Stroke

by Marie Booth

A stolen art collection. A life on the line. A desperate man…

The job is finished and the paintings are safe, but Frank is set on revenge. If I don’t get the art collection restored and delivered in six weeks’ time, I may never see my father again.

I’ll go to the woman’s studio, convince her to do the work, and pay whatever I have to ensure my father’s safety.
Only the restoration specialist is not what I expected. Her studio is immaculate, her work exemplary, but she’s frazzled and vulnerable and oh so tempting.

She's slow to trust, but somehow I have to convince this lovely creature to work for me.
She needs the money to save her studio. I’ll need the work done at my home. She can never find out the truth.

A grieving woman…

My brother chose to give up but I have to move forward. He was my closest friend, my business partner, only the books are in shambles.

If I don't get an art restoration job soon, I'm going to have to close my studio. The anonymous patron who purchases my paintings are all that’s keeping me solvent. Still it’s not enough.

Only today, despite the locked door, a man appeared and offered me a chance to turn my life around. Should I work for him? Trust him? His smile is a thing of beauty, his gaze is fire bright, but I’ve been burned before.

Maybe just a talk over dinner...

*****
Stroke is Book 1 in the Gate Series, set in the beautiful San Francisco Bay area.
Marie Booth is a bestselling author of these The Gate Stroke, Simmer, Split M/F
Santa Cruz Shifter Flying Hard, Hard Landing, Falling Hard (releasing Dec 2020) M/M
Santa Cruz Vamp Vamps Suck (releasing Jan 2021) M/M
Steamy Bites Dying for a Bite M/M/F
Theta Playing with Passion, Yielding to Pleasure M/F

Genres: Erotica, Romance

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2018

About the author

A California girl who loves writing, reading, music and theatre

Reviews

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/13/2019)! 🎁

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot hot hot
Erotica, suspense, ....
I liked this story a lot.
MCs were very good written, they had a spark from the beginning, but until 50% they didn't have sex.
Both not virgins, The H was a bit man ho, but we don't have a picture of him with someone else.
The heroine did have some relationships and one night stands.
She was adventures in bed!!
I will look forward for the next book from this series.

[Janet Welling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent premise but the story is unsatisfying.

When I read the synopsis of this book I thought it would be more of an adventure. Romance yes, but with some interesting plot twists to keep things entertaining. Instead, it is basically erotica with a thin storyline woven in as an afterthought. As soon as Cassandra, the heroine, said, "No man has ever made me feel this way," after her first glimpse of Damien, the hero, things just went from bad to worse. There is nothing new or original in this book. The reader is drowned in a sea of repetitive verbiage with the two main characters lusting after each other. Honestly, contemporary "romance" has become a huge yawn. Marie Booth is a good writer who could be great, if she would just stick to the story and not dilute her writing with nonsense.

[Beatriz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I love the story. It has suspense, mystery and of course the romance. I love how Damien feelings were portrayed. Love the book

[Chalyn Keefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book! Loved the characters.

[Fern Risher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damien hired Cassandra as an Art Conservator in a project, or rather, mission that will save his father's life. He must not fall her.

But he did.

Cassandra is drowning with debts and just wanted to live the life of art she has always dreamed of. Damien's offer is not just a simple job for her, it was salvation to prove her mom she can do well and she can be successful in doing what she's passionate about. She must not fall for him.

But she did.

Stroke by Marie Booth has two very compelling characters--each has their own passion and this is what also leads them to the inescapable attraction they felt toward each other.

Cassandra was a strong woman on her own. She knows what she wants and she struggles hard to get it. There's doubt that a man, as equally strong as her, would be enticed with her personality, let alone her looks.

Damien Granger is danger from his looks, accent to his persona--there's a whole lot of mystery going on with him. He's got that confidence every girl would swoon over, but it his his persistence that got me. He loves Cassandra and he never gives up; she showed her how much he loves her and he is patient enough to wait and that's what made my heart flutter.

The chemistry between the characters is perfect. Ms. Booth portrayed it not only through actions but by their dialogues as well.

I also would like to commend the resolution to the story's conflict as it seems that everything falls into right place as the story ends.

Stroke in itself ignites my reading soul; it hooked me from the very beginning in a way no others books do for a long a long time. Ms. Booth was able to capture my attention and interest just in the initial chapter. It's something worth reading!

[Alis Renzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

La storia di Cassandra e Damien è veloce, intensa, erotica, e intrigante. I due si conosco tramite una passione che hanno in comune. L'arte. Più precisamente l'arte erotica. Cassandra è un'esperta e Damien è un collezionista e un tramite, o così sembra.

Lui la contatta per restaurare alcuni quadri per un suo cliente che vuole rimanere anonimo. Ma il lavoro non va come sembra e una sera lei si fa picchiare e finisce in ospedale. La trama a questo punto si infittisce! È i problemi di famiglia vengono scoperti ed esposti alla luce del sole. Ma l’amore trionfa sempre.

La trama senza spoiler sarebbe questa! Un libro breve che si legge facilmente con scene molto sexy, ed eccitanti. Dalla trama mi aspettavo più azione, più suspense, e invece mi sono trovata una storia d’amore con veramente poco sviluppo. L’autrice si è focalizzata sulla storia erotica tralasciando il mistero dei quadri rubati e tutta la storia con vero potenziale di Damien e dello pseudo amico di suo padre!

Non lo reputo un libro da buttare via, ma neanche un libro che mi rimarrà in mente per molto. Mi dispiace dargli 3 stelle, ma l’ansia che pensavo esserci è durata forse due secondi.
Un libro breve, che va letto per le scene di sesso, ma null’altro. Non vi aspettate qualcosa di straordinario perché non ci sarà…

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

When Damien Granger's, a former art thief, father gets kidnapped, he has to steal a special collection of erotic art to get him back. Per the demands of the kidnapper, Damien hires the talented art conservator Cassandra Strand to restore the paintings.

I actually really enjoyed this. I had never read an erotic romance surrounding art before and it was very interesting. I loved the idea of pairing an art thief with an art restorer. It was something different and original. Both characters were round, but I found Cassie's character arc a bit strange. I didn't really understand the importance of her family. It appeared more of a distraction if anything. I would have liked hearing more about Damien's past, specifically his art thief days. I felt his character was a bit washed out.

Overall, the story is good, but nothing amazing. It is a short and satisfying read that I would recommend to anyone who wants a guilty pleasure read with an original twist.

[Paul Franco · Rating 3 out of 5]

An artist/restorer gets a visit by yet another “billionaire sexiest man alive,” who takes her to dinner with the promise of a big job. Of course she falls in lust with him, and though he can have any woman he wants—and usually does—he thinks she’s perfect for him.
I’m sure you’ve heard all that before. As for the surrounding plot, it involves the billionaire’s family, and his arrogance drags her into danger. . . but you’ve heard that before too.
The writing itself was pretty good, and I enjoyed the art talk. There could have been a little more on the restoration process, but it’s okay if the author didn’t want to take a chance on being boring. I liked the main female character, but not as much as I usually do in these kinds of stories. The male lead was as douchy as they always are in these stories.
All in all, it was fine, but not particularly memorable. I’d label it a missed opportunity; more could have been done here, or at least slightly deviating from the overdone norm.

[Anadosen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damien, a wealthy collector, must hire a skilled art conservator who can do quality work in a hurry. His father’s in danger and the stolen collection must be delivered in pristine condition in six weeks time. Fortunately, Cassandra Strand is more than qualified, and not simply for the job. Cassandra’s spirit and beauty are driving him mad and Damien isn’t one to ignore an opportunity. If he can only convince her to take the job.Cassie’s put everything she’s had into keeping her art studio up and running, but money is tight and her family is anything but supportive. When I started reading I couldn't put it down I read the book in one day.Marie is magnifysent writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.

[Laura ( Latteandbookz ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. If there’s ever one that has an artist in it I’m all over it! I think they add an extra something to the story.

I was able to read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put the book down. Cassandra and Damien story was really captivating.

Damien is a former art thief. When his father gets kidnapped, he has to steal an exotic collection of art just to get his father back.

The paintings that he has to get need to be restored so he contacts Cassandra to fix them.

I found these characters to be very likeable. The sex was good. I didn’t think it was over done. Or to unrealistic.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.” Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity.

[Rise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story how Damien a wealthy collector seeks out Cassandra who was a skilled art conservator to help in getting his sick father back. His father was kidnapped due to not helping with a thief that went wrong and the friend retaliated. Although Damien was going through so much he did fall for Cassie who happened to be a match for him. He may have been an alpha male, however Cassie was able to soften him a some. I think I'll be reading more from this author. This book was an interesting read.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

his father is in danger and he needs to steel some paintings to get he free. the paintings needs to be repaired. her company is in danger and when he comes with the paintings she is unsure about it. can she do it? will it save her firm? she must never know that they are stolen. will she do it? will she find out they are stolen? will he saves his father? follow their adventures

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I started, it was impossible to put down. Damien and Cassandra are both fun and enjoyable characters. there are a lot of layers to the story, and not all of them are delved into... I'm hoping as the series progresses we'll see more of that.
I would have liked to see more from a bdsm/kink level since it was such a centralized point in the art, but it just fizzled with the story. Still, great sex, new premise, and likeable characters made for a great Sunday evening read.

[Kristina lyboult · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book.👍 up to Marie Booth. Cassandra and Damien seem like a great couple.Yes Damien should have came out and told Cassandra up front what was going on with the artwork and his father,maybe she would have understood why he did what he had to do from the begin and the wouldn't have had any problems.Anyways I'm the end it ended up on except for Damien losing his father,Cassandra was there to help him through the pain.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short erotica story that has many layers for as long as it is. He has to steal the art collection to save his father, she has to authenticate it to save her program, they have to work in close quarters to each other and can't keep their hands off. This is short, dirty, and beautiful.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book Marie is a new author to me and I will be checking out her previous books.Damien and Cassandra have lots of chemistry and it made for a smoking hot read.I really liked the storyline, after all, is there anything you would not do to save a parent.A really interesting read that kept me reading cannot wait for the next book

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my ideal book! A romance beginning of course with will they/won't they and ending with an HEA. There is also an interesting and exciting side to the art works involved which Damian has stolen and needs to urgently repair as his father is being held hostage.
I loved this book.
I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary and impartial review.

[Lianne James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily read this title as an advanced review.

I loved this, and was surprised by the content. Damien and Cassie start with that typical will they won’t they, however this builds in too a happy ending.

I loved that Art had a big part of the story, it adds a degree of freshness, that others lack.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in The Gate Series. The story has an art theme featuring an art collector/thief and an art restorer. Cassandra and Damien were great characters that kept me on a roller coaster. Explosive chemistry, hot sex and lots of twists. Entertaining and fun to read. I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damien and Cassandra had explosive chemistry. He has stolen artwork to save his father from kidnappers. Cassandra has been hired to restore the artwork, not knowing it is stolen. A steamy, sexy read that I enjoyed and recommend.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.

[Denise DeJonge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed it. I just fell in love with Cassandra (Cassie) and how she let down her walls to find her inner being. The art theme was so interesting, that I don’t think I will be able to look at art again without thinking deeper into the subject and the artist. Great balance between storyline and sexual fantasy.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

They both needed one another. He needed her to restore several paintings and she needed him to save her art studio. A time frame of 6 weeks and both would achieve what they wanted. Will they keep things strictly business or will the lines begin to blur into something else. Great story and the beginning of a new series.

[Amy Ridsdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read!I thought this novel was thoroughly pleasing. The appeal of the whole playing hard to get scenario and the thirst and anticipation of the male thirsting for some action from his associate. That would be enough to drive anyone insane in this world. I commend the author on an great novel and hope that people find it as fulfilling a read as I have. Enjoy!

[Nicoletta Tsalafaos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stroke: The Gate Series Book 1 by Marie Booth is a Contemporary, Romantic Suspense. A short, steamy, short read with an enjoyable, fun story and sexy characters with sizzling chemistry. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nadea Croix]

I like this story as well as entertaining read, both have issues and feelings in their past that has to be soothed as the obstacles come they face decisions as they fall in love with each other.

[Courtney Lavallee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book,not as much as I thought. I am a sucker for books with smut,this had smut and crime. Definitely will be checking out some more of Marie's books.

[TashNz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot, i loved the art side of the writing, found it really interesting. Cassandra and Damien were hard to put down and I thought it was entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you.