Hi Foreverbookers,
How are you all doing? I hope you’re all well!
I’ve just finished “Desperate Measures” by Katee Robert, which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED!!!!! It had everything I look for in a good book, engaging characters, a steady plot and LOTS of VERY steamy romance!!! “Desperate Measures” is VERY MUCH an ADULT book!
5 FREAKIN’ STARS!!!!!
We follow Jasmine Sarraf in this book as she tries to overthrow her father’s plans! Her father, Balthazar Sarraf is the ruler of the territory in which she lives. Balthazar isn’t actually in “Desperate Measures.” Why? And does she succeed in this endeavour of overthrowing her father’s rule? You’ll need to read to find out! That’s the basic plot. I’ve got to say that I found it kind of strange reading about Jafar and Jasmine as a couple. In the Disney movie of Aladdin this would never have happened!
Now, the characters are what makes this book in my opinion. We have Jasmine as I’ve already mentioned. Jafar, her partner/lover, Tink, based on Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, Hook based on Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Meg based on Meg from Hercules and Hades, based on Hades from Hercules. All of these other characters have their own books, which I am SOOOOO excited to read now! There are other characters that have books too but they’re not featured in “Desperate Measures.”
This is totally a character driven book, I’d say. Jasmine is a scared twenty five year old girl at the beginning of the book, while Jafar is an older man with experience in lots of areas Jasmine has no experience in. She’s a virgin at the beginning of “Desperate Measures!” That changes VERY early on, though.
I read “Desperate Measures” for a couple of readathons:
Reading Rivalry - Book I have seen on someone else’s bookshelf! - I’ve seen "Desperate Measures" on a few different booktuber shelves!
Becca's Bookopolothon - A short read - Although this wasn't very quick for me it was still short so it counts! (I also read "LOW" for the sci-fi prompt and I really didn't like it so I'm not going to make a separate post on it.) They were the only books I read for Bookopolothon 2022!
NOTE: There is A LOT of sex and passionate swearing in this book (and series) so if you’re uncomfortable reading that, don’t pick it up! There’s also Daddy kink!
Spoilers below:
We start with Jasmine, who as I described above is a scared, neglected girl at the beginning of “Desperate Measures.” Her father has kept her locked up in their house all her life. He’s hit her and taken her for granted in every way.
“My father doesn’t like it when I talk back.”
“You always talk back. He’s never hit you before.”
“Hasn’t he?”
His mouth goes tight and I have the presence of mind to wonder if my father is still among the living. He may not stay that way for long with the fury emanating from Jafar.
Funny that he wasn’t angry until this point.”
Jasmine is describing how her father treated her to Jafar, here. Jafar is angry to learn that Balthazar abused his daughter. We don’t know just how Jafar feels about Jasmine here, as it’s very early on in the plot. It’s only when Jafar takes Jasmine to live with him in his penthouse that we start to see just how significant she is to him.
“After twenty-five years in the same few square miles of land, Jafar’s penthouse is a revelation. I barely wait for the elevator doors to whisk shut before I give into my impulse to snoop. Easier to think about that tiny pleasure than to think about all the ways my life has gone up in flames.
My home is mine no more.”
This is significant because it describes how much Jasmine doesn’t want to be controlled by anyone, her father, nor Jafar. She thinks of her life as destroyed or “up in flames.” I felt pity for her at this point. It’s very early on in the plot again. Does Jasmine have a chance to grow, and become someone proud of herself? She’s a very impulsive character who does things on the spare of the moment too! This is shown in the way she wants to go snooping around Jafar’s penthouse.
Now, to Carver City. Carver City is the place where “The Underworld” sex club is. Jafar takes Jasmine here to show the patrons of the club that he’s serious about business!
“The Underworld” is a sex club, but it’s so much more complex than that. Sex is one of its main attractions, yes, but power eclipses all else. Every major player in Carver City has a membership there, and it’s where we conduct deals over drinks and occasionally a blowjob,” is the description we get for “The Underworld,” which is pretty much spot on. Jafar and Hook both have memberships at “The Underworld,” while Meg and Tink also has a fetish for sex. Hades owns the club—he’s the one with the most power! This is Jafar explaining “The Underworld” to Jasmine!
The story really starts from the sex club. Jasmine is a virgin, as I said at the beginning of “Desperate Measures.” She has sex with Jafar once before going to “The Underworld,” however when at “The Underworld,” Katee Robert doesn’t hold back and lets us see just what a sex fiend Jasmine REALLY is! She loves sex with Jafar. I’d say that that’s what most of the second half of the book is, well written sex scenes! They didn’t take away from the plot because, as I said above, this is a very character driven story. The main plot points happen at the very end of the book, within the last ten or so pages. I didn’t mind this as I’m a very character driven reader. If the characters aren’t good, I won’t enjoy the book, no matter how strong the plot is!
As for our other characters Tink, is called upon by Jafar to help Jasmine get ready for her first and subsequent nights at the club. He gives instructions that she’s to help Jasmine pick a ‘suitable’ dress.
“Oh yeah, I’m good.”
I look down my body. The red dress clings to me like a second skin, dipping down low between my breasts and even lower in the back. It’s slit up both sides nearly to the hip. “It’s indecent.”
“Exactly.” She frowns and adjusts the front of it, businesslike despite the fact she has her hands all over my breasts. “You’ll need tape for this.” She frowns hard. “Then again, if you’re going to The Underworld, tape is a shitty ass idea. Someone will end up ripping it off and then you’ll have sore nips.”
Tink’s reaction to seeing Jasmine in the red dress is positive. Jasmine, however, isn’t sure at first. The dress Tink has put her in is barely a dress AT ALL! This happens before Jasmine goes to “The Underworld.” Tink at first suggests tape to hold the dress in place but forgoes the idea, when she remembers that Jasmine is going to a sex club, where the dress probably won’t be on for long! I laughed at this. There are quite a few funny scenes interspersed throughout “Desperate Measures,” as well as the more serious scenes.
Hook is a character that isn’t in “Desperate Measures” very much. We know who he is in relation to the club but that’s about it. He watches Jafar finger Jasmine. “He chuckles when Hook groans and palms the front of his pants. “She’s taken, Hook. Find your own,” is Jafar’s reaction to Hook watching him finger Jasmine. Hook DOES find his own in the third book in the series, “A Worthy Opponent.” I can’t wait to read that book!
Meg and Hades run “The Underworld.” They’re the ones everyone in the club looks up to. Hades doesn’t really have a big role in “Desperate Measures.” He’s more a bystander of a character. We’ll see more of him in the second book, “Learn My Lesson.” Meg, however becomes the person to join Jasmine and Jafar in their sexual endeavours. She, at first comes across as nice and very smitten with Jasmine.
“Meg digs her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer yet, guiding my mouth back up to her clit. “Right there.” She lets out a little moan. “Don’t stop.”
It’s not enough, though. I want more of her. I push a single finger into her pussy and gasp against her when she clenches around me. Yes, yes, yes. I work a second finger into her. “I’m going to make her come, Daddy.”
is part of one of the threesome scenes we have in “Desperate Measures.” Jasmine clearly wants Meg as much as Meg wants her. Jafar gets kind of pushed to the side. However, he’s still there letting Jasmine experience her fill of Meg and him together. He wants Jasmine to experience sex with a woman. He wants nothing kept from her. He doesn’t want to treat her as Balthazar, her father did. I admired this of him. Jafar is referred to as “Daddy” by Jasmine throughout in their sex scenes. He loves and trusts her enough to think that she’ll ALWAYS be his! Will she?
Now, back to the plot of “Desperate Measures.” There is a villain in the book. Jafar is the hero, so it’s quite obvious the villain is Ali (and Balthazar, I guess, but he’s only referred to as he’s dead). Ali is a snide, horrible character who only wants one thing from Jasmine, sex! Does he get it or will she save herself? Who betrays her to Ali as well? You’ll need to read to find out!
Overall then, I LOVED this book SOOOOO much! It was short, and would have been quick if I wasn’t making notes for this review. I believe it took me 10 days to read, which for me when making notes for review isn’t very long! I can’t wait to read book 2!
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