Novel Review: Sweet Temptation (Sweet, #4) by Maya Banks

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: Erotica

Publisher: Heat (Penguin)

Release Date: 2010

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

He was a by-the-book cop who broke the rules in the bedroom...
Micah Hudson has painful secrets he's run hard from. He has new friends, a new life, but he's about to be confronted with the one person who reminds him of all he's tried to forget--Angelina, the sister of his oldest friend David. She knows everything about his past, including how he and David fell in love with the same woman, and how they decided the best way to prevent her from tearing them apart was to share her between them. But then a terrible accident left Micah alone...
She was willing to do anything to make him see the woman she'd become...
Micah lost the two people who meant the most in the world to him. Angelina lost her only family. And she kept her deepest secret close to her heart. Her love for Micah. No longer willing to wait, she decides it's time to go after him and bring him to his knees. She knows his secrets, his desires, his kinks and fetishes, and she'll use whatever it takes to reel him in. Behind the easygoing, loves women exterior lies a man with dark needs and passions. She can give him what he wants. But will he decide she's what he needs?

The Cover:

I really like this cover. It's sexy, it's sweet, it clearly shows that this is an erotica novel. i like it. There's also a fruit cover for this book, of an wet apple, and it's all right, too. It's one of the more appealing food covers for this type of book, although I still don't think it really has anything to do with the book.

Review:

I really enjoyed this one. I’ve liked most of Banks’ books that I’ve read, and especially the ones in this series. I was really looking forward to this one, both because I was intrigued by Micah and because it sounded particularly kinky. And I was not disappointed.

I liked Angelina a lot. I got why she wanted Micah, I saw her attraction to him (and him to her) clearly. I liked that she want after what she wanted, was persistent, but I also understood why she was conflicted. Micah was a bit frustrating a few times, but I did like him. I felt bad for what had happened to him, and I liked how good Angelina was for him.

The sex was a little extreme, with some sadomasochism stuff, some BDSM, spanking, threesomes and more, and the like. It was hot. Some people I know didn’t enjoy it much, but I rather liked it. It was well done, and hot. I also liked when they switched places, and the release that gave Micah.

I really liked the ending, how everything worked out. The stalker plotline was even exciting to me, and I really liked that, since often times they aren’t.

This was definitely another very good book of Banks’. I’m excited to read more. I especially look forward to going back and reading Julie and Nathan's story, as well as reading Cole’s book.

Book Review: Sweet Persuasion (Sweet, #2) by Maya Banks

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: Erotica, Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkley Heat (Penguin)

Release Date: 2009

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The man of her dreams would give the orders. For him, she had two words that satisfied them both..."Take me."

For five years, Serena has run Fantasy Incorporated and has devoted her time to fulfilling her clients' fantasies. Never her own. Until now...

Her most secret desire is to give ownership of her body to a man. Someone who will command her, pleasure her, and have complete authority over her. So she seeks out Damon Roche, owner of an exclusive sex club and a man strong enough to make her do anything he wants. Anything.

Together they'll journey into a world she's only dreamed of. She's given the opportunity to immerse herself in a different life while her normal one waits for her to return whenever she wishes. Damon has no desire to let her go, however. Serena is the woman he's long searched for, and it's up to him to convince her to stay when the game is all over with. He wants their fantasy to become their reality and for Serena to remain his pampered, cherished submissive.

The Cover:

I'm not really a fan of this cover. It's a little messy, unclear, and generally embarrassing and just not particularly pretty. There's also the fruit cover, which I do like more. It's actually pretty, the cherries look nice; I don't think it has much, if anything, to do with the book, but it's not bad.

Quotes:

• "'Settling is something I swore never to do. It’s not fair to me or to the woman I’m involved with.’” (Paperback, pg. 255)
• "'It is simple. If you want to stay, then don’t go.’” (Pg. 312)
• "Gained. Lost. Wasn’t life a never ending process of both?” (Pg. 312)

Review:

I’ve read a couple other books by Banks and have liked most of them, including the first in this series. I’ve been meaning to get my hands on others, and ended up getting this one. And I’m really glad that I did, because this was a really good book.

I loved the couple in this book, their progression, their relationship, their growth. There’s a lot of focus on D/s, particularly Dominance and submission, and that’s what I was looking for, and I thought it was really well done in this book. As well as incredibly hot. I don’t want to get too much into that, but I loved it, it was really good, and if anyone has suggestions for similar books please give them.

This was a surprisingly easy, fast read, and I liked that. Banks is really good at creating characters, very hot sex scenes, and she’s also a really good writer, in general. She spends a lot of time on the sex and developing of relationships, and particularly in this book, didn’t over-dramatize the break-up and make-up part. Whereas a lot of books have a huge break-up and angst, in this book, the break-up had very understandable reasons, and there was a pretty easy fix, and I liked that. It was refreshing. 

I am definitely planning to get the rest of this series now, as well as really any of Banks’ books, and hope to get another soon.

Novel Review: Sweet Surrender (Sweet, #1) by Maya Banks

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: Erotica with BDSM/Adult Romance

Publisher: Penguin (Berkley Sensation)

Publish Date: 2008

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

First Book in the Sweet Series by Maya Banks, and it “might just singe your fingertips off.”—New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh
Under Faith Malone’s soft exterior lies a woman who knows what she wants: A man who’ll take without asking—because she’s willing to give him everything…

Dallas cop Gray Montgomery wants only to find the guy who killed his partner and bring him to justice. What he’s found so far is a link between the killer and Faith—and if Gray has to get close to her to catch his man, all the better. She’s everything Gray desires in a woman, but he suspects she’s playing games. No way would she allow a man to call the shots in their relationship. Or would she?

Faith sees in Gray the strong, dominant man she needs, but he seems determined to keep her at a distance. So she takes matters into her own hands to prove to him it’s no game she’s playing. She’s willing to surrender to the right man. Gray would like to be that man. But catching his partner’s killer has to be his first priority. Until Faith is threatened and Gray realizes he will do anything to protect her…

Something Specific:

Quotes:

• "'It takes a very special woman to submit to a man but still retain everything that makes her strong and unique. Her own person.’” (Mass Market Paperback, pg. 193) I like this, the thought that it takes a strong woman to submit in this way.

The Cover:

This cover is fine. It suggests deeper things without revealing too much, and without making it too embarrassing. The colors are nice, and the overall image is just rather simple. Then there's this cover, which is much more revealing and sexy, giving more of an idea that this is erotic. The position of the clothing bothers me a little, but overall it's alright, if rather embarrassing. And finally, there's the fruit cover, which I am not a huge fan of. On the bright side, it's less embarrassing, more simple; but on the other side, it's a piece of fruit, and I don't really understand what the point of making a piece of fruit, particularly a ?, seductive and sexy. Plus, it has nothing to do with the book, so that's another mark down. But overall, none of the covers are that bad, and my favorite is probably the one above.

 

Review:

I rather enjoyed this book. It wasn’t amazing, it didn’t blow my mind or anything, there were a couple slow parts, but overall I rather enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more of the series.

I liked Faith, the main character. I enjoyed her personality, particularly how she knew what she wanted and went after it, even if she was at first a little bit misguided. Within the BDSM scene, she at first was a little misguided in how she was acting toward what she wanted, but I understood fully and related to her reasoning for it. I also liked her relationship with her father and the men around her, who she works with and generally who all just take care of her.

I didn’t feel anything particularly strong for Gray, nor did he leave me with much of an impression. I liked him enough, I suppose.

There was a good amount of sex in this book, all of which was rather good. There was BDSM and a threesome, and it was very nice. Banks usually writes pretty good sex scenes, though, and unlike whereas some of her books have so many that some of them seem to have no point, I didn’t feel that way with this book.

I don’t really have a whole lot else to say about this. I enjoyed it. And I plan on picking up any others in the series when I get the chance.