Control by Kayla Perrin

Title: Control
Author:  Kayla Perrin
Series:  None 
Released:  September 1, 2010 
Genre:  Erotica, Romance 
Publisher:  Spice, Harlequin 
How I Got It:  received ARC ebook from Net Galley

Book Summary: 

Their romance was a modern-day fairy tale: handsome older millionaire falls hard for struggling young waitress. Robert swept Elsie off her feet – and into his bed -- put a huge diamond on her finger and spirited her away in his private jet destined for happily-ever-after.

Eight years later, Elsie Kolstadt realizes the clock has finally struck midnight. The five-star restaurants, exclusive address and exotic vacations can no longer make up for Robert's obsessive desire to control everything about their life together. From her hair colour to her music playlists, Robert has things just the way he wants them. No matter what.

But it's Robert's ultimate, unforgivable manipulation that finally shocks Elsie into action. Though divorce would strip her of everything, she can't live under Robert's roof any longer. Making her decision easier is Dion Carter, a high-school football coach with a heart of gold and a body of sculpted steel. Suddenly Elsie is deep in a steamy affair that could cost her everything – because Robert will stop at nothing to keep Elsie under his thumb.

My Thoughts:
Elsie is a young woman married to a much older man.  They seem to have the perfect life, but Elsie longs to have a child to make her fantasy complete. Unfortunately,  sex is the farthest thing from her husband's mind.  Time and time again, Elsie is left starved for attention.  Sexual fantasies become  the only things  that warm her side of the bed.   Soon there's trouble in paradise because Elsie's fantasies no longer include her husband.

Robert is a man who enjoys having control over everything.   He has all the things that money can buy, so surely his wife should be happy.  And if she's not, he'll just have to convince her to see things his way.  With two failed marriages, and an image to protect, hell will freeze over before he'll lose control over Elsie.  She will stay willingly, or else.

Okay, even before the first chapter was up, I knew that I didn't like Robert.  I knew he was crazy all along.  And Elsie is certainly crazy for marrying a man old enough to be her father.  Have babies with him...eeeewww!  Viagra or not, I am so glad that their sex scenes were low key.  Thank you Ms Perrin!

Anyhoo, I did enjoy reading the book.  I enjoy drama filled books, especially when weak women get tired of being beat down and finally stand up for themselves.  I liked Elsie at first because I really wanted her to get out of the relationship. I rolled my eyes when she keep trying to be cordial with Robert.

The impression that I got of their entire relationship was something like this: Robert say jump, and Elsie ask who high.  End of story.  So I got kind annoyed that Elsie seemed to think differently.  To tell the truth, her way of thinking ended up getting on my very last nerve.

Like I said , I did enjoy the book, but when the character of Dion was introduced, I found myself liking the book and Elsie less.  The reason I say so is because I wanted to see Elsie find herself by herself so she could get her life together.  Instead, she jumped from one situation to another.

I felt like all the things she went through with Robert she needed time to wrap her head around before wrapping herself up in another guy.  At this point the book started moving too fast.  But the crazy thing about it was that it only moved fast with the new romance so I found myself skipping over those parts and getting back to the messy divorce.  Sorry, in this book, I loved the drama more than the forced romance.  

My Rating:
I give the book 3.5 flowers of love.  It started out very promising but left me flat at the end.   I think the rushed romance is what really killed it for me.  The book ending left me with questions.   I actually thought I missed a page or two and had to flip back just to make sure.  The only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know what her crazy husband was going to do next.


No excerpt.  I looked and looked, but I couldn't find an excerpt anywhere.

  1/2