Going Under (Falling Under #1)
Knowing all too well the damage online trolls can inflict, game designer Emily Bartwell takes privacy seriously. Living in solitude and working remotely under a male alias gives her a sense of security. The sexy writer renting the house next door ignites desires she’d forgotten she had, and when he invites her to play games of a very different sort, Em is ready and willing. Even if it means breaking all her own rules to abide by his.
Undercover tech reporter Fox Mullins is so close to the biggest scoop of his career: finding the elusive programmer Phoenix. An increasingly erotic adventure with his reserved but passionate new neighbor is the ideal way to heat up the chilly Pacific Northwest nights as he tracks the brilliant gamer.
At first Fox is happy to help Em explore her newly awakened kinky side, no holds barred, no strings attached. But as they push the limits of intimacy, both physical and emotional, Fox discovers he’s not the only one keeping secrets. And revealing hers may mean betraying the one woman who embodies everything he desires.
~ Bewitching BT
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: I loved the whole island setting, great atmosphere and everyone there we got to meet was a riot 😀
Characters: Emily was awesome, a survivor, someone who’d gone through tough stuff and come out not only well, but actually brilliantly. Everything about her endeared her to me, from he brilliance to her little quirks and all those defensive walls around her heart. I was very emotionally in tune with her, so the story itself became tough to read at some point, emotionally speaking.
Fox was a charmer, yet I can’t say I fell for him the way I’ve already grown accustomed to falling for Jeffe Kennedy’s heroes. He had everything going for him, the sort of anti-hero vibe, considering the Phoenix hunt, the charisma, the passion, the intensity – it was all there. But I think I was too invested emotionally in Emily’s safety, so I couldn’t really commit to Fox.
Their chemistry was awesome, another thing I fully expect Jeffe Kennedy to deliver on (and she does every time), their one on one was very intense and passionate and I would have been head over heels for the two of them as a couple if I hadn’t been so invested in the whole Phoenix thing. But this is one of those personal reaction to things, and even with it, I loved the hell out of this story.
Favorite Character: Phoenix 😀
Plot: The story was totally addictive, I was fully invested from line one. It was a very eventful romance from the emotional point of view, and I loved the pace of events.
Writing: Third person narrative, past tense, his and her POV. Loved their voices.
Curb Appeal: Hawt cover, instant buy author name – unequivocal instant buy material.
All in all, this was a great read, featured some rougher play (though I’d say it wasn’t too hardcore, but as you know, my standards a bit… different than other people’s, lol!), a very satisfying romance with hot chemistry and a great ending. I fully encourage you to try it out, and if you haven’t already, give pretty much all of Jeffe Kennedy’s work a shot – she’s definitely one of my favs.
About the Author & Links:
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author with a writing career that spans decades. Her fantasy BDSM romance, Petals and Thorns, originally published under the pen name Jennifer Paris, has won several reader awards. Sapphire, the first book in the Facets of Passion series, has placed first in multiple romance contests and the follow-up, Platinum, is climbing the charts. Her most recent works include three fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns, the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion, and the post-apocalyptic vampire erotica of the Blood Currency.
She is currently working on Master of the Opera and The Twelve Kingdoms, a fantasy trilogy.
Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie, plentiful free-range lizards and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com or every Sunday at the popular Word Whores blog.
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You know, I love so much that you were so in tune with Emily/Phoenix that you couldn’t quite love Fox that I’m totally good with it. I’m in love with her, too. 🙂
Jeffe Kennedy recently posted…Crossing Genres for Fun and Profit
😀
Sounds hot, maybe too hot for me
blodeuedd recently posted…The Captive – Grace Burrowes
Shes been recommended to me before and I think I have one of her books. I agree, seems too spicy but I love a good challenge.
braine recently posted…Naughty Nooner: White Collared: Mercy by Shelly Bell
I love the sound of the chemistry and yes the setting sounds fabulous! Adding this one to my list!
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…How To Date Dead Guys by Ann M. Noser
Great review, Livia! This sounds fabulous. I love an MC who’s a survivor. Poor, pitiful me types drive me BATTY. And yes, the chemistry sounds HAWT. Thanks for putting this one on my radar, dollface!
Jessica @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson