Monday, September 2, 2013

Review: Breach by K.I. Lynn

Title: Breach (Breach #1)
Author: K.I. Lynn
Published: April 21st 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Delilah Palmer has control of her life and outward personality, blocking the truth just below the surface. A façade meant to be normal and hide the scars of her childhood. She’s made a good life for herself, became a lawyer, and is free from the tortured past that haunts her daily. Until he comes along and breaks open the cracks.
Nathan Thorne has a past of his own. On the surface he is loved by all, personable, extroverted; everything Delilah isn’t. Hidden beneath is a dark and tormented man that only Delilah has to power to unveil.
Crammed in a small office together they see through each other’s masks, and the draw becomes too much, igniting an explosive relationship. Holloway and Holloway Law has a strict non-fraternization policy, forcing them to conceal their breach. Despite their efforts, separation becomes impossible, deceptions escalate, and Nathan has trouble coping; teetering on the edge of being overtaken by his past demons.
What secrets does he harbor that could keep him from giving in? What keeps him from healing and moving forward? And Delilah, where does she fit into all this turmoil?
Can they accept love and deal with all the trials that come their way when secrets are exposed? Or will they fall through the cracks of their pasts and be consumed by all that haunts them?

Saw this tagged as adult and erotica on Goodreads and it pushed me away. I enojy adult literature, but erotica not so much. I need more in my stories than just steamy scenes. When I stumbled upon a few reviews that claimed to be heartbroken about the main characters, I was instantly intrigued because so many of my Goodreads friends were adding Breach to their shelves. Plus, who can turn away from a pretty cover ;)

The night after we left the club made me face that fact. How I thought and felt about him changed; he wasn't the asshole I thought he was when I first met him. He was a broken man, and it made me wonder--can two broken souls make one whole person?

The story. We have Delilah as our main character. She's suffered from bullying by her own family. Her dad hated her, so did her stepmom and -brother. They caused her emotional scars that she can't seem to heal in any way. Enter Nathan. He created quite a show with his great looks in their office and gets his very own fanclub among the ladies working there. The only one who isn't showing her cleavage or acting like a love-sick fool is Delilah. After a long night at the office, they get the kinky on and so it begins. It's only a matter of time before someone finds out and the both of them lose their jobs, or worse, they get emotionally attached.

My thoughts. The first part of the book was more of an erotic story fulfilling Delilah's fantasies of being man-handled by a rough, intense guy. Don't get me wrong, it was hot, but definitely to rough for my taste. She had bruises and bites all over her. He had them, too. Their kinky was intense! However, after the first half, it became an emotional story. I would have never guessed that I'd cry over this book. At one point it became too much. I enjoyed their chemistry, notes, texts. I liked how Nathan gave Delilah something she'd never had before and healed her emotional wounds. Until.. It all came crushing down.

You see, Nate has his own demons. We know this from the first moment they meet. However, we don't know everything until before something terrible happens. It was hard to breathe when I found out his secret and everything that happened after that.. I was a mess of tears and heartache. For both of them. Do I agree that this is a normal relationship? NO!!!! I hate how physically abusing it was. I didn't like how Nate was mentally abusing with his words when they had sex, but Delilah wasn't put off by it and was rather the opposite of put off, so I guess that's OK? I don't know.. Whatever floats one's boat, right? (Since a lot of you have questioned the extent of mental abuse during those scenes, I'll say that he didn't like bully her, but to me it'd be humilating to hear those words said to me and it didn't feel sexy at all.)They're so broken that it doesn't seem right that two so broken people can make one whole. They do! I was so surprised by how they completed each other. I have a love-hate relationship with Nate. The fact that he was able to build Delilah's confidence, help her with her demons and heal her was beyond amazing, however, what he did was just.. cruel. I hate him for it.

All in all, it was a surprise for me. I had no idea it would turn out like this and how emotionally invested I would get. This book blew me away with its raw hurt and the emotions came to me with a vengeance. I am so looking forward to the sequel. I need to know what happens. It's not even about want anymore, it's about need. As much as I enjoyed this book, I can't give it that many stars stars. I don't agree with the realationship they were in even if it was consensuous. Plus, the erotica part didn't appeal to me that much either, I wish there would have been less of that and more of the emotional journey these two were on. Anyhow, it's definitely worth exploring. I can tell you right off the bat that this isn't for everyone. You will have hate and maybe even love towards this book as did I, but I can guarantee you that you will have emotions. It's just that kind of a book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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10 comments:

  1. My co-blogger is usually in charge when it comes to erotica books. I read those when I need to persuade her to read some books so in exchange I need to read one of these. It wasn't always a good experience. She has read this one and enjoyed it as much as you only recently she finished the sequel and for her it was a disaster. I'm glad you enjoyed this one and I hope you'll enjoy the sequel too. Great review Siiri :)

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  2. You think the cover is pretty o.O? I love the colors, but I'm a little freaked out by the fingers. WHY DO THEY LOOK SO UNNATURALLY LONG.

    Lol. Hmm, I've read a few erotica titles, but I haven't seen that many with bruises all over. Bites, yes. Dom/Sub, after 50 Shades, yes. Kinky stuff, yes. But the bruises make me pause.

    "Until.. It all came crushing down." <-- Oh nooo!!!

    "Do I agree that this is a normal relationship? NO!!!! I hate how physically abusing it was. I didn't like how Nate was mentally abusing with his words when they had sex, but Delilah wasn't put off by it and was rather the opposite of put off, so I guess that's OK? I don't know." <-- Mentally abusing? So he tells her she's shit or something? BLEHHHHHHHH.

    "I have a love-hate relationship with Nate. The fact that he was able to build Delilah's confidence, help her with her demons and heal her was beyond amazing, however, what he did was just.. cruel. I hate him for it. " <-- You always manage to make me curious! Now I really want to know what Nate did o.O. And I agree-- one of the best parts I'd found to erotica novels was when the women built their confidence and really embraced their sexualities.

    "Plus, the erotica part didn't appeal to me that much either, I wish there would have been less of that and more of the emotional journey these two were on." <-- Also my problem with most erotica. Too much sex, not enough of that delicious tension found in the typical romance.

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  3. I'm with Christina on that cover. Those fingers are sort of creepy. They look like they are from a statue or something.
    I'm not the biggest fan of erotica, because most of the stories just have plenty of sex with a lame-ass story, so this honestly doesn't appeal to me at all.
    This one all the more because of the abusive/kinky nature of the sex. I'm not sure how I would feel about Nate either since you mentioned how mentally abusive he was as well. Definitely not my kind of love interest.
    However, it did manage to make you quite emotional, so it must have been a good story.
    Still though, I'm staying far away from this one. (If Nereyda since my comment she'll just call me a chicken. She's been trying to get me to read Captive in the Dark which has some kind of fucked up relationship since a long time now!)
    Great review, Siiri! I'm glad that you enjoyed this one despite it not being one of your favorite genres.

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  4. Great to hear it was powerful in the emotional arena

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  5. I've had this for months and just haven't gotten to it. About the seemingly abusive actions...I have a hard time with this as well. I try to reconcile that what I feel comfortable and happy with may not be what others want. So yeah, I get uncomfortable with the "abusive" words, but I try to let it go. It's hard though, huh?
    Great review, Siiri!

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  6. I have to admit that I'm curious! I probably won't ever pick this up though, as I generally don't like any form of erotica. But it's interesting to hear that the emotional aspect of the story was well done. I'm glad that you were able to invest in that part, and I hope the sequel is a good read! Lovely review, Siiri. :)

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  7. Not sure if this would work for me or not. I'd love to know exactly what the abuse was before making a decision. I agree with you, Siiri, I don't want to pick up a book that's basically sex with a story. I'd like a story with some spice instead. Wonderful review! :)

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  8. If I saw this book in a bookstore I definitely wouldn't think that this would be for me either, but the way this book left you certainly has me intrigued. I really enjoy books which pack an emotional punch and characters which leave you torn, so would probably end up giving this book a go. I hope you end up enjoying the next book a whole lot more Sirri. Thanks for putting this on my radar and for another lovely review!

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  9. The beginning sounds a bit like Beautiful Bastard, which I regret reading, honestly. I don't like when sex starts with no emotional connection. I'm also pretty sure that I'd be uncomfortable with how it's portrayed. I get where this girl was abused by her family and in some warped way might find that appealing in a man, but I'd prefer that she found herself without that. Learned to stand up on her own. I'm pretty curious about the big secret, but from how you describe it, I'm fairly certain that it would make me LOATHE this guy, so I'll probably be staying away from this one. Thanks for the honest review.

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  10. I don't really read erotica . But a relationship with physical abuses just makes me uncomfortable. The deal breaker for me has to be that it's a sad book . I tend to stay away from those . Great review though. I'll definitely recommend my friends :)

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