Review: Defying Him

Defying Him by Zoe Blake
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Steamy, erotic and spellbinding, Ms. Blake delivers a tightly written tale with engaging characters. Full disclosure, I did not read the blurb. Since I am familiar with this author's writing, I went in cold. I enjoy it better not knowing what is going on. This book starts out with a heart pumping scene with filled with danger. I thought at first, Phoebe Wilson was a ninny of a female running and hiding from her stalker. I was so wrong. As the story unfolds, Ms. Blake takes us on a suspense ride punctuated with panty moistening erotic scenes.

Phoebe is an investigative reporter who is determine to make it to the top. Working at a small newspaper, she's completely a few dangerous assignments. When a request comes down from the top to determine what is going on in a military academy, Phoebe jumps for this big break. What she doesn't realize is, how much danger she places herself in due to her looks.

From an erotic perspective, I really enjoyed this book. Michael Lawson is a commanding male who exudes a dominant nature. His brash direct talk is surprising given today's sensitive PC environment. But what he says, because he is handsome and a good man... is so bloody hawt. The naughty things he wants to do with the mischievous Phoebe are right up my kink alley. Ms. Blake does an excellent job of building up the sexual tension and then letting it burst over with a fiery climax. Love it.

From a plot perspective, the story is cohesive and well done. It may have been a bit heavy handed in identifying the villain. What I liked is how Phoebe dived into the role of being a teacher. The nod to Dead Poet's Society touched me. The way the characters interacted felt so real. The descriptions of the academy is clear, down to the uniforms the students wear. Entwining the story with a local legend helped add another layer of intrigue to the tale. It is nicely done.

The ending threw me just a little because of how Phoebe was captured. I was a bit incredulous as what Commander Michael did. I had to re-read it a couple times. Totally rookie mistake and I just can't reconcile this with Michael's careful character. This did throw me out of the story a bit. Still, this plot device seemed to be needed to tie of loose ends and bring the story into a happy conclusion.

This erotic novel is recommended to readers who enjoy a commanding male, a bit of intrigue and happily ever after.

* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.