“This is something that’s all mine, and it’s filled with pleasure and more than a dash of naughtiness.”

This is my third book from this author and I really enjoy it!It was a quick and sexy read but it wasn't only this!Lacey and Stian have control issues and through the story we see how Lacey recovering and how she and Stian trying to find balance was interesting.

"I'm rough with your body sometimes, but I'll always be gentle with your soul.She bruises far more easily. "

“This is something that’s all mine, and it’s filled with pleasure and more than a dash of naughtiness.”

This is my third book from this author and I really enjoy it!It was a quick and sexy read but it wasn't only this!Lacey and Stian have control issues and through the story we see how Lacey recovering and how she and Stian trying to find balance was interesting.

"I'm rough with your body sometimes, but I'll always be gentle with your soul.She bruises far more easily. "

Control Freak starts out as what seems like an office romance but turns into something fiery, yet cathartic. The decedent cover drew me in initially, but the story within was insightful, well-paced and showed emotion as well as passion. This could have been a run of the mill BDSM story, but Stian and Lacey’s D/s relationship is so much more. This story’s main focus was Lacey’s body image issues and the very real consequences of Anorexia. I truly enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking for more from this author.

This was my first read from this author and it won't be my last. It's a well written "daddy" book but it's also more than that. There's definitely heat and don't get me wrong the chemistry and kink scenes were FANTASTIC! But for me the highlight of the book was the genuine affection that develops between the two characters and watching them grow together. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Brianna Hale, a new-to-me author, gave me pause. While Control Freak has plenty of daddy kink for all of us dirty readers, it tackled an issue that isn't commonly broached in romance books. It made me think, sympathize, and hope for a future not even the heroine could imagine. Lacey suffered from anorexia and it completely ruled her life. While other girls were worried about boys and parties and sex, she struggled with her inner voice. See, that voice was loud and prevented her from truly living. She lived under a cloud of doubt, insecurity, and feelings of inadequacy. Although it was obvious that she had no reason to feel that way, getting her to believe it was something else. That is until Stian came along...

I loved how the author created Stian. Yes, the entire age gap romance, daddy/little girl theme, and his inherent dominance were hot, but this man sincerely cared about Lacey's welfare. He wanted her to feel whole. He researched her illness and found ways to combat it. He gave her the freedom to feel at peace with herself and challenged her to escape her personal boundaries. He allowed her to taste some of the things she had denied herself and he gave her hope. He was incredible!

I do think that Lacey's eating disorder took up a lot of space and overshadowed the kinky fukry I was looking forward to, but it was handled with a ton of sensitivity. It made me realize how serious this issue is, mentally and physically, and the way it was woven in with the romance was something I don't see often. I enjoyed this author's writing and I would definitely read something from her again.

'Control freak' is aptly titled romance in more than one ways. The aspect of total control is breached on a deeper level by Ms Hale. Whether it is the fight to achieve total control over one's demons or losing it to feel free.
I was sucked right in the story. To be honest, I finished it in a single setting. The writing and mainly, plot was that engaging. Although, it was not an easy or fun read in any aspect. I haven't encountered anyone battling from eating disorders in my life. So safe to say, it worked as an eye opener. The strength and determination it takes to overcome the problem was awe inspiring.
"ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review"

(TRIGGER WARNING: Eating disorders, medical concerns, BDSM, explicit language, sexual scenes)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the ebook copy of Brianna Hale’s newest Romance novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Compared to other books I’ve read recently, this is very different. I love romances and erotica don’t get me wrong. I read Fifty Shades along with the rest of you. I’ve just been on a YA Contemporary and Fantasy kick lately so I haven’t done an Adult Romance in awhile. It was nice to get out my box for a few hundred pages.

I finished this book all in one day. I tend to gobble romance novels up very quickly – they are just so easy to read. I couldn’t put this one down, for several reasons.

This story took a young woman struggling with anorexia and placed her in the path of working as the assistant for an older, very attractive man. She has very deep-seeded mental health issues stemming from her battle with anorexia – so she is pretty vulnerable at this point. You get a very good sense of how hard she is struggling. but also trying to beat her demons. She describes her eating disorder as they other voice inside her head, that convinces her she is too overweight to be lovable. It can be a lot, especially if you struggle with something similar (as I do).

Frankly, I thought the author depicted anorexia well. I do not suffer from it, but I could relate to the body dysmorphia aspect and having that voice inside your head telling you that you aren’t good enough. It was fairly cathartic actually – but could be triggering for other.

Then you add in the aspect of a BDSM sexual relationship. Now, I’m not well versed with this, but I found that Hale did a better job of depicting it in a healthy way than Fifty Shades was. The book followed Lacey’s journey in recovery and entering into this relationship well. Obviously, there has to be a downside moment before the big ending, but I think it was done well.

Time for critiques. I docked this book 1 star for these reasons: I felt the relationship between Lacey and her boss happened too quickly and without a lot of lead up or transition. It was very quick and I feel like it could have been described better. Also, having been educated in the mental health field, I wasn’t entirely thrilled with how Lacy’s therapist’s character was portrayed. It was definitely better than most – but could be improved upon. For these reasons, I gave it a 4/5.

Happy reading, book friends!

I'm speechless.
It was a hot romance between the two main characters, starting out as an office romance and the passion is quite steamy between them.
I really enjoyed this book! It was a sexy read and I enjoyed every bit of it. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Brianna has obviously done a lot of research into eating disorders and that clearly shows in the execution of Lacey’s inner monologue. I really appreciated that the novel had some substance and was not a typical sub/dom trope.

This was my first time reading a book by this authors so I didn’t know what to expect going into this and It was great! Although it touches on some sensitive topics, it was still a steamy read to take the edge off. I really enjoyed this. I would highly recommend this book!

I thought that this was a well written book that covers a sensitive topic realistically and takes you through their emotions and feelings, as well as being a sexy book with some brilliant characters.

The author has managed to capture anguish and romance in this story and combined them to make a really good story that was well written and thoroughly enjoyable. There was plenty of chemistry in the book and I enjoyed getting to know the different characters and seeing Lacey develop.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended and will definitely be looking to read more from this author!

Life for Lacey is not easy. Every single day, in every moment of her life, she has this voice in her head shaming her. She can't stop it at all. Because of this voice, she's restricted herself to so much in life. Then she meets Stian, her new boss. With him, she ventures into a world she had no idea existed or could help shut down that voice. But the voice is always there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

I have so many conflicting feelings towards this novel. As I have mentioned before, I have friends who are basically experts at BDSM from what they share of their experiences. But I have never really read a novel that features BDSM in its entirety and it's why I'm so conflicted. One of the reasons why I'm so conflicted is that, in my brain, this act degrades women so much, and I saw that happening with Lacey and Stian. It wasn't something intentional. Stian just loves the control, loves the feeling of owning someone, owning Lacey. I know there's a fifteen-year difference in age, but at times, Lacey would feel so much more younger than that and it's why it was tough to understand what was going on between them. Overall, though, Stian did treat Lacey like a growing plant, giving her love, dedication, attention, which I loved to see. It was simply the other part that would put me off, especially with the kneeling aspect that comes with BDSM.

Then there's the part where Lacey loves these acts because that nasty Anorexia voice is contained in her brain and doesn't come out so easily. I was glad to see that the author didn't let Lacey being with Stian "fix" her Anorexia. I think I would have been mad if that had happened. I was also glad to see just how supportive Stian was in every single moment. He would ask Lacey about what was going on in her head, gave her space when she needed it, especially when it came to eating.

Guys, this book was kind of tough to read when it came to the Mental Health aspect. I've never suffered from Anorexia, but I have suffered from Major Depression Disorder, and there's always that voice in my head, telling me that going down the dark path is the best, to just end things. And I sympathized/empathized with Lacey so much. The Anorexia voice that was in Lacey's head has been in my head, shaming me, putting me down, telling me I'll never be good enough. Lacey's experience felt so real and I'm so happy the author did not shy away when it came to this aspect of Anorexia.

Overall, I was glad to read something so serious as this topic of Mental Health is and seeing it a new light I hadn't seen before. I enjoyed so much the emotional aspects of the story. I'm just not entirely sure if the dom/sub was needed? I understand, in a way, why and how it would work, but I think I could have been fine without that part in the story.

I think I went into this blind, but wow what an emotional rollercoaster!
Lacey, 25 is a recovering anorexic. She goes to therapy once a week and has a meal plan. The voice inside her head is inside a box threatening to break free and take over, but she has it under control. When her dad scores her a summer job before she continues her Masters, she can’t believe it’s this guy.
Stian, 39, Swedish and a sexy tattooed Viking in suits. He’s her new boss for the next two months and suddenly she wants him to have Control...maybe even fix her.
She likes working for him and feels better about herself. But the voice inside her head starts getting stronger when summer is over.

My heart was breaking for Lacey as she lashes out at her family, her Therapist and lies to them about what is going on with her.

This was a very good read and I understand the use of BDSM in this book. The chemistry was there.

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a wonderful and sexy read. I really enjoyed this. I would highly recommend not only this book, but this author as well!

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The handling of eating disorders is genuine and realistic which I appreciate. The romance between Stian and Lacey is really great and I liked a lot of the romance tropes this book contained.

I was surprised how much I liked this book. I think I was expecting to hate Stian at the beginning and then slowly warm up to him. Turns out I immediately took a liking to him and the way he was with Lacey. He seem to understand what she needed right away, and that made him happy to know he could help her but not take complete control of her. Lacey was pushing herself as she was guided to do, but I don't think she expected to fall for her boss quite so fast. He quieted her demon most days and she needed that from him. The love affair of these two was a slow burn, and the sex was a degree of heat like no other! This is my first Branna Hale book, and I'm intrigued now to read more of her work.

I was gifted a copy of this book from Netgally in return for my honest Feedback.

This one's for all the bdsm-daddy-dom lovers out there. The heroine is a recovering anorexic and the hero is a control freak dominant who somehow helps her out.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2847841126?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

4 stars! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review. I love all of Brianna's books.

3.5/5 - They are both control freaks...

** TRIGGER WARNING ** this story deals with eating disorders.

Stian is great I like him a lot as the Hero. He’s controlling in all the appropriate ways. Lacey is a control freak unto herself. She controls when, how, and what she eats. Lacey was cool until the 70% point. I sympathized with her and The Who anorexia thing. Then she really went CRAZY! And that’s also when I stopped liking the book.

Lacey’s brand of crazy was a little over the top. And when they moved away from Stian’s office that’s when the story got hard to digest... which I’m sure is the point. Brianna Hale writes amazingly, I love her books. This one for some reason just started bugging me.

I also had issue with the whole “subspace” situation. I get the whole : “Your kink is not my kink but your kink is ok” belief — my problem is The was its talked about. “I’m going to put you in subspace” or Lacey falls into subspace from oral sex, WHAT?!

One other thing that bothers me that authors do sometimes is include a note to the reader. Usually this in the beginning of the book or sneakily slipped in at the end when they know they most likely covered some stuff that isn’t main stream or they aren’t 100% confident about. To me it’s the “please don’t review this book negatively because... “ This book has one and it’s concerning the BDSM and eating disorder. It’s almost laughable to call this book BDSM, at most it’s light, Ms. Hale can write kink but not in the book. In my opinion the kink terminology isn’t handled appropriately.

FYI:

Oral, manual, penetrative sex. Spanking, collaring, nipple torture, and leash. Also, kneeling, forced orgasm.

* I was provided an ARC by NetGalley for a honest review

I went into this book with a preconceived notion. The blurb, the cover, led me to think I knew exactly what I was going to get. But this book was so much more than that. With layer, upon layer, of emotion this story pulled me in until my gut was twisted, my heart felt wrenched out of my chest, and my cheeks were wet with tears. And I loved every freaking moment of it!

The angst of this story is not within the relationship between Lacey and her boss, Stian. Nor is it because he is fifteen years older than her. The angst revolves around a voice in Lacey’s head. A voice that abuses her on a constant loop, a voice she has pushed firmly into a box in her mind, a voice that refuses to stay there.

I’ve never read a book with a heroine that suffers from anorexia that has struck such a chord with me as this one did. I was expecting the author’s note to share her own experiences with the disease. To know that she researched this topic to such a degree and was then able to make me feel all of Lacey’s pain, simply amazes me.

“I wish I were one of your bonsai plants,” I whisper, not looking him. “I wish I could feel like there was one reason for me to be. One thing I had to do.” I wish I had someone who understands what I need and is there for the worst parts, as he is now. “I feel different when I’m around you. I like you very much and wish you could…”

I choke the words off because I’m not treading in dangerous waters now, I’m walking right into a deep, shark-infested ocean with stones in my pocket.”

If the above topic and my jabbering on about it turns you off, stop please, because there is a deep, rich, emotional relationship that develops within the pages of this book. And it is this relationship that takes center stage.

Stian was nothing like I expected. “Control Freak”? Perhaps a bit, but not in the way I imagined. He was never harsh (other than when he first met Lacey) or mean as many dominants seem to be in the books I’ve read. He was so careful and kind, gentle and loving with everything to do with Lacey. But he also knew she needed a place and time to get out of her head. Enter the lite BDSM, spanking, and Daddy Dom/Little Girl element.

I usually get aggravated with these elements, but not so in this case. It was laid out in such beautiful symmetry with the characters both in a place to accept it and the hero never crossing a line or even attempting to do so. It was done with love and care and I couldn’t get enough of it.

This book is so much more than sex, a hero in control, or Lacey’s disease. It digs deep into the characters with all the good and the bad that makes up their psyche, and then lays them out for the reader to see. It’s very fast paced, not long in length, and never repetitive. The chemistry between the hero and heroine absolutely sizzles across the pages, and there is no push and pull. Reading this book has been an absolutely beautiful experience!