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Not His #1
Not His to Touch
She's his young, virgin ward. He's the older man to whom her father entrusted her. Their relationship is all kinds of wrong...and Bishop is just getting started.
In a moment of pure weakness, of absolute, lust-driven insanity, Bishop allowed some forbidden thoughts about his young ward to spill over from behind the dam in his head. Taboo ideas he should never allow himself to consider. He'd hidden those thoughts away. Tried to suppress them so deeply he could pretend he'd never had them. But, oh god, giving in to them now, letting himself explore the dark depths of those terrible fantasies while Penelope's hand was where it should never be--wrapped tightly around his erection--nearly made his eyes roll back in his skull.
He wanted to f*ck the girl more than he wanted to breathe. He wanted to take her so badly that living in the same house as her, now that she was finally of age, just might kill him. Lately, he could think of nothing else except burying himself inside her.
But knowing such a thing would be wrong on so many levels, and walking away from his ward's dangerously willing body, were two different things entirely, and Bishop wasn't sure he could hold out much longer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bishop Cole is not fit to be around a young woman, let alone be in charge of one. Especially an innocent girl like young Penelope. However, fate has other plans.
While dealing with the death of his mentor--the father he never had--Bishop, a brilliant but reclusive college professor, suddenly finds himself the unwilling guardian of an enticing young woman he's never met. The daughter of his dead mentor. She's flirtatious, rebellious, and hell-bent on tempting him into being a very, very bad father-figure.
Thank god Penelope attends boarding school far away from Bishop's reach. Too far away for him to ever touch her.
But Penelope is as tenacious as she is tempting, and soon she's back, and living right under his roof. And Bishop is barely holding it together.
His own father was a sexual deviant, and an act Bishop himself committed in his youth is unforgivable. He's determined to spend the rest of his days working hard, keeping his head down, and making up for his monstrous past by exercising the utmost control and restraint.
The key to his restitution is remaining alone and celibate, because the evil that's in his father, the thing that makes his dad a predator of young women, just might be in Bishop too.
And even though Penelope's now an adult, Bishop knows he must still honor the wishes of his deceased mentor. He promised to act as Penelope's guardian. She is totally off-limits to him.
Not his to touch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Penelope Sullivan is pissed. Bishop had the life she should've had, and now her dad went and died without ever giving her what she needed from a father. Oh, but not Bishop. He had all her dad's love and attention--things that should have been hers. And now Bishop, her dad's visually-impaired research partner, is her guardian? She's under the man's thumb? Under his full control? F*ck that.
So, she figures, the least she can do is make the man's life hell.
Beautiful, curvy Penelope's got daddy issues for days, and now that she's of age, she's not afraid to explore them, especially given how hot her new guardian is, and how determined he is not to touch her the way she so desperately craves.
But can she handle it when the sexually-deprived Bishop gives in to temptation and lets his dark side take over?
In a moment of pure weakness, of absolute, lust-driven insanity, Bishop allowed some forbidden thoughts about his young ward to spill over from behind the dam in his head. Taboo ideas he should never allow himself to consider. He'd hidden those thoughts away. Tried to suppress them so deeply he could pretend he'd never had them. But, oh god, giving in to them now, letting himself explore the dark depths of those terrible fantasies while Penelope's hand was where it should never be--wrapped tightly around his erection--nearly made his eyes roll back in his skull.
He wanted to f*ck the girl more than he wanted to breathe. He wanted to take her so badly that living in the same house as her, now that she was finally of age, just might kill him. Lately, he could think of nothing else except burying himself inside her.
But knowing such a thing would be wrong on so many levels, and walking away from his ward's dangerously willing body, were two different things entirely, and Bishop wasn't sure he could hold out much longer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bishop Cole is not fit to be around a young woman, let alone be in charge of one. Especially an innocent girl like young Penelope. However, fate has other plans.
While dealing with the death of his mentor--the father he never had--Bishop, a brilliant but reclusive college professor, suddenly finds himself the unwilling guardian of an enticing young woman he's never met. The daughter of his dead mentor. She's flirtatious, rebellious, and hell-bent on tempting him into being a very, very bad father-figure.
Thank god Penelope attends boarding school far away from Bishop's reach. Too far away for him to ever touch her.
But Penelope is as tenacious as she is tempting, and soon she's back, and living right under his roof. And Bishop is barely holding it together.
His own father was a sexual deviant, and an act Bishop himself committed in his youth is unforgivable. He's determined to spend the rest of his days working hard, keeping his head down, and making up for his monstrous past by exercising the utmost control and restraint.
The key to his restitution is remaining alone and celibate, because the evil that's in his father, the thing that makes his dad a predator of young women, just might be in Bishop too.
And even though Penelope's now an adult, Bishop knows he must still honor the wishes of his deceased mentor. He promised to act as Penelope's guardian. She is totally off-limits to him.
Not his to touch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Penelope Sullivan is pissed. Bishop had the life she should've had, and now her dad went and died without ever giving her what she needed from a father. Oh, but not Bishop. He had all her dad's love and attention--things that should have been hers. And now Bishop, her dad's visually-impaired research partner, is her guardian? She's under the man's thumb? Under his full control? F*ck that.
So, she figures, the least she can do is make the man's life hell.
Beautiful, curvy Penelope's got daddy issues for days, and now that she's of age, she's not afraid to explore them, especially given how hot her new guardian is, and how determined he is not to touch her the way she so desperately craves.
But can she handle it when the sexually-deprived Bishop gives in to temptation and lets his dark side take over?
- GenresRomance
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2017
149 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Piper Trace
6 books105 followersPiper Trace likes to write sweet love stories with just the right amount of filth.
Her life as a lawyer and a cog in a large corporate wheel was killing her soul. She escaped by telling her coworkers she was busy during lunch, and sat in her car with a notebook to write sizzling tales of romance and heartbreak. She guarded that notebook as if it was her greatest treasure, because it was. Now she's quit her corporate job to write romance full-time.
When not writing, Piper repurposes old furniture, sews poorly and builds things fairly well. Her DIY work can be found at www.dropdeadthrifty.com, which she runs for fun with her DIY partner, New York Times bestselling author Sidney Bristol. Piper uses her writing money to buy new tools.
She lives in Ohio with her military hero husband, her two young kids, a big fluffy dog, and a canary. Her tee-shirt reads, "Will write for power tools".
Her life as a lawyer and a cog in a large corporate wheel was killing her soul. She escaped by telling her coworkers she was busy during lunch, and sat in her car with a notebook to write sizzling tales of romance and heartbreak. She guarded that notebook as if it was her greatest treasure, because it was. Now she's quit her corporate job to write romance full-time.
When not writing, Piper repurposes old furniture, sews poorly and builds things fairly well. Her DIY work can be found at www.dropdeadthrifty.com, which she runs for fun with her DIY partner, New York Times bestselling author Sidney Bristol. Piper uses her writing money to buy new tools.
She lives in Ohio with her military hero husband, her two young kids, a big fluffy dog, and a canary. Her tee-shirt reads, "Will write for power tools".
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 6, 2017
Hi readers! I'm the author and I want to apologize for a file situation on Amazon! If you preordered, you may have received a file that was only 10 pages long. That is not the whole book! Not His to Touch is actually more than 300 pages long. I've been working with Amazon to fix the situation, but the fix is not yet complete. I think by 10-6-2017 Amazon should be pushing the full file to everyone who has the 10 page file.
Again, I apologize for this situation, and I appreciate your patience and support while it gets sorted out! When you get the full book, I really hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading one of my books. You are why I love to write! <3
Again, I apologize for this situation, and I appreciate your patience and support while it gets sorted out! When you get the full book, I really hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading one of my books. You are why I love to write! <3
November 28, 2017
3.5 stars (a good quick read for when you want to start and finish a book in a night)
There is no option for a three and a half star but I feel this book was just shy of four stars but a little ahead of three stars.
Pros: I liked the idea of the story line in this book. The age difference was about 9 years between Pen and Bishop so it was believable that the two would start up a romance. I won’t give away details for those of you who haven’t read it yet.
Cons: I felt that Bishops “dark past” wasn’t really all that dark and that he kept insisting that he deserved more punishment than he actually did. I admit what he did was a horrible thing but he had no idea he was actually doing it, he was clueless as to what was going on. His desires that he kept talking about being so dark and horrifying weren’t at all dark or horrible, he liked rough head, so??? Lol
I did not like the ending at all I felt it was very very rushed like the author was just ready to end it and give a HEA
There is no option for a three and a half star but I feel this book was just shy of four stars but a little ahead of three stars.
Pros: I liked the idea of the story line in this book. The age difference was about 9 years between Pen and Bishop so it was believable that the two would start up a romance. I won’t give away details for those of you who haven’t read it yet.
Cons: I felt that Bishops “dark past” wasn’t really all that dark and that he kept insisting that he deserved more punishment than he actually did. I admit what he did was a horrible thing but he had no idea he was actually doing it, he was clueless as to what was going on. His desires that he kept talking about being so dark and horrifying weren’t at all dark or horrible, he liked rough head, so??? Lol
I did not like the ending at all I felt it was very very rushed like the author was just ready to end it and give a HEA
October 10, 2023
First of all
Spoiler alert
Ok, this was interesting in that we got to see Bishop and his inner turmoil.
I absolutely hate that the end of this was just "hey so therapy healed us, let's wed immediately!" Honestly, no. This book would've had a higher rating if it just felt a little more like a novel and less like a porn vehicle. It was so close.
Spoiler alert
Ok, this was interesting in that we got to see Bishop and his inner turmoil.
I absolutely hate that the end of this was just "hey so therapy healed us, let's wed immediately!" Honestly, no. This book would've had a higher rating if it just felt a little more like a novel and less like a porn vehicle. It was so close.
October 14, 2017
I was gifted a copy of this book in return for an honest feedback.
Piper Trace was on my top author list with her novel "Come when Called". It is truly masterful writing. It's always a worry when you have connected with an authors writing as to whether the next book would be as good? Thankfully the answer is yes - another brilliantly provocative story in "Not his to touch". Here Piper brushes the extremities of forbidden love. It isn't just one faceted it is multi dimensional. The depth of her writing is guttural and raw- the reader feeling every nuance of emotion in her characters. This book is not for the faint hearted, the will they won't they paradox is stretched almost to frustration. I found my heart breaking for Penelope, the lead female character, coming from an unloved parent who physically couldn't even see her, despite her intelligence and desperation to please. I am in awe that Piper made the male lead virtually blind with his visual impairment, taking away one of the major senses the feelings and atmosphere were escalated, he could see Penelope without his eyes better than her father did with his eyes. At the polar opposite end, Bishop's father was a monster trafficking girls. He is evil personified. Two broken young people both with mental scars, from worlds apart come crashing together. I enjoyed the way Piper had managed to write with the two main characters from both viewpoints without adding many more characters into the weave of the story. This isn't something that I normally enjoy as a reader - I usually feel cheated, but with this story I didn't want to know anything else except what was happening between Pen and Bishop. This book is full of psychological Suspense, incredibly hot temptations and a desperation of Pen and Bishop that pulls you in. There are so many magical moments that tug at your heart both with happy and sadness. There is a strong sexual tension that radiates from between the pages right from the start. This story will hook you in and be addictive leaving you wanting more of Bishop & Penelope. This is definitely worthy of 5* rating
Great writing Piper - Let's go for third time lucky too!
Piper Trace was on my top author list with her novel "Come when Called". It is truly masterful writing. It's always a worry when you have connected with an authors writing as to whether the next book would be as good? Thankfully the answer is yes - another brilliantly provocative story in "Not his to touch". Here Piper brushes the extremities of forbidden love. It isn't just one faceted it is multi dimensional. The depth of her writing is guttural and raw- the reader feeling every nuance of emotion in her characters. This book is not for the faint hearted, the will they won't they paradox is stretched almost to frustration. I found my heart breaking for Penelope, the lead female character, coming from an unloved parent who physically couldn't even see her, despite her intelligence and desperation to please. I am in awe that Piper made the male lead virtually blind with his visual impairment, taking away one of the major senses the feelings and atmosphere were escalated, he could see Penelope without his eyes better than her father did with his eyes. At the polar opposite end, Bishop's father was a monster trafficking girls. He is evil personified. Two broken young people both with mental scars, from worlds apart come crashing together. I enjoyed the way Piper had managed to write with the two main characters from both viewpoints without adding many more characters into the weave of the story. This isn't something that I normally enjoy as a reader - I usually feel cheated, but with this story I didn't want to know anything else except what was happening between Pen and Bishop. This book is full of psychological Suspense, incredibly hot temptations and a desperation of Pen and Bishop that pulls you in. There are so many magical moments that tug at your heart both with happy and sadness. There is a strong sexual tension that radiates from between the pages right from the start. This story will hook you in and be addictive leaving you wanting more of Bishop & Penelope. This is definitely worthy of 5* rating
Great writing Piper - Let's go for third time lucky too!
October 19, 2017
This is the first book I've read by Piper Trace, but absolutely will not be the last. Even though the title says dark romance, it's really not. Dark themes, yes indeed, dysfunctional childhoods and family lives, absolutely, but certainly not as dark as some I read. Bishop and Penelope are thrown together under strange at best circumstances but the chemistry is electric between them. Bishop's backstory was crushing, Penelope's was heartbreaking. How these two had any semblance of normality is surprising. Piper Trace did an outstanding job of developing these 2 characters, giving them passion, and she drew us into their world. The story was well paced, I felt Bishop was a little too angsty for me, but that is my only complaint. You have a new fan Piper Trace!!
August 14, 2021
I'm a sucker for guardian/ward romances and even though that aspect wasn't quite what I would have wanted it to be in this one, the sex scenes were pretty hot. Outside of those scenes however, I felt it was lacking something - their emotional connection was way too fast for my tastes and there was telling vs. showing in between the scenes that would have the hot stuff. I became just as frustrated with Bishop's hot and cold behavior and inability to get past his hang-ups as Penelope did, and that was definitely intentional so it worked. There was kind of an old-world feel to this book even though it was contemporary and I liked that vibe. The ending felt a little rushed, and the book ended at 86% of the Kindle file (for those that matters to). Enjoyable, quick read all-in-all.
September 24, 2021
I won’t lie, the first chapters and a few scenes throughout were good. The rest not so much. Pity because I liked the premise.
This story wasn’t particularly dark, I’ve read books with more fucked up characters (I’m thinking of Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake, some scenes and themes reminded me of it), but what ruined it for me were the stupidity of the characters and the illogical and overdramatic situations and events the author put them through. Most of this book made no sense.
Also, the book cover doesn’t represent the story at all in my opinion.
This story wasn’t particularly dark, I’ve read books with more fucked up characters (I’m thinking of Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake, some scenes and themes reminded me of it), but what ruined it for me were the stupidity of the characters and the illogical and overdramatic situations and events the author put them through. Most of this book made no sense.
Also, the book cover doesn’t represent the story at all in my opinion.
October 17, 2017
“Sweet Penelope…you came in and changed everything for me…the minutes of my day have been reduced to breathing near you or breathing without you…it’s so hard to do either…you affect me so much.”
“Not His to Touch” is marketed as a dark romance, but I did not read it that way. Instead, I took from Bishop and Penelope’s love story one of hope, forgiveness and acceptance. To be loved just as you are.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend!
“Not His to Touch” is marketed as a dark romance, but I did not read it that way. Instead, I took from Bishop and Penelope’s love story one of hope, forgiveness and acceptance. To be loved just as you are.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend!
July 19, 2021
This book was kind of a mess, but whatever it was hot. At time the characters had personality, and it could be funny, but then at other times it didn’t seem to know what it was doing and it’s characters weren’t believable at all - just angst and confusing plot points. Still. Somehow, it was just hotttttttt. Rushed ending. This book in general seemed to skip over the important parts and instead retread the same ground a lot. Also what happened to Ann?
November 20, 2017
I love the way Piper writes her characters. She makes them so real that you just can't wait to see what happens to them. The scenes in this book are really well written and just the right amount of steamy. The story flowed nicely till the last few chapters, the ending seemed to be a little rushed, like maybe some details were cut short. Overall the book was great!!!
October 11, 2017
I absolutely love the way Piper writes. I loved this book (although not NEARLY as much as I loved Come When Called). I fell in love with Bishop even though he was so tough to love and drove me insane. The ending did feel a bit rushed for me though. I would've liked a few more chapters and a bit more story to really tie everything up. Overall still a great book!
December 26, 2017
What happened to the book?
I can't give a review because the story ended with Penelope waiting in the library to meet Bishop. What happened to the rest of the book or story? That's call cheating a customer. I would give this scam book zero stars and maybe a middle finger. If I could. I hate this kinda thing.
I can't give a review because the story ended with Penelope waiting in the library to meet Bishop. What happened to the rest of the book or story? That's call cheating a customer. I would give this scam book zero stars and maybe a middle finger. If I could. I hate this kinda thing.
November 25, 2018
♥️
I LOVE this book. I don't often re-read anything but this I will definitely read again. The issues for the couple in this book are unique to most others in this genre which really held my interest since it was definitely not more of the same. I'm quickly falling in love with this authors work!!!
I LOVE this book. I don't often re-read anything but this I will definitely read again. The issues for the couple in this book are unique to most others in this genre which really held my interest since it was definitely not more of the same. I'm quickly falling in love with this authors work!!!
February 13, 2021
Liked this until about 75%, then it got old. The back and forth, needed to finish with that sooner. Bishop was ridiculous for being such a smart guy.
Bishop talked so much about how he wanted to fuck her and all the dirty, nasty things to her, then when we finally get to that place, the writer skipped it. What the hell.
After that point in the book it was blah, blah, blah for me.
Bishop talked so much about how he wanted to fuck her and all the dirty, nasty things to her, then when we finally get to that place, the writer skipped it. What the hell.
After that point in the book it was blah, blah, blah for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2018
Angst
“Just for tonight, would you pretend we’re really together? That I’m not ten yours older than you—” Bishop is so tortured but he wants Penelope. The game of push and pull becomes too much sometimes, but bishop love and Pen's devotion make it so bearable.
“Just for tonight, would you pretend we’re really together? That I’m not ten yours older than you—” Bishop is so tortured but he wants Penelope. The game of push and pull becomes too much sometimes, but bishop love and Pen's devotion make it so bearable.
December 1, 2018
A great book
Penelope and Bishop story was very intriguing from the very beginning. I have never read a book by this author I am glad that they got to have their happily ever after.
Penelope and Bishop story was very intriguing from the very beginning. I have never read a book by this author I am glad that they got to have their happily ever after.
April 22, 2022
This was an infuriating book. It should have been at least 70 pages less of the back and forth hot and cold. Just editing it down would have made it so much better. And the ending was super rushed. It was all this buildup for an ending that was like 5 pages long. 3 stars. Wish it was better
February 4, 2024
I love a good taboo read (as long as there is no incest) this, however, draggggggged. The Hero was so hot and old. The heroine was just a horny teen.
The ending was soo abrupt. Could have been so much better!
The ending was soo abrupt. Could have been so much better!
Read
October 22, 2017This book was good! So angsty you just wanted to scream, but Bishop finally getting his head on straight... sigh. I love taboo stories, and this one delivered.
September 27, 2018
This book was a lot of back and forth but it was good I wished that I could've gotten a little insight to Bishop's therapy but other than that I loved it
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews