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*REVIEW* – Broken Limits (The Limit Book 3), by Marissa Farrar and S. R. Jones

#RomanticSuspense #ReverseHarem #WhyChoose #DarkRomance

Blurb

It’s all fun and games…until someone gets hurt.

It was meant to be a game. A way of surviving and gaining some money, but somewhere along the line emotions got involved, and I lost all perspective.

They did too. No matter what they might like to pretend, those four troubled men got as swept up in the dangerous allure as I did. They pushed me to my limits and beyond, but I pushed them, too.
One of them couldn’t take it though, and our pact fell apart.

I ran. I ran fast and far but instead of running to safety, I raced straight into the arms of danger.
Who will save me now?

Are they missing me? Do my broken, messed up men think about me as much as I think about them?
My new captor thinks he holds all the cards, but my time on the island has taught me how to play his depraved games, and I will fight with all I have.

My Review

Action packed and emotionally intense conclusion – 5 stars!

Following on from the absolute doozy of an ending in the previous book, I was itching to find out what was in store for Honor and her men. I was not disappointed – Broken Limits is an action-packed and emotionally intense read which kept me on the edge of my seat. To gain maximum enjoyment from the read however, I recommend reading the previous books first.

In this, the final instalment in the trilogy, Honor finds herself held captive. She hopes that her men will realise she is missing and that they are able to rescue her before her old nemesis manages to enact whatever nefarious plan he has in mind for her. Throughout the series I have enjoyed how Honor’s character has grown in strength and it is this strength that is put to the test during the shocking events that play out.

I have also enjoyed the emotional journeys Honor’s men, Asher, Brody, Wilder and Rafferty, have gone on as they come to realise just what Honor means to them. In this book I just loved how they step up to the challenge of her disappearance, whilst grappling with a gamut of emotions and soul searching, including guilt, fear, and anxiety.

The plot is suspenseful and fast-paced, with scenes of violence, non-consent and references to abuse and I was itching for a HEA. It also contains a number of twists, as Honor’s past and that of her men converge before it reaches its satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

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S.R. Jones

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*REVIEW* – RENT GIRL: A DARK MAFIA/CARTEL INTERRACIAL CAPTIVITY ROMANCE, BY NENIA CAMPBELL

#darkromance #interracial #mafiaromance #suspense #captiveromance

Blurb

(He was the one thing she couldn’t run from.)

Beatrice Arsenault has spent the last ten years running. She’s changed her looks and changed her name and lives her life off the books or under the table, constantly looking over her shoulder for the one person she knows is looking back.

(She’s the one thing he could never leave.)

Dominic Xiang is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of hardened criminals. He runs an empire of vice and blood, which he rules with an iron fist. But when he met Beatrice ten years ago, he had just enough of a heart left to break.

(If they don’t bury the past, they’ll bury each other.)

Now he’s found her again, and she’s dancing on the edge of his knife. Whether it cuts her ties or ends her life is all up to him . . .

My Review

Dark, intense and more than a little crazy! 5 stars

Rent Girl by Nenia Campbell is an unapologetic dark read containing Dominic Xiang, a hot but crazy villain with few if ANY redeeming qualities, and Beatrice Arsenault, a troubled heroine whom he sets his sights on. He is the LAST person she needs to be with but unfortunately for her, as soon as he notices her there is no escape. The phrase you can run but you can’t hide certainly came to mind when I read this book!

I love the dark romance genre which allows the writer and reader to delve deep into the psyche of bad men such as Dominic. His world is not a pretty one and this book contains scenes of violence, murder and abuse, not to mention morally questionable behaviour towards the heroine. Although I was shocked at some scenes and at times felt that Beatrice would be better off without Dominic, the author slowly but surely turned it round and as the story progressed my dark heart started cheering this complex couple on. I was SO immersed in the interplay between the couple and the wider characters and plot that I read it in little more than a day.

The book has two timelines, one after the couple first meet and the other ten years later when Beatrice’s luck runs out and Dominic, intent on revenge, finds her once again. Dual timelines do not always work for me, but I found it done really well here and it helped illustrate how the dynamics between the couple changed over time and how they grew as characters.

Beatrice finds herself held captive and consumed by Dominic for much of the read and is revolted by his world. The author does an excellent job of showing us just how deep this revulsion goes. I loved how despite being powerless she stood up to him as much as she could. I enjoyed her character growth and Dominic’s realisation that perhaps she means more to him than he thought.

Just how far will Dominic go when it comes to punishing Beatrice for her deceit? Has he ANY capacity for forgiveness, love, or redemption? Will Beatrice ever be more than the rent girl/whore she sees herself? Can she love a monster? What will happen to her once he grows tired of her, especially given how he deals with his enemies and those who get in his way… These questions and more buzzed around my head during the read.

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as the book approached its finale, and I was a quivering mess as various chickens came home to roost for the couple. I loved the ending. It was just perfect.

Recommended for fans of the genre.

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*REVIEW* ~ Split Decision, by Carmen Capuano

#comingofage #youngadult #romance #thriller

Book Blurb

How was Natalie to know that the decision she was about to make between two potential dates, would forever be a pivotal point in her life? That it would mark the time where childhood innocence ended? How could she even imagine that the wrong decision would send her life spiralling into the stuff of nightmares from where she might not come out alive? Life takes a cruel twist of fate when Natalie, a completely average [almost] 16 year old, is forced to make a split-second decision… a decision that will change her future and forever alter her perception of trust, love and the realities of life.

My Review

Brilliant and Brutal Coming-of-Age Story – 5 stars

Split Decision, essentially a coming-of-age novel, is both brilliant and brutal – brilliant in its execution and brutal in the sensitive subject matter it explores. The decision Natalie makes impacts on many and she is not the same person at the end of the story as she is at the beginning… It is the second book that I have read by the author Carmen Capuano, the first being Ascension, a dystopian thriller (click on the book title for the review). Although the subject matter is completerly different, I found the story just as engaging and thought- provoking.

The plot begins in a shoe shop where best friends, teenagers Natalie and Stacey are shopping. The new pair of shoes which Natalie purchases – in a style which is way out of character for the sensible teenager, can be viewed as a metaphor for both her step into adulthood and what subsequently occurs. Natalie is soon called upon to make a split second choice and her decision heralds a chain of unexpected and shocking events.

The author does an excellent job of depicting the trials and tribulations of the teenage years and how they effect existing and new relationships: a time of burgeoning sexuality, when we strive to forge our own identity, sometimes putting us in conflict with our families who find it difficult to come to terms with their offspring entering adulthood. The balance between protecting their children whilst allowing them the freedom to grow is often a difficult one and I felt that the author touched on this in a sensitive fashion. I certainly identified with Stacey and Natalie from memories of my own teenage years and recognised how easily events could take the path they did.

The characters, the young people and the adults, were all very believable and the author is to be congratulated on using the events to illustrate their personal growth and changing family dynamics.The plot is cleverly and expertly written and certainly had me guessing and questioning my own preconceptions and prejudices.

All in all a super read.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6917112.Carmen_Capuano

http://carmencapuano.blogspot.co.uk/

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*REVIEW* ~ Blaire Dark Romance (Part 1), by Anita Gray

#darkromance #suspense #psychological #bdsm

Book Blurb

BLAIRE: part 1 in the Dark Romance Series

Bought. Conditioned.

My name is Blaire. I’m head of security to a man who controls the Russian underworld in Europe. His name is Maksim and he’s my master. He bought me ten years ago and conditioned me with brutality to worship and protect him. And I have protected him. I’ve slain everyone who has tried to do him harm. Everyone but a man he loans me to; a man who threatens to break me and everything I believe in.

You’re going to need a strong stomach and a strong heart to follow my story, because take my word for it, it’s no fairy tale.

My Review

Totally Amazing Dark Read! – 5 stars

What can I say? I was GLUED to this AMAZING dark, psychological read. I am a self-confessed book whore when it comes to dark  reads and I put this up there amongst the best. It has an original plot line and in Blaire and Charlie the author has created a truly awesome couple – their relationship is complex and intense and the scenes between them range from deliciously dark to sweet. I need to point out that it contains some brutal scenes of violence, physical and sexual in the book (dubious and non consent, bdsm, torture and abuse) which are not for the faint hearted. 

Blaire is one of the most kick-ass and lethal females I have come across of late yet she is so vulnerable. I wept for her as the plot unfolded and little by little we leared about her history and Maskim’s role in it. The way the author drip feeds this information adds to the suspense and I was gob smacked when I learned about her past.

I ADORED Charlie – just what is his game? What hold does he have over Maskim? Can Charlie protect Blaire or is he just exploiting her too? Will Blaire overcome Maskim’s conditioning or is it too ingrained in her psyche? Will Charlie succeed in breaking her hard exterior to reveal the woman beneath and how will this impact on her? Will his kindness save her or lead to her destruction? I was fascinated with the psychology of the relationships in his book and if you love dark romance as much as I’d encourage you do add it to your ‘to read pile.’ I’m relieved that part 2 of Blaire’s story is out at the end of this month so that I can see what happens next.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

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*ARC REVIEW* – Rough Love, by Laura Morgan

#darkread #darkromance #mcromance #erotic #newadult

Take a Walk on the Dark Side with his Fabulous MC Romance!

rl

Book Blurb

Please note – This book is not suitable for those under 18 years old. There are numerous triggers and dark scenes.

I’ve always lived a sheltered life,
One where my every move has been decided for me and no decision has ever been my own. I thought I liked it that way. That I was content to let it continue…

I’ve never been hurt, or had my heart broken,
That was until my big sister was killed in a hit and run, leaving me alone amongst the men who have brought me up—the protectors I thought I trusted—but without her, things are suddenly beginning to change. The world around me is growing darker and more dangerous. The monsters who were lurking in the shadows are slowly coming out to play their sinister games with me and I have no idea where to turn to for help.

I never got to know who my sister truly was,
I need answers to the questions I’ve left it too late to ask. But, I have finally found a clue, and the only question is, am I ready to hear the truth? Will I be able to handle the depravity of the story I’ve yet to uncover?

So now it’s all about to change,
My name is Dahlia Proctor. I’m the youngest daughter of the Black Knights Motorbike Club President, and this is the story of how my life has been turned upside down ever since my sister died…

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8155512.Laura_Morgan?from_search=true

My Review – 5 stars

A Fabulous Dark MC Romance TOP READ!

Rough Love is a fantastic walk on the dark side by the talented and versatile author Laura Morgan.  I LOVED it! It does have a HEA, but it is most definitely a white knuckled ride! Dahlia, hitherto the protected younger daughter of the President of a powerful MC club, finds herself thrust into the limelight after a family tragedy. It’s sink or swim as she strives to cope with her new role, the man who her father practically gifts her to and the darkness that is closing in.

After the tragic death of her sister, Dahlia finds that she is to replace her as the fiancée of Tobin, the oh so sexy alpha Vice President of the Black Knights Motorbike Club. Dahlia, unlike her sister, has always been a good girl, the apple of her father’s eye, and finds that she is very soon out of her comfort zone. She is shocked at the methods her father employs to compel her towards the union with Tobin and it will take all of her inner reserves to not only assert herself against the powerful will of the men in her life but also the sinister threat to her safety which emerges as she tries to find out about her sister’s last days.

The book is a compulsive, sexy and suspenseful read with some dark themes and scenes – definitely not a read for those under 18, as stated in the blurb. It very much represents the coming of age of the central character Dahlia, the heroine, as she comes to terms with secrets within the Black Knights Motorcycle Club and beyond, her new responsibilities and her relationships with Tobin, her father and others. With all that has happened and what she finds out in her quest to find out what happened to her sister, it is a constant battle to know who to trust. Should she have left her sibling’s secrets well alone or is it now too late and will she have to face the shocking consequences?

I loved the romance between the central couple. Dahlia is wildly attracted to Tobin (and who wouldn’t be – serious hottie alert)! They get off to a less than stellar start and are in many respects opposites – Dahlia the quiet, studious geek and Tobin the alpha, with a bad boy reputation.  Can their fledgling relationship survive what is revealed? How can Dahlia ever replace her larger than life sister and become the partner of the President in waiting?  Their romance is a complex one with many sizzling and heartfelt scenes.

Rough Love is a brilliant read for fans of dark romance and is thoroughly recommended!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, an ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

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*REVIEW* ~ Dirty Ugly Toy, by K Webster

#dark #romance #darkread #suspense

Adult/18+ read

dirty

Blurb

Her time is over.
Things are looking up.

She’s dirty and ugly.
He’s wicked but handsome.

Six months to toy with her.
Six months of vacation and a ton of money.

I’ll hurt her beyond repair.
I’ve been through much worse.

She’s difficult to control and doesn’t obey.
I’m done submitting to anyone or anything in this life.

I should hate her.
I should hate him.

The game has changed.
I will win.

Dirty Ugly Toy is a novel that blurs the lines of right and wrong, deals with abuse, contains dubious consent, and adult subject matter. If you are sensitive to violent sexual situations, the book may not be suitable for you. Some parts of this book are not easy to read and are not intended for everyone. However, those that keep an open mind and stick with it will not be disappointed.

My Review ~ 5 stars

Down and Dirty Dark Read

Dirty, Ugly Toy is the second book that I have read by K Webster, the first was Apartment 28. This read is a lot darker but again I really loved the author’s voice, not to mention how her writing made me really connect with the characters. I was drawn into the plot from the off and entertained throughout. The read is sexy, dirty and heartfelt. Brax is a dangerous and tortured hero I just loved, and Jessica is just perfect for him.

Brax, a wealthy billionaire, has a twisted side – taking girls from the street and transforming them into his ‘toy’ for 6 months before disposing of them – the opening scene leaves the reader with a real insight into his modus operandi and it is brutal. Yet when Brax rescues Jessica, the latest in a long line of ‘toys’, it soon becomes apparent that she is like no other. She is not just the dirty, drug addicted whore she first appears to be. Not only does she have hidden depths and intelligence, that over time reveal themselves to Brax and his loyal staff, but she also stands up to her tormentor, playing Brax at his own game.

I just LOVED how the relationship between these two strong individuals  grew and how the author reveals Jessica’s past. Brax is knocked for six by his new acquisition and is torn, constantly at war with himself as to how to train her. Will he break his addiction to his ‘toys’ or will Jessica meet the same fate as the others as he refuses to allow a woman to rule his emotions?

Brax is definitely a tortured character with dark needs. As the plot unfolds we learn about the traumatic events which shaped his psychology. He likes to dominate his ‘toys’, training them to fulfil his base desires, and there are numerous down and dirty scenes in the book – scenes in which Jessica shows him what she is made of. Jessica is a diamond in the rough and her own back story is revealed where we learn that she has had to cope with monsters far worse than Brax.

I loved how the couple connected emotionally and physically. Yet can Brax break the habits of a lifetime? Also what happens when the six months are up? Neither characters can escape their pasts, or can they?

The book also contains some super secondary characters in Dubois and Cartier. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s books!

Highly recommended for dark romance fans.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28195608-dirty-ugly-toy?ac=1&from_search=true

http://www.authorkwebster.com/

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*REVIEW* ~ The Found: A Crow City Novel #2, by Cole McCade

#dark #erotica #darkread #noncon

the-found

Blurb

Witness to a murder. Kidnapped by a monster. Life hanging on a whim. Willow Armitage’s world was already falling apart; between getting fired and caring for her chronically ill father, she’s had little room for anything but survival. But that survival hangs in the balance the night she stumbles into a back alley – and watches a stranger die at the hands of the most beautiful man she’s ever seen.

Lethal. Powerful. Unstable. Terrifying. The contract killer known only as Priest is a dangerous unknown, and when Willow wakes tied to a chair in his hideout, the only thing she sees in his fox-gold eyes is death. Yet for Priest, Willow is a dilemma: an innocent, a saint among the sinners he cuts down in the streets of Crow City. His code of honor forbids shedding innocent blood. Releasing her will send her straight to the police. The only answer is a warped game, and his promise: that he will find the darkness inside her, expose it, and prove that deep down, everyone is just as monstrous as he…and just as worthy of death.

Yet he unearths not a monster, but a smoldering and secret desire – one that has always terrified Willow, and may be her undoing. His touch sets her alight. His strength burns through her like flame. And his control melts her each time he binds her virgin body, possesses her, teaches her the strength in weakness and the passion in submission. But that passion may be her damnation, and in the end Willow must choose: Priest’s love, or her own life.

When his every kiss is pure sin…can she resist damnation long enough for Priest to find his way to redemption?

TRIGGER WARNING 18+: This story contains content centered around non-consent, bodily autonomy, sexual assault, bodily functions, and violence. Please focus on self-care above all, and don’t be afraid to put the book down if you need to in order to protect yourself. You come first, always.

My Review ~ 5 stars

Dark and Deliciously Twisted!

The Found, #2 in The Crow City Series,  is a thoroughly intense and addictive read. I was captivated by the unfolding story of the contract killer Priest and Willow his captive, a story which examines dark and disturbing themes including non consent, violence and sexual assault. If you are at all likely to be distressed by any of these issues you may wish to give this book a miss – and I do not say this lightly.  Cole McCade is a new author for me and I will most definitely be reading more of his book! The book can be read as a standalone, although the main character of Priest, the hero (or should I say anti-hero) does feature in the other books in the series.

The book is one of the darkest novels that I have read and boy was it one hell of an amazing ride! Both the hero and the heroine are broken before they meet: Willow, a long time carer to her father has been scarred on account of traumatic childhood relationships, and Priest due to his horrific experiences as a prisoner of war (experiences which we gain a glimpse of in this book).

I do not want to reveal more about their respective pasts, as finding out about what makes the main characters tick is part of the joy of reading – suffice to say that Willow believes that sexual contact is dirty and that prior to her abduction by Priest she felt that her life was at an all time low. The book contains some accounts of Willow as she is growing up and we are given an insight into her psyche and what has made her what she is today. As to Priest, his coping mechanism is to dedicate his life to killing those who he views as scourges on society – the paedophiles, drug dealers and abusers. A hired killer he prides himself on ensuring that his targets are deserving of his attention before he takes on the hit.

The book contains violent and graphic scenes, any of them sexual and as I said is not for the faint hearted. When Willow inadvertently witnesses Priest’s latest kill, he kidnaps her and takes her to his hideout. He is in a quandary as self preservation dictates that he should he kill her to avoid leaving loose ends. However, his personal code baulks at destroying an innocent – yet just how innocent is Willow? Priest decides to find out as such as he can about his captive, probing into her life and psychology to decide whether or not she deserves to die. Much of the read is chilling. Willow’s terror at being abducted by Priest is palpable and I really felt for her.

Slowly Willow, the captive and Priest, the killer, form a connection, a connection that becomes more and more intense, physical and sexual. Ironically Willow finds that her captivity allows her to find inner strength that she did not know she had, facing up to her past and what she is capable of. Her captivity and the fact that Priest could decide to extinguish her life at any point gives her the freedom to act as never before – after all what does she have to lose?

The sex scenes between Willow and Priest sizzle and undoubtedly had me questioning the boundaries between non consent, dubious consent and consensual sex. Priest is a dark and tortured anti-hero and throughout the read I was unsure if he could ever redeem himself as he is so damaged. Willow’s fate certainly hung in the balance. Yet slowly Willow, who he comes to refers to as Firefly, comes to represent light in his darkness. It remained to be seen whether this will be enough to secure either Willow or even Priest’s own salvation…

The read really is a tour de force for fans of dark reads and dark romance. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

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http://blackmagicblues.com/faq/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432536.Cole_McCade

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**REVIEW** ~ A Most Demanding Mistress (#2 in the Fashionably Impure series), by Natasha Blackthorne

Erotic Regency Romance, Historical Romance

Adult/18+ Read

Natasha B

Blurb

Scorching Hot Historical Romance

Miss Miranda Jones is indisputably the most beautiful, elegant and sought after courtesan in all of London. She hides a past full of pain and rejection beneath an exterior of pride. She knows that noblemen put their own fickle interests first and cannot be trusted. Scorned by ducal father, she never needed or expected anything from a man, except his financial support. Luxurious living makes a soothing balm against the sting of the ultimate rejection.

Now she’s madly in love with a nobleman who cannot afford to keep her in such extravagant style. And she wonders if a courtesan can ever afford to indulge her own passions? Can she really gamble so capriciously on her own future and put the happiness of the moment above future security? Will her gentleman prove himself no better than any other nobleman that she has known?

Adrian Sutherland, the Earl of Danvers, has seen the men of his family destroyed through their obsessive need to possess beautiful women. He’d always thought himself immune to such unworthy drives. Now he’s fallen under the spell of Miss Miranda Jones.

Miss Jones’ high standards and past reputation foretells that she’ll be a most demanding mistress. Despite his relative lack of funds, Adrian is determined to work hard to protect and provide for her. Passion led this skeptical gentleman to declare himself in love. Yet as they enter a protector and mistress relationship, Adrian finds himself consumed with possessiveness. And he can’t help but wonder if is it true love that motivates him? Or is it the need to own her stunning beauty? He must find the answer before their tempestuous romance breaks both of their hearts.

A Most Demanding Mistress is part of the Fashionably Impure Series and is best read after Miranda’s Dilemma.

Reader advisory: This story contains frank sexual language and general bedchamber naughtiness. Abuse issues are alluded to in the backstory.

My Review ~ 5 stars *****

Intense and Erotic Historical Regency Romance

A Most Demanding Mistress continues the story began in Miranda’s Dilemma (click on the title for review), the first book in Natasha Blackthorne’s Fashionably Impure series. In this emotionally intense and turbulent read, Adrian and Miranda enter a protector and mistress relationship. Yet this is far from plain sailing, as due to their own personal make up they threaten to destroy each other. Also danger lurks in the shadows.

I love how this author writes her tortured characters, whilst maintaining a highly erotic and page-turning read. Adrian and Miranda are complex and angst ridden. In many scenes we witness a battle royal between two strong-willed, albeit damaged individuals. Adrian, the Earl of Danvers, is an alpha male with a strong need to protect this woman from those who wish her harm, particularly her estranged ducal father. Yet can he afford to keep her and at what cost to his own personal circumstances as a Duke and father?

Adrian has seen members of his own family and others destroyed by their obsessions with courtesans. Although he admires Miranda’s character and beauty he despises how she presents herself in public and is immensely jealous of any man who covets her. Is it love or obsession he feels? Adrian has so many inner demons to grapple with, in addition to his own domestic responsibilities, which threaten their relationship that I despaired of a HEA.

Miranda values her independence and cannot relinquish her public image, so important to a courtesan. After all what will happen when Adrian tires of her? Will her fear of ultimate rejection sound the death knell for their relationship or will the threat come from elsewhere? As Adrian involves Miranda more and more in his own domestic affairs, she becomes exposed to unexpected dangers. I was in suspense waiting to see how this element of the plot would impact on the central love story.

It is an excellent addition to the series. The dialogue is emotionally charged and sexy and the love-making scenes highly erotic and often deliciously naughty. Natasha Blackthorne also does an excellent job of illustrating the social mores of the time, especially in how fellow aristrocats view courtesans. I am looking forward to the final instalment in Adrian and Miranda’s story, Sacrifice.

Recommended to fans of erotic romance, especially those who enjoy the Regency period and who like their heroes and heroines to be equally tortured and complex.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note a copy of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

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