Hello internet! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The past month or so has been rather rough but I’m here now and I can’t wait to share the book I’ve been reading with you!
BLOG TOUR: WHAT DO YOU #CRAVE?
Adult Romance | 308 Pages | Received an ARC from Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer | Goodreads
Amazon | Kobo | Itunes | Barnes and Noble
Blurb:
I vow. I crave. I give in.
I used to be a nice, normal girl. I had dreams. Good, happy dreams of white picket fences, 2.5 kids, and
a fairytale love that lasts forever. Nobody warned me the prince dies three weeks before the wedding.
Like any addict, I swear this time is the last….
Now, I go through my days, a shadow of my former self. I pretend I’m okay, and the people in my life
pretend to believe me. But, sometimes, when I can no longer stand the craving my dead fiancée left
behind, I roam an underground sex club looking for my next hit. It’s dirty and wrong, but I can’t stop,
and my only line of defense between them and me, is the rules I’ve designed to keep me safe. With free,
no-strings attached sex; men always abide by my rules. Until I meet him.
And, like any addict, I’m wrong.
I don’t question the instincts that tell me to run. One look at him, standing there, power radiating off
him in waves, tells me all I need to know. He will make me forget. And that’s not an option
Review:
When I first heard about this first book in Jennifer Dawson’s Undone series, I had no idea what I was getting into. I passed it over as something I wouldn’t enjoy. I am so glad that I changed my mind and decided to give it a chance after all.
At first I was a little wary because while I don’t mind sex scenes in books, stories like Fifty Shades of Grey have made me rather uncomfortable when it comes to having sex as a main focus or plot device. However, Crave ended up taking that discomfort and changed it into something else. While there is a lot of sex and talking about sex in this book, it’s a story of one woman’s journey to heal and liberate herself from her grief, with a little help of a dominant homicide detective.
Dawson paints a very realistic portrait of grief in her portrayal of Layla Hunter. Which, to me, makes this story very relatable even though I haven’t been through anything close to what this character dealt with. However, the incredible sense of loss and the struggle to reclaim control over your life after having everything ripped from you are things that I can easily understand.
While I found some of Michael’s lines to be a bit repetitive (Seriously, who says “Do you trust me to give you what you need?” over and over again?) I found him rather refreshing. Sure, lots of books can boast about having dominant male leads but the way that Michael is portrayed more as a protector instead of a conqueror. The side characters weren’t the best in my opinion, I feel like they could have been developed a lot more as they came across as rather flat and didn’t hold my interest but since the story is based around Layla and Michael that’s perfectly okay.
One thing that did make me pause is the fact that this book does delve a little bit into the world of dom/sub relationships. However, unlike other books that bring up BDSM, Crave approaches it from the standpoint of someone who knows what they’re getting into and enjoys it immensely. There is also a mutual respect between the two partners and safe words and worrying about each others comfort and safety which is how any relationship should be. If you’re wary of this kind of stuff, I’d suggest giving this book a try anyway. You won’t find whips and chains and floggers here so don’t worry. What you will find is a sensual surrender into someone else’s control which can be both terrifying and exciting at the same time.
Overall this is a solid 3.5 star book. The writing style was a little bland sometimes, being more technical than descriptive but it made up for it with a great story and realistic emotions and reactions from the characters. I really enjoyed it and while I’m not jumping at the chance to read the next book, if I come across it I’d be likely to read it. This book taught me a lot about being in a relationship (not just romantic ones) after going through a trauma and how important it is to learn to let go of negative emotions and give yourself a chance to heal and I am really grateful for that.
About the Author
Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree
in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still
maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later they’re married living in a
suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog. Despite going through a light
FM, poem writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more
practical aspirations of being an international super spy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and
disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is
history. These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer writing her next novel, chasing
after her kids, keeping an ever watchful eye on her ever growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her
GIVEAWAYS
1 US Winner will receive gift basket that contains a signed copy of CRAVE
Prize package contains:
Decorative reusable storage trunk
Signed copy of CRAVE
$25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
4 Premium Chocolate Truffles
Argan Oil Sugar Scrub w/shower scrunchie
Pink & black Pillar Candle
Black & Pink Chalk Board Flower Pot
Hanging chalk board
Candle Holder with pink sparkly battery votive
3 INT/US winners will receive an e-Copy of CRAVE
Teacups & Dust Jackets 