TEMPTATION'S EDGE

TITLE: TEMPTATION’S EDGE

AUTHOR: EVE BERLIN

Pages: 326

Date: 06/06/2013

Grade: 5-

Details: no. 3 The Edge Trilogy

              Received from Black Lace

              Through Nudge

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Connor Galloway and Mischa Kennon: two strong and independent individuals. Two people with issues in their past that have left them convinced that they are not relationship material. Two people who are about to discover that assumptions, even those you make about yourself, can be very wrong.

When Connor and Mischa meet, the attraction between them is instant and neither of them is inclined to ignore it. After all, there is absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t enjoy each other. Mischa is only going to be in Seattle for a short while so the chances of their one night stand or fling or whatever you want to call it, becoming complicated are slim. As Mischa tells herself after their first night together:

“She was being ridiculous. They’d just met. And she was not that kind of girl. She’d just have to keep telling herself that until this terrible, strange yearning went away.”

But there is more to the link between Connor and Mischa than the instant attraction. Connor, like his friends Alec and Dante, is a Dominant with a bit of a sadistic streak, and although she may not be fully aware of it, Mischa is a natural submissive. Mischa has played with men in the past, she enjoys a bit of pain but until Connor she had never understood, felt, what BDSM was really about:

“She felt submissive, for the first time. Felt that melting sense of yielding, her mind emptying out.”

With every journey into sub-space Mischa’s emotions come closer to the surface. She will never tell Connor, but she can’t lie to herself any longer – she has feelings for this man, feelings much deeper and stronger than she has ever felt before, feelings she had promised herself she would never feel.

And it is much the same experience for Connor. He may not be the one submitting, but:

“It’s a power exchange. It works both ways. Except that I will be the one in command.”

Except that his command outside of the bedroom is slipping. The control he so desperately needs in his life is just not there when it comes to Mischa; he can’t get her out of his mind, his heart.

But can two individuals with so many issues find their way to each other or will those horrible memories from their youths hold them back and tear them apart?

This is the third title in The Edge trilogy and I’ve loved all three of them. I mean, what’s not to love; two strong and interesting characters, instant attraction, lots of hot sex with a nice kinky twist and a happily ever after. The only thing leaving me a bit disappointed is that the crisis scenes in all three books were very similar. Fortunately they’re not drawn out for too long, but still it would have been nice if that part of the story had been different in at least one of these three books.  Other than that though I really can’t find fault with this book or the trilogy. The story is well written and very easy to read. The characters are interesting and develop nicely - if a bit predictably - throughout the story. And these books are hot.

It was nice that the characters from the previous two books made an appearance in this one, lovely to see those pairings truly commit to each other; a wedding for Dylan and Alec (from Pleasure's Edge) and an engagement for Kara and Dante (Desire's Edge).

As far as the hotness is concerned, the pages in this book were at times almost steaming (or was that me?).

“I’ll fuck you and spank you until you’re coming and screaming and crying all at the same time.”

And boy does he. Mischa enjoys her spankings in private and in public, she’s denied her climax until she thinks she will explode and revels in all the ways Connor penetrates her.

“But the pain was pure pleasure, simmering in her system, sharp and lovely.”

Which leads Mischa to observe that:

“He really was wicked, in exactly the right way.”

But the moral of the story is probably best captured by Connor when he says:

“There is strength in enduring pain, whether dom or sub or neither.”

These are wonderful books to read outside in the sun or anytime you want to escape into another, sensual and sexy world. They won’t qualify as literary master-pieces but they do bring you that wonderful happy feeling that comes with every well written feel-good story.