Publisher: Self
Publish Date: Out now
How we got this book: ARC from author
A woman with no future…
Live fast, die young–anything else is a fantasy for Six. She’s endured the worst the sectors had to throw at her, but falling in with Dallas O’Kane’s Sector Four gang lands her in a whole new world of danger. They’re completely open about everything, including their sexuality–but she hasn’t survived this long by making herself vulnerable. Especially not to men as dominant as Brendan Donnelly.
A man without a past…
Bren is a killer, trained in Eden and thrown to the sectors. His one outlet is pain, in the cage and in the bedroom, and emotion is a luxury he can’t afford–until he meets Six. Protecting her soothes him, but it isn’t enough. Her hunger for touch sparks a journey of erotic discovery where anything goes–voyeurism, flogging, rough sex. He has only one rule: he won’t share her.
In Bren’s arms, Six is finally free to let go. But his obsession with the man who made him a monster could destroy the fragile connection they’ve forged, and cost him the one thing that makes him feel human–her love.
This blurb came from the authors’ website.
1. Thoughts on the Hero
MinnChica: Oh Bren… you are so sexy and stern and sexy. I love that he is the only one Six has been able to trust from the get-go. Because of that inherent trust she has in him, and only him, and the way he values and cares for that trust, makes Bren more sexy than the vast majority of heroes. I love a strong, silent hero who cares one hundred and ten percent for his heroine, and Bren does that for Six, day in and day out. He takes her feelings and fears into consideration before every decision he makes, and he never pushers her to do or give more. Plus, he’s super dirty like the rest of the O’Kanes, so what’s not to love?!
E: My poor tortured lonely Bren! I started falling for him when Six’s struggles to fight and get away didn’t phase him at all. He just made sure she couldn’t escape. Then when he gave her the opportunity to kill or hurt her primary tormentor I couldn’t wait to see what happened between them next. I absolutely loved how he was patient, truthful, and managed to let her make all the moves despite his intense attraction. He was so sexual that at times his slightest phrase or movement was weighted in layers but he also remained almost asexual until Six was ready. I loved how he paid so much attention to her and gave Six the freedom to find out what she enjoyed without making her feel stupid or ashamed. But he wasn’t perfect, his wild upbringing followed by the brutality of his treatment as an elite soldier for Eden left deep scars. His ability to read, understand and therefore manipulate people if he wasn’t careful could end up harming the very person he wanted to save. I will also say that the man can apologize! *grin*
Has: Oh I so agree! I loved Bren’s quiet intensity which was brimming full of sexual tension for Six but at the same time he was so sensitive towards her past. I also liked how he gave her the time to figure her place withing in the gang without pushing her even though he wanted her so very badly. The buildup in the beginning was just beautiful when they were dancing around with each other, and his yearning for her just made me melt.
I also loved the other glimpses of his own past and the reasons on how he joined the O’Kanes, and it definitely added a multi-dimensional element to his character on how he related to Six.
2. Thoughts on the Heroine
MinnChica: Poor Six…. That poor girl started life strong, when she never really had much to fall back on. Then when she thought she was going to get the chance to make a difference, she was preyed on and abused. The fact that she still has such a strong spirit makes me love her so much more. I adore the fact that her feelings on Bren are so conflicted, despite the level of trust she has for him. Given her past, I love that she is weary and hesitant to jump into bed with the O’Kanes (pun intended). Despite all that though, when she is asked to step up and help out, she throws herself back into the life she was ready to escape and is finally given the chance to make the difference she wanted to do so long ago.
E: Six, oh man – gritty, strong, abused, determined, and amazing. She was put through the wringer even before she ended up in Sector Three. There after her strength and ability to influence people became evident she was lured into what she thought would be a position to make things better only to find that she was considered a threat and therefore was to be broken. While she was beaten down Six never completely gave up and slowly began to trust Bren and some of what Sector Four and the O’Kanes had to offer. I really admired that after everything she went through in Sector Three she still wanted to make things better for her people, even if she no longer had their trust and confidence. I also just have to say “Fight Night!”
Has: I think I have to say Six is my favourite heroine yet in this series. While I liked the previous heroines, there is something really special about Six, who is tough but also vulnerable. I loved how she grew from being really distrustful and broken but slowly healing from her past and finally being part of a family which grounds her. Overall, I think her romance with Bren is the best yet in this series because of the growth she underwent and I loved that she became an integral part of the O’Kanes for her insights on Sector Three which proved invaluable. I also loved on how she wanted to pave her own identity and role with the gang which helped to heal from her painful past.
3. Favorite Scene
MinnChica: Well, because this is Kit Rocha, I think I’m gonna have to go with a dirty scene. *wink* I think my favorite was when Bren and Six were exploring their wild side, and had a very intimate moment while watching Dallas, Lex, and Rachel have their own intimate moment. It was the perfect combination of down-and-dirty sex, while cutting up the scene with quiet and intensely intimate and private moments for Bren and Six. It was something I’d never read before in any erotic book, and it made that scene so powerful.
E: I will admit that I really enjoyed the scene MinnChica selected but I am going to pick another dirty scene. This one involves Bren, Six, and Ace. Six decided she wanted to learn what pain could do with pleasure and what really worked for Bren. The entire scene from her arrival into the room, to the serious discussion before anything started, to seeing an entirely new side of Ace through Bren’s recover was just amazing. It was tender, raw, sweet, and harsh all at the same time and really captured the complexity of their relationship.
Has: Well, since both MinnChica and E have highlighted two of my favourite scenes in the book, and yes the sexy action was sizzling. I will have to highlight the Fight Night scene which has Six demanding to be involved in a cage fight which was unexpected. I adored the fact, that Dallas and Bren let have her that agency and choice to fight which helped to get over the demons she was battling inside but also to prove that she was a useful and wanted would-be member for the gang. It also highlighted that what made the O’Kanes a coherent and strong group is due to these reasons that they welcome and support their members in every way.
4. Dislike about book
MinnChica: The thing I dislike about every Kit Rocha book is that it ends.
E: Well my only complaint is that I want Dallas to grovel. I think he got away with doing something that he knew he shouldn’t have done and really didn’t make up for it. Yes, Lex gave him a hard time but in my opinion he damaged something fragile and I don’t think he has mended it.
Has: I am with E about the groveling especially on the reasons why he needed to do so. I also hate the fact I have to wait early next year for another installment, where is that Tardis when I need one!
5. Any other misc. thoughts
MinnChica: All in all I think this is probably my favorite of the Beyond Series books. I loved that Bren and Six were somewhat reserved with their kink, while their emotional connection was so strong and secure. I loved that we got to see more of what is happening in the new sector, and can’t wait to read more about Rachel, Ace and Cruz! This series continues to be one of my favorite erotic romance reads!
I give Beyond Pain an A-
E: I have been waiting for this installment since Bren and Six were first on the page together. It was well worth the wait. Seeing Bren work his magic and try to deal with his fear of losing Six because he didn’t deserve her was heart wrenching. I loved watching Six come into her own and the reveal of her name was so touching. I think as this series continues she will be a force for the O’Kanes, potentially even Lex’s second *crosses fingers*. Rocha included so many wonderful things in this story in addition to the connection between Bren and Six. I saw more of Eden’s not so pretty underbelly. I met a few new characters and started trying to match them up. I speculated wildly about the tangled web between an upcoming threesome and wondered what the O’Kanes would have to face as this series continues. I can’t wait to read the next installment.
I give Beyond Pain an A
Has: Beyond Pain is definitely the best book yet in the series for me, the romance which I think has knocked off Lex and Dallas off the top spot, was wonderful. I loved how Bren and Six slowly worked out their issues and their personal demons which damaged them both so deeply. And the love scenes, which was amazingly hot. The on-going arc with the political intrigue also ratchets up a notch and I really like how things are being played out on how Section Three, and the new twists on Eden and the affect it has on the other sections. The is a series which has all the crack elements that I love, and I think Beyond Pain has certainly cements this as one of the best erotic series that I’ve read!
I give Beyond Pain an A!