Edge of Temptation by Megan Crane
Series: The Edge, #2
Dystopian Erotic Romance
Released: April 5, 2016
Swerve
Reviewed by Sheena

Gunnar is a ruined man in a desolate world. He might not believe in black magic, but if there’s the chance it might bring back his lost mate from her early death, he’ll try it. All he needs is to capture a virgin – a rare thing in his torn world – to make the doomed spell work. He does not expect the passion he feels for his beautiful captive to wreck him every time he looks at her. But sometimes temptation is just too much…

Maud was promised to the church a long time ago. Yet when she encounters brooding, ruthless Gunnar, the desire that flares between them obliterates any sense of duty. She’s managed to avoid surrender all these holy years—her very soul has depended on it. But Gunnar’s iron control makes her want nothing more than to bare her heart, and submit to him completely…

Favorite Quote: “Do I amuse you, little nun?”

Edge of Temptation was very interesting. Cerebral even.  A sexy dystopian romance that read like a nice balance between sci-fi and sexy, smutty BDSM romance.  I really (really) like sci-fi/dystopia so my interest was supremely peaked.  Right out of the gate, we meet depressed and oppressed Maud and Gunnar.  Gunnar  is pretty effing scary.  Unapologetic in his ruthless darkness and selfish motives, I thirsted for his redemption.  From the moment he crosses her path I knew he would be a tough nut to crack, but boy would it be worth it!

“The raider reached over and took her chin in his hand with an easy authority that made her knees feel weak. His grip undid her. She felt the touch of him everywhere…

She didn’t jerk away from that hold or for him.  She felt more vulnerable than she had in years, suddenly, and she couldn’t seem to look anywhere but at that mouth of his.  Fierce and close and cruel.

“Are you a virgin?” It wasn’t a question as much as it was a gruff, hot demand.”

“Please,” she said, and she was only a little surprised to find that she was whispering. “Take me with you.  Wherever you’re going, I don’t care.  Please.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to ask a man you don’t know.”

So.  Right away, I had to acknowledge three very important truths. 1. I needed to become accustomed to frequent shock scenes and blunt sexuality that didn’t always make a ton of sense, 2. I needed to put my feminist agenda on a shelf because the penis reigns supreme in this world and 3. I had never, read a book quite like this before.  All things considered, I took my time with this novel, needing to understand every nuance and plot development very (very) clearly.  I cannot tell a lie. This sort of violent, erotic fiction is not for everyone.  I can see some sensibilities being ruffled, but if you can hang in there for the tough stuff and try to just lose yourself in this bizarre world, the payoff is well worth the effort.

Maud was perplexing and interesting to her core.  I so much wanted her to escape everyone and everything and find legit and authentic happiness for no other reason than she deserved it.  Besides being a second class citizen as a woman, she was traded and sold by her family as a child no, more than a commodity.  The idea that Maud was to be bargained, lost, sold, owned and traded was a theme throughout the book.  Forget Gunnar Maud is the star of this novel and I rooted for her, to want and achieve better.  Though she belonged to the church, she and her sisters were certainly not your average nuns.  Along with my feminism still rattling up there on the shelf, ideals regarding morality and propriety are also boxed up and sat firmly aside.

Gunnar both repelled me and made me want to look deeper into his psyche.  I am convinced that he is a sociopath with a heart buried deep down…way down, under some underbrush and stuff, deep down, yes- a heart that can love is within.  He is so harsh and stubbornly determined to honor his mission to bring back his dead mate.  I can be kind of snitty about second chance-the-first-mate-died-and-I’m-back-on-the-dating scene trope.  Usually it’s because there is the hurdle of “does H/h truly love anew in the shadow of their beloved dead.  However, something tells me Gunnar was more so concerned that he lost something to which he owned and wanted to have back. I absolutely did not get the impression that he was ready to raze the earth to bring back his lady love.  Because of this “ownership” vibe it was easier to discard any real investment related to him actually succeeding  to bring his mate back.  Gunnar quite frankly was a dominant who lost his sub and given the dom/sub BDSM relationship, it was easy to see how he was driven to get back that which was his.  

Midway through Edge of Temptation, I became increasingly concerned that an HEA with Gunnar would just not be feasible.  There was so much he was willing to compromise and force others to bend to that I had trouble believing that truly finding love with Maud was a possibility.  I tossed redemption to the wind not long after I got to know Gunnar a little better.  I can’t even say in truth that I believe he was totally redeemed. More like…rehabbed with reservation if anything.  BDSM, sexism and various abuses run rampant.  There is a gritty darkness that some will be drawn to (raises hand).  If you have triggers, maybe this isn’t for you. But if you are ballsy and into unique challenging and well, dark dystopia, I think you will enjoy the experience.  Temptation is book 2 in The Edge series, I’m on board to go back and read book 1, Edge of Obsession, which I hear is just as disturbing as Temptation- I look forward to being thrown off kilter more by Megan Crane.  Bring it on!

Grade: B-

Previous Megan Crane Reviews: Make You Burn

Goodreads I Info I Series 
 Kindle I Nook