Review

Sara McMillian is a quiet school teacher who loves her simple life. She’s been on the other side of the coin. Rich family with strict controlling men and the price she had to pay was too much. When her friend Ella runs off to Paris to elope and thrust a key to a storage space in her hands, Sara's whole world changes.

Ella is into storage auctions and she won Rachel’s unit along with her personal journals. So now that Sara has them, she can’t help but read each elicit and dangerous word. Worried that something has happened to Rachel and could happen to Ella, Sara decides to discover the truth about the man in Rachel’s journal. The best place to start is the art gallery that Rachel used to work at.

Sara’s new boss, Mark, fits the bill of Rachel’s mystery man. He is controlling, dominating and has a dark side. Despite his good looks, there is something about him that Sara doesn’t completely trust. Then there's Chris Merit, a painter who is infatuated with Sara and wants to paint her. Sara is drawn to Chris but he has a dark side and before long she is caught up in a world she's afraid she can’t escape from.

Wow! This book is hot and steamy. I don’t know why Sara throws herself into this world without a moment’s hesitation. I mean, I wouldn’t be so quick to want to find out what happened to Rachel but she's curious. Even though there are signs that these men are dangerous, she can’t help herself. I admit that Rachel’s journal entries were hot and showed the mystery man’s claim over her.

“I’ve learned my lesson from past encounters. He enjoys the vulnerability of a plea far too much. Enjoys withholding his pleasures, until I am nearly quaking with the burn of my body. Until I am liquid heat and tears. He likes that power over me. He likes that full control. I should hate him. Sometimes, I think I love him.”

Chris is a painter who is brooding and intense. Their chemistry is undeniable from the start and he slowly works his way into her life. I like the fact that he is subtle in his machination of her. Their first sexual encounter in his apartment is scorching. That whole window scene sucked me in quickly and it will stay in my mind for a long time.

Sara is a bit naïve, in my honest opinion, but there's a strength to her that comes out when needed. She comes from a privileged background and resents it and the people in that world, especially her father. Despite this, she wants a purely sexual relationship with Chris. Chris understands this and agrees because he is damaged from his own background. The two make a good pair.

Once the affair begins, the mystery is overshadowed by the intensity of Chris and Sara’s relationship. I almost thought the author forgot about it until the end. And boy is the end a HUGE cliff hanger. Just when I forgot about the drama, the author throws Sara for a loop. I kept clicking my button on my kindle, wishing there was more. I can’t wait for the next installment to come out. I need to know what happens next!