Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Holly's Review:

You know when you pick up a new book with a beautiful cover by an author you really enjoy and are excited about the story 'cuz it looks awesome and you forget to check out whether it has a DAMN CLIFFHANGER?? Yeah, that was me last night! :)

This book was really good though, despite the cliffhanger. This was kind of a different twist on the young, hot, billionaire story. A little, not a lot. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that the mystery goes on and on. 

Amy is running from something or someone - we still don't really know but the beginning of the story finds her dropping her new life and running with a new identity that some mysterious, unknown handler provides her. She heads to the airport where she meets Liam Stone! Let me just stop here and say....Where the FUCK are these smokin' hot guys when I am traveling and at the airport...huh???

I mean, how can you not fall in love with a man who say's things like this...

"How high you stand isn't as important as how magnificent you are." 

This is probably my favorite line from this book, it's beautiful!!

Anyway, sorry, got a bit off track - Liam and Amy end up in first class side by side seats and the fun begins! Liam decides he wants Amy, BAD!! And HOLY CRAP this man does not take no for an answer!! 

So it goes and their affair begins, all the while Amy is trying to convince herself she should run to keep Liam safe but Liam hangs on tight. 

This book leaves you with a zillion questions but the good news is it's only a couple months until the next book and it looks like book 2 is the conclusion!! Yay - I guess I can forgive the cliffhanger then. :)
This was a great story and I highly recommend it!! 

***This book was provided to me as an ARC by Netgalley

If I Were You By Lisa Renee Jones

How it began…

One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expires.

Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable, as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.
Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her.

The dark, passion it becomes…

Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.
All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more.

Thessa's Review:

A Strong 4.5 Stars

He shoved me against the wall and then tore down my panties. His lips pressed close to my ear, his breath hot on my neck, as he said, ‘you know the rules, you know I have to punish you.’

**Fans self** Holy hell.

This book exceeded my expectations. The storyline was unique for it was two stories woven into one. We have Rebecca’s journals, which are the catalyst for the whole thing, and then there’s Sara’s side. Aside from Rebecca’s journal entries, this tale is told in Sara’s POV.

Sara’s meek little life as a school teacher is about to change when she finds Rebecca’s journals from an abandoned storage unit that her neighbor, Ella, purchases for profit. The journal entries immediately draw Sara’s attention. The entries are filled with Rebecca’s mysterious erotic love life. They are very personal and very private. Why would Rebecca just leave these lying around? Did something happen to her?

These are the questions that drive Sara to look for her. Following a small amount of clues that she gathers leads her to the Allure Gallery, where Rebecca was last known to work. What she didn’t expect was to be hired as Rebecca’s fill in after she encounters the Gallery’s manager at a function. Sara has always dreamed of working in the Art Industry. This is perfect way to not only make her dream a reality, but to also learn more about Rebecca.

While at the Gallery, she meets the most interesting people, particularly Mark Compton, her manger, and Chris Merit, a well known artist. Both men are sexy as sin, but are opposite in many ways. Mark is dominating, intimidating, curt and demanding. He’s got this dangerous air about him, but oh is he alluring. Is he the mystery man mentioned in Rebecca’s story? He certainly fits the bill.

“Nothing has changed, Sara. I’m still not the guy who’ll give you a white picket fence.” ~ Chris Merit

Then there’s Chris. Sara and he instantly hit it off. Chris is controlling, but in an extremely sexy, panty dropping way. He’s charming, and even though he’s a rich and famous artist, he’s very humble. Sara, as well as myself, fell head over heels in lust for this man. He seems to be very protective of Sara when it comes to Mark. Chris certainly has a way of marking his territory when it comes to her. Chris and Sara ultimately begin a torrid sexual relationship. Their chemistry was off the charts. Holy hell, it’s HOT. However, is their relationship purely sexual or is there something else brewing between them? Can Sara trust him?

In regards to its similarities to Fifty Shades, I don’t really know what to say. Yes, Chris & Mark are Doms. Yes, the heroine has moments of clumsiness and she definitely doesn’t believe the effect she has on her male counterparts. Yes, the setting in San Francisco adds a little bit of an allure and mystery to the story. And a big YES: The sex scenes are unforgettable and blisteringly hot. But aside from that, that’s it. At least that’s all I could find. Or maybe I was just too busy enjoying the story itself to even care to look for similarities. I don’t know. I don’t care. I absolutely loved it.

This first story in the trilogy left you with a huge cliffhanger and multiple questions that have yet to be answered: What happened to Rebecca? Who is the mystery man mentioned in her journals? Where is Ella? (Something about her jetting off like that didn’t sit right with me). Who was the creep at the storage facility? Is Chris going to ultimately push Sara away because he isn’t relationship material? Gahhhh! There are so many freaking unanswered questions, I can go on and on about it. To say I want the next book now is an understatement.

Thank you Lisa Renee Jones and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book :)

 

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

 He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.

 

Grace's Review!

When fantasy collides with reality...

High school teacher, Sara McMillan, had no idea her life was about to change when her friend leaves her the contents of a storage unit won in an auction. Sara also can't help but become obsessed with the journals that were in the storage unit. The journals contain Rebecca Mason's deep, dark thoughts, and the more Sara reads them and gets to know Rebecca through her belongings, the more Sara feels a connection to Rebecca, especially through their shared love of art. Sara wonders what happened to her and vows to find Rebecca if only to return her things and make sure she's OK.

Attending an event at the art gallery Rebecca worked at unexpectedly leads to Sara being offered a job there...Rebecca's job! Sara is more than capable with her art background and knowledge, but on a personal level, she has been waiting for a career opportunity like this to get her foot into the world of art, even though it's only for the summer months. As Sara steps into Rebecca's “shoes” the mystery surrounding her is more alive. Sara is more determined to find her.

“...I'd forgotten there's a price for overindulgence. And there is a price. There is always a price.”

At the art gallery we meet its manager, Mark Compton. He is sexy, intimidating, and has a commanding presence. Could he be the man Rebecca writes about in her journals? We also meet Chris Merit, a famous artist whose work Sara knows all about. She finds it surprising that this handsome and charming artist is fascinated with her. Chris is moody and controlling and warns Sara of his dark side before they embark on something intense and intimate. Could Chris be the man in the journals? Sara is wondering what exactly she is becoming entangled in when she began this mission to find Rebecca.

“He's dangerous and I've never wanted to live on the edge more in my life.”

Oh my goodness! I honestly could not stop reading this! It's mysterious and thrilling all whirled into one delicious, seductive story! I loved how the setting is in and around San Francisco, a city rich and proud of its art, food, and people. Jones incorporates all that very well into this story. Sara is such a strong, capable heroine. She knows what she wants and goes for it! Right away, you'll find the mystery surrounding Rebecca to be dark and intriguing; however, this is mostly Sara and Chris' story with just enough of Rebecca's story right there lingering on the outer edges, enticing the reader. Just when a little more about her is revealed, and Sara goes digging for more information...BAM...book 1 ends, leaving you yearning for book 2!!! It's not even funny. The end left me shaking a little bit.

This is a fantastic start to the Inside Out trilogy! I recommend this for erotica fans who like a little splash of BDSM with mystery. There is only a glimpse into the BDSM world in book 1, but with how this one ended, I'm wondering now how dark the next stories are going to get. It left me feeling like something big is going to happen. I'm looking forward to finding out! Thank you to Lisa Renee Jones for letting me read an ebook ARC of this story for an honest review.