Where did you get the book: E-arc from Netgalley
Publisher: Bantam
Release Date: Out now
This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who’s never had to take “no” for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says “yes” on her own terms.
Our desire runs deep. But our secrets cut close. Beautiful, strong, and commanding, Damien Stark fills a void in me that no other man can touch. His fierce cravings push me beyond the brink of bliss—and unleash a wild passion that utterly consumes us both.
Yet beneath his need for dominance, he carries the wounds of a painful past. Haunted by a legacy of dark secrets and broken trust, he seeks release in our shared ecstasy, the heat between us burning stronger each day.
Our attraction is undeniable, our obsession inevitable. Yet not even Damien can run from his ghosts, or shield us from the dangers yet to come.
Complete Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
*Blurb taken from Goodreads*
COMPLETE ME is the final book in J. Kenner’s erotic trilogy chronicling, Damian Stark, and his lover, Nikki Fairchild. The last book was left on a huge cliffhanger which left Damian facing the murder trial of his former tennis coach and mentor. Things were not looking good.
The book opens up with both Nikki and Damian living moment to moment before the trial which Damian is prepping for in his defence. Even though the trial is casting a huge shadow over their heads, Nikki and Damian have resolved their issues from the previous book and are hoping for a new start and commitment.
I was expecting a long drawn out trial because so much time was spent on the plot which was building up on the mystery behind the death of Damian’s former mentor and coach who sexually abused him. This is a fact that Damian does not want to be used for his defence, although Nikki feels that every opportunity should be used to help him get exonerated, especially with the circumstances surrounding him on the death of his tennis coach. I was taken by surprise by how quickly the trial sub-plot had gotten resolved and it really felt anticlimactic. It was a tad convenient with the way Damian’s past revelations came to light.
I wished more time was spent on that because the action, which soon focuses back to LA, wasn’t that engaging and it felt drawn out which really affected the pace of the story. For the final book it was disappointing. However, I really liked that Nikki, despite her bad run of luck with losing jobs, finally ventures alone to start her own software business and it was good to see her gaining agency and confidence over her career. Although like the archetypal controlling billionaire that is such a popular trope right now, Damian can’t not help but interfere by giving Nikki a slight boost.
But while I liked how Nikki set up her business and becoming more independent over her career, I did find that middle really lagged in pace. And there was not much of a plot other than the fallout over the trial which created a new twist. But I felt the new revelation was out of the blue and it didn’t generate much tension because I suspected who the real culprit was pretty much midway through the story. I also was very frustrated with Damian’s character who held back on important information and didn’t learn from his past mistakes with Nikki because he wanted to protect her. I also felt he was not as engaging as Nikki who I think developed far more as a character over the course of the series. Her growth as a character was much more interesting, especially with her past issues with self-cutting and emotional pain and how that tied in with her sexuality.
Overall, despite my issues over this final installment, this was a satisfactory ending and I am a huge fan of this trope, even though the market is glutted with tortured billionaire heroes. The Stark trilogy is one of the enjoyable ones I have read. I just wished that the plot was as strong as the romance which is sexy and passionate and ends on a great note.
I give COMPLETE ME a C
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