ARC Review: Need by Sherri Hayes

I am totally hooked on this series! Sherri Hayes can’t write these fast enough for me. How long do I have to wait until the third one? And YES, there is going to be a third one or I will personally picket Ms. Haye’s house until she writes it! You have been warned Ms. Hayes!

Brianna is such a strong and brave woman. She has suffered through so much and yet her will to live and fight has remained strong. Stephan finding her was a stroke of luck and he’s absolutely perfect for her!

One of the things I really like about this story is how things do not just magically happen for any of them. I find myself often complaining that things happen too easily for the characters in many of the stories. That is not the case in the Brianna series. Brianna has to fight for every step forward she makes, and it’s not always a forward progression. She suffers setbacks periodically. This holds true to how things happen in real life.

Stephan is surprisingly mature for his age and manages to provide the things Brianna needs, both physically and emotionally. He continues to push her boundaries but he does it in a caring and methodical manner. Stephan will sometimes ask Brianna to do something without explaining his reasoning to her, at least at first. This does a couple of things, one it requires Brianna to trust him, two it keeps the reader slightly off kilter, as the reasoning is not immediately clear. I like that!

There were several things that really appealed to me about this book. The first was the introduction of Cal Ross to the story. His previous connection to Brianna is proving interesting. I’m extremely curious to see what happens with this in the future. I like that Brianna has Lily to turn to and ask questions. Having someone other than your lover/boyfriend/savior to talk to and ask questions is essential. I also really like Tom. Yes, I know he’s the doorman/security at the penthouse building, but he makes me think of a father figure (I’m assuming age here). He’s taken a liking to Brianna and is very protective of her. I definitely think Brianna needs all the protection she can get, without the smothering. I also really like that as protective and possessive of Brianna as Stephan is, he’s pushing her to become independent and encouraging her to find her own voice.

SPOILER ALERT: Stephan and Brianna finally had sex and it was the sweetest thing. Stephan made sure she was comfortable, relaxed, and enjoying herself. I was completely enthralled by it. I’m hoping sometime in the near future, we can move beyond sweet and get it to HOT HOT HOT!

We’re once again left with questions. We still don’t know exactly why Brianna’s father played a part in her enslavement, although we are closer to knowing why. Knowing why will not ever tell HOW IN THE WORLD HE COULD DO IT TO HIS CHILD??? I’m horrified that any person could do this to another human being. But to do this to your OWN CHILD is pure evil. I’m hoping against hope that it’s all a big misunderstanding and he didn’t really do it.  The last question, or action rather, that better happen is Ian better get his! (Insert really bad words to describe Ian here).

One thing about this series that I waffle on is the speed at which things happen. While I like that things are not easy and happen overly quickly for Brianna and Stephan, I sometimes want the pace picked up a little. I know it’s contradictory but it’s just the way I am!

Ms. Hayes has left us with a HUGE cliffhanger and the only thing that pisses me off about it (because we all know I love cliffhangers) is I have to wait only who know how long until the next one comes out! You better get cracking Ms. Hayes!