She is so out of place. Her hands are shaking and she looks like she’s about to faint. Huge grey eyes keep moving flittingly from the stage to her water. The other two seem to be enjoying the night, but Kristine definitely isn’t.
I reach over and take hold of her hand. I give it a light squeeze. “You survived. The shows are over,” I whisper.
“Barely,” she mumbles back. Her eyes flit between my hand and my eyes. I’m making her nervous.
She’ll be perfect. I can see Warren keeps looking at her. She’s gotten his attention as well, not as much as Riza, whose face he’s bussing sucking. They sound like an Elephant, slurping water. The man can’t kiss to save his own pathetic excuse of a life. He lets her lips go with a wet popping sound. I can see the redhead is struggling to not reach up and wipe her mouth off.
For a brief moment Warren’s eyes meet mine, then Justin’s. “It’s time,” Warren stands up.
Disappointment flashes over Kelly’s features, where she’s been talking to my brother. I can’t help feel sorry for these girls. Such stupid girls.
Warren’s still smiling as he takes out a gun with a silencer attached. I hear Kristine’s gasp and then the wooshing sound it makes through the air, as he smacks Riza against the side of her head. Her body falls to the ground from the force he used. Shock vibrates through me. I’ll never get used to seeing a woman being beaten.
Justin grabs hold of Kelly and covers her mouth before she can scream. I hold Kristine’s hand tighter. She stares at Riza for another shocked moment, then she launches her body forward to get to her unconscious friend. Blood trickles from a gash where the gun connected with Riza’s temple.
“R … Riza!” Kristine manages a gasp filled with terror. “Why did you do that?”
Warren turns the gun on Kristine, a look of irritation on his face. “No!” I jump up and yank Kristine up next to me. “Don’t be stupid. You don’t have to kill anyone. Think of the money. Your father will be pissed. He wants four girls.”
Warren moves his hand so that the gun is pointing directly at my chest. I clear my face of all emotion. I shove Kristine at Warren. “Kill her then. It doesn’t matter to me. We’ll just have to keep looking, because I sure as hell won’t be telling your father why we failed him.”
Kristine is whimpering at Warren’s feet, a total mess of snot and tears. Warren scowls down at her. “She’ll be a turn on for someone who likes the sniveling kind. Silence her before I change my mind.”
I reach for Kristine but she tries to scramble away, in the direction of the injured girl. Before I can take hold of her, Warren’s pointed shoe connects with her ribs. Her mouth opens in a silent scream and more tears fill her eyes. I grab hold of her, one arm around her waist and the other over her mouth.
Warren glances at the waiter standing by the door to the balcony. “Bring this one,” he points to Riza. The waiter rushes to the girl and he throws her limp body over his shoulder. The way he’s carrying her makes the dress ride up, exposing her ass.
I lift Kristine off the ground and follow the waiter. Her hands come up, gripping hold of my arm. Sharp nails dig into my skin. She tries to thrash but she should know it’s useless. She’s no match for me.
Michelle Horst is thirty seven years old and is from the land of milk and honey.
She’s been in love with reading from an early age. She has a passion for other cultures, but she has an ultimate soft spot for nature and animals.
She first tried her hand at writing in early 2009 and as the first words started to form into a book, she knew she was hooked. Dreams spilled onto pages, and that was the beginning of a wonderful journey.
One filled with joy.
One filled with passion and heart stopping moments.
But most of all, it’s filled with such pride and peace as a story comes to life, and characters fill your life, living in the very walls of your mind, living in the minds of your readers. There is nothing as satisfying as that.
Thank you for each and every story you share with me.
“I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It’s undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you’ve paid off your debts.”
Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Being the first born daughter, her life is forfeit to the first born son of the Hawks to pay for sins of ancestors past. The dark ages might have come and gone, but debts never leave. She has no choice in the matter.
She is no longer free.
Jethro Hawk receives Nila as an inheritance present on his twenty-ninth birthday. Her life is his until she’s paid off a debt that’s centuries old. He can do what he likes with her—nothing is out of bounds—she has to obey.
Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.
So this is the final day of the blog tour of the final installment in The Monsters In The Dark Series…”Twisted Together” by Pepper Winters. It has been quite a whirlwind of emotions for me, reading these books, but I have loved every single moment – Miss Winters is one of my all-time favourite authors, and I am thrilled to participate in her tour!
Today, you will find my review, an excerpt from the book, and a fantastic giveaway for you all to enter.
“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything–my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”
Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.
After surviving the darkness, a new dawn has begun. Twisted Together wades through black to grey, chasing the light of true love to banish the shadows forever.
Pain is a requirement, connection a necessity. But ultimately Q and Tess must face their demons, before they can embrace their future.
Complimentary copy given by the author in exchange for an honest review
I have many favorite authors. Each of them has their own, unique voices, of course, and it is particularly true when it concerns Miss Winters. I cannot say that I have a favorite sub-genre when it comes to romance novels, however: I have romantic suspense, love triangles, sweet romance, even a couple of chick lit novels on my book shelf. And let me not forget to add dark romance. And whenever I want something really dark and disturbing to read, I turn to Miss Winters.
I have started writing this review many times since I finished reading the final installment in the Monsters In The Dark Series…I must have deleted my words no less than 5 times because I felt that they were inadequate or because they felt lifeless or hollow. You all know how much I detest spoilers in reviews, but those have been a challenge to avoid this time, actually. I will try, nonetheless, to express my complete love and adoration of “Twisted Together”, and of the entire series in general, in this review.
After having experienced the worst kind of nightmare possible, Tess is back with her beloved Q, and they are trying to find their way back to living the life they want. But all is most definitely not well in Paradise: Tess suffers from horrible nightmares, and she carries a secret – a burden, really – she desperately wants and needs to keep from Q. How is she supposed to find a way back to herself when she no longer craves the same sort of release that Q does? How is she to free herself from the chains her very vivid dreams make her wear, even in the daylight, when she does not know how to do it? And how is she to ask her beloved Q for help when she fears that he will leave her once he learns her secret?
“Love suffocated my heart, stitching me up until I felt mummified with confusion. Bandages upon bandages held me hostage with no way out of the horrible prison I was in.” (Tess)
After everything Tess has endured, Q is trying his best to protect her this time. He, too, feels that he is a failure, after all, and he does not know how to help Tess getting back to her old self – or close to it, anyway. Q senses her lies every single day, and it angers, frustrates and saddens him. And a man as powerful as Q Mercer definitely does not do “helpless”. When he does unveil Tess’ secret, he feels completely crushed…but not for long. He conjures up a plan so frightening that I felt absolutely punched in my stomach when I read this particular scene. I had to take a deep breath as well, but then I could not help but keep reading, of course…
Now, I promised you no spoilers – so this is far as I will take it in terms of the story line. You will just have to read the book yourself.
Seeing Tess so damaged was very emotional for me to read. In the beginning, there are times when her old spark – her temper – shows itself, but it is dim and short-lived. I could feel her agony whenever she lied to Q, and I kept hoping that there would be a way for her to find herself and free her mind from her tormenting voices. But what I admire about her is the fact that, despite her fears, she is willing go through anything in order to stay with Q – he is her entire world, and I really felt her adoration for this intense, brooding, but also funny man.
“I’d been living a lie. A lie where I thought I only loved Q. I didn’t love him. I adored him. I worshipped him. I was alive because of him. Light and colour and effervescent joy gave me the strength to slap away my guilt and embrace what Q just showed me.” (Tess)
And yes, now onto Q…Be still, my beating heart! Reading the chapters told from his point of view was a real treat for me. He is a force all on his own: protector, beast, tender lover, and confidante…I am well aware of the fact that these words do not really seem to blend together that well, but he is all those things. And he is so much more, of course. Experiencing Q’s vulnerabilities made me feel both sadness and elation – the first, because you can truly feel his anguish, and that will tore your soul apart; and the latter because seeing this side of him makes him seem so real and human.
“For the first time in my life I’m vulnerable, all because I fell in love.” (Q)
Q may be a monster, but even monsters deserve and need love – and allow me to add: being protected by the women they adore…Q is no exception to this.
I thought my heart broke when I read “Tears Of Tess” for the first time…but then came book number two, “Quintessentially Q”, and my heart shattered. Again: or so I thought. This final book of the series, “Twisted Together” tore me apart, piece by piece, and there were times when I did not think that I could go on – but, as ever with Miss Winters’ books, I could not help myself: I persevered and I am absolutely thrilled that I did! I felt as if Miss Winters ensnared me with her written words, putting me under a spell…and, although horrific at times, I was really sad when I reached the last page of the book. That is what this author does to me: her words are magical.
“If I had sent you away, my life would’ve remained the same. Empty. Lonely. So then I can’t regret falling for you even though my need for you almost killed you.” (Q)
The journey these characters have gone through has been filled with terror, heartache, and pain – but Miss Winters has also allowed her readers to see the gentler, tender moments Tess and Q share. Yes, this may be a dark romance, filled with drama and terror, but this author also knows how to make me chuckle and laugh. I loved how you continue to see Tess and Q grow – both as a couple, but also separately – and how they, though their hardships, come out stronger than ever. Ultimately, this is a love story, and a very powerful one at that, which is why I give “Twisted Together”, and the entire Monsters InThe Dark series, my highest rating.
“Intertwined, tangled, knotted forever, our souls will always be twisted together, our demons, our monsters belong to the other,
Bow to me, I bow to thee, now we are free”
One final note before I stop: if you are prepared to get your heart torn to pieces, I would definitely recommend this series to any lover of romance. Yes, there are very disturbing scenes, and yes, you may have to take a small break from reading the book once or twice…but I am certain that you will fall for these characters as I have, and I am confident enough to promise you that you will fall under Miss Winters’ spell. If you are skeptical about these statements…Well…just try. And then come back and tell me if I were right or wrong.
I shook my head. I didn’t understand. All I understood was his voice had the power to make me come. The deep tenor vibrated through my heart, sending tiny orgasms exploding in my veins.
I needed to be touched. I needed to be kissed.
Kiss him. Let him know.
Launching upright, I splashed a wave over the tub. Q jerked back, but wasn’t fast enough. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I dragged him down toward me. His hand slipped on the rim, plunging his arms into the water, landing on either side of my body.
His mouth opened to curse, but I swallowed whatever he said. My lips stole his, and the moment I tasted him, I went a little mad.
My core squeezed with delirium, demanding to be filled. My eyes rolled back at the sheer bliss of kissing.
He tasted like freedom and violence and pain.
“Esclave…wait…” Q tried to speak, but he only gave me the opportunity to slink my tongue into his mouth. Joy bounced and fizzed in my heart, demanding more.
I moaned, dragging him closer. My hands dug into his hair, tugging with sharp-laced desire. His mouth opened, either in shock or passion—I didn’t hesitate. I thrust my tongue deeper into his mouth, willingly drowning myself in all things Q.
♥Buy books 1 & 2 in the Monsters in the Dark series♥
“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”
Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.
For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world. But lusty paradise is shattered. Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.
Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold. Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… screwed up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs do make a right.”
Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.
He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.
♥About Pepper♥
Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero the better and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby (who speaks French—hot!) who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She loves to hear from her readers so hit her up at pepperwinters@gmail.com
Today, I am part of the blog tour of “Tortured Soul” (Mercy’s Angels #3) by Kirsty Dallas – a dark romance that made me feel a great range of emotions. Besides my review, you will find a tour wide giveaway for you all to enter as well.
Emily Donovan didn’t know love, she didn’t know gentle and her future wasn’t hers to own. Because HE owned her. There is only so much one soul can take before it is broken beyond repair and she had reached that milestone long ago.
Braiden Montgomery had secrets, secrets that would see a special place in hell reserved just for him. He was trying to make amends, trying to find his own form of redemption when a waif of a girl with jet black hair and pale blue eyes seized his heart.
Emily’s soul had been tortured by men like Braiden, so trusting the dark haired Dom would be one of the most difficult things she would ever do. For a man with skills like Braiden, keeping ‘Em’ safe would be a piece of cake. Bringing her frozen heart back to life might just prove impossible though.
***Third book in the Mercy’s Angels Series. Can be read as a standalone, or in series read order:
Saving Ella – book 1 Fighting Back – book 2 Tortured Soul – book 3***
ARC received by the author in exchange for an honest review
Having just read a couple of great, but lighter romance novels, I needed something slightly darker, and I am happy to say that “Tortured Soul” fulfilled that need.
I was immersed in the story from page one; when we first meet Emily, she is a slave to Jonas Levier, a truly vile and despicable man. I will not call him a “human being” because that is most definitely not the way he behaves. He is sick, twisted, sadistic…Well, I am sure you get my meaning.
Emily has been a slave to Jonas for seven long years, and is actually rather surprised herself for holding on for so long. In the beginning of her captivity, she fought back, of course, but Jonas found a way to break her eventually. She no longer has her own opinions about anything – she does not eat unless allowed by her master, she sleeps when she is told to sleep, and she has no hope whatsoever left in her soul. There was a time when she escaped, but Jonas threatened to kill her sister, Rebecca, if she did not come back to him willingly. Knowing how ruthless this man’s nature is, and that he does not make idle threats, she did what she was told.
Jonas is, however, no longer satisfied with Emily and he has decided to sell her – he relishes her fear of this, but Emily resigns herself to the fate of never becoming free again.
“Someone was in here, but I no longer knew who. The girl inside was broken, damaged beyond repair.” (Emily)
Then enters Braiden Montgomery: he has met Emily before, when she was in hospital after her escape, and has since that day been determined to save her from the clutches of Jonas. A former contract killer, he believes himself to be tainted, soiled and beyond redemption. He now runs a security firm with his cousin, Dillon, and has not seen his family since he removed himself from their “business” years before.
Having succeeded in rescuing Emily, Braiden takes her home to Claremont, the town she wanted to escape as a teenager. To say that Emily cannot adapt would be an understatement: always fearing punishment, she cannot let go of her “slave persona”, and even though it breaks Braiden’s heart seeing her like this, he is not surprised. After all, Emily has been stripped bare, losing herself and her personality in her years of captivity, and she needs extensive help in order to return to society.
From the time Braidem meets Emily, he finds her attractive, and he is repulsed by his lustful thoughts of her. He is a natural dominant, though, and he cannot help being drawn to her submissive nature, so in order to not go too far, Braiden leaves Emily and goes hunting: he wants Jonas’ blood.
Now, as you all know, I do not usually want to give away too many details of the actual storyline in a book, and it is no different with this one.
It should come as no surprise that I have absolutely no first-hand experience with the human trafficking world; having said that, however, I found Emily’s emotions, her loss of self so realistic and believable. I admire her for her strength, her need to keep her sister safe, and her will to survive. I could absolutely understand her confusing feelings towards Braiden, and I had no problems connecting with her. Also, the way we learn about the atrocities Emily went through in her years as a slave made me feel nauseous, and even though I could not put the book down, I almost wanted to take a break from time to time.
And Braiden? Well…wow! Simply…swoon-worthy. He is so gentle with Emily, denying himself to show his true self in order to not hurt her – both mentally and physically – and his feelings of self-loathing are understandable, yet they made me very sad as well. Braiden shows strength, kindness and his attraction to Emily definitely made me smile like a goof: and yes, I also blushed sometimes *wink* Honestly, Braiden now holds a very firm spot on my list of BBF’s.
I could really feel the way these two characters are drawn to each other, and I am not simply referring to the dom/sub pull: no, in different ways, they are both tortured souls who want to find a way out of the dark and into the light, and the way they help one another reaching this goal is very well written.
“I don’t want what other women can give me, Em. I want you, just as you are. Scars, tears, anger, nightmares, fears, I want it all. I need you, Em, and I think you need me, too. I don’t know if now is the right time or not, but I’ll be damned if I can stay away.” (Braiden)
The pacing of the story runs smoothly, and I honestly believe that Miss Dallas excels at showing the reader that although Emily finds freedom, she is not free of her past. No, she has plenty of relapses and suffers from nightmares as well – the traumas Emily suffers from seem to be very realistic, and that is a major factor as to why I give this book such a high rating. Also, the secondary characters provide the reader with some rather funny moments at just the right times – so please do not think that it is all “doom and gloom”.
All in all, I enjoyed this book very much, and I will absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes their romance to be slightly darker than most. Yes, you will cringe and cry while reading this story, but I believe that you will also laugh and sigh happily from time to time.
I’m just a little Aussie girl with a big imagination, so much to write and so little time to do it. When I’m not writing (or reading) I am kept smiling and sane (for the most part) by my 5 year old daughter. She is the light in my world. I have a wonderfully supportive family who keep me completely grounded. Trust me, they will never let any success go to my head!! And I love them for it. I enjoy ice cold ciders, barbeques, music and art. I hate cooking, in fact I think I have major kitchen allergies. My feet rarely grace anything other than flip-flops and even in the middle of a hot Aussie summer, I love my jeans!!! To sum me up in a few words (and you know how hard just a few words is for an author) ~ easy going, laid back, dreamy and passionate.
I hope you all love reading my novels as much as I love writing them.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! And to those of you who do not celebrate it: HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! I hope that you will have a wonderful day with your loved ones.
It has now become my turn to participate in the “Quintessesentially Q” blog tour – in this post, you will find my review, book trailers of both “QQ” and “Tears Of Tess” + there is also a tour wide giveaway.
If you would like to follow the tour, here is the link to do so: http://bit.ly/1huXDNu
“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right.”
Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.
He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.
My Review
ARC received by the author in exchange for an honest review
I do believe that this is only the second time in my (albeit short) career as a book blogger that I have wished that I was able to give a book more than 5 stars. I honestly believe that Pepper Winters has outdone herself with this book.
This is a very difficult review for me to write. Please do not misunderstand me: I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! The difficulty lies in the fact that I hate the language barrier more than usual as I will never be able to do the book justice. But I will do my very best. Further, I will not give a synopsis of the story as such for two reasons:
1) the blurb says so much already, and 2) I fear that I will spoil it for you if I write too much. This also means that my review will be shorter than others I have written, and I hope that you will not be disappointed.
QQ begins just where “Tears Of Tess” left us. Tess has returned to Q of her own free will, but even though Q knows that she says that they belong together, he is still hesitant, constantly afraid of unleashing the sadist within for fear of Tess running away from him.
“You’re worth every fight. Every argument and bump in the road. I’ll fight because I’m falling for you, Q.” (Tess)
His relentless torment is heartbreaking to read and you really FEEL it when you read the chapters written from Q’s viewpoint.
“What monster wanted to capture the blood of the woman he’d given his life to?” (Q)
The couple is not allowed to be together for long, though: Tess is brutally taken from Q, kidnapped by the same barbaric men who stole her in Mexico and this time, they intend to break her completely.
As with the first book in the series, I have only admiration for Tess: she is so strong, willing to fight but so vulnerable at the same time. No human being should go through all the horrible things she is forced to endure and reading certain scenes made me want to throw up – yes, they are that vile, sick and cruel.
As for Quincy Mercer – Q…I hardly know where to begin! This truly is his story. He longs to unleash the beast within and he (literally) craves Tess’ blood – his need to possess her completely and utterly is described in such a way that you cannot help but feel compassion towards him. His search for Tess is relentless, and his guilt for not keeping her safe is palpable: his torment and anguish are heartbreaking. Getting inside this tormented hero’s head, learning his thoughts and fears, is written with such passion, and I now understand Q so much better than before.
The journey these two characters go through is filled with horror, but they do find their way back together. It does, however, take out so much strength of them both and I was biting my nails and almost pulling out my hair while reading all the hardships they both go through.
“You’re my obsession, I’m your possession – You own the deepest part of me – You crawled into the darkness, set my monster free – So scream, bleed, call out to me – But never say stop, never flee.” (Q)
Is this book dark? Yes. Disturbing? Absolutely. Delicious? Oh, there is no doubt about that! Honestly, although I have never read a dark romance as dark as this, it does not bother me one tiny bit. I believe I have previously described this author’s writing as “magical” and QQ truly is a wonderfully raw, painful, yet uplifting book. I am more than thrilled to learn that there will be one more book in the series as I am far from ready to say goodbye to Tess and Q yet. Miss Winters, you have once again written a masterpiece and I applaud you – AGAIN – for giving us such amazingly dark, yet beautiful, characters.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero the better and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby (who speaks French—hot!) who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She loves to hear from her readers so hit her up at pepperwinters@gmail.com
With nerves lodged in my throat, I pulled out ropes, cuffs, bondage of all types.
Tess watched remotely as I piled my arms full of things and headed back to the bed. Placing them on the towel at the foot of the four poster, I looked at Tess. “Tie me up.”
I never thought I’d ever say those words. But I needed her to bind me. I wouldn’t be able to go through with this if she didn’t. I’d run like a fucking coward, or lash out and hurt her.
She picked up the leather cuffs, the buckles clinking. “Where?”
Trying to curb the terror and anger and so many fucking things, I forced myself to sit on the mattress and lie down.
My heart was a fucking crazy thing going a billion miles an hour; I couldn’t look at Tess. I couldn’t look anywhere but at the large canopy above my head. The four posters were sturdy—half a fucking tree sturdy—once she bound me, I wouldn’t be able to get free.
My stomach rolled and I swore I would be sick. Shit. Oh, shit. What the fuck am I doing?
Tess glided closer to the bed, looking like a malnourished ghost. She eyed the cuff, then my limbs. My fists pressed against my thighs, every muscle locked tight.
I hadn’t undressed. The element of having jeans and a T-shirt on was my only armament; I wanted to keep it that way.
I gritted my teeth, spreading my legs for her.
She swallowed and obediently looped the soft leather around my ankle.
Black spots appeared in my vision as she tightened the buckle around the bedpost. She fastened it and I wriggled.
“You need to do it tighter. I can get free.” I hated every word. I wanted to chop out my tongue for being such a traitor, but I wasn’t doing this for me. I was doing this for Tess. To somehow break the barrier she’d fortified. If it took dynamite in the form of making me shatter, then so be it.
Tess nodded, tightening the buckle until it bit into my skin. Heat travelled up my leg, causing me to shiver with helplessness.
Torturing me with fluttering touches and slowness, Tess secured my other ankle before sighing heavily. She looked at me with a thousand wishes in her eyes and no hope. Moving toward the head of the bed, she chose a length of silk rope.
Our eyes never left each other as she bent and captured my hand with hers. The moment her delicate fingers touched my trembling skin, I bucked. My cock roared to life and all I wanted to do was kiss her, fuck her, never let her fucking go again.
She bit her lip, her eyes darkening just a little.
“Embrasse moi!” Kiss me, I demanded, capturing her hand with mine.
We stared so long, so hard, I wondered if I’d die waiting for her to obey. Finally, she bent in half, lowering herself toward me. My legs might be bound, but my arms and torso weren’t. The moment she was in grabbing distance, I wrapped my arms around her, dragging her hard against me.
A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.
“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect. Then it all changed. I was sold.”
Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.
For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.
But lusty paradise is shattered.
Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.
Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.
Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”
Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.
Before you go, be sure to enter the giveaway!
Pepper is offering up (5) eBook copies of Tears of Tess (INTL) and (2) swag packs (INTL) up for grabs. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST 12/30/2013.
You know how much I love Pepper Winters and her writing, and I am so happy to be a part of this cover reveal for the last book in the Monsters In The Dark series, “Twisted Together”! It is, quite simply, absolutely stunning.
I am a part of the tour for #QQ and my review will be up on 24th December.
Be sure to check out the book trailer of #QQ as well.
Enjoy!
We are thrilled to present to you International Best Selling Author Pepper Winters and the Monsters in the Dark series.
DARK AND HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL….IT WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS!!!! ~Lorie, Goodreads
Words CAN.NOT describe what a beautiful, emotional, gut-wrenching, soul-searching kind of read Tears of Tess was for me. ~ Jacqueline’s Reads
Synopsis
“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”
Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.
For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.
But lusty paradise is shattered.
Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.
Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.
Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
Wrenching,emotional,terrifying and triumphant…a dark and suspenseful page turner! ~Jona, Goodreads
I have simply fallen in love with these characters, and their beautifully tragic story. ~Lauren, Goodreads
Synopsis
“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right.”
Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.
“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”
Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.
About the Author
Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex. She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. Her debut book Tears of Tess is followed by Quintessentially Q and Twisted Together. You didn’t think Q could stop so soon, did you? Her other two titles, Last Shadow and Broken Chance will be coming soon.
I hope you are enjoying your Sunday. And what better way to spend it than with an AMAZING book? You all know that I love Pepper Winters and the prequel to #QQ, “Tears Of Tess”, and now you get more! Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.
Enjoy!
Blurb
“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right.”
Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.
“You need me like I need you. I get it,” she murmured.
I ducked and nuzzled her throat, teeth aching to break her skin and lick. “And why is that?” My hand reached to cup her neck, not
squeezing—just a gentle coax, reminding her she was in my power.
Her mouth opened and her body melted against mine. “Because…”
My body burned for her; my ears strained for her answer. “Because…” I licked her lips, begging her to finish her sentence. I had to hear why she cared. It meant the world to me.
I would never have cared about another person loving me before. Now, I needed it more than anything.
Tess kissed me back, whispering into my mouth. “Because you’re my monster in the dark, and I’m yours.”
Purchase Book 1 of the Monsters in the Dark series
Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero the better and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby (who speaks French—hot!) who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She loves to hear from her readers so hit her up at pepperwinters@gmail.com
Now, you didn’t really think the story of Tess & Q was over, did you?
Cover reveal, synopsis & teaser
Quintessentially Q
By
Pepper Winters
Expected release date:
Late 2013
Blurb:
“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right.”
Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.
He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.
Sneak Peak into Quintessentially Q…
Enjoy!
*Prologue*
I thought I would be her nightmare—her terror and darkness. I wanted to be. I needed her more than food or sunlight. Only when she came into my life did I start to live—intoxicated by her taste, screams, and joy.
But our fucked up fairytale didn’t exactly have a happy ending.
Tess.
My Tess.
My esclave—so strong and fierce and sexually feral—wasn’t strong enough for what happened.
Her cage wasn’t me anymore.
It was them.
*Chapter One*
All I could think was—she’s dead. She had to be. All that blood, so bright with a coppery tang, almost sweet.
Her snowy skin was extra frosty, grey-blue eyes closed to me.
Rage and terror strangled as I fell to my knees in the warm puddle of crimson. The whip in my hands was slippery with sweat, and I hurled it away in disgust. I did this. I let myself go and showed my true self. The monster inside ruined the only brightness in my life.
“Tess?” I pulled her into my arms, dragging her cold, lifeless form closer. Blood smeared over us, and her red-welted body oozed with damnation.
“Wake up, esclave,” I growled, hoping an order would force those dove-blue eyes open. No response.
I bent, pressing my cheek against her mouth, waiting endlessly for a small puff of breath, a signal I hadn’t gone too far.
Nothing.
Fear stopped my heart, and all I wanted to do was rewind time. Rewind to a simpler place where I lived with needs and urges, but never let myself believe I could be free. Rewind to the day when Tess arrived, and I promptly sent her back to her silly boyfriend Brax. At least if I did, she would be safe and my life wouldn’t have ended.
At least then, Tess would be alive.
My demons killed her.
I killed her.
I threw my head back and howled.
***
“Q. Q!”
Something sharp bit my shoulder and I flinched. Rolling away, I tried to ignore the call. I deserved to stay in this endless hell. The hell I created for killing the one woman who stole my life and showed me an emotion I never dared dream for: love.
My cheek smarted as if someone slapped me, blazing through the darkness with a bite of pain.
Eyes snapped open to a wild-eyed, blonde goddess on top of me. The debilitating terror wouldn’t leave, even though she was alive, and glaring at me with passion I grew to know so well.
“What the hell, Q. That’s the third time this week. You going to tell me what you’re dreaming about to warrant howling like a werewolf?” Tess pinned my shoulders to the mattress and I couldn’t stop muscles from tensing. I liked her on top, but didn’t like her holding me as if she was in control. It wasn’t how I worked.
“None of your business.” I rolled, grabbing her hips to pin her beneath me. I risked a small smile. With her under me, my world righted again. I ran hands over her waist, up her throat, to her lips. Her breath fluttered, coming faster and the rest of my panic receded.
A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.
“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect. Then it all changed. I was sold.”
Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.
For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.
But lusty paradise is shattered.
Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.
Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.
Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
Warning: If you do not enjoy reading somewhat dark romance/erotica, this book is not for you. However, if you have not read these types of books before, and you are curious about them, I HIGHLY recommend reading Tears Of Tess!
My review
As I think the blurb gives a good introduction to the story, I won’t add so much to it.
When I finished the book, I had to wait a bit before starting this review…I needed to gather my thoughts as they were running amok in my mind!
First of all, I LOVED THE BOOK! I loved our heroine, Tess, right from the beginning: she is passionate, strong, yet vulnerable because of her situation, and instead of breaking down, she never stops fighting. I liked the fact that she seemed so real: I mean, which 20-year-old woman would not be confused about her dark, sexual urges? Especially seeing as her very sweet boyfriend seems to not understand or share them? No wonder her self-confidence is in tatters! You sense her discontent in her relationship from the beginning:
“I wanted a new label. One that said: girlfriend who will do anything to
be tied, spanked, and fucked all over rather than adored.”
But because of her background, she thinks these thoughts are abnormal, twisted, sick. My heart literally broke for Tess in the beginning and I wanted to comfort her (well, if she was a real person, of course! 😉)
The whole scene when Tess is taken and abused by her captors made me quite nauseous – the author described everything in such vivid detail it, it almost felt as if you were there! This is when we first get to see how strong Tess really is, and she only gets stronger and stronger as the story unfolds. She refuses to be a victim:
“What did they see when they looked at me?
A feral woman who signed her own death sentence,
or a fierce warrior who saved herself from rape?”
I very much enjoyed Tess’ journey of finding out who she really is – the pace of the story is just right, it never seems forced, just happens gradually…A big plus in my world. I liked the fact that it was not until you reach 50% of the book that you start to see how Tess’ feelings really start to change toward her captor:
“In that moment, in my fragile and broken state,
my feelings for Q changed. He morphed from monster to saviour.
He did what Brax hadn’t done in Mexico: he found me, killed for me.
He rescued me from horror and protected me from the bastards who hurt.
Q was no longer the devil.
He was my master and I belonged to him.”
Now, let me introduce you to our VERY anti-hero: Q Mercer…*sigh* It feels completely wrong to be swooning over a character such as his, but that’s Miss Winters’ force: her way with words captivates you, and her descriptions of certain situations are almost magical: they make you want to believe everything will turn out alright. But I am getting a bit ahead of myself here.
When we first see Q:
“A man in a grey chequered suit, complete with black shirt,
silver tie, and short dark hair watched from the landing. […]
Everything about him screamed ruthlessness and power.
He held himself proud and regal as if this was his castle
and I was his latest subject.”
Sinister, right?
Well, the complexities of Q are many and as you read the book, you will feel many things about this character. Q is dominant, mysterious, yet compassionate and vulnerable in his own way. The author does a fantastic job of keeping you interested in him, you yearn, like Tess does, to get to know him properly. He is quite the mystery. And I have to say that the songs the author has written herself – both in English and in French – are a big factor as to why I ended up actually loving him as much as Tess even though it, many times, felt so wrong to do so:
“He froze, nostrils flaring. We stood, silently glaring,
before he fisted my hair. “You don’t know anything, esclave.
I want this. I’ve wanted this for too damn long, and you’re wrong that it hurts.”
Chest strained in his immaculate suit as he leaned in, kissing the shell of my ear. He whispered,
“I’m not afraid of hurting you. I’m afraid of how far I’m willing to go.””
I am trying really hard not to give too much away about the story in this review, because I feel you have to read the book yourself and make up your own mind about it. I know that many probably won’t agree with my feelings…But that’s the beauty about books: you’re allowed to feel and think exactly what you want! And although the ending leaves the reader very satisfied, you’ll miss the characters immediately and instantly hope for more.
My last comment will be this: I absolutely love the fact that the epilogue is written in Q’s point of view! You truly end up getting to know him and his reactions to many things – thus, somehow getting to understand him. That’s what makes the story even more incredible to me: ending up loving a character you probably should not…Therein lies the power of Miss Winters’ storytelling.
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