Pretty When You Cry

by Skye Warren

[Melanie]

This was a great story. Ivan and Candy are characters that have caught my attention from the beginning of this series. I read this book in one sitting.

The story starts off several years before even the first book in the series. Candace is a young 16 year old girl on the streets of Tanglewood. She is about to be mugged or more likely raped by a group of guys when a mysterious guy in an impeccable suit shows up and chases the other guys away. He then takes her back to The Grand, his strip club. He takes her down to his basement office. Here she begs to stay. She wants to be one of the strippers like she saw on the stage.

Candace grew up in Harmony Hills. It is a cult compound. When Leader Allen started showing interest in her, her mother sent her away on her own. This cult teaches that women are evil and lead men into temptation. The girls are not taught to read or write. They have barely any schooling.

Ivan is not a good man. He is ruthless. Everyone is scared of him. Everyone but Candace. I think that is because he shows her compassion. He takes her in and gives her a home and tutors. Then when she begs and finally is of age, she eventually becomes one of his best strippers in his club.

Their romance is a difficult one. They both have had a really tough past. It makes their ability to trust and love very hard for both of them. They had a weird relationship for a long time, but no sex until Candace insist on leaving. Ivan is not able to let her go.

Ivan is no prince charming, but he is what Candy needs. He was there when she needed him most. I would've liked to have learned more about Ivan's back story. We do learn some, but I would like to know more about this difficult to read and scary man. He is quite the alpha male and has a dominant streak a mile wide. He does show affection in his own way.

You can read this book without having read the previous books in the series, but those are great books as well. I also think it was good addition to have the character build of Ivan and Candy, since they have been major secondary characters from book one. I've really enjoyed this series from the beginning and this is another great addition.

**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.