Title: The Affair: Take a Chance
Author: Beth Kery
Publisher/Year: Penguin Group 9/30/14
Length: 69
Series: The Affair #3
Overview
What was it about a man as damaged as Montand that made Emma say yes when she should have fled and never looked back? His intense sexual preferences intrigued her more than she’d been willing to admit. But now that she’s been privy to his secrets—including a long-ago family tragedy, and the true identity of a woman who lurks in the shadows of his mansion—Emma fears she’ll be just one more submissive conquest in Montand’s troubled life. And then abandoned like so many who came before.
She needs to be strong and protect her heart, but her desires won’t let her resist. So, if their affair is to continue it’ll be on her conditions: it will not continue indefinitely, only she can end it, and when it’s over, they’ll part and never speak again of the things they dared to do behind the locked doors of the Breakers.
My Thoughts
The Story Continues. Where we left off in book 2 was a sad place – seeing the expected passing of Cristina, yet that leaves things so unsettled with Emma and Montand, especially because she’s finally made the connection between Montand and ‘Vanni’ the man that she saw when she hid in the armoire. And if you recall, what she saw, she wasn’t necessarily in agreement to.
So what we have in this 3rd installment is Emma coming to terms with what she’s learned of him and deciding if it’s something that she can deal with and wants. all the while the rest of her life continues to change – getting reassigned new patients now that she doesn’t have this one, and dealing with her sister.
The bulk of this installment focuses on the dynamic between Vanni (which frustratingly is the only way that he’s referred to in this book 3) and Emma. We see that he’s trying to reel her back in and Emma’s on the fence about what she’s ok with. In her mind she’s against the idea of BDSM yet her body disagrees. So it’s really just the battle within herself that she’s dealing with.
As a sub-story, we get to learn more about what Cristina’s request for forgiveness meant – and why Montand is how he is. It’s nice to see that there’s a bit more detail around his past and it’ll be nice to see if Emma’s able to help him with that.
The other bit of the story is the slight continuation of things with Amanda – Emma’s sister. While she know that she doesn’t really care that Amanda is ‘with’ Colin now, she’s not sure if she’s able to trust her against so easily, but there’s maybe 3 pages devoted to that story line. I guess we’ll pick it up again at some point since i know our author will have to bring back that complexity at some point.
Given the nature of these short novellas, the only real scening and passion that we get is towards the end, just a snippet. I think that it would be more impactful in the final culmination of the book – if we have all 7-8 installments together – but at least we weren’t left wanting. What Montand introduces Emma to is definitely steamy and outside of her comfort zone and it’s those moments that really reel me in and make me want to continue the journey with them.
I can’t wait to see what happens next since Emma’s given Montand and ultimatum of sorts (an expiration date on their ‘relationship) and we know that’s really not going to fly….for either of them. Enjoy – and onto next week i suppose!