Need (#2) Shrri Hayes

As Brianna comes to terms with the realization that she is no longer a slave, she must figure out what she wants for her life. Forgetting her past isn’t an option. It is an integral part of who she is now, and it will forever shape her view of life. The one thing she knows is that she cannot imagine her life without the man who saved her, but can she be what he needs?

Stephan never imagined falling in love with the woman he rescued, but the thought of her no longer being part of his life is physically painful. The scars from her past continue to haunt her, and he is helpless to stop them. All he can do is try to help her work through the traumas of her past. Can he be everytAhing she needs and help her move on?

The two must figure out how to navigate not only their relationship with each other, but also the outside world. A friend from Brianna’s past shows up where she least expects them, and Uncle Richard continues to enforce his well-meaning agenda to get Brianna more traditional help. As forces, both friend and foe, threaten to tear them apart, Stephan and Brianna have to navigate the turbulent waters and find what they need in each other.

 

Holly's Review:

  This is book two in the 'Finding Anna' series and I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first one.

In this installment we find Anna coming to terms with the fact that she is no longer a slave and that she is indeed a free woman. This is a very difficult journey for her but Stephen is right by her side every step of the way. Stephen finds himself having fallen in love with the beautiful Anna.

This book is all about these two learning to live, love and grow together. As I said before this is a long slow process but they are doing it. Stephen is very patient and is keeping his sexual attraction in check, for the most part, because even though they have come so far he knows that Anna is not ready for sex of any kind. Anna, wanting to please Stephen and feeling sexual attraction of her own, even though she has no idea what these feelings are, persuades Stephen that she is ready to explore this with him. They take it very slow and run into some setbacks along the way, but for the most part it is a beautiful journey of learning to live again.

As I said in my review of book one, the end drops off abruptly and picks right up in book two and this book is no different. You are reading along the amazing life of these to courageous and beautiful people and the story just ends! Ugghh! I assume there is going to be a book three, but I don't know when. I am anxiously awaiting delving more into the life to Stephen and Anna!

 

Slave By Sherri Hayes (Finding Anna Book 1)

Stephan has lived the lifestyle of a Dominant for five years. After several rebellious teenage years, it gave him the stability and control he had been seeking after his parent’s death.

As president of a not-for-profit foundation, he knows what his future holds and what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend and Mentor, Darren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he’d be in, Stephan can’t walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how.

Brianna knows only one thing, she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing.

Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a Slave?

Holly's Review:

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, but what I got was a beautifully told, heartbreaking beginning to a story about tremendous heartache, pain and finally hope and love! This is indeed a story about a woman who was a slave to a very abusive master and was rescued by a decent man who helps her on her journey to become whole again.

Stephen has been a Dom for quite some time but has yet to find the submissive that he wants for keeps. While having lunch with Darren, his friend and mentor, he tells him about this girl who he believes is being held against her will as a slave and is not a willing submissive to Ian, who we discover is a super abusive A-hole! Stephen sets a meeting with Ian to see this slave and ultimately purchase her, which does not sit well with Stephen, purchasing a human being, one of our first signs that Stephen is a really good guy.

When all is said and done, Stephen agrees that Brianna is being held against her will and plays the part of interested buyer and purchases his 'slave' - Brianna has no reason to think that Stephan is any different that the bastard Ian so things progress very slowly. Ian has spent 10 months completely breaking Brianna so Stephen has a long road ahead of him in putting her back together, if that is even possible. They begin slowly as Stephen knows that Brianna needs structure but he encourages her to make he own choices at small things and tries to give her small freedoms. She is in no way ready to function on her own,it is very heartbreaking to read.

The hardest part of reading this story was the knowledge that one person can destroy another human being so thoroughly, I may have forgot to mention that Brianna is only 18 and was sold to Ian at 17 - it's horrific when you think about it. The story was not overly graphic so that helped in making it easier to read the horrors that Anna went though. As the story progresses and Brianna trusts Stephen more and more, Stephen begins to fall in love with her but is completely aware that she may never fully heal and be what he needs.

This story drops off abruptly and book two picks it right back up. I highly recommend if you read this one that you also read book two, and as I am going to review that one also, I will tell you, though I have no idea when, there is hopefully a book three!