The Loving on the Edge series continues today with the emotionally intense and erotic eighth installment, Break Me Down by Roni Loren. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this bdsm-fueled read, along with my impressions of it, and then add it to your bookshelf. To celebrate this book release make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 bookstore GC too!
The New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me invites you to discover the thrill of control as one couple wrestles for power in and out of the bedroom…
Samantha Dunbar needs to forget Gibson Andrews. When he trained her to be a domme, she experienced just how hot things could get with the sexy executive. She was ready to hand him everything—including her heart. But Gibson backed away, declaring them incompatible. He’s a dominant, and Sam’s no submissive.
But after an attack shakes Sam to her core, Gibson tracks her down at her family’s rundown farmhouse and makes her an offer. He’ll stay the week and be hers in every way—a helping hand for the renovation and a willing lover in her bed. He swore he’d never give up control to anyone again, but he hasn’t been able to touch another woman since Sam. Maybe a week alone with her will cure him of his relentless craving.
But one taste only makes them want more, and Sam and Gibson are drawn in deeper than ever. The man who won’t give in has just met the girl who won’t give up…
EXCERPT:
The floors creaked as he made his way back to the front of the house. He examined the dining room with critical eyes. It looked like one small patch of floor was left. Sam had been close to done when he’d interrupted last night. Yet another valid reason for her to be mad at him.
He squatted down and picked up the sanding machine. It’d been a while since he’d tackled any home improvement projects. His position as head of PR at Vandergriff kept him too busy. But when he’d first bought his house, it had been in pretty rough shape. He’d taken on weekend projects to get it how he wanted it. He’d learned a lot and messed up more. A handyman, he was not. But he understood the satisfaction Sam probably got from doing this herself. It could be cathartic.
“I don’t suggest you turn that on unless you know what to do with it,” Sam said from behind him.
He turned around, finding her at the bottom of the stairs, raven hair damp and twisted into a messy bun atop her head. Face scrubbed clean. She looked so young standing there. He was used to seeing her with her dark eyeliner and hair done in some quirky way. But this version of her was just as breath-stealing. He held up the sander. “Don’t turn it on unless I know what to do with it. There’s a dirty joke in there.”
She smirked, some of that trademark attitude back, despite the lingering ghosts in her eyes. “So do you? Know what to do?”
“With a woman or home improvement equipment?”
“I already know you know what to do with a woman.”
He tilted his head. Flirty Sam. Yes. Yes, he liked this. “I’m not quite as skilled with machinery, but I can hold my own. Why? Gonna put me to work to earn my keep?”
She walked forward, her beat-up Vans silent on the floors. “Hmm, now there’s an idea.”
The tone of her voice had slipped into a dangerous place, one he recognized. One his body recognized. “I don’t mind helping.”
She tucked her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, her vintage No Doubt T-shirt stretching thin across her breasts as she considered him. “Is that right?”
He lost his focus for a moment just looking at her. Her shirt read Just A Girl, but that was far from the truth. She was so much more. A fucking mystery wrapped up in smarts and sex appeal and kink. He’d only gotten to touch her once, but he hadn’t forgotten how those pert breasts had felt in his palms, how her body had responded to his touch, how it had seemed like the goddamned sun had come out when he’d made her come. His blood rushed south at the memory, and he had to shift his stance to tamp down the reaction. How big of an asshole would he be, getting hard and horny the morning after Sam had been attacked? He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I can help with whatever you need.”
Her smile was quick, not too big, but enough to punch him in the gut. “Those are mighty vague terms, Gib. You should know how dangerous that is in negotiations. I could make you strip naked and clean the bathroom grout with a toothbrush while I sip iced tea and watch.”
He set down the sander and ran a hand over the back of his hair. She’d meant it as a joke. He tried to smile but managed only a tight grimace. Any image where he got on his knees for her pushed that forbidden button inside him. “Right.”
The silver ring in her eyebrow twitched up as if she knew exactly what he’d been thinking. “Nah, never mind. I know how you can help. Leave.”
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a reader who loves gritty and emotionally intense romances, I've gobbled up each new release in Ms. Loren's Loving on the Edge series as they perfectly balance character-driven storylines with steamy encounters. This newest release may be short but it's definitely not sweet as it takes its main characters to very dark places in search of their HEAs. Throw in brief glimpses of past characters and you get a reminder of how intriguing and supportive this unconventional family of friends truly is which keeps you immersed in their kinky world.
Gibson's childhood was one of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father who tried to eliminate his son's quietness and kind heart. Gib's sense of self came out of his ability to withstand the pain, to never show weakness, and while it's made him successful in business it's left him lonely as he can no longer ignore his true desires. He always saw himself as a dominant but after meeting Mistress Samantha he knows he's been living a lie as her power tempts him constantly. Going after what he desires though isn't easy as his father's words and deeds weigh on him, living up to other's expectations keep his desires hidden, and to be happy he'll have to show true strength in accepting his submissive desires. Gibson is an immensely likable man, sexy with heroic tendencies, but also with the pain of his past palpable. Preconceived notions of what it means to be a man batter at him and his reactions to embracing his Sub side are believable and understandable. His fears of being mocked and disappointing those he cares about had me wanting to hug him as these feelings were dark and deep. His Grand Gesture in winning Samantha, while unconventional, was a huge leap of faith for him and truly romantic.
Samantha's life as a child was also lonely and full of abuse as she traveled through the foster care system. It left her vulnerable to broken bones, near rape, and being someone's dirty little secret. While all this made her stronger it also hardened her heart. She's now a woman who won't show weakness and it's led to a lifestyle based on dominance. She likes the control she has now as she had none growing up. Unfortunately, being a female Dom makes it hard to find a man strong enough to embrace his Sub side. Though she's drawn to Gib he runs from the possibilities of what they could be in the future because of his own self-esteem issues. When she's at her lowest emotional point though, after being attacked by two drunks, it's Gib who brings her back from the edge. She's not willing to be his dirty little secret though which leads to an emotional battle of wills requiring them to look deep into their psyches. True strength comes from personal acceptance and only in each other's arms will they find that acceptance. Samantha's a strong-willed woman who experienced some truly horrible things growing up. Instead of giving into the pain she used it to become stronger which made her someone to admire. She's sassy and a bit flirty but exudes power which makes her the perfect Mistress.
From the moment these two met their connection was instantaneous and crackling. When together their sexual tension was palpable while the wait for them to finally get together kept me on the edge of my seat. These were likable characters put through the emotional wringer early in life with bruises to their psyches still today. Pain is what brought them together and what binds them still and is what will help them reach their HEA if they're just willing to trust in each other. This was a quick read with dark emotions and steamy scenes set in the world of bdsm. I'm not normally a fan of bdsm romances but in the hands of Ms. Loren she kept me captivated. With this being a shorter read not much time was spent on Gib and Samantha as a couple. Their connection was already established so their interactions here mostly took place in the bedroom which kept me from fully embracing them as a real couple. Their banter was witty and playful though which made for entertaining interactions and was a nice balance to their darker exchanges. On a whole this was another satisfying installment in a series that remains one of my favorites for its steamy interludes and engaging characters that are far from cookie cutter.
Gibson's childhood was one of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father who tried to eliminate his son's quietness and kind heart. Gib's sense of self came out of his ability to withstand the pain, to never show weakness, and while it's made him successful in business it's left him lonely as he can no longer ignore his true desires. He always saw himself as a dominant but after meeting Mistress Samantha he knows he's been living a lie as her power tempts him constantly. Going after what he desires though isn't easy as his father's words and deeds weigh on him, living up to other's expectations keep his desires hidden, and to be happy he'll have to show true strength in accepting his submissive desires. Gibson is an immensely likable man, sexy with heroic tendencies, but also with the pain of his past palpable. Preconceived notions of what it means to be a man batter at him and his reactions to embracing his Sub side are believable and understandable. His fears of being mocked and disappointing those he cares about had me wanting to hug him as these feelings were dark and deep. His Grand Gesture in winning Samantha, while unconventional, was a huge leap of faith for him and truly romantic.
Samantha's life as a child was also lonely and full of abuse as she traveled through the foster care system. It left her vulnerable to broken bones, near rape, and being someone's dirty little secret. While all this made her stronger it also hardened her heart. She's now a woman who won't show weakness and it's led to a lifestyle based on dominance. She likes the control she has now as she had none growing up. Unfortunately, being a female Dom makes it hard to find a man strong enough to embrace his Sub side. Though she's drawn to Gib he runs from the possibilities of what they could be in the future because of his own self-esteem issues. When she's at her lowest emotional point though, after being attacked by two drunks, it's Gib who brings her back from the edge. She's not willing to be his dirty little secret though which leads to an emotional battle of wills requiring them to look deep into their psyches. True strength comes from personal acceptance and only in each other's arms will they find that acceptance. Samantha's a strong-willed woman who experienced some truly horrible things growing up. Instead of giving into the pain she used it to become stronger which made her someone to admire. She's sassy and a bit flirty but exudes power which makes her the perfect Mistress.
From the moment these two met their connection was instantaneous and crackling. When together their sexual tension was palpable while the wait for them to finally get together kept me on the edge of my seat. These were likable characters put through the emotional wringer early in life with bruises to their psyches still today. Pain is what brought them together and what binds them still and is what will help them reach their HEA if they're just willing to trust in each other. This was a quick read with dark emotions and steamy scenes set in the world of bdsm. I'm not normally a fan of bdsm romances but in the hands of Ms. Loren she kept me captivated. With this being a shorter read not much time was spent on Gib and Samantha as a couple. Their connection was already established so their interactions here mostly took place in the bedroom which kept me from fully embracing them as a real couple. Their banter was witty and playful though which made for entertaining interactions and was a nice balance to their darker exchanges. On a whole this was another satisfying installment in a series that remains one of my favorites for its steamy interludes and engaging characters that are far from cookie cutter.
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.
If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. She is the National Bestselling Author of The Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat.
WEBSITE: http://www.roniloren.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/
GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4877863.Roni_Loren
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