Lately I've been having difficulty finding NA and Erotica novels to read. Correction, I've been having issues with the novels I have been reading--as in, I haven't been reading a bunch that remind me why I loved these genres so much. I came across this book on NetGalley and was intrigued--mostly because it's a student/teacher romance and I'm a sucker for those kinds of books. Plus, it had elements of the BDSM lifestyle in them as well, which I also enjoy reading about as well. The problem with most student/teacher novels, or novels with BDSM in them, is the chemistry, or lack-thereof. Either you feel the chemistry between the heroine and hero, or it's not there and the book just drags on with sex scenes that you just want to skip through. 

Although this book wasn't perfect, it did keep my attention and I can honestly say I throughly enjoyed reading it. The characters were likable, the plot was interesting and entertaining, and I felt the passion between the hero, Tristan, and the heroine, Isabella. Although the BDSM scenes were hot and heavy, they weren't over the top or the most graphic sex scenes I've ever read before in a book. I didn't feel like there were too many sex scenes in the book and they didn't take away from the plot, but added something to it. I loved Tristan and how he helped make Isabella strong, while not walking all over her. He was a great Dom, always making sure Isabella was okay and looking out for her. He was my favorite character and I love getting inside of his head in this book! Throughly enjoyed both their characters, the plot, and overall how captivating this book was. 

Only two things kept me from giving this book five stars and that was the ending of the book, and the beginning. The beginning of the book was amazing, but I was a bit distracted by the feeling that I've read this book before, and I even looked on Goodreads to see if this book was perviously released and that's when I read it, but the book has yet to be published yet. I'm thinking maybe it's similar to other books I've read in the past, which makes it lose a little on the star rating for originality. Nothing major, but I was distracted in the beginning by that fact. And the ending disappointed me, not because the twist was unpredictable--because the twist caught me off guard and I was honestly surprised--but because it felt a tad rushed and I wanted more from the ending. More closure. More...something. Still, the ending was great and I loved the twist! After reading so many books in my life, it's nice being surprised by a book's ending. 

All-in-all, this book was entertaining, fun, interesting, and a must read, in my opinion. One of the best student/teacher novels I have ever read and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future! 

***I received an advance reader copy of this book for my honest opinion***

This book was awesome!  Hot steamy goodness!  If you've ever read Shelly Nell before, you'll love this!  It has a hot Dom and tons of hot sex scenes!  I ate this up and now I want more!  I love this author and I hope she never stops writing.

I'm am SO thrilled to be diving into another marvelous creation by Shelly Bell, as to me, she is the Queen of Erotic thrillers!

In this new series, we meet Isabella, whom has survived more than most 19 year old girls...after "the incident" that nearly ended her short life.  But Isabella had regained her health, although she still bares the scars. But now she is taking a step into regaining her being! To trust herself, and others around her. But when an accidental book discovery at her cousins home leads her into the world of BDSM and D/s relationships, Isabella finally feels at peace.

To embarking on that newly found knowledge, and a BDSM for beginners course, she now finds herself going to a play party...but she never expected to find Tristian, a Dom that would give her the experience of a lifetime! 

Even when Isabella and Tristian find themselves back in each other's lives, though in different roles! They never knew they could have such a connection! But will the monsters from their pasts, destroy what they have?

Shelly Bell is such an amazing author! She has the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat, not only through the intense, but delicious sex scenes, but she somehow manages to have your heart in you throat, through most of the other chapters too! The character's in this book is truly wonderful, and you can't help but fall for Isabella's cheeky sense of humor, but also the delicious dominate side of Tristian too! This author is truly THE only reason I have started to read any form of thriller!

I give At His Mercy 5 stars!!

Title: At His Mercy
Author: Shelly Bell
Series: Forbidden Lovers
Publisher: Forever
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: June 20, 2017
Genre(s): Romantic Suspense
Page Count: 352 pages
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Blurb:


"I was at Shelly Bell's mercy from page one. This novel sucked me in, and didn't let me go until the very last sexy page. This book had some of the hottest scenes I've ever read. 10 stars!" --- New York Times bestselling author Alessandra Torre

Angel in his arms . . . Devil at her heels

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.





Review:
This is the first book in Shelly Bell’s new series, Forbidden Lovers. I have not read anything from this author before and I was very happy to receive the opportunity to read and review this story. The story is a romantic suspense that touches on BDSM. It is set on a college campus with the forbidden relationship between a Professor and his student. The story starts with Isabella’s desire to explore the BDSM lifestyle before she leaves for college. Attending a party with her cousin, she meets Tristan, a Dom. Tristan is instantly taken with the beautiful girl with all her innocence and a hint of something that he can’t put his finger on. When Tristan spends the night with his Angel, he wishes that there could be more, but he is leaving town to start a new job. Besides, after his ex-wife left him taking everything from him, he really has no desire to form a relationship again. When the two meet up in the classroom Tristan, the professor, and Isabella the student there is no turning back. Isabella is at college to study business and get into one of the limited spots in the highly competitive business program. Getting involved with her professor is not one of her wisest moves, but she needs the safety that she feels in his arms especially now that she is getting letters from her ex. An ex that tried to kill her. The chemistry between Isabella and Tristan is A+. The BDSM is mild. Tristan is a Dominant, not a Sadist. The pacing is fast and the conflicts between Tristan and his ex and Isabella and her ex, make this an exciting, emotional read. I loved the dramatic conclusion to this story. This story is the first in a series. I am not sure how the rest of the series will play out. This book had an ending so my guess would be that the series will continue with a new story, not a continuation. That is an educated guess so don’t quote me on it. There was strong character development in this story. I knew exactly who these characters were and how they got to be the characters the ended up being at the end of the story. I highly recommend this story. 

PLOT: 5 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 5 Stars
PACING: 5 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5 Stars



Review Copy of At His Mercy provided by the Forever Yours I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club

3.9 Stars

Isabella just barely survived an attack by her ex boyfriend 18 months ago. Now she's finally about to leave for college. Just one more thing to do before she goes: she wants to lose her virginity at this BDSM play party her cousin invited her to. She started being intrested in BDSM when she found some books at her cousin's place. And she feels that this is exactly what she's been missing in her life.
Enter Tristan. He's about to leave town too. And he's also about to leave the party - nobody there interested him .... that's when he sees Isabella.
Instant attraction on both sides!
And after an amazingly sexy night together they think they'll never see each other again.
Wrong!
Isabella will be one of his students at his new job as a business professor! ☺
And if that wasn't bad enough - we have horribly mean and mentally ill exes that will definitely make this story very exciting! ☺

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ISABELLA & TRISTAN?
WILL WE GET AN HEA??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT ☺

This was an interesting book.
I don't really know what to think of it.
It starts as this kidnap and murder-suicide story and then it immediately turns into a BDSM story and then it turns into a forbidden professor/student romance - with BDSM. And then the kidnap murderer and more idiot people show up again.
So, I don't really know what to call this book. Erotic suspense? It was a bit weird. It was all a bit much. Maybe if the book had been 150 pages longer! Then it could've been perfect. Room enough for lots of excitement, suspense, sex, fun!

I love sex in my books but this starts off with a huge BDSM scene - before we could even fall in love with the characters. We meet them, they meet each other and insta attraction. But the reader wants/needs a tiny little foreplay too. Ugh, I don't know. I liked Tristan and Isabella ....but I couldn't connect with them somehow. I'm not a fan of BDSM. Well, it's more that I don't care for it - all that flogging and domineering stuff is not for me. When Christian Grey did it it was ok. It was a sweet fairy tale. It had nothing really to do with BDSM. But suddenly every book needs BDSM. Why?
I can totally understand Isabella's thoughts about it. With her kidnapping and almost dying, she wants to control who controls her. I totally get her. But I just don't like it much. This would've been a better story with only the kidnap-murder thing and the student/teacher romance.
BUT - it wasn't bad!!! I liked it. I liked reading it. But it was weird. It took me forever to finish a page, there were so many words, and I didn't love those words somehow. I know I'm weird.
Maybe I was just in a weird mood. I also have to say that I'm writing this now that I'm only 30% into the book ... but I have to already love a book by that time ... I might come back later and add to my review!
Back now! Finished it last night, and it really got better. Well, maybe not better, but more interesting. Which is also not good, because there was just way too much excitement in the last third of the book! It's like the author thought - oooh I'll pick THIS and THAT and THIS too and put it all in the end of my book! 


It was a bit much and it wasn't all needed. And then it was all too rushed at the end. Ugh. I know I'm very complainy here, but I really liked the book too. And will definitely read the next book too! Don't let me scare you away. The book really has lots of interesting parts! Just a tiny little bit too many for my tastes.☺

JAN - 3.5 STARS

Hmm, where to start with this book? I wasn't sure what to expect when I chose it, but there was something in the blurb that intrigued me.

Now firstly, I will say that I liked it, however I did have my problems with it.  Nothing to do with the BDSM subject matter, more to do with the fact there was too many other tropes in there as well.

It started out suspensey with Isabella's past, then it flew straight into BDSM - hope you have lube as there is no reader foreplay involved, then we flip over into a teacher/student taboo-ish relationship.

And to throw something more into the ring, every character had some kind of big issue to fight through, not just one (which would have been enough IMO)

But enough of that - it makes me sound like I didn't like it, however that it not the case at all.  It was just a bit (lot) too much in the one book!

I did enjoy Isabella and Tristan's story, I could understand her interest in the BDSM lifestyle and why she threw herself right in the deep end.

There were so many times I just wanted the characters to just be able to move forward without all the hullabaloo that was going on around them.  There was enough with just her past and the teacher/student thing that at times I just couldn't help but roll my eyes at all the extras, that felt a bit OTT.

But again, this could just be me.

I did like the arc that Isabella and Tristan's story took, however with so much thrown in there, something had to give.  And for me, it was the ending.  It felt extremely rushed, and I was sure I had to have missed a chapter or two in there. 

Sometimes less is more, and in the case of At His Mercy, I feel that this would have been the case.

I will read the next book in the series though.


BIANCA
This was an interesting book.

I don't really know what to think of it.

It starts as this kidnap and murder-suicide story and then it turns into a BDSM story and then it turns into a professor/student romance - with BDSM. And then the kidnap murderer and more idiot people show up again.

So, I don't really know what to call this book. Erotic suspense? It was a bit weird. It was all a bit much. Maybe if the book had been 150 pages longer! Then it could've been perfect. Room enough for lots of excitement, suspense, sex, fun!


I love sex in my books but this starts off with a huge BDSM scene - before we could even fall in love with the characters. We meet them, they meet each other and insta attraction. But the reader wants a tiny little foreplay too. Ugh, I don't know. I liked Tristan  and Isabella ....but I couldn't connect with them somehow. I'm not a fan of BDSM. Well, it's more that I don't care for it - all that flogging and domineering stuff is not for me. When Christian Grey did it it was ok. It was a sweet fairy tale. It had nothing really to do with BDSM. But suddenly every book needs BDSM. Why?

I can totally understand Isabella's thoughts about it. With her kidnapping and almost dying, she wants to control who controls her. I totally get her. But I just don't like it much. This would've been a better story with only the kidnap-murder thing and the student/teacher romance.

BUT - it wasn't bad!!! I liked it. I liked reading it. But it was weird. It took me forever to finish a page, there were so many words, and I didn't love those words somehow. I know I'm weird.

Maybe I was just in a weird mood. I also have to say that I'm writing this now that I'm only 30% into the book ... but I have to already love a book by that time ... I might come back later and add to my review! Back now! Finished it last night, and it really got better. Well, maybe not better, but more interesting. Which is also not good, because there was just way too much excitement in the last third of the book! It's like the author thought - oooh I'll pick THIS and THAT and THIS too and put it all in the end of my book! It was a bit much and it wasn't all needed. And then it was all too rushed at the end. Ugh. I know I'm very complainy here, but I really liked the book too. And will definitely read the next book too!

**will go live on blog and Amazon etc next week**

Shelly Bell’s At his Mercy was both a hit and a miss for me.

Isabella finds solace in submitting. It’s at her first play party that she meets Dominant, Tristan. She develops a connection with him only for her to leave for college the next day. She doesn’t expect to see him at her college campus 12 hours away. Or that he’s her professor.

I’m a sucker for a forbidden romance, but I’ve found the professor/student side of it sometimes works for me, and at others, it doesn’t. This did both. The beginning was rocky. Considering Isabella’s past, it was too insta-love for me, and I simply didn’t believe it.

The middle remedied all that however and really fulfilled my wish for more from the characters. The sex scenes were simply blazing. There was some serious chemistry, and the forbidden aspect was out in full force! It’s more mild on the bdsm aspect, but still deliciously sensual and intimate. The plot also expands, secrets are revealed, and there’s an inevitable feeling that kept me turning the pages.

Unfortunately, the ending didn’t leave me satisfied. While I appreciate the plot twists that come about, it felt like some were thrown in just for added obstacles. The language also threw me off. Cliches were sprinkled throughout and decreased the overall impact of the story.

Overall, At His Mercy is a good start to the Forbidden Lovers series. Anyone looking for a suspenseful and sexy story will find it here.

3 stars!

Definitely romantic suspense in the erotic category.  *fans self* This was the first book I have read by Shelly Bell, so I was looking forward to discovering a new author.  The author delivers with a great story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, when you are not fanning yourself during their explicit scenes ;)

I love Isabella and Tristan as a couple.  He is a bit older than Isabella, but nothing unusual in the romance category.  It took a bit of a turn when it turned more into a student/professor relationship (no spoiler since it's in the book description), but it was tastefully done.  They were keeping it a secret, but readers will know they met each other at a play party before the university thing happens.

Isabella thought she was going to die by the hands of her boyfriend and after physical recovery, therapy and a new outlook on life, she is ready to start over as a university student.  If you live in Michigan, you will appreciate the Michigan references.  That may have influenced how much I loved the story, but then the characters were really complex and the story was full of unexpected twists and turns.  The story may set you on the path to emotional overload, but the expected HEA will keep you reading.  The author does not disappoint and I think I may have found someone new to fan girl over.

Tristan is hot, smart, rich and a Dom.  He is getting over a failed marriage and has a few hurdles to overcome.  He is working hard to get his business off the ground with his partner and friend, Ryder.  The semester he is spending as a professor is a bit of a reset button for him as well.  If you are on the hunt for some well written, explicit, romantic and suspenseful stories, this book is for you.

5 Merciful Stars
Isabella is a young girl who has lived through some though moments in her life and is determined not to let that define her and before she’s off to college and bury herself in school her cousin is taking her to her very first BDSM play party. Tristan is a Dom that is never into anything more than one night stand with women and at this particular party no one has caught his attention… Not until he is about to walk out when Isabella comes in and he falls like a brick.
They decide to share one night of passion and never see each other again. But faith had different plans and both of their lives are about to get so much more complicated that any of them could ever imagine.
WOW….WOW….WOW!!!!
I am really lost for words after reading this book but my emotions are so vivid and won’t leave me alone before I get them out. This book is my first read by Shelly Bell but it most definite won’t be the last. I love her writing, how she compels the reader and has it turning pages faster than mind can keep up with. It’s like she peeked into my soul and saw what I love in an AMAZING book and put it down on paper and here it is.
This book both starts and ends with a BANG BANG BANG!!!!!
After a few pages I was shocked and couldn’t understand how the book would go on after those events at the beginning. Slowly but surely the author guides us into this eventful story full of perfect romance, hot and steamy scenes with a great dose of suspense and mystery into the mix. 
For me this was such a great read and I enjoyed it so much that I kept telling my friend how much I loved it during the read. I couldn’t wait to get off work and read those last 10% that has me keeping my breath in suspense of what would have next. 
Tristan and Isabella will probably be one of my favorite couples ever. They sure deserve their spot at the top right along with Shelly Bell who wrote this magnificent story. I loved everything about it, from the beautiful and elegant cover to the sexy and captivating story behind it.
Recommended 110%!!!!!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review. This story is about Isabelle who was attacked by her boyfriend and Tristan who is being blackmailed by his ex-wife. Isabelle wants to let the attack go, but also allow someone to be in charge. When she meets Tristan it's exactly what she needs but the next morning she sneaks out and heads off to college. When she arrives at her business class she is shocked to see Tristan as her new professor. Their relationship is forbidden and they both have massive baggage but can they survive together?

First off i should thank the folks at Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC to read.  I"m a huge fan of discovering new authors and series and this one is definitely one that i'm intrigued to learn more about.  

What we have here is an introduction to the world of Tristan and Isabella - 2 people who've had a really tough life so far because of people who they mistakenly trusted and well, now they are both guarded and jaded and really just looking to the end game professionally.  NOT romantically.  

The story starts with a view about a year and a half in the past to ground us on what's driving Isabella's life.  She was almost killed by her jealous and mentally ill boyfriend and now as she's trying to put her life back together, we see that it's taking a few interesting turns.  The first being that she's finally getting herself to college and the 2nd is her interest in exploring the BDSM lifestyle. 

Thankfully for her, she's got her cousin Dreama there to guide her into the lifestyle and when she's brought to her first ever play party  - just days before she's heading to college, she gets a surprise that she wasn't expecting.  It was supposed to be an opportunity to enjoy a night with no strings and when a connection is made that shocks her to her core, well i think that we know things will get good from there.

Then there's Tristan, a Dom who's had a lot of turmoil from women in his life and is absolutely not looking for something more than just a night, and in the group of subs available at the party - not even that is interesting to him.  Until Isabella walks in. 

What starts as a night turns into something more when Tristan shows up at Isabella's college not just as a professor, but as the one that she's due to be an assistant to.  So - you know sparks will fly. 

If that weren't enough in this story - knowing that you're going to get some of the most intense scenes because first, she's being introduced into the lifestyle and those scenes are often amazing but second because there's so much chemistry between them that regardless of the fact that their situation is 'forbidden' - they still try to figure it out. 

Add to that the fact that Isabella's crazy ex may be getting out of his rehab program, and Tristan's ex is trying to blackmail him again, and you know that there's a lot of anxiety.  All wrapped up in this story is murder, suicide, multiple attempts on killing folks and well a twist that i sorts of figured out early on but had confirmed towards the end.  It was really nicely written and i can't wait to see what's next since i know that we'll get a story on Ryder (Tristan's best friend and business partner) or perhaps Dreama - Isabella's cousin.

Shelly Bell writes erotica with plot, heart and heat.

"She had no idea what those words did to him. Like a siren's song, they called to the Dom in him. She made him want to master her, to teach her not about business and economics, but about pleasure and pain, domination and submission."

It's been quite some time since I've had a chance to pick up a Shelly Bell novel, so when I read the synopsis for this one, I just knew I had to read this one. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

At His Mercy is fun, seductive and utterly sexy. Add in a little taboo quality and I am a goner. At His Mercy is told from dual points of view and follows the story of Tristian and Isabella. Isabella is new to the world of BDSM and wants to spend her last night in town experiencing what has been calling to her. She meets Tristian by chance and spends one unforgettable evening with him. The last thing Isabella expected was to find out her new professor is actually the man that haunts her dreams. The two try to fight their connection, but the pull is too strong to deny. Things are all going well until the past catches up to both Tristian and Isabella and their lives will be forever changed because of it.

At His Mercy hooked me from the very first page. I mean this book starts off with one heck of a bang and keeps you begging for more. This book is smart, sexy as hell and written well. The characters are intriguing and keep you wanting to know more of their story. Overall, I thought this book was a great read. I devoured it in just a few short hours. Not only was this book incredibly sexy, but it also had some really wonderful twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the very end. At His Mercy was a very enjoyable read and I'm glad that I decided to pick it up.

Tristan is hungry for one last night of no strings attached fun before he leaves town, and he thought attending his friends play party would give him the perfect opportunity to find what he is looking for, but nothing seems to be inspiring him... that is until an innocent looking angel walks through the door. The moment he notices her, his body starts humming with excitement, he can tell she is a newbie, and while most would shy away from her for that reason, it seems to be what is drawing him to her the most. He has to get his hands on her... but once he does, will one night be enough?

Isabelle has been living in sheltered world for the last eighteen months, and she is finally ready to start living again, and experience things she would have never dreamed of doing before, no matter how nerve wracking they maybe. She has always been intrigued with the BDSM world, but never been brave enough to experience it, but now she is ready to face her curiosity head on, and indulge in one night of fun before she leaves town to attend college. Once she arrives at the play party her nerves start to subside, and her excitement from what she is witnessing is starting to build, now she just has to find a friend for the night to do a little playing of her own. The minute her eyes land of Tristan she knows that she has found him, and is certain he can help her explore what she has been longing to experience... and she is more than ready for anything he has to offer her. If it doesn't go as she hopes, she has nothing to worry about, because they'll never see each other again right?

This riveting and tantalizing little page turner grabbed my attention from the prologue, and held on tight until the last page was swiped! After reading the synopsis I thought I had an good idea of what I would find, but Ms. Bell totally pulled the rug out from under me, and hit me with lots of unexpected surprises that kept me on the edge of my seat and burning through the pages... she totally outdid herself with this one!! Isabelle and Tristan's relationship started off a little unconventionally, and neither one of them were looking for a commitment, but it was evident after their first encounter that fate hate other plans for them. The chemistry between them was explosive, full of lust, passion and unquenchable desire, and it inspired lots of steamy between the seats action ... action that left me a little flustered and red in the face more than a few times!! I highly recommend you get your hands on this one, Ms. Bell's seductive little tale is sure to give you everything you could possibly want in a story... and then some!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

Isabella meets Tristian at a play party for Doms and subs. They both just want one night. She's going off to college and he has a job opportunity. They are both in for a big surprise. 
Tristian is being blackmailed by his ex wife and Isabella was almost killed by her boyfriend and now he's about to get out of the psychiatric hospital. But she is stronger now and won't live her life in fear.

This is an excellent story. I know this is short but I don't want to give anything away. First time reading this author and I enjoyed it very much. Lots of sex. BDSM. Crazy ex's. Edge of your seat suspense. This story will stay with you long after you've finished it