I loved Mercy, book one in HelenKay Dimon's Holton
Woods series, so I squealed in delight when offered the
chance to review book two, ONLY. Unfortunately, ONLY did
not work as well for me. ONLY can be read as a standalone
book, but a richer appreciation of the story can be had by
reading this series in order. The series is based around a
gentleman's club in Washington DC, Holton Woods, and the
men of power who are members.
Sebastian Jameson is a lawyer turned negotiator who is a
savvy power broker in a town of powerful characters. Bast
is professionally degraded and personally traumatized by
his ex-wife's publication of two tell-all books about their
marriage and the raunchy threesomes that she insisted he
partake in. The only women that are interested in Bast now
are those who know about his past and want some wild and
degrading bedroom escapades.
Kyra Royer has known Bast for years as a close friend of
her brother Wade, a big brute with wicked sniper
capabilities, now acting as bodyguard and bouncer at Holton
Woods. Kyra decides to act on her long term desire to be
an exclusive partner with Bast. But first she has to
convince him that he wants her, and only her, in his bed.
While I'm a fan of the big brother's best friend trope, I
did feel Kyra had to work too hard to get Bast to be
interested in her.
I did not care for either Bast or Kyra, so while I enjoyed
the sex scenes, I was not rooting for them to find their
Happily Ever After. Kyra agrees at the beginning of the
book to just a sexual relationship, knowing that she
wants more but Bast doesn't. Then she becomes angry
because he's not acting like he's in a relationship. This
two-faced behavior is one of my top two peeves in romance
novels. Kyra was also too volatile, and I found her to be
immature and unreasonable, flying off the handle at the
smallest provocation.
That being said, Bast gave her more than just small-sized
provocations. He is an uncommunicative jackass. Much of
the conflict in the book felt unnecessary and artificial.
Most of the problems in the book could have been avoided by
a few simple conversations. The sex in book two is just as
raw and graphic as in Mercy and will satisfy erotic
romance readers' desire for outstanding bedroom scenes.
The great sexual chemistry could not compensate for my
dislike of the main couple and their behavior, though.
There is a wonderful secondary romance continuing in ONLY
between Kyra's brother Wade and Eli, a burned CIA spy. I
enjoyed them more than Kyra and Bast, and rumor has it
there will be an upcoming novella focused on the two men.
I also love the glimpses of Becca and Jarrett's ongoing
HEA from book one. While I did not care for the
characters, I do like Dimon's writing enough that I will
pick up book three to find out where the series takes us
next.
He’s a man who fixes difficult situations. She’s the one
thing he can’t handle—and the one thing he can’t resist.ONLY
Sebastian Jameson negotiates for high-end clients who need
problems taken care of quickly and discreetly. Accustomed to
being in control, he’s still reeling from his ex-wife’s
decision to write a tell-all about their private life, one
that highlighted their bedroom activities. The fallout left
Bast’s love life in chaos, making him a magnet for women who
thrive on risky fantasies, and a pariah to all others.
Kyra Royer knows all about Bast’s reputation—and is
intrigued enough to try to change him into a one-woman guy.
But getting him into her bed will be a challenge. He’s known
her brother for years, and her brother, with his rough past
and sniper abilities, is not a man you cross. Kyra knows
Bast thinks she’s off-limits, so she’ll have to get creative
to make him hers.
As Kyra turns up the heat, Bast struggles to resist the sexy
young woman’s considerable charms. But when Bast’s job turns
from tricky to deadly, keeping Kyra nearby might be the only
way to keep her alive—even if it means getting closer than
he ever intended.
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