What do you think?
Rate this book
Masters of the Savoy #1
Best Seller
She needs a hero. He only wants her.
As fiction crashes into reality, the lines blur when the hero from the pages of Sage Matthews' bestselling steamy romance novel, Roark Samuels, emerges to save her from the brink of death.
Unbelievably, Sage and Roark come face-to-face with the opportunity to explore their deepest desires by creating their own sinful imaginings but also giving themselves a chance to write their own happily ever after.
Can the Hero truly save his Creator, or will this turn into a tragedy instead of the happy ending for their own best seller?
Publisher note -A version of this story was previously published in the Dirty Daddy 2020 Anthology. The book has been expanded by over 30,000 words. Best Seller is a paranormal, supernatural story with steamy heat in and out of the bedroom for mature readers only.
As fiction crashes into reality, the lines blur when the hero from the pages of Sage Matthews' bestselling steamy romance novel, Roark Samuels, emerges to save her from the brink of death.
Unbelievably, Sage and Roark come face-to-face with the opportunity to explore their deepest desires by creating their own sinful imaginings but also giving themselves a chance to write their own happily ever after.
Can the Hero truly save his Creator, or will this turn into a tragedy instead of the happy ending for their own best seller?
Publisher note -A version of this story was previously published in the Dirty Daddy 2020 Anthology. The book has been expanded by over 30,000 words. Best Seller is a paranormal, supernatural story with steamy heat in and out of the bedroom for mature readers only.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 18, 2021
270 people are currently reading
318 people want to read
About the author
Delta James
319 books2,302 followersAs a USA Today bestselling romance author, Delta James aims to captivate readers with stories about complex heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way.
After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels, and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and white-water rafting.
Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally with as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/34898....
After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels, and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and white-water rafting.
Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally with as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/34898....
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
Read
February 21, 2021I had the best intentions for this story!!!
Sage was a well known erotic romance author and had released a great series where the main hero, Roark, was a spy and adored by readers.
Roark came to life and saved Sage from being killed.
The concept caught my interest immediately!! I found it intriguing and fresh.
Unfortunately I dnf it at 63%.
The characters were immature, there were plot holes and incoherencies and too much sexy/kinky material for me.
Roark stepped out of the book (no one knew how!) and started telling Sage his rules she should obey and refer to him as Daddy!! 🙄 When she became sassy, he grabbed her and took her to the bathroom and soaped the inside of her mouth! 🙄 Then he put her over his knee and gave her a good spanking.
I won’t tell you what happened next, but after a couple of pages I managed to declare, No, thank you!!!!
Sage was a well known erotic romance author and had released a great series where the main hero, Roark, was a spy and adored by readers.
Roark came to life and saved Sage from being killed.
The concept caught my interest immediately!! I found it intriguing and fresh.
Unfortunately I dnf it at 63%.
The characters were immature, there were plot holes and incoherencies and too much sexy/kinky material for me.
Roark stepped out of the book (no one knew how!) and started telling Sage his rules she should obey and refer to him as Daddy!! 🙄 When she became sassy, he grabbed her and took her to the bathroom and soaped the inside of her mouth! 🙄 Then he put her over his knee and gave her a good spanking.
I won’t tell you what happened next, but after a couple of pages I managed to declare, No, thank you!!!!
November 27, 2022
Get you a man who will use a buttplug on you when you’re unconscious from being nearly choked to death by an assassin…
Said no one, ever.
For reasons unknown, my Kindle decided to erase ALL of the highlights I made for this, making this review into a pain in the ass, but given the pain I already endured at thehands pages of this book, I’m determined to forge ahead.
There were a lot of problems with this book, so buckle up.
The Premise: Sage, a bestselling author of an erotic romance series, is being stalked and threatened. Who will save her? The hero from her own novels! Sounds great, right?
1. What Sage writes is not romance. Her series centers around a character—Roark, the so-called “romantic hero”—who spanks and sexes up a different woman in every book. You read that right, a different woman. Then he dumps the heartbroken woman off with her daddy or even fiancé, and moves on to the next one. I think I can be forgiven for thinking this sounds like something written for men.
As an avid romance reader who interacts with other romance readers, I can assure this would not be a “bestselling romance.” The idea that women would be fawning over an unrepentant asshole who sticks his dipstick in whatever available honeypot he can find, book after book isn’t a reasonable plot device.
“Cindy Sellers, huge erotic romance blog. Always features our books and gives them stellar ratings on Goodreads, Bookbub, and all the retail platforms” Gail whispered. “Named you erotic romance writer of the year.”
WHO IS THIS CINDY AND WHY WOULD SHE DO THIS? Money? Drugs??? It’s anyone’s guess. 🤷♀️
Call it erotic suspense or something, but it’s not romance. With romance there is the expectation that the MCs end up together and you get at least an HFN, if not HEA, and Ms. Delta James should know this as an author within said genre.
I can understand why she used this is a plot device—she needed Sage to have written a character in an ongoing series, who had not settled down. Like the manwhores in other books, he just needed to meet the “right woman” which in this case, is Sage. But the thing is, in those books, we don’t get a blow-by-blow of all the stuff the hero did with other women (and books that do this tend to draw a lot of criticism from what I’ve seen). What woman is going to read through a whole series of this guy getting with a string of chicks in the hope that he finally settles down with one? If you would, please feel free to raise your hand in the comment section. Provided you’ve already made it this far. (Seriously, kudos if you have)
Or perhaps you HAVE made it this far and are wondering why it even matters—after all, the whole thing is fiction. A fantasy, right? Sorry, but even stories with supernatural themes such as this one need to maintain an element of realism in order to work.
2. The Pacing: The whole first half of the book is spent with Sage interacting with her agent and just doing stuff. She goes here, she goes there. Everyday things happen. Occasionally, she gets threatened and we get a few glimpses of her from the POV of the hero. Because he’s in her books, there is no interaction between them. This might have worked:
a. IF we had a better, more in-depth vantage point from his perspective. Instead, we primarily get details about Sage’s outfits/meals/travel and her many conversations with her agent/fans readers/hotel staff/random persons. Some of this was necessary to paint a picture. Some. Much of it, however, took up space without adding anything worthwhile to the story.
We get almost NO character details or fleshing out of Roark at all, other that he’s a character in her books who is a manwhore (refer to above) and likes to spank women. His thoughts are all centered around Sage and what she’s doing, which tells you more about her than about him.
b. IF we didn’t have to wait until halfway through the book before they finally interact in real life! This is WAY. TOO. FAR in for this to only just be occurring. There were plenty of scenes in the early part that could be cut or edited down in favor of bringing him into the picture sooner. This made the book feel a lot more like a mystery than a romance. Which is why things feel even weirder in the second half of the book…
3. The Bait and Switch: From the blurb, this book sounds like a fun, innocuous romp. Fully did not expect to be blindsided by dub-con and badly written BDSM that bordered on abuse. It was like two different books were meshed together.
👉 From one scene, after already spanking her for a while:
“Roark redoubled the strength and fury of his swats, causing her to yowl in response. He meant to ensure while she might find walking difficult immediately after he finished fucking her, she would feel the after-effects of this spanking for the next several days. He meant to bring home the lesson each time he slammed his hips into her bruised and swollen backside…”
Rather than sounding arousing, this came off like he was beating her. However, in what turns out to be typical Sage fashion, she ends up aroused anyway, despite sobbing with pain.
👉 Roark has sex with Sage repeatedly while she is asleep. In some parts of the book, it’s suggested that he instead was in her dreams, except for the explicit part where he is full on ramming into her apparently sleeping body. She wasn’t interacting with him as one would in a dream. She sounded fully unconscious, and her eyes “flew” open at one point. Sounds like rape to me.
👉 Buttplug mentioned at start of review. He also threatens anal sex with Sage as a punishment.
👉 Roark pushes her head under water in a swimming pool, to scare her (she didn’t know he was there), because she disobeyed him by not staying in the room for her safety. Then drags her up by her ponytail. Wow, sounds like a caring guy.
👉 Roark treats Sage like a freaking child. She can’t do this, can’t do that or else. Go stand in the corner. God forbid she “sass” him the slightest bit, as he is only too eager to stick a bar of soap in her mouth and take his frustrations out on her ass cheeks. Disagreeing, speaking her mind, or having any kind of opinion seemed to constitute sass. Which made me wonder what Roark really loved about her? I mean, if she isn’t allowed to speak freely to him and have, you know, an adult conversation, my takeaway was that he was just obsessed with her body. Which was all the more disturbing to me given how he treated her like a child when he wasn’t boning or punishing her. I guess we were supposed to think it was “hot” because it was Sage’s hidden desires? Except there are times she didn’t seem so comfortable with what was going on.
I read dark books, but I don't like to be blindsided with this stuff, and I *especially* dislike having these kinds of rando dark elements dropped into a book where they clearly don’t belong.
4. Lastly, the Language:
* Labia/mons: not the worst but comes off as clinical and frankly, unsexy.
* Dark rosette: only used twice, but once was more than enough, thanks. 😬
* Nubbin/Pleasure nub: 🤦♀️ just … don’t.
* Bottom hole: I endured reading this 10 times and it was 10 times too many.
Forgive me if I’m mistaken, but this book seems to be trying tread into erotica, so why the demure language? It doesn’t mesh for me. If you’re going to write an anal sex scene, commit to it without trying to soften it with modest language (and include some lube for crying out loud!)
Overall, I could not help feeling like this book was an author insert. The main character is even a USA Today bestselling author (rather than NYT or Amazon) like James herself. Which begs the question… is this what Ms. James finds personally hot??? Or is she just writing what she thinks her audience will? Either way, this one missed the mark by a wide margin.
After this whole essay-length rant you’re probably left wondering why I read the whole thing and honestly, I can only claim that I was stubborn and after a certain point it was a hate read.
Will I be reading this author again?
Said no one, ever.
For reasons unknown, my Kindle decided to erase ALL of the highlights I made for this, making this review into a pain in the ass, but given the pain I already endured at the
There were a lot of problems with this book, so buckle up.
The Premise: Sage, a bestselling author of an erotic romance series, is being stalked and threatened. Who will save her? The hero from her own novels! Sounds great, right?
1. What Sage writes is not romance. Her series centers around a character—Roark, the so-called “romantic hero”—who spanks and sexes up a different woman in every book. You read that right, a different woman. Then he dumps the heartbroken woman off with her daddy or even fiancé, and moves on to the next one. I think I can be forgiven for thinking this sounds like something written for men.
As an avid romance reader who interacts with other romance readers, I can assure this would not be a “bestselling romance.” The idea that women would be fawning over an unrepentant asshole who sticks his dipstick in whatever available honeypot he can find, book after book isn’t a reasonable plot device.
“Cindy Sellers, huge erotic romance blog. Always features our books and gives them stellar ratings on Goodreads, Bookbub, and all the retail platforms” Gail whispered. “Named you erotic romance writer of the year.”
WHO IS THIS CINDY AND WHY WOULD SHE DO THIS? Money? Drugs??? It’s anyone’s guess. 🤷♀️
Call it erotic suspense or something, but it’s not romance. With romance there is the expectation that the MCs end up together and you get at least an HFN, if not HEA, and Ms. Delta James should know this as an author within said genre.
I can understand why she used this is a plot device—she needed Sage to have written a character in an ongoing series, who had not settled down. Like the manwhores in other books, he just needed to meet the “right woman” which in this case, is Sage. But the thing is, in those books, we don’t get a blow-by-blow of all the stuff the hero did with other women (and books that do this tend to draw a lot of criticism from what I’ve seen). What woman is going to read through a whole series of this guy getting with a string of chicks in the hope that he finally settles down with one? If you would, please feel free to raise your hand in the comment section. Provided you’ve already made it this far. (Seriously, kudos if you have)
Or perhaps you HAVE made it this far and are wondering why it even matters—after all, the whole thing is fiction. A fantasy, right? Sorry, but even stories with supernatural themes such as this one need to maintain an element of realism in order to work.
2. The Pacing: The whole first half of the book is spent with Sage interacting with her agent and just doing stuff. She goes here, she goes there. Everyday things happen. Occasionally, she gets threatened and we get a few glimpses of her from the POV of the hero. Because he’s in her books, there is no interaction between them. This might have worked:
a. IF we had a better, more in-depth vantage point from his perspective. Instead, we primarily get details about Sage’s outfits/meals/travel and her many conversations with her agent/
We get almost NO character details or fleshing out of Roark at all, other that he’s a character in her books who is a manwhore (refer to above) and likes to spank women. His thoughts are all centered around Sage and what she’s doing, which tells you more about her than about him.
b. IF we didn’t have to wait until halfway through the book before they finally interact in real life! This is WAY. TOO. FAR in for this to only just be occurring. There were plenty of scenes in the early part that could be cut or edited down in favor of bringing him into the picture sooner. This made the book feel a lot more like a mystery than a romance. Which is why things feel even weirder in the second half of the book…
3. The Bait and Switch: From the blurb, this book sounds like a fun, innocuous romp. Fully did not expect to be blindsided by dub-con and badly written BDSM that bordered on abuse. It was like two different books were meshed together.
👉 From one scene, after already spanking her for a while:
“Roark redoubled the strength and fury of his swats, causing her to yowl in response. He meant to ensure while she might find walking difficult immediately after he finished fucking her, she would feel the after-effects of this spanking for the next several days. He meant to bring home the lesson each time he slammed his hips into her bruised and swollen backside…”
Rather than sounding arousing, this came off like he was beating her. However, in what turns out to be typical Sage fashion, she ends up aroused anyway, despite sobbing with pain.
👉 Roark has sex with Sage repeatedly while she is asleep. In some parts of the book, it’s suggested that he instead was in her dreams, except for the explicit part where he is full on ramming into her apparently sleeping body. She wasn’t interacting with him as one would in a dream. She sounded fully unconscious, and her eyes “flew” open at one point. Sounds like rape to me.
👉 Buttplug mentioned at start of review. He also threatens anal sex with Sage as a punishment.
👉 Roark pushes her head under water in a swimming pool, to scare her (she didn’t know he was there), because she disobeyed him by not staying in the room for her safety. Then drags her up by her ponytail. Wow, sounds like a caring guy.
👉 Roark treats Sage like a freaking child. She can’t do this, can’t do that or else. Go stand in the corner. God forbid she “sass” him the slightest bit, as he is only too eager to stick a bar of soap in her mouth and take his frustrations out on her ass cheeks. Disagreeing, speaking her mind, or having any kind of opinion seemed to constitute sass. Which made me wonder what Roark really loved about her? I mean, if she isn’t allowed to speak freely to him and have, you know, an adult conversation, my takeaway was that he was just obsessed with her body. Which was all the more disturbing to me given how he treated her like a child when he wasn’t boning or punishing her. I guess we were supposed to think it was “hot” because it was Sage’s hidden desires? Except there are times she didn’t seem so comfortable with what was going on.
I read dark books, but I don't like to be blindsided with this stuff, and I *especially* dislike having these kinds of rando dark elements dropped into a book where they clearly don’t belong.
4. Lastly, the Language:
* Labia/mons: not the worst but comes off as clinical and frankly, unsexy.
* Dark rosette: only used twice, but once was more than enough, thanks. 😬
* Nubbin/Pleasure nub: 🤦♀️ just … don’t.
* Bottom hole: I endured reading this 10 times and it was 10 times too many.
Forgive me if I’m mistaken, but this book seems to be trying tread into erotica, so why the demure language? It doesn’t mesh for me. If you’re going to write an anal sex scene, commit to it without trying to soften it with modest language (and include some lube for crying out loud!)
Overall, I could not help feeling like this book was an author insert. The main character is even a USA Today bestselling author (rather than NYT or Amazon) like James herself. Which begs the question… is this what Ms. James finds personally hot??? Or is she just writing what she thinks her audience will? Either way, this one missed the mark by a wide margin.
After this whole essay-length rant you’re probably left wondering why I read the whole thing and honestly, I can only claim that I was stubborn and after a certain point it was a hate read.
Will I be reading this author again?
February 25, 2021
Daddy comes to save the day...
Wow, I loved the premise of this book. Erotic romance writer Sage starts being targeted by a stalker who is dangerously escalating. Roark is the dominating, sexy, James Bond like character from her famous erotic series. He's able to burst free into the real realm to protect Sage, be the Daddy she needs, and enforce the rules and discipline to keep her safe.
Sage has always felt she was independent and okay with being alone, but she struggles to keep up with everything going on in her life. She secretly craves a man to take control. When Roark, her dream man and imaginative creation, comes to life and steps up to the plate, Sage doesn't quite know what to do.
But Roark knows exactly what to do and exactly what Sage needs from her Daddy. He's watched Sage and loved her from afar and he will do anything to take care of her, and meet every need. Including the ones she didn't know she needed, like lots and lots of spankings lol.
Sage and Roark's chemistry is explosive. They bring feeling out of each other that no other ever has. Sage has never had a man do to her body what he can. Roark plays her body like a virtuoso, bringing her to heights she never believed possible.
Also lets not forget that all the while there is stalking, assassination attempts, suspense and intrigue in between the kinky smutty, smutfest. It was awesome!!
Even though this was an ARC, I will always shoot you straight. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow, I loved the premise of this book. Erotic romance writer Sage starts being targeted by a stalker who is dangerously escalating. Roark is the dominating, sexy, James Bond like character from her famous erotic series. He's able to burst free into the real realm to protect Sage, be the Daddy she needs, and enforce the rules and discipline to keep her safe.
Sage has always felt she was independent and okay with being alone, but she struggles to keep up with everything going on in her life. She secretly craves a man to take control. When Roark, her dream man and imaginative creation, comes to life and steps up to the plate, Sage doesn't quite know what to do.
But Roark knows exactly what to do and exactly what Sage needs from her Daddy. He's watched Sage and loved her from afar and he will do anything to take care of her, and meet every need. Including the ones she didn't know she needed, like lots and lots of spankings lol.
Sage and Roark's chemistry is explosive. They bring feeling out of each other that no other ever has. Sage has never had a man do to her body what he can. Roark plays her body like a virtuoso, bringing her to heights she never believed possible.
Also lets not forget that all the while there is stalking, assassination attempts, suspense and intrigue in between the kinky smutty, smutfest. It was awesome!!
Even though this was an ARC, I will always shoot you straight. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 21, 2022
The writing was good enough that I read more than I would like of a crap book. This story sucks. The disrespect of the “hero” to the female main character is disgusting. It’s one thing to have BDSM, but it’s another to force it on someone who has not agreed, is not awake, or is not aware. At that point, it is not consensual kink, it’s abuse.
Here’s a few of the gross stuff in this.
1. the heroine is asleep after nearly being killed and the douche bag who supposed loves her sticks a butt plug in her to teach her a lesson. She is passed out from almost dying and doesn’t know he is in the room. She’s not even aware of who he is.
2. the douchebag decides to show the heroine she’s not safe from being killed while she’s lap swimming by holding her under water without her knowing he’s there. Here’s the quote:
————
When she reached the end of the pool, Roark grasped the top of her head so she couldn’t see who it was or break the surface. He pushed down, preventing her from coming up for air or swimming away. Sage’s hands flailed. He could almost feel her panic and desperation as she tried to break free. He held her under the water long enough to scare her, but not long enough to hurt her. When he released her head, he grabbed her by the ponytail she had used to pull her hair back and hauled her above the surface of the water.
————-
3. At no point does she agree to his abuse before he does stuff.
4. Her girl friend is abusive, including trying to control her eating. You’d think we could see a hero that loves her curves and encourages her to eat what she wants/needs. Nope! Almost one of the douche bag’s first actions is to try to control her eating. See this quote:
———-
If you could also ask them to replace at least half of my love’s Diet Coke with water, that would be beneficial. She’s apparently forgotten she isn’t allowed to drink as many of those as she has been of late.
———
What. The!? No part of this is loving and protective.
I would NOT recommend this book.
Here’s a few of the gross stuff in this.
1. the heroine is asleep after nearly being killed and the douche bag who supposed loves her sticks a butt plug in her to teach her a lesson. She is passed out from almost dying and doesn’t know he is in the room. She’s not even aware of who he is.
2. the douchebag decides to show the heroine she’s not safe from being killed while she’s lap swimming by holding her under water without her knowing he’s there. Here’s the quote:
————
When she reached the end of the pool, Roark grasped the top of her head so she couldn’t see who it was or break the surface. He pushed down, preventing her from coming up for air or swimming away. Sage’s hands flailed. He could almost feel her panic and desperation as she tried to break free. He held her under the water long enough to scare her, but not long enough to hurt her. When he released her head, he grabbed her by the ponytail she had used to pull her hair back and hauled her above the surface of the water.
————-
3. At no point does she agree to his abuse before he does stuff.
4. Her girl friend is abusive, including trying to control her eating. You’d think we could see a hero that loves her curves and encourages her to eat what she wants/needs. Nope! Almost one of the douche bag’s first actions is to try to control her eating. See this quote:
———-
If you could also ask them to replace at least half of my love’s Diet Coke with water, that would be beneficial. She’s apparently forgotten she isn’t allowed to drink as many of those as she has been of late.
———
What. The!? No part of this is loving and protective.
I would NOT recommend this book.
January 13, 2022
Not for Me.
The first part of the book is about Sage being an author going to signings and getting stalked; which is an actual plot. The second part of the book is where he character Roark comes to life and she starts a submissive relationship with him. But YIKES, the Dom does no after care, he is pretty much just a sadist, who supposedly is protecting her. He insets a b**T plug into her while she is past out from being strangled. UMMM….. NO AND NO!! I finished it but wish I hadn’t
The first part of the book is about Sage being an author going to signings and getting stalked; which is an actual plot. The second part of the book is where he character Roark comes to life and she starts a submissive relationship with him. But YIKES, the Dom does no after care, he is pretty much just a sadist, who supposedly is protecting her. He insets a b**T plug into her while she is past out from being strangled. UMMM….. NO AND NO!! I finished it but wish I hadn’t
February 22, 2021
Best Seller. Wow! What an opening to a book. The first few paragraphs told me that I’m going to really enjoy reading this book. I enjoyed all the pleasure that reading this book has brought me. The writer is a new author to me, who I will definitely be buying another book from. Her writing was precise.
The author brought me amazing entertainment while reading. The book was was easy to read. The writer didn’t try to push a complicated writing style in the book, which I’m thankful for. I had a great time becoming familiar with the different characters., I thought that the different characters would be confusing and have me lost in the story, but no they didn’t. The drama and mystery held my attention.
The romantic scenes hovered around the BDSM genera, but it really made the scenes for me all the more thrilling to read. Sage and Roarke are characters who walk on the kinky side of pleasure. Sage comes from the erotic side and Roarke from the BDSM side. The author put these two together and bang instant magic of a good book to read. Until next time readers... read on!
The author brought me amazing entertainment while reading. The book was was easy to read. The writer didn’t try to push a complicated writing style in the book, which I’m thankful for. I had a great time becoming familiar with the different characters., I thought that the different characters would be confusing and have me lost in the story, but no they didn’t. The drama and mystery held my attention.
The romantic scenes hovered around the BDSM genera, but it really made the scenes for me all the more thrilling to read. Sage and Roarke are characters who walk on the kinky side of pleasure. Sage comes from the erotic side and Roarke from the BDSM side. The author put these two together and bang instant magic of a good book to read. Until next time readers... read on!
July 1, 2022
The "hero" jumps right into BDSM with the heroine because he supernaturally understands her because he came out of the books she writes. No negotiation. No discussion. And she's okay with it. Super icky.
The heroine verges on TSTL territory--which is when I stopped reading. Honey, if you know that a person already paid a hired killer to off you, why the hell would you agree to meet that person for lunch? The point where she calls the "hero" to tell him her plan, he blows her off by saying that he'll give her more sex later and hanging up, and she decides to go to the lunch anyway was when I gave up.
The heroine verges on TSTL territory--which is when I stopped reading. Honey, if you know that a person already paid a hired killer to off you, why the hell would you agree to meet that person for lunch? The point where she calls the "hero" to tell him her plan, he blows her off by saying that he'll give her more sex later and hanging up, and she decides to go to the lunch anyway was when I gave up.
May 18, 2022
Started great, but the jump into heavy punishment and BDSM was jarring.
Not badly written, but not for me.
Not badly written, but not for me.
May 10, 2022
terrific paranormal romance
This has a very interesting premise, which I am not going to reveal, but it is what makes this book a paranormal. Also there is 🔥 🔥 and some butt stuff too. There is also some action as well. I really enjoyed this book and I think you will to
This has a very interesting premise, which I am not going to reveal, but it is what makes this book a paranormal. Also there is 🔥 🔥 and some butt stuff too. There is also some action as well. I really enjoyed this book and I think you will to
August 14, 2022
The story premise is good, the first part of the book interesting, but I'm afraid like some other reviewers have stated, once the 'hero' actually appears, the book goes downhill.
The mystery storyline is lost to the BDSM D/s side of things, which are not well presented. Absolutely no consent, no safeword given until after the first session, no after care, abusive control (changing diet, clothes etc without discussion or redress for her, holding her under water in a pool as 'punishment'). Everything explained away as 'because I love/am protecting you' which is abuser speak for 'your fault'.
This book needs to have trigger warnings, or at the very least an accurate description - the subtitle 'a supernatural mystery romance' and generic 'hero saves heroine' blurb is very misleading, I saw no true romance, the supernatural part is never explored or explained, and there is no warning it's even BDSM, let alone going to go so dark/heavy so fast.
I've read and enjoyed romance BDSM of many kinds and levels, and this is the only time I have ever been left feeling uncomfortable in my own skin at the end, let alone still the next day, hence me doing a rare warning review.
The mystery storyline is lost to the BDSM D/s side of things, which are not well presented. Absolutely no consent, no safeword given until after the first session, no after care, abusive control (changing diet, clothes etc without discussion or redress for her, holding her under water in a pool as 'punishment'). Everything explained away as 'because I love/am protecting you' which is abuser speak for 'your fault'.
This book needs to have trigger warnings, or at the very least an accurate description - the subtitle 'a supernatural mystery romance' and generic 'hero saves heroine' blurb is very misleading, I saw no true romance, the supernatural part is never explored or explained, and there is no warning it's even BDSM, let alone going to go so dark/heavy so fast.
I've read and enjoyed romance BDSM of many kinds and levels, and this is the only time I have ever been left feeling uncomfortable in my own skin at the end, let alone still the next day, hence me doing a rare warning review.
February 18, 2021
I thought this book was unique, clever and completely captivating. Sage and Roark's story is a steamy PNR that reads like what should be every romance writer's secret fantasy. Scorching heat, mystery, danger, action, emotion and stunning twists make this tale sinfully enticing and absolutely delicious!! By my own volition I'm posting an unprejudiced review.
July 15, 2021
The "hero" is a controlling abuser.
Sorry, didn't even want to give it a one star. The women is not allowed any kind of emotion. She is not allowed to have a brain. The man is an abuser and severally controlling. Is beyond my kind of book.
Sorry, didn't even want to give it a one star. The women is not allowed any kind of emotion. She is not allowed to have a brain. The man is an abuser and severally controlling. Is beyond my kind of book.
December 16, 2021
Dubious consent, 50 Shades level of representation of BDSM (meaning it was more abusive and controlling than sexy) and a plot that was half baked. What exactly was paranormal about this?
Would give it 1/4 of a star if I could.
Would give it 1/4 of a star if I could.
July 9, 2021
WHEN CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE
Wow, did Ms. Delta James pen a unique and page-turning tale. All the jokes about book boyfriends, but in this fantastic mystery-suspense story, he won’t just be a fantasy; he will become a true hero. The story was initially released in the 2020 Dirty Daddies Anthology under the name ‘Best Seller’ and did have the daddy/little girl vibes—but not in the rewrite—which has also been expanded.
Bestselling Author, Sage Matthews, has had a great run with a series of wildly popular romantic suspense books with a hot main character, Roark Samuels. What had been meant to be a single book became a series. Each book sold more than the one before it, making her shoot to the top of the bestsellers lists. Roark Samuels was just a little bit kinkier with each book, and that worked with her readers and publisher. But Sage wants to write something new, and her publisher, Gail Vincent, is fighting her on it. A trip to a book signing in London is the last straw for these two. A nasty breakup will only be the beginning.
The story has the good, the bad, and the ugly of people. Several things have law enforcement worried about, but there is nothing concrete for them to establish who is stalking Sage—yet the threats are real and are becoming bolder. How far is a killer willing to go—from the USA across the ocean to London, England. When Sage tries to expand on her newfound freedom, it nearly cost her her life. When she comes too, she will find herself rescued by none other than her character, Roark Samuels.
“She didn’t need a keeper who would try to box her in. What she needed was a Dom—someone who would act as her protector, confidant, mentor, anchor, disciplinarian, and lover, and dominant—and she would obey and submit whether she liked it or not.”
I loved how several characters from her stories will find a crossover dimension, leave the web, and find themselves at the Savoy in London. Nothing like writing heroes and being rescued by them too.
“Don’t you die on me, Sage. Come back, do you hear me? Holmes was right, you know, you need someone to look after you, but I’m here, love. Your Master is here.”
“This guy looked exactly like she had always seen him in her head and had described him, and he acted like Roark, except for the whole Dom thing—but that wasn’t possible. Roark was someone she had created—a figment of her imagination. Or was he? the voice whispered again. Shut up! No one knew Roark was actually every hope, every dream, every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one.”
Has she got into the head of her hero character, or has he reached into her head? Roark brings out a new dynamic that Sage never introduced in her stories, a Dom, and proving to her she is submissive. He is strict, demanding, and knows exactly what she needs---even if she doesn’t believe it.
“A book? How could this be happening? Was this all some crazy dream? Had she died? If so, was this heaven or hell? Maybe she was just in a coma and would wake—but what if she didn’t want to?”
The story has a strict, take control Dominant, matters of life and death, well-earned punishments, and sizzling hot explicit sex scenes. Best of all, it has the villain captured and new life for Sage and Roark. But that won’t be the end—this is a new series, and the next book, Negotiations, in The Paranormal Mystery, will feature another character from Sage’s bestseller books!
Wow, did Ms. Delta James pen a unique and page-turning tale. All the jokes about book boyfriends, but in this fantastic mystery-suspense story, he won’t just be a fantasy; he will become a true hero. The story was initially released in the 2020 Dirty Daddies Anthology under the name ‘Best Seller’ and did have the daddy/little girl vibes—but not in the rewrite—which has also been expanded.
Bestselling Author, Sage Matthews, has had a great run with a series of wildly popular romantic suspense books with a hot main character, Roark Samuels. What had been meant to be a single book became a series. Each book sold more than the one before it, making her shoot to the top of the bestsellers lists. Roark Samuels was just a little bit kinkier with each book, and that worked with her readers and publisher. But Sage wants to write something new, and her publisher, Gail Vincent, is fighting her on it. A trip to a book signing in London is the last straw for these two. A nasty breakup will only be the beginning.
The story has the good, the bad, and the ugly of people. Several things have law enforcement worried about, but there is nothing concrete for them to establish who is stalking Sage—yet the threats are real and are becoming bolder. How far is a killer willing to go—from the USA across the ocean to London, England. When Sage tries to expand on her newfound freedom, it nearly cost her her life. When she comes too, she will find herself rescued by none other than her character, Roark Samuels.
“She didn’t need a keeper who would try to box her in. What she needed was a Dom—someone who would act as her protector, confidant, mentor, anchor, disciplinarian, and lover, and dominant—and she would obey and submit whether she liked it or not.”
I loved how several characters from her stories will find a crossover dimension, leave the web, and find themselves at the Savoy in London. Nothing like writing heroes and being rescued by them too.
“Don’t you die on me, Sage. Come back, do you hear me? Holmes was right, you know, you need someone to look after you, but I’m here, love. Your Master is here.”
“This guy looked exactly like she had always seen him in her head and had described him, and he acted like Roark, except for the whole Dom thing—but that wasn’t possible. Roark was someone she had created—a figment of her imagination. Or was he? the voice whispered again. Shut up! No one knew Roark was actually every hope, every dream, every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one.”
Has she got into the head of her hero character, or has he reached into her head? Roark brings out a new dynamic that Sage never introduced in her stories, a Dom, and proving to her she is submissive. He is strict, demanding, and knows exactly what she needs---even if she doesn’t believe it.
“A book? How could this be happening? Was this all some crazy dream? Had she died? If so, was this heaven or hell? Maybe she was just in a coma and would wake—but what if she didn’t want to?”
The story has a strict, take control Dominant, matters of life and death, well-earned punishments, and sizzling hot explicit sex scenes. Best of all, it has the villain captured and new life for Sage and Roark. But that won’t be the end—this is a new series, and the next book, Negotiations, in The Paranormal Mystery, will feature another character from Sage’s bestseller books!
August 1, 2021
Intriguing Premise But Couldn’t Love It
What happens when an author’s creation comes to life? Sage can’t seem to shake two things, her stalker, and the series she’s been writing but wants to end. There were some parts of this book I enjoyed and others I didn’t. This was an unusual story and it really held my attention, but I just couldn’t love it. The “steamy” scenes were a little too dark for my tastes, and the stalker was easy to guess. While the idea of the author’s characters coming to life from her book was intriguing, there was no explanation offered as to why this happened, and left way too many unanswered questions for me.
What happens when an author’s creation comes to life? Sage can’t seem to shake two things, her stalker, and the series she’s been writing but wants to end. There were some parts of this book I enjoyed and others I didn’t. This was an unusual story and it really held my attention, but I just couldn’t love it. The “steamy” scenes were a little too dark for my tastes, and the stalker was easy to guess. While the idea of the author’s characters coming to life from her book was intriguing, there was no explanation offered as to why this happened, and left way too many unanswered questions for me.
August 8, 2022
Every Writer's Dream
Sage Matthews is an erotic romance author who is very successful. When she receives threats on her life, she doesn't take them seriously enough. Then it seems that two of her characters have come to life, and she wonders if she's losing it. I read the second in this series first,but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this story. A wonderful idea, well-executed.
Sage Matthews is an erotic romance author who is very successful. When she receives threats on her life, she doesn't take them seriously enough. Then it seems that two of her characters have come to life, and she wonders if she's losing it. I read the second in this series first,but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this story. A wonderful idea, well-executed.
July 13, 2021
I really love the fact that Delta James took this book, changed the title and added more to the story. Talk about a book boyfriend!! This was a very unique storyline and I fell right into it. Wonderful characters and the banter between them was awesome.
February 18, 2021
Daddy Doms and domestic discipline are not my thing!
Oddly enough I wanted to give this book a higher rating but at the title states this is Not. My. Thing.
Now if strangers
who pop out books a writer has
written ,not wanting to explain or even introduce themselves before they’re
shoving a butt plug into a sleeping woman’s rear. This might be the book for you.
I picked up this book because I absolutely love the idea of someone being able to step into a book ( literally ) or having the reverse happen. I couldn’t wait to start reading and have this writers dream lover come to life!
It sounded so amazing !
Until all the BDSM references started popping up and I started to worry.I’m not against BDSM is my books but I am picky . I prefer male submissive’s. As a woman with a strong dominant side reading about female submissive’s isn’t my thing but if I do read them I need it to be a 100% the woman’s choice. Her being coerced or seduced into it because the make lead makes her parties damp doesn’t work for me. Especially when he walks I thinking only of his wants and needs like this D bag does .
If she’d met Roark at a sex club or is he’d introduced himself and they’d come this after a discussion,ok. Fine.
But No . He comes in and just starts dictating how life is going to be now. Doesn’t even tell her who he is.
From he book:”He looked at the soft curls nestling at the apex of her thighs. He’d take care of that in the next day or two. He wanted her bare and available for his use whenever he wanted her.
She needed to learn from the get-go just which one of them was in charge—and it wasn’t her.
He stroked the crevice of her ass, rimming her dark rosette. Asleep, it was relaxed and gave to the light pressure of his finger.”
Seriously ?
“The first rule—you will speak to me respectfully and truthfully. Any deviation from compliance will result in a soaped mouth and a spanked bottom. Rule two—when we are alone, you will refer to me as Sir or Daddy. Rule three—you will not put yourself in danger. Rule four—you will mind Daddy at all times. Let me stress the importance of rules three and four. Penalties for breaking either of them will not be pleasant. I think the rules are pretty simple and straight forward. Do you need me to write them down?”
No,just no!
Like I said.,the D bag,hasn’t even said who he is and he’s about to punish her like he has the right.”
I loathe this kinda of doggy dirt. You don’t talk to or treat a grown woman like a child. Crap like this is why the words,good girl”. Piss me off in a heartbeat. You don’t go around calling a man,Good boy.”do you ?
I was at 68% when I was to angry and disgusted continue. Also by the almost zero percent works building had been done to explain the whys and how’s as to how Roark or several other characters were not only sentient and aware but also able to “escape” into the real world. I think some sorta hint should have been building about who they existed and were sentient and knew so much and had so much power even before they escaped.
That bothered me, but the BS domestic discipline was what really destroyed it all for me . This is so NOT my kinda kink but even so it should be done right. I’ve met ppl who were a “Daddy Dom.” and this WAS NOT it. And No Body. No Body starts a relationship in BDSM like this . No a safe. Sane. Or healthy one.
I loved the idea of my dream lover coming from a book to save me but not a freak with control issues who basically wants a grown woman to treat like a pet or a child he can also F at will.
Not right. Not healthy.
Oddly enough I wanted to give this book a higher rating but at the title states this is Not. My. Thing.
Now if strangers
who pop out books a writer has
written ,not wanting to explain or even introduce themselves before they’re
shoving a butt plug into a sleeping woman’s rear. This might be the book for you.
I picked up this book because I absolutely love the idea of someone being able to step into a book ( literally ) or having the reverse happen. I couldn’t wait to start reading and have this writers dream lover come to life!
It sounded so amazing !
Until all the BDSM references started popping up and I started to worry.I’m not against BDSM is my books but I am picky . I prefer male submissive’s. As a woman with a strong dominant side reading about female submissive’s isn’t my thing but if I do read them I need it to be a 100% the woman’s choice. Her being coerced or seduced into it because the make lead makes her parties damp doesn’t work for me. Especially when he walks I thinking only of his wants and needs like this D bag does .
If she’d met Roark at a sex club or is he’d introduced himself and they’d come this after a discussion,ok. Fine.
But No . He comes in and just starts dictating how life is going to be now. Doesn’t even tell her who he is.
From he book:”He looked at the soft curls nestling at the apex of her thighs. He’d take care of that in the next day or two. He wanted her bare and available for his use whenever he wanted her.
She needed to learn from the get-go just which one of them was in charge—and it wasn’t her.
He stroked the crevice of her ass, rimming her dark rosette. Asleep, it was relaxed and gave to the light pressure of his finger.”
Seriously ?
“The first rule—you will speak to me respectfully and truthfully. Any deviation from compliance will result in a soaped mouth and a spanked bottom. Rule two—when we are alone, you will refer to me as Sir or Daddy. Rule three—you will not put yourself in danger. Rule four—you will mind Daddy at all times. Let me stress the importance of rules three and four. Penalties for breaking either of them will not be pleasant. I think the rules are pretty simple and straight forward. Do you need me to write them down?”
No,just no!
Like I said.,the D bag,hasn’t even said who he is and he’s about to punish her like he has the right.”
I loathe this kinda of doggy dirt. You don’t talk to or treat a grown woman like a child. Crap like this is why the words,good girl”. Piss me off in a heartbeat. You don’t go around calling a man,Good boy.”do you ?
I was at 68% when I was to angry and disgusted continue. Also by the almost zero percent works building had been done to explain the whys and how’s as to how Roark or several other characters were not only sentient and aware but also able to “escape” into the real world. I think some sorta hint should have been building about who they existed and were sentient and knew so much and had so much power even before they escaped.
That bothered me, but the BS domestic discipline was what really destroyed it all for me . This is so NOT my kinda kink but even so it should be done right. I’ve met ppl who were a “Daddy Dom.” and this WAS NOT it. And No Body. No Body starts a relationship in BDSM like this . No a safe. Sane. Or healthy one.
I loved the idea of my dream lover coming from a book to save me but not a freak with control issues who basically wants a grown woman to treat like a pet or a child he can also F at will.
Not right. Not healthy.
February 19, 2021
So. I really enjoyed the concept of this storyline. A writer’s characters coming to life to not only save her but to love her. It’s a good idea, and that part of this book wasn’t terrible. The rest of it, I had a few problems with though.
Let’s start with the writing style itself. The beginning was riddled with mistakes, contradictions and inconsistencies.
I kept having this feeling that the author was distracted while writing. There were comments that didn’t make sense, and some of the character’s book passages felt really disjointed. It just felt like a big mess.
Then you get further in and there’s this part where something happens, and then we transition to Roark’s POV and he not only gives a tiny bit of backstory to the situation but flat out repeats what was already written in the most unnecessary summary. That was unbelievably frustrating to read.
Plus, in the start of the book Sage says she’s never had experience with a Dom, that she tried to get her ex to go to a club with her and he refused to even think about dabbling in that sort of thing. Then a couple chapters later she switches and says she goes to clubs to blow off steam and feel safe. And the rest of the book she sticks with that.
I just really think this book could have done with more editing. And that’s not even mentioning the problems I had with Roark and Sage’s relationship dynamic, the very obvious conflict, and the very stupid way that Sage decided to deal with it.
I’m not going to go into too much detail on the main conflict since I don’t want to spoil it for those who still want to read this book after reading my review. I’ll just not that there was Zero subtlety or finesse to it at all, leaving me knowing exactly who it was from the second chapter. And I won’t comment more on how her conflict resolution sucked, other than to say Sage acted like a really unintelligent child.
And finally there’s their relationship dynamic and sex. I just ended up feeling like she didn’t understand bdsm, and that’s not a new feeling for me after reading some of her other books. A year or so ago I might of written it off as just being her version of a perfect “Dom”. But after reading, and learning more I just feel differently about how she writes her Dominants’ behaviors.
Obviously every relationship is different to suit the people within it, but I just find her books to have the most unnecessary roughness from the “Dom”s that I’ve ever seen. While somehow also having the least amount of healthy communication and aftercare to maintain that level of aggression.
And here’s my biggest problem. Anal. I like it. I enjoy reading about it. What I don’t enjoy is reading about someone doing it completely unsafely. There was ONE mention of lube being used in this book and it was for a plug that was being inserted, WHILE SHE WAS SLEEPING!! WTF Is that?!
Then there’s no more plug training. And several days later he uses his cock. Keep in mind that he’s completely aware that that plug I just mentioned he used was literally the first thing she’d ever had inserted in her ass. And he’s just forging ahead. No caution or prep whatsoever, not even his fingers first.
When he uses his cock the only “lube” he uses is her saliva, which is just not enough lubrication for Anyone. Especially someone who’s having anal sex for the first time with a man who’s been described as very well endowed.
I’m sorry. The idea was a good one. The execution left a lot to be desired, in a ton of different ways. I Just really wasn’t feelin it.
Let’s start with the writing style itself. The beginning was riddled with mistakes, contradictions and inconsistencies.
I kept having this feeling that the author was distracted while writing. There were comments that didn’t make sense, and some of the character’s book passages felt really disjointed. It just felt like a big mess.
Then you get further in and there’s this part where something happens, and then we transition to Roark’s POV and he not only gives a tiny bit of backstory to the situation but flat out repeats what was already written in the most unnecessary summary. That was unbelievably frustrating to read.
Plus, in the start of the book Sage says she’s never had experience with a Dom, that she tried to get her ex to go to a club with her and he refused to even think about dabbling in that sort of thing. Then a couple chapters later she switches and says she goes to clubs to blow off steam and feel safe. And the rest of the book she sticks with that.
I just really think this book could have done with more editing. And that’s not even mentioning the problems I had with Roark and Sage’s relationship dynamic, the very obvious conflict, and the very stupid way that Sage decided to deal with it.
I’m not going to go into too much detail on the main conflict since I don’t want to spoil it for those who still want to read this book after reading my review. I’ll just not that there was Zero subtlety or finesse to it at all, leaving me knowing exactly who it was from the second chapter. And I won’t comment more on how her conflict resolution sucked, other than to say Sage acted like a really unintelligent child.
And finally there’s their relationship dynamic and sex. I just ended up feeling like she didn’t understand bdsm, and that’s not a new feeling for me after reading some of her other books. A year or so ago I might of written it off as just being her version of a perfect “Dom”. But after reading, and learning more I just feel differently about how she writes her Dominants’ behaviors.
Obviously every relationship is different to suit the people within it, but I just find her books to have the most unnecessary roughness from the “Dom”s that I’ve ever seen. While somehow also having the least amount of healthy communication and aftercare to maintain that level of aggression.
And here’s my biggest problem. Anal. I like it. I enjoy reading about it. What I don’t enjoy is reading about someone doing it completely unsafely. There was ONE mention of lube being used in this book and it was for a plug that was being inserted, WHILE SHE WAS SLEEPING!! WTF Is that?!
Then there’s no more plug training. And several days later he uses his cock. Keep in mind that he’s completely aware that that plug I just mentioned he used was literally the first thing she’d ever had inserted in her ass. And he’s just forging ahead. No caution or prep whatsoever, not even his fingers first.
When he uses his cock the only “lube” he uses is her saliva, which is just not enough lubrication for Anyone. Especially someone who’s having anal sex for the first time with a man who’s been described as very well endowed.
I’m sorry. The idea was a good one. The execution left a lot to be desired, in a ton of different ways. I Just really wasn’t feelin it.
May 18, 2021
WHEN CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE
Wow, did Ms. Delta James pen a unique and page-turning tale. All the jokes about book boyfriends, but in this fantastic tale, he won’t just be a fantasy; he will become a true hero.
Author Sage Matthews has had a great run with a series of wildly popular romantic suspense books with a hot main character, Roark Samuels. What was to be a single book becomes a series and each book sold more than the one before it, making her shoot to the top of the bestsellers lists. He was just a little bit kinkier with each book, and that worked with her fans and publisher. But Sage wants to write something new, and her publisher, Gail Vincent, is fighting her on it. A trip to a book signing in London is the last straw for these two. A nasty breakup will only be the beginning.
The story has the good, the bad, and the ugly of people. When Sage tries to expand on her newfound freedom, it nearly cost her her life. When she comes too, she will find herself rescued by none other than her character, Roark Samuels.
“What she needed was what he wanted to be to her—protector, cheerleader, confidant, mentor, anchor, disciplinarian, and lover—in short, a Daddy Dom.”
I loved how several characters from her stories will find a crossover dimension and leave the web and find themselves at the Savoy and London. Nothing like writing heroes and being rescued by them too.
“No one knew Roark was actually every hope, every dream, every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one. “
Has she got into the head of her hero character, or has he reached into her head? Roark brings out a new dynamic that Sage never introduced in her stories, the dominant Daddy. He is strict, demanding, and knows exactly what she needs---even if she doesn’t believe it.
“Don’t worry, baby. Daddy’s here, and he’s going to take care of you.”
The story has a controlling Daddy Dom, life and death, punishments, and explicit sex scenes. Best of all, it has the villain captures and happily ever after ending.
NOTE: This story was one featured in the Dirty Daddies 2020 Anniversary Anthology
Wow, did Ms. Delta James pen a unique and page-turning tale. All the jokes about book boyfriends, but in this fantastic tale, he won’t just be a fantasy; he will become a true hero.
Author Sage Matthews has had a great run with a series of wildly popular romantic suspense books with a hot main character, Roark Samuels. What was to be a single book becomes a series and each book sold more than the one before it, making her shoot to the top of the bestsellers lists. He was just a little bit kinkier with each book, and that worked with her fans and publisher. But Sage wants to write something new, and her publisher, Gail Vincent, is fighting her on it. A trip to a book signing in London is the last straw for these two. A nasty breakup will only be the beginning.
The story has the good, the bad, and the ugly of people. When Sage tries to expand on her newfound freedom, it nearly cost her her life. When she comes too, she will find herself rescued by none other than her character, Roark Samuels.
“What she needed was what he wanted to be to her—protector, cheerleader, confidant, mentor, anchor, disciplinarian, and lover—in short, a Daddy Dom.”
I loved how several characters from her stories will find a crossover dimension and leave the web and find themselves at the Savoy and London. Nothing like writing heroes and being rescued by them too.
“No one knew Roark was actually every hope, every dream, every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one. “
Has she got into the head of her hero character, or has he reached into her head? Roark brings out a new dynamic that Sage never introduced in her stories, the dominant Daddy. He is strict, demanding, and knows exactly what she needs---even if she doesn’t believe it.
“Don’t worry, baby. Daddy’s here, and he’s going to take care of you.”
The story has a controlling Daddy Dom, life and death, punishments, and explicit sex scenes. Best of all, it has the villain captures and happily ever after ending.
NOTE: This story was one featured in the Dirty Daddies 2020 Anniversary Anthology
February 18, 2021
I really loved this story!! Sage is an erotic romantic suspense author and her “characters” are to die for! She projects her wants and desires into her stories and Roark, the leading hero in her stories, is the man she doesn’t even know she needs. When she is in trouble and her characters start to come to life she thinks she is going insane and when Roark steps off of the pages in her time of need her life takes a steamy turn. Will Roark be able to protect Sage? Will he get sucked back into her story?
February 19, 2021
Quite the steamy read! I loved the twist to this story (it had me questioning myself). I also enjoyed how Sage came to realize who she really was. Roark was so firm with her to help protect her, yet sweet. They made the perfect couple. I really liked this story. There may be triggers for some people, so be warned.
I received a copy of this story through Elle Wood Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
I received a copy of this story through Elle Wood Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
February 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Sage is an erotic romance author and her series is about an alpha male hero, Roark. Roark has been keeping an eye on Sage for years from the confines of the pages. When Sage finds herself threatened she wishes she had her own hero, then Roark steps from the pages to save her. This story is filled with great characters, danger, action, hot scenes, and romance.
February 15, 2022
Didn't like
I didn't like this book. I don't think the characters were believable. Though I bought it as I really liked the sound of the plot. While I know very little about D/s scene I also don't think this book had a good representation of that scene. I definitely won't be buying any more books by this author.
I didn't like this book. I don't think the characters were believable. Though I bought it as I really liked the sound of the plot. While I know very little about D/s scene I also don't think this book had a good representation of that scene. I definitely won't be buying any more books by this author.
Want to read
February 18, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (7/5/2021)!🎁
July 17, 2024
Ok nowhere in the description does this book say it's going to be full on BDSM and actually forms of abuse, which isn't my cup of tea. The beginning of the book should have given me warning but it was supposed to be Sage's (the heroine) latest book that she's writing so I thought ok that's just what the heroine writes.
I don't mind a dominant hero but this guy goes way beyond that. She is attacked and nearly dies, wakes up naked in an unfamiliar hotel room with a butt plug and a shadowy man standing in her room (ie the hero Roarke). It of course goes into a spanking and then explicit sex scene that just doesn't work. She nearly dies, the hero does things to her while she is passed out and then punishes her in their first time together and this is supposed to be sexy and/or romantic? No, not at all. He treats her like a pet - using her ponytail to literally walk her through the hotel (this is after submerging her head in the pool for a few seconds to "scare her" and teach her a lesson), pats her on the head, calls her "good girl" - not sexy, certainly not romantic.
For how many pages there were there was literally no depth to any of the characters and the main characters aren't even together for more than half of the book - so basically this is a decent idea for a book that loses most of its allure because too many sex scenes with some banal interactions and stupid moves by the heroine to drive the flimsy plot along.
And Sage's character was all over the place. She's WAY too nice to people spending hours in the airport? But then bites the head off of the detective who has to ask whether she's involved in the stalking (the when and why of that also is disappointing). She's supposed to be this independent woman who secretly wants to be a submissive (and only Roarke knows that apparently), but she's submissive throughout the book - lets her fiancee walk all over her for a while, lets her publisher take advantage of her and even pick her wardrobe and lets her body shame her for YEARS. But when she's given good advice on how to stay safe, she does the exact opposite - multiple times and after she almost dies. Come on!! Why?
I really liked the premise of this book - which also was never explained - which is why I hung on until the end. There is no reason or even theory as to why not one but several of Sage's characters start appearing in the real world. Roarke is the "love" interest but oddly he's the last to come through. None of this makes any sense.
Thirstygirl in her 1 star review really summed up a lot of the same issues I had (and in a more entertaining fashion than I'll do here).
I still like the idea behind the series but not enough to continue the series, which seems to have some good ideas but not the best execution.
I don't mind a dominant hero but this guy goes way beyond that. She is attacked and nearly dies, wakes up naked in an unfamiliar hotel room with a butt plug and a shadowy man standing in her room (ie the hero Roarke). It of course goes into a spanking and then explicit sex scene that just doesn't work. She nearly dies, the hero does things to her while she is passed out and then punishes her in their first time together and this is supposed to be sexy and/or romantic? No, not at all. He treats her like a pet - using her ponytail to literally walk her through the hotel (this is after submerging her head in the pool for a few seconds to "scare her" and teach her a lesson), pats her on the head, calls her "good girl" - not sexy, certainly not romantic.
For how many pages there were there was literally no depth to any of the characters and the main characters aren't even together for more than half of the book - so basically this is a decent idea for a book that loses most of its allure because too many sex scenes with some banal interactions and stupid moves by the heroine to drive the flimsy plot along.
And Sage's character was all over the place. She's WAY too nice to people spending hours in the airport? But then bites the head off of the detective who has to ask whether she's involved in the stalking (the when and why of that also is disappointing). She's supposed to be this independent woman who secretly wants to be a submissive (and only Roarke knows that apparently), but she's submissive throughout the book - lets her fiancee walk all over her for a while, lets her publisher take advantage of her and even pick her wardrobe and lets her body shame her for YEARS. But when she's given good advice on how to stay safe, she does the exact opposite - multiple times and after she almost dies. Come on!! Why?
I really liked the premise of this book - which also was never explained - which is why I hung on until the end. There is no reason or even theory as to why not one but several of Sage's characters start appearing in the real world. Roarke is the "love" interest but oddly he's the last to come through. None of this makes any sense.
Thirstygirl in her 1 star review really summed up a lot of the same issues I had (and in a more entertaining fashion than I'll do here).
I still like the idea behind the series but not enough to continue the series, which seems to have some good ideas but not the best execution.
January 3, 2022
Paranormal Fanstasy with a twist 😍😍
This one was such an amazing fun ride. I love and live for books that have unusual concepts and especially if it's in the fantasy genre, then I'm over the moon.
Bestselling Author Sage Matthews' books are not only loved by her fans but are also remembered for her created hero, Roark that's famous with her readers. (I was going to say her fans then I actually felt sage correcting people many times as they are her readers not fan😜)
I loved how passionate she is about her stories and characters. Not only that she really cares about her readers and always goes out of her way if any of them want a signed copy or a pic by providing them with swags, even when an incident happens that troubled her, she doesn't cancel her signing events saying that her readers have spend their hard earned money to be there.
Her books have brought her fame and success and wealth of course. But the only thing that's missing in her life is finding her own real life hero.
Everything is good, she's come to London for an event. Although her publisher gail, I found annoying because of how she ordered sage around.
Suddenly though when sage gets threatening letters and messages, she can't fathom who could it be. If that wasn't enough to spin her mind, now some of the characters from the Book she wrote are suddenly in front of her, in her life.
I loved the alternative Roark's POV that added more mystery and thrill to everything that was happening.
And then when sage is attacked and saved by a mysterious man who suddenly seems to be Bossy and ordering her around, she is beyond shocked to find her greatest ever written hero right in front of her in flesh.
This one hot, Steamy, filled of twists and suspense that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Also a very arrogant and Bossy dom that'll drive you crazy just like he does sage and yet gives her the most thrilling, passionate and filthy pleasurable times of her life. Can't to dive into the next book in this series. Loved this one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This one was such an amazing fun ride. I love and live for books that have unusual concepts and especially if it's in the fantasy genre, then I'm over the moon.
Bestselling Author Sage Matthews' books are not only loved by her fans but are also remembered for her created hero, Roark that's famous with her readers. (I was going to say her fans then I actually felt sage correcting people many times as they are her readers not fan😜)
I loved how passionate she is about her stories and characters. Not only that she really cares about her readers and always goes out of her way if any of them want a signed copy or a pic by providing them with swags, even when an incident happens that troubled her, she doesn't cancel her signing events saying that her readers have spend their hard earned money to be there.
Her books have brought her fame and success and wealth of course. But the only thing that's missing in her life is finding her own real life hero.
Everything is good, she's come to London for an event. Although her publisher gail, I found annoying because of how she ordered sage around.
Suddenly though when sage gets threatening letters and messages, she can't fathom who could it be. If that wasn't enough to spin her mind, now some of the characters from the Book she wrote are suddenly in front of her, in her life.
I loved the alternative Roark's POV that added more mystery and thrill to everything that was happening.
And then when sage is attacked and saved by a mysterious man who suddenly seems to be Bossy and ordering her around, she is beyond shocked to find her greatest ever written hero right in front of her in flesh.
This one hot, Steamy, filled of twists and suspense that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Also a very arrogant and Bossy dom that'll drive you crazy just like he does sage and yet gives her the most thrilling, passionate and filthy pleasurable times of her life. Can't to dive into the next book in this series. Loved this one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
September 7, 2023
This is a mix of straightforward mystery (who is targeting erotic romance author Sage Mathews with death threats) and paranormal BDSM romance, where characters from Sage’s books enter the real world as living men, one of whom is Sage’s fantasy perfect lover. The mystery is resolved, and Sage ultimately finds happiness in submission to Roark Samuels, while in her books the character takes on a new name.
The mystery was an adequate one, with the solution not obvious to this reader until the characters figured it out. But the heart of the book is the relationship between Sage and Roark. When the book begins Roark is still trapped in the Ethernet, observing Sage’s “train-wreck of a life” and fuming over her behavior. Puzzlingly, two other characters slip out of the books and become real before Roark does. I could never figure out why they got out so easily and he had to struggle to escape, but no matter. When he does get out into the real world, he very quickly takes his place in Sage’s life, much to her surprise and confusion. Roark is the ultimate Dom, and as soon as he rescues her from immediate danger, he begins punishing her and outlining his rules for their relationship. It’s cute, funny and sexy, and makes me wish a man like Roark would slip out of the Ethernet and into my life (although preferably one who’s not quite as overbearing as Roark, with his ‘sex only in the most submissive positions’ regime).
My only quibble with this book is how quickly Sage becomes submissive. I wish the book had been longer and their power struggles more drawn out. That would have been even more fun.
The mystery was an adequate one, with the solution not obvious to this reader until the characters figured it out. But the heart of the book is the relationship between Sage and Roark. When the book begins Roark is still trapped in the Ethernet, observing Sage’s “train-wreck of a life” and fuming over her behavior. Puzzlingly, two other characters slip out of the books and become real before Roark does. I could never figure out why they got out so easily and he had to struggle to escape, but no matter. When he does get out into the real world, he very quickly takes his place in Sage’s life, much to her surprise and confusion. Roark is the ultimate Dom, and as soon as he rescues her from immediate danger, he begins punishing her and outlining his rules for their relationship. It’s cute, funny and sexy, and makes me wish a man like Roark would slip out of the Ethernet and into my life (although preferably one who’s not quite as overbearing as Roark, with his ‘sex only in the most submissive positions’ regime).
My only quibble with this book is how quickly Sage becomes submissive. I wish the book had been longer and their power struggles more drawn out. That would have been even more fun.
June 13, 2024
First, let me say that Roarke might be a bit of an over-the-top dominant for my likes, but keep in mind that Sage created him based on HER desires and needs. And overall, I thought this book had it all! Delta James has the most extraordinary imagination and I just love every one of her books! I have been binge-reading them for a couple of months. How many times have I read a book and wanted to escape INTO the pages of it, or even be able to pluck a hero OUT of a book for my very own - but I never would've thought that the characters in a book might want to escape OUT of the pages of it! Unique concept. I loved the character development and the friendships that were formed. Delta's knowledge of the background, locations, history, etc., never ceases to amaze me. And the mystery was never really solved about how the magic all happened, and how the "real" people seemed to have always known the book's escapees. Who care how it happened anyway? Kind of fun to ponder! As soon as I'd read the last word in this book, I immediately opened "Negotiation" so I could continue being so utterly entertained. Whatever will I do when I've read all of Delta's books?! Thank you, Delta, for so many hours of adventure, love, and fantasy!
September 30, 2022
WHEN CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE
Wow, did Ms. Delta James pen a unique and page-turning tale. All the jokes about book boyfriends, but in this fantastic mystery-suspense story, he won’t just be a fantasy; he will become a true hero. The story was initially released in the 2020 Dirty Daddies Anthology under the name ‘Best Seller’ and did have the daddy/little girl vibes—but not in the rewrite—which has also been expanded.
Bestselling Author, Sage Matthews, has had a great run with a series of wildly popular romantic suspense books with a hot main character, Roark Samuels. What had been meant to be a single book became a series. Each book sold more than the one before it, making her shoot to the top of the bestsellers lists. Roark Samuels was just a little bit kinkier with each book, and that worked with her readers and publisher. But Sage wants to write something new, and her publisher, Gail Vincent, is fighting her on it. A trip to a book signing in London is the last straw for these two. A nasty breakup will only be the beginning.
The story has the good, the bad, and the ugly of people. Several things have law enforcement worried about, but there is nothing concrete for them to establish who is stalking Sage—yet the threats are real and are becoming bolder. How far is a killer willing to go—from the USA across the ocean to London, England. When Sage tries to expand on her newfound freedom, it nearly cost her her life. When she comes too, she will find herself rescued by none other than her character, Roark Samuels.
“She didn’t need a keeper who would try to box her in. What she needed was a Dom—someone who would act as her protector, confidant, mentor, anchor, disciplinarian, and lover, and dominant—and she would obey and submit whether she liked it or not.”
I loved how several characters from her stories will find a crossover dimension, leave the web, and find themselves at the Savoy in London. Nothing like writing heroes and being rescued by them too.
“Don’t you die on me, Sage. Come back, do you hear me? Holmes was right, you know, you need someone to look after you, but I’m here, love. Your Master is here.”
“This guy looked exactly like she had always seen him in her head and had described him, and he acted like Roark, except for the whole Dom thing—but that wasn’t possible. Roark was someone she had created—a figment of her imagination. Or was he? the voice whispered again. Shut up! No one knew Roark was actually every hope, every dream, every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one.”
Has she got into the head of her hero character, or has he reached into her head? Roark brings out a new dynamic that Sage never introduced in her stories, a Dom, and proving to her she is submissive. He is strict, demanding, and knows exactly what she needs---even if she doesn’t believe it.
“A book? How could this be happening? Was this all some crazy dream? Had she died? If so, was this heaven or hell? Maybe she was just in a coma and would wake—but what if she didn’t want to?”
The story has a strict, take control Dominant, matters of life and death, well-earned punishments, and sizzling hot explicit sex scenes. Best of all, it has the villain captured and new life for Sage and Roark. But that won’t be the end—this is a new series, and the next book, Negotiations, in The Paranormal Mystery, will feature another character from Sage’s bestseller books!
Wow, did Ms. Delta James pen a unique and page-turning tale. All the jokes about book boyfriends, but in this fantastic mystery-suspense story, he won’t just be a fantasy; he will become a true hero. The story was initially released in the 2020 Dirty Daddies Anthology under the name ‘Best Seller’ and did have the daddy/little girl vibes—but not in the rewrite—which has also been expanded.
Bestselling Author, Sage Matthews, has had a great run with a series of wildly popular romantic suspense books with a hot main character, Roark Samuels. What had been meant to be a single book became a series. Each book sold more than the one before it, making her shoot to the top of the bestsellers lists. Roark Samuels was just a little bit kinkier with each book, and that worked with her readers and publisher. But Sage wants to write something new, and her publisher, Gail Vincent, is fighting her on it. A trip to a book signing in London is the last straw for these two. A nasty breakup will only be the beginning.
The story has the good, the bad, and the ugly of people. Several things have law enforcement worried about, but there is nothing concrete for them to establish who is stalking Sage—yet the threats are real and are becoming bolder. How far is a killer willing to go—from the USA across the ocean to London, England. When Sage tries to expand on her newfound freedom, it nearly cost her her life. When she comes too, she will find herself rescued by none other than her character, Roark Samuels.
“She didn’t need a keeper who would try to box her in. What she needed was a Dom—someone who would act as her protector, confidant, mentor, anchor, disciplinarian, and lover, and dominant—and she would obey and submit whether she liked it or not.”
I loved how several characters from her stories will find a crossover dimension, leave the web, and find themselves at the Savoy in London. Nothing like writing heroes and being rescued by them too.
“Don’t you die on me, Sage. Come back, do you hear me? Holmes was right, you know, you need someone to look after you, but I’m here, love. Your Master is here.”
“This guy looked exactly like she had always seen him in her head and had described him, and he acted like Roark, except for the whole Dom thing—but that wasn’t possible. Roark was someone she had created—a figment of her imagination. Or was he? the voice whispered again. Shut up! No one knew Roark was actually every hope, every dream, every fantasy she’d ever had rolled into one.”
Has she got into the head of her hero character, or has he reached into her head? Roark brings out a new dynamic that Sage never introduced in her stories, a Dom, and proving to her she is submissive. He is strict, demanding, and knows exactly what she needs---even if she doesn’t believe it.
“A book? How could this be happening? Was this all some crazy dream? Had she died? If so, was this heaven or hell? Maybe she was just in a coma and would wake—but what if she didn’t want to?”
The story has a strict, take control Dominant, matters of life and death, well-earned punishments, and sizzling hot explicit sex scenes. Best of all, it has the villain captured and new life for Sage and Roark. But that won’t be the end—this is a new series, and the next book, Negotiations, in The Paranormal Mystery, will feature another character from Sage’s bestseller books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews