Review: Unbelievably sexy and dark
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 3, 2014
Staking His Claim takes some darker turns than Tessa's previous books in this series, and I was enamored the entire time. I connected so much to Matt's struggles in ways I really didn't expect, and he is absolutely a guy I rooted hard for. There's some pretty big things in his past that's left him really pretty broken, and broken heroes will always melt my heart (and my panties). I absolutely loved the way Tessa handled his character arc, from the little things that are let out at the start when he gives in to Lucy's teasing, to the bigger things that are revealed as the story goes.With a purely dominant side in the bedroom, each sexy scene in this book progressed in intensity in so many levels, and though I admit their last one wasn't what I was building it up to be in my mind, it still had such a deep connection built into it that I only fell even harder for this pair. There is really something about these two that just make them so undeniably perfect for each other, this huge push and pull between them despite how strongly dominant he is overall. Lucy worms her way under his skin without Matt fully realizing it, and keeps drawing him in even when she's doing nothing to spur it.This book pushed my boundaries in some ways, yet I couldn't read through it fast enough. Lucy is hands down one of my favorite heroines on the Brazen line, this full of life girl who, as much as she may want him, isn't going to give things up or really be batted around emotionally. She has this hilarious mentality that pulled me right in, and this interesting view of the world that added a fresh note to an already amped up book. For all the ways she's seemingly innocent, she takes as good as she gets, and she doesn't really let Matt walk over her. She knows exactly what she's getting into without having to be expressly told, and there really is just something about her paired with Matt that captivated me.Tessa is one of those authors who has gotten better with every book and this one doesn't disappoint. It's a close call for me between this one and Asking for Trouble, but both books are so different I can't even really compare. That, to me, just sets Tessa apart even more. Now to start on a reread spree of these...