I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. Even though it followed the basic formula of rich billionaire into bondage trying to get the main character to become his sub. The writing was enjoyable and drew me in, the main character was likable, and the promise of the love interest's (Mr. Black's) dark secret had me on the hook for the entire book. Unfortunately, the book had a few repetitive phrases and that dark secret that kept me reading ended up feeling like a cop-out of an ending only addressed in the last five pages.

Regardless, it was still a great way to spend my weekend!

When I started reading this book I was afraid I was going to be bombarded with the sexual escapades of social media influencers. I was glad to see that it wasn’t a distraction. I subconsciously found myself picking up certain similarities between this book and the 50 shades of gray movie (I haven’t read the book) but once I read further on the similarities faded away. I was Immediately drawn in to Skye’s and Braden’s world and loved every minute of it.

We don’t really get much of Skye’s backstory but I found myself enjoying her as a strong personality who is always in control. As someone who also struggles with letting go sometimes I totally related to her ☺️. We do get Braden’s backstory although nothing at all about why his sexual tastes are what they are. He remains a smoldering mystery through out the book.

This is the first book by Helen Hardt that I’ve read and I am now a huge fan.

Heads up - the book ends with a cliff hanger which was a little disappointing. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Skye and Braden, oh, and Addie 😀.

*This ARC was generously provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Going into this book, I was not sure what I would be getting. Let me tell you, it is the most raw, intense, passionate and sensual story I have read in a LONG time. Braden is this strong domineering man who has to have complete control over everything. Skye is a light, I would say, to the world that Braden is in. These two collide in the most unusual fashion after comments on Skye’s boss’s IG. This led to an intense moment in the office, to spiralling down this rabbit hole that Braden has created and Skye cannot seem to get out of. The connection that these two is beyond off the charts sizzling. The moments are just beyond scorching that it will flame off the pages! Trust me on that one! But the story within, not just the hot moments, is what will literally draw a moth to a flame and have you begging for more. I was devouring this one and dying for answers and just overall needing more.
As a whole, Hardt created something so passionate, that you cannot help but get lost into the world that she has created and leaves you wanting. The fluidity of the story, to the character build and the twists will keep you guessing. This story was everything and more than I anticipated!

Letting go...

Intoxicating and provocative best describes the story of Skye Manning and Braden Black in Follow Me Darkly. Country born Skye works in the City of Boston for a prima donna social media influencer. Skye is willing to take her boss's berating on a daily basis as it gives her the opportunity to do what she loves, photography. She meets Braden Black when he shows up at the office to see her boss. He has a commanding presence when he enters a room. He is gorgeous and oozes power from every pore of his body, and oh yes! his body is sexy and makes every woman aroused just being in the same space as him.

When they lock eyes they are immediately attracted to each other. He seems to stare right into her soul and can see all her hidden desires and secrets. Their story is mesmerizing and I cannot wait to read more about this couple.

It’s all about control!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙💜❤️🖤
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙
World building: 🌏🌎🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤

The setting: Boston

The Hero: Braden Black – a self made billionaire playboy. Braden came up from blue collar roots. He and his brother Ben worked for their fathers construction company and Braden came up with a new design for safety goggles, which took off and are the design most used today. Braden started his company and diversified and became a young billionaire. His brother and father now work for the company as well. Braden is into control and is very dominant.

The heroine: Skye Manning – wants to be a photographer featured in National Geographic some day. She graduated with a degree in photography and works as a personal assistant to an instagram influencer, Addison Ames, taking the pictures so they look like selfies.

The love story: Braden meets Skye when he goes to Addison’s office to tell her off because of a disagreement they had over instagram. Braden is immediately taken with Skye and makes no bones about exactly what he wants.

This book is off the charts hot, very near scalding. Braden likes what he likes and is a very sexual being. He almost always wants it when they are together and what he wants most of all is for Skye to give up all control to him. Skye is always in control in life, so with Braden she is slowly learning to give up control little by little and she finds she really likes it.

Though this is a book and so of course there are secrets being held that Skye is dying to find out and Braden is not open to talking about at all. I don’t want to give more away, I try to only give a bit more background information and not to stray to far from what is given away in the blurb. So if you see any spoilers that I shouldn’t include, please let me know.

The world building was great as was character development. Of course we still don’t know all that much about Braden’s past, since was all told from Skye’s POV. However, that is part of what makes it good. There weren’t a bunch of other side stories and there were quite a few intimate encounters. Which were written extremely well and I liked quite a bit. This did end in a big cliffhanger though, hanging by a tiny little thread I might add. I will have trouble waiting till January 2021 for part 2, but I will be one of the first to pick up that book when it is ready.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I'm a big fan of Helen Hardt. However, I really struggled with this book. I think people are going to inevitably draw some comparisons between this book and the 50 Shades of Grey series. I mean, you have Mr. Grey versus Mr. Black. There is even some language that is similar between the two books. At one point, both men say something similar to, "I exert control in all situations"

The book is well written but I didn't feel like there was much connection between Braden and Skye. There was no build up to their relationship. No cat and mouse game. Braden meets Skye at her office, invites her to dinner, and then announces in the middle of the meal that he wants to f*ck her. The sex scenes were hot but there was no emotional connection between the two.

Braden is an alpha male who seems to lack the slightest bit of care and concern for Skye until the end of the book. He was pretty much an ass. In most alpha heroes, there is at least a softer side that pushes through at times. I got none of that from Braden. He is clearly harboring some issues that cause him to be a commitment phobe but not enough is revealed to make readers care about him.

I'm not sure where to begin with the love I have for this book. It will pull you in form the very first page and not let you go until the end, but even then you are left wanting. I had a hard time putting this book down. The romance was secondary to the sexual chemistry between Braden and Skye. I can't say too much or it will give away the story. I really loved this book and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I was...so disappointed in this book. I do not think BDSM relationships should be used as an excuse to have toxic male character's who are sexist and creepy and it's somehow hot when it's used in this context.

After reading the blurb for this one I must say I was excited to dig in and check this one out. It started off really well but I truly struggled the entire book to feel any more than a sexual attraction between Skye and Brayden. The chemistry and attraction was there but I just want feeling anything more than their relationship being more than “fuck buddy” sex.

I will say majority of the sex scenes in this book were hot, and there were a lot of sex scenes, but there were some that just left me turned off. When the author got into a sex scene and started called parts by proper body part names it definitely took away from the sexiness of the scene. It was like dark and dirty meets proper English.

I like the premise of true story but it definitely needed more story and a little less sex.

Overall not a bad read but, at times I wondered if I would even bother to finish but I did and sadly I definitely didn’t love it

Follow Me Darkly is the first book in the brand new Follow Me Series by author Helen Hardt. Follow Me Darkly follows the story of Braden and Skye. Skye wants more from her life, and working for a social media influencer isn't exactly the path she envisioned for herself. But, Skye is no stranger to hard work and knows that her hard work will one day land her the job she's been hoping for. All is going well for Skye, that is until Braden Black turns her world upside down. Not only is Braden a sexy billionaire, but he's got an air of mystery that surrounds him. He's not afraid to go after what he wants and what he wants is Skye....

Follow Me Darkly was a rather quick read for me. I thought this story had a very promising and intriguing start. I loved the sexiness of the story and the edge of darkness. Braden was quite mysterious and I really wanted to know more about his motivations. He doesn't do relationships, but can't seem to drag himself away from Skye. As much as I was intrigued by Braden, I found myself constantly frustrated by him. His desire for control made him play far too many games. I know I wouldn't have stuck around for him. Skye was the first woman to really challenge him and fight him for his control. Together these two shared a frustrating, yet all-consuming relationship. I found myself rooting for them and hating them at the same time.

Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. This story had more drama and game playing than I would have liked. While I enjoyed the mystery around Braden, I would have liked a little more clues as to what the "big" mystery was. I can say with a 100% certainty that Follow Me Darkly has some serious 50 Shades of Grey vibes going on. All in all, this book wasn't a 100% hit for me, but it wasn't necessarily a miss either. I'm invested enough that I would like to know what is in store for our characters next and after the way this story ended, I definitely am going to need some answers....

Follow Me Darkly is a sexy read with a twist of darkness. It's a story between two adults who crave control but yet one has to give it up, especially in the bedroom. It isn't easy for their strong minded characters to be submissive, but ones does find it a relief when the control is finally given freely to the other partner.

Braden and Skye's story was beautiful to read. It's edgy and sexy (just like the cover of this book) with a lot of background drama. It's a fast read that hooked me from the first chapter. There is a cliff hanger at the end, I am excited to see where this story will lead to.

Helen Hardt has always been one of my favorite authors who writes darker stories and I absolutely love the way she tells the story. This is so true with Follow Me Darkly. Even the title tells you that you will be held captive with Addison Ames and Braden Black story.
This is the first book of Helen’s Follow Me series and we discover Braden has secrets and mystery surrounding Braden, yet it doesn’t seem to deter Addie, in fact she wants to go deeper into Braden’s life.
Follow Me Darkly is one of those books I couldn’t seem to put down when I started reading and can’t wait to see what Helen has in store for them.

Thank you Netgalley for hooking me up with the ARC. I am a Huge fan of Helen Hardt and have been handselling her books for years. I can not wait for this to arrive in store so I can sell it to all my romance people.
My review...

Yes!! I freaking loved this book!! Helen Hardt has done it again and has sucked me into another fabulous, sexy and intriguing story. As always the story ended far too soon and I need more! Can't wait to see what happens next!

A mysteriously erotic page-turner!
I was so entranced that I did not put it down until I finished it, which is surprising, considering its around 400 pages. Now, beware it is part of a series and ends on a cliffhanger. But it just was so much fun!
I did not expect to enjoy Follow me Darkly as I did. Upon first notice I adored the cover, I thought it was sleek and sexy without being in your face. And the writing was lovely and deeply absorbing.
I liked that we followed Skye's point of view instead of Braden's. That way, we never really know what his thoughts are about the whole situation, making the atmosphere even more sensual. It made me want to know more about him.
The romance between them did play more of a secondary role in this first book, focusing primarily on their sexual encounters, which I wouldn't consider BDSM at the moment. Although, I'm confident the tone of the sequel will be way darker.
It certainly was an addicting story about control and possession. I can't wait to read more about Braden and Skye in Follow Me Under. Their relationship was intensely consuming, both for them and me, I'm sure.

Braden and Skye have chemistry! This book was great. Dark and erotic are definitely 2 words I would use. Braden isn't looking for anyhting but a sexual relationship with Skye along way I feel his obsessions speaks bounds on how he really feels. Now we wait for the second!!

I read Helen Hardt a long time ago but I haven’t kept up with all of her series much for some reason because I enjoyed what I did read. For Follow Me Darkly, I was hooked from the first moment I laid eyes on this book, and I knew I just had to have it. The cover is beautiful and the synopsis sounded so good. Hardt writes in a way that keeps you wanting more and her characters are amazingly well developed. I really enjoyed everything this book had to offer. It was also a pretty quick read for me, which I appreciated.

Skye was very easy to connect with. She’s just an ordinary girl from Kansas who has big hopes and dreams for her future. She’s down-to-earth and completely the type of person I see me having as a friend. Throughout the book we see her war with herself on wanting control and submission all at the same time and I feel as if Hardt really captivated that way of thinking. I understood it and was able to see why Skye made the choices she made. I didn’t feel as if she was a push over or lacked a backbone at all; on the contrary she made it abundantly clear on her feelings and what she able to put up with. This made her a top A heroine in my eyes.

Braden, for me, was your typical billionaire. He wants control, he has more money than God, and he devastatingly handsome. (There’s really only so many ways you can play out this character type.) I did enjoy how he was domineering only in certain situations and seemed to like Skye’s need for control *ahem* outside of the bedroom. They fit together really well.

The storyline was pretty good and kept me wanting to know more. The characters were easy to relate to and likable, and the ending kind of shocked me a little. Overall, Hardt’s Follow Me Darkly was sensual, captivating, and enjoyable all the way through. If you’re looking for something that’s quick to read and has loads of steaminess then this book is definitely for you!

Thank you Entangled for the digital ARC. The views and opinions I have expressed here are solely my own and are in no way a representation of the views and opinions of the author, publisher, and/or distributor.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I enjoyed the writing style. It kept the book interesting and it flowed well. The main characters are Braden and Skye. Braden is a self made billionaire and Skye is a photographer We get to see a glimpse into Braden life but not much. Just enough to keep you curious and waiting for more insight. The intensity between the two starts to heat up by the end of the book. This is book one in the series - not a standalone book. A good read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is book one in the Follow me Series. Skye is a Kansas girl who loves photography and is working as a assistant. She works for a hotel arises Named Addison who is a social media influencer. Brandan is a billionaire and someone from Addisons past. Brandan meets Skye and wants her instantly. The chemistry between these two is incredible. This was definitely a sexy burning up the pages book. I am Looking forward to the next book in the series.

While the promise of this book was really interesting, the writing style was good to read... the execution was unfortunately not doing it for me.

It’s a lot of the typical 50 shades vibes without proper depth and development for my taste. Especially the first part of this book had me rolling my eyes so many times.

From time to time I was really enjoying it thanks to the writing style that was, as I said, good to read but I just couldn’t fully connect and lose myself to this story in the end unfortunately.

I did really like how the steamy romance went more darker towards the end and I have to say though that I’m still quite curious to see how the story continues in the next installment but I’m not sure yet if I’ll actually pick it up then.

Overall this book had lesser positives than ‘negatives’ for me which I’m really sad about seeing it started off as such a fast paced read.

<i>Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book. My opinions on this book are entirely my own and not influenced by the fact that I got a review copy</I>

Follow Me Darkly is an edgy and provocative adult romance that will leave you blushing, begging for more, and craving the truth to secrets in the book. Helen Hardt is one of my favorite authors and did not disappoint.

The story follows Skye Manning, a photographer, and assistant to social media influencer Addison Ames, as she enters into a public relationship with sexy billionaire, Braden Black. They meet after he posts some telling comments on Addie's Instagram. Braden is one of Boston's most eligible bachelors and is actually one of her celebrity crushes. That same day, they are out to dinner and he is making her a proposition that she can't refuse.

Everything about this relationship is unexpected yet I couldn't help but be intrigued by their fiery chemistry. Within the first few chapters, I was surprised because it was so much more than just a billionaire romance. Skye is twenty-four years old and working for her superficial boss in the hopes of making her photography dreams come true. Braden is thirty-five years old and is a self-made made billionaire. He has worked hard, never forgotten his roots, and dominating. They might be different in so many ways, but one thing they both crave in their life is control. So, when Braden tells her that he wants to take her to his bedroom she doesn't know how to react.

They both give in to their desires and Helen Hardt writes some scorching sensual scenes. If you think he is controlling in his business ventures, then you have another thing to learn because he requires control in the bedroom. Skye also needs control but is finding it more difficult to say no to Braden.

I love Braden and Skye and love that there is so much to these characters, especially Braden. From the beginning, Addie warns Skye about Braden. Why is he so dangerous? Skye asks Braden and others for the truth but no one opens up with her. Will we ever find out the truth? If Skye doesn't, will she continue to be in a relationship with Braden?

I am such a fan of Helen's writing because it always captivates me! This one was no different in doing that but it was so much better because it was suspenseful and intriguing. Braden is an enigma. You can never expect what or how he will act. Skye challenges everything that he is and that's what makes their relationship so appealing. No one expected this playboy billionaire and Kansas photographer to be together but seeing them together in person or in a photo explains so much. Their attraction and need are undeniable.

I give Follow Me Darkly 5 stars. It is a sexy and mysterious page-turner that you won't be able to put it down. Braden Black will soon become your next favorite book boyfriend. The book did end in a bit of a cliffhanger, so I can't wait for more! Helen Hardt nailed it and has another 5 star read to add to her collection.