Book Tour for Taking Over Me by Sara Brookes (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Again today we're talking BDSM!  This time it's courtesy of Sara Brookes and her newest release, Taking Over Me.  Keep reading to get my impressions of this smart and sexy read and leave a comment to win a coffee-themed prize!

For me, I wanted to write a heroine that I could personally relate to. Lawyers, doctors, etc are all great jobs, but I wanted to read about a heroine I identified with since I have a background in IT. (Though, admittedly, most ofmy knowledge has been self-taught) I also think geeks can be more than the stereotypical image of what most people see when they hear the term.

No longer are the geeks the intellectual types from movies such as Revenge of the Nerds. Geeks can be anyone—such as the case with Allison Stuart. As my heroine in Taking Over Me, she’s an IT guru, training across many platforms. She reads/collects comic books. 

She loves movies. 

She plays video games. 

She attends Comic Con in San Diego. 

She also has insecurities. 

But she also has wants and needs. Desires and dreams. In short, she could be your best friend or next door neighbor. She could be you. 

Because of this familiarity—I think the Age of Geek is here to stay.

He’s everything she didn’t know she needed…

Allison would rather fix computers than worry about sex. That is, until the newest barista in town changes everything. All it takes is one hot stare with his sinful baby blues to remind her she’s not just one of the guys. She has lusty needs only he can fulfill.

Patrick’s coffee shop is on the verge of an epic failure, until Allison takes charge of his computer system. He may not know anything about motherboards, but he does know how to take control both in and out of bed. Now Patrick is determined to get what he wants—Allison in his cuffs. His sensual mastery awakens an intense passion and under his command, he’ll unlock the geek girl’s darkest desires.

EXCERPT:

The Southern Ridge Grille was packed to capacity, but Patrick had somehow been given a secluded table in the farthest corner of the main seating area. It backed to the knee-high wall separating the bar area from the dining room, which allowed them to feel alone despite the hustle and bustle.

“I like this place. Very atmospheric. Dark without being annoying.” Allison also marveled at the way the waitstaff pampered them both. They’d already been here twenty minutes and her water glass had barely slipped past the quarter mark. “Did you charm the staff to wait on us hand and foot?”

“I’m sure if I paid someone enough, I could arrange it. But no, I didn’t. Genevieve Lambert owns the restaurant. She’s the one responsible for those pastries you picked up the day you decided to play superhero.”

Allison blushed. Four weeks had passed since that day in the coffee house. Thirty-six days since she’d first laid eyes on Patrick and nearly twenty-four since his unbelievable phone call. Prior to that day, she never suspected her life would make this drastic of a turn, at least the sexual part of her life. Now she couldn’t imagine not being with him or his warehouse.

It was her little secret. Both the clandestine room he kept for sexual indulgences and the man himself. She’d gone through the day more on edge than ever. She wanted him to tip her over that edge and more than anything she wanted to take him with her.

BUY LINKS:   AMAZON   |   ARe   |   BN   |   ELLORA'S CAVE

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Taking Over Me is an immensely satisfying story along with being super steamy as it deals with the BDSM lifestyle.  This is a story about seemingly opposites attracting and the freeing nature of the BDSM lifestyle as a girl geek discovers her wild side after meeting a sexy barista.  Allison has always seen herself, and been thought of by others, as one of the boys.  She loves working on computers, reading comic books, hanging out with the guys for video gaming night, and dresses for comfort instead of attraction.  She dates, but not very often.  She's a strong-willed woman though who's comfortable in her own skin.  She thinks herself way out of Patrick's league but he finds her fascinating.  Their relationship goes from 0 to 60 on their first date as she's been obsessed with him from their first meeting.  The excitement he represents and the fulfilling of her fantasies that he promises has her diving in wholeheartedly to what he offers her.  He's a Dom and wants her to be his Sub in some very tantalizing sexual interludes where she is the center of his attention.  As BDSM stories go, it's hot but not as graphic as some other titles I've read.  There's usage of cuffs, collars, and toys but nothing leaning towards the more darker side.  These interludes allow Allison to become bolder, like seeing a butterfly come out of its cocoon.  She takes pride in being a woman as opposed to hiding amongst the boys.  She's an admirable heroine who sticks up for herself and doesn't let her role of Sub in the bedroom be confused with her actions out of the bedroom.

Patrick's dealt with disappointment in his past as a sports injury changed his future.  He now owns a coffeehouse with his brother Alex who's dealing with his own issues right now.  Patrick is charming with a sense of darkness surrounding him.  He freely admits to being a Dom on his first date with Allison and loves the sense of wildness he sees behind her controlled facade.  He wants her to come out and play with him as opposed to gaming with the boys.  He wants to remind her that she's a woman and proves it through numerous steamy scenes where her satisfaction is his goal.  Seeing him join her in her geek world while joining him in his decadent one showed two people truly wanting their relationship to work and I found these scenes delightfully fun.  Late in the story we discover Patrick's abusive past courtesy of his father.  This fact came out of nowhere and rears its head unexpectedly during a ridiculous disagreement between him and Allison.  It brings heretofore undiscussed fears of him becoming his father to light and leads to a Big Misunderstanding that is resolved quickly through words of wisdom from friends and family.  The ensuing HEA is sexy and satisfying.

Along with numerous steamy and satisfying sexual encounters comes a believable explanation as to why an individual is drawn to BDSM.  It shows a devotion to empowerment instead of weakness and makes these characters more self-assured.  Surrounding the immensely likable protagonists comes an equally intriguing cast of secondary characters.  Patrick's brother and his friends who also live the BDSM lifestyle left a lasting impression on me and I truly hope to see more of them as they have issues to heal from too.  Ms. Brookes perfectly balances the physical and emotional aspects of this couple which makes their journey towards a HEA richly rewarding.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Sara Brookes is an award-winning author who has always been fascinated by the strange, the unusual, the twisted and the lost (tortured heroes are her personal favorite). She is an action movie junkie, addicted to coffee and has been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing RPG video games. Despite all this, she is a romantic at heart and is always a sucker for an excellent love story. Born and bred in Virginia, Sara still lives there with her husband and daughter. The entire family is owned by two cats, Galahad and Loki, who graciously allow the family to cater to their every desire.

Website: www.sarabrookes.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sara_Brookes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/brookesofbooks
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/authorsarabrookes
Announcement List: http://eepurl.com/mbG31

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Sara will be awarding a $50.00 gift card to Starbucks and a Perfect Shot (coffeehouse in Taking Over Me) coffee mug to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, ALONG WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDY.

-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 6/14.