Book Review: Asking For It by Lilah Price

Title: Asking For It
Author: Lilah Pace
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Erotica/Romance

             

Graduate student Vivienne Charles is afraid of her own desires—ashamed to admit that she fantasizes about being taken by force, by a man who will claim her completely and without mercy. When the magnetic, mysterious Jonah Marks learns her secret, he makes an offer that stuns her: they will remain near-strangers to each other, and meet in secret so that he can fulfill her fantasy.

Their arrangement is twisted. The sex is incredible. And—despite their attempts to stay apart—soon their emotions are bound together as tightly as the rope around Vivienne’s wrists. But the secrets in their pasts threaten to turn their affair even darker...

Reader Advisory: Asking for It deals explicitly with fantasies of non-consensual sex. Readers sensitive to portrayals of non-consensual sex should be advised.

WARNING. This book contains consensual rape. Is there such a thing? Anyway, rape fantasies are explored in this book. If you can’t handle that, don’t read it; and don’t go bashing the book either just because of the content, especially if you have not taken the time to read the book. Don’t be a philistine.

Moving on.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I spent at least two nights staying up WAY past my bedtime, because I didn’t want to put it down. I wanted to keep reading to find out where Lilah Pace was going to take me.

I went into this book thinking that I knew exactly what was going to happen. I was expecting the classic cookie cutter erotic romance, however, I am pleased to report that Asking For It is so much more than that! This story has depth.

Our main characters, Vivienne and Jonah, both have very dark pasts they keep under lock and key from all those around them. These pasts shape the sexual proclivities they both have and, ultimately, it is what draws them together.

Speaking of their sexual proclivities, the sex scenes are pretty freaking hot. Not as “brutal” as what you might expect. There was just the right amount of manhandling and domination going on.

I am so thankful that this book did not suffer from instalove. In fact, there is no mention of love between our protagonists at all. I like that they are both strong individuals despite the horrors they have had to face. They have both been able to grow into productive adults who are not “broken” by what has happened to them. They are stronger for it. Survivors. I REALLY like that.

Asking For It does not have a “happy ending”. It has the perfect ending. Seriously perfect. I am glad that Lilah Pace ended the book the way she did. It was the most honest and truthful way she could have ended the book. Had the ending been any different, it would have ruined the entire book for me. As it is, I am VERY looking forward to the next installment. Vivienne and Jonah are very authentic characters for me, so that makes me want to see where things end up for them.