I had the pleasure of reviewing Stockholm Surrender (written by my fellow Brit Babe, and all round lovely person- Lily Harlem), two years ago!! Recently re-released, I thought it was high time I gave that review an airing!
Stockholm Surrender by Lily Harlem (pub. by Evernight Publishing)
This is one hot tale!
There is something about a bad boy. Especially a bad boy with a cause. Ty Winters is that sort of boy. If you like your bit of rough with heart- then this story is for you! The premise is inspired, and one of the most unusual takes on the theme of kidnap within erotica that I’ve come across.
Blurb– My soul was in turmoil. Ty Winters had not only kidnapped me in Oz, my heart-stoppingly gorgeous surfer had also stoked my darkest desires, bringing all my fantasies to the surface. So Oxford wasn’t going well. Until, that is, he creeped from the shadows—desperate, sexy, dangerous and wanting a piece of me, literally!
He teased me with a taste of his carnal skills, leaving me burning with frustration then forced to stand by as he fought for his beliefs using my lust-addled body as his most powerful weapon.
Oh, my kidnapper knew just how to get what he wanted, giving me just what I needed, while hiding our relationship from the British foreign minister and police. Because sometimes two people are meant to be, even in the most unconventional circumstances and twisted situations. We could fight the world, but we couldn’t fight our passion.
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Written from the perspective of Penny Tipping, an Oxford University Law student, who also happens to be the daughter of the British Foreign Minister, Stockholm Surrender takes us along, hand in hand, with her from the very start. A totally believable character, you share Penny’s frustrations and confusions as Ty Winter’s turns from her fantasy fodder, to a creature of lustful reality.
Although Ty’s motives behind the ever extreme actions within the novel are solid and genuine (he is desperately trying to focus public attention onto the imprisonment of his friend James in a Thailand prison), his methods leave something to be desired!
The kidnap of Penny in Australia, where she is enjoying some time away from her studies, begins as a frightening experience for her- until she see’s who her kidnapper is. Suddenly Penny is stuck in a web of contrary emotions as, tied and imprisoned, she finds herself longing to be touched by her captor, and begins to sympathise with Ty and his cause – almost as much as she is desperate for him to touch her.
After taking photos of Penny in her captured state, to send to her father as bribery so he’ll look into his friend James’s case, Ty escapes from this first kidnap scene, leaving a bound, sexually unsatisfied, Penny to be discovered by the police.
Returning to the UK, Penny becomes fixated with when Ty will show up again. Her father is determined to keep her under his own lock and key for her own safety, but Penny has ideas of her own, and persuades her family to let her go back to university. The security guard that the Foreign Secretary provides for her protection however, doesn’t stand in the way of Ty’s ambitions to use Penny to secure the help of the British government, nor her determination for him to use her body for more interesting purposes…This is a lust which is quickly more than mutual…
With my window letting in the sounds of the city, I spread my notes on my bed and tapped away on my netbook. The history of law was everyone’s most hated subject, but I knew the sooner I tackled it the better. Leaving it to the last minute would be crazy.
Eventually though, as darkness claimed the hall grounds and the lampposts flicked on, I decided to call it a day, or rather a night. I saved my work and flopped back on the bed. I would just stretch out for ten minutes before I got up to change and get ready for sleep.
But sleep wouldn’t wait, and before I knew it I felt myself drifting. Falling into a dark, dreamy world. My eyes were heavy, my breathing shallow. I let myself go—float into a world of thoughts and nothingness, white clouds and black sleep.
“Shh!”
There was tightness over my mouth and pressure over the entire length of my body. Whatever it was had squeezed the air from my lungs and was pinning me to the bed. I opened my eyes, panicked.
“Shh!” Ty said, his eyes wide and his nose practically touching mine.
Hastily, I nodded. Oh my god. Was I dreaming or was Ty really here, lying on the bed with me?
He hesitated then lifted his gloved hand from my mouth just a fraction. “You are going to keep quiet, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course,” I whispered.
This was no dream.
“Good, ’cause I don’t want that copper who’s stalking you to come crashing in.”
“He won’t. I promise.”
Ty lifted up, reached over and shut the window. With a snap, he drew the curtains then pulled off his gloves.
“Is that how you got in?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Really, up the tree, and…” Something was different. I realized what it was. “Why has the lamppost gone off?”
“I tripped it, didn’t want anyone seeing me breaking into the foreign minister’s daughter’s bedroom.” He grinned naughtily.
“And did they?”
“No, I shouldn’t think so, not at three in the morning.”
“Three?” I glanced at my bedside clock. Sure enough, it was three a.m.
He chuckled and lay back down next to me. “I guess you got carried away with your studies. I used to be like that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, don’t look so shocked, I have a first in sports science.” He touched his finger to the bald patch of my scalp and a rush of heated desire poured through me. “I know all about the human body,” he whispered, “and exactly what it needs to stay healthy and happy and…satisfied.”
Unable to suppress a whimper of pure lust, I slid my hand over his shoulders and tugged him closer. “I wish you would damn well give me some of the satisfaction I need.”
“You’re always so demanding, and so…damn…horny.” He touched his lips to mine, soft and gentle, his tongue peeking into my mouth and past my teeth to tangle and turn and explore. “Oh Jesus, Penny, you drive me crazy,” he murmured. “You do know that, don’t you?”
“Good, because that’s how you make me feel.”
He stroked down the column of my neck, dipping his fingertip into the hollow of my throat and down my sternum. “I want you so bad,” he said, “but there is something we have to do before we can be together.”
“What?” What could he possibly need to do other than put on a damn condom? His erection was growing by the second against my hip. All I needed was for him to get inside me like he had before. Thrust and grind and do that thing to my clit he was so bloody good at. Just the thought of it had me shivering.“Wait,” he said, reaching behind himself.
Suddenly a tight strip of tape slapped over my mouth. Gone was the luscious kissing of moments ago and in its place foul plastic stickiness.
“Mmmph!” I managed, trying to project massive indignation with my eyes.
“It won’t take long.”
I tried to reach for the tape, intent on pulling it off, but he had both my hands harnessed in just one of his.
“Sit.” He pulled me upright, tugging at my sweater. “We need this off.”
His breaths were rapid and hot on my face as he moved his hands quickly and efficiently, freeing my arms from the sweater before swiftly dragging it over my head.
“Ah fuck, white,” he said, staring at my pretty lace bra. It had delicate scallop details over the rise of my small, pert breasts and a tiny pale-blue flower in the center between the cups. “White is my very favorite.” His voice was almost wistful.
“Mmmph!” I mumbled again. Why did I have this tape on? I said I wouldn’t shout for Roger. Why didn’t he believe me?
“Shh, shh, just for a minute, baby, just for a couple of minutes.”
He stood, still holding my wrists tight, and nudged the straight-backed chair out from under my desk with his foot. “Up, come on, sit on here, quickly.” He glanced at the door.
As soon as I was on the chair he was behind me, wrapping what felt like cord around my wrists. I yanked but the binding was tight and attached me to the rungs.
“It’s okay,” he soothed by my ear, his breath warm and tickly. “It’s okay.” He slid his hand over my bare shoulder, tracing the strap of my bra right down to the cup.
I arched my spine, needing his touch so desperately. Ty in my fantasies would have his hands all over me by now. Ty in my fantasies would already be ravishing me until we were both desperately trying to muffle our screams and panting for breath.
But this wasn’t fantasy, this was real. Ty was really here, really tying me up again. And for god’s sake, why was this stuff on my mouth?
He poked his fingers into my bra and tweaked my nipple. I whimpered and fluttered my eyes shut. His caress sent sinful licks of wantonness raging though me.
“Damn it, Ty,” he muttered. “Think of James.” His body heat left me and the next thing I knew he was pulling off my jeans, exposing my tiny white thong. “Ah, fucking hell, what are you trying to do to me?” he groaned, wearing a very real expression of pain.
I couldn’t answer.
He reached back onto the bed for a small, brown leather rucksack. He delved into it and pulled out a newspaper and a camera.
“It’s yesterday’s,” he said. “But your father will still get the message.” He tilted his head and smirked lopsidedly. “The message that I can get to you whenever I want, wherever I want, bodyguard or no bodyguard.” Carefully he laid the newspaper on my lap. It was sort of folded up onto my belly so that the headline was visible. He took a step back and held up a small, silver digital camera. “I would say smile,” he said with a shrug, “but I guess it’s not appropriate.”
Appropriate!
That was the goddamn understatement of the year. Dad was really going to flip at this one. Me in my underwear, gagged, tied to a chair in my room with Roger snoozing outside, just a few feet away. The shit was really going to hit the fan. Big-time.
I heard the camera click once then Ty was back next to me. He folded up the paper and shoved it along with the camera into his bag.
“Mmmph,” I said, shifting on the chair.
“I’m sorry, so sorry,” he said, bending over me and peeling off the tape. It tugged and stung as it pulled my skin. “Baby, I’m sorry, I just needed to do that.” He shoved the tape into his bag too.
“For fuck’s sake,” I hissed. “That stuff is foul and what the hell are you playing at?”He stooped and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “Sorry, I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”I allowed my mouth to become pliant and open, let him in to search and gently tease my tongue with his in slow, languid movements. He tasted divine, like fresh water, a hint of vanilla and turned-on man. As he kissed me reverently, indulgently, my irritation with him dissolved as though it were a spoonful of sugar in hot tea. This was what I’d been waiting for, this moment with Ty. The man I shouldn’t want but did. The man whose tenacity and loyalty I admired even though everyone else thought he was a brutish thug who should be hung, drawn and quartered.
“Ty,” I gasped. “Please, untie me.”
“Mmm, in a minute. I kinda like having you at my mercy.”
“I’ve noticed.”He smiled, slow and sexy. “It gives me all kinds of dirty ideas…”
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Taking us from Australia, to the dreaming spires of Oxford, and into heart of Bangkok, the rising heat between the kidnapper and his prisoner goes from hot to scolding.
Even when Ty hacks off a clump of Penny’s hair to post to her father, Penny is still determined to see him again- and this is where the skill of Lily’s writing shines through. As a reader I was with Penny- you believe she wants to be with Ty even after he destroys her hair- and you can see why. As a couple- however wildly unconventional- they steam.
The temptation, as ever when reading a good story, is to share much more, but I really don’t want to ruin the book for you. A book which, just to tease you further, contains a highly charged sharing scene between Penny, Ty, and Ty’s best friend- how lucky is she! Trust me- this story sizzles!!
If you like your erotica edgy and kinky, but with the romance kept in, then Stockholm Surrender is a must read.
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Lily Harlem has written a huge number of amazing novels, including the sister story to Stockholm Surrender; Stockholm Seduction. Her work can be found at http://www.lilyharlem.blogspot.co.uk
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Happy reading everyone,
Kay xxx