I read this without reading the blurb, so colour me surprised by where the story went. So, 4.5 Stars for this great, twisty, boundary pushing, somehow dark but not dark, dubious, yet non-consensual yet utterly consensual, rollercoaster of a read.
…shunting up and down, dipping a half-inch into me, while he kept talking in that deep and deliberate way that was as nasty as swallowing pure scotch. So good. So bad.
I was reading reviews for a book that popped up on my bookbub feed. It’s an older story so there were lots of comparisons to 50 shades. What has that got to do with this book, you ask yourself. It’s that Klaus and Jodie are every day people. Not only do they have normal jobs, heck Klaus is an accountant for Pete’s sake – no billionaires here -, they are down to earth, honest to god believable. And that includes the very drastic and unusual steps they take to solve a problem not entirely of their making.
I’ve read darker, more nasty, more horrific stories, but those books feel like stories, whereas Bind and Keep Me, well it held undertones of truth. Enough honesty that I’m wondering what might be found in Ms Silverwood’s basement. It didn’t take wild flights of fancy to picture yourself in a similar situation. Just where would you draw (or not draw) the line to protect your future with those you love?
You can’t read this book without questioning morals, whether that be of the characters, the author or yourself. I do love a book that makes you think and question, whilst simultaneously providing great entertainment. Oh and indulging in lots of dirty, kinky smut.
Klaus is a bad good man, sometimes more one than the other.
He waited. Patient as a fucking demon with a soul to harvest.
He was by parts scary, concerned, sadistic, gentle, demanding and loving. I’ve heard lots of fellow fans pick Klaus as their favourite Cari Silverwood hero and I can see why. The inner workings of his mind are fascinating, and deep down everything he does is edged with care and concern. It might also be nasty and pushing the dub-con boundaries, but it’s also understandable why others fall for his very particular brand of charm.
I’d thought I was a pillar of society. But now, I knew I was a thousand miles from that. And I wasn’t sure I cared anymore. My empathy waxed and waned with the tides of my sadistic desires.
I’d turned to the dark side. Apparently, they didn’t have cookies like someone had once told me, but they did have hot women.
There are incredible contrasts of hard and soft, dark and light, severe and gentle in the relationship. There may even be mentions of the ‘L’ word. Despite the questionable ethics and morality of it’s inception, the relationship that emerges in this book is both heartwarming and genuine. It’s also probably not totally healthy, but it’s ultimately one of choice, maybe not free choice, but choice nevertheless.
The sex scenes are mind blowingly hot. It is a kink that balances between pleasure and pain, a confusion of being unwillingly willing, all trussed up in the most carefully constructed bondage and satiated with soul crushing orgasms. And doesn’t she enjoy it all so very much.
The tiny drops welled up like water from a slow spring. Fresh and red on her paleness. Truthfully I’d exaggerated. This was a bit of a mindfuck. I’d scratched her repeatedly rather than truly cut her.
(Yeah and didn’t the author mindfuck me with that little scenario too!)
I’m going to finish with a quote that delighted the Biologist in me. If you know, you know.
Negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement. I was a self-aware Pavlov’s dog.
This book is part of a dark kinky fiction series and may disturb some readers.
How far would you go to protect your love and your life?
When two deaths turn his world upside down, Klaus must wrestle with a problem that goes soul deep. With Jodie it was capture fantasy but now he’s made the fantasy real, dragging her along as his accomplice. No one should feel so good about something so wrong.
Maybe his soul is darker than he feared. Maybe the rules shouldn’t apply to him.
It’s all part of his vendetta, and so am I. He stole me, used me as one of his pawns by forcing me into a marriage I wanted no part of. I had to sign my name on the dotted line, and now he owns me…body, mind, and soul.
That’s why I ran. I had to escape the monster whose touch corrupted me. Break free from the man who seduced me, the beast who gave me a taste of the darkness.
But now I crave it. I need it. I need him.
I’m his to play with…until I break.
Saint Distraction. Addictive. Toxic.
Mila wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a signature, a beautiful secret, a wife with no voice. Instead, she became an addiction, a complication that could cost me everything—a price I wasn’t willing to pay…until she ran from me.
Now, the game has changed, and the stakes are much higher. She thinks she’s seen the worst of me, convinced I couldn’t be more vicious and cruel. But I’m about to prove her wrong because I’ll risk everything to get what I want.
Author Bio: All the way from Cape Town, South Africa, Bella J lives for the days when she’s able to retreat to her writer’s cave where she can get lost in her little pretend world of romance, love, and insanely hot bad boys.
Bella J is a Hybrid Author with both Self-Published and Traditional Published work. Even though her novels range from drama, to comedy, to suspense, it’s the dark, twisted side of romance she loves the most.
I’d started to have my doubts about this series, but Stealing Cinderella has certainly turned the tides favourably.
The book has a nice swirl of darkness to it, and is certainly fits the billing of ‘Sinister’ perfectly. Ella and Thor’s story is set in modern times, which made a few elements at the beginning seem a little far fetched, and I did find myself having to let several things ‘go’ at the beginning, hence the loss of half a star. However I can appreciate that not only were they necessary for the story, they strongly echoed the fairy tale on which this book is based. Though this prince is very more devillish than he is charming.
Stealing Cinderella has an excellent plot, well thought through, nicely paced and with some unexpected twists along the way. There are possible triggers in the book, more alluded to than truly experienced, though there is one brief flashback scene that occurs. Ella and Thor have both experienced abuse and neglect, though it has shaped them into very different characters.
Ella is very much the sweet natured, caring and loving Cinderella of the fairytale. Thor, however, has a much darker, bleaker nature and is very much an antihero – to the point that it took me quite a while to warm to him. However as we, and Ella, get to know the true man, as his secrets and hurts are gradually revealed and as he warms towards her, so I found myself warming towards him.
Whilst the Sinister Fairy Tales series has been very hit and miss for me, and mainly miss if I’m being brutally honest, this book has made the whole experience worthwhile. Ashleigh Zavarellitook the brief and very much stuck to it, producing a story that closely paralleled the original on which it is based. At the same time she modernised the tale, threw in a good dose of all things dark, add a generous helping of steam to create a really great story.
This is one Sinister Fairy Tale I am more than happy to recommend.
Every royal has their dirty little secret. His was… me.
It should have been simple.
Go to the ball, meet the prince, and secure his patronage for my favorite charity.
But beneath the mask, the brooding beast of a man was not at all who I expected.
He was dark and intense and eerily quiet.
When I left, I could still feel the ghost of his touch branded into my skin.
He haunted my dreams, but I never expected to see him again.
Then he came for me.
And he took me.
And I learned that his darkness was a void I never could have conceived.
Author Bio: ~ A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance. When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research. She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
Happy April the first, though I don’t think many of us are particularly in the mood for April Fool’s Day. I’m still beta and arc reading at the moment so have dug through my head for a book or series that totally captured my heart, to share with you. The Messenger Chronicles, by Pippa DaCosta, is a slow burn, space fantasy reverse harem series of 5 amazing books.
The story kicks off with Shoot The Messenger, where we meet Kesh, a simple messenger, Marshall Kellee, Sota, an AI ball of fun, and also Eledan, the Dreamweaver. And when the dreamweaver is involved can anyone trust what is real or know what is imagined?
“Oh! What A Tangled Web We Weave When First We Practice To Deceive”
Pippa DaCosta has woven together sci-fi and fantasy to build the richly complex world in which Kesh, Kellee and Talon reside. As the story builds we gradually learn more and more about Kesh, Kelly, the fae and tek. I preferred this to an ‘information dump’ as it added to the twisty plot, suspense and sense of unease.
The book is written first person and entirely from Kesh’s point of view. Kesh is just a simple messenger, caught up in someone else’s battle, or is she? Oh my word, this is an onion of a book, made of layer upon layer of amazing story, action, adventure and mind-blowing plot twists. The blurb really doesn’t do the book justice BUT that’s to ensure the element of surprise. And there are surprises galore in this book.
It’s one of those stories that is impossible to properly review without giving away spoilers, and I really want to avoid them so that you get the full impact of the book, like I did. If you have read other books by this author then you will know some of what to expect, but this far surpasses any of her work to date. It takes all the best elements of her previous stories, polishes them up, adds extra glitter to them and twists them into something else altogether. If you haven’t read her books (a) why not? you’re missing some amazing stories and (b) this is really well written, drags you into the story and doesn’t let you go, leaves your head reeling in the best of ways and will have you begging and howling for Book 2 so that you can continue the story.
A standing ovation to the author for this awe-inspiring, mind-twisting, a-m-a-z-i-n-g read. I need to go and lie in a darkened corner to mull over this book and recover from the book hangover I now have.
“Lies aren’t her only weapons against the fae…”
In the Halow system, one of Earth’s three sister star systems, tek and magic—humans and the fae—are at war.
Kesh Lasota is a ghost in the machine. Invisible to tek, she’s hired by the criminal underworld to carry illegal messages through the Halow system. But when one of those messages kills its recipient, Kesh finds herself on the run with a bounty on her head and a quick-witted marshal on her tail.
Proving her innocence should be straightforward—until a warfae steals the evidence she needs. The fae haven’t been seen in Halow in over a thousand years. And this one—a brutally efficient killer able to wield tek—should not exist. But neither should Kesh.
As Kesh’s carefully crafted lie of a life crumbles around her, she knows remaining invisible is no longer an option. To hunt the fae, to stop him from destroying a thousand-year-long fragile peace, she must resurrect the horrors of her past.
Kesh Lasota was a ghost. Now she’s back, and there’s only one thing she knows for certain. Nobody shoots the messenger and gets away with it.
A new space fantasy series where the guys are hot, the perils are many, and one rebel messenger holds the key to the survival of the human race.
Please note this series contains alternative relationship dynamics
Enter this world at your own risk, for once in you will not want to leave.
Pippa DaCosta has an extraordinary skill for building strange and wondrous new worlds. Add to that her unfailing ability to imbue such life into her characters that they become your friends, and you have a truly magnificent story. The twists and turns of Shoot the Messenger had me spellbound but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Game of Lies would build upon that foundation and journey me to places I never even suspected could exist. And oh what a fantastical journey it is.
You really need to have read Book 1 of the Messenger Chronicles to fully understand and appreciate this part of the story. The book picks up virtually where Shoot the Messenger finished, with Kesh, Kellee and Talon aiding an escape attempt by the humans who had survived the Fae massacre of Halow. Of course where there’s Fae, there’s usually Kesh, and where she goes trouble follows.
I can’t put into words how much I loved this book. I had some reading commitments but kept finding myself sneaking back to this so that I could read more of it. It’s truly addictive, with plot twists that put a high speed roller coaster to shame. I squealed with glee at having correctly suspected the return of one character, normally being able to guess makes the book feel predictable but the panache and plot pirouettes that the author uses just added another layer of depth and intrigue to the story. The move this character took near the end of the book broke my heart just as much as it did Kesh’s, though I don’t doubt that there are reasons and solutions to this set of events.
This is one of those books where it’s difficult to say anything without giving away spoilers, but I can tell you how amazing the interactions between Kesh and Talon are and how moody and intense are the scenes between Kesh and Kellee. Oh and Talon in that bath, I admire Kesh’s self control, I don’t think I would have resisted the temptations on offer. I love how as one secret is revealed another mystery blows in, as one problem is solved another emerges to torment Kesh. I loved how Kesh started to believe in herself and her emerging ability to trust others. I’m sure there will be plenty more agony and confusion for Kesh before the truth emerges and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Despite being a reverse harem the story has a minimal amount of sexual content, I can’t say I noticed any bad language either. That said it still felt pretty steamy at times and is definitely more ‘lust inducing’ than other work by this author, though I’ve always had a soft spot for Caleb. I recommend this to anyone who wants a really spell-binding story to read and doesn’t mind it being part of a series.
The Messenger rocked your world, and now she’s back. But have her lies finally caught up with her?
Trust doesn’t come easy for Kesh Lasota. She survived life as a slave, survived the Dreamweaver’s touch, but surviving Marshal Kellee and the mysterious Talen is a whole other game, one she’s not sure she’s ready for.
When the three are captured by a bloodthirsty fae general sweeping through the last of Halow’s human colonies, the only weapons they have left are lies. And so Kesh must pretend to be the gladiator they all expect, while Kellee is forced to fight against her, and Talen is… Well, just who is Talen when he can command soldiers with a glance and move among the fae elite as though he belongs?
Trust doesn’t come easy for Kesh Lasota, neither does love. She must survive both, or everything she’s fought for will be lost forever, including her men.
Just as things start to look up, just as Kesh and Kellee and Talen and Arran are building bridges you do that to me?!!!
GAH! Those cliff-hangers (because only Pippa DaCosta would be so cruel as to have more than one!) that you left us with. You give with one hand and then not only take with the other but hit us over the head too! The journey Kesh is taking us on is not a simple nor easy one, but it is one that is so very worth the time and effort. I read this book both wanting to know all it held in store for me, and yet not ever wanting to get to the end either.
He had probably been looking for an opportunity to hit Kellee for centuries. Most people who knew Kellee wanted to punch him.
Oh the secrets we learn, the lies that are told, the plans that are made and remade, the trust that is given or broken. This book has layer upon layer of story that is slowly being peeled away to reveal secrets and truths you would never even have guessed at. The heat level was ramped up, as was the intrigue, mystery and peril.
Oh and Sota – he was just so funny and sarcastic!
“Duly noted. Now can we focus on the Faerie map and not Arran’s buns?” “Is this a hypothetical question?” Sota asked. “No!” I laughed.
This isn’t a stand alone book, it can only be understood after reading both previous books. Though be warned this series is massively addictive and so full of mind-f**ks that it has a deliciously dark edge to it too. Whilst this is a reverse-harem book, it most certainly isn’t full of sex and erotica. There are several steamy encounters but they are an organic part of the plot, enhancing the story rather than being the story.
I watched Kellee and Arran spar for strictly professional reasons.
This author’s writing continues to be amazing (and evilly twisted too), her tale held my attention from the very start to the end. You can’t read this half-heartedly, there is far to much happening and far too many Easter Eggs to find, for that. If you haven’t started the series yet, then go do it. This is my top fantasy/sci-fi read of the year.
“How come I’m here and not your entourage of Buns, Dark, and Icy?” “Buns, Dark and Icy?” I shook my head at her wicked grin. “Never mind, I don’t want to know”…
Be careful which star you wish upon…
The unseelie–banished by Oberon long ago–are stirring awake, and there’s one name on their dark lips: Nightshade.
Kesh is beginning to settle into her role as Halow’s messenger, saving people from the fae with the help of Kellee, Talen, Arran and Sota, but if she has any hope of making her wrongs right, she must trust those around her. Without them, there is no messenger. Friends, lovers, more. But one has a secret. A secret so dark it threatens to change everything Kesh believes in. A secret that could change the fate of Faerie, Halow, and all of humanity.
When the fae abandoned the stars long-ago, they left behind more than fairytales.
They left behind their monsters.
The fae-in-space “mind-blowing” bestselling series continues in The Nightshade’s Touch, Messenger Chronicles #3
Oh what an ever increasingly tangled web…… but who are the ones trapped in its sticky strands and who is the spider waiting to pounce on it’s captured prey?
Kesh, Kellee, Talen, Sota, Hulia, Arran, Sirius and Eledan return in this penultimate adventure of the Messenger Chronicles. Kesh, Arron and Sirius are on Faerie, playing a game of truth, dare or lie with both Oberon, King of all Faerie, and Eledan, the Prince of Dreams. Heartbreaking promises are made, truths are twisted and hearts are made and broken.
Kesh continues her battle to free all those oppressed by Oberon and the Fae, but without Talen, Kellee and Sota, will she have the strength to resist the temptation Faerie will weave? This is fast paced, action packed, full of intrigue, lies, plots, plans, highs and some shocking lows. Oh Ms Dacosta you are a cruel author who loves to toy with your readers emotions. Not only did she do that but she eviscerated them too.
The world building is phenomenal, the planning and plotting of both the characters AND the author will leave you spellbound. I wish I could say this was a one sit reading, but with its length of well over 6 hours, and the demands of life, I couldn’t manage it in one go. That said, it most certainly held me hostage, living in my mind in between those times where I could immerse myself in this magnificent creation.
I loved getting more of Kellee’s point of view, as well as seeing that the old adage of absence and the heart was true. Though there is yet more skulduggery by Ms D when she cruelly snatches away that which he has so recently only grasped ahold of.
Added into the mix we have some very lustful and steamy scenes that totally added to the emotional impact of this tale. By the end of this I was left feeling as though the Wild Hunt had ridden roughshod over me. I’m almost scared to read the culmination of this tale, not to mention sad that the story will be coming to a hopefully (though you never know with an author who obviously has a very devious and mean streak) happy and blissful conclusion.
But as Kesh has, to her great sorrow, learnt, nothing comes that easily.
“Oh what a tangled web we weave…”
Kesh fled Faerie as a queen killer. Now she returns as the Faerie King’s secret obsession. But on Faerie, nothing is as it seems, not even Kesh herself.
With days to stop Arran’s execution and the stoic guardian, Sirius, as her constant shadow, Kesh must weave her lies deep within Faerie’s courts where magic and whispers combine and conspire. Soon, Kesh learns there is more at stake than Arran’s life. Faerie is dying. Oberon’s reign is crumbling. The time to strike against the fae is now. But with Talen and Kellee a thousand light-years away, Kesh knows she cannot succeed alone…
Beneath the courtly politics, the glittering facades, and the King’s fragile hold on his people, the Dreamweaver is locked in eternal slumber, dreaming of the day his Queen of Hearts will set him free… because he knows, Kesh has no other choice.
Kesh survived the Dreamweaver once before. Now all she has to do is control him.
But Faerie’s Dreamweaver has other ideas for the peoples’ Messenger. He knows who, and what, Kesh really is and he has every intention of using her to make all his dreams come true.
He takes your mind, makes it his, takes your soul, makes you cruel. Dare you answer the Dreamweaver’s call?
Her Dark Legion is the final book in the series, and it just about destroyed me. You have been warned!
Discovery is worthless without the journey.
This book took me quite a long time to complete, it wasn’t because I wasn’t loving every heartbreaking and soul crushing moment of it. It wasn’t because it didn’t have me riveted by it’s amazing plot, outstanding world building and unparalleled characters. It was quite simply that I wasn’t ready, and indeed am still not ready to let go of this world and say goodbye to Kesh, Sota, Kellee, Talon, Sirius and even Eledan. The conclusion to what has been an epic tale was full of action, adventure, tragedy, manipulation and surprises.
I wanted to cry in her {Hulia’s} arms, but I somehow pushed the swell of emotion down.
KESH, Her Dark Legion
Well Kesh, at that point you did better than me because I spent a good half of this book either finding a quiet corner to sob in or with tears streaming down my face. The emotion from each and every main character tore me apart. Again. And again. And again. I have tears welling in my eyes even now, and feel a strange mixture of both joy and sadness.
I wanted to hear his voice, one last time. I wanted to feel his touch on my face and his kiss on my lips, and I never would.
With lines like that how HOW am I meant to remain an in-charge capable adult woman? Impossible! Every single time it left me a snivelling mess. This book was everything I wanted and more. So much more. A whole universe full of stars could not shine as brightly as this story, nor would be able to bear adequate witness to do this book justice.
We could make it happen, together, just as he’d always believed. The Messenger really had made a difference.
And those guys of Kesh’s, wow did they pull out all the stops in this concluding book. There was absolutely no doubt about the depth of their feelings for her. Each of them, in their own way, worships the very ground she walks on, loves her to the stars and back and would do anything within their power for her.
“It’s all right.” His knuckles brushed my cheek, then his fingers stroked my hair, setting it right, like he needed everything to be in it’s place. Nothing was all right. I was so tired of the pain, the endless battle. His lips brushed my forehead. “He took what he thought was most precious to me…” Talen’s warm fingers captured my chin, his gaze fierce. “He was wrong.”
“Where’s your star, Kellee?” “Right here, in my arms.” The words broke me open, exposing everything I was and had been.
“Will you love me?” I whispered. “Not the names or the myths and legends, just me? Just Kesh?” His dark lashes shuttered his eyes, and for a terrible second, I thought his fear had a hold of him again. Then he opened his eyes, and the man was there, his beautiful gaze soft once more. “Always.”
I mean, talk about *swoon*. But then we had the reminders that all these men were immortal whilst Kesh, with a piece of the Pole Star inside her, was very much mortal. A fact that came very close to breaking those men on more than one occasion.
I needed that for us all, needed a moment with each of them before the moments were all gone.
These impossible males would not be mine forever, but while I had them captured in my mortal hands, I’d love them wholly and completely. No matter what happened after, we would have lived and loved. It would be enough. It had to be enough.
Thankfully there were some wonderful moments of banter and humour to lift the spirits. These usually involved Sota and Kellee, though it wasn’t exclusively their gig. And they just served to make the poignant moments even more touching.
“Hulia has a tail,” I added. He tripped and caught himself. “Really?” “I haven’t seen it, but she’s intimated a few times.” His eyes widened. “I need to see it. Do you think she can open jars with it?” I laughed. His expression switched toward curiosity, then he twisted to catch sight of his own ass, circling on the spot. “Do you think I could get one?” “Aren’t you content with ten fingers?”
“If that stick were any farther up his ass, he’d be scaring crows,” Sota muttered, sauntering past us.
“You’re going to need a bodyguard who can kick fae and human ass with style and without prejudice.” “That role’s taken, Sparky.” Kellee stretched his claws. “With style, vakaru. You look like someone’s rabid hound.”
Kellee rolled his eyes. “I liked Sota better when he was a murder ball.”
His gun ports smoked. His tek eye glowed, but his mouth wore a modest smile. “He was about to launch into a villainous monologue and ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Now whilst I’ve fallen in love with all the main characters, even going so far as to have a soft spot for the much misunderstood (IMO) Eledan, my favourite has always been Marshall Kellee. It’s just something about his wild west lawman ways and his dark good looks.
“Oh really?” he drawled in that smooth voice he liked to unleash on unsuspecting females.
Yep, that’s the guy I’m talking about. The one who only needs to quirk an eyebrow to have the panties of all females in a 20 mile radius melting. Not just the females either! We really got to see all the true depths and many facets of Kellee in Her Dark Legion.
For the first time since I’d met him, his expression was open and raw, letting me see everything on his face. Marshall Kellee was afraid. For Me.
The weight behind the blow was enough to topple him. His head struck the banister on the way down, knocking him out cold. Now we had ourselves cargo that didn’t argue. “That was unnecessary,” Talen remarked. “Probably,” I cracked my knuckles. “But it felt real good.”
Throughout all the trials and tribulations, intrigue, schemes and manipulations, Kesh continued to battle her way towards the final showdown. Weighed down with the expectations of Fairie herself, the hopes of the saru, the fears of her males, Kesh fought with everything she had. Gave everything she had, prepared to sacrifice everything for those she loved.
Outside, rain pattered on leaves, stirring up the garden’s sweet scent and Talen’s magic. He crushed me close and kissed me like he could save me. If love could save lives, ours would. Just not my life.
I climbed the steps onto the deck and planted myself between Kellee’s simmering presence and Talen’s icy stillness. We watched the fleet and the stars behind, and I wished I had more time with them, just to stand and watch and be in the moment.
Wrapping him in my arms, I held him close and listened to the beat of his immortal fae-heart, to the rhythm of his breathing, committing his soft hardness to memory. Maybe he’d listen to my heart, and hear my breathing, and he’d remember me. Perhaps, in his memories, I could live forever.
I’ve used far too many quotes and I just don’t care. I could have chosen a hundred more. There are just so many lines that punched me in the gut and tore my insides apart. These are ones that I just couldn’t leave out.
I told myself I wouldn’t cry. And I’d failed within seconds. This was what he’d wanted. He’d chosen this. I would respect that. I didn’t own him. I didn’t own any of them. They’d always been free to follow me, but Talen …. I’d loved his honest, gentle heart and kind words. He’d encouraged me when I was low. He’d loved me when I thought I wasn’t worthy. He’d never hurt me and never would. Talen was a better person than any of us.
..his destiny, one I wasn’t part of , called to him. He turned away, and with every step, my heart stuttered. I wanted to call him back. When he paused, I grasped at the idea that he wouldn’t leave, as wrong as it was. He turned, tarnished gold star in hand. He looked at that star, emotion passing over his face, and then he stepped up and pinned it to my coat. Meeting my gaze, he nodded once, assured he’d done the right thing, and then he left.
The next words she muttered almost too softly to hear. “I can’t lose him as well.” After she’d left, Sirius and Sota lingered with me in the quiet, their thoughts likely along the same lines as mine. There wasn’t enough time left to love her how we wanted.
And to finish, a quote that sums up the current state of my heart.
I almost couldn’t speak, and when I did, the words were just a whisper. “It felt like goodbye.”
“I’ve come too far to surrender now…”
Eledan’s nightmare has been unleashed upon the worlds and with Oberon gone, only the messenger crew stand in its way.
Kellee, Talen, Sirius, Sota, and Kesh. Together, they are stronger, but there are forces on Faerie who do not want the worlds saved, forces that would see the Messenger and her crew torn apart.
Queen to Faerie’s new king, Messenger and more to the saru, lover to some and a weapon to others, but who is Kesh Lasota really? A guiding light or an unwitting puppet?
Answers are coming.
The time for lies has passed.
And Kesh will soon learn some battles can’t be won alone.
The mind-blowing Messenger Chronicles comes to its explosive conclusion in Her Dark Legion.
I’m not usually the biggest fan of novellas. but this is an amazing story and I only wish it was longer!
We saw glimpses of Daciana and Elias in the first X-Clan book, here we get to see how they came to be a couple. Whilst you can read this as a stand alone, with it being a novella, I would recommend reading Andorra Sector first so that you fully understand the world and it’s inhabitants. It’s also a really fantastic omegaverse/shifter tale, just like this one.
Somebody really needed their behind kicking for not having explained to Daciana just how valued she was by both the Ash Wolves as well as those of the X-Clan. An omega deeply traumatised by the situation she had been ‘rescued’ from, it was no wonder her expectations were so low and she was prepared for the worst. Thankfully she got the best, in the alpha that is Elias. He is just so protective, so caring, so totally and utterly swoon-worthy that you can’t help but fall in love with him.
The Experiment totally drew me in and I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough. It’s hot, sexy, full of feels and a sheer joy to read. I guarantee that once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down until you have finished the book. You will be captivated by Elias and his ability to heal the mental and emotional scars that Daciana carries. I’m also certain you will be cheering this pair on from the sidelines, desperate for them to get their HEA.
Daciana I’m an offering. A test. A pawn in an agreement I know little about.
Fly to Andorra Sector. Allow them to experiment. Mate an X-Clan Wolf Alpha. Hope for the best.
Those are my orders. My fate. My current existence. There’s nowhere to run, and the moon is a clock I can’t ignore. One of these Alphas will claim me, assuming our genetics are a match. And if not, well, that’s a fate worse than death.
Tick tock. Make a choice. Your future depends on it.
Elias The pretty little blonde wolf has seen too much pain for her young years.
It makes me want to fix her. To adore her. To show her there can be good in this world. But our future is wrapped up in an experiment.
Either she’s compatible or she’s not. The moon will determine our fate, or perhaps my inner wolf will decide it for us. Because with each passing moment, it becomes harder not to claim the female who I know in my heart is very much mine.
Run, run, little one. And don’t look back. For if I catch you, I just may bite.
Note: This is a standalone novella featuring characters from Andorra Sector, Book One of the X-Clan Series. It has Omegaverse elements and features a happily-ever-after ending.
The Vanity of Roses is a fast-paced, twisty and totally captivating read.
With a Lily White book I know I’m always guaranteed a great read, yet no two books ever seem to be the same. The Vanity of Roses is a dark tinged romantic suspense, packed full of intrigue, secrets and lies. Manipulation is rife and this enemies-to-lovers romance kept me on the edge of my seat unable to put the book down.
Whilst Lisbeth should have been a dislikable character, she wasn’t, so her childhood behaviour was a little puzzling. Of course as the many complex layers of this story were slowly revealed, we began to get a better picture of just what had happened in the past and why. Callan was much easier to like, though there were times when his treatment of Lisbeth made him seem quite cruel. Though again there were reasons.
It’s a dual pov book, clearly labelled so you know who’s “voice” you are hearing and is written first person. This enabled me to really connect with and understand both main characters. There is a lot of foreshadowing and I did guess one twist in advance, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment in any way. I loved how you weren’t sure who to trust and who was telling what lies, you really need your wits about you when reading this one! The suspense, at times, was nerve shredding.
The writing is so eloquent and poetic, creating striking visuals and eliciting a myriad of emotions. Lily White doesn’t just write a story, she constructs a living, breathing creation that absorbs your soul and challenges all your perceptions. There were secondary and even tertiary characters who had more depth and personality than some authors imbue in their main characters. Along with a complex plot, this ensures a rich tapestry of a story.
Whilst I enjoyed every single word I did feel that, at times, as though the pace slowed a little. Every scene was well written, but just a couple of times I felt as though they were not adding anything more to the story.
I massively enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it.
Blurb:
Callan Rose.
That hadn’t always been his name.
When we were children, he was nothing more than a servant boy in my family.
He was an amusement to me.
A nobody.
A weak soul who refused to fight back.
It was so easy to take advantage.
But then my father died, and I was stolen. The family moved on without me. Until I was penniless with no place to go.
I returned to the Rose Estate not knowing Callan was the head of it.
He’d honed his body and temper in the underground fighting ring. The scars only made him more beautiful.
Now I’m trapped by a seductively dark man who has nothing but vengeance running through his veins.
I’d always wanted him to fight back, but you know what they say:
Lily White is a romance writer who likes to dabble on the taboo side of eroticism. She is most known for her Masters Series, Target This, Wishing Well, and Asylum. In addition to dark romance Lily writes contemporary romance, taboo romance, and psychological thrillers. Lily enjoys stretching her writing muscles by continuing to challenge herself with each book she publishes.
It was like he expected me to sit here and be a good boy while he showed off his slim, sculpted torso. Like he didn’t expect me to reach out, curl my hand around his belt, and drag him over here so I could like that belly.
The perfect recipe for the ultimate MM romance.
Take one bruised, battered but not totally broken spy, Add in one sassy, snarky, organised to the nth degree man called Tom, Blend together with enough chemistry and heat to power a volcano, Throw in great writing, a sprinkle of Walsh goodness, some sunburn and a wedding. Shake, stir, shake some more and then sit back and enjoy this masterpiece of romance.
Both characters who have appeared at one time or another in previous Walsh books, Wes is the brother to Lauren and Will whilst Tom is the guy who keeps the Walsh architecture firm running. However you can 100% read this as a stand alone story, though you’d be barking mad to miss out on the rest of the Walsh and Halstead families finding their HEA’s.
His words were easy, almost matter of fact, but there was nothing easy about the hard glint in his eyes. And those eyes, they shone like an endless night. Deep enough that I almost fell in and drowned…
I can promise this book will grab ahold of your emotions, pummel them into submission, make you laugh, swoon and cry before leaving you with all the feels and a hugely satisfied smile on your face. If this book isn’t better than sex it’s as close as anything is going to get to it.
A smile warned his face and it took all my strength to keep from dragging him into my arms because anyone with that much sweet and boyish needed to be held close, held tight. And degraded a bit too.
Don’t like MM? This is the book that will make you change your mind. Love MM? This is the book that will set the bar so high you’ll struggle to find anything else as good. Which ever camp you are currently in, Tom, Wes, their inner struggles, physical and emotional baggage and tender hearts will totally enthrall you. I wanted to snatch this pair up and wrap them up in cotton wool, clutch them to my breast, lavish them with love and hug them until all their hurts went away.
He squeezed my hand again, hard enough to snap my attention away from everything else. “I’ve got you.”
There are moments of humour, from little Abby and her feisty attitude, to Shannon’s salty and full of snark texts, moments that will make you swoon and melt, and others that will cut deep into your heart. These are all tied together into an incredible story, one where you won’t want to put the book down, one where you won’t be able to turn the pages quickly enough, one where you want to get to the end whilst simultaneously never wanting the end of the book to be reached.
My words can’t do adequate justice to this story. I loved it. I highly recommend it. It’s amazing, fantastic, astounding.
and then he kissed me, hard and fast at first but then deep and deliberate, like sucking caramel off a spoon. … … ..and it was everything. Absolutely everything.
Former Navy SEAL turned covert agent Wes Halsted spent his days—and weeks and months—being someone else. But with his cover blown and his injuries requiring months of recuperation, he must learn how to be himself again.
Only…he’d rather save his issues for another day and get to know a stressed-out, suited-up businessman instead.
Tom Esbeck has everything under control. Meal plans, workout plans, project plans, five-year plans. A plan for everything and everything according to plan.
Except there’s no plan for a surprise—and shirtless—encounter with the built-for-sin spy he’d crushed on years ago.
But crushes—and spies—burn out fast.
but I hadn’t sorted out what I wanted to say to Tom. All I knew was my nose was going to peel like a motherfucker and I was a week overdue for a haircut, and he’d notice both.
Take Me Break Me (Pierced Hearts #1) by Cari Silverwood
Is it really strange that my favourite line of this book is probably the following?
Semen reminded me of bad oysters.
I think it has a lot to do with realism and not sugar coating (every pun intended there) the truth of our sex lives.
I have had this unread on my kindle for far too long. Embarrassingly long when you consider that Cari Silverwoodis one of my go-to authors. So amid the strangeness of trying to work-from-home I decided to use some of that extra time to plough through my TBR list.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a story quite like Take Me, Break Me. Consensual non-consent is a kink that does have it’s appeal, though only if it’s within a framework of agreed limits and with a safeword. Hyped up on reading capture fantasy but with no real idea of Sane, Safe & Consensual or even Risk Aware Consensual Kink, Jodie and Klaus set out on a very dangerous adventure indeed. I think what struck me most, other than just how debauched, degrading and dangerously filthy the play in the book is, was how honest and real the story felt. Even when they wandered into uncharted waters and risked either running aground on a hidden reef or being smashed against rocks along the coastline. This was an adventure, an exploration, a conquering of new lands that I simply had to be part of.
He hadn’t budged. While I’d run through the encyclopedia of my worries, filed them alphabetically, and then set them alight, he’d barely shifted an inch.
I’m going to be brutally honest and say that this book didn’t hook me from the start. It took a few chapters for me to get into the flow of the story, but once I did then that proverbial hook very definitely sank itself under my skin. And no Ms Silverwood, despite your apparent obsession with needles and all things sharp and pointy, that most definitely fits in the category of ‘your kink is not my kink, but that’s ok.’ Eek.
I haven’t read any other reviews yet, I like my mind to be fresh, my opinion to be untainted, so I’ve not idea what others may or may not have said regarding the following point. At first I doubted that Klaus had never had any kinky/dominant leanings prior to his role-play with Jodie. But then I realised that I actually CAN relate to that 100%, we aren’t all born knowing we desire certain kinks, many of us never saw, recognised or even suspected those desires resided within us. Not until we were well into adult hood, and possible hitting middle age! And no, before you ask, it wasn’t a 50 Shades of Gray inspired revelation. I’ve never even read the book, though Cherise Sinclair might have started the ball rolling – or should that be flogger swinging?
I digress, so back to THIS book, which is a veritable delight of kinky-fuckery, delving into some very sadistic acts, though thankfully Jodie is a huge masochist so is totally down for all Klaus can deliver. Watching the pair of them growinto their fetishes, uncover their darkest, most hidden desires and discover a whole new world of pleasurable torment, pain and power exchange was fascinating. The pleasurable pain was pretty darn good all on it’s own. And I giggled at the irony of this line “this scenario would have had me flipping the ebook pages one-handed.”. Touche, Ms Silverwood, you certainly know your readers well 😉😂.
This isn’t a “how to” guide, in fact it’s probably more of a “how not to” tale, though common sense prevails in the end, and whilst Ms Silverwood leaves it on more of a HFN note than a HEA, neither Klaus nor Jodie are soppy romantics, so anything else would have felt false at this point. As they embark on their adventure, this pair have no idea of the rabbit hole they willingly throw themselves down. Nor how much they will not only enjoy the fall but come to crave it in a “can’t-live-without-it” way.
Maybe if I was another man, I’d have been thinking about how to talk her into a relationship after the documentary ended. I would have been talking with her, full stop. But the opposite course of action drew me like gravity on a man falling from the sky. I was going down, down, down.
I’m supposed to be finishing one arc and reading another over the next 2 days, but am hugely tempted to indulge in reading Bind and Keep Me, the next steps in Klaus and Jodie’s adventure. It’s unusual but this does NOT end on a cliff-hanger and you COULD read it as a stand alone, though Klaus is just too delightfully dark and deviant to ever want to leave him behind – unless it’s for a little ass play of course!
HER:
Re-enacting an abduction in a documentary would surely rake in the money? I need that money. I’m knee-deep in debt. My well-used eBook is packed with capture fantasies – of being made to kneel and obey a man because … because of a million reasons. Reading them makes me squirm and want to break out the vibe. I’m terrified, fascinated, and tempted as hell.This will put me in the hands, and basement, of a man I never gave up on.
HIM: This idea could get her killed if I let another man help her. The problem is, the deeper we get into this role-play of hers, the more I see it as a sham. We need to throw away the rules of the contract.Make that *I* need to throw away the rules. Seeing her gagged, bound, and at my mercy stirs things in me I never thought I would feel.I like this too much.
Beneath the surface of an ordinary man dark, sadistic desires may lurk.
When he turns on the cameras it’s too late to go back. Will man and lover, or monster, win in the end?
Take Me, Break Me, Book One of the Pierced Hearts series, begins the descent into dark romance. The following books in the series are far darker and more twisted.
All five books and novella in the Pierced Hearts series are available in a boxset: “The Complete Pierced Hearts Series”.
“…a brutally realistic portrayal of two people playing around with things they didn’t understand and getting in absolutely and completely over their heads.”
PERFECTION COVER REVEAL RELEASE DATE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2020
PERFECTION:
Everyone thought I was married to the perfect man. But if Conall Walsh were perfect, I wouldn’t have killed him.
I thought I got away with it until I received an anonymous note at the ballet company I dance for:
You were a very bad girl. If you don’t want me to report what I know about last night, meet me at the old opera house after rehearsal. I will tell you the price of my silence when you arrive. If you speak of this or bring anyone with you… no deal.
I’ve been both beta and arc reading, but none of those are quite ready to be reviewed as yet, so I’ve looked back to find a book to feature today. It didn’t take long to discover this little gem and am surprised I haven’t shared it before now!
The Compound (Compound #1) by Claire Thompson
Whilst this was missing somewhat in the romance department, it is still a great read and one I would recommend to those who enjoy a good BDSM story. I loved following Alexis’ journey into true submission where the emotions, the desires, the need to submit were all wonderfully portrayed. This book is worth reading just for experiencing Alexis’ experience!
Alexis has so much more grit and determination than me, 😜😊😊! I would have said “blow it” on so many occasions where she found an inner strength and determination to endure. I found Master John to be more of a sadist then I was comfortable with, but then Alexis was more of a masochist too! So despite my initial reservations they seemed to be ideally suited in a ‘training’ aspect. Whilst there are plenty of BDSM ‘scenes’, Alexis is at The Compound for just that, training, and unlike a lot of kink books this didn’t automatically mean the trainer had sex with the trainee. So there were some scorching hot scenes, but without penetration. In fact there is very little actual sex in the whole book.
I occasionally got a ‘one true way’ vibe, mainly in what makes someone a ‘proper’ submissive. I really don’t believe it was the author’s intent to do that, nor did I feel she was sending a message or expressing fixed opinions. I think it was just a consequence of the restrictions involved in writing a story, it’s a piece of entertainment and the beginning needs to connect to the middle with needs to flow through to the end. There isn’t always the possibility of including ‘everything’ to make it totally realistic – plus that would make it boring!
There were two things I needed, in order for the book to have gained that extra star. The first was more conversations between Alexis and either the other submissives or Master John on the more mental aspects of submission. Several times Alexis was expected to be able to do or achieve something with no explanation or support from Master John. If she could do it on her own she wouldn’t have been at The Compound in the first place! The other was that whilst there is a love interest in this book, there was a lack of significant relationship building. It was all far to insta-love for me. Throw me a bone in the form of a few ‘real’ conversations, a genuine way to form a connection because all I saw was lust and one scene. It wasn’t enough.
We did get enough from the Hero’s viewpoint for me to believe in his attraction to Alexis AND for me to get a feel for him as a person. The author did a great job of allowing us to know and understand him in a fairly limited number of viewings. Great writing in that aspect alone.
Now before you forget I DO recommend reading this and I will definitely be continuing the series!
Prepare to submit, body and soul, to the total immersion BDSM training experience that is The Compound.
Craving the truly definitive submissive experience she has yearned for all her adult life, Alexis Stewart marshals her courage to commit to a month of training at The Compound. There she is placed in the hands of Master John, a stern Dominant with the reputation as an uncompromising taskmaster. Despite rigorous 24/7 sexual submission, erotic torture, endurance training and punishment, Alexis smashes again and again against self-imposed walls of resistance that keep her from attaining her goal.
Master Paul Evans is well aware of The Compound rule never to get involved with the trainees, and that’s never been a problem—until now. From the moment he sees the lovely Alexis, he feels the powerful allure of her sensual beauty and submissive spirit. Will he risk everything to steal her heart? This smoldering mix of dark, edgy BDSM and hidden desires threatens to combust into a firestorm of forbidden passion, lust, and ultimately, love.
