This would be a 4. Overall great concept and really different but then they throw in the stereotype twist of secret billionaire.

I loved the taboo of the story and how it all plays out. It definitely suffers from being a little too long winded, but still super enjoyable taboo romance.

**copy received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange we will review for Two Unruly Girls http://www.facebook.com/twounrulygirls **

I really enjoyed this story..

I got an email from the publisher saying I could auto download this book from Netgalley and enjoy! It's like Christmas early when I get those emails, I had an opening in my reading schedule and jumped right into this one, enjoying the blurb and intrigued by what the story could entail. I was not disappointed. In all honesty it takes me a little longer to connect to a story told in third person POV but I quickly became acclimated and was engrossed in where this road was leading us. The end result was a man that had paid his price, found the love that had been placed in his heart years before and decided to choose the path he was born into to earn his rightful place in the society that had shunned him all of his life. It's a story that shows sometimes what looks like the right, safe choice is just the opposite and fighting for a love that transcends time, social lines and pedigrees is completely worth it. I thought both characters were strong, captivating and everything felt real and relate-able . I would recommend this story to our blog followers, thanks for letting me get a chance to read this book. It's a gem that I may not have ever seen in the flurry of new novels.

I think all of the rave reviews had me expecting something more than what I got. It was okay, but not my favorite. I'd read more from Sophie Jackson, though.

it was too long and I DNF at 65% I mean it got boring

3.5 slightly disappointed stars

What I liked : both main characters, the way the authors takes us through the deep feelings of Carter, but also of Kat's mother, the slow buildup of Kat and Carter' story.

What I did not like :

Spoiler

throughout the first part of the book, you can feel some angst building in the Austin / Adam / Beth story + you keep being reminded of what would happen re-Carter‘s parole if their relation was discovered. So I kept thinking that something would actually blow ... and nothing ... it all fizzles out ... nothing happens

which leaves the book somewhat unbalanced in my opinion.

Not just a romance novel. Kat becomes a prison tutor, meeting prisoner Carter but they have a greater connection than just literature. Teacher and student, the forbidden romance.

Grade: A-

I’ll admit, picking this one up I wasn’t sure it was for me. Reading the first couple chapters I thought, eh I could give or take this one. But about 50 pages in I started falling in love with not only the voice of Sophie Jackson, but the characters she had created.

Prison life is basically all Carter knows. He’s been in trouble in one way or another his entire life. With the possibility of his upcoming parole his release depends on him staying out of trouble and not getting kicked out of yet another educational class. His new teacher is a blast from his past he’s not ready to face but his feelings take him by surprise.

Kat is trying to fulfill a promise she made to her father the night he was murdered. Now a grown woman dealing with her own demons she’s teaching at a prison and facing her fears the only way she knows how. Her newest pupil, Carter, is smarter than he lets on but he refuses to let her in. Agreeing to help him post parole, they embark on a budding friendship that quickly turns into a deep emotional attachment that could shatter both of their lives.

A Pound of Flesh is an intelligent, classic love story about acceptance and the true power of love. The path these two took was filled with obstacles intent on pulling them apart. Not only was Kat’s profession on the line being in a relationship with a student but her family and friends seemed focused on pulling her from Carter at every turn. I understood their reluctance but their unwillingness to hear Kat out angered me constantly.

I really enjoyed Carter’s ability to show his emotions even when he couldn’t give them a voice. His intensity was immense regarding Kat and his need to protect her, to keep her close and to make her understand the depth of his growing attachment. I felt bad for him in many ways but thought his past made him able to be with Kat in the present so I was glad for his mistakes. Even when he snapped at her, his ability to apologize was heartfelt and real.

The heat between the two made me faulter a bit because it wasn’t quite as strong as I’m used to reading, but it had this easy way about it that still managed to keep me reading. Their love was obvious but I just felt it was a bit slower than I would have liked. This is a decently long length and they moved with trepidation in the beginning so it made the plot move along slower than normal as they navigated their new feelings. Once it became apparent how Carter knew Kat from the past, the story line picked up a bit.

Book two will focus on Carter’s best friend Max and his struggle with substance abuse. He was on such a downward spiral that I have to wonder how Jackson will help him overcome such insurmountable struggles. His pain is deep and it will take much more than the love of one woman to help him find his way back to himself. I hope Jackson gives him intensive therapy and outside help along with the woman who is sure to make him want to be a better man. I eagerly await watching that transformation.

I give A Pound of Flesh by Sophie Jackson 4.5 stars!

Pretty much DNF at 63%... but I skimmed till the end. So. Long. So much reiteration of the same thoughts and feelings. I wish authors would accept that if you tell us something once, maybe twice, we WILL remember.