Mean Girls Luv Books: Stripped Series

A new dark romance novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Prisoner...

I came from a place of dirt floors and holy scriptures. They told me the world outside was full of sin, and the first night I escape, I find out it's true. Ivan saves me, but he does more than that. He takes me. He makes me his own girl.

My conditioning runs too deep. Ivan sees what I am.

That's the thing about showing a mouse to a cat. He wants to play. And it's terrifying, even for me. Because the only thing darker than my past is his.

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Author's Note: Pretty When You Cry is a STANDALONE dark romance novel. It's set in the sexy Stripped series world but can be read alone. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.

Well, this book is not at all what I was expecting for Ivan and Candy's story. I really, really like where the author took it. As far as erotic romance goes, Skye Warren does a fantastic job. She knows how to crank up the heat! BUT, she also spins a good story to infused that heat into. This is book 3 in the Stripped series and while it can be read as a stand alone, I highly recommend that you read the other books first (just because they are awesome).

This story starts off before Candy becomes a stripper, before and when she meets Ivan. We learn of her escape from a commune and how she really felt she had no where to turn. Ivan became a sort of hero to her, taking her in and keeping her safe, in his own way. They develop a strange relationship where Candy wants to please him, but she also craves his discipline and punishments. On the flip side he wants to keep her in line, but also to keep her at arms length.

There are several "attacks" towards Ivan's club and Candy is convinced that they are connected to her past. She is terrified. She's feels that her only option to stay safe, and to keep everyone she cares for safe, is to run again. But, oh, no, Ivan is not on board with that idea. At all! The suspense surrounding these attacks was great. From unraveling Candy's past, to the characters trying to find a solution; it was a good adventure. I loved the hot, steamy scenes that the author included. It was a bit of a reprieve from the suspense.

Ivan and Candy both grew as characters. They both learned how to navigate their relationship, their roles in it, and how to open up. Not only that, they grew as individual characters and their places in the story. I think their growth was probably my favorite aspect of this story. Pretty When You Cry is a book that will satisfy not only lovers of erotica, but also romantic suspense. Thankfully, I love both, so this book was just perfect for me!