In Flight (Up in the Air, #1) by R.K. Lilley Series: Up in the Air #1
Published by R.K. Lilley on October 20th 2012
Pages: 263
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When reserved flight attendant Bianca gets one look at billionaire hotel owner James Cavendish, she loses all of her hard-won composure. For a girl who can easily juggle a tray of champagne flutes at 35,000 feet in three inch heels, she finds herself shockingly weak-kneed from their first encounter. The normally unruffled Bianca can't seem to look away from his electrifying turquoise gaze. They hold a challenge, and a promise, that she finds impossible to resist, and she is a girl who is used to saying no and meaning it.
Bianca is accustomed to dealing with supermodels and movie stars in her job as a first class flight attendant, but James Cavendish puts them all to shame in the looks department. If only it were just his looks that she found so irresistible about the intimidating man, Bianca could have ignored his attentions. But what tempts her like never before is the dominant pull he seems to have over her from the moment they meet, and the promise of pleasure, and pain, that she reads in his eyes.
I think my rating for In Flight might be higher had I read the book a few years ago. You have a dominant, enigmatic, gorgeous billionaire who refuses to date. You also have a 23-year-old virgin who has never even had a boyfriend, but gets lured into the billionaire’s hardcore BDSM lifestyle. The story loses some of its freshness in the post-Fifty Shades of Grey era, but there are enough differences to keep things interesting.
My main issue with the story is James Cavendish. He irked me from the beginning. The hotel magnate easily casts his spell on Bianca—a fiercely independent flight attendant—and their relationship moves at a whiplash speed. Knowing she’s a virgin, he seduces her with talk of breaking her hymen and spanking her. Um… excuse me? Talking about one’s hymen being ripped doesn’t exactly set the mood for enticing good lovin’, but maybe that’s just me. It doesn’t seem to bother Bianca at all though. I expected her first time to be at least somewhat gentle and romantic, and maybe he’d ease her into the kink. Nope. His desire for her is so strong that he wants to hit her hard with the BDSM stuff right away. It didn’t endear me to him, and maybe it’s because I’m a dirty talking connoisseur, but frankly some of his dirty talk seems laughable.
That said, I found myself completely engrossed in this erotic soap opera. James’s sensitivity really shows through later in the book, and I began to fall for him as he and Bianca begin to divulge more about their pasts. Bianca is an interesting character with her own troubles and a curiosity about BDSM that she wrestles with, so in many regards they truly are well suited for each other.
Her close relationship with her best friend, Stephan, is both fun and touching. It’s truly one of the most enjoyable aspects of the story. I also liked her interactions with her co-workers.
In the end, my 3.5 stars means I enjoyed it enough to immediately want to dive into the next book in the series despite my criticisms. Call me crazy, but I just might become addicted to this erotica series.
About R.K. Lilley
R.K. Lilley is the best selling author of the Up In The Air, and Tristan & Danika, and The Wild Side series. She lives in Texas with her husband and their two beautiful sons. She’s had a lot of interesting jobs, from being a first class flight attendant, to being a stablehand, but swears she never knew what hard work was until she had children. She’s been addicted to both reading and writing fiction since she can remember. She loves to travel, read, hike, paint, game, watch anime, and make the most of every single day. She is currently working on Breaking Him, Boss, and Crossing Fire, Book #2 of Heretic Daughter series.
You can contact R.K. at Authorrklilley@gmail.com.
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