Virtuous by M.S. Force Series: Quantum #1
Published by Inc. on April 14th 2015
Pages: 263
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He’s a sexual dominant. She’s sworn off sex. There’s no way they can make a relationship work—or can they?
After surviving a traumatic event at age fifteen and the ensuing estrangement from her family, Natalie Bryant has worked for years to reinvent herself into the woman she is today—a happy teacher fresh out of college and enjoying her first winter in New York City with her faithful dog, Fluff, by her side. Natalie isn’t expecting her life to change completely during a routine stroll through Greenwich Village on a blustery January day. But when Fluff breaks loose and charges into a park, Natalie gives chase and crashes into her destiny. Only after Fluff bites and draws blood from the man who accidentally knocked Natalie down does she realize Fluff has bitten the biggest movie star in the world.
He has no business being enthralled by the gorgeous, young, innocent teacher…
Natalie captivates Flynn Godfrey from the first moment their eyes meet while she is lying on the ground and he’s fighting off her ferocious little beast of a dog. The only thing Flynn knows for certain is if he lets Natalie get away, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life. After only a short time in her presence, Flynn is prepared to change who he is to be what she needs. He knows he’s in big trouble when she says she won’t sleep with him and he doesn’t care if it means he gets to keep her in his life. But can he turn his back on the lifestyle that has defined him? Can he deny the desires that drive him to give Natalie the introduction to love and romance she so deserves? And most of all, can he keep his truth hidden from her long enough to have forever with her?
Virtuous is the first book in the Quantum trilogy. The series came highly recommended so this is the first time I’ve gone into a book completely blind. I didn’t read a single review or even the book blurb beforehand. Having since read the book description, it perfectly summarizes the entire plot. Surprisingly, there aren’t many other major events that occur.
Let me just state that there is no aspect of this book that is realistic. If you stand any hope at all of enjoying Virtuous you need a suspension of disbelief, which is just a fancy term for a willingness to overlook the ridiculous.
Yes, this is another book that has fallen victim to the dreaded Insta-love. Less than one week after they meet, Flynn and Natalie are professing their profound love for each other, while thoughts of endless nights together, wedding bells, and babes in arms fill their minds.
I pushed past my annoyance because I’m a huge sucker for a Cinderella story. Give me an ordinary girl who’s swept off her feet by a Hollywood superstar and I’ll read just about anything. Would it happen in a million years? Never, but so what? I don’t care that I’m in my 40s. I’m still going to read these types of stories and indulge in the fantasy I’ve had since I was a little girl. Luckily, there’s more to this story that held my interest.
Flynn is a really likeable hero. He craves the BDSM lifestyle that’s so much a part of him, but he’s also very much a loving family man. Only time will tell if he can deny his darker sexual urges in order to have a committed “vanilla” relationship with Natalie. I particularly enjoyed Flynn’s interactions with his family and friends. Getting a behind-the-scenes peek into the lives of the Hollywood elite was also fun. I liked the chemistry between Flynn and Natalie. I don’t have a full sense of Natalie’s character yet, but from the glimpses I’ve seen I can tell that she’s resilient and sweet. I’m interested in learning more about her past.
Really, there isn’t anything particularly bad about this book; I just didn’t love it. The writing is decent, although quite redundant: My sweet and innocent Natalie; I love her so much; I can’t lose her; She can never know my true desires, etc. I read it with a sense of detachment rather than feeling like I was experiencing the emotions with the characters.
Although it’s billed as erotica there are relatively few sex scenes. There is the tiniest of cliffhangers at the end, but more the feeling that the story is incomplete. I’m curious enough to see where the series goes.
Recommended for fans of:
Hollywood romance
Insta-love
Cinderella stories
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