Showing posts with label Captive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Captive. Show all posts

Series Review // Ransom by A.T. Douglas

February 05, 2024


Hello and Happy Monday!

Sorry I disappeared for a few days and not sharing my regular posts. However, I did make an effort to appear on pages and blogs to read your posts and leave comments if I could. My anxiety got really bad and when I feel overwhelmed like that, I step away from everything I can to give myself a chance to sort of reboot. I only needed a week this time, but I'm back!

Today's flashback is the Ransom series by A.T. Douglas. I read and reviewed these books back in 2015, in my early romance reading days, and I remember enjoying it. It's dark with a captive/captor theme, so if that's not your type of read, this won't be a recommendation for you. If it is your jam, have you given these books a try?


1. Beyond Ransom


My body is broken.

My life is shattered.

Everything I've ever known is gone from me, yet I've discovered something beautiful.

I didn't expect to be taken. I never dreamed that love would find me while my life was slowly stripped away. With him something new and alive stirs within me, and I am completely changed.

Though battered and broken-down, I'm not alone. The most unlikely man protects me and gives me strength.

I will survive this for him. I will find a way to save us both.

While they hold me, he holds my heart, and I'm not willing to pay the price to get it back.

Rating -

After reading the blurb, I honestly thought this book/series would be great. Not so much. The plot was hella interesting, but there was a real disconnect between logic and reality.

What I liked:
- Mark. Yeah, he's the bad guy. But he was the most consistent person in the book. He was also the most interesting. I really wanted to get to know him, especially after he revealed his motives for kidnapping Morgan
- The concept. I always find time to read a good dark book and it doesn't get darker than a captive book (i.e. Captive in the Dark -- so good!)
- Leo. His story is going to be amazing I'm sure, considering the big reveal of Mark's behind the death of his family

What I didn't like:
- Morgan. This chick was TSTL!! Usually I chalk it up to the fact of young age (her being 18 and all), but unfortunately, in her case, I can't. She's the daughter of a famous police detective. She's shown evidence (many times) that her father taught her well (she seems to know guns inside and out). She reminds of almost every other teenager out there who wants to grow up before it's time and plays grown up. Without any real concept of what being an adult really means. So I conclude that she's an idiot. My proof? You need more??? Well, at the 86% mark, she gives a lengthy monologue of how proud of herself she is to be a valuable member of Mark's crew. How everyone respects her for the great job she's doing. Am I the only one that could see that her "job" was as a distracting bimbo? Qualifications: empty space in your head. Skills: pretty to look at, ability to fill out hooker dress, know how to twirl hair around finger, be able to hold an empty stare, etc. This girl is a freaking idiot and there is not one quality of hers that is redeeming. She is unlikable, unappealing, and absolutely nothing she did was endearing. I have no connection to her and actually felt vindicated every time Mark roughed her up. I'm just saying *shrugs*

- time passes but there really isn't anything to show for it. It's casually mentioned, almost as an afterthought
- how unrealistic this story is. Let's be honest here. If this were "life-like", Morgan would have been brutally raped and/or murdered already. She has no means of escape. None. This has been established. But then she provokes the one person who holds her life in his hands??? More proof of how TSTL she really is. Oh, and then she trusts and immediately falls in love with one of her captors. I'm not saying Leo's not a great guy, but when given the chance to save herself from Mark's clutches, she chooses to stay for Leo. I know that choice needed to be made to even have a story, but it wasn't reasonable. Who would choose uncertain death and certain pain over family and safety???


So overall, a decent story, and because I want to see more of Leo and Mark, I will be reading book 2.


2. Beyond Revenge


We made a decision.

We had a plan.

We were so close to having it all, then it was snatched away before our eyes.

Our bodies and minds are pushed to the brink of destruction. We wither away into darkness with more to lose than ever, but we are strengthened by our love and hold on to hope. It’s all we have left in the devastating chasm between us.

We keep reaching and holding on, striving to overcome the power of vengeance.

We will find a way.

Rating -

Well I'm glad that evil didn't prosper in this book. That would have been terrible. But I must say that Mark gave me a lot of interesting parts to read. Again, he was the most interesting character. Leo made a wonderful appearance as well and I'm glad the author chose to change this into a dual pov installment. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it quite as much if it weren't for Leo's perspective. Why? Because I still just couldn't find a reason to like Morgan. I was so tired of seeing her, hearing her, reading her, etc. Truth be told, she's the reason this book lost two stars.

I must admit to a bit of confusion on my part. The book ends without any update on what's going on with Morgan's father. Am I really supposed to be invested in their HFN with this unresolved? They seemed a bit too carefree in the end, she keeps saying "We're free", but her dad was locked up last I heard. And you're living in hiding. Who the freak is free???

Now, maybe I'm a bit too optimistic, but I hope the confusion is cleared up with the next installment. Although, with the blurb and reviews I've seen, it doesn't seem that promising :(


3. Beyond Resistance


My family has suffered and sacrificed for me my entire life.

It's time for me to give back to them.

Over twenty years have passed since the events that both created and almost destroyed my family. We've been in hiding, secluded from the world for all these years, but that's about to change.

It's time to emerge and bring the rest of my family back to us after being separated for so long. It’s time for me to step beyond what’s safe to find something worth living for.

Or someone.

The danger we face is worth it. We'll risk everything to be together, because it's impossible to resist the power of family and love.

Rating -

I tried. I honestly really tried. I tried to give this book a chance. A real and fair chance. I just couldn't. I'm going to be honest even further and tell you that I skimmed through this sucker like crazy. Why? Because nothing, and I mean nothing, about it grabbed my attention long enough for me to actually pay attention. I get it. Dante is a big boy now, wanting to reunite his family. Mission accomplished. But the family is still in hiding. Maybe not on the run, but they have aliases. That is NOT living free people!

Here's why I can't complete connect with this story: why, of all the crimes and criminals in the United States of America, were these people the most notorious? A lot of serial killers don't even get that much attention. So again, what about them was supposed to convince me that the entire nation was on the lookout? What about them would have the entire nation in an uproar? I'm just not buying it and therefore I couldn't even believe in the unbelievable, because it was too unbelievable.


Again, keep in mind I read this years ago and gave each book 3 stars.
After re-reading my reviews, I'm not entirely sure why, but I trust 2015 Natalie enough to go with it.

Series Review // The Beast by Jaden Wilkes

January 15, 2024

The Beast series by Jaden Wilkes

Today's flashback is The Beast series by Jaden Wilkes. I read these books many years ago and each book made the series better and better. Per the author: This is not a fairy tale, this is what happens when the music ends and life goes on after the credits roll. This is about simply existing until you find yourself and write your own happily ever after, no matter what form it takes.


1. The Beast


Dimitri Sokolov is a man scarred, physically and emotionally. From the rough streets of Moscow to the highest ranks in the Solntsevskaya Bratva, he has seen it all.

An attack four years ago left him disfigured and in seclusion, hiding from reactions to his appearance and in safety from those who failed to kill him the first time.

Comfortable in his penthouse, managing his billion dollar businesses, he's resigned himself to be alone, simply called The Beast among those who've dealt with him in the past.

Columbia Grey is a pseudo-activist trying to save her neighbourhood from a developer intent on levelling it to build apartment towers. She goes along with a plan to confront the CEO of the company on his own turf, to force him to listen to her demands...all in a pathetic attempt to impress a man she barely likes.

Little does she know, she's taken herself into the mouth of the beast, a man familiar with death and destruction, sex and seduction, a man used to getting exactly what he wants and a man with nothing left to lose.

She's a beauty, but will that be enough to tame the beast and save her life?

Rating -

This is the first book I've read from Jaden Wilkes and I thoroughly enjoyed it's dark and twisted theme. She surely drew my mind into a nightmare. This book does touch on some BDSM but more on the S & M side.

Unfortunately I suffered a disconnect from the characters. I'm not sure what I was looking for but by the end I hadn't found it. It was hard to like Columbia. I couldn't really get into her head although half the story is told from her POV. And she truly pissed me off at one point. When Dimitri was trying to get her to submit she kept begging to go home. Internally she wanted to get back to her life. What life? Wasn't she molested by her dad/step-dad for over a decade? I get she wanted to protect her sister, but when Dimitri offered to kill him, she wasn't exactly screaming "YES PLEASE!!" So yeah, she didn't exactly float my boat. I'm hoping for better from her in the next book, especially because of that epilogue.

I actually really liked Dimitri. He's the sole reason this book gets 3 stars. He was dark, twisted, disfigured, vengeful, a killer, a wee bit insane, etc. Everything I want in a dark hero. He's not a good guy and he's not sorry about it. However, I do think he's the perfect match for Columbia. What he's gone through is excruciating, from childhood to now, and I like that he's finally able to grab a slice of happy with her.

I'm off to read book 2 and hopefully find what was missing in this one.


2. Perfectly Normal


Take a girl like Columbia, put her in a vastly different life with a man unlike anyone she's ever known. Throw in Dimitri's nightmares, the Concierge's disdain for Dimitri's new house guest and a few hundred people looking high and low for the both of them...and it makes for a very interesting read.

Picking up at the end of the last chapter, this novel covers the time until the two leave Hong Kong, before the epilogue of the first bestselling novel in this series, The Beast.

Two twisted and imperfect beings must adjust to their new lives together while avoiding detection from authorities and an international crime ring.

Rating -

I just love when the heroine of the story gets a backbone. In this installment, Columbia is determined to learn what it takes to be a part of Dimitri's life, including how to kill.

This book had all the excitement and action I was missing in the first one. I really liked it. I got a little bothered by how lovey dovey Dimi and Col were, but it was still sweet lol. Dimitri is still my favourite character, however, Columbia has definitely come into her own and has endeared herself to me. I'm not quite as annoyed by her as I was in the previous book. Nico's new role, or rather no longer hidden role, was intriguing, however, I'm not a fan of threesomes. I am a firm believer in one man for one woman and vice versa. It may be old fashioned but I am crazy possessive and have no intention of sharing or being shared. Maybe it's part of my older sibling syndrome. Who knows. But that was the only big issue I had with this book. It was hot as f*ck but not my cup of tea. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, so that's a plus. And I'm still interested in finding out more about the mysterious Nico.

I'm really curious about who this Ioana character is and how she ties in with Columbia and Dimitri. I'm sure it's going to be one fun adventure in book 3.


3. Little Dove


How can you ever hope to find normal when your life is anything but?

Determined to make amends for his past, and show Columbia he truly is a changed man, Dimitri sets out to right wrongs and decimate those who bring nothing but sorrow to the world.

Something goes wrong and Columbia is taken, spirited away into the underground world of sex trafficking and international crime syndicates.

Dimitri must fight his way across the Europe to find her and bring her home. He would rather see the world burn than live without her in it.

He will tear the world apart looking for his little dove.

This is a tragic story exploring the consequences of daring to love in the midst of chaos and terror.

Rating -

HOLY FREAKING SH*T!! This was the BEST book out of the entire series!!

This book had everything I was looking for from the previous books. EVERYTHING!!

Torture. Killing. Fighting. Dubious consent (although there was absolutely no doubt that most people would not be consenting to the madness!). Love. Devotion. Loyalty. More killing. More torture. Mercenaries. New alliances. Rocket launchers. New friendships. Just wonderful wonderful wonderful things.

I actually loved Columbia (finally!) in this book. She was freaking amazing. Girl could hold her own in a male dominated ?industry? Not sure what you would call it, but she did her thang. She still got a little too stuck in her head, but overall her character was stellar!

Dimitri. Dimi. Frig I loved this dude. All things Dimi were amazing as usual. His madness. His torture schemes. His freaking love, loyalty and devotion were off the freaking charts. This man could do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. I want a Dimitri in my life too dammit!

Honestly, I could list point for point why this book was incredible but I'm not going to ruin the plot for anyone. And I'm not going to take away from Jaden Wilkes' profits. She did an awesome job with writing this story and you need to do yourself a favour and freaking read it!

Review // A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

September 30, 2022

A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

Part of him wanted to eat her, the desire to eat humans ever present inside him, but another part of him had wanted to find and protect her.

────── ♔ ──────

A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne


Standalone - Duskwalker Brides #1
Release - June 16, 2022
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 5 out of 5 / think alien parts people!
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 542 pages
Publisher - Indie

All Reia ever wanted was freedom.

Known as a harbinger of bad omens and blamed for Demons eating her family, Reia is shunned by her entire village. When the next offering is due and the monstrous Duskwalker is seen heading their way, her village offers her an impossible choice – be thrown into the prison cells or allow herself to be sacrificed to a faceless monster.

However, he is not what he seems. His skull face and glow eyes are ethereal, and she finds herself unwittingly enchanted by him.

All Orpheus ever wanted was a companion.

Each decade, in exchange for a protection ward from the Demons that terrorise the world, Orpheus takes a human offering to the Veil – the place he lives and the home of Demons. The brief companionship does little to ease his loneliness, and their lives were always, unfortunately, cut short.

He'd thought it was a hopeless endeavour, until he met her. She’s not afraid of him, and his insatiable desire deepens within every moment of her presence.

But will Orpheus be able to convince Reia to stay before she’s lost to him forever?

My Two Cents

4 "The Beast is Beastly" stars

Honestly, I didn't want to like this story as much as I did. I kept thinking to myself 'but he's a monster'. I kept having to remind myself that he wasn't human because he was chockfull of humanity. For a monster, he was more human than most of the humans. And Reia was the perfect person to shine a light on how amazing he was!

The author did an incredible job of bringing this mythical land to life. From the atmosphere, the weather, the demons, the beings, the everything. It was written extremely well. And it was hard to avoid liking the characters, especially the sweetness of Orpheus. He was magical!

It's not fair that he's so sweet.

I liked the idea of how this story paralleled Beauty & the Beast, without the beast changing to human. Orpheus remains Orpheus right to the end. And while I personally wouldn't be falling in love or having sex with him, he was lucky enough to find a human who could see him for who he truly was.

Who better to relate to his feelings of loneliness and not quite belonging than Reia? She knew what it was like to be ostracized and shunned, and for the first time, with a monster no less, she was offered acceptance and a home.

"In order to become my bride, you must gift me something. No human ever has, and I am beginning to doubt they ever will. You will be no different."

While I didn't like when Reia would manipulate Orpheus, considering how nice and forgiving he was, I liked her for the most part. Orpheus, however, was the character I loved. The monster. Go figure.

When I started this book, I didn't realize that it was the first in a series, and after meeting and learning about Orpheus and where his kind comes from, I'm strangely fascinated to learn more.

About the Author

Opal Reyne is an Australian Author who has been a fan of the Adult Paranormal Romance genre from the moment she picked up a book of it - and has never looked back.

She loves everything spicy, smutty,and everything boarder-line monster loving. She started writing because of her love of the written word, and because she wanted to build a diverse world of mythological creatures, while also showing the beauty of all ethnicities of humanity. She thrives to produce a plot driven, character developing book while sprinkling in enchanting imagery.

-Duskwalker Brides a series that features a very real monster who never turns into a handsome prince.

-Witch Bound is a series of Dragon-shifter males falling for their species enemies, Witches!

-She currently has a completed series called 'A Pirate Romance duology'.

Review // The Heart of a Villain by V.F. Mason

September 23, 2022

The Heart of a Villain by V.F. Mason

My heart, if it exists, is no longer my own, as it cares about her well-being more than my revenge, common sense, and the vow to my mother.
It belongs to her.
And I will do anything to protect her.
Even if it means letting her go so she won't be caught in the crossfire between me and her father.

────── ♔ ──────

The Heart of a Villain by V.F. Mason

The Heart of a Villain by V.F. Mason


Beauty and the Villain Duet #2
Release - September 23, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / captive / age gap / vengeance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / several descriptive scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by Give Me Books PR
Length - 419 pages
Publisher - Indie

What happens when a Villain falls for the one woman he shouldn't...
Does love break the curse and change everything?
Or will it destroy them both?

My Two Cents

4 "More than they bargained for" stars

The Heart of a Villain gave me so much of what I was looking forward to in the conclusion of this duet!

➤ Rush and his backstory will break your heart
➤ redemption arc
➤ a HUGE twist that I DID NOT expect
➤ swimming in the darkness and depravity of vengeance

Finding out the truth was a painful journey for everyone in this book. I really enjoyed actually getting to know these characters and what made them tick. I even started to see Rush in a whole new light. This man deserved every bit of happiness he could get!

I still didn't like Aileen. I'm sorry, but she drove me nuts. Finally admitting how much she cared for Rush, even allowing herself to understand she loved him, she still had him jumping through hoops to prove his own love and devotion to her.

Is it wrong that I derived great satisfaction when her delusions of superiority were crushed?

"You might be smart, but you're eighteen and have zero experience in life."
Our gazes clash, and I shrink inwardly at the complete hollowness and coldness of his green orbs.
"So, no offense, darling, but if I needed a professional opinion, I'd go to the best of the best."


She was just so silly. She would wax on about her 'professional knowledge'. What professional knowledge? Where do you practice? Who are your clients/patients? Stop. This.

The true villain of this story got what he deserved, there were new beginnings and healing happening for the people that mattered, and love truly did conquer all.

My review of book 1, Beauty and the Villain

About the Author

V.F. Mason always loved reading books and had quite a few fights with her mama over the genre she liked (romance, duh!) She studied filmmaking and thought that would feed her desire for stories, but that didn't happen.

Finally, when she was tired of all those voices in her head, she sat down and wrote a book. It was a huge decision to make and she thanks her friends and family for supporting her in it.

When she is not writing, she can be found with her friends doing all sorts of crazy things or reading recent romance books that were written by her favorite authors.

Visit http://www.vfmason.com for more information

Review // Beauty and the Villain by V.F. Mason

September 12, 2022

Beauty and the Villain by V.F. Mason

A man entered my life like a powerful storm, rocking my usual existence and turning the world on its axis, dumping me into a blazing ocean that has introduced me to a heat and fire I never knew before.

────── ♔ ──────


Beauty and the Villain by V.F. Mason

Beauty and the Villain by V.F. Mason


Beauty and the Villain Duet #1
Release - September 16, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / captive / vengeance / age gap
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / a few descriptive scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by Give Me Books PR
Length - 323 pages
Publisher - Indie

Once upon a time I had it all.
I thrived in all the power and luxury this world had to offer.
Until I found out the hideous truth.
When a man I considered a friend betrayed me in the worst possible way.

The scars on my body burned anew every single day as I only craved one thing.
Revenge.
And to execute it I had to strike him where it would hurt the most.
His family.

I patiently waited in the shadows for more than a decade for his beloved daughter to grow up.
Unaware that a villain was ready to steal her far, far away.

I used to be a prince once.
But a certain underworld king destroyed my life.
The price for his betrayal is his daughter: the princess of the dark castle.

My Two Cents

3.5 "All is not what it seems" stars

Beauty and the Villain seems like a cross between a redemption and a revenge plot and it grabbed me by the throat right from the beginning.

Rush is the dark prince who is willing to do anything and everything for the vengeance that burns through him. His life was ripped apart and the man who ruined everything doesn't get to live his life untouched. What better way to make him suffer than to take his daughter and do... whatever he wants?

Aileen is the young woman who doesn't have a clue of the reality she lives in. She doesn't really know her father, her family, herself. That doesn't stop her from defending them with everything she's got. It doesn't stop her from fighting against the kernels of truth to what Rush reveals. All she knows is that she's his captive and she has to find a way to escape this villain.

I'm loving the mystique surrounding Rush and his castle on an island. What really happened? How did he become obsessed with revenge? What exactly was done to him and his family? And will his newfound heart have the power to save him? Save Aileen?

Book two can't come fast enough. I just hope Aileen finds some sense in the meantime! She's too focused on thinking she knows everything already, despite evidence to the contrary, typical to the newly adult, and I can only hope that she learns something from the suffering she receives.

About the Author

V.F.Mason always loved reading books and had quite a few fights with her mama over the genre she liked (romance, duh!) She studied filmmaking and thought that would feed her desire for stories, but that didn't happen.

Finally, when she was tired of all those voices in her head, she sat down and wrote a book. It was a huge decision to make and she thanks her friends and family for supporting her in it.

When she is not writing, she can be found with her friends doing all sorts of crazy things or reading recent romance books that were written by her favorite authors.

Visit http://www.vfmason.com for more information

Review // Stolen by the Warlord by V.K. Ludwig

September 05, 2022

Stolen by the Warlord by V.K. Ludwig

With Toagi, my heart and purpose were in harmony.
With him, I could be a bridge between worlds, yes, but one with hopes, dreams... love

────── ♔ ──────


Stolen by the Warlord by V.K. Ludwig

Stolen by the Warlord by V.K. Ludwig


Standalone - Ash Planet Warriors #1
Release - June 24, 2021
Genre - Scifi Romance / captive / mating
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / a few scenes that vary from descriptive to filthy
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 254 pages
Publisher - Ink Heart Publishing

I stole her soul… now I will fill her womb.

The leaders of Solgad call me a rebel. They banished my tribe to the drought-cracked plains, denying me what is mine by right—the title of warlord and a place among those who wield power.

But not much longer.

To save those under my protection, I steal an Earth woman away from her betrothed. With a sting of my tailclaw between her ribs, I force a soulbond on Ceangal, ruining her for all males to come. Once I put my child in her belly, her influential father has no choice but to support my claim.

With my tribe at the brink of collapse, the female’s reluctance toward me means nothing. I stole her soul, yes, but she will surrender her body. Come her next heat, she will beg me to fill her with what only I can give.

It may save my tribe.
Or destroy us both.

Stolen by the Warlord is a full-length novel, and the first book in the Sci-Fi Romance series Ash Planet Warriors. While this is a spin-off to Garrison Earth, taking place 20 years after the invasion, the series can be read on its own.

stolen by the warlord 1

I stole her soul.

stolen by the warlord 2

I will win her heart.

stolen by the warlord 3

Or die trying.


My Two Cents

4.25 "Love heals all" stars

The cover... ridiculous.
The blurb... not worthy of this story.
This book... so much better than I could have expected!

Toagi was seen as a rebel warlord, his rightful claim deemed unsubstantiated, and he was treated as scum. All he wanted was to protect his people, ALL of his people, and his tribe needed help. To solve his problem, he stole the intended bride of another warlord, a woman of power, bonded her, determined to make things right. He didn't intend to fall for her.

Her anxiety. Her doubt. Her anger. I felt it stronger than anything else before. Because I'd exposed the pains of her soul.

For her part, Ceangal didn't go quietly into the good night. She was smart and despite some early misconceptions based on rumors and not fact, she came to see that Toagi was so much more than people made him out to be. She discovered that he was honorable, loyal, intelligent, and probably the best male she'd ever known.

He would take my mate from me, the only male where my dreams went hand in hand with my duties. The rebel who'd stolen my soul and conquered my heart. The bastard who might have been nobody to many, but he was somebody special to me. And I would lose him if I didn't claim my own damn life, and become what I was always destined to be.
A bridge.
Not between worlds.
Between warlords.

I adored this story. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the underlying tension of the warlords and the world they inhabit, basically everything. Honestly, the only reason I didn't give this five stars was due to the fact that a lot of words from an alien language were used without definition. I had to try to work out the meanings myself, which was a bit tiresome. Other than that, this book was perfection for me and if you're someone who loves alien romance with plenty of heart and substance, you'll love this!

About the Author

If I could introduce myself the way Daenerys Targaryen does, then it would probably sound like this:

mother of two children and the Clan of the Woodlands series,

drinker of two cups of coffee a day,

admirer of the Whippet and the Thoroughbred,

breaker of every single diet after two weeks,

loser of important ID’s,

caretaker of eleven hens,

minder of my own business and

lover of forests and mountains.

Visit http://www.vkludwig.com for more information

Review // Queen of Rot & Pain by Liv Zander

July 01, 2022

Queen of Rot & Pain by Liv Zander

Suffering the pain of flesh is my duty; protecting you from it is my vow.

────── ♔ ──────


Queen of Rot & Pain by Liv Zander

Queen of Rot & Pain by Liv Zander


The Pale Court Duet #2
Release - June 23, 2022
Genre - Dark Fantasy Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / several explicit scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 274 pages
Publisher - Ink Heart Publishing


Worse than a god in rage... is a god in love.

I punish lies and deceit,
An eternal damnation of agony and pain.
Yet, when it is my wife whose deception plagues me,
I know what I must do.

Shackle her soul to the lying, cold corpse that she is,
Ensuring that she never escapes me.
My wrath,
My torture,
My pain,
And my pleasure.

I am the King of Flesh and Bone,
Every part of her I possess and own.
She is mine,
Death shall never do us part.

Welcome home, my queen.

My Two Cents

5 "Not even death can end us" stars

With the way the first book ended, I had no idea what was going to happen in this one. I could assume a lot, such as the fact that Ada dies and Enosh finally gets to keep her with him for eternity. But that's not what I wanted. I wished for them to fall in love, for her to gain immortality somehow, for a happy ending.

And honestly... I got everything I wanted and so much more!

Ada was dead, but no matter how cold she got, it never stopped their heat. Enosh was very creative in his ways of punishing her for what he believed was her betrayal and, through this horrific journey, Ada grew into a woman who deserved to stand by his side. He was a god after all.

I loved Ada. Loved her like I had never before, with no precaution over the pain it had already caused me, nor the pain that was certainly yet to come. I loved her with a ferocity that was not safe for me or her. Certainly not for this world.

The death had a life of its own in this book. The magic of the way Enosh wove flesh and bone into clothing, furniture, animals, etc... I'm truly awed by the way this author illustrated this strange world with her words. And the terrifying beauty that was created for Ada and Enosh was ugly and sexy and painful and real. So freaking real.

About the Author

Liv has an unhealthy love for sexy villains. To cure herself of her poor choice in men, she's currently undergoing therapy, but who can afford that these days? To fund her co-pays, she's writing deliciously dark fantasy romance about the men who would burn the world to the ground for their women. Is that counter-productive? Probably, but it's also a lot of fun.

When she's not joking around, she can be found procrastinating in her office with a mug of coffee or a glass of wine (depending on time of day and how miserable the writing is going). Oh, she also loves skulls. And ravens. And skulls.

Visit http://livzander.com for more information

Review // King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander

June 29, 2022

King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander

Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone. Never my whore, forever my woman.

────── ♔ ──────


King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander

King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander


The Pale Court Duet #1
Release - April 21, 2022
Genre - Dark Fantasy Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4.5 out of 5 / several explicit scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 258 pages
Publisher - Ink Heart Publishing


Worse than a ruthless king... is a king obsessed.

Isolation, darkness, and rotting flesh,
Surrounds me, suffocates me,
But I am the vile ruler who controls it all.

I long for warmth,
Yet, all that I touch,
Is cold.

Then, she stumbles in to my domain,
Lost and frightened,
Alone and confused.

And I terrify her even more.

She calls me the devil,
So I show her pleasure,
Like only the devil can.

I am the heat that stirs her flesh,
The longing that trembles her bone.

She begs her body to refuse,
To escape my embrace,
But I am her master,
The puppeteer of passion.
I am the King of Flesh and Bone.

Welcome to my court, little one.

King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander

My Two Cents

4 "Devotion for eternity" stars

Can you imagine being so used to the walking dead that it becomes commonplace?
Imagine bodies clawing themselves out of their graves and wandering around aimlessly?
And this is normal???

That's just a glimpse of the surreal world created for this story.

➼ corpses don't rot, so they end up walking around
➼ babies born on the full moon are likely to be born dead
➼ everyone knows that the King of Flesh and Bone is the one responsible for this life
➼ old-fashioned misogyny and religion keep a good woman down
➼ a gothic and eerie feel to everything
➼ new-to-me author blew me away!!

Did I find it icky? Ummm... yeah. Enosh was the god of all flesh and bone. His palace was built with bones, he created clothes out of skin, he didn't do his duty of rotting the dead, and it was all a bit gross. But also oddly intriguing. I couldn't get enough of it. And for all her denials, neither could Ada.

Giving him a broken heart didn't hurt because I love a damaged hero (or anti-hero) and made for some interesting tension between him and Ada. She did everything to resist the irresistible and I lived for their every interaction.

And when the danger came, as it inevitably would, I was loving that too. Those torture scenes were fantastic!

I have no idea what the next book will bring, but I do have some blind requests, such as Ada being granted immortality, that she falls in real love with Enosh, and that somehow, amidst the death and rot and yuck, these two get a happy ending.

Luckily I've already got book two loaded up so I'm off.

About the Author

Liv has an unhealthy love for sexy villains. To cure herself of her poor choice in men, she's currently undergoing therapy, but who can afford that these days? To fund her co-pays, she's writing deliciously dark fantasy romance about the men who would burn the world to the ground for their women. Is that counter-productive? Probably, but it's also a lot of fun.

When she's not joking around, she can be found procrastinating in her office with a mug of coffee or a glass of wine (depending on time of day and how miserable the writing is going). Oh, she also loves skulls. And ravens. And skulls.

Visit http://livzander.com for more information