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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. I just can't even...
***The review is hidden because it is a brutally honest review of the book and I got on my soap box a bit about the BDSM genre. I don't judge or condemn anyone for loving and reading books like this, they just aren't for me. My review is a little harsh which is another reason why it's hidden to give readers a choice on whether or not they'd like to read my thoughts***
I was thoroughly disgusted with this story. I'm also done with books about young women who get sucked into the circle of dominant, wealthy men with penchants for control disguised as care, disrespect disguised as affection, pain disguised as pleasure, and his needs always superseding hers. I lost all respect for Evangeline as soon as she dropped everything to cater to Drake's every need. And I cannot continue reading a story with a heroine I don't respect. There are so many problems I had with the story, I'd honestly rather forget even choosing this book.
I found Evangeline and Drake's relationship to be mentally and psychologically abusive. I was not entertained, I was repulsed. Especially when. Why are we glorifying these men who abuse and treat women so poorly. I know it's only fiction, for entertainment purposes. But it does not make me happy to see a woman degraded just because a rich, powerful man with a six-pack abs shows interest in a young, impressionable, self-conscious woman with body issues and exploits that for his pleasure. Some people may enjoy reading stories like this, but I do not.
I will not continue reading the series and I will not recommend the book to anyone. I just can't do it.
***I was gifted a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***
***The review is hidden because it is a brutally honest review of the book and I got on my soap box a bit about the BDSM genre. I don't judge or condemn anyone for loving and reading books like this, they just aren't for me. My review is a little harsh which is another reason why it's hidden to give readers a choice on whether or not they'd like to read my thoughts***
Spoiler
I used to love this author. I fell in love with the Colter Brothers and then devoured everything else Ms. Banks wrote. I also loved the first three books in her KGI series about a military group run by the Kelly brothers, doing jobs kind of like The A-Team. After this point, my interest in the author and her books started declining. I'm not sure when the actual change happened but it's like the books are written by someone else. I feel Ms. Banks' books became more about riding the latest popular reading trope than writing an entertaining and meaningful story. And I keep hanging in there, hoping that the next book will be "different." That we will get that old magic back. But it seems to be having the opposite effect.I was thoroughly disgusted with this story. I'm also done with books about young women who get sucked into the circle of dominant, wealthy men with penchants for control disguised as care, disrespect disguised as affection, pain disguised as pleasure, and his needs always superseding hers. I lost all respect for Evangeline as soon as she dropped everything to cater to Drake's every need. And I cannot continue reading a story with a heroine I don't respect. There are so many problems I had with the story, I'd honestly rather forget even choosing this book.
I found Evangeline and Drake's relationship to be mentally and psychologically abusive. I was not entertained, I was repulsed. Especially when
Spoiler
Drake brings a stranger into the relationship and demands Evangeline have sex with the stranger in front of Drake for his pleasureI will not continue reading the series and I will not recommend the book to anyone. I just can't do it.
***I was gifted a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All conclusions reached are my own***
Well it started off a little slow for me but once the story got going I was hooked !!! Evangeline steps into a world she never thought she would and when the one man who all the women want, Drake, things will get HOT!
I loved that dark, hot dominate man that Drake was and I really loved how he showed Evangeline things her Ex Eddie never did. What is that you ask.. well you must read and enjoy there story for yourself. HEHE this is a adult read that's for sure but the story is addict and will keep in glued to the pages once things start to get a little hot!! LOL
Evangeline has a lot to think about, Drake wants it all from her and I mean it ALL. Her wants her time and her submission. But can she give him everything? She never really was that type of women but now that this amazing hottie has shown her more she might be able to put it all aside.
I think book 2 is going to be really good, after all the ground work was laid in this one and we get to meet the charterers there is no stopping you Maya Banks. I am excited for LOTS more from Drake and Evangeline!!
I loved that dark, hot dominate man that Drake was and I really loved how he showed Evangeline things her Ex Eddie never did. What is that you ask.. well you must read and enjoy there story for yourself. HEHE this is a adult read that's for sure but the story is addict and will keep in glued to the pages once things start to get a little hot!! LOL
Evangeline has a lot to think about, Drake wants it all from her and I mean it ALL. Her wants her time and her submission. But can she give him everything? She never really was that type of women but now that this amazing hottie has shown her more she might be able to put it all aside.
I think book 2 is going to be really good, after all the ground work was laid in this one and we get to meet the charterers there is no stopping you Maya Banks. I am excited for LOTS more from Drake and Evangeline!!
I thought the story itself had a great story line. But to me I felt like it was written like it was her first book. Alot of repetitive descriptions that I kept skimming over to dig for the story.
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
When I first learned that Maya Banks had a new erotic romance series coming out, I flipped. When I first got my Kindle many moons ago, I picked up the first two books in her Sweet series and I absolutely loved them. Of course, I then completely missed the rest of the series. I've wanted to get back into that series and some of Maya's older erotic romance novels, but never really had the time. When Mastered was offered to me, I jumped at it. And while I didn't love it, I did enjoy the time I spent reading the book.
Since I have a lot to say about Mastered, I'm bringing back the trusty bullets...
Main Characters: This is where Mastered confused me the most. Drake and Evangeline seemed to have two different sides to their characters. Drake is a dominant and possessive asshole, for lack of a better word. He was the typical dark and menacing billionaire that doesn't know love. He does, however, know that if he throws his influence around, he'll eventually get what he wants. And what he wants is Evangeline. From the moment they meet, he's drawn to her in ways he has never felt before. And before long, he starts to develop deeper feelings. Unfortunately for him, Drake has no friggin' clue how to express this growing love in ways that don't involve money and/or sex. As Mastered progressed, I actually started to like the softer side of Drake. The tender moments where his shield is down and he allows himself to care. Evangeline, on the other hand, irked me for most of the book. I just wanted her to stand up for herself more. Drake wanting to pleasure her not 10 minutes after they first met should have been clue #1 for her that their relationship would be based on sex. There are moments where she is strong and will not back down from Drake's henchmen. That was the Evangeline I liked. I hated the meek little girl that cried at the drop of a hat. Girl, you're strong! Grow a backbone and kick some ass!
Background Characters: I loved Drake's henchmen. I loved that we get tiny little glimpses into their character's mind throughout the book. I want more of them, stat!
Sex: When I think of erotic romance, Maya Banks is one of the authors that first come to mind. I liked the sexual relationship between Drake and Evangeline with one minor exception, which I will not mention because it is best to experience that first hand. To me, it came out of nowhere. I think it would have been hotter if it had a bit of a background (maybe if it included one of his henchmen instead of a random character - now that would have been hot). Mastered sizzled, but I think it could have scorched a bit more.
Relationship: Drake and Evangeline have a typical D/s relationship that will obviously evolve in the next book. There are moments of tenderness and some hidden love (more on Drake's side) that I think will appear more as their romance continues.
Honestly, it is books like Mastered that makes me think twice about not having star ratings on my blog. On Amazon and Goodreads, I'll give it 3 to 3.5 stars. Like I said, I did enjoy the time I spent reading it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. As the book is heavy on description, it did lag a bit at times. However, I am curious to see how the series progresses for three reasons. The first reason is that I want to see how Drake redeems himself from the last scene in the book. That was his biggest asshole moment by far and it is going to take a lot of groveling to prove that he's a changed man. I think he has it in him because he does have some tender moments that show his heart is there, he just doesn't know how to use it. The second and thirds reasons are named Justice and Silas, although I wish it was Maddox instead of Justice. I definitely want to get to know them better. In the meantime, I think I'm going to revisit the Sweet series while I wait for the next book in the Enforcers series.
I received a copy for a honest review.
Since I have a lot to say about Mastered, I'm bringing back the trusty bullets...
Main Characters: This is where Mastered confused me the most. Drake and Evangeline seemed to have two different sides to their characters. Drake is a dominant and possessive asshole, for lack of a better word. He was the typical dark and menacing billionaire that doesn't know love. He does, however, know that if he throws his influence around, he'll eventually get what he wants. And what he wants is Evangeline. From the moment they meet, he's drawn to her in ways he has never felt before. And before long, he starts to develop deeper feelings. Unfortunately for him, Drake has no friggin' clue how to express this growing love in ways that don't involve money and/or sex. As Mastered progressed, I actually started to like the softer side of Drake. The tender moments where his shield is down and he allows himself to care. Evangeline, on the other hand, irked me for most of the book. I just wanted her to stand up for herself more. Drake wanting to pleasure her not 10 minutes after they first met should have been clue #1 for her that their relationship would be based on sex. There are moments where she is strong and will not back down from Drake's henchmen. That was the Evangeline I liked. I hated the meek little girl that cried at the drop of a hat. Girl, you're strong! Grow a backbone and kick some ass!
Background Characters: I loved Drake's henchmen. I loved that we get tiny little glimpses into their character's mind throughout the book. I want more of them, stat!
Sex: When I think of erotic romance, Maya Banks is one of the authors that first come to mind. I liked the sexual relationship between Drake and Evangeline with one minor exception, which I will not mention because it is best to experience that first hand. To me, it came out of nowhere. I think it would have been hotter if it had a bit of a background (maybe if it included one of his henchmen instead of a random character - now that would have been hot). Mastered sizzled, but I think it could have scorched a bit more.
Relationship: Drake and Evangeline have a typical D/s relationship that will obviously evolve in the next book. There are moments of tenderness and some hidden love (more on Drake's side) that I think will appear more as their romance continues.
Honestly, it is books like Mastered that makes me think twice about not having star ratings on my blog. On Amazon and Goodreads, I'll give it 3 to 3.5 stars. Like I said, I did enjoy the time I spent reading it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. As the book is heavy on description, it did lag a bit at times. However, I am curious to see how the series progresses for three reasons. The first reason is that I want to see how Drake redeems himself from the last scene in the book. That was his biggest asshole moment by far and it is going to take a lot of groveling to prove that he's a changed man. I think he has it in him because he does have some tender moments that show his heart is there, he just doesn't know how to use it. The second and thirds reasons are named Justice and Silas, although I wish it was Maddox instead of Justice. I definitely want to get to know them better. In the meantime, I think I'm going to revisit the Sweet series while I wait for the next book in the Enforcers series.
I received a copy for a honest review.
For the fact that this book is repetitive, contains far too many similes, & should absolutely come with a trigger warning for the last scene, I did manage to fall for the story. I am curious enough to know what happens to read the second one, mostly because I’d like to know how the author possibly could imagine the last scene having any other conclusion than the one it did. I had literal nightmares. I’ve read books with trigger warnings before, & it helps, knowing what might be coming. Disturbing a supposedly well-known smut author wouldn’t think of writing one.