Sandy M’s review of Dominated (Enforcers, Book 2) by Maya Banks
Erotic Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 03 May 16
In this second book in Maya Banks’ Enforcers series, I expected a bit more growth in the main characters. We pick up where the first book left off, with Drake humiliating Evangeline in front of business associates, even though there was nothing else he could do to keep her safe because of the danger in his world. She doesn’t know this, however, and she runs before Drake can explain and ask for forgiveness. You’d think there would be a change in the relationship, a change in their own attitudes about each other and the relationship. Unfortunately, we don’t even get close to anything similar to this.
What we get is the same naive and spineless Evangeline. When Drake finally finds her working in a rundown motel, it seems he’s groveling and it seems Evangeline doesn’t want to be hurt anymore, but he drags her back to his apartment with the promise if she’ll only hear him out, he’ll let her go if that’s what she still wants. Of course, that’s not what she wants, and she forgives him lickety-split. Drake has made his promises, Evangeline has made her peace, and this is where their relationship should have gone in a totally different direction to grow. But that doesn’t happen. After all of his explanations, Evangeline still can’t understand why she’s in danger just being with him. Even though after all this time we still don’t know what it is Drake does and why it’s dangerous, I couldn’t believe we were still on this level after everything that had just happened.
On top of that, Drake shows us later that he hasn’t changed at all either. He supposedly loves this woman, but at the first opportunity he believes she’s betrayed him. To the point he tosses her out. After she goes to her knees to assure him she’s innocent. He won’t even listen to his men who have been on the please-Evangeline-at-every-turn train from the beginning. It takes Drake longer this time to come to his senses, and then when he does, we start all over again with promises and forgiveness. The only growth that eventually shows up in Drake is his finally believing in the love he has for and also receives from Evangeline. For me, that’s too little too late.
I also have an issue with the dialogue so far in the series. It’s just not realistic. I thought to myself a number of times the conversations remind me of cartoons. Especially when it comes to our supposed dominant, Drake. Which leads to the fact there’s hardly any dominance at all here. Drake may order and control his men, but when it comes to the bedroom, his BDSM leaves a lot to be desired. When he invites the same man from Mastered back to participate in another threesome, Drake is more concerned with the man keeping away from Evangeline’s mouth than the fact he screws her with no condom. Really?
The best part of this series is Drake’s men. Aside from the sometimes non-manly dialogue, they are interesting characters and I am ready to give them a chance in the next couple of books to see how things go. I’m willing to go out on a limb, however, and say if some things don’t change over the course of those next books, I may not continue with the series at all.
Grade: C-
Summary:
To save her, he had to betray her…
In Drake’s shadowy world, his enemies would exploit any weakness he had in order to bring him to his knees, and so he’s never allowed himself to care about anyone…never exhibited any vulnerability, and it made him a force to be reckoned with. Until Evangeline—his angel. A woman who slipped past his defenses like no one had ever managed. She was his to protect and ultimately, to do that, he had to do the unthinkable and drive the only good thing in his world away.
But he will stop at nothing to get her back…
Devastated and destroyed, Evangeline doesn’t know what made Drake turn on her in such a shocking manner. She only knows she’ll never be the same. He once freed her from all her inhibitions, only now she is a prisoner to never-ending pain. But when Drake finds her again, she realizes there is more to his world than she ever imagined, and she must decide if she can once more trust—and submit—to the man who holds her wounded heart in his hands. And he must convince her of just how far he’ll go to regain her love and forgiveness.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
