Comfort Object (Comfort, #1)

1

If I had known before starting this book that there would be very little romance, I would have likely decided not to read it. But then I'd have missed a very good story.

Jeremy Gray is a film actor constantly hounded by the press, and it is his custom to keep a fake girlfriend to help him deal with the stress of his life. They never last long, however, and he is in search of another "comfort object" when his assistant finds Nell for him.

Using trickery and deceit, Jeremy convinces Nell to sign a detailed contract to basically be his pleasure slave to do with as he wants. And Jeremy's needs and whims turn out to be extreme, with little concern for how they affect Nell. But just as you decide you want to hate him, the author throws in show more little acts of compassion, making you wonder if he might have a heart after all.

I found the story very compelling and the BDSM aspects were hot as hell, keeping me engaged and wanting to know how this could possibly work out for the two of them. Great read. show less

I'm not sure how to rate this one so I'm sticking with 2 for now. If this was just intended to be erotica, it would be 5 stars. It was hot and emotional, with complicated characters. But it's not erotica. It's labeled as erotic romance with a happily ever after and that's where my problem came in. Some of Jeremy's actions were not that of a responsible dom, they were that of a spoiled bully who wanted to have his way. The way Nell was treated on multiple occasions was borderline abusive, at best. This was a scene from Jeremy's POV:

It hurt. Nell shifted on the sofa as my mother brought tea and cookies. I watched her. I'd made her hurt.Lately I wanted to hurt her all the time. Hurt her the way that she hurt me. Hurt her so she would turn

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on me and I wouldn't ache anymore over how perfect she was. How much would it take to drive her away from me, far away from me, where she ought to be?

The issues behind why Jeremy was this way were explained and I understood. But I didn't believe the HEA. In fact, this HEA just made me sad.

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Another interesting find. I love discovering good BDSM writers, and Annabel Joseph was a curious experience. It's just on the edge of being uncomfortable reading for me, but still very attractive and crazily sexy. Since this book I read quite a few of her novels, and the quality varies. First two books in this series are superb though. In Comfort Object the hero is a famous actor, who wants an uncomplicated relationship away from the limelight which is why he creates a contract, so both parties would know what they can and can not expect from each other. Of course it doesn't work quite like he expects, but in the end it's a nice romance, where both characters are really intriguing people in their own right. Recommended.

I liked this book. It moved along at a good pace. It had drama. It had an overbearing man that wasn't a billionaire. A nice ending.