Review: Sex Addict by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank

Note: This ARC was provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

"God, Reagan," he whispered, when he raised his head to look down at her. "I need..."

When he trailed off, she shook her head and urged him to continue. "What do you need?"

He licked his lower lip, and she could tell he was trying to decide how much to say. Then he lowered his head, pressed a kiss to her ear, and said, "To be the man you see when you look at me like you are now."

Holy. Hot. Read. I've read and loved Brooke Blaine's and Ella Frank's books separately, but the two of them together have created one hell of an underwear-melting read with Sex Addict, which was previously published as a three-part serial and an omnibus version entitled A Desperate Man. Whatever title this book may choose to go by, there's no denying how surprising the story was. Just when you think it's going in one direction, you're thrown for a loop when you're taken down a much different path. And before you think that this is nothing more than smut, think again. The authors have put together a fantastic story about a man whose addiction to sex takes an unexpected turn when he meets and shares an unforgettable evening with a woman he nicknames Blondie, and then finds out that she is none other than his new boss.

His name is James. Evan James. He arms himself with his gorgeous looks and his lethal charm and they've worked for him countless times in the past, especially when he needs a quick fix. After one night with the beautiful fair-haired woman, he can't seem to move on to his next conquest without picturing Blondie in his head. When she ends up becoming his boss at his new job, he knows he can't risk making the same mistake he did at his previous place of employment. Unfortunately, denying his craving for her at every turn is proving to be far more difficult than he anticipated. The thing is, Reagan Spencer wants him just as much as he wants her, but is Evan willing to risk his career yet again, especially when there's no guarantee he'll ever get enough of her? What happens when one's deception finally makes itself known to the other?

Sex Addict is composed of three parts--which I'm assuming were the original three parts of the serial--told from a third person perspective, the first from Evan's, the second from Reagan's, and the third from both. There's a hell of a lot more going on in their story than you would first suspect going in. There are parts of their respective pasts that they're keeping from one another, and while one knows more than the other, I won't say who because then that just spoils the whole story for you. I will say that Evan's sex addiction isn't some frivolous thing. The man truly feels pain and suffers from this inexplicable need that strikes him anytime and anyplace. It was shown in a more real sense, and not made to look as if he simply enjoys each and every act he engages in. I don't think I've ever sympathized with a sex addict before, so Evan is a first.

This book has a lot of sex, but none of it ever felt gratuitous. Then there was the more fun parts of the story--the ones that had lighthearted banter and teasing--and there were exchanges that showed that both Evan and Reagan truly wanted to get to know one another outside of sex. The twists in the story are all intertwined, making for an intriguing and enticing read. The cast of characters never took attention away from Evan and Reagan, though I must point out that Dr. Michael Glover, Evan's therapist, was blunt and said what needed to be said without all the frou-frou and sugarcoating and could give Dr. Phil McGraw a run for his money. I never had the opportunity to read A Desperate Man, so I can't tell you if anything's different in this reincarnation, but what I can tell you is that Sex Addict is a five-plus-starred must-read. ♥

Release Date: 11 April 2016

Date Read: 11 April 2016

Learn more about Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank.

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