REVIEW: Worth the Wait (Nature of Desire, Book 9) by Joey W Hill

Is he worth the heartbreak? At nearly forty, Julie isn’t so sure she’ll ever find a man who is, so she’s vowed that all her big 4-0 decisions will have zip to do with relationships. A successful theater manager, she agrees to travel to North Carolina and help a friend put her erotic performance theater on its feet. Julie has always been curious and drawn to the BDSM world, and now she can safely explore that world in the environment she knows best.

Desmond Hayes is the roofing contractor repairing their rundown theater building, but he’s also a rigger, well-known in the BDSM world for his rope artistry. He’s not just a top, though; he’s a Dom whose unexpected quirks mesh too well with Julie’s eccentric personality and awaken her submissive side.  

From the time he was born, Des has been fighting the odds against him. Because of that, he’s kept his relationships inside the BDSM scene, with clear boundaries. While Julie has almost given up on finding a person worth loving through better or worse—or pleasure and pain—Des never expected to receive that gift. 

He’s not letting that treasure get away—no matter how much rope he has to use to bind her to him.

Read Chapter One and find buy links HERE - http://storywitch.com/book-nod-wtw

“Joey translates the world of BDSM with such intense power and exquisite beauty. LOVE is the most powerful element entwined through the Dominance and submission.”  --Goodreads, Pink Lady Reviews

REVIEW

RATING:

I’ll start by saying that I don’t often venture into BDSM land with my romance reads. While I can understand the underlying needs behind the dynamics, some stories are beyond my comfort zone. Having said that, when I do venture into this subgenre, I know I can rely on Goodreads friends’ recommendations, and I’m telling you now, Joey cannot come any more highly recommended. So while this is my first Joey read for me, her work is quite familiar to me already. Guess it was high time to pull up my big girl knickers. Plus I was told this is one of her “mild” ones. Oh, and that it's a standalone. So I was more than ok with that. Scratch that, I was beyond stoked.

This is such a beautiful story of how the relationship built between Julie and Des. They’re not in their 20's anymore so they both have experienced enough. Julie, who’s been burnt enough in the past, carries with her enough baggage and insecurities when it comes to finding love. Des, who’s had to deal with health issues more than most, has set emotional walls to protect himself. But when these two found each other, Julie was willing enough to acknowledge her insecurities and put it aside to give love a chance and Des was willing enough to acknowledge that there are things that you can’t just control and that there can be one person worth breaking down his walls for.

I took my sweet time reading this not because I was engaged but more because I wanted to savor the pages, whether I admit it or not. With all the internal processing from the MCs, there felt like a good amount of heavy silence, and with that silence, what came to mind is something I learned in one of my personal development courses; that sometimes, it’s good for silence to do the heavy lifting. And that’s what I felt Joey did. In doing so, I then ended up internalizing some of the characters’ emotions and therefore moving me in ways I didn’t anticipate.

Joey’s writing is vivid and simply stunning. The emotions were far from contrite. There is sincerity to the lines that causes pause to smile. The heat in the story, which is thru the roof, without a doubt, enhances the feelings that the characters are trying to convey. The other characters that support the MCs are just as fleshed out (I'm looking forward to getting to know Marcus and Thomas better). I really appreciate how parts of the story are tinged with spirituality in a deferential manner and without being patronizing. It had the right amount of levity and the more serious events makes one appreciate what truly matters in life. 

I am getting teary-eyed just writing this perhaps because part of Des’ life hits really close to home. I know what it felt like to be Julie during his operation, even though we didn’t have the same role. And I’m glad how Joey acknowledged in the end some of the medical liberties taken for the sake of moving the story. That in itself was respectful, I thought. For that, I thank you.

So for my first Joey read, I’d say this is more than a winner. Now I understand the praises that friends sing everytime Joey’s name is mentioned. I wholeheartedly agree!

WANT TO READ HOW WORTH THE WAIT BEGINS?

FREE CHAPTER ONE: http://storywitch.com/book-nod-wtw

An RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award recipient in Erotic Romance, Joey W. Hill has well over thirty titles available in contemporary and paranormal erotic romance. Her characters include everything from vampires, mermaids, witches and angels, to boardroom executives, cops and simple housemaids. 

Free excerpts from all her works are available at www.storywitch.com, and additional vignettes, character interviews and graphics inspired by the work are at the fan forum site, accessible via www.storywitch.com/community. Subscribe to her newsletter from her home page and receive the latest info about appearances and releases. 

Though much of her work is BDSM, she has built her reputation on award-winning romances with absorbing characters who not only attract fans of the genre, but readers who would "never" read BDSM romance. "Whatever genre you're writing, if the characters are compelling and sympathetic, the readers are going to want to see what happens to them. It can be the coolest storyline ever, but if the reader could care less whether the hero or heroine survive (in fact, in some cases they may be rooting for their destruction just so they can be done with the darn thing), then it's not a story worth reading."

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie