Fever: The Breathless Trilogy, Book 2

A hot mess but at least it was better than Rush...

Maya Banks is a multiple personality writer. She writes the most heart melting romantic stories like her Highlander series and her Harlequin books or kinky smut that can make a pornstar blush. I absolutely love her romantic stories but I find her kinky stories are too much for me. In Fever somehow she tried to mix those two personalities into one but it didn't convince me. Fever is a romantic melodrama with a kinky smut undertone.

Fever was better than Rush but still it was just meh for me. Too many contradictions. Jace is a dominant self made billionaire, yet he did not tell Ash he didn't want him in bed with him and Bethany. Bethany has been homeless in New York City for years and yet she is a doormat and a complete submissive? You don't survive the streets of NYC if you are a naive trusting wimp. She used drugs and sex as coping mechanisms and yet she was shy at times with Jace and had to get drunk to really loose her inhibitions? Jace was very lovey dovey at times and all of a sudden switched to: I'm the master and I want to put a collar on you and spank you with a wood paddle. Come on! This book needed some good editing.

Narration: to be fair I have to say that I do not like male narrators. And I specially dislike Adam Paul on this series. I imagine Jace as intense but the narrator makes him sound as a complete demanding jerk. And he makes Bethany sound as a lifeless wimp. I just can't feel the chemistry or the love through the narration and the sex scenes sound too perverted.

It took me two weeks to finish this audiobook and I had to force myself to finish it. If you like hot and dirty sex scenes and don't really care for a plot line that makes sense then this book is for you. It wasn't for me and I'm not sure if ill endure a third book...

14 of 16 people found this review helpful

It was hot but implausible

I feel I need more categories to rate:

Hot scenes: 5 because OMG the lady can write some good ones!

Writing flow and style: 4 there were several lines used again and again by th main characters so that bugged me, but the story arc went well.

Premise: 0...yes ZERO! I get the whole love at first site concept, and have applauded it in multiple books but in this book we are suppose to believe that first a catering company hired to cater an Engagement party for a millionaire who co owns the hotel the party is being held in...somehow had a homeless person as a waitress? Because high end catering companies frequently employ random people with no background checks for high end parties...and how does someone who is homeless for 4 years in NYC come even close to being not ill and not have any diseases? Oh, and is clean enough and well shaven to have a threesome and no comment is ever made? So the premise is totally absurd! Then this strong willed person who has what it takes to survive is a full on submissive???? Just thankful not to be homeless anymore so she looses all her fight and drive and is happy to be a full submissive from practically day one? Again, totally absurd that a person who has survived on the streets for 4 years would cede control nearly immediately, no trust issues?

I get that the poor girl waitress finds rich guy bit has been done to death and Mrs. Banks didn't want to go there but it's just an absurd premise...oh did I mention that the female lead came into play seconds after Jace told his sister that he was likely never settling down? The absurdity of the premise kind of ruined the book for me, hope Ash's story is a bit more real.

14 of 16 people found this review helpful

Finally! Maya is back on track here!

This was soooo much better than book 1. This is more of a Maya Banks book I am use too...

Jace, Mia brother from book 1, and his friend Ash usually have 3some... but this time...they have one with a homeless Bethany and Jace falls in love. The raw emotion of this book was so great. Jace and Bethany relationship seem so real... like if a billionaire was to fall in love with a homeless girl...what would they do. Well this book is it. I simply loved it.

Bethany was a very strong character surprisingly... even though she was homeless, she didn't want charity, she had major trust issues and she had someone on the streets she cared about... So good right? Jace's overbearing and controlling ways seem to work out for the couple, but I love how it wasn't a "Pretty Woman' flawless love affair. Like I said... Maya Banks got back on track with this book... b/c book 1 was soooo not Maya Banks style...

I must say... the end got a little sappy with all the I love you so much... when Bethy is.... well when Bethy is not feeling well... I will just say that... I was like really, Ok... we get it... You love each other forever!!! But other than that... Nice re-tracking for the series!

Narration was great. Paul did a great job...even better than book 1!!!! This whole book was better than book 1 in the series by leaps and bounds. And the smexin in this book was just... 'Fan yourself'!

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Train Wreck!!!

I really wish I could give this book more than just 2 stars. I love Maya Banks – I have listened to many of her books. However, I just can’t bring myself to give this book a positive review. The narrator was terrible no personality, I could have fallen asleep. The male roll in this book uses of the word baby made me sick after the 100000 he used it. I just could not get into this one. The poor me female roll did not work for me. train wreck!!!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Ewww....just too creepy for me

I really wish I could give this book more than just 2 stars. I love Maya Banks – she is the queen of Erotica in my opinion. However, I just can’t bring myself to give this book a positive review. Ugh! There was too much “creep factor” in this story for me to just enjoy it. I know, it’s fiction/fantasy and the point is to escape into the story. Somehow I just couldn’t do it.

*Spoilers*

The imbalance of power between Bethany and Jace really didn’t work for me. He is rich, powerful and dominant but she is homeless, starving and doesn’t own a thing (not even a winter coat). I’m ok with him wanting to take care of her, but I just couldn’t get past the thought that she was having sex with him for food. It was just too creepy for me. There has to be some level of equality for the whole dom/sub thing to work. (IMHO)

I didn’t really care for the submissive thing to extend past the bedroom either. Jace wanted to take over her whole life in a matter of a few days. It just screamed “abusive relationship”. The whole thing just made me too uncomfortable. I’m not sure why this particular book didn’t work for me knowing I’ve enjoyed others with very similar themes??

Overall, it wasn’t entirely bad. I did at least finish the book.

Sorry Maya fans, but I just can't recommend this one.

20 of 25 people found this review helpful

Painful listen

Preface: I normally truly enjoy Maya Banks' books. I loved "Rush," the first book in this series. I was looking forward to this sequel, and was already intrigued by the male lead and the potential for another GREAT read. I am generally empathetic and sympathetic to characters with emotional baggage, and I do NOT enjoy writing negative feedback. That said...

I found both the wildly exaggerated, stereotypical depictions of the poor innocent little destitute "victimized-by-the-big-mean-evil-rich-greedy society" female lead ("Bethany"), to be PAINFULLY, *stupidly/immaturely* gullible, irresponsible waif literally PAINFUL to endure. I repeatedly found myself exclaiming, "Oh, for F's sake!" and PRAYING that Jace would just WALK AWAY from Bethany. I don't want to believe that there is a significant target market of readers naive enough to find this melodramatically pathetic female lead or the plot appealing. It was nauseating. Gah. Maya can do SO MUCH BETTER than this.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Intense whirlwind

Would you consider the audio edition of Fever to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narrator did an excellent job portraying the characters and events.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fever?

When Bethany walked out on Jace and waited in the rain determined to have her stay after almost taking the pill. When the realization of it all hit Jace .

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Intense emotion, struggle against the odds and fairy tales and dreams do sometime come true for real people.

Any additional comments?

Great story worth the wait. Jace deserves someone special in his life. Can't wait for Ash.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

IT'S NOT A FEVER ...... IT WAS JUST SOOO H H H HOT

Great continuation the the Breathless trilogy and it has everything we expect from Ms Banks books - a troublesome romance, some really dishy alpha men, flawed characters who grow into likeable ones, an interesting plot a lovely tortured romance AND some really hot n heavy love scenes (I think she outdid herself with this one - (a ménage and bdsm).

Yes, as previously mentioned, certain aspects weren't really plausible but in it's defence that's why it's in the Fiction section and it must be said that, on the whole, most of us listen to these books for the pure escapism factor which this one delivers to us by the spadeful. I for one will happily carry on listening to her books for the simple enjoyment factor not giving a thought if the catering staff have green cards or if the driver has his licence - who cares!!!

Worth a credit? It definitely would have been a YES but (and I hate repeating this and boring you - so if you've read my comments before then just skip this bit) if a book's under $10 then I just buy it and keep my credit for a more expensive, but no more worthy, listen.

13 of 17 people found this review helpful

Darker version of Pretty Woman

I like Rush way better then Fever. I felt like the 2 books where way too similiar and I can't stand complete repetitiveness and I felt like that is what was going on here. It is clear that the trilogy is about 3 best friends/ business partners with sexual deviant kinks finding their one true love. Right there it already reminds of Fifty Shades of Grey. In Rush it was Gabe falling for his business partner's (Jace) much younger sister and the boss/secretary scenes in that book were pretty hot. In Fever it is Jace falling for Bethany who is in very unfortunate circumstances and who is even younger then his own sister. What majorily cools my jets in this book is that 1) Jace says the exact same stuff that Gabe does during sex. 2) Bethany's circumstances, I felt the connection was made to Jace out of dire need for survival other then just falling in love. Dealing with a forced threesome, homelessness, drugs, and drunk sex is not at all hot to me. This is definately not one of my Maya Banks favorites.

I'm so-so on the credit, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I recommend her Highlander's series, they're my favorite of Maya Banks.

7 of 9 people found this review helpful

Modern day Cinderella story with a touch of BDSM

Based on reviews I didn’t get the first book in this series, but I don’t feel I missed out by not getting it. In saying that, based on reviews I got this one and I did enjoy it. It was a great escape into Bethany's and Jace's world.

Bethany has had such a hard life and she has nothing. Jace is a powerful, wealthy man. The instant he sees Bethany he knows that she is different than any woman he has ever met and he intends for her to belong to him. Now only if he can convince her that she is good enough for him. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions with some hot sex thrown in.

If you’re a fan of Maya’s then you know her books have erotic content and this is no exception. I agree with fellow reviewers in the opinion that this was well worth my credit.

11 of 15 people found this review helpful