I’m a sucker for teacher/student romance. Isabelle wants to live her life after nearly loosing it to an abusive ex so when she accepts her cousin’s invitation to a BDSM club she never was surprised to see someone like Tristan there. After their passionate night they never thought they would be seeing each other again especially in a professor/student situation. Would they be able to continue a relationship now that they were in the same place or would they walk away from each other with just the memories?? There is drama, mystery and that twist was unexpected. Get comfy and ready for a hot read.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately in this instance,I didn't connect to the story.  As I didn't finish reading, I will not be reviewing this title. Many thanks and I do look forward to picking up another read from this author.

Erotica. Plain and simple. So those who are into that stuff.. You'll probably love this.

4.5 stars
Heart pounding, soul shattering, heat inducing love story. I freaking loved Isabella and Tristan story of love and happiness. This was a great story of finding love and dealing with the past . As I’ve said before love is never easy but when it’s worth it when it happens. Love even at its kinkest and most taboo is so worth it. This book was very well written and so easy to get lost in. I really enjoyed every word of it. These characters were so easy to love, and the story was so easy to follow. This was the first book Shelly Bell that I have read and I cannot wait to read more.  The characters, the plot, and just the plain flow of this story made it what it was awesome. The connection between the two was off the chart and let’s be honest sometimes a little kink and heat is just what you need. If you enjoy a hot DOM and A troubled soul then this is the story for you. There is no way anyone will be disappointed with this story.
~Lindsey

I have heard  nothing  but  fantastic thing  about Shelly Bell  books  and I  can see why   I heard all this wonderful praise   just from  At His Mercy

While At His Mercy held promise for me, I struggle with many issues while reading it.

I honestly try to leave my ‘editor eye’ out of it when I review a book. It’s…difficult, at best. I overlook typos, usage, and misplaced punctuation all the time. I mean, ARC copies can quite possibly be sent out prior to final proofreading. I know how the publishing industry works. But I struggled with this ARC.

Next, a romance title can’t be all about sex scenes. While they’re a nice ‘frosting on the cake’, it can’t be the drift-from-one-sex-scene-to-the-next type of story or that makes it flat-out erotica. While we’re told that there was a veiled romance element in this title, I didn’t actually witness it myself.

/soapbox. Okay. A solid Dominant/submissive relationship takes time to establish. If it’s a one-night stand, that’s one thing. However, jumping into a relationship without knowing the other person is just bad form and completely unsafe. I mean, Isabella didn’t let anyone know where she was going!!! For all she knew, Tristan was some psycho wack-job—she’d picked one before, who’s to say she didn’t pick one again? Isabella ranks up there in my Too Stupid to Learn heroines, and I didn’t feel a bit badly at the end for her. /off soapbox

Tristan, for being an experienced Dom, is incredibly stupid. There’s lots of reasons, but listing them all would be spoilery.

Lastly, there were plot inconsistencies. I can overlook a few here and there, but there were entirely too many going on—so much so, that I actually had to flip back in the book to make sure I wasn’t crazy several times. After all, there couldn’t be THAT many of them in the book, right?!?! Wrong.

While I’m really intrigued by the premise for this title and the subsequent title(s), I think I’ll pass.

I generally love teacher/student books, but this one was a miss for me. I had high expectations and it fell flat. But I'm definitely looking forward to other books by this author.

I hated this story just as much as I hate seafood. I don't know why this was such a hard read for me to finish that I just had to stop .

Tristan and Isabella only wanted one night.  One night to forget, one night to have fun, one night to release all the pressures of the world but that one night turned into something more than either of them imagined.

Tristan was ready to move on with is life and make something more than what he currently has. The business he has been working hard to create is slowly coming together with a little speed bumps, mainly his ex wife. Isabella was his distraction but he could not get her out of his system.

Isabella had struggles in her life that she needs to get away from. The hurt and pain of life now and the past is haunting her.  She needs a break from everyone because she is slowly drowning.  School is her way out and she plans on taking it.  Little does she know her desires will be fulfilled and her dreams will come true.  Isabella and Tristan has a bond that no one can break and they don't know just how strong that bond is until it is tested in many ways.  

Shelly has made this book soft and a joy to read.  I enjoyed seeing the everyday struggle and the costs of relationships and what could happen in something that is non traditional.

Want I liked about At His Mercy:

Hot chemistry – I felt the chemistry between Tristan and Isabella and found their attraction very believable
Kink – I liked the D/s elements of the BDSM romance wasn’t over the top. I think for this story and the characters the kink level was just right.
No Virgins were hurt in the making of this book – I really loved the fact that Isabella wasn’t a virgin. I just knew during their first sex scene he was going to find out after he pushed into her that she was a virgin. But nope so YEAH FOR NO VIRGINS.
She did her research – While Isabellas was not a virgin, she was a newbie to the BDSM lifestyle but she spent time researching and taking “classes” before she stepped blindly into the world of play. I like she wasn’t someone who was talked into being a submissive or found herself in that role without knowing anything about it.
 

I had a couple issues with At His Mercy:

Isabella’s age (19) – Nine years is not too much of an age difference if the people are a little older, but her 19 to Tristan’s 28 was a little icky for me personally. I think I would have been ok if Isabella was at least 21. I guess the fact that she’s technically still a teenager didn’t sit well with me.  This bugged me enough that anytime the age issue came up it took me out of the moment. I guess considering At His Mercy is the first book in the Forbidden Lovers series, points of the age difference and Tristan being Isabella’s professor made them well, forbidden lovers. I think the taboo between teacher and student would have been enough with their ages being a little closer to each other.
Villains / “crazy” exes – Both Isabella and Tristan had messed up exes. I feel like one would have been enough and made the suspense aspect stronger. Just felt like too many balls were being juggled in some parts of the plot.
 

While I had a few small issues with At His Mercy I’m looking for to reading the next book in the series, His to Claim which will be about Tristan’s friend/business partner and other Dom, Ryder.

First time reading from this author and I am shock and I want to thank my friend who made me read this book. Thank BFF you ROCK

At His Mercy 
Shelly Bell
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"She was at his mercy. And she wouldn’t have it any other way."

Loved this one 💜 Such an awesome romantic, suspenseful BDSM story. Sexy professor Dom meets innocent freshman sub and falls hard. 

Back
One last, no-strings night of indulgence. That's all Tristan wants before he begins a much-needed new chapter in his life. Instead he finds an innocent angel in pink who brings him to his knees.

Isabella is done hiding from the world . . . and her haunting memories. Discovering courage in the arms of a perfect stranger, she finally lets go and sheds her inhibitions.

To Isabella's shock, she soon learns that Tristan is more than her mystery man-he's her professor. But Tristan isn't the only person who's found Isabella on campus. A dark figure from her past has come back for her. Now Tristan will risk anything to protect Isabella . . . even if it costs him his life.

Can't wait to read more from Shelly Bell. Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very good story about two people Isabella and Tristan who thought that they would only be seeing each other for one night, but instead find themselves meeting as teacher him and student her months later when she goes to college. Isabella is working through her last relationship that left her both physically and emotionally bruised. Tristan is divorced but is ex-wife is still controlling him or rather blackmailing him though he has given her everything he has. Now moving on or trying to she wants the new adventure he is starting with his business partner which they both are fighting. He decides to take a teaching job at the university he graduated from to help out his mentor who needed to take a break after a health problem. Isabella has finally gotten the strength to move from home and her security to go away to college to be more than just a baker. Now going to her first class and was also going to be the instructors’ assistant she hears the voice the really change her night months ago. Now he is scared and Isabella is the one with the power and strength in the class room. She also shows up at one of the functions when she is hired as a baker at the last minute. He wants to be upset be he is also glad that she is putting herself forward. The story moves forward and you are shown what happen to her in her last relationship, and the more that is shown and that is told to Tristan they are back together more. But also someone is stalking her and him. You don’t know if it is one person doing it to both of them or two different people. This is where the mystery and suspense part of the story takes over and you as the reader are trying to figure out who, or whom are causing all of the problems especially for Isabella. When you finally get to the point where everything comes to discovery you are surprised, at least for me. The author did a great job with that part of the book and the ending tying everything together. She does not make it easy to think where the story is going to take you. This is a very good book and has scenes that for 18 but is also in line with the story. The characters are good along with the story.

Awkward when your one night stand turns out to be your professor at college.  This story was odd for me.  It felt like it was going several different directions.  My guess is to make the story a bit more complex with layers, there are several subplots going on.  For me, they were not integrated that well and felt a bit klunky.  I liked how this story started.  Isabella has overcome a terrible trauma in her life and is going to live a little.  Intrigued by BDSM, she hits up a club and somehow finds a dominant who takes her for a wild one night stand.  Not particularly realistic, but it is erotic and I enjoyed the scene.  With a memorable experience, she heads off to university with a light heart.  This comes to a screeching halt when her professor whom she also will TA for is the man she slept with.  Now from here, I'm expecting some naughty kinky professor/student sex.  Whilst there is a bit and it is quite hot, there is a "single white female" and "fatal attraction" thing going on too.  

These two other subplots made the story a bit messy.  It was still easy to follow and anticipate what was going to happen.  What happens is a complete train wreck and a bit crazy out there.  I felt badly for Isabella because all roads lead to her, even Tristan's crazy ex-wife leads back to her.  There are several "what just happened" moments for Isabella and the reader.  Still, Isabella is a sweet girl with delicious submissive tendencies.   The kink in this story is what saved the book for me.  The power exchange between Tristan and Isabella is lovely to watch.  The kinky scenes are happily realistic and fun.  The erotic parts are written well and keep the book in a nice simmering arousal.  

This erotica romance is recommended to kinky readers who enjoy a bit of taboo between teacher and student.

Isabella Lawson survived a terrifying encounter. She put her life back together as best she could, and now she’s heading off to college in an attempt to improve her life, prove she can stand on her own, and to take control of a life that has felt out of her control since her ex-boyfriend tried to kill her. Having discovered the world of BDSM, she accompanies her cousin to her first play party. All she wants is to experience the freedom, the excitement, and the anonymity that the BDSM world provides before heading off to college and years of concentration on her studies. What she never expected to find was a man who would awaken her body, her mind, and possibly her heart.

Tristan Kelley’s world is bordering on the lowest point it can reach with an ex-wife who threatens him constantly with accusations of abuse even though she’d been a willing BDSM partner…but then it’s all about money for her. Speaking of money, Tristan is in need of a loan to build his new business. However, with his ex-wife dogging him with false accusations, and his finances gone, he has no choice but to try to rebuild his reputation and earn some money by taking an old friend up on a teaching position upstate is the best course of action. One year - he’s going to give teaching one year and then move onto bigger things. He hadn’t planned to spend his last night in the arms of an intriguing, sexy young submissive but he couldn’t resist the beautiful red-haired girl once she walked through the door.

After a night of passion, neither Tristan nor Isabella thought they’d ever see each other again. On the first day of classes, Isabella walked into the lecture hall of the professor who she was to work for, and whom she hoped would be the edge she needed to get into the Business Program only to discover the instructor substituting in his place is the same man she’d spent an amazing night with losing her inhibitions. Now she and Tristan have to figure out how to stay away from each other even as they can’t stop thinking about each other. What to do when desires grow stronger than doing the smart thing and what happens when pasts collide putting everyone and everything between them in danger.

AT HER MERCY had me hooked from the first pages. I love a good mystery and Shelly Bell does them better than most. As usual, I had a few suspects in my head but the guilty party was the last person I expected. Well played, Shelly, you got me.

Intrigue, sexuality, and the world of BDSM are the background players in this love story between two broken people. Tristan feels he’s failed everyone in his life and Isabella is unable to trust or allow herself the freedom to experience life because someone she thought loved her, instead tried to do her great harm. Shelly conjures up characters that make us feel their pain, their frustrations, and their fears but also allows us to watch them grow and fall in love. While Isabella learns to open her mind and horizons to new goals, new sensations, and trust, Tristan begins to recognize and inspect his life in retrospect allowing him to begin to trust and love too. When the private walls of their world begin to crack and break, we feel the heartache of Tristan doing what is best for Isabella more so than him, and Isabella trying desperately to make him understand that her trust in him is so great that together, they can fight the bigger fight. The story comes together in a tense, edge of the seat ending with great resolution, a wonderful happily ever after, and in the process, we learn things that pull it all together for both of them, as well as their friends. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment of the Forbidden Lovers series.

I highly recommend AT HIS MERCY, book one in the Forbidden Lovers series by Shelly Bell to anyone who loves an angst filled love story that will also steam the air around you while you’re reading.

At His Mercy by Shelly Bell is nothing short of excellent. It has all the factors that I crave…heat, passion, and risk. 

Isabella is haunted by what happened to her and wishes to submit to someone. She attends a play party, where Tristan finds her. Together, they burn up the sheets, but it’s only for one night…or so they think. Fate has something to say about that, because Tristan is her new professor at college. Not only that, Isabella’s past comes back to haunt her.

At His Mercy is well-written, sexy, and a complete delight to read. The forbidden aspect only increased its appeal of the story. Highly recommended.

This is the first book in this series by this author. This author has a fantastic ability to bring you a very hot and steamy read with added mystery and suspense. The characters are amazing and have fantastic chemistry. This is a romantic suspense read. I was hooked by the first page and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future. 
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

At His Mercy is not for those who are not interested in BDSM. It's surrounded around BDSM as a form of "therapy" for the female protagonist and can probably trigger some people... That being said, I found this story to be very beautiful from start to finish. A mix of control, submission, heartache, love, craziness and everything in between. Shelly Bell did a fantastic job in writing this novel.

Isabella is a girl scorned by love in the worse way possible. Thanks to her crazy ex she doesn't know how to let control go and seeks to find a way to trust others and let things flow as they should. Isabella was a smart girl who obviously wanted to move on with her life, but couldn't because of her ex. As the story unraveled things got even crazier for her as she started to confide in her roommate every now and then. I loved the strength that Isabella had even though she herself didn't see it. She was amazing.

Tristan is a man who doesn't want love after being played by his ex-wife. He has to have control over everything and he refuses to let a woman get close to him. He enjoys BDSM -- it's his thing when it comes to sex. He's a dom that never takes on a full time sub, or so he thought. I enjoyed Tristan because he was very strong and level headed, but at the same time he also had his moments of weakness. He just needed to find the perfect woman for him that could handle all of him -- smarts, dom and all.

The romance between Isabella and Tristan was beautiful. From the moment they met you could immediately tell that there was definitely a huge attraction between them. As things progressed they both enjoyed one another, but knew they would never meet again. Fate, thankfully, bought them back together at college. Her the student and him the professor...forbidden love much? They tried to keep things business-like, but the love they unknowingly had for another blossomed for each other. I just loved watching them go through so much drama and still find a way to pull through in the end.

I highly recommend this, but be warned again that this may trigger some people since it is BDSM and includes some suicide and killing.

At His Mercy was a great 5 star read.

We get pulled in right from the beginning when we see into Isabella’s past with her ex-boyfriend. We jump ahead to Isabella going to a BDSM play party with her cousin Dreama. She has been studying the lifestyle and is ready to see if this is what she is looking for.

Tristan is disappointed in the sub choices at the play party, they all want commitment and he only wants one night. Then he see’s Isabella, She was new blood, a little lamb who had stumbled into a den of hungry wolves . He couldn’t leave without learning more about her.

When Isabella meets Tristan she is instantly pulled in by him. A man like Tristan was exactly what she needed for tonight. You want to know what I’m going to do to you if you consent to playing with me tonight? Anything I want. WOW is all I can say, it was very hot and steamy. Tristan is going to make the most of his one night with Isabella and boy do they ever.

Little did these two know that fate would step in and bring them back together once again. I loved the chemistry between these two, it came right off the pages. The past also comes back to haunt both Tristan and Isabella adding even more to the story. There was suspense, romance, mystery, murder, BDSM, and some great twists and turns. We do get a HEA and I have to say that I can’t wait to read more in this series. I would love to read something on Tristan’s business partner and best friend Ryder, yum. This is my first read from Shelly Bell and I really enjoyed it. 1-click and get started today.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by MAustin from Alpha Book Club