For Sophie, Emery is a mystery that she needs to solve. Emery has a dark sensuality that ends up entangling her in a world of control, secrecy and temptation. I received a copy of The Gilded Cuff By Lauren Smith in exchange for an honest review. While reading this dance of danger and suspense the thought running through my mind was the saying about curiosity killing the cat. Sophie's excursion had disaster written all over it, but like a scary thriller, it was hard to look away. ( )

Just not for me. I’m saying DNF it’s interesting but I’m probably burnt out on this style of contemporary.

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

The first 20% was more erotica based than I anticipated, but after that there is a great balance between the romance and the mystery/suspense.

The suspense plot line had me constantly changing my theories about what was going on. I loved all the layers to it and how developed it was. It helps that the characters have rich histories and developments because you get more invested in the story and want to find out more. The last 30% was non stop which was great.

As for the BDSM elements, I'm not usually a big fan but this was tastefully done and sexy. The romance itself is a little insta-love which I usually don't like. BUT, you could really see how these two were drawn together and their connection seemed so genuine that it was easy to give me support to the romance.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-275
Actual Rating: 4/5 ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Two twin boys kidnapped, only one returns, one woman determined to solve the mystery.

Opening Sentence: This is absolutely the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.

The Review:

Sophie is an investigative journalist who specializes in crime stories. She is determined to solve the mystery of who kidnapped Emery and Fenn Lockwood. Sophie knows that Emery is a member of the Gilded Cuff. The Gilded Cuff is a BDSM club for the upper crust.

Sophie ends up meeting Emery and after an interesting first encounter confesses to him that she is a reporter and she wants to tell his story and help solve the case. They work out a deal and the story for her learning to be a submissive. Emery invites Sophie back to his house, once there it starts getting interesting. When the clock chimes at midnight Emery has a flashback to the kidnapping and ends up forcing Sophie out of the house. When his computer tech guy Cody, informs him what happened they bring her back, and Hans (Emery’s bodyguard) finds a boot print near where Sophie had been.

It’s pretty clear that the kidnapper is back and ready to finish the job he wasn’t able to all those years before. I wish I could tell you more, but spoilers! I know you hate me right now, let me just say that Emery and Sophie end up in some pretty scary situations but….hmm can’t remember if they survive or not!

Okay I won’t torture you too much; I was left with a bunch of unanswered questions too. In a good way; seriously I am off to get book 2, I have to know if I am right about who is behind the kidnappings. I was prepared to be a little disappointed with how easy it was to guess, but the author did one better and leaves you completely hanging on that aspect and another shocking twist too!

When I first started this book I thought it was another Fifty Shades wannabe, however this was so much more that. In reality the bondage scenes were very minimal the central mystery and the blooming romance between Emery and Sophie were the main focus of the book. The mystery is a good one too, Emery and his twin brother Fenn were kidnapped at 8, and after three months Emery was able to escape. He always believed that Fenn died trying to help him escape. Sophie has her own reasons for wanting to help Emery; she was the only witness to her best friend being kidnapped. I love this book it had a mystery, some thrills, some romance, sex and friendships, basically everything you could ask for in a book.

Notable Scenes:

“She was caught in the invisible strands of a spell woven around her body and soul.”

“If he kissed like that, sex with him would be the Apocalypse.”

“This woman was driving him mad.”

FTC Advisory: Forever Yours/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of The Gilded Cuff. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

The Gilded Cuff by Lauren Smith
Book #1: The Surrender Series
Source: Author
My Rating: 3½/5 stars
My Review:

Emery Lockwood is a millionaire a few times over, he is a man with very particular sexual interests and, he is a man who has all but removed himself from the world. Only when it is absolutely necessary does Emery venture out into the world and when he does go out, he does so with the bodyguard that has been with him since he was a child. At age eight, Emery’s world was turned inside out when he and his twin brother, Fenn were kidnapped from their family home and held hostage for more than three months. Emery made it home, his twin did not.

As a small child, Sophie Ryder was helpless in the moment her best friend, Rachel was kidnapped. Though she was able to provide the police with a few clues, Sophie wasn’t able to provide enough information to bring her best friend back. As an adult and an experienced investigative reporter, Sophie has helped the police solve numerous cold kidnapping cases but the one she is most interested in and the one that has consumed her for years is the Lockwood case. She has studied the case for years, knows every scrap of information that has been made public and, as of late is convinced that the person responsible for the Lockwood kidnapping is coming back to finish the job. If Sophie can get to Emery Lockwood and warn him maybe he will share his story with her.

Emery is notoriously reclusive and the only shot Sophie has at getting to him is to encounter him at the Gilded Cuff, the ultra-exclusive BDSM club Emery has long been a member of. Knowing she is well out of her depth, Sophie is surprised when she catches Emery’s attention and he invites her home with him. From the beginning, Sophie is up front and honest with Emery about her desires. She wants his story and if Emery agrees to help her, she may be able to bring the person responsible for Emery’s pain to justice.

From the moment he meets Sophie, Emery is certain she is a submissive waiting to happen and Emery is a Dom who wants to play. Emery’s experience with women has always been limited to the club but he instantly sees something more in Sophie and wants desperately to trust her, to train her and, to help her. Though Sophie is frightened by the things she desires, Emery is sure he can bring her out of her shell. All he has to do is confront his fears, accept that Sophie isn’t out to exploit him and, for the first time in a very long time, trust someone. Once the deal is struck, Emery and Sophie embark on an adventure that is laced with fear, intense drama, sexual experimentation and release and, more danger than either bargained for. Emery’s past has truly come back to haunt him, Sophie’s hunches are spot on and, before everything is said and done there is going to be a lot of pain on a lot of levels.

The Bottom Line: For the most part, I liked this read but there is one huge issue worth mentioning. My issue with this read is how little the BDSM and the Gilded Cuff actually factor into the read. No, I don’t need kinky sex on every page but the sex that does occur doesn’t happen at the club and what Emery and Sophia engage in is on the very, very light end of BDSM. I’ve read Tiffany Reisz and Jeffe Kennedy, I know that of which I speak. Based on the synopsis and how Emery and Sophia meet, I really expected more on this front and got very little. Given how intense the rest of the read is (characters, plot, etc.) more intense sexual encounters would have certainly enhanced and made sense to the overall read. Am I done with this series because of this issue? Nope! Even though Emery and Sophia’s story is mostly tied up by the end of the read there are some other loose ends (one ginormous loose end!) that I really want to see settled. ( )