Alison on 04/11/2014 02:46pm
Love the different characters in this story. One comes to hate Goodson and wishes he would lose his job. Really dislike men like him. But Sam and Marshal, just was a sub needs and wants. I liked how Sam could figure out about Hannah so quickly and help her accept herself and how it is okay to be who she is. Everyone has different things that make them who they are. They will make a good couple forever. The uncle also seems to be genuine. Meeting in an old barn was kind of odd but it worked temporarily while the Castle was being built. Maren Smith is an excellent author and I love the Castle Book Series (book 1 & 2) that I have read.
Alison on 04/11/2014 02:45pm
Love the different characters in this story. One comes to hate Goodson and wishes he would lose his job. Really dislike men like him. But Sam and Marshal, just was a sub needs and wants. I liked how Sam could figure out about Hannah so quickly and help her accept herself and how it is okay to be who she is. Everyone has different things that make them who they are. They will make a good couple forever. The uncle also seems to be genuine. Meeting in an old barn was kind of odd but it worked temporarily while the Castle was being built. Maren Smith is an excellent author and I love the Castle Book Series (book 1 & 2) that I have read.
Debbie Tucker on 03/29/2014 09:10pm
I normally would not read this genre of stories. Even though I couldn't even fathom the makings of this story it was very well written. The descriptions and details were so vivid. If this is your style of story it is a must read. I am giving it a 5 star even though I couldn't relate it was exquisitely written.
madpuss on 03/06/2014 08:17pm
I couldn't get my head around the idea of anyone enjoying to be cut. Enjoying the taste, sight and smell of blood, ending up with so many scars. Or, someone enjoying doing that to someone else. Having said that I still thought the story was well-written and Sam and Hannah are likeable and it was entertaining. It's also got me interested in reading about Marshall and Kaylee's story. Yes, I'm being hooked into another series!
LJ on 02/16/2014 12:47pm
This is a great introductory book for this series. Not as long as the others but just good.
lanigirl on 02/13/2014 05:34pm
This was great! I expect nothing less from Maren! What a great introduction to the Castle and their Masters. I was surprised by Hannah and Sam's kink and turned off by it. It was, however, well written and I enjoyed the other books in the series. A warning about the blood should be put in the disclaimer.
JJ on 02/07/2014 04:23pm
I am a huge fan of the Castle and all of its characters. Maren Smith is an absolute genius. Her characters are realistic and her descriptions are amazing. This is the story of Hannah, a young woman struggling to recover from her family's misguided attempts to save her from herself. The problem is, there's nothing really wrong with her. Enter Sam, one of the Masters of the Castle. He is more than willing to show this little beauty what is missing in her life. He understands things about her she doesn't understand herself. This is a beautiful story that sets the stage for a phenomenal series.
Joelle Casteel on 02/04/2014 10:58am
What can I say about this lovely story? First off I do know Maren from reading her blog. I also read other reviews before buying this book. Finally I came to reading as a lifestyle submissive who could relate to the main character, Hannah.
My heart broke for Hannah with her tiny behaviors that spoke to something being wrong. I adored Sam from the very beginning; I hope (and yes expected a bit) that they'd end up playing. I further adored Sam because of how he dealt with Hannah explaining her personal issues.
I loved the final scene with Hannah's jerk boss, Goodson. I loved her uncle coming to the rescue. Her final trip out to the Castle made me swoon and be excited to continue with this wonderful BDSM romance from Maren Smith.
Adaline Raine on 01/03/2014 01:11pm
I am so happy I read through the other reviews and saw this was supposed to be a taste of the Castle. It bumped my review from 4 stars to 5!
I wish there had been a bigger build up between Hannah and Sam but I liked their interactions. I also hoped for a bit more backstory on Hannah.
The thing that sucked me in most had to be the incredible descriptions. Consider audio so the 'reader' can close his/her eyes and picture every detail. Oh WOW! Hotter than I thought a book could get me and believe me I read hot books!
The only real problem was after the words 'The End' I immediately jumped to Amazon and buy Kaylee's Keeper and Saving Sara. I had to know more about the Castle...ASAP. Adore this series and am anxiously awaiting the next!
Rhonda on 12/29/2013 02:05pm
This is the first in Maren Smith's Masters of the Castle, available only on Amazon. It's a short but enjoyable readcand a great start to the series.
Young Lady on 12/07/2013 01:45pm
I have to say upfront My Man would not allow me to read it anymore after we figured out that the man and woman are turned on by scars/blood. I struggled with self injury and I am not allowed to read anything where it is described in detail or especially where it seems to be worshipped, so this book was right out for me. I was so sad when I realized that component because the writing was so well done and the storyline apart from that seemed excellent. The rating is based on what I read. My complaint is there should be a self-injury disclaimer like there are spanking disclaimers. I was very taken unawares!
Rose Lipscomb on 10/23/2013 08:35pm
So far, I've loved everything I've read by this author, and this book is no exception. Skillfully written, and exceptionally well edited (NO mistakes found, at all!), this book delves into a subject of which I was totally ignorant.
I guarantee, you'll like Hannah and feel empathy for her. You'll also be intrigued by Sam, the hunky, dark dom who comes to her rescue.
My only complaint was that I wished it were longer and gave us more detail on Sam and Hannah. If you're OK with BDSM and with explicit sex scenes, I heartily recommend Holding Hannah and the other books in this series.
Es on 10/21/2013 03:33pm
This book was good, but it realy spooked me as well. I've read other BDSM book, but her taste for blood I'd never read about, or even knew about. I found that really disturbing. But I did love how Sam came and showed her that she wasn't sick in the head, and that he could like her just as she was.
JC on 10/19/2013 09:25pm
This is a great short story. It introduces you to the Castle and tells the story of Hannah and Sam. It also introduces the characters you read about in the other books.
Merna on 10/19/2013 05:28pm
Read this book when it first was offered as a free sample on Amazon, and loved it. Hannah's problems were a little disturbing, but Sam understands her and her needs when no one else does. Book 2 was even better. Am so excited that Book 3 is now available too.
Marie Jones on 10/19/2013 05:26am
We would expect nothing else from Maren Smith. This book got me interested in the rest of the series, and was very disappointed at the time of reading this that there was only one other book. I have learned of another one just coming out, and am so excited.
Karen on 10/17/2013 02:09pm
New series introduction and man was it great. There are lots of great strong characters and I can't wait to read all of their stories. Hannah is hurting and she gets exactly what she needs. A well written story that draws you in.