Bared

by Alta Hensley

This book is no longer in publication.

Genres: Romance, BDSM, Erotica, Dark Romance, Novella, Dark, Contemporary

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2019

About the author

Alta Hensley is a NYT & USA Today bestselling author of dark romance where the villain always gets the happily ever after.

Twisted, clever, and occasionally unhinged, her books deliver morally gray anti-heroes, sharp-tongued heroines, and happily ever afters that taste even sweeter after a little ruin. With a signature blend of grit, wit, and heat, Alta’s stories prove one thing: Villains deserve love too.

Alta lives on the foggy coast of Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and a pair of dogs who think they’re in charge. When she’s not writing redemption for the irredeemable, she’s walking the coastline or sipping craft beer in eccentric little bars that feel like they belong in her books.

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Reviews

[JigsawGirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uh...no. This did not feel like a submissive who was building a relationship with her alpha boss. This didn't feel like a dark romance because the romance part was missing.

This was more a desperate woman going along with the program because she was out of options. There was no communication between them. Price ignored her for the most part unless he wanted to have sex. Tessa seemed to be incapable of articulating almost any thought. I would think if she had been living and surviving on her own, Tessa would have had a more consistent backbone. She had moments where stood up for herself if only momentarily.

On another note, who goes off to a secluded mountain cabin for 6 months, hours away from the nearest town, having no means to return to the city, with a man you may have spent all of two hours with after participating in a really BAD interview where you spill most of your personal history? If that's not desperation, I don't know what is.

I did not pick up on any chemistry between Tessa and Price. I did understand her confusion with their relationship.

The one saving grace is this was a quick read. I have read this author's work before,but this one did not hit the mark for me.

I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.

[Meredith Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I discovered that Alta Hensley had a new surprise release coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it. While I normally love her dark, dirty and taboo books, I just could not connect with Price and his relationship with Tessa. As as result, Bared is kind of a mixed bag for me.

Tessa has had a tough life and things don't seem to be getting any better. She is unemployed, broke and now finds out she is about to be evicted. Out of desperation, she takes a personal assistant job with a well-known author.

Price is rude, demanding and expects her to cater to his every want and need. Pretty much right off the bat she does something to upset him and for that, she must be punished. What starts out as punishment soon turns into some steamy hot sex, and lots of it.

All in all, I wish there had been more of a build up and story-line. The relationship just seemed so rushed to me, but then again this is a novella. Now don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this story and will most definitely continue to read Alta Hensley's work. I just think I would have enjoyed it more had it been a little more drawn out.

[~ Cariad ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 spanking good stars!

[JK · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started reading this book today, will review as I go along. Warning, it defo contains spoilers:

So far the book is bland, characters have zero chemistry, heroine seems like a Mary Sue type but with no description of her skillset, hero is....a caricature lol

A lot of long descriptive paras for a short book

First sex scene thoughts: what the fuck? Kind of offensive, I don't think this is BDSM or even acceptable in any parts of the world, felt like that one paragraph was explaining how and when she started feeling stockholme syndrome...
Hero behaved like a jerk btw even though she explained her lack of beta reading experience. Would he also spank a man as punishment or is this treatment limited to the female employees :) (this is a sarcastic smile to denote the hero being a misogynistic son of a bitch)

Is he...soliciting her for sex?
I like how she's decided she loves him already :) (another sarcastic smiley because how dumb are these fucking characters). Dude was very "me caveman, you fuck buddy"

So far, not enjoying any of this, my eye is twitching and a vein is popping in my forehead.

He comments on her "innocence" and "childish behaviour" far too much for me to ignore the paedophile tendencies. Also, if this is a contracted sex/housekeeping agreement, why does he feel the need to take her for a date? Isn't he paying her for this..

She just asked herself if she's a "whore selling her body for pay." First of all, stop being a misogynist and brain washed by the patriarchy, you can earn money however you want sis. Second of all you literally entered into a negotiation for sex in exchange for money so you are technically selling your body for pay, why is this a question. Third, you want a relationship with an asshole who practically assaulted/Stockholm sexed you that first time???

This isn't even "dark romance", which I'm actually glad about because I dislike that, but also this isn't even romance lol.

She just referred to herself as "predator stalking prey," okay first of all heroine is a 100% stupid and willing prey, second of all didn't you again LITERALLY GET HIRED TO SUPPORT AN ASSHOLE WITH HIS WRITING??? People who can't separate sex from their feelings/ability to do a job efficiently probably shouldn't enter into a sex/housekeeping contract

Heroine called herself a high priced whore, out of curiosity how much is she getting payed and what does a sex worker earn on average?

Heroine has stormed out into the cold weather because of anger and stupidity, hero is fumbling around trying to explore his own feelings. If she does of the cold, it would make this book much more interesting

She's come to apologise for her error, he's deciding to whip her with his belt. How fun :)
Almost dnf because this is pathetic, girl has air for a brain and dude is an abusive jackass

"I'm not a small man" says the smallest and pettiest hero I've read about so far in a "romance" novel.

He's now lecturing her about how they can't just fuck and how they have to have real conversations sometimes. Didn't she, just a couple pages ago, run out into the snow and try to kill herself via stupidity because she wanted that too and he didn't? Coolcoolcoolcooolcool

He's now called her "young lady" and told her to stand naked in a corner as punishment. Definitely seeing paedophile tendencies, someone call the cops already

So basically he beat her harder than she's ever been beaten, in her own words, and she said she "wanted it". Lololol it's taking everything in me to finish this fucking trash lololol. He told her she wasn't worthless and then called her a possession/a THING in the next sentence. This feels ironically stupid to me but who am I to these irrational naive idiotic and criminal morons

FINALLY AT THE END. He said he loved her and was surprised she didn't know that, because of course how wouldn't she guess after all the meaningless sex and beatings...

Anyway sorry this got a little too long, this book hurt my soul and eyes. The characters and plot were below average but the writing was well done so 1.75 stars which becomes 2 stars. Cheers!

[Read What I Like Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

BARED

Release Date: 02/13/19
Kindle Unlimited: [X]YES [ ]NO
Stand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NO
Author: Alta Hensley
Number of pages: 128
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
POV: Dual, first person
Main Characters: Tessa & Price
Genre: Dark Romance
Tropes: billionaire; forced proximity; British hero; grumpy/sunshine; opposites attract; BDSM

Review:

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 ‘𝘴𝘪𝘳’”.

Alta’s books always have a way of pulling me in, it doesn’t matter the plot or the genre. Bared tells us the story of a demanding author who needs an assistant who will live with him in an isolated cabin while he writes his book. Tessa has barely finished school and had a difficult life, she has been having money problems and wants nothing more than to get the job. Price hires her even knowing she has no experience and to the mountains they go.

The book goes from 0-100 very fast, they relationship changes and adapts.
In the beginning Price’s unreasonable behavior bothered me, and then Tessa started to act like an errant child. Their relationship lacked communication and Price doled out his punishments when she misbehaved. The book has a lot of spice and Alta’s writing will keep you entertained as it did me. Unless you don’t like these more dark themes.

[April Symes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alta Hensley you stole my breath, had me gasping with desire and with desperation.
was hooked from the very beginning and disappointed that the story had to end! I want more! This is a story with enough twists to make you think your on a rollercoaster ride! So Very Wowza!! This is NOT what I expected! I won't tell you why, but if you read this book, you will NOT be disappointed.

My Rating: 4.7 stars *****

Merged review:

Alta Hensley you stole my breath, had me gasping with desire and with desperation. 
was hooked from the very beginning and disappointed that the story had to end! I want more! This is a story with enough twists to make you think your on a rollercoaster ride! So Very Wowza!! This is NOT what I expected! I won't tell you why, but if you read this book, you will NOT be disappointed.

My Rating: 4.7 stars *****

[zara · Rating 1 out of 5]

giggling because this was a horror story actually

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of shocked now it did end ... Alta is not a new author to me ...but I have yet to really have the time to check her out ... i think i might have read some of her book with another author? i gotta see??! Once you do get into this read ... u know what is to be expected ... not that it was that racy ... i have read a bit more wild ... but i think it was known before you did jump in that it was not going to be a kind, peaceful, romcom or whatnot ...it was a bit more rough and tough kind of read. I would have loved a bit of a more HEA .. if you can get an HEA from this kind of read??! look forward to more from Alta soon enough. fun start to her books. ( ;

[Romance Recs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 3.5

Very short, 150 pages so this is more like a novella and very fast read.

Tessa is applying for the job of an assistant to a demanding author. They spend months in a cabin in the woods in order for Price to focus on his writing.

Not really dark but it is very erotic ;)

[MrsJoseph *grouchy* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this was kinda cute. Rather far from dark but I can get down with dark if this is dark.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard review for me to write. Normally, I love everything this author writes. However, this one has me conflicted. I loved the first few chapters of the book but sadly, it the relationship between the hero and the heroine went weird when the rules changed between what Price was expecting from his assistant. His version of punishing Tessa for not doing her job the very first time without even giving her (despite hiring her without experience) guidance happens without any idea and felt jarring.

The characters lacked depth and often time came across as petty or immature which is very unlike other works by this author. This continued throughout the book and caused it to feel disjointed. Again, this is just my opinion. This book frustrated me because her ability to create a setting (viewing the cabin for example) is truly remarkable. While this was not my favorite by any stretch of the means from this author, I will still continue to read her work. I appreciate her passion and hard work on this book.

Merged review:

3.5 stars

I always get excited when I see something new from this author. Her Top Shelf series is one of my absolute favorites. However, this story missed the mark for me compared to her usual stories. This is not to say that it wasn't good, it was it just felt rushed, unlike her other work.

there were elements of Taboo between Tessa and Price which were appealing but it fell short for me because I did not feel any true connection between the characters. The steamy times were indeed steamy (this author can always write steam) but I needed more of a story surrounding those times. The premise of the story was great I just wanted more. This story will still connect with her fans though.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I find that Alta Hensley had a surprise release coming out, I was like HELL YEAH!!! I jumped at the chance to read it.I LOVE her books! They are always devilishly dark, dirty, and of course a bit taboo sprinkled on top. And Bared was everything I've come to love from this author.


In pure Alta style there is a storyline that captivated me, plus some very kinky sex scenes. I absolutely LOVED Tessa and Price's story!!! My only wish for this novella is that it was longer!

*I voluntarily read an advance copy. This is my honest review.*

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two unlikely people come together in a passionate and erotic tale…..
An extremely unusual tale which brings together two totally different individuals from very different worlds, Price Anderson is a renowned author that is extremely successful writer of psychological thrillers and horror novels. Tessa Stanton is a young woman that has had a very hard upbringing, her mother a drunk and a philanderer with absolutely not one caring bone in her body for her daughter.
Whilst she was growing up she has had no real home often having grown up in in week stay hotels, shelters and at other times where ever she could find a floor her mother really didn’t care so long as she had a drink or something else to take the edge off and she didn’t seem particularly bothered how low she had to sink to get sufficient money.
As Tessa begins to work for price they are based in the mountains, she cooks and cleans and cares for his needs, proof reads which is not her forte and also of an evening keeps him company. She has never known the security of a real home, food on the table, a safe district, friends or even just knowing the room will still be there the following day and no debt collectors at the door.
As they work together in the mountain retreat it soon becomes apparent that they have a very close attraction to each other, they realise they are also sexually attracted to each other, they both are surprised at just how compatible they both actually are.

He enjoys corporal discipline and she is surprised how much she enjoys it too especially when it’s given over his lap, he also has very dark and erotic desires and they are surprised at how quickly they seem to have clicked, Tessa is in love with him and hopes that their time writing this his latest book will never end, she hopes that her heart will when the job comes to an end and he will no longer want her, how will she cope with that it’s just too painful to even consider
Tessa has a fiery temper and usually will not take anything from any man and yet with Price she would give him anything and as you read this great book you will discover that she has done just that and I can assure you that as soon as you begin reading this wonderful book you will find it’s impossible to put down until you reach the very final page.
This was a great read and was as you would expect a wonderful erotic read with plenty of twists and turns and surprises, exactly as I have come to expect, Alta Hensley’s books are always varied in substance and story with great characters, I have never known her to disappoint and I have read many, many of her wonderful books.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and Easy Read

This is a good book if you're in the mood for a quick read. It's not terribly dark, as dark romances go. I'd call it a mild BDSM novella.

Tessa is a young woman who hasn't had very many breaks in her life. She doesn't appear to have ever known her father, her mother is a narcissistic alcoholic/druggie who kept her for the additional financial assistance benefits having a child provided. She's grown up one step away from being homeless, living in pay -by-the-week motels, which continued even after moving away from her mother. Her character and backstory is the only one we learn about at all. She is submissive by nature but has a pretty low boiling point and once it's set off she doesn't appear to be able to reel herself in.

Price is a renowned writer who is a dominant. We are told very little about him other than that he is very demanding and inconsiderate of others, especially when he's writing. He needs a personal assistant to cook and clean for him during the period while he is writing his latest novel at his remote mountain cabin.

Although Price also wanted some assistance with general editing of his novel, it becomes clear, early on, that Texas's limited education will not necessarily allow for this. Yet after finding their mutual sexual chemistry provides an alternative, they "renegotiate" her employment contract.

Their major problem is an inability on both of their parts to communicate with each other, which creates several misunderstandings between them. This could have been much better addressed IMO, but they do eventually reach an understanding at the end of the story.

[Donna Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Donna L
4.0 out of 5 starsHigh Emotions
February 16, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Overall,this book is a solid read,it was heartfelt and captivating.
The author managed to make the characters hot and vulnerable
that it had me hooked.Alta Hensley did a great job warming up
us up to the individual personalities of Tessa and Price that I felt
I was there with them of their journey together.

Tessa Stanton has faced many hurdles in her life leaving her strong
but vulnerable.Without a job or a home, she applies for a job as a
personal assistant to the enigmatic Price Anderson.Tessa will have
to live in a remote cabin with Price and her job description was varied.
Tessa is attracted to Price but he is only interested in his work,or his
he.Has Tessa found pure paradise or pure hell alone with Price in his
isolated cabin.Would the beast scare away the beauty.Price has a
unique way of chastising his employee and Tess soon finds herself
over his knees.Price's dominating nature soon appears as he uncovers
Tessa's submissive nature.It was like a explosion ripping through her
as her natural instincts took over.

I loved reading how Tessa morphed from a shy innocent to a suductive,
sensual women.Price was dark, decadent and dominant but he is intrigued
by Tessa and opens his heart to her.You will fall in love,make you squirm
and experience the pleasure and pain as you take this journey with Tess
and Price.
DONNA L

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe don't spill your guts out in an interview. The job sounded like a dream. Chapter 6 was *chef's kiss*. The female character was dumb. Especially when she went to hike on her own. At least the shitty mother was relatable. Overall, it's good enough to be on my smut fav list. The first half of the book was better.

Favourite quotes:
- I have extremely high standards and expect things done my way. My rules are my rules, and they aren’t up for negotiations. I have very little patience for just about anything
- I’m an asshole. I’m a perfectionist. I like things my way, and only my way. If things are not done the way that I expect, I can be harsh and unforgiving. And I’m not going to be much company since I will be focused on my book and only my book. (Me when I eventually get to finishing my own book)
- You haven’t seen me in writing mode. I’m more of a beast than I think you know, or are even prepared for. (Maybe it's not the allure of being a writer, maybe I just wish I was born as a male)
- “I can’t explain this. I can’t explain why I want you so badly, so quickly. Tell me to stop and I will. Tell me no, and I will back away this second.”
- I didn’t do relationships. Fucked, yes. Possessed, hell, yes. Dominated, without a doubt. But I did not do relationships.
- I don’t like games, Tessa. I fucking detest them. So when I ask a question, I think I’m owed an answer and not a fake smile instead.
- “Kiss me,” he ordered in a gruff whisper.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bared is a stand alone romance with a slight taboo feel. Tessa has replied to an ad for a personal assistant to an author for six months up in the mountains. Price is demanding, a bit of a jerk, and completely involved in the writing of his book, but he realizes quickly that his muse is best fed with Tessa. But at the end of the six months, will Tessa and Price have a happy ending, too?

This book had a delightful taboo tone with the whole boss/personal assistant theme with domestic discipline, and I enjoyed reading it! Tessa and Price had a lot to overcome, but they both needed to be willing to fight for their love, and really needed to work on their communication. Tessa was a hard worker, mostly honest, and I loved that she often put Price’s needs above her own, but she really had a lot of insecurities that kept getting in her way. Price was upfront about turning into a bit of a jerk while writing, dominant, but I loved watching him turn his author mind off so that he could care for Tessa when she needed it. The chemistry between them was sizzling, but sometimes I did feel that their emotional connection was lacking. I loved the idea of this book and enjoy Ms. Hensley’s writing!

[Amanda McCalip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yessss!! Queen Alta Hensley does it again! A steamy read, dash of taboo, and characters you can't but fall in love with. It seems like every Alta book just gets better and better.

Bared is a stand alone romance and it is a hot one! Tess has responded to an ad to become a personal assistant for an author. This author named Price is going to be quite the demanding one. He's a bit of a jerk, arrogant, and wants things his way at all times. He realizes that his new muse is most certainly Tessa and he plans on using it to his advantage.

When this book started I was wondering if these two would make it the whole 6 months of the projected time frame or if something would happen to tear these two apart. This story absolutely kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Tessa and Price were going to bump heads sometimes and I knew that going in. Tessa was an extremely hard worker, and put Price's needs above her own. She was selfless and I loved that about her character. Now, what kind of book would it be if the alpha didn't have some type of jerk aspect to work out? He absolutely could be a jerk while writing and it showed at moments. These two had so much chemistry though and were an absolute thrill to read about.

I absolutely LOVED this book!

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and tender "rescue" love story.

Who wouldn't want to be whisked away to a cabin in the mountains with a sexy, domineering writer? Tessa is completely devoid of any other survivable options, so she tucks her hesitance away and dives right into the adventure that Price is offering. The job quickly turns into more than either one had planned on, and by the time his book is finished, they both find their hearts and lives have been completely rewritten.

There's plenty of kinky love scenes, as we've come to expect from this author, but aside from that this story is not nearly as dark as her other works. It's got a lyrical, hopeful feeling throughout as Tessa and Price discover just how perfectly suited they are for each other. The ending was a bit angsty but resolved into a perfect HEA. This is hands-down my favorite book by this author. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Badh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is some old school Alta Hensley. She's been doing a lot of dark lately, which isn't a bad thing at all, her dark stuff is great, but this kind of story is what made me first fall in love with her writing.

I wasn't quite sure that Tessa would be able to handle everything that Price wanted when he hired her. There were a lot of rules, and I would've had a hard time, but then again, I don't think that I was ever as desperate as Tessa seemed to be. I did feel sorry for her at the beginning because she was so desperate, but I was also impressed by her bravery because it took a lot for her to step up and do something like applying for the job. I do like her a lot.

I liked Price most of the time. He did occasionally come across as a jerk, but I think that he wasn't necessarily meaning to be a jerk, it just happened. If he wanted to, he could probably have been a much bigger jerk.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it was a great way to kill a few hours.

[Neisha † The Poet † · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa + Price

Probably would’ve gotten 5 stars if Tessa wasn’t so insufferable. At times I was thinking the age gap must be HUGE because she must still be 19 or younger.

Price is the very definition of direct, but her brain somehow changes things and instead of talking like someone with sense she gets angry when it’s her fault. Her only redeeming quality comes from the quote below but even then she throws that out the window.

‘“I tend to fuck things up in my life. I run really fast without thought. I didn’t exactly get the best guidance.” I paused and took a deep breath. “There is no one else I could imagine being with besides you. I need you,” I stated, unconsciously reaching out a hand, beckoning his touch. “I need whatever this is between us.”
He stared at my hand and then at my tear-filled eyes. His expression firm, unbreakable, then softly it melted. He turned so he faced me fully, his body taking up the entire space of the doorway.’

[Charlene Gaskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this story was centered around a desperate woman who was one step from being homeless; and a man who was clearly talented but lacked the ability to connect with people. Tessa not only intrigued him physically but she also got to him on other levels which made him uncomfortable. The story although twisted was still believable as two people grappled
with different baggage. He clearly was not able to communicate his feelings until she basically called him out on his inability to tell her where she stood now that the six months was up. I'm not completely sure he got it when she told him she had no apartment to return to, but based on the fact that he took little time to find out about her past; at least he ended up doing the right thing at the very end. The book was a good read because both characters were two people that were from two worlds but who found common ground.

[SBee Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edgy & spicy scenario

—>>> When Tessa is in her most desperate personal situation, with no roof or job in her immediate prospects, she interviews for a position as a personal assistant to Price, a reclusive, eccentric, but prolific author. Although she was thoroughly forewarned then with the scope of his expectations and with what being at his treasured cabin writing retreat would entail, Tessa was pretty much left to her own devices to feel her way through the detailed demands of his focused schedule. Little did she realize what stepping over the lines of her job description would entail, and this line becomes blurred in zero to mach in three seconds when he takes matters literally into his own hands. His cabin, his rules.

[Gab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch what happens when a single minded author hires an unlikely assistant.
He, is good with words on paper, not so much expressing them verbally. She, is practically homeless, uneducated but quick minded, and she switches from awe of his education, his circumstances, to angry defiance at the drop of a hat.
Two more different people are hardly imaginable spending six months in a isolated cabin in the woods.
When she, as a result of her first "transgression", ends up over his lap, their relationship changes.
What follows is a foray into a world of sensual delights. They grow ever closer and needful of each other in spite of their differences. Until it is time to leave the cabin.
And what now? They never talked about the time after ...

[Ben Yarbrough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for a quick read, but not deep and not dark.

So it’s a good little story, but the characters have no real substance, no real back stories, and the sex scenes, while having great potential were just a bit too clinical for me. He spanked her. She cried. They moved to the next thing. I think if she would get in the characters heads more - especially Tessa’s on how it felt to be spanked, how it felt to be punished it would be a lot hotter. Also this isn’t a dark story at all. It shouldn’t be classified that way. She gets hired as an assistant and her boss is a bit of a dom. That’s it. Nothing dark about it. Good story with a lot of potential, just doesn’t quite live up to what it could be.

[Lena Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read but...

This was a good quick read. My only real complaint with this book was the lack of consistency in detail and the redundancies. It really peeved me at first because the book is literally about an Author that hates these exact things. He says he doesn't want a dog to become a cat or extra words. This book carries a lot of run ons and redundant sentaces. She loves the word and. After I decided to move past these things, and just silently correct the book in my head vs tossing it aside, I found I liked the book. I will add about 1/4 of the way in the writing does turn better less mistakes are made. This book would be amazing with better proof reading and editing for detail I find this very common among these types of authors.

[Maura Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read a surprise Dark Romance release
The heroine in this story, Tessa, is both strong and vulnerable. Which can be difficult to convey in a story but Alta does it beautifully. With Alta’s characters you feel like you are right there with them in the scene and you can just yell at them come on just open up and tell each other what’s going on! Price is a dominant Alpha male. But he has a heart sometimes he doesn’t know exactly how to express his feelings for Tessa. They both have pasts and baggage but they do get to a HEA. There are some pretty steamy parts and some domestic discipline so if you are into that you might not like this story. I do!

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Price is a controlling author that happens to be looking for an assistant. Tessa is as far from qualified as anyone can be, but that seems to be exactly what works in her favor and she lands the job. Some of Price's requirements are admittedly difficult and unconventional at best, dark and disturbing at worst. Tessa jumps at the chance for the six months of seclusion in the mountains and the two fall into a routine, with a few bumps in the road. Just when they are settled in to their own dynamic, the book is finished and it is time to go back to the city, and the unknown.
I'd love to see more from these two!

[Tanya Rae ~ TaSTy WordGasms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alta Hensley put out this surprise publication for Bared: A Dark Romance and I snatched it up via Kindle Unlimited.

This is Price Anderson, he is an author of “psychological thrillers & horror novels” & Tessa Stanton’s, his soon to be his personal assistant story.

I am so happy that she didn’t run out screaming after he told her to bend over his knees the first time.

I enjoyed this book immensely and I am always on the lookout for the next Alta Hensley book. I give Bared: A Dark Romance (personally I don’t consider this book a dark romance) 4.5 stars and I hope to see these characters again!

[Reading Addict · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I finished Bared and I have to admit that I skimmed through a lot of it. It's not a bad story nor is is a great story. It just kind of fell in the middle for me. It's the story of Tessa, a young woman that has struggled in life and hopes that the job of assistant that she's interviewing for will turn her life around. Price is a reclusive yet famous author. He's taken by Tessa because she truly doesn't know who he is. The story is told from dual POV yet I felt as if most if it was focused on the sexual discipline and the relationship development was lacking. Well this is my opinion and if you like the author's previous work I recommend reading Bared to see what you think.