Surrender Paperback – April 29, 2013

First of all I have been a really, really big fan of Melody Anne for a few years now. I have read every single book she's ever written, and I have loved them all. This one; not so much though. And believe me....it's not easy for me to admit that.While I always like my H/H's to be brave & strong willed, there has to be some kind of boundary line drawn somewhere along the line. To me; Rafe goes way beyond those boundries, and here's why....******SPOILER ALERT!!!!******Men like Rafe always seem to make my skin crawl. And here is the reason why...My own Daughter was mixed up in a controlling relationship, very simular to this one. She had gotten herself mixed up with a man who basically broke her, until she was a mere shell of the smart,vibrant, and outgoing woman she once was. It took 8 long years to get her out of that situation. But... even after 5 long years and lots of professional therapy sessions, my daughter is still not back to normal, at least mentally. She never suffered any physically abused, but she sure was mentally abused. She was only allowed to go where he took her, As a prized trophy kind of thing. But after they came back home, she was once again hidden away in a home with not contact outside those walls. She wasn't allowed to have any interaction with her family or friends, what-so-ever. He even went so far as to dress her, told her how to walk, how to talk, and how to act when she was out in public with him. If he even thought for one moment that she'd broken any of his stupid rules, things that were important to her were taken away from her, until she could prove her loyalty towards him once again.I realize that many readers like this kind of thing, but it makes me wonder how much they'd like it.... if someone had done something like this to one of their own loved ones in a real life situation.I know mentally that this is only a book of fiction, but it just hits too close to home for me. I forced myself to finish this book, only because I was hoping the author would find a way to fix this whole situation. Which she has done many times in the past. Then I found myself so disappointed that that didn't happen.I'm not a prude by any means, I love romantic/suspense type novels. Heck I read Kathleen brooks whole Bluegrass series and there was lots of macho men and violent situations in those books.Okay, to get back on track again...these are the type of things that really turned me off.... Just remember, these are only my opinions.......1- When you're paying someone big money for full filling only one job description... to be your mistress, I strongly believe that that's the same as thing as being hired as a high priced prostitute. I'm not totally sure, but I think that's illegal in most states.2- When you continually chase after someone day and night, that could be considered as being a stalker. Also illegal in most states.3- When you hold someone against their will,( such as the night he tied her to his bed or when he made sure the boat stayed out all night) that is called kidnapping. Also illegal in all states.4- When you threaten to take away everything a person has unless they sign your agreement, that is considered blackmail. Also illegal.5- He takes her home from the hospital and all but attacks her, when she hasn't even recovered from an almost fatal gun shot wound. WTH?? I have to ask you....what kind of selfish bastard would treat any woman like that?I'm sorry, but I despised everything about Rafe. I don't care that some woman hurt him in the past! My advice...try putting on your big boy pants & get over it already, Rafe. The thing that really got me the most, is that his little sister was the same age as Ari. I have to wonder if he would he like it, if some bastard came along & treated her the way he's treating Ari? I also wonder how he'd feel if the roles were reversed and it'd been his mother fighting for her life, and him down on his luck. Would he really appreciate someone treating him that way? I think not!!!And Ari? I started to lose all respect for this woman, after the, first time she gave in and slept with him. And then I lost all sympathy for her after she slept with him the second time. I get the fact that she was worried about what would happen to her mother if she couldn't find a way to pay the bills, I do. (By the way, there's this thing called Social Security/Disability Medical Benefits for people like her mother) But whatever; poor or not...there's something called having pride in yourself. Would her actions make her mother proud, if she knew the whole truth? I think that if her mother knew the all the facts, her mother would rather start her new life with nothing, rather than to have her daughter mixed up with someone like Rafe.I did like that she chose to walk away at the end. But.... I have no doubt in the next book, that she'll be right back at it with Rafe again.That's another thing.....I really, really hate books with endings,( or should I say lack of) like this. In fact; I have even crossed quite a few author's off my list for doing this kind of thing. To me; it's like they're trying to trick you into reading the next book to see what happens.I will read Melody Anne's other works, but as far as this series goes....I am done! I will NOT buy the next book in this series, especially when there's no real ending.. And as much as I've always loved Melody Anne, if she continues on this same path, I'll have to walk away for good. Sorry, but that's just how I feel and you have no idea how sad that makes me..The thing is; Melody Anne is too good of a writer to start pulling something like this. I have always loved all her other books in the past, and I really, really hope she returns to writing those kind of great books again. Books like the Tycoon Series, the Billionaire Series with the Anderson families (my favorite so far), or The Dark Angel Series. Those are the kind of books that made her a great author from the start, so why this drastic change? I know some author's like a change of pace now and then, but to go from books about sweet small town lovable people to this? Really?Would I recommend this book? I'm sorry to have to say this, but no! And that hurts me more than you'll ever know, because that's the first time I've ever had to say that about one of Melody Anne's books.

What can I say about "Surrender" while trying to express how this book made me feel? A LOTI absolutely LOVED and Adored the book, the story line, the characters and LOVED the cliffhanger......"Surrender" is easily one of those rare books that you remember not just the beginning and/or the end. Rather the entirety of the book sinks in and sticks with you because it's become 'part of you' all the way to the shocking and jaw dropping cliffhanger ending!! One that literally had me screaming out loud "NOOOOO".....A "NO WAY" AWESOME ending leaving me anxiously begging for more!! Left feeling all these emotions I was filled with throughout and frozen in place for awhile, coming down from the high of it all. It was refreshing, fun, fast paced, fulfilling, full, full of angst. It had stubborn interactions, steamy fiery moments, a hate that wasn't hate, but fear, loss, pain, laughter, sexy, and most importantly, Family & LOVE. ALL Wonderful and human components with other moments that were just awesome d*mn fun!!Arianna Harlow: A girl, a woman, a strong woman who is in the throws of battles in her life. Many have said in reviews she ("came across as "Weak", "She's supposed to be this strong woman, but she's so whiny", "It isn't plausible!!").......Let me tell you, it 'is' plausible!! How can I say that? Because I feel this story was practically written from my own experiences. Falling in Love so fast and it being very real does happen. It happens often. Maybe it hasn't happened to you who criticize, but that does not make it "implausible" and "unrealistic". Being strong yet broken down from far too much too fast for one person until you're clinging to the only Hope you have. She is SO misunderstood in this story, but she is very real in how she is portrayed by the author.Ari is a fun character who is on a roller coaster of life's happenings, both good and bad. She is a woman who struggles with this emotional tug-o-war between her Heart and her head. A woman who makes some bad decisions repeatedly (don't we all as human beings)? I know it well and if I didn't I wouldn't be able to say......a woman who hurts, cries, makes those bad decisions does 'not' make her "weak". In fact it makes her Human as it should be and we'll see whether she comes out stronger, wiser and Happy in the end for all of it.Rafe: Wow!!! My first fictional Love, lol, and the other half of the misunderstood characters. The man you Love with all your heart, the man you Loathe with a passion, The man who is so infuriating you want to punch the him.....hard, the man so Loving you simply Love him with ALL of your Heart. He's the man with the huge Heart that needs mending, Love, Trust and a good woman to show him that his past does not define his future and Hopefully in the end that woman will be Ari, we will see......When the cliffhanger ending trend began I wasn't so thrilled about that because the books I saw were often books with 30 pages and high prices for each sequel. Not the case here. This was Part one and it was full, meaty, and gave us a full book to enjoy with a part two to look forward to barely containing my 'need' to know what happens next!? LOVED it just as much as I Love a TV show season finale. The moment you scream at the TV because it was THAT good and we patiently wait for the next season. IT's fantastic.....If you're looking for fun, steamy, and a great story line this is a MUST read!! If you wish for plausible maybe non-fiction books are for you. I read to fly away to a new world, I enjoy a story as well written and unique and this book, and it did EXACTLY that for me!! It did it so incredibly well.I've read books that I've said made me feel as though I was in the story and that is a wonderful and very tough thing to make happen for me. It's very true for those books. The HUGE difference with this book is that it gave me something I have 'never' experienced before!! I read this and as I sat there reading I realized something new, different and good.......I didn't get pulled in......'it' came out of the pages and wrapped itself around 'me'. A read I will NEVER forget!!Bring on part two, three and four!!!! EXCELLENT read!!!

This book is awful. I bought it for £0.99 and, frankly, even that was too much. I'm all for a good seduction, a hate-to-love romance, a rich man falling in love with the poor woman, a dom/sub sexual theme, but to be honest all of this was non-existent. It actually came across as near enough rape. The main character repeated said no and yet Rafe continued his advances. The final straw was when he walked in on her asleep in the bath and decided that he would teach, not only her how good it would be between them, but also how to follow his orders. Might I add that she had been drugged and nearly violated two nights before. Now imagine you're her, you awake to find a man hovering over you, a man you're trying to get to leave you alone, who's taken you from your home (fair enough to look after you) after recently being given a date rape drug and nearly raped. Would you then sit on his lap and kiss the ever loving hell out of him after he plucked you from a bath without your permission? Yeah, didn't think so.Clearly I haven't finished this book, but from what other have said, it's unfinished. The writing is mediocre at best and topics, such as date rape drugs, are not properly researched. The author rambles and repeats herself over and over. Of the little I actually bothered to read, the majority of that was merely skimmed over. If you can read three full sentences on each page and still managed to figure out the story, you know what's bad writing.I wouldn't recommend this to any reader. Don't waste your time and money. There's much better writing out there.

This is book one in the Surrender SeriesMeet Raffaello (Rafe) Palazzo. Rafe takes what he wants with no regrets. Then Rafe meets the lovely Arianna (Ari) Lynn Harlow. Ari has led a charmed life until tragedy struck her family hard. Rafe is looking for a no-emotions attached, no strings attached mistress. Ari’s looking for redemption. Possibly something more.Rafe and Ari are not a pair that should even work. They have undeniable attraction and the devastating tragedies bring them together, in the city by the bay. Rafe fights to keep their relationship nothing other an enjoyable way to meet his needs. Ari battles to not lose herself in Rafe. Rafe is trying to not spend time with Ari. Ari is starting to cracking the hard exterior that Rafe has built successfully around his heart. Rafe tries to deny the effect Ari has on him. Until it’s too late to stop the inevitable. The conclusion is that their relationship is headed for more.Rafe once believed in happily ever after. Rafe is from a large Italian family. Rafe’s got the Midas touch, since every endeavor he touches turns to gold. That all ended when his wife walked out and left him blindsided. Rafe's devastation quickly turns to steel. When Rafe has since decided that no woman will fool him again. From that point on he treats any relationship as nothing more than any other business transactions this is where both parties come out mutually benefited.Just when Ari could sink to the lowest that she’s ever been. Ari finds an ad in the paper announcing a job that’s probably too good to be true. It turns out Ari’s right. Ari makes it through the intense rounds of interviews just to find out the job is for a mistress to the masterful and powerful Rafe Palazzo, the handsome owner of Palazzo Enterprises. Rafe only gives Ari a day to make up her mind to see if Ari wants the position or not. After that Ari’s sent on her way. Only to find out her mother’s near-terminal position's taken a turn for the worse. Ari mom’s only in the hospital because Ari messed up big time. Ari's mother’s the one who paid the consequences. Can Rafe be Ari's savior? Or will Rafe take Ari with him straight to the deathly depths of hell?Melody Anne is an amazing author. I really need more than 5*s.

This book is clearly jumping on the FSOG bandwagon which is a shame as the author seems to be relatively strong, even though there is a lot of repetition throughout and it feels as though she could have written a good story without having to write such an unlikeable character as Rafe. However, when the author allows you glimpses of Rafe with his guard down, he's utterly likeable and vulnerable. Shame she doesn't show that side of him to Ari, as it would make the way she reacts to him more realistic.Parts of the book feel unrealistic: How hooked Rafe gets on Ari and ok, he might be a billionaire, but the control he has over everyone and thing in town is a bit over the top.I didn't like the idea of having to buy another 2 books to continue the story so will leave it at this one. I wouldn't be recommending it to friends/family as I wasn't quite comfortable with the very graphic sex scenes.

A serialised mills and boon. The book has no real depth to be anything other than a very light erotic romance and is definitely not good enough to be serialised with a sudden the end. I struggled to read through the portion of a book as its not really a book because it doesn't really have a end. The man male character is really unlikeable and does not evolve or improve but in fact gets worse throughout the book and acts in a way that's is bullish, abusive and probably unlawful.The actual unfinished story could have been finished in 20 pages as the author is so repetitive. The sort of half books really ignore because a truly good author does no need these gimmicks, look at Charlaine Harris. It dies not make a series when you write. A book and then cut it into 3.If I could give this zero stars I would, it's quite repetitive, long- winded and has. No ending,

Honest review - The book is a slow. I've read her other books which I like but this book didn't feel modern and had a strange style of writing. It felt like it was written 50 years ago with the words she used to describe things - especially with the intimate scenes.I wasn't fond of the male lead at all - he was too controlling and intimidating to the point of disgust...sometimes No just means No!The female lead was just too confusing and slightly immature for her age.Both characters are hard to relate to or like.I won't be buying part two or three as it just wasn't exciting.Knocked an extra star off my rating because the book finished at 85% which is absolutely ridiculous, authors need to show their readers more respect!