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Under Control
In the courtroom, she is the law. In Kelsey’s world, she is just getting started.
Judge Megan Woods has a absolute control. Her life is a fortress of iron-clad schedules and professional triumphs. But a high-stakes promotion and a crumbling marriage of convenience have left her standing at a crossroads.
Then comes Kelsey Calama—a woman who thrives in the spaces between the rules.
Kelsey is a disruption Megan never saw coming. She’s an invitation to a life where "monotony" doesn't exist and "exclusivity" is a thing of the past. As their worlds collide, the cold, clinical walls Megan built around her heart begin to bleed.
For the first time in thirty-four years, the Judge is being judged. Now, Megan must remain the master of a lonely empire, or risk it all for a woman who promises to show her the true meaning of power, risk, and a love that refuses to be tamed.
Judge Megan Woods has a absolute control. Her life is a fortress of iron-clad schedules and professional triumphs. But a high-stakes promotion and a crumbling marriage of convenience have left her standing at a crossroads.
Then comes Kelsey Calama—a woman who thrives in the spaces between the rules.
Kelsey is a disruption Megan never saw coming. She’s an invitation to a life where "monotony" doesn't exist and "exclusivity" is a thing of the past. As their worlds collide, the cold, clinical walls Megan built around her heart begin to bleed.
For the first time in thirty-four years, the Judge is being judged. Now, Megan must remain the master of a lonely empire, or risk it all for a woman who promises to show her the true meaning of power, risk, and a love that refuses to be tamed.
- GenresLGBTContemporary
498 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 20, 2026
3 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.75 ⭐️ 4🌶
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, there are quite a few elements in play.
This is a book rife with political intrigue, homophobia, mafia machinations & bdsm. There is a morally grey FMC Kelsey who heads up a global empire. You've also got Megan who's vying to become a supreme court justice while dealing with her philandering husband.
I felt at times that I had to stop and reread a few pages because of time or plot jumps. I think it was because this was being translated from Portuguese to English. That didn't detract much from the overall story but I know that may bother some people.
The spice was definitely 🔥 hot. There's a good amount here which helped to set the mood for this world. The ending is a quasi cliffhanger but it does set up for the sequel. I will be looking for that to get translated later this year and see where this goes.
Tropes and triggers: morally grey FMC, touch her and die, polyamory, Mafia, homophobia, misogyny, semi heavy BDSM.
I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, there are quite a few elements in play.
This is a book rife with political intrigue, homophobia, mafia machinations & bdsm. There is a morally grey FMC Kelsey who heads up a global empire. You've also got Megan who's vying to become a supreme court justice while dealing with her philandering husband.
I felt at times that I had to stop and reread a few pages because of time or plot jumps. I think it was because this was being translated from Portuguese to English. That didn't detract much from the overall story but I know that may bother some people.
The spice was definitely 🔥 hot. There's a good amount here which helped to set the mood for this world. The ending is a quasi cliffhanger but it does set up for the sequel. I will be looking for that to get translated later this year and see where this goes.
Tropes and triggers: morally grey FMC, touch her and die, polyamory, Mafia, homophobia, misogyny, semi heavy BDSM.
March 15, 2026
Under Control
This book has so much going on! A judge that is getting out of her arranged marriage. A billionaire philanthropist that is dominant in the boardroom and the bedroom. Neither can fight the pull between them. Politics, exes, criminal cases, and gang leaders are no match for their passion and desire. And yes, it's very spicy 🌶🔥💥
***Spoiler - it ends on a cliffhanger and it's 😭😭😭 but there are two more books in the series
This book has so much going on! A judge that is getting out of her arranged marriage. A billionaire philanthropist that is dominant in the boardroom and the bedroom. Neither can fight the pull between them. Politics, exes, criminal cases, and gang leaders are no match for their passion and desire. And yes, it's very spicy 🌶🔥💥
***Spoiler - it ends on a cliffhanger and it's 😭😭😭 but there are two more books in the series
Review of advance copy received from Author
Under Control is not a traditional love story. In fact, I struggle to call it a love story. The relationship between Megan and Kelsey is fast, kinky, not tender, and rooted in a strong obsession. As I said at the start, it’s unconventional from start to finish. It’s a constant fight for power. It’s a multi-level chess game.
The political intrigue reeks of money, decadence, and careful manipulation. The romance is kind of the same. The two are so intertwined that you can’t dissociate one from the other without losing some of the context. It’s also impossible not get tangled in Megan and Kelsey’s world. I got caught in the atmosphere and how many things were at stake.
There are some moments of confusion caused by time jumps, for example, but it’s most likely due to the fact that Under Control is a translated work. It didn’t affect my reading experience, but I’m sure that once it goes through the last round of editing and gets published, this won’t be an issue anymore.
To finish this review, I want to have a discussion with Thais Mora. What was that?! What is this ending?! Excuse me!!! What the hell!
If you don’t like fast burn and spice, this book is not for you. If Under Control were a chilli, I think it would reach the higher levels of the Scoville scale.
The political intrigue reeks of money, decadence, and careful manipulation. The romance is kind of the same. The two are so intertwined that you can’t dissociate one from the other without losing some of the context. It’s also impossible not get tangled in Megan and Kelsey’s world. I got caught in the atmosphere and how many things were at stake.
There are some moments of confusion caused by time jumps, for example, but it’s most likely due to the fact that Under Control is a translated work. It didn’t affect my reading experience, but I’m sure that once it goes through the last round of editing and gets published, this won’t be an issue anymore.
To finish this review, I want to have a discussion with Thais Mora. What was that?! What is this ending?! Excuse me!!! What the hell!
If you don’t like fast burn and spice, this book is not for you. If Under Control were a chilli, I think it would reach the higher levels of the Scoville scale.
Review of advance copy received from Author
📖 AT A GLANCE
STARS 4 stars
SPICE Hot (lots of spicy scenes)
CHEMISTRY Strong/Swooth-worthy
ANGST High
SLOW BURN no
CLIFFHANGER yes (not necessarily for the couple)
CHARACTERS Megan and Kelsey
🖤 MY READING EXPERIENCE
This was an epic story that follows Megan and Kelsey over several years of their relationship. There is a lot of spice throughout the book, including sharing and BDSM, and it’s definitely a noticeable part of the story. I don’t really love political storylines, but I did like the pressure it put on their relationship. Megan wanting a seat on the Supreme Court came with real consequences. The biggest being that she couldn’t be openly out and still have a chance. That created high stakes for the couple, and I stayed invested because of what it meant for them.
🫀CHARACTER THOUGHTS
Kelsey’s obsession with Megan really got to me. Seeing someone so powerful and self-assured fall that hard for another person was so satisfying. What hurt the most were the sacrifices Kelsey was willing to make so Megan could reach her goal. Loving someone enough to step back and put their dreams first? Yeah…that tore my heart.out.
⚠️ ONE SMALL NOTE
I’ll admit there were a few scenes that were a little hard to follow, not enough to pull me out of the story, but enough to make me pause and reread. Some of it may have been a translation issue. While others were just the sheer number of characters involved in certain moments. Just something I noticed.
📚 READ THIS IF YOU LOVE…
Sapphic romance - political intrigue - an intensely obsessed FMC - lots and lots of spice - angst - sacrifice
STARS 4 stars
SPICE Hot (lots of spicy scenes)
CHEMISTRY Strong/Swooth-worthy
ANGST High
SLOW BURN no
CLIFFHANGER yes (not necessarily for the couple)
CHARACTERS Megan and Kelsey
🖤 MY READING EXPERIENCE
This was an epic story that follows Megan and Kelsey over several years of their relationship. There is a lot of spice throughout the book, including sharing and BDSM, and it’s definitely a noticeable part of the story. I don’t really love political storylines, but I did like the pressure it put on their relationship. Megan wanting a seat on the Supreme Court came with real consequences. The biggest being that she couldn’t be openly out and still have a chance. That created high stakes for the couple, and I stayed invested because of what it meant for them.
🫀CHARACTER THOUGHTS
Kelsey’s obsession with Megan really got to me. Seeing someone so powerful and self-assured fall that hard for another person was so satisfying. What hurt the most were the sacrifices Kelsey was willing to make so Megan could reach her goal. Loving someone enough to step back and put their dreams first? Yeah…that tore my heart.out.
⚠️ ONE SMALL NOTE
I’ll admit there were a few scenes that were a little hard to follow, not enough to pull me out of the story, but enough to make me pause and reread. Some of it may have been a translation issue. While others were just the sheer number of characters involved in certain moments. Just something I noticed.
📚 READ THIS IF YOU LOVE…
Sapphic romance - political intrigue - an intensely obsessed FMC - lots and lots of spice - angst - sacrifice
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
Duel 1st Person POV. 3.5🌟 4🌶️. 493 pages
It agonises me to give this book 3.5🌟 because I did enjoy it, but the direct translation from Portuguese to English came across as a little clunky in parts and that’s no fault of the author. I just feel like it could have done with a run through with a native English speaking editor, as some of the phrasing was off and the tense kept changing or the dialogue was written as it would come across in conversation, but that’s doesn’t always translate well on paper.
What I did like about the book however was the dynamic between both characters, there was humour, sarcasm and a genuine connection between the two. And of course the exploration into the realm of BDSM was a firm favourite for me, I also enjoyed the fact that both MCs were clearly obsessed with each other but were open and honest about their inversion to monogamy.
Overall it was a fun read, with entertaining and enjoyable characters, but the editing sometimes took me out of it. My dyslexic ass brain couldn’t compute certain interactions or keep up with the abundance of characters, like senators and lawyers. I also would’ve loved if the age gap had of been more like the younger being 30-35 and the older being 40+, but that’s just personal preference.
Under Control will be released Feb 20th!
Read if you LOVE:
✨BDSM Romance
✨Secret Romance
✨Slight Age Gap
✨Federal Judge + CEO
✨Morally Grey MCs
✨Obsession
✨Fast Burn
✨BDSM Exploration
✨Domme + Sub Dynamics
✨Non-Monogamous Relationship
✨Foursome
✨Smut Galore
Duel 1st Person POV. 3.5🌟 4🌶️. 493 pages
It agonises me to give this book 3.5🌟 because I did enjoy it, but the direct translation from Portuguese to English came across as a little clunky in parts and that’s no fault of the author. I just feel like it could have done with a run through with a native English speaking editor, as some of the phrasing was off and the tense kept changing or the dialogue was written as it would come across in conversation, but that’s doesn’t always translate well on paper.
What I did like about the book however was the dynamic between both characters, there was humour, sarcasm and a genuine connection between the two. And of course the exploration into the realm of BDSM was a firm favourite for me, I also enjoyed the fact that both MCs were clearly obsessed with each other but were open and honest about their inversion to monogamy.
Overall it was a fun read, with entertaining and enjoyable characters, but the editing sometimes took me out of it. My dyslexic ass brain couldn’t compute certain interactions or keep up with the abundance of characters, like senators and lawyers. I also would’ve loved if the age gap had of been more like the younger being 30-35 and the older being 40+, but that’s just personal preference.
Under Control will be released Feb 20th!
Read if you LOVE:
✨BDSM Romance
✨Secret Romance
✨Slight Age Gap
✨Federal Judge + CEO
✨Morally Grey MCs
✨Obsession
✨Fast Burn
✨BDSM Exploration
✨Domme + Sub Dynamics
✨Non-Monogamous Relationship
✨Foursome
✨Smut Galore
Review of advance copy received from Author
Kelsey and Megan certainly brought the heat and the angst. This was my first political, morally grey read and it did not disappoint! Under Control is action packed sprinkled with a few *did not see that coming* moments! The supporting characters added to the complexity of the MCs and came with their own agendas which led to delicious threesomes and foursomes!
The story moved at a good pace, but some plot and timeline executions left me a little confused but nothing that took away from the overall enjoyment. Book one ended on quite the cliffhanger and is sounding like we’ll dive into some other characters stories in the book(s) to come!
Heavy explorations of BDSM which was written very well and really captured the MCs chemistry and brought to life Kelsey as an obsessive DOM 🔥
Under Control is a must read if you love
- morally gray
- slight age gap
- judge/ ceo mafia
- bdsm
- series
The story moved at a good pace, but some plot and timeline executions left me a little confused but nothing that took away from the overall enjoyment. Book one ended on quite the cliffhanger and is sounding like we’ll dive into some other characters stories in the book(s) to come!
Heavy explorations of BDSM which was written very well and really captured the MCs chemistry and brought to life Kelsey as an obsessive DOM 🔥
Under Control is a must read if you love
- morally gray
- slight age gap
- judge/ ceo mafia
- bdsm
- series
February 8, 2026
This is not just a good book, the humour makes this a great book. The artwork is beautiful, and the song lyrics for each chapter poignant.
The storyline is fast paced, and hot as hell. If you like your spice with a little BDSM thrown in, you will not go wrong with this book.
The humour is perfectly placed, and makes these characters feel real. I enjoyed that I could not predict what was going to happen; from who was going to be in the foursome to the twists I didn’t see until it was happening on the page, all the way to end, this book does not let up, in the most delicious way.
Thank Thais Mora for this arc, I loved it; I have never highlighted parts of a book before, but because the lines were so good I didn’t want to forget them, but this book is littered with highlights.
I need book 2 & 3 already!
The storyline is fast paced, and hot as hell. If you like your spice with a little BDSM thrown in, you will not go wrong with this book.
The humour is perfectly placed, and makes these characters feel real. I enjoyed that I could not predict what was going to happen; from who was going to be in the foursome to the twists I didn’t see until it was happening on the page, all the way to end, this book does not let up, in the most delicious way.
Thank Thais Mora for this arc, I loved it; I have never highlighted parts of a book before, but because the lines were so good I didn’t want to forget them, but this book is littered with highlights.
I need book 2 & 3 already!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews