Dominated (The Enforcers #2) by Maya Banks-Review, Excerpt and Giveaway
DOMINATED
The Enforcers #2
by Maya Banks
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 3, 2016
To save her, he had to betray her…
In Drake’s shadowy world, his enemies would exploit any weakness he had in order to bring him to his knees, and so he’s never allowed himself to care about anyone…never exhibited any vulnerability, and it made him a force to be reckoned with. Until Evangeline—his angel. A woman who slipped past his defenses like no one had ever managed. She was his to protect and ultimately, to do that, he had to do the unthinkable and drive the only good thing in his world away.
But he will stop at nothing to get her back…
Devastated and destroyed, Evangeline doesn’t know what made Drake turn on her in such a shocking manner. She only knows she’ll never be the same. He once freed her from all her inhibitions, only now she is a prisoner to never-ending pain. But when Drake finds her again, she realizes there is more to his world than she ever imagined, and she must decide if she can once more trust—and submit—to the man who holds her wounded heart in his hands. And he must convince her of just how far he’ll go to regain her love and forgiveness.
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REVIEW:
Dominated begins right where Mastered leaves off…………with a HUGE cliffhanger. As the blurb about the book says “to save her, he had to betray her….”and boy, did he ever betray her. Feeling utterly betrayed and humiliated, Evangeline runs away and hides from Drake. She just can’t understand why he had treated her that way in front of his business associates. She’d done everything to make him proud of her and to, for lack of a better analogy, “earn her keep”. Somehow, things had gone terribly wrong and she found herself with no money and nowhere to go, until an unexpected ally steps in and helps. The place she’s staying is humble, but she’s working to save a little money so that she can get back home.
To say Drake is crazy with worry about Evangeline is a huge understatement. He’s tried to track her down, but to no avail. His men are upset as well. Upset that she’s missing and even more upset at what sent her running in the first place. Seems Drake has a lot to make up for.
Drake finally tracks her down and finally gets her to understand what happened and how sorry he is. Of course, she forgives him and vows to try and make a life with him, but he has to meet her part way. He gives his word that he will. Funny thing about giving your word………you actually have to keep it. What follows will have you cheering for Evangeline (most of the time) and wanting to kill Drake (a lot of the time). As they navigate their relationship and the problems that come with Drake’s complicated life, one thing is for sure: Drake is in for a rude awakening. He’s never felt as out of control as he does with Evangeline, and he’s never been questioned by his inner circle, until now.
I love Maya Banks. Those of you who read my reviews know this. But, I didn’t love this one. I liked it, just didn’t love it. Evangeline is your typical fish-out-of-water and in-over-your-head heroine. She is as naïve as she is determined. Drake is your typical Alpha Male who swoops in to take care of the woman who he will come to love and feel he can’t live without. EXCEPT for the fact that not only does he make the big faux pas and lose her once, he does it AGAIN…………and AGAIN! With Evangeline seeing the good in Drake, she continues to forgive him, even though he knows he doesn’t deserve it. His inner circle isn’t even sure if he deserves her forgiveness. But, he gets it. I understand that Drake is really a mess and doesn’t really think he deserves anyone as good as Evangeline, but dang! Now, don’t get me wrong. I’ll say it again…. I liked the book. I liked the set up and I LOVED the secondary characters.
And, for the most part, I liked the story. I just didn’t like that he kept disrespecting her, until the end. But, even then, you have to wonder if he’ll do it again. That’s the part I didn’t like. You don’t know down to your toes that they are going to be okay. I’m also hoping that with the next book, which is Silas’s book (YAY!!!!!!), we find out more of the back story about Drake and his men. I loved the first book and had high hopes for this one. I just felt it lacked something……. With all of that said, I truly can’t wait for Silas’s book and to see what’s happening with the rest of the Enforcers.
Click HERE for Vickie’s review of MASTERED (The Enforcers #1)
Copy supplied by Netgalley
Reviewed by Vickie M
He’d gathered his sentinels. The only men in his inner circle, a tight band of men—brothers—his partners in business and the only men he trusted with his life—and Evangeline’s.
The only men he’d allow to see him at his lowest, unguarded. Vulnerable. Nothing mattered to him. Not exposing his weakness. Not allowing his iron control that had maintained him through most of his life to slip. They all knew that Evangeline was . . . special. All important. And they, like him, liked her. Respected her.
And they were all pissed. At him.
“Goddamn it, Drake,” Maddox hissed out. “How could you do it? There had to be another way.”
“There was no other goddamn way and you know it!” Drake barked, fury and helplessness eating him alive, gutting him until there was nothing left but a soulless shell of a man standing helplessly in front of his brothers begging for their help.
Looks were exchanged. Some of sympathy, some of resignation as they realized Drake was right, and still others of quiet fury that Evangeline had been treated—betrayed—in such a despicable manner.
Goddamn useless woman. Can’t even give good head. Your only use is in my bedroom.
His cruel words sliced through his mind, a jagged cut making him bleed all over again, a vicious reminder of the unforgivable things he’d said to her. All in the effort to convince the fucking Luconis she meant nothing to him.
When in fact, she was his goddamn world. And she was gone.
He couldn’t blame her. He’d devastated her. Had ripped her to shreds until she was bleeding from the verbal wounds he’d inflicted. And Jesus, his physical treatment of her. No, the only person at fault was himself.
Silas had remained silent, his features carved in stone, but his eyes were a dead giveaway in a man who usually gave away nothing at all.
“She didn’t deserve this,” Silas said in his quiet voice. But then he never had to raise his voice to make his point. When he spoke, others instinctively ceased talking and listened to him. He was a man who commanded authority and respect.
“No, she didn’t,” Drake said hoarsely. “Don’t you think I know that? Do you think a single night goes by that I don’t replay the image of her broken, in utter despair, her tears—goddamn it, her tears—and worse, her fear. Of me. Of her humiliation. Her absolute belief in every insult, every word I hurled her way in an effort to make sure the goddamn Luconis never suspected what she meant to me. I’ll never forget. As long as I live, I’ll never forget that night.”
His tone grew savage, fury radiating from him like a beacon.
“She could be anywhere out there. Alone. Afraid. Her parents haven’t heard from her. And those bitches she called her best friends . . .” He broke off and had to visibly compose himself.
He and Maddox had gone there first only to discover that they hadn’t heard from her either. Except . . . Lana had admitted that Evangeline had called that day, the day she’d planned to visit them. To reconcile. And that she’d told her not to come. Guilt had been reflected in the eyes of all her “friends.”
It was then that Drake had understood that she’d never planned to execute her surprise to him, hadn’t lied to him in order to set up her playing hostess for him. She’d been hurt by her friends’ rejection, and so she’d turned to the one true thing in her life, seeking his approval, needing it, because she had no one else.
Posted by arrangement with Berkley Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Maya Banks, 2016.
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My name is Maya Banks and I live in Texas with my husband and three children and our assortment of pets.
When I’m not writing, I love to hunt and fish with my family. We all love the outdoors and go on family hunting trips every year. We also love to travel. One of our more recent trips was to Scotland, which was every bit as comical as National Lampoon’s European Vacation. You know the part about “Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament” as they went round and round the roundabouts? Yeah, that was us, only we couldn’t even get out of the airport in Glasgow without hitting three of those suckers.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of a writing career is getting to meet so many wonderful readers. There’s nothing better than dishing books with someone who loves the romance genre as much as I do. Romance readers are passionate and vocal. We love our books, love our happily ever afters, and we love to spend time talking to others about our favorites. THIS is why I love my job so much, and I’m so grateful to readers who gave ME a chance when I began my career. So thank you.
Maya’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of MASTERED (Book 1 in The Enforcers series) to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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