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Stripped #2
Better When It Hurts
A forbidden romance about pain that binds us together...
Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy.
And my foster brother.
Now he's back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It's payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.
"Better When it Hurts is an intense and heartbreakingly beautiful story. I couldn't read fast enough to see what would happen next with Blue and Lola. A definite 5 star read for sure!"
~ Jenika Snow, USA Today bestselling author
****************
BETTER WHEN IT HURTS is a full-length bad boy romance novel that does stand alone.
Fair warning: Blue is a cruel bastard and a dirty talker!
Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy.
And my foster brother.
Now he's back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It's payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.
"Better When it Hurts is an intense and heartbreakingly beautiful story. I couldn't read fast enough to see what would happen next with Blue and Lola. A definite 5 star read for sure!"
~ Jenika Snow, USA Today bestselling author
****************
BETTER WHEN IT HURTS is a full-length bad boy romance novel that does stand alone.
Fair warning: Blue is a cruel bastard and a dirty talker!
204 pages, ebook
First published June 3, 2015
793 people are currently reading
2710 people want to read
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August 15, 2017
★★★★! Better When It Hurts (duet), book 2 of 3. Young lovers were separated by lies & deceit only to years later be confronted with it!
“His tongue feels foreign and impossibly good, my whole body suspended between ache and orgasm.”
Books in Stripped series are stand-alones, but most enjoyed if read in order:
Book 0.5: Tough Love - Giovanni $ Clara
Book 1: Love The Way You Lie - Kip & Honor
Book 2: Better When It Hurts - Blue & Lola
Book 2.5: Even Better - Blue & Lola
Book 3: Pretty When You Cry - Cry & Candy
Better When It Hurts (part 1 in duet) opens up to another night at work for stripper, Hannah Bowman aka Lola. And yet again she finds herself rescued by the Club’s head of security Blue Eastman, Blue.
Being around Blue and his watchful eyes makes Lola nervous. She is convinced he has sought her out for revenge. It turns out Blue and Lola have a rocky past to unfold with story.
Soon Lola finds herself owing Blue a night of sex. With past deceit and hurt will they be able to sort out their differences? It’s a journey of truths, forgiveness and coming to terms with one’s past.
Blue Eastman, Blue wrapped himself around my heart. Seven words to describe Blue: Mysterious, observant, noble, forgiving, sweet, sexy and a dirty-talker.
“The only person who’s going to mark this pretty skin is me.”
Hannah Bowman aka Lola has a long journey of coming to terms with her past, it took her a long time to own her mistakes which allowed for lots of personal growth. Seven words to describe Hannah: conflicted, broken, damaged, insecure, ashamed, impressionable and redeemable.
“I don’t want to be gorgeous or sexy. I want to be loved.”
Better When It Hurts is told from Lola’s POV and offers a mixture of sex, romance, self-reflection, growth and above all forgiveness. Story has a great ending., but their story continues with an extended epilogue in book 2.5, Even Better .
Excellent story-telling! Sizzling sex scenes! Engaging plot!
“He’s everything I loved and everything I’ve come to hate”
***
Hero rating: 4 stars
Heroine rating: 4 stars
Sexual tension rating: 4 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4 stars
Storytelling rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: 4 stars
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 4 stars
Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
June 12, 2015
“Better When it Hurts” is the second installment in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. While I enjoyed book1, I loved this one and I can say for sure it was way much better than the previous book. IMO every aspect of the story was more developed. This second installment was raw and gritty, griping and intense, sexy and even emotional at times and it had the perfect amount of angst and smut to keep me interested from start to finish.
“Better When it Hurts” tells the story of Blue and Hannah/Lola, characters we met in the first installment. Blue works at a bouncer at the strip club ‘The Grand’ and Lola is a stripper. They have a history, knowing each other since they were kids when grew up together in foster care. For some time they were brother and sister, living in the same house, until everything change between them when they fell for each other. They were separated when Lola, forced by certain circumstances to lied and Blue was sent away. She had a good reason, but Blue didn’t know and still doesn’t know the truth.
Now they work together and Lola just knows Blue is back for revenge. He is after her, hating her and wanting to destroy her.
“My heart speeds up every time I turn away from him, wondering if this is the time he’ll pounce. One of these times, he’s going to dig into me with his teeth and his claws. He’s going to hurt me, and I’m not sure I’ll survive it.”
The story is told entirely from Hannah/Lola’s pov, but I have to say her pov was enough not only to understand her character, but Blue’s character as well. What I really liked about these characters is the fact that both of them are so flawed. They know who they are and they are aware of the fact that not everything they did was good and everything they did was because they wanted to survive.
“We were both cast out of society long before we thought to leave, both told we were wrong before we knew what was right.”
Lola is a great, tough heroine. At least for the most part. She’s a fighter and a survivor. She doesn’t love what she does for a living, but she accepted it a long time ago. At times she feels sordid, but she have to survive, especially since she lives with her former foster mother who suffer from dementia, caring for her as much as she can.
Blue is the hero/antihero of this novel and he’s a character you will love to hate. He’s a flawed , damage man who’s convinced he will heal someway if he makes Lola pay for what she did years ago. Mrs. Warren did a fantastic job portraying and also developing his character. He’s not very easy to like, at least in the beginning. He’s focused and calm and at times he’s cruel with Lola, but he’s always looking for her, trying to protect her from everything and everyone who might hurt her. What I really loved about him is how vulnerable and honest he is.
“He looks like an avenging angel, and I’m the devil who needs to be slayed.”
Lola is right to think Blue is after her. He wants to make her pay and he knows the best way he can do that – offering him her body. Lola is hesitant at first, but she eventually accepts to spend some time between the sheets with Blue. Their push and pull relationship is well done and I really felt these characters’ struggling to accept the fact that the spark and chemistry between them is still there after all these years.
“Having him gone feels like a loss. Will I always feel this conflicted about him? Will I always want to push him away and then miss him when he’s gone?”
The sex scenes are off the charts, intense, filthy and every one of them will leave you wanting more.
If you’re looking for something raw and gritty, yet sexy as hell, with two well developed main characters and intense storyline, I really recommend this one.
August 2, 2015
Type: Standalone book 2 of Stripped series
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Hannah Bowman grew up as a foster kid. Being shipped from home to home taught her one thing. If she wanted something, she had to be willing to deal an exchange. Now all grown up, she became Lola, a stripper at The Grand, using her body the way she knew very well.
Blue Eastman was the head security of The Grand. Five years before, he and Lola lived with the same foster family. They used to love each other until the day she betrayed him. Now he’s back expecting to collect on the accrued debt in the only method he desired. A deal was brokered – it would either heal them, or break them.
Better When It Hurts was certainly different than the first book in the series. This once centered on the notion of guilt and revenge, with slightly darker and more angsty tone.
Blue was shady character in the previous book and it took some effort for me to warm up to him in this one, which is a little weird because I’m usually like a moth to a flame when it comes to unscrupulous characters.
He was a self-righteous prick who thought it was his god given right to take whatever he wanted from Lola. Granted, she screwed him in the past, but he was so cold towards her considering they had a past.
But on the flip side, it was exactly the thing that made this book so damn hot! The raw and gritty, semi-consensual sex scenes could definitely burn a hole in your panties. His animosity towards her added to the tension in the story.
Lola was a strong female character with but a major vulnerability when it comes to Blue. She ended up as stripper because it helped paid the bills – even just barely - because she felt responsible to others. It was the thing that made her agreed to the deal with Blue.
Her guilt played a big part in her acceptance of Blue’s “punishment”. There were parts where I wanted to slap her around for not having the guts to stand up in what she believed in.
I love the story overall, but one thing I felt incomplete was the question of Blue’s wealth. It was brought up, but wasn’t really explained/elaborated. I also wish there was more characters’ physical descriptions.
I am definitely looking forward to Candy and Ivan’s story and wonder which direction that one is going to take. I’m sure Skye Warren will do justice to them.
P.S.:
I’ve read plenty of stripper books and one thing I’d like to see in such books is for the character not only chose and enjoyed being a stripper, but also stayed in the business even when she/he was in a stable relationship - for the love of the “art”.
Note:
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Previous books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Hannah Bowman grew up as a foster kid. Being shipped from home to home taught her one thing. If she wanted something, she had to be willing to deal an exchange. Now all grown up, she became Lola, a stripper at The Grand, using her body the way she knew very well.
Blue Eastman was the head security of The Grand. Five years before, he and Lola lived with the same foster family. They used to love each other until the day she betrayed him. Now he’s back expecting to collect on the accrued debt in the only method he desired. A deal was brokered – it would either heal them, or break them.
Better When It Hurts was certainly different than the first book in the series. This once centered on the notion of guilt and revenge, with slightly darker and more angsty tone.
I’m just the tease he needs to fuck to forget, the bitch he needs to punish. I’m the sentence, and this night, this is a period.
Blue was shady character in the previous book and it took some effort for me to warm up to him in this one, which is a little weird because I’m usually like a moth to a flame when it comes to unscrupulous characters.
He was a self-righteous prick who thought it was his god given right to take whatever he wanted from Lola. Granted, she screwed him in the past, but he was so cold towards her considering they had a past.
But on the flip side, it was exactly the thing that made this book so damn hot! The raw and gritty, semi-consensual sex scenes could definitely burn a hole in your panties. His animosity towards her added to the tension in the story.
I feel degraded. It’s just a natural state for me, as easy as breathing. But there are a few seconds when the entire room is looking at me, panting over me, desiring me—and I feel like a goddess. Those seconds make what’s about to happen bearable.
Lola was a strong female character with but a major vulnerability when it comes to Blue. She ended up as stripper because it helped paid the bills – even just barely - because she felt responsible to others. It was the thing that made her agreed to the deal with Blue.
Her guilt played a big part in her acceptance of Blue’s “punishment”. There were parts where I wanted to slap her around for not having the guts to stand up in what she believed in.
I love the story overall, but one thing I felt incomplete was the question of Blue’s wealth. It was brought up, but wasn’t really explained/elaborated. I also wish there was more characters’ physical descriptions.
I am definitely looking forward to Candy and Ivan’s story and wonder which direction that one is going to take. I’m sure Skye Warren will do justice to them.
P.S.:
I’ve read plenty of stripper books and one thing I’d like to see in such books is for the character not only chose and enjoyed being a stripper, but also stayed in the business even when she/he was in a stable relationship - for the love of the “art”.
Note:
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Previous books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
June 1, 2015
5 Angsty Love-versus-Hate Stars!
Better When It Hurts sucked me in hook, line, and sinker within the first few pages. Here's the preface and I'll let you decide why...
A forbidden romance about pain that binds us together… Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy. And my foster brother. Now he's back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It's payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.
I knew right away that this was a book I'd read in one sitting. That's not real conducive to my current life schedule but sleep be damned, I DID read it in a day (good thing it was shorter). It is the second book in the series, but it can really be read as a standalone. I liked the first book, Love the Way You Lie, but I freaking LOVED this. Skye Warren sets us up with a series that's definitely got some darkness, heroes that are a bit on the anti-hero side, and heroines that haven't had the easiest chances at life and are just trying to make due with the cards they've been dealt. On to the review...
Better When It Hurts depicts the story of Blue and Lola. Blue is a surly, massive bouncer at the strip club The Grand, where Lola is a stripper. We knew the two had some kind of history from reading book one, but had no clue how deep that history went. They were both kids in the foster system growing up. Foster siblings for a time- until the day Lola lied and had Blue sent away. Now he's back- for his revenge.....
Lola is one of the toughest yet emotionally scarred heroines I've read in a really long time. I won't go into details on what she endures during all those years in the foster care system, but she does whatever she can do to survive. Unfortunately, this continues throughout life for Lola....
Lola and Blue's history is complicated at best. Before she betrayed him, he was one of the only people she's ever truly loved and trusted. Since then, her motto in life is self preservation. She lives with her former foster mom who suffers from dementia. Working as a stripper provides her the cash to pay for her dialysis and all their other bills. She constructs walls, a core, so thick, the johns at the club can't begin to penetrate it but Blue is another story...
Some part of me is made of steel- a small, dark part. I'm a metal pipe covered in blood at my core.
Blue... his aspect of the book is what I devoured. Without the book even being in his POV, I was completely ensnared in his draw. He's clearly a man scorned. A man that feels Lola owes him for what she did. He wants his piece...yah. He wants her. For what she did, he deserves the chance to f*ck the hate away.
I do have to admit, Blue could be one cold bastard. But the reader feels his constant state of confusion between his deep-seated hatred towards Lola for the events five years ago...versus his insane lust for his first true love that was lost as a teenager.
“You’re going to walk down that hall and go inside my apartment. Then you’re going to strip. I don’t need to watch. I see you do that any night of the week. What I want is what comes after. You. On the couch. Facedown, ass in the air, ready to take whatever I give you.”
The plot-line is trickle fed, making the reader anxiously turn page after page trying to understand the events of five years ago. As much baggage as these two scorned, scarred people have, I couldn't help but to hope for a second chance at love between them. They both deserved their happily-ever-after. Together.
Better When It Hurts is the second book in the Stripped Series and is best read in order although it's NOT required. I'm looking forward to the next book with Candace and Ivan, the owner of The Grand. That man is one enigma.
In prep for this book's release on Thursday June 4, our blog is giving away a SIGNED PAPERBACK of Book one, Love the Way You Lie. Click FB link below to enter. Giveaway ends June 4th.
Advanced copy received by author in exchange for my honest review.
Better When It Hurts sucked me in hook, line, and sinker within the first few pages. Here's the preface and I'll let you decide why...
A forbidden romance about pain that binds us together… Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy. And my foster brother. Now he's back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It's payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.
I knew right away that this was a book I'd read in one sitting. That's not real conducive to my current life schedule but sleep be damned, I DID read it in a day (good thing it was shorter). It is the second book in the series, but it can really be read as a standalone. I liked the first book, Love the Way You Lie, but I freaking LOVED this. Skye Warren sets us up with a series that's definitely got some darkness, heroes that are a bit on the anti-hero side, and heroines that haven't had the easiest chances at life and are just trying to make due with the cards they've been dealt. On to the review...
Better When It Hurts depicts the story of Blue and Lola. Blue is a surly, massive bouncer at the strip club The Grand, where Lola is a stripper. We knew the two had some kind of history from reading book one, but had no clue how deep that history went. They were both kids in the foster system growing up. Foster siblings for a time- until the day Lola lied and had Blue sent away. Now he's back- for his revenge.....
Lola is one of the toughest yet emotionally scarred heroines I've read in a really long time. I won't go into details on what she endures during all those years in the foster care system, but she does whatever she can do to survive. Unfortunately, this continues throughout life for Lola....
Lola and Blue's history is complicated at best. Before she betrayed him, he was one of the only people she's ever truly loved and trusted. Since then, her motto in life is self preservation. She lives with her former foster mom who suffers from dementia. Working as a stripper provides her the cash to pay for her dialysis and all their other bills. She constructs walls, a core, so thick, the johns at the club can't begin to penetrate it but Blue is another story...
Some part of me is made of steel- a small, dark part. I'm a metal pipe covered in blood at my core.
Blue... his aspect of the book is what I devoured. Without the book even being in his POV, I was completely ensnared in his draw. He's clearly a man scorned. A man that feels Lola owes him for what she did. He wants his piece...yah. He wants her. For what she did, he deserves the chance to f*ck the hate away.
I do have to admit, Blue could be one cold bastard. But the reader feels his constant state of confusion between his deep-seated hatred towards Lola for the events five years ago...versus his insane lust for his first true love that was lost as a teenager.
“You’re going to walk down that hall and go inside my apartment. Then you’re going to strip. I don’t need to watch. I see you do that any night of the week. What I want is what comes after. You. On the couch. Facedown, ass in the air, ready to take whatever I give you.”
The plot-line is trickle fed, making the reader anxiously turn page after page trying to understand the events of five years ago. As much baggage as these two scorned, scarred people have, I couldn't help but to hope for a second chance at love between them. They both deserved their happily-ever-after. Together.
Better When It Hurts is the second book in the Stripped Series and is best read in order although it's NOT required. I'm looking forward to the next book with Candace and Ivan, the owner of The Grand. That man is one enigma.
In prep for this book's release on Thursday June 4, our blog is giving away a SIGNED PAPERBACK of Book one, Love the Way You Lie. Click FB link below to enter. Giveaway ends June 4th.
Advanced copy received by author in exchange for my honest review.
February 19, 2021
“Hannah, you and me, we have unfinished business.”
Reread 2/18/2021 for the 100th or so time.
I have read this book so many times I've lost count. I'm not sure why this book is my favorite by Skye Warren but it completely clicks with me. It's not OTT in any way, shape, or form. It feels the most realistic out of all the books I've read from her, and because of this it's the most emotionally moving I've read from her as well. There's a delicious as well as complicated frisson between Blue & Hannah that has me compelled each time I come back to this book.
I feel authors often struggle with hate to love stories. Here Skye Warren gave Blue a legitimate reason to well, if maybe not quite hate Hannah, a reason to resent her. Hell, if I had been Blue I would have been pissed too and wanted answers. I loved how Skye Warren slowly revealed the why behind Hannah's actions, which left me wondering as the story continued why she had done that to Blue. For this reason, I think the prequel, Heartbreak, is best read after Better When It Hurts. It's simply an expansion on all the flashbacks within Better When It Hurts, and if I had read the prequel it would have dampened the suspense the slow reveal of the flashbacks provided.
The sex was scorching hot. It hit on many of my sweet spots - the level of dirty talk, degradation, humiliation, domination, possessiveness, & protectiveness - was just right.
Reread 2/18/2021 for the 100th or so time.
I have read this book so many times I've lost count. I'm not sure why this book is my favorite by Skye Warren but it completely clicks with me. It's not OTT in any way, shape, or form. It feels the most realistic out of all the books I've read from her, and because of this it's the most emotionally moving I've read from her as well. There's a delicious as well as complicated frisson between Blue & Hannah that has me compelled each time I come back to this book.
“Are you going to hurt me?” I whisper.
“And ruin the surprise?” he asks mildly.
My jaw clenches tight. My eyes shut too. “I’ve never been a fan of surprises.”
“No,” he says thoughtfully. “I can’t say that I’m a fan either.”
I cringe knowing he’s thinking of that awful night.
“So I’ll tell you the answer,” he says,“Yes, you’ll probably be hurt tonight.”
I feel authors often struggle with hate to love stories. Here Skye Warren gave Blue a legitimate reason to well, if maybe not quite hate Hannah, a reason to resent her. Hell, if I had been Blue I would have been pissed too and wanted answers. I loved how Skye Warren slowly revealed the why behind Hannah's actions, which left me wondering as the story continued why she had done that to Blue. For this reason, I think the prequel, Heartbreak, is best read after Better When It Hurts. It's simply an expansion on all the flashbacks within Better When It Hurts, and if I had read the prequel it would have dampened the suspense the slow reveal of the flashbacks provided.
“We aren’t here to talk,” I whisper.
“We can do both,” he says, but I already hear the lust in his voice. I already feel it creeping over his curiosity like thick, choking vines.
“This isn’t about catching up,” I say. “It’s about saying goodbye.”
His breath catches, and then he’s turning me over, spreading me wide, agreeing without words that this will be over soon. That the truth would only hurt us both. That some secrets are better left unspoken.
The sex was scorching hot. It hit on many of my sweet spots - the level of dirty talk, degradation, humiliation, domination, possessiveness, & protectiveness - was just right.
“What you do to me,” he mutters, and it doesn’t sound like a compliment.
Only when his cock is in my hands, bared and dripping wet, does he speak again. “I thought I could fuck you and not feel anything again. I thought I could have you and forget you. But that was impossible from the start. I’ve never been able to forget you. And you make me feel everything, Lola. You make me feel alive.”
November 12, 2015
This was an incredible book. Ms. Skye Warren did a wonderful job of keeping me on the edge of my seat.
Better When it Hurts
is deliciously dark and spectacularly raw and gritty. Everything I love in books was delivered in unique and mesmerizing way that totally blown me away.
This book is the heart wrenching romance of Lola and Blue, two broken souls who share a dark and painful past. The book explores the subjects of adoption, foster homes, abuse and troubled teenagers. Lola and Blue meet again today in a strip club where Lola works as a stripper and Blue as a bodyguard. Blue still loves her and desires her sexually even though she betrayed him in the past. He wants to take revenge though, to hurt her back and humiliate her. Lola lives a lonely life, struggling to support herself and her foster mother. She still loves the bad boy of her childhood but her “betrayal” and his hate for her have made her sink into self-pity, low self esteem and isolation.
This isn’t a pretty love story. This is about the deep love between two people who hate to love each other. But, are love and hate really all that different? Love and hate are two sides to the same coin: passion. And the chemistry between Lola and Blue is passionate, desirous, explosive!! In a sick twisted way... they hate and love each other at the same time, unconditionally!
This book is heart wrenching, twisted, intense, super emotional and highly evocative. Well written and captivating, I couldn't help but read this in just one sitting.
Can two broken souls fix each other? Love and hate are intertwined, Blue wants to break and hurt her. He’s filled with anger and wants to dominate, to know that Lola is left with her heart smashed like his. To get over the hatred or pain they must hit rock bottom , before they can pull themselves up and fix the broken dream.
This book is the heart wrenching romance of Lola and Blue, two broken souls who share a dark and painful past. The book explores the subjects of adoption, foster homes, abuse and troubled teenagers. Lola and Blue meet again today in a strip club where Lola works as a stripper and Blue as a bodyguard. Blue still loves her and desires her sexually even though she betrayed him in the past. He wants to take revenge though, to hurt her back and humiliate her. Lola lives a lonely life, struggling to support herself and her foster mother. She still loves the bad boy of her childhood but her “betrayal” and his hate for her have made her sink into self-pity, low self esteem and isolation.
This isn’t a pretty love story. This is about the deep love between two people who hate to love each other. But, are love and hate really all that different? Love and hate are two sides to the same coin: passion. And the chemistry between Lola and Blue is passionate, desirous, explosive!! In a sick twisted way... they hate and love each other at the same time, unconditionally!
This book is heart wrenching, twisted, intense, super emotional and highly evocative. Well written and captivating, I couldn't help but read this in just one sitting.
Can two broken souls fix each other? Love and hate are intertwined, Blue wants to break and hurt her. He’s filled with anger and wants to dominate, to know that Lola is left with her heart smashed like his. To get over the hatred or pain they must hit rock bottom , before they can pull themselves up and fix the broken dream.
May 6, 2020
When I read Mating Theory , I found blue interesting and wanted to know his story. He was supportive and comforting in the other books but here I found Blue a lot more intimidating.
This seems dangerous though.
This is a line from the book when Lola/ Hannah thinks of Blue.
Of course food?
What bothered me that Hannah lied that Blue raped her while her stepbrother actually did it. Blue found them and almost killed the guy. To protect blue she lied.
I mean what? I am confused. She loved Blue, in order to protect him, she made him a rapist because she knows he will kill for her? From the flashback, it was clear she wasn't consenting. But why she was having sex with her stepbrother while she was with Blue? On top of that, it was never clarified what her situation was.
Hannah never clarifies it clearly to Blue. She gets assaulted by one of the customer from the strip club she works. When Blue interferes she acts like it is nothing and tried to provoke Blue to understand she is a whore. Then blue realizes all those lies were to protect him.
I don't know what the author was thinking while writing this book. Because the whole plot seemed dumb to me. I thought there might be a serious issue or reason why Hannah lied. I mean how can the heroine lie and make an innocent person a rapist? Is she deserve to be a heroine? The whole book, she was a victim but I didn't feel any sorry for her. This was purely lame and dumb.
Even though Hannah betrayed Blue ( actually to save him which makes no sense) he loved her. That is on another level of dedication. However, how he treated her in the first half of the book was very rough. I understand his anger and aggression though. Overall, Its a very confusing book because the major plot wasn't even elaborated. It was way too vague and the author only focuses on the sympathetic situation of Hannah and anger of Blue. The situation of Hannah in the past was never clarified. How did she get into the abuse of her stepbrother? That's a major question and if the author actually clarified that it would probably make sense.
I’m the only one who gets to fuck you.” He leans close, his breath warm against my neck. “I wasn’t going to let him slap you around, Lola. The only person who’s going to mark this pretty skin is me.”
This seems dangerous though.
degrading and humiliating—and still a disappointment when he sets me down and steps away. With him I want to be degraded. I want to be humiliated. Just being with him is its own sweet agony, and that alone makes my cheeks flush with tormented want.
This is a line from the book when Lola/ Hannah thinks of Blue.
I wonder what he does spend his money on
Of course food?
What bothered me that Hannah lied that Blue raped her while her stepbrother actually did it. Blue found them and almost killed the guy. To protect blue she lied.
I mean what? I am confused. She loved Blue, in order to protect him, she made him a rapist because she knows he will kill for her? From the flashback, it was clear she wasn't consenting. But why she was having sex with her stepbrother while she was with Blue? On top of that, it was never clarified what her situation was.
Hannah never clarifies it clearly to Blue. She gets assaulted by one of the customer from the strip club she works. When Blue interferes she acts like it is nothing and tried to provoke Blue to understand she is a whore. Then blue realizes all those lies were to protect him.
I don't know what the author was thinking while writing this book. Because the whole plot seemed dumb to me. I thought there might be a serious issue or reason why Hannah lied. I mean how can the heroine lie and make an innocent person a rapist? Is she deserve to be a heroine? The whole book, she was a victim but I didn't feel any sorry for her. This was purely lame and dumb.
Even though Hannah betrayed Blue ( actually to save him which makes no sense) he loved her. That is on another level of dedication. However, how he treated her in the first half of the book was very rough. I understand his anger and aggression though. Overall, Its a very confusing book because the major plot wasn't even elaborated. It was way too vague and the author only focuses on the sympathetic situation of Hannah and anger of Blue. The situation of Hannah in the past was never clarified. How did she get into the abuse of her stepbrother? That's a major question and if the author actually clarified that it would probably make sense.
February 6, 2016
A Tale Of Betrayal, Longing And Forgiveness
This was a great story and I wish I had read it sooner. Book 2 in the 'Stripped' series, 'Better When It Hurts' tells the story of Blue and Hannah, aka Lola. Their paths first crossed as foster children in their youths. At the time, the two were inseparable and falling in love. Now, they're all grown up and trying to come to terms with the scars of their past in their own ways.
If you've read the first book in the series, you'll remember Blue as the head bouncer at the strip club where Honor worked with Lola and Candy. What we didn't know was that Blue only took the job so that he could watch out for Lola, only working the days that she's working.
Lola is sure that Blue reappeared in her life to exact his revenge. She doesn't blame him. She screwed him over royally years ago, betraying their relationship and changing the course of both their lives.
Her assumptions are correct. Blue does want his revenge and he plans on taking it from her body. However, despite his anger and hatred for Lola, he can't seem to stop loving her. He wants vengeance, but more than anything, he want her.
Reading their story, I initially thought that Blue was overly cruel. Then, I remembered exactly what she'd done to him and decided that she had it coming. Even so, I felt sad for both of them. Talk about broken, they were both victims of fate from a young age. Their story was tragic.
Overall, I really thought this story was great. The storyline was engaging. The characters were compelling. The sex scenes were highly erotic and taboo. It was all-around fantastic!
This was a great story and I wish I had read it sooner. Book 2 in the 'Stripped' series, 'Better When It Hurts' tells the story of Blue and Hannah, aka Lola. Their paths first crossed as foster children in their youths. At the time, the two were inseparable and falling in love. Now, they're all grown up and trying to come to terms with the scars of their past in their own ways.
If you've read the first book in the series, you'll remember Blue as the head bouncer at the strip club where Honor worked with Lola and Candy. What we didn't know was that Blue only took the job so that he could watch out for Lola, only working the days that she's working.
Lola is sure that Blue reappeared in her life to exact his revenge. She doesn't blame him. She screwed him over royally years ago, betraying their relationship and changing the course of both their lives.
Her assumptions are correct. Blue does want his revenge and he plans on taking it from her body. However, despite his anger and hatred for Lola, he can't seem to stop loving her. He wants vengeance, but more than anything, he want her.
Reading their story, I initially thought that Blue was overly cruel. Then, I remembered exactly what she'd done to him and decided that she had it coming. Even so, I felt sad for both of them. Talk about broken, they were both victims of fate from a young age. Their story was tragic.
Overall, I really thought this story was great. The storyline was engaging. The characters were compelling. The sex scenes were highly erotic and taboo. It was all-around fantastic!
June 10, 2015
5 'hot-damn-delicious-angst' stars
I love this Stripped #2 is so much much more than Stripped #1. Better When It Hurts is a 179 pages pack full of deliciousness. Is a book that you will want to read in one sitting because there isn't any lull moment that allow you to put it down for a break. I'm not a fan of angst, but this one is full of delicious angst that enable me to savor every moment of it.
The story drew you in from the first page itself. You might think you miss something because Warren didn't waste time on the introduction. But fear not, this can work as a standalone, the only thing that you need to know about Lola and Blue from the previous book is that she is a stripper and he is a bouncer that had his eyes on her. That's all.
I'm intrigue to know the history between Lola and Blue. We told that they were foster siblings and were a couple, but Lola did something that caused Blue to be sent away. I smell something fishy and bad about the whole mystery event.
Lola is adamant that Blue came back for revenge and he want to exact his payment in terms of having her body any way imaginable. Why is it that with Blue coercing sex from Lola is making me hot all over. Even his harsh treatment and cruelty towards her is making me fucking turned on big time!
"I'm the only one who gets to fuck you. The only person who's going to mark this pretty skin is me."
He dips two fingers inside my pussy and scoops his come out. With a cold glint in his eyes, he pushes those fingers inside my mouth. Salt and arousal spill onto my tongue, made rough by the calluses of his hands.
Let me stressed it again. The sex is filthy and dirty and I'm warning you that wetting your panties is eminent.
Even without having Blue's POV, I was totally in love with the guy. He might seems cruel to Lola in the beginning because he was harboring some hatred and resentment towards her, but we learned that deep down he still unable to forget Lola despite whatever she did to him. He is always there in the shadow, looking after her, protecting her.
"I can't let you go. You know that, don't you? You're mine now. Learn the taste of me, the feel of me, because this is the only cock that's going to be in your mouth. I'm the only man you're going to fuck"
Better When It Hurts is the book with the perfect pacing, well developed characters that make you root for them, the sex is superbly done and the ending left you wanting more. Although I love the ending, I wish I got more of Blue and Lola's future and their time together. Here's to hoping Skye Warren will visit these characters again.
"You're mine now, Lola. For better or for fucking worse. You sent me away all those years ago, but there's nothing you can do to me now."
I love this Stripped #2 is so much much more than Stripped #1. Better When It Hurts is a 179 pages pack full of deliciousness. Is a book that you will want to read in one sitting because there isn't any lull moment that allow you to put it down for a break. I'm not a fan of angst, but this one is full of delicious angst that enable me to savor every moment of it.
The story drew you in from the first page itself. You might think you miss something because Warren didn't waste time on the introduction. But fear not, this can work as a standalone, the only thing that you need to know about Lola and Blue from the previous book is that she is a stripper and he is a bouncer that had his eyes on her. That's all.
I'm intrigue to know the history between Lola and Blue. We told that they were foster siblings and were a couple, but Lola did something that caused Blue to be sent away. I smell something fishy and bad about the whole mystery event.
Lola is adamant that Blue came back for revenge and he want to exact his payment in terms of having her body any way imaginable. Why is it that with Blue coercing sex from Lola is making me hot all over. Even his harsh treatment and cruelty towards her is making me fucking turned on big time!
"I'm the only one who gets to fuck you. The only person who's going to mark this pretty skin is me."
He dips two fingers inside my pussy and scoops his come out. With a cold glint in his eyes, he pushes those fingers inside my mouth. Salt and arousal spill onto my tongue, made rough by the calluses of his hands.
Let me stressed it again. The sex is filthy and dirty and I'm warning you that wetting your panties is eminent.
Even without having Blue's POV, I was totally in love with the guy. He might seems cruel to Lola in the beginning because he was harboring some hatred and resentment towards her, but we learned that deep down he still unable to forget Lola despite whatever she did to him. He is always there in the shadow, looking after her, protecting her.
"I can't let you go. You know that, don't you? You're mine now. Learn the taste of me, the feel of me, because this is the only cock that's going to be in your mouth. I'm the only man you're going to fuck"
Better When It Hurts is the book with the perfect pacing, well developed characters that make you root for them, the sex is superbly done and the ending left you wanting more. Although I love the ending, I wish I got more of Blue and Lola's future and their time together. Here's to hoping Skye Warren will visit these characters again.
"You're mine now, Lola. For better or for fucking worse. You sent me away all those years ago, but there's nothing you can do to me now."
January 7, 2019
“Safety is a dream, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
There is no doubt that I’m addicted to Skye’s book. I noticed a pattern in her books, but I love it when her male characters are rough and hard. And this one - Blue - was both. I thought he would break Hannah. But she took it all. She was powerful in every single way.
I definitely recommend this book! ❤️
There is no doubt that I’m addicted to Skye’s book. I noticed a pattern in her books, but I love it when her male characters are rough and hard. And this one - Blue - was both. I thought he would break Hannah. But she took it all. She was powerful in every single way.
I definitely recommend this book! ❤️
January 21, 2016
Title: Better When It Hurts
Series: (Stripped, #3)
Author: Skye Warren
Genre: Adult Contemporary Dark Erotic Romance
Rating: 5-Stars
Audiobook: 5-Stars
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
Review on Blog: HERE
♥ (Stripped, #0.5) Tough Love
♥ (Stripped, #1) Love the Way You Lie
♥ (Stripped, #2) Better When It Hurts
♥ (Stripped, #2.5) Even Better
♥ (Stripped, #3) Pretty When You Cry
♥ (Stripped, #3.5) Caught for Christmas
*Each book can be read as a STANDALONE*
Hannah Bowman was a girl who learned that survival always has a price—and the currency is sex to the highest, most toughest bidder. Growing up penniless, homeless, she pays up for protection, until she's stripped from her youth, her innocence and becomes someone else:
He makes me feel like the scared little girl I used to be when I knew him before. And him? He’s like the big bad wolf, sizing me up before he swallows me whole.
Lola is a woman who was taught that a glimpse of her body, a whisper of a sexy promise, a taste of her sultry mouth, can make money fall at her stiletto-clad feet. Cash that she craves because it helps her pay for her absolution—from the lies she once told, from the pain she once forced on the boy she loved...
But Blue Eastman isn't a boy anymore. He's a man; a hard, cruel, seemingly unforgiving man—who vows to collect on the debt of lies Hannah told, with Lola's tempting body.
"Three nights Lola. I don't think that's too much to ask after what you did. I don't think it's enough actually, but I can be lenient."
Although their past and present collides to create a mass of beautiful destruction...wherein the only truth for Hannah/Lola and Blue is whether or not lust can buy forgiveness, if love will pay for all their mistakes?
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦
Better When It Hurts captivated me. The slow, sultry build into the mystery of Hannah/Lola and Blue's past lurked in the background of each page, while their undeniable attraction for one another raced through each chapter.
"I can't let you go. You know that, don't you? You're mine now. Learn the taste of me, the feel of me, because this is the only cock that's going to be in your mouth. I'm the only man you're going to fuck."
Tension and passion dripped with raw, gritty sensuality with each word—especially since I had the pleasure of listening to Stripped, #2 as an audiobook. Narrated by Veronica Fox, my cheeks would flush as her voice whispered the book's wicked words, low and seductive, gruff and rough, bringing Better When It Hurts an unforgettable voice.
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦
Blue was a force to be reckoned with. I felt his power through Skye's writing, the beast caged beneath his skin—which enthralled me, that heady mix of good and bad. I never knew his intentions; while I thought (deep down) they were nice, they appeared oh-so nefarious and naughty. No matter how angry or cold he seemed to be, there was a warmth in him that attracted me like a moth to a flame in the dark.
My heart speeds up every time I turn away from him, wondering if this is the time he’ll pounce. One of these times, he’s going to dig into me with his teeth and his claws. He’s going to hurt me, and I’m not sure I’ll survive it.
Lola was a hot mess; her strength also bled into vulnerability, her sins were desperately conquered with the tattered remains of her virtues. The way she surrendered to the often-vicious, always-hot attentions of Blue had my heart aching.
I need him to forgive me, to redeem me. I need him to hurt me at the same time as I fear it.
Their connection—an angsty concoction of guilt and pain, hate and love, rough and romance, depravity and sensuality, humiliation and reverence—was a toxic potion, enthralling me and thrilling me all at once.
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦
Overall, I would most definitely recommend this book for those who believe romance is better read when it hurts—because this tale of betrayal and forgiveness will haunt you with the ache of longing, will chase you with the ghost of love, will tempt you with the passionate screams of hate.
AS AMAZING AS ALICE'S DREAMS:
♠ ♥ ♣ ♦
*PS: I was given an copy of this book. But I do solemnly swear that I am up to...good. ;) This is a fair and honest review of this book, pinky promise.*
May 11, 2016
"His smile sends a sliver of fear to my gut. God, it shouldn’t be handsome when he looks at me that way. He should have two horns on his head and a tail. His skin should be red. Instead he’s every dream I’ve ever had, my own perverted guardian angel."
- Lola
* * *
"I thought I could have you and forget you. But that was impossible from the start. I’ve never been able to forget you. And you make me feel everything, Lola. You make me feel alive."
- Blue
- Lola
* * *
"I thought I could have you and forget you. But that was impossible from the start. I’ve never been able to forget you. And you make me feel everything, Lola. You make me feel alive."
- Blue
June 7, 2015
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Better When It Hurts is the second installment of the Stripped Series and I might have to say that I really enjoyed this sexy, beautiful yet emotional haunting roller-coaster ride of a book. This book was such a gritty, raw outlook of the characters working in a strip club. And in this second installment, Ms. Warren focuses on Blue and Lola/Hannah and their push and pull relationship. This book was about unraveling the past, the loss, the hurt, and secrets. These characters were written so raw that as a reader you felt all the range of emotions. This book is a heartfelt edgy sexy romance of two complex yet emotionally vulnerable characters learning to forgive one another and find redemption in their love. So if you are looking for a book that will tug the heart and yet deliver a sexy, steamy and beautiful edgy love story then Better When It Hurts might be the book for you.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages:http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly... Skye Warren
Better When It Hurts is the second installment of the Stripped Series and I might have to say that I really enjoyed this sexy, beautiful yet emotional haunting roller-coaster ride of a book. This book was such a gritty, raw outlook of the characters working in a strip club. And in this second installment, Ms. Warren focuses on Blue and Lola/Hannah and their push and pull relationship. This book was about unraveling the past, the loss, the hurt, and secrets. These characters were written so raw that as a reader you felt all the range of emotions. This book is a heartfelt edgy sexy romance of two complex yet emotionally vulnerable characters learning to forgive one another and find redemption in their love. So if you are looking for a book that will tug the heart and yet deliver a sexy, steamy and beautiful edgy love story then Better When It Hurts might be the book for you.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages:http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly... Skye Warren
June 12, 2015
Skye Warren is one of my go-to dark romance authors. Each of her stories is richly detailed, deeply felt and intensely sexy. Better When It Hurts is no exception. Although I have not read Love the Way You Lie, I was able to jump right in to Blue and Lola’s story here. Both are very damaged characters who had to learn how to survive on their own from a young age.
These two have a long past together which is why Blue insists on acting as security on the nights she dances at the club where they both work. Lola tries to put on a tough exterior but her toughness is just an act that is in part driven by guilt over what happened between the two of them when they were foster kids. This is a gritty story but as with all Skye Warren books, the sex scenes are totally hot and very, very intense.
Lola is not always the most likable character but she is very real and just trying to do what she has to in order to survive. Blue is totally Alpha, sexy, domineering and despite the hard exterior, is a guy with a heart. These two have incredible chemistry. If you like grittier stories with lots of erotic scenes and the right touch of romance, then Better When It Hurts is for you! Another great story from Skye Warren.
(ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)
These two have a long past together which is why Blue insists on acting as security on the nights she dances at the club where they both work. Lola tries to put on a tough exterior but her toughness is just an act that is in part driven by guilt over what happened between the two of them when they were foster kids. This is a gritty story but as with all Skye Warren books, the sex scenes are totally hot and very, very intense.
Lola is not always the most likable character but she is very real and just trying to do what she has to in order to survive. Blue is totally Alpha, sexy, domineering and despite the hard exterior, is a guy with a heart. These two have incredible chemistry. If you like grittier stories with lots of erotic scenes and the right touch of romance, then Better When It Hurts is for you! Another great story from Skye Warren.
(ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)
September 17, 2022
This was kind of all over the place, but it worked
June 4, 2015
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
4 Hate/Love Stars!
Darkness- mild. Only a couple of dark scenes in this one.
This is the second book in The Stripped Series, but can definitely be read as a standalone. I was anxious to read this one, the first book blew me away, I absolutely loved it. The series is based on characters working in a strip club, all have painful secrets, hidden pasts, and ulterior motives. <--- Well, most have motives, I think. Anyway, this is Blue and Lola's story.
"I know where you came from. I know what made you this way. I know why you like a man who’ll push you around a little."
I love a good hate to love, love to hate story. I get giddy reading hate filled sex scene. It's the push and pull that keeps me hooked. I can't go into too much detail because I'll ruin the story. Blue and Lola go way back, of course there's a reason he's pissed, there's a reason he's out for revenge. Let me tell you, I loved the angry Blue, as far as I'm concerned he could've stayed mad for two books, because I'm attracted to the mean guys. I thought he showed his true self too soon, his poker face wasn't as good as I had hoped. Conflicted emotions really showed through the pages though. There were times my heart was squeezed with hurt for Blue, confusion in his actions made it that much more real for me.
"He makes me feel like the scared little girl I used to be when I knew him before. And him? He’s like the big bad wolf, sizing me up before he swallows me whole."
There's one thing I can say with certainty, Skye Warren never fails to deliver a heartfelt, slightly dark, I can't stop turning the pages story. This one is no different. There's little heartfelt moments that make me whole, but nothing too mushy, because I can't do mushy that often. She gives you the mixture of edgy and sexy.
I totally recommend to edgier romance readers. This one wasn't dark for me, but it could be for others.
4 Hate/Love Stars!
Darkness- mild. Only a couple of dark scenes in this one.
This is the second book in The Stripped Series, but can definitely be read as a standalone. I was anxious to read this one, the first book blew me away, I absolutely loved it. The series is based on characters working in a strip club, all have painful secrets, hidden pasts, and ulterior motives. <--- Well, most have motives, I think. Anyway, this is Blue and Lola's story.
"I know where you came from. I know what made you this way. I know why you like a man who’ll push you around a little."
I love a good hate to love, love to hate story. I get giddy reading hate filled sex scene. It's the push and pull that keeps me hooked. I can't go into too much detail because I'll ruin the story. Blue and Lola go way back, of course there's a reason he's pissed, there's a reason he's out for revenge. Let me tell you, I loved the angry Blue, as far as I'm concerned he could've stayed mad for two books, because I'm attracted to the mean guys. I thought he showed his true self too soon, his poker face wasn't as good as I had hoped. Conflicted emotions really showed through the pages though. There were times my heart was squeezed with hurt for Blue, confusion in his actions made it that much more real for me.
"He makes me feel like the scared little girl I used to be when I knew him before. And him? He’s like the big bad wolf, sizing me up before he swallows me whole."
There's one thing I can say with certainty, Skye Warren never fails to deliver a heartfelt, slightly dark, I can't stop turning the pages story. This one is no different. There's little heartfelt moments that make me whole, but nothing too mushy, because I can't do mushy that often. She gives you the mixture of edgy and sexy.
I totally recommend to edgier romance readers. This one wasn't dark for me, but it could be for others.
Want to read
July 16, 2025🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (10/26/2019)! 🎁
April 11, 2020
Alright im over this series. The
Books are very similar and lack the chemistry I love from skye
Books are very similar and lack the chemistry I love from skye
February 16, 2016
Raw, gritty, painful and beautiful. I know those words usually don't go together, but that is the only way to describe it. This story is so intense I felt it to my marrow, it filled me with so many feelings. As always with all Skye Warren books, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.
This is the story of Lola (aka Hannah) and Blue, two people who share a painful past. They meet again while Lola is a stripper at a club called the Grand, and Blue is the bouncer/bodyguard.
Lola is a deeply troubled young woman trying to get by the best way she knows how, all while trying to support her former foster mother, Mrs. Owens, who has dementia and kidney failure. The interactions between Lola and her foster mom are bittersweet but heartwarming. Lola's world is turned upside down when Blue comes back into her life. He is always watching and waiting for a chance to get back at Lola for what she did to him.
The love scenes were brutal and tender all at the same time. The chemistry between Lola and Blue is explosive and it cannot be denied. But, it is more than just sex between these two, they forged a bond in childhood that survived crushing heartache and ultimate betrayal. This is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and a deep, all-consuming love.
This is my favorite so far from Mrs. Warren, she has a knack for writing characters who are broken but strong. Characters that go to hell and back and never give up. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in this exciting, heart-wrenching, and beautifully painful series.
I now review for The Book Sirens, you can find my most recent reviews there.
This is the story of Lola (aka Hannah) and Blue, two people who share a painful past. They meet again while Lola is a stripper at a club called the Grand, and Blue is the bouncer/bodyguard.
Lola is a deeply troubled young woman trying to get by the best way she knows how, all while trying to support her former foster mother, Mrs. Owens, who has dementia and kidney failure. The interactions between Lola and her foster mom are bittersweet but heartwarming. Lola's world is turned upside down when Blue comes back into her life. He is always watching and waiting for a chance to get back at Lola for what she did to him.
The love scenes were brutal and tender all at the same time. The chemistry between Lola and Blue is explosive and it cannot be denied. But, it is more than just sex between these two, they forged a bond in childhood that survived crushing heartache and ultimate betrayal. This is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and a deep, all-consuming love.
This is my favorite so far from Mrs. Warren, she has a knack for writing characters who are broken but strong. Characters that go to hell and back and never give up. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in this exciting, heart-wrenching, and beautifully painful series.
I now review for The Book Sirens, you can find my most recent reviews there.
June 9, 2015
I swear Skye Warren can't write a bad book, I think its physically impossible. Another five star read! Better When It Hurts was read entirely too fast. Dark, captivating in theme and subject matter, absolutely loved it! So onto the review!
There's nothing quit like a guilty conscious, Hannah has been living with one for years. Punishing herself with an alter ego Lola, she dances to forget. The stripper endures brutality she feels she earned, loathing herself for the injustice she inflicted on Blue. He was the different boy from those she grew up with at the foster home, he saw the real her and she would do anything to protect him, even if it meant lying.
But now Blue's back and the devil will have his dues. How does one get revenge, by using their weaknesses against their enemies. Hannah's was her looks, she traded on them for protection. He'll keep her safe, but who'll protect her from him while he's collecting past debts in pounds of flesh!
There's nothing quit like a guilty conscious, Hannah has been living with one for years. Punishing herself with an alter ego Lola, she dances to forget. The stripper endures brutality she feels she earned, loathing herself for the injustice she inflicted on Blue. He was the different boy from those she grew up with at the foster home, he saw the real her and she would do anything to protect him, even if it meant lying.
But now Blue's back and the devil will have his dues. How does one get revenge, by using their weaknesses against their enemies. Hannah's was her looks, she traded on them for protection. He'll keep her safe, but who'll protect her from him while he's collecting past debts in pounds of flesh!
June 22, 2015
I'm definitely in the minority with this one as all I've seen are 4 & 5 stars. I honestly thought this series was going to be something I would love after the awesome prequel.
The book was very nicely written, no doubt Skye Warren has some good writing skills, but I really didn't connect to the story nor the characters. I liked Blue but Lola, ugh, from the previous book she sounded like someone that would be strong and kind of kick ass character despite her circumstances, but in this book she had a split personality, Lola the stripper and Hannah, the damaged insecure girl from her past, her pov was irritating to read at times. I felt bad for her and what she went through but actually when reading her experience and explanations, etc I just didnt feel anything if that makes sense, which doesn't help when she's either crying or in the verge of tears on almost every page of the story, I was just rolling my eyes. Also some parts felt like it dragged and this wasn't a long book at all. Not sure I'll be reading the next book which seems to be about Candy and Ivan. If there's a book about Gio and Clara I may get back to it.
The book was very nicely written, no doubt Skye Warren has some good writing skills, but I really didn't connect to the story nor the characters. I liked Blue but Lola, ugh, from the previous book she sounded like someone that would be strong and kind of kick ass character despite her circumstances, but in this book she had a split personality, Lola the stripper and Hannah, the damaged insecure girl from her past, her pov was irritating to read at times. I felt bad for her and what she went through but actually when reading her experience and explanations, etc I just didnt feel anything if that makes sense, which doesn't help when she's either crying or in the verge of tears on almost every page of the story, I was just rolling my eyes. Also some parts felt like it dragged and this wasn't a long book at all. Not sure I'll be reading the next book which seems to be about Candy and Ivan. If there's a book about Gio and Clara I may get back to it.
June 16, 2018
Better When It Hurts was the second book in Skye Warren’s Stripped series.
Blue and Lola had history - and based on their interactions, bad history. Blue was the head of security for the club where Lola stripped. They had met previously as children when they were briefly in the same foster home.
I struggled with Blue’s meanness in the first half of the book. And for their first sex scene, there was a fine line between abuse and consent. The humiliation was too much for me. I was not a fan. In the end, the secrets were exposed and it came full circle. I did have a hard time keeping up though, some of the storyline just seemed to fall away. I was desiring more explanation and more happiness between Lola and Blue. It was emotional, painful and dark.
Candy, another stripper, is up next so hopefully more of the story will be fleshed out along with Candy’s story in Pretty When You Cry.
Blue and Lola had history - and based on their interactions, bad history. Blue was the head of security for the club where Lola stripped. They had met previously as children when they were briefly in the same foster home.
I struggled with Blue’s meanness in the first half of the book. And for their first sex scene, there was a fine line between abuse and consent. The humiliation was too much for me. I was not a fan. In the end, the secrets were exposed and it came full circle. I did have a hard time keeping up though, some of the storyline just seemed to fall away. I was desiring more explanation and more happiness between Lola and Blue. It was emotional, painful and dark.
Candy, another stripper, is up next so hopefully more of the story will be fleshed out along with Candy’s story in Pretty When You Cry.
top-tbr
June 4, 2015**Standalone novel** LIVE!!! - http://amzn.to/1KGHt1z
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UKJSLQ6
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UKJSLQ6
June 7, 2015
4.5 STARS
Better When It Hurts gripped me from the very first page. I honestly felt consumed by this story. Five years ago, Lola and Blue were foster kids, living under the same roof and clearly in love even if they were too young and broken to fully grasp it. Until something happened, until Lola hurt Blue and he was sent away. Now, five years later, Lola is a stripper and Blue is head of security at the same club with a thirst for payback.
The title of the book says it all. This book is better because it hurts. And it does hurt. It stung and squeezed and physically pained me to read much of this story. And that's why it was so damn perfect. The moments of humiliation and degradation and plain old emotional heartbreak caused a visceral reaction in me as I read. Alternating those moments with brief glimpses of sweetness, of kindness, gut punching reminders of 'what might have been' hurt even more. The masterful crafting Warren put into this story is exquisite.
I loved the dynamic between these characters. The way Skye Warren penned this story, with perfectly placed flashbacks to give the reader a slowly unveiled look into their past, how they became who they are. Knowing Blue and Lola loved each other once, knowing how defeated and lost Lola is today and how badly Blue wants her to repent for her betrayal with her body, made me ravenous for the holes of their story to be filled. How'd they get here? What happened? And where can this go?
This story is emotionally taxing to read. It's heavy, repeatedly gripping my heart strings and squeezing. The juxtaposition of sexual gratification and heartbreaking emotional and physical pain that these characters use to work through their tragic past parallels what the reader is put through as a spectator. The emotional, revealing aspect of the storyline is repeatedly and abruptly interrupted with the sexual nature of it and it's exhausting in the best possible way. Lola uses sex as a distraction from having to remember, having to expose herself. Blue uses sex as a way to force her into remembering, as punishment for hurting him. It's perfectly plotted out, keeping the characters and the reader on a tenuous line between pleasure and pain, denial and surrender.
There's something so delicious about a second change romance, even if it does evolve in a dingy strip club where survival depends on how well you sell your body and your soul. It's hard enough for two characters to resurrect a long ago shattered romance, but to do so against the backdrop of such dire circumstances makes this seem like an impossible feat. Lola's brokenness, her resignation is a tangible thing. She truly feels like a tattered, lost cause blowing in the wind. Such a stark contrast is Blue, this embodiment of strength and perseverance and determination, even though he's had it no easier than she has in life. Both are damaged and broken and two halves of a very fractured whole. It's such a perfectly imperfect marriage of push and pull, of insistence and reluctance, of revenge and absolution, of forgiveness and love.
Skye Warren writes dark erotic fiction like no one else truly can. Stunningly beautiful romance peppered with steamy, raw erotica, all of it driven by a refreshingly original, superbly written plotline. Every. Single. Time. I might never know what I'm about to step into with a new Skye Warren story, but I can guarantee it's going to consume me wholly until the very last page. And Better When It Hurts did precisely that. It hurt. It endeared. It made me fall in love and lust and gut punched me when I least expected it. I absolutely love this series and it only gets better and better with each installment. I'm addicted.
Better When It Hurts gripped me from the very first page. I honestly felt consumed by this story. Five years ago, Lola and Blue were foster kids, living under the same roof and clearly in love even if they were too young and broken to fully grasp it. Until something happened, until Lola hurt Blue and he was sent away. Now, five years later, Lola is a stripper and Blue is head of security at the same club with a thirst for payback.
The title of the book says it all. This book is better because it hurts. And it does hurt. It stung and squeezed and physically pained me to read much of this story. And that's why it was so damn perfect. The moments of humiliation and degradation and plain old emotional heartbreak caused a visceral reaction in me as I read. Alternating those moments with brief glimpses of sweetness, of kindness, gut punching reminders of 'what might have been' hurt even more. The masterful crafting Warren put into this story is exquisite.
I loved the dynamic between these characters. The way Skye Warren penned this story, with perfectly placed flashbacks to give the reader a slowly unveiled look into their past, how they became who they are. Knowing Blue and Lola loved each other once, knowing how defeated and lost Lola is today and how badly Blue wants her to repent for her betrayal with her body, made me ravenous for the holes of their story to be filled. How'd they get here? What happened? And where can this go?
This story is emotionally taxing to read. It's heavy, repeatedly gripping my heart strings and squeezing. The juxtaposition of sexual gratification and heartbreaking emotional and physical pain that these characters use to work through their tragic past parallels what the reader is put through as a spectator. The emotional, revealing aspect of the storyline is repeatedly and abruptly interrupted with the sexual nature of it and it's exhausting in the best possible way. Lola uses sex as a distraction from having to remember, having to expose herself. Blue uses sex as a way to force her into remembering, as punishment for hurting him. It's perfectly plotted out, keeping the characters and the reader on a tenuous line between pleasure and pain, denial and surrender.
There's something so delicious about a second change romance, even if it does evolve in a dingy strip club where survival depends on how well you sell your body and your soul. It's hard enough for two characters to resurrect a long ago shattered romance, but to do so against the backdrop of such dire circumstances makes this seem like an impossible feat. Lola's brokenness, her resignation is a tangible thing. She truly feels like a tattered, lost cause blowing in the wind. Such a stark contrast is Blue, this embodiment of strength and perseverance and determination, even though he's had it no easier than she has in life. Both are damaged and broken and two halves of a very fractured whole. It's such a perfectly imperfect marriage of push and pull, of insistence and reluctance, of revenge and absolution, of forgiveness and love.
Skye Warren writes dark erotic fiction like no one else truly can. Stunningly beautiful romance peppered with steamy, raw erotica, all of it driven by a refreshingly original, superbly written plotline. Every. Single. Time. I might never know what I'm about to step into with a new Skye Warren story, but I can guarantee it's going to consume me wholly until the very last page. And Better When It Hurts did precisely that. It hurt. It endeared. It made me fall in love and lust and gut punched me when I least expected it. I absolutely love this series and it only gets better and better with each installment. I'm addicted.
July 28, 2015
As much as I love Blue (which is a whole lot!), I didn't think Better When It Hurts was as good as Love the Way You Lie. Don't get me wrong, I still liked it but I wasn't into it as much as the first book.
From the moment I met Blue in Love the Way You Lie I was so intrigued by him. I wanted to know what his story was and how he ended up being the head of security at the stripclub. I was really surprised by how he was connected to Lola but I liked that part of the story. He's still my favorite guy in this series so far.
I also was curious about Lola's story but I ended up being really annoyed by her. And the thing is I really liked her in the first book but in this one she was a bit of a let down and just kind of aggravating.
But as much as I disliked Lola, her chemistry with Blue was off the charts. There really were some fireworks going off with the two of them. Needless to say the sex scenes were scorching hot. And I was glad when they finally got through all the BS and just be together.
Also I'm super excited for Candy and Ivan's book. I've been curious about them from book one so bring it on!
From the moment I met Blue in Love the Way You Lie I was so intrigued by him. I wanted to know what his story was and how he ended up being the head of security at the stripclub. I was really surprised by how he was connected to Lola but I liked that part of the story. He's still my favorite guy in this series so far.
I also was curious about Lola's story but I ended up being really annoyed by her. And the thing is I really liked her in the first book but in this one she was a bit of a let down and just kind of aggravating.
But as much as I disliked Lola, her chemistry with Blue was off the charts. There really were some fireworks going off with the two of them. Needless to say the sex scenes were scorching hot. And I was glad when they finally got through all the BS and just be together.
Also I'm super excited for Candy and Ivan's book. I've been curious about them from book one so bring it on!
June 1, 2015
First off, this was an ARC book given to me for a honest review. This was dark, sexy and beautiful roller coaster ride. This is one you can read over and over and never tire of reading it. The first time you read it is to feed the fire burn in inside to hear Lola (aka Hannah) and Blue 's story. You don't just read their story, you feel it... live it with them. Even though the first half is hard to read because of the darkness, you have to keep going to see the purity and depth of their love. You want to grab a hold of it and not let go. The forgiveness is awe inspiring...to forgive the ones you love and yourself. You will need to keep a box of tissues handy and in the beginning maybe a punching bag. This is definitely a five star must read.
August 25, 2021
Super quick dirty read. If you're in the mood for an asshole H who wants some revenge in the flavor of rough sex then this 2-3 hour read is a nice little diversion. I think it's free at the moment too or like 0.99 cents.
June 7, 2015
This is better than the first book:) angsty and whoa hotness:D
June 2, 2015
In Better When it Hurts we have Lola who is a stripper at The Grand. The Grand was a nice theater from back in the day. Now it is just a strip club. The old ticket booths are now VIP rooms. Lola came from a foster home. She's had quite a hard childhood. She learned young that the best way to be safe was to give her body up to the strongest boy she could find. As soon as she turns eighteen, she finds one of her old foster mothers who has dementia and moves in to care for her. She starts stripping because that was the fast way for her to make money to pay the bills.
Blue is head of security for The Grand. He knew Lola from a foster home when they were teenagers. They had a relationship until Lola told people that Blue hurt her and he was taken away. He later joined the Army to keep himself out of jail. Blue sees what Hannah, as she was known as a child, as betrayal. He spends a lot of time thinking up ways to decide how he is going to make her pay.
I really loved this story. There are several flashbacks to time in Blue and Lola were younger. I also loved seeing the relationship between Mrs. Owens and Hannah. You can tell that they really care for each other. It really hit close to home for me, as my grandmother had dementia. Always worrying that they will leave something on and burn down the house can be really hard on loved ones.
The sex scenes are really hot. Blue does force Lola to come to his house and coerces her to have sex. He does like to give it a little rough. She has learned throughout her years of buying safety with her body, that rough sex is just a part of her life. Blue isn't the type of lover that just takes, he does give to her very well in the bedroom. More than she has ever had in her well experienced past. They do workout that there was several misunderstandings from their childhood which they do workout in the end.
I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes their romance on the darker side, but still with a happy ever after. You can read this book as a stand alone without being lost. Readers from book one will see Honor and Kip, but their part is pretty small. Ivan, the strip club owner, and Candy, another stripper at The Grand, have a larger part in this book, but will be our couple for book three. I'm really excited to read this book.
**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
Blue is head of security for The Grand. He knew Lola from a foster home when they were teenagers. They had a relationship until Lola told people that Blue hurt her and he was taken away. He later joined the Army to keep himself out of jail. Blue sees what Hannah, as she was known as a child, as betrayal. He spends a lot of time thinking up ways to decide how he is going to make her pay.
I really loved this story. There are several flashbacks to time in Blue and Lola were younger. I also loved seeing the relationship between Mrs. Owens and Hannah. You can tell that they really care for each other. It really hit close to home for me, as my grandmother had dementia. Always worrying that they will leave something on and burn down the house can be really hard on loved ones.
The sex scenes are really hot. Blue does force Lola to come to his house and coerces her to have sex. He does like to give it a little rough. She has learned throughout her years of buying safety with her body, that rough sex is just a part of her life. Blue isn't the type of lover that just takes, he does give to her very well in the bedroom. More than she has ever had in her well experienced past. They do workout that there was several misunderstandings from their childhood which they do workout in the end.
I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes their romance on the darker side, but still with a happy ever after. You can read this book as a stand alone without being lost. Readers from book one will see Honor and Kip, but their part is pretty small. Ivan, the strip club owner, and Candy, another stripper at The Grand, have a larger part in this book, but will be our couple for book three. I'm really excited to read this book.
**Book was provided to me by the author. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway by the author.
June 1, 2015
Dark, Dirty and Emotional!
Yet more awesomeness from Skye Warren! I was thrilled to be given an ARC to review Better When It Hurts, the second novel in the Stripped series. This is the story of Lola, one of the strippers at the Grand, and Blue, who provides security. It’s dark, dirty and emotional and once I started it there was no way I could put it down until I had finished it!
I LOVED the character of Blue: the angry and conflicted alpha, always there in the shadows, watching Lola and waiting…. The couple have one helluva history, which reveals itself as the tale unfolds. Lola knows that Blue has not forgiven her for her past actions. His presence unnerves her and she knows that it is only a matter of time before she will have to atone for what she has done and she knows that it’s going to hurt. They have a tragic and tangled past and they have much to work through if they are ever to find resolution.
Skye Warren does a superb job of creating the most intense scenes of sexual tension and like Lola I was on tenterhooks waiting for this powerful alpha to make his move and demand payback! When he did I was absolutely gobsmacked by what transpired: the scenes between them sizzle with a bruising combination of raw emotion and passion. They are dark, dirty and primal and I loved them! Blue is able to strip away Lola’s confident demeanour, revealing the fragile woman underneath.
I was in no doubt that this couple had deep seated feelings for each other from their every word or action. I particularly liked how Blue is committed to preventing Lola being harmed by the Grand’s customers if they step over the line, wanting her for himself. The question is will Lola survive with her emotions intact and will Blue forgive her once he has meted out his revenge?
The author sets the scene perfectly with her descriptions of the Grand where Lola and the other girls strip. The faded grandeur of the once luxury hotel provides the perfect backdrop for the heart-rending life led by those who work there night after night. Lola and Blue’s story is a fabulous addition to the series and I am so looking forward to finding out about what is going n between the club’s owner Ivan and Candy, one of the other strippers.
If you are a reader of dark romance you will definitely want to put this on your reading list!
An ARC of this book was given to me by the author for a fair and honest review.
Yet more awesomeness from Skye Warren! I was thrilled to be given an ARC to review Better When It Hurts, the second novel in the Stripped series. This is the story of Lola, one of the strippers at the Grand, and Blue, who provides security. It’s dark, dirty and emotional and once I started it there was no way I could put it down until I had finished it!
I LOVED the character of Blue: the angry and conflicted alpha, always there in the shadows, watching Lola and waiting…. The couple have one helluva history, which reveals itself as the tale unfolds. Lola knows that Blue has not forgiven her for her past actions. His presence unnerves her and she knows that it is only a matter of time before she will have to atone for what she has done and she knows that it’s going to hurt. They have a tragic and tangled past and they have much to work through if they are ever to find resolution.
Skye Warren does a superb job of creating the most intense scenes of sexual tension and like Lola I was on tenterhooks waiting for this powerful alpha to make his move and demand payback! When he did I was absolutely gobsmacked by what transpired: the scenes between them sizzle with a bruising combination of raw emotion and passion. They are dark, dirty and primal and I loved them! Blue is able to strip away Lola’s confident demeanour, revealing the fragile woman underneath.
I was in no doubt that this couple had deep seated feelings for each other from their every word or action. I particularly liked how Blue is committed to preventing Lola being harmed by the Grand’s customers if they step over the line, wanting her for himself. The question is will Lola survive with her emotions intact and will Blue forgive her once he has meted out his revenge?
The author sets the scene perfectly with her descriptions of the Grand where Lola and the other girls strip. The faded grandeur of the once luxury hotel provides the perfect backdrop for the heart-rending life led by those who work there night after night. Lola and Blue’s story is a fabulous addition to the series and I am so looking forward to finding out about what is going n between the club’s owner Ivan and Candy, one of the other strippers.
If you are a reader of dark romance you will definitely want to put this on your reading list!
An ARC of this book was given to me by the author for a fair and honest review.
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