Begging for It (An Asking for It Novel)

by Lilah Pace

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

Begging For It is just as unconventional and taboo as the first book in this series. Lilah Pace doesn’t hold back when it comes to the dark fantasies her characters play out behind secret proclivities, yet she keeps them grounded and not everything was wrapped up in a simple, pretty little bow. These characters are complicated, layered, conflicted, broken in many ways and yet also beautiful, centered and adventurous.

I will say that as much as I enjoyed this book overall, it was a bit harder to get into than the first. I can’t name any particular reason other than perhaps the pacing was slower (only in the beginning), which may be why it took me a couple of put-downs and pick-ups before I was sucked back into this amazing, sexy story. However, even with the slow beginning, by the fifth or sixth chapter I was back in the game!

There are a lot of things happening in this read. At the end of book one, all our characters are at a strange place, including the hero and heroine who have struggled to find a balance with their dark side. Jonah, who thinks their challenges are too great, has taken a step back and left Vivienne with only a hope that he’ll find his way forward. In this book, we see their fierce and vivid reconnect as well as their journey to healing which I loved. But it wasn’t without complications. There’s a serial rapist on the loose with Jonah’s name coming up as suspect and both Jonah and Vivienne have family issues to work through.

These two have some very dangerous and dark places in their minds that have been corrupted by others, so their indulgence in their play can sometimes seem extreme. This book features intense, forbidden, though consensual, sex with a vein of violence. But it also examines the healing process of two individuals who have had their power stolen from them at a young age. Though perhaps unhealthy and possibly destructive in their potential recovery, they each have found a way to deal, to cope and to survive. They've taken the beginning steps of self discovery, recognizing their problems and working there way through them together.

I loved their intense chemistry. Not just in their volcanic, steamy "play", but also in their everyday lives. Vivienne was there for Jonah while he confronted his nightmare and Jonah turned into an incredible source of power and solid strength she could draw on when she faced down her own shame.

These two, who started out in such an atypical fashion, found true love, their bond strengthening them and in the end, it slowly healed them.

I also really enjoyed the side characters stories. It added even more layers and depth that correlated to our hero and heroine plus it gave the reader some down time from the intensity and angsts of Vivienne and Jonah.

I enjoyed this one. It might have started slow and had a somewhat predictable climax but it was well written, exciting, sexy, heartfelt and overall it was just a really good read that ended perfectly.

Reviewer information can be found under the Tags section of the post on our site.