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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Book 1 was definitely the best for me- Dark brooding Marcus and Innocent Cora.
But you could do much worse than book 2 and 3. Great story writing.
Jack Calihan superb audio narration -both voices and absolute perfection
But you could do much worse than book 2 and 3. Great story writing.
Jack Calihan superb audio narration -both voices and absolute perfection
dark
emotional
fast-paced
The box set has all 3 stories for a complete set. It has all your components of dark and a great balance between story and erotica.
Contains: enemies to lovers, M/F, Power Exchange, BDSM, Mafia
Contains: enemies to lovers, M/F, Power Exchange, BDSM, Mafia
Charleigh is the queen of emotionally captivating connections and NA conflict romance, and Tell Me Pretty Lies lives up to her legacy!
Our amazing heroine is Shayne- and she’s up there with Lo as my favorite Charleigh heroine. We meet Shayne in a heart breaking and riveting first chapter- along with her brother, Grey, and her stepbrothers, one of whom is our brooding, rebel hero, Thayer. We instantly learn of the forbidden love between these two- they are magnets, thunder and lightning- pulled together by an epic force, but they are rocked by the devasting events we learn about straight away. From there, Charleigh unfolds a complex, emotive tale of two people struggling to regroup after loss, trying to make meaning of their new realities, struggling to reconnect with the world, and resisting their own emotions and draw to each other. We’ve got a dash of bully tropes here, some stepbrother taboo, an unexpected mystery, a menagerie of mostly interesting and moderately developed side characters, in particular Shayne’s best friend Valen and Thayer’s brother Holden, and an emotional journey of redemption, catharsis, and acceptance camouflaged by the thirst for answers and revenge.
Shayne is beacon of light- a bundle of innocence and fire. She’s somehow gentle, kind, and vulnerable while also being fierce, tough, and stoic all at once. She rolls with the punches of her life without ever feeling sorry for herself or entitled, and she grows- we see her find herself and her voice amidst all the chaos. I appreciated her resilience, her patience, her level headedness, and her consistent willingness to explore what she knows can crush her. And boy, does Thayer crush her at times. Thayer is what we all love in a light-bully anti-hero. He’s not as rough around the edges as some other anti-heros (and the bully theme does not play centerstage for long if that’s not your thing)- he’s definitely brooding and intimidating but is also accessible and layered. He’s got soul. He’s driven by anger and guilt, and only Shayne seems to reach beyond his emotional fortress to the broken boy inside.
These characters have insane chemistry- it is what I love best about Charleigh’s books, her artfully developed and interconnected characters. Sure, she can write an engaging plot, but where she shines is in the emotional arc of each character and the careful web of emotional ties and meaningful moments she weaves between these two hurting souls. Charleigh always finds a way to help you see the beauty and naturalness of an emotional journey- letting us revel in the cornucopia of emotions her characters’ experience in relationships and trying times- which always makes her characters feel more realized, more three dimensional, and more moving. The emotional chemistry is magnetic, bittersweet, and swoon worthy. Their connection- no matter what the love-hate status at any moment, doesn’t just sparkle, it blazes. And OYE, the steamy times. Some of the hottest stuff I’ve read in Charleigh’s books- and she’s written some steamy stuff. I like me some bossy and dominating yet somehow sweet Thayer bedroom persona.
My ONLY blip is that the ending seemed to wrap up too quickly- the romance was well painted and paced, but the secondary story, the mystery, felt a bit rushed at too neatly unpacked at the end. And, to be honest, the outcome was a bit unfulfilling- I expected more explosion, this was a bit of a whimper. That said, apparently we have another book coming (fingers crossed for Holden’s story) so perhaps we’ll get to explore the aftermath of the mystery solving twist (which I did not see coming) a bit more.
Overall, a great read!
Our amazing heroine is Shayne- and she’s up there with Lo as my favorite Charleigh heroine. We meet Shayne in a heart breaking and riveting first chapter- along with her brother, Grey, and her stepbrothers, one of whom is our brooding, rebel hero, Thayer. We instantly learn of the forbidden love between these two- they are magnets, thunder and lightning- pulled together by an epic force, but they are rocked by the devasting events we learn about straight away. From there, Charleigh unfolds a complex, emotive tale of two people struggling to regroup after loss, trying to make meaning of their new realities, struggling to reconnect with the world, and resisting their own emotions and draw to each other. We’ve got a dash of bully tropes here, some stepbrother taboo, an unexpected mystery, a menagerie of mostly interesting and moderately developed side characters, in particular Shayne’s best friend Valen and Thayer’s brother Holden, and an emotional journey of redemption, catharsis, and acceptance camouflaged by the thirst for answers and revenge.
Shayne is beacon of light- a bundle of innocence and fire. She’s somehow gentle, kind, and vulnerable while also being fierce, tough, and stoic all at once. She rolls with the punches of her life without ever feeling sorry for herself or entitled, and she grows- we see her find herself and her voice amidst all the chaos. I appreciated her resilience, her patience, her level headedness, and her consistent willingness to explore what she knows can crush her. And boy, does Thayer crush her at times. Thayer is what we all love in a light-bully anti-hero. He’s not as rough around the edges as some other anti-heros (and the bully theme does not play centerstage for long if that’s not your thing)- he’s definitely brooding and intimidating but is also accessible and layered. He’s got soul. He’s driven by anger and guilt, and only Shayne seems to reach beyond his emotional fortress to the broken boy inside.
These characters have insane chemistry- it is what I love best about Charleigh’s books, her artfully developed and interconnected characters. Sure, she can write an engaging plot, but where she shines is in the emotional arc of each character and the careful web of emotional ties and meaningful moments she weaves between these two hurting souls. Charleigh always finds a way to help you see the beauty and naturalness of an emotional journey- letting us revel in the cornucopia of emotions her characters’ experience in relationships and trying times- which always makes her characters feel more realized, more three dimensional, and more moving. The emotional chemistry is magnetic, bittersweet, and swoon worthy. Their connection- no matter what the love-hate status at any moment, doesn’t just sparkle, it blazes. And OYE, the steamy times. Some of the hottest stuff I’ve read in Charleigh’s books- and she’s written some steamy stuff. I like me some bossy and dominating yet somehow sweet Thayer bedroom persona.
My ONLY blip is that the ending seemed to wrap up too quickly- the romance was well painted and paced, but the secondary story, the mystery, felt a bit rushed at too neatly unpacked at the end. And, to be honest, the outcome was a bit unfulfilling- I expected more explosion, this was a bit of a whimper. That said, apparently we have another book coming (fingers crossed for Holden’s story) so perhaps we’ll get to explore the aftermath of the mystery solving twist (which I did not see coming) a bit more.
Overall, a great read!
"Hades and Persephone"? Ummm... No
This book was based on the myth of Persephone and Hades but I really did not get that from this story. Was it a good story? Yes.
I found Marcus a little too much to deal with at times, but I guess this is what makes him a good Alphahole. Cora really got on my last nerve sometimes, but it was nice to see her growth over throughout the series.
It kept my interest. I think it will keep yours.
Happy reading!
This book was based on the myth of Persephone and Hades but I really did not get that from this story. Was it a good story? Yes.
I found Marcus a little too much to deal with at times, but I guess this is what makes him a good Alphahole. Cora really got on my last nerve sometimes, but it was nice to see her growth over throughout the series.
It kept my interest. I think it will keep yours.
Happy reading!
This is a hot read!
This was an amazing box set. The mythology references were perfect and The story moved along at an easy pace. There were moments that drove me crazy. But I'm the long run I wanted to see how Marcus (Hades) and Cora (Persephone) story played out. The spicy parts of this book were
This was an amazing box set. The mythology references were perfect and The story moved along at an easy pace. There were moments that drove me crazy. But I'm the long run I wanted to see how Marcus (Hades) and Cora (Persephone) story played out. The spicy parts of this book were
Good story
Naive country girl falls in love with a mobster. But it’s so much more. Bringing the mobster to his knees and showing who she really is. Great chemistry. Good story flow.
Naive country girl falls in love with a mobster. But it’s so much more. Bringing the mobster to his knees and showing who she really is. Great chemistry. Good story flow.