Amber A Bardan

Insta-love, barbarian space aliens, forced proximity... this book surprised me for how much I liked it. Abducted by aliens, Leila joins forces with a snarky and superior AI to escape to a desert planet populated by savage barbarians looking to mate with the first woman they see. Leila must find a way to put off her new alien husband and delay the mating ritual until she can procure the supplies she needs to make her escape. I enjoyed the sense of humor the book had and also found the plot show more surprisingly twisty. The dynamics between Leila and her barbarian went beyond the purely sexual and showed character growth for both the hero and heroine. show less

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

First, a disclaimer: I just realized this is a part 2, which explains the “jump in already running” feel and why the relationship was hot and heavy from the start. I’m still posting my review, though, because even without the first book to set things up, I found Didn’t You Promise compelling.

The blurb and cover make it look dark. There’s no question Angelina and Haithem are on the run and in constant danger. Some horrible things happen to show more them. Still, I’d say that’s the smallest part of the book. Often, we find ourselves pausing within their love nest to treasure the moment.

The book is an answer to every thriller romance or epic love story. This is what happens next, after the fireworks of their first meeting, when they start to work on true commitment.

Despite all the pieces in play that others might consider worthy of the main focus, saving the world with enemies in tight pursuit is little more than a complication and barrier to achieving the love they were born for. This is a co-dependent, obsessive love story. Haithem and Angelina are self-aware and embarrassed about the fact, though, which smooths out the twinges of stalker, and leaves only true love and harsh sacrifices in the name of that love.

Don’t get me wrong…there is action, tragedy, betrayal, forgiveness, and rebirth along with tangible character growth and pain. This is no sappy love that makes everyone else fade away. In many ways, it’s about collateral damage. About the people on the periphery whose lives are changed forever by events they didn’t know were going on.

I made a comment that I wish I could have seen the five scenes before this book begins. I said that because the lust and sex came before I knew the characters enough to feel the depth of their love. The way it starts makes sense now, knowing it’s a second novel, but the wish was more curiosity than dissatisfaction. I didn’t need to see how things began to come to know them.

I quite enjoyed this odd story running beneath an explicit beginning. The book is compelling and encourages the exploration of deep concepts. It teased me with hints of the bigger picture that were so intriguing I kept going in the hopes of understanding the whole. Obviously, had I started with part 1, I might have known more of the set-up, but if so, you’re still left with a tense conflict between the needs of the many and the desires of the few, namely Haithem and Angelina. They don’t make all the right choices, but you’re right there with them when they stumble as well as when they fight to make up for their errors.

It may be odd, but the book grew on me and turned into something quite powerful.

P.S. I received this novel from the publisher in return for an honest review. show less

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The way she looked at me right now, breathless in anticipation-she felt it too.
There was one thing for it.
I'd make her mine.

Emma is Angelina's best friend, which means now she's best friends with Haithem as well, and she must suffer with watching the sickeningly in love couple while her life hits a standstill. Figuring out living situations, her job, her future in general can wait while she is with the couple in Italy though, because there are show more handsome men at every turn. Avner seems like just the type of poison she desires, until she finds he is Haithem's best friend. He's the first guy she can't control herself with, but he's also within the circle and off limits. The two can't deny their attraction and when their personal lives keep tangling them together they find themselves giving in. A friendship is agreed upon while Emma focuses on jump starting her career, but a dangerous threat to her life makes Avner pay a little bit more attention, makes his emotions a little stronger, and his protection hurts Emma more than helps her. Desperate to understand better Emma begins to dig a little deeper, but the secrets she holds close and the lies she uncovers threaten to unravel everything.

My intentions with Emma tonight were pure. But my desire for her was far from it.

While I have loved the previous two novels in the Bad for You series, nothing prepared me for just how much I would enjoy Don't Lie to Me. The characters, the story line, the erotic passion, and the worrying suspense kept me wrapped in this book for hours, avoiding sleep in hopes of getting a resolution on who is after Emma and finally seeing Avner and Emma have a real shot at something more. Emma and Avner are so different from Angelina and Haithem, it's like night and day. Sure, Avner is just as commanding, but for different reasons. Emma is stubborn, in fact I hated her for the first 20% of the novel, but she grows on you. She's independent, smart, and her past is heartbreaking. Her growth through out the novel was beyond my expectations for her and really rounded out the story line for me, made it more realistic. Their attraction is complicated, the emotions connected to that even more so. These two go beyond lust and the push and pull game they partake in caused me to feel so conflicted. Their lives are so drastically different, but every time they gave in to their desires I cheered a little inside. They are hot and heavy when they let passion rule and just like always, Amber A. Bardan writes some very hot erotic scenes.

"Emma." He said my name in a damning growl. And I was damned. Damned by him. Damned for doing this. Damned for needing this.

The suspense surrounding Emma's and the protection Avner so desperately wants to provide to her makes this one of the better romantic suspense novels I have read. I couldn't figure out for the longest time what connection Emma had that could cause her life to be in danger, it was surprisingly engaging to be out of the loop and to be figuring it out right alongside the characters. Like the previous novels in the series, secrets are the name of the game and those secrets bring along some twists. Facing the secrets, lies, and the lurking danger doesn't sound like a perfect recipe for the couple to find solace in one another, but it makes the adventure getting there so much better. As a reader I was constantly hoping for one thing, but left questioning how any of this could turn out good for Emma or Avner. It's a thrilling story to follow and Amber's writing brings it all to life with her descriptive words, complex characters, and her imaginative story line that doesn't follow all the usual norms. show less

4.5 Stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah's life changed forever on her eighteenth birthday, marred by gun shots, blood, and the loss of everyone she cares for, she thinks on her past as she lives as a captive on a beautiful island. Julius King is the man who ruined it all and she's just biding time to escape from him, despite the affection he shows her daily. Her emotions, however, leave her confused, both hating and admiring him for all he does. The only thing she holds show more tight to are her father's last words and the hope that she soon will be free.

My eyes close for an instant. His kiss is deceptively warm, but then, hell is warm, no surprise the devil should be too.

From the very first page I was trapped in this book, unable to get away from the slightly creepy, very twisted Stockholm Syndrome that main character, Sarah, suffers from. The story starts out very dark, bringing readers into a past that's tinged with blood and despair, before taking them into the future where the sun shines, the island life is beautiful, and Sarah is questionably satisfied with life, although still seeking salvation. Reading from her perspective is what ultimately made this novel so good, because (without giving away any plot) it is very apparent her sanity is merely hanging by a thread. Then there's Julius King, this man that Sarah speaks so highly of, who she admires, but also hates so deeply. He loves her and cares for her, that much is apparent, but their ties together are not positive. The romance between the young woman and the dark, brooding Julius is enticing, even with the threat of captivity forever hanging over Sarah's head.

I never know what I want more, to pull her apart piece by piece or beg her to put me back together.

The entire book is built on emotions, the true events are secondary. I generally had to remind myself that things were not as they seemed through the entire novel, but that made it all the better for me. What was a darker, contemporary story took on a thriller vibe, because of the high-stakes emotions that both Sarah and Julius allowed to rule their day to day lives. While the story line is a well known one, the big reveal is what makes King's Captive unique. Amber Bardan takes readers on a journey through the past and present, all while never giving away who the characters really are and what is truly going on. The big reveal was confusing for me at first, something I had to read multiple times to understand, but once it clicks, oh it is good. Even better, though, are the constant twists that the story takes, leading readers on a white rabbit chase.

Hate him. But hate is passion-a bitter kind of love. Obsession

King's Captive is an intriguing romance, built on mystery and darkness, and one that readers will find holds their attention from beginning to end. The story is explosive, the writing incredibly descriptive, and the promised HEA is all that and more. show less