Pretty When You Cry
Series: Stripped #3
Genre: Dark Erotic Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: October 16, 2015
A new dark romance novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Prisoner…
I came from a place of dirt floors and holy scriptures. They told me the world outside was full of sin, and the first night I escape, I find out it’s true. Ivan saves me, but he does more than that. He takes me. He makes me his own girl.
My conditioning runs too deep. Ivan sees what I am.
That’s the thing about showing a mouse to a cat. He wants to play. And it’s terrifying, even for me. Because the only thing darker than my past is his.
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Author’s Note: Pretty When You Cry is a STANDALONE dark romance novel. It’s set in the sexy Stripped series world but can be read alone. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.
I never wanted to be pretty. I never wanted to drive men to sin- until that was all I had left.
Let’s talk dark erotic taboo. This depraved pervert can’t get enough of it. Take a look at my read shelves and you’ll see what I mean. I loves me some kink. But here’s the thing, even my perviness has it’s limit, and it doesn’t matter who writes it or how amazing the book is, it is guaranteed to deflate my enjoyment quicker than whisky dick: The “Daddy/Little One” kink. Can I look past it to finish a book where I’m loving the story, as was the case here? Absolutely. Does it tickle my particular fancy?
True story.
Having not read the previous books in this series (yet), I had no issues at all reading this as a standalone even though it’s book 4. I am planning on going back and rectifying this immediately though because I do Skye Warren’s writing. The story is intense, captivating, deliciously depraved, and with Skye’s signature grit added into the mix. As a matter of fact, I read the book cover to cover in one sitting. So that really goes to show you that the story alone is worth it.
Now I would not classify this as dark romance, but really dark erotica with a touch of taboo. Why? While Ivan and Candy have one intense relationship, this is not a story where I felt their undying devotion to one another. It was a depraved relationship; one of mutual need and kinks. Ivan needs to control and dominate, while Candy may be more take-charge in her life but is completely subservient with Ivan.
Candice met Ivan when she had nothing. Leaving behind everyone she knows and everything she has, she was running and desperate. Ivan fed on her need but not in a sexual way. At least not at first. After all, when they first meet she’s only 16 years old. The sexual aspect of their relationship only comes into play three years later. I never did pick up on Ivan’s age. Perhaps this was mentioned in the previous books, but I’m left to believe that he was considerably older and so the Daddy thing icked me out even more.
There’s the added element of suspense that weaved into the plot flawlessly and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. Unfortunately as much as I loved Ivan and Candy individually, together they were just OK for me and I blame that entirely on the “daddy” thing.
“Don’t lie to me, little one.”
“Please let me come. I…I need to. It hurts in my private place.”
Hurts in your private place?
Honestly, between Candy’s inexperience, Ivan’s domineering personality and need to “take care” of her, the sexual aspect of this book did absolutely nothing for me. At all. I didn’t find it hot or erotic. It just was.
What kept me turning the pages was the suspense element, and I was highly underwhelmed with how everything resolved. I got almost no answers for anything. Except for one minor resolution everything else was left hanging in the air. I’m not sure if this is something that will be addressed in the future books, but I was disappointed with it in this one. It felt like a very quick resolution to a slow build up.
Skye Warren’s writing is captivating enough to carry the book for me even though the daddy thing fizzled it, so it wasn’t a dislike. While I can’t say I loved it, I can’t tell you I hated it either. I’m definitely hooked enough to read the rest of the series; previous and future books. Hopefully there will be no more Daddys in the next ones for my ovaries’ sake anyway.
READ THE SERIES IN ORDER
Love The Way You Lie
Stripped #1
Better When It Hurts
Stripped #2
Even Better
Stripped #2.5
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Logan is an ex-con with an aversion to cops, and the Abby eleven years later just happens to be a detective. A match made in heaven they are not. I absolutely loved these two together. Abby may be a touch prissy, but she sure gives as good as she gets. Logan is everything I’ve come to love in a Brazen hero, totally alpha and a dirty talking god. Add in a secret pregnancy trope, and watch the sparks fly! My only quibble is what I felt was a little too much cheese with the ending. 
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Right then.
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In addition to the fantastic secondary characters, the wit and the humor, the setting of the book is what really hooked me. The author did such a fabulous job truly engrossing the reader in this wonderful town. I couldn’t help but be transported there myself as I was reading it.
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Truth be told, I’m always hesitant with the first book in a PNR series because almost always it will suffer what I refer to as a case of the firsts. What I mean is, between the introduction of all the characters, the world building, and everything in between, I often find myself taking a while to get into the story and wrap my mind around everything. I was beyond thrilled and not a little surprised that that wasn’t the case here. I was sucked into the book immediately. The character development, the rich world building, the unbelievably sizzling sexual tension is what made this book the unputdownable read that it was.
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You know how sometimes you read a book by a new author and you just know that this is someone that you’re going to be hooked on for a long time? Exposed by Ivy Stone was that book for me. It was a page turner I never wanted to set down. The writing was complex, enthralling, with a touch of grit and incredibly sexy. The characters were well developed and multi-layered. What truly hooked me was the author’s voice and writing style. I simply couldn’t get enough of it. If this book is anything to go by, Miss Stone has quite the career ahead of her and she certainly got herself a huge fan in me.
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There were a few things that left me with questions about both Mason and Lindsey. Things that I wished were fleshed out a little bit more. Things about Lindsey’s past and how she got into the life that she did that I wish we got more development on. I also found myself questioning a few decisions that Mason made as a cop that I had difficulty suspending my disbelief on.
You know when you spend months (or years) waiting for a book for a certain character that you build up in your head and you start to think that no way will the actual book live up to the expectations you built up? But then you read it and not only does it meet each and every single one of your expectations but it blows it out of the water? That was what Seduction Game was for me. This book was everything I’ve come to love about this author’s writing and even more so about this series. I’ve been a huge fan of the I-Team since I first read 
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I love that the author takes you back in time to show the reader exactly what happened between these two all those years ago. It only serves to strengthen the connection to both the characters as well as the connection between them. I love me a sexy Dom that can kick some ass and then spank it. What? I’m being honest here. Axel is a hero that you’ll definitely fall for. Mystery was a great heroine in her own right. She may be inexperienced in the brand of kink that Axel likes, but she’s no blushing virgin. If you’re not a fan of hardcore BDSM, rest easy, there’s no whips or chains in this one. Axel is kinky, but it’s light on the BDSM. A little spanking here, a little bondage there. Mix, repeat, end with orgasms.
