She’s a take-charge woman. But he’s a master of control.Skye Manning knows what she wants. Her job as assistant and photographer for a major social media influencer isn’t perfect, but it’s a rung on the ladder to bigger and better things. She’s confident she’ll one day take feature photos for National Geographic.Self-made billionaire Braden Black didn’t get where he is by taking no for an answer. … where he is by taking no for an answer. When a chance encounter with the refreshingly innocent and beautiful Skye piques his interest in more ways than one, he’s determined to make her submit.
Dating a billionaire soon has Skye in the middle of a Cinderella story…until the clock strikes midnight and Braden reveals his dark side. Heat sizzles between them, and Skye finds herself falling hard.
But Braden Black is no Prince Charming, and his dark desires are far from his only secret.
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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’ve read several of Helen Hardt books and always love them. The moment I saw the cover for this one I knew I needed to read it. This was a very well written, sexy, fast pace novel. The characters have fantastic chemistry that make this story a page turner. These is the suggestion of a secret from the past that keep you wanting to read in hopes to finding it out. This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to reading any addition to the series in the future.
Follow Me Darkly was super sexy, fast-paced, and entertaining. It was a light and easy read and I was excited to find out what would happen next.
Skye is a control freak, works for a social influencer as her photographer and is aspiring to more in her life. When Braden walks into her bosses office, sparks fly.
Braden asks her out and is quite blunt about what he wants from her. She wants the same thing but can’t give up control. When her boss finds out about them going out, things become problematic.
Opinion
This is the first book in quite a while that I’ve read in book form. I usually read ebooks. Reading this in book form reminded me of how awesome it is (and how quickly I read.). For those of you, who like me like to read ebooks, do yourself a favor and pick this up in the real book. It is well worth the price.
I quite enjoyed the characters. Skye and Braden both came from humble beginnings. Braden made a fortune though but he still enjoys the things from his childhood. Because of this, I found them both relatable. Addie, Skye’s boss, is a total bitch though. She has old money and seems to have been based off of Paris Hilton. This makes her a great character to hate.
I feel for Skye as she is quickly swept up into a world she didn’t understand, the world of the rich. She does her best to survive and has her best friend Tessa to help her.
There is a secret between Braden and Addie that threatens Skye and Braden’s relationship. We find out what it is at the end but it was not what I expected. I was quite convinced it was something more domestic.
Of course this book ends in a cliffhanger where Skye has just learned what happened. We still have a few other things to find out too, like who is posting negative comments to Skye. I truly cannot wait for the next book.
For a full review please visit https://tinyurl.com/26xf4d5w.
4 1/2 STARS!
Decadently erotic! Braden Black had me from hello … and so did Helen Hardt with the first in her Follow Me series! FOLLOW ME DARKLY is a fresh take on a Fifty Shades-esque story line of a less experienced and unworldly young lady meeting an uber rich, more experienced man of the world. The characters are interesting, the plot is exciting and follow through is not far from perfect. You get a happy-for-now ending and a bit of a cliffhanger for the 2nd of three books about this same couple. I’m looking forward to more Skye and Braden!
Skye is a sweetheart. She’s a small town convert now living in Boston and using her job as an assistant to a social media influencer to get a leg up in her dream career of photography. One meeting with a mystery man is all it takes to woo her into a life of luxury and decadence.
Braden is strong-willed and secretive, but that’s what intrigues him to the reader the most. We know he’s got secrets, but he’s forthcoming with so many of his wants and desires that it makes him a treasure trove of emotions and dreams.
I highly recommend this book to fans of BDSM and emotional drama mixed with your romance.
When a self made billionaire and a strong confident woman come together neither can give over control and that is probably what attracts them to each other even more. The erotic steam in this book will have you gasping for more. Helen Hardt delivers the feels in all the right places. I am looking forward to the next book!!
Dark, steamy and filled with passion. Braden is the definition of tall dark and handsome. The dark isn’t what people see most. His secret is the thing that draws Skye in and it is his one of his secrets that keeps her coming back.
Skye need to learn how to loosen up. She needs to learn to give up some of the control she holds close to her as a shield. Meeting Braden wasn’t what she expected and she never thought he would actually see her. The challenge she represents to him is as intoxicating as the passion that leaps off the pages of this book.
This is just the beginning of their dark romance and the very first taste that will keep you coming back for the next chapter in their lives.
Follow Me Darkly is part of a series and must be read in order. This is my first read by Helen Hardt and I’m trying to wrap my mind around why that is. I am fully intrigued and cannot wait to read Follow Me Under.
This book is really well written. Although, the premise is one I have read before, you are drawn in with rapt curiosity. I need to know all the details and the answers to the secrets!!! I need to know Braden’s background story. Ahh- I am sucked in and how I want more! Braden and Skye’s chemistry is off the charts hot. Braden’s dirty talk and the way he is forthright about exactly what he wants is hot AF. Watching Skye open up and bloom like a flower is a beautiful and sexy thing.
Skye Manning, Kansas farm girl transplant to Boston, aspiring photographer, but working as an assistant to Instagram influencer Addison Ames.
Braden Black, self-made billionaire and most eligible bachelor in Boston.
A chance meeting leads to dinner and a proposition. And, although Skye is incredibly interested, Braden makes her feel out of control and that is not a feeling that sits week with her. When he continues to pursue her, Skye sets rules to preserve her self-esteem.
Although, Skye wants to be with Braden, being his girlfriend has shoved her into the spotlight, but also opened up doors to her career.
As they move forward in their relationship and Braden gives her more of himself than he ever has with anyone else, he holds back on the one truth Skye is desperate to have an answer too.
“Here’s all you need. Since I laid eyes on you, I haven’t been able to think about anyone else. Your mouth, your tits, your curious and controlling nature- everything about you be beguiles me. Since I first fucked you, all I can think about is fucking you again. You’re all I think about”- he bites my earlobe-“ and it… Perplexes me. Not much perplexes me, Skye. You’re like a narcotic. I hunger for you.”
And, just as Skye is about to give in and open up to all Braden’s desires, a truth bomb and a warning from a friend, may just have Skye second guessing her decisions.
This was such an intense book! Braden and Skye have incredible chemistry together and their encounters are deliciously steamy hot!. I think what I like best is that Skye is a strong woman, and so tries to do what is right. And Braden is so sexily alpha. I love Tessa as she cracks me up and she is such a great friend to Skye. This story was so entertaining that I read it from cover to cover in basically one sitting. This is a must read, and I can’t wait for the next book!
I received a free advanced review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my fair and honest opinion.
“I can’t let go. I can’t. I’m not bound, but I can’t. I’m bound by Braden’s will, Braden’s strength. I don’t know what to think, but I know something in me… something in me likes it. Something in me wants more.”
Skye Manning is in control. She’s living her “almost” best life. She’s got a great job, doing something she loves (sorta) and is happy. Everything has its perfect place, and she has complete dominance in the cadence that is her life.
Braden Black. Mysterious and elusive as his last name. He’s an enigma. A self made man. Someone, that on the surface is well put together and holds authority to those he has in his ice blue stare.
“Follow Me Darkly”, by Helen Hardt is book one in her three part series. It brings together a cryptic billionaire and a taskmaster PA in a chance encounter. It takes someone who always gets what he wants, and has him facing off with his match. Their connection is magnetic right from the start and it lights the pages on fire. This erotic romance is full of steam and chemistry that had me binging this in one sitting. Now the question is – do
Braden and Skye have what it takes to make it? Can Braden, that has so many secrets buried deep, relinquish them for the sake of Skye? And is Skye ready for them to be brought to light? Is she ready to give up that control to him and submit?
This is a very hot sensual story, with two great characters, Braden and Skye’s story will drag you from the start, will have you fanning yourself and reading non-stop until you are done and then you will be begging for more. The chemistry is brilliantly done, they are both dynamite. I like the storyline, yes there are steamy scenes but the story is entertaining and will have you reading in no time, can’t wait for the next one.
Warning this is part of a series and it ends on a cliffhanger. You’ll absolutely want to start reading the second book right away. Also, some light bondage BDSM elements, power play Dom/sub.
I loved this story Skye and Braden are such an interesting pair. Skye is a control freak so is Braden. Who will end up winning control in the bedroom? Why is Braden the magic key that fixes Skye’s “problem”? What happened between Braden and Addison? There are a lot of questions. Some get answered in this book and some don’t. Trust and darkness are huge themes in the book. What fuels Braden’s darkness? How dark is he? Does Skye trust him? Will she follow him? Skye is a character I really like. She loves what Braden does sexually to her but she pushes back on Braden when he starts to take control. She doesn’t follow him blindly. Apart from not seeing herself as beautiful she has the confidence to really start teaching for her dreams. Tessa and Braden help but in the end it’s her doing it. I think, mostly, her fears and decisions make sense. She’s in a new relationship with someone that has more money, experience, and power than her. Braden is very much an enigma throughout the book. You get little glimpses into him but not the full story. What you do learn keeps you wanting more. The sex gets more intense throughout the book and you find yourself in the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.
I absolutely loved the story and can’t wait to find out what happens next. Helen Hardt is such a good writer. She always brings her A game to everything she writes. This is another 5 star read from her.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Love all Helen’s books but this one makes me even more hooked. Braden is a powerful man and Skye follows under his spell. Skye meets Braden whole at work and he keeps showing up. Braden gets what he wants and Skye is it. Skye wants to take her photographs to the top, but will Braden help her or distract her. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat to see where they are heading and trying to find out what secrets there are hiding.
Follow Me Darkly
By Helen Hardt
This was a fantastic read I truly enjoyed that was as dramatic and sultry as it was provocative, between a sweet photographer from small town Kansas and a dominant and sexy billionaire who sweeps her off her feet. This adult romance book will have you scorching and counting the days to the release of the next book in this trilogy, Follow Me Under.
For a captivating read with fun to read strong male characters, look no further and add this book to your list. It’s completely enthralling page turner of a read.
Heat, suspense and a great storyline. A chance meeting opens a path to new things for both Braden and Skye. Braden gives Skye the fairytale that she believes will end in get HEA. However, Braden has secrets and when they start to come to light, It may be too late for Skye. She falls hard. Skye also has a secret. Intense chemistry and strong sexual tension keeps the pages turning. The plot is sexy, dark and twisting. A well erotic story that had humor and emotion.
Another phenomenal read by the talented Helen Hardt. Braden Black is dark, sexy, and surprisingly sweet. Skye is brilliant, talented, and gorgeous. This story was so well written I read in in 1 sitting and in 7 hours. Fabulous job Helen! I can’t wait to read more.
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Title: Follow Me Darkly
Series: Follow Me, book 1
Author: Helen Hardt
Genre: Billionaire Romance, Erotic Romance
Rating: /5
Steam:
I enjoyed this book, but I also wanted more from it… I didn’t realize that it was going to be a three book series when I started it so the pace seemed a bit slow. It is very steamy and I’m intrigued to see where it goes in book 2. I’m hoping that we get more in depth on the characters since this book mostly focuses on their meeting and their sexual relationship, but doesn’t really dig into their pasts or their secrets…
Overall an easy, steamy read, though.
Loved this book!
Wow what a start to Helen’s new series!
You will fall in love with Skye from the start as she deals with her demanding boss and her first meeting with Braden. The insta-attraction between the two is combustible, and you will root for Skye to give control to Braden and for Braden to meet Skye’s terms. Yet as they spend more time together, Skye doubts her boss’ words to avoid Braden as he does the unexpected much to Skye’s happiness. The book ends with a cliffhanger leaving you wanting Follow Me Under to continue Braden and Skye’s story!
Follow Me Darkly is a steamy read and book one of the Follow Me series. I have only read one book by this author and I loved it so I was happy to read this book next. From the moment Braden and Skye meet they have an instant attraction and their relationship goes from steamy to scorching hot. Braden and Skye’s journey of love is off to a dark, captivating read and held my attention from the first page until the last and I can’t wait to read book two to find out what happens next.