Review: Mostly enjoyable read, but I wanted and needed more from it
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2014
Tessa Bailey can write a damn good sex scene with a hot, in-control alpha male who likes to talk dirty and make you beg for it. I love that her heroes are demanding, possessive and protective men rocking an intense sex appeal along with a sweet, vulnerable edge. Bossy but still lovable! And this hero, Matt, fits all that. His romance is hot and steamy, with some really good sex scenes going for it, but I don't think the heat and the romance balance each other out. I feel like I got more of one and less of the other.I needed more romance. More time with my h/H connecting to each other, connecting to me and making me believe in them as a couple. I liked Matt and Lucy, Matt most of all, but their romance felt too rushed and not deep enough. Instant attraction, instant lust, instant sex, and then instant love, and I really needed to stop and just take a moment. Yes, the romance is enjoyable, but could it have been more, and felt deeper? I think so. These two had great chemistry between the sheets, but I do think they could have had more time, more dialogue, and more real interaction together.The sex is hot, the bdsm light and not scary (very light bondage and spanking and some biting), and the characters are likeable. I also enjoyed that sweet update on Brent and Hayden. Staking His Claim is an enjoyable read for the most part, a good enough read. But with Tessa Bailey, I want to be wowed by hot sex AND romance. This has been a great series, and I do love this author and her hot heroes, but Matt's story didn't feel complete enough. Not a bad read at all, but not my favorite of this series.