Given by Ashlynn Monroe

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**WARNING: Not intended for readers under 18 years of age. Very graphic sexual descriptions including multiple partner scenes.  M/M/M/M/M/M/F
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This is the second review I've done for the lovely Ashlynn Monroe & let me tell you something... This woman knows how to write hot sex all wrapped up in a book! Wow! Still overheating thinking about her latest release, "Given". This novel is steamy, sexy, intriguing, danger-filled & utterly engrossing & I'd happily recommend it to any lovers of erotica books. 
We start out being introduced to the lovely, sheltered Kristianna (Krista) who is living in a secured protection facility after a deadly disease nearly wiped out the entire female population. She is turning 21 & about to be "Given" to the 6 men who win a government sponsored lottery which distributes the remaining women to a group of 6 men who have been pre-approved by the government. It's a terrifying concept for anyone and Krista has faced extra adversity in her life but she tries her hardest to adjust & go into this with her eyes open. Her 6 men are Jared, DeAnthony, Damon, Malcolm (Mal), Max & Braxton (Brax). She is off to a bit of a rough start but tries to keep her eyes open as she learns more about each of these fascinating men. She willingly participates in the sexual escapades that the men have arranged for her but she finds herself drawn more & more to one man.. Brax.. And Brax is fighting his own desire to hide away with Krista.. Krista is surprisingly strong & very grown up about what her role is, given to her by the government, which is basically a baby-machine.. She enjoys most of the encounters and starts to appreciate each man for who they are, along with all her differences.. But there is major tension & stress running among the men who are all wanting Krista for themselves.. As the intrigue & tension in the house start to grow, Krista does her best to keep all of the men happy but can her emotions handle much more? Will she get pregnant & be able to stay with her men? Or will the circumstances of fate steal her away from the men she is starting to adore? Does Krista ever have any chance to be able to choose which man she wants for herself or will the government control all of her choices, not to mention take away her future children? She gets a chance to find out when a person from her long-ago past shows up and offers her the chance to love free.. She is torn, as she adores her men, and she loves Brax... But can she continue this way forever? Or will she take the chance she is given & run??
Ms. Monroe has written another amazingly sexy novel & her men are always so well-developed as characters. (in more ways than one:) I can literally feel the emotions running through the gorgeous & intelligent Brax as he has to see the woman he is falling for have sex with the other men of the house, when he wants nothing more than to have her to himself, forever.. I felt the emotions of the other males in the house as they each learn to adjust to sharing this rare female and they all start falling for her in their own ways... Ashlynn writes some of the steamiest sex scenes I've ever read & she knows how to make a gal go from zero-to-overheating in moments! Run right out & grab this book right away to get all these questions answered & more! One of the best eroticas that I've read, this year! Ashlynn Monroe should be put on the list of your favorite erotica authors today! 

Ashlynn Monroe & "Given" get a rating of: 5 Platinum Rings! 

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Blurb:

In a world without choices, one woman will find herself caught in the middle of six men and the emotions they develop for her.
Krista Damiani is one of the last women on Earth, and her patriotic duty is to make babies. On her twenty-first birthday, the government holds a lottery drawing to determine the men who will control her destiny. Her "six", the men who win the right to call her their own, know they have to impregnate her quickly or risk losing her to a new "six".
As society fills with additional violence and unrest, her men keep her sheltered in a fortress of maximum security. When a mysterious man arrives and offers her the chance for freedom, will she be willing to leave the life she knows behind or will she remain "given"?


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EXCERPT:


Six young, well-dressed men stood in front of the steps of the large, white, domed building. They were looking at her with…possessiveness. The moment she saw them she knew that these men were her six, or more accurately, she was theirs.
Everything had been sort of slow motion, but then as the crowd grew more agitated, the soldiers quickly ushered her up the sidewalk. The governor didn’t come out for the official ceremonial signing of The Giving right, too many threats to his life and ugly behavior had changed this day. As men who couldn’t qualify grew angrier with the government, The Giving ceremony became less pomp and more circumstance; and the circumstance was, until they had the woman away from the crowd, they were all in danger. A secretary rushed out and handed the men the last of the paperwork to sign.
There wasn’t a single introduction as the security, soldiers, and six young men surrounded Krista and rushed her around the corner and into a waiting limousine. They all hurried to get inside as the soldiers held back the men running toward them. Even inside the car, Krista could hear the angry shouting. The trunk slammed shut. Krista saw the driver slide into the front seat and the engine roared to life.
Feeling the vehicle lurch forward was a relief, but the sensation was short lived. Six pairs of eyes stared at her, each reflecting stark emotions. Some looked hungry, while others appeared wary. The handsome, tall, black man reached out and ran his hand down her arm. She squeaked and shrank back, afraid they’d decide to claim their rights to her there in the car while the driver and security guards watched. One security guard sat next to her and the other sat next to the driver. Both guards were armed and looked a bit edgy.
“For God’s sake, DeAnthony, can’t you see she’s terrified?” The speaker was also tall. His complexion was very tan—too tan for spring in the North, clearly indicating an exotic ancestry. He wasn’t as handsome as DeAnthony, but she thought his dark eyes were exceptionally beautiful. His black hair was a little shaggy, as if he might be overdue for a haircut. He gave her a small, friendly smile, but said nothing more. This man was trying to give her space, and she appreciated his thoughtfulness.
“My name is Max Barker. I’m twenty-six and I own a construction company. My company does a lot of work for the government and some high profile private corporations. My overly-friendly friend, DeAnthony Billings, is my business partner, he’s thirty.”
She bit her lip and gave him a quick nod of acknowledgement.
“Yes, ma’am, I’m the old guy in the group,” DeAnthony said casually. He smiled at her and his straight white teeth flashed.
At least he has good genes to give Uncle Sam lots of babies that don’t need to worry about seeing an orthodontist, Krista thought randomly as hysteria threatened to overwhelm her. These men would all be using her soon. What they did for a living didn’t really matter. She was just something valuable they’d won. While Max’s gesture was nice, Krista doubted any of the men cared if she even remembered their names, let alone occupations.
“I’m Jared Reynolds. I just turned twenty-two. I’m in med school.” The speaker had reddish-brown hair and many freckles. He looked as nervous as she felt. His green eyes were friendly and she couldn’t help liking him. “That’s my brother Damon.” He pointed to a man who looked very much like him. Damon nodded, but remained silent. “He’s vice president of our father’s manufacturing company. Our company makes building materials. That’s how we met DeAnthony and Max.”
“I’m DeAnthony’s twin brother,” a very short, pale, albeit handsome, blond man stated with a straight face. Krista raised her eyebrow at him and he laughed.
DeAnthony laughed and reached over to put the man in a headlock. “Oh yeah, he’s a brother from a different mother. The funny guy is Mal, Malcolm Jones. He’s been my bro since high school. Mal’s a stand-up comedian. Do you get cable in the Quad?”
“No cable,” Krista answered quietly.
“Well, Mal, looks like you’ve got fresh ears for all those old, terrible jokes.”
Mal’s expression seemed to light up as he smiled and his face became extraordinary. His blue eyes twinkled. She’d never heard a comedian before, but she loved a good joke. The realization that she wanted this man to make her laugh gave her a moment of surreal contemplation. She’d lived in fear of her six—unknown and demonized in her fearful, sheltered imagination—and now she was curious to know more about them. This whole meet and greet is just too weird.
Only one man said nothing. Krista glanced at him nervously. He appeared to be studying her, which made her feel an instant distrust toward him. The others must have noticed her focus, because Jared cleared his throat. When she turned to look at him, he gave her a small, boyish grin. “The guy you’re staring at is Brax, Braxton Bray. He’s a writer. Fiction. The guy writes stories about a world where the women are free to live and it’s the men in high demand. Very sexy stuff, he’s a best seller. He’s Mal’s cousin,” Jared said.
“Oh,” Krista said, staring at Braxton again. She didn’t like the way he was staring at her, as if she were an alien.
“Don’t worry. He’s cool, just quiet,” Mal assured her casually.
She nodded, unsure as to what to say to any of the men. Brax was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. He seemed to be studying the events in a way that made her think he was distancing himself from them all.
Everyone sat quietly for a moment. The interior of the limo was feeling a bit claustrophobic as the awkward moment lengthened. “We won’t hurt you,” Braxton said, breaking the silence.
Krista stared at him for a moment. She could see the honesty on his face. “Thank you,” she replied tightly.
“I mean it. Okay, we’ve told you a bit about who we are. Who are you, Kristannie Damiani?” His tone was so genuine, it surprised her. There was something in his eyes, something she couldn’t put a name to. Intensely, he gazed into her face. He leaned forward and rubbed his hands on his thighs. “I want to know you, Kristannie.”
The words made Braxton her favorite. His contemplative expression changed to curiosity. DeAnthony was the tallest, but Braxton was a close second. His blue eyes were vivid, unique. His hair was a light brown and it was a bit shaggy, she wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Clamping her hands together, she held them in her lap to make sure she wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and touch him. Even if she was supposed to have sex with him, he was still a stranger, after all. She looked down at her feet, and she felt the heat of a blush creeping into her cheeks. When she glanced back up at him, Braxton grinned.
“I want to know you, really,” Braxton said quietly.
“There’s not much to tell,” she replied. “For starters, you can call me Krista, if you like. I was three when the plague came, and my mother died. I miss her, even if I don’t remember much about her.”
“We lost mothers too, I understand. What do you do for fun?”
“I like to read. The classics are my first choice. Bronte, Dickens—those are my favorites. Does it really matter what I like? I’m just property now, aren’t I?”
The men all looked uncomfortable. “I know this isn’t the most romantic situation, but I hope you’ll find comfort in the fact we’ve been waiting for you for years. We’ve built a home for you, Krista. You’ll complete our arrangement, and I hope you’ll make it more than just a structure. The seven of us will be living together. You won’t have to bounce from place to place. We’re good friends and, I know the reality of this arrangement is far from ideal, but I hope you’ll be able to make the best of things. I don’t want you to be afraid.” Braxton took her hand and stared into her eyes. “I’m not the kind of man who’d use you, and my friends are all good men, we’ll protect and cherish you. There isn’t the luxury of time to build a relationship before sex. We all know it. If you aren’t pregnant in six months, they’ll take you away. I hope you understand the need for expedience.”
Krista flinched. “I know. I knew I’d be raped today.”
It was Braxton’s turn to flinch. “Please don’t think of what we’ll do as rape. I promise you that even if we aren’t experienced, we’ll be considerate.”
Krista looked away. The other men sat sullenly. Braxton was making an effort to comfort her and she was being ungracious. Her six could’ve been less attractive or careless with her, but so far, they were better than she’d expected. “I will try,” she said, squeezing Braxton’s hand.
His surprised expression became a grin. “That makes me very happy, Kristannie. I want to make you happy. I want to give you a Giving Night you’ll remember fondly the rest of your life.”
Her breath caught in her throat and she felt as if all the oxygen left the limo’s interior. Braxton was definitely her favorite.....

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