If you've read my reviews for the first two books in this series you'll already know how much I adore these characters. Truth picks up the story immediately after the shocking ending of Need with Brianna's father turning up at their apartment and trying to take her home with him. Now that cliffhanger ending left me desperate to find out how things would turn out so this was probably one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. It was thanks to Brianna's father that she ended up in slavery so she is obviously terrified when he appears out of the blue looking for her. He claims that he didn't realise what was going to happen to her and that he has spent the last year searching for her but she doesn't know who to believe and is terrified of the thought of going back home. She just wants to remain with Stephan but with the outside world conspiring against them it is going to be hard to make that happen.My heart still breaks when I think of all the things that Brianna has been through but it is so good to see her starting to gain confidence and learn to stand on her own two feet again. Of course she still has a long way to go but with Stephan's help she is definitely getting there. I love the fact that Stephan is so caring and protective but that he wants to help her build a life of her own. As much as Stephan wants her to stay with him he doesn't want her to do it because he thinks she has no other choice so he encourages her to make friends and to go to college even though it is the last thing she things she can cope with. Stephan is obviously helping Brianna come to terms with what has happened to her but my one complaint with this series is that he hasn't sought out professional help for her. I know he is trying to do the right thing for her but I do think that some kind of counselling would go a long way towards helping her heal.
It's hard to say too much about what happens in this book without giving spoilers but there are plenty of developments both with Brianna's father and also with Stephan's attempts to punish Ian for what he put Brianna through. There are also some fantastic breakthroughs in Brianna's relationship with Stephan and it's very rewarding to see how far they have come as a couple. What I like most about this series is that Sherri Hayes takes her time with the story, she is showing Brianna's recovery at a realistic pace which means it can sometimes be a case of one step forward and two steps back. Even Stephan (who I absolutely adore and am head over heels for) makes mistakes occasionally by pushing her a little too far, too fast. Brianna needs Stephan to push her because otherwise I think she'd happily become a recluse and never leave his apartment but it is a fine line between making her step out of her comfort zone and frightening her. Overall, Stephan is doing a really good job of knowing what she needs but it wouldn't be believable if he didn't mess up sometimes.
The ending of Truth does leave us with unanswered questions but the cliffhanger didn't feel anywhere near as bad as that at the end of Need. I'm still desperate to get my hands on the final book in the series which will hopefully be released early in 2014 though. This is without a doubt one of my favourite erotic / BDSM series, it's hard hitting, thought provoking and at times distressing to read but at the centre of it there is a beautiful love story and the focus is on Brianna's recovery. If you haven't started the series yet then it is essential to read them in order but Slave is an amazing book and I don't think you'll be disappointed if you decide to give it a try.