ARC Review: WICKED LUST by Sawyer Bennett

Wicked Lust
by Sawyer Bennett
The Wicked Horse series, Book 2

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Cain Bonham is as big and bad as they come. After serving in the Marines, he’s returned home to Wyoming and now works as head of security at the exclusive sex club, The Wicked Horse. His job is to protect not only the patrons, but to zealously guard the secret existence of the club itself.  

Sloane Preston is all about discovering secrets. As an undercover reporter, she’s determined to reveal the truth behind the facade of The Wicked Horse and expose it for all the world to see. She just didn’t count on her pathway into the club coming at the hands of one gorgeously scarred and bad ass bouncer who manages to easily possess her body and soul.  

While Cain’s not looking for anyone to catch his eye, Sloane did it all the same, and he’s not bemoaning the fact that she’s as wickedly kinky as he is. As both get caught up in the sinful fantasies that only The Wicked Horse can create, secrets and loyalties will be tested and hearts will risk being broken.  

Cain Bonham | Sloane Preston 

Sawyer Bennett is one of my beloved authors.  She is unique for her unparalleled ability to take deep dives into emotions with people and characters that are kind, good and authentic, even if they are broken.  

In the crowded field of erotica, this book is what the genre should be - compelling storylines, sizzling sex, and strong character development.  Yes, sex drives the story, but should be the characters and narratives standout. Too many erotic books go for the sensationalistic aspect of sex (and more is not necessarily better) and are often missing the emotional connections I crave with the characters.  This is not a problem for Ms. Bennett.  

Cain Bonham is the head of security at the popular Wicked Horse bar in Wyoming. The Wicked Horse has a special sex club on the side called the Silo. Membership is exclusive catering to those who can pay to explore the sexual fantasies.  Sloan Preston comes into town working undercover for a political magazine out of Washington, DC. Following a lead, she is looking to implicate the governor with the sex club. She plans to use Cain to gain entrée into the scene. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with him. Now we have a moral dilemma . Did she come clean? Did she continue to pursue her story? Her risk goes up exponentially when the editor threatens to expose her mom in a scandal.   

Yes, this is a love story between Cain and Sloan, but it is also a drama about integrity and personal responsibility.   It's like holding two polarities - the ability to maintain two seemingly contradictory ideas.  In this case, Sloan's dive into the activities at the Silo is about the ability to let go and trust Cain to provide her with an exquisite sexual experience.  On the other hand,  Sloan also struggles with the outcome of  maintaining her integrity by sticking to rules and paying the price for her deception. How do you come clean after falling in love with the person you had planned to exploit?  

This is why I love Sawyer Bennett.  Readers can be both swept away by the erotica and challenged with a moral dilemma.  Let's just call this "smart erotica."