Thursday, November 21, 2013

Restoration

Restoration 
 
4 of 5 stars false 
When your life is shattered you can live damaged or repair it.
With a signed death warrant and final appeals running out, Tess Olsen anticipates the execution of the man her mother deserted her family for thirteen years ago. Randall Wright s death will expel his disturbing legacy and return her mother to her; it s as simple as that, or so she believes. But Wright robbed her life of more than just her mother and like a splinter slowly and painfully working its way to the surface, those stolen pieces begin emerging.
Working as an art conservator in New York City, Tess keeps an emotional distance from co-workers. She has no close ties since isolating herself during her teen years when the tale of Wright s crimes, trial, and marriage to her mother was published in a Pulitzer Prize winning article. She yearns for the family she had and is unable to accept who they are now.
Tess is dating Ben Elliot, an art critic for the New York Times. The relationship both intrigues and unnerves her. Unlike men she s dated in the past, he is more interested in her than her physical attributes and any sex she can offer. Although drawn to Ben, she is more comfortable with men like Kenyon LeMere, a brazen artist Ben introduces her to who has a reputation for translating his sexual liaisons into art.
Restoration chronicles Tess Olsen s challenge to restore her life, relationships, and dreams back to the promise they held before Randal Wright.

Review

****Barks Out Loud through NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
This book in a beautifully emotionally charged story that will leave the reader on the edge of your seat. This is the journey of Tess, a girl who has been abandoned by her own mother, discarded and left to fend for herself. She thinks that her stepfather's death will bring about healing and return the one woman who she should have always been able to rely on. While she waits she allows her life to always be missing something, she allows her mother to take more than her support and love from her, she allows her to take the spark from her very soul. Restoration is a story of just that, Tess journey to restore her life and herself. It's a powerful journey that I found riveting and deep. Tess was a superbly developed character that I enjoyed following on her journey. I didn't find many of the side characters redeeming but it only added onto the feeling of hope you felt for this character as she grew. The ending didn't tie everything in a neat bow, it allowed the reader's imagination to shape a little bit to suite them. A very powerful book!
 
Post by: 

Bonds of Hope (Wicked Play #4)

 Bonds of Hope (Wicked Play, #4) 
3 of 5 stars false1/2
Quinn Andrews has a lot to learn about the world of BDSM. Once America's sweetheart, she has an opportunity to revive her career by playing a sexual submissive in a highly anticipated new series. Quinn is ready to throw herself into the role, and her hometown's premier sex club, The Den, is the ideal place for a crash course.
At first Marcus Reese is reluctant to take on Quinn's erotic education, despite his intense attraction to the stunning starlet. While she fulfills his every command perfectly, she's also a consummate actress—and Marcus is determined to uncover the real woman hidden behind the mask.
Quinn's been taking direction all her life, so submitting to a Dom comes easily. But it's not just the most amazing sex she's ever had—Marcus challenges her to define her own needs and make her own decisions. And when her training is over, Quinn will have to choose between continuing to play a part in her own life, or living by her own rules.

Review

****Carina Press through NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
Bonds of Hope was a fun and sexy addition to the Wicked Play series. Just being introduced recently to the series, I've gotten to know the characters and enjoyed them. This is a great series for the lighter BDSM reader, the "glitter kink" fans if you will. For me I would have liked to see that part of things go a little more in depth, but it was still a lighter romance with some nice flogging thrown in. Marcus was delicious and kept things going for me where Quinn lacked. Quinn wasn't completely ignorable as a character but she was a little 2D, flat. Her constant stereotypes drove me up a wall, even after meeting Marcus and people in the lifestyle she was adamant about her impressions and opinions and I couldn't help but want to smack her. The hypocritical issues Quinn had with Marcus's job were a little extreme and they never really felt resolved which stuck with me, these two just didn't communicate and I think that gave the reader a bit of an issue. Eventually things turned around with a satisfying ending. All in all something worth picking up for the reader looking for HEA romance with a kinky twist.

Post by: