Cartel by Lili St. Germain

Cartel by Lili St. Germain

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*Review Edit*

I originally read this in August of 2015, and rated it only 3 stars and no review. Not sure why. I just did this as a "re-read" for a group challenge, and I *LOVED* it!

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 5.0

Cartel is the first book in the Cartel Trilogy, and it starts off the series with a bang! It's dark and gritty and Lili does the one thing I love the most with her books. She builds the sex scenes, (which, by the way are HOT!), *into* the story and not the other way around. The sex is well timed, and doesn't overwhelm the story.

There are several characters in this story some I liked some I hated and wanted to grab them from my Kindle and throat punch them. Everyone is twisted and crazy!

Mariana Rodriguez

"Of all the things in life, love is the most confusing. The most all-consuming. The reason we breathe, the light in our darkness." --Mariana

Mariana has been "cooking the books" for her father, Marco, for most of her life, moving money around to pay his debts. But when Marco drives a truck full of cocaine right into the waiting arms of the American DEA, there is no amount of "book cookin'" that can save him from the wrath of Emilio Ross. Emilio and his thugs show up at Mariana's home in Columbia with the intent to kill the entire family, but Mariana is taken to pay the debt instead. 

Emilio Ross

You know what they say about extraordinary times? They call for extraordinary measures." --Emilio

Emilio is the leader of the El Sangue Cartel, and he doesn't take losing a large shipment of cocaine very well. But taking Mariana will ease the pain of it... he can sell her into sexual slavery and recoup some of his loss. Emilio deals in drugs, guns, and human trafficking, and Mariana is his new target.

Dornan Ross

It was a dangerous proposition, to be falling in love with a woman who is owned by the cartel. --Dornan

Dornan is Emilio's son and the VP of the Gypsy Brothers Motorcycle Club, and his reputation precedes him as a man even more lethal than Emilio, if that's even possible.

Dornan sees Mariana and he immediately wants to help her. He is *compelled* to help her. But he can't let his father see that weakness in him. He *does* help Mariana, he saves her from being sold by telling his father about her ability to cook the books, hence turning Mariana into "The Accountant" for the El Sangue Cartel and the Gypsy Brothers. .

"Dornan respected his father, but if the right person came along and wanted to take Emilio out, Dornan would probably load the bullets into the gun and hand it to them himself."

Unfortunately, at this point, he doesn't see that any such person has come along. And Dornan, in order to keep Mariana safe, has to endure under the thumb of his suffocating father.

But unexpectedly, Dornan finds himself falling in love with Mariana and it makes keeping her safe hard. Dornan has an apartment in Santa Monica that he won in a poker game a few years ago, that he's managed to keep secret from almost everyone, it turns out to be the perfect place to keep Mariana... a place where they can spend some sexy time together. And the times do get sexy in that apartment!

John Portland

"Dornan often had to remind him that his role as president was largely symbolic; he was not the one in charge."

John is the character i fell in love with from the beginning, he's Dornan's best friend and President of the Gypsy Brothers. It's in title only (for both of them) since they flipped a coin to see who would be President and VP. They wanted the Gypsy Brothers to be a club that traveled the roads, and had each other's backs, not a gang. But when Dornan's girlfriend got pregnant and John's younger sister needed cancer treatments that were beyond his read financially, and Emilio caught up to them... the "club" officially became a "gang".

The darkness of these characters, even John, kept me turning the pages, walking through the house with my Kindle and anxious to see what was going to happen next.

I'm looking forward the the rest of this series, to see who does what to whom. This series is somewhat of a prequel to the Gypsy Brothers series showing us what shapes the characters to become who they are.

While Dornan isn't a warm and fuzzy character by any means, I hear he is much worse in the other series. So for me, it's interesting to read this series first before reading the other, even though I don't think that's how it was intended.

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Pretty Stolen Dolls by Ker Dukey

Pretty Stolen Dolls by Ker Dukey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


More reviews at Li'l Kit’s Reviews.

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 5.0



If I could give this book 10 Stars, I would!

Ker Dukey is one of my favorite dark and twisted authors. She nails it everytime and this time is no exception.

I was looking forward to this book, couldn't wait to get my hot little Kindle wrapped around it! And when I woke up and it was on my Kindle, I was like...

Then while I was reading it and I was like...

This book kept me totally engaged! Loved every page, and turned them quickly! Every character had it's place and was placed well within the story and kept me connected.

"Everyone knows I was abducted with my sister when I was fourteen and I somehow managed to escape when I was eighteen, leaving my then thirteen-year-old sister behind."

Jade Phillips and her sister Macy were taken by "Benny" (Benjamin), who is a complete psychopath! He takes the girls and keeps them in separate cells, and dresses them up like dolls.

Macy isn't perfect anymore, not after Benny scars her face, but Jade is, Jade is his perfect Dirty Little Doll, and he uses her sexually. Jade is mouthy, she doesn't just give in to Benny, which earns her almost daily beatings.

Finally she has the opportunity to escape after four years, but in order to do so, she must leave her sister, Macy, behind. She runs, with the intent of getting help and sending them back to get Macy. But in running, she has a terrible accident, and spends time in a drug induced coma.

Once she wakes up she tries to tell the police where she and Macy were held, to no avail. They can't find the cabin.

Pick up the story eight years later and Jade is now a detective, and every spare moment is spent looking for Macy, and living with her childhood, next door neighbor, Bo. Bo *tries* to understand what Jade has been through, but he really doesn't, what he gives her is more like pity. I liked Bo, but didn't feel like he was the one for Jade.

"Dillon is the alpha male who beats on his chest and dominates my headspace."

"Dillon fucks me like a lion would his bitch in heat as his protectiveness washes over me."

Dillon is Jade's partner on the police force. Now *him* I like. He's no nonsense, and he doesn't give her pity, he just accepts and respects her for the strong woman she's become over the last 8 years since she escaped. He becomes her rock.

The one thing I didn't care for much for, and didn't expect, was the MAJOR cliffhanger.

But looks like it comes out in about 6 weeks from now, so not too long of a wait.

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Raze by Tillie Cole

Raze by Tillie Cole

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★

Overall rating: 4.0

****4 "Revengeful" Stars****

What an amazing story! So intense! I love intense!!

Raze, also known as "818" is a prisoner in the Gulag, where he was taken as a little boy, an underground fighting ring where they fight to the death. Everyday of his life since he arrived there has been kill or be killed.

His past is wiped from his memory from the drugs that are constantly pumped into his body, but the forethought of another fighter had him carving the name of the person who put him there into the wall of his cell. It's the only thing he knows for sure when there is a chance for escape from the prison.

Arriving back in New York, Raze finds who he's looking for in an underground fight club. Alik Durov. He doesn't know how it is that Alik is responsible, but his gut and some vague memories that pop up in his mind at random times, tell him he is.

Kisa recognizes Raze as the boy from her childhood, the boy she was in love with and never got over. But how could it be?

To go any further into it in this review would cause spoilers, so I'm just going to point you to the blurb and then to Amazon and tell you that this is a must read if you enjoy a little bit of darkness in your reads!

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Review: Final Debt by Pepper Winters

Final Debt by Pepper Winters

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 4.6

5 *Perfect Ending* Stars

Bravo! I loved the Indebted Series, every single book, but it was time for it to end. To go out "on top". I was ready, and so were Jethro and Nila. The only thing left to do is read the Indebted Epilogue, to find out how Jethro and Nila move on. I *am* anxious to read their (hopefully) "happily ever after". And did I just see somewhere that there is going to be a prequel? Indebted Beginnings Oh hell yeah! Bring it on!

From the very first book I was hooked, and I can't even begin to decide which book in this series was my favorite. Possibly the Second Debt... perhaps it was this one seeing Nila and Jethro grow as people, one getting stronger, one finally allowing a bit of vulnerability. Both showing both of those traits at different times.

Bonnie and Cut and Daniel.. Oh my! Oh how I despised these crazy fucked up characters through this whole series. They're all just plain crazy! So many times I wanted to wrap my fingers around their windpipes and pull. They are all necessary evils, and without them, there would be no story. But, damn... they're all so twisted!

But this book also showed the human side of these characters that I had come to believe were less than capable of anything but cruelty. So many things were finalized, answered, wrapped up. So much redemption, forgiveness, and answers are found in this book, and all were done very well. And a lot of history was shared.

I love dark reads.. dark non-con filled with all sorts of taboo, and this saga hit every love, and took me places that my mind would have never thought possible.

This book also had some unexpected POVs that were very welcome. Some were tear worthy. But all were fitting for this book. There were a couple times I was ready for this book to move along, but for the most part, I really wouldn't change a thing.

The transformations in the main characters in this saga were always ongoing.

Enemies Unknown
Hawk and Weaver
Kite and Needle
Jethro and Nila
Friends and lovers

And finally...

Soulmates.

Soul shredding, heart wrenching, and beautiful. This series will go down as *the* top series for me. My very favorite. Well done, Pepper Winters!

But wait! That's not all! Lets not forget Nila's core in this review (as I've made mention of in my other reviews of this series!) Just a little fun. It didn't go unnoticed that Pepper toned down Nila's clenching core in this book! Which I was *really* happy to see. I really worried about all the things that her core was doing, that it was going to wear itself out! But in this final book, her core only clenched once, Jethro pulled on that invisible cord, (that was new), between Nila's breast and core causing her womb to clench and wetness to weep, her core grew wet, and then finally... finally her core "detonated"! Such a fitting finalé for Nila's over active core!

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Review: Darkness Follows by J.L. Drake

Darkness Follows by J.L. Drake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★

Overall rating: 4.6

*****5 Creepy Jimmy Stars!*****

First of all I want to mention the cover of this book. It's the perfect rendition of what, in my mind, Emily looks like, and it really helped me to envision her throughout the book. Well done!

Darkness Follows picks up right where Darkness Lurks leaves off. Emily has been taken by Jimmy Lasko and he's got her gagged and ziptied to an old wooden chair. Emily is, naturally, frightened and is trying to calm herself when the door opens and a masked man walks in. But worse than that, there's a computer in the room, and it's broadcasting directly to Seth and the OPD. Seth and his co-workers can see and hear everything that is happening to Emily.

Seth is beside himself, and he blames himself for Emily getting kidnapped. If only he hadn't allowed himself to get to close. If only, if only, if only..

Days and days pass before Emily finally gets the chance to escape, and she takes full advantage of it. All she wants, all she thinks about, is getting back to Seth and his loving and protective arms.

*SCREEEEECH*

Not so fast, Emily. She gets back only to find that once again, Seth has pulled away. He's pulling the, "I need some space" card, and it makes me want to throttle him. He feels that if he hadn't let himself get too close, then he could have protected Emily better by not being distracted.

Emily during this time, kinda goes off the rails. She won't listen to common sense, she won't *use* common sense. Even goes so far as taking a mini-vacay at a spa.

Seriously, Emily? I found her to be very selfish and dangerous, and I worried that that combination was going to cause someone that she cares about to get hurt, or worse, killed.

Jimmy's creep factor is amped up in this book, just when you thought he couldn't get any more creepy, he does.

I can't go into too much about him in this review, there's just no way to do so and not spoil something for others. So i'll just leave it that you should definitely read with the lights on and the doors locked!

This book had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and growling at Emily and Seth in frustration. But I wouldn't change a thing... well except for Emily's "brave side"... that got to be pretty annoying in the book, a bit overused. Other than that tiny little detail this book was over the top brilliant!

Oh, and the ending! I did NOT see that coming! Mind was officially blown!

This book, like book one, ends in a MAJOR cliffhanger. But, book 3, Darkness Falls, comes out on October 13, 2015! I'm hope this will wrap up this series, because...

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Review: Darkness Lurks by J.L. Drake

Darkness Lurks by J.L. Drake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*GASP*

*SHOCK*

Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 5.0

*****5 SHOCKED STARS*****

*GASP*

J.L. Drake is a "new to me" author, and I absolutely LOVED her writing style, the way she told this story. I could picture everything as it happened, I could hear the character's voices, I felt like I *knew* these characters. This was a real page turner for me! Couldn't get enough!

This book was dark and creepy, intense and suspenseful and I couldn't get enough!

Emily McPhee, there were moments in this book that I really just wanted to smack her and wake her the hell up. She just didn't listen or use common sense half the time. She is like the idiot girl that runs into the old abandoned barn on a dark rainy night, tripping and falling all the way, only to run right into the arms of the guy with the chainsaw. But she was loveably (yes, I'm making that a word!) clueless, and totally in love with Seth Connors.

Seth Connors, ahhhh, Seth, I really enjoyed this character, although, at times I felt like he listened to too many outside influences instead of his own head. Seth has been on the police force for a couple of years, he takes his job very seriously, and because of that, he tries to keep his feelings for Emily purely in the friend zone.

Jimmy Lasko, this guy was a Grade A, Class One, psychopath. One of the scariest and most disturbed I've read about. He's sick and twisted and Ms. Drake writes his character so well and so believable that I actually sit up and take notice of things that go bump in the night!

Jimmy is obsessed with Emily. Over the top, creep factor to the inth degree! He wants her, and he means to have her. He stalks her constantly. It's his stalking that alerts Emily to something not being right when she starts hearing noises in her house.

Seth, who lives next door, encourages Emily to get a roommate, someone to be an extra set of eyes and ears and hopefully a deterrent to anyone meaning to do her any harm.

She does interview a few people, but in her heart, she know that Seth would be the perfect roommate, and wouldn't that just be handy to have him living in the same house with her, even if he did only want to be friends!

But Seth does want more, he's also in love with Emily, but the protector in him, not to mention those pesky outside influences, knows that in order to keep her safe, he has to keep her at arm's length.

There are a whole host of characters in this book that fill in the story so perfectly. Everyone has a place, characters aren't just there to fluff things up.

Warning, this book ends in a cliffhanger, so have the second book, Darkness Follows, on hand to continue this brilliant series! I've definitely found a new author to love... and stalk for more books!

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Review: Desolate Ker Dukey

Desolate: An Empathy Novel by Ker Dukey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★

Overall rating: 5 Stars

*****5 Sinisterly Delicious Stars****


"I'm high on the kill. My craving's being fed; it's therapeutic, I feel alive and in need of someone more worthy of my torment."

Oh yes, Ryan is back so buckle up for a wild ride!

Ryan has been locked away in a mental institution for 18 years, and now, he's out. He's manipulated the doctors and nurses, bending them to his will, for his entire incarceration. He's a twisted puppet master, and he's just been unleashed to pick up where he left off. Only this time he's had 18 years to think about how he's going to make other's pay.

Blake and Melody play main characters in this book, along with their 17 year old daughter, Cereus. Blake finds out that Ryan has been released, but instead of telling Mel, he keeps it to himself, believing he is keeping his family safe. Blake and Mel have never told Cereus about Ryan, she doesn't even know he exists, and she thinks her mom's parents died in a car accident before she was born. As far as Blake and Mel know, Ryan doesn't even exist to her, and she doesn't exist to Ryan.

But Ryan finds out about his beautiful niece, and sets his strings in place to pull her to him. To go after her to hurt Blake and Melody. Then he meets her, through one of her mutual friends.

I'm not sick and I'm not broken.
I'm Desolate, born empty lacking a soul.
You can't fix what was never broken.

Ryan realizes that he can't harm her. He doesn't feel love, or anything like that, but he does feel *something*, and that something makes him realize that he doesn't want to hurt her. She is a lot like him, they have those same dark urges, except Cereus *does* feel love. Something Ryan doesn't have the soul to feel.

Will Cereus find out that the new hot guy that she bumped into at the mall is really her uncle? A man she never knew existed? How will she react when she finds out. Will she keep her new found secret exactly that, a secret? Or will she run, seeing him for what he is?

You'll have to read the second in the Empathy series to find out!

This is *not* a stand alone book. But if you like dark and brilliant mindfuckery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this series is for you! Enjoy!!

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