Both Kendra and Blake have spent the past ten years coming to terms over the psychological and emotional impact of an incident that went too far. In Kendra's case, it may well have affected the type of men she's dated and her emotional response to them. In Blake's case, it set him on the path toward rectifying his past while protecting Kendra in the present. Except that Kendra doesn't know that he's her supposed knight in shining armor. Much like the other stories in this series, the two main characters have been set on an impossible path that eventually leads toward love and a happily ever after, but the road there is rife with potholes. Likes: The premise is interesting. Kendra's reaction both at the inciting incident and after reads really well and it's easy to develop sympathy toward her. The little voice in her head and the red flag warnings concerning Blake straddled the line for me and I found myself wanting to shout either "let it go" or "no, no, no, take it further" (and yes, I'm trying to avoid spoilers). Dislikes: I'm on the fence about Blake, which is a good thing because it means Ms. Tate did her job creating this character. That said, given how long Blake has been "protecting" Kendra comes across as so incredibly stalkerish that I had a hard time accepting the happily ever after. Now, what I mean by that is that my brain couldn't get past the stalker aspects; the story itself takes us down that path to HEA quite well. I guess what I mean to say is that Blake left me unsettled. This story could definitely have taken a far different path and while I'm glad that the author didn't take us down that dark rabbit hole, I'm still up in the air about how I feel. RELENTLESS is book 3 in the Tortured Love series by Ravenna Tate and it's exactly that. Of the three stories I've read thus far, it's my least favorite as I had difficulty wrapping my head around the stalker aspect, but that's just me. If there aren't any warnings, there's a bit of kink involved but it isn't over the top or out of place to the story.

Relentless is the third book in the Tortured Love series by Ravenna Tate. As with the first two books in this series, it's an extraordinary love story but also a thriller/mystery that will keep you wondering throughout the entire book! Kendra Kensington was an average college freshman until the night of the annual Alpha Chi Gamma Spring Bacchanalia. She'd been honored to be a Little Sister to the fraternity. Honored, that is, until she was auctioned off to the highest bidder, Derek, and subjected to a near rape. The one thing that had stopped Derek from raping her was a unknown man, a photographer, who had barged into the room and pushed her attacker from her body. Kendra grabbed her clothes and ran, never looking back. But she was s0carred by the experience and now found it hard to trust men or enjoy sex. Blake Bombay was a photographer, attended the same college as Kendra but graduated years before she had been a student. He was also a member of Alpha Chi Gamma. The annual Spring Bacchanalia was a time of fun and debauchery for the men of the fraternity, and Blake had made money throughout the years taking pictures of various couples having sex in the frat house, even long after he graduated. It was Blake who had thrown Derek off Kendra that night. And, even though Blake had married after he left college because it was expected of him and then went through a very messy divorce, he had never forgotten Kendra. In fact, he had watched over her for the ten years since their first encounter, waiting for his chance to be with her. When Blake's divorce is complete and Kendra is finally free, Blake engineers a meeting with her. Since leaving college, Kendra has become a diabetes educator. And Blake has become a world-famous photographer. She is delighted to meet the incredibly famous Blake Bombay. They talk while sitting on a park bench and make plans to have dinner. But Blake has to be careful. He doesn't want Kendra to know his secret. If she ever finds out that he was the man with the camera ten years earlier, he wouldn't have a chance with her at all, and rightfully so. Dinner leads to more dates, which lead to the beginning of a friendship. Kendra is enchanted by Blake and for the first time feels as if this could be a real relationship in her life. But she's never told anyone about what happened at the Spring Bacchanalia and she desperately tries to keep that part of her life from Blake. Blake knows he has to be extra careful. He can never let Kendra know it was him that saved her that night. But is he a good enough actor to pull this off? Will Kendra have the ability to sense Blake's deceptions? Can he be the man she needs while still keeping this secret? If she finds out, what will happen to their relationship? How will Kendra's "secret" affect the relationship? And there are other players in the mix, other events, which have profound effects on both Kendra and Blake. How will their story end? Once again, it's hard to find new words to describe the plot and characters of this novel. From the very beginning, I wondered how this story could possibly work. I didn't see any way the author could create a believable story with the initial facts at hand. Then, bit by bit, I began to see the total story emerge, like a butterfly from a chrysalis. You will be totally pulled into the story and won't want to put it down once you start reading. As is the case with her other books, Ms. Tate has created a story that is full of twists, turns, and totally unexpected events. Although I wondered if the characters would be convincing when I first started the book, it wasn't long before I was totally hooked. This is truly one of Ms. Tate's most riveting stories. Once I started reading, I didn't stop until the end (and this time I did stay up all night)! Again, this is the third book in this particular series but each book is a complete standalone book. If you've never read anything by Ravenna Tate, I would highly recommend Unyielding and Irrefutable (the first two books in the series), as well as Relentless. If you have read her other books, you will not be surprised at the way you are pulled into this fascinating story. One final note. This is an amazing but also ADULT book. It contains explicit language and explicit sexual scenes with some elements of BDSM included. If you do not enjoy thriller/mysteries with erotic romance and sexual scenes then please carefully consider your purchase before starting this series. PLEASE DO NOT BUY ANY BOOK IN A GENRE YOU KNOW YOU WILL NOT ENJOY AND THEN LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW OF THE BOOK AS IT IS NOT FAIR TO THE AUTHOR! She works hard to provide a quality work product and if you know before you purchase a book that you will object to the subject matter contained therein, you will be doing not only yourself, but the author, an extreme disservice. Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!

Just when I thought this series couldn't get any better, Ravenna knocks it right out of the park. This time we meet a man that has been working to redeem himself for ten years in order to win the heart of the girl he loves. His Kendra. Ten years ago Kendra had a terrifying experience and she's still dealing with it after effects of that night. Her dating life since then hasn't been any better and she begins to believe there isn't a good guy out there, then up walks Blake. He's tall, dark, and handsome and makes her weak in the knees. He says and does all the right things, but there is something in his eyes that makes her believe he's hiding something. Blake knows he must come clean in order to have a real future with Kendra, but just as he's about to explain everything, a blast from the past will spill the beans in a very public way. After all this, will Kendra ever be ever to trust Blake again? Even if Kendra ends up walking away forever, will she at least let Blake explain his acts? Blake may have a rough road ahead, but he's already put in ten years so walking away with a fight isn't an option. Seriously folks, this is one captivating dark read that you won't want to put down. Although some of Blake's actions would seem over the top, you have to admire his heart. The second he vowed to change his way he did, and he never looked back. The way he puts Kendra first... swoon worthy. I love that Kendra never gives up. She's been through a lot, but she is still willing to take the risk. She is definitely stronger than she gives herself credit for. I really enjoyed Relentless and I didn't want to put it down. It's a dark, sultry, enthralling read that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The chemistry between Blake and Kendra is eclectic with the heat flying off the pages. I highly recommend Relentless for lovers of dark romances. And if you haven't picked up the other books in the Tortured Love series, then I suggest you do. This is one series you seriously can't miss.

Relentless is the third book in the Tortured Love series by Ravenna Tate, a darker series of stories than her other books that have proven to be a huge hit with her fans. This one is no exception. We start off when our heroine is at a frat party in college. She’s with one of the football players who is ready to take her virginity. She decides to say no, but he’s not taking no for an answer. A photographer gets involved and removes him from her. 10 years later, Kendra is still dealing with the effects from that night. She isn’t very trusting of men, but has had a string of failed relationships. Blake has watched Kendra for all of this time, fixing everything that was wrong in her life, now she’s ready for him. But as he gets closer to her, it gets harder and harder to keep his secret. What will happen when she finds out the truth? I really enjoyed this book quite a bit! I’ll admit, I got a bit frustrated at our two main characters about keeping their secrets. Blake was sweet, if not a bit on the creepy side since he had stalked her for 10 years, but he’s easily forgiven. And Kendra can be a bit overly cautious. But hey, she’s easily forgiven. The sex scenes in here are hot enough to burn down a house. Relentless is just THAT good!