Review: An Emotionally Consuming Novel!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2014
Ann Mayburn writes a gripping story of love and forgiveness in Penance, the second book in the Long Slow Tease series.Picking up where the first book left off, Michelle Sapphire and her submissive, Wyatt Callahan, are traveling to Chicago for a wedding and collaring ceremony. Throughout their relationship, Michelle takes care of Wyatt helping him cope with his PTSD. While dealing with his own problems, Wyatt fails to see that Michelle is on the verge of falling apart under the weight of her own issues. Michelle lives in her own private hell trying to be perfect at all things: lover, doctor and daughter. But, perfection comes with it own costs. Michelle’s overwhelming love for Wyatt exasperates the guilt she has for finding a new love when she promised her dead fiancé she would never love another. Michelle is cracking from the strain of it all. Survivor’s guilt coupled with a feeling of worthlessness lead Michelle to lie to Wyatt and completely eradicates the trust they have built in their relationship. Michelle’s lie all but destroys her and sends her spiraling into a deep depression. Wyatt digs deep and finds the inner strength to help Michelle, which just made me love him all the more. Michelle struggles with her need for punishment and for forgiveness. With Wyatt’s help, she learns that in order to be forgiven you need to forgive yourself too, which endeared her character to me even more. Even with their roles reversed, the sexual chemistry between Wyatt and Michelle is explosive, and their BDSM play is dramatically tense and scorching hot at the same time. Once again, I was completely captivated by this couple and needed to know that they would figure out how to forgive each other, how to trust each other, and how to love each other again. Needless to say, Mayburn doesn’t disappoint.Penance is a well-crafted, character-driven romance with intense sexual situations, making it an emotionally consuming novel that is impossible to put down.I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of an honest review for The Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.