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Everything She Needs
A scorching age-gap ice-queen romance with a happy ending.
TARA STAUDENMAIER
College student Tara Staudenmaier will do anything for her family. When medical debt looms, she doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes.
Even if it means putting herself — and her inexperience in love — up on the auction block.
She only asks that nobody discover her biggest secret. The reason she’s gone gray at twenty and now has something to offer a would-be suitor looking for a month-long affair.
ASTRID EVANS
Two years after the death of her husband, Astrid is used to the jokes and jeers from the peerage. Everyone knows she’s a trophy wife who received the inheritance of a lifetime.
But it didn’t come without a price. Traumatized by her former experiences, Astrid now spends her nights subjecting herself to the same events that once changed her life.
That’s how she discovers Tara, a young and naïve woman who will be chewed up by the same system that stole Astrid’s own youth.
THE ONLY KEY… IS HYPOCRISY
When Tara arrives at Evans Manor for a month of companionship, Astrid rejects their mutual attraction, if only to sleep better at night.
Soon, she can’t sleep at all.
The electric chemistry between Astrid and Tara is unlike anything to hit the quiet country manor. While Tara explores what it means to fall in love and indulge in her lifelong fantasies, Astrid confronts the nightmares that have turned her into the ice-cold queen of her fortress.
Everything she needs is within grasp — yet she denies it.
Until she can’t anymore, and all hell breaks loose.
TARA STAUDENMAIER
College student Tara Staudenmaier will do anything for her family. When medical debt looms, she doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes.
Even if it means putting herself — and her inexperience in love — up on the auction block.
She only asks that nobody discover her biggest secret. The reason she’s gone gray at twenty and now has something to offer a would-be suitor looking for a month-long affair.
ASTRID EVANS
Two years after the death of her husband, Astrid is used to the jokes and jeers from the peerage. Everyone knows she’s a trophy wife who received the inheritance of a lifetime.
But it didn’t come without a price. Traumatized by her former experiences, Astrid now spends her nights subjecting herself to the same events that once changed her life.
That’s how she discovers Tara, a young and naïve woman who will be chewed up by the same system that stole Astrid’s own youth.
THE ONLY KEY… IS HYPOCRISY
When Tara arrives at Evans Manor for a month of companionship, Astrid rejects their mutual attraction, if only to sleep better at night.
Soon, she can’t sleep at all.
The electric chemistry between Astrid and Tara is unlike anything to hit the quiet country manor. While Tara explores what it means to fall in love and indulge in her lifelong fantasies, Astrid confronts the nightmares that have turned her into the ice-cold queen of her fortress.
Everything she needs is within grasp — yet she denies it.
Until she can’t anymore, and all hell breaks loose.
469 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 15, 2021
DNF at 35%. Thank god for unlimited ;;
The depressing topics at the start of this book led me to believe that this would be a romance drama sort of arrangement, but I guess I should have known better.
After some rather pertinent discussions about issues of consent, self-determination, psychological effects of being driven by poverty and an exploitative society, turning into the exact thing it was just wagging its fingers at in the interest of kink just feels tone-deaf.
It's a shame, because the power imbalance, the trauma, the difficult backstories the characters had, all of that would have been great for some subverting of the exact kind of sex-based "romance" people get into.
At first, I felt sympathy for Astrid, and it was interesting to see how her jaded, lonely self would deal with a rather eager younger woman determined to seduce her, while she tried to hold on to her self-imposed moral code. Tara was interesting as a subversion of the innocent maiden archetype. There could have been tons of sexual tension, Tara trying to fulfill her contract, and Astrid determined to protect her from the exact thing she herself went through, with all the troubles it gave her.
But just like Astrid, the story soon chose the quick, primal satisfaction over wisdom and intellect, which not only ruined the entire point of friction between Tara and Astrid, but gave up its unique potential in favor of turning into just another sex story.
I basically just skimmed the rest, because after Astrid's restraint snapped after about a third of the book, the dialogue became unbearable. Also, a character pointing out how they just said something cheesy in internal monologue does not work when said cheesy line is still more erotic than anything that is supposed to be sexy.
All of this makes the story another big disappointment. Maybe an author with more restraint could do something good with the setup, though.
The depressing topics at the start of this book led me to believe that this would be a romance drama sort of arrangement, but I guess I should have known better.
After some rather pertinent discussions about issues of consent, self-determination, psychological effects of being driven by poverty and an exploitative society, turning into the exact thing it was just wagging its fingers at in the interest of kink just feels tone-deaf.
It's a shame, because the power imbalance, the trauma, the difficult backstories the characters had, all of that would have been great for some subverting of the exact kind of sex-based "romance" people get into.
At first, I felt sympathy for Astrid, and it was interesting to see how her jaded, lonely self would deal with a rather eager younger woman determined to seduce her, while she tried to hold on to her self-imposed moral code. Tara was interesting as a subversion of the innocent maiden archetype. There could have been tons of sexual tension, Tara trying to fulfill her contract, and Astrid determined to protect her from the exact thing she herself went through, with all the troubles it gave her.
But just like Astrid, the story soon chose the quick, primal satisfaction over wisdom and intellect, which not only ruined the entire point of friction between Tara and Astrid, but gave up its unique potential in favor of turning into just another sex story.
I basically just skimmed the rest, because after Astrid's restraint snapped after about a third of the book, the dialogue became unbearable. Also, a character pointing out how they just said something cheesy in internal monologue does not work when said cheesy line is still more erotic than anything that is supposed to be sexy.
All of this makes the story another big disappointment. Maybe an author with more restraint could do something good with the setup, though.
June 8, 2025
Honestly, this had more issues than positives for me. First off, the editing was seriously lacking—there were so many typos and wrong word choices that it became distracting. One example that stuck with me: “she rested her elbows on the TV” instead of the table. There were multiple moments like that. Another repeated one was “chance” instead of “change”—like, “she did X, which made a nice chance.” It was just sloppy, and it pulled me out of the story.
There were a lot of inconsistencies that made it feel disjointed. For example, Tara meets David in Astrid’s living room early on and is told that the community thought he and Astrid dated, but they explain to her it was just a ruse. Then a few chapters later at a garden party, it’s treated like Tara’s meeting David for the first time and she asks, “So, are you Astrid’s ex-boyfriend?” It made no sense.
Character-wise, I actually liked Astrid in the first two parts. She was this confident, ice queen type, which I found compelling. But by the third part, she felt like a completely different character—suddenly lovesick, love bombing, and borderline obsessed with Tara. It just didn’t line up with how she’d been written earlier.
And the ending? What was that? Probably the most incomplete and unsatisfying ending I’ve ever read. It just… stopped. No real resolution, no emotional payoff, nothing that made the buildup worth it. I actually thought maybe my copy was missing an epilogue.
That said, if you're here for the spicy BDSM scenes, those were genuinely the best written parts of the book. If that's your main focus, you’ll probably enjoy it. But overall, the lack of cohesion and poor editing really held this one back for me.
There were a lot of inconsistencies that made it feel disjointed. For example, Tara meets David in Astrid’s living room early on and is told that the community thought he and Astrid dated, but they explain to her it was just a ruse. Then a few chapters later at a garden party, it’s treated like Tara’s meeting David for the first time and she asks, “So, are you Astrid’s ex-boyfriend?” It made no sense.
Character-wise, I actually liked Astrid in the first two parts. She was this confident, ice queen type, which I found compelling. But by the third part, she felt like a completely different character—suddenly lovesick, love bombing, and borderline obsessed with Tara. It just didn’t line up with how she’d been written earlier.
And the ending? What was that? Probably the most incomplete and unsatisfying ending I’ve ever read. It just… stopped. No real resolution, no emotional payoff, nothing that made the buildup worth it. I actually thought maybe my copy was missing an epilogue.
That said, if you're here for the spicy BDSM scenes, those were genuinely the best written parts of the book. If that's your main focus, you’ll probably enjoy it. But overall, the lack of cohesion and poor editing really held this one back for me.
May 3, 2021
Another enjoyable and steamy book by Hildred Billings. An interesting concept: buying someone for a month.
Jae's SRC:
age-gap romance
book starts with first day of a new job
Jae's SRC:
age-gap romance
book starts with first day of a new job
May 31, 2021
This book was an emotional, sexy read. Our two main characters, on the surface were complete opposites but as we were drawn into their world, we came to find that these two women weren’t so different. Their chemistry was off the charts but I didn’t find the actual romance to not be very believable; it’s another thawing the ice queen lesfic. It was entertaining and hot as Hell. Enjoy!!
Read
March 22, 2021Officially completed 4/4/2021. Release date TBA!
April 6, 2026
I love it when women do hot things together.
(I am just a lesbian.)
(I am just a lesbian.)
April 26, 2021
Blew my mind
This duo of writers is phenomenal. This may have triggers for some but well done on the aspects of the book. Both MCs are healing from their pasts. They also have similarities that help form a stronger connection. I like the reality of COVID and the MCs respect of it and how others were treating it. I love their books and will continue to watch for more. As always this Duo put together a book waiting to be devoured. Low angst.
This duo of writers is phenomenal. This may have triggers for some but well done on the aspects of the book. Both MCs are healing from their pasts. They also have similarities that help form a stronger connection. I like the reality of COVID and the MCs respect of it and how others were treating it. I love their books and will continue to watch for more. As always this Duo put together a book waiting to be devoured. Low angst.
March 19, 2026
Do I gotta say anything?Do i really have to?Cause I don't think so,I think it will be enough said me finishing this book even tho it's not even close to what a good book represents
December 21, 2021
The paperback will probably burn some people's fingers. That was hot!
With the obvious being said. I first met Astrid and Tara in Vows That Bind and had no Idea of their backstory. Which reading their book got me quite into it. However, I was torn between giving this novel a 4 or 5 star review, but hear me out, unless a book has something that really presses my buttons in a bad way I rarely take the time of the day to negatively criticize stuff. So the only reason I wasn't sure how to grade this one is because of the ending. If it had a few more pages with some 'proper' closure I wouldn't even think about it, 5 glorious stars and a place among my favourites, not a common feature for erotic romance.
Because IMO, this was a really good story, the 'secrecy' was well built, I kept wondering what happened to both, Astrid was easier to figure it out and hints were introduced along the story not being a surprise when it finally got revealed; Tara on the other hand was a complete surprise [for me] and I think from this moment on her woes were translated even more in the pages. I felt her disconnection [but could as well have been the amount of caffeinated tea I drank messing with my head], as if she was distancing from Astrid so I wasn't so sure any more about the coupling and such...
So, having already so many pages written, it was a shame we didn't have just a few more finishing the book in a more rounded way, unless there's an extra chapter somewhere to get to know how that final conversation went, how's Tara's mum reacted because in Vows that bind surely this won't be answered. FFS, I fell asleep in the middle of the night (3 am), at 98%, trying to finish it and woke up to have my very great ending, so imagine my dismay when I barely had the wits to keep my eyes open and the book just ended. For this reason I'm inclined to give 4, I'm that petty LMAO. Give me an extra something I'll come back to give a 5.
Anyway, There's a lot of baggage to be unpacked here. I mean, damn girl! these two probably could make a few therapists very rich with their stuff. But this is what made this book richer. It's not just raw lust. The characters were figuring their shit out and that showed, even more considering this isn't fluffy romance.
Also, it's cool to see the pandemic included, but without overwhelming an already charged story.
One last thing. It was funny how it took a very long time to thaw the Ice Queen but when it happened it was was almost instantaneous, suddenly she was a puddle of warm water and it was funny seeing her so mellow in contrast with her bitch self we met first.
With the obvious being said. I first met Astrid and Tara in Vows That Bind and had no Idea of their backstory. Which reading their book got me quite into it. However, I was torn between giving this novel a 4 or 5 star review, but hear me out, unless a book has something that really presses my buttons in a bad way I rarely take the time of the day to negatively criticize stuff. So the only reason I wasn't sure how to grade this one is because of the ending. If it had a few more pages with some 'proper' closure I wouldn't even think about it, 5 glorious stars and a place among my favourites, not a common feature for erotic romance.
Because IMO, this was a really good story, the 'secrecy' was well built, I kept wondering what happened to both, Astrid was easier to figure it out and hints were introduced along the story not being a surprise when it finally got revealed; Tara on the other hand was a complete surprise [for me] and I think from this moment on her woes were translated even more in the pages. I felt her disconnection [but could as well have been the amount of caffeinated tea I drank messing with my head], as if she was distancing from Astrid so I wasn't so sure any more about the coupling and such...
So, having already so many pages written, it was a shame we didn't have just a few more finishing the book in a more rounded way, unless there's an extra chapter somewhere to get to know how that final conversation went, how's Tara's mum reacted because in Vows that bind surely this won't be answered. FFS, I fell asleep in the middle of the night (3 am), at 98%, trying to finish it and woke up to have my very great ending, so imagine my dismay when I barely had the wits to keep my eyes open and the book just ended. For this reason I'm inclined to give 4, I'm that petty LMAO. Give me an extra something I'll come back to give a 5.
Anyway, There's a lot of baggage to be unpacked here. I mean, damn girl! these two probably could make a few therapists very rich with their stuff. But this is what made this book richer. It's not just raw lust. The characters were figuring their shit out and that showed, even more considering this isn't fluffy romance.
Also, it's cool to see the pandemic included, but without overwhelming an already charged story.
One last thing. It was funny how it took a very long time to thaw the Ice Queen but when it happened it was was almost instantaneous, suddenly she was a puddle of warm water and it was funny seeing her so mellow in contrast with her bitch self we met first.
January 7, 2023
TLDR: An interesting premise bogged down by poor editing, spelling, and grammar.
My journey through Kindle Unlimited's lesbian fiction category has been filled with ups and downs. This is the third BDSM book I've unwittingly stumbled upon, as my rental decisions are based on Kindle user ratings. And what I've discovered through this process is that many books with excellent ratings don't deserve them. I've also discovered that books I thought would be awful - based on their synopsis - are fantastic.
Unfortunately, this book doesn't deserve its high rating. I take no issue with BDSM. I don't have qualms with the age gap. But, I am 46% of the way through the book and I'm correcting spelling and grammar issues, within my head, every other paragraph. Unlike the Haley Cass book I read recently, it's hard for me to look past these issues to the beauty within. I don't want to struggle to understand what an author is attempting to communicate.
I imagine that novels like this one produce higher ratings because they're filled with sex scenes. And while I love a good sex scene, it can't be the primary reason I'm reading a book. Nor can it be the reason I choose to give a book a higher rating. Good books have to be well written, meticulously edited, and something I can confidently recommend to others. I wish more people reviewing books thought this too.
That said, if the author finds a helpful editor, she has an excellent chance of success. She has an abundance of creativity, knows how to build romantic tension, and displays an understanding of characterization.
My journey through Kindle Unlimited's lesbian fiction category has been filled with ups and downs. This is the third BDSM book I've unwittingly stumbled upon, as my rental decisions are based on Kindle user ratings. And what I've discovered through this process is that many books with excellent ratings don't deserve them. I've also discovered that books I thought would be awful - based on their synopsis - are fantastic.
Unfortunately, this book doesn't deserve its high rating. I take no issue with BDSM. I don't have qualms with the age gap. But, I am 46% of the way through the book and I'm correcting spelling and grammar issues, within my head, every other paragraph. Unlike the Haley Cass book I read recently, it's hard for me to look past these issues to the beauty within. I don't want to struggle to understand what an author is attempting to communicate.
I imagine that novels like this one produce higher ratings because they're filled with sex scenes. And while I love a good sex scene, it can't be the primary reason I'm reading a book. Nor can it be the reason I choose to give a book a higher rating. Good books have to be well written, meticulously edited, and something I can confidently recommend to others. I wish more people reviewing books thought this too.
That said, if the author finds a helpful editor, she has an excellent chance of success. She has an abundance of creativity, knows how to build romantic tension, and displays an understanding of characterization.
May 8, 2021
WTH?!!!! What kind of an ending was that?
Apparently I need to have at least twenty words for a review, but I don't want this to be a big spoiler, so I won't say what I'm really thinking other than WHAT THE HELL?
Other than that, it was a good story, and even if I'd known ahead of time, I still would have read it because I'm a sucker for BDSM lesfic that doesn't suck. And I like the authors other books.
Apparently I need to have at least twenty words for a review, but I don't want this to be a big spoiler, so I won't say what I'm really thinking other than WHAT THE HELL?
Other than that, it was a good story, and even if I'd known ahead of time, I still would have read it because I'm a sucker for BDSM lesfic that doesn't suck. And I like the authors other books.
December 12, 2022
Fair warning I DNF this book about half way through. I also skimmed the last 100 pages or so. I usually think that you shouldn’t review books that you haven’t finished but my review will be based on the writing, and the parts of the plot I am aware of, not the plot in its entirety.
Plot: The book starts with Tara being purchased as a month long live in virginal sex doll by Astrid. Astrid is wildly attracted to Tara but does not want to traumatize her like she herself was once traumatized. Astrid tells Tara that they can just be friends but Tara wants sex and actively seduces Astrid.
A few more characters are briefly mentioned that I’m sure came into play later in the book but I did not read that part since I was already struggling to get through the terrible descriptions in this book.
At the end Astrid pays off Tara’s abusive father to make him go away. I hate when this trope is used because it makes no sense for a morally grey character to not use their massive amounts of influence to threaten or negatively manipulate the life of a powerless slime ball like Tara’s father instead of rewarding him for his behavior.
The main characters live HEA. With their relationship based purely off of sex.
Characterization: (based off of what I actually read)
Tara is kind of strange to me. She seemed entirely unworried by going to a potentially creepy strangers home for a month.
Astrid’s character was torn between the author trying to make her reasonable enough to let Tara go and still a dom that controls most aspects of Tara’s life.
Writing: This was poorly written in so many ways. The author repeatedly tries to use words that they don’t know, resulting in awkward sentences with awkward words shoehorned in. There are lots of typos that could have been caught with more editing. Besides the errors, the writing style itself was atrocious. The author repeatedly follows random wandering thoughts in a character’s head rather than describing the actions actually taking place in a scene. The result is awkward jumps forward in time that are ambiguous to the reader.
Plot: The book starts with Tara being purchased as a month long live in virginal sex doll by Astrid. Astrid is wildly attracted to Tara but does not want to traumatize her like she herself was once traumatized. Astrid tells Tara that they can just be friends but Tara wants sex and actively seduces Astrid.
A few more characters are briefly mentioned that I’m sure came into play later in the book but I did not read that part since I was already struggling to get through the terrible descriptions in this book.
At the end Astrid pays off Tara’s abusive father to make him go away. I hate when this trope is used because it makes no sense for a morally grey character to not use their massive amounts of influence to threaten or negatively manipulate the life of a powerless slime ball like Tara’s father instead of rewarding him for his behavior.
The main characters live HEA. With their relationship based purely off of sex.
Characterization: (based off of what I actually read)
Tara is kind of strange to me. She seemed entirely unworried by going to a potentially creepy strangers home for a month.
Astrid’s character was torn between the author trying to make her reasonable enough to let Tara go and still a dom that controls most aspects of Tara’s life.
Writing: This was poorly written in so many ways. The author repeatedly tries to use words that they don’t know, resulting in awkward sentences with awkward words shoehorned in. There are lots of typos that could have been caught with more editing. Besides the errors, the writing style itself was atrocious. The author repeatedly follows random wandering thoughts in a character’s head rather than describing the actions actually taking place in a scene. The result is awkward jumps forward in time that are ambiguous to the reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2021
Nice. Very sweet and romantic, but also probably one of the hottest stories I've ever read. One of my very few complaints is that with how Astrid speaks and her mannerisms. I've not spent a lot of time with the fabulously wealthy, aside for one or two parties when I was younger, but I will say that her mannerisms and the way she speaks are very much striking in that it's 19th-20th century wealthy people more than a 21st century wealthy, high-class person. It's just very inconsistent in my eyes in making her younger and speak younger, like a modern person, and then like with the letters she writes appearing more formal and more rigid. That was my only nit-picky response, but one more quick thing: I hope the author realizes that she's gonna have to write a story with Elena as the Main character, now that she was teased n this one.
May 21, 2021
Very, Very Hot and A Love Story Too!
So I definitely loved this book. It had all the things you associate with a Cynthia Dane, Hildred Billings story. I loved the innocence in Tara but with a resolve to do something to help her mother. I love the strength in Astrid but with a pinch of vulnerability. Innocence meets knowledge. When Astrid does something that she knows can only turn bad, she didn’t count on her resolve to turn against her. Tara, who was adjusting to being bought by a women, sees her attraction to Astrid from the day they met as a challenge. As Astrid pulls away, Tara pulls her back. What happens between them opens them both up to feel things they never did before. Just a good read! However, I think there could be more to come as some things were left unaddressed. I would welcome that....
So I definitely loved this book. It had all the things you associate with a Cynthia Dane, Hildred Billings story. I loved the innocence in Tara but with a resolve to do something to help her mother. I love the strength in Astrid but with a pinch of vulnerability. Innocence meets knowledge. When Astrid does something that she knows can only turn bad, she didn’t count on her resolve to turn against her. Tara, who was adjusting to being bought by a women, sees her attraction to Astrid from the day they met as a challenge. As Astrid pulls away, Tara pulls her back. What happens between them opens them both up to feel things they never did before. Just a good read! However, I think there could be more to come as some things were left unaddressed. I would welcome that....
August 27, 2025
This book was captivating, with rich storytelling and compelling characters that had all the hallmarks of a 5-star read. However, its abrupt ending left key threads unresolved, the fate of Mama’s decision, the stepdaughter’s role, and the father’s journey remained unanswered for me.
While I appreciated the deep emotional connections between the characters, I longed for more closure and exploration of how their lives and relationships would evolve. The promised "happy ending" felt incomplete, leaving the story teetering just as it reached its peak.
Despite this, the novel’s brilliance makes it worth recommending, though readers should be prepared for an open-ended conclusion. I truly hope for a sequel, as this story will continue to haunt me.
Thank you to both Authors, I’m still eager to read more from you!
While I appreciated the deep emotional connections between the characters, I longed for more closure and exploration of how their lives and relationships would evolve. The promised "happy ending" felt incomplete, leaving the story teetering just as it reached its peak.
Despite this, the novel’s brilliance makes it worth recommending, though readers should be prepared for an open-ended conclusion. I truly hope for a sequel, as this story will continue to haunt me.
Thank you to both Authors, I’m still eager to read more from you!
July 25, 2022
Where to begin!?
The emotions, the drama, the HOT sex... This book is amazing. Tara and Astrid are both such strong women, and getting to see their vulnerabilities just made their strengths that more clearer. I absolutely loved the roller coaster of their relationship–the bad, the ugly, the questionable and literally everything there!
The writing was great, could hardly tell this was a joint project. The authors certainly blended their ideas and style so well, kudos to them!
I definitely recommend this to all sapphic fiction lovers. Especially to those with a taste for the age gap trope, kinky stuff, and overall hot scenes between two lovely women.
The emotions, the drama, the HOT sex... This book is amazing. Tara and Astrid are both such strong women, and getting to see their vulnerabilities just made their strengths that more clearer. I absolutely loved the roller coaster of their relationship–the bad, the ugly, the questionable and literally everything there!
The writing was great, could hardly tell this was a joint project. The authors certainly blended their ideas and style so well, kudos to them!
I definitely recommend this to all sapphic fiction lovers. Especially to those with a taste for the age gap trope, kinky stuff, and overall hot scenes between two lovely women.
December 12, 2022
This book was really hot!!! 😰🥵😰I mean there was such careful consideration put in when the authors wrote this book and you can tell. The thoughts the characters have, the way they describe their feelings, emotions to each other was top notch writing. The characters describe how and why they fell in love in such an articulate manner that you as a reader completely understand how they can be in love after one month only. The sex scenes were fucking hot. I mean they were written really well and that boosted the rating up to 5. If ur looking for a sexy, well described and kinky romance then this is the book for you.
September 24, 2023
i’m biased as hell because this book covered a lot of my favourite tropes. the ending (and i mean ending, like last… 100 ish words) was annoying that after all that (with tara doing this for her mother’s sake) we didn’t find out her mother’s reaction to her relationship, despite the last paragraph having them talk to her, but its whatever, i guess 🤷
authors could use a better editor, too. the writing was detailed but the mistakes were a little too consistent. not sure if just this book though
anyway astra needs to be my mommy asap i cant breathe shes so sexy
authors could use a better editor, too. the writing was detailed but the mistakes were a little too consistent. not sure if just this book though
anyway astra needs to be my mommy asap i cant breathe shes so sexy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2025
I find the way this book is written confusing. At times I was confused about which MC was thinking about what italicized thoughts. This problem is in other books I have read from this author too, but this one just went over my threshold. I took a long time to finish this book. It was not compelling in the beginning and I struggled to keep a momentum going. More toward the end as the background stories unfolded a bit more I started empathizing with Astrid - such a flawed character, and she started to grow on me. She's femme yeah, but with so much butch energy that I couldn't help but started to like her. I'm tagging this book butch-femme for this reason, in case anybody wonders. This is not the first book of this trope that had that dichotomy, but this is the first I'm going to put the tag on. The ending was a bit strange, but probably only because I read the follow-up book featuring Elena ahead of this one.
April 29, 2021
Great Age Gap Story
Fantastic story about characters Astrid and Tara. Unusual storyline, having never read a book concerning this topic before I found it highly interesting and enjoyable. This story kept me wanting to keep turning to the next page and not put the book down till It was finished. Great reading and I definitely recommend it for all to read. Hope there will be a second book out soon about them.
Fantastic story about characters Astrid and Tara. Unusual storyline, having never read a book concerning this topic before I found it highly interesting and enjoyable. This story kept me wanting to keep turning to the next page and not put the book down till It was finished. Great reading and I definitely recommend it for all to read. Hope there will be a second book out soon about them.
July 31, 2021
I wanted more of a happy ending
How Tara meets Astrid, for the first time, is unusual. I think that's what captured my interest from the beginning.
I'm not a fan of BDSM and while there was quite a bit, there wasn't too much to make me stop reading.
I'm left with a few questions though. What happened to Tara's mom? Is she with Tara and Astrid? Is there a Tara and Astrid? Will there ever be a relationship between Simone and Astrid?
I think I might need a sequel.
How Tara meets Astrid, for the first time, is unusual. I think that's what captured my interest from the beginning.
I'm not a fan of BDSM and while there was quite a bit, there wasn't too much to make me stop reading.
I'm left with a few questions though. What happened to Tara's mom? Is she with Tara and Astrid? Is there a Tara and Astrid? Will there ever be a relationship between Simone and Astrid?
I think I might need a sequel.
March 9, 2024
This is one incredible ride into love!
What an intense and demanding read this has been. I love the depth of characters the author has developed. The very deep and troubling past of the characters adds to the intensity of their meeting and developing lives together. The secrets of their pasts build their futures as it does to all of us, yet there is so much more to them. Truly this read is so good!
What an intense and demanding read this has been. I love the depth of characters the author has developed. The very deep and troubling past of the characters adds to the intensity of their meeting and developing lives together. The secrets of their pasts build their futures as it does to all of us, yet there is so much more to them. Truly this read is so good!
March 11, 2025
Hot!!
Looking to pay off crippling medical bills for her ever loving mother, Tara decides to auction off her most prized possession, her virginity.
On a drunken whim Astrid goes on the same auction she herself was on not too long ago, not knowing what she would find besides maybe salvation.
Two women with troubled pasts, trying to forget only to be entangled more than they could possibly realize.
Looking to pay off crippling medical bills for her ever loving mother, Tara decides to auction off her most prized possession, her virginity.
On a drunken whim Astrid goes on the same auction she herself was on not too long ago, not knowing what she would find besides maybe salvation.
Two women with troubled pasts, trying to forget only to be entangled more than they could possibly realize.
April 26, 2021
Breathtaking
This is quite simply Ms Dane and Ms Billings best book yet . Tara's and Astrid's story is beautiful and disturbing all at once,hiding their history from each other to begin with and when the truth finally comes out despite all that happens their love for each other wins through
This is quite simply Ms Dane and Ms Billings best book yet . Tara's and Astrid's story is beautiful and disturbing all at once,hiding their history from each other to begin with and when the truth finally comes out despite all that happens their love for each other wins through
July 30, 2021
A great love story
What happens when two wounded souls come together and find love? Everything! I don’t read a lot of BDSM but his book was really about the relationship of the characters and exploration of possibilities. Some painful life realities that too many women face in life but with a wonderfully happy ending. This story really had it all.
What happens when two wounded souls come together and find love? Everything! I don’t read a lot of BDSM but his book was really about the relationship of the characters and exploration of possibilities. Some painful life realities that too many women face in life but with a wonderfully happy ending. This story really had it all.
August 30, 2021
Dnf at chapter 12, as I am not into dom/sub kink. I like lovers to be on equal terms, adult partners, age gap doesn't usually matter.
Here the story suggested quite a lot of potential, but the well drawn problematic background was not enough of a base to buid some credible character developement instead of kinky sex, evidently. Not my cup of tea.
Here the story suggested quite a lot of potential, but the well drawn problematic background was not enough of a base to buid some credible character developement instead of kinky sex, evidently. Not my cup of tea.
September 15, 2021
I did this on audio after receiving a code from the narrator, Lu Banks. While this is not a type of story that generally attracts me, I did enjoy the narration. I think Lu Banks nailed Astrid's voice. For the story itself, I'd rate this a 3, but the narration made it better, for my personal taste.
July 25, 2022
The pages burn your fingers 🔥
Could not put this book down! Better hydrate before you settle in for this one because you are going to be parched before you are halfway through! And then you are going to need to cool off or find some other relief. It is hot with a story line that drags your heart along at just as fast a pace.
Did I mention the hotness!?!
Could not put this book down! Better hydrate before you settle in for this one because you are going to be parched before you are halfway through! And then you are going to need to cool off or find some other relief. It is hot with a story line that drags your heart along at just as fast a pace.
Did I mention the hotness!?!
March 18, 2025
Entertaining read. The sex scenes are pretty hot but not overly graphic for a BDSM book. I'm not a fan of third-act break-up (or 'break') books, but the twisted, kinky take on Heloise and Abelard's letter writing during this period was entertaining. However, I am less forgiving of the book's grammatical slips as there were two authors--even if one was an alter ego.
April 28, 2021
Riveting
This is a wonderful, complex story of love, lust and finding your one true love. Neither Tara nor Astrid know what to expect from their first meeting. And neither one knows how far they will go with each other. Really riveting writing. I couldn't put it down.
This is a wonderful, complex story of love, lust and finding your one true love. Neither Tara nor Astrid know what to expect from their first meeting. And neither one knows how far they will go with each other. Really riveting writing. I couldn't put it down.
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