Slave

Finding Anna #1

by Sherri Hayes

***Book 1 of a 4 book series.***

Stephan Coleman knows what his future holds as the president of a not-for-profit foundation and he knows what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend, mentor, and fellow Dominant, Daren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he’d be in, Stephan can’t walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how.

Brianna knows only one thing: she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing.

Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a slave?

Genres: BDSM, Dark, Romance, Erotica, Abuse, Adult, Dark Romance

ebook

First published July 28, 2011

About the author

Sherri picked up her first romance novel when she was twelve and immediately she was hooked. She would stay up reading long after everyone else in her house had gone to bed, needing to see the hero and heroine get their happily ever after. But Sherri never imagined becoming an author.

At the age of thirty, all that changed. After getting frustrated with the direction a television show was taking two of its characters, Sherri decided to try her hand at writing an alternative ending to give the characters the happy ending they deserved.

Since then, writing has become a creative outlet that allows her to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking her characters through all the twists and turns she can create. You can find a current list of all of Sherri’s books and sign up for her newsletter at www.sherrihayesauthor.com.

Reviews

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read the synopsis: a rich, handsome philanthropic young man, heavily into D/s acquires a young lady to keep as his submissive in his apartment, I was thinking "Are the Shades of Fifty to be thus polluted"? But I was wrong, very wrong.

This book is absolutely nothing like Fifty Shades - there is no BDSM, hardly any sex and it's not an erotic romance. It's a story of a damsel deep in distress being rescued by a knight in shining armour. It's beautiful but deeply disturbing.

Stephan is our knight - a young but very rich CEO who is very much a dominant. One of his friends tells him that he's seen a young girl being kept by someone that they know as a slave and that she looks terrified and is also for sale. Stephan has the wealth to buy a slave but is deeply opposed to the practice but goes to check her out anyway. When he sees her, Brianna, he is appalled. She is clearly not there by choice, she is terrified and badly bruised.

He buys her and takes her home with a view to freeing her but realises she is deeply scarred emotionally and needs some careful guidance. Brianna, of course, believes she has swapped one evil and brutal sadist Master for another and it takes a long time for trust to build.

Brianna just breaks your heart – she has been so badly misused by her previous Master that she is not just submissive, she is completely and utterly broken down. She is scared to death of her new Master, what he will do to her and her fear is just palpable.

Brianna's experiences with her previous Master are only partially and slowly revealed mostly through her own flashbacks. The chapters are told from either Stephan's or Brianna's alternating POV and it's through her anxiety that we start to see what has happened to her in the past. It's deeply disturbing.

Slowly, Stephan realises that he is falling in love with this young girl, and she is only 18, and that she may never have the emotional strength or capacity to return his love. We're left very much on edge at the end of this novel and I just want to bash Sherri Hayes over the head for doing it to us - Brianna is left pondering a choice at the end and her decision is unknown. Grrrrrr!! Still I guess it's the hallmark of a good story, well told, that it leaves you desperate for more!

So, I urge people to read this - it's not a hardcore BDSM novel (which is what I was expecting), it's the story of an abused young girl and her first faltering steps on the long road to recovery. It's stunning, the words zipped past my eyes at a rate of knots and I just couldn't put it down. Bring on the sequel!

Big, BIG 5 stars

[Elvirina_nelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book a while back and it has taken me some time to come to terms with the contents.

Frankly I think the plot is appalling and misleading to what BDSM really is. That he liberates Anna from her captor/owner, is of course very noble and what any man/woman with the means should do, but what follows makes me want to gag.

Being a submissive is all about choice so how can a man that is a fully fledged Dom keep a sold/abducted girl as a submissive like this, thinking that he is equipped to deal with the trauma that a rape and abuse victims suffers from. And then sickly he choses to collar her, because he 'KNOWS' it will make her feel 'SAFE'. WOW!

To me the whole setting is just abhorrent, unbelievable and poorly researched. It is just the rambling fantasy of an author who finds the whole Dom/Sub genre fascinating. Which by all means would be perfectly fine, if it was a sub who had a wish and need to be a sub, not a rape victim and a girl that had been sold.

The issue of the emotional baggage that would irrevocably follow with having been robbed of you freedom, raped and abused is swept under the rug, ignored and then sugarcoated by a man that arrogantly thinks he can heal her sufferings because he understand the world of BDSM. Those two thing are not even comparable. A BDSM life is about choice and when you have no freedom where is your choice then?

I think it is uncool to glorify an act as repulsive as taking someones freedom and prettifying it by adding a man that treats her nicely, but in fact, still enslaves her by giving her chores and things to do around his house, because he thinks he is helping her heal.

How come does no one see that what he should have done, if there should have been a story, is hand her over to the authorities, let the people that would actually be able to help her, help her, and in that process form a friendship and for the love of god, never try to mold her into a 'good and natural submissive'. Jeez, that plot pisses me off and nobody says a damn thing. i think that is just wrong.

Ignorant as I am, I bought this book not knowing it was originally reworked FF, but as I read, it wasn't hard to figure out.

I wish I could give a better review, but unfortunately I can't.

Nelly

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adult review for taboo content.

Curiouser and curiouser...

For a book about sexual slavery, it's actually sort of funny how there was not even one full sex scene. HAH. How's that for writing around a subject?

Maybe I'm feeling extra generous in giving this book 4 stars because I did have moments where I felt like the characters were paper cutouts of real life characters. Maybe I shouldn't have enjoyed a book so much in which the main character was so childlike (barely legal, yet had the emotional baggage of someone much younger). She probably should have been turned over to people who could have handled her mental well-being in a more appropriate environment, instead of entering into a living situation with an adult Dominant who has many years of life experience on her.

But it is what it is. I think what I appreciated the most about this book is that there was nothing taboo for the sake of shock value. While I have read and enjoyed other dark erotica, sometimes I feel like I'm being jerked around and forced to have to feel things that I don't necessarily want to feel. I never felt like Slave took me on a roller coaster of "oh shit" for the purpose of making me react to horrific instances. Even though Brianna came from an "oh shit" life, once she was in her new master's care she was safe. And I was happy to see it.

Don't get me wrong. Every so often, it can be interesting to watch the freak show circus unfold in a dark erotic book, but what I appreciated the most about Slave was that the lead character was NOT a jackass. He was NOT the lesser of two evils. He was NOT a damaged character who we were forced to have to learn to like. He was honestly a good guy (at least from what we can see in book 1). I read another similar book on sexual slavery, where I almost found myself angry at how the "white knight" character turned out to be only slightly better than the person who the girl was rescued from. I don't always want that stress in my books. Sometimes I just want the rescuer to be just that - a person who is trying to honestly do some good in another person's life.

Brianna was broken at the start of the book. Brianna is still broken at the end of the book. Recovering from extreme abuse is not an immediate process. I needed to be shown the stages of recovery and this author did a great job at taking this slow.

So we weren't rewarded with a bow-chicka-wow-wow explosion of hot sex. I honestly didn't mind. The journey is part of the experience and I am grateful that it wasn't downplayed.

I would have liked to have felt more for the characters than what I did, but hopefully book 2 will allow me to connect more.

This book was provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

FREE on Amazon US today (11/14/2016)

Book 1 of 4. Series complete.

BLURB:
Stephan has lived the lifestyle of a Dominant for five years. After several rebellious teenage years, it gave him the stability and control he had been seeking after his parent's death. As president of a not-for-profit foundation, he knows what his future holds and what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend and mentor, Daren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he'd be in, Stephan can't walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how.

Brianna knows only one thing: she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing. Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a Slave?

FREE: https://www.amazon.com/Slave-Finding-...


FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day. I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 600 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Nazanin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

DNF @ 58%
Nothing happened and I mean NOTHING! Got bored…

[Penny Well Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like it.

I just I don't think that anything has been solved, everything is as open as in the beginning of the story. Also, I am conflicted about Stephan taking upon himself alone the responsibility of "saving" Brianna.


Book 2: Need
Book 3: Truth
Book 4: Trust

[s · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephan and Brianna have the healthiest fucking relationship and I love them so fucking much

[Literatures Movies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry. I was bored.

There seems to be a whole lot of conversations and scenes of them eating but no sex. And seeing that this book was listed as "Erotica" I was expecting quite a shit load of sex. But nope. There's barely any.

And why does this book kinda feel like reading FSOG all over again?

Anyway, long story short : I got bored. I couldn't finish it. Writing was repetitive and boring. This book was a waste of time. And it seems like them boobs and vagina hasn't been doing it for me lately since I have been chucking book off left and right. So, I'm gonna go find myself some dick on dick action.

Ciao.


Blog : Le me has a blog

Youtube : This is ze youtube

[Riane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly enjoyed this book but giving it a review is not the easiest thing to do. Some books are easy to review just by asking yourself if you enjoyed it, what parts you liked and what you didn’t, how easy the book was to read, and then write it all down and give it a rating. However, with a book such as this one, it’s a bit more involved because the story itself is not as straight forward. Reading and reviewing this story requires more thought and decision work than most.
Let me first make it clear that I enjoyed this book immensely. The characters are a joy to meet and learn about. They are likable and easily draw you in to the story. You care what is going to happen and feel for each character. (Even hate for a specific character…which I’m sure you will recognize this character if you read the book.)

Brianna is a young woman who has seriously suffered at the hands of an abusive sadist. I do not say that lightly. Being in the lifestyle, I do not consider a sadist as an abuser generally. We are all entitled to our own extreme of our kink of choice. However, this jerk is definitely an abuser. She has gone through a lot and has a lot of emotional damage, but you can tell she is strong underneath and hope that if given time and help, she can recover.

With Stephan, you can feel and understand the difficult issues, and his worries, when he is attempting to help Brianna. Add in the stress of dealing with family and a demanding professional life.

There are wonderful hints of chemistry between the characters throughout the book that hint at the future heat that I think will flare between them. I really do appreciate that Ms Hayes took the time to show that recovery from the extent of damage done to Brianna does not occur overnight, or over a chapter or two.

As much as I enjoyed reading Slave, I did encounter a few issues. First, the book is told in first person. While I do not prefer this style, Ms Hayes managed it well by clearly marking the sections between the characters. Instead of changing back and forth quickly, she gives you time to settle in and understand before changing the character. I actually feel that the story would have lost some of the emotions if she hadn’t written it this way.

The second issue, for me, was that the classification is not appropriate for this specific book. It is marketed as a BDSM erotica. Nonetheless, there was no sex in the entire book, and while I do believe you need to be familiar with Master/slave relationships to understand the story, there was no overt BDSM in this book. However, based on the ending, I suspect the next installment will easily qualify for those categories. Based on that, I assume this is a series classification more than the book classification alone. I know I would be a bit upset to read a story classified as something I normally read and then find out, the next book in the series is classified as a genre I am uninterested in reading.

The third issue, and my biggest problem, is that I was not aware this book is not a standalone. I usually prefer a nice bow on the end of a book. With Slave, I finished it and ran to my computer to verify that it was the end and that my copy wasn’t missing the rest of the book! I was quite unhappy to learn that I was not missing any of the book, but I really enjoyed this book so much that I am waiting with baited breath for the next segment!

I do recommend reading Slave if you have an interest in BDSM. If you are looking for a well written book with characters and a storyline that pull you in and makes you want to learn more about what is going to happen, read this book. If you are looking for a heated story with a quick clean HEA, this book might not be the one for you. If you do read this book, please keep the following in mind: As of the writing of this review, this series is expected to span over at least 4 books with book 2 currently scheduled for release around summer of 2012. And just to save you the searching… Yes, your copy is complete and that is the end of the book.

http://www.kinkybookreviews.com

[Willow Madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll try to make this brief because I wasted enough time on this crap: NO SEX. NO STORY.

Here's the whole book in a nutshell -- Poor Anna is a 19-yr old mindless idiot, broken from the last 10 months spent as a slave to an abusive and sadistic Master (you can see why I wanted to read this, eh). She's bought by a kind and gentle Dom who is just as mindless and idiotic. We know they are both mindless idiots from the dual POV. The rest of the book is one looooong scene of this:

inside Anna's empty head: oh I'm so scared to do something wrong that I think I'll just have a huge panic attack that will leave me a shaking, quivering, unconscious mess...

inside Dom's empty head: oh I'm so scared to do something wrong that I think I'll just make every mistake I can think of that will have Anna in a panic attack but at least I haven't had sex with her even though I really have a big boner for her in this totally creepy way but it's okay because I'm not trying to be her Master only her kind and gentle Dom...oh...and I bought her a shiny new car and I'm sending her to school...see I'm kind and gentle...wonder when I can start to get into her pants that I've bought for her too....

This is worth repeating: NO SEX. It's about the 60% mark and they kiss. This is the big move that is repeated, over and over and over...

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author, Ms. Hayes. I heard good reviews about this book. Specifically, it showed from a Dom's point of view. This interested me and I finally read it last night. I really like this book. The switching between Stephen (Dom) and Brianna (slave) was good for me in this book. Generally, I don't like the flipping of POV. I want it from just one person's perspective. Flipping back and forth is annoying in most cases and sloppy. I particularly liked how each chapter denoted if it was from Stephen or Brianna perspective. This may not work for some, but it worked well for me.

What is it about this book I enjoyed so much?

1. There are predators out there and they can break a person. This book demonstrated that while this is true, it isn't everyone. There are people out there who aren't cruel and heartless, yet they are still Tops who will discipline a bottom.

2. There is a distinction made between a submissive and a slave. It may not be clear enough for those who aren't in the lifestyle. But those who are even in the fringes, they get it.

3. This book is different in that there was no sex play, it was mainly focused on the protective side of a D/s relationship. The main point was trust and willingness to submit. I loved how this was shown in different actions.

4. Those in not in the lifestyle and who find it to be bad, they aren't the ones who knows what is right for someone in the lifestyle. It's kind of like a person who has never had lost a loved one to death to help a person who's just watched their love one die. Yes, the person means well and can help in some cases, but they are not the best person to reach out. It's not the same. Or better yet, having a virgin help a rape victim through the issues surrounding a rape. Can a virgin help? Certainly, but it's not the same. In Slave, we see Uncle Richard pushing his agenda in a situation where he has absolutely NO understanding. So many times I wanted to smack Uncle Richard off his freaking high horse. God I loathe him. His condescension and condemnation of Stephen just pisses me off.

5. Brianna isn't a TSTL character. She's young, innocent and forced into this lifestyle. She's trying but she honestly is clueless because she's so damn young. God I feel so badly for her.

I did have several questions that aren't answered and I hope the author answers them.

1. Why the F did Tina lay out Stephen's lifestyle on a silver platter to Uncle Richard?
2. I want to know about Brianna's past.
3. Why the F did the book end?!?!?!? Where's the rest of it? GAH!

Which leads me to... Ms. Hayes, get your little writing butt into gear. I want to read a follow up book to this. LOL I recommend this book to new and old BDSM readers alike. This is a sweet book about a bad situation. Great D/s scenes.

[Michael Dunellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop me if you have heard this before...

There is this guy. Lives in a penthouse overlooking a major metropolitan city. Rich Successful CEO. Respected but most people think he is sort of reclusive.

What the public and most of his employees/family doesn’t know is that in his penthouse he has a room where he likes nothing better than to tie up young beautiful women, teach them to submit to his will, and make mad passionate love to them in a safe, sane and very consensual manner.

Oh, almost forgot: young beautiful brunette women.

So obviously, you are thinking, that you’ve already read this. But you would be wrong.

Stephan is not driven by the demons of his past. He has no issues he is trying to bury or run away from. And he has good friends. One day a friend comes to him with a problem. There is a young woman who needs his help. If things work out, he might just find the submissive that he has been searching for.

And so he meets Brianna.

One thing you quickly learn is that even if he sounds familiar she is not Anastasia or even Bella or anyone else you might be thinking of. She may have been like them once but not now. After a year of psychological and physical torture at the hands of a sadistic monster, she is simply a slave.

This isn’t erotica in the traditional or the modern sense. If you are looking for steamy love scenes, then you are going to be disappointed, at least by this first book in the series. Because there aren’t anyway. When you are a slave, you own nothing and therefore can give nothing. And he simply won’t take what isn’t freely offered. She could possibly be the submissive he has been searching for but it is going take all his skill as a Dominant and his compassion as a human being to get her to the place where she can decide that for herself. We see them start the journey toward her recovery, but it isn’t going to be easy for either of them.

My one bit of advice to Stephan: When you collar a slave it isn’t the same as collaring a submissive. An uncollared submissive knows she doesn’t belong to you; an uncollared slave does not. Next time you ask her to choose, make sure she understands she is actually making a choice between two different outcomes. Lily wasn’t the only one who didn’t say enough.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Dark BDSM Romance, and this is the first book in the Finding Anna series. I read the first half of this book months ago, and I ended up putting it down. My biggest problem with this book was it was so slow moving and was not going anymore. I ended up deciding to just finish it, and I ended up liking the last part of this book. I did not love it because I felt the pacing was off and it needed to get to the point faster. The first part of this book needed to be edited way down, and the last half of this book needs to just get to the point.

Also this book as a lot of things that can trigger people, so do not read this book if you cannot handle the topics that are covered in this book.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Saving Stars!!!!

I read Slave in August of 2012, but I never wrote a review (I know it’s before I started to write reviews), so with that said, I reread it and well.. .Slave is a really unique read that doesn’t get enough attention.

If you are into the “damsel-in-distress” type of read, (WHICH I AM SO INTO!) then, Slave is for you

I HAVE to put this disclaimer… because TONS of you will ask me if this is like Captive and I have to say, not really. First off, I wasn’t a big fan of Captive. I didn’t dislike Captive, it was just hard for me to relate to the Hero. However, Slave does have the whole dominate/submission theme, again, I’m a huge fan of these reads.

With that said… on with the review!

[Summary]

Brianna has been held as a sex Slave for ten months. Stephan’s friend meets Brianna at a party and sees how distress Brianna is and mentions to Stephan that he should purchase her, to save her, since Stephan has the funds for it. Stephan meets with Brianna’s “master” and after seeing how poorly Brianna has been treated, Stephan decides to purchase Brianna and becomes her new master. Even though Brianna has only been held captive for ten months, she’s so emotional scared it’s hard for her to go back into society, while being Stephan’s new submissive.



Before you think of bondage and steamy love steams, I would say Slave is a very mild, tame read, with a lot of build-up. Now, tension usually makes me pull my hair out, but honestly, I thought the whole Stephan and Brianna relationship was very sweet.

[Stephan]

Good Lord I loved Stephan I mean, I liked him in Slave but as you move forward with the series, you will really like him, heck, you will fall in love with him. Stephan is a true dominate, he’s successful, he’s sexy, masculine and just all around alpha, however, he isn’t “crazy”. I would describe him as a pretty realistic Hero (as much as one can be).



Never had one woman dominated my thoughts as she did. I had no idea what it meant, but I had to know everything I could about her.

[Brianna]



All those things I’d suffered before, and I’d survived. At least now I had more than I’d ever thought I’d have again.

Brianna is damaged and it’s to the point where you question if ten months was enough to warrant her issues, but it’s kind of explained later on in the series. She also cries a lot, I know this can irritate a few readers, but I kind of glazed over that, because, as I mentioned before, I really like damsel-in-distress story line! Call me old fashion, but who doesn’t want a masculine brute to save you?!



It was then that I realized just how much I wanted this, her, here. I wanted her to want me. All of me.

[Overall]

Slave is a quick short read with a cliffy, so it’s best to pick up book 2, NEED right away. It’s a really sweet story about two people getting together due to an extreme circumstance. Slave is one of those reads that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but really is a gem in the rough.

For more reviews, visit Jacqueline's Reads

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is only the first installment of what appears to be a series of books. First off, this was originally a Twilight fanfic that ended in pretty much the same spot as this book. And other than names and places, I couldn't find much different in this published version.

Brianna (Anna) is a young woman in a horrible situation. Stephan is made aware of the horrors and decides to rescue her by purchasing her from her current 'owner'. The subject of involuntary slavery and human trafficking is touched upon in a respectful manner. What is not made clear is that by handing a check to Brianna's current owner, Stephan has likely implicated himself as well and might be held responsible for his actions down the road. This point is at no time brought up.

The rest of the story is basically a depiction of Stephan's attempts to help Brianna overcome the trauma and Brianna's confusion at the actions of her new master. His approach may not be the most conventional but over the course of this book, it becomes clear that what he is doing is actually working.

As with most books I've purchased from this publisher, spelling and punctuation errors can be found throughout the book, and this often distracts the reader and contorts the meaning of a specific sentence.

The ending of this first installment is unfortunate, in a way. There is no information as to the next book, or anything. It just ends. This could have been handled much better, in my opinion.

I have to say that while I liked it, I can't give it more than three stars. The writing is uneven, and the switching POVs between Stephan and Brianna don't work well for me. It would have been better had this book been revised into 3rd person POV. Seeing the character names in bold before the sections is distracting and interrupts the flow.

ETA 3/25/12:

This book was one of my first forays into purchasing rewritten Fanfiction. Had I known then what I know now, I would not have given this book a second glance. As such, I will not be buying the next installments.

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****SPOILER ALERT!*****
I change the stars for the love of Stephen Coleman, the perfect , most eligible bachelor, sweetest Dom in the universe!!!

"I want you, Brianna, don't doubt that...
But you will give yourself to me willingly.
If I have you, I want all of you"

I was still stare at my laptop screen after reading and didn't know what to write. Seriously!

Stephan living a BDSM life style for quite sometimes, until Daren, his mate told him to buy a slave,. He never agree of slavery, and now Daren wanted him to buy a slave?!


But his friend assure him that she need him to safe her.
That's what Stephan felt after he met Brianna, Ian's slave. She was broken. Really broken, inside out.
She's been abused, raped, and treated like an animal for 10 months. She's only 18.

Damn!, what she's been through made me cried so many times, how can people treat another human being "like that"?



What the hell was happened to her?
I cried for her trauma, the snakes, the breaking arm, the sharing, the rape!



For Brianna, Stephan was just like an angel who saved her from hell. She's just didn't know that. She's still afraid and suspicious of him.
But Stephan is one helluva the sweetest Dominant in the whole world!
He was so patient, controlled and he's falling in love with Brianna. Big time.
He's constantly having a peaceful time after dinner with Brianna sitting on his lap. That was the sweetest moment of them. And every time Brianna crying...He's always there for her...God! Who's can't falling for him?


That's why he can't be far from her, and most of his days, he spent home with her. Work from home, so many times. Ahem!




I can feel the chemistry built from the first time Stephan laid his eyes on Brianna.
Brianna still hold a mystery, her pas that she can't tell Stephan.
Again, Stephan was a most patient, affectionate and sweet Dominant.
And he wanted her SO F***ING BAD! He showered every night to kill his lust for her!

They're just kiss, no sex...and seems to me, that he can wait forever.
It's ME who cannot wait!!!!


This is a bitter sweet story. Not an ordinary love story, but also not an ordinary slavery/BDSM story.
This is Stephan and Brianna story.
The story was slow, but how can I not stop reading it and cannot put down. Seem flat, but lots of anticipation. Seems slow but yet so fast.
I don't know how to describe it. I just, can't stop reading!

"SEEING HER, ALL MY RESERVATIONS VANISHED. SOMETHING INSIDE ME SCREAMED THAT I NEED TO PROTECT HER. I WOULD BUY HER NO MATTER WHAT THE COST."

I’m a Dominant, like Ian. But unlike Ian, I do not believe in forced slavery. I want a woman to submit to me because she wants to serve me. Not because she is forced to.’

"SHE WAS BROKEN, TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY. IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO REBUILD HER SELF-WORTH, BUT I NEW THE END RESULT WOULD BE WORTH IT."

[Michelle [Helen Geek] · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sounds good, but $9 [eBook] for a new author [Amazon & B&N], I'll wait a bit.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
3 Stars

I'm so glad I read this book, and I hope not to offend any with my review. This book has me conflicted. Who am I to define the meaning of love for another? I can only define it for myself. I would not be able to love someone who considered themselves less a person than I. This is a story of love, survival and salvation.

Brianna is a slave bought by the man who eventually comes to love her. He buys her to save her. She is being mistreated and this comes to his attention. He is a dominant looking for a new submissive, so his buying her poses no issue for this society. Brianna has been seriously abused and is totally wrecked mentally. This where I start to have issues. Rather than seek mental help for this young lady, Stephen works with her himself. There is nothing sexual in this book. Stephen offers tender care to Brianna, but to say she has serious issues - a great understatement. She continues to call him Master and to consider herself a slave. I agree with Stephen doing what he can to get Brianna safe - even "buying" her. I don't agree with the remainder of the story.

Stephen falls in love with Brianna, but I wonder how? I think this question pulled me through the remainder of the book. Then, I had the epiphany. Love isn't for me to define for another, I can only define it for me. I wouldn't consider the foundation Stephen builds for Brianna stable enough where love can begin and grow, but this is my opinion based on my paradigms. Others may read this and find it a perfect place and good beginning.

I found this story very disturbing. It is not my cuppa. I'm not sure I like the writers style at all and didn't think the backstory for the characters well developed. I'm not sure I'll read another by this one.

Not sure if you will happily read this one or not. If you do, great. If you don't, not my fault. I tried to honestly tell you what I got out of this story.

Happy Reading!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this book in one day..I really enjoyed it and my heart broke for Breanna. She was taken into captivity by a man named Ian for ten months. She was treated brutally and became so traumatized as a result. A man name Stephan buys her from Ian and she doesn't realize he bought her to help her not hurt her.
The book continues on with what Breanna and Stephan go through on a daily basis with trying to heal Breanna. Stephan is into the BDSM lifestyle and would like to have Breanna follow him into the lifestyle but he is not sure if it is realistic with all of her current issues and trauma.
I was so emotional engaged with this book rooting for their relationship.. The only complaint I have is that it is a bit slow moving at times but for the most part it kept my interest and my eyes were glued to the page! Luckily "Need" the second story came out just last night some time so I can contine the story right away!

[➦Paulette & Her Sexy Alphas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what category to put this book in

This book was nothing like i thought it would be i did enjoy it.
The book is told from both the hero(Stephan) and the heroines (Brianna)
loved Stephan when he found out Brianna who was owned by Ian and he used her cruelly, broken bones, bruises & shared with many men. Stephan bought her to save her but, he couldn't let go of her but, did offer to let her go if she wanted to at the end of the book. Stephan was good for Brianna and Brianna was fearful of everything & everybody. But, who wouldn't be after what all Ian had done to her. I also loved Lily & Logan they also live the lifestyle of Submissive and Dom.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed on Under the Covers with my girl Angela : )



Brianna is an unwilling slave. Sold to a sadistic dom who enjoys her humilation and pain he inflicts horrors on her in an effort to break her. He succeeds. Now sold to a new Master she has no idea what to expect, certainly not the kindness and compassion he shows her as he tries to heal her and gain her trust.

Both Suz and Angela read this book, here's what they had to say...

*Starts trying to use gtalk on their phones, but had to stop due to huge technical difficulties aka Suz being unitelligable due to the tinyness of her stupid phone and her massive sausage fingers*

Suz: Anyways *grumbles about tiny phones* Slave, I LOVED IT! I am so glad you sent it to me Ang, it wasn't what I expected but I liked that it surprised me. I know you were a little unsure about it, what made you feel that?

Ang: Well, I usually don't like 1st person POV but I was able to enjoy the H/h POVs. What bugged me the most is her age. And the feeling of helplessness to me, there's a fine line of willing/subjecting to your Dom and being forced to do things. And it bothered me to hear of Anna's past and what damage it brought. I hate that these can actually happen in RL. I was a bit surprise at the plot, I was expecting hot erotica book.

Suz: I think that was what I liked about it, I have read plenty of BDSM erotica, but I think this book shows that amount of power a Dom can have over his sub/slave. I liked that it showed that this lifestyle was about more then just great sex and showed what a huge responsiblity it was to have complete power over someone. It definietly wasn't a fluffy book! I also liked that she showed both POVs, we got a larger depth and understanding of each character, I also liked that she clearly marked whose POV we were reading rather then jumping from place to place.

Ang: Exactly this book is definitely no fluffy book and Dom/Sub relationships gets tricky for me. I'm just getting to know more about it now. It's definitely not just sex and toys that's for sure! I agree on the labeling of which POV we were reading; It sorta felt like i was reading their personal diary. I liked that! But I loved Ms. Hayes writing, IMO it flowed and easy follow. What did you think of the plot?

Suz: For me the writing style for me was just okay, sometimes it seemed like it was just a list, like, I did this and then I did that etc. But I loved the plot, it was great how he was slowly gaining her trust and not pushing he more then she can take. I think it felt right having no sex in this book, it would have felt too much like he was taking advantage, but I think there will be more in the next book as their relationship builds. What do you reckon?

Ang: Brianna's lifestyle of being a sub, even if they aren't have sex, is definitely in place and yeah, I'd like to explore more of her story. And by the next book the sexual tension will be huge and a good place to release is in that play room ;) But I'm glad Stephan will be there for her. If and when I read book 2, I know it'll be rough for me again. But I am curious to see where their relationship will go.

Suz: I am definitely going to read book 2, I really want to see her recover and I am hoping Ian and the person who sod her (don't wanna give spoilers!) will get some kind of comeuppance. And Stephan! I really liked him, I am he must be like the perfect guy right? A modern day Knight in Shining Armour, even before he knew her he saved her. Do you think he is a potential harem add? lol!

Ang: Stephen is definitely a knight and a potential harem add. There is nothing better then a bad guy getting what's coming to him! Another fab reason for reading the next book!

[Steelwhisper · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5* but there is no way I'll be rounding this up.

The one positive thing about this book is the narrative: it is fluent, engaging, pulling the reader into the story, and the two POVs for once work, and work well. There are almost no SPaG issues, and while the prose is utilitarian, it is also doing its job. The author is a good storyteller.

With that to the negatives, and there are so many that I make this short. Like FSoG this is disrespectful of BDSM and the lifestyle. While getting a bit more right than Fifty Shades, with whom "Slave" shares the origin as a Twilight-fanfic P2P, it also is simply enfuriating to have BDSMers portrayed as being people who are okay with rape and slavery. To have billionaires portrayed, because of their BDSM lifestyle, as being so incompetent as to forego police and professional psychological and medical help. The posits this story introduces are utterly offensive to me, the BDSMer.

The psychology is a hot mess of getting some symptoms right for heavy PTSD and Stockholm/abuse syndrome, but then presenting domineering behaviour as a solution and getting the psychology for recovery all wrong. The MC is having a bad case of instalove and is so hypocritical he squeaks when you poke him.

Then--what is it about Twilight which resulted in what appears to be a whole slew of cis-gendered, white man dominating women, back to the 1940s BDSM which serves as an easy way to put females "back into their place"? There is absolutely no transgression with any of the BDSM books, this included, that I lately read. This is not about powerexchanges in the bedroom for the fun of it, it always has to be full out TPE without even touching any of the inherent problems. It's always the female who gets back into her pre-1950s role (though Edward is such a wimp and Bella is dominating the whole roost of vampires and werewolves with a flick of her limp wrist!), and the guys always are super-creepy. And women seem to gobble this up. It has me baffled.

So, while on the technical side this was solidly written, the content was barf-worthy and certainly disrespectful and offensive.

[Juls · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first i was really turned off by the fact that the lead female was 18. i like my couple to be age appropriate 25-40 ish range. but the more i read the more i enjoyed it. It was so much more than about sex, which there isnt any but more about healing and love and acceptance.

very pleasantly surprised for sure.
the ending was very abrupt and finding out that theres a book 2 made me understand the ending or lack there of a bit better.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen is a good man and Dominant



Brianna is broken, so very broken




Although I could not put this book down and it pulled me out of my reading slump, I honestly can not justify 5 stars. Don't get me wrong, I loved this book, but something was missing. I couldn't really put my finger on his personality he was caring and sweet but I have a hard time picturing him a full blown Dom.

I am so very excited to finish this series, and with any luck it will tie up some loose ends.
Like why I am I so suspicious of Brad ... I don't think I trust him


I would recommend to those who are looking for a medium dark read. The writing was fantastic and I feel it can only get better as the series goes on.

[Dia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

As you might know, I'm still searching for a good dark story.
This book was also free on Amazon and I had it on my Kindle for a while. I dived in expecting some pretty tough BDSM. Well let me tell you I was SO wrong. This book isn't dark, even if there were some disturbing elements, but only as the girl's memories.

Stephan was a dominant and Brianna was a slave he bought with the intention to save, but this whole book was a building trust work in progress that I got pretty bored with.

I am sorry to say it didn't work for me. Mostly I was expecting something way different, and Stephan falling for this broken girl SO easily was not it.

We get some flashbacks from her past, with her previous master who mistreated her - to say the least.

Unfortunately Stephan was trying too hard to win her trust and make her overcome the trauma... She was barely legal, was repeatedly abused physically and was having deep emotional scars - she thinks she just changed one awful master with another. And Stephan was not getting her professional help. I found this odd.

The whole story was too slow paced for me and the ending felt too abrupt.
I'm not going to read the next books. I'm not curious how Brianna will get to trust him. Surely they will live happily ever after.

[Nia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slave is a book centered solely on the post traumatic fear experienced by a slave and how her new Master tries to help her deal with the trauma. There are no sex scenes, BDSM scenes (aside from traumatic memories), or even erotic scenes. The closest you will come to erotica are a few kisses.

With that said, I found the book to be well developed and the story interesting. The entire book is about helping Brianna (Anna) deal with making her own choices and seeing the world in a different light. Very serious, deep and emotional read about the effects of sadistic non-consensual slavery and how a man takes it upon himself to try to heal her and show her true trust.

[Elizabeth (Liz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance


4 Stars

Stephan is the very young president of a not-for-profit foundation, a sexual Dominant and completely satisfied with his life. Brianna is a young, broken, *badly* damaged girl who was betrayed by someone she should have been able to trust without question and sold into sexual slavery. Two more extreme opposites could not possibly be found. When Stephan is lead into purchasing Brianna in order to rescue her from her sadistic master, the lives of these two people will never be the same.


Slave is a serious story, written in a serious manner. There are very few things as abhorrent in this world as the purchase of one human being by another. Those who involve themselves in the slave trade surely condemn themselves to the deepest reaches of hell. Slave gives us an intimate and terrible look at the aftermath of one young woman's imprisonment.

I choose to see Brianna as the hero of this story. Here is a very young woman who was imprisoned, forced into servitude, raped repeatedly and barbarically, passed around as if she were an inanimate party favor and tortured in many and varied ways. She escaped the clutches of her so-called master only by being purchased by yet another sexual Dominant. She was so badly broken that she presented herself as very nearly mentally challenged, to my mind. She was so far beyond vulnerable it was terrifying. She had no mind or will of her own, no ability to make choices. DESPITE all of this, and in spite of the fact that she was controlled by Stephan and his Dominant mind games, SHE learned to adapt. Though it was painfully slow, SHE began to ask questions. SHE refused to allow her mind or body the emotional escape it craved and, some could argue, deserved. Even while, in my opinion, she had traded one captor for another and succumbed to some version of Stockholm Syndrome with Stephan, SHE still managed to hang on and keep going. SHE managed to get up every day and go on. That is how I choose to look at the story told in Slave.

I will not spend time discussing Stephan other than to say that I felt he was, in many ways, almost as bad as the man he rescued Brianna from. Whatever his own 'issues' with psychiatrists and the idea of therapy, he put Brianna in grave jeopardy by refusing to seek out the treatment she DESPERATELY needed. No one will convince me that he was not actively preying on this young woman's horrific vulnerability. I did not like him, and that is putting it VERY mildly.

As passionate as my feelings still are about this story, obviously Sherri Hayes has unquestionable writing talent.




**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Lady Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is originally posted in Journey with Books

Slave is the first installment in Finding Ana series and this is also the first book I've read from Ms. Sherri Hayes. I can say that I'm definitely happy to read an emotional and well written fiction.

Before I accepted this book, I've read the other reviews on Goodreads first. I read a lot and I became intrigued and fascinated by this book because of the reviews.

This is not your typical BDSM themed romance because it's a lot deeper than that and frankly, in this book, there is no racy sex scenes. Ms. Sherri Hayes also covered, human trafficking, she wrote a very vivid example of human trafficking. She showed through this book that there are women out there who are abused and kept against their wills.

The build up of the romance between Brianna and Stephan is a little slow but it was written in an understandable and acceptable way because you cannot just magically heal a very broken woman and just pair her up. Honestly, I liked it that way because the author didn't force a romance into happening, she let it fall naturally. It is more realistic that way.

I loved how Ms. Sherri Hayes wrote the character of Brianna. I felt for her. It's very seldom when you read a book that could affect you and I could tell you with all honestly that this book did. The feelings of Brianna are very realistic and I really really liked getting into her head and into her heart. I felt her fear and her desperation to be saved. I also felt her confusion in how Stephan treated her.

And Stephan is the type of man you'd want for yourself. He never gave up on Brianna no matter how difficult their situation is. He loved her the best way he could even though he's hurting too. He made her feel safe with him. His patience on her and his perseverance to make her feel comfortable and safe with him made me love him even more.

This book is definitely a good read for me. Ms Sherri Hayes is a writer who has the talent in making her readers feel. She has the right instinct in affecting her readers. I feel that Slave is just an introduction of a great story and I am so excited to read the next book in this series!



This review is originally posted in Journey with Books

[Alicia Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slave...hmm what can I say about Slave that could even come close to explain how amazing this book is! As soon as I got my copy of this book I was very intrigued by the cover, its very beautiful and telling but at the same time you can't help but wonder how the girl on the cover got to where she is. I couldn't wait to read the story behind the cover.


Once I started reading, I didn't stop. Sherri Hayes writes with such a talent, she makes the words flow right off the page and takes you into her characters world. I was trapped and held captive right along with Brianna, then Stephan comes along and tries his best to help Brianna. But, can Stephan save Brianna or will she continue to spiral down a deep black hole?

I loved how the author made sure we got both POV's throughout the whole book. Your not stuck in one persons head the whole time. We get to try to understand Stephan's reasoning and we get to feel all the emotions she is feeling and read all the thoughts she is thinking as Stephan tries to help her deal with what she has been through.

Brianna is so broken in this story from all the stuff she has been forced to endure, but Stephan tries to hard to save her sometimes even from herself. He does this even though some of his loved ones don't understand.

I loved reading every word of this book and will more than likely read it all over again. All the characters are perfectly developed and I fell in love with Brianna and Stephan's friend and coworker Lily as well as Stephan of course. Even though sometimes I wanted to grab him and just shake him. I love the relationships Brianna gets to build in this book and can't wait to see the other ones she builds in the next books.

This is only book one of Finding Anna books and I can't wait for more. If you haven't read this book you defiantly should. You wont be able to move away from it till you finish every word.

[Brittany B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, clean and sweet sex-slave story? Oxymoronic, but true.


The hero is a dominant male who rescues a very mentally and physically broken woman. At 17, the girl was sold as an unwilling sex slave. When we pick up the story 18 yr old Brianna has been tortured and abused for 10 months. Stephen, the unquestionable Hero of this story, has learned of the existence of an unwilling slave and purchases her from her "master". He intends to help her, to free her, but he never expected her to be so completely lost and broken. Having been a dominant in 2 other relationships, Stephen is familiar with Sub/Dom behavior. Instead of involving the police, Stephen decides to take responsibility for helping this girl find a life again. His reasons for taking responsibility of her are honestly solid. From the little she will speak, he worries that her family may not be safe for her.

So using non-traditional/non-sexual Dom/Sub techniques, Stephen tries to save Brianna's life. That's all I can say, without spoilers.

This was an unexpected read for me. I have found a little niche in this dark genre that is interesting. This book is the most unique. Despite the BDSM theme, it is not an erotic novel. It's the first type of book that I ever felt true 100% respect for the Dominant. He is not controlling Brianna for his own gain, and he denies himself needs that most books take for granted. Eventually, doing everything in Brianna's best interests, Stephen faces the very real possibility of losing her.

I really liked this book, but the ending left me wanting more! Rumor has it that a sequel is to come very soon. (I need to get in on this net gallery thing.) I will be following this author in general. I was very impressed with her writing style.

[Sassafrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so hard to rate this book, but I went with 4.5 stars in the end.

I absolutely devoured this book, I will most likely read it again at some point. It was much different than I thought it would be. I had no idea how emotionally connected I would be to Brianna and Stephan. The horrors that Anna suffered at the hands of her forced Master were horrible, and we just got a small glimpse of them.

I was sad that the book ended where it did. I understand that it's part of a series but I would have liked a little more resolution to the story before it ended.

I will say that I liked the shifting points of view in the story. Whenever there's a book that it's the first person, I'm always wondering how the other person sees things, so this way I got that in the one story.

I'm on to the next story now. I've got an ARC from NetGalley, so I have to start it. There's no way that I can stop now. I need to...no HAVE to know what happens next.