REVIEW & EXCERPT: MASTERED by Maya Banks

Posted December 30, 2015 by Vik Booklover in Book Love, Home, Special Content & Excerpts, ❤ Reviews by Vik ♡ / 0 Comments

Mastered by Maya Banks

Enforcers Series – Book 1
Published By: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: Dec 29, 2015

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Mastered, the first book in the new Enforcers series, is an unforgettable foray into the world of dominants and submissives in a story of desire, danger and devotion.

What he wants, he takes with no remorse or guilt.

She stood out in his club like a gem, unspoiled and untouched. A lamb among wolves, she clearly didn’t belong. Drawn to her innocence he watched as she was surrounded by men who saw what he did—but no one but him could touch her. He summoned her to his private quarters. He sensed her fear. He also recognized the desire in her eyes. And he knew she wouldn’t leave before he possessed her. She had no need to know his secrets. Not until he had her under his complete and utter control.

What he wants, she isn’t sure she can give him.

The moment he told her want he wanted, she couldn’t resist. Instinct told her to run, but her heart said stay and walk the fine line between pleasure and pain. Though she wasn’t sure she could ever completely surrender, the primal part of her wanted to try, even knowing this man could break her in ways she never imagined. Because once he possessed her, he owned her and it would be too late to turn back. She can only pray that he doesn’t destroy her in the end.

*3.5

“My angel likes the pain.”

“It’s only pleasure,” she whispered.

Well what can I possibly say… This book took me on a wild ride. I thought I knew how things will go but boy was I wrong. Maya kept surprising me every hundred pages or so with the plot twists. As this book is the first half of the Drake’s & Evangeline’s story there is much left to discover that was only alluded to (at best). The ending does end in cliffhanger and I have to admit for the first time I was glad to have a book with a cliffhanger. I need a break. I needed a breather. I needed to collect my scattered brain cells. So let’s start this from a beginning…

Evangeline is forced into Drake’s orbit by pure accident. She finds herself being dressed up and shoved out of the door and into a club by her friends to show what her ex has been missing. Except this plan backfires… I mean hello you send a timid girl in big girl clothes out to a club by HERSELF without a girl posse! Thankfully the ever watchful King of Control Drake spots her in his throne/war room on CC cameras and when he sees a chance to intervene and protect a woman who is WAY over her head he sends his legion of hulky badass men to save HIS (yes, yes he claims her in that moment) woman and drag her to his lair. It’s almost like cave men behavior only with suits and high luxury.

From there everything spins out of control… sort of combination of Stockholm syndrome behavior and Control Kink that we all love in our Brooding Billionaire hot men.

There were a lot of things that didn’t work for me such as the progression of their relationship and the CONSTANT self doubt/self deprecating/self patronizing/self putting down behavior of the heroine. Even with all that I really got into the story and I DO want more info on the mystery of Drake and his Merry Men of Brothers. Particularly I want those badasses to be filled with women who will Ying to the Yang.

Maya Banks a #1 USA Today and New York Times bestselling author whose chart toppers have included erotic romance, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, Scottish historical romances. She is the author of the Breathless Trilogy, the KGI novels, the Sweet series, and the Colters Legacy novels. She lives in the South with her husband and three children and other assorted babies, such as her two Bengal kitties and a Calico who’s been with her as long as her youngest child. She’s an avid reader of romance and loves to dish books with her fans and anyone else who’ll listen! She very much enjoys interacting with her readers on Facebook and Twitter as well as in her Yahoo! Group.