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    Beyond Shame: Beyond, #1
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    Beyond Shame: Beyond, #1
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    Beyond Shame: Beyond, #1
    Ebook346 pages3 hours

    Beyond Shame: Beyond, #1

    By Kit Rocha

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Book 1 of 9 in the multi-award winning Beyond series.

    All Noelle Cunningham has ever wanted was a life beyond--beyond her stifling role as a prim and proper councilman’s daughter, and beyond the walls of the patriarchal city of Eden, the only remnants of safety in a world destroyed by solar storms decades earlier. But when she’s banished for violating the prohibition against immorality, she’s unprepared for the lawless world outside the city’s walls.

    The sectors surrounding Eden house those abandoned to fend for themselves--men like Jasper McCray, bootlegger and cage fighter. Jas clawed his way up from nothing to stand at the right hand of Sector Four’s ruthless leader, and he’ll defend the O’Kane gang with his life. But fighting hasn’t prepared him for dealing with a sheltered City princess who falls at his feet.

    Her innocence is undeniable, but so is her intense sexual curiosity. Soon they’re exploring every dark fantasy she’s ever been ashamed to have. But if Noelle wants to claim her place with the O’Kanes and at Jas’s side, she’ll have to find the courage to embrace something even more terrifying than her own desires.

    Her own power.

    ***

    Beyond Shame is an erotic dystopian romance set in a dark and decadent world. While the characters explore kink and sex with multiple partners, all sex between characters is 100% consensual. 
     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKit Rocha
    Release dateSep 25, 2012
    ISBN9780988327801
    Unavailable
    Beyond Shame: Beyond, #1
    Author

    Kit Rocha

    KIT ROCHA is the pseudonym for the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author duo Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. They are best known for their gritty and sexy dystopian Beyond series, and were the first indie authors to receive a Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award. They currently live three miles apart in Alabama and spend their non-writing time caring for a menagerie of animals and crafting handmade jewelry, all of which is chronicled on their various social media accounts.

    Read more from Kit Rocha

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    Reviews for Beyond Shame

    3.5/5

    158 ratings29 reviews

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    • 3/5

      I'm have a hate love with this book. It had too much sex and I was left wanting more info on the world. Such a good concept and storyline that really could have benefitted from more fleshing out of the relationships too.

      Still left feeling mixed on if I should give the next book a go or not.

      Set in the future pick for popsugar
    • 4/5
      I'm really enjoying chowing through this series. So rare to see SFnal fiction centering BDSM AND good consent practices.
    • 3/5
      “She’d been cast out of Eden and straight into Hell.” Outside the walls of Eden is complete ruin after solar storms destroyed much of the Earth, but many have found ways to survive and even thrive. Noelle Cunningham, a councilman’s daughter, has lived her entire life behind the heavily regulated walls of Eden but after getting caught in various compromising acts she is thrown out into the Sectors to fend for herself. She hasn’t walked the Sectors long before she’s drugged and is being stalked through the streets when she is rescued by Jasper McCray, an O’Kane lieutenant of Sector Four. When his protective instinct arises, he decides to take her under his wing. The O’Kanes, led by Dallas O’Kane, are the most dangerous gang in all the Sectors and their money is made from distilling alcohol and smuggling it into Eden where alcohol is forbidden. Sector Four is led with an iron fist but for the most part, it’s a non-stop party where regulations are non-existent like they are in Eden. Alcohol and sex are enjoyed without shame and Noelle will be in for an eye-opening experience.This book has been on my TBR for years because the genre combination of post-apocalyptic and erotica was too intriguing a concept to pass up. Except there were like two sentences that reference the reason the world is the way it is, a chapter or two about conflicts between Sectors, and the rest was basically one giant orgy.Yes, I know, it’s erotica (or as I like to call it, word porn) so I shouldn’t be surprised at all but word porn can have a storyline too, so excuse me. Anyways, Jasper ends up putting Noelle in the hands of Lex who decides to teach her how it’s done out in the sectors. No, not like, how to work or earn her keep (although I guess it is?) anyways… it was basically, “Hey, I’m Lex, here are some clothes of mine you can borrow because you can’t wear that to the sex party. I’ll introduce you to people later. I’m going to give this guy a blowjob, you should watch carefully because you’re going to also get down here and practice. And later we’ll have dance lessons because you’re going to be a stripper. Welcome to Sector Four!”Get a girl a drink first, ffs. So yes, this is definitely erotica, don’t be fooled as I was by the post-apocalyptic aspect thrown in for effect.Jasper and Noelle, of course, get cozy super fast and out in the Sectors you don’t get wedding rings. You get collars. Yes, like a dog, oh except it’s tattooed on you. You get collared and you’re supposed to be submissive because you’re owned and… what in the fuck did I read? The one aspect of this story that smoothed all these jagged flaws out was the topic of consent. It wasn’t all about the women because men got “taken care of” way more than the women did but the need for consent was always being brought up. The women were never forced into doing a single thing that they didn’t want to do, which was appreciated, even though half the time I was like, Run away! Run away!But if they were cool with it, then you do you.The actual legitimate issue I had with this story though was Noelle herself. Rules that heavily restrict society in general is bound to cause turmoil and some massive rebelling and that’s exactly what got kicked Noelle out of her home. She comes off as cute and innocent because that’s what Eden instructed her to be but she’s still got that rebellious streak and it comes out through her interest in sex. It seems like an understandable curiosity at first but this chick is either thinking about sex, talking about sex, or bemoaning how terrible she is for being the way she is. You discover not a damn thing about her character other than this. As Navessa put it ever so eloquently: “she’s basically a clit with legs”.Despite my abundant issues, this was oddly unputdownable. I’m intrigued by the fact that each story in the series focuses on a different couple but I am hoping that the world-building and characterization is built on as well.
    • 4/5
      Wow! This is a seriously hot and sexy book. If sex with multiple people isn't your thing then you should probably stop reading this and find something in your comfort zone. I wasn't sure what to expect since this was written by Moira Rogers and I love their books, but this is different from their norm. This book takes place in a future time when men pretty much rule everything including woman. Even though this book has a lot of sex in it it isn't all it's about. There is an actual plot that is pretty damn interesting. I actually wanted to know more about the secondary characters. Looking forward to the next book which is Lex and Dallas at their finest, I'm sure.
    • 3/5
      Hmmm, so far the reviews are very positive for this book. I have to agree in liking the characters for the most part. Noelle is supposed to be very innocent, but she got a little immature for me at times. But I enjoyed the other characters very much, especially Jasper and Rachel. And the sex was pretty hot and plentiful. No real arguments from me on that.I guess the biggest problem for me was the world building and the story beyond Noelle and Jasper's relationship. It just wasn't developed enough for me. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where few survived solar storms a few decades before. This book centers on the city Eden. I don't know if this means it is the only city to be built up after the solar storms or just the only one mentioned? The people in the City have really awesome technology, but a very strict moral code. People who do not follow their moral codes, i.e. no drinking or sex, are forced outside the City and are living in sectors along the city limits and must rely on themselves to survive. Or they are forced to live on farms, where I guess they are treated like slave labor? How or why this type of cultural divide developed after the solar storms is never really explained. How could they create such awesome technology so quickly after the devastation of the storms? Why the forced contraceptives? - overpopulation is mentioned, but does that mean there are not enough resources? or not enough non-ruined land to live on? I had too many questions by the end, and was left unsatisfied with the story.So the point of the story, I think, was Noelle coming into her own, sexually and as a person. And I did enjoy that. But in the end, I just got too distracted with all my questions.ARC provided through NetGalley.
    • 4/5
      This was definitely an experience. I'm used to reading smut, we all do, but holy hell - that wasn't smut. This is erotica mixed with animalistic roaring. I loved it. But what I enjoyed most was that there's actually a story there.

      I'm not sure whether to clasify the world as dystopian, but it certainly gives a futuristic vibe.

      Noelle is cast away from Eden, a "perfect" city. She was shamed after being found fornicating, and as a daughter of a diplomat she cannot be allowed to be a black stain on the family's name. She is found drugged and almost molested by a couple of sector 4 people who take her under their wing. She becomes an O'Kane!

      Noelle is being taught to live life for her, to be free, to ba shameless. And it's very liberating for her, naturally. She also falls for Jasper, the leader's (Dallas) right hand man, and is cared for by Lex, Dallas's unofficial woman.

      Enter political crap from Eden, and all hell breaks loose.

      Oh, and there's sex. With more than one partner. At a time.
    • 4/5
      I picked up this because it is written by the duo behind Moira Rogers, which, I suppose, are the reason I kept expecting werewolves for the first 20 pages. And yes, I knew it didn't have anything paranormal. I enjoyed the book. It was sizzling, and the dynamics in the gang felt believable. I look forward to the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      The easiest way to summarize this book is to say that it is an erotica BDSM exploration that has been wrapped by a dystopic/post-apocalyptic story/world. It is erotic and extremely graphic. If you have problems with violence, BDSM, explicitly written (and very lengthy) intimacy scenes, this is not the book for you. BDSM isn't really my cup-o-tea, and if that is all there was to this book, then I probably would have stopped reading early. It's not, however. There is so much more to this book that it kept me interested to the end. The characters are great, the dialogue is well done, the world-building is also interesting and there was more to the story besides the chains and leather. But oh my was there a lot of leather. This book really lives up to its title, but if you are able to keep an open mind, you will be able to see beyond the sexual encounters to what the characters are really searching for - that understanding of when sex becomes something more and when submission can become dominance (and vise-versa). That deeper exploration is really well done, and it, along with the world building, is what kept me interested and reading.
    • 4/5
      Before reading this book I read through the reviews. The book is dubbed naughty and explicit, and yes, OK, it is. But if you have read Fifty Shades Of Grey then this book is not that much different. Obviously the plot is different, the story is built around Noelle Cunningham, a young woman who has been kicked out of a futuristic city called Eden. The story follows her progress from her walk of shame, to her chance meeting with Jasper McCray, her involvement with Lex - a character who made me think of Nancy from Oliver Twist, and Dallas O'Kane, gang leader of the O'Kane gang in Sector Four.

      I have to say I was very disappointed with the end of the book, obviously there is to be a sequel so hopefully that is going to tie up the loose ends created towards the end of this book.
      Overall it is a fairly decent read, given the amount of sex in it. But, if you have already familiarised yourself with this genre then you aren't going to be too shocked by the contents of this book.
      I couldn't decide on the main character - Noelle - at first; she seemed quite an oddity, but the further you get into the book she does start to make sense.

      Despite huge sections relating to sexual encounters and BDSM there is a pretty good plot that grips the reader. There are quite a lot of unanswered questions and I am hoping the sequel is going to deal with those. This first installment barely scratches the surface of the world that the O'Kane gang inhabit, but you do find yourself wanting more of the story as you read through it.

      Sometimes books in this genre are ruined by such explicit content, but this book relies heavily on it and it does add weight to the storyline. I think without it the plot would be a lot poorer.

      Enjoyable read. **** 4 stars.
    • 4/5
      Full Review to be posted soon at The Book Pushers.

      Quick thoughts and mini review:

      This was one hawt, raw and high sexually charged erotic romance. I especially loved the setting and premise of a dystopian world with an authoritative run city surrounded by outside sectors run by gangs. This feels like a dystopian Sons of Anarchy, meets The Hunger Games with real erotica in the mix. I loved how the society was constructed and how sexuality fitted into the gang run sectors. It was seamless and well thought out although I wished we had more details on the world-building about the other sectors and how did Eden City became controlled by zealots who outlawed premarital sex, alcohol and restrictions on women.

      The main characters were also fully fleshed out and I really felt that this was more about Dallas' gang and their relationships with each other and how they evolved. And while I enjoyed the main romance with Jasper and Noelle I loved the full cast of characters because they all shared great chemistry and was filled with nuance and a lot of layers. It is definitely going to take a few books to really delve into how they really tick. The colour and tone of the book was refreshing and fantastic because it was so vivid and earthy. Whilst everyone is glomming on the Bazillionaire seducing the innocent trope, this was a refreshing, honest and dark take on sexuality and combining it in a harsh world. Want moar!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book, both to read and listen. I just love Jasper. He is just such a great guy. He is the tough guy who is one of the enforcers for the O'Kanes. Dallas O'Kane is the leader of the O'Kanes and runs Sector Four. I love the idea of the full forearm tattoos of all the gang members. Noelle is very sweet. I love the dynamic between her and Jasper. She is also great with Lex. Lex is a great character. She is very tough and independent.

      The sex is hot, the characters are amazing. I really love this world. I read this in less than 24 hours. It is quite a page turner, I highly recommend it.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars If you enjoyed 50 Shades of Grey you will love this book. The story takes a bit to get into as it is set in a futuristic society, but once you're there it is a good read. Kit Rocha certainly loaded up on the erotic which is all well and good, but she could have developed the characters stories a little more. Overall worth a read. I might even give it a second go now that the background to the story (the society) makes more sense.
    • 3/5
      Even though the central romance wasn't that interesting to me, this world held my attention the whole way through.
    • 4/5
      Author: Kit RochaPublished by: Moira RogersAge Recommended: Adult Reviewed By: Arlena DeanBook Blog For: GMTARating: 4Review:"Beyond Shame" by Kit Rocha was truly a novel that left me saying WoW! I will say that if you are not into kinky sex with all BDSM, exhibitism, bondage and bad language when this novel isn't for you...so close the book and move on. Now, for the rest of you where sex scences, whips, cuffs, floggers, BDSM, muliple partners, and language such as: m/f, f/f, m/f/m, and m/f/, m/f/f/m... doesn't bother you...then this read would probably be for you. This novel is where sex is part of the story...short and simple. With that being said I found the book very interesting...never have I read anything like it before. It was of a dystopian/apocalyptic world. It starts with Noelle Cunningham has been drugged..wakes up to find she has been thrown out of her home (City of Eden) for being "less of a model citizen" and comes upon Jasper Mc'Cray who is second in command of the O'Kanes. Jasper takes her to his gang family and the story will pick up from here. This is where I say you must pick up "Beyond Shame" to see where this author will takes you. Be ready because there will be so much going on in this dark good read you must keep up because "all the O'Kane men are fighting alpha males with biting sexy muscles with tattoos all over" and their are women who would give you cause to think too...with their tattoos and all. The authors characters were simply off the chain well developed and mostly likeable."Beyond Shame" was definitely a dystopian hot erotic romance novel that will keep you well entertained and definitely left me saying Wow...what a read...Would I recommend? If this is your kind of read you will proably love it.
    • 5/5
      Ok, first off, to disclose I won a copy of Beyond Shame through First Reads. I'm not a huge connoisseur of erotica, but when I found out that Moira Rogers (aka Kit Rocha ) was writing it, I found myself unable to pass up the opportunity to read it.

      4.5 stars.

      Kit Rocha does an excellent job creating a cast of characters that are both intense, yet fun, and as sexy as the male characters are in this book, it's the females that really sold me on this book. Noelle Cunningham comes to Sector 4 as a sheltered female that hasn't really seen the ugliness that lives outside of the walls of Eden. To my mind, she has kind of a bambi esque type of quality to her, but she's never portrayed as stupid or willfully ignorant. Lex, Rachel, and Amira are women that Noelle befriends as she's living in Sector 4 with the permission of Dallas, the leader of the O'Kane gang.

      The friendships in this story are one of the best parts of the whole novel. The women are extremely smart, straightforward and supportive of one another. This is such a change from the otherwise catty behavior one might observe in romance novels of any type.. especially where men are involved. Friendship is an intimacy of its own however, and I think this translates extremely well when it comes to the sexy parts of Beyond Shame. It's more believable, more satisfying in a way, because you see them interacting in friendly, intimate ways outside of the bedroom so to speak. ( Or I guess you could say Club, dance floor.. wherever the intimacies are taking place)

      Besides Jasper and Dallas, there are some supremely hunky men that make their appearance in Beyond Shame, and I cannot wait to hear their stories. I'm clamoring for Bren.. I want his story like yesterday. :D I wasn't as enamored with Jasper as I was with the supporting cast of characters. To me he just didn't *pop* as much as the others did, but those are just my thoughts.

      I've read erotica before where the sexy parts come across as boring or mechanical, if not downright painful.

      This is NOT that book. The sexy bits are very,very well done. Extremely steamy and sensual, with the ability to leave you breathless!

      I wished for a little more backstory on the different sectors and how they came to be, but as this is only book # 1, more may be revealed in the upcoming books.
    • 3/5
      Lots of hot sex (though there was a scene involving a bench, restraints, and four people that I had to read twice and tackle like an algebra problem to figure out) but the romance came out of nowhere. Noelle and Jasper formed an emotional attachment immediately, and while I mostly liked both characters (thought neither of them were as interesting as the other characters), I felt their romance was almost out-of-place and I just didn't care about their HEA. I would have preferred for their feelings to start later in the story.

      I liked the world building and there's an interesting cast of characters. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      Really good. I'm looking forward to the next one in this series. :)
    • 3/5
      Dystopian erotica novel. I did like the setting but I kept wanting to know more about the world Noelle came from. Eden sounded like an interesting place & we're given mentions & clues but nothing really substantial to really set the place. Maybe that will come in the rest of the series. For the most part, this story takes place in the place outside of the utopian enclave city Eden & is mostly a sex fest. There's nothing wrong with that (it's fairly hot) but I was looking for a bit more substance in the world building. Because that wasn't what is given, I must admit that I had a bit of a difficult time connecting to Noelle fully & her moments of internal conflict. She'd think to hedge for a second & blush at the scandal of her feelings (or at least scandal & scorn that would have applied in Eden) but that never prompted hesitation in her actions once she fell in with the O'Kanes. While that was fun, it was a little hard to take whatever stifling life she had in Eden leading up to her exile, seriously. She shrugged it off mostly so I couldn't care about it much no matter how many times it was referenced. Just because it's repeated that it was oppressive & sheltered & a sham, doesn't make it real. But I never stopped wanting to care more deeply & so I kept reading. I thought Noelle & Jas definitely had sexual chemistry but I didn't feel romance between them. I'm not sure I was supposed to get romance from them, so I didn't find that a hinderance to my enjoyment.

      This is definitely good for a fun, quick read. Definitely read it if you're looking for something steamy. Not so much for the world-building & deep character development. I'd likely read the next in the series because I'm interested in where this is going & of course, am curious to know more about Eden.
    • 3/5
      3.5 Stars

      What a wonderful setting for an erotic novel! Beyond Shame had a dystopian feel to it, and the rules of Eden were no fornication, no violence, and no alcohol. What a bad combination, huh? That's why, when Noelle Cunningham was banished to the sectors, she was completely overwhelmed (in a good way.) She was ignorant about the way of the sectors, but not entirely innocent.

      Noelle literally fell into the arms of Jas, a tattooed gang member. One of the highest lieutenants of the O’Kane gang, which happened to be one of the biggest bootlegging operations in the sectors. She was thrust into a world of sex, alcohol, and fighting. Shameful as it was, Noelle was home and enjoyed every inch minute of it.

      What I liked:
      Setting
      The Cover
      The Characters
      The playful nature of the writing
      The super-sexy tattooed men
      The smoking HOT BDSM scenes

      What I didn't care for:
      It was written in 3rd person POV, which switched up more than I would like. I just couldn't relate.
      I didn't get a firm visualization of any of the characters. There were hints dropped here an there, but I couldn't actively describe any of them.

      All things considered, this is a good erotic read!

      This ARC was provided courtesy of Kit Rocha and Netgalley
    • 2/5
      If you are looking for an erotic read with sex, sex, sex, and no real connection between two characters... this book is for you. Otherwise, I would pass.

      This book was not what I was expecting. I read about the first half and then did not finish.
      I don't mind a book with sex, but when there sex within every chapter and the storyline is lacking ... I draw the line.

      The romance between the characters didn't stand out because everyone was doing everyone. There were threesomes and foursomes and just plain lots of sex.

      Not my cup of tea.

    • 1/5
      I could not get into this futuristic world - it just didn't hold my interest. Others might like this, though.
      Rating: dnf
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the book. However I was confused about what the plot was. Was it Noelle adapting to life in Sector 4? Was it Noelle and Jasper relationship? I do plan on reading more. We shall see how they progress.
    • 4/5
      I'm laughing at myself right now--since I contemplated for a few moment NOT doing a review. Not sure I want to let the world know that I read it and loved it. This is by far the most "out there" book I've read. I swear I spent half of the book with my head cocked to the side thinking "how do they do that??". Snigger. I'm no light weight when it comes to blue books, but this one was s doozy. And I loved it. I'm generally not a fan of dystopian books (it's like the new "vampire", am I right?) and anyone who has read my other reviews will know that I'm not a fan of "she walked into the room and for some reason I can't explain to myself or anyone else, I fell for her at that moment" kinds of story lines. But I felt like in this book it worked. The female protagonist is so very different from the male, that I think she does shine out to him and, at the very least, legitimately captures his undivided attention from the second he knocks into her. I think she could have as easily fallen for the tattoo artist ;) And I like the idea of the ultimate in dystopian societies where they have had the cataclysmic event and were so arrogant as to name the place of belonging and rightness "Eden".

      I kind of expected all the male and female characters in the gang to be badass--uniformly and boringly so, but they weren't. There's still sweetness and there's still independence underneath it all. There was tons of sex in the book, but I didn't feel like any of it was just thrown in so it could be a sexy book. It all worked well with the female protagonist's coming of age and into her own concept. This is NOT for the faint of heart. If you're only ok with "love scenes", this is not for you. There are threesomes and more and bindings and public sex and and and. Overall well done, and it has me curious enough to check out the next in the series.
    • 5/5
      5/5 Stars

      Before I actually get to the review of this, let me just say OH. MY. GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

      Here are some things I (virtually) never read: dystopia, heavy BDSM, future-set novels, romances with violence etc. This book was not on the top of my to-read list, but somehow it was in my Amazon Kindle library! These things happen. It was next to read alphabetically, so there I go!

      Beyond Shame is set in a future, dystopian world. I've seen a lot of people compare it to Hunger Games, just because the outlying communities are divided into sectors who kind of each have a speciality/distinct personality. But that's rather where the comparisons end. Outside of the sectors, there's Eden. Eden is precisely what it sounds like, an anesthetic, cold, emotionless "utopia" where all of the rich people lived after solar flares fucked everything up. Noelle gets cast out of Eden for dating to "fornicate" and get drunk.

      She gets thrust into sector 4, where she gets drugged and stumbles into (literally) Jasper, righthand man of the leader of Sector 4, Dallas O'Kane. Noelle swoons, Jasper takes her back to headquarters and then the real fun begins.

      For people that have seen Sons of Anarchy, that's what the O'Kanes reminded me of. They're a gang of people with grey moral areas that care more about each other than what is or is not "morally" correct. They protect each other at all cost. They live and die for each other. Noelle is given into the care of Lex (LEXIIIIIE), while Dallas decides whether or not she gets to stay with the O'Kanes in sector 4.

      And oh, right. The O'Kanes are very, very into group sex and BDSM. I'm sure I've talked about it before, but I have some real issues with heavy erotica and BDSM I've come across in the past, more specifically with historical BDSM/erotica. There's just so much rape and so much missing the point of the interchange of power between and dom and a sub. And frankly, there's a lot of power dynamics between men and women in history that leads to me feeling uncomfortable with a lot of the novels I've read in the past.

      To be TOTALLY frank, I did not have the highest expectations for this novel. I expected it to be rote, remote, cold, and just pure fucking with a hint of violence and control problems. That is not at ALL the book I got. It took about 13% before I was sold on this.
      Somehow, the duo behind the pseudonym Kit Rocha take a subcategory of romance that frequently touches on a lot of my rape/abuse triggers and they made it warm and familial and kind and caring. Those are not adjectives I associate very often with heavy BDSM, dark, violent dystopian romance novels and yet.
      There is this thread and current throughout the entire novel that this gang is a family. They all love one another, they all care about one another. They're form a bond that transcends blood and friendship and expectations. Their sexuality is always fluid, they indulge in a lot of group sex, there's spanking, flogging, tattooing, clamps and toys and plugs. But somehow, throughout all of these things that could come across as gaudy or showy or abusive, there's this sense of caring, of giving people what they need to get by in this world, and to never push past a boundary people aren't comfortable with pushing past.

      Even the relationship between Noelle and Jasper which could so easily become an abuse of power, and abuse of knowledge, and just plain abusive physically and emotionally is instead a beautiful story of a girl that is trying to explore her actual wants and needs and a man in control enough to give her and push her, but never force her or step over a line.

      This is a love story about a woman trying to become a person after being held down for so long. Exploring what it means to get past the shame of a culture telling you that you're dirty and wrong for having desires that aren't put neatly into a missionary-style-under-the-sheets box. They never cross the line outside of the bedroom. Jasper is not a man that wants complete control of the woman he calls his. Jasper is a man that wants to give the woman he loves everything she needs from him, and to her a sense of autonomy to finally choose the things she wants and needs, and to be the person she's been locking inside.

      BASICALLY, THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING TO ME and I'm halfway through the second in the series and it's just as great. If any part of you is at all into erotica, group sex, bdsm, or just a damn good book that is super duper raunchy, get this book. Get all of these books. They are well worth it.
    • 4/5
      This book gets four stars from me because despite the very short time from meeting to commitment, it manages to mix a lot of hot sex with a lot of equally hot demonstrations of kinky morality about boundaries, communication, honesty, power negotiation, and polyamory. The hunky hero and blooming-through-adversity heroine are appealing characters with great chemistry, and there is a strong supporting cast who I am already happily following into the next book.

    • 5/5
      Jas and Noelle 4-evah

      I love the Beyond series. All the feelz and passion and excitement are almost just a tease to drag you into the story, which is sweeping and compelling. Jas and Noelle are one of my two fave couples, and a great way to start the series.
    • 4/5
      An erotic romance about found family and love in a dystopian world. Good character stuff and world building and the sex is well written. Do mind that it's erotic romance--much sex on the page. It was bordering on too much for me (that's not a criticism, just personal preference), but YMMV of course. There's a whole series of these, and I am looking forward to reading some more of them because the found family aspects were awesome.
    • 3/5
      This book is unashamedly cliched, and unashamedly porn, and if you expect those things you may very well enjoy it. There is a Rich Repressed world, and a poor fringe world, with leather and tattoos and drinking and dancing and lots and lots of sex. Our poor little rich girl heroine gets kicked out of Eden (did I say it was a little cliched?) but falls in with the O'Kane gang, who give her safety and lots of kinky fun. It's a little bit 'self worth by man', in that the happy ending is that he asks her to marry him, and she knows she will be owned by him forever, and she isn't shameful because he looks at her and knows all her kinkiness and loves her for it. But there is lots of her thinking about learning about what she wants, and there is a great bit where he tells her to go home and be safe, and she's very 'nope.'
    • 4/5
      I was hesitant to start this, because the potential squick* factor was pretty high. Fortunately, it's much more sweet than squicky.There is a lot of sex, but there's also a lot of story -- in a kind of Brave New World meets Sons of Anarchy way. I enjoyed how well-developed the world-building was. That's not to say that I didn't have Questions, but they were due to curiosity rather than disbelief.I also enjoyed the wide cast of characters, and how their stories were intertwined. Some of the secondary characters are developed well enough that it was almost more of an ensemble cast, with the focus of this book on getting an HEA for Noelle and Jasper. That sort of thing doesn't always work for me, but it did here -- I got a believable HFN/HEA and I'm also excited about what's coming up for everyone else.I was also really happy by how well everything flowed. I've read other things by these authors under the name Moira Rogers and, while I have generally positive feelings about their work, some of their titles seem kind of choppy and/or confusing to me. I didn't have that experience in this book.Overall, I'm glad I trusted other reviewers and gave this a shot -- it was a lot more fun than I was expecting, and I'm really looking forward to book 2.*by squick, I'm talking non-consensual goings-on. It does get fairly kinky at times, but it's not at all rapey.