Title: Complete Me by J. Kenner
Stark Trilogy Book Three
Publisher: Random Publishing House Group
Imprint: Bantam
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance, BDSM
Length: 322 pages
Book Rating: C+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes the third novel in the erotic, fast-paced trilogy including Release Me and Claim Me. This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who’s never had to take “no” for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says “yes” on her own terms.
Our desire runs deep. But our secrets cut close.
Beautiful, strong, and commanding, Damien Stark fills a void in me that no other man can touch. His fierce cravings push me beyond the brink of bliss—and unleash a wild passion that utterly consumes us both.
Yet beneath his need for dominance, he carries the wounds of a painful past. Haunted by a legacy of dark secrets and broken trust, he seeks release in our shared ecstasy, the heat between us burning stronger each day.
Our attraction is undeniable, our obsession inevitable. Yet not even Damien can run from his ghosts, or shield us from the dangers yet to come.
Complete Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
The Review:
J. Kenner’s Complete Me, the final installment of the Stark Trilogy, ties up all of the loose ends of the various storylines. Overly dramatic and angsty, this final novel has some unexpected twists and turns but the overall story is a rehash of the themes from the previous novels.
Nikki Fairchild started out as a pretty together, independent young woman. But somewhere along the way, (ok, it was in book two) Nikki becomes so overly dependent on Damian Stark that she cannot seem to function without him. Couple that with his inability to open to her and Nikki’s emotional health continues on its downward spiral in Complete Me. With Nikki continually fighting the urge to slip back into her old destructive pattern of easing her pain, I could not help but wonder why she would stay in such an unhealthy relationship.
Lack of communication continues to be the major problem between Nikki and Damian. Damian steadfastly refuses to confide in Nikki and she continues to be devastated by his failure to open up. This becomes a vicious cycle between them and it not only undermines their relationship, but it feeds Nikki’s insecurities. I found this part of the storyline very frustrating as it happens over and over again with both characters reacting exactly the same way each time.
As with the first two novels in the trilogy, there are BDSM elements to Nikki and Damian’s relationship. They use sex to avoid their problems. They use sex to work out their individual issues. They use sex to work through their issues as a couple. This translates into whole lotta sex that literally goes on for pages and pages. Their sex scenes are hot, but in the end, they overwhelm the rest of the storyline.
J. Kenner has an enjoyable writing style and overall Complete Me is a fast paced novel. Although some of the storyline is frustrating, I do like that all of the various story arcs are resolved. While Nikki and Damian get plenty of screen time, there is more interaction between Nikki and her friends Ollie and Jamie. Nikki and Ollie work on patching up their friendship and Jamie begins to make some positive changes to her life. Damian’s secrets contain a few surprises I did not see coming. There are a few “aww, how sweet” moments that are incredibly romantic. All in all, a satisfying conclusion to the Stark trilogy.
Read my reviews of the other novels in the trilogy HERE.
