Title: Button’s & Pain
Author: Penelope Sky
Publisher/Year: Createspace Publishing 5/16/17
Length: 192 pages
Series: Buttons #3
Overview
When I saw my escape, I took it. Now I’m in New York City and trying to get my life back on track. Despite the tracker in my ankle, Crow hasn’t come for me. He hasn’t even called me. I told him the depth of my feelings but he cruelly rejected them.
Maybe he’s forgotten about me.
One day, I walk into my apartment and spot the pile of buttons on the counter. I never left them there, and there’s only one explanation for their presence.
Maybe Crow hasn’t forgotten me after all.
My Thoughts
This story has continued to take so many different twists and turns that it’s really anyone’s guess on how it will end. We left off with Pearl being kidnapped from Crow’s house, a feat that seemed impossible, and the assumption was that it was bones. Well, it wasn’t, it was a bounty hunter who thankfully looked enough like Pearl for her to steal her ID and fly back to America. As Pearl makes her mad dash to the flight, she thinks about how to get in touch with Crow, but doesn’t have a chance since time isn’t on her side. She needs to get away, get back to a life that really was nothing much anyway, and figure out how survive now that her heart is broken, she’s alone and she has nothing
Upon her return to New York, we see the feisty strong vengeful version of Pearl come out – she quickly learns that she has no friends to turn to, so she bangs down the door at her old apartment and shocks the heck out of Jacob. Who’s moved on and that girl is currently at the apartment. Pearl holds NOTHING back, takes over the apartment for the night, demands that Jacob pay her the $100k that he sold her for and blows up his spot with the girl in revealing that she was trafficked. She also holds the notion over his head that she can/will turn him in at any point in time.
Being able to do this gives Pearl a sense of normalcy, and her life takes a quick right turn. When she goes to the police to remove herself from the missing persons list, she learns that it was her ex Jason who set the search across the pond in Italy. That’s a surprise and a truly welcome thing to know that someone cares about her enough to set up a search. They start to rekindle their friendship and relationship, but something is always missing. Pearl compares him to Crow and that’s not a surprise at all. The challenge too though is that Jason sees her as damaged and can’t give Pearl what she wants and that causes a spiral. It’s perfect timing for Crow to pull his head out of his rear and make a move – all thanks to Cane and Lars.
The Theme for the majority of the story from here on out is trust, regaining trust, compromise and being honest with yourself. Pearl already put her heart out there and her intentions out there and got denied by Crow. Crow on the other hand isn’t honest enough with himself to admit that the real reason that he won’t admit his feelings is because he’s scared that he can’t save the world and save himself.
He wants what he wants, takes what he wants, Pearl is at a loss to be able to control herself around him due to her feelings and it’s a circular monstrosity. What Pearl has done throughout all this is focused on her situation with Crow that she’s lulled herself into a false sense of security not putting much thought into Bones, and thinking that if she’s been ok thus far, that he’s not on her trail. Boy is she wrong
It’s like groundhogs day all over again and Crow can’t even stop what’s happening this time. He won’t admit to loving Pearl, but he won’t let her go and can’t live without her. We see the depth of his character really develop here and propel the story forward. What’s really nice here too is that Penelope Sky, our amazing author sets up the dynamic and support around Cane even more so in this book, making him human and making him a man that you want to like all to set him up for book 4 i’d imagine.
We continue on this roller coaster with Bones getting his hands on Pearl once again and the future is entirely uncertain. We know that he won’t just keep her but he’ll torture her and torture Crow at the same time. He’s out for so much more than blood and it’s unknown if the Barsetti brothers are strong enough to survive or get past.
Romance and passion aren’t enough. Chemistry and emotion aren’t enough. The intense heat that we see when Crow and Pearl come together, it’s sexy and naughty and incredibly engaging, but again, is it enough? there’s no way to know unless you read. Enjoy!