I don’t just own. I make them dance.My name makes their hearts beat with desire and their skin tickle with sweet fear. They call me The Puppetmaster.And when I’m on the hunt, they come running—willing to serve at my feet, because no one makes my puppets dance like I do. But my heart almost stops when I see her name on the list.Alena Prey, you wreak havoc with a plan I’ve had for years, but it … wreak havoc with a plan I’ve had for years, but it won’t stop me from reaching my goal — a goal that you’re destined to be a part of.
But this is not how it was supposed to happen.
Not now. Not like this.
And yet it will…
more
Well…that was a surprise to me! The premise is intriguing but, as I began reading the beginnings of The Puppetmaster and his puppet, Alena’s arrangement I was uncomfortable. I can’t wrap my head around the humiliation and pain that some people need so, I seriously thought about stopping right there. The thing that made me continue is the little nuggets of mystery and secrets that are hinted about between these two characters. Raad and Alena are interesting but not overly likable. They do what needs to be done to feel some sense of validation, peace and redemption. The cat, however, is my favorite character.
When I finished the book I found the actual crafting of the story, how it is laid out to be brilliant and that’s was the exciting part of the book for me. It is like a trail of breadcrumbs that leads you to this massive and seemingly devasting conclusion, only to be blindsided with a completely different understanding of what it all means at the end. It kept me hooked and that was more powerful than Raad and Alena’s relationship but, I do appreciate the happy ending because characters like that deserve happiness.
Once I got past all of Alena’s questioning in her head, I liked this book. It is full of chapter/conversation cliffhangers of which not all are answered. There is much mystery surrounding the Puppetmaster and the true story behind him and his puppets is not what you imagined it to be at the start of the book. This book was not one of my favorites, but by the end I liked it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Phenomenal!
OMG! This is one amazing book that totally and utterly captivated me and kept me on the edge of my seat guessing on what was going to happen next. There were so many little twists and turns throughout the story that messed with your mind. You thought you knew what was going on and them BAM – guess again! Buckle up because this is a wild ride!
The main characters are fantastic. The Puppetmaster is domineering, super sexy and uncontrollable. Everyone wants to be his puppet. They want what only he can give them. But Alena is the one woman whom he can’t seem to control like he wants to. She’s fierce, strong, cunning and definitely has a mind of her own. She knows what she wants and has a way to achieve that even if it means punishment.
I absolutely loved everything about this story. Highly recommend.
This story is a dark, emotional and suspense romance with beautiful and surprisingly end.
Raad (Puppet master) and Alena who he selects to be a puppet.
She showed in the Velvet Room when he didn’t expect .Raad has been secretly stalking her for years, and she supposed to be his last puppet. Why?
The plot has secrets, surprises, steamy romance, and unexpected twists and turns that leave you guessing until the end of the book who is the master. I could not put this book down! I highly recommend this book for purchase.
I received an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Such a wonderful premise that was clouded by too much mystery. I couldn’t enjoy the puppet part because of all of the secrets that were dangled from the very beginning of the story. I got frustrated and skipped huge portions of the characters’ inner dialogues about how this is so different and why can’t I tell them the truth, blah blah blah. I got bored with the whole thing.
I really enjoyed this story. Raad and Alena are wonderful characters. I loved the idea of him as The Puppetmaster. He is a perfect. Alena was good. The writing and flow of this book is done well. I do recommend this book.
I was such a fan of the Velvet Rooms books, that I really wanted to love this linked novel. The Puppetmaster starts off promising with Alena, a strong heroine, who finally gets the chance to be chosen at one of the Puppetmaster’s infamous Hunts held at the Velvet Rooms. Alena, wants to give up complete control and Raad is the man to take it. Alena is an open book, hating herself for a long ago act, unbeknownst to her Raad has manipulated her life for years. Raad is enigmatic, trying to right a wrong by using his puppets, but he knows his secrets will be the end for his burgeoning relationship with Alena. Even thought they have this instant attraction, the story didn’t really flow well, often the next chapter starts with a week or days having gone by.
Unfortunately, the steamy scenes were a bit wanting, some seemed a bit porny, too much focus on saliva! Finally, this is a pet peeve for me, I’m tired of women being called the s-word in submissive scenes. It’s pretty telling that my favorite character is Saalwa, the cat.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review.
My names makes their hearts beat with desire and their skin tickle with sweet fear – a name spoken in hushed voices, hot craving lacing every syllable. They call me The Puppetmaster. And when I’m on the hunt, they come running – willing to serve at my feet. But I’m a cruel Master, and highly selective. Not just anyone can become my puppet. I know she can. I’ve known for a long time. Yet, my heart almost stops when I see her name on the list. Because this is not how it was supposed to happen. Not now. Not like this. Alena Perry- your name my imply otherwise, but your’e no easy take. You wreak havoc with a plan I’ve had for years, but It won’t stop me from reaching my goal- a goal that y destined to be a part of. Don’t even try to cut the strings, my puppet. For you’ll be the last to dance for me.
I was so excited to get this book in my hand and I am ashamed to say it is my first Linnea May. I am a huge fan of anything dark and this one does not disappoint. Alena Pery has never had a easy life. It started out rough and didn’t get any better from there. However growing up in Brooklyn she had to learn to be tough. Or at least show that she was because she did not want to be a target. Then in high school she became a orphan and life had the lesson of learning to support herself and her little sister to keep them both out of the foster care system. Fast forward three years and Alena is in a job where her boss keeps shooting down every single idea that she has. She is not desperate for a break and when she looks up the schedule for the Velvet room, and exclusive club, and sees that the puppetmaster is holding a hunt she can’t help but believe that the timing is right. MIchael Bower, or the Puppetmaster is just the opposite about the hunt. He is not looking forward to it and rumors have brought unwanted attention. He has grown tired of the rumors that he changes women for the better. That is not what this is about. He is about the pleasure and pain and the joy that comes with that. When he finds out that Alena is signed up for the hunt, all bets are off and he is more than thrilled for her to be his prey. This book is dark and delicious. I loved every single second of it and devoured it. Linnea May has done an amazing job writing this book and I can’t wait to see what we get next.
Linnea May is so so so good at dark! I never pass up the chance dive into her dark romances and explore her world-building. The Puppetmaster is a unique and twisty story that’ll capture your attention right from the start! Alena and Raad are nothing like what you expect, yet exceed every expectation!!
I love how every Linnea May book I read is complex, there’s always something that’s more than meets the eye. These to are dancing a fine line with mystery in every corner. It’s definitely a read I’d recommend if you like having clues slowly unveiled and the build-up being intense.
Thank you so much for the arc, I really enjoyed the read!!
This book was not what I thought it was going to be,it was better. He found out he couldn’t make everyone dance. He finally met someone who was onto him and just as smart but turned out she was wrong about him and I was too. Good read
As a huge Linnea fan, this book was highly anticipated by myself and many. It would seem this story is going to be dark, dirty, and intriguing. But I have to say I was not having the first two and only a little of the last.
The puppetmaster is a man that takes on a woman when he sees fit and trains them to be submissive in how he wants them. But when he sees a woman he didn’t expect to see at this time, he makes a brash decision to take her on. Alena is at the Velvet Room to catch the eye of the Puppetmaster, she needs something different, and she wants his time. But Alena has no idea what she is getting herself into with him.
Raad has a long history of taking in women and doing this dance with them. But Alena is different, and he knows it. But will Raad ever be able to come out of his shell and make a life with her if he wants to?
This book was not at all what I was expecting, and it was a nice surprise to see what was actually happening. Raad is very complex and not at all what I expected in someone like him and Alena was such a strong yet submissive woman who I found myself quite fond of as I read and learned more about her story.
We take a mini trip back to the Velvet Rooms in this book. We also see Nate in this book. He’s from a previous duet that you don’t necessarily have to read to read this. This can be read as a standalone. Nate is with Malia, who we originally meet in Fallen Petal duet. Nate and Malia’s story is Onyx.
What Alena and Raad have is intense and real. This book didn’t have the level of kink I expected, but for Alena and Raad, it’s also not needed to see who and what they are to each other in such a short time.
They have a deepness to them that’s crazy. These two are made for each other. Raad who doesn’t believe in love, and Alena who needs it more than most. He breaks his own rules for her, and she craves everything he has given her. It’s perfect.
“A Master and his devoted puppet.”
~Raad~
OMG! This is the Best Linnea EVER! And that’s hard because she is Phenomenal! Raad is the Puppet Master girls try very hard to be his chosen one. This is Alena’s second time to present herself. She has nothing to lose, she quit her job, she needs to do something. So she gets added to the list at the Velvet Room, late. Raad has always known Alena would wear his strings, but he wasn’t quite ready for her. This is a very dark story, not just the relationship between Raad and Alena, but the reason, she is his ultimate choice. Highly recommend this read!
Linnea has been my favorite go to author since her first book that I read. I know without a doubt her book will keep me engaged the entire and will be page turning goodness from beginning to end. Thank you for another amazing read.
I was pleasantly surprised at how different this story was than what I expected. May has a gift for storytelling with poetic undertones. She lovingly describes Alena with a flair for lyrical prose.
“Alena Prey is still the reserved beauty I remember her to be, her dark chocolate brown hair a little longer now, the silver sparkle still apparent in her blue eyes, and her light skin still unkissed by the sun. Her aura is soft and feminine; only the stern expression on her face hints at the presence of the unruly lioness hidden inside.”
We know immediately that there is more to The Puppetmaster’s motives than just to get a new submissive. His inner dialogue subtly reveals bits and pieces…just enough to keep me the reader completely engrossed. Why is Alena so special to him? I adored the flow of this story, with every chapter pushing the story forward without giving up the big reveal. May creates this palpable intrigue when she introduces the Puppetmaster to us.
“I pull my eyes away from her, determined to divert my focus to the task at hand. Subtle unrest spreads through the room when I get up from my chair. It’s just minor fidgeting, a nervous twitch that electrifies the room for a split second, but it’s palpable. My steps are slow but deliberate when I make my way back to the main room, carefully browsing the guests for white wristbands. A few familiar faces meet mine, not all of them are women or former play partners. I always make sure to invite a few fellow gentlemen, but only those who are attached to their own dolls, because—unlike my girls—I don’t need competition to prove my worth.”
Whoa. All I thought after reading this section was, I’m so in. He’s pure alpha male, and seeing how he interacts with Alena is eye opening and very sexy. May makes the sex scenes a dance.
“Every thrust is still spiced with a hint of hot ache, but just enough to turn into a luscious feeling, granting me with a vertigo that equals the high I experienced on my first day here.”
I didn’t see the ending coming, and it was a lovely surprise. But when it comes to Alena and the Puppetmaster? Neither one makes any forced or outrageous changes in personality…they just find solace in each other. This book is quite an entertaining gem.
A second chance and more. Alena wants to dance for the puppetmaster, andvtakes steps to ensure her place in this twisted realm! Is she up to his dark desires and challenges? I hate that she always jumps to assumptions and conclusions and starts scheming, rather than communicating properly with Raad!!! Hard to believe Raad is the good guy he is, but he just has dark desires. Twists, secrets, heat and kinkery you don’t want to miss.
A romance with a bit of BDSM and a touch of darkness. We first met Raad in Fractured Onyx. Raad is the half-brother of Nate. There are references to the darkness in both of them, with Raad being known as The Puppetmaster. I had no idea what this meant-it sounds sinister-and I read this book without reading the blurb and let the story unfold. There are a lot of significant things we don’t know about the sassy, clever Alena and Raad, who loses his tight control with Alena. I loved the slow reveal of their stories. I read this in one sitting & didn’t want it to end. I went into this book thinking it was one thing, and it happily turned out to be something else entirely. I felt extremely satisfied at the end, and hope to find out what happened with Riley.
I received a copy of this book. My honest review is voluntarily provided.
This was my first book of Linnea’s about the Velvet Rooms, but I see there are more! I would give this book a solid 3.5/3.75 stars. It was really good. I loved the dynamic between Raad and Alena. I also loved how the story unfolded and how you found out how they really knew about each other before that fateful night of his “hunt” at the Velvet Room. I would love to know more about Raad and why he does what he does and why he needs to control “his puppets”, other than what was stated in the book. There are other ways, less dark to get what he needed in the end. I just felt like I need a little more detail on his character. Now I am on the HUNT for more of the books she has written about the Velvet Rooms that I have missed!
I truly enjoy reading books by Linnea May. The Puppetmaster kept me entertained and intrigued from the very beginning right up until the end. It isn’t as sinister as it sounds from the description but boy there are twist and turns that you don’t see coming. Just when you think you have it figured out, you realize that you do not. The sex scenes are hot, and at times you think the puppet may be a little more in control than the puppet master which makes for one hot read.