Review & Excerpt: Love, Passion, and Power: Part 1 by Whitley Cox

March 22, 2017




Love, Passion and Power: Part 1 The Dark and Damaged Hearts Series: Book 1 Author: Whitley Cox 
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance 


 Blurb:

 He was her new beginning; she was his undoing... When personal trainer Kendra Black saw millionaire Justin Williams walk through her door all she saw was money and a practiced swagger. A man who's used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But Kendra is startled to realize that there is more to Justin than meets the eye, he’s kind and funny and brilliant, and she wants him, desperately. Unable to resist Kendra or her fiery spirit and zest for life, right from the start, Justin pursues her, only her troubled childhood holds her back. She’s been running from love for so long, she doesn’t know how to stop and let it catch up.

 Elated when Kendra finally gives into their attraction, Justin jumps in with both feet, only his hectic and demanding life continues to interfere, and Kendra’s past comes creeping back and the two are tested. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionate and physical adventure, Justin discovers Kendra’s secrets and fears while exploring and uncovering his own wild and dark desires.





Justin Williams hires Kendra Black to be his personal trainer after suffering a heart attack due to his unhealthy workaholic lifestyle. When Justin walks in for his first appointment, Kendra tries her best to look nonchalant, because when she sees his flashy car, expensive clothes, perfect hair, and flirtatious smile, she immediately pegs him as a pompous ass. Her job is to whip him into shape not stroke his ego and that is what she intends to do. Despite her best efforts, Kendra can’t help appreciate how gorgeous Justin is, and it’s clear that he is attracted to her, too. As she gets to know him better, she realizes that she may have misjudged him.

One night, Kendra runs into Justin while out with friends. Her best friend and roomate, Lexi, knows Kendra wants Justin, so she decides to give her a little push by asking him to join the two of them for a threesome back at their apartment. Justin enthusiastically agrees to Lexi’s proposition. Now, this may seem a little unorthodox to you, but Lexi and Kendra share sexual partners all the time. A trauma from Kendra’s childhood has affected her ability to have sex with men alone. The vaginas have to outnumber the penises, or she doesn’t feel comfortable. Besides that, Kendra is bisexual and enjoys having sex with both men and women. She doesn’t ever plan on giving up this type of sexual activity even if she is in a committed relationship. The threesomes she partakes in are only ever flings, but by the time this one is over, she know her feelings for Justin are deeper than that.

Scared of her reaction, Kendra freaks out and pushes Justin away, but he is persistent. Is it even possible for her to have any type of real relationship with Justin if she can’t be intimate with him without someone else in the room? Will he even want her if he finds out the truth?

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I didn't think I was going to like this at first, because it is not the type of book I normally read. I love menage romance, but f/f/m is really not my thing. Additionally, I prefer the people participating in the menage to all be equally into one another or in a committed relationship. That was not the case here, but I decided to keep on reading anyway. My persistence paid off, because there was so much more to the story than just the sexual relationships. Kendra has not had the easiest life, and there is a whole subplot that revolves around her family. That was the part of the story that affected me the most. Get your tissues handy for this one, folks.

Before I conclude this review, I want to talk a little bit more about the characters. Kendra is a beautiful, athletic, open minded, strong female character. Though she has had to deal with a lot in her life, she never felt like a victim to me. Kendra tries her best to work through her issues, and Justin is so amazing when it comes to helping her with that. He is a sexy, sweet, patient, and career oriented man that tries to do anything he can to make her happy. His biggest flaw is the fact that he spends more time working than doing anything else which is what ultimately landed him in the hospital. On the other hand, his hard work has also allowed him to achieve and afford a very comfortable lifestyle, and he has no plans of changing that by the end of the book. I think their biggest problem going forward is going to be him finding a balance when it comes to his career and his personal life before Kendra leaves him, because she is tired of feeling like the second most important thing is his life. I am rooting for them, and if you decide to give this one a try, I think you will be, too.

Bottom line, I enjoyed this story, and I won’t hesitate to pick up another book by this author. Love, Passion, and Power, Part 1 by Whitley Cox is steamy, emotional, and well written. The author’s writing style made me want to keep reading despite the f/f/m situations. I was engaged the entire time, and the story flowed perfectly from one scene to the next.

If you like romance with f/f/m scenes, aren’t turned off by unconventional relationships, or are just an open minded individual, I recommend this one to you! If you are like me and this is a little out of your comfort zone, but none of the things I mentioned are total deal breakers, I still recommend giving this one a try. I am glad that I did, and I’m even continuing on with the next book. I’m hoping for an HEA for Justin and Kendra. Fingers crossed!!

 Excerpt

 I stood up from the couch and he followed suit, our bodies were mere inches apart, chests heaving. Was he as winded by all of this as me? My throat felt like a cactus and my lips were dry, I swallowed hard, feeling the invisible lump bob up and down. His eyes were fixed on mine, intense, blazing blue hinting at the predator within, but somehow that made me want him even more. Subconsciously, I ran my tongue between my lips to moisten them, it wasn’t until I saw his eyes flare that I realized what I was doing. 

 He lunged forward and cupped my cheeks between his warm hands, capturing my mouth, crushing my lips with all-consuming dominance, while his tongue seductively wedged its way into my mouth and began making gentle and inviting licks, deepening the kiss. His lips melted into mine as if they were meant to be, light and playful nips and nibbles intensified my arousal. 

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He dipped me low and cupped the back of my neck, and it wasn’t until I felt his excitement press against my hip that I realized I didn’t feel any fear only a steadily increasing feeling of lust and wanton need.

 My eyes flew open and I stared at him, his own lids were closed, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration. It was adorable. He must have sensed a change in me because he opened his eyes and although our lips never parted he quirked up an eyebrow to ask me if everything was all right. Breathlessly I pulled away, straightening my dress and mindlessly adjusting my hair. 

 “What… what’s wrong?” His cheeks rosy and eyes bright.

 “I… I’m not afraid.” Still surprised by my own body’s reaction. 

 He scrunched up his nose and forehead in confusion. “Why should you be? I’d never hurt you.” 

 “I know. I know that,” I said, hoping to god that he meant it.

Teasers 






Author Bio

 A West Coast baby born and raised, and married to her high school sweetheart, with a spirited toddler and a fluffy dog, Whitley spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn't end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes and it's not quite wine o'clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes. 

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role playing, these books have everything we need to satisfy the curious kink in all of us. 

 Whitley had lots of releases coming out this year, so be sure to follow her on FB, Instagram, Twitter and visit her website to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases, freebies and .99cent deals.

 Don’t forget to Subscribe to her Newsletter too! 

Find Whitley Here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoxWhitley/
Website: http://whitleycox.com
Blog: whitleycox.blogspot.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhitleyCoxBooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coxwhitley/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ckh5yT


Buy Links 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Passion-Power-Damaged-Hearts-ebook/dp/B01M2CA91K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478396569&sr=8-1&keywords=Whitley+Cox

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-passion-and-power-whitley-cox/1125066101?ean=2940153557816

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/love-passion-and-power-part-1

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/4N1jjz


itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1171622677

Post a Comment