SYNOPSIS:
Tony Tate has built a career centered on his identity as America's most romantic writer. That identity does not include a debauched temper tantrum in the aftermath of his very public break-up with his on-again, off-again girlfriend. Tony has known that Abby has had the hots for him since the moment they met, but when his Plain Jane best friend and controlling editor ends up being his only option to exorcise his demons and pent-up sexual frustration, he can't wait to break her prim and proper shell.
As Tony and Abby push each other farther than they've ever gone before, the question becomes, who will break whom?
MEL's REVIEW:
*was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review
BREAK ME is the debut, erotica novel by Autumn Stark. For a first novel, it was not bad. I was excited about the story line and it sounded very interesting with a new twist, which I am always looking for. Abigail Stevens, Abby, and Anthony Tate, Tony, have been working and traveling together for four years. You get the feeling that Tony is kind of a Nicholas Sparks kind of writer and Abby, who is his editor, has been in love with him from the very beginning. One day Tony and his “crazy” girlfriend break up and Abby steps in to fulfill Tony’s appetite for sex.
As far as the sex scenes, they are a little crude for my taste and even though Abby loves Tony, it is not really reflected until the very end. I just could not really connect with these two. Abby was such a doormat and Tony was an arrogant back end. I mean, I get a no strings attached relationship but there were already lots of strings. I wanted to know more about the characters and their reasons why they were doing what they were doing. I got Abby’s motivation to some degree but I just missed Tony’s motivation completely. I kept reading, hoping I would like them and in the end, it was better.
Autumn Stark has great potential and I could see where she was trying to go. However, the story was slow when I wanted it to pick up and fast where I wanted it to slow down. It just seemed rushed at the end. I loved the secondary characters. Abby’s brothers are great and so is her best friend. I loved them the most and connected with them. Again, for a first novel, it was not bad and I would read more by Autumn Stark.
BREAK ME by Autumn Stark Receives 3 out of 5 PLATYPIRES!!!
TEXAS HUGS and HAPPY READING!!!
EXCERPT from BREAK ME:
“I want you to explain how you disappeared without a word after four years. I thought we were more to each other than that. At least friends.”
“Did you? Did you really?” Abby’s voice rose to a furious whisper, her shoulders tense. “Well, I didn’t disappear. I left. There’s a difference.”
“Really? I must have missed the memo you sent out saying sayonara.” Tony was glaring at her, reclined on the couch.
“What right do you have to be mad? I’m the one--” Abby snapped her lips together.
“You were the one who what?” Tony eased up on one arm and waited.
“I’m the one who got swept aside like a piece of trash! I’m the one who...who...was an absolute idiot for thinking we were ever anything at all!” Abby felt like venom was seething painfully out of her body making it impossible for her to stop. “I’m the one who fell in love with a man I couldn’t have! I’m the one who was used!”
“That’s bullshit, Abby.” Tony said it calmly. “You ran away. You didn’t give me a chance to talk about any of this. You are not a piece of trash and if you call yourself that again, you’ll regret it.”
“What’s the point of this Tony? Please, just leave me alone. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I ever...ever thought,” Abby started crying, the sobs pressing the air from her lungs.
“Abby.” Tony was there, pulling her against him and wrapping his arms around her. She was surrounded by him and she couldn’t make herself break free. His warmth seeped into her and his scent enveloped her. It felt like the safest and most dangerous place she could ever be. She cried for what felt like forever. “Abby, the point is that I don’t want to leave you alone. I made a mistake. I know that. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to make you think you were trash. Can you believe that?”