This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Time and distance haven’t lessened the desire any more than hurt and anger have. I want his touch. I want his hands. I want everything he has to offer.

First Impressions
Say My Name is the first book in the Stark International series and I have been wanting to read this series quite a bit, I really loved the original Stark series where we got introduced to the infamous Stark novels. And when I saw that this trilogy was available at my local library, I was beyond ready to delve into J. Kenner’s work. Her books will always work for me and I am always stunned by the level of intensity and addictive nature of her writing. I am not sure why I haven’t read this author more to be honest. I have always wanted to read more of her work but I think I got stuck not finishing her series in the original series but I realized how much of a mood I was into for these books and I am so happy that I decided to pick up this trilogy and seeing the journey of Jackson and Sylvia. There is a level of sophistication and class to her writing style and we definitely see that in abundance within these books. And if you prefer this style within your contemporary, then get ready to kick back and indulge in these two.

I have seen joy and rapture. I have held him close and felt his heart, and I have been burned by the intensity of this man.

Summary
Jackson Steele has a commanding presence and then he met Sylvia who was a woman of beauty and grace and they had an intense sensual connection. And then they both fell in love with each other but there was a dark skeleton in Sylvia’s past, one that she has kept hidden from the world and most especially from Jackson. But she knew that she couldn’t keep moving forward with a relationship with him without telling him and she couldn’t bear to reveal the shameful truth of her past, one that has cost her dearly and still haunts her nights and days. So she ends things with Jackson and forced him to let go of her. But now Sylvia is working as the primary assistant to Stark and there is a dream opportunity to build an island into a masterpiece and she knows the one architect that would make it a goldmine and it happens to be the man of her past, the man she has never forgotten. And when Sylvia goes to Jackson, the past and present will collide in ways that she never imagined and she will need to learn to adapt to opening her past and her heart to Jackson…

Look at me, Sylvia. Because I’m not going to say this again. I told you once that I’m a man who goes after what he wants, and I want you in my bed. I want to feel you naked and hot beneath me. I want to hear you cry out when you come, and I want to know that I am the man who took you there.

What I Loved
This was such a solid beginning to their story and we see such a growth of journey within their story and I was all hands on deck with this book. I was so curious to see where this author would take this one here and I can safely say that I am more than satisfied with where we got with the story and don’t worry the first book has no cliffhanger but it does have an HFN type of ending, which makes sense with three books featuring this couple. I was easily swept away by this story and most especially their romance. I really didn’t mind the flashback that we got within this story as it wasn’t back and forth. We get to see them in the present and then we get taken back in time to when they first fell in love and see their relationship and then we see what breaks it and then see them come back together and it was so epically beautiful and poignant in all the right moments. There is definitely a great level of chemistry that is built within this relationship and we also see how they both are so driven towards each other and there is a level of kink in this relationship. I would call this light to medium BDSM, it’s mostly a dominant play in the bedroom with some toys which I really enjoyed. J. Kenner is brilliant in how she builds these dynamics between the couple without overwhelming the storyline or their actual romance. There is a deep level of emotion that the author builds within this story that will work for many and will draw you into her writing more. You will find that her writing is very challenging to put down, it has an almost addictive quality to it.

Did I want your submission? Did I want you naked and willing beneath me? Hell, yes. I still do. But that’s not the whole of it. I want to make you feel. To make you laugh. I want to see that fire that burns in you. I want you to look at me the way you did five years ago. And, Sylvia? I want you to stay.

What I Struggled With
There wasn’t too much that I struggled with to be honest, this was pretty much close to a five-star read, it is off by a half star due to the ending as it was just an HFN, not that its a complaint, it worked for the series but as a story, I just prefer a HEA in my books.

I want to hold you while you sleep and stand guard against your nightmares. I can’t change your past, but I will stand with you to fight your battles now.

Overall View
Overall I found Say My Name to be a breathtaking installment that sets the tone of the story in an entrenching way that will captivate the reader and have you eager to delve into book two. I guarantee that Jackson and Sylvia are a couple that will touch your heart!

Oh, baby. They can’t hurt me. Don’t you know that you’re the only one who’s ever managed to tear me to shreds?