Sunday 12 May 2013

Review of Raine Miller's "All In".


So having read “Naked” last week, I was desperate to read the sequel “All In” because the cliff hanger had left me completely and utterly heartbroken for both Ethan and Brynne. Despite their best efforts in trying to make their relationship work, the secret Ethan had kept from Brynne had eventually  torn them apart.
“All In” starts exactly where “Naked” finishes with Brynne discovering that her father has sent Ethan to protect her from the dangers that are lurking in the shadows.


 


It wasn’t fear that made her leave. It was the devastation at the betrayal,
 to find I had kept the truth from her. I had broken her trust.
I’d wagered to high and lost.

Brynne is devastated. Her heart broken because (in Ethan) she  thought she had found someone who could give her everything she never thought possible:

He wasn’t demanding and controlling because he wanted to dominate me, he
was that way because he knew it was what I needed. Ethan was trying to
 give me something I needed in order to make us work.

 She trusted him, gave herself to him and allowed him to take every ounce of control she had had. But it had all been a lie.With the knowledge she thought Ethan had, how could he possibly love her?
How wrong could one girl be? Because Ethan isn’t the type of man to give up so easily. He’s never been shy about his feelings and he's fallen in love with his American girl. She’s worth fighting for so he’ll fight. He’ll do everything in his power to protect her, to keep her safe and to regain the trust he has lost. This isn’t going to be easy because as well as all of the other obstacles they face, they have a new enemy. There are people out there looking into Brynne’s past  hoping to dig up something that will give them the upper hand in the world of politics where everyone plays dirty.
Will Ethan be able to protect her, help her heal and help her to trust him again or will their dark pasts continue to tear them apart?
OK so I knew “All In” was going to be different to “Naked”. Naked was very much about Brynne and Ethan’s physical connection and their sexual chemistry. I was desperate to see this develop into something more emotional, something deeper and I wasn’t disappointed. Yes sex still featured high on their agenda (no I’m not complaining because it was hot, sizzling, raw sex) but there was definitely more depth to their relationship, more feeling and more emotion from both characters.  
“All In” was told from Ethan’s point of view which definitely gave the story a different feel.  Although serious in nature, there were parts that seemed more light hearted and even comical at times. Seeing things from Ethan’s perspective and hearing his inner thoughts had me smiling and even laughing at times:

I told my tackle to shut the hell up, and to imagine Muriel the street vendor and
her accompanying moustache if he wanted more of Brynne’s divine fanny.

Despite Ethan being a typical alpha male, he was just like any other guy in so many respects. As the book progressed, I saw a real possessive side to him. Brynne was always going to be “his” girl and he used this term on many occasions whether he was talking to friends, relations or acquaintances. He wanted the world to know she was his and I think this also highlighted a jealous side to him.

I was such a jealous bastard now. I’d never been jealous with any
of the girls I’d dated before., but then again Brynne was not
just a girl to me. Brynne was the girl. My girl

There was also vulnerable and insecure side to Ethan which I saw more of in “All In” . Although he had always got what he wanted, with Brynne it was different. This was a whole new level in terms of relationships and commitment, something neither of them had ever done before:

What if she didn’t want what I wanted? What if I was just her first
 real relationship that she could test the waters with? What
if she met someone else down the line?

It made Ethan more human to me and it just made me love him even more.
Brynne struggled to deal with the aftermath of her father’s call at the end of “Naked”. She thought her secret was out which just brought to the surface every single insecurity she had kept hidden. It was heart breaking to see her feel she was unworthy of love and affection:

Ethan knows what happened to me and there is no way he
could possibly love me now.

Brynne was afraid of the future and she was hurt but I desperately wanted to see them reunited as a couple. He was what she needed to get back on track (even if she didn’t know it yet).
In “All In”, Brynne faced her demons. Despite knowing what she had to lose, she had to lay all her cards on the table:

“You won’t like hearing about it. You may mot... want...
to be together after you know.”

This showed a very strong and courageous side to her character which just made my heart swell.
This book was so worth reading. It definitely took me on more of an emotional journey with the characters (something  I had craved more of  in book one). Again, well written with a really good continuation of the story line.I also saw the addition a few more secondary characters (maybe the option for a spin off series with Ivan and Gabrielle???)
I have rated this book 4.5 stars.
There is no cliff hanger with this book but there is still a lot that been left unsaid. Ethan still has his secret and there is still someone lurking in the darkness. Who could it be? I have a list as long as my arm!!! lol  Happy reading

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