Title: Bend don't Break
Author: Skye Callahan
Genre: Dark Erotic Romance
Release Date: November 18, 2014
Add to your TBR: Goodreads
Synopsis
I thought I was done.
my End
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as the bullet tore through me, leaving me with nothing but the hope that I had done enough to save her. The darkness tried to engulf me—to brand me as its own and drag me to my fate.
my Darkness
Waking to see her tear-stained face above me was enough to make my heart stutter. I was alive and free from that place—but not from the toll it had taken on my mind and body.
my Strength
My story should have ended, but one woman kept standing in the way of that. The only way I could have her was to find a way to put the darkness to rest.
Review
Bend Don’t Break starts off shortly after the raid at the retreat. James is struggling to come to terms with who he had to be when he was Kirk. He is having a hard time getting the nightmares out of his head about Silver/Rose and the other girls at the retreat.
Not being able to see Rose isn’t helping him and finally, after weeks, he is able to return to work. His main focus is to demolish the entire empire and find out who and bring them down.
From the moment she’d shown up at the Retreat, she’d tested everything about me—my commitment to the job, sanity, strength, will…There were times I hated her for it. Times I couldn’t see straight because of what she’d done to me-because of the reality she’d forced me to confront. But, she also gave me something to fight for after I’d begun to go numb. She made me feel again, reconnect with everything that was happening to the girls in the Retreat. She made me reconnect with my own horrors that I’d faced every day for months until the façade became a twisted mix of reality, fantasy, and nightmare.
Towards the end of Irrevocable we were met again with Alley who shot at Rose and ended up overdosing and died. That tragedy is retold from James’ POV and it is what brought the two back together finally.
They are both struggling with life after the retreat and the loss of their friend but together they try to find a healthy balance without becoming just a distraction for one another to forget their past.
“If you want me to stop,” I whispered,
“Then say it. Otherwise, let me have my way. Tonight I can only battle one of us for control.”
I really enjoyed how Syke made this book all James’ POV while Irrevocable was in Silver/Rose’s POV. A few of the times they spent at the retreat are retold so we get a better idea of what James went though at the time, however, most of this book is all new. It shows things that we never saw in Irrevocable so it has a fresh feeling to it. The beginning did drag on for me a bit but after a while it really picked up.
We get to see a lot of Trent in this book and really liked him. We also get introduced to another girl that had been at the retreat and kind of hear of her struggles after being saved.
With the help of a couple of others, Trent, James and Rose work to find out who is behind the organization and try to take it down. That is what the majority of this book is about. I wish we would have had a little more of Rose and James personally. We did get some- we see their struggles and see how they learned to be ‘ok’ after everything. We see the give and take they were willing to do for each other in order to make each other better again and how being in a place like the retreat can change a person’s wants and desires no matter how hard they try to fight it.
“What do you want, Sugar?”
“Your fantasy,” she spoke as if her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. “Your worst. Push.”
***4 Stars***
Reviewed by Alissa Evanson
Excerpt #1
Put myself? Last I checked I wasn’t the one to drag her into the Retreat. “I kept her alive and slightly less broken than she would have otherwise been.”
“The two of you adapted to a horrible situation, found comfort in each other—”
I didn’t want to hear it.
Stockholm Syndrome.
I wondered if the captor could get it, too. Was I even the captor? It seemed like I’d lost control of the situation long ago.
But I’d still been the one to beat her, rape her, bend her will.
Just like she’d bent mine.
I wanted her back so bad I couldn’t breathe. The more we talked about it, the worse it got. The harsh reality of it all forced me to face the possibility that I had to walk away if I wanted to do what was in her best interest.
“How long until I can talk to Trent?” I tried again, drawing back a modicum of control by changing the course of the conversation.
Dr. Combs sighed and snapped her portfolio closed. “If it’ll get you to talk, I’ll make the arrangements on one condition.”
I’d already sold my soul, there weren’t many more concessions I had left to give.
“I need to know you’re not going to try to reach out to Rose—or anyone else.”
Did that mean there was a chance she’d see me? Or was Dr. Combs convinced I’d stalk and abduct her anyway? That was quite a laughable possibility, but some sick-as-fuck part of me considered it.
Book Trailer
Excerpt #2
She came around the corner on hands and knees, and I saw her face visibly pale as soon as she saw the chain in my hands, but she approached anyway. Stubborn, belligerent, and brave.Three traits that’d get her killed.
I dropped the chain to the floor next to the bed. “Come up here.”
She paused, but finally climbed onto the bed and straddled my lap as I directed, and damned if I didn’t feel like I was losing it. The bruises from her encounter with Gabe’s buffoons were starting to set in, but she pulled back and shut herself off as I examined her.
Such a degrading way to make sure nothing was broken, but if she didn’t believe my act, no one else would either. I realized the plug in her ass was probably growing even more uncomfortable with time, especially if she hadn’t experimented with them before.
Not that I could ask since I wasn’t supposed to care.
“Hate me all you want, Sugar,” I said, hoping to get her to walk a fine line between trust and fear where she might listen. “I’m the only ally you have.”
“Ally…?” she whispered, “You’re going to hurt me.” Her eyes filled again, but she blinked it away and held back just like she had in the basement, and I couldn’t face her any longer.
“I am,” I lifted her off of me, flipping her over. “Ass up.”
Even though she kept up her protective walls, I saw her body visibly relax when I pulled the plug free and sat it on the side table. It was going to be hard enough for her to kneel through dinner. I hoped the threat of it might make her more compliant.
The mix of vulnerability countered with her impossible stubbornness had an aphrodisiac effect on me. I had been convinced this was the only way we’d survive, but for the first time, I truly considered the effect it was going to have on both of us.
Playlist
Ten Fun Facts
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I love cars, and I write most of my books while watching Top Gear. I’d prefer the sound of an Aston Martin over any music sound track.
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I once based a character in a story on my husband, and the character died. He never lets me live it down, but don’t bother trying to figure it out, I never released that book.
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I’m not terribly good at being girly–I don’t wear makeup, only own 4 pairs of shoes, and I’ve never had a manicure.
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I learned to handle a gun before I learned long division.
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While most of the people in my graduate research classes were buried in books, I was glued to the TV researching the evolving portrayal of “Indianness”.
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I have a phobia of crickets.
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Yuengling is my weakness.
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I have penguin stuff everywhere--even a penguin snuggie because I couldn’t resist.
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I enjoy long walks in the cemetery.
- Nearly everyone in my family has seen a ghost in the hallway in the house I grew up in, and I was told by a Bigfoot expert that the sounds I used to hear outside my bedroom at night were likely the cries of Bigfoot.
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Synopsis
Sometimes when you can’t go back, the only way out is to descend into the darkness.
my Captor
When I woke in that place, I just wanted to survive. But survival came at a cost, for which they demanded my will and body.
my Master
With pain came acceptance. Fully-dependent on the man who claimed me, I learned to appreciate what I had-life and relative safety.
my Protector
I watched him spill blood and tend my injuries. With betrayal came a revelation.
The only way out was to bring them all down or die trying.
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Reviews
"Not only did Irrevocable gut me, it took me on a roller coaster ride full of emotions that I usually don't experience while reading romances.... You start to hate, you start to sympathize, and you begin to fall in love in every way. Ms. Callahan has turned my world upside down with her writing. Dark, sensual, and at times overwhelming, Irrevocable will bring you on a dark journey that you will never forget." Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads TOP PICK of 2014!
"You HAVE to read this book. It really is one of the best that I have read in a while, and definitely one of the best of 2014. It has everything I look for in a dark read. The twist that the author throws in is, just wow. I just cannot emphasis just how much I love this book!" Alicia, Mean Girls Luv Books
"Finally a good DARK read, that has it ALL...!! Overall - the characters drew me in, the situation jangled my nerves, the sexy scenes were HOT, and the story just blew me away." Shelby, Wicked Reads
"Beautifully written! Great characters and story line. Skye made me a fan of dark reads. A must read for all who dare to step out of the light and into the darkness!" Summer's Book Blog
About the Author
Skye Callahan was born and raised in rural Ohio and has had an insatiable love of reading and writing since she was young. Thanks to the encouragement of teachers, family, and friends, she has found her passion in immersing herself in the imaginary worlds of the characters who live in her head.
Most of her early stories were paranormal, and although the paranormal world still has a special place in her imagination, her interest in BDSM and dark romance has led her to expand her writing endeavors.
Before she began writing full-time, she earned a M.A. in Public History and worked for a non-profit business consulting center. When she’s not indulging the voices in her head, she’s enjoying life with her husband and two ferrets.
Contact Skye Callahan
Other Works from Skye Callahan
Bound and Unbroken
Genre: BDSM RomanceGoodreads
Lena is about to discover pleasure in the things she can’t control.
To get even with her roommate for dragging her to a sports bar on a Friday night, Lena begins flirting with the handsome stranger who sits at the bar next to her. Their anonymous conversation leads to a shared cab ride, but Lena’s conscience puts a damper on the evening—leaving the near-fling to become a memory. Until she finds him roaming the halls of the school where she teaches.
Will she submit to his desires?
Eric’s only reason for returning to his hometown is to care for his recently orphaned nephew. He knew the return would involve dredging up his past with family and friends, but he didn't expect a lone girl to capture his interest and offer an escape within his new life.
Will his binds be enough to keep her?
Purchase Links
Fractured Legacy
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Kaylyn Anderson's fascination with abandoned places and dark creatures kindled her work as a paranormal investigator. But when dreams begin to distort reality, she questions what is real and pulls away from everyone she trusts. The opportunity to investigate the Teague Hotel--a long-abandoned landmark that has always piqued her curiosity--provides a chance to redeem herself. Unraveling the hotel's secrets won't be easy, but Kaylyn soon finds herself the target of a dark entity that has been trapped in the building for decades.
If Kaylyn stands any chance of defeating the spirit, she'll have to accept that her fears are real and convince fellow investigators that she hasn't lost her mind.
If Kaylyn stands any chance of defeating the spirit, she'll have to accept that her fears are real and convince fellow investigators that she hasn't lost her mind.
Purchase Links
Beyond the Divide
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Despite unanswered questions about the nameless entity that tried to steal her life, Kaylyn returns to the only kind of normal life she knows and takes on a new paranormal case.
After investing everything they have in a farm, an unsuspecting family discovers that their problems run much deeper than the poor upkeep of the house and land. Can Kaylyn and the other investigators uncover what's behind the growing malicious activity? And how will they all deal with new warnings from beyond the divide?
After investing everything they have in a farm, an unsuspecting family discovers that their problems run much deeper than the poor upkeep of the house and land. Can Kaylyn and the other investigators uncover what's behind the growing malicious activity? And how will they all deal with new warnings from beyond the divide?
Purchase Links
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