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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Most erotic romance novels read like this (looking at you, _50 Shades_):
Virgin: Do your worst!
Virile/Rich/Dominant/Cold Bastard: You wouldn't like it.
Virgin: No, really, do your worst!
Male: Ok.
Virgin: I hate that! I am crying and running away!
Male: Come back! I will vanilla myself for you.
Virgin: Yay!
This book finally gets it right. The protagonist is sensual, lustful, and open-minded. She says, do your worst! And the guy does. And she says, this is fantastic. Whatever he dishes out, she's all in. It's refreshing.
I also applaud BDSM stories that explain, through the story, how submissives aren't necessarily wallflowers, doormats, or those with low esteem. In this case, despite the dominant life-style and relationships she fell into, Natalie is willful, modern, and independent.
Granted: you have to suspend your disbelief to go with the plot. We do this all the time with paranormal reads: you can accept this werewolf dude, but not being whisked off to Russia? This could actually happen - it's ok if it's farfetched. But if I had a critique, it's that for my taste, the relationship is still too smothering. It gives me the willies to think about how 'kept' Natalie was willing to be - despite her independence, she gave in awfully easily. But hey, she's not stubborn, and admitted to her own needs, which is its own kind of power. It's just not my flavor, but I understand that in erotic romance it's hard to separate the dominant guy in bed from the dominant guy in everything else.
Virgin: Do your worst!
Virile/Rich/Dominant/Cold Bastard: You wouldn't like it.
Virgin: No, really, do your worst!
Male: Ok.
Virgin: I hate that! I am crying and running away!
Male: Come back! I will vanilla myself for you.
Virgin: Yay!
This book finally gets it right. The protagonist is sensual, lustful, and open-minded. She says, do your worst! And the guy does. And she says, this is fantastic. Whatever he dishes out, she's all in. It's refreshing.
I also applaud BDSM stories that explain, through the story, how submissives aren't necessarily wallflowers, doormats, or those with low esteem. In this case, despite the dominant life-style and relationships she fell into, Natalie is willful, modern, and independent.
Granted: you have to suspend your disbelief to go with the plot. We do this all the time with paranormal reads: you can accept this werewolf dude, but not being whisked off to Russia? This could actually happen - it's ok if it's farfetched. But if I had a critique, it's that for my taste, the relationship is still too smothering. It gives me the willies to think about how 'kept' Natalie was willing to be - despite her independence, she gave in awfully easily. But hey, she's not stubborn, and admitted to her own needs, which is its own kind of power. It's just not my flavor, but I understand that in erotic romance it's hard to separate the dominant guy in bed from the dominant guy in everything else.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This so far, has been my favourite read this year. My god did I love this book. I couldn’t put it down (I was legit reading it still at 5am before I had to force myself to stop reading and then I couldn’t get to sleep for nearly 2 hours because I just kept thinking about it lol) it was amazing.
I was so fearful of reading this book because KC’s IAD series is one of my top 3 all time favourite series’ and I was really worried I wouldn’t like this because it’s not PNR, but oh my gosh, was I wrong. Obviously this wouldn’t be for everyone, he’s pretty dominating etc, but honestly I couldn’t have asked for more. I don’t know how the others will hold up but I’m actually so excited to see more about his brothers (the epilogue in this legit had me cackling out loud, it was perfect) so I’ll be putting them on my upcoming TBR once all my other stuff is read. Excited!
I was so fearful of reading this book because KC’s IAD series is one of my top 3 all time favourite series’ and I was really worried I wouldn’t like this because it’s not PNR, but oh my gosh, was I wrong. Obviously this wouldn’t be for everyone, he’s pretty dominating etc, but honestly I couldn’t have asked for more. I don’t know how the others will hold up but I’m actually so excited to see more about his brothers (the epilogue in this legit had me cackling out loud, it was perfect) so I’ll be putting them on my upcoming TBR once all my other stuff is read. Excited!
My first foray into Kresley Cole's contemporary works and this is a mixed bag for me. I really jived with the first half of this book and jived a little less with the second half. I will give credit to Kresley for making me finish a mafia book and not completely trash it to pieces - that takes talent. The good: the relationship the heroine develops with her long-lost Russian mafia father, the very well-written romance scenes and the main character finding her sexuality and putting herself first, the building of plot (at first). The bad: the heroine losing agency in the 2nd half of the book because the hero is a dick - and it's harder to deal with a dick hero in a contemporary story then it is in a fantasy one - the fact that the plot becomes boring (literally the main character is locked up twiddling her thumbs every day). This book was almost saved by the MC getting some agency back, but it didn't last long enough for me to be satisfied (just because she's submissive in bed doesn't mean she has to be submissive in her relationship!!). Though, if I'm honest, a female mc can never make the male mc suffer enough for me. I will continue this series because I trust Kresley to get better as she goes along.
DNF @ 79%. Just lost interest. I felt there was little driving the story forward.
3,5*
The Professional is as a whole unbelievably fun and addictive. It follows Natalie Porter, an ordinary student in Nebraska, whose life gets turned upside down when she finds out her biological father works in the Russian mafia.
The engaging plot and amazing smut were the main drive of this book. Especially with how exciting the first half was. Natalie is dumped in a whole other world /the mafia/ without being prepared for it and while being attracted to Sevastyan, an enforcer. Their sexual relationship absolutely delivered, the smut was so so hot(and that sex club part holy fuck.)
To be honest, the first 60% of this book would’ve been a full four stars but the rest of the book brought it down for me. I pretty much preferred the chase between Natalie and Sevastyan rather than them being together.
The Professional sure had those problematic scenarios of these alpha male type of books. All the virgin talk, Natalie’s stereotypical “party girl who likes sex” friend were annoying the hell out of me. Sevastyan is your typical alpha male love interest. He was attractive but extremely frustrating, especially towards the end of the book. He didn’t communicate with Natalie and he kept being hot and cold, which created an unbearable back and forth that was so unnecessary and boring. I wonder if it would’ve been better with a double pov narrative since he’s a closed off character and we never know what he’s thinking.
The Professional is as a whole unbelievably fun and addictive. It follows Natalie Porter, an ordinary student in Nebraska, whose life gets turned upside down when she finds out her biological father works in the Russian mafia.
The engaging plot and amazing smut were the main drive of this book. Especially with how exciting the first half was. Natalie is dumped in a whole other world /the mafia/ without being prepared for it and while being attracted to Sevastyan, an enforcer. Their sexual relationship absolutely delivered, the smut was so so hot
To be honest, the first 60% of this book would’ve been a full four stars but the rest of the book brought it down for me. I pretty much preferred the chase between Natalie and Sevastyan rather than them being together.
The Professional sure had those problematic scenarios of these alpha male type of books. All the virgin talk, Natalie’s stereotypical “party girl who likes sex” friend were annoying the hell out of me. Sevastyan is your typical alpha male love interest. He was attractive but extremely frustrating, especially towards the end of the book. He didn’t communicate with Natalie and he kept being hot and cold, which created an unbearable back and forth that was so unnecessary and boring. I wonder if it would’ve been better with a double pov narrative since he’s a closed off character and we never know what he’s thinking.
Spoiler
What really irked me at the end was how Sevastyan finally shared his past traumas/abuse with Natalie only when she was about to leave him, as if it justified his lack of communication with her all the time they were together.
ok I was kind of disappointed with this one. this had nothing to really do with the mafia and it was anti climatic. the female (already forgot her name) found out she is a mafian princess from Russia. so she sees her real dad and from that point after meeting him for the first time the conversation and questions we're lacking then the next scene its like they all knew each other. and she is also all into the bdsm thing. the blurb didn't match the book and honestly I would say skip it.