As I read this series I find each book is better than the last. This is hard and gritty and at times hard to read but only because it gets so intense. There's a lot happening here and it may be hard from some to read.
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Let me start off by saying that this book isn't going to be for everyone. Ben O’Callahan is the most hardcore of the Masters in the Knights of the Boardroom series. There are several scenes that prove this in wonderful detail. Also there is a scene when all the things that have been building up on Ben come to a head and he loses his temper. So there is some violence that is going to be upsetting to most people. It upset me and I can be very forgiving about most characters behavior. I will say that this outbreak is essential to the plot and the catharsis that allows Ben to see what Marcie is giving him. Finally there is one scene that has some female on female interaction. It is a very brief scene and not offense in anyway. Now that all the warnings are out of the way let’s get on to what I thought of this book.

I have been looking forward to Ben’s story for quite some time. His background makes him one of those alpha males that catches my imagination. He has come so far from when he was a child and yet in many ways he is still stuck in that time. He wants to have a family and that stability that it would bring but he can’t bring himself to trust that it will last. Through most of the story he doesn't know what to do with Marcie or the feelings that she brings out in him. He has isolated himself from any interaction with woman, other than the wives of the other board members. He goes to the clubs and does scenes and leaves the aftercare for his subjects to the club members and he goes home. In many ways he is just like Marguerite only in male form and a Master. Ms. Hill doesn't go into what happened to Ben while he was in foster care or living on the streets but there are hints of what might have been done to Ben. The problem is, like most men, he doesn't want to talk about emotional stuff fearing he will look weak. The last few chapters in the book show that he gets over this and starts to talk to Marcie. This helps to start to heal the wounds that have festered for so long.

Marcie is a driven young woman. She has known what she wants to do with her life since early childhood. She has done everything she can to achieve that goal with almost single minded determination. Almost single minded because at sixteen Ben comes into her life and she decides that Ben is the man for her. She Is smart enough to know that she is going to have to grow up before she can go after him but that doesn't stop her from learning everything she can about him. Marcie is a submissive and has realized that fact since her sister married Lucas. Marcie is also a masochist who is just what Ben needs and craves. Part of Marcie’s problem throughout this story is that she is always pushing Ben so she can get what she wants. She wants him so bad that she doesn't want to wait for Ben to come to his senses, not that he would without a severe jolt to his head. Marcie isn't a victim and she can give as good as she gets. She isn't going to let anyone walk all over her even Ben. She is also very intelligent and compassionate.

For those of us that love the BDSM genre this is going to be a wonderful book to read. I read it in record time; of course I seldom read one of Joey W. Hill’s books any other way. There is so much emotion upheaval in this story. It is amazing that I didn't get whiplash from all the ups and downs. All the previous characters show up in this story which is a wonderful bonus. It is nice to see the wives stick together and have formed a support group where they can discuss what goes on and how to handle it. These people have formed a family and it is a very tight knit one. I think I am going to have to go back and read all the stories now that have all been published. I loved this book even though there are a few places that it was hard to get past, however believe me it was worth getting to the end and realizing that Ben and Marcie were going to make a life together. ( )

Joey W. Hill, and her Knights of the Board Room series in particular, has been in my Mount TBR pile forever, so I jumped at the chance to review this book. I've heard great things about Ms. Hill's writing, and Hostile Takeover does not disappoint. No, my kinky friends, not at all. In fact, so far this is one of my favorite books of 2012. But a warning to the faint at heart.... Ben is a sadist, and this book contains some very intense and graphic scenes. Okay, so why did I like this book so much then?

I cracked up at parts of Marcie's plan to win Ben's heart, but had to crank up the A/C during other parts. And Ben shows his softer side throughout the book. He might be hardcore, but he's also charming, caring, and loyal. He's also a great cook and a good dancer. Oh, and there's this...

"She'd heard the rumors about his size, but if that was a partial erection, there were monsters in Japan who would run screaming."

So, what's not to like?

I love, love, love the snippets of letters and conversations between Marcie and Ben that begin each chapter, showing their relationship during the years Marcie was in college. Ben is Marcie's confidante, advisor, and guardian. Some of the letters were just LOL funny, and others were so sweet I almost cried. This is one of my favorites:

"You told me any guy worth my time would always come to me with flowers and a handkerchief. One to make me smile, and the other to dry my tears, because a smart guy knows women need to cry as much as they need to laugh."

But Ben still sees Marcie as a girl, someone to protect... especially from his darker side. Ms. Hill does a fantabulous job of showing Ben's reluctance to accept Marcie as a sexually mature woman, and of showing Marcie's absolute certainty and determination that she and Ben are meant to be together. And their journey is one wild ride! If you don't have any qualms about the BDSM aspects of the book, this is a highly recommended read.
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Joey W. Hill, and her Knights of the Board Room series in particular, has been in my Mount TBR pile forever, so I jumped at the chance to review this book. I've heard great things about Ms. Hill's writing, and Hostile Takeover does not disappoint. No, my kinky friends, not at all. In fact, so far this is one of my favorite books of 2012. But a warning to the faint at heart.... Ben is a sadist, and this book contains some very intense and graphic scenes. Okay, so why did I like this book so much then?

I cracked up at parts of Marcie's plan to win Ben's heart, but had to crank up the A/C during other parts. And Ben shows his softer side throughout the book. He might be hardcore, but he's also charming, caring, and loyal. He's also a great cook and a good dancer. Oh, and there's this...

"She'd heard the rumors about his size, but if that was a partial erection, there were monsters in Japan who would run screaming."

So, what's not to like?

I love, love, love the snippets of letters and conversations between Marcie and Ben that begin each chapter, showing their relationship during the years Marcie was in college. Ben is Marcie's confidante, advisor, and guardian. Some of the letters were just LOL funny, and others were so sweet I almost cried. This is one of my favorites:

"You told me any guy worth my time would always come to me with flowers and a handkerchief. One to make me smile, and the other to dry my tears, because a smart guy knows women need to cry as much as they need to laugh."

But Ben still sees Marcie as a girl, someone to protect... especially from his darker side. Ms. Hill does a fantabulous job of showing Ben's reluctance to accept Marcie as a sexually mature woman, and of showing Marcie's absolute certainty and determination that she and Ben are meant to be together. And their journey is one wild ride! If you don't have any qualms about the BDSM aspects of the book, this is a highly recommended read. ( )

I've read and greatly enjoyed Hill's paranormal series - Vampire Queen and Daughters of Arianne. I love her characters, every single one. She's just extremely good at writing complex, messed up, dark, lovable characters. When this one popped up in NetGalley, I thought it a perfect chance to try one of her contemporaries.

This one is the fifth in the Knights of the Board Room series. And, of course, this book centers on the most extreme of the "knights". Ben is pretty messed up. All the guys in this series are heavily into BDSM. All but Ben have found their permanent submissive. Ben doesn't think that will change. He's just too dark and too severe in his mastering to keep someone around.

Marcie has known Ben since she was a teenager. He has always been there for her. He's always treated her like a big brother. But she knows she is the submissive for him. She knows she can handle his type of BDSM; she craves it. Making Ben see that she is perfect for him will not be easy. He pushes her away, tries to scare her off. But she won't give up.

Based off this book, Hill writes just as great characters in her contemporaries as her paranormals. I enjoyed Ben, but really liked Marcie and her determination. Both characters are emotionally wrung dry. It was exhausting to read, but hard to put down. I will be going back and reading the rest of this series.

Book provided through NetGalley. ( )