Sexy Beast by Jackie Ashenden is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2020. Commanding billionaire Everett Calhoun reveals his sexy dark side to his girl-next-door best friend in the second installment of the Billion $ Bastards trilogy. I was born bad. Maintaining tight control—in business and in the bedroom—is the only way to keep my darkness in check. So when my girl-next-door best friend, Freya, comes to me for a sexual favor, I don’t see the harm in giving her what she needs. After all, I’ve always kept her firmly in the friend zone. But after showing her that there’s nothing wrong with her ability to orgasm, it’s all I can do to walk away. Unleashing my inner beast on the person who matters most to me is not an option. She wants me but is she prepared to follow my every command, to submit to my will and let me take her to the ultimate heights of pleasure? Getting Freya on her knees should make me feel like the monster I am, but being with her leaves me more vulnerable, more human, than ever. I need to reclaim the friendship we had before I lose control completely, or will she have me on my knees?
Sexy Beast is part of the Harlequin Dare line, which means it is heavy on the heat, if the description of the book does not give that away. This is also the second book in a trilogy, but can stand well on its own. I have not read the previous book but know from context the other two books in the series must center on Everett's business partners. There is some Dom/Sub play and a lot of bearing of souls as well as bodies. Everett and Freya are best friends, and have been since they were children. Each have some childhoods trauma and significant lingering issues because of it. I love that they work hard to help each other while also forcing each other to face the truth. Seeing them each come to terms with their feelings and the implications was painful, but in the best way. Confidence and control issues are some of the most common, and seeing them handled with such care, with the underlying levels of trust and honest caring was wonderful. While the heat level was high, it in no way overpowered the emotional character arc, the trust and friendship they shared was the key to the entire story. Sometimes the biggest obstacles to a happy ever after lie in the minds and pride of the people involved, and that was certainly the case here. I found the fears, frustrations, and care for each other to be very realistic and engaging to read and think that fans of contemporary romance with high heat levels will agree.
Sexy Beast is a romance that is emotionally charged and full of heat.
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