Overall kinda fun, last 3 hours were boring to me

The secene where where the MC compares the love interest to Korn took me out.

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So dark!

I read this book initially but as the series progressed I lost track of all the twists so decided to listen to it again on audio. The story is deliciously dark and twisted and certainly this is the type of book that draws me in. Once where you really don't know which direction the author is going to take the story and enough shocks along the way to keep your attention.

These pair of narrators deliver a clear and precise audio making it easy to fall into the story just as much as if you were reading!

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Amazing!! A must read or listen!! Beautifully Dark

only issue. I wished the narrators did their own speech in eachothers chapters. Peneolpe rocks!! You won't be disappointed. Its captivating and dark, very sexy.

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Could be triggering for some. Overall alright

Very dark and high on the darker kink side of things. Some of it enjoyable to listen to, some cringeworthy

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Good story

There's a lot going on, and it makes it a bit hard to follow. The story isn't a good romance. If you like romance, I probably wouldn't bother. Michael arranges a plan for him and his friends to use her as a sex slave. Even after he realises he has feelings for her, he still shares her with another guy. And they terorise her wearing masks. It's not really my thing, but the book passed the time. Probably wont continue the series, though.

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Loved it!

Really enjoyed my first book by this author
It certainly won’t be the last x

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It’s alright.

In the beginning, until about chapter 6, I thought the book was a 0-1 star book, I wasn’t sure I could finish it before then. When I got to chapter 16-17 it started to really pick up and I thought 2 stars. But the last 7 chapters pushed it to 3. Then I’ve sat here writing this review and really thinking about the story, the characters, the plot and I’m wondering if it could be a 4? If I change my mind, I’ll have to come back and change it!

This book has been recommended so many times recently so I thought I’d give it a go. I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it much though as I had such high hopes… And perhaps I’ve become a little desensitised as some of the stories I’ve read recently have been so pitch black they’re banned.

The story is good, but by chapter four I’d already worked out who did it. It’s overly descriptive to the point that I was forgetting the plot and even the names of the characters - none of which was helped with the time jumps. When it got going (around chapter 16-17) it was good. I understood what Penelope Douglas was aiming for but didn’t feel any anxiety, fear, or worry as you normally would with a suspense, I just felt annoyed that Erica and Michael (and even the other horsemen) could be that dumb. The amount of times the characters pinched their eyes together bugged me but that’s probably just because I’m not a fan of the phrase and it seemed to happen every few sentences at one point.

The narration was annoying. Usually with duel perspective book and two narrators I would expect some interaction, but not here. Tatiana Sokolov does most of the book as it’s from Ericas’ perspective, and she didn’t really seem that into the story. I didn’t think much to her male voices and think that the audiobook would have been far better if she narrated Ericas’ perspective and did the female voices throughout, and Jeremy York narrated Michaels’ chapters and did the male voices throughout. Jeremy York seemed to have a bit more feeling for the story but again I didn’t like his female voices though they were better than Tatianas male ones.

I might re-read it as I liked the overall story once it got going, but I think I would read rather than listen to it as sometimes it was confusing as to whether something was said aloud or inside the characters head, and I could skip the over descriptive bits.

SPOILERS:

Okay, basically Erica and Michael have fancied each other forever and three years ago on ‘devils night’ when he and his friends went out ‘pulling pranks’ (like burning buildings down), they took Erica. The police get evidence of some of the crimes and three out of the four horsemen go to jail.

When they get out they want revenge on the woman who put them in jail, and all four horsemen try to systematically destroy her world…

If I do re-read it I could try to read it in a more linear fashion as the chapters from three years ago are (E=Erica M=Michael) E2, E5, E8, E10, E13, M17, and the ones from the present are E1, E3, M4, E6, M7, E9, E11, M12, E14, E15, M16, E18, E19, M20, (E21past), E22, E23, M24, E25, E26, E27, M28, E29, M30 (epilogue). As long as chapter E21 (3 years ago) and E22 (Present) are read together in the present it should work. I did a lot of annotations for this book as I kept getting confused.

To me, this was mid grey, with random veins of black and a few purple (as in crazy) bits thrown in. There’s a few sexy bits which are well described but not as many as people who were recommending the book implied. There’s violence, on and off page, and threats. Just what you expect from a book labelled dark romance.


!Big Spoiler! If like me you need to know if they have a happily ever after, that’s affirmative.

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I should have listened...

But I didn't. Now I've lost 14 hours with this childish cr*p. That's it, I'm going back to my obsession, Lucas Webley. And to duet narration.

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Dark and twisty

Definite trigger warnings with this book. If you are likely to be triggered then this book is not for you.

I, however, loved it. It’s very dark and reminded me a little bit of LJShen’s Sinner of Saint series, but darker with more twisted male characters (if that’s possible!). The book flits between the present and what happened three years previously. You don’t really get to the crux of what happened three years previous, until about 70% of the way through so you are flying a bit blind. Suffice it to say, what the guys think happened didn’t happen, so the fact they are hell bent on punishing Rikka for something that didn’t happen could be an issue for some. I was fine with the concept, although there is definite lack of accountability from the guys (they did do what they were accused of even if there were justifications for their actions). The guys are cruel, there is bullying, misogyny, assault (physical and sexual) but it’s fiction so I just went with it. Micheal does redeem himself in the end, as does Kai and Will - the jury is out with Damon though, have to wait for his story to decide. He’s definitely more messed up than the others.

Rikka is spoilt, coddled, somewhat of a bird in a gilded cage, dying to break free, but when she makes an attempt to do so the guys are waiting for her, ready to tear her down. She’s definitely naive, in some ways weak, and I can see why others would find her annoying, going back for more mistreatment. However I think she quite enjoys the danger, the promise of something different to what has gone before, and the chance to save herself from her past. Overall though her character is flawed she’s likeable.

Although this was a bit steamy, I found it quite tame against others I have read. It’s not sweet though, or cute or romantic.

The narration was great, although I listed to it on 1.2, but that possible just me who likes faster dialogue.

The epilogue didn’t work for me, and I was triggered by the dog so if your trigger is animal welfare then just don’t bother with the epilogue, it’s a bit overkill.

Can’t wait to listen to the next book. Kai’s story.

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LIVE LAUGH LOVE KAI MORI

Don’t like Damon or Michael but will and Kai have me screaming. I was listening to this in the middle of my Spanish class and everyone heard it but it’s fine because it’s devils night 😘🥰

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