Desired

CLAIMED was a slow burn, BARED made me cry, and DESIRED murdered my ovaries. Ms. Kennedy's writing style has continued to evolve since the first book. While I loved the first two books, THIS one delivered everything I look for in a book: a confident and sexy hero and heroine, humor, and some of the hottest (non crude) sex I've read in a while. When it comes to BDSM, there are only two authors I trust to give me screaming orgasms, and Ms. Kennedy is one of them. This series has wiped the bitter taste of Fifty Shades right out of my mouth. So get out your toys and a towel, and get ready to drown in the sensual seduction that is Master Kyler. I fell in love with Kyler from the get go. I loved his cheeky attitude, the way he teased his friends mercilessly about their relationship problems, and he always seemed to know when one of the guys was about to blow it with the lady love. I love a hero who doesn't seem to have any major hang-ups about love and relationships. He may not have thought he could have a future with a vanilla woman, but he wasn't closed off to the idea of trying. Confident, sexy, a great sense of humor, protective, a cop - what more could a lady ask for? I adored Ella Snow for her 1950s retro fashion and the tough cookie interior. She seemed to have dealt with the abuse by her husband better than heroines normally do. It was refreshing to see her be guarded but not let it dictate how she wanted to behave moving forward. Her cute flirtatiousness and determination to experience new things, including Kyler, drew me in completely. What began as a no strings attached proposal from her and Kyler's suggestion they become friends (with benefits) didn't get the same groan-worthy reaction I normally have when I hear that. I attribute that to Kyler's musings that there was something about her that made her special, she challenged him, and his stable background with a loving family and friends made him open to the idea of not letting an opportunity go when it presented itself. Despite the mostly open communication and building trust between them, they did have a few obstacles to overcome. That's where I thought the characters really shined. I understood Ella's reasons for not wanting to divulge every detail of her painful past, on the other hand, I understood Kyler's need to know. The push and pull in that regard was believable, and I never guessed how they would eventually deal with their hangups. The peak of all that drama felt true to the characters' personalities. I'm glad the author didn't compromise them to draw anything out unnecessarily. Much to my satisfaction, the story focused more on compassion, communication and learning to trust rather than using angst to propel the story. The sex. THE SEX. I have no words. I died a few little deaths. That. Is. All. Overall, I don't think a BDSM story has ever had me squirming in my seat with horny desire and managed to make me laugh as much as it did. That, combined with mature characters, is what made this story special for me. The Club Sin masters are as beloved to me now as Cherise Sinclair's Masters of the Shadowlands. Club Sin is perfect for the intermediate BDSM romance reader, whereas the Shadowlands would be expert level. I can not wait to purchase my copy, and I'm eagerly awaiting book four. **I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.**