Oliver Thorne and Adelyn Maxwell have lost their faith in relationships; they both were betrayed by people who supposedly loved them, but their actions spoke otherwise, leaving Oliver and Adelyn to pick up the pieces, no longer trusting the opposite sex and vowing to never give love another chance. That is, until Oliver moves into his new house, which just happens to be next door to the fiery redhead – their friendship comes easily…their connection sizzles, but with the dark secrets of their pasts and Adelyn’s desire to be controlled and dominated in the bedroom, it’s unclear if Oliver and Adelyn can be anything other than neighbors.
Oliver “Stout” Thorne is a definite alpha male but due to his violent childhood, it’s hard for him to understand Adelyn’s need of rough sex, but as his feelings for “Max” continue to grow, he realizes that in order to make something work with her, he needs to learn to compromise and realize that what Adelyn is truly asking for is nothing that will physically harm her but will give her the release she craves. Oliver’s issues with giving Adelyn what she wants completely makes sense because of his birth parents’ actions, and Georgia Cates illustrates his dilemma perfectly because readers hear it from his own perspective; it’s not coming second hand through the heroine, and because we were privy to Oliver’s childhood through his sister’s story in the first book, his reaction makes sense.
The past few years of Adelyn Maxwell’s life have been an emotional rollercoaster, but she’s endured and survived because she refuses to play the victim. It’s not completely clear why her sexual tastes include submission, especially since her last relationship turned out like it did, but it’s clear that it’s something she needs. She’s an independent woman who seeks control in all aspects of her life except for in the bedroom, preferring to be owned by her lover, and she wants that man to be Oliver, but they’ll have to overcome quite a few obstacles in order for that to happen.
Stout and Max’s story is one of give and take, submission and dominance, challenge and compromise, healing and forgiveness. There’s not much Oliver wouldn’t do for Adelyn and that idea is clearly shown through all of his actions and also solidifies how protective, caring, and thoughtful he truly is. Stout demonstrates his “alphaness” time and time again in the text, which proves his commitment to compromise and his desire to fulfill Adelyn’s needs, which in turn, makes him part of a relationship that he can trust and give him a woman he’s willing to commit to despite what’s happened in the past.
Two down – One to go – I wonder what Porter has in store for readers? I, for one, can’t wait to find out.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)