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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Breathless Trilogy comes the first novel in the Enforcers series—a bold new direction in erotic romance that explores the games men and women play, and the price they’re willing to pay for pleasure.
What he wants, he takes with no remorse or guilt.
She stood out in his club like a gem, unspoiled and untouched. A lamb among wolves, she clearly didn’t belong. Drawn to her innocence he watched as she was surrounded by men who saw what he did—but no one but him could touch her. He summoned her to his private quarters. He sensed her fear. He also recognized the desire in her eyes. And he knew she wouldn’t leave before he possessed her. She had no need to know his secrets. Not until he had her under his complete and utter control.
What he wants, she isn’t sure she can give him.
The moment he told her want he wanted, she couldn’t resist. Instinct told her to run, but her heart said stay and walk the fine line between pleasure and pain. Though she wasn’t sure she could ever completely surrender, the primal part of her wanted to try, even knowing this man could break her in ways she never imagined. Because once he possessed her, he owned her and it would be too late to turn back. She can only pray that he doesn’t destroy her in the end.
Coming May 2016: The Enforcers Book II: Dominated
Review
This book has me so conflicted…at times, it totally turned me off, and I was supremely annoyed at both the hero and the heroine for their actions and attitudes. Other times, I understood why Drake was the way he was and how that actually helped Evangeline to feel cherished and loved. The parts where Drake’s partners interacted with Evangeline were my favorite because those scenes truly illustrated what an honest and genuine person could do for even the toughest badasses around, and I have to say that Silas is, by far, my favorite secondary character, and I can’t wait for his story.
There are going to be mixed reviews for Drake and Evangeline’s story because some readers will view Evangeline as extremely weak and docile while others will have a hard time not placing Drake in the alpha asshole category with no hope of getting out of it even when he shows his humanity towards Evangeline. I absolutely felt both of those reactions during parts of the story, but I also witnessed Evangeline’s strength, especially at the end of the text, which gives me hope that in the follow-up story, Evangeline will guard her heart more and look out for herself without worrying about the repercussions.
In my opinion, Drake has a lot to make up for heading into Dominated, and I’m not quite sure how he’s going pull that off because his need for control and the necessity of having no weaknesses is not something that will get him the results he demands. By requiring absolute submission and expecting all orders to be followed since it is his world and his rules, he’s set himself up for a less than stellar outcome, because as he’s stated quite frequently, Evangeline is nothing like his “usual” women, and for that reason, he needs to create a new set of standards and be willing to bend and compromise in order to keep the one woman who just might be his perfect match, but for a man whose lifestyle is meticulously controlled, the casualties of this new arrangement with Evangeline may not end well for anyone involved, especially the man who commandeered her presence in his carefully constructed lifestyle.
Overall, I enjoyed Mastered. There were parts I found problematic, especially the cyclical nature of Evangeline’s self esteem issues combined with her out of character tongue lashings of Drake’s men and, at times, Drake himself. I understand that Evangeline’s outward demeanor is due to a variety of factors, but the way it’s overly emphasized throughout the entire text made it difficult to take those other moments of tenacity at face value. I also have a big issue with Evangeline’s so called best friends, and I hope Maya Banks explores those relationships in book 2 because for how much they cared for and helped Evangeline in the beginning of the story to then have no part in her life because she chose to stay with Drake just didn’t work for me, and I need some insight into why that would happen. There’s work to be done in a multitude of areas in order for Evangeline and Drake to work through their issues, and I’m sure Drake’s partners/brothers will have a thing or two to say about his latest actions, and as Maya Banks has demonstrated multiple times throughout Mastered, I would not want to be the one to face the wrath of his enforcers, especially since they all have grown quite fond of Evangeline.
A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
At times a 3….other times a 3.5….still other times a 4
Overall: 3.5 Poison Apples
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