Drake was a total asshole and did not deserve Evangeline. He was the worst hero I have ever read about in a romance book. Evangeline was a door mat and kept taking him back. I wish I could get my money back.

2.5 stars

I wanted to like this book. Hell, I wanted to like the first one in this series, but unfortunately, this was another letdown by Maya Banks. Before this series, I hadn't read a book by her that I disliked (I have my favourites, of course, but I didn't specifically dislike any of her other books that I've read) and this one just continued furthering an already abusive relationship. It went too close to the awful footsteps of 50 Shades. I seriously hope that we get the old Maya writing back after this, but I'm not holding my breath.

This book picks up where the first one ended. Drake had to find Evangelina and set the record straight. She took him back easily and fell back in to their daily lives. It kind of dragged through the middle. Ultimately, Drake didn’t believe her or trust her or even try to listen to her and cast her off. Then, his men helped make him realize he made a terrible mistake. He went off to win her back and he did. The book didn’t pack the same punch as Mastered.

It’s been a long few months since Book 1 in The Enforcer series (Mastered) came out and left me wanting to scream in frustration at the cliffhanger ending. When we last left Drake and Evangeline, they were in splitsville after Drake’s heinous behavior caused a rift that seemed insurmountable and Evangeline ran out into the night with no where to go and nothing to her name.

Drake, inconsolable, makes it his mission to scour the city with the help of his men to find Evangeline and bring her back home where she belongs, with him. Of course, they find her in the most pitiful, pathetic situation and it takes very little urging by Drake to convince her of his lies to keep her safe. He vows to never treat her like that again and as the reader you know that shit is going to happen again, because duh, this is only a 1/4 (if that) way through the book.

The entire book is basically Evangeline trying to break down Drake’s walls by trying to be perfect. By being everything he desires her to be. For a while it works. But the one thing Evangeline isn’t able to get from him is his trust. When that trust is tested, he bails, once again throwing Evangeline to the wayside. His men try their best to convince him he is wrong and will regret his actions, but he’s drunk on lies and scared of his own feelings, so he lashes out, terribly.

Part of me wanted to really dislike Evangeline and her sweet, trusting nature. I wanted to roll my eyes every single time she started crying…which was a lot. A LOT. She cried all the damn time. Yet, I found myself liking her and the way she effortlessly wrapped every single hard-edged man on Drake’s team around her little finger. They loved her and protected her much more than Drake did many times. She may have been naive but she held all the power when it came to Drake and to his men. Even when she’s all “I’m trash, I’m worthless, Drake deserves more…” and I wanted to kick her ass myself, I STILL liked her because every woman has had self deprecating thoughts, maybe not as often (like every single page) but still, they have.

Being a Maya Banks book, the sex was extremely well wrote, hot as hell and definitely on the mark. She’s inventive to a fault and I’ve come to think of her as the Jackie Chan of sex scenes. You know, because Jackie Chan uses anything in his immediate vicinity to kick someones ass, Maya Banks uses everything in her arsenal of hottness to write her sex scenes. They are never disappointing, and since her heroes are always alpha to a fault, the sex is always just a bit more…heightened. More tense, and definitely more arousing.

I am eagerly awaiting book three, Kept, with Silas, Drake’s right hand man, as the main character. Silas and Maddox become very important to Evangeline with their unwavering loyalty to her and it’s only right that they both get their own happily ever afters too. Are these books deep and dark? No, not really. Are they fun as hell to read? Yep, 100% sure are. And honestly, I can’t ask for more than that at the moment.

I give Dominated by Maya Banks 4 stars!

Why did I even attempt book 2 in this series when book 1 was so terrible??? I hoped for redemption from this author and did not come close.
Abuse much? There is just so much that I can't stand about this book. I really wanted to like it but I just could not handle the lack of self esteem from the female lead. The fact that she would allow herself to be treated that way by a partner and still trust him in a BDSM relationship is rife with abuse. Not a fan.