4-4.5 stars. Violet is pretty much an open book as far as getting to know her character, but getting to know Rhys isn't that easy. To see him be so cold and angry is to show his emotional reaction to what he could really be feeling for Violet. It's a sign that there's more to him underneath, especially when it comes to her. Although I would have liked to have seen other sides of him first, this is a clear indication that he what he feels for Violet is stronger than physical desire. They still continue their arrangement but it's clear to Violet that she won't get a chance to explain herself and part of me detested Rhys for it. At the same time, I was glad to see him unravel a little bit, too. I think he knew he was being unreasonable and Violet was going along with it all before her feelings got in too deep, but Violet also accepted everything he dished out at her. To me, Violet is a strong person, coming from a place where she felt a lot of despair and now rising up to whatever challenges that Rhys throws her way because it seemed like he wanted her to break but she never did. I also really liked Violet's mom, she's a good secondary character who provides words of wisdom rather than adds unnecessary drama that the advice of a best friend sometimes does. Rhys seems like a amazing guy when he's not around Violet, so it will be interesting to uncover his reasons for why he is the way he is, especially towards her. Although I hated what happened to Violet at the end, especially after all that she had been through emotionally, I understood it became a crucial point for Rhys to realize his true feelings for how much Violet affects him and to man up about it. As much as I enjoy them being together, I want Rhys to deserve Violet and up until now, he hasn't convinced me that he is willing to fight for her and keep her. I'm hoping that will change in the next volume because it's time for him to start sharing more about himself.*I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review* 4½ starsThis book picks up virtually where book 1 ends, however Vi has finally thrown Alex out and asked for a divorce. In book 1 we get to learn that Red/Green are words used to describe how intense the BDSM scene will be, with Green being mild and Red being more intense. Throughout book 1 the scenes are Green, but at the end we discover that Rhys has text Vi requesting she go to The Barracks and the scene will be Red. Now whilst I've read books with far more intense BDSM scenes than these, it's Rhys' emotional distance that shocked me. And because I hadn't warmed to him as much as I'd hoped in book 1, I was really starting to dislike him in this book. I won't tell you why, because i don't want to give anything away, but to me he came across as hypocritical.What I will say though with this book is, it was a lot more passionate, although Rhys and Vi's relationship at times seemed volatile, but deep down, it was clear that there was a deep connection starting to take shape and that just made me eager to keep on reading. Despite my earlier reservations about Rhys, by the end I was completely in love with him and many things started to fall into place. Again this book was well written and the ending just made me want to dive straight into book 3.
What do You think about The Tango (2000)?
“His pleasure was my aphrodisiac. It was him that I craved most.”
—Sarah
