[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook, Kindle, Audible
Purchase: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | iBooks[/alert]
Originally published as a six-novella series, Opal Carew’s His to Claim follows the relationship of billionaire-by-day Rafe Rainier and nail-art-enthusiast Melanie Taylor. After years of working for Rafe, Melanie has had enough of unrequited love, so she quits her job and sets about having an adventure. But the starving artist lifestyle is less exciting than Melanie imagined, and the thrill of a new beginning quickly fades. When Rafe walks back into Melanie’s life, and finally sees her as a sexually available woman, she is unable to deny his intrusion. What starts with a shared tattoo session quickly becomes a hot-and-cold relationship between moody, conflicted Rafe and naïve, hopeful Melanie.
“I can’t believe a big rock star like you chose me from among all those other women.”
Although His to Claim is categorized as erotic romance, there is very little romance to be found. Melanie and Rafe met long before the novel begins, and Melanie is completely in love with Rafe before he ever steps onto the stage. Despite being both a billionaire and a part-time rock star called Storm, it is difficult to believe that Rafe could inspire Melanie’s level of googly-eyed adoration. Theirs is an uncomfortable and abrupt relationship, including really awkward beer sex and a comically intense foursome, but not because of the light domination themes. His to Claim feels only surface deep, with all the trendy elements of a bestseller—dominant billionaire, edgy rock star, extensive tattoos, hints of BDSM—and none of the heart that makes romance worth reading.
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