Review – Down on Her Knees by Christine Bell

Publisher: Entangled
Publish Date: February 25th
How I got this book: NetGalley

Detective Rafe Davenport has always made Courtney DeLollis uneasy. While her instincts whisper, Touch him, her mind says, Run. But since she learned that he’s dominant in the bedroom, she hasn’t been able to forget about it. She should be appalled—she knows all too well what happens when a man has too much control—but a deeper, darker part of her is fascinated…

And so is Rafe. The sexual tension between them is thick enough to touch, and damn, does he want to touch. So he suggests something that will benefit them both. Four scenes—because anything more is a relationship, and Rafe won’t go there ever again. Each scenario is designed to tease and torment. To show Courtney that with every submission comes the reward of scintillating pleasure. But once he has Courtney down on her knees, Rafe realizes that she might be the one woman capable of bringing him to his…
*Blurb from Goodreads*

While I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I’ve enjoyed Bell’s books in the past. A sexy Dom cop and an insecure heroine seemed like the recipe for success, IMO.

Something about Rafe has always made Courtney a little leary. Maybe it was his potent sexuality. or maybe it was the thought of him dominating her in bed, either way, Courtney knows she needs to steer clear of that one. But Rafe hasn’t been letting her run away, and he ends up giving her a proposition he can’t refuse: four scenes with him calling the shots.

Rafe doesn’t do more than four scenes with any woman, because then they get too connected. He knows that everlasting love isn’t in the cards for him, so committing isn’t on the table. But what Courtney needs isn’t a commitment, she needs someone to help her explore her sexualiaty, and Rafe wants to do it. Too bad Rafe can’t seem to give up on the idea of Courtney, even after their four sessions are done.

There were a few times while I was reading this book that I felt a little confused. Usually I am a stickler about reading series books in order, but I made an exception here. While I’m sure I missed some nuances and jokes, I didn’t feel like I was totally lost around this cast of characters. That being said, I think I’m going to go on a buying spree to read the previous books! 🙂

I really liked Courtney. She had been through a really rough time, and was trying so hard to work on finding herself again. Having come from an emotionally abusive relationship, she wasn’t looking to find someone who would be super controlling, or want a commitment from her right away. The deal she made with Rafe seemed more than perfect, especially since it gave her a chance to explore the side of her sexuality that she was intrigued by, but scared to give into. I loved the way she really tried to protect herself from falling back into old relationship habits, but that she was still willing to take the chance on love. That she was strong enough to realize she had grown into a strong woman capable of making good decisions about her love life.

My poor heart broke for Rafe. Given his past, he had more than enough reasons to worry about falling in love again, but I was a little worried he was protecting his heart a little too much. It was especially evident after he realized just how important Courtney was to him, that he continued to push her away. I hoped that he would have wised up a bit sooner, but he was a stubborn ass right up to the end.

Their relationship was SUPER sexy, and I thought Bell did an amazing job with balancing the sex scenes between smutty and sweet. I liked that Rafe pushed Courtney to her boundaries, but also that he took the time to make love to her without the bells and whistles. For me, it made their relationship seem more realistic, more true to them as individuals and a couple. Let me warn you now though: the epilogue might require a glass of ice cold water and a cigarette. *wink*

All in all, I really liked the third book in the Dare Me series. It easily came across as a stand alone novel, and had a wonderful storyline. I enjoyed the hero and heroine as well as the secondary characters. The romance was both tender and rough, and I thought Bell did a wonderful job bringing together two unlikely souls.
I give Down on Her Knees a B

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