Surrender by Violetta Rand Series: Devil’s Den #1
Published by Loveswept
Publication Date: January 27th, 2015
Genres: New Adult Romance
Pages: 239
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
Fans of Abbi Glines will adore Violetta Rand’s novels about strong-willed women who must fight to survive—and the men who love them. Welcome to the Devil’s Den, a Texas strip club where the air is heavy with desire . . . and sometimes dreams come true.
Ever since her mother kicked her out, twenty-year-old Robyn Gonzalez has been working the poles at the Devil’s Den, saving up to finish college and travel the world. With only her wits and her gorgeous body to rely on, Robyn has learned to be independent—fiercely independent. She’s never been tempted to let a man distract her from her dreams . . . until she meets the dead-sexy Garrick Dempsey.
The club’s new head of security, Garrick had walked away from a career as a mechanical engineer to return to his roots in Corpus Christi. He hadn’t planned on getting to know someone like Robyn, with her sinfully sweet combination of vulnerability and strength, at the Devil’s Den. She acts tough, but only because she’s been hurt. Soon Garrick knows he will do anything to win Robyn’s trust. And if that means surrendering to the red-hot chemistry between them, all the better.
Robyn was fifteen when she was kicked out of the family home and she struggled to survive on the streets, barely getting by. Necessity leads her to beginning stripping to make a living and pay for college. One night Robyn stumbles upon a crime in progress and is rescued by Garrick. The next time she sees Garrick is at the strip club she works at and he is introduced as the new head of security. Garrick is a graduate of MIT and takes on the security job after quitting his lucrative job as an engineer on an oil rig. The attraction between Robyn and Garrick was immediate and when he shows up at The Den, they begin a relationship that faces a lot of resistance from ‘well-meaning’ family and friends.
I had mixed feelings when I completed this book. On one hand, the story-line and the characters were interesting. Robyn is a strong and independent young woman but underneath that is the teenager who is still craving love and acceptance from her parents and a woman who is afraid to open up to love due to the damaging effects of her parent’s rejection of her. Garrick is a dominant, take-charge kind of guy, protective of those dear to his heart, but very overbearing. The story was filled with angst (typical with NA) and obstacles in their quest for their happy ending.
On the other hand, there were some things in the story that were not in harmony with the age and mindset of the characters. Some of the dialogue was more suited to an adult romance than a NA romance.
Overall, I think that SURRENDER is a good start to the Devil’s Den series.
About Violetta Rand
Raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Violetta Rand spent her childhood reading, writing, and playing soccer. After meeting her husband in New England, they moved to Alaska where she studied environmental science. Violetta then spent nearly a decade working as an environmental scientist, specializing in soil and water contamination and environmental assessments. Violetta still lives in Anchorage, Alaska and spends her days writing evocative contemporary and historical romance. When she’s not reading, writing, or editing, she enjoys time with her husband, pets, and friends.
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