The Deep End by Kristen Ashley Series: Honey #1
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on March 7th, 2017
Pages: 454
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Enter a decadent sensual world where gorgeous alpha males are pleasure slaves committed to fulfilling a woman's every desire. At the elite Honey club, no boundary will be left untested, and one's darkest desires will become a sensual reality.
Olivier isn' t sure what he' s gotten himself into when he joins the Honey Club, only that a dark part of him craves the lifestyle offered by this secret, exclusive club.
When Amèlie invites Olivier to surrender, she pushes him to explore his deepest desires as a submissive. As they grow closer and find themselves falling harder than either of them anticipated, the truth about Olivier' s past could threaten the budding relationship they both long for.
Gripping and seductive, The Deep End is the first book in a sensational new series from bestselling author Kristen Ashley.
Erin’s Review:
WOW. I recommend you turn the air conditioning when you start this book. It is seriously HOT. I thought Kristen Ashley’s Unfinished Hero series was dirty…those books have NOTHING on The Deep End. Wow. In the Unfinished Hero books, KA does dabble a bit in the BDSM when it came to some of the sex scenes but not anything like this book. This book was ALL SEX for the most part and most of it was the drrrty kind, not the plain ole vanilla kind.
Ok, I have to be honest, it took a while for me to really get in to the story. I got a little lost in the beginning of the book. It might have been the narrative, as I am not the biggest fan of third person, possibly just the story starting out really slow as well. There was a lot of inner dialogue I could have lived without, especially in the beginning of the book but eventually I started to get in to the story. I really enjoyed the second half of this book a lot more than the first half. Things definitely got a lot more interesting, there was more than just intense dirty sex happening ..the story developed a lot more.
Amelia is the DOMME in this book, and it was interesting, seeing the female in that role… and Olivier was referred to as an Alpha/Sub.. and he was definitely a Kristen Ashley ALPHA IN ALMOST ALL THE WAYS, except for the playroom. O_O Say what? He is what I saw someone refer to in another review as “Lion in the streets, kitten in the sheets.” and I TOTALLY AGREE with that. This made for an interesting Kristen Ashley story for sure.
It’s not my favorite book of Kristen Ashley’s but I didn’t hate it. It’s just a lot different than what we are used to from her. That’s ok though. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. I haven’t seen the synopsis for it yet (is there even one out?) but I can take a guess as who it could possibly be! 🙂
Excerpt:
At that moment, for the first time in years, she was paying no attention to Stellan.
This was because Talia’ s tall frame shifting out of the way offered an unhindered view of something else that had slipped in without her notice.
And gazing at him, Amélie went still.
As did her breath.
And her heartbeat.
Leaning a shoulder against the wall beyond the edge of the bar, six or seven feet from the door to the playrooms, he was surveying the scene as if he wasn’ t part of it.
Or as if it was he who was on the prowl.
But although a Dominant could mingle freely in the open space, this would be done with some intent.
If they were on the hunt, they’ d be at a booth.
Subs were not allowed to sit in a booth unless the invitation was extended. They populated the floor, on display, it was requisite.
In the mesh of bodies, a sub could be identified in a variety of ways. The cast of their gaze. Their bearing. Jewelry that declared their status.
And their position in the hunting ground.
No Dominant would linger there like he was, partially for that reason. Clear communication and transparent messages were key in their world. No Dom would give the impression of being a sub.
This was explained at length during membership orientation.
That magnificent beast was a sub.
An alpha-sub, assuredly.
It came from his sheer size, like a cloak stitched to his skin he had no hope of shrugging off (not that he’ d wish to).
He had to be six five, perhaps taller. His dark suit and mono-chromatic shirt necessarily tailored for his physique for there were very few men on this earth that had it. His shoulders as wide as a log. His chest a veritable wall. The muscles Amélie had no doubt were hidden under his clothing apparent in the exposed line of his throat. It wasn’ t that he had no neck. But that lethal shank of corded, sinewy muscle could not be established and maintained if the rest of him didn’ t match precisely.
She knew he was alpha beyond that. His stance at the wall, casual and self-assured, it was openly cocky. He knew his allure. He knew his beauty. He knew even if he wasn’ t exactly your type, every being would understand with base instinct his attraction.
He also knew how to use this. All of it. It was his art as sure as reading it on him was Amélie’ s.
From what she could tell, his hair was dark blond, the thickness of it, how it was longer at the top, clipped short at neck and ears was so appealing, she was willing to make that single allowance for she preferred her toys to have dark hair.
She made that allowance, but if she had her way, and she often did, he’ d grow it longer so there’ d be more of it to fist her fingers into as a means to use to make him serve her will.
His facial features only heightened his appeal that already, with the rest of him, defied belief.
A strong brow over eyes she couldn’ t see the color of from her distance. Hollowed cheeks under high cheekbones and over a firm, cut, clean-shaven jaw. And a large nose that was openly pugilistic, the dent at the top of the bridge not created by God but by a break that he didn’ t deem important enough to have set properly.
Staring at him, utterly incapable of not doing it openly, she felt the insides of her thighs tingle. And her nipples were hard buds, the restriction of the lace of her bra suddenly excruciating.
That…
Now that was whisky.
“Oh my, Leigh, are you seeing what I’ m seeing?” Mirabelle asked. And before she could answer, her friend went on, “It’ s like he was made for you.”
It was, indeed.
Blog Tour:
Kristen Ashley’ s THE DEEP END – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
February 27th
All Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Crystals Book World – Excerpt
Foxy Blogs – Excerpt
Garden of REden – Review
Stacey is Sassy – Review
Steamy Reads – Review
February 28th
Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt
Marieke’s Books – Review & Excerpt
Read more sleep less – Review
Scandalicious Book Reviews – Review
She Reads New Adult Book Blog – Review
The Book Bellas – Review & Excerpt
March 1st
After Dark Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt
Booklovers For Life – Review
FMR Book Grind – Review
Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
Three Girls and a Book Obsession – Review & Excerpt
March 2nd
Agents of Romance – Review & Excerpt
Under the Covers – Review & Excerpt
Book Bitches Blog – Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt
Reading Keeps Me Sane – Review & Excerpt
The Review Loft – Review & Excerpt
March 3rd
Random Book Muses – Review
MEReadALOT – Review & Excerpt
Mommys naughty playground – Review
Stephanie’s Book Reports – Review & Excerpt
Vilma’s book blog – Review & Excerpt
March 4th
a crazy vermonters book reviews – Review
Book Babes Unite – Review
Love Between the Sheets – Review & Excerpt
Vagabonda Reads – Review
March 5th
All About Romance – Review
Mustreadbooksordie – Review & Excerpt
Angie and Jessica’s Dreamy Reads – Review & Excerpt
PBC – Excerpt
March 6th
About That Story – Review
Krista’s Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt
KT Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Night Owl Reader – Review & Excerpt
Read-Love-Blog – Review
StuckInBooks – Review & Excerpt
March 7th
Shh Moms Reading – Review
Words We Love By/LucyLiciousReads – Review & Excerpt
Books to Breathe – Review & Excerpt
For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Review & Excerpt
Joyfully Reviewed – Review & Excerpt
Nose Stuck in a Book – Review & Excerpt
March 8th
Shameless Book Club – Review & Excerpt
A Fortress of Books – Excerpt
BJ’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Jen’s Reading Obsession – Excerpt
Lit Slave – Review & Excerpt
Straight Shootin’ Book Reviews – Excerpt
March 9th
Behind Closed Doors Book Review – Review
Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Friends Till The End Book Blog – Excerpt
iScream Books – Review & Excerpt
Red Cheeks Reads – Review
Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt
March 10th
Bookcrack – Review & Excerpt
Two Girls with Books – Excerpt
E-Romance News – Excerpt
Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Review
Lit. 4 Ladies – Review & Excerpt
Natalie The Biblioholi – Review & Excerpt
True Story Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
March 11th
Aurora B’s Book Blog – Excerpt
Blushing babes are up all night – Review & Excerpt
Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents – Review & Excerpt
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
March 12th
Collector of book boyfriends – Review
Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore – Review & Excerpt
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’ – Excerpt
March 13th
Black heart reviews – Review
Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Excerpt
Once Upon a Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Pretty Little Book Reviews – Review
Queenzany – Review & Excerpt
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Talk Books to Me – Review
March 14th
Abibliophobia Anonymous Book Reviews – Excerpt
Alpha Book Club – Review
G & T’s Indie Café – Excerpt
Once Upon An Alpha – Review & Excerpt
No BS Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
The BookWhisperer – Review & Excerpt
The Escapist Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
About Kristen Ashley
Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
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