Keep Me

I have thoroughly loved reading this series. Each book gets better and better. I can't wait for book 3 in the Twist Me series to finally come out! If you are thinking about reading this series and you love a combination of romance, excitement, and sex then don't hesitate on reading this...you won't regret it! I loved how the author changes the POV with each chapter so the reader was able to get to know each character on a deeper level and she kept it exciting. I also loved how dedicated Julian, the abductor, and Nora, the one abducted, are to each other. What began as a kidnapping turns into what professionals would describe as Stockholm Syndrome but I choose to think they truly do love each other. They prove time and time again that they would die for one another and that they can't live without the other person. I can't wait to continue the story of Julian and Nora's love in book 3! I'm so glad I stumbled onto this series!

The first book ("Twist Me") really blew me away and I eagerly awaited the release of "Keep Me". It was written well but didn't pack quite the punch as the first book did. Unfortunately that means the first book set the bar so high I felt I could only give this one 4 1/2 stars instead of 5!
In "Keep Me" Nora has pretty much accepted Julian as part of her life so we didn't have all the violence, even though there were a few minor episodes. (Not that I'm a masochist or anything but the scenes in "Twist Me" did make for some edge-of-your-seat reading!) Julian was still as uber-dominant in this book even if he has been somewhat domesticated by Nora. I'm really looking forward to book 3!

I would like to thank you....for the constant ride of sex, confusion,love, loyalty, murder an drama .....Your juicy way of writing leaves me wanting more. Julian makes Christian Grey seem sane Lls an Nora puts Anastasia to shame. Thank you I look to buy the next book.

The story of Julian and Nora continues in this second instalment in this series. Anyone who lives a dangerous life will most times face danger. This is what happens here. The tables were turned when Nora had to be the one to save Julian from the hands of the terrorists. What that man went through would have killed a lesser man, but he who lives by the sword, etc etc...

Anyways, our Nora came through for her man. Suddenly their relationship has changed. It is a good thing. I love this story. I might need psychological examination for that though. What then is new? **Cackles**

Well Julian Esguerra is back and still as can be. I see why the author decided to write a third installment, Julian and Nora's story definitely is not over. I foresee an emotional transformation for Julian which subtly began in this story. Nora turned in to the type of woman Julian's needs by his side considering the type of work he does. I wonder if she always had it in her or if her character changed as a result of the relationship with Julian. Either way, I think this was a great follow up to Twist Me and I look forward to Hold Me in 2015.

I pre-ordered this book because I thought Twist Me was so good, so I was looking forward to a day lost in this book. Instead, I was somewhat bored by a very slow first half and disappointed that this installment was not as edgy.

There are some minor spoilers.

The first half of the book essentially was like reading a daily diary. Julian behaves badly trying to control Nora. Nora complains. He gets angry. She submits. They have angry sex. She pulls away then feels bad because she's incomplete without him so they have make-up sex. Over and over. It got pretty tedious. Her inner musings about Stockholm syndrome got tiresome, as did his inner musings about "I'm just a bad guy". In the last 30%, the plot behind the character study emerges and is almost a replay of the last book, but it is even more contrived. MH 37 is what happens when a plane is shot out of the sky at 36,000 feet, not the miracle that happens here. The rescue scene is also absurd.

Nora and Julian just don't work all that well as a couple for me in this book. What does a 31 year old who has been killing people since he was 8 have in common with a 19 year old who led a sheltered middle class life up until he kidnapped her? It worked in the last book because it was pretty clear he just wanted his very own sex toy to mold to his desires and she understood that she was deriving comfort the only way she could in a messed up situation. But now that they spend a lot of time together (he was always gone in the last book), what do they talk about? She has zero life experience and a high school degree. He is a murderer with a complex network of businesses that he closely controls. He does try to engage her in some of what he is doing, but really, there is no way she can credibly contribute to any conversations given her background, despite the author trying to make you think that Julian is impressed with her intuition. They don't interact as a couple with the real world (no dining out, no movies, no concerts, no museums), so all they have in common is sex, and they spend a lot of time having it.

Nora is clearly seeking an emotional relationship based on more than Stockholm syndrome, while he still mostly views her as his pet. The author does nudge him into a place where he has moments of introspection over his behavior, and she pushes Nora to a slightly darker moral place, but there is no way to believe that the purity of her love can change him when what he really needs is years of therapy. Nora claims that she is accepting of the fact that she might never get her dreamed of HEA - but I doubt that, given her repeated musings over what she dreamed her future would look like.

I wanted a book that was as unapologetic in its twistedness as the first book. Instead, having both points of view explained away a lot of the edginess. The filling in of Julian's background story detracted from his darkness (he must be a good guy somewhere deep inside because he saved a stray cat when he was 12!) I also liked Nora better when she was a victim in book 1, instead of the volunteer she became in book 2, as it made her feel like a "stupid girl" more often than not.

If you read the first book and liked it, I would recommend reading this book. It's not as dark or powerful, but I still like a lot of the thoughts in Nora's head, despite the fact that she doesn't translate most of them into action.

I totally enjoyed the first book in this series. I had high hopes for the second. I could not finish this book. In the first book Nora was a victim and the story worked for me. In this book she is a pathetic unintelligent teenage girl. I cannot find any thing likable or attractive in Julian. There is absolutely no love involved in this story. I know many of us are looking for the next Fifty Shades but this isn’t it. I am finally convinced there is only one Christian Grey.

Obviously she can't be kidnapped and forced twice so it wasn't as dark as the first but it was still good. By this time, our h has already fallen in love with the H despite his twisted ways so we lose the non-con aspect but gain some pretty hot sexy scenes. High enough action level to maintain interest and I loved that the h didn't turn all whiney and our H didn't lose his edge once love came into play.

i totally love this series. Excellent writing and characters. What i do not like is that this writer work on several series at the same time and therefore you have to wait for a long time before you get the next book. Wait until the next book come out "sometime in 2015" and then read all three books. i had go back and catch up on book 1 before i read this book. People that cannot write series in a reasonable time should stick to stand alone books.

the connection between Julian and Nora is bizarre. he kidnapped her and she now loves him. he likes pain with pleasure and he conditioned her to want it. he takes her again but to his home in Columbia. she becomes his permanently and he is obsessed with her and keeping her safe. he teaches her self defense and how to handle guns. kinda ironic if u ask me.
I'm intrigued as to how they can have a relationship in such a twisted way.