Friday, May 30, 2014

Beyond Solitude (Beyond #4.5) [Derek Ford & MIa] by Kit Rocha

This one was published as a part of "Alphas After Dark" an anthology containing 9 short stories. I only read this one. I can't invest myself with more series at the moment, nothing personal here.. It takes place somewhere around book 4 not after it. If you read the last one (especially the last chapter) you'll get why it's not possible it took place AFTER it. 

and oh! I guess is you haven't read the previous ones it doesn't matter. You can just jump into it and see what you feel about the world. You'll meet some of the people in the previous books but it doesn't really matter since there aren't any spoilers to the plot itself (and since there isn't a lot of it anyway.. :P)

I should say i didn't even remember who Derek Ford was.. then I remembered the reference to him getting hurt and walking home with a broken leg.. ouch! the other main character is Mia. I think I remember her name being said but I don't think there was more to it than that. She came from Sector 2, same house as Lex. 

If you read my review of the second book in the series - the one about Lex and Dallas you might remember I HATED it. Not because it was "bad" because I expected SO much more about the main characters and I didn't get it. Here we have a short novella yet we got so much more of Mia and her life before she came to Sector 4, so much more of how she feels and WHY. I like reading motives, thoughts that based somehow in previous experiences which makes the character more "real" or should I say more believable. I think Mia is my favorite woman in this series in the sense that she it best "explained" so I could relate to her better than other characters I didn't "understand".

We didn't really get Ford's past only the way he is in the present (which we didn't know before this book, unlike other main heroes we met in the previous ones). BUT what we did get was so accurate. I mean, it gave the right impression of who he is and why. I really loved him. Maybe he is my favorite male character in the series as well! I have to think about it hehe I loved that he wasn't obsessed with owning her as the other men are. He wasn't into submission submission submission. I kinda get tired of all of that especially after Rachel's book which is what she was after.. Ford truly cares for Mia and he showed it all the time even if he doesn't say it in words he acts it and for me, it's the true way of showing a person your feelings. 

Only thing I didn't like is that the ending was a bit rushed but hey! it's a short novella (round 150 pages) and what it gave in those pages was SO MUCH MORE that I expected to have and I think it's one of the best books in the series even if it's half or less than the previous ones. As I wrote before, for me it's about the story not about the sex. That being said don't expect a lot to be going on, it's short and it's basically about them and how the relationship is built and also describing the world for people who haven't read the previous ones but nevertheless I simply LOVED it. 

5 SHINING STARS


Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 145 pages, 30 May 2014 / On GoodReads
 
ABOUT THIS SERIES
 
Beyond is a Dystopia Erotica series. I"m usually not into Dystopia and when it comes to Erotica I need more than just sex to keep my interest. But as it seems the Kit Rocha duo can actually pull it off, a series dripping in sex in all positions and every company available - MM, MF, MMF, FFM, FMFM and sometimes solo. An interesting world with an actual story line. Can you believe it? :)

The first novel gives most of the setting of the world and the "rules" while the next in the series has more of a developing plot. It's no ingenious plot mind you, but a plot nevertheless. I really enjoyed the first one, mostly because it was so different from anything I've ever read. It's strange writing it, but you'll get what I mean if you read it, the sex scenes actually has a significant to the story. It's more than body merging it somehow explains the world and the interactions between people through it. The boundaries of the world they live outside of, the no-boundaries of where they choose to live. 

While the guys are all alpha to the bone, I really enjoyed that the woman were also free spirited and strong. knowing what they want and how to get it, not ashamed to use their sexuality knowing that it's theirs to offer if they chose and not for others to take. 

It's a different world from ours in this sense. How many times did you encounter in a casual sex scenario a guy that thought firstly of a woman's pleasure before his own? It's mostly each one trying to achieve their own release not about the other person's. In Beyond it's somehow different maybe because there is so much more meaning to the concept of "together", the society is less, well, egocentric / capitalistic which naturally makes a change in the way you perceive the other. 

So thinking about the 3 paragraphs I've just written maybe you can see why sex has more to offer to the story than the act itself.  

Recommended for the open minded. Though I should say that I sometimes find myself conflicted about the series, it started out with a really unique vibe I enjoyed but I feel like the character personality and development can be lacking in some of the novels (mainly the first ones). Also plot-wise sometimes it's a bit predictable. With the special world and characters these two women built, I expect more of them yet they don't always deliver. As you can see I have 4 books I haven't read (yet?) not sure if I'll ever get to them..

 Books:
1. Beyond Shame [Nuel & Jasper] (published 16 September 2012) ★★★★
2. Beyond Control [Lex & Dallas] (published 19 March 2013) ★★½
2.5. Beyond Denial [Ace & Jared] (published 22 March 2013) ★★★★★
3. Beyond Pain [Six & Bren] (published 26 August 2013) ★★★★★
3.5. Beyond Temptation [Emma & Noah] (published 10 February 2014) ★★★★★
4. Beyond Jealousy [Rachel & Ace & Cruz] (published 16 March 2014) ★★★★★
4.5. Beyond Solitude [Mia & Derek] (published 1 May 2014) ★★★★★
5. Beyond Addiction [Trix & Finn] (published 11 August 2014) ★★★½
5.5. Beyond Possession [Zan & Tatiana Stone] (published 10 November 2014) ★★★★★

There are at least 3 more books in the series but I decided to put this series aside for now.

 

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