Diana Kenyon is a beautiful, successful doctor with her own practice and her own life. But the occasional work she does for the DC-based Stanton Group thrusts her into the dark world of political refugees, kidnapping and torture. Her boss, and godfather, Jack Stanton, runs an organization that rehabilitates victims of political torture, giving them new faces, thanks to Dr. Kenyon, and new lives, thanks to The Stanton Group. When Jack thinks Diana might be at risk herself, he forces her to attend a seminar that will hopefully give her the skills she needs to keep herself safe.
As the company owner of VRS Securities, Valerio Rios knows his subject well, and his seminars are well-attended by top executives from top companies who do not want to pay huge ransoms for their executives’ safe return. Val has seen firsthand what these victims go through. When Diana turns up missing, Val is hired to find her and bring her home safely. But rescuing the beautiful doctor is not the end of Val’s work. Someone is after her, and Val is determined to keep the independent and strong-willed lady safe. As he tries to find out who is after her, and why a successful doctor was taken in the first place, lies, deceit and mistrust hinder his efforts. Val Rios is a no-nonsense man, and Diana Kenyon is stubborn, willful and independent. Sparks fly as Val grows more determined to see her safe, and in his bed where she belongs.
Warning: This full length novel contains scenes with spanking
Jade Cary wrote elaborate fantasies in her head from the time she was a small child. The fantasies included strong men and strong, loving relationships. She discovered romance novels quite by accident, once she'd devoured everything by Stephen King and Joseph Wambaugh. Desperate for something new to read, she picked up The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon. After that, she found Scruples, by Judith Krantz. A whole new world opened up, and she buried herself in everything these authors wrote. She was fascinated with how the stories were able to capture her and take her to another place. But, more than that, she paid attention to how the words, the writing, made her feel.
She discovered a talent for writing later in life, after careers were had and kids were moving about on their own. She falls in love on a daily basis with her characters, and hopes readers will do the same.
Her first novel, The Point of it All, is the story of two people brought together under extraordinary circumstances. An unapologetic alpha hero who will stop at nothing to keep the woman he loves safe, and a strong, intelligent heroine who finds his supercilious, high-handed ways trying at best, find each other as both fight for freedom, independence, and ultimately love.
A Southern California girl born and bred, her travels to exotic locales inspire rich storytelling, her husband inspires the romance, and her kids inspire the laughs.
I don't even know where to begin with this book. First, props to the author. She's a really good writer, with the exception of the improper use of the word either. This story should have been great. Diana, the lead character is a doctor, a plastic surgeon, who consults with her stepfather on difficult cases involving torture victims and refugees. She is kidnapped and tortured for almost six months. Val specializes in retrieving kidnap victims and is called in to rescue her. He realizes all is not what it seems with the consulting work she does and the people she does it for, so he tries to keep her safe.
I'll admit, I like a good spanking story as well as the next girl. That said, this was just wrong. Diana had been kidnapped and TORTURED for six months. The first thing he does is spank her when she doesn't leave with him right way, and tries to defend her self by shooting at him. The woman is terrified and his first reaction every single time is to beat her. I say beat her, because these weren't spankings for discipline, like the author wanted us to think, like Val kept saying. He hit her in anger, more than once. It's a regularly occurring theme. Yet, everyone in the book seems to think this okay, including Diana, after some token protests. The majority of spankings in the book, especially the first half, were just inappropriate, given the subject matter.
Then there is the matter of all the loose ends. The relationship with the "stepfather". Stepfather is in quotes, because he's not really that. His part in everything that happens to her is never really addressed. After everything is over, she stops speaking to him for six months, then suddenly everything is good between them again, but you never really get the what and how and why. There are other loose ends with other characters in the book, those are never addressed either.
Don't get me started on the ending. The ending was just stupid and wrong. A surprise ending is always fun. I love it when you don't see it coming. I don't want to spoil it for anyone that wants to read this, so I won't. But seriously???? That's just not the kind of thing you spring on someone in the last paragraph of a book, with no real explanation, no anything.
This book left me unsatisfied. While I don't like predictable, I feel certain things should happen in a good story. After all the trauma a heroine or hero in a good story go through, there should be some peace in the end, there should be a resolution. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Happily Ever After ending, but it should make sense, even if it isn't happy. There isn't any peace or a resolution in this book, for anyone. The bad guy never gets his due, the hero and heroine never get peace, and so many loose ends are left, it pretty much just made me mad that I wasted the few hours of my time it took me to read this book. What WAS the point of it all??????
If you are looking for a dark story, you might like this one.
I finished this last night just before I went to bed. It took me a while to decide how to rate it. It was never going to get a 5, but had a shot at a 4 until the end. A few hours ago, I decided on a 1 but decided that might be a slightly and I mean slightly unfair.
One problem I had was the violence. It was really stomach-turning stuff. I get that she wanted to make it realistic and maybe it was, but it seemed excessive to me. There was almost an enormous amount of the story that we learned from character exposition - it really took away from the story - which, honestly, wasn't that great in the end because it ended up so confused that I wasn't sure to make of it. I couldn't even tell you where the climax of the novel occurred.
Val and Diana were both likable enough although he wasn't very understanding of her issues with Stockholm Syndrome, which were partially his own fault (There was a bit of Reverse Stockholm Syndrome - if what happened could be described that way). I also wasn't very into the spanking stuff. It worked out all right once they actually become a couple but most of it was not dubious consent but plain downright non-consensual and I just didn't approve.
As for the ending, I really dislike writers playing games. It just didn't work for me and ended up ruining any satisfaction I would have gotten out of this book. If she ever wants to rewrite it, I would suggest deleting the last chapter entirely and starting from there.
Okay, I shouldn't be too upset since, really, i only spent a few hours on this book, but COME ON!!!
Diana had been kidnapped and tortured for six months, so I don't understand why Val thinks it's a good idea to spank her. And the spanking! Am I the only one who thinks he does it to the point of abuse? He does seem to get really into it.
The writing was well done, though, I must admit. I'm just an emotional reader, so the ending is what changed it for me. If I didn't read the last chapter, I would probably like this book a lot more than I do.
Anyhoo, that's all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
You definitely get your money's worth with this book. The main characters are: Diana, a beautiful (if bratty) young doctor who becomes kidnapped by Mexican slavers and Val, the man who is contracted by her stepfather to rescue her. It's hard to review a book without accidental spoilers. So, since the main premise of the book has already been detailed by another reviewer, I won't duplicate that here. However, I do think that reviewer was unjustifiably harsh. I found this author, Jade Cary, to be a wonderful storyteller. There's a scene in chapter three that is still giving me willies, and the entire time they spent at Val's house is wonderful if for no other reason than the play action unfolding between the main characters. The spankings were well-rounded, not too harsh, and Val comes across as a strong alpha male, high-handed at times, but what self-respecting HOH would not be? The dialog is believable and flows smoothly. The descriptions are believable and perfectly realistic for what this is: romantic spanking fiction. Diana's reactions after her kidnapping were incredibly believable, from the beginning when she's in Stockholm's shock, all the way until she begins to make peace with herself again. In short, the author had no trouble suspending my disbelief and I found myself willingly and enthusiastically following the storyline all the way to the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys liberal spankings (not always consensual) thrown in with their romance, and I will be buying from this author again. Just as soon as she writes some more!
This was an enjoyable read until end. Really!! Seriously!? Ruined the whole thing for me. I could deal with him beating her butt often even though she was traumatized and brutalized by kidnappers. There were a lot of unanswered questions. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments but the ending is like wtf! Wish I hadn't wasted my time!
The hero publicly punishes a woman who has been held captive for several months and is suffering from physical, mental, and emotional abuse. Because, you know, his ability to be "consistent" and to always do what he says he will trumps, well, physical, mental, and emotional abuse. And it's all downhill from there...
Jade Cary hit the nail on the head with “The Point of it All!” This book definitely makes the short list of my favorite spanking novels of all time.
Dr. Diana Kenyon is sent to a seminar in Miami designed to promote self-awareness and self-defense in order to avoid kidnapping. Thinking this is a huge waste of time for someone who spends their days doing reconstructive surgery, she skips the second half of the class and hits the pool. Little did she know she would need these skills sooner rather than later as it was a solid six months before she would return home from that seminar.
Valerio Rios was struck by the woman in the back of the room who was acting more like a petulant child during his lecture than a renowned doctor. When he discovers she goes missing soon after his seminar, he quickly begins to work to recover her from her captors. Expecting gratitude instead of resistance, Val meets Diana's violence head on by baring her bottom and spanking her in front of his colleagues the night he finds her. Val is unable to return his charge immediately and finds that sparks (and spanks) fly between them during their precious few weeks together.
One of the things I liked best about this book was the pre-spanking banter between Diane and Val. Jade Cary delivered amazing dialogue that made me simultaneously giggle and shudder.
My biggest concern with this novel was its first impression. It was a little too ironic that Diana gets abducted after being forced, unwillingly, to attend a conference about kidnapping prevention that she griped about the whole time and eventually blew off. This had me believe that the book would lack believability and end up being too predictable. I’m certainly glad in the end that this wasn’t the case!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Point of it All” and look forward to picking it up again some time.
Wow. I can only give The Point of it All five stars because there isn't a way to give it six. This novel blew me away. It is one of the best books I've read all year, and one of the best domestic discipline novels I've ever read.
It is truly unique among spanking fiction because it combines romantic suspense (heroine in jeopardy) with domestic discipline (naughty girl gets spanked) in a way that is compelling and feels very real.
Valerio Rios is a security expert hired to rescue Diana Kenyon, a plastic surgeon working for a secret agency, after she is kidnapped. When he finds her six months later, she's hiding out in a Mexican gypsy camp. A reluctant rescuee - she pulls a shotgun on him and nearly blows his ear off. That earns her her first spanking and starts a tempestuous, fiery relationship. Val is determined to keep his charge safe; she's determined to make her own decisions, which end up jeopardizing her safety - and everyone else's.
The heat and chemistry between Val and Diana is off the charts sexy. The political thriller part is excellent and seamlessly done. Diana is likeable, sexy and smart. Val is one of the sexiest heroes I've ever run across (Oh baby!), and the secondary characters are engaging as well. The sex scenes are smooth and the spanking scenes are some of the best I've read. I loved the dialog and the smooth writing.
Initially, I felt like Diana was a little too spoiled to be what she was - a very talented doctor, but she quickly redeemed herself.
The Point of it All is a moving, suspenseful, romantic story. The best of the spanking romance genre in my opinion.
This book is phenomenal!! The chemistry between Diana and Val was explosive right from the start. She knew how to push his buttons like no other woman had done just as he knew how to handle her and her behaviors. Val was hired to find Diana when she was kidnapped. After being held captive for a while, Diana has changed since their last meeting. When he finds Diana his only goal is to save her and bring her home. However, this all changes over time. Their feelings grow and a relationship is started but not without many challenges. The author gives the reader a strong cast of characters to follow during this story. There is crime, intrigue, death, family, lust, love explosive passion, and especially fireworks anytime Val and Diana get together, as well as many well deserved spankings!! Emotions run high throughout this entire book. I highly recommend reading this book! However, be aware that once you start reading you may not be able to step away until you get to the surprising end of the story!! Enjoy this 5 star read! note: I received this book in exchange for an honest review!!
Book about how a beautiful, smart, successful woman falls in love with a man who rescues her from her kidnappers, then regularly spanks her to teach her about "consequences." I found the entire premise of this novel offensive, and was surprised and dismayed that it was written by a woman. Billed as a suspense romance, I didn't find it all that suspenseful. And not at all romantic. The idea that any self respecting woman would fall head-over-heels in love with someone who treats her like this is an idea that I thought went "out" centuries ago. And the writing wasn't that great either. Even for free, give this horrible book a wide berth. There are lots of freebies out there that are, unlike this one, worth the time it takes to read them. Ugh.
This was on the way to 3 stars, but the level of violence, especially by the Hero, was over-the-top. And the fact that the "hero" of this story had no sympathy for what the heroine had gone through during her 6 mos. of captivity, dropped it to 2 stars. And then, throwing in the life-threatening illness of one character & the death of another was the final straw for me. I've never read anything else by this author and, after this book, I won't be reading anything else of hers.
I enjoyed this romantic suspense and can’t wait to get into book two. Diana Kenyon is a brilliant doctor of plastic surgery, and she is used by the Stanton Group to change the look of people. She has been told that they were political victims of torture, and this will help them have a new life. Jack Stanton, Billy Stevenson, and several others actually have a different agenda, including people in the CIA and FBI.
The plot has Jack Stanton sending Diana to Miami for a conference on what to do and how to possibly avoid becoming a victim of a kidnapping. She only attends the first half of Valerio Rios lecture, and even at that, she wasn’t listening, she would never be a victim. How wrong she will be, and she is kidnapped, drugged, beaten, abused, raped, and held in various locations, hearing the horrors of what is happening to others and eventually escaping. So many things about her kidnapping don't add up to what a typical kidnapping would entail, no ransom demand, nothing, she is off the grid. It takes Val six months to find and rescue her and then hide her, rather than take her back to Jack Stanton. What Val and Diana didn’t count on was developing feelings for each other. Will Diana learn to trust Val and believe that he is trying to protect her and keep her alive? Why will she not be honest with him and what secrets is she hiding? “Every compromise you make weakens you until you are left with nothing by compromise.”
The story is a roller coaster ride of horror, memories, continued threats and trying to start over again. The physical and emotional chemistry between Val and Diana sizzles on the pages, whether he is taking her in hand, blistering her bottom, or making love to her.
There were a few small errors that made it past the editor, however, they were few and far between. I was sucked into this story from the first page. The hero, Val--where can I get a guy like that? Diana was a little bratty, but it fit her character and she was pretty consistent all the way through. Val was consistent too, but in a completely different direction and from the beginning he has his hands full with Diana. The sparks really do fly between these two. I would have liked to have seen a little more in the spanking descriptions, but the author kept the story moving right along and kept me turning the pages. Instead of reading a little before bed, as is my wont, I accidentally read this all in one night! I recommend this book to anyone who likes a little spanking in their romance, even if it's non-consensual, as most of the spankings in this book are. I will be looking for more from this author. Hopefully, she won't keep me waiting long.
This book was intense and I loved it. It's one of those books that will stay with me for a while, that's how invested I became in the characters. It's a fast paced read with a nice dose of romance and spanking. All the spanking scenes were well-placed and very much deserved - not contrived or overly cruel in the least. I loved the chemistry between Diana and Val and how they meet the first time before he rescues her in Mexico when she's missing. I don't want to write too much more from fear of giving away the plot, but I highly recommend this book if you like romantic thrillers and don't mind reading a book without an HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book stands out in the genre. There's plenty of authors I haven't read yet (give me time!) but of the ones I have read this one is special. An avid reader since I was young, I really can't appreciate a book that isn't well written-this one is. The main characters have depth-they are fully developed people who do more than spank/be spanked and have sex. I need a plot going beyond when will the next spanking happen? Will he use the belt? Or the paddle? Jade has written a story here that is very readable-period-and happens to involve spanking. Well done! More, please!
This is my honest review for my ARC copy. Take one rather spoiled woman, the only female among boys growing up, and give her a cavalier outlook with a devil may care attitude. Match her up with a man that is Alpha, intelligent, and shrewd enough to have her number. Toss her into a situation that shakes her foundation and my, oh my! I too, wish the ending had been different, but sometimes things don’t end as we believe.
I felt for Diane reading this story. To be in her position, would be tragic. She has been carefully protected her entire life, and then someone betrays her, all the while she meets the love of her life, only to lose him later. It truly is a masterpiece. Heartbreaking ending, but it wouldn't have been the amazing story it is without it. You will want to read this one.
Such a serious premise for this book that I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy it or not. I shouldn't have been worried. The topic was explored and dealt with very sensitively. The relationship was intense & not always smooth sailing. Not exactly a light read but definitely something you can get your teeth into.
I was enjoying this right up until that rediculous ending. It was completely out of left field and ruined the story for me. I am sorry i wasted my time reading this, I don't think I will read another book by this author.