Review: Beyond Control (Beyond #2) Cosmo Flails PLUS A Free Download!!

Beyond Control by Kit Rocha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I might have to give this one a 4.5!

Beyond Control is a steamy, intense dystopian that I would recommend for anyone looking for something a bit different in their erotica.

I said it with Beyond Shame and I’ll reiterate it right away here, this is NAUGHTY stuff…*cough* 6 people *cough* but it’s so damn good. The fact that these authors also weave in (very believably) the aspects of a good dystopian really help me give this such a high rating.

In Beyond Control the focus of the story revolves around Alexa (Lex) and Dallas. Dallas is the head of the O’Kane’s and he’s fought tooth and nail to get where he is. His feelings for Lex have always been the permanent kind, but they always seem to be at odds with where they want their ‘relationship’ to go. He’s definitely the alpha male type and HOMG does he wear that title well.

After an endless silence, Dallas traced her jaw and put the tip of his finger under her chin. “I’m feeling possessive tonight, Lexie love, so here’s your choice. I can untie you and we can have a little tease and cuddle…or you can stand up and go into the bedroom. If you do that, I’m going to play with you until you think you can’t take it anymore, and then I’m going to ride you so hard your legs won’t work in the morning. Pick one.

The problem is, Lex also is at the top of everything. And pursuing a relationship can only cause problems for these two right?

“Just cuddling?” She managed to climb to her feet. “Don’t be such a girl, Declan.”

Let me just say that the sex and the sexuality while it plays a big part in these books, it really isn’t the main focus. There really is a plot here and I’m incredibly excited to say it’s a really good one!

I loved the more in depth look at Lex and Dallas we got with this book. After Beyond Shame, I wasn’t all that excited to hear that this would be their story, mostly because I didn’t get a good feel for them in the first. But Beyond Control does an excellent job of expanding on their characters. The pressure and expectations that each of these characters feels the absolute need to always be in control… it was nice to finally get to see the private Dallas and Lex, that despite the need to be fierce and strong, they were able to let that go in each other’s company. The characters were wonderfully developed.

It will be interesting to see what the coming books give us readers. With the expansion of the O’Kane territory and a few new characters we got a bit more world building as far as the workings of the territories and the politics that surround them. I’m excited to read more!

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

Now… if you’ve been following me on Twitter, you know I recommended this series to my good friend cosmogirl7481.  Let me just say that it is way more fun to read these books with someone who I can flail with.  I asked her if she wanted to share some of her thoughts on the first two books and of course she said yes!  So, here are the thoughts of my lovely friend – make sure you go add her on Goodreads too!  So… without further ado…

So, I’m a literary whore.  This means that I like to read dirty books.  Now, I also like to read other books, but if I’m being honest here – and why wouldn’t I be – reading smut is my favorite.

With that being said, when you read as much as I do, your kindle gets filled with some really good stuff that you might want to uh…revisit.  But it also get’s filled with some stuff that you click-to-buy on a whim that turns out to not be so good.  And on top of that, you find that you have to do what I refer to as a “smut-dive” because it would seem like you’ve read everything out there.

Well, on several of my smut-dives, Amazon actually recommended a book for me.  Beyond Shame.  And I was intrigued by the title and even the cover. (Side note: Erotica covers can be amazing or truly horrible.)  The cover of this book was actually gorgeous, provocative.  But when I clicked on the description, something made me not click to buy.  It was this: “But if she wants to belong to Jas, first she’ll have to open herself to the gang…”

So, there I was, wanting to buy this book, but picturing a gang of men essentially fucking this poor, innocent girl senseless.  And my immediate reaction was, “No.  GTFO.” 

I don’t mind sex with multiple partners, but there’s something – for me – that’s just off-putting about a gangbang.

Then one day, I begged my good friend, Jaime, to give me a title of something dirty that she loved.  And she told me this, “Beyond Shame.  It’s the dirtiest thing I’ve ever read.  And I loved it.” 

Now, this is high praise from someone I trust.  She knows my tastes, and I believed she wouldn’t lie to me.  So, I jumped.  I clicked-to-buy and started reading.

And just damn.

Damn, damn, damn.

I didn’t stop reading.  I couldn’t.  I got completely caught up in this wonderful, gritty, dirty world that Kit Rocha created.  It was dystopian, which was something I’d never really read before in erotica.  So, immediately, I was on board. 

Noelle was innocent, which isn’t generally my cup of tea.  I don’t like virgins because virgin sex is never ever hot. Generally, when I read virgin sex…

Now, Noelle wasn’t exactly a virgin.  But the one sexual encounter she’d had wasn’t really much to speak of.  However, when she meets Jasper and Lex, I must admit, I liked the idea of them teaching her all the things.  Not to mention, Dallas, the King of Sector Four, and Ace, the hot tattoo artist who keeps the entire O’Kane Clan inked. And both of them have a hand in bringing her along quite nicely, as well.

I’m won’t spoil the whole plot for you in my review because the whole reason I’m doing this is so you’ll read it yourself, but I am gonna share what I loved about this book.

It’s essentially a story about self-discovery.  You know, just no self-discovery I was ever lucky enough to have.  My self-discovery involved education and sloppy kisses and poor to mediocre sex with partners who were essentially discovering themselves as well.  Hers involved multiple sex partners who happen to be sex-gods and dancing onstage.  Not to mention an intense attraction to a man who helped her see that it was okay to be as naughty as she wanted – that she didn’t have to be ashamed of it.  And for my part, I wish our society was a little more like the down and dirty like the world Dallas created.  Because we could use a little more “free to be you and me” in our world.

Yes, I was just singing like Marlo Thomas in my head.

Personally, I don’t get into the whole sharing thing.  However, it didn’t make this book any less enjoyable or hot for me.  Because it was hot for them.  The authors did a wonderful job of conveying that.  And because of that, this book is on my “Smut-that-I-Love” shelf.  With as much smut as I read, you’d be surprised to know that not many books have that title.

Now.

Beyond Control.

I didn’t talk a lot about Dallas and Lex while I was reviewing Beyond Shame.  Not because I didn’t love them, but because I did.  So much, in fact, that had I started in on these characters, everyone else would have fallen by the wayside. 

Because sweet merciful fuck…

Both of them owned me.

Lex, or as Dallas (and only Dallas) calls her, Alexa… Well, she’s amazing.  She’s this tough-as-nails woman who knows what she wants, and with the exception of the King of Sector Four, she knows how to get it.  But damn if she doesn’t want Dallas most of all.

And there’s the thing – the best thing.  Dallas feels the exact same way about her.  And Dallas…

Dallas is the King.  And JFC, what a King he is.  He is tatted and rough and seriously, if someone was going to write my ideal fantasy man – and I guess that’s what Kit Rocha did – Dallas would be it.

Yeah, he’s a scary motherfucker, but the best thing about him is that everything he does, each decision he makes is because he genuinely loves and respects the people in his district.  Especially those in the O’Kane Clan.  But for as much as he feels that way, Dallas has a hard time showing anything that looks like real emotion because that might be viewed as weakness.  Especially with Lex.

And once again, I’m not gonna just retell a story that was already told more amazingly than I could tell it, but I am gonna tell you what I loved about his book.

I loved that once Dallas and Lex made the agreement to be together, Dallas wouldn’t share.

She was his, and by god, she wasn’t going to be anyone else’s.  And as much as Lex loved to be with others, especially Noelle, she really fucking loved it, too.  Their sex was raw and dirty and real.  And in my opinion, a million times hotter than anything else.  Even when – especially when – Dallas gave in and allowed Lex to have a fantasy.  A fantasy that was so hot, you just have to read and experience it for yourself.

I also loved that this book delved more into the political aspect of the dynamics in the world Kit Rocha created.  I loved that we learned that Dallas and Lex both came from humble backgrounds from which they had to fight and claw their way out.  And I loved that by exploring all of this, as a reader, I was able to understand them more, root for them more.  Because they were soul mates.  They were the epitome of being two halves that made the most amazing whole.

I’m excited about what else is coming from the two woman who make up Kit Rocha.  And while I wait, I’ll just be over here planning out what tattoo I’m gonna get and drinking bourbon from my O’Kane flask.

4 Stars for Beyond Shame

And 5 Stars for Beyond Control.

Read them both immediately.

A very special thank you goes out to my girl Cosmo who took the time to write up her thoughts! We’ll be doing a joint review with another friend, Corie, once we finish up reading Beyond Pain (Book #3) PLUS We’ll have a special interview with the authors to share!!  Stay tuned!! 

YOU GUYS – the lovely duo that makes up Kit Rocha have offered a special free download, but it’s only for one week! If you haven’t started this series yet, you now have no excuse! You can download Beyond Shame by clicking the cover below and entering the code fictionfare

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