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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Dark read
*trigger warning*
This was my first book by Pepper and won’t be my last. Very interesting dark story that kept me captivated. Both characters were strong and damaged but fit each other perfectly. I’m interested to see what’s in store for them next.
*trigger warning*
This was my first book by Pepper and won’t be my last. Very interesting dark story that kept me captivated. Both characters were strong and damaged but fit each other perfectly. I’m interested to see what’s in store for them next.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
-THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS-
I find it really funny how I always end up disliking stories such as these with unrealistic FMCs and problematic MMCs and yet end up enjoying them so much that I always keep coming back for more. This has to be a phenomenon that needs to be studied because I've scoured the Internet but couldn't really find anything on it.
This book was definitely a mindfuck even though it was not as dark as some other books that I've read. For a non dark romance reader, I guess this would be quite tough, but as someone who mainly reads dark romance, it wasn't that dark. While the rape and the kidnapping certainly were on the other side of the edge towards darkness, the main body of the story was not.
Q was not necessarily a bad guy. I mean, yes, his desires are twisted, and it's kind of scary, but at the same time, I understand that his mind was warped like that due to a trauma response witnessing his father take part in debauchery with slaves. What he had with Tess was selfish, no doubt, but it cannot be ignored that he helped so many other slaves escape while at the same time suppressing his sick desires. He wants to rape and beat and fuck and while it's a nauseating thing to want, I also can't deny that's a darker side of trauma that people may not often talk about. It's twisted, but that's just the reality of it.
You really have to leave any morals that you may have out of this book because the line between rape and just sex is very blurry, and I would not condone this type of behaviour in real life under any circumstances. There were times when I just wanted Tess to get her shit together, escape the manor, and mutilate anyone who had ever hurt her, including all the people in the mansion. It was difficult to come to terms with Q being a good person while at the same time indulging in his twisted fantasies with Tess.
I think it would have been easier if Tess had not been so emotionally confused.
She didn't want the stuff that Q was doing to her, and yet her body AND mind both reacted to it and encouraged it. It would have been another story if it was just her pussy getting wet but her mind remaining strong willed in the fact that she enjoyed what was happening to her made this truly a mindfuck. I think the contrast between the real rape Tess suffered and what she felt with Q really highlighted that it was more reluctance for Tess rather than a hard no. However, I did it find it weird how they had sex like right after the rape and that was really wanted changed Tess' mind which makes me question: if it wasn't for the rape would she have accepted Q and her new life? Perhaps eventually, but it's a tough tightrope to walk on.
I also did not like how everyone around Tess was unsympathetic towards her. She's been kidnapped and human trafficked. Of course, she would have trouble trusting the man that was her master now. Suzette may have had to suffer more than Tess, but that doesn't mean that Tess hasn't had it hard either. The way everyone was disappointed and angry at her for escaping and calling the police but like, what else did you expect her to do? Prance around and settle in her new life with so many questions around her?
Everyone expects Tess to love and care for Q, but what about what Tess wants? Why are her needs secondary to his when she's the one that would be giving up the most in the relationship. I really did not like the way everyone expected so much from her when her life had been completely turned upside down. Suzette telling her that her old life was dead and to just forget it was just plainly cruel.
I did enjoy the story but I can't say that I liked it. It was certainly thrilling and captivating, but it messed with my morals as well. The second book does seem to be promising at least so I will be reading that next.
I find it really funny how I always end up disliking stories such as these with unrealistic FMCs and problematic MMCs and yet end up enjoying them so much that I always keep coming back for more. This has to be a phenomenon that needs to be studied because I've scoured the Internet but couldn't really find anything on it.
This book was definitely a mindfuck even though it was not as dark as some other books that I've read. For a non dark romance reader, I guess this would be quite tough, but as someone who mainly reads dark romance, it wasn't that dark. While the rape and the kidnapping certainly were on the other side of the edge towards darkness, the main body of the story was not.
Q was not necessarily a bad guy. I mean, yes, his desires are twisted, and it's kind of scary, but at the same time, I understand that his mind was warped like that due to a trauma response witnessing his father take part in debauchery with slaves. What he had with Tess was selfish, no doubt, but it cannot be ignored that he helped so many other slaves escape while at the same time suppressing his sick desires. He wants to rape and beat and fuck and while it's a nauseating thing to want, I also can't deny that's a darker side of trauma that people may not often talk about. It's twisted, but that's just the reality of it.
You really have to leave any morals that you may have out of this book because the line between rape and just sex is very blurry, and I would not condone this type of behaviour in real life under any circumstances. There were times when I just wanted Tess to get her shit together, escape the manor, and mutilate anyone who had ever hurt her, including all the people in the mansion. It was difficult to come to terms with Q being a good person while at the same time indulging in his twisted fantasies with Tess.
I think it would have been easier if Tess had not been so emotionally confused.
She didn't want the stuff that Q was doing to her, and yet her body AND mind both reacted to it and encouraged it. It would have been another story if it was just her pussy getting wet but her mind remaining strong willed in the fact that she enjoyed what was happening to her made this truly a mindfuck. I think the contrast between the real rape Tess suffered and what she felt with Q really highlighted that it was more reluctance for Tess rather than a hard no. However, I did it find it weird how they had sex like right after the rape and that was really wanted changed Tess' mind which makes me question: if it wasn't for the rape would she have accepted Q and her new life? Perhaps eventually, but it's a tough tightrope to walk on.
I also did not like how everyone around Tess was unsympathetic towards her. She's been kidnapped and human trafficked. Of course, she would have trouble trusting the man that was her master now. Suzette may have had to suffer more than Tess, but that doesn't mean that Tess hasn't had it hard either. The way everyone was disappointed and angry at her for escaping and calling the police but like, what else did you expect her to do? Prance around and settle in her new life with so many questions around her?
Everyone expects Tess to love and care for Q, but what about what Tess wants? Why are her needs secondary to his when she's the one that would be giving up the most in the relationship. I really did not like the way everyone expected so much from her when her life had been completely turned upside down. Suzette telling her that her old life was dead and to just forget it was just plainly cruel.
I did enjoy the story but I can't say that I liked it. It was certainly thrilling and captivating, but it messed with my morals as well. The second book does seem to be promising at least so I will be reading that next.
I read this book due to a podcast I listen to rating it one of the best book's of 2013, mind you it's not a podcast for everyone and I don't always agree but it's nice to listen to normal women talk about books I prefer honestly and without feeling shamed. I wouldn't have read this book with out the recommendation but I am really glad I did. This book made me uncomfortable and conflicted. It crossed lines I have never read before and yet I empathized with Tess and her feelings towards Q not matter how mercurial they were. This is about a woman sold into slavery while on vacation with her weak boyfriend and the man who she is ultimately sold to. This is about how she discovers so much about herself it scares her and it also tackles this view that so many women have about fetish fantasies and the reality. If you are a 50 Shades of Grey fan this might not be for you because there is not a fairy tale at the ending but it is sexy, salacious, twisted, grotesque, intimate, heartbreaking and real. oh and the champagne scene at the end was my favorite, holy crap!
Mixed feelings about this one, loved the ending but it felt like a long and frustrating journey to get there, sometimes I just wanted to slap Tess! It was nice to see a bit of Q in the epilogue.
Wasn't sure if I would like it but by the end of the book it had be obsessed and craving the second book would highly recommend only if very dark themes don't bother you
dark
emotional
fast-paced
⭐️ 4.5 "Esclave" Stars ⭐️
Tears of Tess had been waiting on my kindle for years! As a huge fan of dark romances and Pepper Winters, I feel it’s a sacrilege to not have read this book before! I’m so glad I finally changed that and dived into this twisted erotic story! I had such a great time reading this captivating dark tale!
"Monsters find each other in the dark."
The start of the book was a little slow, but it helped to install the plot and understand Tess’s private longings to be dominate. Her tame life with her boyfriend isn’t satisfying enough and she dreams of something more. When she’s abducted in her trip to Mexico, everything unravels into a sordid gripping journey where she ultimately becomes Q Mercer’s “esclave”.
I loved Tess and Q so much! They’re such complex characters. They’re both craving something sinister. Something immoral. Something dark! Q is such a tortured hero, always fighting with his corrupt thoughts, but Tess brings the beast in him. He can finally unleash his darkest fantasy with her. This man finally met his equal in his depraved desires.
This story is highly erotic, with some very arousing passages. The chemistry between Q and Tess is so palpable! Their level of intense obscure passion is so hot! As much as this book has a lot of sexuality, entering the thoughts of Tess is amazing! She’s questioning her uncommon cravings that Q only makes more apparent. Let’s just say that they both met the perfect mate to embrace their inner darkness!
"I'm willing to join you in the darkness and find pleasure in excrutiating pain. I'm willing to be your monster, Q."
Pepper Winters knows how to combine a lovely writing style with pure emotions and a compelling story-telling! She had me completely fascinated with this perfectly decadent couple! I’m so eager to fall back into the continuation of Tess and Q’s perverse but addictive story in the next Monsters in the Dark novel.
I normally give 5 STARS to books that "stick" in my mind/thoughts way after I complete them.
My hope was this would not be too dark for me to finish. The beginning chapters were intriguing to me. As a captivity story, my mind could not always wrap around why the Captive & even the Captor reacted ‘odd’ at certain times. Anyway, I still could not stop reading! I really enjoyed the epilogue because it was the Captor’s POV. This was DARK for me mainly because the Captive’s thoughts were consenting to some of the bdsm scenes drawing blood (abused harshly).
“Monsters” accurately describes this book. They ALL need psychiatric counseling. I may need it now too. The characters, Tess & Q, are still haunting my mind. Even So, I will probably read the second book once I have time to read some more HEA stories. :D
My hope was this would not be too dark for me to finish. The beginning chapters were intriguing to me. As a captivity story, my mind could not always wrap around why the Captive & even the Captor reacted ‘odd’ at certain times. Anyway, I still could not stop reading! I really enjoyed the epilogue because it was the Captor’s POV. This was DARK for me mainly because the Captive’s thoughts were consenting to some of the bdsm scenes drawing blood (abused harshly).
“Monsters” accurately describes this book. They ALL need psychiatric counseling. I may need it now too. The characters, Tess & Q, are still haunting my mind. Even So, I will probably read the second book once I have time to read some more HEA stories. :D
Okay, actual assault ON PAGE (where she did NOT enjoy any of it) was bad enough, then follow that by the MMC being a dick to her and I was OUT! I thought i could be pretty open minded but apparently NOT cause this shit was just traumatic but supposed to be hot and steamy?? WHAT? Its a no for me..