New Release Review ~ Derision ~ Trisha Wolfe

Derision by Trisha Wolfe
Release Date: May 21, 2016
Genre: Adult, Erotic Romance
Source: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease, #CleanSweep
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis
*Dark erotic standalone that may have triggers

Here at Lark and Gannet, you'll work directly under the partners, being groomed by the most powerful, all-male partnership to handle an exclusive clientele. While within The Firm, your level of training goes deeper, requiring more...varied tasks, which you're obligated to perform to your Master's pleasing.

Are you nervous? You should be. Chase Larking has chosen you to be his submissive.

Alexis Wilde, will you submit?

All I wanted was to save my brother. Something my parents failed to do--and then, I failed him also. As an introvert, getting ahead in the cutthroat law firm required a level of ego stroking I didn't possess, and that meant my talents were overlooked. Until Chase Larkin noticed me.

My erotic fantasy come to life, Chase is all powerful, all man, all dominant. In one night, he changed my life irrevocably. Now I'm ruined, destined to crave him forever. His scent. His taste. His brutal touch...

If I never followed him to his office that night, then none of this would've happened. A stalker on the prowl. Our lives in jeapardy. And only a moment--one pivotal moment--to decide our fate. His life or mine.

*This is a full length, standalone dark romance with an antihero that may trigger uncomfortable feelings for the reader.

Wowza! TWolfe took a small departure from her dark romantic thrillers and went more towards pure erotic romance with this one but with Derision she still delivered a tight story with a suspense element. And it was riveting!

The way TWolfe intertwined The Firm with the firm was clever. When hiring Lark and Gannet for representation, no one would ever suspect all that goes on within or that the partners in the law firm are also partners in a wholly different kind of venture - The Firm. TWolfe did well in describing both - I was accompanying Alexis along the hallways of both.

Alexis is a paralegal at Lark and Gannet. She's hardworking, quiet, keeps to herself...meek, even. A true submissive. She's worked at the firm for a year now and other than performing her job, she's done little else with anyone at the firm. She has kept a close eye on Chase Lark though. In fact, he seemingly takes up some significant space in her mind.

Chase likes rules and order. He keeps all things in his life structured. So despite the fact that Alexis is being groomed for him, at his directive, he's not ready for the chaos she will bring into his life. However, a power play among the partners forces the issue.

I liked both Alexis and Chase. I could identify with Alexis and I felt her emotions acutely when others said hurtful things about her. Chase is unapologetic about who he is, and that's an attractive quality. Seeing how they mesh, how their personalities work together, and the power shift between them was fascinating. The relationship between Alexis and Chase, although it developed quickly, felt genuine. It is HOT - their chemistry is off the charts - and I loved the dynamics between them. I felt the intensity between them happened a bit fast but then these two knew a lot about the other going in - we just weren't privy to them gaining this knowledge. So despite my delight in the budding feelings, I wished for a bit more time for the development. That being said, they are clearly meant to be together...they fit perfectly. The suspense element was well done and even though I had my suspicions, I was only partly right. TWolfe managed to shock me with the reveal even if I thought things wrapped up a little too neatly.

TWolfe is proving to be a masterful storyteller. Her style makes for a smooth pace and concise execution. And her stories are captivating. Derision was her first foray into straight erotic romance and she delivered a gripping story along with smoking-hot sexy times - a *must* for me. I'd also like to not that while Derision does deal with a D/s relationship, no flogging, whipping, etc., occurred. ;) TWolfe writes complex characters in stories with depth and provocative topics - and she always delivers on the emotion.

Trisha, what's next??