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Sin & Seduction #1
Sin & Seduction
Dorian Grant is king of the New Orleans underworld, but he isn’t mafia and doesn’t appreciate the assumption. He’s simply a crude businessman anyone in his right mind would think twice about screwing over. Life in the Big Easy is all about sin, and violent, short-tempered Dorian has committed them all.
But not all New Orleans sins leave a bad taste in the mouth, as Dorian discovers the night a man stage-named Sweet Heat dances into his life at a club called Sin and Seduction. Dorian was expecting a hot lay. He damn sure wasn’t looking for a relationship, and certainly not with someone like Jansen, who turns Dorian’s grimly organized world upside down.
Now Dorian finds himself pressuring Jansen to quit his job because he can’t stand the thought of other men touching what’s his. Of course, Jansen wants a little quid pro quo—after all, Dorian’s job is dangerous. Jansen just doesn’t realize how dangerous until it’s too late.
But not all New Orleans sins leave a bad taste in the mouth, as Dorian discovers the night a man stage-named Sweet Heat dances into his life at a club called Sin and Seduction. Dorian was expecting a hot lay. He damn sure wasn’t looking for a relationship, and certainly not with someone like Jansen, who turns Dorian’s grimly organized world upside down.
Now Dorian finds himself pressuring Jansen to quit his job because he can’t stand the thought of other men touching what’s his. Of course, Jansen wants a little quid pro quo—after all, Dorian’s job is dangerous. Jansen just doesn’t realize how dangerous until it’s too late.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2012
10 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Allison Cassatta
42 books187 followersI am a married, 33 year old, female, with no children. By trade I am a network engineer with far too many years under my belt. My first book was published in 2010 by Kerlak Publishing, followed by a short story in 2011 through Dreamspinner Press. I don't have any formal training, I simply write what I feel. I have a vivid imagination and love building dream worlds for my readers to escape to.
I recently discovered that I am a hopeless romantic and that usually makes for some very turbulent stories. As most know, love is a mountain and at its peak there's infinite beauty, but it's best appreciated after a difficult climb... that's how I write. The world would be a boring place if we didn't have to fight a little for what we wanted, now wouldn't it.
I recently discovered that I am a hopeless romantic and that usually makes for some very turbulent stories. As most know, love is a mountain and at its peak there's infinite beauty, but it's best appreciated after a difficult climb... that's how I write. The world would be a boring place if we didn't have to fight a little for what we wanted, now wouldn't it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 19, 2012
There are certain things that I feel make a good crime boss story. I want the MC to be ruthless, have some anger issues, not shy away from violence, have a thirst for revenge and be able to protect what is his. Dorian fit the bill. I was worried that the author, as many authors do, make the criminal soft after he finds love. Granted that Dorian softened a little, in regards to Jansen, but he still took care of business, with a baseball bat, when he needed too. I loved it! Don't judge me :)
Even though Jansen could get on my nerves with trying to make Dorian change his ways, he ended up doing the right thing and standing by his man and cleaning him off.
4.5
Even though Jansen could get on my nerves with trying to make Dorian change his ways, he ended up doing the right thing and standing by his man and cleaning him off.
4.5
August 20, 2012
The violence in this book is done to perfection. Dorian Grant is exactly the kind of cold, intimidating and ruthless MC that I like. Yes, he initially used cocaine and X to deal with his inner demons but all of that added to his larger than life persona. I love the relationship he has with Angelo, his bodyguard and that Angelo doesn't back down from putting him in check when he teeters on the edge of the abyss.
Two things prevented this from being 5 stars:
A) Jansen. He was just a weak character and he annoyed me for 95% of the book. He was way too adolescent (needing to know if Dorian only thought of him as a whore after only meeting and having sex with him twice. Uh, hello, you're a dancer in a nightclub). Also, his constant 'fear' of Dorian and what he did was just lame. Man up!
B) The emotion between the characters just felt forced. I didn't feel that it was a smooth progression from strangers to sex buddies to men in love. Things happened way too quickly and just felt stilted, like they were supposed to happen to move the story along.
A solid 3 stars for me. Like I said, the violence is superb and I really liked the Dorian character. He took care of business and protected the man he loved at all costs. I can go for that!
As always, my status updates show my minute by minute reactions lol.
Two things prevented this from being 5 stars:
A) Jansen. He was just a weak character and he annoyed me for 95% of the book. He was way too adolescent (needing to know if Dorian only thought of him as a whore after only meeting and having sex with him twice. Uh, hello, you're a dancer in a nightclub). Also, his constant 'fear' of Dorian and what he did was just lame. Man up!
B) The emotion between the characters just felt forced. I didn't feel that it was a smooth progression from strangers to sex buddies to men in love. Things happened way too quickly and just felt stilted, like they were supposed to happen to move the story along.
A solid 3 stars for me. Like I said, the violence is superb and I really liked the Dorian character. He took care of business and protected the man he loved at all costs. I can go for that!
As always, my status updates show my minute by minute reactions lol.
November 25, 2012
Yep. 1 star.
This book was TERRIBLE.
The characters were flat, one-dimensional stereotypes. My good friend Deirdre described Jansen as a woman (read: typical romance novel "heroine") rewritten as a guy. That's a pretty good description. I've NEVER seen a character, male or female, who cries so much.
I HATED Dorian's speech patterns, and I hated the way he kept referring to Jansen as "the kid" or "my dancer." And he was sort of a vanilla version of Scarface - I still have no idea why Jansen fell in love with him. (Notice at my 68% status update, JANSEN didn't know either.) He has a drug addiction and huge anger management problems, and Jansen was afraid of him turning that on him the whole book - for good reason.
They spent the entire book repeatedly arguing over the same shit, or contradicting themselves and running hot/cold, but they "fell in love" on sight? I didn't buy it, especially because Jansen was skittish over . Because he's a psychotic asshole. But then Jansen can't stop thinking and fantasizing about him? For WHAT reason, I have no idea.
The plot is ALSO flat and one-dimensional, and completely predictable. To the point where I actually rolled my eyes when Jansen . I also couldn't believe Jansen was okay with just .
The thing that REALLY got me? Jansen gives him an ultimatum: you either . But then he's completely fine with it when Dorian . But Dorian cries about it, so naturally he's forgiven.
This book took turns making me shake my head, snicker at the cheese, or pissing me off. Fuck this book.
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner for the TweetAway!
Yet another book I am SUPER grateful I didn't pay for. -_- Definitely not bothering with the sequel.
This book was TERRIBLE.
The characters were flat, one-dimensional stereotypes. My good friend Deirdre described Jansen as a woman (read: typical romance novel "heroine") rewritten as a guy. That's a pretty good description. I've NEVER seen a character, male or female, who cries so much.
I HATED Dorian's speech patterns, and I hated the way he kept referring to Jansen as "the kid" or "my dancer." And he was sort of a vanilla version of Scarface - I still have no idea why Jansen fell in love with him. (Notice at my 68% status update, JANSEN didn't know either.) He has a drug addiction and huge anger management problems, and Jansen was afraid of him turning that on him the whole book - for good reason.
They spent the entire book repeatedly arguing over the same shit, or contradicting themselves and running hot/cold, but they "fell in love" on sight? I didn't buy it, especially because Jansen was skittish over . Because he's a psychotic asshole. But then Jansen can't stop thinking and fantasizing about him? For WHAT reason, I have no idea.
The plot is ALSO flat and one-dimensional, and completely predictable. To the point where I actually rolled my eyes when Jansen . I also couldn't believe Jansen was okay with just .
The thing that REALLY got me? Jansen gives him an ultimatum: you either . But then he's completely fine with it when Dorian . But Dorian cries about it, so naturally he's forgiven.
This book took turns making me shake my head, snicker at the cheese, or pissing me off. Fuck this book.
*Special thanks to Dreamspinner for the TweetAway!
Yet another book I am SUPER grateful I didn't pay for. -_- Definitely not bothering with the sequel.
October 24, 2012
Even as a free read I can only bring myself to give this two stars.
The writing is adequate in terms of grammar, spelling, and basic structure. There was no character development. The resolution was highly unsatisfactory. The internal logic of the story . . . well, it wasn't logical.
It wasn't a terrible book, but I wouldn't recommend spending any time on it. The exception would be if you had a mob kink, in which case go for it. Dorian and his right hand man have a good sense of looming menace, and there's a reasonable amount of mob-related violence.
The writing is adequate in terms of grammar, spelling, and basic structure. There was no character development. The resolution was highly unsatisfactory. The internal logic of the story . . . well, it wasn't logical.
It wasn't a terrible book, but I wouldn't recommend spending any time on it. The exception would be if you had a mob kink, in which case go for it. Dorian and his right hand man have a good sense of looming menace, and there's a reasonable amount of mob-related violence.
November 10, 2012
Sin & Seduction is a little difficult for me to review because on one hand I disliked some key aspects of the book and on the other hand I enjoyed the other parts. A mafia type like crime boss (?) falls for an insecure, damaged male stripper. Both men crash their way into a HEA.
I'm the type of reader who does not mind reading about a villain finally getting their happy ending. And Dorian Grant is not a goody two shoe type of hero, he definitely can take a seat in the bad boy chair. But the man noted his flaws and admits to them and for the most part, I liked him for it.
Is Grant the most evil character I've ever read? No.
Here's what ruined the story for me:
The flat, one dimensional main characters in the first half of the book. Between Dorian's weird dialgoue/ monologues, Jansen's repeated questions and weakness and the authors tendency to over explain a scene, character's clothes, feelings, etc. it distracted me to no end.
If Dorian is supposed to be Cajun and you want to portray a Cajun dialect - you need to pick a side. Either make him fully speak that way or you write his dialogue normally and just say he has a Cajun accent. Using "ya" instead of "you" was distracting and when Dorian would sometimes say "you" instead" of his "ya", I wondered why even incorporate it if it wasn't going to be used for his entire dialogue throughout.
And Jansen...*sigh* he's a TSTL hero...seriously. He's afraid of Dorian for the most offhanded reasons at times and then he still stayed with him. And he puts Dorian through the wringer for some silly reasons.
Dorian - I did not like initially but at the end of the book, you know what? I like him. He's bad (for what reasons are not fully explained, he's a mob boss type of a crew of basically one other guy) he stated he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth so I actually expected him to be more educated, street or not, supposed thug or not. I think if Dorian didn't act like an angry gorilla half of the time, he'd have appealed to more readers.
But Dorian was at least consistent which is his best quality.
Some squick factors for potential readers: Dorian does have sex with another man after sleeping with Jansen, heavy drug use, lack of protection usage between the main characters, some violent scenes.
But what to rate it? *shrug* I'm in the middle - dead middle. TWO & A HALF STARS
I'm the type of reader who does not mind reading about a villain finally getting their happy ending. And Dorian Grant is not a goody two shoe type of hero, he definitely can take a seat in the bad boy chair. But the man noted his flaws and admits to them and for the most part, I liked him for it.
Is Grant the most evil character I've ever read? No.
Here's what ruined the story for me:
The flat, one dimensional main characters in the first half of the book. Between Dorian's weird dialgoue/ monologues, Jansen's repeated questions and weakness and the authors tendency to over explain a scene, character's clothes, feelings, etc. it distracted me to no end.
If Dorian is supposed to be Cajun and you want to portray a Cajun dialect - you need to pick a side. Either make him fully speak that way or you write his dialogue normally and just say he has a Cajun accent. Using "ya" instead of "you" was distracting and when Dorian would sometimes say "you" instead" of his "ya", I wondered why even incorporate it if it wasn't going to be used for his entire dialogue throughout.
And Jansen...*sigh* he's a TSTL hero...seriously. He's afraid of Dorian for the most offhanded reasons at times and then he still stayed with him. And he puts Dorian through the wringer for some silly reasons.
Dorian - I did not like initially but at the end of the book, you know what? I like him. He's bad (for what reasons are not fully explained, he's a mob boss type of a crew of basically one other guy) he stated he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth so I actually expected him to be more educated, street or not, supposed thug or not. I think if Dorian didn't act like an angry gorilla half of the time, he'd have appealed to more readers.
But Dorian was at least consistent which is his best quality.
Some squick factors for potential readers: Dorian does have sex with another man after sleeping with Jansen, heavy drug use, lack of protection usage between the main characters, some violent scenes.
But what to rate it? *shrug* I'm in the middle - dead middle. TWO & A HALF STARS
January 19, 2022
I somewhat liked the character of Jensen and his best friend, Jason. That was all I found likeable about the story. Dorian Grant was essentially a thick-skulled thug who happened to wear an Armani suit. Plain and simple. Call his actions anything you want but that is what he was. Jensen was 200% better off dancing at the club, Sin & Seduction than he ever was in Grant's big fancy mansion. The story tried to make us believe that Grant was like he was because of his father and his business, but he was like he was because he CHOSE to be. He never made any attempt to be anything different, even when professing love for Jensen. Grant got what he wanted in the end, and I guess Jensen did also but no matter what spin was put on it...he was still a monster. I have read a lot of M/M romances and know that they usually have a better outcome and a better story line, but not this one. It's going to be a long time before I can shake the feeling of reading about a man and his abusive, killer lover, that called what they were experiencing. love. If this is this author's best offering, then no more for me.
August 15, 2012
Where to begin? My biggest problem with this book is that both of the characters are completely unlikeable. Dorian, in particular, is totally loathsome. He's a drug addict, thug, and conscienceless killer. Jansen is a beautiful "dancer" (aka wanna-be prostitute) with an inferiority complex. Absolutely no chemistry between the two - in fact the whole relationship is based on disdain and rage from Dorian and fear and desperation from Jansen. The author attempts to convince us the MCs are in love but how is that possible when it's pretty clear they don't particularly like each other? I won't go into the particulars of the plot except to say there's no redemption for either at the end. I like edgy books with characters that push the envelope between right and wrong. I just can't get past how much I didn't like the MCs.
August 11, 2012
Sin & Seduction by Allison Cassatta
4 Stars
Reviewed for www.heartsonfirereviews.com
Jansen is a stripper at nightclub who is struggling just to survive. He is a broken boy, putting himself back together after a brutal beating and rape a year before. The rape was so savage that he needed surgery to repair the damage and extensive hospitalization for recovery and has not had sex since. He has been dancing in the back rooms of Sin & Seduction for a while and is still scraping to get by. He is excited because he finally gets to dance in one of the main rooms of the club where he has the opportunity to earn more money. On his first night dancing in the main room he catches the eye of Dorian Grant and this is where their relationship begins.
Dorian is not a nice guy, not even close. He is a violent criminal who rules the city with intimidation and a Louisville Slugger and if that fails, he just has his go-to man ‘get rid of the problem’. He is cold, calculating and will kill without remorse. He deals with any feelings he may have with booze, cocaine and Extasy and prefers to pay for sex. To say that he doesn’t do relationships is a gross understatement. The closest thing he has to a friend is his hired muscle Angelo and his scary house keeper.
Dorian pays for sex from Jansen and brushes him off and, despite that, Jansen cannot help but want Dorian with every fiber of his being. He is afraid of Dorian but is completely drawn to him. Dorian treats Jansen like a whore and yet can’t stand the thought of anyone else having him. The men develop a hot and cold relationship hampered by the fact that neither of them are capable of rationally dealing with their emotions let alone navigating their way through a ‘normal’ relationship. The progression of their relationship is too fast and feels forced at times. Why they are drawn to each other isn’t readily apparent to me either. Jansen is weak and waivers between being afraid of Dorian and utterly devoted. Dorian pulls Jansen close and then pushes him away, ostensibly for his protection. Despite this, Dorian still manages to both hurt Jansen physically and is the cause of others hurting him. There was one sexual encounter between the men that was undoubtedly of dubious consent and Dorian did physically injure Jansen causing him to bleed rectally. Normally, I have no problem reading dub con but I don’t like to be surprised by it and I was very upset that there was not a warning about this in the summary of this book.
There is some action in the book in the form of some of Dorian’s business peers but this is mainly a character driven story. It is interesting to see the struggle that Dorian goes through trying to fit Jansen into his tumultuous life. Dorian is not tamed by love, he remains true to his violent nature and doesn’t hesistate to get his hands bloody, yet, he does try the best that he can to gain Jansen’s trust and to build on the foundation of their relationship. Both men do experience some changes and manage to have their HEA.
I would recommend this book to those who like real ‘bad boys’ and their romance to be on the harsh and gritty side.
4 Stars
Reviewed for www.heartsonfirereviews.com
Jansen is a stripper at nightclub who is struggling just to survive. He is a broken boy, putting himself back together after a brutal beating and rape a year before. The rape was so savage that he needed surgery to repair the damage and extensive hospitalization for recovery and has not had sex since. He has been dancing in the back rooms of Sin & Seduction for a while and is still scraping to get by. He is excited because he finally gets to dance in one of the main rooms of the club where he has the opportunity to earn more money. On his first night dancing in the main room he catches the eye of Dorian Grant and this is where their relationship begins.
Dorian is not a nice guy, not even close. He is a violent criminal who rules the city with intimidation and a Louisville Slugger and if that fails, he just has his go-to man ‘get rid of the problem’. He is cold, calculating and will kill without remorse. He deals with any feelings he may have with booze, cocaine and Extasy and prefers to pay for sex. To say that he doesn’t do relationships is a gross understatement. The closest thing he has to a friend is his hired muscle Angelo and his scary house keeper.
Dorian pays for sex from Jansen and brushes him off and, despite that, Jansen cannot help but want Dorian with every fiber of his being. He is afraid of Dorian but is completely drawn to him. Dorian treats Jansen like a whore and yet can’t stand the thought of anyone else having him. The men develop a hot and cold relationship hampered by the fact that neither of them are capable of rationally dealing with their emotions let alone navigating their way through a ‘normal’ relationship. The progression of their relationship is too fast and feels forced at times. Why they are drawn to each other isn’t readily apparent to me either. Jansen is weak and waivers between being afraid of Dorian and utterly devoted. Dorian pulls Jansen close and then pushes him away, ostensibly for his protection. Despite this, Dorian still manages to both hurt Jansen physically and is the cause of others hurting him. There was one sexual encounter between the men that was undoubtedly of dubious consent and Dorian did physically injure Jansen causing him to bleed rectally. Normally, I have no problem reading dub con but I don’t like to be surprised by it and I was very upset that there was not a warning about this in the summary of this book.
There is some action in the book in the form of some of Dorian’s business peers but this is mainly a character driven story. It is interesting to see the struggle that Dorian goes through trying to fit Jansen into his tumultuous life. Dorian is not tamed by love, he remains true to his violent nature and doesn’t hesistate to get his hands bloody, yet, he does try the best that he can to gain Jansen’s trust and to build on the foundation of their relationship. Both men do experience some changes and manage to have their HEA.
I would recommend this book to those who like real ‘bad boys’ and their romance to be on the harsh and gritty side.
November 14, 2012
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.0
Dorian Grant is an underworld king in New Orleans. He’s a drug-using, ruthless crime boss with a propensity for violence and murder. Jansen is a stripper at a club called Sin and Seduction. Stage name Sweet Heat (I’m not kidding), Jansen appears on stage one night and dances his way onto Dorian’s lap and eventually into his bed. They are a mismatched pair searching for love and acceptance.
What I liked:
•Allison Cassatta didn’t pull her punches when describing how Dorian’s life is steeped in violence.
•Despite my misgivings with the two MCs, their eventual HEA was sweet and satisfying.
•The MCs journey was fraught with challenges and set-backs; they had to fight for their HEA. I really like that.
What irked me:
•Stripper has sex with unknown patron … twice … without a condom. Nuff said.
•Jansen. I found him incredibly irritating at times. He’s a study in contradictions and not in a good way. He’s not really a smoker but he’s lighting up a Camel. He’s not really a drug user but he pops X on occasion. He’s incredulous that Dorian might think him a whore, but he accepts payment for sex. W.T.F.!?!
•Graphic violence: I’m not a fan of graphic violence. Violence just for the sake of violence? Not my bag. I appreciate Cassatta keeping it real when describing Dorian’s life as an underworld crime boss but some scenes were over the top IMHO.
•Dorian. He is a cold-hearted prick. Brutal. Again, I felt that Cassatta was trying to be true to his character. Admittedly, Dorian eventually grows on me but I had a big problem: at times he revels in the bloody parts of his job too much. I have read and enjoyed romances involving non-law-abiders. A crime boss? Fine. I can get behind that. Crime bosses are people too, arguably. But whether I like such a character will depend heavily on who he is inside. At the very least, he’s gotta feel conflicted. Dorian, at times, relishes the violence he doles out. I get that it’s part of who he is. I’m even okay with staying in the life. But to revel in it? Um … no.
•Dorian rationalizes that he had not choice but to be an underworld king. He has no choice but to continue. He feels bad at times but he can’t change. Barf. He’s better than that. Man up!
Bottom line: A good concept with interesting characters and story line. Unfortunately, the MCs fell short of the mark for me.
Dorian Grant is an underworld king in New Orleans. He’s a drug-using, ruthless crime boss with a propensity for violence and murder. Jansen is a stripper at a club called Sin and Seduction. Stage name Sweet Heat (I’m not kidding), Jansen appears on stage one night and dances his way onto Dorian’s lap and eventually into his bed. They are a mismatched pair searching for love and acceptance.
What I liked:
•Allison Cassatta didn’t pull her punches when describing how Dorian’s life is steeped in violence.
•Despite my misgivings with the two MCs, their eventual HEA was sweet and satisfying.
•The MCs journey was fraught with challenges and set-backs; they had to fight for their HEA. I really like that.
What irked me:
•Stripper has sex with unknown patron … twice … without a condom. Nuff said.
•Jansen. I found him incredibly irritating at times. He’s a study in contradictions and not in a good way. He’s not really a smoker but he’s lighting up a Camel. He’s not really a drug user but he pops X on occasion. He’s incredulous that Dorian might think him a whore, but he accepts payment for sex. W.T.F.!?!
•Graphic violence: I’m not a fan of graphic violence. Violence just for the sake of violence? Not my bag. I appreciate Cassatta keeping it real when describing Dorian’s life as an underworld crime boss but some scenes were over the top IMHO.
•Dorian. He is a cold-hearted prick. Brutal. Again, I felt that Cassatta was trying to be true to his character. Admittedly, Dorian eventually grows on me but I had a big problem: at times he revels in the bloody parts of his job too much. I have read and enjoyed romances involving non-law-abiders. A crime boss? Fine. I can get behind that. Crime bosses are people too, arguably. But whether I like such a character will depend heavily on who he is inside. At the very least, he’s gotta feel conflicted. Dorian, at times, relishes the violence he doles out. I get that it’s part of who he is. I’m even okay with staying in the life. But to revel in it? Um … no.
•Dorian rationalizes that he had not choice but to be an underworld king. He has no choice but to continue. He feels bad at times but he can’t change. Barf. He’s better than that. Man up!
Bottom line: A good concept with interesting characters and story line. Unfortunately, the MCs fell short of the mark for me.
September 13, 2012
Sin & Seduction is the Godfather of m/m fiction. Set in New Orleans, it is the story of a powerful mobster (Dorian) who falls in love with an erotic dancer (Jansen).
The story itself is page-turning, very exciting, and action-packed. It depicts a dark criminal underworld that is filled with violence, greed, rampant sex, and lots of drugs. This gritty portrayal was harsh, particularly due to the fact that I read this book immediately after completing another book by this author which was the polar opposite.
Some have described Sin & Seduction as being trashy, but I would definitely disagree with that characterization. It was dark and it was edgy, but there was a sympathetic quality to the callous main character. Seeing this softer side of him was key to understanding and appreciating the romance that was portrayed.
The issues I had with the story were nothing to do with the overall plot, romance, or even the graphic scenes. There were some plot inconsistencies which should have easily been identified during editing. And the POV was all over the place. Multiple points of view were presented within the same scenes, almost like third person omniscient--but not quite. Those POV shifts should have been identified with section breaks or the sections should have been rewritten, and I can't believe the editors did not insist upon this.
Overall, it was a gripping story, and not trashy in the least.
Concerning those who have complained about the fact that the character Jansen was too much of a wuss and seemed feminine: that's what romance is. It is a classic archetype--damsel in distress saved by knight in shining armor. M/M romance is not supposed to be about two strong men duking it out to jockey for dominance. My absolute favorite kind of stories are those which depict a strong DOM lead and a weaker, more sensitive love interest. I think the people who complain about this dynamic really have issues with men who are not "masculine" enough. To me, the Dom/sub element made the story better.
And of course Jansen would yearn for a lover who did not see him as just a whore. The fact that he was an erotic dancer would have probably heightened this insecurity, not minimize it. Jansen was a dancer, yes, but he fell in love, and he wanted to be more than just a prostitute. I totally buy that.
The story itself is page-turning, very exciting, and action-packed. It depicts a dark criminal underworld that is filled with violence, greed, rampant sex, and lots of drugs. This gritty portrayal was harsh, particularly due to the fact that I read this book immediately after completing another book by this author which was the polar opposite.
Some have described Sin & Seduction as being trashy, but I would definitely disagree with that characterization. It was dark and it was edgy, but there was a sympathetic quality to the callous main character. Seeing this softer side of him was key to understanding and appreciating the romance that was portrayed.
The issues I had with the story were nothing to do with the overall plot, romance, or even the graphic scenes. There were some plot inconsistencies which should have easily been identified during editing. And the POV was all over the place. Multiple points of view were presented within the same scenes, almost like third person omniscient--but not quite. Those POV shifts should have been identified with section breaks or the sections should have been rewritten, and I can't believe the editors did not insist upon this.
Overall, it was a gripping story, and not trashy in the least.
Concerning those who have complained about the fact that the character Jansen was too much of a wuss and seemed feminine: that's what romance is. It is a classic archetype--damsel in distress saved by knight in shining armor. M/M romance is not supposed to be about two strong men duking it out to jockey for dominance. My absolute favorite kind of stories are those which depict a strong DOM lead and a weaker, more sensitive love interest. I think the people who complain about this dynamic really have issues with men who are not "masculine" enough. To me, the Dom/sub element made the story better.
And of course Jansen would yearn for a lover who did not see him as just a whore. The fact that he was an erotic dancer would have probably heightened this insecurity, not minimize it. Jansen was a dancer, yes, but he fell in love, and he wanted to be more than just a prostitute. I totally buy that.
Read
October 26, 2013
I mean, really? The inconsistencies, the lack of any sensible thoughts... It just seems terribly contrived and irrational.
One minute the main character Jansen says, "tell him I hate him, tell him he's dead to me. Tell him how badly he fucking hurt me." And quite literally a couple paragraphs down, in the same scene, his friend asks, "You'd blow him right now." And Jansen replies, "I don't know, there's something about him."
(#￢_￢)
This is all after Dorian roughly has sex with him, makes Jansen cry, black out, and causes damage after Jansen has already told him that he had been raped before and had to be sent to the hospital for surgery to repair him. And Jansen's friend tells him he needs to go to the hospital because of the bleeding, only for him to later say, again a few paragraphs down, "I'll take you home." I mean what happened to the hospital??? No, he takes him home turns on the tv and leaves. Only for Jansen to get hard and jerk off about Dorian. Despite the fact the whole way home he was in excruciating pain, he is suddenly healed. And he is able to climax to the idea of the "barbarian that made him cry out to God".
ヽ(｀⌒´メ)ノ I mean I know people get off on pain, humiliation and look for love in those who inflict this torture but I don't know, I don't buy that this is his secret BDSM fetish, not with all these contradictions in thought and plot.
When Jansen's friend won't tell Dorian where Jansen is, rightfully so considering, Dorian tries to strangle him, he nearly kills him. Just like that. And when Jansen's friend manages to get home alive and tells Jansen, Jansen says he's sorry only to go on and think, "part of him was excited" and worse "he couldn't sit back and wait another second, couldn't just lie in bed and wait for *Dorian* to come to him." щ(ºДºщ)
I find myself agreeing with Dorian's introspection, such as "He was an asshole." You, got it. "Maybe, he was was insane." You think?
And every time they have sex they have to take ecstasy. I mean...really?
But I am curious about Dorian's past and how the author will manage to get these two together, realistically speaking because honestly... I really hope Jansen can help Dorian...
August 16, 2012
I was one of the first to get a glimpse into the mind of the Author and boy what a look it was. Before my eyes, she brought to life two characters and sub-characters the way those whom are boasted as being National Best Selling Authors have.
Dorian is fantastic, in that he is very life-like, very much the Alpha male. And Sweet Heat, do not even get me started!
I thought the story was fantastically told and I laughed, cried, hated and loved. The author awoke in me things I did not know existed with the telling of this story!
It is not a by the cut romance novel, because it isn't supposed to be! Gritty television shows and movies are all the rage, and the author hit it bang on with this story, except, her characters actually live...they simply jump from the page and unfold before your eyes, leaving you wondering if you were the veritable fly on the wall in their lives!
This book rocked!
Dorian is fantastic, in that he is very life-like, very much the Alpha male. And Sweet Heat, do not even get me started!
I thought the story was fantastically told and I laughed, cried, hated and loved. The author awoke in me things I did not know existed with the telling of this story!
It is not a by the cut romance novel, because it isn't supposed to be! Gritty television shows and movies are all the rage, and the author hit it bang on with this story, except, her characters actually live...they simply jump from the page and unfold before your eyes, leaving you wondering if you were the veritable fly on the wall in their lives!
This book rocked!
August 9, 2014
A review by The Blogger Girls.
I was very excited to pick this one as my mobster theme book. Big, tough mafia type guy falls for smexy dancer, turns his life around, etc. I’m a bit on the fence with this one, however, because there were just as many things that I liked as that I didn’t.
Jansen – Had trouble with the name, so I ended up calling him Jan most of the time (his roommate was already Jason). He’s a sweet thing but not the brightest bulb in the pack. Poor kid falls for the dark, mysterious Mr. Grant, even though everything under the sun is telling him to run and hide and don’t look back. He had been attacked and raped a year previous, so he was still a little messed up about that, especially when Mr. Grant is the first he’s been with since that ordeal. All goes well though, at first. Jansen spends so much of his time worrying about Dorian’s temper and killing proclivities that it is hard to believe there can be much more than a physical attraction here.
Dorian – I wasn’t too sure what to think about Dorian. He wasn’t so much as a mafia king as just a violent criminal business man. I liked him, then I didn’t, then I did again, throughout the entire story. He never made excuses for his behavior/actions/violence but it did get a little tiring hearing about him being such a monster, etc. Also, it took about halfway through the story before I realized he was supposed to be Cajun. His dialog was a little off much of the time, and I had a really hard time visualising his character.
Jansen/Dorian together – I honestly did not the connection between these two. Jansen was terrified of Dorian 90% of the time, yet he kept going back for more or had to be drugged to enjoy himself. Dorian treats him like crap much of that time as well. Then, Dorian’s continual reference to Jansen as his beautiful dancer, was another niggle I had. But these guys eventually make it to a somewhat happy ending, given their circumstances haven’t changed all that much from the beginning.
However, there were things I liked, such as the few steamy scenes where Jansen didn’t actually end up bleeding and in need of mental and physical treatment. There were some likable characters that could prove interesting in the future, but the guys in this installment fell a little flat for me.
October 24, 2012
This book made me laugh out loud several times. It was just too stupid. I forced myself to finish it just to be able to rate it fairly. Honestly, it was painful to read Jansen's POV. He was a badly disguised woman in a m/f romance.
dnf
August 12, 2012DNF
Every second word is fuck or shit.
Even when swearing fits to characters and story - no thanks!
Every second word is fuck or shit.
Even when swearing fits to characters and story - no thanks!
December 31, 2018
This book confused me, it was the most unbelievable love story I’ve ever read. Wait it wasn’t a love story, it was.... Well I’m not sure. Jansen was scared of Dorian, all Dorian has to do was raise his voice. If you’re that scared get out. Oh wait Jansen did leave but willing cake back. Then there was the whole fact that Jansen didn’t want Dorian to see him as a whore. Well forgive me for mentioning this but right at the start Jansen gushed about being on the main stage as a dancer so he COULD get seen by rich men that might pay for more???? And I won’t go into the second night of so called passion Dorian and Jansen had together. I nearly didn’t finish this book on that alone. I get wanting to add intrigue into a story, through sexy, hurt, crime. But what happen in this book was just... uncomfortable. Both what Dorian did and Jansen’s reaction. “I love him but I don’t want him to hurt me again!!” THEY WEREN’T EVEN TOGETHER. Dorian had paid on both nights. How could Jansen fall in love... Ok I’ll leave it here. I’m sorry my words aren’t nice but the only nice thing I can say is the writing wasn’t bad.
June 11, 2015
Questa recensione è presente sul blog.
https://emozionifralepagine.wordpress...
Questa recensione contiene SPOILER.
La prima parola che mi viene in mente pensando a questo romanzo è conflitto.
Conflitto sia personale, quindi interiore, che tra i due protagonisti.
Jansen e Dorian vivono in due mondi totalmente diversi tanto che per loro, riuscire a entrare l’uno in quello dell’altro, è una cosa complicata. Capirsi è difficile. Il mondo di Dorian è fatto di regole ferree, di onore e rispetto dove a farla da padrona è la paura, in cui se ti mostri debole, qualcuno subito ti attaccherà, e nel quale è necessario incutere sempre più timore degli altri, se si vuole sopravvivere.
Quello di Jansen invece è il semplice mondo di uno studente universitario che ama ballare, anche se per farlo si esibisce al ‘Peccato e Seduzione’… non certo un locale tra i migliori.
Eppure malgrado vite così diverse, a entrambi non è stata risparmiata una gran bella dose di dolore.
L’incontro tra i due è a dir poco esplosivo, l’attrazione immediata e reciproca.
Dorian non ha mai permesso a se stesso di innamorarsi di nessuno, impedendo a chiunque non gli interessasse di avvicinarlo, pensando che l’ideale per lui, ciò che desiderava dalla vita fosse: portarsi a casa i vari ballerini del ‘Peccato e Seduzione’ per poi scaricarli appena finito, lasciandogli anche dei bei centoni come ricompensa.
Quando però conosce Jansen tutto si capovolge. Inizia a provare qualcosa, anche se non vuole ammetterlo, e desiderare il ballerino, lo porta a riflettere su tutta la sua vita.
Cit. “ Fissando il cielo blu luminoso, fece un bilancio della sua vita e dei casini che aveva combinato, di come aveva potuto fare del male a tante persone senza mai provare davvero un vero rimorso per nessuna di loro. Per la prima volta da tanto tempo, si sentiva male per le schifezze che aveva fatto. Era tutta colpa di Jansen, quel riscoperto senso di colpa…”
Ora, per quanto Dorian sia il “cattivo”, e per quanto male abbia fatto in passato e continuerà a farne in questo romanzo, non me la sento di colpevolizzarlo. Non è un cattivo per scelta, lui la possibilità di scegliere in realtà non l’ha mai avuta, così come non ama condurre la vita cui è costretto, ma quando ti ritrovi a crescere in una famiglia come la sua, da sempre nel giro degli affari illeciti, con un padre che mettendoti in mano una pistola ti ordina di uccidere, pena la tua stessa morte, non hai alternative.
E nemmeno è possibile uscirne senza conseguenze, né un giorno dire: io mollo tutto, divento onesto, pensando semplicemente di andarsene.
Jansen così si ritrova combattuto. È spaventato dalla vita di Dorian, dai suoi scatti d’ira, ma non può fare a meno di desiderare quell’uomo autoritario, scontroso e sexy.
Pian piano Dorian proverà a cambiare per Jansen, ma la strada sarà lunga e tortuosa.
Cit. “ ‘Grazie per non avermi abbandonato.’ Per quanto fosse ironico, era tutto quello che Jansen aveva bisogno di sentirsi dire. Non si era aspettato che lui lo dicesse, non si era aspettato quasi nulla dal suo amico ombroso e riservato, ma Dorian gli aveva dato, con quella piccola frase il più bel regalo possibile.”
Durante questo percorso complicato per la coppia, Jansen si ritroverà a dover prendere una decisione difficile per entrambi, soffrendo, pur sapendo che razionalmente è l’unica scelta possibile in quel momento, a dispetto del suo cuore che non può smettere di amare Dorian.
Cit. “Voleva dire a Dorian che lo amava e che lo accettava per quello che era. Voleva dirgli che si era innamorato di lui dal momento in cui si erano conosciuti, ma Dorian non era il tipo a cui dire stronzate del genere. Non era in un posto in cui l’amore era un’opzione, non ancora.”
“Lasciare la stanza in cui aveva vissuto per mesi lo fece sentire come se stesse andando incontro alla fine della sua vita. Fece gli ultimi passi verso la condanna a morte del suo cuore, consapevole che il dolore di lasciare l’uomo che era entrato come un tornado nella sua vita e che gli aveva rubato il cuore sarebbe stato infinito. Ci volle tutta la sua determinazione per non tornare a gettarsi alla mercé di Dorian. Ci volle ogni briciola della forza di volontà che aveva nell’anima per non pregare Dorian di ricambiare il suo amore. E quando lasciò la villa di Dorian Grant, giurò che sarebbe stato per sempre.”
Ma le buone intenzioni, quando il cuore si rifiuta di ascoltare il cervello, spesso sono solo parole. Finiranno col tornare ancora l’uno nella vita dell’altro, ma Dorian è terrorizzato che Jansen possa essere preso di mira da qualcuno del suo giro, proprio per il fatto che il ragazzo è importante per lui, l’unica persona alla quale ha permesso e si è permesso di avvicinarsi a un livello emotivo.
Cit. “Aveva paura che se avesse perso Jansen, niente sarebbe stato più lo stesso. Sarebbe diventato dieci volte più crudele, spietato e feroce. Sapeva che se avesse perso Jansen, sarebbe morto vecchio, arrabbiato e solo, perché il suo cuore non aveva la forza di far entrare nessun altro, di amare nessun altro.”
Ora, se vi aspettate il solito finale in cui il cattivo diventa buono e cambia vita per il suo innamorato, rimarrete delusi. Come sopra vi ho spiegato, ribaltare la propria esistenza, non è una decisione che si può prendere e perorare con facilità, né soprattutto dall’oggi al domani, però i nostri due protagonisti avranno comunque il loro lieto fine come in ogni romance che si rispetti.
Nella vita si può migliorare per amore di qualcuno, proprio come Dorian tenterà per amore di Jansen, ma allo stesso modo, se si ama qualcuno, lo si accetta per quello che è, senza cercare di cambiarlo per forza, e questo Jason lo ha capito…
Sono due mondi opposti che si attraggono, che si vengono incontro per creare qualcosa di speciale, insieme.
https://emozionifralepagine.wordpress...
Questa recensione contiene SPOILER.
La prima parola che mi viene in mente pensando a questo romanzo è conflitto.
Conflitto sia personale, quindi interiore, che tra i due protagonisti.
Jansen e Dorian vivono in due mondi totalmente diversi tanto che per loro, riuscire a entrare l’uno in quello dell’altro, è una cosa complicata. Capirsi è difficile. Il mondo di Dorian è fatto di regole ferree, di onore e rispetto dove a farla da padrona è la paura, in cui se ti mostri debole, qualcuno subito ti attaccherà, e nel quale è necessario incutere sempre più timore degli altri, se si vuole sopravvivere.
Quello di Jansen invece è il semplice mondo di uno studente universitario che ama ballare, anche se per farlo si esibisce al ‘Peccato e Seduzione’… non certo un locale tra i migliori.
Eppure malgrado vite così diverse, a entrambi non è stata risparmiata una gran bella dose di dolore.
L’incontro tra i due è a dir poco esplosivo, l’attrazione immediata e reciproca.
Dorian non ha mai permesso a se stesso di innamorarsi di nessuno, impedendo a chiunque non gli interessasse di avvicinarlo, pensando che l’ideale per lui, ciò che desiderava dalla vita fosse: portarsi a casa i vari ballerini del ‘Peccato e Seduzione’ per poi scaricarli appena finito, lasciandogli anche dei bei centoni come ricompensa.
Quando però conosce Jansen tutto si capovolge. Inizia a provare qualcosa, anche se non vuole ammetterlo, e desiderare il ballerino, lo porta a riflettere su tutta la sua vita.
Cit. “ Fissando il cielo blu luminoso, fece un bilancio della sua vita e dei casini che aveva combinato, di come aveva potuto fare del male a tante persone senza mai provare davvero un vero rimorso per nessuna di loro. Per la prima volta da tanto tempo, si sentiva male per le schifezze che aveva fatto. Era tutta colpa di Jansen, quel riscoperto senso di colpa…”
Ora, per quanto Dorian sia il “cattivo”, e per quanto male abbia fatto in passato e continuerà a farne in questo romanzo, non me la sento di colpevolizzarlo. Non è un cattivo per scelta, lui la possibilità di scegliere in realtà non l’ha mai avuta, così come non ama condurre la vita cui è costretto, ma quando ti ritrovi a crescere in una famiglia come la sua, da sempre nel giro degli affari illeciti, con un padre che mettendoti in mano una pistola ti ordina di uccidere, pena la tua stessa morte, non hai alternative.
E nemmeno è possibile uscirne senza conseguenze, né un giorno dire: io mollo tutto, divento onesto, pensando semplicemente di andarsene.
Jansen così si ritrova combattuto. È spaventato dalla vita di Dorian, dai suoi scatti d’ira, ma non può fare a meno di desiderare quell’uomo autoritario, scontroso e sexy.
Pian piano Dorian proverà a cambiare per Jansen, ma la strada sarà lunga e tortuosa.
Cit. “ ‘Grazie per non avermi abbandonato.’ Per quanto fosse ironico, era tutto quello che Jansen aveva bisogno di sentirsi dire. Non si era aspettato che lui lo dicesse, non si era aspettato quasi nulla dal suo amico ombroso e riservato, ma Dorian gli aveva dato, con quella piccola frase il più bel regalo possibile.”
Durante questo percorso complicato per la coppia, Jansen si ritroverà a dover prendere una decisione difficile per entrambi, soffrendo, pur sapendo che razionalmente è l’unica scelta possibile in quel momento, a dispetto del suo cuore che non può smettere di amare Dorian.
Cit. “Voleva dire a Dorian che lo amava e che lo accettava per quello che era. Voleva dirgli che si era innamorato di lui dal momento in cui si erano conosciuti, ma Dorian non era il tipo a cui dire stronzate del genere. Non era in un posto in cui l’amore era un’opzione, non ancora.”
“Lasciare la stanza in cui aveva vissuto per mesi lo fece sentire come se stesse andando incontro alla fine della sua vita. Fece gli ultimi passi verso la condanna a morte del suo cuore, consapevole che il dolore di lasciare l’uomo che era entrato come un tornado nella sua vita e che gli aveva rubato il cuore sarebbe stato infinito. Ci volle tutta la sua determinazione per non tornare a gettarsi alla mercé di Dorian. Ci volle ogni briciola della forza di volontà che aveva nell’anima per non pregare Dorian di ricambiare il suo amore. E quando lasciò la villa di Dorian Grant, giurò che sarebbe stato per sempre.”
Ma le buone intenzioni, quando il cuore si rifiuta di ascoltare il cervello, spesso sono solo parole. Finiranno col tornare ancora l’uno nella vita dell’altro, ma Dorian è terrorizzato che Jansen possa essere preso di mira da qualcuno del suo giro, proprio per il fatto che il ragazzo è importante per lui, l’unica persona alla quale ha permesso e si è permesso di avvicinarsi a un livello emotivo.
Cit. “Aveva paura che se avesse perso Jansen, niente sarebbe stato più lo stesso. Sarebbe diventato dieci volte più crudele, spietato e feroce. Sapeva che se avesse perso Jansen, sarebbe morto vecchio, arrabbiato e solo, perché il suo cuore non aveva la forza di far entrare nessun altro, di amare nessun altro.”
Ora, se vi aspettate il solito finale in cui il cattivo diventa buono e cambia vita per il suo innamorato, rimarrete delusi. Come sopra vi ho spiegato, ribaltare la propria esistenza, non è una decisione che si può prendere e perorare con facilità, né soprattutto dall’oggi al domani, però i nostri due protagonisti avranno comunque il loro lieto fine come in ogni romance che si rispetti.
Nella vita si può migliorare per amore di qualcuno, proprio come Dorian tenterà per amore di Jansen, ma allo stesso modo, se si ama qualcuno, lo si accetta per quello che è, senza cercare di cambiarlo per forza, e questo Jason lo ha capito…
Sono due mondi opposti che si attraggono, che si vengono incontro per creare qualcosa di speciale, insieme.
September 29, 2014
**ranty review ... spoiler alert**
I will admit that since the writing and editing of this book is fine, it almost certainly deserves more than one star. But I just plain hated the thing so much I can't bring myself to give it any more. This book, no not the book, the book is fine, this story is horrible. H.O.R.R.R.I.B.L.E! It's basically porn with a very week attempt at a plot, which can be fun sometimes. But this was not one of those times.
The plot is essentially that a violent, drug addicted, murdering mafioso goes into a strip joint and hires a dancer to take home for a night of meaningless debauchery. First off, while erotic dancing and prostitution are admittedly both part of the sex trade, I'm fairly sure 'pole dancer' and 'whore' aren't actually the same profession. But hey, apparently I'm wrong.
Said mafioso treats said dancer just like a hooker. He does his deed and dismisses the dancer before the poor guys even peeled himself off the shower-stall wall. It was literally, "I'm done, get out." But for some inexplicable reason that isn't explained he then suddenly starts having all these wants and feelings that he's never had before. Suddenly the dancer isn't just a whore. He's something more. Wha...what? Why?
Meanwhile, the dancer is convinced he's falling in love with the man who just used and discarded him—the man who he never spoke to, who made him wear a blindfold to his house, provided no foreplay and was basically just a dick to him. The next night the drugged up man shows up and buys the dancer again. Treating him so badly that he injures him quite severely without noticing, throws money at him and leaves. ('Cause that's the obvious thing to do to the man you've just spent 24 hours fantasising about.)
And you know what the dancer did then? You wanna know? He fell in love with the man and spent the next third of the book pining for him and obsessing over whether he was just a whore to that 'mystery lover.' WTF? Seriously? What in the previous occurrences would suggest he could expect to be anything else? I haven't left anything out either. The two of them had no actual conversation, didn't exchange names, never showed any kindness toward one another. NOTHING. So the whole 'romance' was completely baseless and made no sense at all.
I could really go on and on and on about how much I hated these two characters and their ridiculous 'love.' (I'm throwing out some mean air-quotes on that word too.) But I won't. I'll just say that I hated everything about them, their relationship (or lack there of), their unnatural progression from strangers to 'most important person in my life,' their weird attempts to change each-other while simultaneously saying they accept them as they are, their hospitalisations, their 'move in with me, you've met me two whole times and I only tore your rectum the once, you don't even know my name and I obviously live the sort of life that sees me almost assassinated but I'll treat you right' buuuullllshiiiitttttt.
I generally like a good mob boss character. But the damaged millionaire being saved by the prostitute with the golden heart has been done so many times already and I can't say I'm particularly fond of the trope to start with. Then their was Dorian's ridiculous speech patterns and Jansen's wishy-washy 'I'm submissive, now I'm accreting myself, now I'm submitting' schtick...oh, and the history of rape ('cause Jansen apparently wasn't filling enough heroine tropes already)...ugh. Just no. I have nothing good to say about this book other than that the writing is perfectly readable so a different reader might not hate it as much as me.
I will admit that since the writing and editing of this book is fine, it almost certainly deserves more than one star. But I just plain hated the thing so much I can't bring myself to give it any more. This book, no not the book, the book is fine, this story is horrible. H.O.R.R.R.I.B.L.E! It's basically porn with a very week attempt at a plot, which can be fun sometimes. But this was not one of those times.
The plot is essentially that a violent, drug addicted, murdering mafioso goes into a strip joint and hires a dancer to take home for a night of meaningless debauchery. First off, while erotic dancing and prostitution are admittedly both part of the sex trade, I'm fairly sure 'pole dancer' and 'whore' aren't actually the same profession. But hey, apparently I'm wrong.
Said mafioso treats said dancer just like a hooker. He does his deed and dismisses the dancer before the poor guys even peeled himself off the shower-stall wall. It was literally, "I'm done, get out." But for some inexplicable reason that isn't explained he then suddenly starts having all these wants and feelings that he's never had before. Suddenly the dancer isn't just a whore. He's something more. Wha...what? Why?
Meanwhile, the dancer is convinced he's falling in love with the man who just used and discarded him—the man who he never spoke to, who made him wear a blindfold to his house, provided no foreplay and was basically just a dick to him. The next night the drugged up man shows up and buys the dancer again. Treating him so badly that he injures him quite severely without noticing, throws money at him and leaves. ('Cause that's the obvious thing to do to the man you've just spent 24 hours fantasising about.)
And you know what the dancer did then? You wanna know? He fell in love with the man and spent the next third of the book pining for him and obsessing over whether he was just a whore to that 'mystery lover.' WTF? Seriously? What in the previous occurrences would suggest he could expect to be anything else? I haven't left anything out either. The two of them had no actual conversation, didn't exchange names, never showed any kindness toward one another. NOTHING. So the whole 'romance' was completely baseless and made no sense at all.
I could really go on and on and on about how much I hated these two characters and their ridiculous 'love.' (I'm throwing out some mean air-quotes on that word too.) But I won't. I'll just say that I hated everything about them, their relationship (or lack there of), their unnatural progression from strangers to 'most important person in my life,' their weird attempts to change each-other while simultaneously saying they accept them as they are, their hospitalisations, their 'move in with me, you've met me two whole times and I only tore your rectum the once, you don't even know my name and I obviously live the sort of life that sees me almost assassinated but I'll treat you right' buuuullllshiiiitttttt.
I generally like a good mob boss character. But the damaged millionaire being saved by the prostitute with the golden heart has been done so many times already and I can't say I'm particularly fond of the trope to start with. Then their was Dorian's ridiculous speech patterns and Jansen's wishy-washy 'I'm submissive, now I'm accreting myself, now I'm submitting' schtick...oh, and the history of rape ('cause Jansen apparently wasn't filling enough heroine tropes already)...ugh. Just no. I have nothing good to say about this book other than that the writing is perfectly readable so a different reader might not hate it as much as me.
October 21, 2012
I must admit, I did not finish this. I couldn't. I had to stop because it just wasn't good. The names were horribly cheesy. I wanted to overlook it but every time I read "Sweet Heat" I wanted to throw my iPad across the room. I knew I was in serious trouble from the get go with the author not understanding her subject matter. I have no idea why the crime boss character talked the way he did. It was a weird attempt at a dialect that totally failed. Continuously referring to someone as a "schmuck" (a Yiddish word) was really bizarre and I got the feeling there were going to be problems right from that first paragraph.
The author describes him to be the size of a WWE wrestler and then says that no one would dare laugh at him for his small size. What? Seriously. A man who is just about 6 feet tall and just barely 250 lbs of solid muscle works for WWE. This is not a normal sized man let alone "small". Yet the author says "what he lacked in size". What does he lack in size? Vince McMahon will be calling him up and offering him a job. Seriously, Daniel Bryan is 5'10" and 210 lbs and while he may look small next to other wrestlers, I guarantee he is not next to your average Joe. So "Dorian Grant" is anything but lacking in size. His bodyguard is an absolute monster at 300 lbs and nearly 7' tall! Apparently Kevin Nash works for this guy. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not necessary to remind us Dorian's eyes are brown every few pages. I get it, brown eyes. Enough already.
Then we have "Sweet Heat" (seriously why?) taking ecstasy and I could ignore the fact that the author didn't know how the drug works but it's hard to ignore that the author seemed to think swallowing a pill has an onset of about 5 minutes. He took the pill immediately before going onstage to dance and by the time he went out to dance he was "high". Really? You can Google drug onsets if you don't actually know anything about the drug. But this is the sort of thing that makes me hate when authors have their characters use drugs. If you have no idea how they work then don't do it. A "couple of lines" of cocaine? Really, it does not do what you think it does and since you don't know what it does just don't go there.
Everything was just weird and contrived and I wanted to keep reading and who knows maybe I'll even give it another go and attempt to get through the story but this just isn't good. The actual writing itself is poor. It seems like the author was totally out of her depth writing about these types of characters/this subject matter. I'd have to recommend skipping this one.
The author describes him to be the size of a WWE wrestler and then says that no one would dare laugh at him for his small size. What? Seriously. A man who is just about 6 feet tall and just barely 250 lbs of solid muscle works for WWE. This is not a normal sized man let alone "small". Yet the author says "what he lacked in size". What does he lack in size? Vince McMahon will be calling him up and offering him a job. Seriously, Daniel Bryan is 5'10" and 210 lbs and while he may look small next to other wrestlers, I guarantee he is not next to your average Joe. So "Dorian Grant" is anything but lacking in size. His bodyguard is an absolute monster at 300 lbs and nearly 7' tall! Apparently Kevin Nash works for this guy. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not necessary to remind us Dorian's eyes are brown every few pages. I get it, brown eyes. Enough already.
Then we have "Sweet Heat" (seriously why?) taking ecstasy and I could ignore the fact that the author didn't know how the drug works but it's hard to ignore that the author seemed to think swallowing a pill has an onset of about 5 minutes. He took the pill immediately before going onstage to dance and by the time he went out to dance he was "high". Really? You can Google drug onsets if you don't actually know anything about the drug. But this is the sort of thing that makes me hate when authors have their characters use drugs. If you have no idea how they work then don't do it. A "couple of lines" of cocaine? Really, it does not do what you think it does and since you don't know what it does just don't go there.
Everything was just weird and contrived and I wanted to keep reading and who knows maybe I'll even give it another go and attempt to get through the story but this just isn't good. The actual writing itself is poor. It seems like the author was totally out of her depth writing about these types of characters/this subject matter. I'd have to recommend skipping this one.
September 5, 2012
Wow, this is a really hard book for me to review and not your typical m/m romance however I came away really liking it. Yes it's dark, gritty and not your sunshine and light but it is what it is, a story about the underworld life of Dorian Grant. And you definitely do not want to mess with Dorian. That being said, even though Dorian could be very dark, emotionless and vicious at times, there was a tender soft side to him that was buried deep. Very deep. Dorian isn't one to ever let anyone close or into his circle, in fact he guards himself and what's his with an iron fist and no emotion. That slowly changes when he meets Jansen.
Jansen brings out a different side to Dorian, a side he buried when his mother died. That was the Dorian I came to like. The caring, tender and loving man that was able to let Jansen in, come to trust him and show him a side he wasn't proud of but none-the-less was what he'd become. The lowering of his defenses, for such a private, untrusting and isolated man was pivotal and explained why Dorian was the way he was.
I'm happy to have found an author who isn't afraid to tackle a character that isn't easy to like, who's dark, gritty, dangerous, yet can show a reader the other side of that character and challenge you to come out liking him regardless. This is a gritty, breathless read and not for the lighthearted reader. If you like different characters, not your typical m/m, give this a try but know it's not a light read.
I'm excited to read the second book in the series.
Jansen brings out a different side to Dorian, a side he buried when his mother died. That was the Dorian I came to like. The caring, tender and loving man that was able to let Jansen in, come to trust him and show him a side he wasn't proud of but none-the-less was what he'd become. The lowering of his defenses, for such a private, untrusting and isolated man was pivotal and explained why Dorian was the way he was.
I'm happy to have found an author who isn't afraid to tackle a character that isn't easy to like, who's dark, gritty, dangerous, yet can show a reader the other side of that character and challenge you to come out liking him regardless. This is a gritty, breathless read and not for the lighthearted reader. If you like different characters, not your typical m/m, give this a try but know it's not a light read.
I'm excited to read the second book in the series.
August 20, 2012
Let me first start off by saying that I have loved everything I've read by Allison Cassatta. This book was no exception...I loved it.
Dorian is the typical mob guy, he's ruthless, crass, emotionless, doesn't mind getting his hands bloody, I mean dirty, he's a scary guy.
Jansen is the male dancer who Dorian wants to get to know better. Reading the book, you want Jansen to run for the hills and get away from Dorian as fast as he can. But he can't, he's drawn to the man like a magnet and he keeps coming back for more.
Together they are like water and vinegar, total opposites, but it works for them. Throughout the story you really don't like Dorian, but that's okay, he's not a really likable guy. I did like how he didn't soften up or change his ways when he met Jansen. He stayed true to himself and he didn't make any excuses for who and what he was. I loved that about him. As the story continued you really see the inner struggle he has with the feelings he has for Jansen. Feelings has has no idea what to do with, it's all new to him. By the end of the book, Dorian may still not be your favorite character, but you want that happiness for him. You want the HEA for Dorian and Jansen.
All in all, it was a really good book, fast paced and it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Dorian is the typical mob guy, he's ruthless, crass, emotionless, doesn't mind getting his hands bloody, I mean dirty, he's a scary guy.
Jansen is the male dancer who Dorian wants to get to know better. Reading the book, you want Jansen to run for the hills and get away from Dorian as fast as he can. But he can't, he's drawn to the man like a magnet and he keeps coming back for more.
Together they are like water and vinegar, total opposites, but it works for them. Throughout the story you really don't like Dorian, but that's okay, he's not a really likable guy. I did like how he didn't soften up or change his ways when he met Jansen. He stayed true to himself and he didn't make any excuses for who and what he was. I loved that about him. As the story continued you really see the inner struggle he has with the feelings he has for Jansen. Feelings has has no idea what to do with, it's all new to him. By the end of the book, Dorian may still not be your favorite character, but you want that happiness for him. You want the HEA for Dorian and Jansen.
All in all, it was a really good book, fast paced and it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next.
November 20, 2012
I enjoyed "Sin & Seduction", but whew! was it pretty dark. Not for those who don't like darker romances, with a hero who is bordeline sociopathetic(but all mafia types are, aren't they?) and his love interest who is a wary and put upon dancer just tryin to make a livin. I liked it very much despite Dorian's early nasty apathetic attitude and how he hurts Jansen in the begining. I didn't think he could be redeemed but by the end of this fast, but violent read, Dorian Grant shows some emotion and proves he isn't heartless after all and he can love. In addition, Jansen, who I felt was pretty weak at first and suffering from some SERIOUS self-esteem issues, did become stronger emotionally. My ass, personally, couldn't be with a guy so violent and ruthless, but kudos to Jansen. These two some how manage to have a happy ending.
August 16, 2012
I had previously read some of the story about what happens to Jason (a minor supporting character in this story), so I was very eager to read about how Jansen and Dorian got their start. These two are both mentally screwed up (with good reason), but they kinda end up helping each other out and being what the other needs. They are a great example of imperfect people finding the perfection underneath the piles of flaws. I wanted to reach through the pages and throttle them several times, but I knew from reading Cassatta's other works that she wouldn't let me down. Passionate characters are never easy. Great read.
October 4, 2012
This book was really good and I loved everything about it to be honest. It was a great plot and Dorian and Jansen were good characters. I really felt for Dorian and even though he was horrible in parts of the book his history explained it to a degree. I really did not want to love this book as much as I did but there was something about him and the way he was written that made me understand him. I felt so sorry for Jansen and the horrible things that happened to him. His look was really bad and it made me want to give hum a big hug. I really love this book and think it should be read by people who can stomach violence :)
September 26, 2012
GOSH DARN IT! AMAZING!!! The violence, the drug use... I HATED Dorian.. absolutely HATED him at the start and Jansen was just so... weak... BUT i must admit that they both grew on me; i became so engrossed in the story that i finished it in one night! NOT MY USUAL m/m fare; i normally read pretty fluffy m/m romance and this is most DEFINITELY not that but i LOVED IT!
September 24, 2012
Three stars because I love bad guys and their shady, gritty world. Dorian was plain unlikable. I couldn't take his drug use or anything about him. Nothing about him was redeemable. Jansen. Jesus. Just sad. No backbone, no chemistry. Just sadness that this is what he thought love was or should be.
November 21, 2015
No, no e NO.
January 1, 2019
Se siete romantiche, se amate la dolcezza e pensate al grande amore come l’eroe che salva tutti, beh questo non è il libro per voi.
Mi è difficile fare questa recensione e vi confesso che ci ho messo un po a scriverla perché è un libro un po diverso dal solito.
È molto crudo , a tratti forte. Credo che l’autrice abbia voluto avvicinarsi il più possibile alla realtà, descrivendo un mondo fatto di crimini e violenza. E credo che in qualche modo ci sia riuscita. Anche troppo!
La storia , secondo me, aveva grosse potenzialità ma arrivando in fondo al libro e dovendo tirare le somme, mi rendo conto che alla fine , rispetto alle duecento pagine che ho letto, non rimane molto da raccontare.
La delusione più grande sono stati i personaggi. Posso dire che, arrivata alla fine del libro, non mi è costata alcuna fatica lasciarli andare. Perché onestamente non sono riuscita ad immedesimarmi e a farmi coinvolgere da una storia ricca di violenza, droga e paura.
Jansen è un ballerino che si esibisce in un locale notturno. Tra difficoltà economiche quotidiane e la voglia di arrivare grazie alla danza, sua unica ragione di vita, è un ragazzo che si porta dietro un grosso trauma, sia fisico che psicologico.
Dorian è un uomo violento. Ed è così che gestisce i propri affari ed i rapporti personali. Intrappolato in una responsabilità che sente come dovere verso la famiglia , ne gestisce gli affari nell’unico modo che abbia mai conosciuto: chiunque intralci il cammino, sparisce..
La storia inizia con una notte di sesso e racconta di come Dorian, incapace di affezionarsi a qualcuno, si innamori perdutamente di Jansen.
Ma se credete che questo possa cambiarlo vi sbagliate. Si, ci sarà più coscienza degli errori e del mostro che è, ma continuerà ad andare in giro con quella mazza da basball ed a drogarsi costantemente.
Alla fine del libro, Jansen dice a Dorian “anche tu meriti di essere amato”.
E qui mi sono fermata e la domanda è salita spontanea: “Perché?”.
Cosa ha fatto veramente di buono Dorian per meritare di essere amato da Jensen? Dorian ha fatto del male anche a lui, nonostante sia l’unica persona che gli sia mai arrivato al cuore.
Nel libro inoltre non c’è alcuna indicazione che lui possa decidere di redimersi e smettere con la propria vita da capoclan violento e impassibile.
Il suo unico merito è quello di essersi innamorato di Jansen, ma in questo non c’è molto merito, visto come è stato anche in grado di ferirlo!
Devo essere onesta: credo che il mio giudizio possa non essere completamente oggettivo, nonostante mi stia sforzando. C’è infatti un’altra componente del libro , oltre alla violenza, che non sono disposta ad accettare e comprendere, figurarsi a giustificare: l’ uso costante di droga da parte dei protagonisti, più che altro di Dorian. Quindi il mio giudizio finale è influenzato anche da questo.
In definitiva, la trama intrigante che avevo letto mi aveva creato certe aspettative, che purtroppo non sono state soddisfatte.
Mi è difficile fare questa recensione e vi confesso che ci ho messo un po a scriverla perché è un libro un po diverso dal solito.
È molto crudo , a tratti forte. Credo che l’autrice abbia voluto avvicinarsi il più possibile alla realtà, descrivendo un mondo fatto di crimini e violenza. E credo che in qualche modo ci sia riuscita. Anche troppo!
La storia , secondo me, aveva grosse potenzialità ma arrivando in fondo al libro e dovendo tirare le somme, mi rendo conto che alla fine , rispetto alle duecento pagine che ho letto, non rimane molto da raccontare.
La delusione più grande sono stati i personaggi. Posso dire che, arrivata alla fine del libro, non mi è costata alcuna fatica lasciarli andare. Perché onestamente non sono riuscita ad immedesimarmi e a farmi coinvolgere da una storia ricca di violenza, droga e paura.
Jansen è un ballerino che si esibisce in un locale notturno. Tra difficoltà economiche quotidiane e la voglia di arrivare grazie alla danza, sua unica ragione di vita, è un ragazzo che si porta dietro un grosso trauma, sia fisico che psicologico.
Dorian è un uomo violento. Ed è così che gestisce i propri affari ed i rapporti personali. Intrappolato in una responsabilità che sente come dovere verso la famiglia , ne gestisce gli affari nell’unico modo che abbia mai conosciuto: chiunque intralci il cammino, sparisce..
La storia inizia con una notte di sesso e racconta di come Dorian, incapace di affezionarsi a qualcuno, si innamori perdutamente di Jansen.
Ma se credete che questo possa cambiarlo vi sbagliate. Si, ci sarà più coscienza degli errori e del mostro che è, ma continuerà ad andare in giro con quella mazza da basball ed a drogarsi costantemente.
Alla fine del libro, Jansen dice a Dorian “anche tu meriti di essere amato”.
E qui mi sono fermata e la domanda è salita spontanea: “Perché?”.
Cosa ha fatto veramente di buono Dorian per meritare di essere amato da Jensen? Dorian ha fatto del male anche a lui, nonostante sia l’unica persona che gli sia mai arrivato al cuore.
Nel libro inoltre non c’è alcuna indicazione che lui possa decidere di redimersi e smettere con la propria vita da capoclan violento e impassibile.
Il suo unico merito è quello di essersi innamorato di Jansen, ma in questo non c’è molto merito, visto come è stato anche in grado di ferirlo!
Devo essere onesta: credo che il mio giudizio possa non essere completamente oggettivo, nonostante mi stia sforzando. C’è infatti un’altra componente del libro , oltre alla violenza, che non sono disposta ad accettare e comprendere, figurarsi a giustificare: l’ uso costante di droga da parte dei protagonisti, più che altro di Dorian. Quindi il mio giudizio finale è influenzato anche da questo.
In definitiva, la trama intrigante che avevo letto mi aveva creato certe aspettative, che purtroppo non sono state soddisfatte.
February 7, 2017
Way back when Scribd still offered you an unlimited amount of books, the first two Sin & Seduction stories were in my library, but I never got around to reading them. I had, however bought the third part, so when I go Scribd again, I thought I'd finish another series.
All I Can say that this book turned pretty bad, pretty fast. I'm not the most critical reader and I often forgive stuff others might not, but I tend to also weigh in my expectations, the publisher and other works by the author.
I've only read two other stories by Allison Cassatta, and while I wasn't immensly impressed, I did hink they were nice, entertaining reads. With Sin & Seductio I ran into a familiar coplaint of mine, that the story, the idea behind it, is interesting, great even, but the end result not so much.
Some authors, especially when they are beginning, tend to live inside their heads, and forget that the reader is only aware of what has been written. That can lead to confusing plots and a feeling of rush.
Sin & Seduction was in a word bipolar. From one scene to the next the MCs were in love or dumping each other. Jansen has been raped, but doesn't want Dorian to be overprotective. Then he's willing to accept all the help he can get. He wants a sugar daddy but wants to make it on his own. He wants to be a dancer. Or a reporter.
Dorian on the other hand is a millionaire gangster who beats uo low-life druggies with a bat and only has one guy working for him. What was his line of business? I'm all for fluff with fangs the way K.A. Merikan writes their gangster, but Dorian made no sense. He beats up a guy and then yells at his bodyguard for dumping the bat because it has blood on it. Isn't that exactly what professionals do, the leave their weapons? And the way he spoke, with all the "ya" instead of "you" kept yanking me out of the story.
If I'm being completely blunt, this book was simply poorly written. There was, however, promise and with a rewrite or two it might have been a four star book.
There was much good as well. The author had the balls to keep Dorian a bastard all the way through the end. There was little explaining to why he lived he way he did and almost no excuses. He was a strong, memorable character.
Also, there was certain drive to the story, despite the flaws, that made me believe that the author loved writing it. She wasn't afraid of showing her character in a less than favorable light, which os sadly rare. Plus, I am intrigued enough to read the next book as well.
2 stars.
All I Can say that this book turned pretty bad, pretty fast. I'm not the most critical reader and I often forgive stuff others might not, but I tend to also weigh in my expectations, the publisher and other works by the author.
I've only read two other stories by Allison Cassatta, and while I wasn't immensly impressed, I did hink they were nice, entertaining reads. With Sin & Seductio I ran into a familiar coplaint of mine, that the story, the idea behind it, is interesting, great even, but the end result not so much.
Some authors, especially when they are beginning, tend to live inside their heads, and forget that the reader is only aware of what has been written. That can lead to confusing plots and a feeling of rush.
Sin & Seduction was in a word bipolar. From one scene to the next the MCs were in love or dumping each other. Jansen has been raped, but doesn't want Dorian to be overprotective. Then he's willing to accept all the help he can get. He wants a sugar daddy but wants to make it on his own. He wants to be a dancer. Or a reporter.
Dorian on the other hand is a millionaire gangster who beats uo low-life druggies with a bat and only has one guy working for him. What was his line of business? I'm all for fluff with fangs the way K.A. Merikan writes their gangster, but Dorian made no sense. He beats up a guy and then yells at his bodyguard for dumping the bat because it has blood on it. Isn't that exactly what professionals do, the leave their weapons? And the way he spoke, with all the "ya" instead of "you" kept yanking me out of the story.
If I'm being completely blunt, this book was simply poorly written. There was, however, promise and with a rewrite or two it might have been a four star book.
There was much good as well. The author had the balls to keep Dorian a bastard all the way through the end. There was little explaining to why he lived he way he did and almost no excuses. He was a strong, memorable character.
Also, there was certain drive to the story, despite the flaws, that made me believe that the author loved writing it. She wasn't afraid of showing her character in a less than favorable light, which os sadly rare. Plus, I am intrigued enough to read the next book as well.
2 stars.
November 18, 2025
DNF
I should have listened to the folks in the feedback 🙄. Oh boy the author's writing of Jansen was infuriating.
Cue sex scene 1... Jansen OMG he was so kind I need to see him again, he was so perfect! Meanwhile, Dorian paid him for sex and left him immediately after the deed. No post cuddling, no lay with me, no tell me about you, NOTHING!
Cue sex scene 2... Painful, a violation of budding trust and basically one step away from being forced sex (p.s I would have also been here for that if done well).
Jansen... OMG he hurt me, I do not want to ever see him again, I am just a whore to him. No I need to see him!! How could he do this to me???
I literally had to go what in the ever-loving f*** is this??
But did I stop reading, no I scanned those pages and continue.
Alas the hospital scene (not gonna say how we arrived here) was the icing on the cake of what in the ever-loving f*** ? Tell me why the author's executive descion was for Jansen to go what are we to each other? what are we doing? are you just keeping me around to take care of you?
Have some self respect man, two sex scenes, one painful af, a few days in the hospital where you play nurse maid to man in the hospital who was jacked up on pain meds (did not even go to work and apparently you need the money) and that's your line question?
NO, NO, NO and NO.
Dorain's character exquisite it is what we came here for, the whole Mob, do not cross me vibe with some posseivness to sweeten the pot. Jansen's was a 5 year old child who kept going to a horrible parent for love and attention because they simply do not understand.
That scene was my last scene!
I should have listened to the folks in the feedback 🙄. Oh boy the author's writing of Jansen was infuriating.
Cue sex scene 1... Jansen OMG he was so kind I need to see him again, he was so perfect! Meanwhile, Dorian paid him for sex and left him immediately after the deed. No post cuddling, no lay with me, no tell me about you, NOTHING!
Cue sex scene 2... Painful, a violation of budding trust and basically one step away from being forced sex (p.s I would have also been here for that if done well).
Jansen... OMG he hurt me, I do not want to ever see him again, I am just a whore to him. No I need to see him!! How could he do this to me???
I literally had to go what in the ever-loving f*** is this??
But did I stop reading, no I scanned those pages and continue.
Alas the hospital scene (not gonna say how we arrived here) was the icing on the cake of what in the ever-loving f*** ? Tell me why the author's executive descion was for Jansen to go what are we to each other? what are we doing? are you just keeping me around to take care of you?
Have some self respect man, two sex scenes, one painful af, a few days in the hospital where you play nurse maid to man in the hospital who was jacked up on pain meds (did not even go to work and apparently you need the money) and that's your line question?
NO, NO, NO and NO.
Dorain's character exquisite it is what we came here for, the whole Mob, do not cross me vibe with some posseivness to sweeten the pot. Jansen's was a 5 year old child who kept going to a horrible parent for love and attention because they simply do not understand.
That scene was my last scene!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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