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A Dark Billionaire Romance
How far would you go to save someone you love? Would you give up your body? Your mind? Your heart?
I did and it cost me everything.
He says he owns me. And it’s true.
I’ve signed over complete control of my body and life for six months to a man I don’t know. Five years he’s been planning this. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But my blackmailer serves it up white hot. He’s addicted to my innocence, and I’m addicted to him.
He likes to hurt me. I love to let him. He brings me to life. He sets me free. He makes my heart feel things it shouldn’t.
But he also scares me. He holds the fate of my brother’s life in his hands. A life behind bars for crimes I know he didn’t commit. My blackmailer can’t give up his revenge on my family, and I can’t be with him if he doesn’t. But I’m nothing more than a butterfly caught in his net. Do I really have a choice?
How far would you go to save someone you love? Would you give up your body? Your mind? Your heart?
I did and it cost me everything.
He says he owns me. And it’s true.
I’ve signed over complete control of my body and life for six months to a man I don’t know. Five years he’s been planning this. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But my blackmailer serves it up white hot. He’s addicted to my innocence, and I’m addicted to him.
He likes to hurt me. I love to let him. He brings me to life. He sets me free. He makes my heart feel things it shouldn’t.
But he also scares me. He holds the fate of my brother’s life in his hands. A life behind bars for crimes I know he didn’t commit. My blackmailer can’t give up his revenge on my family, and I can’t be with him if he doesn’t. But I’m nothing more than a butterfly caught in his net. Do I really have a choice?
310 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2015
662 people are currently reading
6,195 people want to read
About the author
A. Zavarelli
58books7,211followersA. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.
When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
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When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
Facebook Page-
Facebook Reader Group-
Mailing List:
Instagram-
Amazon-
Bookbub-
Twitter-
Website-
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 678 reviews
June 3, 2017
2 Stars
Hmmmm, well.
This was definitely not my favorite thing by this author.
In fact, this ended on a bit of a cliff and I don't even care enough about the story or characters to pick up book two, which I could get for "free" via KU...if THAT doesn't tell you something, nothing will lol.
Hmmmm, well.
This was definitely not my favorite thing by this author.
In fact, this ended on a bit of a cliff and I don't even care enough about the story or characters to pick up book two, which I could get for "free" via KU...if THAT doesn't tell you something, nothing will lol.
February 6, 2016
Twisted Revenge Story
'Echo', the first book in the Bleeding Hearts series is a heartbreaking story of vengeance. I was completely captivated by this story. This story was heart wrenching and I'll-fated.
Brighton is sixteen years-old when she first sets eyes on Ryland. He was older and had an air of confidence that drew her to him. She was sweet, naive and heartbroken beyond measure, anticipating that her twin brother, Brayden, would be sent to prison for years the following day.
Five years pass before Brighton crosses paths with the enigmatic stranger again. After relocating to San Francisco, she finds herself working for the very man that has occupied her thoughts and dreams ever since they shared a kiss years ago. She has no idea of what Ryland has in store for her or what his motives are.
Brighton soon finds herself in a sick game of coercion and control. The promise of her brother's freedom keeps Brighton compliant with the demands of her tormentor. She'll do anything to prove her brother's innocence and set him free.
As the game grows more intense, lines are blurred. Ryland is a man consumed with a hunger for revenge, but as he had never planned on falling for Brighton. She was supposed to be a pawn.
With each unearthed fact, Brighton sees more and more that she doesn't know her brother or Ryland like she thought she did. Her life is complicated by lies and betrayals. She is forced to make some hard choices that will change her life forever.
As a whole, this was a great book. I love dark, twisted revenge stories, so this was right up my alley. I did feel like the story could have been shortened some. The middle seemed to drag quite a bit. Although, who knows! If it had been shortened I might have felt that it was rushed or lacked character development. I liked it and will definitely continue this series.
'Echo', the first book in the Bleeding Hearts series is a heartbreaking story of vengeance. I was completely captivated by this story. This story was heart wrenching and I'll-fated.
Brighton is sixteen years-old when she first sets eyes on Ryland. He was older and had an air of confidence that drew her to him. She was sweet, naive and heartbroken beyond measure, anticipating that her twin brother, Brayden, would be sent to prison for years the following day.
Five years pass before Brighton crosses paths with the enigmatic stranger again. After relocating to San Francisco, she finds herself working for the very man that has occupied her thoughts and dreams ever since they shared a kiss years ago. She has no idea of what Ryland has in store for her or what his motives are.
Brighton soon finds herself in a sick game of coercion and control. The promise of her brother's freedom keeps Brighton compliant with the demands of her tormentor. She'll do anything to prove her brother's innocence and set him free.
As the game grows more intense, lines are blurred. Ryland is a man consumed with a hunger for revenge, but as he had never planned on falling for Brighton. She was supposed to be a pawn.
With each unearthed fact, Brighton sees more and more that she doesn't know her brother or Ryland like she thought she did. Her life is complicated by lies and betrayals. She is forced to make some hard choices that will change her life forever.
As a whole, this was a great book. I love dark, twisted revenge stories, so this was right up my alley. I did feel like the story could have been shortened some. The middle seemed to drag quite a bit. Although, who knows! If it had been shortened I might have felt that it was rushed or lacked character development. I liked it and will definitely continue this series.
December 23, 2016
****4 STARS****
Raw and unfiltered review...
I don’t really know what I expected this book to be about but it sure as hell wasn’t this. This was a really twisted story. Seriously! Who comes up with this stuff? Oh, yeah, that’s right, A. Zavarelli does. Why? Because she’s awesome!
I’m going to start with our main lady, Brighton, I loved her because she was willing and ready to do anything for her family. Mainly her twin brother, Braydon, who is sent to prison at the age of sixteen.
There was also sexy Ryland. For a long time we are not exactly sure what the hell he was up to. He’s a very secretive man. And he has a really big fucking secret. The author does a spectacular job at slowing building up his character and drawing the reader in to him. I wanted to know everything about him. What made him tick? Why was he the way he was? What happened to him in the past to shape the man he was today? Who or what broke his heart? I was dying to know these things.
I’m going to fast forward to the good stuff now, starting with the letter. You know the one that was sent to Brighton that basically told her she had to be a sex slave for six months? Yeah, that one. You see, if she agreed to being at someone’s beck and call, we don’t know who yet, she could free her brother from prison. And it wouldn’t be a good book if she doesn’t agree.
Who is blackmailing her? She doesn’t know because they make her wear a mask whenever they’re together. Can you imagine what that’s like? To be fucked in a million different ways with someone who you hate. Crazy or� sexy?!
At some point I felt like something was wrong with me because I started rooting for her to actually “be� with her blackmailer. At least I wasn’t alone because Brighton starting wanting to be with him too.
She was feeling his kink and started giving him her heart. Awe, how sweet! (maybe)
I guess he underestimated her.
She fucking loved it! I would have too.
Who thinks that? I need therapy.
As Brighton was falling for Ryland the big question was what did Ryland feel for her.
But then the lies became too much. His secrets started coming out little by little and it was fucking juicy. Like when we find out the real reason Ryland wanted to get Brighton’s brother, Brayden released from prison. And it’s good let me tell ya!
There was so much drama, good drama, that drama that makes you feel like you are watching a movie. This book is called a dark romance for nothing.
I totally recommed this book for those who love a good dark romance! Yasssss!!!!!
Follow all my crazy....
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Raw and unfiltered review...
I don’t really know what I expected this book to be about but it sure as hell wasn’t this. This was a really twisted story. Seriously! Who comes up with this stuff? Oh, yeah, that’s right, A. Zavarelli does. Why? Because she’s awesome!
I’m going to start with our main lady, Brighton, I loved her because she was willing and ready to do anything for her family. Mainly her twin brother, Braydon, who is sent to prison at the age of sixteen.
There was also sexy Ryland. For a long time we are not exactly sure what the hell he was up to. He’s a very secretive man. And he has a really big fucking secret. The author does a spectacular job at slowing building up his character and drawing the reader in to him. I wanted to know everything about him. What made him tick? Why was he the way he was? What happened to him in the past to shape the man he was today? Who or what broke his heart? I was dying to know these things.
I’m going to fast forward to the good stuff now, starting with the letter. You know the one that was sent to Brighton that basically told her she had to be a sex slave for six months? Yeah, that one. You see, if she agreed to being at someone’s beck and call, we don’t know who yet, she could free her brother from prison. And it wouldn’t be a good book if she doesn’t agree.
Who is blackmailing her? She doesn’t know because they make her wear a mask whenever they’re together. Can you imagine what that’s like? To be fucked in a million different ways with someone who you hate. Crazy or� sexy?!
At some point I felt like something was wrong with me because I started rooting for her to actually “be� with her blackmailer. At least I wasn’t alone because Brighton starting wanting to be with him too.
This was the devil himself snaking his way inside of my heart and bending me to his will. This was addiction, quickly morphing into obsession. And somewhere in the clouded fog that was my brain, I knew this was a game I was going to lose. � Brighton
She was feeling his kink and started giving him her heart. Awe, how sweet! (maybe)
“I wanted to break you, Brighton. I never expected you to like it.� � Ryland
I guess he underestimated her.
“You’re not a monster,� I protested.
“Oh but I am,� he growled, gripping a handful of my hair in his hand and tugging it. “I want to hurt you. I want to do all sorts of depraved things to you, Brighton. Simply because I can.�
“I like the depraved things you do to me,� I whispered. “I like the way you fuck me.�
She fucking loved it! I would have too.
Who thinks that? I need therapy.
As Brighton was falling for Ryland the big question was what did Ryland feel for her.
“I can’t tell you the things you want to hear,� he said finally. “I could give you a thousand pretty words, but they wouldn’t change anything. I’m not the man you want me to be, and someday soon, you’ll understand that. You will loathe me, and I won’t blame you. But even then, I doubt I’ll be able to let you go. Our feelings are irrelevant, and that’s the truth. But the fact that I want you so much should tell you how I feel about you, baby girl. I waited five years for you.� � Ryland
But then the lies became too much. His secrets started coming out little by little and it was fucking juicy. Like when we find out the real reason Ryland wanted to get Brighton’s brother, Brayden released from prison. And it’s good let me tell ya!
There was so much drama, good drama, that drama that makes you feel like you are watching a movie. This book is called a dark romance for nothing.
I totally recommed this book for those who love a good dark romance! Yasssss!!!!!
Follow all my crazy....
November 3, 2015
TITLE: Echo
SERIES: (Bleeding Hearts #1)
AUTHOR: A. Zavarelli
GENRE: Erotica | Romance
RELEASE DATE: October 27th, 2015
MY RATING: 5 MR MYSTERIOUS STARS
This was recommended to me by a friend on here so that was all the recommendation I needed to go one clicking oh then I saw the word DARK!!
Sometimes I need to mix it up and take a walk on the dark side occasionally so I hope that delivers on it's promise..
His heart is the RHYTHM..Mine is the ECHO..
ECHO: Starts us on the night before her sixteen year old twin brothers court appearance ( he was being charged with the crimes of an adult) for a crime he says he's guilty for, she's asked to mingle and entertain his friends.
I killed that family. I ran them off the road, and then I left them to die. And now I'm going away because that's what I deserve. ~ Brayden
She doesn't believe he's guilty of the crimes he's being charged for
AND THEN
A chance encounter, or was it?
"It's Brighton, right?"
"Um, yeah." I gave an awkward shrug
"I know your brother, he said
"How do you know Brayden, I asked
A STOLEN KISS
He grasped my face in his hands, surprising me when he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. It was unapologetic, and not even a little bit hesitant. I whimpered and he groaned.
Don't worry Brighton, We'll meet again soon.
The saddest part was he never even told me his name.
Good girl Brighton is the glue that holds her family together, she's innocent and very inexperienced when it comes to the opposite sex..
This man screamed danger, and yet he had some kind of gravitational pull that drew me closer.
5 YEARS LATER
A job falls into her lap and guess who her boss is no other than the man who never gave her his name..
THEN:
Now this is where things start heating up and gets interesting, Brighton whom in desperate need to free her brother from prison, for a crime she knows he didn't commit agrees to becomes a man’s property.
I've signed over complete control of my body and life for six months to a man I don't know.
I really liked the pace of this story, it allows you to connect with Brighton's character and get a real feel of her innocence..
I really don't want to wreck the whole story line so I'm going to leave my review here..
All I can say is thank god for recommendations without those coming to me I would've missed out on a really really good good, I didn't find this at all dark but my love for this book made up for that, if you haven't one clicked ECHO go do so now seriously you won't regret it, this author has gotten a new fan..
The only thing I didn't like about this book is now that I'm finished it, the waiting game begins with the need/want to read that next one..
February 24, 2017
Wickedly dark and twisted, Echo is a wild ride of smoking hot sex mixed in with a bit of suspense and intrigue. It's a brilliant revenge drama that explores what happens when love gets in the way of dark intentions. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!
I'll skip the breakdown since so many other reviewers have covered the main points and just tell you that I loved this dark romance!
Here's what I absolutely loved:
Ryland! OMG, this man is twisted, dangerous, and commanding. I want him! His drive and need for revenge is a bit of a character flaw, but his feelings and protectiveness for Brighton more than makes up for it.
The plot and execution - The twisty turns of the plot really kept me on my feet. There was never a dull moment with this one. It's a brilliantly dark masterpiece.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Echo! My only mistake was not reading the blurb or reviews before diving in. I had no idea I'd be in cliffy hangover hell afterward. I need the next audiobook yesterday!
Audiobook Review: The audiobook is narrated by Tracy Marks. Tracy perfectly executes each characters point of view. She is a master at making each one sound distinct. The emotions really came through during the performance. I highly recommend any of her audiobooks!
I rate it: 4.5 Stars
***A free copy was provided via Audiobook Boom for review***
I'll skip the breakdown since so many other reviewers have covered the main points and just tell you that I loved this dark romance!
Here's what I absolutely loved:
Ryland! OMG, this man is twisted, dangerous, and commanding. I want him! His drive and need for revenge is a bit of a character flaw, but his feelings and protectiveness for Brighton more than makes up for it.
The plot and execution - The twisty turns of the plot really kept me on my feet. There was never a dull moment with this one. It's a brilliantly dark masterpiece.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Echo! My only mistake was not reading the blurb or reviews before diving in. I had no idea I'd be in cliffy hangover hell afterward. I need the next audiobook yesterday!
Audiobook Review: The audiobook is narrated by Tracy Marks. Tracy perfectly executes each characters point of view. She is a master at making each one sound distinct. The emotions really came through during the performance. I highly recommend any of her audiobooks!
I rate it: 4.5 Stars
***A free copy was provided via Audiobook Boom for review***
March 12, 2017
3.5 stars.
Twisted and dark with lots of steamy scenes, this was really enjoyable, though predictable and annoying at times.
Brighton was 16 years old when she first met Ryland, the sexiest "man" she's ever laid her eyes on, but then he disappears for five years.
She then meets him again and is caught up in his twisted game. Ryland owns her for six months in exchange for her brothers freedom. In order to keep her brother safe, she signs the contract and lets him do whatever he wants to do to her. *cough* "let me tie you up and roughly fuck you bc I know you like it" *cough*
"I like it,� I admitted. “But I like it better when you treat me badly. It makes me remember not to get too close to you.�
So that's pretty much what happens in this book along with lots of secrets and tears and fucked up shit.
It was enjoyable, I liked it, though I'm still confused over some of the stuff that happened.
I might read the sequel.
Twisted and dark with lots of steamy scenes, this was really enjoyable, though predictable and annoying at times.
Brighton was 16 years old when she first met Ryland, the sexiest "man" she's ever laid her eyes on, but then he disappears for five years.
She then meets him again and is caught up in his twisted game. Ryland owns her for six months in exchange for her brothers freedom. In order to keep her brother safe, she signs the contract and lets him do whatever he wants to do to her. *cough* "let me tie you up and roughly fuck you bc I know you like it" *cough*
"I like it,� I admitted. “But I like it better when you treat me badly. It makes me remember not to get too close to you.�
So that's pretty much what happens in this book along with lots of secrets and tears and fucked up shit.
It was enjoyable, I liked it, though I'm still confused over some of the stuff that happened.
I might read the sequel.
January 24, 2016
6 Twisted Playing Games Stars
Ever since I got Kindle Unlimited I decided to pick up more unknown authors (author’s unknown to me). I’m a dark junkie so give me BDSM, slapping and my favorite choking. I was instantly hooked with Echo from page one. I couldn’t put it down and I read it in one sitting.
If you are a fan of Monster in his Eyes series by JM Darhower or the Kane Trilogy by Stylo Fantome then the Bleeding Hearts series is for you. It has an impossible love story with an alpha passionate Hero. The book was dark, steamy and very very very addictive.
When Brighton was sixteen she meets a stranger who claims to be her brother’s best friend. After a stolen kiss she doesn’t see the man again� until five years later.
The thing that really hooked me in the story was Ryland, the Hero. The author does a great job in building up the characters. Ryland came out a bit mysterious and I was just greedy to find out what his story was and what did he want with Brighton. He was cold, detached, controlling and my perfect man to read!
Brighton is alone. Her mother is a drug addict and her brother is in prison. She moves to San Francisco only to realize her new job fell through. She meets a friend, Nicole, and Nicole helps Brighton find a job. I really liked Nicole. I know she isn’t the main character, but I love all the side characters in the book. I would love for Nicole to have her own story too. That’s how much I love the side characters.
I feel for Brighton. She’s naïve, young and filled with hopes in dreams. She’s also very poor, so she settles and takes a job as an assistant, but she catches the owner’s eye, Ryland. Yeah, don’t you love the story? BUT there’s so much more. This isn’t your typical rich Billionaire Hero lusting after the Heroine story, oh no. There’s so much depth to this book.
Brighton gets a note from a stranger saying they could get her brother out of jail if she does whatever the stranger says for six months. He will basically own her in every way. That has to hook you in by now! It hasn’t, okay, wait, there’s more.
So Brighton of course takes the deal and becomes, lack of the better word, his sex slave. It’s really juicy and steamy and the scenes are dark. These aren’t typical steamy scenes and at times it made me blush. I couldn’t get enough of it.
Throughout the book there are so many things that go one, like Brighton’s past and how Ryland is involved with Brighton. My two favorite things about this book were the dark aspects and the whole mystery to Ryland.
The writing was perfection, the pace was great and it flowed. I could have read hundreds more pages of this book. This author is definitely landing on my best author’s list. I suggest you give it a shot.
Side note: Book 2 continues the story and I have read it. Let’s just say, it’s just as good as book 1.
Read on Kindle Unlimited
Ever since I got Kindle Unlimited I decided to pick up more unknown authors (author’s unknown to me). I’m a dark junkie so give me BDSM, slapping and my favorite choking. I was instantly hooked with Echo from page one. I couldn’t put it down and I read it in one sitting.
If you are a fan of Monster in his Eyes series by JM Darhower or the Kane Trilogy by Stylo Fantome then the Bleeding Hearts series is for you. It has an impossible love story with an alpha passionate Hero. The book was dark, steamy and very very very addictive.
When Brighton was sixteen she meets a stranger who claims to be her brother’s best friend. After a stolen kiss she doesn’t see the man again� until five years later.
“Because looking into the depths of those blue eyes was like free-falling a hundred stories. It was the ultimate high and I would do anything for it�
The thing that really hooked me in the story was Ryland, the Hero. The author does a great job in building up the characters. Ryland came out a bit mysterious and I was just greedy to find out what his story was and what did he want with Brighton. He was cold, detached, controlling and my perfect man to read!
“This was the devil himself snaking his way inside my heart and bending me to his well. This was addiction quickly morphing into obsession.�
“He was dark and twisted, but maybe I was too�
Brighton is alone. Her mother is a drug addict and her brother is in prison. She moves to San Francisco only to realize her new job fell through. She meets a friend, Nicole, and Nicole helps Brighton find a job. I really liked Nicole. I know she isn’t the main character, but I love all the side characters in the book. I would love for Nicole to have her own story too. That’s how much I love the side characters.
I feel for Brighton. She’s naïve, young and filled with hopes in dreams. She’s also very poor, so she settles and takes a job as an assistant, but she catches the owner’s eye, Ryland. Yeah, don’t you love the story? BUT there’s so much more. This isn’t your typical rich Billionaire Hero lusting after the Heroine story, oh no. There’s so much depth to this book.
Brighton gets a note from a stranger saying they could get her brother out of jail if she does whatever the stranger says for six months. He will basically own her in every way. That has to hook you in by now! It hasn’t, okay, wait, there’s more.
So Brighton of course takes the deal and becomes, lack of the better word, his sex slave. It’s really juicy and steamy and the scenes are dark. These aren’t typical steamy scenes and at times it made me blush. I couldn’t get enough of it.
“I’m not your hero. I’m not the man you want me to be, and someday soon, you’ll understand that�
Throughout the book there are so many things that go one, like Brighton’s past and how Ryland is involved with Brighton. My two favorite things about this book were the dark aspects and the whole mystery to Ryland.
The writing was perfection, the pace was great and it flowed. I could have read hundreds more pages of this book. This author is definitely landing on my best author’s list. I suggest you give it a shot.
Side note: Book 2 continues the story and I have read it. Let’s just say, it’s just as good as book 1.
Read on Kindle Unlimited
July 27, 2017
What a cliffhanger!! At about 89% I was thinking to myself...ok either I'm gonna be mad because everything will be resolved and tied up in a pretty little bow at the very end, or I'm gonna be mad because it'll end on a cliffhanger...too bad I didn't realize it was part of a series. So FYI readers -- there is a major cliffhanger! BUT -- thankfully the next book has been released, so I'll be reading that one next. :)
I did like this one a good bit. We have a mysterious and dark H, and a sweet and innocent h. The h gets blackmailed in a way to become a sexual submissive in exchange for information to get her brother out of jail. There are some hot sexy times, some teary moments, some suspenseful moments, and some shocking moments. I'll give my usual longer review when I read the next one, . I'm anxious to see what happens next...
I did like this one a good bit. We have a mysterious and dark H, and a sweet and innocent h. The h gets blackmailed in a way to become a sexual submissive in exchange for information to get her brother out of jail. There are some hot sexy times, some teary moments, some suspenseful moments, and some shocking moments. I'll give my usual longer review when I read the next one, . I'm anxious to see what happens next...
July 12, 2019
Oh boy, did I have struggles with this one...
I am actually surprised cause, first of all I LOVE Asheligh and her other work...
ever since I have read by her I freaking loved the story and the writing style...
BUT here...I am going to be brutally honest, some shitty little things were so annoying that i just couldn't let it go and in fact it ruined the whole experience for me...
it could have been fuckin great but it turned into a confusing mess with such unbelievable facts that I was just pissed most of the time...with the female character mostly...*sigh*
I am willing to read a second book, cause I can't NOT to, that's one of my OCD things pestering inside me, so I can't help it LOL, and I need a closure, no matter what it is...
Snow. Out.
I am actually surprised cause, first of all I LOVE Asheligh and her other work...
ever since I have read by her I freaking loved the story and the writing style...
BUT here...I am going to be brutally honest, some shitty little things were so annoying that i just couldn't let it go and in fact it ruined the whole experience for me...
it could have been fuckin great but it turned into a confusing mess with such unbelievable facts that I was just pissed most of the time...with the female character mostly...*sigh*
I am willing to read a second book, cause I can't NOT to, that's one of my OCD things pestering inside me, so I can't help it LOL, and I need a closure, no matter what it is...
Snow. Out.
Read
January 2, 2016The blurb for this book looked so good....
Then, I opened the book to discover...
Unfortunately, there were elements that prevented me from ever reaching anything mentioned in the blurb:(
This is a lot of review for something that I only reached 13% completion...
... but, I felt the author might like to have it laid out plainly why I never reached what enticed me to read this book.
Condensed Review
For those that don't want to read the details & examples... Suffice to say that the writing is stiff and monotone and the suspense comes in the form of the female MC being a complete head in the sand type of dumbass. Some my call her naive and innocent. But, for me, the impression is clearly the author crating a character that sticks her head in the sand TO EVERYTHING.
I'd strongly suggest DL'ing a sample before buying this book because readers with needs akin to my own in writing style and characters won't make it past the sample. Otherwise, happy reading to those that make it:)
Writing
Imagine the voice in which you'd read a set of instructions on reupholstering your great Aunt Sue's sofa, aka the bedding for her 39 cats.
Okay, maybe it's not quite that bad, but the tone which this book reads is so stiff and monotone that I feel like it's almost instructional. It also goes the long way around the track in phrasing. A little musical reflection...
One of my reading pet peeves is having to read multiple sentences with multiple unnecessary words to tell me what could be said in a single concise sentence. I go bonkers with that writing style.
All that ^^^ for a single look between secondary characters. That's just not my taste of storytelling. Sadly, the overwriting and stiffness is a theme throughout what I read of this book.
The dialogue is weak. It feels inserted, almost as if it's an afterthought surrounded by narrative.
Style, flow, phrasing, etc is just not to my personal 'meat and potatoes' taste, but if YOU aren't bothered by every sentence being overwritten, then you'll fair better getting to the plot than I did. Well, that is if you can also overlook a TSTBreathe MC for the sake of suspense.
Female MC
I'm at 13% and have seen the male MC four very brief times, which were more like cameos within other scenes. He feels like one of those wax statutes that create a photo op for star struck giggling tweeniebops.
The POV is the female MC.
At this point, I can't remember her name. Anyhoo, whatever her name is, I don't like her.
My main problem with her is that the author made her dumb as dirt for the sake of suspense.
The female MC notes oddities for you, and then she doesn't question it like any rational human would question. She shrugs, moves on to some BS mundane thought, and then the author skips over & forward. Consistent, purposeful stupidity does not equal suspense; it does, however, ruin the character. Again, some may call this nativity, but even the most naive of us can recognize if they've stuck their hand in a fire, right?!?
The whole meeting of the male MC for the first time is a prime example....
She, a young teen, goes outside during her brother's "I'm going to jail" party and meets a "man" . He kisses her out of the blue, says some ominous one line to her, and then has some kind of weird standoff with her brother, his supposed friend. Weird and odd doesn't cut it. One would expect a convo to at least ask the bro who the hell he is, right? Well, no, what we get instead is a fast forward five years.
Second encounter with mystery man is another example...
She hasn't seen mystery man since that night. Low and behold he's the CEO at the company a new friend gets her a job interview at, even though the female MC is grossly unqualified. Of course, she recognizes him immediately and goes on about how memorable the kiss was blah, blah. He supposedly doesn't recognize her.
Not once does she wonder wtf a billionaire CEO was doing at her trailer in another state at a party to send her brother off to jail. That's an unfathomable reaction. Not once does she pause to think, 'wow, what a fucking odd coincidence that I'm here now' & the man was/is a billionaire. Wonder why the hell he was slumming? Wonder why such a powerhouse would kiss a teenage girl? Wonder why the fuck I was hired on by this billion dollar corp when I have a fast food resume? Wonder why the hell my new friend with her designer clothes and fancy apartment wants me to stay for free with her, wear HER CLOTHES, and gets me a job where she works when she doesn't know jack shit about me?!?!
^ Any reasonably sane person, naive or not, would immediately have a shit load of reservations & questions. Yet, our MC is like a prisoner to the author's suspense agenda.
It's a theme...
She describes fleeting "looks" flashing over faces, things seeming "funny," and such , but then she always immediately dismisses the shit.
I don't give a flying shit that the walls are pristine white; I do, however care that the MC has been given a job, designer clothes, and a place to live by a "friend" she doesn't know very well ~and~ that she isn't actively questioning all the odd shit around her.
If I had a dollar for every time this chick said she wanted to ask but didn't know the person well enough, I'd be one rich bitch!
She orders a Kool-Aid cocktail. How appropriate~
I'm telling you I just can't deal with the way this is written....
Scene: Female Mc is at office get-to-gather at a bar. She's with two male coworkers and her friend that helped her get the job. One of the male coworkers offers her a line of coke. She refuses. The friend encourages her and tells her she will do it with her. She's shocked and is about to leave when the CEO, aka her mystery man, shows up and applauds her "morals" as he asks to speak with the man outside.
Her reaction: sniffs CEO. Muses the heat in his eyes. Not a single question about A) her friend and new roommate being okay w/ coke. B) The billionaire owner mingling with interns and low-level employees at a bar. C) His calm reaction to the drug scene.
Nope, nothing. The author then just skips on forward to a family phone call day(s) later. Again, suspense via constant and purposeful stupidity IS NOT SUSPENSE.
Bottom Line
I'm interested in what the story is offering. How does the male MC fit into her life? Clearly, he has an agenda concerning her... What is it? What did the brother do? The new people surrounding her also clearly have some conflicting roles? What are their intentions, motivations?
Interest isn't the problem. My issue is purely within the presentation - how it's written, told, shown, and laid out.
Does the meat of this story outweigh all the bad I've detailed above? No clue. I can't suffer the stupidly disguised as suspense long enough to get there, especially considering my issues with the writing style and phrasing itself.
Yes, I'm blunt. I don't apologize for that. I am sorry to have to leave such a review on such a small percentage of the book, but I feel the only way an author can grow is to know what readers find *'wrong'* and apply merit to it IF earned. I also suspect that a lot of readers do not take the time to even bother to review books they DNF so early.
Then, I opened the book to discover...
Unfortunately, there were elements that prevented me from ever reaching anything mentioned in the blurb:(
This is a lot of review for something that I only reached 13% completion...
... but, I felt the author might like to have it laid out plainly why I never reached what enticed me to read this book.
Condensed Review
For those that don't want to read the details & examples... Suffice to say that the writing is stiff and monotone and the suspense comes in the form of the female MC being a complete head in the sand type of dumbass. Some my call her naive and innocent. But, for me, the impression is clearly the author crating a character that sticks her head in the sand TO EVERYTHING.
I'd strongly suggest DL'ing a sample before buying this book because readers with needs akin to my own in writing style and characters won't make it past the sample. Otherwise, happy reading to those that make it:)
Writing
Imagine the voice in which you'd read a set of instructions on reupholstering your great Aunt Sue's sofa, aka the bedding for her 39 cats.
Okay, maybe it's not quite that bad, but the tone which this book reads is so stiff and monotone that I feel like it's almost instructional. It also goes the long way around the track in phrasing. A little musical reflection...
One of my reading pet peeves is having to read multiple sentences with multiple unnecessary words to tell me what could be said in a single concise sentence. I go bonkers with that writing style.
"His face had grown serious, and in place of his carefree smile was a look of pure agony. He caught me staring, so he dragged his attention back to the files while I spoke to Nicole. She looked just as miserable herself as she regarded the back of his head, and I wondered what was going on between them.
All that ^^^ for a single look between secondary characters. That's just not my taste of storytelling. Sadly, the overwriting and stiffness is a theme throughout what I read of this book.
The dialogue is weak. It feels inserted, almost as if it's an afterthought surrounded by narrative.
Style, flow, phrasing, etc is just not to my personal 'meat and potatoes' taste, but if YOU aren't bothered by every sentence being overwritten, then you'll fair better getting to the plot than I did. Well, that is if you can also overlook a TSTBreathe MC for the sake of suspense.
Female MC
I'm at 13% and have seen the male MC four very brief times, which were more like cameos within other scenes. He feels like one of those wax statutes that create a photo op for star struck giggling tweeniebops.
The POV is the female MC.
At this point, I can't remember her name. Anyhoo, whatever her name is, I don't like her.
My main problem with her is that the author made her dumb as dirt for the sake of suspense.
The female MC notes oddities for you, and then she doesn't question it like any rational human would question. She shrugs, moves on to some BS mundane thought, and then the author skips over & forward. Consistent, purposeful stupidity does not equal suspense; it does, however, ruin the character. Again, some may call this nativity, but even the most naive of us can recognize if they've stuck their hand in a fire, right?!?
The whole meeting of the male MC for the first time is a prime example....
She, a young teen, goes outside during her brother's "I'm going to jail" party and meets a "man" . He kisses her out of the blue, says some ominous one line to her, and then has some kind of weird standoff with her brother, his supposed friend. Weird and odd doesn't cut it. One would expect a convo to at least ask the bro who the hell he is, right? Well, no, what we get instead is a fast forward five years.
Second encounter with mystery man is another example...
She hasn't seen mystery man since that night. Low and behold he's the CEO at the company a new friend gets her a job interview at, even though the female MC is grossly unqualified. Of course, she recognizes him immediately and goes on about how memorable the kiss was blah, blah. He supposedly doesn't recognize her.
Not once does she wonder wtf a billionaire CEO was doing at her trailer in another state at a party to send her brother off to jail. That's an unfathomable reaction. Not once does she pause to think, 'wow, what a fucking odd coincidence that I'm here now' & the man was/is a billionaire. Wonder why the hell he was slumming? Wonder why such a powerhouse would kiss a teenage girl? Wonder why the fuck I was hired on by this billion dollar corp when I have a fast food resume? Wonder why the hell my new friend with her designer clothes and fancy apartment wants me to stay for free with her, wear HER CLOTHES, and gets me a job where she works when she doesn't know jack shit about me?!?!
^ Any reasonably sane person, naive or not, would immediately have a shit load of reservations & questions. Yet, our MC is like a prisoner to the author's suspense agenda.
It's a theme...
She describes fleeting "looks" flashing over faces, things seeming "funny," and such , but then she always immediately dismisses the shit.
"and I tried to ignore the weird feeling in my gut."
"I thought I saw heat flare in his eyes, but it happened so quickly..."
"But when I started to ask questions she got a little funny about the whole thing, so I dropped it. The place is nicer than anything I ever could have expected to live in. It had a loft style feel and three huge bedrooms. The walls were all pristine white...."
I don't give a flying shit that the walls are pristine white; I do, however care that the MC has been given a job, designer clothes, and a place to live by a "friend" she doesn't know very well ~and~ that she isn't actively questioning all the odd shit around her.
If I had a dollar for every time this chick said she wanted to ask but didn't know the person well enough, I'd be one rich bitch!
She orders a Kool-Aid cocktail. How appropriate~
I'm telling you I just can't deal with the way this is written....
Scene: Female Mc is at office get-to-gather at a bar. She's with two male coworkers and her friend that helped her get the job. One of the male coworkers offers her a line of coke. She refuses. The friend encourages her and tells her she will do it with her. She's shocked and is about to leave when the CEO, aka her mystery man, shows up and applauds her "morals" as he asks to speak with the man outside.
Her reaction: sniffs CEO. Muses the heat in his eyes. Not a single question about A) her friend and new roommate being okay w/ coke. B) The billionaire owner mingling with interns and low-level employees at a bar. C) His calm reaction to the drug scene.
Nope, nothing. The author then just skips on forward to a family phone call day(s) later. Again, suspense via constant and purposeful stupidity IS NOT SUSPENSE.
Bottom Line
I'm interested in what the story is offering. How does the male MC fit into her life? Clearly, he has an agenda concerning her... What is it? What did the brother do? The new people surrounding her also clearly have some conflicting roles? What are their intentions, motivations?
Interest isn't the problem. My issue is purely within the presentation - how it's written, told, shown, and laid out.
Does the meat of this story outweigh all the bad I've detailed above? No clue. I can't suffer the stupidly disguised as suspense long enough to get there, especially considering my issues with the writing style and phrasing itself.
Yes, I'm blunt. I don't apologize for that. I am sorry to have to leave such a review on such a small percentage of the book, but I feel the only way an author can grow is to know what readers find *'wrong'* and apply merit to it IF earned. I also suspect that a lot of readers do not take the time to even bother to review books they DNF so early.
March 21, 2016
I did enjoy this one..but I am disappointed as I did not realize that this would end in a bit of a cliffy...I am not sure why I thought is was a stand alone for the couple...Oh well..I am still glad I gave it a chance!!!
Review to come..
Review to come..
July 4, 2017
Thanks to Sarah for BR this series with me. This is my first book by this author and it will not be the last. So many twists and turns. Some I saw coming and others I did not. Brighton was this meek and shy girl in the beginning. A bit of a doormat really. She allowed everyone to push her around and she didn't know her own worth. I loved that by the end of this book, she was finally standing up for herself and demanding things from those around her.
Ryland is hard to put into words. His change from hot to cold within minutes should make him totally unlikable. Some of the things he puts Brighton through are hard to take but at the same time he also gave her what she needed. I maybe shouldn't like him but I do. He's definitely an anti-hero but he also is obsessed with Brighton and I kinda loved that.
This book ends on a major cliffhanger. Thank god book 2 is available. Onto the next.
Ryland is hard to put into words. His change from hot to cold within minutes should make him totally unlikable. Some of the things he puts Brighton through are hard to take but at the same time he also gave her what she needed. I maybe shouldn't like him but I do. He's definitely an anti-hero but he also is obsessed with Brighton and I kinda loved that.
This book ends on a major cliffhanger. Thank god book 2 is available. Onto the next.
February 18, 2016
This was great! Not quite 5 stars but def 4.5 REVENGE FILLED stars!
I can't explain why- it dragged a bit with the revenge/secrets but overall it was awesome and I am diving into the next book.
I can't explain why- it dragged a bit with the revenge/secrets but overall it was awesome and I am diving into the next book.
February 2, 2016
Dark romances can sometimes get a bit bleak for me, but while this was definitely dark - dubious consent and a crazy contract - much of the smut was of the kinky variety featuring biting, breath control and whips which I'm happy to report was hot as fook nd they were both into it so happy Days. Also there was enough romance to keep me happy too. Oh and he's a billionaire and she works with him so there was lots of office door banging going on, something I'm a big fan of. To read about only, just to be clear.
This was an unusual read with lots of twists and turns; just when I thought I'd got it all figured out, something would turn it all on its head so it definitely kept things interesting. I struggled to put this one down.
This is part one and nothing is resolved by the end, but it's all on ku so I'm going straight in. Recommended.
This was an unusual read with lots of twists and turns; just when I thought I'd got it all figured out, something would turn it all on its head so it definitely kept things interesting. I struggled to put this one down.
This is part one and nothing is resolved by the end, but it's all on ku so I'm going straight in. Recommended.
April 17, 2017
I have a hard time enjoying these "dark romances" where the hero is so physically, emotionally and mentally abusive but they are "monsters" because they are achieving vengeance for something the girls family to the hero's family.
It's irrelevant to me that the girl eventually enjoys the sex but the whole time the man had malicious intentions and intended harmful things to the heroine.
Brighton's twin brother Brayden is locked up in jail and an anonymous man claims to have evidence to help him. Only he wants Brighton to be his sex slave for 6 months. She agrees of course but soon she was enjoying these dark sexual encounters. This felt Stockholm-ish and I just can't buy the relationship after it started out in this manner.
I didn't like Ryland nor Brighton for different reasons. How did he know everything about Brighton like how she likes waffles but didn't know her sexual experiences? His painful past doesn't give him free reign to fuck other people's lives up. Brighton is just unbelievable naive and clueless. Of course, I do feel for her as Ryland completely set her up, friends, job and all. I didn't like Brayden either , this brother whom Brighton did so much for. Don't get me started on their self centered mother Norma.
Interesting sex didnt redeem this book for me and I was really disappointed with it overall. I did get book 2 since they ended on a cliff hanger but this series isn't as enjoyable for me as the Boston Underground series!
It's irrelevant to me that the girl eventually enjoys the sex but the whole time the man had malicious intentions and intended harmful things to the heroine.
Brighton's twin brother Brayden is locked up in jail and an anonymous man claims to have evidence to help him. Only he wants Brighton to be his sex slave for 6 months. She agrees of course but soon she was enjoying these dark sexual encounters. This felt Stockholm-ish and I just can't buy the relationship after it started out in this manner.
I didn't like Ryland nor Brighton for different reasons. How did he know everything about Brighton like how she likes waffles but didn't know her sexual experiences? His painful past doesn't give him free reign to fuck other people's lives up. Brighton is just unbelievable naive and clueless. Of course, I do feel for her as Ryland completely set her up, friends, job and all. I didn't like Brayden either , this brother whom Brighton did so much for. Don't get me started on their self centered mother Norma.
Interesting sex didnt redeem this book for me and I was really disappointed with it overall. I did get book 2 since they ended on a cliff hanger but this series isn't as enjoyable for me as the Boston Underground series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2016
:: 5 Vengeful Stars ::
I received an arc of this novel via the author A. Zavarelli in exchange for an honest review.
This is a dark, gritty, dark romance novel >> one of my favorite genres. I totally loved this book. It tells the story of a young woman named Brighton who, in desperate need to free her brother from prison, becomes a man’s property. At first she sees this as the only means to free her beloved brother. But when she begins to fall for her tormentor, everything she once thought was wrong suddenly becomes right.
Let me also say that this isn’t just a dark romance where the naïve “victim� falls for her tormentor. It is so much more than that. There are underlying secrets in this book that leave readers gripping the pages wondering what is going to happen next. These underlying secrets make the readers want to pull their hair out for answers and keeps readers up all night until these secrets are unearthed.
So, if your looking for a dark romance with a twist, one that is filled with secrets and revenge than I highly recommend this one. Be warned, it is dark and ends in a cliffhanger. You will want to read the next book because it leaves unanswered questions. But, it is all worth it.
You can find my FULL review on my website:
I received an arc of this novel via the author A. Zavarelli in exchange for an honest review.
This is a dark, gritty, dark romance novel >> one of my favorite genres. I totally loved this book. It tells the story of a young woman named Brighton who, in desperate need to free her brother from prison, becomes a man’s property. At first she sees this as the only means to free her beloved brother. But when she begins to fall for her tormentor, everything she once thought was wrong suddenly becomes right.
Let me also say that this isn’t just a dark romance where the naïve “victim� falls for her tormentor. It is so much more than that. There are underlying secrets in this book that leave readers gripping the pages wondering what is going to happen next. These underlying secrets make the readers want to pull their hair out for answers and keeps readers up all night until these secrets are unearthed.
So, if your looking for a dark romance with a twist, one that is filled with secrets and revenge than I highly recommend this one. Be warned, it is dark and ends in a cliffhanger. You will want to read the next book because it leaves unanswered questions. But, it is all worth it.
You can find my FULL review on my website:
June 2, 2018
Echo by A Zavarelli
A Dark Billionaire Romance: Bleeding Hearts, Book 1
GENRE: Dark Romance
NARRATION: First Person Herroines POV
BOOK DETAILS: Book 1 Bleeding Hearts Series
AUDIO AVAILABLE? Whisper- sync ready
His heart is the RHYTHM. Mine is the ECHO.
THE STORY:
A sweet, innocent Sixteen-year-old Brighton, was about to say goodbye to her twin brother who was about to be sent to prison for murder in a hit and run car accident. An older stranger at his farewell party captured her attentions and stole a kiss. A kiss that she would continue to relive in her dreams for years to come.
Five years later Ryland Brighton has moved to California determined to leave her trailer park life and alcoholic mother behind her. Everything was falling into place after securing a job interview and apartment through a random nice girl named Nicole she befriended at the park one day.
Brighton never imagined that when she attended her interview with Ryland Bennett the CEO of the Bennett Corporation he would be the same stranger that had kissed her all those years ago. He acts as though he doesn’t remember her and treats her as an inconvenience.
Then Brighton receives a note one-day stating that they possessed evidence that could exonerate her brother Brayden and to get the information she needed she must surrender control of her body and life to him for six months.
Desperate to free her brother from prison Brighton finds herself agreeing to the terms set out and is now sitting naked and blindfolded in front of someone who smells incredible, sounds frightening and is making her entire body tremble with need and desire.
This is a story of blackmailer turned lover, but when a relationship is formed on deceit, secrets and lies can it survive?
A restless and ruthless need for revenge could cost them everything!
This was the devil himself snaking his way inside of my heart and bending me to his will. This was addiction, quickly morphing into obsession. And somewhere in the clouded fog that was my brain, I knew this was a game I was going to lose. � Brighton
MY THOUGHTS:
Echo was my first choice after finishing Zavarelli's Boston Underworld series I was intrigued to read her other works having loved that series so much.
ʰ’s This is an intense, gritty and suspenseful read. I was literally holding my breath at some stages in anticipation then panting in apprehension. So many twists that I did not see coming I did not want to put the book down until I had the answers do not see coming will have you not wanting to put it down.
Ryland is rich, handsome and mysterious. A dangerous combination of heartbreaking loss and endless torment becomes his ultimate motive for revenge. There is a hidden lesson/message within the story about dealing with grief and moving on with your life after losing someone. Showing us how easy it is to get so consumed with anger and sadness that you become lost in the darkness unable to see right from wrong, indicating that we just need time and that right special person to show us the way back into the light allowing us to heal and love again.
Cons
Brighton’s reaction to being blindfolded and naked in front of her blackmailer was too unconvincing and although she kept stating her body was betraying her she appeared ignorant to the danger she was in. She appeared to effortlessly trust this stranger as he took her virginity so roughly without protest. It was too contradictory to her character. I would have like her to put up more or a fight or had a sassier attitude perhaps.
The story flowed smoothly as all the puzzle pieces began to emerged into a clearer picture but then added abruptly on a killer cliff-hanger. The story continues in Book#2 Stutter.
MY RATINGS: (All ratings are out of 5)
HERO RATING: 4
HEROINE RATING: 3
BLUSH RATING: 4
ROMANCE RATING: 3
DARKNESS RATING: 3
ENDING: N/A To be continued in Book#2
PLOT RATING: 5
OVERALL: 4
DO I RECCOMEND THIS BOOK?
Yes, If you like a romance full of thrilling suspense, hot steamy sex and lots of twists.
Narrated by: Tracy Marks & Length: 7h 54min
Tracy Marks is one of my favourite female narrators, her performance is always entertaining and she has one of the best male impersonations for a female narrator. I highly recommend this audio version of Echo it enhances the story’s dramatic and intense scenes.
AUDIO RATING: 5/5
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March 25, 2016
5 revengeful and fucked up stars!
So I don't normally read darker books, but it's been a shitty week so I was in that kind of mood. This book was a great mix of mystery, suspense, sex, and revenge. The writing was spot on; the story and character development was great. It definitely is a dark read, as the sex tended to be more on "fucked up" side of things, plus everyone hates everyone else and wants each other dead.. That kind of hatred might make things a little dark...
I really felt for all the characters. They were all messed up in their own ways, and dealing with things in the only way they think is right. Even when you should hate the Ryland, you still feel for him; when Brighton's brother is being selfish and stupid, you can still understand on some level his need of acceptance. Then there's poor Brighton who is stuck in the middle of this entire mess and completely innocent of everything accept loving Ryland and sticking by her brother.
I really loved this story and can't wait to read the conclusion of this mess.
So I don't normally read darker books, but it's been a shitty week so I was in that kind of mood. This book was a great mix of mystery, suspense, sex, and revenge. The writing was spot on; the story and character development was great. It definitely is a dark read, as the sex tended to be more on "fucked up" side of things, plus everyone hates everyone else and wants each other dead.. That kind of hatred might make things a little dark...
I really felt for all the characters. They were all messed up in their own ways, and dealing with things in the only way they think is right. Even when you should hate the Ryland, you still feel for him; when Brighton's brother is being selfish and stupid, you can still understand on some level his need of acceptance. Then there's poor Brighton who is stuck in the middle of this entire mess and completely innocent of everything accept loving Ryland and sticking by her brother.
I really loved this story and can't wait to read the conclusion of this mess.
September 7, 2016
4 stars
Great book about revenge and finding love with the person you least expect.
Ends with a cliffy, so i'm off to book two now.
A definite recommendation as with all of this author's books.
Great book about revenge and finding love with the person you least expect.
Ends with a cliffy, so i'm off to book two now.
A definite recommendation as with all of this author's books.
July 15, 2017
4 "Retribution or Love?" Stars for the story and 5 stars for the narration.
Revenge is a dish best served on a warm bed. Wow, the heat factor on this BDSM, erotic listen is off the charts! Moreover, if you like your sexy romances with a dark and edgy overtone and your heroes on the alpha side of the scale, then you can't go wrong with picking Echo for your next listen. What's more the narration by the very talented Tracy Marks makes this a title best enjoyed in audio format. One word of caution though, this book ends in an abrupt cliffhanger, so be ready to also listen to Stutter, Book 2 in the Bleeding Hearts Series, to get the full story.
Brighton is just sixteen years old when her twin brother (Brayden) is sent to jail leaving her devastated as she's never known her father and can't count on her drug-addicted mother. That same night, however, she meets the one man who will change her life forever (Ryland)--though she doesn't realize that for several years to come.
Approximately five years later Brighton is struggling to find and keep a job after relocating to San Francisco in an attempt to better her situation when she's offered an office position which she promptly takes. Nicole, who also becomes her roommate, is the one who facilitates the offer. Though she is around Brighton's age, Brighton is surprised at how much pull Nicole seems to have at her workplace and the connection that she has to the CEO, who turns out to be Ryland.
Brighton is just settling into her new living and work situation when she receives a threatening letter. If she wants to set her brother free, she must give up total control to a man for six months. At first she doesn't even know who this man is as she is blindfolded, but she does the only thing she can for her beloved brother and surrenders herself, and her virginity, in the hopes of saving Brayden.
Just who is holding her free will hostage, and why? And why did he pick her?
Moreover, can a man who exerts total control over her and often tells her he is going to hurt her, possibly lead to a HEA?
I fell in love with Tracy Mark's narrations when I listened to her narration of the Boston Underworld Series. So when I saw that Ms. Marks and A. Zavarelli were once again teaming up, I just knew I had to listen to their work. As expected, Ms. Marks performs a great rendition. From her adeptness at varying her pitch to create believable female and male characters to her timing which is suited towards heightening the suspense and heat factor of a wickedly salacious listen, Ms. Marks once again helped bring the story alive for me.
Now I can't wait to listen to the conclusion of this story in Stutter. Just who will win when revenge collides with love?
Source: Review copy provided for review purposes.
Revenge is a dish best served on a warm bed. Wow, the heat factor on this BDSM, erotic listen is off the charts! Moreover, if you like your sexy romances with a dark and edgy overtone and your heroes on the alpha side of the scale, then you can't go wrong with picking Echo for your next listen. What's more the narration by the very talented Tracy Marks makes this a title best enjoyed in audio format. One word of caution though, this book ends in an abrupt cliffhanger, so be ready to also listen to Stutter, Book 2 in the Bleeding Hearts Series, to get the full story.
Brighton is just sixteen years old when her twin brother (Brayden) is sent to jail leaving her devastated as she's never known her father and can't count on her drug-addicted mother. That same night, however, she meets the one man who will change her life forever (Ryland)--though she doesn't realize that for several years to come.
Approximately five years later Brighton is struggling to find and keep a job after relocating to San Francisco in an attempt to better her situation when she's offered an office position which she promptly takes. Nicole, who also becomes her roommate, is the one who facilitates the offer. Though she is around Brighton's age, Brighton is surprised at how much pull Nicole seems to have at her workplace and the connection that she has to the CEO, who turns out to be Ryland.
Brighton is just settling into her new living and work situation when she receives a threatening letter. If she wants to set her brother free, she must give up total control to a man for six months. At first she doesn't even know who this man is as she is blindfolded, but she does the only thing she can for her beloved brother and surrenders herself, and her virginity, in the hopes of saving Brayden.
Just who is holding her free will hostage, and why? And why did he pick her?
Moreover, can a man who exerts total control over her and often tells her he is going to hurt her, possibly lead to a HEA?
I fell in love with Tracy Mark's narrations when I listened to her narration of the Boston Underworld Series. So when I saw that Ms. Marks and A. Zavarelli were once again teaming up, I just knew I had to listen to their work. As expected, Ms. Marks performs a great rendition. From her adeptness at varying her pitch to create believable female and male characters to her timing which is suited towards heightening the suspense and heat factor of a wickedly salacious listen, Ms. Marks once again helped bring the story alive for me.
Now I can't wait to listen to the conclusion of this story in Stutter. Just who will win when revenge collides with love?
Source: Review copy provided for review purposes.
October 27, 2015
Review coming soon
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Echo is now LIVE!!!!!!
Echo is the first book in the Bleeding Hearts series and follows the story of Brighton who meets Ryland a billionaire who blackmails her to enter into a sexual relationship in exchange to free her brother.
This book is not a boy meets girl and they fall for each other. Its not a typical dark romance book. This book is filled with grit and angst that leave you at the edge of your feet. This is not a story that can be explained. It is also filled with dark secrets and twists and turns that leave you breathless. The twist and turns provide a gripping sensation that makes you become the characters in the story.
A. Zavarelli knows how to write a syory that grips you from the first page to the last page. Her writing grips you and you soon become addicted. Plus she knows how to write a sex scene. Just saying. LOL.
The characters as ever were addictive. Their stories hold more and I wanted to know more. Ryland commanding and controllng he is a force of nature. Brighton a woman with a sad past, naive but I saw her strength. The characters drew out a lot of information.
Overally i loved this book and it gave me so much emotion. Gripping and scorching book filled with passion, secrets and suspense. It will knock your socks. I highly recommend this book.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Echo is now LIVE!!!!!!
Echo is the first book in the Bleeding Hearts series and follows the story of Brighton who meets Ryland a billionaire who blackmails her to enter into a sexual relationship in exchange to free her brother.
This book is not a boy meets girl and they fall for each other. Its not a typical dark romance book. This book is filled with grit and angst that leave you at the edge of your feet. This is not a story that can be explained. It is also filled with dark secrets and twists and turns that leave you breathless. The twist and turns provide a gripping sensation that makes you become the characters in the story.
A. Zavarelli knows how to write a syory that grips you from the first page to the last page. Her writing grips you and you soon become addicted. Plus she knows how to write a sex scene. Just saying. LOL.
The characters as ever were addictive. Their stories hold more and I wanted to know more. Ryland commanding and controllng he is a force of nature. Brighton a woman with a sad past, naive but I saw her strength. The characters drew out a lot of information.
Overally i loved this book and it gave me so much emotion. Gripping and scorching book filled with passion, secrets and suspense. It will knock your socks. I highly recommend this book.
November 19, 2015
I really liked the first 25% of this book, but then I lost all connection to the characters and thought it got ridiculous. Manufactured drama. Things felt like they were pulled out of hat just for there to be a story.
The heroine's twin brother at 16 years old was thrown to jail when he killed a family in a car accident. A man came to visit before her brother was sent away. They had a connection and she did not see him (Ryland) again for 5 years when she was 21 years old. She starts to work for him, but he acts if he has never saw her before. She gets a letter one day that says if she submits for 6 months, information will be forwarded to the police that will free her brother. The heroine feels that she has no choice but to submit. She arrives to the hotel with a blindfold and this relationship begins where the heroine has no idea who the mystery man is.
Loved the premise. However, I feel that what the author was trying to accomplish with the story and the "twists" fell flat. I got more annoyed than connected. I felt myself skimming just to get to the point.
This is my opinion. It may work for you, but it did not work for me.
The heroine's twin brother at 16 years old was thrown to jail when he killed a family in a car accident. A man came to visit before her brother was sent away. They had a connection and she did not see him (Ryland) again for 5 years when she was 21 years old. She starts to work for him, but he acts if he has never saw her before. She gets a letter one day that says if she submits for 6 months, information will be forwarded to the police that will free her brother. The heroine feels that she has no choice but to submit. She arrives to the hotel with a blindfold and this relationship begins where the heroine has no idea who the mystery man is.
Loved the premise. However, I feel that what the author was trying to accomplish with the story and the "twists" fell flat. I got more annoyed than connected. I felt myself skimming just to get to the point.
This is my opinion. It may work for you, but it did not work for me.
January 2, 2016
I read this one awile ago and couldn't finish it. The plot sounds great but what bothered me was the relationship between the main characters. It's not your usual romance, so if you don't like controling and super domineering hero that is most of the time just an ass, then this book is not for you. I know it wasn't for me, so... There are plenty sexy times, tho. :)
November 4, 2015
Oh wow! Review to come
February 11, 2016
ahhh!! that cliffy!!! on to the next book!!!!
September 29, 2017
"His heart is the rhythm. Mine is the Echo." Omg my eyes were bloodshot red from staying up and reading the series bleeding hearts. All I can say is OMFG! I love it...... 5 stars for bleeding hearts!
October 15, 2019
Echo had a lot of good and bad moments. Mostly the bad moments annoyed me because the two main characters, who just happen to be love interests, were simply annoying.
In this book, you will meet Brighton and Ryland. They both know her brother, Brayden, but not quite sure how the other fits into their lives. Well, mostly for Brighton because all she knows is to stay very far away from Ryland. So, she does the exact opposite.
This book gave me 50 shades vibes (ugh - why) but it was more annoying? Which is definitely hard for to me believe.. because Ana was annoying as fuck. Yet, this trio sort of surpassed her? Weird I know.. but just go with it.
Tons of secrets come out in this book and the whole push and pull "relationship" between Ryland and Brayden was annoying. I hated that Brighton was in the middle of it all but for like more than half of this book she didn't really care about that. She put herself in the middle of it - what a dummy. Of course, her brain starts to finally work because she's had enough of their bullshit.
I would hope almost dying would make something rethink about their life choices.. and who is in their lives (thank you baby Jesus!). So she kicks them both to the curb - yay! It just sucks that she is now caring for another person while all of this drama is going around. I hope that she continues to stay away from them but I highly doubt that she will. Girl has some problems but then again, the guys are no angels either.
In this book, you will meet Brighton and Ryland. They both know her brother, Brayden, but not quite sure how the other fits into their lives. Well, mostly for Brighton because all she knows is to stay very far away from Ryland. So, she does the exact opposite.
This book gave me 50 shades vibes (ugh - why) but it was more annoying? Which is definitely hard for to me believe.. because Ana was annoying as fuck. Yet, this trio sort of surpassed her? Weird I know.. but just go with it.
Tons of secrets come out in this book and the whole push and pull "relationship" between Ryland and Brayden was annoying. I hated that Brighton was in the middle of it all but for like more than half of this book she didn't really care about that. She put herself in the middle of it - what a dummy. Of course, her brain starts to finally work because she's had enough of their bullshit.
I would hope almost dying would make something rethink about their life choices.. and who is in their lives (thank you baby Jesus!). So she kicks them both to the curb - yay! It just sucks that she is now caring for another person while all of this drama is going around. I hope that she continues to stay away from them but I highly doubt that she will. Girl has some problems but then again, the guys are no angels either.
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November 6, 2024Bir insan bu kadar saf olamaz. Her şeye mi inanır, aldanırsın be 😅
Konu eh varla yok arası.Daha çok smut, şaplak, dişlemeler, kemerler falan.
Konu eh varla yok arası.Daha çok smut, şaplak, dişlemeler, kemerler falan.
March 2, 2016
I don't know if it was just me being emotional, but I was crying within the first few paragraphs. That's how talented this author is. Her characters and their situations just spring to life for you. I REALLY DID NOT LIKE how the romantic relationship built from the beginning, but the more I read the more I understood and respected why it was formed the way it was. This is a BDSM relationship through and through. The sex scenes are explosive. It ended in a cliffhanger and I abhor cliffhangers, but the author gives you a ton to chew on while you are waiting for book 2. This author became a favorite of mine after I read a previous bundle of hers. I can honestly tell you that she is still a favorite of mine, she didn't let me down.
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