Under His Touch by Jeffe Kennedy

Falling Under, Book 2

Synopsis: Amber Dolors knows better than to get involved with her boss. Devastatingly handsome in his sharp suits and sexy beyond belief, he possesses an air of command that fuels her darkest fantasies. But she’s worked too hard to get this job, and keeping it will lead to a brilliant future. She won’t cross that line—even if his way of giving orders and demanding her best performance gives her delicious warm shivers.

Alexander Knight prides himself on his integrity and self-discipline. After all, he hasn’t risen to the position he enjoys by indulging his whims over ambition. He also isn’t blind. He’s certainly noticed his sharp, young assistant is hot as hell. His self-imposed sexual hermitage doesn’t stop him from watching her. And endlessly fantasizing.

The day Alec’s cool reserve cracks and Amber catches a glimpse of something simmering beneath his apparent indifference is the day everything between them changes. Alec gives her what she’s been looking for sexually—as masterful in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom. He finds himself in the grip of an affair that tests even his boundaries, while Amber’s new role as willing student pushes them both past any consideration other than mutual longing.

Review: I enjoyed the first volume which put forward themes that we don’t usually find in litterature, including the role of women in the video game industry and its consequences. The erotic side was quite well done and light which is why I was curious to get into the second novel.

Unlike the previous volume, we have a rather classic pattern for an erotic BDSM book. Indeed, we find Amber, a girl looking for a man who will satisfy her SM fantasies as it’s not the case for now. The only Problem? The man she wants and who is older than her his also her boss and he is determined not to mix business with pleasure. Still, something is going to appear between them and our heroes will find themselves swept away by a story that will take them unawares.

I was a little less carried away by this novel than with the previous one I confess. Let me explain why … I’m not necessarily a big fan of erotic or BDSM but the first volume brought me something I did not expect with a very interesting context and a good plot. Here, it is a little different because the story revolves around Amber and her desire to develop a special relationship while she does not realize the consequences of certain actions. The story evolves on her relationship with Alexander and her initiation into SM. It’s true that I wanted more, a story behind that could take me, this added to the erotic part. It was an enjoyable and quick read but it still lacked of a stronger plot for me but I think the fans of this genre will appreciate the story and spend a great time.

3-5 

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Going Under by Jeffe Kennedy

Falling Under, Book 1

Synopsis: Knowing all too well the damage online trolls can inflict, game designer Emily Bartwell takes privacy seriously. Living in solitude and working remotely under a male alias gives her a sense of security. The sexy writer renting the house next door ignites desires she’d forgotten she had, and when he invites her to play games of a very different sort, Em is ready and willing. Even if it means breaking all her own rules to abide by his.

Undercover tech reporter Fox Mullins is so close to the biggest scoop of his career: finding the elusive programmer Phoenix. An increasingly erotic adventure with his reserved but passionate new neighbor is the ideal way to heat up the chilly Pacific Northwest nights as he tracks the brilliant gamer.

At first Fox is happy to help Em explore her newly awakened kinky side, no holds barred, no strings attached. But as they push the limits of intimacy, both physical and emotional, Fox discovers he’s not the only one keeping secrets. And revealing hers may mean betraying the one woman who embodies everything he desires.

Review: I’m not a big fan of BDSM or erotic books so it’s true that I tend more often to stay away from them … but now, Carien loves everything related to Jeffe Kennedy’s novels and when she asked me if I wanted to read this one, I admit that I was curious to see how it was. Yes, I could finally get into a complete novel of the author and I was anxious to see how it was and I must say that I finally had a good time, it was different from what I thought.

We discover in this story Emily, a young woman who fled her life after it turned to disaster. Indeed, our heroine is a programmer of video games, yet women are not very accepted in this area and she had paid the price … I’m not going to tell you her story because it’s really worth to discover it but since then, Emily has changed her identity and now works in anonymity while everyone thinks she’s a man, but that’s how she establishes her success. Yet it is not easy either, she must cover her rear at all times, has built a completely different nature from what she really is and tries to live her life without anyone interested in her. She manages pretty well despite the conditions until an undercover reporter appears on her island to discover the identity of the legendary Pheonix who designs all these great games. But like everyone else he is convinced that he is a man.

I admit I was quite carried away by the idea. I have not read many books featuring a geek and yes it was very interesting to see that kind of staging. Moreover, it is also nice to finally have a good plot in addition to the story that binds the two characters. But this relationship is of course important and it was touching to see Emily opening to a man after all she had been through and to understand that the idea of the person she presents is not enough. Her solitude and routine are disrupted but our heroes are a good catch together. Their romance begins with difficulty, by hesitations, games and more. The BDSM side is not unpleasant, but it is written in a way that we do not necessarily stop on what is happening, saying that it goes too far or tiring us. It was a pleasant read where we see two people opening to each other even if it’s difficult, we also see the status of women in some fields and we are finally carried away by all the events. Yes, it was a great find and I admit that I am curious to see what happens in the second novel.

 

4

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Sexy Games de Jeffe Kennedy

Falling Under, Tome 1

Résumé : Elle est son fantasme le plus absolu. Mais, pour la faire sienne, il va devoir découvrir son secret. « Je réaliserai tous tes fantasmes. Mais, d’abord, tu dois apprendre à me faire confiance. » Confiance ? Emily ne se fie à personne ! C’est la seule façon de garantir sa sécurité, et la raison pour laquelle elle a veillé à garder ses distances avec les habitants de la petite île brumeuse de la côte Est où elle a trouvé refuge sous une fausse identité. Pourtant, face à Fox Mullins, son nouveau – et très séduisant – voisin, elle sent un enivrant mélange de peur et d’excitation la gagner. Cet homme éveille en elle un désir primitif. Quelque chose de puissant, de sombre… et de libérateur. Car, elle le devine, si elle s’abandonne à lui, il lui permettra d’oublier – pour quelques heures du moins – le secret qui ne la quitte jamais… A propos de l’auteur :Il y a bien longtemps que Jeffe Kennedy a trouvé sa vocation : l’écriture sous toutes ses formes. Romans, essais, et même poésie, rien ne lui résiste. Mais, depuis quelques années, c’est la romance qui a sa préférence, et plus particulièrement la romance érotique. La recette de son succès ? Deux héros aux personnalités complexes, un amour impossible et un désir irrésistible – le tout saupoudré d’une pincée de BDSM.

Avis : Je ne suis pas une grande fan de BDSM ou de livres érotiques donc c’est vrai que je tends le plus souvent à rester éloignée d’eux… mais voilà, Carien adore les romans de Jeffe Kennedy et quand elle m’a proposé de lire celui-ci, j’avoue que j’ai été curieuse de voir ce que cela donnait. Oui, je pouvais enfin me lancer dans un roman complet de l’auteure et j’étais impatiente de voir ce que cela donnait et je dois dire que finalement j’ai passé un bon moment, c’était différent de ce que je pensais.

Nous découvrons dans cette histoire Emily, une jeune femme qui a fui sa vie après qu’elle ait tourné à la catastrophe. En effet, notre héroïne est une programmeuse de jeux vidéos, pourtant les femmes sont très peu acceptées dans ce domaine et elle a en payé le prix… Je ne vais pas vous raconter son histoire parce qu’elle vaut vraiment le coup de la découvrir mais depuis, Emily a changé d’identité et travaille maintenant dans l’anonymat alors que tout le monde pense qu’elle est un homme mais c’est comme ça qu’elle établit son succès. Pourtant ce n’est pas simple non plus, elle doit couvrir ses arrières en toutes circonstances, s’est forgé un personnage complètement différent de ce qu’elle est réellement et essaie de vivre sa vie sans que personne ne s’intéresse à elle. Elle y arrive assez bien malgré les conditions jusqu’à ce qu’un journaliste sous couverture se présente sur son île pour découvrir l’identité du légendaire Pheonix qui conçoit tous ces formidables jeux. Mais comme tout le monde il est persuadé que c’est un homme.

J’avoue que j’ai complètement été emportée par l’idée. Je n’ai jamais lu beaucoup de livres mettant en scène des geek et c’est vrai que c’était très intéressant de voir ce genre de mise en scène. C’est d’ailleurs aussi ce qui est agréable, d’avoir finalement une bonne intrigue en plus de l’histoire qui lie les deux personnages. Mais cette relation est bien sûr importante aussi et c’était touchant de voir Emily s’ouvrir à un homme après tout ce qu’elle avait traversé et comprendre que ce qu’elle présente ne suffit pas. Sa solitude et routine sont bouleversées mais nos deux héros vont vraiment bien se trouver. Leur romance commence difficilement, par des hésitations, des jeux et bien plus. Le côté BDSM n’est pas désagréable, mais il est écrit d’une façon telle qu’on ne s’arrête pas forcément sur ce qu’il se passe, en se disant que ça part trop loin ou que ça nous fatigue. Non c’était une lecture agréable où l’on voit deux personnes s’ouvrir l’une à l’autre même si c’est difficile, où l’on voit la condition des femmes dans certains milieux et où finalement on se laisse emporter par tous les événements. Oui, c’était une bonne découverte et j’avoue que je suis assez curieuse de voir ce qu’il se passe dans le second roman et qui est mis en avant.

4

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