6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
I didn't care for the characters. They weren't interesting. There were a lot of sex scenes, but they lacked emotional draw., Feb 24 2010
By Jane - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Enslave: The Taming Of The Beast (Paperback)
REVIEWER'S OPINION:
I wasn't thrilled. I wasn't drawn to the characters. The story was ok but could have used more depth. There were many sex scenes which were ok, but I wasn't drawn in emotionally. There was one event which didn't make sense to me. Dominic and Nadia like and enjoy each other, but he decides to return her to her home. This causes Nadia to feel rejected. He ends up taking her back, but I found it unnecessary. It was an illogical source of conflict. The Jelena story was a little more interesting, but again I wasn't drawn into the characters enough to enjoy it.
A minor problem: the cover picture is wrong. Dominic has a disfigured face. Cover guy does not.
STORY BRIEF:
Dominic is disfigured with scars on his face and body. Alexis had something to do with causing them when he broke up with her a few years back. She wants him dead and has a contract out on his life. He lives in a remote fortress-like home. Mikhail steals Dominic's car and sells it. Dominic comes to Mikhail's home threatening violence. Mikhail's daughter Nadia offers herself to Dominic saying she will live with him and do anything he says. He is intrigued and takes her home. He requires that she always be naked. They have a lot of sex which includes bondage, spanking and sex toys.
A second story is about Nadia's sister Jelena. She married a wealthy older man Henry. He pays a monthly allowance to Jelena and also to her father. Jelena asks for more money to help Nadia which Henry refuses. Jelena knows Henry will probably divorce her for someone younger and leave her with no money. She takes steps to get money and power. She uses sex to make this happen. There are several Jelena sex scenes in the book which include 2 women, 2 men with 1 woman, and rear door activity.
DATA:
Story length: 243 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious words. Sexual language: strong/erotic. Number of sex scenes: 16. Total number of sex scene pages: around 67. Setting: current day Nevada. Copyright: 2009. Genre: erotic romantic suspense.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Beauty and the Beast" Modernly Retold, Feb 9 2010
By I. H. "Literature Lover" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Enslave: The Taming Of The Beast (Paperback)
Forgetting the fact that "Beauty and the Beast" told in the many different ways (culturally) has always been one of my favorite fairy tales, this book by Cathy Yardley is really good. Told with and in an excellent voice, composition, and new detailing, "Enslave" gives an erotically modern retelling of the story most of us have known since childhood. It isn't a story that is told with heavy emotions or incredible depth, but it does have a view that is by far spicy, sweet, charming, and interestingly nice in all the right ways.
Centered around three main characters this story begins similar to the old "Beauty and the Beast" in where the first main character, a Russian beauty, named Nadia Bessonova's father has stolen "the Rose" from the Beast. That "beast" being Dominic Luder who is an ex-criminal, killer, and mobster. It is because of that Dominic has come to brutally collect from the patriarch Bessonova, whose main course in life has been to steal, cheat, lie, and cast off his daughters through any means productive for him (such as marriage and sex). Bravely, Nadia makes the decision to go with Dominic so that she can buy her family sometime. While in captivity, she learns about satisfying lust and that Dominic is more than she expected. She learns that he is a trapped person who has created a prison as safety, and he learns through his regained lust and reopened vision how to trust and care for another again. However, as a new twist to the tale, the sister of Nadia, Jelena, comes to narrate the distressful and empowering attempt of helping her sister. With each narration you see every character grow and change (Nadia being the least to have to change) as their experiences happen to them.
In a nutshell, this book seriously won't let you down. However, that is all based upon the fact of your liking a "good" erotica and tale mixed together as one.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
intriguing erotic take on "Beauty and the Beast", Oct 10 2009
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Enslave: The Taming Of The Beast (Paperback)
The Bessonova family patriarch is a career criminal whose prime employment is stealing cars though selling his daughters either as mail order brides as he did Irina when she was eighteen or even whoring them out is not beneath him. His three daughters Nadia, Jelena and Irina love and hate their father though they appreciate living in Vegas and not Kiev.
However, Papa Bessonova purloins the wrong vehicle as the owner is dangerous Dominic Luder, who wants an arm and a leg literally from the thief as he did papa's partner Roddy. Even with Papa's wife carrying Dominic does not give a pregnant pause for what he will do to the thief who should have researched who owned the car. Her father may be afraid of the beast, who seeks to teach him a lesson, but courageous yet fearful Nadia offers her body willingly to the beast in remittance; he accepts her offer as he plans to tame the beauty.
This is an intriguing erotic take on "Beauty and the Beast" that begins gloomy as readers meet an unlikable family especially father and a seemingly despicable beast. When Nadia leaves with Dominic, the story line takes off as they battle for supremacy until love levels the paying field. The other sisters also come a long way baby as married Jelena finds her craving and Irina moves on after being dumped for the replacement teen. Although dad is a worthless dreck from start to finish, fans will enjoy the taming of the beast.
Harriet Klausner