My taste in romance novels ranges from the lightest, sappiest stuff to the dark, dangerous, holy-crap-is-that-a-whip stuff. Brianna Hale writes stories that make you question everything you ever knew about what you thought you liked, or found sexually acceptable, in such a delicious way. The books she writes are sexy, sultry, and stomach-clenchingly taboo. Let me introduce you to The Protégé.
When I read the description for The Protégé by Brianna Hale I had a few tiny doubts running through my system. Daddy/little themes are one thing, but I wasn’t sure how well I was going to be able to digest a story about a guardian falling for their ward. It felt dirty and not necessarily in a good way, but as usual, Brianna Hale does a wonderful job of striking a firm balance between this-is-too-weird and wow-I’m-actually-finding-this-hot. It’s the feeling of wrongness that makes the pleasure all that much more electric.
Laszlo Valmary is a serious man who commands attention in all aspects of his life. He makes you want to be good for him. But I loved that there was the softer side of him; the side that loved Isabeau with absolutely everything he had. It was these two sides that really make you okay with the guardian/ward situation because you can feel his struggle with these emotions for Isabeau leap off the page and you understand them.
Isabeau appears to be a weak woman at first glance, but as the story progresses you begin to remember that in every Dom/sub relationship there’s a strong woman waiting to be cared for. Isabeau’s an amazing musician but she needs someone to guide her and protect her and recognizes that fact. What is strength if not the ability to realize your weaknesses?
Compared to some of Brianna Hale’s other books The Protégé was actually rather tame in the sex area (although there was some very heady spanking scenes that’ll have you panting). Okay, tame is the wrong word. They’re hot as hell. But there’s more of focus on the buildup to the explosion than the explosion itself as Laszlo and Isabeau learn to trust one their feelings and one another. Their passion is the sort that makes you sit up while you’re reading and make your stomach clench as you long for that sort of connection with another human being.
The Protégé is just another amazing book in Brianna Hale’s repertoire of amazing books that dangle just on the brink of wrong. They’re not for the light of heart and they’re certainly not for those who want a happy-go-lucky, easy-going read for their vacation. This is a book you read holed up in your room at midnight long after everyone else has gone to bed. This is a book you need to be alone with.
Hop along and purchase this amazing read by clicking here and be sure to check out my Author Spotlight to get all your burning questions about Brianna Hale answered!