Adult Erotic Romance
Published September 2nd 2014
eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley
Powerful. Dominant, Unforgettable. He commands submission at all costs. Cage fighter, Gabriel Devereaux, a man of barely leashed power, is known as the Bayou Beast. There is one woman he will do anything, pay any amount to possess. Karina Armistead, has come a long way from the innocent girl Gabriel used to know. An internationally known singer, she can have anything she wants. But everything tells her that getting involved with the Bayou Beast may leave her wrecked beyond repair. Little does Karina Armistead know, but Gabriel has decided that she will be his. He will destroy anything or anyone who stands in his way.
Take Down appeared to be just another Billionaire story at first and while I'm not fond of this sub genre of stories, the second chance romance and revenge aspect appealed to me so I decided to give it a shot. From the synopsis you gather that the two have a history, and they do. A couple once upon a time, the two were broken up by unknown forces at the time. Now that they both have separate careers and lives they are brought together by Gabriel's need for revenge but his long thought dead attraction to Karina won't let him get very far.
So you've got a cage fighter and a pop singer. Neither profession did much for me but I liked the characters despite their elaborate lifestyles. Karina was a down to earth woman who still held traces of the girlish innocence Gabriel once knew but she's picked up a bit of shrewdness along the way that has toughened her up a bit. She did want Gabriel but went into their rekindled romance with her eyes open and no fairy tale daydreams lighting sparks in her eyes. Gabriel was a hard ass in public but once he was behind closed doors the guy turned into a sentimental softy and I loved that about his character. Driven by revenge with the ultimate plan of seducing Karina in the process to aid his plot, he was rendered useless once she opened him up to love again. They have several steamy encounters because it IS erotic romance and that was a bonus to the romance aspect so Take Down had that going for it as well.
For me, I could take it or leave it with the Billionaire aspect. I grew up below the "Middle Class" social ladder so it's not something I can relate to but it is fiction so the fact that Gabriel owns the biggest hotel in New Orleans and has his own private jet shouldn't hamper you from enjoying the story. I thought it would hinder my enjoyment since I detest the trope myself but I actually managed to push that aside and enjoy the story for what it was. Malone managed to gain and hold my interest between these two hard headed characters who were stuck inn their ways and made me believe in their love story and for that I'm glad I gave this one a chance. A short story with a sweet romance and a lot of hot moments, Take Down is definitely a nice pick-me-up when you're stuck in a rut.
Quotes:
"I would have come for you. I was coming for you. Please believe that. If you believe nothing else I say tonight, please believe that if I could have met you in the park that day, I would have. There was nothing that would have kept me away from you." eARC 65%
"My beautiful little fighter," he murmured against her throat. "You keep fighting for me, and I'll fight to be worthy of you and what you give me." eARC 80%
About The Author:
Mallery Malone is the author of contemporary and historical romance of all heat levels. An avid reader, she loves to discover new worlds and characters that strike a deep emotional connection.
Mallery lives on the outskirts of Atlanta with her guitar hero husband, several cannibal fish, and two standard poodles who think they are lapdogs. When not working the day job, she spends her time hanging out with friends, people watching, and working on her next writing project.
Her current work is the upcoming Billionaire’s Club: New Orleans. The Billionaire’s Club: New Orleans novellas, by Mallery Malone, are steamy contemporary romance stories centered around the Billionaire’s Club: The wealthiest, most powerful men in New Orleans. They are used to having whatever they want, whenever they want it.
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Hm sounds pretty good. I don't mind the troupe much. As long as it's well written I'm happy :D
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