Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I kept waiting for this book to go some place. It didn't. It was a lot of I hate you, I love you, I hate you, I love you. I think I got whiplash. It had such promise of hotness but even that fizzled out. I suppose they can't all be 10s on the smuttiness scale but this one was sort of like the firecracker that sort of made it halfway and then stopped working. ( )

When he was twelve, Jeremiah Copeland’s abusive parents abandoned him, his younger brother David and their sister Ruthie. He did what was necessary to keep his family together and to survive. He became a drug and money runner for a local dealer. In middle school, he met Toby and they became friends up until University and beyond. In the mean time he had worked his way up to becoming a middleman between a dealer and the leader of the Dixie Mafia and eventually to an enforcer and bodyguard for the mafia leader. At twenty-one, he met Toby’s sixteen year old sister, Daly. The connection between them was instantaneous and deep, and he waited patiently until she turned twenty-one before he made her his. He went so far as to leave his life of crime behind him. For her. Because of her. As the daughter of a then senator, she risked her father’s ire to be with the former bad boy. But all of that ended when Jeremiah chose to help his brother out of trouble which cost him the woman he loved.

Three years later, Daly has to re-open old wounds and face Jeremiah, the only man she ever loved, walked away from and had never gotten over. He let her go once, but he won’t let her walk away again. Not without a fight to earn back Everything he’d once lost. As they fight for their second chance, someone is out to get Jeremiah and isn’t above using David and Daly to get to him. With trust issues still unresolved between them, will the once lovers learn from past mistakes or will history repeat itself?

Lea Griffith is a new to me author, but after spending the past five hours devouring this book, I’m so glad I requested it. I loved the connection between Daly and Jeremiah. From the first page, it was quickly established just how weary they both were about coming face-to-face for the first time in three years. Both of them were still suffering from the break-up three years ago, and neither had really moved on. Daly most certainly hadn’t. If it hadn’t been for the deeply intimate connection they once shared as Dom and sub, then her quick capitulation to Jeremiah’s dominance may have made her seem weak in the negative sense. However, it was clear that she was well aware and angry at herself for caving to him so easily. She wasn’t weak, but she was stubborn. They both were.

I haven’t come across a story quite like this before. In this D/s relationship, they had no problem trusting one another with their bodies or pleasure. But when they weren’t playing, a lack of trust was the very thing that had driven them apart. Trying to understand these characters and that odd dynamic was what kept my interest throughout. I got the feeling that they both fell for each other so suddenly and so deeply, they never got around to really understanding some base truths about each other which led to misunderstandings and not being able to communicate properly. Daly was a very black and white, right and wrong kind of woman. Jeremiah had an innate need to protect her. No matter how well-meaning Jeremiah’s attempts were to not let the ugliness of his past touch her, he also took away her choices. Daly subconsciously held his past against him which made it so much easier for her to dismiss and distrust his actions.

Their journey was sexually and emotionally intense. Every (HOT) encounter showed not only how perfect they were for one another, but it also gave them both an opportunity to grow, individually and together, if that was what they both wanted. I really liked the dual POVs which let me know where they were in their stages of healing and communication. Of course their stubbornness made several attempts to derail them, and I wanted to scream at them. The ending was very appropriate and came full circle.

The secondary characters were interesting enough to pique my interest. I would love to know more about Toby, what happened to him and what his history with Ruthie was. I look forward to reading their story as well as discovering if the Dixie Mafia will return and interfere with Jeremiah’s life. Since this was an uncorrected proof, any inconsistencies I did observe are probably irrelevant.

The Bottom Line

Too Much was an emotionally and sexually charged story about second chances and learning to love and trust again. The BDSM elements heightened their dynamics and allowed them to bare themselves on different levels while they worked on their verbal communication. The suspense portion served to make them open up faster, but it was also a predictable plot device that would test the strength of their love. I enjoyed it enough that I will be purchasing this book for my personal collection when it releases.

"But most of all, he needed to breathe the same air she did. Feel the softness of her skin against his and hear the thump-thump-thump of her heart in his ear. He needed to settle on top of her body and renew himself in her. Because everything began and ended with Daly. That was the cost of loving her. Without her, he wasn’t whole."

Rating: 4.5

Disclaimer: Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own, and in no way represent the views or opinions of the publisher/distributor. ( )

Omg!!!! This book was awesome!!!! Hot, dirty, unbelievable the way this man loves her!!One of the best books I have EVER read!!!!!!!

A MUST READ!!!!! ( )

3 stars!
Erotic Romance
Release date: June 10, 2014

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In Lea Griffith’s Loveswept debut, a novel that’s perfect for erotic romance readers, two lovers who have shared exquisite pain and unforgettable bliss find solace back in each other’s arms.

Jeremiah Copeland and Daly Edwards have a history. Even though he grew up a criminal struggling to care for two younger siblings, and she’s the pampered daughter of a power-hungry senator, they formed a bond that nothing could break. Only a lack of trust ripped them apart.

Seven years later, Daly has reason to believe that Jeremiah’s brother is in trouble. She reaches out to Jeremiah the only way she knows how: at his BDSM club, The Underground. But one look ignites a heat she thought had cooled forever. As Jeremiah takes control of her body once again, Daly quickly loses control of her carefully rebuilt world. Too much has never been enough between them, and as danger swirls in the shadows, Jeremiah forces Daly to recognize what has never changed: She still loves him. His command is that she return her heart—and he will make her obey.

Too Much is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

MY REVIEW:

I enjoyed the opening to this book, thought the writing was very well done, but for some reason, the characters I just didn’t get. Don’t get me wrong, their chemistry was strong, their actions palpable, but all they seemed to do was have sex. Not talk, not connect in any other way.

I’m no reader to shy away from erotica scenes, but in this it almost seemed to overpower everything else. I wish I would have had a chance to really get to know them but by the end of the book, I was more confused than ever. I gave it three stars specifically for this reason: because I didn’t understand what motivated their actions, why they couldn’t think outside the bedroom, and really work on the real issue. The trust aspect didn’t seem to get fixed, but the heroine seemed almost too weak to think outside of having sex.

Now, it may not have been my cup of tea, but I have seen some success with other readers. It’s gripping with sexual tension, and while the dom/sub relationship could be confusing in this read, it was still a hot aspect that made me grip the pages of the book tighter.

I say give it a shot, pick up a copy, and take a look into this dark and gritty novel in order to uncover a new world. You may find, you just might like it. ( )