Asking For It by Lilah Pace Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Published by Berkley Publishing Group Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Pages: 336
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“This is who I am. This is what I want. Now I need a man dangerous enough to give it to me.”
Graduate student Vivienne Charles is afraid of her own desires—ashamed to admit that she fantasizes about being taken by force, by a man who will claim her completely and without mercy. When the magnetic, mysterious Jonah Marks learns her secret, he makes an offer that stuns her: they will remain near-strangers to each other, and meet in secret so that he can fulfill her fantasy.
Their arrangement is twisted. The sex is incredible. And—despite their attempts to stay apart—soon their emotions are bound together as tightly as the rope around Vivienne’s wrists. But the secrets in their pasts threaten to turn their affair even darker...
Reader Advisory: Asking for It deals explicitly with fantasies of non-consensual sex. Readers sensitive to portrayals of non-consensual sex should be advised.
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
4.5 Sizzling Stars!
Put your censors to the side for this one because it’s a bit of a bumpy ride. Forbidden, taboo, unthinkable, frowned upon… take all those words and toss them out the window. This book was unconventional in every way and certainly a bit on the kinky side… and boy was it a fantastic read!
I enjoyed “Asking For It” immensely. Sure it had some very intense scenes that might not be to everyone’s tastes but in-between the hot, down and dirty sex, there was a truly wonderful story being told.
Vivienne, the heroine, has a particular type of kink. She fantasizes about hard core, forced sex and it seems to be the only way she can hit the big O. She knows why she has these fantasies and she knows where it all stems from. Years in therapy has taught her that. And her shame has kept her from speaking out or forming a true and real connection to any sexual partner. But one man changes all that when he divulges his own brand of kink.
Jonah is shrouded in mystery. He’s very quiet, elusive and his dark nature keeps him even more hidden but when he thinks he’s finally found the perfect partner, he allows his dark side to seep out in the most exciting ways.
Told entirely from Vivienne’s POV, she and Jonah embark on a torrid, uninhibited ride, playing out their darkest sexual fantasies. This book contains some very graphic encounters but even though it tows the grey line between forced and consensual, they both have guidelines they follow and Jonah never crosses them. It was intense and thrilling to watch Jonah switch from imposing and demanding to soft and gentle. After their scenes play out, he’s caring and treats Vivienne with respect and tenderness. He’s as complex as she is and both of their characters drew me right in and kept me frantically flipping through the pages to see what happened next.
The writing was eloquent and very well done. I enjoyed the intense conflict and I loved the side characters and their stories. I’ll admit, I was a little fearful going in because of the content and this was a new author for me, but it was an amazing read and I loved it.
But….as much as I thoroughly enjoyed this one, that ending left me completely unsatisfied. Thankfully, I looked on the author’s Goodreads page and saw there was a sequel in the works. Now I just have to wait…
“It’s okay. This is difficult.” He pauses a moment before adding, “Are you scared?”
Deep breath. Honest answer. “Yes and no. I believe you aren’t going to do anything without my permission. But what we’re doing feels a little like jumping off a cliff. I’ve had this fantasy since – since always, but I never thought I’d act it out with a stranger –”
At that moment, a waiter appears by our sofa. Why do bar waiters only show up when you least want them around? Offhandedly Jonah says, “Bring me whatever she’s having.”
I don’t think he’s even looked at my glass. What if I had some ridiculous tropical drink, the kind of thing served in a pineapple with pink straws and paper umbrellas? The thought of someone as serious as Jonah sipping one of those makes me smile. Finally I’m able to relax a little – but not much.
As soon as the waiter hurries off, Jonah turns to me. “What would it take to make you feel safe?”
I like that he asked this. But how do I answer?
Cut to the chase, I remind myself. Jonah’s blunt honesty is the only way to go. “I’d need you to wear condoms. Unless you want to show me your medical records.”
Jonah nods. “I can get those for you. Can you show me test results too?”
It hadn’t even occurred to me that Jonah also might be concerned about that. “Um. Yeah, sure.”
“No rush,” he says. “I don’t mind wearing a condom at first. Makes it last longer.”
My cheeks flush as I envision Jonah inside me, pounding me, going on and on and on without mercy –
Jonah must know what I’m thinking, because he tilts his head as if he’s relishing the effect he has on me. He murmurs, “What else?”
Another sip of wine steadies me enough to answer. “I wouldn’t want you to tie me up. Not the first time, anyway.”
He smiles. “I like that you’re thinking about the future. I’ll have plenty of chances to give you what you want.”
It hadn’t even occurred to me before today that Jonah might have been considering a one-time fling. Now that I think about it, that makes more sense than assuming we’d keep playing out this scenario. But I’ve wanted this too long, too much, to assume one night will be enough to get it out of my system. If Jonah’s the right partner for this fantasy, then we have a chance I don’t intend to waste.
Already I sense that one taste of Jonah Marks won’t be enough.
