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Sweet Surrender (Sweet #1)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 8,839 ratings · 464 reviews

Under Faith Malone's deceptively soft exterior lies a woman who knows exactly what she wants: a strong man who'll take without asking - because she's willing to give him everything...

Dallas cop Gray Montgomery is on a mission: find the guy who killed his partner and bring him to justice. So far, he's found a link between the killer and Faith - and if Gray has to get close...more

Trade Paperback, 344 pages

Published March 4th 2008 by Berkley Heat

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Jun 18, 2009 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Erotic romance/suspense fans

Shelves: maya-banks, erotic-romance-erotica-romantica, bdsm-kink, 2009-reads, cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, menage-multiple-partners, romantic-suspense, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-alpha‎, yowza-hotness, heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin, series-sweet, i-read-own-faves-keepers, captive-kidnapped-hostage-slave, contemporary-romance, hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover, favorite-romance-series, backdoor-action-lovin-playin, hero-dom, 4-to-5-stars, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, stalker-alert, bdsm-lets-play-master-and-servant

4 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense/Erotica/BDSM/Ménage

This is a rather deep look into the makings of a Dominant/submissive relationship that encompasses both sexual and emotional fulfillment with a satisfying romantic suspense plot thrown in for extra measure. The H/H, dominant cop Gray and sweet, natural submissive Faith, are very likable characters, as are all the secondary characters. There are several hotties (sex club owner Damon and fellow security agents Connor, Nathan, and Micah) that I hope...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Ridley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-star, erotic-romance, read-2009, ebook

I am glad I won this book in a contest. Had I paid a trade paperback price for this, I would have been out of my mind with disappointment.

Gray Montgomery is a Dallas cop working undercover, and off the record, to avenge his partner's death on the job. Faith Malone is the office manager at Gray's new job at a Houston security firm, and her mother is the suspected killer's accomplice. Gray takes this job to get close to Faith to see if she's in cahoots with her mother.

While tapping her phones and...more I am glad I won this book in a contest. Had I paid a trade paperback price for this, I would have been out of my mind with disappointment.

Gray Montgomery is a Dallas cop working undercover, and off the record, to avenge his partner's death on the job. Faith Malone is the office manager at Gray's new job at a Houston security firm, and her mother is the suspected killer's accomplice. Gray takes this job to get close to Faith to see if she's in cahoots with her mother.

While tapping her phones and invading her privacy illegally (how romantic) the two begin a flirtation. You see, Faith is looking for a dominant man to call all the shots in and out of bed and Gray is looking to do some shot calling. Slam dunk, right? Of course not. Naturally he has to fight his attraction. Why? I don't know. We're never really given a reason. So Faith goes after him. Wicked submissive of her, amirite?

To be fair, Gray does call Faith on her topping from the bottom, but the book gets no less silly. The mysteriously rich sex club owner Damon, on a short, professional acquaintance, offers his Galveston beach house for her solo use for a week (and sends her there via chauffeured Bentley) so she can think about her Gray dilemma. Uh-huh. Sure.

Right after she leaves, Gray's partner's father shows up in Houston all lathered up about the suspected killer being nearby. Gray and the people her works with, aka the Cast of Future Heroes, hatch a plan to set a trap to catch the bad guy, who's after Faith to try to kidnap and ransom her. Gray is then sent to Galveston to "protect" Faith with the command from her father to not tell her about all this trouble (foreshadowing should be subtle, this screams INCOMING BIG MISUNDERSTANDING, no?)

What follows is some light D/s play, some backdoor action, a borderline creepy threesome with her friend Micah and enough showering to drain the Great Lakes. Banks' falls into the trap of telling rather than showing when she writes sex. There's a lot of play-by-play where she tells us what cocks are doing to body parts and a major lack of emotion and reaction. Gems include, "He continued to thrust against her until finally he stopped....Then he eased out of her body with a gentle pop." So. Not. Hot.

The conclusion to the suspense has more gaping holes than a porn actress after a gang bang. What the hell was Mick on about by leading the bad guy to Galveston? Why was he so mean to Faith? Did the bad guy actually kill Gray's partner? Why was Gray unarmed? Why did the bad guy leave Faith where she could escape? Why would Faith believe an armed madman's word over Gray's and who the hell asks questions of an armed madman? Surely her relationship drama could've waited.

All told, this book was a chore to read. The secondary characters were woefully underdeveloped, the D/s rather vanilla, the sex tepid and the prose dry. It was a disappointment, as I enjoyed the Samhain books of hers that I read. I doubt I'll read book two, unless I win a copy of that as well.
(less)

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Apr 24, 2008 Daisiemae rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Romantica Lovers

Recommended to Daisiemae by: Blackbook

Shelves: erotica, contemporary-romance

I loved this book so much! I hated to see it end. I loved everything about this book. The characters were likable and I found myself really caring about the outcome of the storyline.

Police detective Gray Montgomery is recovering from the murder of his partner and his own injuries. Just when he is about to return from medical leave, his partner's father Mick-who is a retired police officer-approachs him with information about the killer. Finding out that the killer is shacked up with a two-timed...more I loved this book so much! I hated to see it end. I loved everything about this book. The characters were likable and I found myself really caring about the outcome of the storyline.

Police detective Gray Montgomery is recovering from the murder of his partner and his own injuries. Just when he is about to return from medical leave, his partner's father Mick-who is a retired police officer-approachs him with information about the killer. Finding out that the killer is shacked up with a two-timed loser of a woman who frequently mooches off her daughter and others, Gray decides to some investating of his own. When Mick tells him he has arranged for Gray to work at the business the daughter works at, Gray decides to earn the daughters trust, and hopefully it will lead to justice for the death of his partner.

Faith has had to take care of her mother most of her life. Shouldered by the responsibity of taking care of her worthless mother, she has learned to rely on her other family for emotional support. She has been making efforts to separate herself from contact with her mother. Longing for more dominance with her relationship with men, (she's still not a pushover) She is shocked by the immediate attraction and chemistry she has with Gray. Her instincts tell her he is exactly the man she is looking for.

Faith and Gray are very likeable people. But have issues of trust and personal growth they have to achieve throughout the book. Faith longs for a more dominant man in her life, but she isn't a pushover by any means. Gray also grows throughout this book. He is dominate, but not in a demeaning way. I liked that they became friends first before jumping into bed together. Both have some issues they had to work on, but watching them build their relationship was a wonderful thing to read. Some of the things Gray does for Faith was truly romantic...he definately knows how to take care of a woman!

This book could easily start a series or spin off from the other characters in it. I hope the author continues with the lives of the characters, because I am definately interested in what will become of everyone.
There is some mild BDSM and some strong language in this book, so if you are offended by either one, it won't be for you.(less)

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Mar 17, 2008 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Erotic romance/suspense fans

Shelves: erotic-romance, romantic-suspense, ménage, maya_banks

This one is for anyone who likes a little romantic suspense with their erotica. I loved it--it had the perfect balance!

The hero, Gray, is a Dallas cop whose partner has been killed in the line of duty. The police are getting nowhere trying to find the perpetrator. Gray gets a lead that the perp may some way be connected to a woman in Houston. Gray takes a leave of absence and finagles a job with the family P.I. company where the woman works. He's stunned by her beauty and innocence when he meets...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, favorites, want-to-own, erotica

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK! I LOVEEDDD IT! Gray definitly knows what a woman wants and how to make her heart swell. I could only imagine that i find Mr. Prince Charming. The book was filled with passion, suspence and steamy romance. It was a fight for love and Gray, like all good romance books, lost as did Faith. Maya Banks is an amazing author and has always kept me enthralled and turning the page. She is one of the few authors that can make me finish a book in less then 24 hours. GREAT READ! Recomme...more

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Feb 01, 2013 ☂ ℬrandi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporaries, eh, french-novels, marquis-de-sade, read-2013

❤❤ ½ (Not a terrible story. Just got terribly old, quickly)

I try not to let other reviewer's evaluations weigh too heavily on my own but I'm always so surprised when I read something that I consider less than great and my GRs friends/people I follow rate highly or rave about. It just so happens this is one of those times and as I'm reading the reviews that say things like 'great development', 'couldn't put it down', 'a new take on the Dom/sub relationship' or 'the book was deep', I can't help bu...more ❤❤ ½ (Not a terrible story. Just got terribly old, quickly)

I try not to let other reviewer's evaluations weigh too heavily on my own but I'm always so surprised when I read something that I consider less than great and my GRs friends/people I follow rate highly or rave about. It just so happens this is one of those times and as I'm reading the reviews that say things like 'great development', 'couldn't put it down', 'a new take on the Dom/sub relationship' or 'the book was deep', I can't help but giggle. Sure, it's deep in so much as how many times the poor girl gets DP'd (deeply not 'doubled' although that nearly happens too), but deep by any other definition? I'd have to disagree.

I'm guessing the depth of story that some reviewers remark on happens in the first 127 pages. The romance (I use the term lightly) doesn't happen until well after that so those first 16 chapters are devoted to story building. Here's what I learned. Our hero, Gray, is taking a leave of absence from the Dallas Police Department to go to Houston in search of his partner's murderer, based on a lead his partner's father has found. In Houston, Gray works at Malone and Sons, a security agency. His mark is the boss's daughter Faith, whose derelict mother is assumed to be cavorting with the murder. Faith is 22, has had a difficult childhood, rarely speaks to her mom these days unless she calls begging money, and is well loved by her adopted dad, Pop, brother Conner, and the other two employees Nathan and Micah (all decent characters who I assume are the focus of subsequent books). Faith has decided that she ~~wants~~, no needs a dominate man, lover, protector and keeper so she schedules an appointment at a sex club hoping to find what she desires. It just so happens that all his life, Gray has been looking for a girl with Faith's wants but every other girl he's tried it with has turned out to be only half willing. So page 127, we're at the fetish club. Faith gives it a shot but is disappointed with the result until Gray shows up and spanks her. Then BAM! she knows what she wants and who can give it to her but Gray fights her off for many more chapters.

A few reviews mentioned that this book offered a a new take on the Dom/sub relationship. I'll concede that it tries to offer a new take, or at the very least disparages sex club Dom/subs and reduces their import to playacting, sex games and role players. It attempts to show Faith's desires to be dominated and taken care of as normal. What women wouldn't like to be taken care of in every possible way? I don't know any. I didn't think it made her weak or abnormal. The one recurring problem I have with every BDSM book I've read is that the author spends a good deal of time explaining how BDSM is normal behavior, nothing to be ashamed of, but prevailing culture hasn't accepted it as such. But then, rather than support this view with 'normal' characters they present the reader with characters who have been greatly hurt, are damaged or suffer from something that results in them needed whatever BDSM is supposed to be. Now as humans we are all flawed and damaged and our past dictates our present and future so there is no way around that in literature. It would be pretty boring to read about perfection anyway. But it's hard to make a case for BDSM in books when everyone is so messed up. And in this case, like most others I've read, no matter how you try to pretty it up by telling me on page 293 that it's an emotional connection that drives their sexual acts, you have to call this what it is and that's submission to the same degrading degree it's always been.

I was actually a bit sickened by the scene where Faith tells Gray she doesn't know what to expect from this arrangement they've agreed on. He asks "Did you expect to be kneeling? Have to ask permission to speak? Did you expect me to beat you before fucking your brains out?" Faith nods yes. Gray says he's "not an asshole...and won't treat her like garbage...and there are lots of ways for her to show submission and respect which don't include humiliation or ill treatment." But after reading this book, I'd say that Gray's ways of showing submission and "respect" are little better. Faith has not been demure or naive about her needs in this book and the fact that she thought Gray would do those things, thought she had to endure those types of things, especially if against her will, irritated me.

There are moments in real life when some of the more explosive sex scenes from this book could be erotic for some people. I'd actually say it's more for men than women though. In fact I felt like I was reading a book catered to a man's desires most of the time. But in real life, when half of this stuff happens, I can't imagine how the girl walks away feeling loved, cherished, protected and cared for, which is what the book tries to make you believe is happening. It's even sometimes just disgusting to read.

During the couple's first night at the beach house (where the sexual relationship begins) Gray tells Faith that the first night is all about her. He takes her to dinner, talks to her a about her past and her current desires, bathes her, brushes her hair, pleasures her with his hand, tells her how much she's desired, holds her while they sleep naked together. Aww, kinda sweet. But the next day he reminds her that it's all about him now and though the first day is mild with a bit of kink, it never seems to be about anyone else but him after that.

The sex happens only over the course of a few days and that really constitutes the entirety of their relationship since they only have one true conversation and it's only about Faith. We don't learn much more about Gray. The sex is nearly endless (it also got very boring to read) and there is a good deal of pain and ramming and shoving and stretching and forcing and spanking, oh my! At one point Gray is telling Faith to simply "Relax, it's going to hurt...Let go of the hurt" he's inflicting and just "Embrace the pleasure." Umm, he just "shoved...deep" and "forced" his you know what into her virgin bum. But Faith describes his words as sensual which, you know, is exactly what I was thinking, in between cringes. *sarcasm* She's happy as a clam after, saying she's "never been better" so he takes her naked body, bends it over the arm of the sofa, ties her arms behind her back and warns her to stay just like that until he comes back from showering. Wow, he's a dreamboat. In another scene he acknowledges that after he's collapsed on top of her and is holding her to him too tightly, she probably can't breathe but he didn't care because in that moment he just wanted her close. Again, I can see how Faith sees this man as her protector and provider.

So I didn't really like the sex stuff. The rest of the book was ok. I suppose the plot is plausible and the minor characters are likeable, mostly. I should mentioned that there is nothing wrong with Banks' writing per se. She's a proficient writer that I have enjoyed reading in the past. Her McCabe trilogy got 3, 4 and 5 stars from me. It's next to impossible to get a 5 outta me so that's saying something. But sometimes in erotic novels you really do feel like you're reading inferior material for cheap thrills and at times this book was not different. And I resent the word 'woo woo' as a euphemism for vagina. It's was so childish and unnecessary. I have book OCD that demands that I read every book (in order) in a series once I start it. That is if I'm able to get them from my library or cheapish. I will not, however, be making much effort to continue this series.(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Joana M. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, erotic, maya-banks, sweet-series

★★☆☆☆

Gray Montgomery é um polícia de Dallas que tem como missão descobrir quem matou o seu parceiro e, até ao momento, encontrou uma ligação entre o assassino e Faith – uma bela estranha de quem se deve aproximar para descobrir quem é o responsável pela morte do seu amigo e parceiro.

Foi o primeiro livro do género Erótico que li. Sim, porque não posso contar Fifty Shades of Grey como lido, visto que não passei da página #20. Mais tarde, darei mais uma oportunidade à trilogia de E.L. James, ma...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-challenge

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I LOVED Gray and Faith. I wasn't sure how it was going to play out but I LOVE Maya Banks so I was certainly willing to give it a shot.

Grayson Montgomery came across Faith on purpose, he was willing to use whatever tactics he needed to find the person who killed his partner, Alex. What he wasn't counting on was Faith being an innocent victim that was about to take Gray on the ride of his life.

Faith Malone was a sweet woman that worked with her adopted father, brother and 2 other men in her day li...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Somewhere between two and a three stars. I REALLY like Maya Banks Highlander Historicals but the few other reads of hers I've tried have been somewhat hit or miss for me. Although I did like the characters, main and secondary, of this book and the story was good, this one was more miss than hit.

Gray is a Dallas cop on leave of absence after his partner was killed in the line of duty. The department has dropped the ball on the investigation and Gray sets out to find his partner's killer on a lead...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Ellora rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was so boring, I had to skim through it. So, I may have missed whatever it was that made the other readers give it a 5*. Or it is that any book with enough sex in it gets a 5*?

There was no plot. The cop hero's partner gets killed. And the cop bosses are beginning to insinuate that the killing was the hero's partner's fault. What was the reason behind the killing? Why are TPTB inclined to push it under the carpet? Was there a bigger conspiracy behind this all? We are never told this.

Th...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, audiobook, contemporary

This was OK. It's the first full length book I've read (listened to) by Maya Banks and the story was decent enough overall. The story may even rate 3 stars, but I bumped it down to only 2 because of the erotic element. Don't get me wrong, I like erotica, but the more hardcore BDSM sex in this book felt gratuitous and if the heroine wined about just wanting to be taken care of one more time I was going to stop listening.

So, you've got a decent but problematic premise for the h/h meeting. Cops par...more This was OK. It's the first full length book I've read (listened to) by Maya Banks and the story was decent enough overall. The story may even rate 3 stars, but I bumped it down to only 2 because of the erotic element. Don't get me wrong, I like erotica, but the more hardcore BDSM sex in this book felt gratuitous and if the heroine wined about just wanting to be taken care of one more time I was going to stop listening.

So, you've got a decent but problematic premise for the h/h meeting. Cops partner is killed, man responsible in on the loose, inexplicably the police are unable to come up with leads although the father of the killed cop comes up with a suspect and gets dead cops partner, Grey to check it out by spying on the suspects girlfriends daughter. (did you follow that?)

So the story moves along quickly, to quickly for a B/s relationship IRL, but this is a story so I will suspend disbelief. In the first half of the book there is some touching, emotional interplay between the H/h and a few hot sex scenes that work within the scope of the story and a building relationship.

(view spoiler)

While Faith's whining about wanting to be taken care of really got on my nerves, she is overall a strong heroine and it is nice to read a BDSM story where the sub in the relationship is strong in her own right and doesn't feel a need to completely give herself over to the dom in every respect.(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Maryan Mohamud rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

I wish goodreads had something other then didn't like cause this falls more under disgusted, horrified and scarred for life! NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't even get past 30th page! Never has that ever happened to me! I wouldn't have this book at all on my account listed as read, or to read or anything, if it weren't for the fact that i'm afraid this review might delete along with it. Now you understand how much i hated this book, jokes aside. SEROUSLY.

If you like REALLY kinky book...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Eternal-Love78 Michelle Rossi's Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sweetly Enticed 4 1/2 Stars!!

I appreciated the tight knit characters that are all involved within this storyline.

Especially the initial spark between Gray & Faith, was greater than either realized, it literally took them both for a lope. Their connection was rock-solid, then edgy, finally mind-blowing orgasmic (between the major kink & BDSM involved).

However, the story began to fizzle. Gray & Faith's relationship had too much of the back & forth, not knowing what either of them t...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Oleta Blaylock rated it 4 of 5 stars

I stayed up last night to finish this book. I actually only had a few chapters left to read and I had to know how things worked themselves out. While this story didn’t have the impact of Sweet Persuasion it is a very good book and a great introduction to the series. I loved all the characters, Pop, Connor, Micah, Nathan, Gray, Faith, and Damon. I loved how protective all the men were of Faith. I loved how Faith began to take charge of her life and stand up to her Mother, as well as finding what...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Melinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trashy-romance

I read this book weeks ago and it was unexpectedly hot. I'm not someone who is into the whole submission/dominance bit, but I think that Maya Banks did an excellent job of making this particular kink accessible. I think that stereotypes of BDSM as a whole makes it seem that a woman who wants a dominant man (I would say person...) as a lover is viewed as having low self-esteem or self-confidence, but the author flips that on it's head. She makes it about caring and being cherished and appreciated...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I really liked this book, the reason was Faith herself. I liked that she knew what she wanted, just wasn't sure how to express that. So after some research she realizes that what she wanted and needed in her life was described as dominance and submission. Her research led her to a fetish place called The House, where she is determined to learn more about herself.

In the meantime, while Faith is researching, Gray joins her father's security agency. Sparks fly between these 2, and when Gray learns...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Sandy M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, erotic

I just discovered Maya Banks a few weeks ago when I read Into the Mist and absolutely loved everything about it. I was really looking forward to this book (Sweet), and while I liked it, I was a little disappointed because it didn’t all-out floor me like Mist.

I do enjoy Maya’s characters very much. I always feel like I really know them, I care about them, and that’s definitely the case here with Gray and Faith in this book. Even the secondary characters are great. I also like the commonality of f...more I just discovered Maya Banks a few weeks ago when I read Into the Mist and absolutely loved everything about it. I was really looking forward to this book (Sweet), and while I liked it, I was a little disappointed because it didn’t all-out floor me like Mist.

I do enjoy Maya’s characters very much. I always feel like I really know them, I care about them, and that’s definitely the case here with Gray and Faith in this book. Even the secondary characters are great. I also like the commonality of family that I’ve found in the two Banks’ books I’ve read so far. Faith’s family — even the guys who work for her father are like brothers to her — look after her and protect her. Gray is following his heart when he goes after his partner’s killer because Alex was like a brother to him. Gray even comes to like the feeling he gets when he’s around Faith’s family, home or office. I loved the interaction among all of these characters. It was real, witty, fun, and it reminded me of family.

The storyline is a convincing one as far as Gray wanting to find Alex’s murderer. He even goes so far as to agree with Alex’s father to investigate on their own, which, of course, leads Gray to Faith. Faith is looking for something, too, though she’s not entirely sure what it is she needs. She knows what she wants, not what she needs.

Her desperation leads her into a situation that really doesn’t help, but it does get Gray riled up, and that’s when the light bulb begins to shine brightly for Faith. Gray is what she wants and needs, but she goes about getting him all wrong. At first I was a little skeptical about Faith’s desire to totally surrender to a dominant man, but it was Gray’s explanation of what he wants that brings it all together for Faith and the reader. He’s a control freak, yes, but he’s not looking for a slave.

Which leads to the sex scenes. I liked most of them, but the more sex there was in Gray and Faith’s pivotal week together, one scene just faded into another. I was looking for a little something more between them. Faith wanted a man to take care of her in bed as well as out. We didn’t see as much of the relationship out of bed except for the preparation of a few meals, some cuddling (which was very nice), and the like. I wanted that something more between them on an everyday basis, to see Gray’s domination there as well as with the sex. Once the action started, though, we definitely see how his feelings for Faith have grown, but he’s pushed into it. Nevertheless, it is a great action scene, very tense, and the following repercussions are very moving.

Other than that one little blip, this is a good book. The writing is wonderful. There’s always a nice flow and rhythm throughout the story. I never find myself tripping or stumbling over a phrase or any such thing. I know I’m feeling exactly what I’m supposed to in every scene.

Maybe it’s not fair of me to continue to think about Into the Mist and compare Sweet Surrender to it, but that’s very hard not to do. I still liked this one, loved the characters, and look forward to my next Banks book.(less)

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Jun 24, 2010 Shxrxn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Surely nothing good ever came of a man saying he’d been thinking. Men just didn’t think, and they certainly weren’t prone to expressing those thoughts over pillow talk.
- Faith
she’d never considered herself a submissive person. Yeah, she wanted a strong man. Someone who didn’t have to ask. Who was confidant enough to act. But did that make her submissive?
- Faith
Maybe I haven’t found a man worthy of my beauty or culinary skills.
- Faith
I’m a regular saint.
- Gray
She wanted someone strong, unyielding...more

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Jan 26, 2010 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-from-the-library, finished-in-2010

My first, and certainly not last, foray into the worlds created by Maya Banks.

Sweet Surrender is the first in her series of Sweet titles and I'm going to be looking everywhere for the next instalment.

Gray Montgomery is a Dallas cop who is trying to find the man who killed his partner. On a tip from Mick (his partner's dad), Gray heads to Houston in order to cozy up to Faith Malone -- the one link to catching the killer. Little do either Faith or Gray realize that things will get a lot more seri...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 19, 2009 marlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

i think i am glad i read book 2 before book 1. i am not sure how fast i would have continued with the series otherwise. the suspense story line was decent enough. since i cheated and started with book 2 i already met most of the characters so i knew i liked them.

the meeting of Damon and his extreme generosity just seemed odd to me. sure he seems like an all around nice guy who money means nothing to, and he did admit that he was doing a lot of it because he was interested in Faith. still it jus...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Tania rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, damsel-in-distress, erotica-menage, erotica-bdsm, heat-sizzling, romance-contemporary, romance, romance-erotica

I actually really liked this story, for a BDSM erotica. I'm really not into BDSM novels, or at least how it's portrayed in most erotica these days. But this story explores BDSM in a way that I actually enjoy reading. My favourite line is when Gray explains to Faith his version of BDSM

"Faith, I’m not an asshole. I’m not going to treat you like a piece of garbage. Ever. You don’t ever need permission to speak, for God’s sake. Kneeling is just dumb. There are lots of ways to show your submission an...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-adult, genre-romance, time-contemporary, read-in-2012, genre-bondage-sm-kink, genre-crime-suspense, nothing-paranormal-at-all

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 21, 2012 Keri (Va-Voom!) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, texas, romance, nope-still-a-prude, ewww

Hmmm. What did I think of this book? Well, honestly, it wasn't my cup of tea. I chose to read it because it is labeled as erotic romance/BDSM. I wanted to prove to myself that the reason I hated Fifty Shades of Grey was truly because of the poor writing and NOT because it was a BDSM erotic book. And, in reading Sweet Surrender, I did exactly that.

Sweet Surrender is a very well-written story about a cop whose partner is killed in the line of duty. During his investigation, he meets a woman who i...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Juju221 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yum, yum, yum! Definitely a sweet book, I came to this series from a recommendation from Sparklybearsy (#showingsomebearlove) I'd already read some Banks books, the Colter's series in particular after other blogger recommendations and generally enjoyed them, however Bearsy told me I must read the Sweet series and she was SO right, why? Because I loved them! For me one of the nicest things is being able to read a series back to back if you come late to it, and I was able to do that with this seri...more Yum, yum, yum! Definitely a sweet book, I came to this series from a recommendation from Sparklybearsy (#showingsomebearlove) I'd already read some Banks books, the Colter's series in particular after other blogger recommendations and generally enjoyed them, however Bearsy told me I must read the Sweet series and she was SO right, why? Because I loved them! For me one of the nicest things is being able to read a series back to back if you come late to it, and I was able to do that with this series as I had the first 3 on my TBR pile since the summer. I have book 4 being delivered any day now.

Why did I like them? I think it is because, as the title suggests there is something sweet about them, something that hints of deep and real emotions, the kind that sneak up behind you and whack you over the head with a lead pipe and leave you panting in the bedroom with Colonel Mustard. Ok so there is no lead pipe or Colonel Mustard and I have been playing too much Cluedo over the festive period, but hopefully you will get my rather odd analogy.

They are a fun frisky romp with real emotion and tension.

But first things first and my feelings about Sweet Seduction, the other two will follow over the next two days. There is a real thrill in this book, in the sense of the plot line of a thriller novel woven in with the story of a burgeoning relationship. Gray is strong, sexy, brooding and grieving for his dead partner, he goes to work for Faith's adoptive Father as a way of getting close to his partner's killer. He tries his best not to fall for Faith, but he struggles, when he finds out she wants dominance his fate is sealed and he can hold out no longer. When her life is put in danger he will do everything he can to save her.

Faith is no push over, she is feminine and innocent on the outside, but she knows what she wants and is prepared to go out and get it. This need for something different sends her to The House and has her meeting Damon, this journey also sends Gray's temperature off the scale and the scene where he goes and retrieves her is so hot!

Not only do you have two smouldering main characters but you have a host of well rounded supporting characters all who provide a relevant role, and whose own stories are fleshed out in later novels. Loved it, and if you haven't read them already... do!

A sexy damp panty read and I give it 4.5 frilly knickers out of 5! (less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Shanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

So this was a nice addition to my reading, especially if I wanted some super super steamy scenes. Though it took a while for the leads to get together, when they did, boy-oh-boy fireworks could not express how they lighted up for each other. I think that we have to take about the fact that there were many orgasms, and so little sex, damn, Gray made me seriously consider baths to be a health hazard, but I loved every minute of it!

So I want to start with the guy this time, because he was such an i...more So this was a nice addition to my reading, especially if I wanted some super super steamy scenes. Though it took a while for the leads to get together, when they did, boy-oh-boy fireworks could not express how they lighted up for each other. I think that we have to take about the fact that there were many orgasms, and so little sex, damn, Gray made me seriously consider baths to be a health hazard, but I loved every minute of it!

So I want to start with the guy this time, because he was such an intricate part of the story. I think Gray was just the right type of alpha. He was domineering without being pushy, he was also very sweet, and gentle, and I think that he takes "taking care of his woman" to a whole new level. I loved how he battled between his feelings for Faith, and his obligation to his fallen partner. I also really liked that he was so willing to not get involved with her under false pretenses. But they had this amazing chemistry, and it was one that helped fuel the book along that's for sure.

Faith Malone, is a woman who is only now learning what she wants in life especially from relationships. I think she is so unlike some of the other female leads who are learning about BDSM, she was open to it, and she went looking for an outlet for her tastes. I love that she went to the The House, and once she was in there she didn't run away or even shy away from what she was seeing. She really put herself out there when it came to Gray, and she tried on several embarrassing occasions to get him to really take notice of her, but even with all of that, when he didn't show an interest, she did what was best for her, and I really admired that as well.

The secondary characters in this book were very memorable, and I guess Maya Banks made them so because she had plans for them in the upcoming books. I don't want to give away too much, but I love Damon already, I know that he was prolly just only interested in getting into Faith's pants, but he was so sweet to her, and considering she was practically a stranger, I thought the way he treated her was admirable, don't really like his preferred version of kink, but to each his own. Nathan and Conner were also a hoot. I love how Nathan and Micah play practical jokes on each other, that's always fun to have a lil bromance in there. But my fave character? Micah, I can't wait for his book, just because he was such a hoot.

I really enjoyed the introduction to the series. Thanks Steph for doing a buddy read! You always make reading the books better! (less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, contemporary-romance, erotic-fiction, mystery-suspense

This one has a simple story with predictable plot and ending. The amazing amount of hot sex, added with a menage and a little danger on the side upped the tension. After having read no small amount of stories with a BDSM theme, I still find surprises along the way. I loved how Maya Banks (fast becoming one of my favorite authors in the genre) set her own parameters when it comes to a D/s relationship.

Having recently read "Overheard", I can't help but compare a lot of similarities in the story. T...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Catherine curtis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wishlist

maya, all i have say is WOW! i just started ur book and im loving it, i know its the first book that i have gotten but im def going to read them all. i started reading erotic book resently and saw ur book and i was think wow i love the cover. i know u should never judge a cover by its book, but come on look at the cover. its def draw ppl to want to read it and see what it is about. which i was right it was a awsome book and i loved every single details of faith and gray relationship and how they...more maya, all i have say is WOW! i just started ur book and im loving it, i know its the first book that i have gotten but im def going to read them all. i started reading erotic book resently and saw ur book and i was think wow i love the cover. i know u should never judge a cover by its book, but come on look at the cover. its def draw ppl to want to read it and see what it is about. which i was right it was a awsome book and i loved every single details of faith and gray relationship and how they finaly fell for each other. faith is a great character that i liked b.c she is a strong woman that is trying to make everyone happy. she had a hard life w. a mother that she is taking care of and she gets nuthing back from her. it was like faith was the mother and celia was the daughter and it was heart breaking to see a child raising a grown woman at a young age. but she finly found pop to help her pain that she went threw w. her mother. pop is like her angel that took her away from all the pain and sadness she had against her mother. now that she has pop and connor and nathan, micah and now gray to help her and her new family. they are great ppl for her to be w. b.c they are very protective of her which she needs from all the mess her mother did to her.
Gray, i dunno how to put it in a good word for him. i think it would be this HOT AS HELL. gray is every woman dream to have b.c he is the perfect man in bed and out of bed lol. gray is one of those guys are a bad ass when u first met him but when u get to know him is so sweet and careing to others. o yea and he is build perfect. i mean he is a cop and he like to work out and at the same time he has those blue eyes that can melt ice in 3 sec. god i do love a guy that is well build and has beautiful blue eyes, he can del sweep me aways for a hole day. but gray is so perfect for faith bc they have great chemistry. at first they are attracted and then there is passion then they want more then just a saying hello to each other. i love how they are soo attracted to eachother that they want to avoid each other b.c they had there own problem to deal w. but in the end they give in to eachother passion and desire for each other. the love/sex scene was def HOT, maya def know how to describle her scene when it come to playing and then the love making and ofcouse the dominant part gray has in him.. mmmmmm god it hot to see gray control faith when it come to domince, ever woman does like that in a man. he fell in love w. faith and he would do anything to keep her safe, i love how much he cares about her after couple of weeks being w, her. it just broke my heart to see that faith got hurt and gray was hurting worse seeing his faith in pain and betrayed by gray. love can do alot of thing to a person, mostly bad b.c we try anything to keep someone safe no matter what even if we have to lie to that love of ur life to keep that person safe, and that is what gray did and it hurt him so much to lie to faith and worrie that he betrayed her trust. but gray finally got what he wantted and so did faith and i loved every moment from the first page to the last. o yea and damon is a awsome friend lol, he gave faith everything and got nuthing in return. damn that is a good friend right there, let her borrow his beach house and then again at the end of the story let her recover at the beach house again and this time he had some of his ppl take care of her. i mean this guy do anything to get to her. damon is a great guy for faith b.c he kinda help her find what she was loooking for at the house. well anyways i loved this book and i cant wait to start the second one. thanks maya and cant now wait to read all ur books.(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'll be absolutely honest, I put off reading this book for who knows how long. But recommendations from my Twitter friends *whose names I shall not disclose, but are in my Goodreads friends list* made me pick it up and read it once and for all.

That was probably one of the better decisions I've made this year.

This book has an amazing plot, with characters you grow to love or hate along the course of the story, and hot-as-fuck love scenes. The sympathy a reader is supposed to feel for a book's c...more I'll be absolutely honest, I put off reading this book for who knows how long. But recommendations from my Twitter friends *whose names I shall not disclose, but are in my Goodreads friends list* made me pick it up and read it once and for all.

That was probably one of the better decisions I've made this year.

This book has an amazing plot, with characters you grow to love or hate along the course of the story, and hot-as-fuck love scenes. The sympathy a reader is supposed to feel for a book's characters is most definitely felt in the book. Unlike most books similar to this that merely focus on delivering a good sex scene with little plot, Miss Banks's book came across to me as a work that focused on both the quality of the love scenes (which I reiterate are hot) and the overall quality of the book.

I never expected that Celia would actually help her daughter escape Eric, which was a surprising and pleasant twist in the story. I genuinely thought she was a bad guy at the beginning, but then I realized that she was as much a hostage as Faith had become.

The whole "everyone wanting Faith" was something that would normally make me cringe and say "uhh, no", but as I said before, the story was delivered in such a way that even this aspect wasn't sickening. Rather it was believable because to everyone that Faith came in contact with, she was nothing but sweet and kind to them without fail and without judgment. She's the kind of person who would beat herself up if she made another person feel bad. Well, save if that other person is her mother and she were asking for money, but even then she'd still feel pretty bad. That much was obvious in the book.

That being said, one character that I wish was cut a little more slack in the book was Damon. It always seemed like he was Faith's go-to guy, and nothing's wrong with that, really. It's just...I felt really bad for the guy because it's obvious that he has feelings for Faith and he admitted to it so blatantly as well, and he was friend-zoned by her. I don't know much about the next books, but I would personally feel bad if his character wasn't given a happy ever after, especially after being shot down by Faith...multiple times.

Now, about the ending of the book. I could say that Faith should have let him squirm a bit more and let him feel the consequences of hiding something as important as the reason why he moved to Houston - the real reason - a secret from her. But then I realized that these two had been through enough without having to add more drama courtesy of each other, so the ending was actually very fitting. Though I wouldn't object to one last love scene between them before the book ended *wink wink*.

I'm definitely reading the rest of the books of this series. I can't wait to see more of the stories of Maya Banks; definitely one of the best adult fiction authors I've come across.(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Melanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica, maya-banks, rom-suspense, contemporary, library, lookin-out-my-backdoor, slap-and-tickle

2.5 stars.

This book was ok for me, but not up to the caliber of, say, Cherise Sinclair's novels involving a BDSM theme. While some of the scenes were definitely hot, I didn't feel there was a great connection between Gray and Faith. I kinda felt that Gray was a bit too selfish (more of a dictator than a dom), especially in his refusal to dole out a safe word. Faith, IMO, was a weak heroine - yes, I guess she was "assertive" enough to know and insist she wanted a submissive lifestyle, but she did...more

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About Maya Banks

Maya Banks lives in Texas with her husband, three children and assortment of cats. When she's not writing, she can be found hunting, fishing or playing poker. A southern girl born and bred, Maya loves life below the Mason Dixon, and more importantly, loves bringing southern characters and settings to life in her stories.

Maya's Facebook page:
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Quotes from Sweet Surrender

“Women were supposed to be the enigmas, but men? Moody, brooding bastards, the lot of them. A woman with PMS had nothing on a man. Where women might get hormonal once a month, men suffered their own brand of PMS on a daily basis.
- Faith” — 131 people liked it

“Men love a submissive woman, Damon said simply. Even when they say the don't. There's just something about a beautiful, soft woman looking to them to protect and take care of them that inspires a man to greatness.” — 13 people liked it

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