Wanted by J. Kenner

The Basics:

Wanted by J. Kenner
Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell
Erotica
Published Jan 7, 2014
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Blurb:

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, Bared to You, and Release Me comes an all-new erotic series of three enigmatic and powerful men, and the striking women who can bring them to their knees.

He is everything I crave, all I desperately want—and he is everything I can’t have.

Evan Black embodies my every fantasy. He is brilliant, fierce, and devastatingly handsome. But he is also headstrong, dangerous, and burdened with secrets.

My family warned me to stay away, that I could never handle Evan’s dark dealings or scarred past. Maybe I should have listened. Maybe I should have run. But our desire is undeniable, and some temptations you just can’t fight.

And from the moment we touch—the passion between us consuming us both—I know that I will never be the same.

Wanted is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

What worked for me:

I loved this sexy novel about a woman who wants to let loose and fly and the man who understands her.

So I've written before about being at my limit for overly controlling alpha men - Evan's definitely in the alpha man camp. And he made me realize that perhaps I'm not really over alpha men so much as how they tend to be written. Because Evan was fantastic. He completely understood Angelina's need to let go of herself, to break through all the walls she forced around her true self, and simply fly on pure emotion and adrenaline.
This forms a logical basis for a relationship, one in which Evan controls the scene with the explicit goal of sending  Angelina to ever increasing heights. There seemed, to me, to be a more equal relationship between these two than I've seen in some other novels with a dominant male. Although yes, Evan did set the terms of most of their sexual encounters,  Angelina's motivation to participate, above and beyond her desire for Evan, seemed more defining in many ways. I liked that there was none of this "I take pleasure in your pain, and you'll take pleasure in pleasing me through your pain" stuff. Angelina may have enjoyed submitting, but Evan taking control was about more than that, and that is where this book really succeeded (for me).

There's also Cole and Tyler, Evan's partners and best friends, whose stories I look forward to reading. They have a role in the story that happens around the developing relationship, and I'm curious to learn more about what's really happening in their enterprises.

What didn't work for me:

Not a lot. I would have liked more insight into the dealings of the Knights, to fully flesh that aspect out - but I understand that something has to be held back for Cole and Tyler's stories.

Bottom line:

I lost sleep to finishing this book, which is the highest compliment I can pay. I was swept up in Angelina's attempts to find herself, I was touched by the way Evan provided her with a safety net so she could soar, and I will look forward to the next book in the series!

Check this one out!

5 stars
For fans of erotica and alpha men who aren't unbearable