When Lana Bloom learns the devastating news that her mother is dying, she is faced with a terrible dilemma. The one thing that can save her is the one thing she does not have.
For young and Innocent Lana, The unthinkable is her only choice.
When she walks through the door of that exclusive restaurant she has no idea of the seismic shift her life is about to take, for the highest bidder will not be the rich man she has accompanied.
Fate drops her at the feet of the deeply mysterious and dazzlingly gorgeous American banker, Blake Law Barrington. Throbbing with raw masculinity and arrogance, this is a man who owns all that he pursues.
And now he wants her.
Lana cannot deny she is both intrigued and intoxicated by the world Blake inhabits and the smouldering passion he stirs in her body, but she is also fearful for this man is addictive and right now she is very vulnerable. She knows she should focus only on the arrangement, but how can she?
When he has opened a door that cannot be closed…
My world is ugly and corrupt. It only looks good from the outside. When our time is over, I must return you the way I found you, pure and innocent. Let me hide a little while longer in your world.
WOW
I am completely blown away, utterly captivated, and totally sucked in by this story.
Now be honest, you probably took a look at that cover, blurb, and title and thought to yourself that this is yet another mostly unoriginal take on the extremely overdone plot line, right? A rich and jaded hero meets the naive virginal heroine, They have some sex, they face some obstacles, they have some more sex, and then it all gets wrapped up in a pretty little bow. Well that is precisely what I thought going into this. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There were a few Britishisms that I wasn’t familiar with, and the writing style took some getting used to, but once I did I simply couldn’t put this book down. You know how sometimes you read a book and you just know that this author was meant to write? Georgia was that author for me. She is able to take words and weave them together into an intricate story that almost has a poetic and lyrical feel to it. I was completely enraptured in the story, the writing, and the characters. But enough of my gush mode…
What would you do if you were desperate? If the mother you love more has less than a few weeks to live due to stage 4 cancer? If you knew that all that keeps you from the potential cure with an unorthodox doctor is a few thousand dollars that you just don’t have? Would you sell the only thing you have to barter with, you body? That is precisely what Lana Bloom does.
Having grown up in poverty, luck doesn’t seem to be on her side. Particularly when the first person to court her proposal is a sadistic man with some extremely brutal tastes. But when Lana catches the eye of the very rich and even more jaded Blake, she sees the answer to her problems.
Blake comes from old money. There is nothing and no one that he cannot have, buy, or fuck. Life has left him cold, brutal, and jaded. But when he sees the young beauty at the restaurant he knows that he has to have her…at least until he gets bored with her.
The arrangement? 3 months of having her however, whenever, and wherever he wants. The price? One hundred thousand pounds.
I was afraid that Lana being 19 and innocent, she would grate with me with her naivety. But while she may have been innocent and naive, it was in a very endearing way. I soon found myself forgetting that she was only 19. I found myself growing to like her the more I read. She had a hard time coming to terms with the arrangement, and Blake wasn’t exactly flowery or romantic with his explanations.
I also found myself getting more and more invested in their connection. The pacing was perfect. There was no insta-anything (well maybe insta-lust on Blake’s behalf). Their relationship wasn’t smooth or perfect. The more I read about Lana ad Blake, the more I grew to like them.
The steam level was perfect. It wasn’t overdone but just the perfect amount. And the way it was written was equal parts erotic and beautiful in a very effortless way.
Suddenly like a whip passion curls and races through her body, surprising her with its ferocity. It erupts in a strangled cry that surprises even him. He looks at her possessively, proudly, as if he has branded her. He is the owner of her lust. In his hands and mouth and body he holds her pleasure. He said he wanted to fuck her senseless and he does. His pace becomes punishingly hard and fast, but she loves the pounding. Something is billowing through her; it feels as though it could bring some kind of release. When it comes it is a riotous, glorious tidal wave that rips through her. She becomes one with him, one body, one mind, one soul.
Before long feelings begin to enter the equation for Lana. As much as she knows that it’s a dead end and will only lead her to heartbreak, she can’t help but fall for Blake.
What I truly loved is how realistic the turnaround for Blake and his feelings was. He was cold and brutal in the beginning, but ultimately things begin to get complicated when he finds his feelings taking a drastic turn.
This book was so much more than a simple story of billionaire falling for the innocent virgin. It had a dark undercurrent to it which was essentially what fully captured my attention. I spent the whole book waiting for the other shoe to drop…and when it did…WOW.
Was it perfect? No. There were moments where the transitions weren’t clear and I found myself getting confused about who’s POV I was currently reading. But this was a small speck that I soon found myself completely forgetting. It’s not often that I find a book that keeps me up all night, unable to put it down until I know what happens next.
I am blown away that this is Georgia’s debut contemporary romance novel.
Was it steamy? Hell yes.
Was it overdone and oversexed? Not even close.
Is it a book I’d re-read? In a heartbeat
Was there a cliffhanger? Yes. But luckily book 2 comes out Jan 24, and the author has let me know we can expect a HEA for Blake and Lana there.
This book took me out of my 2 week book slump. I simply cannot recommend it enough. Georgia, dear, I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner. I will be stalking your upcoming releases and you have completely won me over my jaded little heart.
Now I am done with my fangirling episode. All I can say is read this book! Read it! Hopefully you’ll love it as much as I did. And I thank you
**ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review.**
INTENSE
I won’t be your Master, but I will be your mentor. If you show me you can behave. Those are my terms. No revisions, no loopholes, no games. If you can’t handle that, collect your stuff, take your fuck-me-now slut attitude, and get out of this office.
Maddie, look at me and listen.
They didn’t like each other. Couldn’t carry on a conversation without snipping at each other, and couldn’t snipe at each other without ending up in compromising positions.
