BEHOLDEN TO YOU : REVIEW

BEHOLDEN TO YOU                               CARLIE SEXTON
Posted:  Jan. 29, 2014

  On the heels of tragic loss, the stunning and innocent Natalie Mason, meets handsome business mogul Mac Carter. As Natalie attempts to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, circumstances beyond her control draw her and Mac into a situation she wants kept secret. The two are a matched set having both experienced immense loss in their lives. Uncertain of what she should do, she decides to give fate a chance, opening her heart to Mac, who just wants to love her.

But the past, who often times takes no prisoners, rears its ugly head in a double dose. Mac’s ex-girlfriend cannot accept that their love affair is over and takes drastic measures through deception and blackmail to ensure that Mac will be hers.

Natalie, on the other hand, has to face the one responsible for her sister’s death. As her journey begins to bring justice and closure, the past transports to her feet an unexpected surprise—a long lost love desiring to posses her as his once again.

Will Mac and Natalie’s newly blossoming love be able to endure what the past has delivered or will the victors of their hearts be the old flames who are staking their claim?

MY REVIEW:

     Living in a whirlwind that was made in heaven.  Or could it be whatever happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas?  You see Neil and Kate are getting married.  Being that they are best friends to Natalie Mason and Mac Carter it’s only natural that they and Charlie and Mitch would all go for a pre-wedding weekend for the wedding party to Vegas.

     Let’s back up the only two that hadn’t met yet was Mac and Natalie.  Which they finally do on Thanksgiving.  Since he is officially part of Neil’s family ever since Mac’s parents were killed in a plane crash.  When Nat excused herself from the table the family explained that Nat too had losses her parents several years ago but about a week ago her sister was killed in a car accident at the hands of the boyfriend who had been using.  At that time Mac explained losing his parents gave her a hug and they both felt sparks right then.

     So when the trip for Vegas came up Mac offered to drive her.  They totally enjoyed each other company.  So that night partying going in a Limo from bar to bar they decided to leave together to go back to their hotel.  But somewhere along the way they ended up getting married.

     This couple is funny and sad all at the same time.  You can see all the fears and insecurities they have as people but as a couple also.  It’s interesting how the author likes to make Nat and the reader believe he’s big, strong, and secure when he’s not.  He’s that young boy his parents left behind who wants so desperately to be loved.  He wants his own sense of family back and since he couldn’t do anything  

About the crash that when a guy threatens his sense of family and love his mean comes out.  When they return home, Mac is greeted by his ex-who tells him there is clause in his parents will.  Saying that he has to marry before his next birthday since they aren’t telling anyone their married until after Neil’s wedding, Cassie thinks she has him now to be her husband.

     This just all get crazy from her because even though Nat doesn’t want anyone to know at first out of fear she does not like this ex, Cassie around her husband.

     I really liked this story of Mac and Natalie but…I really had a hard time giving it a 5 star because I did not find this a standalone book.  I really felt like I was coming in the middle of this movie and I did not know all the characters.  I say this because they kept talking about this character Roger who the hell is Roger?  Is he an ex to Kate or just a stalker?  And what was the deal with Mitch does a little over protective mean anything?  Why?  See what I mean.  But I do have an interview coming with this Author on the 7^th of February.  I will be asking a lot of these questions and more.  Provided by netgalley.com

Beholden To You Synopsis:

On the heels of tragic loss, the stunning and innocent Natalie Mason, meets handsome business mogul Mac Carter. As Natalie attempts to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, circumstances beyond her control draw her and Mac into a situation she wants kept secret. The two are a matched set having both experienced immense loss in their lives. Uncertain of what she should do, she decides to give fate a chance, opening her heart to Mac, who just wants to love her. But the past, who often times takes no prisoners, rears its ugly head in a double dose. Mac’s ex-girlfriend cannot accept that their love affair is over and takes drastic measures through deception and blackmail to ensure that Mac will be hers. Natalie, on the other hand, has to face the one responsible for her sister’s death. As her journey begins to bring justice and closure, the past transports to her feet an unexpected surprise—a long lost love desiring to posses her as his once again. Will Mac and Natalie’s newly blossoming love be able to endure what the past has delivered or will the victors of their hearts be the old flames who are staking their claim?  

Author Bio:

I have always had a passion for reading my entire life. I love it so that I dedicated my life to educating children. As a teacher, I have had the profound pleasure of teaching children to read and explore their imaginations through a good book. Just recently I decided to write a story that had been on my mind. Now I have several that I want to turn into additional books. Writing has become a passion that I dearly love. I live with my handsome husband in Southern California. We enjoy the relaxed lifestyle that California provides. We have two beautiful dogs, but on children.

20 Fun Facts About Carlie Sexton:

1. I was born in Louisiana. Still consider myself a Southern Belle, even though I have lived in California longer.
2. I never eat lima beans because they remind me of stink bugs.
3. In high school, my favorite sport in P.E. was archery.
4. My toes are always painted.
5. I lived in Hawaii from 5-9 years old. Learned to hula then.
6. I’m technically challenged and didn’t send my first text until August~2013.
7. I met my hubby at a church singles group.
8. When writing the Killer Next Door series, I watched all of the Dexter episodes in about a month!
9. My favorite color is purple, but I only have 2 purple items in my closet.
10. I have 2 dogs. One whines and one groans to get my attention.
11. My hubby is complicated and I modeled Neil after his assertive side and Mac after his perceptive, nurturing side.
12. My favorite super hero is Wonder Woman.
13. I’m addicted to mint chocolate chip ice cream.
14. I became a teacher at 35.
15. My hair is naturally curly, but I straighten it.
16. My favorite wine is Moscato.
17. I never played Scrabble until I was in my 30’s.
18. In college I drove a Camaro.
19. I love decorating and my home has an Italian flare to it.
20. I eat an apple and a pear every day.

Meet the Characters:

Excerpt 1:

Closing the door behind me, I was grateful to be back in my own room. Peeling out of my clothes, I quickly got into the shower. It felt like an oasis, the water caressing my body. Thoughts of Mac and I in bed were coming back to me like rapid fire from a machine gun. These thoughts startled me as my body began to respond to the pictures in my mind. Mac knew his way around a female’s body and it certainly felt as though he had pulled out all the stops with me. When I closed my eyes I could visualize his head between my legs. The memory of it made my insides clench down deep. Then I remembered the culmination of his efforts and my body’s response in a tantalizing orgasm. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I had to push those thoughts out of my head because the whole situation was crazy. We got married, and he didn’t seem to be taken aback by it. In fact, he was calm about the whole thing. Strange reaction for a guy. I felt kind of bad for running out of there like I did, but when I fell on him, things became real—too real. I began remembering in that moment our intimate interaction, and for a split second, I thought about surrendering to my desire for him. Again. Willingly. While sober. If I had, we’d be in bed together, and he’d be doing…

Excerpt 2:

She looked so open and carefree, that all I wanted to do was scoop her into my arms and kiss her. “I’m going to lay my cards on the table, no pun intended. I like you. I have from the moment you walked into the Statton’s kitchen. I’d like for us to get to know each other better and I want to start dating you when we return to San Diego. How do you feel about that?” Natalie looked down at her hands for a moment. When she looked up at me she had a coy smile on her face. “I’d like that.” I was so happy I acted on impulse. I leaned in and kissed her, gently at first, but then I couldn’t hold back and I invaded her mouth with my tongue, stroking hers in an erotic dance. My hands found her waist and I pulled her toward me, positioning her on top of me, her legs straddling my hips. She kissed me back with a passion I hadn’t experienced before, like she had been dying to be kissed and I was the cure. I untied her robe and slid my hands around her ribs. She was wearing a tank top and boxers. I debated running my hands over her breasts, but in light of her inexperience, I didn’t want to move too fast. So I just continued kissing her, pulling her body close to mine as she moaned in my mouth, causing my blood to overheat. I wanted her and I wanted her bad.

Excerpt 3:

Natalie went to shower, and after getting dressed, I went to place our order with Trina. When breakfast was ready and Natalie had still not come up, I decided to check on her. As I approached the bathroom, I heard sobs coming from within. “Baby, are you okay?” She just cried more. “Can I come in?” “Okay,” her trembling voice answered. I could see her gorgeous body shaking through the clear shower door. I grabbed the towel off the rack, opened the door, and took her by the hand. Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped both the towel and my arms around her. Continuing to cry, she choked out, “I’m sorry.” “Shh. There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s only natural for you to be sad.” “I just miss her, Mac. So much.” “I know, baby, I know.”

Social Media Links:

Website: www.carliesextonromance.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carliesextonromance Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarlieSexton4 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6901016.Carlie_Sexton

Book Trailer Links:

Trailer FFY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IhEU9YBk2Y&feature=youtu.be Trailer TBY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P05VA9_Zrk Trailer GTY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7g2zvHp3cA

Buy Links:

BTY Amazon Global Link: http://myBook.to/btyamazon

BTY Barnes & Nobel Global Link: http://bit.ly/1dDoVyo

The Killer Next Door Series

FFY Amazon Global Link: ‪http://myBook.to/ffyamazon

TBY Amazon Global Link: ‪http://myBook.to/tbyamazon

GTY Amazon Global Link: ‪http://myBook.to/gtyamazon

INTERVIEW WITH CARLIE SEXTON: TODAY

Beholden

To You



Carlie Sexton

Interview



Rad-Reader:  This may sound like a crazy question but...

As a mom you were very graphic about her being a virgin (nice) I'm glad, I don't think even in 2014 many parents have the talk with their daughters about their first sexual encounter.  So, that being said: Why did you choose to add it?

Carlie:  1) I wanted to show how special her relationship was with her mother. I personally watched my mom die of ovarian cancer, but she and I weren't that close. She didn't give me any words of wisdom and we didn't share any special moments. 2) I didn't elaborate on this, but Natalie doesn't just go to church on Christmas Eve (even though she was too sick for her and Mac to go), she goes regularly. So, her parents raised her with old fashioned values. 3) I wanted it to be a big deal that they woke up in bed together and had been intimate. Because, it is a big deal. If she had had a lot of boyfriends, then it would have downplayed what she was going through because of what happened.  

Rad-Reader:    Was Mac getting overly scary possessive at the bar to be a warning bell to her?  You know when the bought her the drink the morning of?  Or did you decided to scale back his personality as the story went on?

Carlie:  I wanted to make Mac a more complicated man. He is aggressive, jealous, nurturing, genuine, loving. I wanted the reader to feel his intensity for Natalie, even though he couldn't understand it himself. I have personally had the love at first sight experience and it a roller coaster ride. So, Mac is a little cave manish when it comes to his woman. His strong reaction to another guy hitting on Natalie indicates to him that he is already falling in love with her because I explain through his thoughts that he hadn't had reactions like that with other girlfriends.

Rad-Reader:    They keep referring to Roger in regards to Kate.  Is he an ex-boyfriend or a stalker?

Carlie:    Roger is a stalker/serial killer from my trilogy, The Killer Next Door series. The time frame overlaps, so he had to be mentioned because Kate was going through a hard time due to Roger. I didn't want to go into too much detail about Roger because the story is about Mac and Natalie.

Rad-Reader:  What is the deal with Mitch?  I almost get the feeling like at one time he had feelings for her, yes?

Carlie:    Mitch has a very protective nature. He had to protect Charlie, which will come out in Forgotten by You (Mitch and Charlie's story). He has known Natalie for a long time and knew about how hurt she had been from her previous boyfriend. He doesn't want to see her hurt again and recognizes how fragile she is. He is similar with Kate in Fallen for You, book 1 in the KND series.

Rad-Reader:  How did you come up with the whole storyline?

Carlie:  When I was writing the KND series, I began thinking that Natalie needed someone and so did Mac. So, I had them meet in book 2, Taken by You. I wasn't sure if I was going to spin them off until a few bloggers asked me when their story was coming out. They loved the interaction between Mac and Natalie when they met. So, I started getting ideas for their story and set it up at the end of Given to You, book 3 in the trilogy.

Rad-Reader:  Do you know people that resemble the characters in this story at all?

Carlie:  Funny you should ask. This all started because I decided to write about my own experience living next door to a serial killer when I was in college. That's the premise of my trilogy. I took my interactions with him as a base for the story and added in a romance. I did work at Nordstrom with a woman named Natalie a very long time ago. Mac and Neil are modeled after my husband to a degree, when he was pursuing me. One of the things that drew me to him was his passion. My husband was pushy and demanding in some ways, but he knew what he wanted. He's also tender, kind, loving, very intelligent, complicated, and emotional.  Definitely not the typical man whose primary needs are food and sex. My hubby reads me and knows what is wrong before I do sometimes. Mac is that way with Natalie. They are connected in a way that cannot be broken, just like my hubby and myself.

Rad-Reader:  Give me 3 words to describe Mac and Natalie.

Carlie:  Meant to be.

Rad-Reader:  In the real world would you want the one you love to handle your life/ lives the way Mac did?  

A) Not tell her about Cassie's actions at first chance?

B) Hiring bodyguards to follow her?

C) Pressuring her to go public before she was ready?

Carlie:  When I really lived next door to a serial killer, I would have loved to have had the feeling of protection. He was the apartment building manager and had a key to my apartment. He also liked me. I eventually had to move after he told me about his girlfriend's murder with tears in his eyes. I had to play along and tell him not to worry. The police couldn't arrest with because he hadn't done anything wrong~ but he was her killer. So yes, I would have loved a man looking after me, protecting me, looking out for my best interest whether I knew everything or not. 

In Natalie's case, Mac knows she will run if he reveals what Cassie is up too. She'd be freaked out to have body guards, and he feels like she would be safer if they were just together. He's a man who wants what he wants. They agreed to stay married, so he wants to move their relationship along.

Rad-Reader:  If your book was made into a movie who would you want to play Mac & Natalie etc...

Carlie:  Mac would have to be Justice Joslin, my muse. Natalie would be Amanda Seyfried, Kate would be Chrishell Stause, Neil would be Aiden Turner, Charlie would be Mila Kunis, but I haven't figured out Mitch yet. Still looking for a muse for him.

 
 Mac   

Nat

 

 Kate     

Neil

                 

Charlie

  

Mitch (my choice)

Rad-Reader:  Really enjoyed the twists toward the ending. A lot going on.  But still feel like I came in the middle somewhere.  Was there a book before this?

Carlie:  The books before this I mentioned above, but they are Fallen for You, Taken by You, and Given to You (The Killer Next Door series) When the book after this come out? I am currently writing Charlie and Mitch's story, Forgotten by You. Their timeline is after everything has happened to Natalie and Kate, but they have a tragedy and twists and turns of their own to deal with. I will keep Natalie, Mac, Kate, and Neil alive in this story because they are all best friends. And best friends have your back! I don't have a release date, but I am hoping for end of March/beginning of April.  CUZZZ I need to know what happens.  :)