Blackmail by Amelia Wilde

 

Amelia Wilde is a new author to me. I think I came across BLACKMAIL when it was cheap or free in the Kindle store. I remember reading the sample (which I ALWAYS do, now) and thinking, "Oh my God, this sounds hot." Also, it was nice to actually see some emotional depth and a quasi-realistic office environment from the get-go. So many office romances feel like they were written by someone who saw one episode of The Apprentice and thinks all CEOs go around telling people they're fired in rooms that look like mausoleums designed by Liberace.

ANYWAY, this book was great. I loved the hero and the heroine. Bristol is the daughter of a con artist and working at a temp agency to support her younger siblings, but when her dad screws over the wrong guy and needs 50k fast, she decides to embezzle it from her boss: Will. Will is a corporate hardass who is cold and a little cruel, the sort of guy who sends people running the other way when they encounter him in the hallway. But he appreciates Bristol's attention to detail and likes her cheap TJ Maxx suits a little too much... until the theft.

Then he decides to make her pay. With her body.

Dun dun dun.

This was almost a perfect five star read for me. The pacing was great and it did a good job balancing emotional development with the relationship. Will has a pretty tragic backstory and so does Bristol, and I liked how both of their pasts provided opportunities to connect and provide for each other in ways that went beyond the bedroom. That said, I felt like the author kind of foreshadowed Will to be way kinkier than he actually was. If you keep hinting that a guy is a sadist and then just have him do a bit of light biting and humiliation, well, ma'am, you have not served up what was promised on the menu. Also, I do not like the name "corporate whore." I was going to let it slide but it kept happening. Apparently the author liked calling the heroine that as much as Will did. I, however, did not find it hot. At all.

For those who plan on reading the series, it does end on a cliffhanger and there is no HEA/HFN in this book. That said, I found it a pleasant surprise and I think this author is going to be a new favorite of mine. I can't wait to read Emerson's book. It's so rare to find an author who can write a tortured hero so well.

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars