Krissys Books

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Removed (The Nogiku Series #1) by S.J. Pajonas

Review:

Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love, happiness, and excitement on New Year’s Eve. Ripped from the job she always loved, she is reassigned to work for mysterious Mark Sakai and spy on the corrupt leaders of her city. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.

Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger, and her only protection is to learn to defend herself. But defense training under the watchful eye of Jiro, a strong and enigmatic young man she has a crush on, was not what she expected. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts all of humanity in jeopardy.

I really thought Removed could have achieved five stars if we had gotten the same development in pacing and suspense as we got in all of the really fantastic world building that took place in Removed.

Its really impressive just how much thought Pajonas really put into this book because there is just so much to take in that its hard to absorb it all in just reading it one time.

I do that that we could have used more character emotions and involvement to balance out just how heavy all the history is in this book just because there is such an impressive amount of it.

I like that there were so many levels to this book in both culture and possibilities because it expands the many areas Pajonas can take this series in future installments.

Removed is unique, its well written and I hope for Pajonas to create suspense and excitement because it would be nice to have some thrilling adventures in there as well.

Granted its a heavily detailed book that it bogs down what little self exploration there is but Pajonas has really done a great job with this book.

Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from the Author.

If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! I love hearing from followers! Thank you!

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1450502/removed-the-nogiku-series-1-by-s-j-pajonas

Bound (True Desires #1) by Sasha White

Review:

Everybody has a dark side. I just never expected mine to come out in my sexuality. But in that quiet time before I drift off to sleep the images that come into my mind shock even me. You see, I’ve always been the good girl. The steady one, the responsible one, but ever since I set eyes on Joe Carson, the dreams have turned into urges… a restlessness I can’t resist.

So I don’t.

No one is more shocked than me when after putting on a private show of self love for Joe, I tell him I’ll do anything for him… and he holds me to it.

I admit it. I’m an addict.

I’m addicted to the freedom that I find in his arms…and I’m worried it might cost me the freedom from small town existence I’ve been working towards my whole life.

I felt as if I only got half the story in Bound. I don't know if we are supposed to expect a "his and her" version of Bound but I felt like we needed more from all of the characters and more from the story.

I didn't get a whole lot out of the plot or the sex. I didn't really care as a reader why any one was doing anything or Kate's conflicting emotions because they didn't feel very developed. I wanted more emotion from all involved because it all felt just a little incomplete and numb to me.

The story was still good but just not what I was expecting from Sasha White.

Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from the Author.

If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! I love hearing from followers! Thank you!

Original post: kkmalott.booklikes.com/post/1450489/bound-true-desires-1-by-sasha-white

Protege by Lydia Michaels

Review:

For too long, French teacher Collette Banks has locked her deepest desires away in the darkest corners of her mind. But now, she’s taking matters into her own hands by applying to a secret and exclusive society devoted to matching people with their ideal partner—or partners…

Founder Jude Duval has set up strict rules for admitting people into his world. But when he interviews Collette, he finds himself breaking protocol. Her innocence disarms him. Her willingness to explore her own sensuality delights him. And her spirit challenges him—enough to take her on as his own protégé .

What starts out as Collette’s erotic awakening will draw them both in deeper than either of them could have ever imagined…

I really liked Protege more than I have many other dom/sub erotica's lately because at least the author appears to have a better understanding of what d/s relationships really are. She also expands her concept also extends to include instead of fidelity a sense of freedom in exploring not just eachother but the freedom aspect in being able to explore group sex without shame because its considered a form of testing ones limitations.

The sex scenes are really hot and well explored in detail and so are the more emotional more personal interactions away from the sex.

This is where I hit a couple snags. Collette has plenty of reservations about the lifestyle due to her past and Jude had a wishwash way of accepting her ignorance with demanding her submission despite knowing about her past.

Past development in Erotica novels has recently become an issue for me lately because this genre is full of characters that are flawed, broken and come from traumatizing pasts. I would like to read one erotica that doesn't include a hero or heroine who hasn't been abused or harmed in some way or damaged in some way in order for them to want to be a part of the bdsm world.

I thought Collette could have as easily been an innocent minded person without the past she had but often many authors use this as the reason for the f/m to want to be a part of the world to begin with. It triggers their need to explore it and it expresses a connection to that trauma while they're in it. It exorcises something within them to do it. That's understandable but I felt Collette could have just as well done without it and it would have prevented the mixed feelings I had about Jude's constant back and forth from preventing me from investing in him as a character and a partner to Collette.

It would have made their interactions and the development of their relationship much more healthier and organic to me as a reader.

I still felt it was a really great book but to me personally I would really like to see normal characters without all the baggage and trauma explore this world as well.