Every day is torture for former SAS officer Alex Lombard. Every day, he has to go into his office and work beside the woman he craves down to the last atom of his being. The snag is, he doesn’t date his employees, but even if he did, he’s too damaged to be the man she deserves. Beth Harrison wants to be a writer, but like everyone else, she has bills to pay. Her job as Alex Lombard’s assistant not only pays those bills, it puts her in close proximity to the man who provides the inspiration for the hero in her first novel, and who lives in her dreams as the lover she longs for. When a street crime throws them together as more than employer and employee, the secrets revealed change their relationship forever. However, someone from Alex’s past is out for revenge, and his sights aren’t only on destroying Alex’s business… This work was previously published. It has been retitled, expanded and re-edited for this release. “I could not put this superb book down … What a page turner” – Goodreads review “Heart wrenching and heartwarming, delightful and disturbing, a lovely story that takes the reader through the mundane, to the thrilling, wrapping it all up in a beautiful ribbon of tender devotion between two souls.” – Goodreads review
This is another story that i have to wonder about how i could forget i had it. Because it’s well written,has enough character/world building,and an enjoyable read. It’s a first in a series,and tells the story of Alex and his assistant Beth. He’s been tempted from the moment she entered his life,but thinking she’s not into the same stuff he is,he stays away. Until they day he finds her notes,the ones she makes for the stories she writes,on her desk. And when she’s mugged,right outside the office,the gloves come off. After patching her up,he takes her home with him while his best friend checks her apartment. The same friend he’s asked to do a total recon of the office…because something’s not been right for a while now. In the meantime,Alex and Beth are getting closer,and things are moving in the right direction,with all the delicious bonuses that come with this dominant male…. But he has hidden trauma….trauma he never dealt with. And Beth is determined to help him make a start. Until the one causing the trouble arrives at the house and everything goes to hell…..
As i said,a very interesting and captivating story. One that held my attention throughout,that made my heart ache at what Alex went through. And that made it ache a little more when it looked like Beth was going to lose the Master she’d only just found.
Warning: coerced sex. In a BDSM book consent is everything. He forced her and that's not cool. Now if he replaced the bad from a loving place. Where they discussed the scene and she understood what would be asked of her and why then I'm all for it. To do a cleansing scene right see Calypso Masters Master In Arms last book of the series. The whole book is full of cleansing scenes and there is a discussion why she needs those scenes and there is a discussion why she froze during certain parts and a stopping of scenes. He checks in with her and aftercare is so important. Don't do what Ms. Adams did don't forget the core of BDSM, communication and care, just for a conflict. I had a twitch when she kept interchanging Master and Sir. Master/slave is very different to D/S there is another layer of trust and submission with an M/S bond. Slaves automatically subsume their autonomy because they are slaves. We are taught slaves had no choice and their masters had total control. And while it's understood on a thinking level that you can hit the stop button because you are playing. There is an emotional response that gives more power to the Master so you are reluctant to use your safety word. So I liked parts of it but disagreed with some.
As a soldier in the British special forces, Alex Lombard saw and did terrible things, which have left him with PTSD induced nightmares. He gets some comfort from his role as a Dominant at Club Aegis, but what he really wants is a relationship with his assistant, Beth Harrison. However, between the BDSM and the PTSD, Alex doesn't think that the reserved Beth is the kind of woman he needs, until he reads the novel she's writing -- a kinky BDSM romance. So when Beth is injured in a mugging, Alex takes her home with him, to show her what it means to truly be his woman.
Military guys with PTSD are almost a romance trope at this point, but Adams handles the topic deftly, and while the boss-assistant dynamic can be a tricky imbalance of power to base a relationship on, Adams handles that well, too. Beth and Alex are a great, compatible couple, and their learning to accept each other is great. The book does drag in a few places but is overall a really good romance novel.
Alex Lombard is a Dom who has a deep and dark past. Alex prefers that his past stay in the past but that is not always the case. He is a man who is haunted by his past and deeply affected by it. Its apparent that the scars are not just physical either, the mental scars are just as bad. However, his want to move forward and not dwell on the past is admirable.
Beth Harrison is Alex’s assistant. She is head over heels in love with him but is determined not to enter a relationship with him. She fills her time writing BDSM stories. She wants to enter the lifestyle but has not found the courage to do so just yet. I love that one chance move changed the course of their lives for the better.
The connection between Beth and Alex is intense. I loved that Alex respected Beth’s ability to do her job and not want to disrupt it or pressure her in any way that would have made her uncomfortable. I also enjoyed the dynamic between them and the softer side of Alex. The sex scenes were scorching.
I found this book well written with a distinctive plot. The main characters and the secondary characters were gripping. While the ending was a little predictable, I enjoyed the twists and turns that made the story come alive. I had a hard time putting this book down. Overall, this was a very enchanting book and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.
I found this author as part of a “stuff your kindle” event. As a fan of Samantha Cole, I thought I would try this book. And I’m just going to say…. I bought the whole series!
Beth has been Alex Lombard’s executive secretary for 3 years. In her secret time she is writing a novel about a submissive in the BDSM lifestyle. One day Alex sees the notebook she has been writing in. Unbeknownst to Beth, Alex is a Dom.
For the whole 3 years, Alex has been denying his attraction to Beth because she works for him. But when Beth is mugged, Alex’s protective Dom flairs to life. I won’t give anymore spoilers. But holy wow. Christie Adams knows how to write an exciting, steamy, page-turning, romantic, surprise infused story! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series and se what else Ms Adams writes in the further.
Christie Adams is an author who is new to me. Sometimes, when I read an author who is new to me, I am not sure how I will take to the writing style. Well, Christie Adams is now going to be on my regular reading list. This book has everything that I like...romance and suspense. I want to read all her books now, thank you!
Despite the fact that I LOVED the characters in this book and the unexpected depth of the plot and emotions, I was also MASSIVELY disappointed about the shoddily put together sequence of events. There were also A LOT of plot holes and just holes in general in the story.
1. She had no mention of ANY FAMILY. And not even friends (unless you count that one time at the beginning when she said something about lunch with friend which we never see in story it’s just said). She had no true connections outside of Alex and Cam, which made it feel isolating which goes against their lifestyle. This distinct lack of personal information made t INCREDIBLY hard to connect with the protagonists. I wanted things to be dropped into casual “getting to know you” conversation, only for things to be mentioned later off hand in short thoughts. Giving a distinct lack Show, in favour of impersonal Tell.
2. The vengeance “plot” should have been foreshadowed FULL STOP. Because it wasn’t it just sort of came up in the middle of the beginning of their relationship. I wasn’t even sure there was a security issue until after she was mugged, in fact why wasn’t her mugging mad a part of the situation? I mean apparently it wasn’t but it should have been given the rules about writing and having everything that happens serve the story. Nothing was ever explained. It created a massive imbalance between the developing romance and action/thriller. There was no medium between these two extremes. It just jumped between these two and was very disorientating. In fact the “revenge” seemed more like a last minute tack on for some drama.
3. There was hardly any talk about what Alex even did for a living and at the end when it’s explained it made it seem like the writer had made it up on the fly and forgot to add the explanations to the beginning. This and several other instances of “lack of character developing information” made the beginning and subsequently the rest of the story feel surface level despite the fact that it was obviously trying to go deeper. Which it only really achieved in the quiet taking moments between Alex & Beth.
This book is in SERIOUS NEED of some editing. It felt thrown together with no real thought on how it would read. It was out of balance and hard to understand at times and was hollow and bland. There was a good idea in there but the execution left much to be desired.
What can I say about this story. FANTASTIC!! I'm already looking forward to the next in the series. There were elements that reminded me of a book called The Submissi e by Tata Sue Mae. With a different English twist. Who doesn't want a tender D/s story. The care and consideration shown in this book by a Dom towards his submissive and the woman he adores shows the loghter side. Books in recent years have been slated for possible abussiveness. I'd like to see people try with this story it's beautiful. A must read of you like D/s stories. Xx thank you for writing this x
This book was a struggle. The plot was a little far out there and had several holes in it but there were elements of the D/s relationship that just weren't believable. The relationship between the MMC and the FMC went from 0 to 1000 overnight from a work relationship to I'll die for you in less than a week. D/s role swapping at the drop of a hat and a completely green collared sub swapping into Madame mode and just knowing what to do...the resolution of the main conflict felt a bit thrown together at the end for me in the last 40 pages or so.
Heart wrenching and heartwarming, delightful and disturbing, a lovely story that takes the reader through the mundane, to the thrilling, wrapping it all up in a beautiful ribbon of tender devotion between two souls. I highly recommend it!
London, England. Alex Lombard (former SAS officer, boss, BDSM Dom) was divorced. Alex founded/owned Paduan Ventures. He sure had the hots for Beth Harrison (former SAS, ex. asst., romance writer/author). She kind of liked him also. But work/play is not good. Alex also dreamed about being her Dom in the BDSM romance. Cameron “Cam” Fraser (Alex’s BMF, BDSM Dom, retired military Staff Sergeant) came to see Alex, he also had the hots for Beth. Alex had plans to take Beth to Antwerp on Monday. He also told her what he did on his leisure time. Later he introduced her to pleasures she hadn’t experienced before.
He had bought her clothes & they were going out for dine/drink. What did Alex & Beth go see Giorgio (BDSM Dom).
Warning: This book contains adult content, violence, or sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written BDSM erotic romance book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great BDSM erotic romance movie, or better yet a paid-per-view mini TV series. To be continued. It was just OK for me so I will only rate it at 3/5stars.
Thank you for the free author; Blue Topaz Books; FreeEbooks; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
So I usually write things down for my review as I read it helps me to remember.
1st chapter I had to stop reading to write this (Actually first couple pages) Page 1 starts from what seems to be Alex P.O.V. and continues through the top of page 2. then randomly in the middle of the page with no indication that there is any changes it switches to what seems to be Beth's P.O.V. - so at the time, I didn't realize POV switched and I'm like - how does Alex know what she is thinking and how she feels internally? I don't like how it's written. Its hard to tell which sentence is being told in the POV of which character. It even had a POV from Cam - who isn't a MC. It seems like maybe its a narrator telling the story instead of coming from the MC's as its 3rd person and things are switching so fast as another character comes into the scene.
Although this was supposed to be spicy I haven't seen any yet. Yes, there is internal monologue about what each of the MC would like to do to the other which would be steamy but it's a whole lot of day dreaming. Idk I don't like the writing or the writing style honestly and its causing some of the things to not make sense. I am not caring for the story line.
He takes her home because she got hurt and all of a sudden he's saying she is his. Their interactions are awkward and hard to read. The only real buildup is from their internal fantasies about each other.
I only made it 30% through and I had to put it down. I just couldn't continue. I didn't like the writing, and their interactions with one another just wasn't really anything - it all felt clinical. The way he is talking to her about the relationship isn't doing the job - definitely not sold on the relationship it feels forced.
Sub In-Waiting! He Won’t Let Her Fall. Wow what can I say! This fantastic read deserves 10 stars. It was so well written, the flow of the book was perfect. Superb descriptive definition of all the characters that I fell in love with straight away. I could not put this superb book down.i was glued to it from the start. What a page turner, my first read of this great author and will be reading more of the Club Aegis series. Alex had been in the SAS many years prior and had been through danger, fear and horror. Beth his executive assistant in his new business became his saviour. Could he be the Dom for Beth? Could she let her secret fantasies about BDSM define her. The intrigue in this story was fast paced and kept you reading page after page. In short I simply loved this perfect read and would highly recommend it as a must read. I do hope Cam has his story next! This is my honest review of an ARC I received.
If you just want to read some Dom\sub ...interaction. Then maybe this is your book, story, whatever. The only background is some military action for the MMC and I think 1 paragraph for the FMC. The first chapter was ok but then...it abandons any real story and goes down the porne trail . AAAnd It is Not Classy To Take Your Sub To An Adult Entertainment Store for her Collar... Especially if The MMC is supposed to wealthy.. Ugh. Spoiler Ahead!!!! I tried to finish but I hit Delete at 74% because it just went off into... never gonna happen land. The Dom went Sub and just No, it didn't work.
Honestly this one is boring. I can't feel the chemistry between the main characters and the steamy scenes were boring ugh I really want to like this. The start of this book was promising but the plot was just too slow for me. I'm in the mood of bdsm romance and try this new author but sadly it felt flat to me. I don't think I'm gonna read any book from this author again. Im in dire need of some great new bdsm authors😔
I never want to read about rape trauma. I read to escape the horrors of the real world, so I like only one major bad thing in a book at a time and never rape. This one had rape trauma and unrelated revenge murder plot. This book was very very romantic. I enjoyed all the interactions with the main couple. The stream/spice was good too. BTW there was no sex club in this book, even though it’s in the byline. That’s fine though, I don’t even like sex clubs, just don’t expect one.
This book was slow as hell. I should have finished in a day or two but took forever because I kept falling asleep. I don't like rating poorly and really try to focus on the good. The spice wasn't there, the neediness in the characters was insane. Literally one chapter oh yes I like them, next chapter oh I love and need them.
A really well written book with a great storyline.
The characters all have a depth to them which really adds to the story and reading enjoyment. The chemistry/dynamic between Alex and Beth throughout is great!
Alex and Beth are boss and subordinate until they transition to dominant and sub. Their relationship moves along more quickly when it is determined that someone is out to kill Alex. There's danger and plenty of hot, steamy scenes.
And soon Alex and Beth become so much more to each other. An unknown threat is near as their passion evolves. There's terror, violence, dominance, deep dark secrets and some surprises.
This book had a lot of potential, however, I find the author would spend so much time describing the build up only to skip right over the action and rush through the results. This goes for the main story line, spicy scenes and even the final fight. This could have been amazing but was just lacking.
Story started off getting to know the characters and then they were moving in together. It was an emotional roller coaster. The love that Beth has for Alex, just makes you want to melt.