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thebritishbibliophile's reviews
711 reviews
Temptation by Ivy Smoak
5.0
I don’t usually read a book series (if the first one is FREE), unless I can commit to buying the rest in the series, so I’m not left hanging on what’s going to happen. Though I’m glad I did this time. This is the very start to James’ & Penny’s story and although the summaries of the other 3 books in the series hint at what might happen, I can’t wait to eventually add those 3 to my downloads to find out what REALLY happens! Another fabulous read from Ivy!
The Mister by E.L. James
5.0
On January 24th of this year, myself and other E.L.James fans were happily subject to an announcement that would keep us occupied, busy, sharing and creating content for the next three or so months until April 16th rolled around the corner. First announced on the TODAY show in the States, Erika unveiled her brand new writing venture and promising new read, ‘The Mister’.
Before the big reveal on the TODAY show, we were left guessing as to what the announcement was going to be, as we were teased by our cheeky author on her social media as to the pending surprise announcement. I and many others here in the UK of course, stayed up waaaay into the wee hours of the morning so not to miss out on what Erika had planned next.
Of course when on January 24th the surprise was revealed, it sent some fans into a tizzy as automatically I was bombarded with questions on my Fifty Shades social media (and later, The Mister Instagram account – themisteruk) as to why was Erika writing this when the Freed version in Christian Grey’s POV was not yet out to complete the trio of books in his mind-set. Personally, there’s nothing written in any writing rulebook to say an author HAS to release a series of books if that is what he or she wants to do, so I couldn’t understand why instead of people being grateful and excited for a brand new read of ANY kind, why instead it was met with unnecessary hate and negativity.
Immediately, I was quick to address these statements and put to bed the unnecessary comments, judging both Erika and The Mister before the book had even started being promoted outside of the initial announcement. If people want to stick to only Fifty Shades as their go-to read from Erika, that’s their choice. If people were not Fifty Shades fans and want to read this as their first introduction to Erika and her writing, again, that’s their choice. If people want to embrace both Fifty Shades and The Mister as separate entities and embrace them both in what they stand for independently, like myself, that’s another choice also. The key thing is, if you are not a fan of anything to do with Erika’s writing/her books, move on. Leaving 1 star reviews or hate comments anywhere that’s possible to do so won’t deter those of us who will genuinely enjoy this read for what it is. Not what numbers, reviews or critics say online.
At the end of the day, I’m proud that Erika is the type of person who can look past all the spam, the bots, the haters and the negative ninnies out there, and find those of us online who leave reviews, share and promote her content for our genuine love of the book. I had the absolute pleasure of attending ‘The Mister Monday’ in London on the 15th of April, staying overnight to read The Mister, thanks to Penguin Random House/Arrow Publishing, getting my hands on one of THE first UK paperback copies and I can tell you this, no matter what the haters say, even before the book was released, it didn’t dent or ruin the experience and the celebration of a book we’ll hold dear for many years to come.
Now, with all that being said and I think it had to be done, please read on for my official review of The Mister. Please be warned if you have not read it yet and are waiting for your copy, do not read on from this point if you don’t want to read anything that may not spoil it for you. Where I have left out major spoilers so not to ruin it for others, my review WILL touch over themes, subjects and such other aspects. Thank you.
- - -
The very first thing that will draw you in about The Mister, is its very title. ‘The Mister’. Immediately, it got me wondering as to what context it applied to, piquing my interest. Shortly we would get our answer thanks to the book’s blurb/synopsis, though for a brief and glorious moment, we all became amateur Sherlock Holmes’ trying to figure out the ‘mister’ and what the story behind him and the book, could possibly be. And if you weren’t drawn in by the title, you’d surely be drawn in by the intensely-coloured title font colour. If you didn’t read the book’s blurb/synopsis first, this emboldened colour will capture your eyes and make you want to explore its connection to the content within.
Happily so, the colour has now been dubbed by many of us Erika fans as ‘The Mister Pink’, with some of us finding anything we own or could by in the same colour, wearing it while giving this book a read.
Having previously been treated to tid-bits and sneak peaks of extracts and audio clips on the run-up to The Mister’s release, I dove eagerly into the cutely petite prologue, which gave us an insight into the past of one of the two major players, hinting at it being a window into Alessia Demachi’s past. If you didn’t read any of the sneak peek excerpts prior to The Mister’s worldwide English copy availability, the hauntingly mysterious prologue will draw you in immediately as it did to me.
As you will discover through journeying the book side-by-side with Alessia Demachi and Maxim Trevelyan, you will pick up Erika’s clever use of modern-day themes, issues, social status and inequality, among other varying topics such as dealing with the feeling of grief from a man’s perspective, immigration/human trafficking and cultural differences. Having been accused in her previous works of not approaching the stories with ‘real life’ aspects, situations and relationship between two people, Erika has flipped the script on her previous critics and has aptly slid in the aforementioned topics and themes with an expert hand, adding in a huge slice of realism of modern day life, its issues, while telling the story of two people from opposing ends of the social spectrum. Blending the two together to give us a modern day-flavoured twist on a classic Cinderella rags-to-riches love story, each acting as the other’s aphrodisiac.
There will also be moments within The Mister that will make you smile with nostalgia, with references not directly linked to Fifty Shades, but will remind you of moments from the books. For example, the subtle hints to ‘grey’ when describing the London scene within the first chapters of the book, the reference to the forbidden room Alessia must not go into, mirroring that of the famous room we all know and secretly love, and Maxim asking Alessia to dance with him, just to name a few. In no way is this a comparison to Fifty Shades when I came across these references used within The Mister. Instead, I like to think they were used as subtle nods as a final farewell, a silent goodbye if you will, as a closing of a chapter as we begin this new one.
Additionally, adding onto my previous point of a new chapter, I’m happily proud to say that because The Mister IS different to Fifty Shades, it immediately becomes one of its many strong points. Instead of the woman being a timid, pure lily white of a character who grows as the story marches onward in a passionate tempo, it’s Maxim who we see grow just as much as Alessia. Neither character is ‘weaker’ than the other, as in turn they are both each other’s strength, their teacher and they learn to address their constraints both mentally and physically as one. Not as one holding all the power and the other rising up to join them. We see Maxim’s vulnerable side come out, something we didn’t see straight away with Christian Grey which in turn, gives us another insight to a side not often physically portrayed from a male perspective. Vulnerability. With Alessia, we see her slow and steady progression from outwardly being terrified of men, to her trust and awakened sexual temptress. Her mental growth and how it’s been written within this book, is one to be admired and praised for how well it has been portrayed. Both characters and their development have definitely exceeded any expectations I had when first hearing about The Mister.
Watching their development as characters, we are sure to find qualities of them within ourselves. Both good and bad. Hopefully though, more good than bad. I certainly know I’ll be on the lookout for my own Maxim from now on after giving The Mister a read. We all could do with a Maxim (or Alessia), in our lives. Besides having a copy of The Mister!
Of course from the very beginning, I don’t think a single one of us had a clue how we would feel about The Mister, even if we’re hard core Erika fans such as myself. Though I think I speak for every single one of us when I voice my pleasant surprise, praise and pride at everything this book is, how it was written and everything it sets out to represent. I went into reading The Mister with an open-mind, which I think was the key so I could give an unbiased review, even if it turned out that I didn’t like this new read which of course and thankfully, didn’t happen.
All the reviews out there both from critics & non-critics alike that aim to negatively review ‘The Mister’, you will actually find will have had no intention right from the announcement, of reviewing it in a non-biased manor. Most of the reviews in the 1-2 star range come from those who will never have any intention of reading any of Erika’s present or past works, yet claim to hate them and what they stand for. Instead of moving on to something and dedicating their time and words to something they DO like, they have to waste their time TRYING to put down something millions of people love and I feel sorry for them for that. Their negativity only makes up the smallest portion of online reviews and opinions, whereas I and others like me will always leave an honest review from a fan perspective.
It’s a shame the reviews that don’t actually review The Mister can’t be taken down, because if all the spam, pointless and unnecessary comments left under the review section were gone, you’d see what REAL, unbiased fans of Erika would think. I’m proud to know that the reviews left by real fans, both of Fifty Shades and new fans of hers reading The Mister, have left a review even knowing that this book would be different to Erika’s world-famous trilogy.
Where Erika will always have critics who will stop at nothing to shame her and her brilliant work, I’m proud that I and many others, are able to support her and stand by her side. We will always be counted on to give honest, non-biased reviews even if we have been dedicated followers of her former trilogy, as we are able to judge her work independent from one another and where I can’t 100% guarantee I or anyone else will like EVERY single work of hers, those that we DO like will always be reviewed honestly.
If you’re not an E.L.James fan and have no intention of being then don’t buy the book knowing from the start you’re not going to like it, just to give it a low star rating and review. Spend your time reviewing areas you DO like and even if you don’t end up liking one piece within that area, then at least you’ve gone into it with an open mind. We will always stand by what we believe in and what I believe in is this, Erika has proven herself to be a woman of many talents, spreading her writing wings to take her to a new avenue where she has flourished.
If Erika had stayed in the area where Fifty Shades had been written, writing stories similar to it and its theme, people would have complained that she hasn’t written something new. She writes something new and yet she’s still met with criticism for writing something different. Where it seems that no matter what she does she can’t win I can surely tell you this, she HAS won and The Mister, he is her winning move.
‘The Mister’ encompasses everything we love from Erika’s writing with its gripping storyline/plot, engaging and realistic characters and situations, sweet yet erotic moments of soul-burning passion, written to create a winning concocting formula that as quoted from the back cover of the book, ‘is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the very last page’. At last, something that does what it says on the metaphorical tin.
Whatever Erika turns her hand or her pen to next, you can guarantee that we’ll be right there behind her to cheer her on, millions of us, her winning fandom family.
To say that this is a five star read would be an understatement. It deserves a star from every single one of us. That’s a million+ stars. A million-star book, not bad at all.
Let the next chapter begin!
(P.S. The next chapter, as many of us are already hoping, will be a sequel ;) )
Before the big reveal on the TODAY show, we were left guessing as to what the announcement was going to be, as we were teased by our cheeky author on her social media as to the pending surprise announcement. I and many others here in the UK of course, stayed up waaaay into the wee hours of the morning so not to miss out on what Erika had planned next.
Of course when on January 24th the surprise was revealed, it sent some fans into a tizzy as automatically I was bombarded with questions on my Fifty Shades social media (and later, The Mister Instagram account – themisteruk) as to why was Erika writing this when the Freed version in Christian Grey’s POV was not yet out to complete the trio of books in his mind-set. Personally, there’s nothing written in any writing rulebook to say an author HAS to release a series of books if that is what he or she wants to do, so I couldn’t understand why instead of people being grateful and excited for a brand new read of ANY kind, why instead it was met with unnecessary hate and negativity.
Immediately, I was quick to address these statements and put to bed the unnecessary comments, judging both Erika and The Mister before the book had even started being promoted outside of the initial announcement. If people want to stick to only Fifty Shades as their go-to read from Erika, that’s their choice. If people were not Fifty Shades fans and want to read this as their first introduction to Erika and her writing, again, that’s their choice. If people want to embrace both Fifty Shades and The Mister as separate entities and embrace them both in what they stand for independently, like myself, that’s another choice also. The key thing is, if you are not a fan of anything to do with Erika’s writing/her books, move on. Leaving 1 star reviews or hate comments anywhere that’s possible to do so won’t deter those of us who will genuinely enjoy this read for what it is. Not what numbers, reviews or critics say online.
At the end of the day, I’m proud that Erika is the type of person who can look past all the spam, the bots, the haters and the negative ninnies out there, and find those of us online who leave reviews, share and promote her content for our genuine love of the book. I had the absolute pleasure of attending ‘The Mister Monday’ in London on the 15th of April, staying overnight to read The Mister, thanks to Penguin Random House/Arrow Publishing, getting my hands on one of THE first UK paperback copies and I can tell you this, no matter what the haters say, even before the book was released, it didn’t dent or ruin the experience and the celebration of a book we’ll hold dear for many years to come.
Now, with all that being said and I think it had to be done, please read on for my official review of The Mister. Please be warned if you have not read it yet and are waiting for your copy, do not read on from this point if you don’t want to read anything that may not spoil it for you. Where I have left out major spoilers so not to ruin it for others, my review WILL touch over themes, subjects and such other aspects. Thank you.
- - -
The very first thing that will draw you in about The Mister, is its very title. ‘The Mister’. Immediately, it got me wondering as to what context it applied to, piquing my interest. Shortly we would get our answer thanks to the book’s blurb/synopsis, though for a brief and glorious moment, we all became amateur Sherlock Holmes’ trying to figure out the ‘mister’ and what the story behind him and the book, could possibly be. And if you weren’t drawn in by the title, you’d surely be drawn in by the intensely-coloured title font colour. If you didn’t read the book’s blurb/synopsis first, this emboldened colour will capture your eyes and make you want to explore its connection to the content within.
Happily so, the colour has now been dubbed by many of us Erika fans as ‘The Mister Pink’, with some of us finding anything we own or could by in the same colour, wearing it while giving this book a read.
Having previously been treated to tid-bits and sneak peaks of extracts and audio clips on the run-up to The Mister’s release, I dove eagerly into the cutely petite prologue, which gave us an insight into the past of one of the two major players, hinting at it being a window into Alessia Demachi’s past. If you didn’t read any of the sneak peek excerpts prior to The Mister’s worldwide English copy availability, the hauntingly mysterious prologue will draw you in immediately as it did to me.
As you will discover through journeying the book side-by-side with Alessia Demachi and Maxim Trevelyan, you will pick up Erika’s clever use of modern-day themes, issues, social status and inequality, among other varying topics such as dealing with the feeling of grief from a man’s perspective, immigration/human trafficking and cultural differences. Having been accused in her previous works of not approaching the stories with ‘real life’ aspects, situations and relationship between two people, Erika has flipped the script on her previous critics and has aptly slid in the aforementioned topics and themes with an expert hand, adding in a huge slice of realism of modern day life, its issues, while telling the story of two people from opposing ends of the social spectrum. Blending the two together to give us a modern day-flavoured twist on a classic Cinderella rags-to-riches love story, each acting as the other’s aphrodisiac.
There will also be moments within The Mister that will make you smile with nostalgia, with references not directly linked to Fifty Shades, but will remind you of moments from the books. For example, the subtle hints to ‘grey’ when describing the London scene within the first chapters of the book, the reference to the forbidden room Alessia must not go into, mirroring that of the famous room we all know and secretly love, and Maxim asking Alessia to dance with him, just to name a few. In no way is this a comparison to Fifty Shades when I came across these references used within The Mister. Instead, I like to think they were used as subtle nods as a final farewell, a silent goodbye if you will, as a closing of a chapter as we begin this new one.
Additionally, adding onto my previous point of a new chapter, I’m happily proud to say that because The Mister IS different to Fifty Shades, it immediately becomes one of its many strong points. Instead of the woman being a timid, pure lily white of a character who grows as the story marches onward in a passionate tempo, it’s Maxim who we see grow just as much as Alessia. Neither character is ‘weaker’ than the other, as in turn they are both each other’s strength, their teacher and they learn to address their constraints both mentally and physically as one. Not as one holding all the power and the other rising up to join them. We see Maxim’s vulnerable side come out, something we didn’t see straight away with Christian Grey which in turn, gives us another insight to a side not often physically portrayed from a male perspective. Vulnerability. With Alessia, we see her slow and steady progression from outwardly being terrified of men, to her trust and awakened sexual temptress. Her mental growth and how it’s been written within this book, is one to be admired and praised for how well it has been portrayed. Both characters and their development have definitely exceeded any expectations I had when first hearing about The Mister.
Watching their development as characters, we are sure to find qualities of them within ourselves. Both good and bad. Hopefully though, more good than bad. I certainly know I’ll be on the lookout for my own Maxim from now on after giving The Mister a read. We all could do with a Maxim (or Alessia), in our lives. Besides having a copy of The Mister!
Of course from the very beginning, I don’t think a single one of us had a clue how we would feel about The Mister, even if we’re hard core Erika fans such as myself. Though I think I speak for every single one of us when I voice my pleasant surprise, praise and pride at everything this book is, how it was written and everything it sets out to represent. I went into reading The Mister with an open-mind, which I think was the key so I could give an unbiased review, even if it turned out that I didn’t like this new read which of course and thankfully, didn’t happen.
All the reviews out there both from critics & non-critics alike that aim to negatively review ‘The Mister’, you will actually find will have had no intention right from the announcement, of reviewing it in a non-biased manor. Most of the reviews in the 1-2 star range come from those who will never have any intention of reading any of Erika’s present or past works, yet claim to hate them and what they stand for. Instead of moving on to something and dedicating their time and words to something they DO like, they have to waste their time TRYING to put down something millions of people love and I feel sorry for them for that. Their negativity only makes up the smallest portion of online reviews and opinions, whereas I and others like me will always leave an honest review from a fan perspective.
It’s a shame the reviews that don’t actually review The Mister can’t be taken down, because if all the spam, pointless and unnecessary comments left under the review section were gone, you’d see what REAL, unbiased fans of Erika would think. I’m proud to know that the reviews left by real fans, both of Fifty Shades and new fans of hers reading The Mister, have left a review even knowing that this book would be different to Erika’s world-famous trilogy.
Where Erika will always have critics who will stop at nothing to shame her and her brilliant work, I’m proud that I and many others, are able to support her and stand by her side. We will always be counted on to give honest, non-biased reviews even if we have been dedicated followers of her former trilogy, as we are able to judge her work independent from one another and where I can’t 100% guarantee I or anyone else will like EVERY single work of hers, those that we DO like will always be reviewed honestly.
If you’re not an E.L.James fan and have no intention of being then don’t buy the book knowing from the start you’re not going to like it, just to give it a low star rating and review. Spend your time reviewing areas you DO like and even if you don’t end up liking one piece within that area, then at least you’ve gone into it with an open mind. We will always stand by what we believe in and what I believe in is this, Erika has proven herself to be a woman of many talents, spreading her writing wings to take her to a new avenue where she has flourished.
If Erika had stayed in the area where Fifty Shades had been written, writing stories similar to it and its theme, people would have complained that she hasn’t written something new. She writes something new and yet she’s still met with criticism for writing something different. Where it seems that no matter what she does she can’t win I can surely tell you this, she HAS won and The Mister, he is her winning move.
‘The Mister’ encompasses everything we love from Erika’s writing with its gripping storyline/plot, engaging and realistic characters and situations, sweet yet erotic moments of soul-burning passion, written to create a winning concocting formula that as quoted from the back cover of the book, ‘is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the very last page’. At last, something that does what it says on the metaphorical tin.
Whatever Erika turns her hand or her pen to next, you can guarantee that we’ll be right there behind her to cheer her on, millions of us, her winning fandom family.
To say that this is a five star read would be an understatement. It deserves a star from every single one of us. That’s a million+ stars. A million-star book, not bad at all.
Let the next chapter begin!
(P.S. The next chapter, as many of us are already hoping, will be a sequel ;) )
Dark Truths by Rebecca Royce
5.0
‘Dark Truths’ is the second book in the ‘Kiss Her Goodbye’ series by Rebecca Royce. If you haven’t read book one of the series, please do so now as this review will contain spoilers and a continuation review from where we left off in book one, and my review on it.
Please be advised once more, that my review will contain spoilers so if you don’t wish to know what happens throughout the second book, please turn back now. Thank you.
In book one, we were happily subject to whatever was to come our way with the storyline, Everly, the ‘letters’, the storyline and character development, as we were getting to know every aspect of how Rebecca wrote the introductory book to the series. There we learned what and why Everly was kidnapped for, who the ‘letters’ were, what their plan was, what was next for Everly and just how dark a world she never knew her father was a part of, existed. We were plunged head-first into a world of depravity, death, dodgy-dealings and danger. Gripping you with both arms behind your back, book one was just the set up for ‘Dark Truths’, where in fact, Everly’s world gets a whole lot darker.
Picking up where we thought we’d left off, we join Everly in the dungeon/basement where it turns out, she’s been kept, beaten and abused for the last six months. In an unexpected turn of events from the outset, one of the Alliance members thought to be against her, helps Everly escape where she’d been taken by Benjamin Grey (Ben), after he’d knocked her out at the former home she was being held at by the ‘letters’. Under once more, Everly wakes up in a clinic/facility, where she’s right to be cautious after she’d been told that she was safe from Ben’s torturous cruelty.
Things continue to move quicker as after she falls unconscious after her many ordeals in the past six months, Everly wakes up only to find herself back in the self-same house she was first kidnapped to by the Letters. Trace, formerly known as ‘T’, is the first Letter she comes across, meeting a few of the others as she’s getting used, somewhat, to being back in a ‘safe’ place. It’s made known to her that the woman who she once thought was warning her for her own safety, was the very woman who tipped off Ben to come and get her. One of the former house-helpers, Constance. Traumatised by everything that’s happened to her, Everly attempts a shower only to be thwarted by a more than painful memory of part of her time in her torture capture. Shortly taken care of by one of the oddly-caring Letters, the house is once more plunged into chaos as men attack it with the aim of taking out the girl who got away.
Once more, Everly’s mind is forced back to factory settings in order to preserve some semblance of what remains of her mind and her sanity, trying to piece herself back together and grow stronger. She finds this a hard task to do, as she’s still learning just what the five men are up to, and how to cope with her new mind-set. Seeing that she was struggling and needing to break free, Trace takes Everly on a walk where on that walk, they have an easy conversation about all the issues on her mind, leading to a long-awaited and much needed kiss between the two. Finished their walk, they head on back to the house where they’re informed they’d be leaving for pastures new soon, much to Everly’s confusion. Attempting a second shower of the day, she successfully concludes it without letting painful memories overcome her, and is surprisingly rewarded with Kade giving her pleasure when she’s out of the shower.
Derrick is the first to take her away from the house, while the others continue formulating their plans. During their moments alone together, they fall into a new pattern of easy communication, where upon Everly learns that Derrick had a sister. Emphasis on the ‘had’. As she’d untimely passed when she was 9 to non-Alliance-related circumstances. When alone in Derrick’s rather impressive mansion home, he is the next to succumb to Everly’s invisible temptations and alluring physical ones, making him the fourth out of the five letters to have successfully made love to her. Four down, one to go. Soon after their passionate night together, she takes it upon herself to get her to a gynaecologist, who puts her on the pill which will be fully active in one month, so she’d be able to swap from one man to another, without any barriers in the way. Of any kind.
Their time however, did not end there. After being put on the pill, Everly is made aware that she now has money, thanks to Warden’s smart investing. Her once measly $250 is now $250,000, with a promise of it being a cool half a million dollars by Christmas. Stunned at this news, Everly plans to confront Warden about his shrewd investments at a later date.
Everly’s attempt at re-booting her life continues in the form of a makeover, where her chopped hair from her time in imprisonment is fixed into a new style, on top of being taught how to handle a gun, all under Derrick’s intense gaze. After a rather normal night of movies and pizza, Derrick informs her that he plans to kill ‘Josh’ tomorrow and she’s to watch. Much to her surprise, she’s not 100% opposed to this idea as she would’ve been six months ago.
The last of Everly’s time with Derrick comes to a chaotic halt after she manages to convince him to get his deviated septum fixed, under the hands of trusted non-Alliance men. Being told that he was in recovery and spending time with him while he’s out of it, two men arrive at the clinic/facility fully intent on taking her out. Only, the opposite happens. She takes them out! Later she’d discover that her actions were watched by some of the men after she’d hit the emergency ‘help’ contact on her newly acquired phone. At the time, Everly is more concerned about Derrick when trusted friends of Warden’s arrive to take her, with Derrick following, to Warden’s house where she’s once more guaranteed that she’d be safe. If there was such a thing for her anymore.
At the house and surprisingly calm despite killing two men, her first kills, Warden and Kade arrive at Warden’s home, where the three of them soon end up giving into a hidden desire the three of them never knew was within them. A steamy ménage-et-trois. Shortly after, Judson arrives to join those who were currently at Warden’s house, learning of the three of theirs’ night together, promising yet demanding that his turn would be next with Everly and he planned to take her out to dinner. The dinner, when finally underway, goes off without a hitch. During which, Everly agrees to go through making love with the preferences Judson once revealed that she was too uneducated in and the very next morning, the two put into practise his kinky preferences and make love with her hands bound by a sensuous silk ribbon. Judson is the last to fall happy victim to Everly’s charms.
Though this happy moment wasn’t meant to last, as we continue on the rollercoaster that is her story, until a happy completion is found. A flashback of a bad memory when she’d been kidnapped sets her back mentally once more, resulting in her working out her pent-up frustration within the gym situated within Warden’s house. Soon, she’s joined by the man in question along with another one of the Letters, where not even in a house that was supposed to be safe, is she able to enjoy a workout in peace. A rain of bullets pelt at the house, shatter the glass and almost take Everly out, if she hadn’t had bent down to scratch a more than thankful itch. After which, plan are made to take them all to Boston, minus Derrick who’s gone off solo. Hopefully this time, it will be the last nail in the coffin, and Everly can get back to her ‘normal life’. Of course, this was a wish too good to be true even to the most hopeful of dreamers.
Happily situated on the plane not too long later, they’re Boston bound. Only they would be, if not for the pilot mysteriously falling ill and passing away at the controls. Suspected to be the work of Ben and his lackeys, Kade jumps into action much to everyone’s surprise, and manages to land the plane safely at their destination. Though this safe landing does nothing to quell Everly’s bubbling anxieties within. Every time she’s told she’s safe, something happens. Everything within her is telling her that maybe after all, she might not be safe anywhere ever again when around these men, who once promised to always keep her safe. Coming to this conclusion, Everly comes up with a unconceivable and irrational-like-her plan to kill Ben, posing that she’d be the bait. After a brief discussion with the others, they agree with it and their new plan is set in motion.
Checking into the go-to hotel they always use, the five men treat Everly as if they can’t wait to get rid of her. All a ruse in case anyone should be watching. Though she struggles with both sides of their acting coins, she continues on with the plan and manages to make a convincing scene later on at the bar, throwing a drink straight into Trace’s face. Though she thought he’d be mad at this, he had nothing but praise for how well their plan worked. Tired and more than worn out, Everly has had enough and heads to bed where later on, she’s amusingly joined by all of the men who sleep in various positions on her bed, all fighting non-verbally to be as close to her as humanly possible.
In a surprising turn of events, Everly is told her father (who so happens to be at the hotel too) wants to see her. Agreeing albeit reluctantly to a meeting, she meets with her father where upon concluding her business with him, she decides to put him behind her and walk on ahead on whatever path was currently taking her. Specifically, a path with five men at her side.
All appears to be too calm when she returns to the hotel room, as Ben shows up after hacking the system the men are using to keep their position secret, with two men at his side. With one of the five men elsewhere, Everly is once more thrown right into the fray and is forced to fight quite literally for her life. Her training with Derrick soon comes to fruition when managing to get her hands on a gun, as she shoots some of the thugs dead, along with Ben and not at all to plan, her father.
Done with it all, Everly comes to a decision she never saw herself ever making since she knew being with them was what her head wanted. Leaving them to clear up the mess, she packs what little of her things she currently owns, says she loves them all and is leaving. She’s broken, tired and so, so done. Her surprisingly cool yet dramatic exit comes just as Judson is stepping out of the elevator, leaving him confused as Everly heads down into a world she no longer sure she fits into or will survive in.
‘Dark Truths’ is a gripping sequel to a thrilling series which is well worth the investment and time to get personally attached to and involved in. Where this second book in the series may not seem as ‘dark’ as the first, there are plenty of points within to keep you happily fed within that theme.
This book however, personally I believe promises you more excellent quality content from an action-adventure perspective, slipping in moments of character development/connectivity, bed-rocking passion, topped off with a soupçon of mystery that will add to the thickening plot you’ll have yourself aching to solve before the conclusion is reached in a crescendo of a climax.
We were warned from the beginning of book one, that it might take a book or two for Everly to reach her happy ending, and I personally can’t wait to continue into book three to see just how her happily ever after is reached. Maybe even who with.
If there is such a thing possible left for Everly.
There’s only one way to find out. Book three. Bring it on!
Please be advised once more, that my review will contain spoilers so if you don’t wish to know what happens throughout the second book, please turn back now. Thank you.
In book one, we were happily subject to whatever was to come our way with the storyline, Everly, the ‘letters’, the storyline and character development, as we were getting to know every aspect of how Rebecca wrote the introductory book to the series. There we learned what and why Everly was kidnapped for, who the ‘letters’ were, what their plan was, what was next for Everly and just how dark a world she never knew her father was a part of, existed. We were plunged head-first into a world of depravity, death, dodgy-dealings and danger. Gripping you with both arms behind your back, book one was just the set up for ‘Dark Truths’, where in fact, Everly’s world gets a whole lot darker.
Picking up where we thought we’d left off, we join Everly in the dungeon/basement where it turns out, she’s been kept, beaten and abused for the last six months. In an unexpected turn of events from the outset, one of the Alliance members thought to be against her, helps Everly escape where she’d been taken by Benjamin Grey (Ben), after he’d knocked her out at the former home she was being held at by the ‘letters’. Under once more, Everly wakes up in a clinic/facility, where she’s right to be cautious after she’d been told that she was safe from Ben’s torturous cruelty.
Things continue to move quicker as after she falls unconscious after her many ordeals in the past six months, Everly wakes up only to find herself back in the self-same house she was first kidnapped to by the Letters. Trace, formerly known as ‘T’, is the first Letter she comes across, meeting a few of the others as she’s getting used, somewhat, to being back in a ‘safe’ place. It’s made known to her that the woman who she once thought was warning her for her own safety, was the very woman who tipped off Ben to come and get her. One of the former house-helpers, Constance. Traumatised by everything that’s happened to her, Everly attempts a shower only to be thwarted by a more than painful memory of part of her time in her torture capture. Shortly taken care of by one of the oddly-caring Letters, the house is once more plunged into chaos as men attack it with the aim of taking out the girl who got away.
Once more, Everly’s mind is forced back to factory settings in order to preserve some semblance of what remains of her mind and her sanity, trying to piece herself back together and grow stronger. She finds this a hard task to do, as she’s still learning just what the five men are up to, and how to cope with her new mind-set. Seeing that she was struggling and needing to break free, Trace takes Everly on a walk where on that walk, they have an easy conversation about all the issues on her mind, leading to a long-awaited and much needed kiss between the two. Finished their walk, they head on back to the house where they’re informed they’d be leaving for pastures new soon, much to Everly’s confusion. Attempting a second shower of the day, she successfully concludes it without letting painful memories overcome her, and is surprisingly rewarded with Kade giving her pleasure when she’s out of the shower.
Derrick is the first to take her away from the house, while the others continue formulating their plans. During their moments alone together, they fall into a new pattern of easy communication, where upon Everly learns that Derrick had a sister. Emphasis on the ‘had’. As she’d untimely passed when she was 9 to non-Alliance-related circumstances. When alone in Derrick’s rather impressive mansion home, he is the next to succumb to Everly’s invisible temptations and alluring physical ones, making him the fourth out of the five letters to have successfully made love to her. Four down, one to go. Soon after their passionate night together, she takes it upon herself to get her to a gynaecologist, who puts her on the pill which will be fully active in one month, so she’d be able to swap from one man to another, without any barriers in the way. Of any kind.
Their time however, did not end there. After being put on the pill, Everly is made aware that she now has money, thanks to Warden’s smart investing. Her once measly $250 is now $250,000, with a promise of it being a cool half a million dollars by Christmas. Stunned at this news, Everly plans to confront Warden about his shrewd investments at a later date.
Everly’s attempt at re-booting her life continues in the form of a makeover, where her chopped hair from her time in imprisonment is fixed into a new style, on top of being taught how to handle a gun, all under Derrick’s intense gaze. After a rather normal night of movies and pizza, Derrick informs her that he plans to kill ‘Josh’ tomorrow and she’s to watch. Much to her surprise, she’s not 100% opposed to this idea as she would’ve been six months ago.
The last of Everly’s time with Derrick comes to a chaotic halt after she manages to convince him to get his deviated septum fixed, under the hands of trusted non-Alliance men. Being told that he was in recovery and spending time with him while he’s out of it, two men arrive at the clinic/facility fully intent on taking her out. Only, the opposite happens. She takes them out! Later she’d discover that her actions were watched by some of the men after she’d hit the emergency ‘help’ contact on her newly acquired phone. At the time, Everly is more concerned about Derrick when trusted friends of Warden’s arrive to take her, with Derrick following, to Warden’s house where she’s once more guaranteed that she’d be safe. If there was such a thing for her anymore.
At the house and surprisingly calm despite killing two men, her first kills, Warden and Kade arrive at Warden’s home, where the three of them soon end up giving into a hidden desire the three of them never knew was within them. A steamy ménage-et-trois. Shortly after, Judson arrives to join those who were currently at Warden’s house, learning of the three of theirs’ night together, promising yet demanding that his turn would be next with Everly and he planned to take her out to dinner. The dinner, when finally underway, goes off without a hitch. During which, Everly agrees to go through making love with the preferences Judson once revealed that she was too uneducated in and the very next morning, the two put into practise his kinky preferences and make love with her hands bound by a sensuous silk ribbon. Judson is the last to fall happy victim to Everly’s charms.
Though this happy moment wasn’t meant to last, as we continue on the rollercoaster that is her story, until a happy completion is found. A flashback of a bad memory when she’d been kidnapped sets her back mentally once more, resulting in her working out her pent-up frustration within the gym situated within Warden’s house. Soon, she’s joined by the man in question along with another one of the Letters, where not even in a house that was supposed to be safe, is she able to enjoy a workout in peace. A rain of bullets pelt at the house, shatter the glass and almost take Everly out, if she hadn’t had bent down to scratch a more than thankful itch. After which, plan are made to take them all to Boston, minus Derrick who’s gone off solo. Hopefully this time, it will be the last nail in the coffin, and Everly can get back to her ‘normal life’. Of course, this was a wish too good to be true even to the most hopeful of dreamers.
Happily situated on the plane not too long later, they’re Boston bound. Only they would be, if not for the pilot mysteriously falling ill and passing away at the controls. Suspected to be the work of Ben and his lackeys, Kade jumps into action much to everyone’s surprise, and manages to land the plane safely at their destination. Though this safe landing does nothing to quell Everly’s bubbling anxieties within. Every time she’s told she’s safe, something happens. Everything within her is telling her that maybe after all, she might not be safe anywhere ever again when around these men, who once promised to always keep her safe. Coming to this conclusion, Everly comes up with a unconceivable and irrational-like-her plan to kill Ben, posing that she’d be the bait. After a brief discussion with the others, they agree with it and their new plan is set in motion.
Checking into the go-to hotel they always use, the five men treat Everly as if they can’t wait to get rid of her. All a ruse in case anyone should be watching. Though she struggles with both sides of their acting coins, she continues on with the plan and manages to make a convincing scene later on at the bar, throwing a drink straight into Trace’s face. Though she thought he’d be mad at this, he had nothing but praise for how well their plan worked. Tired and more than worn out, Everly has had enough and heads to bed where later on, she’s amusingly joined by all of the men who sleep in various positions on her bed, all fighting non-verbally to be as close to her as humanly possible.
In a surprising turn of events, Everly is told her father (who so happens to be at the hotel too) wants to see her. Agreeing albeit reluctantly to a meeting, she meets with her father where upon concluding her business with him, she decides to put him behind her and walk on ahead on whatever path was currently taking her. Specifically, a path with five men at her side.
All appears to be too calm when she returns to the hotel room, as Ben shows up after hacking the system the men are using to keep their position secret, with two men at his side. With one of the five men elsewhere, Everly is once more thrown right into the fray and is forced to fight quite literally for her life. Her training with Derrick soon comes to fruition when managing to get her hands on a gun, as she shoots some of the thugs dead, along with Ben and not at all to plan, her father.
Done with it all, Everly comes to a decision she never saw herself ever making since she knew being with them was what her head wanted. Leaving them to clear up the mess, she packs what little of her things she currently owns, says she loves them all and is leaving. She’s broken, tired and so, so done. Her surprisingly cool yet dramatic exit comes just as Judson is stepping out of the elevator, leaving him confused as Everly heads down into a world she no longer sure she fits into or will survive in.
‘Dark Truths’ is a gripping sequel to a thrilling series which is well worth the investment and time to get personally attached to and involved in. Where this second book in the series may not seem as ‘dark’ as the first, there are plenty of points within to keep you happily fed within that theme.
This book however, personally I believe promises you more excellent quality content from an action-adventure perspective, slipping in moments of character development/connectivity, bed-rocking passion, topped off with a soupçon of mystery that will add to the thickening plot you’ll have yourself aching to solve before the conclusion is reached in a crescendo of a climax.
We were warned from the beginning of book one, that it might take a book or two for Everly to reach her happy ending, and I personally can’t wait to continue into book three to see just how her happily ever after is reached. Maybe even who with.
If there is such a thing possible left for Everly.
There’s only one way to find out. Book three. Bring it on!