Scan barcode
emilyspex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is erotica, but it's also one of the best romances I've ever read. I have never rooted for a couple more. The side characters are also fantastic, and the drama feels so real. I NEED to read the follow-up!!
lia693's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
caseroo7's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
Wow! This book was unlike anything I have read before, and I could not put this one down! I intended to start this book before bed and finish the next day, but I ended up reading way past my bedtime because I just couldn't get enough. I will start by saying that anyone thinking of reading this book needs to read the blurb and the warning from Lilah Pace and make sure that you take it seriously. Asking For It is not for the faint of heart, and if you have any issues or triggers with rape or rape fantasy this book probably isn't for you as both characters in this story share the same fantasy and have pasts that deal with the subject. This book is a great read though, and I highly recommend it if you are willing to go a little bit outside of your comfort zone because this story definitely pushes some boundaries.
Vivienne Charles is ashamed of her desires, and knows that what she thinks about isn't normal. She finally got the courage up to tell her ex-boyfriend what she wanted, but he couldn't give her what she needed. When she meets the sexy and mysterious Jonah Marks, she learns that they share the same fantasy. Jonah and Vivienne come to an agreement that they will have sex in which they play out their rape fantasies with the sex always being consensual and always discussing their limits before hand. The sex between them is amazing and more than they ever experienced with anyone else, but soon they start to feel more for one another than they should. Just when they both begin to think that they have a chance at a future together, their pasts resurface and threaten everything that they are building.
I worried that I wouldn't be able to connect with these characters, but that wasn't the case at all! I liked both of them and I found myself being able to relate to them. Lilah Pace did a great job of really showing the vulnerability of each Jonah and Vivienne, and I was really surprised with how likable and real these characters felt. Both Jonah and Vivienne were clearly struggling with pasts that still had a huge effect on them, and I found them very interesting. We get to know Vivienne more than Jonah in this book, and her past becomes very clear over the course of the book. But it isn't until the end that we really start to get to know Jonah. At first he comes off as unemotional and a bit cold, but the more we see him with Vivienne the more we get to know the man beneath. He was caring and always took care of Vivienne, and I loved that he was there whenever she needed him. These two have such an interesting dynamic between them, and the chemistry is off the charts. They are able to be open and share their desires without judgement, and I really liked seeing how things progressed for them.
Overall, this book was great! It was so much more than I had been expecting, and I honestly really enjoyed it even with the subject matter. Vivienne and Jonah were super hot together and I loved how sexy they were together. But I also really liked seeing them get to know one another, and find someone who understood them like no one else did. I will warn you that this book doesn't end on a huge cliffhanger, but things are unresolved at the end. The next book Begging For It is scheduled to release in September 2015, and it can't get here soon enough! Asking For It is a story that will not be for everyone, but I think if you keep an open mind and are willing to be taken a bit out of your comfort zone, is a book that a lot of readers will really like. I can't wait for more from Lilah Pace in the future!
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
Wow! This book was unlike anything I have read before, and I could not put this one down! I intended to start this book before bed and finish the next day, but I ended up reading way past my bedtime because I just couldn't get enough. I will start by saying that anyone thinking of reading this book needs to read the blurb and the warning from Lilah Pace and make sure that you take it seriously. Asking For It is not for the faint of heart, and if you have any issues or triggers with rape or rape fantasy this book probably isn't for you as both characters in this story share the same fantasy and have pasts that deal with the subject. This book is a great read though, and I highly recommend it if you are willing to go a little bit outside of your comfort zone because this story definitely pushes some boundaries.
Vivienne Charles is ashamed of her desires, and knows that what she thinks about isn't normal. She finally got the courage up to tell her ex-boyfriend what she wanted, but he couldn't give her what she needed. When she meets the sexy and mysterious Jonah Marks, she learns that they share the same fantasy. Jonah and Vivienne come to an agreement that they will have sex in which they play out their rape fantasies with the sex always being consensual and always discussing their limits before hand. The sex between them is amazing and more than they ever experienced with anyone else, but soon they start to feel more for one another than they should. Just when they both begin to think that they have a chance at a future together, their pasts resurface and threaten everything that they are building.
I worried that I wouldn't be able to connect with these characters, but that wasn't the case at all! I liked both of them and I found myself being able to relate to them. Lilah Pace did a great job of really showing the vulnerability of each Jonah and Vivienne, and I was really surprised with how likable and real these characters felt. Both Jonah and Vivienne were clearly struggling with pasts that still had a huge effect on them, and I found them very interesting. We get to know Vivienne more than Jonah in this book, and her past becomes very clear over the course of the book. But it isn't until the end that we really start to get to know Jonah. At first he comes off as unemotional and a bit cold, but the more we see him with Vivienne the more we get to know the man beneath. He was caring and always took care of Vivienne, and I loved that he was there whenever she needed him. These two have such an interesting dynamic between them, and the chemistry is off the charts. They are able to be open and share their desires without judgement, and I really liked seeing how things progressed for them.
Overall, this book was great! It was so much more than I had been expecting, and I honestly really enjoyed it even with the subject matter. Vivienne and Jonah were super hot together and I loved how sexy they were together. But I also really liked seeing them get to know one another, and find someone who understood them like no one else did. I will warn you that this book doesn't end on a huge cliffhanger, but things are unresolved at the end. The next book Begging For It is scheduled to release in September 2015, and it can't get here soon enough! Asking For It is a story that will not be for everyone, but I think if you keep an open mind and are willing to be taken a bit out of your comfort zone, is a book that a lot of readers will really like. I can't wait for more from Lilah Pace in the future!
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
readingrambles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
eelsmac's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I feel like there is good substance to make this read like a thought-out, coherent story. There's a lot of explicit discussion in the book about hard/soft limits and I think that is a valuable aspect of a healthy kink-oriented encounter that really goes underrepresented in a lot of popular media that explore those themes. Also, he stopped when she safeworded and was kind/understanding about it, and damn if that wasn't surprisingly sexy to me.
allyyyson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
autumnwitch14's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book handles describing the aftermath of SA very well in my opinion. Because it is so incredibly detailed in that regard, it will not be for everyone. However, other than one flashback, all of the rape fantasy scenes are consensual non-consent. The MC has both a verbal and nonverbal safe word throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy and Gaslighting
Minor: Pedophilia, Vomit, and Medical trauma
nellesnightstand1's review against another edition
I need a few to decompress after this one. Books with an open endings aren't normally my thing.. Asking for it by Lilah Pace ends that way, (there's a second book) but it works for this one. It deals with some dark issues and does not trivialize it all.
anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
4.0
Asking For It by Lilah Pace
Adult Contemporary, Dark.
4.5 stars
Asking for It by Lilah Pace came with some really strong warnings, and though I don’t usually enjoy very dark books, the blurb and warnings appealed to me. There are definitely some triggers you need to know about right up front. This is about non-consensual sex/rape fantasies, but there are also flashbacks to an actual rape.
If it’s all in my head, and it makes me come, what’s the harm…the harm is when the lines between reality and fantasy get blurred.”
Sounds dark and a little too taboo, right? But it wasn’t. The writing was excellent, and it was a wonderful combination of hot and sexy, romance, danger, great character development of pretty deeply damaged characters, and mystery.
Vivienne is a graduate student, artist and teaching assistant at UT in Austin. She is your average young lady, but she harbors a dark secret. In order to orgasm, she has to fantasize that she is being forced, coerced, and bent to someone else's will. She is mortified and ashamed by this fantasy, and has been in therapy for years, but it hasn't abated.
When Vivienne gets stuck on the side of the road with a flat, a gorgeous stranger helps her, but all she can think of is him taking her against her will. She has never felt such a deep pull to someone, but he changes her tire and leaves, leaving Vivienne only with her thoughts and fantasies of him.
Until she runs into the professor at a friend's party, right as Vivienne's drunken ex blurts out something about not being able to fulfill her rape fantasy. And Jonah offers to help her out.
"It's your fantasy, and mine. Chances like this don't come along often--two people twisted in the exact same way."“I knew the truth as soon as I saw your face. You want that fantasy. You want it more than you’ve ever wanted anything else.” He looks directly at me for the first time. “You hate it, don’t you? The fantasy. I do too. But it doesn’t change anything.”
Despite the years of fighting the fantasy, Vivienne relents.
Their relationship begins with a series of FUCKHOT sexual role playing/rape fantasies.
"I'd scream."
Jonah's eyes darken. He likes it when I play along. "I wouldn't let you," he says, as two of his fingers slide up to cover my lips. "I could cover your mouth while I pinned you against the wall. That would leave me one hand free. So I could reach up under that little dress of yours. Pull your panties down."
At no time though, did I ever really worry about Vivienne. This was consensual rape fantasies, not actual rape. In fact, I kind of wish it was rougher. Jonah seemed more than safe, and would protect Vivienne with his life if he had to.
The first half of the book was amazing, hot and fast paced. It slowed down a little midway when the strangers became more of a couple, and the kinky sex was less frequent. But the character development was deep throughout. As much as I enjoyed the book, I found it rather tame, and found myself wondering why they never even mentioned a traditional D/s relationship which would have many of the same aspects without the guilt they both attach to it.
Likes:
- •A truly unique storyline.
- •So well written!
- •Amazing character development.
- •Fast paced.
- •Really hot sex.
- •Nowhere near as dark as it could have been.
Dislikes:
- •Cliffhanger.
- •Since the fantasies were all so planned and consented to, they lost a lot of the hotness.
Rating 4.5 stars, 5 Heat
The Down and Dirty:
Though Asking for It by Lilah Pace should be a pretty dark book, it didn't really read as dark as I would have liked (and I don't usually love dark). All of the fantasies are planned and consented to, which took away a lot of the excitement, but it also made it easy to read and palatable to anyone who wouldn't have triggers. Filled with hot sex, a budding romance and angst, I am recommending Asking For It as a unique and sexy read, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Purchase Asking For It by Lilah Pace
(9/1)
theproficientreader's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't what I expected at all––not that I knew what to expect to begin with––but I love it! I'm low key upset at how it ended though. But that's why it's called a series, huh? I can't wait for the sequel!