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A review by slimebagel
Cartel by Lili St. Germain
3.0
Regret Reading: N Would Read Again: N Would Recommend: Y
***Note: Apparently I skipped reading through the Gypsy Brother's series first. After doing some digging, I think this is a prequel to that series. I don't feel like I missed out on anything, but be aware I am pretty sure those books are supposed to be read first.***
☝︎Summary: This is the story of a girl named Mariana who gives herself up to the drug cartel to pay for her father's debts. She embarks on a dark and life changing journey as the cartel owner Emilio's slave. Emilio's son Dornan becomes interested in the girl. Mariana and Dornan become intertwined in each other's lives and Dornan becomes essential to Mariana's survival.
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Now I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. I had seen some reviews from others praising it quite a bit so I figured I would give it a try. I am not a big fan of the writing style of this one. I did enjoy how a lot of the book switched perspectives throughout the story. It gives you a very well rounded view of how all the characters are actually thinking/feeling.
I started off feeling very "meh" about this story within the first few chapters. I couldn't get past the almost fanfiction feeling of the words. However, I quickly realized I couldn't put it down. I started to really care about Mariana and what would happen along her storyline. She had gotten herself into a very dark situation with really no way of ever getting out. Dornan starts to show her kindness and it quickly gets complicated between them.
Now I still am not sure how I feel about their relationship. On one hand I feel like Mariana is experiencing some type of Stockholm Syndrome during the entire book. However, reading her perspective on the situation clears this up a little. I think she is battling her feelings for her captor; which considering how she's treated most of the time makes sense. But, as you read her mindset and see that a lot of what she does and how she behaves is calculated, it does push past that a little. The characters are all a lot more complicated then I thought they would be.
The sexual scenes are well written - you won't find any "throbbing manhood" type phrases here. Not overly cheesy for the most part which sometimes is all you can hope for.
Overall, the book was intriguing. I had some issues with the writers writing style and the characters did feel a little generic in the beginning but that clears up quickly. It was a very quick read and I look forward to continuing through the series. (Though I may go back and read the Gypsy Brothers series first).
Thanks for reading!~
***Note: Apparently I skipped reading through the Gypsy Brother's series first. After doing some digging, I think this is a prequel to that series. I don't feel like I missed out on anything, but be aware I am pretty sure those books are supposed to be read first.***
☝︎Summary: This is the story of a girl named Mariana who gives herself up to the drug cartel to pay for her father's debts. She embarks on a dark and life changing journey as the cartel owner Emilio's slave. Emilio's son Dornan becomes interested in the girl. Mariana and Dornan become intertwined in each other's lives and Dornan becomes essential to Mariana's survival.
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Now I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. I had seen some reviews from others praising it quite a bit so I figured I would give it a try. I am not a big fan of the writing style of this one. I did enjoy how a lot of the book switched perspectives throughout the story. It gives you a very well rounded view of how all the characters are actually thinking/feeling.
I started off feeling very "meh" about this story within the first few chapters. I couldn't get past the almost fanfiction feeling of the words. However, I quickly realized I couldn't put it down. I started to really care about Mariana and what would happen along her storyline. She had gotten herself into a very dark situation with really no way of ever getting out. Dornan starts to show her kindness and it quickly gets complicated between them.
Now I still am not sure how I feel about their relationship. On one hand I feel like Mariana is experiencing some type of Stockholm Syndrome during the entire book. However, reading her perspective on the situation clears this up a little. I think she is battling her feelings for her captor; which considering how she's treated most of the time makes sense. But, as you read her mindset and see that a lot of what she does and how she behaves is calculated, it does push past that a little. The characters are all a lot more complicated then I thought they would be.
The sexual scenes are well written - you won't find any "throbbing manhood" type phrases here. Not overly cheesy for the most part which sometimes is all you can hope for.
Overall, the book was intriguing. I had some issues with the writers writing style and the characters did feel a little generic in the beginning but that clears up quickly. It was a very quick read and I look forward to continuing through the series. (Though I may go back and read the Gypsy Brothers series first).
Thanks for reading!~