Sherri Hayes

Truth is the third book in Sherri Hayes’ Finding Anna series, a serialized set of novels that follows wealthy CEO Stephan Coleman and Brianna Reeves, the young woman he rescued from horrific abuse by buying her from a man who’d enslaved her as a minor. The previous book had ended on a cliffhanger with Brianna’s dad, who’d had a hand in her being sold into slavery, showing up at her door while Stephan is at work. This book begins with the outcome of that encounter, which unfortunately show more traumatizes Brianna a bit and forces her to deal with more of her troubled past. The remainder of the story follows Stephan and Brianna through roughly another month of their lives together as Stephan patiently and gently works through Brianna’s fears and helps her to come out of her shell and be more comfortable around other people. She begins to see more of her childhood friend, Cal, even though he and Stephan don’t entirely get along, and meets his girlfriend, Jade, as well as spending more time with Lily. Stephan and Brianna also talk more about a possible dom/sub relationship down the road and what that might look like, while Stephan still faces censure from multiple fronts for his lifestyle. Stephan continues his investigation into Ian, Brianna’s former slave master, and with the help of his CFO, finds some incriminating evidence, but along with it, he’s also outed for buying her freedom. Despite all the challenges they’ve face, Stephan and Brianna’s love has only grown, but this information getting out, along with nasty allegations from her father, could destroy the beautiful life that they’ve been building together.

I love that we get to learn a little more about Stephan’s background in this book, what it was like for him losing his parents and his relationship with the aunt and uncle who finished raising him. Throughout each book of the series so far, I’ve been falling more and more in love with Stephan. He’s one of the kindest, gentlest romance heroes I’ve read in general and is definitely one of only two Dom heroes I recall reading that I could genuinely call sweet. However, he’s not a pushover. He protects his own, namely Brianna, and doesn’t hesitate to discipline her when he feels she needs more mastery over a particular area (not to worry though, it’s a fairly gentle punishment and only happens once in this book). He’s very good at reading her cues and knowing what she can handle. One time he messes up and overestimates where she’s at, which only made him more human to me, and of course, he’s right there to offer comfort and apologies. Although not a trained counselor, he does a great job of getting Brianna to open up and helps her deal with her past trauma in a healthy way though journaling and talking. He’s an excellent communicator, always wanting to talk it out once she’s calmed down, whenever she’s had a panic attack or PTSD-type blackout when triggered. I love how tactile he is, always holding Brianna close, stroking and caressing her, which never fails to bring her solace. He’s also a tender lover, and although he’d like them to someday be in an official dom/sub relationship and enjoy the BDSM lifestyle together, he’s content with vanilla sex for the time being, because Brianna as a person and her well-being are the most important things to him. Over and over, Stephan proves his love for Brianna and that he’s willing to do literally anything for her, including facing his own fears. All of this makes him one of the most swoon-worthy heroes I’ve ever read.

Brianna is still very shy and meek after all that’s she’s been through, and she also harbors some natural submissive tendencies. But with Stephan’s help, she’s been able to gradually open up more. Although still wary of other men and of being in crowded places, she’s beginning to step out and take more risks. Her friendship with Cal has grown and she almost instantly connects with Cal’s girlfriend, Jade. She also spends more time with Stephan’s friend and co-worker, Lily, who has become Brianna’s friend as well. Although she still has some panic attacks and blackouts, they seem to be lessening, and when Stephan is with her, she’s able to do most things as long as she takes it slowly. Because of her father showing up, Brianna is forced to deal with more of her past, which is difficult for her, but again, with Stephan by her side, she finds the strength. In fact, she’s gradually starting to discover her own voice, wanting to protect Stephan the same way he protects her and willing to stand up to Cal on his behalf when her friend makes some sordid accusations. Brianna is a very sweet heroine who’s been deeply traumatized, but throughout this book, she takes more steps in a positive direction than steps back. However, given the way that this book ends, it will be interesting to see where things go from here for her. I hope the positive momentum will continue, especially since she takes the actions she does out of her love for Stephan and her need to protect him.

Overall, Truth was another wonderful installment of the Finding Anna series. I loved it as much as the first two books of the series. While it did have some minor editing issues, they weren’t quite as distracting this time, so I was able give it the full five stars. Stephan definitely ranks near the top of my all-time favorite heroes list for just being so incredibly awesome. Brianna is super-sweet and has been through so much, I can’t help but empathize with her pain, but also rejoice with her whenever she experiences something new and exciting with Stephan. She has an almost childlike enthusiasm whenever this happens that’s very endearing. I love these two together and think they make a great couple. Both of them come to the realization that they love each other in this book and I very much enjoyed seeing them declare that love. In fact, most of the time, their actions speak louder than words. They both demonstrate that love consistently even without saying the words. That being the case, the ending of this book almost gutted me, leaving things once again on a cliffhanger that’s perhaps even more intense than the one in the previous book. Deep down, I know that their love is strong enough to survive, but they’re clearly going to have more obstacles to overcome before that love can be entirely fulfilled. The prospect of seeing how that happens makes me extremely eager to pick up the next book, Trust, soon.

Note: I'm classifying this book as an erotic romance, because of the underlying BDSM themes. However, there is only one mild, non-sexual scene of discipline, and one scene of exhibitionism/voyeurism that includes a little bondage but that doesn’t go all the way either. So overall, the sexual content in this installment is more on par with steamy romances. show less

Change is the fifth full-length book in Sherri Hayes’s Finding Anna series and the next installment in Stephan and Brianna’s lives together. It picks up where the epilogue of the previous book, Trust, left off. Four years have gone by since Brianna’s abuser, Ian, was killed, giving her a reprieve from testifying at his trial. To escape the after effects of the media glare, she and Stephan have moved to a beautiful new home in a rural area outside of Le Seur, but Stephan has kept the show more condo in Minneapolis for when they go to the city to visit. They’re living a nice quiet life, and Brianna is far enough along in her recovery from being sexually trafficked that she’s decided to finally go back to school in the coming year. To prepare for that, she starts learning to drive again with Stephan’s help. She’s also starting to become more comfortable with deepening her sexual play with Stephan, so he slowly introduces new toys and equipment into their sexy times. Without work, Stephan is a little restless, so he explores new opportunities. While Stephan and Brianna continue to grow and change in both their relationship and their personal lives, Logan and Lily announce their engagement and Lily begins whirlwind preparations for their wedding, which she wants to include both Stephan and Brianna. Brianna must work to overcome some of her fears in order to be a part of Lily’s big day. Between the changes for Logan and Lily and Brianna’s friends, Cal and Jade taking next steps in their relationship, wedding fever makes both Stephan and Brianna start to consider what the future looks like for them. Meanwhile, Brianna comes face-to-face with her past when she spots a man she knows from her time with Ian and it looks like the man is about to abuse another young girl. She must also deal with one of Lily’s bridesmaids who sets her sights on Stephan.

Brianna is still very quiet and submissive and can be easily frightened by the unexpected, but she’s come a long way in the past four years with Stephan. It was exciting to see her relearning how to drive and preparing for the upcoming GED classes. It was also heartening to see her as such an eager participant in her sex play with Stephan, something that now brings her comfort and solace rather than pain and degradation. With Stephan’s patient tutelage, she become more comfortable with several new sexual scenarios, making this the steamiest book in the series yet. Even though I know that Brianna is only a fictional character, I couldn’t help feeling proud of her for pushing herself out of her comfort zone to be a part of Logan and Lily’s big day, since they’ve been such good friends to her and Stephan. It’s not easy, at first, with Lily’s college friend, Bridget, flirting rather blatantly with Stephan. Although Lily has words with her at one point, everyone for the most part tries to ignore the annoying woman until she does something really devious. Even that, Brianna handles surprisingly well. But one of her best moments is when, following a fundraiser at a fancy hotel, she spots a man who abused her when she was with Ian and she has to muster her courage to try to prevent him from further abusing the young girl who was accompanying him. The way Brianna steps up to help the girl in the aftermath was wonderful and makes me wonder if, as she continues to grow, she might have a future in counseling or some sort of victim advocacy. I kind of hope so.

Stephan is still the same patient, loving man he’s always been. After nearly facing prison in the previous book for having purchased Brianna’s freedom from Ian and being forced to step down from his job as CEO of the Coleman Foundation, he was just looking for a quiet place to escape the media, some of whom had painted him in a very derogatory light. He’s found that at their new home with Brianna whom he’s crazy in love with. However, even though he’s wealthy enough to not have to work, he rather misses the challenge, so he’s been scouting new opportunities. In the meantime, he teaches Brianna how to drive again and helps get her acclimated to the idea of going out alone to school when her GED classes begin. When she starts to show an interest in other types of sex play, even though it still gives her anxiety to try new things, he eagerly but patiently introduces her to more exciting forms of play, which really satisfies the dom in him. As best man for his best friend, Logan, he’s also involved in some of the wedding planning, which places him in Bridget’s orbit. He isn’t the least bit interested in her blatant flirtations, but he tries to be polite without doing anything to encourage her. When Brianna spots one of her former abusers, Stephan doesn’t hesitate to go after the guy in a smart way to try to prevent even more abuse from occurring and completely supports Brianna’s need to make sure the girl is okay. I still adore Stephan and think he’ll always be one of my favorite book boyfriends.

Change was yet another sweet and sexy installment in Stephan and Brianna’s romance. I believe that Sherri Hayes intended to end their story with the fourth book but I’m so glad she decided to continue. I enjoyed seeing this couple experience new changes for the better in their lives. I’m glad Stephan was able to get back to the philanthropy work he loves so much, because he’s really good at helping and caring for people. I’m especially impressed with the strides Brianna has made in her interactions with others as well as in her life as both an individual and with Stephan. Because of what happened to her in the past, I think she may always be wary of other people but she bravely faced a number of things that made her anxious without melting down, so she’s grown a great deal. Since Brianna was also able to expand her sexual interests, there were plenty of yummy, sexy scenes for her and Stephan that explored new territory for them. I think it’s wonderful how loving and trusting they are with each other. It was also great to see Logan and Lily and Cal and Jade take steps forward in their relationships, which spur Stephan and Brianna in the direction of making decisions about their own future together. There’s a touch of drama and conflict with Bridget and her machinations, and there’s also a small amount of suspense and excitement when Brianna identifies one of her former abusers. All in all, Change was a very well-rounded book that was a pleasure to read. I was excited to learn that the author has plans for one more installment for Stephan and Brianna, which I’m very much looking forward to, but it’s going to be very hard to say goodbye to this couple when the time comes.

Note: This book contains a small amount of explicit language and a number of explicit sexual situations, including a D/s relationship, bondage, spanking, sensory play, and use of sex toys, which could be objectionable to sensitive readers. show less

Trust is the fourth book in Sherri Hayes’ Finding Anna series, which follows the same couple throughout as they navigate Brianna finding healing for the horrific abuse and human trafficking she was subjected to with the help of Stephan, the Dom who saved her from that life. This book opens about two months after the events of the previous book in which Stephan was placed under investigation by the FBI for buying Brianna’s freedom from the man who enslaved her, which led to Brianna show more selflessly leaving him to help protect him. Ever since, she’s been living with her childhood friend, Cal, and his girlfriend, Jade. Right from the opening pages, it’s obvious that both Brianna and Stephan are miserable without the other, but they have no choice but to remain apart until Stephan is no longer under FBI scrutiny and the media frenzy has died down. After making a deal with Cal, Brianna finally agrees to see a therapist, which in Stephan’s absence, helps her to continue to make progress in putting her life back together. Although terrified of facing her abuser in court, she’s willing to do so if it will help clear Stephan’s name and keep him out of jail. It’s not until about a quarter of the way into the book that Stephan and Brianna are able to finally see each other in person again, but not long after, a misunderstanding about Stephan’s ex staying with him stirs up a bit of trouble. Eventually, though, all is forgiven and circumstances change, making it possible for them to reunite for real. However, after spending time with family and friends over the holidays, the specter of her abuser’s trial hangs heavy over Brianna’s head, when it looks like she’ll have no choice but to testify or possibly see him walk.

Brianna has made great strides since the first book where she was so timid and fearful she was practically afraid of her own shadow. Admittedly she’s in a bad place when this book opens, deeply depressed over the forced separation from Stephan. It was hard to see her like this, but given all that she’s been through and that the one stable constant in her life was unfairly taken away from her, it’s totally understandable. Although she begins to have a few doubts when she finds out about Stephan’s ex living with him, she ultimately still trusts him when he’s finally able to tell her the whole story and make appropriate apologies (not to worry, there’s absolutely no cheating involved). Although Stephan is wary of therapists, Brianna finds some solace in her counseling sessions, which offers her someone to talk to besides Cal and Jade. Once she’s able to reunite with Stephan, her moods improve dramatically, and she’s able to enjoy the holidays with their friends and Stephan’s aunt and uncle. The thought of having to testify against her abuser terrifies her, but if it comes to that, she’s determined not to let him win. Brianna also begins making headway in her relationship with Stephan, slowly warming up to some of the milder aspects of his BDSM lifestyle. Overall, I was very impressed with how far Brianna has come since her early days with Stephan and how much farther she progressed in this book. She may still be outwardly quiet and fearful of certain things, but she has an inner strength that would be easy for outsiders to miss. I’m so glad that she has Stephan who sees all of that and never fails to compliment her on it even though she often doesn’t feel strong and that she has been able to make friends who also support her as she weathers through the turmoil in this chapter of their story.

In the beginning, Stephan is nearly as downtrodden as Brianna over their separation. The only thing that keeps him going is his work and the hope that one day soon, things will change and they’ll be able to reunite. In addition to his friends, Logan and Lily, his ex, Sarah, comes for a visit to offer her support. Due to certain circumstances that come to light, Stephan offers her a place to stay at his condo, but it’s purely platonic. He only wants Brianna and isn’t tempted by Sarah in the least. However, his naive failure to tell Brianna about Sarah’s visit leads to a bit of trouble for our lovebirds. It’s a rare misstep from Stephan who usually tends to be very controlled in every aspect of his life, but at the same time, I thought having him make a mistake only made him seem more human. At work, Stephan continues trying to ferret out the person who embezzled money from the Coleman Foundation. After he and Brianna are able to reunite, they share lots of quality couple’s time, including holiday festivities and plenty of sexy fun times. But the possibility that Brianna will have to testify in court weighs heavily on both of them. Stephan is an amazing dreamboat as always. He may be a Dom but he’s also a sweet, teddy bear who’s kind, gentle, and patient. He takes care of everyone around him, including his employees and the people he helps with his philanthropy work. I especially love how he cares for Brianna and would do anything to protect her, but at the same time, he allows her to make her own decisions. Even if he doesn’t like or agree with them, he respects them and her, frequently offering her praise and encouragement. I always come away from reading one of these book with no doubt that Stephan’s love and belief in Brianna is in large part responsible for her making such strides in her recovery.

Once again, I was blown away by this installment of the Finding Anna series. I’ve adored Stephan and Brianna together since the beginning. They have such a beautiful relationship built on, not just love, but also mutual trust and respect. I’ve had no doubts about their rightness for one another, and with each one of the books in this series that certainty only grows stronger. I was impressed with how much Brianna progressed in this book and just know that she’ll continue to grow as time goes on. I adore Stephan who has definitely earned a spot among my favorite romance heroes. He just always seems to intuit what Brianna needs and is more than prepared to provide it. I was happy to see resolution to both Brianna’s relationship with her father and with the greater story arc concerning her ex-slave master. I can honestly say that he got what was coming to him. That being the case, this volume wrapped up nicely with no cliffhanger ending like the previous books. Based on the cover blurb and the way in which the epilogue of this volume seems to bring some closure to much of the story, I’m guessing that the author originally intended Trust to be the end of Stephan and Brianna’s journey. However, since I’m a little late to the party on this one, I already know that there’s an additional novella and a novel with more story for this favorite couple of mine. Based on something Ms. Hayes said in one of her recent newsletters, I believe that she has plans for even more down the road, too, which makes me a very happy camper indeed. I can’t wait to share in more of Stephan and Brianna’s lives together. I’ll be interested, though, to see whether it picks up after the main body of this book or after the events of the epilogue, because I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing all that was relayed in the epilogue play out in a longer, more detailed format.

Note: I'm classifying this book as an erotic romance, mainly because of the underlying BDSM themes. There is a small amount of explicit language, but only one scene that includes light bondage, sensory play, and use of sex toys. So overall, the sexual content in this installment, while slightly steamier than most mainstream romances is still mild when compared with most erotic romances. show less

Slave is one of those random book choices that I picked up because it sounded good, and I’m happy to report that it turned out to be a great read. It’s the first installment in a four-book series about two people who are brought together by strange circumstances, but who just might be perfect for one another once they’re able to overcome the pain of the heroine’s past. Our hero, Stephan, is a dominant, who reluctantly purchases the heroine, Brianna, who is being held against her will show more as a sex slave. From there, he sets out to rebuild her trust and self-confidence bit by bit, hoping that one day she might willingly consent to being his submissive. But their journey together is a long and gradual one that takes a great deal of patience on his part and courage on hers. Sometimes, it’s a case of them taking two steps forward and one step back, but by the end, she’s definitely showing signs of starting to heal and being on the road to recovery.

The author doesn’t tell us how old Stephan is, but I got the sense that he’s probably at least in his late twenties, possibly a bit older. He was introduced to the BDSM lifestyle in college and has been living the life of a dominant ever since, but he hasn’t had a sub in a while. Then a college friend comes to him, telling a tale of having met a slave at a party who he didn’t think was willingly playing that role and asking Stephan to look into buying her. Stephan is properly horrified at the thought of owning a slave, but as the CEO of a non-profit organization, he’s also a man who cares deeply about others and wants to help people whenever he can. Having the monetary resources to do something about it, he can’t ignore the situation, so he reluctantly meets with the girl’s master and cuts a deal with him, buying her and taking her home with him. From there, all of his actions are very carefully and deliberately chosen to demonstrate to Brianna that she is, above all, safe and cared for, but also free to make her own choices. It’s a long arduous road, but one that gradually pays off by slowly earning her trust. Stephan clearly displays some of his dominant tendencies, but at least in this volume of the story, he’s no chest-beating alpha. In fact, he’s nothing but kind, caring, tender, and loving toward Brianna in every word and deed, making him easy to fall for. He sometimes questions his ability to help her overcome her past, but I greatly admired his patience and self-control. He’s not a man given to losing his temper and he’s very deliberate in all of his actions. Also, even though he’s deeply attracted to Brianna and later realizes that he’s fallen in love with her, he keeps his libido in check, knowing that she’s not ready for anything sexual yet and doing anything of that nature would only harm her further. Perhaps best of all, though, is that he loves her enough to let her go if she decides she doesn’t wish to be his submissive, even though the thought of it breaks his heart.

Brianna was only seventeen years old when she was sold into sexual slavery against her will. The last ten months of her life have been a nightmare of horrific abuse at the hands of her so-called master that has left her with numerous scars both inside and out. It appears that she may have some natural submissive tendencies, but regardless of whether she does or not, she’s been so beaten down by the things that have been done to her that she doesn’t really see herself as anything but a slave anymore. When Stephan buys her, she fears that he might be even worse than her previous master, and therefore, she’s pretty afraid of him at first. But as he shows her kindness and compassion every single day and even allows her to make some of her own choices, she slowly begins to trust him more and more. Brianna is a deeply broken character, who nearly broke my heart with how lost she is and how resigned she’s become to the abuse she’s suffered. Bits of her backstory are revealed in this book, too, that paint a rather bleak picture of her past and make me hope that those who’ve harmed her get what they deserve. I enjoyed seeing Stephan help put her back together piece by piece until she’s starting to resemble a whole person again. The story ends just as he finally reveals that she isn’t his slave and is free to leave if she chooses. I look forward to seeing more of her recovery in the next installment.

Given the subject matter, Slave is a surprisingly sweet and tender romance, but also a heart-wrenching one in its emotional intensity. Brianna is a brave young woman, but she still has a ways to go in getting back to some sense of normalcy in her life. Stephan is infinitely patient with her and finds creative ways to get her to open up and regain some of her self-confidence. Because of all that Brianna has been through, they’re still in the early stages of their relationship even by the end of the book, but I can tell that Stephan loves her and I feel certain that given time, she’ll eventually feel the same. The supporting characters are great, too. Stephan’s aunt and uncle welcome Brianna with open arms, although his uncle, who is aware of Stephan’s lifestyle, doesn’t really approve, leading to a bit of friction. Stephan’s friends, Logan and Lily, are a great help as well, with Lily eagerly becoming Brianna’s friend, too. My only small complaint that knocked off the half star is that there were a few times I felt that the author could have given more details to enrich the narrative, such as when Stephan and Brianna are said to have had a long conversation but readers aren’t given much information as to what they talked about. In those moments, I found myself craving more, but I have high hopes that we’ll learn more in the installments to come. Otherwise, I really liked this book and very much look forward to delving deeper into Stephan and Brianna’s relationship in the remaining books of the Finding Anna series.

Note: I’m classifying this book as an erotic romance, because of the underlying BDSM themes. However, there is very little in the way of actual sexual content in this installment. show less