Review: Burn by Maya Banks

AMAZON | KINDLE

Burn (Breathless #3) by Maya Banks
Erotica
Berkley (August 6, 2013)

Rating: B
Heat: Sizzling

Heroine: Josie – Artist, Vibrant
Hero: Ash McIntyre – Charming, Demanding

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Ash, Jace, and Gabe: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Ash, it’s the woman who changes everything he’s ever known about dominance and desire...

When it comes to sex, Ash McIntyre has always explored his wilder side—extreme and uncompromising. He demands control. And he prefers women who want it like that. Even the women he’s shared with his best friend, Jace.

But Jace is involved with a woman he has no intention of sharing. And now even Gabe has settled into a relationship with a woman who gives him everything he needs, leaving Ash feeling restless and unfulfilled.

Then Ash meets Josie, who seems immune to his charms and his wealth. Intrigued, he begins a relentless pursuit, determined she won’t be the one who got away. He never imagined the one woman to tell him no would be the only woman who’d ever drive him to the edge of desire.

Review:

Ash McIntyre is the last man standing. First there was Gabe and then there was Jace—each man fell in love and they fell hard. And even though Ash believes in love, thanks to his friends, he can't see it happening to him. Love simply isn't something Ash sees in his future.

Then he notices this vibrant blonde, lost in her own world, drawing away in the park. He also can’t help but notice what she’s wearing—a necklace that looks a lot like a collar to Ash. That jewelry around her neck instantly captivates him and he has to introduce himself. See if she does have a Master in her life. When he goes to approach her, she starts to pack up, trying to flee, but her supplies and drawing scatter. When he goes to help her pick up her things, what Ash finds is a drawing of himself.

From that first chance meeting, Ash is consumed. Overcome. Near obsessive in his need to know the beautiful and talented Josie. So he does what any rich man might do—hire someone to follow her. The more he discovers, the more he wants. Ash won’t stop till he has her right where he wants her. In his bed.

Josie may not be a stranger to BDSM and D/s but Ash is more intense than any man she's ever known. And while he may be dark and broody and mysterious, something about him makes her feel innately safe. For an orphan with no family to speak of, safe is good. She’s also immediately fascinated by the way he sees her and her artwork. Like, finally, someone truly gets her.

Ash and Josie fall deep and they fall quick. They fall madly. But they also put it all out on the line, no secrets kept between them (well, Ash is keeping one or two). I liked how Ash disclosed nearly everything upfront—his history with Jace, with Bethany, with all the women they've gone through. It was refreshing to have a hero empty out most of the skeletons in his closet.

Ash and Josie, when they come together, set the sheets on fire. I’ve never read a hero that is such a butt man, but Ash definitely is. The man is near obsessed with Josie’s rear… among other things but, mostly, her rear. And when said rear is threatened, well, I pity the fool (or fools) who try to mess with her.

In Burn, Maya Banks really brings the romance and the sensuality, along with a heavy dose of drama. While there was drama in the first two books, Miz Banks takes it to a whole new level in Burn. There is danger and intrigue mixed with the hot and heavy romance and it makes for an enthralling combination.

Favorite Quote:

“But without you, I have nothing because money, wealth, power, it doesn’t mean anything without someone to share it with. So maybe my need of you is greater than your need of me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to do everything in my power to make you need me every bit as much as I need you.”