Indulging in Irelyn by D.L. Raver

Title: Indulging in Irelyn

Series: Indulging #1

Author: D.L. Raver

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica

Author’s Blurb: NFL quarterback, Zolt Hamil was America’s heartthrob until a career ending injury changed his life. Years later, he’s picked up the pieces and carved out a new path for himself. But the mental and physical scars of that day have left him moody and reclusive, and his only relief is indulging in pleasure and pain with his many one night stands. Though many women have tried, Zolt refuses to care about any of them. Only one woman has his heart; a hallucination of a young, sable-eyed, blonde beauty whom he conjured that painful day on the football field.

On the first day at his new job at a law firm in Scottsdale, Arizona, Zolt comes face to face with his hallucination, Irelyn Wilkes. Their fateful connection, and explosive passion for each other pulls them together, and this time, Zolt refuses to let her slip from his life.

But Irelyn has her own demons to fight and her controlling boyfriend is one of them. He doesn’t take kindly to other people playing with his toys, and he’ll stop at nothing to keep her by his side.

Can Irelyn and Zolt defy the odds and find a way to be together? Or, will the events set in motion years ago keep them apart forever?

My Thoughts:  This was an interesting one for me.  I tried to read this one a couple of months ago and I had to stop.  I had only read a few pages, but I knew that I wasn’t feeling it.  Seeing it again on my Kindle, I started fresh and it was a totally different experience.  Personally, I can handle light BDSM, but not the heavy stuff.  A lot of the Erotic Romances coming out seem to center around this.  When I tried to read this before, I was thinking this was a story heave on the BDSM, but I was thankfully wrong.  It does have a touch, but nothing that caused me to cringe.   I feel like it’s important to make this distinction, because the references to BDSM on other reviews I’ve seen put me off.

As for the story…..Six years ago, Zolt was an NFL Quarterback headed towards the Super Bowl.  Zolt ended up sustaining a career ending injury that put him in tons of pain.  In the midst of the pain, he had a hallucination of a teenage girl.  The pain and memory have stuck with him over the last 6 years and Zolt isn’t coping.  In addition to his limp, he’s plagued with nightmares and pain and using medical marijuana and sex to cope.  Only the face of his hallucination can calm him in his nightmares.  He’s exchanged his NFL career for a law degree and he’s moving back to Arizona to start at a new job.  It’s here that he comes face to face with his hallucination….except she’s real.  Irelyn has never forgotten the connection she shared with Zolt that day, but never imagined that he would think of her.  The connection between Zolt and Irelyn is palpable, but something is standing in the way.  Irelyn has a boyfriend.  Irelyn started dating Marcus shortly after her brother passed away.  Marcus and her brother, Chris, were best friends and they grieved together.  Since then, though, Irelyn has noticed a coldness about Marcus and wants to get away from him.  Not only does her father adore Marcus, but she also doesn’t believe he will just accept a breakup.  Zolt pushes her to breakup anyway promising to protect her.  Zolt hires a friend for security and to investigate Marcus and is shocked at what is found.  He never expected Marcus to be the villain he is.  Will they be able to overcome everything to be together?

I am so glad I found this again.  I was sucked right in.  I had no idea when I started that this was a part of a series and I was dying at the end.  There is a cliffhanger and it’s big enough that I panicked when I finished this book, stalked the author and marked my calendar for June 11th when book 2 is scheduled to release!

You can’t help but root for this couple and want everything to work out.  The story is told in a dual POV, so you get both perspectives.  Zolt is so broken and only Irelyn can save him.  Even knowing how messed up he is, you can’t stop yourself from swooning.  When he’s bad, he’s bad though.  The romance is great, but the suspense will have you on the edge of your seat.  The author’s warning (below) is right on the money.

Author Warning: Don’t read this book if you hate f**ked up alpha males, strong female leads, hot sex, and a kismet love story six years in the making. Oh yeah and a plot twist that will leave you reeling.

Grade: A