Badass Bloggettes: *** RELEASE BLITZ *** PRETTY WHEN YOU CRY (Stripped, #3) by Skye Warren

Title: PRETTY WHEN YOU CRY (Stripped, #3)

Author: Skye Warren

Release Date: October 16, 2015

Genre: Dark Erotic Romance

Blurb

A new dark romance novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderlust and Prisoner… I came from a place of dirt floors and holy scriptures. They told me the world outside was full of sin, and the first night I escape, I find out it’s true. Ivan saves me, but he does more than that. He takes me. He makes me his own girl. My conditioning runs too deep. Ivan sees what I am. That’s the thing about showing a mouse to a cat. He wants to play. And it’s terrifying, even for me. Because the only thing darker than my past is his.

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Pretty When You Cry is book three in the Stripped series by Skye Warren. Ms. Warren is an excellent writer of the chilling and dark underbelly of society. I will admit upfront that I had concerns about this book before I read the first word. I don’t like adult /children (under 18) sexual relationships—ever no matter how well they are written. What saves this book (in my opinion) is even though the desire for a sexual relationship is there from the beginning, Ivan doesn’t act on his desire until Candy is 19.

The story is very intense and while there isn’t an actual underage relationship, there is the “Daddy/Little Girl” kink and innuendo that gives me bad chills sometimes. There is a lot of suspense and intrigue that keeps the pages turning. The story is told from Candy’s point of view so the reader only sees the relationship through her eyes. This is good and bad because we learn about and feel Candy but we don’t really understand what is going on in Ivan’s head and/or what he wants from the relationship because he doesn’t really share with Candy.

What I know about Ivan is what I know from the previous books and that isn’t all that great. He is controlling and depraved but we don’t see an underlying love that often redeems icky main characters. There are little glimpses here and there of a caring person and that’s it. This is probably because Candy doesn’t see the love and therefore she is always looking for an escape because she doesn’t feel hopefully of love in the future.

The writing is very good. The plot is interesting but, for me, the end falls a little flat. I expected a little more to round out the story. Again it is possible that the ending is a little disappointing because the story is told from Candy’s POV. I just don’t feel the love and chemistry between this couple that might be experienced in a dual or third person point of view story. I really want to understand Ivan and I just couldn’t get in his head.

I know there is at least one more book in this series (the one I’ve been waiting for since the prequel) and I’m thinking there has to be at least one move after that to resolve all the unanswered questions throughout the series. I have to admit that I am still committed to the series – and can’t wait for book 4 – so that tells you there is something pulling at the reader. It just doesn’t hit all the buttons that I want in a relationship story for me.

4 STAMPS