Scan barcode
joybo98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
katmorrisey's review against another edition
4.0
So this was a 3.5 star for me but I rounded it up (as I usually do if it's at the half mark or above). This was one heckuva roller coaster ride and I went back and forth between swooning over and being freaked out by the Hero. I had conflicting emotions with the heroine too-one minute wanting the bad guys to just get it over with already and the next cheering her on. It really is, I think, a testament to the author's skill that she's able to bring the reader on this emotional ride and present a well thought out plot that isn't cheesy. And yeah, for those wondering, the sex scenes are super-hot!
Here's the link to my full review: http://crackedandbrokenglass.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-behind-closed-doors-mccloud.html
*This book was a self-purchase and I was not in any way compensated for, or even asked, to review this book. All opinions are my own*
Here's the link to my full review: http://crackedandbrokenglass.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-behind-closed-doors-mccloud.html
*This book was a self-purchase and I was not in any way compensated for, or even asked, to review this book. All opinions are my own*
mrose21's review
1.0
Wth was this?
The back story was just slow.
The Romance if you want to call it that was just dreadful.
And the sex. Literally may as well have raped her.
God sake. Alpha males are great but alpha males that have no concept of being actual human beings and not calling their lovers horrible names and basically using force to have sex is just disgusting. The sex scenes was probably the worst part of this book and you'd have thought this being written by a woman that she would think "huh do I want to be spoken to/about like this" but no. Shelving this as a regret.
Will stay far far away from this author.
The back story was just slow.
The Romance if you want to call it that was just dreadful.
And the sex. Literally may as well have raped her.
God sake. Alpha males are great but alpha males that have no concept of being actual human beings and not calling their lovers horrible names and basically using force to have sex is just disgusting. The sex scenes was probably the worst part of this book and you'd have thought this being written by a woman that she would think "huh do I want to be spoken to/about like this" but no. Shelving this as a regret.
Will stay far far away from this author.
fresholivebread's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Okay, did not expect this to start off with non-consensual voyeurism! He's spying and using her for revenge, only to find out she wants revenge on the same dude. He's tortured, possessive and an alpha ass most times, but sometimes I'm in the mood for one š. She can be naive, but develops a resilient side in fighting her own wars. There's a LOT of sex, almost a bit much for me, and some of it borders on dub-con (didn't bother me as much as it used to, but still).
The romance builds when physical turns emotional, when he lets himself be really vulnerable with her. Suspense wise, it's solid. I had to toss aside my feminist hat for this one, but I guiltily kinda enjoyed it!
The romance builds when physical turns emotional, when he lets himself be really vulnerable with her. Suspense wise, it's solid. I had to toss aside my feminist hat for this one, but I guiltily kinda enjoyed it!
amanduh_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I first read this book/series 10+ years ago when I was first getting into romance and romantic suspense was my go to. It is very nostalgic for me, and I have since reread it several times. These books definitely arenāt perfect, but I love them.
In Behind Closed Doors, you have Seth, the morally gray hero trying to exact vengeance on the men who killed his brother. Heās hot, possessive, lacks basic social skills and doesnāt really care if he breaks the law as long as itās going to help him get what he wants.
Then you have Raine, the very beautiful, seemingly innocent heroine who is secretly trying to find out the truth about her dadās supposed murder. Sheās been haunted by dreams of his death since she was a child and has decided to quit running from her past and is really trying to step into her own.
Their romance starts with Seth basically stalking her in the name of āsurveillanceā since she is a new employee of one of the men he is trying to take down and living in his ex-mistressās house. (Who doesnāt love a little bit of stalking in a romance?) Once they officially meet in person, their chemistry is off the charts and they quickly fall into bed together. Their relationship progresses shakily from there as they try to uncover each otherās secrets and accomplish their own goals.
Things happen very quickly in this book. Itās pretty fast paced from the very beginning in both plot and romance. There is a lot of insta-lust/insta-love, so if thatās not your cup of tea, you should probably skip this one. It doesnāt really bother me. Do I ever think I will meet and fall in love with a handsome man in a week? Probably not, but I also donāt think I will ever be working for my uncle under an assumed identity while I try to secretly investigate if he had my father killed and have people try to kill me multiple times. Unbelievable situations produce unbelievable outcomes.
Here are my main gripes. I know this book has recently been rereleased, and some of the lingo has been updated a little or things have been added in to make it seem more modern. To me though, the overall vibe/tone and wording sometimes still reads a little dated. The new additions honestly just made me laugh and stood out to me more than doing anything to make the book better. Raine is a little too emotional for me at times, and cries way too much, including multiple times during spicy scenes. Speaking of which, the spicy scenes are really hot, but they definitely go on too long.
This review is a little more long winded than I expected it be, but overall, I love this book and series.
In Behind Closed Doors, you have Seth, the morally gray hero trying to exact vengeance on the men who killed his brother. Heās hot, possessive, lacks basic social skills and doesnāt really care if he breaks the law as long as itās going to help him get what he wants.
Then you have Raine, the very beautiful, seemingly innocent heroine who is secretly trying to find out the truth about her dadās supposed murder. Sheās been haunted by dreams of his death since she was a child and has decided to quit running from her past and is really trying to step into her own.
Their romance starts with Seth basically stalking her in the name of āsurveillanceā since she is a new employee of one of the men he is trying to take down and living in his ex-mistressās house. (Who doesnāt love a little bit of stalking in a romance?) Once they officially meet in person, their chemistry is off the charts and they quickly fall into bed together. Their relationship progresses shakily from there as they try to uncover each otherās secrets and accomplish their own goals.
Things happen very quickly in this book. Itās pretty fast paced from the very beginning in both plot and romance. There is a lot of insta-lust/insta-love, so if thatās not your cup of tea, you should probably skip this one. It doesnāt really bother me. Do I ever think I will meet and fall in love with a handsome man in a week? Probably not, but I also donāt think I will ever be working for my uncle under an assumed identity while I try to secretly investigate if he had my father killed and have people try to kill me multiple times. Unbelievable situations produce unbelievable outcomes.
Here are my main gripes. I know this book has recently been rereleased, and some of the lingo has been updated a little or things have been added in to make it seem more modern. To me though, the overall vibe/tone and wording sometimes still reads a little dated. The new additions honestly just made me laugh and stood out to me more than doing anything to make the book better. Raine is a little too emotional for me at times, and cries way too much, including multiple times during spicy scenes. Speaking of which, the spicy scenes are really hot, but they definitely go on too long.
This review is a little more long winded than I expected it be, but overall, I love this book and series.
velvetsun's review
4.0
I can definitely understand why some people were turned off by the leading man, Seth Mackey. He puts the A in Alpha male, and there were a handful of times that his behavior was downright bullying. However, i loved how Raine managed to get past his dominating spirit, and find the real man beneath it all. There were some genuinely touching moments between Raine and Seth towards the end of this book, and that only endeared me to the story even more.
thebooktician's review
1.0
DNF with only about 15% remaining. Just couldn't do it. I'm all for hot and steam, and a sexy alpha male, but all of that without character development...no thank you...
mitabird's review
4.0
Behind Closed Doors was pretty good. Seth was a little much to take sometimes. He was extremely Alpha and was not always kind to Raine. However, even with all of his idiocy, he truly did care about her. The suspense was exciting and Raine grew enough of a backbone to deal with all the stuff thrown at her. It kept my interest and I want to read the rest of the series now.
charmedkim's review
4.0
I fell in love with Shannon McKenna's writing after reading her short story in I Brake for Bad Boys. This is the first full-length novel of hers that I've read and I found it enjoyable. It had a good story and the love scenes were well-written. I know it's an erotic romance and I like those, but I'm a little surprised at myself when I say that there was a little too much sex. I guess I felt that the sex scenes both disctracted the reader with quantity and added to the story with quality, if that makes any sense. All in all, McKenna has all the elements that make a good erotic, romantic suspense.