The Hostage Bargain (Taken Hostage by Hunky Bank Robbers, #1) by Annika Martin

May 05, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-erotica, 2012-05-may, published-2012, read-2012, steam-sizzling, m-f-m, light-bdsm, funny

4+! What a crazy sexy hot book! Three hot bank robbers take Melinda as a hostage, and gives her a thrill of a lifetime. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and look forward to more adventures staring these four. There was some good cheeky humor, intense suspense (the bad guys have more bad guys after them!), hot m/f/m sex, some light bondage, and plenty of hot tubs. This isn't the hottest erotica I've read, but I enjoyed how the author wove in a solid suspense story too. It's a pure fantasy read and...more

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May 29, 2012 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic-romance, romantic-suspense

3.5 Stars. This was such a different, odd little story (about 200 pgs.). I don't even really know how to classify it. Given the blurb of the story and the cover, I was expecting a quicky erotica. It was erotic, but not that erotic. There was so much more to it; ie it actually had a pretty decent story behind it. Not anything deep, but a decent story.

Melinda gets taken hostage after a bank robbery by 3 masked men; Zeus, Odin, and Thor. She was smart-mouthed and flippant; but there was a real brai...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: assassin-protag, charming-and-delightful, erotica, heroine-to-hang-out-with, romance-spans-multiple-books, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn, menage

The sort of well-written smut that, if you took out all the sex, would still be a fun romp of a book.

Melinda is working as a teller at First City National Bank when three masked men rob the joint. Fortunately for the robbers, all the tellers hate the bank owner. When Melinda is singled out to help bag the cash ("because I was at the end of the row -- or maybe I looked friendly and cooperative, heaven knows I was planning to be"), she goes above and beyond to get them the best possible haul.

For...more The sort of well-written smut that, if you took out all the sex, would still be a fun romp of a book.

Melinda is working as a teller at First City National Bank when three masked men rob the joint. Fortunately for the robbers, all the tellers hate the bank owner. When Melinda is singled out to help bag the cash ("because I was at the end of the row -- or maybe I looked friendly and cooperative, heaven knows I was planning to be"), she goes above and beyond to get them the best possible haul.

For her troubles, she is taken hostage.

Pretty much from the get-go, Melinda wants to join the robbers. She's a thrill-junkie, so she's hooked by the danger, and she clicks with her captors (they go by Odin, Thor, and Zeus, and call themselves the "god pack"). Plus, when the masks come off it turns out Odin, Thor, and Zeus are three flavors of gorgeous, and necessity has taught them the virtue of sharing.

The eroticism here is built on the appeal of being taken or controlled - held hostage, as the title so subtly hints - and there are elements of dominance to all the sex play, but it's very light. The robbers are very aware of Melinda's boundaries, never push too far, and devote a lot of effort to making sure she's sexually satisfied.

The "god pack" is a tight knit crew, and they don't admit new members easily. The Hostage Bargain really chronicles Melinda's attempts to prove that she can belong; to face crises with a level head and just the right amount of reckless crazy, to bond with the guys individually and as a group. It turns out she's got some pretty heavy baggage to clear away, and while she's pretty successful at winning over Odin and Thor, Zeus keeps a distance and insists on kicking her out at the nearest opportunity.

Annika Martin is a pen name for Carolyn Crane and everything she writes just works for me. I totally dig her humor, I love the banter between all the characters, and I genuinely got to know and like all of them. This would have been a fun book without the kinky menage sex - but it's definitely even funner with the kinky menage sex. (less)

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Jul 25, 2012 D.G. marked it as may-finish-later

Shelves: erotica, standalone

How can I resist a book whose series is titled: Taken Hostage by Hunky Bank Robbers?

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Jun 01, 2012 Taryn Elliott rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this very much. Fun, funny, clever, and sexy as sin. It's hard to write a review of this kind of book without spoilers. I'll just say that if you can suspend disbelief and lose yourself in the story you won't be disappointed.

It's fantasy at its best. Both with the sexy times and the storyline. It kept my interest and made me want more of the backstory that will slowly be revealed through the series, I think. I'm glad I found this series a little late. That means I don't have long to wa...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Patti Loves FAB Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
PJV Quickie: Short, sexy and silly; The Hostage Bargain is a quick, fun read.

Review
I picked up The Hostage Bargain when I saw that Annika Martin is actually Carolyn Crane‘s alter ego. I love her Disillusionist trilogy (my review of book 1 here), but understood immediately that this book would be nothing like her UF books (thus, the new name).

Melinda Prescott is a disgruntled bank teller, well actually she’s a sheep farmer who’s been forced to work as a bank teller to prevent the bank fr...more 3.5 stars
PJV Quickie: Short, sexy and silly; The Hostage Bargain is a quick, fun read.

Review
I picked up The Hostage Bargain when I saw that Annika Martin is actually Carolyn Crane‘s alter ego. I love her Disillusionist trilogy (my review of book 1 here), but understood immediately that this book would be nothing like her UF books (thus, the new name).

Melinda Prescott is a disgruntled bank teller, well actually she’s a sheep farmer who’s been forced to work as a bank teller to prevent the bank from forclosing on the family farm. Her boss is a real slimebucket, and when 3 super-hunky bank robbers in suits and masks come in to rob the bank, she decides to screw over her boss by helping them.

As the robbery progresses, things get rushed and the kidnappers decide to take Melinda with them. She knows she should be scared, but as she has a bit of a thrill-seeking streak she’s actually kind of excited about the whole thing. And as she spends a little time with her captors, she realizes she’s kind of turned on. She gets the bank robbers, who go by the names Zeus, Thor, and Odin, to agree to keep her long enough to participate in their next heist so she can earn a cut to get her farm out from under the bank. There are rules to joining “the gang” though – sexy menage rules. Melinda agrees to the rules and names herself Isis. Adventures ensue…
____________________________

The Hostage Bargain is the kind of story the phrase “a fun, sexy romp” was invented for. It’s hard to put in a genre box though; it’s steamy but not over-sexed, funny but not comically so, and there’s a bit of action to boot. I thought Melinda was a bit ridiculous, but as it fit the overall feeling of the story it really didn’t bother me as much as it might have in a different book. I liked the guys – Thor was the sensitive one, Odin seemed to be the fun, bad boy, and Zeus was the tortured hero. The Hostage Bargain starts off light, gets a little bit more serious towards the second half, going into the guys’ histories a bit, and ends on a high note. I’m definitely looking forward to the second book: The Wrong Turn, out later this month(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Marcella Burnard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica

This is the first novella I've read by this author and I'll defintely read more. This is erotica as adventure seeking - the heroine is a risk taker at heart, one who's been nearly smothered by the stultifying small town she's been trapped in. When three, hot bad-boys in zombie masks turn up to rob the bank where she's been forced to work, she's thrilled by the chance to help the boys rob the boss she despises. She's equally thrilled when the men take her hostage. The sexual tension ratchets way...more

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May 07, 2012 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, erotica, kindle-lending

This was quite an interesting book.

The bank where Melinda Prescott works is held up by three hunky robbers. Oh, she can't see their faces -- only the deep green eyes of one of the robbers known only as Zeus. But that is enough to intrigue her. That and the fact that she hates the owners of the bank who are not very nice people. So she decides to give them a helping hand.

The beginning, when the bank robbery takes place is stellar. It is really funny and the writing is quite zippy. In fact, it was...more This was quite an interesting book.

The bank where Melinda Prescott works is held up by three hunky robbers. Oh, she can't see their faces -- only the deep green eyes of one of the robbers known only as Zeus. But that is enough to intrigue her. That and the fact that she hates the owners of the bank who are not very nice people. So she decides to give them a helping hand.

The beginning, when the bank robbery takes place is stellar. It is really funny and the writing is quite zippy. In fact, it was what sold me on the book.

But the book takes a turn. Frankly I wished the book had stayed funny and zippy. My rating would have been higher. As it is, the book gets a lot darker and much sexier. Through a series of events, Melinda is taken hostage and is part of the men's escape. From there the book becomes a bit more of a typical erotica sexxy-times story with Melinda quickly falling into a sexual menage with two of the three men.

Zeus is the hold-out -- all growly and broody and snarly -- and you suddenly realize that the story isn't just about sexy-times hijinks anymore but has a deeper edge.

Melinda becomes more and more involved not only with the guys sexually but also deeper into their shady business and the really, really dangerous people who are after them.

While I do wish the book had stayed lighter, I think the author did a good job with taking the book into the darker route she did. There were points when I thought some of the plotting felt choppy and there was a element of woobification of Zeus re: the reasons for his rejection of Melinda.

But my biggest issue is with Melinda herself. I know this is erotica and as such character motivation gets sacrificed on the altar of sex sometimes. But still I think there was enough heft to the story that Melinda's easy and quick acceptance of both her assimilation into the gang and leaving her family behind felt careless and out of sync with some of the deeper emotions the story was trying to convey. Sure Melinda thought about her sisters, but it felt uncomfortably like lip service at times.

This is the first book of a multi-book arc following more adventures of the band of four. While I wasn't completely blown away, I am intrigued enough to see where the author plans to take them.
(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Penny Watson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review of The Hostage Bargain by Annika Martin

There are some books that have a premise that is so ridiculous, you just can't resist. (At least I can't). As soon as I saw the blurb for this book--a sheep farmer who is abducted by three bad-ass bank robbers and subjected to super pleasurable sexcapades, I thought--"I have to read this one!"

There are not many erotic romances that can weave together ridiculous humor, a complex and suspenseful story line, intriguing characters, and sex so smoky and...more Review of The Hostage Bargain by Annika Martin

There are some books that have a premise that is so ridiculous, you just can't resist. (At least I can't). As soon as I saw the blurb for this book--a sheep farmer who is abducted by three bad-ass bank robbers and subjected to super pleasurable sexcapades, I thought--"I have to read this one!"

There are not many erotic romances that can weave together ridiculous humor, a complex and suspenseful story line, intriguing characters, and sex so smoky and hot you're sweating as you read it. (I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that I was, literally, sweating. Holy Old Spice Deodorant!) And.....the other really cool thing about this book is that the sexiest part of it was not the actual physical scenes of intimacy (although, don't get me wrong, those were also super sweat-worthy), but it was the anticipation of the sex that was so thoroughly, unbelievably, smoky hot. Martin is a master at building anticipation.

This book is not really kinky. I have read erotica that is much crazier as far as sex acts and bondage. The wickedness of this story is the scenario itself....that a young woman desperate for excitement has it unexpectedly dropped into her lap in the form of three wild bank robbers. Because this story is told in first person POV, we are living the experience with Melinda. Annika Martin takes us on a very bumpy ride, creates nervous tension and anticipation, throws in some scary suspenseful moments, and manages, somehow, to end on a positive note. I really liked the fact that this book is not what you normally expect with an erotica. The only thing I can compare it to is Skin Game by Ava Gray. That was a wild, sexy ride, with truly unique characters. The Hostage Bargain takes you on the same sort of journey. I was totally mesmerized by this book.

After finishing it, I realized that the author is planning more books in this series. Yippee! (Note to self: stock up on Old Spice deodorant).

If you're looking for something outside-of-the-box of regular erotic fiction, then this one's for you. The Hostage Bargain is a delicious mix of snappy humor, wicked sexcapades and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense. I've never read anything like it. Debut author Annika Martin has a new #1 fan.

Grade: A

Waiting for my own bank robber to fall out of the sky (preferably with a nice bushy beard),
Penelope(less)

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May 17, 2012 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can't completely decide how I feel about this one. One the one hand it was entertaining and definitely HOT. Melinda, a closet thrill seeker, gets to live out her fantasy when taken hostage in a bank robbery and it's fun to be along for the ride. The story is light and not too serious, even humorous at times. Overall I really enjoyed reading it and I plan to read the rest of the series.

One the other hand, it was just like all the rest of the erotica I have read (which I will admit is a bit limi...more

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May 04, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

The Hostage Bargain is the first book in Annika Martin’s new series. Melinda is a bank teller who happens to live on her family’s sheep farm. In all seriousness, she doesn’t want to be a sheep farmer anymore but seeing that she is the oldest daughter, the responsibility of running the farm fell on her when her parents died. To help pay the bills, Melinda took a job at the bank. I have to say that I did find it a bit odd how quickly Melinda adapted to eve...more Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

The Hostage Bargain is the first book in Annika Martin’s new series. Melinda is a bank teller who happens to live on her family’s sheep farm. In all seriousness, she doesn’t want to be a sheep farmer anymore but seeing that she is the oldest daughter, the responsibility of running the farm fell on her when her parents died. To help pay the bills, Melinda took a job at the bank. I have to say that I did find it a bit odd how quickly Melinda adapted to everything. Even while the bank was being robbed, she was cool and collected. Yes, she hated her boss and actually liked the idea that someone was taking his stuff, but still. You would think a certain amount of panic would occur when three armed gunmen wearing zombie masks barge into your workplace and demand that you help stuff large amounts of money into their bags. And when they take her hostage, she’s all excited! But soon enough you learn that Melinda is like this because she craves excitement and sees her ‘hostage’ situation as a perfect way to escape her reality.

Melinda is super quirky. To get the most out of her new situation, she makes herself fit into the guys’ gang. I found it was cute how she called them ‘her robbers’ even after just meeting them. The humor in the book comes from her. She is put into so many situations (and positions *wink wink*) that she has never been in but figures ‘what the hell’ and goes with the flow. She loves the crazy life that these three men lead as it is the complete opposite of what she lives now. Melinda is smart but so many of her thoughts are borderline quirky…and I liked that about her. There is an innocence about her and it made her character all the more funny and adorable.

Let’s talk about the men. Oh, the men! There is Thor, Odin and Zeus. I giggled too when I first read their names but of course, they are code names. All named after gods and fit their ‘gang’ perfectly. They are all for one and one for all and I loved the bond these guys had. You can tell that these men have been through some serious sh*t and I’m not talking about the robberies. While you are reading you are wondering what happened to them and what exactly brought them together. You don’t find everything out in this book which makes you feel two things: it makes you happy that Annika is planning three more books in this series and it makes you want the next book sooner rather than later so you can find out the whole story behind these guys.

I think Thor is my favorite. He’s the gentle one with heart. Well, I suppose ‘gentle’ isn’t really the right word to describe him seeing what some of his ‘skills’ are *nudge nudge* but in comparison to the others, he is. Odin is awesome. He’s the smarty of the gang and since I like a smart guy, he’s yum in my book. Finally there is Zeus. He is the tortured arse of the gang. He’s the one you want to know most of all because he’s the one you know nothing about! I actually found myself saying, as I’m reading about Melinda doing the nasty with Odin and Thor while Zeus is watching (told you this book was hot): “Kiss her, f*ck her, you know you want to!” Really…what is that about?! lol That’s how much these characters drew me in. And I wasn’t just drawn to them during ‘those’ scenes – their steamy chemistry was great and their ‘just sitting around chatting’ chemistry was just as good.

My concern with erotic books, and I’ve mentioned this before, is that there is too much sex and not enough substance or that they are vulgar just to say they are. I did not find this at all with this book. The story contained some incredibly steamy scenes (as I may have mentioned a few times already) but it also held a very compelling story. The robbers are being chased but we don’t know by whom or why. Then there is the added suspense of whether or not a heist will go off as planned. It’s a sexy book with a solid story and proof that it is possible to strike that balance in erotic romance.

The Hostage Bargain is a quirky steamy read with heart. I giggled a lot and smiled even more. It’s meant to be a fun read and it totally succeeds as I haven’t had this much fun reading an erotic romance in quite a while. The Hostage Bargain is definitely worth checking out. It’s the perfect weekend read.

4.5 stars(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Nakeesha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: big-girl-shelf

This book won't be for everyone. Especially uber-responsible, Type A, buzz kills like me. However, I enjoyed the story. Melinda works at a bank for a man threatening to foreclose on her family's sheep farm. Then the bank gets robbed and she's taken hostage -quite willingly, I might add. All three robbers, once they take off their masks, are drop dead gorgeous, of course, and sex gets stirred into the plot.

Here's the thing: this book is more about motivations and growth than kinky sex and hijinks...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Sassafrass rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, src-sum12, the-romance-reviews, romance, challenge-books-2012

A review for The Romance Reviews.

This is one of those books that I knew I would love just by reading the description alone. Happily, Annika Martin came through big time with THE HOSTAGE BARGAIN. From page one, it was an experience in humor, hotness, and hunks! How can any book get any better than that?!?

THE HOSTAGE BARGAIN is about a young woman named Melinda. She's--and I kid you not--a sheep farmer who is trying to make more money to save the family's farm by working in the local bank in her s...more A review for The Romance Reviews.

This is one of those books that I knew I would love just by reading the description alone. Happily, Annika Martin came through big time with THE HOSTAGE BARGAIN. From page one, it was an experience in humor, hotness, and hunks! How can any book get any better than that?!?

THE HOSTAGE BARGAIN is about a young woman named Melinda. She's--and I kid you not--a sheep farmer who is trying to make more money to save the family's farm by working in the local bank in her small town in Wisconsin. The story opens with her bank being robbed by three masked men. But instead of being scared, Melinda is thrilled because she hates her boss and wants to stick it to him as many ways as possible.

Melinda ends up being so helpful to the robbers that they end up taking her as a hostage to aid their getaway. But because the girl is slightly insane, I think she doesn't want to get away from the men; instead, she wants to help them escape so she can stay. She's intrigued by them and quite attracted to them as well. And that's before she ever got to see them.

When she gets them out of bind, they decide that she can stay with them, but she has some requests of her own. She wants to help them pull a job and wants a cut of the money to help with her family's farm. The men have some rules of their own, and they include sex, spanking and bondage. Talk about sweetening the pot!

And so, THE HOSTAGE BARGAIN begins. This book was incredibly fun to read. There was great dialogue, a far-fetched but entertaining plot, and tons of sizzling sexual heat. The book is written from the Melinda's point of view, and I wasn't sure how I was going to like that. However, her running internal dialogue was hilarious, so I can't imagine the book being any other way.

What's surprising is that this is Annika Martin's first book. The book wasn't perfect, but the mistakes were minimal and it was edited well. So for those of you skeptical about self-published works, rest easy on this one.

THE HOSTAGE BARGAIN is the first book in the Taken Hostage by Hunky Robbers series, so seriously, how could you possibly resist it? I love that the writer's style makes it obvious that she's not taking herself too seriously, and that makes the book that much more fun. The ending left me wanting—no, begging--for more, and I can't wait for book two!(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 MaggieReadsRom rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, e-books, erotic-romance, menage, not-reviewed, romantic-suspense, self-published

3.75 stars!

I really liked this story. It was a sexy mix of many things I love in (erotic) romance: menage, humor, mysterious characters and even a bit of action thrown in.
The first person POV didn't even bother me as much as I thought it would. I liked this book so much that despite the POV I've already bought the next book in the series.

Fave Quotes:
Everybody began to disrobe; I thought I might pass out from cocktail of danger, testosterone, and male muscle. I felt like I’d been airlifted int...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Hilcia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, erotica, contemporary

I also enjoyed this erotic roller coaster about thrill seeker Melinda Prescott and the three bank robbers who kidnap her and at her request make her part of their gang. This story works well as an erotic contemporary with plenty of hot D/s threesome and one-on-one scenes, thrilling adventure moments, plenty of snappy, humorous dialog, and some voyeurism to top it all off.

The three bank robbers are only known by their "god" names: Thor, Odin and Zeus, and although Melinda takes the name Isis as h...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

A really different kind of erotic romance--three intrepid bank robbers who were on the run from people who remain in the shadows and whose real names are never revealed in the story. Rather, they all go by the names of mythical gods and ultimately include Melinda in this as the goddess Isis. Yet it is also about the reality of a woman who has finally acted on her desire to be something other than who she is as a person locked into a family situation, kept hostage in the expectations of others an...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Heather in FL rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-i-own-it, elements-erotic-smut, elements-humor, z-from-amazon, elements-bdsm, mix-m-f-m

Oh I can't wait for the next one, so I'm glad this was just a #1. So much fun!! Melinda/Isis cracked me up. I thought it was hilarious that she was helping the bank robbers while at the bank and then again when they were stuck in traffic and the cops were going car to car. I think she gave up her hair too quickly, lol, but it did the trick. I thought their first encounter in the car was hot. Well, heck, every encounter between Isis and Odin and Thor was hot. And I loved that she demanded her own...more

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May 30, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Favorite Quote: “A bank heist followed by an orgy is not typically on my daily roster,” I said casually.

Melinda Prescott hates the owner of the bank where she works. She and her sisters own a sheep farm, and the bank owner holds the mortgage. After a barn fire a few years ago, and the death of her parents, her and her sisters were left with a big mortgage, and missed payments. So her relationship with the bank owner is rocky at best. When three masked men come in to rob the bank, she actually de...more Favorite Quote: “A bank heist followed by an orgy is not typically on my daily roster,” I said casually.

Melinda Prescott hates the owner of the bank where she works. She and her sisters own a sheep farm, and the bank owner holds the mortgage. After a barn fire a few years ago, and the death of her parents, her and her sisters were left with a big mortgage, and missed payments. So her relationship with the bank owner is rocky at best. When three masked men come in to rob the bank, she actually decides to help them out. Anything to hurt her boss. So she gives them a ton of money and even shows them where secret diamonds are stored. But things get critical towards the end, and they end up taking her hostage.

Melinda sees this as an adventure though. She is bored in her life, and this is kind of like a dream come true. It doesn’t hurt that these men seem to be nice bank robbers too. She also wants in on the next bank robbery so she can use that money to pay off her huge mortgage debts. So these three masked men, who go by the names Thor, Odin and Zeus (Melinda asks to go by the name Isis) give her this ultimatum:

“Fine then. The game is that we’re dissolute, depraved, sex-crazed bandits and the rules are, firstly, that you have sex with all of us at different times and in different combinations.” Odin paused.

My pulse fluttered. “That’s firstly?”

“Yes, Isis,” Odin said.

I imagined being pressed between them. I imagined their hands and mouths on my. Oh, he was a little evil to pause like that. This too, I richly enjoyed. “And what might be secondly?” I asked.

“That we tie you up, etcetera,” he said casually, almost bored, like it was a totally normal thing. “And we give you various commands that you must obey, within reason of course, and utterly pleasure-focused.”

So she basically has to agree to these rules to stay with them and earn the name ‘Isis.’ And she happily does.

As I read the beginning of this book, I have to admit I rolled my eyes. It is just such a silly plot. I get this book is suppose to be silly (someone on Twitter called it ‘kooky’ and that is a good word to describe it) but it was just too silly for me. This sheep farmer is going to become a sex slave of sorts to three masked bandits? But I kept reading, and actually started enjoying it more as I went. It isn’t just the four of them robbing banks and having sex, although this is a very erotic book. We learn more about the men and I started to feel bad for them that they are forced to live this life style (you learn why towards the end of the book). They live for today, because they are in such an extreme situation. Thor is more of the softie that makes Isis feel welcome, Zeus has deep dark secrets and is the more distant one, and Odin is kind of in the middle.

Bad guys are introduced, which makes it more exciting and the three men, are hot and sexy. Let me say though that this is a very quirky book, and sometimes I had a hard time finding the sex scenes hot and steamy. It was hard to get into that frame of mind for some reason. At the same time, I appreciated the humor of the situation Isis is in too. She is all for the sexin’ but it is a very new situation for her:

A knock at the door. Thor broke away from our kiss. A room service waiter entered and pushed a cart laden with booze, glasses, snacks, flowers, and linens up to a round table. “Would you like me to set you up?”

“No, just park the cart. Leave the table clear. Just in case.” The waiter parked the cart and Odin took off his glasses and gave me an amused look that had 99% pure devil in it. “Don’t you think?” he asked me.

“What?”

“That we should leave the table clear?”

“I guess,” I said.

WTF.
There is also a backstory involving a previous woman these three shared. I won’t go into too much detail because I don’t want to spoil but I’m not sure I liked that. And I also want to know why these three pick up random women to make them their sex slave of sorts but with more books in this series to come, I assume we will get more answers.

I’m still a little baffled at how I feel about this one. I think it is well written, but I’m not sure it is for me.

Rating: C+(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very over the top, tongue and cheek fun.

I'm not a fan of multiple partners so this is way outside my comfort zone and as I suspected I wasn't entirely comfortable with it but I did love all the guys. I just can't help myself from wanting her to pick just one. lol

The one thing that did bother me was that Melinda was following in the path of another woman who had a relationship with the men that didn't end well. I kind of wanted her to have her own experience and it sometimes felt like they were...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:

Reading the story description, I thought this story was going to simply be a sexy, erotic romp....and it was... but it was also so much more. These guys are so much more. There's real depth to these guys (yes, the hunky bank robbers) and what they're doing that was really unexpected.

Melinda is a bank teller trying to save the family farm. Her parents died unexpectedly and ever since then Melinda has had to be the adult for her three younger sisters. That's meant putting her needs and...more My Review:

Reading the story description, I thought this story was going to simply be a sexy, erotic romp....and it was... but it was also so much more. These guys are so much more. There's real depth to these guys (yes, the hunky bank robbers) and what they're doing that was really unexpected.

Melinda is a bank teller trying to save the family farm. Her parents died unexpectedly and ever since then Melinda has had to be the adult for her three younger sisters. That's meant putting her needs and wants to the side. Melinda is a natural thrill-seeker...dreams of opening a bungee-jumping school. Sheep farmer and part-time bank teller to a sleaze was never her dream but she's become stuck. So, like a true adrenaline junkee, when these guys come in to rob the bank, she gets excited about it not scared...and hey, if it means the sleaze who owns the bank gets screwed...that's okay too. She has a real spark about life and even when her knees are trembling, she really enjoys the danger of it all.

The three hunky bank robbers never planned to take a hostage, but when things don't work quite as planned, they change their plans...and she helps them. Melinda quickly discovers that these guys are no ordinary bank robbers. Combine that with the fact she really wants to escape the farm...and she asks to join them at least temporarily. Thor and Odin are all for Isis (that her new god name) to join up with them, but Zeus has a serious chip on his shoulder about the idea. What's really curious about this is the fact that it was Zeus (and his smoldering green eyes) who she really connected with during the robbery.

Like I said there was a lot more than I expected. Thor and Odin are both sweet and sexy. Zeus is mysterious and broody. All three of them are definitely a team. They may not see eye-to-eye, but they are committed to each other and their methods of doing things. I liked them...I really did and just did not see that coming with them being bank robbers...and bank robbers who aren't afraid of using violence when they have to. I know...who would have thought, but I loved these guys.

It's also incredibly sexy...hello...three hunky bank robbers who aren't afraid to mix it up. Thor and Odin like that Isis has joined them and they plan to take full advantage of the fact. She just has to abide by their rules and when she doesn't, well, that just makes it all that much more fun, doesn't it?? Hehe...I loved this book!

I'm so excited that this is going to be a series. This is one of those books when I was sad to see the tally go down....I didn't want it to end...and that's always the sign of a really good book!
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May 06, 2012 Tanya rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fast and crazy read. 3 Bank robbers take a teller,Melinda, hostage, well she volunteers, and they go on a crazy ride together. The 3 Godly named robbers are just what Melinda needs. The chemistry between all 4 of them is instant and you could feel the adrenaline that they all had on the edge of danger. Some of it was a tad unbelievable for me but I am not one to rob banks and have hot sex with strangers I just met at the bank in the morning. I will definitely look for the next book in...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Shari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book-challenge

I saw a tweet on Twitter on night about this book and decided it was something I needed to check out. On the first page I groaned when I saw it was a first person voice story. If you know me you know I don’t like first person voice at all. I like to see what is going on in multiple characters minds and with first person, you have to rely on the one person to interpret everything for you. I moved on past that problem because I really thought the premise of the book was interesting.

The story opens...more I saw a tweet on Twitter on night about this book and decided it was something I needed to check out. On the first page I groaned when I saw it was a first person voice story. If you know me you know I don’t like first person voice at all. I like to see what is going on in multiple characters minds and with first person, you have to rely on the one person to interpret everything for you. I moved on past that problem because I really thought the premise of the book was interesting.

The story opens with Melinda working in a local bank that she hates when it is held up by three men. It seems no one that works there really likes the owners of the bank. In retaliation, Melinda helps them raid the bank. When there is some police action in the area they take Melinda with them as a hostage. The entire way she is helping them with little fear it felt for her own well being.

As they are trying to get out of town, you learn that Melinda’s parents have passed away and her sisters and her have inherited the sheep farm. This just felt so far fetched for me. I had a hard time keeping a straight face. And when she started throwing out Paris Hilton’s name I wanted to die laughing.

As she is helping the men evade the police, she realizes the bank won’t foreclose on their sheep farm over bad press of the owner having been kidnapped inside their bank. So she makes a deal with the men to stay with them until the next job. But they have rules. Rules that basically say she is their sex slave. But one of the men in the group is more dimensional than the other two and doesn’t go for it.

In reality, Melinda is looking for a way out of her small town life and this seems to be the ticket. She’s willing to have amazing sex with the men and do everything they tell her if it means she will remain free from the farm, which comes across selfish.

There are three guys in this gang and they are extremely loyal to each other. You find out why later in the book. All three go by mythical God names, Zeus, Thor and Odin. Zeus is standoffish. He wants nothing to do with Melinda, who changes her name toIsis. Thor is the doctor and caregiver of the group, but does like his sex. Odin is the most sadistic of the group and harder to nail down.

Overall, I didn’t know what to make of this book because it was just unbelievable and when I was laughing it wasn’t because it was funny it was because it was silly. I never grew to like any of the characters. Even the other bad men were unbelievable. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
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Nov 06, 2012 Lisa Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica

This was a funny little story! I loved it! The heroine's humor was so hysterical! Even when her life was on the line. Hot hunky fake Gods/robbers in real time with a sheep farm girl who just wants to have fun! A great story. My only criticism was the editing. The absence of such words as and, a, at, the, of was distracting but didn't affect the story too much (the reasoning behind not giving it 5 stars). Read it, you'll laugh. ;)

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May 07, 2012 Tori smexys_sidekick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, erotic, read-in-2012, menage, series, humor

This book just wasn't for me. Over the top and slightly humorous; it starts out cute but quickly became a challenge for me to read. I found the heroine to be silly and stupid and the heroes were just goofy. They all basically live for the moment except for one robber (Zeus) and by the time we get their full back story, I was irritated with them all.

I do think many will enjoy this debut series but it's just not for me.

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Nov 12, 2012 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-man-hero, romance-contemporary

I adored Thor and his very naughty sense of humor but that was the high point. I've never been a fan of Peter Pan boys who don't wanna grow up and apparently I'm supposed to read the next book in the series to find out why the three amigo heroes are rootless, violent bank robbers. I wasn't convinced that the heroine was such a prize that all three men would see her as a keeper. I usually enjoy Carolyn Crane's books but this was more miss than hit for me. 2.5 stars rounded up.

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May 10, 2012 Eva Clancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book. It's fun and frothy and hot but it has real heft and poignancy too. I loved the main character's internal dilemmas, the mystery about the engimatic bank robbers (still to be fully explained!) and the individual and collective relationships depicted. And I LOVE that each of the three guys is very individual and unique. Really looking forward to the next instalment.

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May 01, 2012 Lee Anne - Give me a Good Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, romance, kindle, a-bnl

This was a cute story with an amusing premise. After reading some of the comments about the book I was expecting to laugh out loud. Nothing in the book made me laugh out loud but I did find myself smiling at times.

I found this to be a cute read and rather enjoyable. I will definitely pick up the others in the series to see where these hunky bank robbers go next!

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May 09, 2012 Jeffe Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just loved this fun and sexy book! The scenario - being taken hostage by handsome bank robbers and made to do their bidding - is intense and erotic. At the same time, Annika strikes a fine balance, making the men believable characters and the heroine just young and adventurous enough that the situation isn't menacing, but a delightful excursion.

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Nov 19, 2012 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-in-the-family, alpha-male, lil-bit-of-kink, erotic, mature-content, panty-scorcher, read-in-2012, steamy-romance, dramedy, kindle-lendable, bankrobbers

3.5 stars

So this was... interesting! Basic rundown is Melinda hates her job working for an s.o.b trying to take her sheep farm away from her and her sisters. The bank she works at gets robbed by three zombie mask wearing intense dudes! She decides to stick it to her boss and help them out, ending up taken as a hostage. Always one for thrill rides, she decides to just stay with them. And so begins the tale of how there is not only more to bank robbing than meets the eyes, there's also way more to...more

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May 19, 2012 Eileen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was sexy and funny and even touching and sweet in some parts. It really pulled me in even though the premise (sheep farmer/bank teller abducted by sexy bank robbers) was kind of silly. When I got to the last page, I was definitely disappointed it was over. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!

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The Hostage Bargain (Taken Hostage by Hunky Bank Robbers #1)

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