BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Off Limits (Off Series #2)

I'm super excited to be included on the Off Limits tour, sponsored by ATOMR Tours. This was an incredibly good book by an incredibly talented writer. Check out my review, then jump down and enter the giveaway to win a copy of your own! And, don't forget to check out the other tour stops for more reviews, guest posts and interviews with the author.

Off Limits (Off Series #2), by Sawyer Bennett
Published April 16, 2013
Publisher:  Big Dog Books, LLC
Format: e-book - received from author and ATOMR Tours
Genre:  New Adult Contemporary Romance
To Buy:  Amazon 

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Two years ago, Emily Burnham, had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life. And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman. Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time. And she likes it.

Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation. It's certainly the best way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down.

When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms. He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart.

Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all. But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering? Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits?

I finished Off Limits in less than a day. It was engrossing and interesting and sweet and hot and sexy and... well, I could go on, but you get the picture. It captured my interest from word one and my sleep-deprived brain today is evidence of the fact that once I started it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it.

Emily is a self-proclaimed trust fund baby who realized the errors of her narcissistic ways two years earlier. Since then, she's been trying desperately to reinvent herself and figure out who she really is apart from her rich, powerful and controlling mother. She is entirely open to trying anything new, no matter how scary.

I LOVED Emily. I say that with all caps because she really is everything I've always wished I could be. She's not afraid of being adventurous. Despite her fears, she goes for it - no matter what "it" is, and usually thanks herself for it later. I admire that quality so much, and it immediately made me root for her to have her HEA, no matter who it's with.

"There is something about Nix that is captivating me. He's got more facets than the Hope Diamond, and he intrigues the hell out of me... Nix has experiences and wisdom that go beyond anyone I've ever met. I want to figure him out. I want to learn from him."

But, then there's Nix. Nixon is Marine veteran who is nursing some PTSD and a whole lotta guilt after his time in the Middle East. He's decided that he's such damaged goods now, that he hides his days away in his metalworking shop, reveling in the isolation he finds there.

Can you already see that Emily and Nix are two people who need each other desperately? Emily is in such a carefree and happy period in her life, and that sounds just like what Nix needs. Nix is so lost and introverted that he proves to be Emily's ultimate challenge. When they initially meet, Nix is a complete ass - par for the course with him. But, as they continue to interact, he finds himself surprised at all the things about Emily that he respects and admires, and she finds herself surprised at how sweet and caring Nix can be.

"I just want you to know that this is forever. My love for you, that is. My heart is a complete slave to you and I just want you by my side... always."

I know - right? *sigh*

There was a lot of emotion in Off Limits. Between Nix's sadness and guilt and Emily's dysfunctional relationship with her mother, there were plenty of tear-wrenching moments. Luckily, the tender moments between Emily and Nix tempered those nicely. There was a lot of foreplay between those two before the sparks really started flying, and when they did - wow. WOW. It was good stuff.

It was so easy to love this book. The characters, the pacing, the storyline - they all were so well done. I look forward to reading more from Sawyer Bennett, especially Off the Record (Off Series #3), which will be Nix's brother Linc's story! 

About the Author

Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

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Giveaway

Enter below for a chance to win some Sawyer Bennett goodness. Three winners will win both books in the Off Series - Off Sides and Off Limits. Three winners will win their choice of one of Sawyer Bennett's other books - Stolen Heart, Forever Young and Second Chance.

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