Maria:
I was tense going into this one, as the revelations of the abuse in Jonah’s family at the end of the first novel were difficult to read. It remained a stressful read throughout for me, as along with the issues in Jonah’s family, he’s been identified as a person of interest in a series of sexual attacks. There is no question of his innocence from the reader’s perspective as Vivienne is his alibi, but it certainly added to the suspense of the story, knowing there is a rapist loose and not knowing how this will impact Jonah and Vivienne’s relationship. It’s another page-turner from start to finish, with violent sex as the ‘norm’ in their relationship, but also their desire to find a way past that need. It’s a gripping story and a lot of issues are dealt with but I was relieved to get to the end and find that Jonah and Vivienne get their happy ending after all. This story won’t be for everyone, and the sex scenes weren’t my favourite part of the story. But it’s really well written and compelling, and I liked how truthful Jonah and Vivienne were with each other. I also really liked meeting Jonah’s siblings and their trust and faith in one another. It won’t be on my reread shelf as it’s very intense, but it was definitely worth reading. 4 Stars
Tonya:
Based on where things left off in the previous book, I was excited to pick up the story and see where it would lead. Right from the beginning of the book I could just feel the angst. I think this story was even more difficult than the first. I basically had a pit in my stomach the entire time. My nerves were SHOT! Lilah Pace did a terrific job capturing both Vivienne’s struggle and Jonah’s. This was still from Vivienne’s POV but I would have definitely appreciated something from Jonah’s POV too. Not that it was deficient in any way. This is just a wish list item (hello novella maybe, please…). I love Jonah. You could really tell that he was much more uncomfortable with his urges than Vivienne. She has reached a different point where she accepts this as a part of her nature. She understands that if circumstances were different that she might never have gone in that direction but she’s much more willing to accept this as her normal. I think one thing you can take away from Jonah’s gentler moments is how much he wishes that was his “normal”. He wants to take care of Vivienne and nurture her. He just doesn’t realize that by giving her what she needs that she views this as nurturing her. The pacing of this story was perfect. It kept me just enough on edge the entire time. There was no moment where I could let my guard down at all. At least that how it felt. The tight suspense was very well done. Lilah Pace also takes the couple through the wringer especially Jonah has we learn more about his family dynamic. They really grow into their intimacy and relationship. I didn’t feel like there was any needless “drama”. Nothing felt contrived. Overall I really enjoyed the conclusion to this story there was real growth and development in this relationship. It felt pretty true to life. I would love for other books that continue the story with maybe Jonah’s siblings. I think that would be great! They seem very intriguing! 4 stars
Mandy:
Hmmmm. Like the first book, I struggled with this one. I got to a point where I really thought that there was no way I could keep reading. The sex was just too rough and uncomfortable to be enjoyable in any way for me. But as Tonya pointed out to me in another conversation, it was completely consensual between them. There were times when I got very frustrated with Vivienne and her attitude toward sex with Jonah. It was her way or no way at all. He hits his wall and his ability to have sex they way she wants and it begins to do more harm than good to Jonah. There were times where I felt like she was totally putting her needs above his in the long run and it pissed me off. She stuck to her guns where sex was concerned but let her asshole family continue to treat her like shit. Now, eventually, she pulls her head out of her ass about that aspect of their relationship and realizes that she needs to make an effort to change, just like Jonah has had to. As for the suspense plot, I was ok with it, I felt it dragged a bit but it was a good way to introduce us to Jonah’s family. I think all in all, I enjoyed the first book better. In Begging For It, the curtain has been pulled down (like OZ hiding behind the curtain) between them about why Vivienne needed her sex the way she did. At that point, she and Jonah have to figure out how to have a relationship out in the open with all of their skeletons out of the closet. They both truly care for each other but in Begging For It, they have to figure out how to navigate the sexual minefield in front of them. 3.5 stars
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