Blog Tour and Giveaway: When I Surrender: Kendall Ryan
When I Surrender
(When I Break #2)
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Undaunted by Knox’s complicated history with sexual addiction, McKenna pushes forward in her relationship with this deliciously flawed man. She experiences the highest highs as they discover each other, along with the lowest lows, and worries that his past may not be entirely behind him.
But when a complication from her own past demands attention, she's forced to decide where their relationship is headed, and everything she thought she knew is questioned.
When I Surrender is book 2 in the WHEN I BREAK series by New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Kendall Ryan.
Note: Contains a stubborn alpha male with addiction issues and loads of sexual tension between two damaged characters. Read at your own risk.
**Warning** This book is intended for a mature reading audience and contains adult language and themes.
McKenna
“Stop avoiding this
conversation.”
“What conversation
are we having, McKenna?” He sucked the skin at the base of my neck, pressing
sweet kisses against my collarbone.
“Sex,” I murmured.
“You’re not ready
yet,” he said. I pulled back and gave
him a quizzical look. Was he serious right now? “I’ll know when you’re ready,”
he continued. “You need to trust me.”
His hands cupped my cheeks and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. I didn’t want
to be treated like a china doll. I’d waited long enough for this moment in my
life and I was sure.
“And you need to
trust me.” I might be damaged, but I was stronger than he was giving me credit
for. I could handle this. Couldn’t I?
He watched me with
hooded eyes, taking stock of everything he saw – every emotion and stray
thought racing through my brain. My entire body was alive and humming. It was
as though he could see straight into me and read all my inner thoughts. It was
the oddest sensation.
“Tell me what you
want to know,” he said, brushing the hair back from my face.
My stomach was
coiled tight and nervous energy shot thru my veins. Something was about to
happen. I’d pushed him and now I needed to be sure I really was ready. “You
seem so sure. And I don’t know what I’m doing. I just need to know that’s okay
with you.”
“That’s a turn on,
trust me. I can be a little dominating in the bedroom.”
Finally, we were
discussing the elephant in the room. “A dominant? Like…you want a submissive?”
My entire body was tingling. I had to know what I was signing up for.
“Mmm, not exactly.”
His large palm curled around the back of my neck, his thumb stroking the skin
there. “I just like taking charge. Nothing extreme, I promise.”
My belly tightened.
“I’m not into pain, Knox.”
“That’s not my thing
at all, angel. You’d never have to worry about me hurting you.” His voice was
sincere, and his warm honey eyes were loving and kind, but that didn’t stop the
uncertainty raging inside me.
“What do you want,
then?”
“Control. To show
you pleasure.”
His words sent a jab
of lust straight between my thighs and I let out a whimper. Something about
this man, his desire to bring me pleasure, lit me up from the inside out. If he
had a trace of dominance, perhaps I had a trace of submissiveness.
“You like that,
don’t you, angel?” he asked. I nodded slowly, biting my lip as I gazed up at
him. “Soon,” he promised. “My self-control is almost non-existent where you’re
concerned.”
We were two lost souls fighting to cling to something real. We met Knox and McKenna in When I Break. They are two broken people suffering from loss and guilt who deal with it in different ways. She does good for others while he seeks pleasure and numbness to avoid pain and stress.
Their connection is strong and hard to deny. But the circumstances are all wrong and could have major repercussions. But somehow even though it should be all wrong, it feels right and worth exploring.
One is inexperienced. The other way too experienced. One falls in love easily. The other is not sure love is a possibility. Navigating through this new experience is difficult and confusing and for them both. I loved seeing them both have to dig in and decide if they were up for the challenge. And at alternating times have to be encouraged to keep trying and pushing their limits. Somehow they give each other what they need and make each other better.
They have been dealing with Knox's past a lot. But now McKenna's past and present are colliding and putting up more barriers for them. And all of Knox's secrets are not out yet either. Will they be able to hang on or will full disclosure split them apart for good?
"The things you've done don't scare me. I just worry I won't measure up to your past."
"You have it backwards. My past doesn't measure up to you."
"You have it backwards. My past doesn't measure up to you."
I totally love this couple. Knox is so alpha, but also vulnerable and tender. He is damaged and has been lost, but wants to try to be a better man for her. But he does not always have faith in himself. He has so much pain in his past and is dealing with the stress of raising his three younger brothers and he is only twenty-two. I love his relationship with his brothers and their lively personalities and seeing how they respond to McKenna as well.
McKenna is smart and determined, but she has a lot to handle between Knox's issues, her own personal issues, and her career. She has had a void in her life for so long, but Knox and his brothers seem to help fill it. She wants to believe the best in people, but is also fearful and anxious about the circumstances. And her own life also comes with a set of problems.
It is complicated, messy, and really not a good idea but they both have a hard time resisting. Together they are strangely balanced, broken, and beautiful. But fears, insecurities, trust issues, and outside influences cause complications and mixed feelings. There is miscommunication, secrets, jealousy, and denial. But there are also sweeter times where they are really trying to move forward and leave the past behind. And in this one there are more sexy times too.
This was a fast, sexy, engaging read. I got sucked right back into their burgeoning relationship and story and am totally invested in the outcome. It is told in both points of view showing us their innermost fears and confusion. They both have such skewed opinions of themselves and sometimes each other so this was important for us to be able to see. I love how Kendall Ryan throws in little twists that quickly shift the story line. And since this is a trilogy, this one leaves off with a bang. The cliffhanger in the first book did not affect me as much as this one. It really had me thinking and trying to piece it together. I was totally not ready for it to end and I cannot wait for the rest of their story in When We Fall.
Thanks to Kendall Ryan for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
When I Break
Book 1
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What happens when a sex addict falls for a virgin?
Knox Bauer's life has unraveled to the point of no return. Fighting to fill the emptiness inside himself, he seeks solace in unfamiliar beds with unfamiliar women. As guardian to his three younger brothers, he can't seem to do a thing right. But this can't go on...they look up to him in every way and all he’s done lately is prove how messed up he really is. Needing a change, he attends a local Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting, where he finds himself tempted by the alluring instructor, McKenna.
Twenty-one year old McKenna is trying to make amends. After losing her parents in a horrific accident, she knows if she can just be good enough, maybe she can forgive herself for what happened. With her newly acquired degree in counseling, she begins leading a sex addicts group where she meets the troubled Knox and her life takes on complications she never bargained for. She doesn't have time for a bad boy who only wants to take her to bed, even if her body disagrees. The fixer in her wants to help, but trusting Knox's true motivations might take more courage than she has.
Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the contemporary romance novels, HARD TO LOVE, THE IMPACT OF YOU, RESISTING HER and WORKING IT. She's a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss! She lives in Minneapolis with an adorable husband, two naughty puppies, and a brand new son. She enjoys being naughty, reading, and anything girly.
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