Letting Go - Review

This weekend I read Letting Go by Maya Banks.  You can see my review in context on GoodReads. *SPOILERS*

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2 stars writing / character development
I've read other books from Maya Banks and loved them, this one... not sure what happened.  

Lets start with the character development.  Dash is all over the place, we are introduced to him with  a series of brooding expressions as he drives his dead best friend's wife to his grave.  Then he gets angry when he finds her in a BDSM club.  Then he's relieved when she chooses him.  Then she dreams of her dead husband and instead of talking to her about it (the one thing in the world he waited for for so long) he throws it away by being rash...? Isn't he supposed to trust her, his submissive to tell him if something is wrong or uncomfortable?  It feels to me like the author wasn't sure how a Dominant would act.  In her previous book she nailed it, this one she made the leading man squishy and very un-Dom like.

Joss on the other hand is a tough cookie.  She stood up for herself, she picked her like back up and moved on. But damn if she wasn't quick about it.  Her whole character arc (what little there was) was very speedy.

Having read other books from Maya Banks it was easy to see where she will be going with book 2/3; sister-in-law's story then the best friend. She's certainly found a pattern to her writing... not sure if that's a good thing or not though.  She's aiming to have all three books out within a year?  Why rush it, this book was full of duplicate scenes, repeated conversations and the same monologues said to characters at different times.  

All criticism aside, the last chapter/scene brought tears to my eyes.  The imagery and the heartfelt emotion was there.  I know this woman can write, I missed it in this book.