you're nothing special and shouldn't have even tried to get a man, but go anyway.
B. Allow your girlfriends to dress you up and then go out drinking somewhere TOGETHER.
My reaction:
You go to said club and get accosted by your douchenozzle of an ex and borderline assaulted by him. The mysterious owner of the club (Drake) that saw all this on his monitors calls you up to his office and has his bodyguards come down to escort you.
You:
A. Go up there because you're completely subservient, see the owner and realize how hot he is and then allow him to go down on you on his desk barely a hot minute after entering his office.
B. Go up there then kindly thank the owner for his offer of cunnilingus but tell him you won't let him near your special oyster without at least knowing his medical clearance, spank you very much.
My reaction:
After the hot encounter, Drake demands to see you again but doesn't bother asking you. He tells you that you will be at his house tomorrow at 7. When you don't show up because you have to work, he sends his bodyguard to bring you to him after your shift ends at 4am.
You:
A. Go with them because it'd be rude not to.
B. Flip the guard the bird then proceed to your bed because it's freaking 4 am!
My reaction:
Drake tells you that he wants
Your reaction:
A. Put up a half-hearted attempt to argue but give in anyway because there's just something about the way he makes you feel.
B. Tell him you'll take his 2 mil and promise not to report his ass to the police.
My reaction:
Your
A. Make them cupcakes and make them all fall in love with you because you're such a speeshul snowflake and they can't help but fall for your self-depreciating, idealistic and naive ways.
B. Wonder what the hell it is that Drake does that he needs so many men guarding him.
My reaction:
I have none at this point because I give up.
Your best friends are (rightfully) concerned about your quick capitulation. After you drop everything including your home where you live with your roommates and your job, one of them visits you and proceeds to interrogate Drake and his intentions and threaten him to never hurt you. Your reaction is:
A. Dress them down because how dare they slightly insult one of the bodyguards you just met three minutes ago. And also, how dare they not be happy for you and question your questionable and naive decision making. How. Dare. They?!
B. Think that clearly you have badass friends and you had a moment of insanity then follow them home.
My reaction:
SPOILER ALERT
Your
You...
A. Hop on the bed and spread your legs while waxing poetically inside your mind about how wonderful Drake is and secretly enjoy the encounter.
B. Slap the shit out of Drake, kick the stranger in the balls and make a run for it.
My reaction:
You still have no clue about who Drake is, what he does for a living, or really any tiny detail about him. So you...
A. Give him your unwavering trust while telling him you hope to earn his eventually.
B. Begin to question shit because you're normal and not a speeshul snowflake.
My reaction:
Now if you answered mostly A, congratulations, you're the heroine. If that's something you can look past you'd likely enjoy the book. If you answered mostly B's, odds are this book will be painful for you to read. If you're me, by now you want to want to unread everything you just experienced.
Maya's characters have become almost caricatures of themselves as of late. They're either over the top, ridiculously domineering or bad ass, or they're speeshul snowflakes that are so idealistic and naive they make you want to peel your own skin off and throw it at something. Mastered is the perfect example of that. There was nothing hot about the hero. For me, there's a very clear line between sexy and dominant and plain old domineering and controlling. He wants to own the heroine minutes after meeting her and she's just dandy with that. And that's not even touching the ridiculous D/s element of their relationship. That's exactly the kind that gives other BDSM novels a bad name. As for the ending? I have no words. None. Will I be reading the next book? Hell no. That ending was enough to put me off this series. And as for this author? I think sadly it's time we broke up. I've loved her early work but none of her recent releases have been the same. I kept waiting for the same Maya Banks that I came to love in years past, but after 2 starring the last 3 books I read by her I think it's time to wave the white flag of defeat.
I apologize for my long winded review, but I couldn't help myself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to try to forget everything I just read...
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
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October 5, 2022self care is a dnf
January 1, 2016
DNF @ 59%
There were so many things wrong with this book I don't even know where to start...
There were so many things wrong with this book I don't even know where to start...
December 31, 2015
Title: Mastered
Series: The Enforcers, #1
Author: Maya Banks
Release date: 29th December, 2015
Cliffhanger: Yes
HEA:
Have you ever read a book that has forced you to drink? Well, after a few chapters it quickly became apparent to me there was no way I'd be completing this sober.
It's been a while since I've read a book that that had next to no redeeming qualities. What I pegged would be a romance between a powerful, protective dominant and a sweet, endearing heroine instead was an eyeball-rolling, ereader-throwing, binge-drinking affair.
On paper Evangeline possess some of the traits I adore in females on my “kick-ass Heroines” shelf; She’s from a humble background, she’s hardworking & she puts the needs of her family before her own.
In reality however, she had to be one of the most fickle, insecure, irritating heroines I've ever come across. It didn't help that every male that came within sniffing distance of her seemed to fall under her rapture. They immediately seemed enamoured by her innocence and charm. The problem I found however is that I was at a loss to what they all seemed beguiled by. Quite simply put, I found her extremely foolish.
“You need a keeper. Someone to take care of you for once in your life. You’re moving in with me."
Suffice to say I wasn't a fan of Drake either. It always perplexes me when a character is hugely successful in their professional life but can't seem to transfer those skills to their personal one. I found Drake to be high-handed and an utter turn off.
For the sake of my liver I'll wisely bow out of the series now. I found myself too
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February 25, 2018
This heroine was just unforgivably annoying. She deserved that ending.
December 29, 2015
Genre: Erotica
Type: Book 1 of The Enforcers series
POV: Third Person
Rating:
Drake Donovan was a successful businessman. One of his many ventures was a nightclub called Impulse where only people with the right look and the right connection would ever allowed in. Being successful meant never showing weakness and he never did until an impressionable young woman stepped into his club.
Evangeline Hawthorn was not supposed to be there, but a push by her best friends brought her to Impulse, only to be humiliated by an unexpected turn of event. It brought her face to face with the commanding Drake, and sucked into his world headfirst without completely realizing what she signed up for.
What first attracted me to this book was the BDSM element – the promise of dominance and submission, discovering their limits and pushing boundaries. There were plenty of instances where one character venturing into new territory, but it was lighter on the BDSM side.
Evangeline was sheltered and innocent. Her mentality seems younger than her actual age. However, she was matured in the sense of responsibility, working hard to make sure she provided for her family. I respect that part of her, but the most part she was too meek for my liking.
Drake was always in control in every aspect of his life, but he wasn’t a tyrant. He was open and understanding to the needs of not only her, but the people around him in general.
As mentioned, the BDSM elements was a little too tame. There were hardly anything that pushed either of their limits much. But thank god for the “Manuel scene”. I’d say it saved the day haha!
Story wise, if you like books about hot successful mogul and their young impressionable ladies, this one would appeal to you. Personally, I think it was an overused trope and it needed something more to keep it fresh and engaging.
One major problem I had with this book was the pace and length. For a book of this length I thought we would have a complete story. Unfortunately now it has become a two-part book of a standalone series.
I think everything could have been compressed and fit into one book because the story lacked arc. It plateaued from about the moment they agreed to be together until almost the very end. The (cliffhanger) ending was actually pretty good. The overall would have been better if the journey towards there was tightened.
Note:
I love Silas. I hope he is still getting his own book because I am intrigued by his story. In fact, I like all of the secondary characters in this book because they added dimension to the book.
Books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Book 1 of The Enforcers series
POV: Third Person
Rating:
Drake Donovan was a successful businessman. One of his many ventures was a nightclub called Impulse where only people with the right look and the right connection would ever allowed in. Being successful meant never showing weakness and he never did until an impressionable young woman stepped into his club.
Evangeline Hawthorn was not supposed to be there, but a push by her best friends brought her to Impulse, only to be humiliated by an unexpected turn of event. It brought her face to face with the commanding Drake, and sucked into his world headfirst without completely realizing what she signed up for.
What first attracted me to this book was the BDSM element – the promise of dominance and submission, discovering their limits and pushing boundaries. There were plenty of instances where one character venturing into new territory, but it was lighter on the BDSM side.
She was dizzy, balancing on the razor’s edge between pain and pleasure, and Drake was apparently an expert in knowing a woman’s limits.
Evangeline was sheltered and innocent. Her mentality seems younger than her actual age. However, she was matured in the sense of responsibility, working hard to make sure she provided for her family. I respect that part of her, but the most part she was too meek for my liking.
Drake was always in control in every aspect of his life, but he wasn’t a tyrant. He was open and understanding to the needs of not only her, but the people around him in general.
As mentioned, the BDSM elements was a little too tame. There were hardly anything that pushed either of their limits much. But thank god for the “Manuel scene”. I’d say it saved the day haha!
Evangeline was innocent, naïve, sweet to her bones and as genuine as they came.
Story wise, if you like books about hot successful mogul and their young impressionable ladies, this one would appeal to you. Personally, I think it was an overused trope and it needed something more to keep it fresh and engaging.
One major problem I had with this book was the pace and length. For a book of this length I thought we would have a complete story. Unfortunately now it has become a two-part book of a standalone series.
I think everything could have been compressed and fit into one book because the story lacked arc. It plateaued from about the moment they agreed to be together until almost the very end. The (cliffhanger) ending was actually pretty good. The overall would have been better if the journey towards there was tightened.
Note:
I love Silas. I hope he is still getting his own book because I am intrigued by his story. In fact, I like all of the secondary characters in this book because they added dimension to the book.
Books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
December 7, 2015
Evangeline has just been dumped and humiliated by her boyfriend. To make matters worse he breaks up with her and criticizes her after taking her virginity. Her friends offer her a VIP pass to the hottest club in NYC, Impulse, and concoct a plan for her to run into her ex looking perfect, so he can realize what he is missing. Like all good plans they don’t exactly workout as perfectly and instead of begging for forgiveness he attacks her.
Drake is a successful business man and owner of Impulse, he is immediately drawn to Evangeline. She is beautiful, but way too innocent to be in a club like Impulse. Since she already has his attention he watches Evangeline’s ex and immediately intervenes. After saving and interacting with Evangeline, Drake decides he wants Evangeline as a submissive.
Evangeline is completely clueless to this world, but decides to give Drake a chance, to do something for herself and live a little. I don’t care how many times this plot line is run there is something about these stories I just love. While I did enjoy Mastered I didn’t love it like I usually do. I am not sure if it is just timing or me, but Evangeline was so weak throughout the majority of the story.
Drake was this domineering force in the beginning, but when it came to Evangeline he was constantly cowering to her. Don’t get me wrong it is a fantastic trait in a character, but it just didn’t fit with the idea I had in my head. I felt like Drake would act on something, then had to constantly explain and reassure Evangeline.
Obviously I enjoyed Mastered and I am very eager for the rest of their story, but when you go into a story expecting one thing and get another it just throws you off sometimes. This is one of those cases and I am sure other readers will not be as distracted by these things.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Drake is a successful business man and owner of Impulse, he is immediately drawn to Evangeline. She is beautiful, but way too innocent to be in a club like Impulse. Since she already has his attention he watches Evangeline’s ex and immediately intervenes. After saving and interacting with Evangeline, Drake decides he wants Evangeline as a submissive.
Evangeline is completely clueless to this world, but decides to give Drake a chance, to do something for herself and live a little. I don’t care how many times this plot line is run there is something about these stories I just love. While I did enjoy Mastered I didn’t love it like I usually do. I am not sure if it is just timing or me, but Evangeline was so weak throughout the majority of the story.
Drake was this domineering force in the beginning, but when it came to Evangeline he was constantly cowering to her. Don’t get me wrong it is a fantastic trait in a character, but it just didn’t fit with the idea I had in my head. I felt like Drake would act on something, then had to constantly explain and reassure Evangeline.
Obviously I enjoyed Mastered and I am very eager for the rest of their story, but when you go into a story expecting one thing and get another it just throws you off sometimes. This is one of those cases and I am sure other readers will not be as distracted by these things.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2015
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
“He tasted —and smelled— divine. Hot, alpha, badass male. Arrogant. Confident. And so yummy looking she couldn’t fathom that she was standing in his office while he was thoroughly kissing her in a way she’d never been kissed before.”
It's no secret that I am Maya Banks fan ever since I read her Breathless Trilogy. I was so excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on Mastered and meet Drake Donovan. While I know there are some mixed reviews on this book, I happen to agree that yes there were scenes that had me questioning the heroine's judgement and how realistic the story is BUT I did happen to find the story entertaining, sexy, hot, and suspenseful.
Evangeline is a good girl from a small town, who moved to New York in order to financially support her parents, whom are not able to support themselves due to their health and circumstances. Evangeline's life consist of work, work, and more work. So with a non-existent social life, she has her guards up. But when she finally decided to take a chance on dating, she was humiliated when her boyfriend dumped her right after she gave him her virginity. So when her friends decide it was time for Evangeline to let loose and show her ex-boyfriend what he had lost, Evangeline never expected her one night at VIP exclusive club in NYC will lead her to Drake Donovan.
“The price is you. All of you. I’ll own you. Every inch of you. I’m a man who is always in control of everything in my world. My world, my rules. And you have to play by my rules. I especially demand control when it comes to the women in my bed. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Drake Donovan is your sexy, very dominant and controlling alpha male. He likes things to be done with order and precision. So when Evangeline catches his eye, he wants her and won't stop till he claims her. Instantly, he takes control of Evangeline's life. He moved her into his apartment, provides for her financially, and has her monitored 24/7. Suddenly, Evangeline's whole world is shaken when she instantly trust Drake to take care of her.
“I do, Drake. God help me, but I do. I feel safe with you. I’ve never felt so safe in my life.”
Drake and Evangeline instantly falls into this "relationship" that was insta-lust and insta-trust. Drake made it known to Evangeline that she must obey his orders and in such he would provide for her financially and open her sexually. Their relationship is very one-sided in such that Drake holds all the power and Evangeline is swept up in this whirlwind of money and obeying and trusting Drake. Evangeline doesn't know what to make of this new found relationship because she was so used to providing for herself. Little by little, we see Drake stripped down Evangeline and parts of the old Evangeline gets lost as she tries to submit and let Drake take over. But what happens when Drake destroys the trust that Evangeline had for him? Can Evangeline go back to the man who made her feel like just a property?
“I only meant that our lovemaking won’t always be as it was tonight. I enjoy a variety of methods of sex. Rough, soft, hard, sweet. Bondage, spanking, you at my complete mercy, me in control at all times. I enjoy kink. I like the idea of my woman being available to me at all times. ”
Mastered may not be the book for everyone since the heroine is not very strong but I feel confident that Maya Banks will showcase a new strong Evangeline in the second book. While the sex scenes were hot, there were some scenes that had me on the fence since I wasn't expecting it. But other than that, I really enjoyed reading Mastered and getting to know the secondary cast of characters, whom will I assume play an integral part to the storyline. The writing as always was sexy and addicting. I wanted to know more about Drake Donovan and his business. I will just say the last 20% will definitely have readers devouring the book so fast and that cliffhanger ending had me intrigued and I can't wait to see what awaits for Evangeline and Drake.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Maya Banks
“He tasted —and smelled— divine. Hot, alpha, badass male. Arrogant. Confident. And so yummy looking she couldn’t fathom that she was standing in his office while he was thoroughly kissing her in a way she’d never been kissed before.”
It's no secret that I am Maya Banks fan ever since I read her Breathless Trilogy. I was so excited and couldn't wait to get my hands on Mastered and meet Drake Donovan. While I know there are some mixed reviews on this book, I happen to agree that yes there were scenes that had me questioning the heroine's judgement and how realistic the story is BUT I did happen to find the story entertaining, sexy, hot, and suspenseful.
Evangeline is a good girl from a small town, who moved to New York in order to financially support her parents, whom are not able to support themselves due to their health and circumstances. Evangeline's life consist of work, work, and more work. So with a non-existent social life, she has her guards up. But when she finally decided to take a chance on dating, she was humiliated when her boyfriend dumped her right after she gave him her virginity. So when her friends decide it was time for Evangeline to let loose and show her ex-boyfriend what he had lost, Evangeline never expected her one night at VIP exclusive club in NYC will lead her to Drake Donovan.
“The price is you. All of you. I’ll own you. Every inch of you. I’m a man who is always in control of everything in my world. My world, my rules. And you have to play by my rules. I especially demand control when it comes to the women in my bed. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Drake Donovan is your sexy, very dominant and controlling alpha male. He likes things to be done with order and precision. So when Evangeline catches his eye, he wants her and won't stop till he claims her. Instantly, he takes control of Evangeline's life. He moved her into his apartment, provides for her financially, and has her monitored 24/7. Suddenly, Evangeline's whole world is shaken when she instantly trust Drake to take care of her.
“I do, Drake. God help me, but I do. I feel safe with you. I’ve never felt so safe in my life.”
Drake and Evangeline instantly falls into this "relationship" that was insta-lust and insta-trust. Drake made it known to Evangeline that she must obey his orders and in such he would provide for her financially and open her sexually. Their relationship is very one-sided in such that Drake holds all the power and Evangeline is swept up in this whirlwind of money and obeying and trusting Drake. Evangeline doesn't know what to make of this new found relationship because she was so used to providing for herself. Little by little, we see Drake stripped down Evangeline and parts of the old Evangeline gets lost as she tries to submit and let Drake take over. But what happens when Drake destroys the trust that Evangeline had for him? Can Evangeline go back to the man who made her feel like just a property?
“I only meant that our lovemaking won’t always be as it was tonight. I enjoy a variety of methods of sex. Rough, soft, hard, sweet. Bondage, spanking, you at my complete mercy, me in control at all times. I enjoy kink. I like the idea of my woman being available to me at all times. ”
Mastered may not be the book for everyone since the heroine is not very strong but I feel confident that Maya Banks will showcase a new strong Evangeline in the second book. While the sex scenes were hot, there were some scenes that had me on the fence since I wasn't expecting it. But other than that, I really enjoyed reading Mastered and getting to know the secondary cast of characters, whom will I assume play an integral part to the storyline. The writing as always was sexy and addicting. I wanted to know more about Drake Donovan and his business. I will just say the last 20% will definitely have readers devouring the book so fast and that cliffhanger ending had me intrigued and I can't wait to see what awaits for Evangeline and Drake.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Maya Banks
December 17, 2016
I am a big fan of Maya Banks but this book was really disappointing, it was just so predictable, boring and yet another over done dominant, Alpha male Billionaire Drake Donovan with his sexy side kicks Maddox, Silas, justice and Zander who always gets what he wants and he wants Evangeline an innocent country girl who moved to the big city to work in a bar to support her sick parents back home. Evangeline's character is a boring air head and Drake wants to mold her into his sex slave, you would get more out of having a tooth pulled at the dentist than this book. Narrated by the sexy voice of Jeremy York and even his talent couldn't save this.
August 21, 2019
Spoilers ahead
Evangeline is pursuaded by her best friends to use the one VIP pass that they have to go to the club. Her boyfriend had cruelly ended their relationship shortly after taking her virginity and she was encouraged to have a night out, the confrontation with her ex didn't go well as he said hateful and mean things to her and got physical, Evangeline was saved by the security of the club and led back to meet the owner.
Drake has risen from a tough childhood to being a successful businessman, from the moment Evangeline stepped into his club she captured his attention and he's determined to have her.
Ok soooooooo 😂
1) the writing style was simplistic and ridiculous
2) Evangeline was described as the sweetest, kindest most gentle woman EVER but really she was a tearful doormat with zero self confidence. She let's Drake go down on her at their first encounter and when she defied him when he sent his guy for her I was proud of her backbone......until she met him and suffered brain melt. Within the blink of an eye she agrees to be his submissive and move into his apartment. She very very frequently asked him why he'd be interested in little old her, after all she was nothing special.....over and over and over again! She was annoying as hell!
3)The expected dominance and maybe BDSM was a joke.
4)Drake brought another man into their bed without prior discussion or consent but when he introduced him the brainless twit was all for it as she would do ANYTHING for Drake. Drake controlled the scene and Evangeline and the man had anal sex i Believe it was
5) in addition to being Sweet and cute and adorable and kind and a tigress in defense of Drake and his men she was also an excellent cook and Baker. All the guys fell under her spell
6) Her best friends turned into jealous bitches and disappeared into the woodwork
7) She decided to surprise Drake and play hostess for a meeting he was having at home. Drake has arranged for her not to be home but she wanted to be helpful. Only these guys were not good guys and would've spread the word that big bad Drake now had a weakness and Evangeline would've been used against him. To avoid this Drake had to convince these men and Evangeline meant nothing to him......how did he accomplish this? By fucking her face and calling her filthy filthy names in front of the men. This was just for show so he wasn't aroused or anything like that but he absolutely and thoroughly humiliated her. He left to conduct his meeting elsewhere and finally! in a show of backbone and strength Evangeline destroys the meal sjed cooked fot him as well the wine. When Drake returns she's gone
8)The sexy times sucked
9) Cliffhanger
Do I recommend? Fuck No!!!!!!!!!!!
Evangeline is pursuaded by her best friends to use the one VIP pass that they have to go to the club. Her boyfriend had cruelly ended their relationship shortly after taking her virginity and she was encouraged to have a night out, the confrontation with her ex didn't go well as he said hateful and mean things to her and got physical, Evangeline was saved by the security of the club and led back to meet the owner.
Drake has risen from a tough childhood to being a successful businessman, from the moment Evangeline stepped into his club she captured his attention and he's determined to have her.
Ok soooooooo 😂
1) the writing style was simplistic and ridiculous
2) Evangeline was described as the sweetest, kindest most gentle woman EVER but really she was a tearful doormat with zero self confidence. She let's Drake go down on her at their first encounter and when she defied him when he sent his guy for her I was proud of her backbone......until she met him and suffered brain melt. Within the blink of an eye she agrees to be his submissive and move into his apartment. She very very frequently asked him why he'd be interested in little old her, after all she was nothing special.....over and over and over again! She was annoying as hell!
3)The expected dominance and maybe BDSM was a joke.
4)Drake brought another man into their bed without prior discussion or consent but when he introduced him the brainless twit was all for it as she would do ANYTHING for Drake. Drake controlled the scene and Evangeline and the man had anal sex i Believe it was
5) in addition to being Sweet and cute and adorable and kind and a tigress in defense of Drake and his men she was also an excellent cook and Baker. All the guys fell under her spell
6) Her best friends turned into jealous bitches and disappeared into the woodwork
7) She decided to surprise Drake and play hostess for a meeting he was having at home. Drake has arranged for her not to be home but she wanted to be helpful. Only these guys were not good guys and would've spread the word that big bad Drake now had a weakness and Evangeline would've been used against him. To avoid this Drake had to convince these men and Evangeline meant nothing to him......how did he accomplish this? By fucking her face and calling her filthy filthy names in front of the men. This was just for show so he wasn't aroused or anything like that but he absolutely and thoroughly humiliated her. He left to conduct his meeting elsewhere and finally! in a show of backbone and strength Evangeline destroys the meal sjed cooked fot him as well the wine. When Drake returns she's gone
8)The sexy times sucked
9) Cliffhanger
Do I recommend? Fuck No!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7, 2016
This is a cruel prank right??? Someone please tell me that Maya Banks did not write this...I refuse to believe it!!!
I have read almost every single book that she has written, the Breathless series numerous times! I refuse to accept that she could write such a horrible book, horrible!!
So below her standard of writing that I don't even know what to say...
The book was complete filler with not an ounce of substance! Way too far fetched to the point of serious eye rolling, too many characters to follow because of the bad writing, I could go on and on...Does anyone even know a single thing about Drake besides him owning a night club and possibly being a "bad guy"?????? Not me and the book was over 300 pages!!
I swear it was like reading a first time author who was giving this "genre" the ole' college try...
Any true Maya Banks fan will feel the same way, it's impossible not to!
So do yourself a favor, if you are a true fan of her work, spare yourself the major disappoint you will feel after you've paid $10 to read such a horrible book!
Sorry to be so harsh but there are few authors out there that you can count on writing amazing books and Maya Banks was one of them...until now
I have read almost every single book that she has written, the Breathless series numerous times! I refuse to accept that she could write such a horrible book, horrible!!
So below her standard of writing that I don't even know what to say...
The book was complete filler with not an ounce of substance! Way too far fetched to the point of serious eye rolling, too many characters to follow because of the bad writing, I could go on and on...Does anyone even know a single thing about Drake besides him owning a night club and possibly being a "bad guy"?????? Not me and the book was over 300 pages!!
I swear it was like reading a first time author who was giving this "genre" the ole' college try...
Any true Maya Banks fan will feel the same way, it's impossible not to!
So do yourself a favor, if you are a true fan of her work, spare yourself the major disappoint you will feel after you've paid $10 to read such a horrible book!
Sorry to be so harsh but there are few authors out there that you can count on writing amazing books and Maya Banks was one of them...until now
Read
January 1, 2016Not at all what I was expecting. Unable to rate as so disappointed!
May 3, 2016
Sadly disappointed. Once upon a time I was addicted to everything Maya Banks. The Sweet series, KGI, Breathless and so many more. She's a hell of a gifted writer, her talents shouldn't be ignored but Masted wasn't my cup of tea. Highly doubt I'll continue with the next in the series. But you may feel differently...happy reading!
October 4, 2016
La novela erótica es un género que suelo leer muy a menudo. Me gusta porque tienen tramas sencillas y hacen que devores las páginas.
Con Sometida debuto con Maya Banks, autora con gran fama en la novela erótica.
Evangeline no lo está pasando bien. Tiene el corazón hecho pedazos tras una mala experiencia con su ex-novio Eddie, el cuál la humilló y la hizo sentirse insegura. Por si eso fuera poco, se ve obligada a trabajar todo lo posible para ayudar económicamente a sus padres, quienes sufren diferentes dolencias que los hacen ser dependientes.
Para tratar de animarla, sus amigas la consiguen un pase VIP a la lujosa discoteca de moda de la ciudad.
Evangeline se siente como un pez fuera del agua en ese ambiente por lo que trata de huir por la puerta de atrás, pero se topa con una situación complicada en la que intervienen un grupo de hombretones fuertes, tatuados y con cara de muy malas pulgas.
El jefe de la panda misteriosa no es otro que el propietario del local, Drake Donovan. Un hombre frío, peligroso y dominante capaz de manejar a todos a su antojo.
Pero si hay algo para lo que este hombre no está preparado es para la dulzura, inocencia y generosidad de Evangeline. Para él es un ángel caído del cielo enviado para salvarlo, y estará dispuesto a mover cielo y tierra para asesorarla y protegerla.
"Pero lo último que dijo su padre inquietó a Drake que, por regla general, se mostraba imperturbable. El hombre le había contado que Evangeline era introvertida, que huía de las relaciones y que no era consciente de su capacidad de atracción. Sin embargo, cuando amaba, amaba con toda el alma y el corazón; no había mujer más leal con el hombre al que amaba. Y que si Drake acababa siendo ese hombre, sería el más afortunado del mundo"
Como veis es un argumento un poco sobreexplotado en novela erótica, pero Maya Banks sabe darle una visión diferente y original. Su estilo directo se basa en una narración entremezclada de los diferentes pensamientos de los personajes.
Evangeline sufre una clara evolución a lo largo del libro, pasa de ser tímida y reservada a ser un diamante en bruto que resplandece. Tiene genio y carácter, y sale a defender con uñas y dientes a quienes quiere y aprecia. Cualidad que admiran los hombres de Drake, quienes la consideran así como una mamá gallina. Y tengo que admitir que tengo ganas de leer la historia de Silas y Maddox.
Drake es el causante de ese cambio en Evangeline, pero él mismo también se transforma. Pasa de ser frío y reservado a tener un aire más humano. Nos deja entrever un pasado oscuro y solitario, que es la justificación de su caparazón.
El final del libro es de infarto y muy dramático. Tengo muchas ganas de descubrir que negocios oscuros y peligrosos se traen entre manos estos hombretones y cómo terminará la historia de Drake y Evangeline.
Con Sometida debuto con Maya Banks, autora con gran fama en la novela erótica.
Evangeline no lo está pasando bien. Tiene el corazón hecho pedazos tras una mala experiencia con su ex-novio Eddie, el cuál la humilló y la hizo sentirse insegura. Por si eso fuera poco, se ve obligada a trabajar todo lo posible para ayudar económicamente a sus padres, quienes sufren diferentes dolencias que los hacen ser dependientes.
Para tratar de animarla, sus amigas la consiguen un pase VIP a la lujosa discoteca de moda de la ciudad.
Evangeline se siente como un pez fuera del agua en ese ambiente por lo que trata de huir por la puerta de atrás, pero se topa con una situación complicada en la que intervienen un grupo de hombretones fuertes, tatuados y con cara de muy malas pulgas.
El jefe de la panda misteriosa no es otro que el propietario del local, Drake Donovan. Un hombre frío, peligroso y dominante capaz de manejar a todos a su antojo.
Pero si hay algo para lo que este hombre no está preparado es para la dulzura, inocencia y generosidad de Evangeline. Para él es un ángel caído del cielo enviado para salvarlo, y estará dispuesto a mover cielo y tierra para asesorarla y protegerla.
"Pero lo último que dijo su padre inquietó a Drake que, por regla general, se mostraba imperturbable. El hombre le había contado que Evangeline era introvertida, que huía de las relaciones y que no era consciente de su capacidad de atracción. Sin embargo, cuando amaba, amaba con toda el alma y el corazón; no había mujer más leal con el hombre al que amaba. Y que si Drake acababa siendo ese hombre, sería el más afortunado del mundo"
Como veis es un argumento un poco sobreexplotado en novela erótica, pero Maya Banks sabe darle una visión diferente y original. Su estilo directo se basa en una narración entremezclada de los diferentes pensamientos de los personajes.
Evangeline sufre una clara evolución a lo largo del libro, pasa de ser tímida y reservada a ser un diamante en bruto que resplandece. Tiene genio y carácter, y sale a defender con uñas y dientes a quienes quiere y aprecia. Cualidad que admiran los hombres de Drake, quienes la consideran así como una mamá gallina. Y tengo que admitir que tengo ganas de leer la historia de Silas y Maddox.
Drake es el causante de ese cambio en Evangeline, pero él mismo también se transforma. Pasa de ser frío y reservado a tener un aire más humano. Nos deja entrever un pasado oscuro y solitario, que es la justificación de su caparazón.
El final del libro es de infarto y muy dramático. Tengo muchas ganas de descubrir que negocios oscuros y peligrosos se traen entre manos estos hombretones y cómo terminará la historia de Drake y Evangeline.
June 6, 2024
this was a big disappointment.
April 13, 2016
23-year-old Evangeline is your typical shy, innocent, almost-virgin.
Her idiot ex Eddie dumped her cruelly after telling her she totally sucks in bed...and not in a good way.
Her friends/room-mates want her to win back some confidence - to show Eddie what he threw away - so they send her to the in-club in Manhattan IMPULSE --- a club owned by Drake Donovan!
Drake.
He's your typical dominant, dark, hottie millionaire.
He doesn't have time for girlfriends, or love or any other stupid shit.
He controls his life 100 percent. In and out of the bedroom.
As soon as Evangeline entered his club, his eyes were on her.
And once her ex Eddie started making a scene, hurting Evangeline, Drake sent his security team to get rid of him. And to bring this gorgeous girl to him.
He's fascinated.
She doesn't belong in his world. But he wants to make her his.
And even though the night ends very sexy, Evangeline will not just stop her life and be his 'Angel' from now on...or will she??
Can she give up her life, stop working to support her sick parents, and just be this hot guy's plaything?
Or does Drake want more than just someone available for sex 24/7???
What will happen to Evangeline & Drake?
Will there be a HEA?
Will there be a horrible Cliffy??
Will everybody survive???
═════════════════════════════════
I really enjoyed the story.
It was nothing new of course.
(And if I remember correctly, Maya wrote kind of the same stories in her Breathless series??)
The dominant guy - the poor innocent girl.
BUT - those are the stories we love. The cinderalla romances.
And even though there were some pretty unbelievable/weird moments in MASTERED for me - I still enjoyed it. I wanted to know if Drake and his Angel would get their HEA at the end... well - the end of the series... we still won't know after this book :/ #Cliffy
What's been a problem for me with Maya's books for a few years now.... she just writes too many words.
She does horrible redundant repeats. When she lets people talk or think, it can add up to half a page for one thought or argument, that's just too long - it would be ok if it was important stuff they're saying, but most of that is repetition and unnecassary stuff. I don't know why Maya doesn't have an editor who's really good at his job and is willing to cut some of the redundant words??? Please someone DO THAT for the next books.
(The last KGI book I read - Hancock's story - I was sooo looking forward to it, but couldn't read it - I only read the conversations so that I knew what was happening - why make a 600 pages book, when you can say the same - and better - in 400 pages??)
Also - the way they talk in this book - it felt a bit like they time-traveled from 1800 England.
Maya uses very weird and so horribly dictionary-ish senctences. I didn't like that at all. I hope you'll know what I mean when you read it. I can't really express what I mean extactly ☺
BUT.... to my surprise....
Mastered was a really erotic and moving and funny and adorable book in a series about a very rich, mysterious, dominant millionaire hottie and his innocent Angel. If you love erotic Cinderella Romances - GO AND BUY IT!!!!
Now hurry Maya, I need to know what will happen in book #2 ☺
December 2, 2015
On the fence, between 3 and 4 stars.
OMG I have so much to say about this book that I'm not even sure where to start.
Overall I enjoyed this book but there were a bunch of little things that bugged me. I'll start with the biggies of the little things first. This book isn't quite insta-love but it's more like insta-trust and insta-compliance and it just wasn't realistic to me. Then there's anal play and that's not the issue, but the scene in which it occurs had me asking a lot of questions. I buddy read this book with a fellow blogger, and she was scratching her head and asking the same questions. It was just not very realistic for me. Finally some word choices the author used were a big repetitive and it stuck out for me.
Even though the couple had a bit of "insta" going on, I was still drawn into their story and wanted to learn more about them. The beginning is slow moving and some things could've been condensed but still they grabbed me and I wanted to see where things went.
Evangeline is a small town girl that moved to New York City to help her mom and dad. Her dad is disabled and her mom has to take care of him so Evangeline moved to NY to earn more money. She works long hours in a bar and sends all she can home. She recently had some guy trouble and her girlfriends get her a VIP pass to a very exclusive club that this ex-boyfriend frequents. The plan was to show him she's over him, but that plan doesn't really work out. Things go very wrong for her.
Drake is a rich business man who has his fingers in all types of business (and not all is above board). Evangeline catches his eye while she's in his club and he sends a bodyguard to get her and that's when things move quite fast.
The last 15% starts to really move and then boom cliff and I'm like WTF! I sort of knew when there were soooo many questions still unresolved so now I'll sit and pout ;) until book 2 is on my kindle! (And I will read the next book.)
OMG I have so much to say about this book that I'm not even sure where to start.
Overall I enjoyed this book but there were a bunch of little things that bugged me. I'll start with the biggies of the little things first. This book isn't quite insta-love but it's more like insta-trust and insta-compliance and it just wasn't realistic to me. Then there's anal play and that's not the issue, but the scene in which it occurs had me asking a lot of questions. I buddy read this book with a fellow blogger, and she was scratching her head and asking the same questions. It was just not very realistic for me. Finally some word choices the author used were a big repetitive and it stuck out for me.
Even though the couple had a bit of "insta" going on, I was still drawn into their story and wanted to learn more about them. The beginning is slow moving and some things could've been condensed but still they grabbed me and I wanted to see where things went.
Evangeline is a small town girl that moved to New York City to help her mom and dad. Her dad is disabled and her mom has to take care of him so Evangeline moved to NY to earn more money. She works long hours in a bar and sends all she can home. She recently had some guy trouble and her girlfriends get her a VIP pass to a very exclusive club that this ex-boyfriend frequents. The plan was to show him she's over him, but that plan doesn't really work out. Things go very wrong for her.
Drake is a rich business man who has his fingers in all types of business (and not all is above board). Evangeline catches his eye while she's in his club and he sends a bodyguard to get her and that's when things move quite fast.
The last 15% starts to really move and then boom cliff and I'm like WTF! I sort of knew when there were soooo many questions still unresolved so now I'll sit and pout ;) until book 2 is on my kindle! (And I will read the next book.)
Read
December 14, 2015Been awhile since you ventured into the world of dominance? Need to feel the thrill of and “Fifty” type of romance? Maya Banks’s latest series, The Enforcers, just might be what you’re longing for.
Not quite a virgin, yet naive in all things romance, Evangeline is being thrust into a night out by her friends. Completely and utterly lost in the world of night life, she runs smack into the guy that that has done nothing but make her feel worthless.
Drake is not a man to mess around. When he wants something he takes it. So when he sees a beautiful woman through the monitors of his nightclub being verbally and almost physically attacked he swings into motion.
Okay… so this is a throwback into the genre of little lost lamb and the wolf that is going to eat her (HA) Only he might just do the unthinkable and fall in love.
Its fast paced, dominant, and the quirky kind of girl that is Evangeline, just might win your heart.
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Not quite a virgin, yet naive in all things romance, Evangeline is being thrust into a night out by her friends. Completely and utterly lost in the world of night life, she runs smack into the guy that that has done nothing but make her feel worthless.
Drake is not a man to mess around. When he wants something he takes it. So when he sees a beautiful woman through the monitors of his nightclub being verbally and almost physically attacked he swings into motion.
Okay… so this is a throwback into the genre of little lost lamb and the wolf that is going to eat her (HA) Only he might just do the unthinkable and fall in love.
Its fast paced, dominant, and the quirky kind of girl that is Evangeline, just might win your heart.
Follow us on
KT Book Reviews
February 5, 2017
God knows, why I have finished this...
And only God knows why I'll read the second book...
Nah, it's the devil, i'm sure, cause i can't leave it unfinished...it's my personal curse...a torturous flaw in my brain...
Goddamn...
November 25, 2015
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review.
BDSM/Erotic romance books are some of my favorite ones to read. When I was asked by the publisher if I wanted to review this Maya Banks book I jumped on it. Sadly this book had great potential but there was so much I felt could/should have been done differently.
This is a mature adult book so expect quite a bit of sex. Of course it has some BDSM aspects included. There's some anal sex - but these scenes turned me off. I don't think the author wrote that part of the storyline well. Just from reading other books that include anal sex there's some missing key elements in this particular story.
I felt like the editor could have done a better job helping the author tighten up this story in places. There's chunks of backstory missing that I expected to be in this particular book but turns out we will have to wait for the second one.
I'm sure there will be plenty of you that will read this particular story and thoroughly enjoy it. Others will be in the same boat as me. I will read the next one because I just can't not not read it. I want to know how their story ends...
It's basically man meets woman then demands woman submits to him. He doesn't take no for an answer. I think she quickly moves forward in this relationship without even questioning why she's submitting. She doesn't even know what the man does for a living other than owns a club and some other businesses for goodness sakes. That would be one of my first questions. What do you own? Where did you come from? Where is your family? What's your favorite color? The basics. None of this is covered in this particular book. Hopefully some of that will be covered in the next one.
I think the overall concept of the book is great. I really enjoyed Drake and Evangeline's interaction. Again, plenty of holes to fill/answer with the next book.
BDSM/Erotic romance books are some of my favorite ones to read. When I was asked by the publisher if I wanted to review this Maya Banks book I jumped on it. Sadly this book had great potential but there was so much I felt could/should have been done differently.
This is a mature adult book so expect quite a bit of sex. Of course it has some BDSM aspects included. There's some anal sex - but these scenes turned me off. I don't think the author wrote that part of the storyline well. Just from reading other books that include anal sex there's some missing key elements in this particular story.
I felt like the editor could have done a better job helping the author tighten up this story in places. There's chunks of backstory missing that I expected to be in this particular book but turns out we will have to wait for the second one.
I'm sure there will be plenty of you that will read this particular story and thoroughly enjoy it. Others will be in the same boat as me. I will read the next one because I just can't not not read it. I want to know how their story ends...
It's basically man meets woman then demands woman submits to him. He doesn't take no for an answer. I think she quickly moves forward in this relationship without even questioning why she's submitting. She doesn't even know what the man does for a living other than owns a club and some other businesses for goodness sakes. That would be one of my first questions. What do you own? Where did you come from? Where is your family? What's your favorite color? The basics. None of this is covered in this particular book. Hopefully some of that will be covered in the next one.
I think the overall concept of the book is great. I really enjoyed Drake and Evangeline's interaction. Again, plenty of holes to fill/answer with the next book.
January 4, 2016
This was my first read by Maya Banks and I had heard nothing but great things, unfortunately though for me it did not really deliver what was promised. I did finish the book as I must admit I was intrigued as to what would happen and I will probably read the next one (I know sucker for punishment) but what could have been a great story just fell flat. It was long, too long in my opinion. A lot could have been edited out to help with the flow, but for me personally the characters just did not add up no matter how much the author tried to quantify their actions.
The heroine was irritating for the most part, but this was a girl that lost her virginity at 23 to a guy she thought loved her, he dumped her straight after. She has only had sex once and then literally jumps into a dom/sub relationship straight away after knowing the guy a few hours...hmmm not likely. A girl that then virtually alienates her only friends as they were wary of said Dom. A girl that then gives up everything for the Dom and lets the Dom take over her whole life hmmm still not believing it.
A Dom that is so Alpha, so protective, so domineering that he does something that just screams "Drake would never have done that." Who then just acts out of character towards the end.
I just didn't buy it and for me to connect with characters I need to believe in them and for me that just didn't happen.
We all have our own opinions and these are just that mine, what didn't work for me, may work for you.
The heroine was irritating for the most part, but this was a girl that lost her virginity at 23 to a guy she thought loved her, he dumped her straight after. She has only had sex once and then literally jumps into a dom/sub relationship straight away after knowing the guy a few hours...hmmm not likely. A girl that then virtually alienates her only friends as they were wary of said Dom. A girl that then gives up everything for the Dom and lets the Dom take over her whole life hmmm still not believing it.
A Dom that is so Alpha, so protective, so domineering that he does something that just screams "Drake would never have done that." Who then just acts out of character towards the end.
I just didn't buy it and for me to connect with characters I need to believe in them and for me that just didn't happen.
We all have our own opinions and these are just that mine, what didn't work for me, may work for you.
January 24, 2022
In the first installment, we have a story that begins with two opposites from each other. We have a heroine who is innocent and a hero who is more than experienced and likes to be in control. He is drawn to Evangeline in ways that he can’t quite explain. We have a couple that join forces as their attraction and connection to each other is one that neither of them can resist. But what we discover are characters that can’t resist the temptation they find in each other’s arms.
I will be honest in this book, I picked it up on a whim, as I have been wanting to work through Maya Bank’s backlist, and I absolutely adored it so much. I just couldn’t resist and this story just sucked me right in. there is something that is so appealing how this type of set up of a romance especially in a more contemporary romance setting. I love a anti hero, and even though we don’t discover what Drake is really all about, we just know it’s not completely lawful. But I was so intrigued by his complicated character and seeing that genuine love that Evangeline has for him. And I will warn you that this book does contain a cliffhanger, which actually shocked me because I don’t think I have ever read a cliffhanger from this author so make sure you have their conclusion in book two ready to pick up there. But I truly loved the first part of their story and seeing them building something real together.
I will be honest in this book, I picked it up on a whim, as I have been wanting to work through Maya Bank’s backlist, and I absolutely adored it so much. I just couldn’t resist and this story just sucked me right in. there is something that is so appealing how this type of set up of a romance especially in a more contemporary romance setting. I love a anti hero, and even though we don’t discover what Drake is really all about, we just know it’s not completely lawful. But I was so intrigued by his complicated character and seeing that genuine love that Evangeline has for him. And I will warn you that this book does contain a cliffhanger, which actually shocked me because I don’t think I have ever read a cliffhanger from this author so make sure you have their conclusion in book two ready to pick up there. But I truly loved the first part of their story and seeing them building something real together.
December 29, 2015
This story was so captivating! I was completely pulled in and fascinated by this very dominating man that is Drake Donovan. An intense and erotic read!
Wow. I'm not sure how to describe all that I am feeling. The world that Drake Donovan lives in is like nothing I've experienced and I had a million questions about him and what he did. Intense and controlling doesn't even cover it! Evangeline Hawthorne is so genuinely sweet and sincere, honest to a fault and a bit naive. Loved the dynamic of the two of them together and the relationship that was formed. It was interesting and complex, sexy, and super hot. I put me out of my comfort zone a little somehow I was still completely absorbed.
I loved getting to know all of Drake’s men. They each had such distinct personalities and it was fun to watch how they regarded Evangeline. There is so much potential for future stories and I'm excited about that. Seriously, I must know all the things about Silas, that man is a mystery. The interactions with the men created some lighter moments and they were definitely needed. Did I mention Drake was intense?!
There are a lot of ups as and downs between Evangeline and Drake. He is just so controlling and she's very prideful so it creates some issues. They both have their own growth and I enjoyed seeing it. Watching Drake get a clue at the end was so hard because the ending was KILLER. My heart was breaking and there is some insight into why Drake made certain choices but it made for a hell of a cliffhanger. Seriously gut wrenching.
This book has a slow build, it doesn't reveal all its secrets at once but pulls you in and has you turning the page. I went into this knowing that Drake and Evangeline’s story didn’t conclude with this book so I was prepared for something major at the end (and the wicked cliffhanger!). Since there is a slow build, it left me feeling like some parts were a bit drawn out but the story itself had me hooked and I just went with it! I was truly fascinated with Drake Donovan's world and the power he exuded. Bring on the next book!
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
Wow. I'm not sure how to describe all that I am feeling. The world that Drake Donovan lives in is like nothing I've experienced and I had a million questions about him and what he did. Intense and controlling doesn't even cover it! Evangeline Hawthorne is so genuinely sweet and sincere, honest to a fault and a bit naive. Loved the dynamic of the two of them together and the relationship that was formed. It was interesting and complex, sexy, and super hot. I put me out of my comfort zone a little somehow I was still completely absorbed.
I loved getting to know all of Drake’s men. They each had such distinct personalities and it was fun to watch how they regarded Evangeline. There is so much potential for future stories and I'm excited about that. Seriously, I must know all the things about Silas, that man is a mystery. The interactions with the men created some lighter moments and they were definitely needed. Did I mention Drake was intense?!
There are a lot of ups as and downs between Evangeline and Drake. He is just so controlling and she's very prideful so it creates some issues. They both have their own growth and I enjoyed seeing it. Watching Drake get a clue at the end was so hard because the ending was KILLER. My heart was breaking and there is some insight into why Drake made certain choices but it made for a hell of a cliffhanger. Seriously gut wrenching.
This book has a slow build, it doesn't reveal all its secrets at once but pulls you in and has you turning the page. I went into this knowing that Drake and Evangeline’s story didn’t conclude with this book so I was prepared for something major at the end (and the wicked cliffhanger!). Since there is a slow build, it left me feeling like some parts were a bit drawn out but the story itself had me hooked and I just went with it! I was truly fascinated with Drake Donovan's world and the power he exuded. Bring on the next book!
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
October 28, 2016
I drank an entire bottle of wine to get through this and have no idea why I read it to the end or what I am even doing with my life RN.
March 29, 2017
1STAR
I can't belive I'm doing this...
I loved the previous books of this author. It was, still is (I hope), one of my favourite authors, but SERIOUSLY, is this book written by her? I don't think this book it's written by her, I hope, because COME ON... it's like the characters are retarded. And the most retarded of all is her, the heroine.
I don't know were to start with my complaining and were to end.
It has so much contradiction in it, and so much fiction. I know the books are fiction, but hell....this book is the mother of all retards characters and stupidity.
For fuck sake...the guy/hero has 8,9 ..I don't know how many bodyguards, because I keep confusing them. Actually no, they are his associates. And they babysit her. And when it comes to fuck her, he brings ANOTHER guy.
I was attracted and intrigued by all the bad reviews. I said "no way is this true" but yeah....LAME.
And since I am a sadomasochit, I will continue reading because I want to know how the bullshit evolves, and ends. Maybe after millions of pages full of...nothing.
The story is good, has potential, but fuck me....is full of boring details, unimportant details. I don't know WHY?
Why it had to be separated in 2 BOOKS !?
I can't belive I'm doing this...
I loved the previous books of this author. It was, still is (I hope), one of my favourite authors, but SERIOUSLY, is this book written by her? I don't think this book it's written by her, I hope, because COME ON... it's like the characters are retarded. And the most retarded of all is her, the heroine.
I don't know were to start with my complaining and were to end.
It has so much contradiction in it, and so much fiction. I know the books are fiction, but hell....this book is the mother of all retards characters and stupidity.
For fuck sake...the guy/hero has 8,9 ..I don't know how many bodyguards, because I keep confusing them. Actually no, they are his associates. And they babysit her. And when it comes to fuck her, he brings ANOTHER guy.
I was attracted and intrigued by all the bad reviews. I said "no way is this true" but yeah....LAME.
And since I am a sadomasochit, I will continue reading because I want to know how the bullshit evolves, and ends. Maybe after millions of pages full of...nothing.
The story is good, has potential, but fuck me....is full of boring details, unimportant details. I don't know WHY?
Why it had to be separated in 2 BOOKS !?
January 11, 2016
*3.5
“My angel likes the pain.”
“It’s only pleasure,” she whispered.
Well what can I possibly say... This book took me on a wild ride. I thought I knew how things will go but boy was I wrong. Maya kept surprising me every hundred pages or so with the plot twists. As this book is the first half of the Drake's & Evangeline's story there is much left to discover that was only alluded to (at best). The ending does end in cliffhanger and I have to admit for the first time I was glad to have a book with a cliffhanger. I need a break. I needed a breather. I needed to collect my scattered brain cells. So let's start this from a beginning...
Evangeline is forced into Drake's orbit by pure accident. She finds herself being dressed up and shoved out of the door and into a club by her friends to show what her ex has been missing. Except this plan backfires... I mean hello you send a timid girl in big girl clothes out to a club by HERSELF without a girl posse! Thankfully the ever watchful King of Control Drake spots her in his throne/war room on CC cameras and when he sees a chance to intervene and protect a woman who is WAY over her head he sends his legion of hulky badass men to save HIS (yes, yes he claims her in that moment) woman and drag her to his lair. It's almost like cave men behavior only with suits and high luxury.
From there everything spins out of control... sort of combination of Stockholm syndrome behavior and Control Kink that we all love in our Brooding Billionaire hot men.
There were a lot of things that didn't work for me such as the progression of their relationship and the CONSTANT self doubt/self deprecating/self patronizing/self putting down behavior of the heroine. Even with all that I really got into the story and I DO want more info on the mystery of Drake and his Merry Men of Brothers. Particularly I want those badasses to be filled with women who will Ying to the Yang.
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January 8, 2016Right now, for now, this is a DNF for me. I read about 25% and just found it a little ridiculous. The female heroine in ridiculously innocent and naive and SO DOWN ON HERSELF! She was a sweet innocent almost virgin, then let a stranger go down on her in a nightclub? It was all a little silly, but not too bad. I may have enjoyed the book a little until I found out it was also a cliffy. I am not reading two or more of these, it's ok, just not ok enough for me to devote more than one book slot to it. :(
What I read was about 3 stars. Again, it was good enough to continue, but not to more than one book.
What I read was about 3 stars. Again, it was good enough to continue, but not to more than one book.
December 29, 2015
This book has me so conflicted...at times, it totally turned me off, and I was supremely annoyed at both the hero and the heroine for their actions and attitudes. Other times, I understood why Drake was the way he was and how that actually helped Evangeline to feel cherished and loved. The parts where Drake's partners interacted with Evangeline were my favorite because those scenes truly illustrated what an honest and genuine person could do for even the toughest badasses around, and I have to say that Silas is, by far, my favorite secondary character, and I can't wait for his story.
There are going to be mixed reviews for Drake and Evangeline’s story because some readers will view Evangeline as extremely weak and docile while others will have a hard time not placing Drake in the alpha asshole category with no hope of getting out of it even when he shows his humanity towards Evangeline. I absolutely felt both of those reactions during parts of the story, but I also witnessed Evangeline’s strength, especially at the end of the text, which gives me hope that in the follow-up story, Evangeline will guard her heart more and look out for herself without worrying about the repercussions.
In my opinion, Drake has a lot to make up for heading into Dominated, and I’m not quite sure how he’s going pull that off because his need for control and the necessity of having no weaknesses is not something that will get him the results he demands. By requiring absolute submission and expecting all orders to be followed since it is his world and his rules, he’s set himself up for a less than stellar outcome, because as he’s stated quite frequently, Evangeline is nothing like his “usual” women, and for that reason, he needs to create a new set of standards and be willing to bend and compromise in order to keep the one woman who just might be his perfect match, but for a man whose lifestyle is meticulously controlled, the casualties of this new arrangement with Evangeline may not end well for anyone involved, especially the man who commandeered her presence in his carefully constructed lifestyle.
Overall, I enjoyed Mastered. There were parts I found problematic, especially the cyclical nature of Evangeline's self esteem issues combined with her out of character tongue lashings of Drake's men and, at times, Drake himself. I understand that Evangeline's outward demeanor is due to a variety of factors, but the way it's overly emphasized throughout the entire text made it difficult to take those other moments of tenacity at face value. I also have a big issue with Evangeline's so called best friends, and I hope Maya Banks explores those relationships in book 2 because for how much they cared for and helped Evangeline in the beginning of the story to then have no part in her life because she chose to stay with Drake just didn't work for me, and I need some insight into why that would happen. There’s work to be done in a multitude of areas in order for Evangeline and Drake to work through their issues, and I’m sure Drake’s partners/brothers will have a thing or two to say about his latest actions, and as Maya Banks has demonstrated multiple times throughout Mastered, I would not want to be the one to face the wrath of his enforcers, especially since they all have grown quite fond of Evangeline.
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
At times a 3....other times a 3.5....still other times a 4
Overall: 3.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
There are going to be mixed reviews for Drake and Evangeline’s story because some readers will view Evangeline as extremely weak and docile while others will have a hard time not placing Drake in the alpha asshole category with no hope of getting out of it even when he shows his humanity towards Evangeline. I absolutely felt both of those reactions during parts of the story, but I also witnessed Evangeline’s strength, especially at the end of the text, which gives me hope that in the follow-up story, Evangeline will guard her heart more and look out for herself without worrying about the repercussions.
In my opinion, Drake has a lot to make up for heading into Dominated, and I’m not quite sure how he’s going pull that off because his need for control and the necessity of having no weaknesses is not something that will get him the results he demands. By requiring absolute submission and expecting all orders to be followed since it is his world and his rules, he’s set himself up for a less than stellar outcome, because as he’s stated quite frequently, Evangeline is nothing like his “usual” women, and for that reason, he needs to create a new set of standards and be willing to bend and compromise in order to keep the one woman who just might be his perfect match, but for a man whose lifestyle is meticulously controlled, the casualties of this new arrangement with Evangeline may not end well for anyone involved, especially the man who commandeered her presence in his carefully constructed lifestyle.
Overall, I enjoyed Mastered. There were parts I found problematic, especially the cyclical nature of Evangeline's self esteem issues combined with her out of character tongue lashings of Drake's men and, at times, Drake himself. I understand that Evangeline's outward demeanor is due to a variety of factors, but the way it's overly emphasized throughout the entire text made it difficult to take those other moments of tenacity at face value. I also have a big issue with Evangeline's so called best friends, and I hope Maya Banks explores those relationships in book 2 because for how much they cared for and helped Evangeline in the beginning of the story to then have no part in her life because she chose to stay with Drake just didn't work for me, and I need some insight into why that would happen. There’s work to be done in a multitude of areas in order for Evangeline and Drake to work through their issues, and I’m sure Drake’s partners/brothers will have a thing or two to say about his latest actions, and as Maya Banks has demonstrated multiple times throughout Mastered, I would not want to be the one to face the wrath of his enforcers, especially since they all have grown quite fond of Evangeline.
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
At times a 3....other times a 3.5....still other times a 4
Overall: 3.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)
August 18, 2018
Evangeline Hawthorn is on a mission. Well, not so much a mission as following through on an intervention staged by her best friends to make her ass wipe ex boyfriend regret dumping her. The plan: strut her stuff at the city's premier club Impulse where he'll be and have the time of her life with every other guy in the place. Her friends have even gone all out to glam her up and provided a VIP pass to assure her success.
Drake Donovan runs the city. Nothing happens without his knowledge and permission unless they have a death wish. Watching over his highly profitable club, Drake sees a confrontation break out on the dance floor between a couple though the girl doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with the jerk. His enforcers quickly handle the situation but Drake's interest in the girl is piqued to the point he demands she be brought to his inner sanctum office where he stakes his claim in the most carnal of ways.
Drake's world is a dangerous place of darkness and death that is no place for an Angel but redemption is possible for all so why not him. With his brothers supporting him, Drake feels that he can keep his Angel safe and protected though outside forces disagree.
* * * *
I always enjoy reading a book published by a seasoned author who includes a multi faceted story. Such is the case here as I got my fix of erotic BDSM, suspense, intrigue, angst, alpha bad boy, and even a solo m-f-m menage scene. Only thing missing was a conclusion as the story ends on a cliffhanger.
The main characters Drake & Evangeline (Angel). Stereotypical rich mafia/mob antihero Don male matched with innocent new adult naive female submissive scenario. Nothing wrong with that when it's done right and takes a different approach than the cookie cutter norm. My issue was that there was just too many variables thrown into this story that stretched my opinion regarding when is when enough. No denial the chemistry worked, it's just that I feel a couple needs to connect on multiple levels, other than just the sex, to have a future.
The secondary characters mainly include Drake's enforcers and Angel's BFF's. Do I sense a possible pairing in the future for them? I'll keep my personal opinion to myself for now. One character stand out is Silas. I'm a sucker for the worst of the damaged characters.
My issues have more to do with credibility. When I read a contemporary fictional story, I do require some basis of reality. Saying more would be spoiler info. What I did enjoy is the premise that food does tame the savage beast... and cupcakes.. cupcakes would do it for me too. :)
I enjoyed this story and will be checked out the next installment in the series as this one did end in a cliffhanger. I need to know what happens and how it all works out because right now - ya, one character is a total douche who I would like to take a contract out on myself. Luckily two follow up installments are already out so I won't have to wait.
Drake Donovan runs the city. Nothing happens without his knowledge and permission unless they have a death wish. Watching over his highly profitable club, Drake sees a confrontation break out on the dance floor between a couple though the girl doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with the jerk. His enforcers quickly handle the situation but Drake's interest in the girl is piqued to the point he demands she be brought to his inner sanctum office where he stakes his claim in the most carnal of ways.
Drake's world is a dangerous place of darkness and death that is no place for an Angel but redemption is possible for all so why not him. With his brothers supporting him, Drake feels that he can keep his Angel safe and protected though outside forces disagree.
* * * *
I always enjoy reading a book published by a seasoned author who includes a multi faceted story. Such is the case here as I got my fix of erotic BDSM, suspense, intrigue, angst, alpha bad boy, and even a solo m-f-m menage scene. Only thing missing was a conclusion as the story ends on a cliffhanger.
The main characters Drake & Evangeline (Angel). Stereotypical rich mafia/mob antihero Don male matched with innocent new adult naive female submissive scenario. Nothing wrong with that when it's done right and takes a different approach than the cookie cutter norm. My issue was that there was just too many variables thrown into this story that stretched my opinion regarding when is when enough. No denial the chemistry worked, it's just that I feel a couple needs to connect on multiple levels, other than just the sex, to have a future.
The secondary characters mainly include Drake's enforcers and Angel's BFF's. Do I sense a possible pairing in the future for them? I'll keep my personal opinion to myself for now. One character stand out is Silas. I'm a sucker for the worst of the damaged characters.
My issues have more to do with credibility. When I read a contemporary fictional story, I do require some basis of reality. Saying more would be spoiler info. What I did enjoy is the premise that food does tame the savage beast... and cupcakes.. cupcakes would do it for me too. :)
I enjoyed this story and will be checked out the next installment in the series as this one did end in a cliffhanger. I need to know what happens and how it all works out because right now - ya, one character is a total douche who I would like to take a contract out on myself. Luckily two follow up installments are already out so I won't have to wait.
Want to read
November 3, 2015Arc offered in exchange for an honest review
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