Genre: Contemporary Romance
~Blurb~
Anastasia:
Here’s the first thing you should know: this is not a fairytale. Happily-ever-afters are fables, and Prince Charming is a sweet little lie. I know all this because he taught me.Once upon a lifetime ago, the rich, arrogant, sinfully gorgeous, and tragically broken dark prince of the Hamptons was my tormentor. My darkness, my shameful attraction, my all-consuming, forbidden temptation.
I hate Sebastian Crown because nine years ago, for one night, I was stupid enough to think I loved him. And I’ve been paying for it ever since.
Except now, he needs me to help him save his empire.…And he’s not taking no for answer.
Bastian:
She’s my nemesis. My addiction. My weakness.My obsession.
I used to tell myself I hated Anastasia Bell - for being poor, for not worshipping the ground I walked on, for looking at me like she pitied me for being me.
When the rest of my world always told me yes, she was the ever-provoking no.
She thinks I’m a monster - a tragic, fucked-up, broken beast. She doesn’t know the half of it. Because she can’t begin to know the crimes of my past, or imagine the things I’ve done to her behind the scenes since she left this place.
Years ago, I thought breaking her would fix me. I was wrong.
Now I’ve got her in my sights again, and this time, I won’t be letting her go. Even if it means we both go down in flames...
~Book Review~
5 Stars
Anastasia Bell, 27, the gardener’s
daughter on an expansive Hampton’s estate, grew up with the rich and privileged
kids, but she was never one of them. 9 years ago she left it all behind until
she’s presently summoned back to the Crown mansion in dire straits.
“I also have no idea how I’d explain that I’m currently living in the opulent estate of an eccentric, brooding, asshole millionaire who may or may not be both the bane of my existence and also my horrible secret fantasy.”
Sebastian Crown, 27, is broken and
sadistic. Troubled would be putting it mildly. Bastian has so many vices and
exalts in debauchery as the sexy, spoiled rich boy looming over the mansion.
“There was no ‘raising’ Sebastian Crown. There was just damage control.”
By most accounts, Bastian shouldn’t
be likable. He should be deplorable and pathetic, but just as Ana is drawn to
him, even fascinated by him, I was too!
I noticed right away that the prose
was well written. It flows well, the descriptions are compelling, the narration
is entertaining, and the dialogue/banter fresh, at places even humorous.
“‘Why are you going out of your way to be an asshole?’
‘It’s not out of the way at all, don’t sweat it.’”
The many layers of character
development and suspense plot kept me glued to the pages. A few chapters became
the entire book, read in one long sitting because I couldn’t put it down! The suspense angle is well crafted. My mouth
dropped in “ah” several times as I began connecting the dots. There’s even a
plot trope that I’ve never much cared for, one I’ve found usually comes off
hokey and actually takes away from the romance, yet it works here; it works
well, adding another layer to their complicated courtship and a cuteness to
their resolution.
Told via Ana and Bastian’s first
person POV, the story rotates between the present and the past, providing their
sorted history while advancing their love-hate relationship in the current
timeline. There’s no insta-love or insta-lust here; it’s all well
developed. It’s more than a decade of fixation,
animosity, depravity, and obsession with the chemistry palpable and the reader
wondering both Did they? and Are they going to?
“‘I’m fairly certain my dirty mouth only makes you wetter than you’ve ever been before.’”
While Sebastian reeled me in, his
boundaries seemingly limitless, I was impressed with how Ana had the brass to
give right back. She held her own pretty well when considering the intimidating
nature of Bastian’s character; she never had blinders on, nor was she afraid to
call him out.
The story has plenty of twists and
turns. And while it’s far from upbeat or light-hearted, I never felt the angst
was overdone or unnecessary. Bastian has a shitstorm mess on his hands, but it
didn’t feel contrived. He largely reaped what he sowed, and as a fabulous dark
hero, he owned it too.
It’s a tale of redemption and
finding the thing money can’t buy. Amidst
suppressed feeling and psychological torment, the duo’s sexual encounters are
dirty and hot.
“‘I was talking about making you come all over my fingers and then licking it off while you tongue my balls. Who said anything about romance.’”I’d best categorize this as a romantic suspense standalone as well as dark romance. His intentions are selfish and destructive, but there’s an undercurrent of that four letter word in the motivations. I was pleased with the ending and how things worked out. In fact, it ties together perfectly. That’s not to say I didn’t still crave more saucy interludes with Ana and Bastian as well as more about his friends (one in particular). The four princes of South Neck could make an interesting series. While there were a few aspects not to my preferences, the well plotted, captivating tale made them easier to overlook. This is my first book by this author, but I’ll definitely be checking out her other reads.
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~Character Interview~
Book Boyfriend Data Sheet
Age: 28
Birthday:🎂 December 11th ♐
Birthplace:🌎 New York City
Measurements: 📏
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 200 lbs
Length: 9"
Girth: Memorable.
Turn-ons:👍 Literally everything about my fiancé, Ana. But specifically, her ass, her legs, her tits, her lips, her- Fuck. I'm going to have to continue this interview later.
Turn-offs:👎 Boring conversation. Imbeciles. Shitty music.
Guilty Pleasures: 🚗 Rare, ludicrously expensive cars. Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run."🎸
Foods I crave:🍴 Mrs. Tottingham's (my housekeeper) cooking. Especially her lasagna.
First thing I do in the morning: If I'm up first: wake Ana up with my tongue between her thighs. If she's up first: find Ana, so I can still put my tongue between her thighs. 😋
Last thing I do at night: Realize how fucking lucky I am, for all of it, and tell the woman sleeping next to me how much I love her.💕
Next thing I plan to buy: Probably a car that I don't need. Definitely one that'll have Ana's handprints on the hood and windshield. 🚘
A website I always visit:💻 Reddit.com. Cat gifs for fucking days, man.
My idea of the perfect date: 🎶 Listening to Ana play her guitar for me. Preferably naked.
A big thanks to Aubrey Irons for making Sebastian available for this feature!
Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Aubrey Irons enjoys writing about bold, sassy, and intelligent women and the hot, cocky, and quite typically forbidden bad boys who love and lust for them. Gripping stories, guaranteed happy ever afters, and LOTS of heat.
In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her own favorite bad boy husband, their two adorable kiddos, and the world's most ill-behaved puppy.
Sign up for her mailing list for new release news, author giveaways, ARC opportunities, and *zero* spam. Plus, get a free bad boy ebook for joining! HERE
In the real world, Aubrey is kept plenty entertained by her own favorite bad boy husband, their two adorable kiddos, and the world's most ill-behaved puppy.
Sign up for her mailing list for new release news, author giveaways, ARC opportunities, and *zero* spam. Plus, get a free bad boy ebook for joining! HERE
~Playlist~
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