"In her sensational Breathless Trilogy, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks tested the boundaries of desire. In her new trilogy, there's only one thing left to do: cross them. And never have the consequences of erotic exploration been so irresistibly inviting, so shockingly intimate, and so totally unexpected; Josslyn found perfection once, and she knows she'll never find it again. Now widowed, she seeks the one thing her beloved husband couldn't give her: dominance. Lonely, searching for an outlet for her grief and wanting only a brief taste of the perfection she once enjoyed, she seeks what she's looking for at an exclusive club that caters to people indulging in their most hedonistic fantasies. She never imagined that what she'd find would be the one man who's long been a source of comfort-and secret longing. Her husband's best friend. Dash has lived in an untenable position for years: in love with his best friend's wife but unwilling to act on that attraction. He'd never betray his best friend. And so he's waited in the wings, offering Joss unconditional support and comfort as she works past her grief, hoping for the day when he can offer her more. When he finds her in a club devoted to the darker edges of desire, he's furious because he thinks she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Until she explains in detail what it is she wants. What she needs. As realization sets in, he is gripped by fierce, unwavering determination. If she wants dominance, he is the only man who will introduce her to that world. He is the only man who will touch her, cherish her ;love her. And the only man she'll ever submit to"--
Josslyn is a strong character who knows what she wants, and was able to suppress this side of her out of love for her husband but now she is ready to fulfill her desires and I respected that. Dash was definitely swoon-worthy, and their chemistry was good. The friends to lovers’ trope is always a good one and when you add in dominance and submission it can get downright heated. Banks made me feel their emotions but at times I felt like I was swimming in it. They came off as too needy..that whole don’t ever leave me; I love you and without you, I would die is often a turn off for me. Banks did an excellent job of exploring their sexual desires, and I liked the balance she gave us between tender love making and heated edgier exploration. The steamy was well done, and the world of Dominance thoroughly explored. We meet a cast of secondary characters that were interesting, but sadly the interaction between them felt forced and awkward.
Letting Go was a novel that I devoured and yet struggled with. Interaction between Josslyn and Dash allowed me to submerse myself in their romance, and passion. The romance progressed quickly with a few twists towards our HEA. The secondary characters while unique weren’t developed enough for me to connect with despite my interest. The tale had a nice flow to it, but there were moments when the couple interacted with secondary characters and those conversations pulled me out of the tale. They felt awkward and stiff which was in sharp contrast to the couple’s communication. Despite these issues, I never struggled to continue and was invested enough to discover the outcome. The world of Domination is an interesting one, and Banks gave me a greater understanding of the emotional side of it. The sex scenes are not vanilla and were quite detailed but subdued. Maybe my perception is wrong, but at times I felt Dash was too sensitive to be a true Dominant. I did, however, feel Josslyn wanted and needed to be a submissive.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Reading updates
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28 January, 2014:
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28 January, 2014:
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