Blue by Brynn Ford

Blue by Brynn Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this book is probably worth 4 1/2 stars, I'm not going to round it up to five for one reason. This is book one of a duet and the very fact that it's left me with a cliff hanger means that I'm just going to hold onto that last half star for now.
This is a story about love and about pain. It's about physical pain in the form of a BDSM relationship, or rather some relationships. It's also about the pain of loss and love. I probably should have included this at the beginning of the review, but it's worth noting that the storyline features a stillbirth and the loss that goes with that. In fact, it's this that drives much of both Desi and Vaughn's actions as they struggle to come to terms with the death and loss of their daughter. This is also a book that more than flirts with cheating and something that is more than an emotional affair. That said, this was a great read.
I couldn't help be pulled into Desi, Vaughan, Law and Ris's world. So much so that I read this book in one day, despite it not exactly been a short read. I've also had to buy book two in the duet because I just have to know what happens next. I'm going to see if I can resist diving straight in, just because I don't want it to end too soon. I doubt I'll last though. This is definitely a greedy read storyline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Taking the Lead - Tara Eldana

Taking the Lead by Tara Eldana
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 stars read.
I loved the idea behind this book, identical twins, with one woman being attracted to both despite them being quite different in a number of ways. Between them, they decide to go for a bit of an unconventional approach to the relationship and of course this leads to the worries, jealousies and concerns that you would expect.
There was a lot to deal with here, juggling the emotions of all three and how that might lead to something that they could all live with. For the most part, it was an entertaining and interesting read. There were a couple of things that for me at least, stopped this from being a full four stars. The characters, particularly the twins weren't different enough to make it obvious who you were reading about, which was a bit annoying. I also found that there seemed to be quite a few sudden leaps in ideas. (Everyone suddenly decides that Jessa is a switch, with absolutely nothing to suggest that she's anything to be honest before they're all proclaiming it.) The ending was a bit odd too, I sort of see why things unfolded as they did, although I wasn't totally on board with it, there was no need for four or five chapters that were two months later, six months later, a year later etc.
Overall this wasn't a bad read and had quite a bit I did enjoy, but the execution of the plot wasn't quite there and it just stopped it from being a really good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Control Freak - Brianna Hale

Control Freak by Brianna Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Years ago I used to have a cartoon strip that I had cut out of the paper at school. It was about a girl who walked around on her head and couldn't find love, then she met a man who walked on his head too. I always liked the idea that although you might not be perfect for everyone, there's someone out there that's perfect for you. In many ways, that is the theme of this book.
I do feel as though I need to say a couple of things at the start. Firstly, while this is a book with a heavily sexual element, in fact, a heavy BDSM element (which should be no surprise if you look at the title and the cover) that's not really what it is all about. Often this type of book is pure escapism and fantasy, but that's not really the case here. Our lead female character, Lacey, is anorexic or recovering from anorexia. Much of the storyline focuses on her attempts to deal with the hold that it has over her and the way that it controls her life. Stian offers her a different type of control and structure that helps her to deal with her issues.
I am often quite sceptical about books where there is a huge age difference and seemingly a difference in power between the two characters, but I'm not sure that that is the case here. At the same time, I'm not totally sure that it isn't either. Stian does help Lacey with her demons, but he isn't there to cure her, they just are right for one another in many ways.
For me, much of this book raised as many questions as it answered and while I loved every second of it, I'm left thinking about it long after the close of the last chapter. I found it well written, gripping and ultimately hugely satisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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