Locked by Maya Cross (The Alpha Group #1)
March 25, 2013
Contemporary Romance
Self Published

Reviewed by Mandi

Sophia is out with her girlfriends one night getting nice and tipsy. They are at some odd, out of the way bar and they notice a stream of people, very attractive people, that head into a guarded back room. Sophia, with some liquid courage decides she wants to investigate. So she spills some wine on the bodyguard who wouldn’t let her through, and when he leaves his post to address the spill, she sneaks in. What she finds is a very decadent, posh back room. There is even a swimming pool with ladies clad in bikinis floating around. Trying to fit in, she sits at the bar, and an attractive man makes his move on her. They chat and banter, and learns this is a company meeting of sorts for the venture capital firm that Sebastian (aka the attractive man) works for. After she leaves his side, she gets more curious and ends up down a hallway which happens to lead to Sebastian’s office where she sees top-secret documents talking about the Middle East. When she hears Sebastian coming, she hides and then witnesses Sebastian punishing a woman who interrupted him earlier by spanking her.

From this point on Sebastian and Sophia meet again and decide to pursue their attraction.  Let me emphasize this is the first in a series so we are left with unanswered and unaddressed situations, like why are there top secret documents. I found that to be a very odd inclusion since we don’t get a lot of information on it, but I was more disappointed with Sebastian. I felt like his inclination towards BDSM was not organic to his character. He paddles some girl he has an arrangement with but it felt out of place with his character. I felt his sex scenes with Sophia didn’t reflect a dominant role really. And further frustrating me, Sophia thinks she is now  a sub and is perfectly happy with it. It just seemed to come out of nowhere and didn’t really flow or was explored well.

Maybe because of what I just mentioned, I never felt true chemistry between them. At least not yet. They still have two books to get there. I was happy the author has in big bold letters that this is a trilogy and the HEA won’t happen until book three. I like it when authors are open and honest up front. Not sure if I will continue this one though.

Rating: C

Recent Reviews:
Martini Times – 3/5
The SubClub – 5/5
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