Vanilla

I'm a loyal Megan Hart fan and have read more than a dozen of her books. If you base your purchases on reviews, this is important to know. However, I will say that some of her books I like more than others. It's also important to note that her books rarely, if ever, end with a traditional HEA with hearts and flowers and rainbows. She's not that kind of romance author. What you do get is an intricate story where your main character is three dimensional. This book remained true to the style of her other work. The main character, Elise, is likeable and strong. We get to see her dysfunctional family dynamic and learn about her previous lovers. Unlike some romance stories, Hart is not afraid to weave in multiple relationships, so we meet Elise's lover, Esteban, and then later we are introduced to Niall. Adding to this, we get the back story about the man who broke her heart and how she continues to be affected by him, messaging him on her phone app on lonely nights. Weaving in the storylines about three men is no easy task, but Hart does it artfully. This is a story about Elise, after all, not about some guy. If you like your heroines to pine over an alpha male with a six pack because he is the only man for her, you might be looking for a different kind of book. I've heard her work described as smut for smart women. The sex is steamy and get a glimpse of Elise as a Domme, but with her own special flavor. This is not a book about hardcore D/s sex. It's about how one woman experiences love and sex and how the men in her life make her feel loved or unloved. No spoilers, but you will get a happier ending than most books by this author. I did enjoy that since she usually makes me bawl for an hour. This book is well worth the read if you like sexy, smart, and intricate stories. She does bring back a few characters from previous books, but this is a standalone story. I enjoy that about her work. It's like playing Where's Waldo, recognizing the characters who appear in her world.

Vanilla is a highly erotic novel and Megan Hart expertly weaves a very sweet romance into the storyline as well. There is also an amazing amount of depth and emotional healing for the main protagonist. It is another multi-layered, complex novel by one of my favorite authors that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend. Elise is sexually confident and she unapologetically embraces her sexuality. While she does not like inflicting pain or humiliation on her partners, she does like to dominate submissive men. She is beautiful and smart with a lucrative, successful career but she has not been in a serious relationship since a bad break up four years earlier. Although she has been in a long term relationship with a man she met through a BDSM dating site, their interactions are purely sexual and neither is emotionally invested. Elise is obsessing over the man who broke her heart and although he offers her no encouragement, she still continues to send him messages when she is feeling emotionally vulnerable. When she meets Niall, she is surprised by her attraction to someone who is clearly uncomfortable with her desires. Elise is a likable, no nonsense type of woman and she does let anyone push her around. This self assurance makes it all the more puzzling when she continues to pursue the man who crushed her heart. It is incredibly frustrating watching her pour her heart out to him time and again only to have him continue to reject her. While her current arrangement with her lover satisfies her sexual needs, she is beginning to miss a more intimate connection and when he inexplicably ends their relationship, Elise is stunned by the sense of loss she experiences. When Elise meets Niall at an art exhibit where she is one of the featured models, he knows upfront about her “kinks”. He is also honest that he does not understand her desires and while there is an instant connection between them, he backs off pretty quickly. When their paths unexpected cross at her nephew’s bar mitzvah, the two pick up their relationship where they left off. For the first time in her life, Elise is in a relationship with someone who takes a slow approach to dating and although they indulge in some very steamy make out sessions, they do not immediately jump into having sex. Elise is happy with Niall, but she struggles with letting him into her heart while he finds it difficult to relinquish control in the bedroom. Although a little slow-paced in the beginning, Vanilla is a very captivating read. Elise is a complex and intriguing character and while much of his back story is never revealed, Niall is a nice man who genuinely likes and appreciates her. The storyline is unpredictable and as always, Megan Hart puts her characters through an emotional but healing journey before they can find their happily ever after. All in all, Vanilla is another extremely satisfying novel that is the perfect combination of blazing hot sex and a surprisingly tender romance. I received a complimentary copy for review.

Hart at her best. Elise is a sassy strong heroine who just happens to be into bdsm. This is a very powerful story , more than a usual romance. Although I did find myself taken more by mysterious Estoban than the ordinary Niall. Plus it was great to read the return of Alex [ more of this hero please Megan and less of him being the sensible married]. I could read Megans books every day. They are alive.