October 5, 2010

ARC Review: Hurt Me So Good by Joely Sue Burkhart + Giveaway

Description:
One sub to please the Master…in any way he wishes.

Victor Connagher is no stranger to the Dallas BDSM scene. As CEO of a risqué cable channel that caters to adventurous adults, he ensures the lifestyle is portrayed in a positive light. He even supports a local bondage club. Yet behind the cool, confident mask, Victor lives in fear.

Once, and only once, he lost control of his inner Dom—and it cost him his fiancée. Now, no one knows how hard he works to keep his darker appetite for pain buried. No matter how much his saucy, confident associate producer makes his fingers itch to once again take up his riding crop.

Shiloh Holmes is a sub, but she’s no doormat. She’s always suspected Victor has the skills to feed her insatiable need for pain, and now she’s found the perfect way to crack his formidable control. Develop a new reality show, America’s Next Top sub…and dare him to compete.

Week after week, as Shiloh fearlessly challenges the real Victor to come out of hiding, he realizes his past mistake was only a blow to his pride. If he loses Shiloh, he could lose his heart.

Warning: Explicit sex, BDSM, reality television, a very reluctant Dom, an audacious sub willing to do anything to win for him, and one very wicked riding crop.

Review:
When Hurt Me So Good arrived in my inbox I was thrilled to finally read Victor's story. Joely teased us for months with little snippets and I was desperate to finally read this book. I knew he would be more intense than Conn but wowza I didn't expect this. *fans herself* So I should warn everyone if you're not fond of BDSM this book isn't for you.

Victor is the CEO of VCONN, a local Dallas TV channel which specialize in the more erotic topics. He is a Master at heart and for him pain is more like sex than anything else. He doesn't only like to deliver the pain, he also uses it on himself if there's no other way to relieve the pressure building inside him. Victor is 100% sure that no woman would be willing to freely accept what he has to give. He had this one traumatic incident with his ex-fiancée- she wasn't prepared for his darker side because he hid it through their relationship and he scared her away- big time. Now he's afraid that he is just too much. So he keeps this side of himself under lock and key. It hurt me so much to see him suffer. He completely believes that he will never find someone who truly can take it all. When he meets Shiloh he is immediately attracted but he struggles with accepting her surrender and promise of submission. He's afraid of hurting her in a bad way and that she will run away and leave him behind- alone and heartbroken. This would break his heart and this time it would be broken for good. At first for me it was hard to see this strong and dominant Master with so much doubt and conflicts in himself. He should be the strong and confident one but it gave him more "realness". I never really like these perfect characters in books and Victor is just exactly right for my taste. He was demanding at some points and yes perhaps one scene was a bit too "intense" for me but it's all about pushing your limits and yes I enjoyed it a bit perhaps. *wink*

Shiloh is one kind of a woman. She's strong, intelligent and knows what she wants: Victor. She's been working at VCONN  for some time now and wants to get closer to Victor without looking like a desperate underling trying to catch his attention by all means e.g. walking naked in his office. Since day one he seems to ignore her and she just has to know if he really is the Master she believes him to be. She sees her chance with a new show and when he accepts her challenge she can finally get closer to him and see him like he really is.

As you can imagine this book is full of erotic scenes. Yes most are really intense and I'm sure I wouldn't survive any of this. It's hard to explain but even though I don't share the inclination for that much pain I could always see and feel why the characters did this and that. I think it speaks highly of Joely's writing that she didn't lose my attention even when her characters did thinks I wouldn't even consider in my darkest moments. It was always really erotic and sometimes also shocking. A fascinating combination that caught me unguarded at moments. How can I find something erotic and at the same moment think it must be hurting too much.

Joely drew me in no matter where the action went. Her story-telling is compelling and fascinating. I loved her characters and I can't wait to read more about the other characters we met in Hurt Me So Good. I highly recommend this book to all erotic lovers with at least a bit of inclination towards BDSM in their books.
Extraordinaire writing with a compelling fascinating and highly erotic story- Victor just won't lose you attention. It's not his name for nothing. ;)

To learn more about Joely and her books please visit her website here. You can also read the free prequel Lie To You here.

- Read other reviews @goodreads 
- pattepoilues aka The HEA Lover's review @ Book Lovers Inc. 
- soleil noir' review @Black Sun Reviews 
Buy Hurt Me So Good @MBaM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*~Giveaway~*~*~

Thanks to Joely one lucky commenter will win an ebook copy of Hurt Me So Good.

Just leave a meaningful comment on this review or ask Joely a question. She will visit through the day and try to answer all the things you want to know. ;)

Please leave me a way to contact you (email in blogger profile or twitter name works for me).

Giveaway ends on Tuesday October 12th and I will announce the winner on Wednesday.

Good Luck!

18 comments:

MrsMixx October 5, 2010 at 1:49 PM  

I love your review hon! It gave me complex about mine LOL
This was a fantastic book. Victor is delicious...don't tell him I said that he'd use his crop on me ;)

Joely Sue Burkhart October 5, 2010 at 2:43 PM  

Susi, thank you so much for this wonderful review! Victor can definitely be intense, so I totally understand. He had me worried at times too!

Pattepoilue, I won't tell him. :-)

Ivelisse October 5, 2010 at 3:18 PM  

I always had a fondness for riding horses since I was a little girl and just thinking of that riding crop gives me goose bumps all over. Can't wait to read. Congrats all on the great reviews, I love it when a book impacts a person so much they dream about it. ;~)

Ive
marilyn915@msn.com

SusiSunshine October 5, 2010 at 4:20 PM  

@pattepoilue Pah...don't say that. You review is awesome. ((hugs)) And he won't hear a word from me. LOL

@Joely I can imagine...LOL. But he is something special so we will forgive and I'm sure he knows that. *wink*

@Ivelisse Ohhh yep that crop is something....and there is Patrick. LOL

Blodeuedd October 5, 2010 at 6:24 PM  

Rghhh, evil blogger!

Said something about nice review and not needing to enter me

Fedora October 5, 2010 at 9:48 PM  

Thanks for the review, Susi! I appreciate ones that really give me some detail about what elements you enjoyed and didn't. I've been eagerly awaiting Victor's story, and it really sounds like it's worth the wait!

f dot chen at comcast dot net

elaing8 October 6, 2010 at 12:55 AM  

Great review Susi. This sounds like something I'd really like to read.I want to learn more about Victor and Shiloh :)
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

JenM October 6, 2010 at 5:19 AM  

Joely- I've been dying to read this book ever since you started posting the excerpts. Congrats on getting it released. I know you aren't quite finished with Vicki yet, but do you have a contract for that book, and if so, when do you think it will be published?

Leontine October 6, 2010 at 10:48 AM  

I so need this e-book on my e-shelves because I love eroticism laced with a bit of darkness but where all is fueled by emotion! Great review Susi!

Elizabeth October 6, 2010 at 1:34 PM  

Been wanting to read this books ever since i first saw it and now i have my hands on it!

Joely Sue Burkhart October 6, 2010 at 2:52 PM  

Thank you so much, Jen! No, Vicki's book is not yet contracted. I need to finish it first. Le sigh. I hope to get it submitted by the end of the year!

A Buckeye Girl Reads October 6, 2010 at 3:51 PM  

Great review Susi! I am going to have to read her books now. (No need to enter me in the giveaway.)

Anonymous,  October 6, 2010 at 6:40 PM  

Great review Susi! Agreed with just about everything you said. :)

Nicole October 7, 2010 at 2:30 AM  

I loved the first book as well! And Joley had me on the edge of my seat with all those awesome snippets!! Can't wait to read it!
minnchica(dot)bookpusher(at)gmail.com

Lusty Reader October 7, 2010 at 5:04 PM  

so glad i saw this on good reads - GREAT review! your thoughts on how you can enjoy reading about a characters' actions when when you personally would never enjoy/agree is exactly how i think about a lot of erotica books, and it is SO true that thats what makes great writing stand out, when you can still have that connection.

I loved DEAR SIR and remember being intrigued by the hints about Victor, so either way I will definitely be reading HURT SO GOOD.

Unknown October 7, 2010 at 7:28 PM  

I am new to this series, but after stumbling upon this review I went out and found the prequel to the first book and read it while I was supposed to be working (boss was awhile ;-} I ran out on lunch and bought both books. I am hooked and I haven’t even started to read the full books yet. I have never felt so compelled to read a series as I am with this one. There is just something about it that dragged me in and that was just from the synopsis and review!!

Vicky CK October 8, 2010 at 6:27 PM  

I just finished the first book (already spent my monthly book allowance, so these contests are GREAT!) when I found out this one has just been released! LOVED the first one and can't wait to read this one!
I really like that you have looked at different aspects for the lifestyle and not just "rewritten" the same story with different names!
Thanks for the contest!
vickykerr@sbcglobal.net

Lucy Beugeling-Ramos October 8, 2010 at 8:51 PM  

Thanks for the interview and the giveaway!
Please enter me.

lucybeugelingramos@gmail.com

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