Dominic (Benedetti Brothers, Book 2)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

NATASHA KNIGHT

Goodreads synopsis: Dominic I was the boy who would never be king. The monster who could never be loved. Gia was just a job. Just another girl caught in a world of monsters. It didn’t matter that I liked the look of her. I didn’t care that she cringed when she saw my soul. I liked it. I liked her fear. And I wanted her. Monsters didn’t get to live happily ever after, though. I knew one day I’d have to go back. Because time neither forgave nor forgot. And neither did I. Old debts needed to be settled. Enemies punished. It was past time I returned to the family business. I’d been gone far too long.

Gia All my life, I believed in fairy tales. Not the Disney kind. Never those. I always knew life was darker than that. I was the daughter of a foot soldier. The sister of a snitch. A nobody. Monsters had been part of my life for as long as I could remember, but none as dark as Dominic Benedetti. None as cruel. None as broken. I had no illusions about what he was. I had no desire to save his soul. And I couldn’t care about his bleeding heart. But love isn’t always beautiful. It could be a twisted, ugly bitch. I’d always known this was the kind I’d find. The only kind that could touch me. Because some of us, we belonged in the dark. And Dominic and I belonged in the dark. 

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Fear has a distinct smell, something that belongs only to it.

My thoughts: Mafia romance in general does not appeal to me. But I read the first book in this series because I'm a fan of the author, and I really enjoying it, and bought this second book. In my review of SALVATORE, I noted that “the premise is a little horrifying”. Well, let me tell you, the premise of this follow up is a LOT horrifying. In fact, I really did not see how Dominic was going to be a romance book hero. But to be fair, Ms. Knight does warn readers in an author's note that “you won't think him a hero, not for a long time, maybe not ever...”. And the further I got into the book the more I did like Dominic, and I sure wanted him to have redemption and a happy ever after.

But here's the difference between Dominic and his brother. Salvatore wanted out of the life. Out of the family business. Dominic wanted to run the family business. Redemption? Where Gia is concerned, yes, he does redeem himself. And he vows that her hands will stay clean. He will shield her from the dark side of his life. But when the book ends and they get their HEA, he's still a mobster.

But again, the author gave us that warning, so despite my disappointment that he did not make the break to a normal family life as Salvatore did, I'm giving the book the same rating I gave the first book – four stars. And I intend to read SERGIO, which I bought with this book, and then I'll probably buy GIOVANNI as well.

And, oh yeah, as with everything I've read from Ms. Knight, gripping, captivating,and steamy!

     

 

Salvatore: A Dark Mafia Romance (Benedetti Brothers, Book 1)

NATASHA KNIGHT

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Lucia   

It all started with a contract signed by him, then by me, while our families watched. While my father sat silent, a man defeated, giving his daughter to the Benedetti monsters. I obeyed. I played my part. I signed my name and gave away my life. I became their living, breathing trophy, a constant symbol of their power over us. That was five years ago. Then came the time for him to claim me. For Salvatore Benedetti to own me. I had vowed vengeance. I had learned hate. And yet, nothing could have prepared me for the man who now ruled my life. I expected a monster, one I would destroy. But nothing is ever black or white. No one is either good or evil. For all his darkness, I saw his light. For all his evil, I saw his good. As much as he made me hate him, a passion hotter than the fires of hell burned inside me. I was his, and he was mine. My very own monster.

Salvatore

I owned the DeMarco Mafia Princess. She belonged to me now. We had won, and they had lost. And what better way to teach a lesson than to take from them that which is most precious? Most beloved? I was the boy who would be king. Next in line to rule the Benedetti Family. Lucia DeMarco was the spoils of war. Mine to do with as I pleased. It was my duty to break her. To make her life a living hell. My soul was dark, I was hell bound. And there was no way out, not for either of us. Because the Benedetti family never lost, and in our wake, we left destruction. It’s how it had always been. How I believed it would always be. Until Lucia.

Author’s Note: Salvatore and Lucia’s story is a steamy standalone romance with a happily-ever-after. No cliffhanger and no cheating. It is intended for mature readers.

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

How acquired: Bought.

My thoughts:  Mafia, mobsters, gangsters, and the like – not the type of hero who has ever appealed to me. Violent men in violent worlds, breaking laws and laundering money and killing rivals. What's to love about those men? But the author of this book is Natasha Knight, and I very much like her, so I took a chance and doled out the $11.99 for it. And I'm happy to say I have no regrets.

The premise is a little horrifying. Two heads of rival mob families signing a contract for peace between the families, with one man giving his teen-aged daughter to the other man's son. Lucia is forced to sign a contract that effectively gives ownership of her to Salvatore. Would it hold up in a court of law? Of course not. Lucia is a minor and slavery is outlawed. But the mob doesn't follow our laws, and both Lucia's and Salvatore's fates are sealed that day.

Fortunately, Lucia is sent away to a boarding school for the first five years of the contract, so she's of legal age before she is actually physically handed over to Salvatore. She hates him of course, and his father and brother, not to mention her own father for putting her in this position. But she's strong and feisty, and refuses to cower down.

The story is told in first person POV, alternating between Lucia and Salvatore, and I don't think the story could have worked as well otherwise. Hearing Salvatore's side of the story, his thoughts and feelings about a contract that he, too, was forced into, helped make his character sympathetic. He wasn't just a mobster, he was a man who lived under the thumb of his overbearing father, who still mourned the loss of his older brother, and who was determined to protect Lucia and make the situation as easy on her as he could, albeit while still maintaining control of her.

Definitely a relationship with a rocky start. And then a war is brewing, and with Salvatore's brother and Lucia's sister and cousin involved, it's hard to imagine our hero and heroine ever coexisting peacefully. When you're born into a mob family, it seems your life is never just your own, but you can't just walk away. For Salvatore, there is some soul searching, a yearning for a different kind of life. Men who seek redemption – what's not to love about them? 

Protective Custody

NATASHA KNIGHT

Synopsis from Goodreads: When Skye Madden is caught trespassing at an exclusive ski resort while trying to support herself as a tabloid photographer, she is stunned to discover that her childhood crush, Aidan Hastings, is the head of security. More shocking still, Aidan tells her in no uncertain terms that if she is found snooping around the resort again, he’ll take her over his knee and give her a spanking she’ll never forget.

When her boss sends her back to the same resort a year later on another assignment, Skye can’t help but remember Aidan’s warning, but a spanking quickly becomes the least of her worries after she gets lost on the mountain. While trying to find her way back, things go from bad to worse when she witnesses a cold-blooded murder, and she is left with no choice but to confess everything to Aidan. Worst of all, it appears that the murder is connected to the Russian mob. 

Aidan decides he’s taking no chances with his best friend’s little sister, a girl he’s never been able to forget. As a former special agent, he is more than ready to do whatever is needed to keep her safe, even if that means taking her into hiding in an isolated cabin, whether she likes it or not. But Skye Madden has grown even more stubborn and headstrong than he remembered, and he soon realizes it will take quite a bit more than just a bare-bottom spanking to bring her in line. 

Even with her world collapsing around her, Skye wonders how she can let this man—someone who has a place called a “punishment room” in his house, on top of everything else—start to claim her heart again. Can she learn to trust her firm protector, or will she take matters into her own hands and put her life in even greater danger? 

Publisher’s Note: Protective Custody is an erotic novel that includes spankings, sexual scenes, anal play, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, published by Stormy Night Publications, 2015.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Skye Madden sat in the holding cell along with her colleague, Barb Smith, at the Blue Piste Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado.

My thoughts: Skye is a photographer for a tabloid paper, a job she’s not necessarily proud of but it’s a job and puts food on the table. She and a colleague are caught trespassing on the grounds of a posh mountain resort, where the head of the security team turns out to be Aidan, who was her older brother’s best friend years ago, and who kissed her on her 18th birthday and then disappeared. He lets her go, with a warning that if he catches her sneaking around his mountain again, he’ll spank her.

A year later, and she is again sneaking around the resort, trying to get pictures of a celebrity rumored to be there with his mistress. But this time she witnesses a murder before getting caught by security, who once again deliver her to Aidan.

Given that two Russian mob families are involved, and Skye’s life would be in danger if they ever found out she’d taken pictures of them, Aidan makes Skye stay with him so he can protect her. And punish her.

I was drawn into the story very quickly. A tabloid photographer is definitely a sleazy profession, but Skye is a very likable character, though seeming younger than her age and pretty naive. Even while doing her job her conscience pricks her and she has misgivings, but a girl’s got to eat, right? It’s been ten years since Aidan, who is quite a bit older than her, kissed her, and she’s been angry at him ever since for just leaving and disappearing completely. Aidan has never forgotten that kiss either, but he believed at the time he was too old for her, and then he went undercover and couldn’t contact her or her brother if he’d wanted to.

The relationship between them develops quickly, which is expected given their history and the current circumstances, so it didn’t feel too rushed. The plot line with the Russian mob families at first felt a little unrealistic to me, but then quickly became suspenseful. In the middle of the heaviest action though the narrative sort of jumped over the action, so that events happened but were not described. For instance, Aidan leaves Skye at a hidden cabin, and she locks the door behind him:

But before she ever had a chance to unzip her bag and take out the blanket she’d packed, there was a muffled sound of something she wasn’t sure she recognized at the door and within a few moments, two men were inside, one reaching for her, silencing her with a hand over her mouth before she could even scream.

What happened during those “few moments”? How did the men actually get inside? Did they pick the lock? Break down the door? Jimmy it open? Too much was left out there. In another scene, Aidan is sitting in a chair, with a man standing behind him, holding a gun to his head:

Aidan jumped up from his seat while taking out his own hidden revolver and knocking the guard over the head.

With that sentence and the next one, the fight with the guard is over, and I felt like it should have lasted for several sentences. 

Other than that, the story is pretty mesmerizing. The characters are fairly well written, and the sex was sizzling. Natasha Knight specializes in erotic stories filled with spanking and other BDSM elements, and she's very good at it. For Skye, this is completely new territory, and her emotions are all over the place, as she tries to process and understand why Aidan's treatment of her embarrasses and humiliates her, yet thrills and arouses her at the same time. In addition to spanking, there is bondage and anal play. But there's also a sweet love story at the core, with a satisfying resolution. 

Aching to Submit

NATASHA KNIGHT 

Synopsis: Though deeply in love with her husband Michael, for years Sophie has longed to give him not only her love, but her submission as well. In spite of her yearning to kneel at his feet, fear of rejection keeps her from sharing the truth with him. Though she would never give her body to another man, her need to submit drives her to seek out others like herself and learn more… until Michael discovers her deception and she fears her marriage may be over.
Despite the anger and sadness which tear at his heart when he learns that his wife has kept such an important secret from him, Michael is not going to give up the love of his life without a fight. It will take time, but he is more than ready to be the man she needs, the man to whom she will gladly submit. First, though, she must be firmly disciplined for her betrayal of his trust…
Standing naked before her husband, awaiting a punishment which will bring her to tears and leave her bare bottom red and sore, submission suddenly feels truly real to Sophie for the first time. As Michael asserts his dominance more and more with each passing day, Sophie begins to see him in a way she has never seen him before, and her desire for him seems to know no bounds. But is this just a second honeymoon of sorts, or will Sophie’s submission endure through the trials of everyday life?

First line: Sophie drew the curtains of the study windows closed.

Stats for my copy: E-book, published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, L.L.C., 2013. I won this book from the author after participating in Ana's Advent Calendar 

My thoughts: I'm going to admit right now that while I've read lots of erotica (ok, maybe not “lots”, but quite a bit), I am very very new to reading domestic discipline stories, and not really familiar with the lifestyle. At all. Which I realized more and more as I got further into this book. And I believe this book is a good primer for anyone wanting to learn more.

I'm not going to go into a synopsis of the story, as the one I pulled from Goodreads up above does a pretty good job, except to mention that there is a third character, Kyan, who owns a club Sophie goes to while Michael is out of town, and who takes her, and later Michael, under his whip, er, I mean, wing, and guides them on their journey. Kyan is an important part of the story, as he provides much wisdom and insight.

I prefer stories that are character driven over plot driven, and ACHING TO SUBMIT fits that category quite nicely. The characters are richly drawn, and likable and relateable (is that a word? My spell check thinks not.). The author gets deep into their heads and explores their thoughts and emotions. Sophie is drawn to the club, to the lifestyle, without understanding why or what it fully encompasses. She loves her husband, but after a couple of miscarriages and a move to a new country, and with Michael traveling a lot for his job, she is unhappy and dissatisfied. She fantasizes about being spanked, but when Kyan offers to do it for her, she is unable to accept, wanting to share the experience with Michael. But she is afraid to tell Michael.

When Michael does learn of her desires, he willingly steps into the role of dominant. He adores Sophie and will do anything to make her happy. But he is also nervous, worried that he will really hurt her, and then worried that there is something wrong with him when he realizes how much he likes being in charge and doling out punishment. Both characters do a lot of soul searching as they learn and adjust to the new experiences. And they also talk about it, discuss it, and learn to communicate with each other about it.

I feel that I now have a better understanding of domestic discipline. Do I want to experience it myself? Eh, let's not go that far. But I will continue reading about it, and I definitely want to read more from this author.