REVIEW: Coming Home (The Surrender Trilogy #3)

Coming Home (The Surrender Trilogy #3), by Lydia Michaels
Published January 21, 2014
Publisher: Intermix
Format: e-book, purchased
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) The conclusion of the savage, sensual Surrender trilogy in which betrayal, pain, and vengeance threaten to destroy a passion between two damaged souls…

Evelyn “Scout” Keats thought she finally found her long-sought happiness in billionaire Lucian Patras. But even though Lucian has always treated her like a queen, she has discovered she is nothing more than a pawn in his own secret game.

Worse, her long-time friend and supposed shining knight, Parker Hughes has also used her for his own interests by playing a part in Lucian’s game. Everyone’s honor is suspect, and no one can be trusted. It is Scout’s worst nightmare come to life.

As she struggles to comprehend the cost of a broken heart and the value of love, she must choose, once and for all, how much her pride can endure—and how much she is willing to risk to be truly happy.

One thing I will say about Lydia Michaels' Surrender Trilogy - it was frustrating. But, by the time we reach Coming Home, the frustration is all the good sort. I never doubted that Lydia would give Lucien and Evelyn their HEA. Getting there, however, was quite a bumpy road. And, I guess that's okay, because otherwise, what would be the point in reading their story, right? 

Evelyn now knows everything that both Lucien and Parker did to keep her in their lives, and she's decided she doesn't need either of them or their overbearing, controlling, manipulative ways. She's going it alone, and has a job and an apartment and possessions that she legitimately earned. She thought that would make her happy and accomplished. But, Evelyn is slowly learning the hard way - which is sometimes the ONLY way - that home really is where the heart is, and her heart is not at her grocery store job or her crappy studio apartment. It's in the penthouse suite at Patras Hotel with Lucien. 

I always say that I love a tough chick. Those wishy washy sorts that need a man to save them are my least favorite sort of heroine. Perhaps that's why I loved Coming Home so much. Evelyn's moxie and determination to make it in this hard world despite her lack of skills is admirable. It was also frustrating as hell for awhile, mostly because Evelyn continued to miss the big picture. I get that she felt she had something to prove, especially given where she came from. But, it made me insanely crazy that she thought the only way to get from point A to point B was alone. 

Lucien has come so very far from the overbearing douchebag we met in Falling In. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who made that awful proposition the first time he met Evelyn. Lucien is as alpha as they come. He has money and power and has fallen in love HARD. He wants nothing more than to shelter and protect and care for the woman who holds his heart, and it's killing him to stand back and let her do her own thing. I loved that he went against his own grain for her. I love that he struggled with it so much. And, I even love that he wasn't always successful. 

Evelyn has always pretty much been alone. So, this isn't anything new for her, really. For Lucien, though, everything she asks of him goes against his nature. So, in my mind, Lucien sacrificed so much more for Evelyn. It made me so mad that she didn't see that for such a long time. 

Eventually, though, my faith in Lydia Michaels paid off. And, although Evelyn and Lucien were back together, their road was still not without potholes and pitfalls. There was the aftermath of the Parker debacle for both of them to deal with first. And, that had to have been difficult for Evelyn, especially. To know that the only person who was your friend knowingly put your life in danger for his own self-serving needs would destroy me. 

There's also Slade - Lucien's former friend and Parker's co-conspirator. Turns out, Slade's been keeping a secret from Lucien, and it was that secret that was the driving force behind every underhanded thing he did to keep Evelyn and Lucien apart. I loved that this secret threw me for a loop. I didn't see it coming, and yet, when it was revealed, I could've smacked myself for not seeing it sooner. 

And, finally, all the loose ends in regards to Evelyn's mother are also tied up in Coming Home. That's the part of this story that always makes me feel so sad. I can't even imagine what that's like.

As always, Evelyn's and Lucien's chemistry is the best part of this series. Whether they're having angry sex or sweet sex or dirty sex or passionate sex - it's ALL good sex. And, by the time we reach Coming Home, the depth of their feelings for one another colors it all. 

"Her life was compiled in seasons. there were warm months and cold, but nothing took relevant shape until she'd met him. He made everything matter. He made her matter."

I'm so sad to reach the end of their story. I could've read more and more from them. But, the ending was satisfying and sweet. I couldn't have asked for anything better. 

REVIEW: Breaking Out (The Surrender Trilogy #2)

Breaking Out (The Surrender Trilogy #2), by Lydia Michaels
Published November 19, 2013
Publisher: Intermix
Format: e-book, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Second in the darkly compelling, sexually-charged contemporary romance trilogy, in which two men vie for the mind, body, and heart of a woman who may never give in to their wishes—or her own…

Evelyn “Scout” Keats has left behind her painful past of surviving on the streets, and is now living in the luxurious penthouse master suite of Hotel Patras with her lover, billionaire Lucian Patras. But what she doesn’t know is the price Lucien paid for her freedom.

To protect Scout’s life, Lucian cut a deal with a dangerous man from her past, Parker Hughes. He swore to stay away from her for thirty days, even though he knows Parker will be fighting to keep them apart for good and take Scout as his own.

Yet neither man realizes that Scout is not about to be used as a prize or a bargaining chip for any man’s power play—and she falls back on her hard-earned self-respect and courage to show both men that the only person she truly needs is herself.

But Lucien has other plans…

Breaking Out was full of many highs and many lows. It made me sad and happy and really, really mad. It started on a really high, fun note, and ended on an incredibly frustrating and somber one. THIS is why I love to read. 

Evelyn has a good thing going with Lucien, but lately he's been growing more and more distant, and she doesn't know why. When he leaves her, she is more devastated than she thought possible, and it's then that Evelyn starts taking the steps to remake herself all on her own.

My favorite part of Breaking Out was watching the transformation of Lucien. In Falling In, he started out as a pretentious, angry man with nothing much to keep him warm at night except for his billions of dollars. Through his association with Evelyn, he had the opportunity to become teacher, master and, surprisingly, friend. He had spent so long chasing something more without even knowing it, that when he found it in Evelyn, he quickly embraced it. 

Evelyn, however, was much more hesitant to embrace all the new feelings she had for Lucien. She was brought up on the streets not being able to depend on or trust anyone but herself. She loves Lucien but can't tell him that, because of the power those words would give him over her. I constantly admired Evelyn's strength of self and character. Honestly, sometimes I felt like she was a little TOO strong. A little too unbendable. 

When Lucien starts to pull away, Evelyn panics and immediately thinks the worst. Her fears took over and she gave them power. It broke my heart that this strong girl didn't think she was worthy of Lucien or his love. And, then when Lucien enacted his part of the deal with Parker, and left her, Evelyn was devastated. 

I don't blame her for being scared and sad. Despite her not being able to say the words, she loved Lucien with everything in her, and then, in her eyes, he just dropped her. What was the saddest part to me is that Evelyn didn't trust Lucien enough to see beyond his actions and to read between the lines of his words to know that he didn't want to leave. That it was killing him as much as it was her. 

And then there was Parker. UGHHHHHHH. What a huge douchebag. For as smart as Parker was supposed to be, he acted so stupidly. This guy made me feel so stabby. He was certainly a huge part of my frustration while reading Breaking Out.

I loved the scenes between Lucien and his father. They relationship is strained at best, and yet, when Lucien is at his lowest, it's his father's house that he travels to. It was a bittersweet scene between these two hard-headed men whose lives were changed by women. 

I love books that make me feel in spades, and Breaking Out certainly did that. Once again, it's told in a different sort of dual POV, with a third told in Evelyn's, another third in Lucien's, and the final third back in Evelyn's. I continue to be impressed by Lydia Michaels' stellar storytelling. Her writing is beautiful. And the chemistry between Lucien and Evelyn is so palpable, it nearly leaps off the page. I loved this book so much, and I just knew that it was only going to lead into an explosive final book.

REVIEW: Falling In (The Surrender Trilogy #1)

Falling In (The Surrender Trilogy #1), by Lydia Michaels
Published September 17, 2013
Publisher: Intermix
Format: e-book, obtained from NetGalley
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) The debut of an emotionally charged and highly erotic contemporary romance trilogy, in which love and trust are the most dangerous games of all…

With a dark past that would have shattered most people, Evelyn “Scout” Keats is doing what no one in her bleak world thinks possible—getting off the streets and leaving her impoverished life behind. She’s a new maid at the luxurious Patras Hotel, and aims to keep her job no matter what. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to sacrifice her dignity, or let anyone into her heart. The risk of losing either is just too great.

When hotel tycoon Lucian Patras discovers Evelyn in a compromising position, he uses everything at his disposal to seduce her—a proposition that both surprises and frightens her.

Ignorant to her true circumstances, Lucian relentlessly pursues Scout as a prize to be won. But he is soon given an unforgettable lesson in love and sacrifice when he learns how far Scout has gone to gain her independence and discovers that there are some things money can never buy.
  
I've found that, for me at least, the best parts of these so-called "mommy porn" books is the escapism it offers. They're a lot of fun and an adequate distraction. But, let's face it - most of us don't read them for their elaborate and beautiful prose. Right? 

So, in that way, Falling In stands apart from the rest. Not only did it satisfy all my girliest bits, but it was really beautifully written too. It's like, the unicorn of mommy porn.

Evelyn was born on the streets, raised on the streets and lives on the streets. Her biggest goal is to work hard enough and make enough money to finally get a permanent roof over her head and three meals a day in her belly. To do that, she gets a job as a maid at the swanky Patras Hotel. By accident, she catches the eye of Lucian Patras, and immediately goes from pauper to princess. Lucian teaches Evelyn so much in such a short period of time. And, amazingly, Lucian learns a thing or two from this uneducated daughter of a junkie. 

Falling In had a Pretty Woman vibe to it. An uneducated girl from the wrong side of the tracks happens to be in the right place at the right time to meet a handsome, ridiculously rich man. He's captivated by how unlike the rest of his world she is. How real and untainted she is by money and power. And, inevitably, they fall in love. 

I absolutely love how completely and utterly different Lucian and Evelyn are. She can't even read, and he's a billionaire real estate tycoon. But, Evelyn isn't stupid. At one of their first meetings, he starts to teach her chess. He definitely has an interesting way of motivating her (strip chess, anyone?), but she picks it up quickly. Evelyn is honest and innocent and honorable. She's everything Lucian is not used to. 

Lucian is taken by her very quickly. She tries to walk away several times, and every time Lucian comes after her. He's super intense and controlling, and yet Evelyn handles him. She puts him off his game, and I loved seeing him out of sorts. I got the impression that doesn't happen often. 

Falling In is told in dual POV, but it's done a little differently than what I usually see. Part I is told entirely from Evelyn's POV. Part II is in Lucian's and Part III is back to Evelyn. The final chapter is told in Evelyn's friend Parker's POV, and it sets things up for the next book in the series. There's sure to be fall-back from the deal Lucian made to save Evelyn's life (seriously - read this book). 

Falling In was poignant and so super sexy.  The chemistry between Lucian and Evelyn was amazing. This series has started off with a bang for me, and I can't wait to read the rest of their story.