Beyond Addiction (Beyond, #5) by Kit Rocha
Erotic Romance/ Dystopian
E book
August 11, 2014
Self Published

 Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I’m going to tell you every filthy fucking thing I want to do with you and to you. Because I only know what gets you off. I want to learn what turns you on.”

Trix escaped Sector Five four years ago, allowing everyone there to believe she was dead. Now living in Sector Four and officially an O’Kane, Trix is clean with a new name, a new family, and the life she has always wanted. Except for missing the man she left behind in Sector Five, Trix is the happiest she’s ever been. When she is kidnapped in broad daylight, she is shocked to find herself back in Sector Five and face to face with the one man she never stopped loving.

Finn has been slowly killing himself everyday since Trix disappeared. Believing Trix is dead, all Finn wants to do is annihilate Sector Five and then find a place to finally let it all go. When he is called into his boss’s office and sees Trix, he vows he will do everything he can to get her back home safe and sound. Easier said than done though when politics places a bounty on both their heads.

Finn knows getting Trix home will be the easy part. Leaving her there and having to return to Sector Five may drive the final nail in his coffin. As Finn and Trix fight their way to the O’Kanes and safety, they also have deal with the blazing addiction that has roared back up between them. An addiction neither of them managed to kick in their time apart. With a sector war brewing on the horizon, Finn and Trix are once again caught in the crossfire and this time neither may make it out alive.

I am a huge fan of Kit Rocha (aka Moira Rogers) and I even have the coffee mug, flask, and temporary tattoos to prove it. The Beyond series is pure erotic decadence layered in sex, violence, and freedom as Rocha slowly evolves and expands their post-apocalyptic world and the people who inhabit it. Action packed with intriguing well plotted storylines and an ongoing arc that takes this erotic dystopian romance from common place to extraordinaire in both writing and presentation. This series celebrates the choice of freedom in all aspects of life. A much needed voice in our dodgy political climate of late. Strongly character driven, Rocha builds strong, intelligent, loyal men and women who promote and embrace the idea that your lifestyle and choices are nothing to be ashamed of. Ménages, orgies, exhibition, voyeurism, and some erotic BDSM all balance well with the main conflict(s).

The strong romantic element in this series continues to surprise me. The underlying premise of sexual promiscuity should overpower it but in reality it only reinforces the multiple layers of love and respect that exists between everyone. The men in here are alpha times infinity but Rocha digs beneath their barriers and shows us gentle, sexy, protective men who can treasure and protect their friends, family, and lovers without crushing their spirit. There is a strong theme of equality between the sexes. Even in the rare D/s scenes, you understand exactly what the term “power in the submission” means. It is a gift and it’s treated accordingly.

The heart of the story is the second chance romance between Trix and Finn. A sexually raw and heart wrenching journey that forces our protagonists to view and forgive the actions of their past in order to have the future they want. In the past, their times together were a drug fueled coupling that occurred under a heavy layer of fear and distrust. Both lived with the knowledge that everyday could be their last. Each did what had to be done in order to survive and still suffer from the shame of past decisions. Especially Finn. As Sector Five’s enforcer, he was tasked with some incredibly vile acts that have left a permanent stain on his soul. Seeing Trix alive and healthy only compounds his feelings of guilt and shame that he wasn’t able to get her out sooner. Also, a small part of him fears he may have unintentionally kept her there with him for his own self needs.

 He hadn’t saved Trix’s life. She’d saved her own.

Finn also has to deal with the general distrust from Sector Four. Though most know the condition Trix was in when she was found, no one knows the whole story. To the O’Kane’s, Finn is the enemy. In their love and concern for Trix, Finn is regarded with suspicion and in some cases, outright hatred. Finn deals with it; accepting and welcoming it as penance for his crimes. Even with the seriousness of the conflict, Rocha tosses in some humor that helps to combat the somber tone of the story. While Trix understands her family’s reluctance to accept Finn, she doesn’t hesitate to slap back when their concern becomes a little too intrusive.

 “This is horse shit.” She tossed a glare over her shoulder at Jasper as she dug a lace-edged handkerchief from her pocket. “The next time you’re giving it to Noelle in some dark corner somewhere, I’m going to come kick you in the balls. See how you like the interruption.”

Poor Jasper. *giggle*

The chemistry between Trix and Finn is a heady explosive mixture of lust, love, and guilt, all compounded by the danger they are in. Their attraction to one another was never in doubt but the reasons for it are. Trix fears falling back into their old trap but Finn pushes to show her that they have both grown from their time apart and this second chance is their reward.

 Four years and a world of distance hadn’t stopped them from winding up right here at this very moment. He’d thought she was dead, and that hadn’t stopped him from picking her up when she’d stumbled back into his life.

Nothing would stop him, and she needed to hear it so badly that her throat ached. “Say it,” she whispered against his skin. “Just once.”

“I’m not going anywhere, “he promised. Low and rough. “I’ll never leave you.”

The ongoing arc picks up where it left off in book four and keeps expanding, adding new subplots and characters to an already volatile mix. We glean more knowledge from other sectors and the men/women who rule them along with clues towards what looks to be a glorious bloody finale. Plenty of time is spent with previous characters further reinforcing the concept that Sector Four is one big family and everyone is in everyone’s business. I always enjoy seeing how past heroes and heroines are getting along and am pleased when authors give us peeks back into their lives, allowing us to experience the evolution of their characterization in relation to the storylines.

The luxury of being a simple bootlegger was long gone. From now on, Dallas O’Kane was a man preparing for war–and not the messy-but-confined brutality of a sector war. In his gut, he knew where the real danger lay.

Kit Rocha’s Beyond series is my addiction and I can’t wait for my next fix.

RATING: B+

Prior Kit Rocha Reviews

Recent Reviews:
Fiction Vixen
The Bookish Babes
Heroes and Heartbreakers

Goodreads I Author Website I Series List
Amazon I Barnes & Noble