Already a fan of Shelly
Bell’s sexy stories after reading the Benediction and White Collared series, so when she asked me to
read the first in her new series, AT HIS MERCY, a Forbidden Lovers novel, I
didn’t even ask what it was about, I just said, ‘YES!’ and I am so glad I did. Not
having had much time to read lately, I needed something that would whet my appetite
for reading again, and that’s exactly what this wonderful erotic romance mystery did.
***eARC
provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and
unscripted review.
Blurb for AT HIS MERCY:
Angel in his arms . . . Devil at her heels
One, last
no-strings night of indulgence. That's all Tristan wants before he begins a
much-needed new chapter in his life. Instead, he finds an innocent angel in
pink who brings him to his knees.
Isabella
is done hiding from the world. . .and her haunting memories. Discovering
courage in the arms of a perfect stranger, she finally lets go and sheds her
inhibitions.
To
Isabella's shock, she soon learns that Tristan is more than her mystery man-he's
her professor. But Tristan isn't the only person who's found Isabella on
campus. A dark figure from her past has come back for her. Now Tristan will
risk anything to protect Isabella. . .even if it costs him his life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Isabella
Lawson survived a terrifying encounter. She put her life back together as best
she could, and now she’s heading off to college in an attempt to improve her
life, prove she can stand on her own, and to take control of a life that has
felt out of her control since her ex-boyfriend tried to kill her. Having
discovered the world of BDSM, she accompanies her cousin to her first play party. All she wants is to
experience the freedom, the excitement, and the anonymity that the BDSM world
provides before heading off to college and years of concentration on her
studies. What she never expected to find was a man who would awaken her body,
her mind, and possibly her heart.
Tristan
Kelley’s world is bordering on the lowest point it can reach with an ex-wife
who threatens him constantly with accusations of abuse even though she’d been a
willing BDSM partner…but then it’s all about money for her. Speaking of money,
Tristan is in need of a loan to build his new business. However, with his ex-wife
dogging him with false accusations, and his finances gone, he has no choice but
to try to rebuild his reputation and earn some money by taking an old friend up
on a teaching position upstate as the best course of action. One year - he’s
going to give teaching one year and then move onto bigger things. He hadn’t
planned to spend his last night in the arms of an intriguing, sexy young
submissive but he couldn’t resist the beautiful red-haired girl once she walked
through the door.
After
a night of passion, neither Tristan nor Isabella thought they’d ever see each
other again. On the first day of classes, Isabella walked into the lecture hall
of the professor who she was to work for, and whom she hoped would be the edge
she needed to get into the Business Program only to discover the instructor
substituting in his place is the same man she’d spent an amazing night with
losing her inhibitions. Now she and Tristan have to figure out how to stay away
from each other even as they can’t stop thinking about each other. What to do
when desires grow stronger than doing the smart thing and what happens when
pasts collide putting everyone and everything between them in danger.
AT HER MERCY had me hooked from the first pages.
I love a good mystery and Shelly Bell does them better than most. As usual, I
had a few suspects in my head but the guilty party was the last person I
expected. Well played, Shelly, you got me.
Intrigue, sexuality, and the world of BDSM are
the background players in this love story between two broken people. Tristan
feels he’s failed everyone in his life and Isabella is unable to trust or allow
herself the freedom to experience life because someone who she thought loved her,
instead tried to do her great harm. Shelly conjures up characters that make us
feel their pain, their frustrations, and their fears but also allows us to
watch them grow and fall in love. While Isabella learns to open her mind and
horizons to new goals, new sensations, and trust, Tristan begins to recognize
and inspect his life in retrospect allowing him to begin to trust and love too.
When the private walls of their world begin to crack and break, we feel the
heartache of Tristan doing what is best for Isabella more so than him, and
Isabella trying desperately to make him understand that her trust in him is so
great that together, they can fight the bigger fight. The story comes together
in a tense, edge of the seat ending with great resolution, a wonderful happily
ever after and in the process, we learn things that pull it all together for
both of them, as well as their friends. I’m very much looking forward to the
next installment of the Forbidden Lovers series.
I highly recommend AT HIS MERCY, book one in the
Forbidden Lovers series by Shelly Bell to anyone who loves an angst filled love
story that will also steam up the air around you while you’re reading.
Happy Reading Everyone!
And I’m hoping my next review isn’t so long in
coming. Thanks for your patience. xox
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