Book Review: Buttons & Revenge

Title: Buttons & Revenge
Author: Penelope Sky
Genre: Dark Romance, Romance, Fiction.

What It’s About: Sapphire’s home was repossessed by the US Government–the one that her mom had left to her, and on which she had a loan that she had to pay off. But she’s not able to get a job, nor an education. And worse, her brother is dead with a debt to a criminal named Knuckles, who has promised to find Sapphire and make her his sex slave. He has been leaving her messages on cards in different locations, making it clear that he’s counting down the days till he grabs her and puts her into servitude to him. He’s also warned her that she cannot run. But Sapphire does not heed him.

Instead, she sees an advertisement on TV talking about Conway Barsetti’s new audition for a model for his lingerie line, and decides to book a one-way ticket to Milan. There, she auditions on stage in full clothing and asks for any job that she can get, even the menial ones, just so that she can begin to make money. Instead, she gets an invitation to continue the audition. She returns the next day to the theater, and is prepared for the audition along with 9 others. Each of the women begin to walk down the stage, but she’s mesmerized by Conway, who is staring at no one but her. He dismisses all of the other women but her, as he’s intrigued by Sapphire, whom he calls “Ten” as she refuses to give him her name. He chooses her to be his next model, and tells her to report to his office the following day at 6am.

Sapphire does, but she’s not dressed or made up appropriately to Conway’s tastes, so at the end of the day, he gives her some money to find a hotel with a proper shower or offers the bed in his office instead, seeing as Sapphire is uncomfortable with the money. She takes the money and leaves for the day, only to return the following day. They continue to work together, and Conway is inspired by Sapphire so much that he creates several fashion pieces out of a few sittings. At one point, Conway goes to a club where he meets with Carter who tells him that he received a $10 million dollar offer to buy the daughter of a Russian businessman from the Skull Kings. Conway goes to the auction, where he bids on a few girls, but ultimately bids as much as possible on the girl that he wants. He takes her to one of his apartments in Milan and tells her to lie low, as well as the fact that she will be working in one of his shows as a way to cover her before he releases her to her dad.

The two continue to work together as Conway makes the decision to have Sapphire as the face of his business for the upcoming show, and needs her to learn how to walk perfectly across the stage. He puts her in a special lingerie that makes her the Queen of the show, and the whole show is a pretty big hit with the crowds. Carter also comes with Conway’s sister, Vanessa, who is still pissed at Conway for following her around on her date. Conway checks in with Sapphire, but is absolutely jealous of the fact that everyone seems to be lusting after her.

The following day, Sapphire comes to his office and decides to quit because she’s become a famous face now. But she has not accounted for the fact that Conway already knows who she is, as he had asked Carter to provide him with as much information on Sapphire as possible. He calls her by her name, which makes her suck in air out of surprise, and they talk about her debt. Conway offers to clear the debt for her, being pissed at her brother for doing this to her, but Sapphire says no and leaves for the hotel. When she arrives in her room, she finds a note that she recognizes with Knuckles’ handwriting, so she packs up her bag and disappears into the night, avoiding gangster-looking guys on one end and walking around in circles to throw of her trail. Conway stops by the hotel to give her 20 thousand euros and a phone, but Sapphire is gone.

During the night she gets woken up when someone touches her cap, while she is sleeping by the garbage can. The man looking at her recognizes her as the face of the Barsetti line and says that they can get good money for her. Sapphire runs away, only to come face to face with Knuckles’ men and makes the decision to go towards to Skull Kings in the hopes that they will sell her off to someone who would be kind to her. She gets dragged underground, and chained to a mattress. When she’s woken up, she’s naked and a man comes in to check on her, but he starts taking off his pants to rape her. Instead, she tells him that she’s a virgin and he checks her by touching her, then whistles. The man pulls her up on stage with the rest of the women, and ignores her when she says something, as he sells the other women off. Sapphire sees Conway, who had said something as well, and hopes that he will buy her; she begs him with her eyes. Ultimately the bid for Sapphire comes down to Conway and Knuckles. Knuckles offers up to 50 million for Sapphire, but Conway offers 100 million, and as such he gets to take her away.

Conway drops off the other girl that he purchased from the auction at Carter’s house and takes Sapphire to his home. He’s furious with her and refuses to look at her, but tells her that she’s now his, to do whatever he wants with her–he’ll have sex with her if that’s what he wants, because she owes him after that much money spent on her, which wasn’t a drop in the bucket for him. Sapphire admits to him that she’s actually on the run from Knuckles, and she tells him that she understands. They end up spending time in the house, and while he doesn’t forbid her from leaving the house, she’s not able to leave the property. His butler, Dante, doesn’t take too kindly to her because she wants to do everything for herself, but Sapphire really enjoys grooming the horses that Conway has.

They end up having oral sex a couple of times–the second time she had taken him into his mouth was to make up to him when she asked him to not have sex. He had wanted to take her virginity, but she told him that she wanted it to be special. In the end, he tells Sapphire that she will do what he wants since she’s his forever, and Sapphire tells him that it would be easier if they have a good relationship even if they are not in love–that him kissing her (which he doesn’t want to do because of how intimate it makes sex) would go a long way to make things better for them. Conway keeps calling her over like she’s a dog, and has her try on an outfit that he’s created for her. While she’s naked in front of him, he makes her come.

Conway has Dante prepare them a dinner date, and asks his assistant from his fashion business to buy a dress for Sapphire that works for her curves. After dinner, he takes her up to his room, tells her to get dressed in the lingerie that he’s left for her on his bed. She does wear it, and he makes sure to kiss her before they have sex, and Sapphire loses her virginity. She cries a bit because it’s painful, but also she does find it so pleasurable that she comes.

The next morning, Carter visits and tells Conway that he’s heard that Knuckles is really pissed off and he’s up to no good. Carter offers to bring their fathers into the situation, but Conway ways that he’s an adult, and doesn’t need dad coming to save him. He adds that Knuckles is bound by the auction–he cannot take Sapphire away from Conway or do anything to hurt him; he has to live with the sale.

My Thoughts: I’m so glad to see Conway Barsetti, and get more stories involving the children of the original Buttons family. I truly loved the first series so I’m curious to see how this series goes, but the truth is that this is a very different romance story than the one with Pearl & Crow, and Adelina & Cane. It does have elements of the criminal world, but it’s not as cruel, shocking or jarring in introducing the misfortunes of the characters as the originals were. I believe this is telling in how the couples from the Buttons series chose to raise their children to show kindness and softness, with a cold edge that keeps people out. That said, I’m not yet convinced of any steamy romance elements in this book, and so I hope that’s something that comes into the books as the series goes on because I really loved that part of the Buttons Book. I’m curious to see how Sapphire and Conway grow together and how they fall in love, so I will be continuing the series even if this book starts off with a mediocre romance story.