REVIEW: Linger by Lauren Jameson

In Linger (In Vino Veritas #3) by Lauren Jameson, Scarlett is heading to Montana for a year long veterinary internship…far from the lights of Vegas and her favorite BDSM club. On her final night out in Vegas at the club, Mistress Scarlett meets a very intriguing man. One who she is drawn to, who she needs to dominate. She senses the challenge this submissive is, and their one night together can never feel like enough for her.

Logan is a pure alpha male who likes to be in control…in every place but the bedroom. He needs to submit emotionally and physically for the release it brings him. It is this need that draws him for a night in Vegas to his friends club, where he feels the attraction to Scarlett from the first moment they touch. As her submissive for one night, it’s not a night he will soon forget.

Neither of them will be forgetting it soon when Scarlett arrives in Montana only to find Logan is the veterinarian she will be interning under. Soon they are taking up where they left off even if at work Logan is in charge. The powerful attraction, Scarlett’s domination, and Logan’s uneasy submission soon builds into something much more than either of them anticipated. But can Logan ever give up complete control? Will he ever be able to put his full trust in Scarlett like she needs as his Domme? Or will Logan push too far back and lose everything they’ve gained together?

Lauren entranced me with Linger and I could not put it down! Her characters are strong, the dynamics between them are potent, and they are both believable, very like able characters. I love how Lauren drew them together and made me feel the connection they shared. Scarlett is a Domme/Mistress, and she is determined to give Logan not only what he wants but what she knows he needs. She is unrelenting at times, but could read Logan so well that it was never too much. Scarlett knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. I really admired how she was with Logan…in the bedroom and outside. She was patient, knew when to push and knew when to back off, she gets him. Logan is used to being alone. He needs the open spaces of Montana and the isolation he has on his land. He is scared inside, so deeply that no one has been able to reach it. Until Scarlett…but even with their connection, Logan doesn’t think he can let anyone in or anything out. Lauren writes his character so well, I really felt for Logan.

I really like how Logan and Scarlett’s relationship is presented in Linger, as well as the differences in Domme/Sub roles. Lauren does a fantastic job of showing that it’s not black and white, but can mean different things for everyone. Scarlett accepts and loves the alpha parts of Logan as much as his submissive side. They both want each other, but she needs his full trust just as in any ‘vanilla’ relationship. The relationship struggles make them a very easy pair to relate to. Linger is an outstanding love story with strong BDSM elements, and Laura manages to blend these two well so that one does not over shadow the other. The BDSM is a vital part of their relationship, but not their whole relationship, and I like how Laura wrote this.

Linger is Logan and Scarlett’s story. There are some secondary characters that back them up, such as Luca, the Vegas club owner and a friend to both of them, and we see the secondary characters just enough.

Linger is well paced and captivating. It is a very emotional story that will at times leave you raw and rip your heart out in the best possible way. Although part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand alone (like I did). I’d highly recommend this to any romance reader looking for an enthralling BDSM love story.

Book Info:

Published September 2nd 2014 by NAL Trade | (In Vino Veritas #3)

From the author of Breathe and Blush comes a blisteringly hot new novel about baring it all.…

On her last night in Nevada before embarking on a yearlong veterinary internship, Scarlett Malone is celebrating—and looking for one night of incredible pleasure. But the man who draws her eye is not her usual type: He’s a cowboy whose alpha-male tendencies tempt her beyond belief. Scarlett can’t understand why she wants this man and no one else, but she’s determined to entice him to submit.…

Dr. Logan Brody lives an isolated life in rural Montana, running a ranch and suppressing his submissive tendencies. Only on his occasional trips does he give into his hidden urges. He can’t deny his scorching attraction to Scarlett or that she makes him want more, but he never lets anyone break him down fully. He’s hers for one night and one night only.

But when Scarlett shows up at Logan’s door as his intern for the year, he realizes that the walls around his heart are about to crumble—and that this sexy dominant woman has no intention of letting him keep control.…