Striking a Balance by Jennifer Bene book cover
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Eerie Efficiency Book Profile

Striking a Balance

Series membership: Thalia · Listed position 2
2015 Adult
About this book

Thalia and James have just met under the most insane of circumstances. He purchased her at an underground auction from a man who kidnapped her, tormented her, and sold her to the highest bidder.In their first few months together Thalia wants to view James as her savior, her knight in shining armor that she can stay with in safety, but she can't escape the trauma she went through and the lingering effects it has caused. James isn't sure, now that he has Thalia, if he can handle the depth of submission she displays.Can James help her strike a balance between who she is as a person and her newfound craving for submission, or will her urge to submit swallow her whole until James has no choice but to set her free?

Description supplied by Google Books; not an Eerie editorial review. View source
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Best for readers who like: Possessive antiheroes, danger, obsession, high-stakes romance
What do these ratings mean?

These are Eerie's editorial scores. Spice is scored out of 5; the other scores are out of 10. Higher intensity does not mean a better book. Romance Focus measures how central the relationship is to the story. Overall Recommendation is Eerie's recommendation for the book's intended readers.

Read the full rating methodology

Spice5/5
Darkness8/10
Obsession9/10
Psychological8/10
Violence5/10
Emotional Damage8/10
Trigger Intensity8/10
Romance Focus10/10

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Book at a Glance

Series membershipThalia
Readable on its ownno
PaceFast • Medium
EndingCliffhanger / Series Continues
WorldContemporary
RelationshipM/F
Obsession TypeRomantic Fixation
SubgenreDark BDSM romance
MMC TypeMorally Gray / Black
FMC TypeDefiant / Strong
MMC OccupationCaptor / Killer
Writing StyleDark / Intense • Erotic / Explicit • suspenseful
MMC PersonalityDominant, conflicted, possessive, protective
FMC PersonalityThalia — survivor navigating conditioning and attachment

Tropes & Themes

Trigger Warnings

These tags describe potentially sensitive material in the book and may not be a complete list. A missing warning does not confirm that the content is absent. HEA/HFN describes the romantic ending, not the absence of disturbing content. Check the author's current content notes before reading.

BDSMcoercion historypower imbalancepsychological trauma

Eerie Take

Overall Recommendation8/10
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Intensity
Eerie editorial
Readers
Spice
5/5
Waiting for votes
Darkness
8/10
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Obsession
9/10
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Psychological Intensity
8/10
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Violence
5/10
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Emotional Damage
8/10
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Trigger Intensity
8/10
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Romance Focus
10/10
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