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The Estate #0.5
Joseph Fallen
There is a fine line between genius and madness…
Between love and hate,
Between right and wrong.
Joseph had created The Estate for her…
His wife,
The woman he chose to bear his child.
She was beauty unsurpassed;
And her song was unlike anything he’d ever known.
However, their love was a story that would not find a happy ending.
In this prequel novella to the Estate series, follow Joseph Carmichael as he creates a world unlike any other. Because, in order to comprehend The Estate, you must understand Joseph; but, in order to understand Joseph, you must discover how a man falls from light into the pitch black depths of ultimate darkness.
Between love and hate,
Between right and wrong.
Joseph had created The Estate for her…
His wife,
The woman he chose to bear his child.
She was beauty unsurpassed;
And her song was unlike anything he’d ever known.
However, their love was a story that would not find a happy ending.
In this prequel novella to the Estate series, follow Joseph Carmichael as he creates a world unlike any other. Because, in order to comprehend The Estate, you must understand Joseph; but, in order to understand Joseph, you must discover how a man falls from light into the pitch black depths of ultimate darkness.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2013
25 people are currently reading
1578 people want to read
About the author
M.S. Willis
14 books788 followersM.S. Willis is a dark writer who likes to dabble on the taboo side of eroticism. She is most known for her Control Series, the Estate Series, Because of Ellison (contemporary romance), and Standard Romance Story (Romance Comedy). When she isn’t writing as M.S. Willis, you can find other books by her under Lily White where she has penned the Masters Series (Her Master’s Courtesan and Her Master’s Teacher), Target This, Hard Roads, and Asylum. She’s co-authored Serial (a four part serial series) as Lily White as well. M.S. Willis enjoys stretching her writing muscles by continuing to challenge herself with each book she publishes.
In addition to writing, she is an avid reader, gummy bear slayer, and a gold medalist in puppy naps.
In addition to writing, she is an avid reader, gummy bear slayer, and a gold medalist in puppy naps.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
September 26, 2014
There's a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the light it destroys. And it's in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other.
SOME ADVICE BEFORE YOU START READING THIS BOOK:
1. If you're looking for romance, you won't find it here.
2. If you're looking for an erotica, you won't find that here either.
3. Leave your preconceived notions with all those other dark novels you've read.
What you will find is a story about the slow and horrific demise of one man, Joseph Carmichael. Set against the backdrop that is what we have come to know as The Estate.
CAST
My mind regurgitating what I've just read
While reading this book I completely forgot about the Joseph I'd read about in Madeleine Abducted.
I was introduced to a kind and gentle man. A man who was hopelessly in love, who would do anything for the woman he loves. But I quickly remembered why I detested Joseph.
What followed was horrific, yes horrific. When you read it you might not agree, but it was for me:
GRAPHIC
HEARTBREAKING
HORRIFYING (yes, I keeping going on about how horrifying it was)
GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE
[image error]
Scene after scene of OMFG's and WHY's, my emotion's were all over the place.
Have you ever wondered if you could maybe just change the future?
Okay, but in a book you're reading?
And even though I new how it was going to end, the end still left me feeling like someone had taken a pot scourer and rubbed it along my insides!!!
OMG the stuff that happened in this book!!! I just can't believe it!!! I mean you know when you're watching a really violent movie and there's a scene with an animal dying or something? You'll watch it because normally they just skip over how the animal dies.
But you know that look you get on your face or the way you feel when they don't gloss it over and they show it in graphic detail??? Yeah that's how I felt while reading the book!
Damn you Joseph!!! Why did you had to be such a EFFING PSYCHO!!!
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review
SOME ADVICE BEFORE YOU START READING THIS BOOK:
1. If you're looking for romance, you won't find it here.
2. If you're looking for an erotica, you won't find that here either.
3. Leave your preconceived notions with all those other dark novels you've read.
What you will find is a story about the slow and horrific demise of one man, Joseph Carmichael. Set against the backdrop that is what we have come to know as The Estate.
CAST
My mind regurgitating what I've just read
While reading this book I completely forgot about the Joseph I'd read about in Madeleine Abducted.
I was introduced to a kind and gentle man. A man who was hopelessly in love, who would do anything for the woman he loves. But I quickly remembered why I detested Joseph.
What followed was horrific, yes horrific. When you read it you might not agree, but it was for me:
GRAPHIC
HEARTBREAKING
HORRIFYING (yes, I keeping going on about how horrifying it was)
GRATUITOUS VIOLENCE
[image error]
Scene after scene of OMFG's and WHY's, my emotion's were all over the place.
Have you ever wondered if you could maybe just change the future?
Okay, but in a book you're reading?
And even though I new how it was going to end, the end still left me feeling like someone had taken a pot scourer and rubbed it along my insides!!!
OMG the stuff that happened in this book!!! I just can't believe it!!! I mean you know when you're watching a really violent movie and there's a scene with an animal dying or something? You'll watch it because normally they just skip over how the animal dies.
But you know that look you get on your face or the way you feel when they don't gloss it over and they show it in graphic detail??? Yeah that's how I felt while reading the book!
Damn you Joseph!!! Why did you had to be such a EFFING PSYCHO!!!
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review
January 16, 2014
In my opinion, it is highly recommended to read Madeleine Abducted before this prequel.
5+++++ I'M A JOSEPH HATER STARS!!!
Joseph (though I really didn't want to do a casting for this jackass)
Arianna
Please heed the following:
This was a horrifyingly painful, excruciatingly agonizing book for me to read. Even after days of reading it, I'm incapable of informative and/or flowery words. I feel so much heartache and despair. You'll have to make do with this gif review.
And here we go.
Prologue is epic and warns you ahead of time that this isn't Disneyland with rainbows and unicorns.
^^^DISNEY IT AIN'T!!
The very beginning had me:
I really liked seeing Joseph's character here. The deeply passionate love he has for his wife Arianna moved me to tears. That love, however, morphs into something so dark, something so intricately twisted both Joseph and Arianna don't realize it until it's too late.
Then there was a M.A.J.O.R. turning point for me and I was like:
THEN
*the
real*
*horror
begins*
Me at 26%
Me at 37%
^^Yeah he did. I just about puked my guts BUT I held on.
Me at 53%
^^In the reading world, I puked. A lot. And my heart broke because a certain someone I really loved didn't.....make it. *voice cracks*
Me at 68%
Me at 79%
I want to weep for humanity.
Me at 84%
^^Passed out. I took a reader's advice and stopped to breathe.
Me at 97%
I dropped my iPad like it was on fire and jumped into bed and curled up in a ball. To put it shortly, would I want to be in that situation?
Me at 100%
This ending...I was disgusted, yet....I felt sorrow for Joseph. For the man he was. For the man he became. For the man he will be in Madeleine, Abducted.
My book thoughts
This book tested me. Sure, Madeleine, Abducted did as well, but this one is what I would truly call dark. Plenty of gore. Guaranteed to inflict mental damage. Will stun you with its brutality. This novella does detail what made Joseph into the twisted, insane man in MA. The reason why I think this book was so emotionally devastating for me was because there is no happy ending. Everything that happens, everything that amounts to something significant was all....for nothing? You know that feeling? The one where you build up so much hope and progress, and then....it turns into ash. Into nothing. That kind of emotion devastates me, and to feel it over and over and over again here...
Right now, my eyes are swollen from crying and rubbing them, my hair is all frazzled and shit, and I wrung my hands so much I cut myself with my nails.
As always, M.S. Willis does a magnificent job portraying events with her evocative writing style. I have quotes highlighted from left to right, and just reading them makes me feel so much pain, anger, fear, and hopelessness. For once, I didn't bring any quotes in because this emotionally tumultuous and tragic tale needs to be fully experienced from the very beginning to the very end.
Now excuse me while I go to the corner and just...sit there. In a daze. And maybe cry a little more.
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
5+++++ I'M A JOSEPH HATER STARS!!!
Joseph (though I really didn't want to do a casting for this jackass)
Arianna
Please heed the following:
This was a horrifyingly painful, excruciatingly agonizing book for me to read. Even after days of reading it, I'm incapable of informative and/or flowery words. I feel so much heartache and despair. You'll have to make do with this gif review.
And here we go.
Prologue is epic and warns you ahead of time that this isn't Disneyland with rainbows and unicorns.
^^^DISNEY IT AIN'T!!
The very beginning had me:
I really liked seeing Joseph's character here. The deeply passionate love he has for his wife Arianna moved me to tears. That love, however, morphs into something so dark, something so intricately twisted both Joseph and Arianna don't realize it until it's too late.
Then there was a M.A.J.O.R. turning point for me and I was like:
THEN
*the
real*
*horror
begins*
Me at 26%
Me at 37%
^^Yeah he did. I just about puked my guts BUT I held on.
Me at 53%
^^In the reading world, I puked. A lot. And my heart broke because a certain someone I really loved didn't.....make it. *voice cracks*
Me at 68%
Me at 79%
I want to weep for humanity.
Me at 84%
^^Passed out. I took a reader's advice and stopped to breathe.
Me at 97%
I dropped my iPad like it was on fire and jumped into bed and curled up in a ball. To put it shortly, would I want to be in that situation?
Me at 100%
This ending...I was disgusted, yet....I felt sorrow for Joseph. For the man he was. For the man he became. For the man he will be in Madeleine, Abducted.
My book thoughts
This book tested me. Sure, Madeleine, Abducted did as well, but this one is what I would truly call dark. Plenty of gore. Guaranteed to inflict mental damage. Will stun you with its brutality. This novella does detail what made Joseph into the twisted, insane man in MA. The reason why I think this book was so emotionally devastating for me was because there is no happy ending. Everything that happens, everything that amounts to something significant was all....for nothing? You know that feeling? The one where you build up so much hope and progress, and then....it turns into ash. Into nothing. That kind of emotion devastates me, and to feel it over and over and over again here...
Right now, my eyes are swollen from crying and rubbing them, my hair is all frazzled and shit, and I wrung my hands so much I cut myself with my nails.
As always, M.S. Willis does a magnificent job portraying events with her evocative writing style. I have quotes highlighted from left to right, and just reading them makes me feel so much pain, anger, fear, and hopelessness. For once, I didn't bring any quotes in because this emotionally tumultuous and tragic tale needs to be fully experienced from the very beginning to the very end.
Now excuse me while I go to the corner and just...sit there. In a daze. And maybe cry a little more.
ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2015
5+ -Had me breaking out in a sweat- stars!
Reread 12/5/15
A year later, and I still felt the exact same way. This book still gutted me.
This is not for the faint of heart. Although it slightly broke me, it's still a favorite of mine!
Although there is a love story, Joseph Fallen is about the demise of a mans mind, and the woman by his side, who has no choice but to endure it.
As a young couple Joseph and Arianna are smitten with one another. He wants to give her the world, and there is nothing to stop him from doing it. Inside he craves wealth and power.
After years of marriage, Joseph's business takes on evil aspects, including guns, drugs, women, and murder. He is starting to become someone different than the man Arianna fell in love with. His mind is retreating into a dark place where the only things that matter is gaining more power, and getting his wife pregnant in order to give him an heir to continue his legacy.
Under the increasing cruelty of Joseph's mind, Arianna is now under watch 24/7. What starts out as an inconvenience, turns into finding an ally in her guard, Connor. Soon a friendship blooms. Spending more time with her guard, deeper feelings start for both of them.
The events that take place will have your heart racing. The shocking and brutal things that happen will mess with your mind and even bring you to tears.
What will become of everybody? Does Joseph's nefarious nature know no bounds? Will Arianna make it out under her husbands sadistic thumb?
I don't even know where to begin with this. It was a horrific read, and I absolutely loved it! It was so intense. With dark reads, I am often put on the edge of my seat, squirming on the inside for what is to come, but this one...this one, literally had me holding my breath, and my heart was going crazy for a good duration of the book.
It was so hard reading from Arianna's perspective, witnessing the demise of the husband that she cherished above all else. She never cared for the material things, but for some reason Joseph felt that wealth would be what mattered to her. To hear about how his control had grown, mixed with drugs and a certain evil second hand man had turned everything into an actual hell, was truly hard to read about.
At least, for a brief amount of time, I was comforted in the fact that Arianna was able to find some happiness. This contentment was still overshadowed by the fear of Joseph finding out about her and Connors relationship. And unfortunately this was short lived. :(
An absolutely gruesome yet amazing read. I loved the writing, the flow of the story, and of course the unimaginable occurrences that left me in tears.
Joseph Fallen can be read as a standalone. Even though it is a 0.5 of the series, I read Madeleine Abducted first. I am glad that I read this out of order. I liked that I knew what had become of not only Joseph, but Aaron and Xander as well.
All in all, an amazing read. I would recommend to anyone who loves dark romances and craves some major intensity with their reads.
Reread 12/5/15
A year later, and I still felt the exact same way. This book still gutted me.
This is not for the faint of heart. Although it slightly broke me, it's still a favorite of mine!
Although there is a love story, Joseph Fallen is about the demise of a mans mind, and the woman by his side, who has no choice but to endure it.
His name was Joseph Carmichael and when he started The Estate, he not only created Hell...He ruled it.
As a young couple Joseph and Arianna are smitten with one another. He wants to give her the world, and there is nothing to stop him from doing it. Inside he craves wealth and power.
After years of marriage, Joseph's business takes on evil aspects, including guns, drugs, women, and murder. He is starting to become someone different than the man Arianna fell in love with. His mind is retreating into a dark place where the only things that matter is gaining more power, and getting his wife pregnant in order to give him an heir to continue his legacy.
Under the increasing cruelty of Joseph's mind, Arianna is now under watch 24/7. What starts out as an inconvenience, turns into finding an ally in her guard, Connor. Soon a friendship blooms. Spending more time with her guard, deeper feelings start for both of them.
The events that take place will have your heart racing. The shocking and brutal things that happen will mess with your mind and even bring you to tears.
What will become of everybody? Does Joseph's nefarious nature know no bounds? Will Arianna make it out under her husbands sadistic thumb?
I don't even know where to begin with this. It was a horrific read, and I absolutely loved it! It was so intense. With dark reads, I am often put on the edge of my seat, squirming on the inside for what is to come, but this one...this one, literally had me holding my breath, and my heart was going crazy for a good duration of the book.
It was so hard reading from Arianna's perspective, witnessing the demise of the husband that she cherished above all else. She never cared for the material things, but for some reason Joseph felt that wealth would be what mattered to her. To hear about how his control had grown, mixed with drugs and a certain evil second hand man had turned everything into an actual hell, was truly hard to read about.
At least, for a brief amount of time, I was comforted in the fact that Arianna was able to find some happiness. This contentment was still overshadowed by the fear of Joseph finding out about her and Connors relationship. And unfortunately this was short lived. :(
An absolutely gruesome yet amazing read. I loved the writing, the flow of the story, and of course the unimaginable occurrences that left me in tears.
Joseph Fallen can be read as a standalone. Even though it is a 0.5 of the series, I read Madeleine Abducted first. I am glad that I read this out of order. I liked that I knew what had become of not only Joseph, but Aaron and Xander as well.
All in all, an amazing read. I would recommend to anyone who loves dark romances and craves some major intensity with their reads.
November 22, 2013
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~~**~~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
DARKEST, DEMENTED, SADISTIC, ALL CONSUMING, MIND BLOWING BOOK
INFINITY STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please be forewarned this is not a fluffy, bubble gum, candy corn kind of read. This is EXTREMELY graphic. There are no HEA's here..
In summary this will be a full blown on rant and rave at how much I loved this EPIC dark tale.
This gif represents my emotions after reading this dark, deliciously, dark story line.. My emotions were all over the place. I needed to sit down for a few moments to decompress and rationalize my internal feelings because I was feeling a bit
Joseph Fallen by M.S. Willis is the prequel to Madeleine Abducted. We are thrusted into the lives of Joseph Carmichael and Ariana Carmichael. What you will encounter is a story unlike any other. This is a story into Joseph's rise and fall!
The Story: We are introduced to a younger, kinder, and gentler Joseph Carmichael. A man who is newly married to Ariana Carmichael, a man utterly and completely smitten by his beautiful, intelligent wife. Joseph dotes her around as the apple of his eye. He is completely consumed for the love he has for his wife, he will do anything to ensure she has everything money can buy. But it's this same greed that evolves Joseph into a horrific self absorbed
What ensues is something out of this world, its:
Heartbreaking
Disgusting
Horrifying
and Violence so graphic that you actually think your reading a Quentin Tarantino script.
I was literally flabbergasted by the intense graphic scenes. My stomach was in utter knots and my mind was reeling at full speed.
Although we all know how it ends it doesn't take away from the emotions you feel while reading this disturbing tale. Your heart literally melts for Ariana and Connor. And Arian's slow decline into morbid situations. What transpires to Arian is UNFATHOMABLE!!! How can the same man that promised to love her forever and protect her cause her harm?
But its Ariana's love of playing the
which helps her escape her true reality. But not even that little piece of solace can help her escape the harsh reality of what her life has become. All you feel for this poor woman is heartache and pain.
This is one book that will stay with me forever imprinted into my thoughts and mind. And will definitely be shelved as a FAVORITE.
Need to thank my homegirl Angie for BR'ing this with me. I needed her mental support for this bloodbath hehe...
DARKEST, DEMENTED, SADISTIC, ALL CONSUMING, MIND BLOWING BOOK
INFINITY STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please be forewarned this is not a fluffy, bubble gum, candy corn kind of read. This is EXTREMELY graphic. There are no HEA's here..
In summary this will be a full blown on rant and rave at how much I loved this EPIC dark tale.
This gif represents my emotions after reading this dark, deliciously, dark story line.. My emotions were all over the place. I needed to sit down for a few moments to decompress and rationalize my internal feelings because I was feeling a bit
Joseph Fallen by M.S. Willis is the prequel to Madeleine Abducted. We are thrusted into the lives of Joseph Carmichael and Ariana Carmichael. What you will encounter is a story unlike any other. This is a story into Joseph's rise and fall!
The Story: We are introduced to a younger, kinder, and gentler Joseph Carmichael. A man who is newly married to Ariana Carmichael, a man utterly and completely smitten by his beautiful, intelligent wife. Joseph dotes her around as the apple of his eye. He is completely consumed for the love he has for his wife, he will do anything to ensure she has everything money can buy. But it's this same greed that evolves Joseph into a horrific self absorbed
What ensues is something out of this world, its:
Heartbreaking
Disgusting
Horrifying
and Violence so graphic that you actually think your reading a Quentin Tarantino script.
I was literally flabbergasted by the intense graphic scenes. My stomach was in utter knots and my mind was reeling at full speed.
Although we all know how it ends it doesn't take away from the emotions you feel while reading this disturbing tale. Your heart literally melts for Ariana and Connor. And Arian's slow decline into morbid situations. What transpires to Arian is UNFATHOMABLE!!! How can the same man that promised to love her forever and protect her cause her harm?
But its Ariana's love of playing the
which helps her escape her true reality. But not even that little piece of solace can help her escape the harsh reality of what her life has become. All you feel for this poor woman is heartache and pain.
This is one book that will stay with me forever imprinted into my thoughts and mind. And will definitely be shelved as a FAVORITE.
Need to thank my homegirl Angie for BR'ing this with me. I needed her mental support for this bloodbath hehe...
November 23, 2013
5 Not So Happily Ever After Stars!
But the truth now slapping her in the face, she realized her husband had fallen and she’d been too ignorant to pull him back.
Joseph Fallen is the prequel to Madeleine Abducted. It is also one of the most emotional, captivating, disturbing, and heartbreaking books I have ever read. From the very first page I was hooked and I couldn't put it down, finishing it in just one sitting. Just a warning: you will cry. You will cry ugly tears streaming down your face. I was warned that I would need a hug after reading this and still I wasn't prepared for just how much this book broke me. The sad truth is there are no HEA's here...
What's it all about?
Joseph and Arianna Carmichael are recently married and madly in love. Joseph has recently created a new home for his wife...a wife that will one day be the mother to his children. This home is called The Estate. While in love, Arianna is always by Joseph's side as he climbs ladder after ladder becoming more and more powerful. Becoming consumed with greed for more power and money, Joseph descends from being a good man into a man consumed with madness. Meanwhile, Arianna is trapped. Joseph will not let her go no matter how many times she pleads. She is literally trapped within the four walls of The Estate, with no way out...
I'm not going to go into too much detail about what happens in this novella for it would be a shame to ruin such a fantastic book, however I will go into the characters and my overall feelings on the book.
Arianna--
Oh Arianna, how I feel for you. You were so young and carefree. In love with a man that you honestly believed was your forever. I loved Arianna. She had a level of strength in her that I can only hope to one day have myself. She was a true fighter, one that I was rooting for the entire time.
Joseph--
Oh how I hate you Joseph Carmichael. My level of hatred towards you knows no bounds. How could a man that I originally felt pity and sympathy towards, quickly turn into a man that I was cursing to hell 30 minutes later? Joseph was such an intruding character to read about. You have a man that deeply loves his wife and wants to give her the world. Yet somewhere along the way the darkness that he immersed himself in consumed his love for anything but his greed and power.And while I hate him, I also realize his story is a true tragedy in the sense that for a man who was a genius he lacked real common sense. I do believe that he loved Arianna in the beginning. It wasn't a good or healthy love, but I believe in his own twisted way that when they first married he did truly love her. It's just a real tragedy...
Connor--
I had to. I had to include Connor in this review. I know he wasn't the main character or even the most important, but there was something that drew me to him from the very beginning. I would love a novel from his POV of this book. I loved him 100000 times more than I ever loved Joseph. Underneath all his darkness, he was good man. An honorable one. I just fell for him completely. Fell for this man that we only got glimpses of, but who had a tragic past and upbringing and whom I just wanted to immerse myself in. LOVED HIM!!!!!!!
Joseph Fallen will stick with me for years to come. It has easily earned itself a place on my favorites list. While not being categorized as a romance, I felt that the love between was a tragic love. A love filled with possibility. If only circumstances and their lives were different...
Also, if any of you all weren't fans of Madeleine Abducted like me, STILL READ THIS! To me, it was so much better! So beautifully broken.
But the truth now slapping her in the face, she realized her husband had fallen and she’d been too ignorant to pull him back.
Joseph Fallen is the prequel to Madeleine Abducted. It is also one of the most emotional, captivating, disturbing, and heartbreaking books I have ever read. From the very first page I was hooked and I couldn't put it down, finishing it in just one sitting. Just a warning: you will cry. You will cry ugly tears streaming down your face. I was warned that I would need a hug after reading this and still I wasn't prepared for just how much this book broke me. The sad truth is there are no HEA's here...
"There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other."
What's it all about?
Joseph and Arianna Carmichael are recently married and madly in love. Joseph has recently created a new home for his wife...a wife that will one day be the mother to his children. This home is called The Estate. While in love, Arianna is always by Joseph's side as he climbs ladder after ladder becoming more and more powerful. Becoming consumed with greed for more power and money, Joseph descends from being a good man into a man consumed with madness. Meanwhile, Arianna is trapped. Joseph will not let her go no matter how many times she pleads. She is literally trapped within the four walls of The Estate, with no way out...
A man and his wife, two people who’d lived and breathed for each other only a few years before, now stood on a precipice carved out of lies and doubt, utter sadness and sudden understanding of what had become of an envied couple, of two lovers who at one time had needed each other to survive.
I'm not going to go into too much detail about what happens in this novella for it would be a shame to ruin such a fantastic book, however I will go into the characters and my overall feelings on the book.
Arianna--
Oh Arianna, how I feel for you. You were so young and carefree. In love with a man that you honestly believed was your forever. I loved Arianna. She had a level of strength in her that I can only hope to one day have myself. She was a true fighter, one that I was rooting for the entire time.
"With tears falling from her wide-opened eyes, she reached up, her love making it impossible for her to keep from providing comfort to the man who at that moment had torn her heart, her entire world, apart. He was lost to something she didn’t know, a poison that had somehow weaved itself around him, forming a cage of conspiracy and deceit, enslaving him to a lifestyle that would drive a brilliant mind mad."
Joseph--
Oh how I hate you Joseph Carmichael. My level of hatred towards you knows no bounds. How could a man that I originally felt pity and sympathy towards, quickly turn into a man that I was cursing to hell 30 minutes later? Joseph was such an intruding character to read about. You have a man that deeply loves his wife and wants to give her the world. Yet somewhere along the way the darkness that he immersed himself in consumed his love for anything but his greed and power.And while I hate him, I also realize his story is a true tragedy in the sense that for a man who was a genius he lacked real common sense. I do believe that he loved Arianna in the beginning. It wasn't a good or healthy love, but I believe in his own twisted way that when they first married he did truly love her. It's just a real tragedy...
He was a good man. One who envisioned the life of a successful businessman; a wife, a child and a sprawling mansion so large, most could not help but envy the lifestyle achieved by such a handsome, charismatic and intelligent person. He was a genius. He deserved his youthful accomplishments. But like every sorrowful tale, that achievement became a poison; one that allowed darkness to seep inside --- to imbed itself so far within his soul that reality twisted and insanity followed.
Connor--
I had to. I had to include Connor in this review. I know he wasn't the main character or even the most important, but there was something that drew me to him from the very beginning. I would love a novel from his POV of this book. I loved him 100000 times more than I ever loved Joseph. Underneath all his darkness, he was good man. An honorable one. I just fell for him completely. Fell for this man that we only got glimpses of, but who had a tragic past and upbringing and whom I just wanted to immerse myself in. LOVED HIM!!!!!!!
“…I never had much of anything growing up, just bad luck and people who could care less about me. It wasn't until I started fighting that I held any value for someone. And a woman like you, one who exudes beauty in everything she does – the way you walk, your music, the way your eyes sparkle when you laugh – you were never the type I had any chance of finding. I know that if hell exists on Earth, we are trapped within it, but I’m amazed every day that somehow, within these walls that close in around us, and under the roof of a madman, you still find the ability to exude that beauty, a light that is strong enough to pierce the ever encroaching darkness, one that banishes the hollow and empty feelings of loss that come with living inside of a waking nightmare."
Joseph Fallen will stick with me for years to come. It has easily earned itself a place on my favorites list. While not being categorized as a romance, I felt that the love between was a tragic love. A love filled with possibility. If only circumstances and their lives were different...
Also, if any of you all weren't fans of Madeleine Abducted like me, STILL READ THIS! To me, it was so much better! So beautifully broken.
November 28, 2013
***4 solid stars***
It was a great read, I enjoyed it a lot.
I wasn't expecting to like Joseph, and hated myself for the fact that I did, knowing what he did in Madeleine Abducted, yikes! But it was very heard to hate him at the beginning, because there was a time in his life when he was a decent man. I love when books surprise me :)
I finally got to meet The Mom. Loved her. I understood why her son fell in love with Madeleine, those two were very alike. They have same interests and very similar personalities, even fell in love with men that were very similar. But that worried me a little, because it often seemed like they were one and the same person, just a little too alike for my liking. I'm yet to see if this author can created different characters. From the description of a third book it sounds like the heroine should be very different from these two, I'm hoping that she will be. So I won't take away any points for that.
The reason I'm taking away one star is because Joseph's transition from good to bad felt a little bit rushed. That particular part needed to be exploited more.
I also took away half of a star because of the writing. It wasn't bad, not at all, I actually liked it, it had this poetic ring to it. With that being said, it felt a little outdated and wasn't contemporary enough for a story that was sett in modern times. I think I've mentioned that in my review for Madeleine Abducted, too, that there were a lot of times when it felt like I was reading a historical novel. I think M. S. Willis should try writing historical novels too, I have a feeling she would be great at it.
All and all, the story was captivating, I enjoyed it a lot and I can't wait to read the next book.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally I got to buy my copy of the e-book :-). Thanks to M.S. Willis for putting up with my nagging, and publishing the book on Smashwords, too :-).
For those of you, AMZ users, outside US, here is a little info:
Amazon price (it varies from country to country):
Smashword (and B&N) price:
(FYI, authors don't get any extra pay if you buy their books on Amazon for a higher price ;-).)
It was a great read, I enjoyed it a lot.
I wasn't expecting to like Joseph, and hated myself for the fact that I did, knowing what he did in Madeleine Abducted, yikes! But it was very heard to hate him at the beginning, because there was a time in his life when he was a decent man. I love when books surprise me :)
I finally got to meet The Mom. Loved her. I understood why her son fell in love with Madeleine, those two were very alike. They have same interests and very similar personalities, even fell in love with men that were very similar. But that worried me a little, because it often seemed like they were one and the same person, just a little too alike for my liking. I'm yet to see if this author can created different characters. From the description of a third book it sounds like the heroine should be very different from these two, I'm hoping that she will be. So I won't take away any points for that.
The reason I'm taking away one star is because Joseph's transition from good to bad felt a little bit rushed. That particular part needed to be exploited more.
I also took away half of a star because of the writing. It wasn't bad, not at all, I actually liked it, it had this poetic ring to it. With that being said, it felt a little outdated and wasn't contemporary enough for a story that was sett in modern times. I think I've mentioned that in my review for Madeleine Abducted, too, that there were a lot of times when it felt like I was reading a historical novel. I think M. S. Willis should try writing historical novels too, I have a feeling she would be great at it.
All and all, the story was captivating, I enjoyed it a lot and I can't wait to read the next book.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally I got to buy my copy of the e-book :-). Thanks to M.S. Willis for putting up with my nagging, and publishing the book on Smashwords, too :-).
For those of you, AMZ users, outside US, here is a little info:
Amazon price (it varies from country to country):
Smashword (and B&N) price:
(FYI, authors don't get any extra pay if you buy their books on Amazon for a higher price ;-).)
November 22, 2013
This story has taken my ability to think. Shit. My brain feels like mush and my mental health...well...
How I feel...
And what I might need...
Honestly I don't even know where to begin. This story starts off with a young couple deeply in love with a bright future ahead of them. Arianna is innocent, pure, naive. Joseph is driven, wanting give her the best of everything. His ambition and obsession is his downfall. Love turns to hatred, hope turns to resentment. Soon the lust for power consumes Joseph, and he relishes in violence and depravity. This is DARK. Like SERIOUSLY DARK. I have no other words. I need alcohol.
His madness wasn't always there, it was gradual, a slow decay that snuck up on me, that left me unsuspecting so that I could not act against it.
November 17, 2013
"He truly was a beautiful man, but inside him was nothing more than poison, death, hatred and rage."
M.S. Willis outdid herself. This book left me speechless, repulsed, angry, but overall satisfied.
In the beginning we revisit the early stages of Arianna and Joseph's marriage. I will call this time The Blissful Years. During The Blissful Years, Joseph promises Arianna that he will do everything to make her happy, and provide her with all things within his power. See, therein lies the problem. Power... this is the thing that Joseph craves the most. This is what he longs for, and his quest for power changes him from a man to a monster.
"He was drunk on power, but he still craved more."
Joseph's decline happens slowly throughout the years. I loved that the author did not rush the story, but allowed it to build with each action becoming more questionable, and each word become more hurtful than the last. In the second half of the book we have what I would refer to as The Decline. Joseph is a shell of his former self, gone is the loving and doting husband, and in his place is a cruel, evil, manipulating devil. Joseph becomes the incarnation of evil as he builds The Estate and secures power. He is rich, he is feared and lives untouched from the outside world in his Estate of horrors. The acts that occur behind the closed doors of The Estate are the things nightmares are made of. There is one scene so intense, and I was so shocked that I accidentally spit out the soda I was drinking on my puppy. Suffice it to say, I have to do alot of groveling with doggie treats. During The Decline we witness not only the breakdown in Joseph's character but the eradication of his marriage to Arianna.
"His name is Joseph Carmichael and when he first started The Estate, he not only created Hell... He ruled it."
Living as a prisoner in her own home, Arianna is lonely and sickened by the changes that have taken place around her, especially the differences in her once loving husband. This poor girl is made to suffer so much at the hands of Joseph.
Please do not believe with me stating all this I am giving away the story. There is in fact much more that takes place in his book that I have avoided mentioning. This is a dark tale of insanity and how one man's quest for power takes him down a path that he is unable to come away from. This is not a story filled with flowers, sunshine or good, cheerful things. Its heartbreaking, disturbing and at times repulsive. I would recommend reading this before reading Book one because it provides much needed background, and answers questions about some of what takes place in the first book. This book also allows to you grasp how Joseph truly came to be the beast he is in Book one. Highly recommended for those who enjoy dark, intense, soul crushing reads.
Rating: 5 Tragically Entertaining Stars
Big hugs to Johanna for buddy reading this with me.
Surprise everyone!! We're actually two hot Victoria's Secret Models :)
January 23, 2015
Kirsten finished and im realy behind im not shere im feeling this even though ill defenetly finish, 4 intence stars well this was defenetly scary Kirsten sorry i was so slow in our BR the begining draged to me but as soon as Joseph got crazy and Connor got in the picture i was hooked we should do Hope Restrained too. This book is very depressing just a warning all likiable charecters die horibly and the Anti-hero/Villain goes from over the top ambicius man who still has his morals and is able to feel and love to a sadistic psycopath who is ready to sucrifice everything for his sick fasanations ,and thoes who read Madelein Abducted know how it ended for him so no HEA or even HFN here surprisingly i enjoyed this book though im not shere enjoy is the right word i liked the love Arianna and Connor shered comforting each other in the depraved darkness , i guessed that Aaron was Connors son because of the way Joseph treated him in MA , also reading this book makes me glad the way Emory met his end in MA even more i only wished Aaron knew what part Emory and Joseph played in Ariannas disapearence, after reading more abought Xanders past , im more curius abought Hope Restrained dispite Josephs efforts he didnt turn the way he wanted and neither did Aaron
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2013
4 Roller coaster Stars
Joseph Carmichael has created a home for his wife....a wife that will give him a child and a wife that will never leave...
This home is called The Estate
It starts well...In love, Joseph adores his beautiful wife Arianna...She is always by his side as he climbs his way to the top..She wants for nothing..as he showers her with everything...everything is for her
She just wants one thing....for him to be the same person he was when they married..
The more money he makes the more powerful he becomes....... the more powerful he becomes......the more he changes...
Now Arianna is trapped within the four walls..The Estate is no longer the home she thought it was...
Slowly she witnesses Joseph change..sometimes made worse by drugs..
Never knowing what he will do next...
My thoughts
This is a dark and gritty story of one man's descend into a madness. Page by page we watch him change.
I felt for Arianna..to watch the man you love...leave you was terrifying..but heartbreaking at the same time.
Joseph character was brilliantly written by M.S. Willis..it left me with all sorts of feelings...
Then it was just ........
Yep.. no Disney HEA here folks....
Can't wait for Xander's story up next...
Joseph Carmichael has created a home for his wife....a wife that will give him a child and a wife that will never leave...
This home is called The Estate
It starts well...In love, Joseph adores his beautiful wife Arianna...She is always by his side as he climbs his way to the top..She wants for nothing..as he showers her with everything...everything is for her
She just wants one thing....for him to be the same person he was when they married..
The more money he makes the more powerful he becomes....... the more powerful he becomes......the more he changes...
Now Arianna is trapped within the four walls..The Estate is no longer the home she thought it was...
Slowly she witnesses Joseph change..sometimes made worse by drugs..
Never knowing what he will do next...
My thoughts
This is a dark and gritty story of one man's descend into a madness. Page by page we watch him change.
I felt for Arianna..to watch the man you love...leave you was terrifying..but heartbreaking at the same time.
Joseph character was brilliantly written by M.S. Willis..it left me with all sorts of feelings...
Then it was just ........
Yep.. no Disney HEA here folks....
Can't wait for Xander's story up next...
Want to read
October 21, 2013COVER REVEAL!!
SO BEAUTIFUL RIGHT???
SO BEAUTIFUL RIGHT???
November 25, 2013
HA!! Ask and you shall receive, I said in my review of Madeleine, Abducted I wanted to understand more of how The Estate came to be and look what happens.
I shouldn't love Joseph,
But I do!!
I should be concerned with how much I love Joseph,
But I'm not!!
Oh' no I don't love Joseph for the man he started out as, nuh uh
Nope, I love Joseph for the crazy mother f%&ker he turned into.
When you are sitting there getting excited over the demented shit he is doing a normal person would be concerned but I'm not normal.
That's not to say I didn't feel for the people he tormented.
Joseph Fallen was so much better than Madeleine Abducted and answered all my questions, gave me more revelations and more insight into the craziness that is The Estate.
http://www.rebelbookchicks.com/home.html
I shouldn't love Joseph,
But I do!!
I should be concerned with how much I love Joseph,
But I'm not!!
Oh' no I don't love Joseph for the man he started out as, nuh uh
Nope, I love Joseph for the crazy mother f%&ker he turned into.
When you are sitting there getting excited over the demented shit he is doing a normal person would be concerned but I'm not normal.
That's not to say I didn't feel for the people he tormented.
Joseph Fallen was so much better than Madeleine Abducted and answered all my questions, gave me more revelations and more insight into the craziness that is The Estate.
http://www.rebelbookchicks.com/home.html
August 10, 2016
Now THIS! is precisely the kind of jacked up mess that I would have loved to see in the 1st book of this series (Madeleine Abducted) But sadly there was nothing at all good about that book. IMO. Which makes me wonder after reading this deliciously scary, totally off the wall, beyond sick; insane prequel, it has me wondering...
What happened with the 1st book, M.S. Willis?
But I digress... This Prequel is the story of the one and only Joseph Carmichael And his unfortunate lust for power above all other things. And how it led to him embracing the most vile, dark, frightening corners of his very soul, and ultimately how it serves in destroying the one true thing of beauty that he ever got to hold & will never touch again.
I cried & screamed & almost threw up a few times while reading this book. Yes, it's THAT jacked up. If you think you know Joseph in book 1 of this series, you have no freakin clue about this man. But this prequel, will certainly enlighten you.
It tells you the whole story of all that you come to know in book 1. So if you are looking to start this series I would strongly advise you to read this first, before reading Madeleine Abducted.
As I said earlier there was nothing I liked about book 1. And its because of that that I almost did not read this prequel. Joseph while yes, he is the enemy in book 1. He did not live up to the status of Villain IMO. But he definitely earned his stripes in this one.
If you don't have the stomach for the vile & cruel. No HEA in sight or darkness & beyond, then I would say stay away from this series. And definitely don't go near this book. But if you think you can handle it, then by all means have at it. And make sure you start here.
Joseph
Yes, I would recommend this read.
What happened with the 1st book, M.S. Willis?
But I digress... This Prequel is the story of the one and only Joseph Carmichael And his unfortunate lust for power above all other things. And how it led to him embracing the most vile, dark, frightening corners of his very soul, and ultimately how it serves in destroying the one true thing of beauty that he ever got to hold & will never touch again.
I cried & screamed & almost threw up a few times while reading this book. Yes, it's THAT jacked up. If you think you know Joseph in book 1 of this series, you have no freakin clue about this man. But this prequel, will certainly enlighten you.
It tells you the whole story of all that you come to know in book 1. So if you are looking to start this series I would strongly advise you to read this first, before reading Madeleine Abducted.
As I said earlier there was nothing I liked about book 1. And its because of that that I almost did not read this prequel. Joseph while yes, he is the enemy in book 1. He did not live up to the status of Villain IMO. But he definitely earned his stripes in this one.
If you don't have the stomach for the vile & cruel. No HEA in sight or darkness & beyond, then I would say stay away from this series. And definitely don't go near this book. But if you think you can handle it, then by all means have at it. And make sure you start here.
Joseph
Yes, I would recommend this read.
January 28, 2014
I knew it. Once I reached 80% I knew this book was going to fucking rape the shit out of me and leave me abused, humiliated, and even abhorred at myself for giving it 5 stars. However when I rate or review a story I do so by rating the story the author fed to me. Even if I detested every fucking bite. Bottom line is this book literally fucked me up more than ANY other dark, raw story I've ever read. And that is saying something dammit. M.S. Willis delivers a dark read at a whole new fucking level. I ♥ dark, dark is my shit... the more twisted the better. Fuck, bring it! After this book though, I'm not yelling 'bring it' any more. I'm begging for mercy! Please give me rainbows and unicorns. Not death and darkness. *Curls into fetal position with Kindle... going to one click Madeleine Abducted*
Fuck you! I'm trying to get a sliver of silver lining from this horrific darkness I'm in, I'm weak. I'm worthless, and I'm a whore for M.S. Willis!!!!
Fuck you! I'm trying to get a sliver of silver lining from this horrific darkness I'm in, I'm weak. I'm worthless, and I'm a whore for M.S. Willis!!!!
January 24, 2015
A Glimpse Into The Mind Of A Crazed Man
Going back in time, this prequel to 'Madeleine Abducted' provides a look at the man that Joseph was before his greed and hunger for power transformed him into a monster. Beginning on the night of his marriage to Arianna, this book reveals a softer side of Joseph, a man that is seemingly head over heels in love with his bride and desperate to provide her with a lifestyle he deems fitting for his queen. In is quest to adorn her in the finest things money can buy, he loses sight of Arianna's desires and becomes consumed with a dark thirst for omnipotence. Gradually, he loses touch with his humanity and eventually, submits wholly to his depravity, becoming a man that is unrecognizable to the woman that once adored him.
Arianna was the light to Joseph's dark. She was beautiful, kind and, at least initially, naive. She was completely enamored with the charming man that she married and would have been content to live humbly, if only she had his love. She watches helplessly her once loving husband becomes a sadistic, cruel man that she no longer knows.
The further Joseph slips into the dark, seedy criminal empire of his making, the more his love for Arianna turns into an obsessive need to dominate and control her. The stronger his hold becomes and the more forceful his actions, the more Arianna shuts down. Eventually, his love turns to resentment and hate.
The dismal reality of Arianna's existence has her seeking comfort in the arms of a trusted guard, Connor. He soon becomes the only source of comfort and tenderness in her bleak life. Nightly, Arianna suffers the increasingly brutal interests of her husband, as he is determined that she'll provide him an heir. By day, Connor provides solace and tenderly pieces together Arianna's shattered heart.
My heart went out to Arianna while reading this book. She was such a kind and innocent soul and undeserving of the abhorrent acts that she was subjected to. Seeing how far Joseph had fallen from the affectionate, loving man Arianna married, to the sadistic monster he ultimately became, was heartbreaking.
Having read 'Madeleine, Abducted' already, and knowing where this story would end up, I tried to brace myself for the inevitable. However, nothing could have prepared me for the tragedy that unfolded on these pages. Despite knowing the outcome, I was gutted by this story. If I thought I hated Joseph before, I know I hate him now.
Beautifully written, this story will take you along on Joseph's journey, following his rise to the top of his criminal empire and his subsequent surrender to lunacy. If you're a fan of 'Madeleine, Abducted', this prequel adds another dimension to the story and a greater understanding of the history from which Aaron, Xander and Joseph were created. This story was beautiful, tragic and heartbreaking. A great read, but not for those with thin skin or triggers related to abuse or rape.
Going back in time, this prequel to 'Madeleine Abducted' provides a look at the man that Joseph was before his greed and hunger for power transformed him into a monster. Beginning on the night of his marriage to Arianna, this book reveals a softer side of Joseph, a man that is seemingly head over heels in love with his bride and desperate to provide her with a lifestyle he deems fitting for his queen. In is quest to adorn her in the finest things money can buy, he loses sight of Arianna's desires and becomes consumed with a dark thirst for omnipotence. Gradually, he loses touch with his humanity and eventually, submits wholly to his depravity, becoming a man that is unrecognizable to the woman that once adored him.
Arianna was the light to Joseph's dark. She was beautiful, kind and, at least initially, naive. She was completely enamored with the charming man that she married and would have been content to live humbly, if only she had his love. She watches helplessly her once loving husband becomes a sadistic, cruel man that she no longer knows.
The further Joseph slips into the dark, seedy criminal empire of his making, the more his love for Arianna turns into an obsessive need to dominate and control her. The stronger his hold becomes and the more forceful his actions, the more Arianna shuts down. Eventually, his love turns to resentment and hate.
The dismal reality of Arianna's existence has her seeking comfort in the arms of a trusted guard, Connor. He soon becomes the only source of comfort and tenderness in her bleak life. Nightly, Arianna suffers the increasingly brutal interests of her husband, as he is determined that she'll provide him an heir. By day, Connor provides solace and tenderly pieces together Arianna's shattered heart.
My heart went out to Arianna while reading this book. She was such a kind and innocent soul and undeserving of the abhorrent acts that she was subjected to. Seeing how far Joseph had fallen from the affectionate, loving man Arianna married, to the sadistic monster he ultimately became, was heartbreaking.
Having read 'Madeleine, Abducted' already, and knowing where this story would end up, I tried to brace myself for the inevitable. However, nothing could have prepared me for the tragedy that unfolded on these pages. Despite knowing the outcome, I was gutted by this story. If I thought I hated Joseph before, I know I hate him now.
Beautifully written, this story will take you along on Joseph's journey, following his rise to the top of his criminal empire and his subsequent surrender to lunacy. If you're a fan of 'Madeleine, Abducted', this prequel adds another dimension to the story and a greater understanding of the history from which Aaron, Xander and Joseph were created. This story was beautiful, tragic and heartbreaking. A great read, but not for those with thin skin or triggers related to abuse or rape.
November 18, 2013
.....*WOOZAH* Review to come. 
December 4, 2013
So after careful thought and some ice cream eating.
Here's my review:
Yeah this one book is pretty jacked up. I have mixed feelings about this book. It took me a while and I mean a while to rate it. So, if the author was able to educe this type of feelings from me, I got to give her due credit. This is the story of Joseph and the beginning of his demise. Since Madeleine Abducted came out first I read that first. Of course I already knew that It’s just a matter of trying to figure out at what point in his life he start to become looney or should I say a psychotic sadistic bastard. Joseph is fucked up beyond all reasons…
Joseph loves his wife Arianna and wants to give everything/anything to her, but he lost his way. I admire Arianna for her will and unwavering strength. My heart bled for Arianna and for all the casualties of Joseph’s love for Arianna and his love for money and power.
This book is not for the faint of heart. The violence is very graphic. I think the author got carried away with the violence. It’s really, really gritty and disturbing to say the least. It kept me at the edge of my seat…
Made me scream!!! Made me want to drink shots of tequila… Made me want to puke… It was horrifying!!! At one point, I could not believe what I was reading. I feel like running away and banging my head on the wall... Gaaah!
In the end, my questions were answered. When did he become the demented person that he was??? Actually, let me re-phrase… When and what was the reason he became an evil monster?
All I can say to Joseph is this…
and this….
There, said my piece… THE END! ;)
Here's my review:
Yeah this one book is pretty jacked up. I have mixed feelings about this book. It took me a while and I mean a while to rate it. So, if the author was able to educe this type of feelings from me, I got to give her due credit. This is the story of Joseph and the beginning of his demise. Since Madeleine Abducted came out first I read that first. Of course I already knew that It’s just a matter of trying to figure out at what point in his life he start to become looney or should I say a psychotic sadistic bastard. Joseph is fucked up beyond all reasons…
Joseph loves his wife Arianna and wants to give everything/anything to her, but he lost his way. I admire Arianna for her will and unwavering strength. My heart bled for Arianna and for all the casualties of Joseph’s love for Arianna and his love for money and power.
This book is not for the faint of heart. The violence is very graphic. I think the author got carried away with the violence. It’s really, really gritty and disturbing to say the least. It kept me at the edge of my seat…
Made me scream!!! Made me want to drink shots of tequila… Made me want to puke… It was horrifying!!! At one point, I could not believe what I was reading. I feel like running away and banging my head on the wall... Gaaah!
In the end, my questions were answered. When did he become the demented person that he was??? Actually, let me re-phrase… When and what was the reason he became an evil monster?
All I can say to Joseph is this…
and this….
There, said my piece… THE END! ;)
October 26, 2024
The audacity of this book. 😩😩😩
And by that I mean, I freaking loved it.
I love all things Lily White and if you didn't know, M.S. Willis is her alternative pen name. So naturally, I'm on a quest to read her entire catalogue.
Joseph Fallen is the prequel to The Estate series, which begins with Madeleine Abducted. I had no idea this prequel was actually published shortly after Madeline Abducted... so I guess it can be read before or after. This is not a romance, though it does contain a love story. Rather, this is a villain origin story. And a fucking sad one at that.
I'll admit the beginning is a little slow and the writing is definitely less polished than this author's more recent work... but by the 50% mark I could not stop reading. This book seduced me with its terrible depths and I couldn't look away even when I knew it was spiralling into a tragic and sadistic abyss.
The structure of this story was incredibly well-executed and the conclusion was equal parts grim and poetic. And now that I've read the story, this cover haunts me. Bravo, M.S. Willis. This book is art.
I'm getting the hint from reviews that the rest of the series is not this dark, but I'm so curious to know how the Estate evolves and even more so, Joseph. What a sick, vile villain.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dark and seriously despairing stories, horror elements (where humans are the real monsters), stories about organized crime, villain origin stories and tragedies.
And by that I mean, I freaking loved it.
"There's a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness."
I love all things Lily White and if you didn't know, M.S. Willis is her alternative pen name. So naturally, I'm on a quest to read her entire catalogue.
Joseph Fallen is the prequel to The Estate series, which begins with Madeleine Abducted. I had no idea this prequel was actually published shortly after Madeline Abducted... so I guess it can be read before or after. This is not a romance, though it does contain a love story. Rather, this is a villain origin story. And a fucking sad one at that.
I'll admit the beginning is a little slow and the writing is definitely less polished than this author's more recent work... but by the 50% mark I could not stop reading. This book seduced me with its terrible depths and I couldn't look away even when I knew it was spiralling into a tragic and sadistic abyss.
"I'll give you everything, I'll give you the world, whether you like it or not."
The structure of this story was incredibly well-executed and the conclusion was equal parts grim and poetic. And now that I've read the story, this cover haunts me. Bravo, M.S. Willis. This book is art.
I'm getting the hint from reviews that the rest of the series is not this dark, but I'm so curious to know how the Estate evolves and even more so, Joseph. What a sick, vile villain.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dark and seriously despairing stories, horror elements (where humans are the real monsters), stories about organized crime, villain origin stories and tragedies.
November 18, 2013
umm...somebody please explain what the fuck did i just read? like, i need to see a shrink and a professional psychiatric. my jaw is on the floor. i can't process this. somebody for heaven's sake, tell me what the hell just happened in this book? i feel like i just got it by two semi. my head is spinning and i just wanna crawl under a rock and never come out.
i have NO words, i mean none. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM???? the man is definition of insanity, cruelty and a sadist. this bastard pissed me off so damn bad that i have developed a crazy and psychotic sadistic nature that's just ready to be unleashed...ON HIM. jesus, how is it possible for man to be this cruel. the cover is gorgeous, right? it shows two gorgeous people with the backdrop of lavishness. it's a picture of a powerful, good looking man with woman who is just as good looking as he is. it's picture that shows that these two people have been intimate, it's picture with a man who is being supported by his beloved every step of the way. ehhh...WRONG!!!! VERY WRONG!!!!
the things he did...i can't even...it was extremely sad to see a man with so much light, intelligence and love fall at the pit of a dark, a very dark hole. a hole where he himself has shut off every way out. along with it, he dragged down an innocent and lovely soul. a soul that gave him everything and in return he crushed her with his own hands...and that, without any remorse. his love for the woman turned poisonous. a poison so deadly that a simple look will blind you for the rest of your life. it turned vindictive, cruel, brutal and something plain ugly. but this motherfucking asshole thrived on it. he enjoyed releasing his poison as long as he was satisfied. his ugliness just kept getting uglier, it molded him into a monster so powerful that even if it died, it was bound to leave its mark. joseph made me feel sorry for him at one point. somewhere in the book, i understood why he wanted that perfect life. his sole focus was his wife and his love for her. but along the way his approach to such things was completely wrong. he shed himself from humanity and only focused on power and control.
the things he did was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! poor Ariana...lord, poor girl. i wish i could save her. god i so wish i could have saved this beautiful woman with a heart of gold. i cried for her, and with her. she was trapped in her own happiness that has turned into a nightmare. a husband that was the love of her life has turned into her every fear. a fear she couldn't do anything about. she tried to bring back the man that he once was but she realized that this pit that her husband fell into is pitch dark. it will never see the light of the day. but she survived. she played the part of perfect wife and dealt with the cruelness. why? why did she go through it? what did she do deserve this? nobody deserves this. Ariana's journey broke my heart. i have never felt so much for someone, let alone a fictional character. but god, the woman made me wanna bathe her with happiness and a safe ground...away from that jackass.
what he did to connor? i have nothing to say. Joseph, why? why? WHY YOU SHITHEAD??? WHY???? and what kind of person comes up with cruelty this level? oh wait...it's Joseph Carmichael. it was sick. the MAN IS SICK!!!! and in the end...really? wow...you really fell so deep, you motherfucker. how can you do this to her, you fag? *shaking my head* god, HOW??? he loved her for god's sake. maybe that love didn't last but he DID love her in the beginning so WHY??? ugh...you vile creature. and Emory...you fuckface, i hope your soul gets tortured. your death was too nice and easy. i had hoped you died in the worst way possible. slowly and painfully. you deserve to rot in that unholy, disgusting pit with your disgusting and pigheaded boss. you two can fuck each other, oh and don't forget to bring out your equipments. especially a blade emory. you seem to enjoy that a lot, you vile cocksucking motherfucker.
M.S. Willis gave us the crazy and scary monster who was Aaron's father in Madeline Abducted. she gave us the truth and the insight of this moral less creature, who ripped his humanity away with every words and and actions. there is no redemption or salvation for this man. he is a forgotten, poisonous spider who spread its web too far and it's effecting innocent people. she did a brilliant job portraying him. it was shocking, truly, to see how he went from this beautiful, lovable man to...this. I LOVED IT!!! it's a hard push with a lot to take. and Willis doesn't hold back. nothing is sugar coated. its all in your face. it's book that gives you an inside look into the world of money, power and control. greed has the power to drag down St. peter himself. it's ugly and disgusting. it turns an angel into the most horrifying devil.
thank you Ms. Willis for this amazing, sad, and intense book. it was just plain brilliant.
5 Ariana worthy and i'm-ready-to-kick-joseph's-ass star.
to Beautiful Ariana,
you are full of light, amazing, strong and a wonderful mother. :) may your soul rest in peace. you deserve all the happiness in the world.
i have NO words, i mean none. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH HIM???? the man is definition of insanity, cruelty and a sadist. this bastard pissed me off so damn bad that i have developed a crazy and psychotic sadistic nature that's just ready to be unleashed...ON HIM. jesus, how is it possible for man to be this cruel. the cover is gorgeous, right? it shows two gorgeous people with the backdrop of lavishness. it's a picture of a powerful, good looking man with woman who is just as good looking as he is. it's picture that shows that these two people have been intimate, it's picture with a man who is being supported by his beloved every step of the way. ehhh...WRONG!!!! VERY WRONG!!!!
the things he did...i can't even...it was extremely sad to see a man with so much light, intelligence and love fall at the pit of a dark, a very dark hole. a hole where he himself has shut off every way out. along with it, he dragged down an innocent and lovely soul. a soul that gave him everything and in return he crushed her with his own hands...and that, without any remorse. his love for the woman turned poisonous. a poison so deadly that a simple look will blind you for the rest of your life. it turned vindictive, cruel, brutal and something plain ugly. but this motherfucking asshole thrived on it. he enjoyed releasing his poison as long as he was satisfied. his ugliness just kept getting uglier, it molded him into a monster so powerful that even if it died, it was bound to leave its mark. joseph made me feel sorry for him at one point. somewhere in the book, i understood why he wanted that perfect life. his sole focus was his wife and his love for her. but along the way his approach to such things was completely wrong. he shed himself from humanity and only focused on power and control.
the things he did was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! poor Ariana...lord, poor girl. i wish i could save her. god i so wish i could have saved this beautiful woman with a heart of gold. i cried for her, and with her. she was trapped in her own happiness that has turned into a nightmare. a husband that was the love of her life has turned into her every fear. a fear she couldn't do anything about. she tried to bring back the man that he once was but she realized that this pit that her husband fell into is pitch dark. it will never see the light of the day. but she survived. she played the part of perfect wife and dealt with the cruelness. why? why did she go through it? what did she do deserve this? nobody deserves this. Ariana's journey broke my heart. i have never felt so much for someone, let alone a fictional character. but god, the woman made me wanna bathe her with happiness and a safe ground...away from that jackass.
what he did to connor? i have nothing to say. Joseph, why? why? WHY YOU SHITHEAD??? WHY???? and what kind of person comes up with cruelty this level? oh wait...it's Joseph Carmichael. it was sick. the MAN IS SICK!!!! and in the end...really? wow...you really fell so deep, you motherfucker. how can you do this to her, you fag? *shaking my head* god, HOW??? he loved her for god's sake. maybe that love didn't last but he DID love her in the beginning so WHY??? ugh...you vile creature. and Emory...you fuckface, i hope your soul gets tortured. your death was too nice and easy. i had hoped you died in the worst way possible. slowly and painfully. you deserve to rot in that unholy, disgusting pit with your disgusting and pigheaded boss. you two can fuck each other, oh and don't forget to bring out your equipments. especially a blade emory. you seem to enjoy that a lot, you vile cocksucking motherfucker.
M.S. Willis gave us the crazy and scary monster who was Aaron's father in Madeline Abducted. she gave us the truth and the insight of this moral less creature, who ripped his humanity away with every words and and actions. there is no redemption or salvation for this man. he is a forgotten, poisonous spider who spread its web too far and it's effecting innocent people. she did a brilliant job portraying him. it was shocking, truly, to see how he went from this beautiful, lovable man to...this. I LOVED IT!!! it's a hard push with a lot to take. and Willis doesn't hold back. nothing is sugar coated. its all in your face. it's book that gives you an inside look into the world of money, power and control. greed has the power to drag down St. peter himself. it's ugly and disgusting. it turns an angel into the most horrifying devil.
thank you Ms. Willis for this amazing, sad, and intense book. it was just plain brilliant.
5 Ariana worthy and i'm-ready-to-kick-joseph's-ass star.
to Beautiful Ariana,
you are full of light, amazing, strong and a wonderful mother. :) may your soul rest in peace. you deserve all the happiness in the world.
November 17, 2013
“His name was Joseph Carmichael and when he started The Estate, he not only created Hell… He ruled it.”
Warning: Joseph Fallen and Madeleine, Abducted are not for the faint of heart. These books contain abuse, rape, terror, drug use, and unimaginable violence. Though there is a hint of romance, it is only a tiny pinpoint of light in a world otherwise consumed completely by darkness.
More than any other genre, this book is horror. Yet there are no paranormal monsters lurking, only men that truly are monsters. At it’s best, this was an uncomfortable read and at it’s worst, utterly disturbing. As a fan of horror and all of the emotions it creates, this book dragged me into its darkness, and I was glad to be there.
Joseph and Arianna’s story is compelling in its own right. A story of romance and love that slowly falls in to madness, obsession, and unspeakable abuse and torture. The story of a woman that in the face of terror, with a madman for a husband, fights to hold on to her own sanity and to the ones that she loves, eventually losing the battle.
This book provided me with a much deeper understanding and greater connection with the characters I became so invested in while reading Madeleine. It granted me insight in to the past that created Aaron and Xander’s world. It showed the striking similarities between Arianna and Madeleine, especially in their love of music. Understanding Joseph’s past and descent in to madness gives his character much more depth: a history of a terrible villain.
If it is possible, Joseph Fallen makes the darkness of Madeleine’s story even darker and the bright spots even brighter. Understanding Arianna, Joseph and Connor’s history gives more power to the legacy of tragic hope that exists with Madeleine, Aaron, and Xander. Though Joseph and Arianna’s story has it’s own beginning and tragic ending, reading Madeleine, Abducted as well will make both books a richer experience.
” ‘There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other.’ “
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Warning: Joseph Fallen and Madeleine, Abducted are not for the faint of heart. These books contain abuse, rape, terror, drug use, and unimaginable violence. Though there is a hint of romance, it is only a tiny pinpoint of light in a world otherwise consumed completely by darkness.
More than any other genre, this book is horror. Yet there are no paranormal monsters lurking, only men that truly are monsters. At it’s best, this was an uncomfortable read and at it’s worst, utterly disturbing. As a fan of horror and all of the emotions it creates, this book dragged me into its darkness, and I was glad to be there.
Joseph and Arianna’s story is compelling in its own right. A story of romance and love that slowly falls in to madness, obsession, and unspeakable abuse and torture. The story of a woman that in the face of terror, with a madman for a husband, fights to hold on to her own sanity and to the ones that she loves, eventually losing the battle.
This book provided me with a much deeper understanding and greater connection with the characters I became so invested in while reading Madeleine. It granted me insight in to the past that created Aaron and Xander’s world. It showed the striking similarities between Arianna and Madeleine, especially in their love of music. Understanding Joseph’s past and descent in to madness gives his character much more depth: a history of a terrible villain.
If it is possible, Joseph Fallen makes the darkness of Madeleine’s story even darker and the bright spots even brighter. Understanding Arianna, Joseph and Connor’s history gives more power to the legacy of tragic hope that exists with Madeleine, Aaron, and Xander. Though Joseph and Arianna’s story has it’s own beginning and tragic ending, reading Madeleine, Abducted as well will make both books a richer experience.
” ‘There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other.’ “
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
January 16, 2014
I just... I just cant even explain this book.. I will need days and days to stop thinking about it. By far this is the darkest I HAVE EVER READ. I don't think dark is an adequate word for it. Its a whole different genre all together.
Ok so 5 hours later I had to come back. I read Madeleine Abducted first. It was released first, that's why. Duh!
Well that book was....terrifying! But this? Joseph and Arianna's story? Soul gripping! Heart Stopping! Gut Wrenching!
The sweetness at first got me going. It was cute, sexy and very fantasy like. Then slowly it will creep to dark. Slowly going in was good. It built, and built, and then built some more and then BAM!!!! Rip your ever loving heart out and stomp on it--over and over and over!!! It was to the point of where I had to put it down and walk away. I had to seek a friend for comfort, for the encouragement to go on. But I did it.
Put the big girl panties on and continued to torture my self. Page after Page I endured heartache. I would NEVER EVER change the way it was written. IT WAS BRILLIANT!!!!!
Now I will patiently wait for Hope Restrained.
Ok so 5 hours later I had to come back. I read Madeleine Abducted first. It was released first, that's why. Duh!
Well that book was....terrifying! But this? Joseph and Arianna's story? Soul gripping! Heart Stopping! Gut Wrenching!
The sweetness at first got me going. It was cute, sexy and very fantasy like. Then slowly it will creep to dark. Slowly going in was good. It built, and built, and then built some more and then BAM!!!! Rip your ever loving heart out and stomp on it--over and over and over!!! It was to the point of where I had to put it down and walk away. I had to seek a friend for comfort, for the encouragement to go on. But I did it.
Put the big girl panties on and continued to torture my self. Page after Page I endured heartache. I would NEVER EVER change the way it was written. IT WAS BRILLIANT!!!!!
Now I will patiently wait for Hope Restrained.
September 17, 2014
5 STAR... OMG, WTF DID I JUST READ... BOOK , IF THERE EVER WAS ONE!
Yeah, well.... This book is one of the very best dark erotica books that I have ever read.. If you are not a lover of dark erotica, do not read it, it's most likely not for you!!!
If you enjoy dark, and I mean dark, reads, do not pass this one up! Lily White, aka MS Willis, does it again in this prequel to her Estate series. I have only read one or two dark reads that have effected me in this way since Her Masters Courtesan. (Also by Lily White).
I had high expectations going in, because of HMC, almost to the point that it was unfair to the author. The bar was set so high, I just didn't see how Joseph Fallen could come close. However, I was NOT disappointed in the least. This book surpassed my expectations, in a way that I never could have prepared for. Joseph Fallen is a roller coaster ride that you simply do not want to end.
Yeah, well.... This book is one of the very best dark erotica books that I have ever read.. If you are not a lover of dark erotica, do not read it, it's most likely not for you!!!
If you enjoy dark, and I mean dark, reads, do not pass this one up! Lily White, aka MS Willis, does it again in this prequel to her Estate series. I have only read one or two dark reads that have effected me in this way since Her Masters Courtesan. (Also by Lily White).
I had high expectations going in, because of HMC, almost to the point that it was unfair to the author. The bar was set so high, I just didn't see how Joseph Fallen could come close. However, I was NOT disappointed in the least. This book surpassed my expectations, in a way that I never could have prepared for. Joseph Fallen is a roller coaster ride that you simply do not want to end.
November 17, 2013
ABSOLUTELY STUNNED~ 5+++++++ evil demented star read! The author has written a very phenomenal dark read that has left me reeling in pain. My heart demolished. I sobbed a very snotty ugly cry! I gagged especially towards the end! If I had eaten anything I would have puked! An emotional read I will NEVER forget! FULL review soon ~ I recommend that you read the first book in the Estate series before you read this one!!! Now I need a Starbucks and find a "happy" read.
December 5, 2013
5 Totally Twisted Stars
Please be warned...this is not a soft, fluffy book. This book is dark, demented, twisted, and sadistic. No glitter, no hearts and flowers....no happily ever after.
Joseph Fallen is the prequel to Madeleine Abducted.
Joseph Carmichael....a young man in love. A young man who would do anything for his beautiful new wife, Ariana Carmichael.....anything. He wants to give her the world and shower her with all the riches it beholds. He will stop at nothing to give this to her. Absolutely nothing.....he is consumed with his love for her.
It is in this prequel that we learn of the Estate. What it is, how it started....how Joseph morphed into a monster fueled by
Power
Greed
Crime
Drugs
Sex
And ultimately Hatred
"There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other."
Ariana has become trapped in a hell she never could have imagined.
Marrying Joseph had been a dream. He was loyal, loving, a doting husband. All she ever wanted, she was given....including everything she didn't care to have.
A monstrous estate
Money Money Money
Fine clothes, shoes, jewelry
She was expected to be his trophy wife, to stand by his side proudly....to stay at home and produce an heir for Joseph's mounting fortune and his empire.
Slowly, Joseph becomes controlling, demanding, paranoid, rough, and cold. His need for a child bore heavily on his mind....and his wife's inability to provide that child caused nothing but bitterness.
"His madness wasn't always there, it was gradual, a slow decay that snuck up on me, that left me unsuspecting so that I could not act against it."
As Joseph slips further and further from the man she once loved, Ariana turns to her piano, her music....and her guard. Regardless of how much of herself she gives to Joseph, she can never please him...because she has failed to give him the one thing his heart desires the most.
The things that Joseph was capable of doing...and being OK with....terrifying. That ending....I wanted to vomit...but in a good way...if vomiting could ever be good.
To think that Joseph could do that....to the one person he claimed to love more than life itself....
This story is dark, twisted, gripping, heartbreaking, cruel, and horrifying. I was left in the fetal position on the floor....in shock.
Wow....just...WOW. My heart truly hurt for Ariana.
What a story.
Please be warned...this is not a soft, fluffy book. This book is dark, demented, twisted, and sadistic. No glitter, no hearts and flowers....no happily ever after.
Joseph Fallen is the prequel to Madeleine Abducted.
Joseph Carmichael....a young man in love. A young man who would do anything for his beautiful new wife, Ariana Carmichael.....anything. He wants to give her the world and shower her with all the riches it beholds. He will stop at nothing to give this to her. Absolutely nothing.....he is consumed with his love for her.
It is in this prequel that we learn of the Estate. What it is, how it started....how Joseph morphed into a monster fueled by
Power
Greed
Crime
Drugs
Sex
And ultimately Hatred
"There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other."
Ariana has become trapped in a hell she never could have imagined.
Marrying Joseph had been a dream. He was loyal, loving, a doting husband. All she ever wanted, she was given....including everything she didn't care to have.
A monstrous estate
Money Money Money
Fine clothes, shoes, jewelry
She was expected to be his trophy wife, to stand by his side proudly....to stay at home and produce an heir for Joseph's mounting fortune and his empire.
Slowly, Joseph becomes controlling, demanding, paranoid, rough, and cold. His need for a child bore heavily on his mind....and his wife's inability to provide that child caused nothing but bitterness.
"His madness wasn't always there, it was gradual, a slow decay that snuck up on me, that left me unsuspecting so that I could not act against it."
As Joseph slips further and further from the man she once loved, Ariana turns to her piano, her music....and her guard. Regardless of how much of herself she gives to Joseph, she can never please him...because she has failed to give him the one thing his heart desires the most.
The things that Joseph was capable of doing...and being OK with....terrifying. That ending....I wanted to vomit...but in a good way...if vomiting could ever be good.
To think that Joseph could do that....to the one person he claimed to love more than life itself....
This story is dark, twisted, gripping, heartbreaking, cruel, and horrifying. I was left in the fetal position on the floor....in shock.
Wow....just...WOW. My heart truly hurt for Ariana.
What a story.
August 1, 2014
5 Dark, Gritty, Twisted Stars
Be warned this book has everything from greed, violence, madness, drugs, power, crime, sex and hatred.
And is EXTREMELY graphic.
There are NO HEA's here..
This book is seriously Twisted and fucked up and all I can say is
But it is also one of the most emotional, captivating, disturbing, and heartbreaking books I have ever read.
"There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other."
Joseph Carmichael recently married Arianna and they were madly in love.
Joseph is on the fast track to be the most powerful man in society and wants to give his wife everything she could ever want or need.
Arianna is always by Joseph's side as he climbs the ladder to becoming more and more powerful. But notices changes in her husband a darker side to him that she never had seen before.
Joseph has created a new home for his wife...a wife that will one day be the mother to his children.
Their home is called THE ESTATE.
Consumed with greed for more power and money, Joseph goes from being a good man into a man consumed with madness.
The more money he makes the more powerful he becomes....... the more powerful he becomes......the more he changes...
A man and his wife, two people who’d lived and breathed for each other only a few years before, now stood on a precipice carved out of lies and doubt, utter sadness and sudden understanding of what had become of an envied couple, of two lovers who at one time had needed each other to survive.
Now Arianna is trapped within the four walls..
The Estate is no longer the home she thought it was...
Her husband is no longer the man she thought he was...
But will she survive either?
Last words for my review.....Wow....just...WOW
Be warned this book has everything from greed, violence, madness, drugs, power, crime, sex and hatred.
And is EXTREMELY graphic.
There are NO HEA's here..
This book is seriously Twisted and fucked up and all I can say is
But it is also one of the most emotional, captivating, disturbing, and heartbreaking books I have ever read.
"There’s a fine line between many things; love and hate, light and dark, brilliance and madness. Much like when the sun rises, the light it gives still touches on the darkness that it destroys. And it’s in that place, the moment between sunrise and day and sunset and night, that is the scariest of all, because they are so closely linked that one cannot always be distinguished from the other."
Joseph Carmichael recently married Arianna and they were madly in love.
Joseph is on the fast track to be the most powerful man in society and wants to give his wife everything she could ever want or need.
Arianna is always by Joseph's side as he climbs the ladder to becoming more and more powerful. But notices changes in her husband a darker side to him that she never had seen before.
Joseph has created a new home for his wife...a wife that will one day be the mother to his children.
Their home is called THE ESTATE.
Consumed with greed for more power and money, Joseph goes from being a good man into a man consumed with madness.
The more money he makes the more powerful he becomes....... the more powerful he becomes......the more he changes...
A man and his wife, two people who’d lived and breathed for each other only a few years before, now stood on a precipice carved out of lies and doubt, utter sadness and sudden understanding of what had become of an envied couple, of two lovers who at one time had needed each other to survive.
Now Arianna is trapped within the four walls..
The Estate is no longer the home she thought it was...
Her husband is no longer the man she thought he was...
But will she survive either?
Last words for my review.....Wow....just...WOW
February 5, 2015
*****5 very dark and messed up Stars*****
This book has been on my TBR list for some time and this box set has given me the push to finally read it and I now think my putting off reading Joseph Fallen was my subconscious mind telling me not to read this book. This is without doubt THE darkest and most twisted book I have read to date. It has affected me in ways I could never have imagined and that is all credit to the writing ability and the dark twisted mind of this brilliant author.
Joseph is THE vilest character I have ever read, there is not one redeeming quality to the man in the end, though the author sucks you in at the beginning, just as Joseph did with his poor unwitting Arianne, as you meet him in full on flattery mode on their wedding night. But Joseph is power and wealth hungry and nothing not even his new bride is going to stop him from achieving the success he craves at any cost. He idolises his wife to the point of obsession and puts her up on such a pedestal that only builds her up to fall and she does alongside her husband in the most tragic of ways for them both.
A few years on from their wedding and Arianne is living a life that seems like she has it all but one fateful incident pulls the rug right out from under her and poor Arianne is left reeling from the truth of who her Husband really is with unspeakable consequences. I can’t even go into detail as to the things Arianne goes through and as a reader you are praying that she finds a way out of the abyss her life has become; just as you think there is hope for her it is snatched away in the cruellest way. My heart just broke for her and I spent the rest of this book reading through tears and sobbing for her, there are no words to describe what she goes through.
I am left in a panic about a couple of characters in this book and what is to become of them and though I am scared witless to read the rest of this series I have to as I need to know their fate at the hands of this sick and twisted animal. And I sincerely hope I get to see Joseph Carmichael get his just desserts in the worst way imaginable.
This was an amazing book to read with the range of emotions it evoked, I honestly could not put it down and Arianne is a character that is going to stay with me for a very long time to come. The ending to this book left me feeling physically sick with how twisted and depraved Joseph had become, he was way, way past fallen. This author is not afraid to deliver punches and does not gloss over any of the details and it is never gratuitous but it will leave you rocking in a corner or like me sobbing and shivering in your bed.
This book has been on my TBR list for some time and this box set has given me the push to finally read it and I now think my putting off reading Joseph Fallen was my subconscious mind telling me not to read this book. This is without doubt THE darkest and most twisted book I have read to date. It has affected me in ways I could never have imagined and that is all credit to the writing ability and the dark twisted mind of this brilliant author.
Joseph is THE vilest character I have ever read, there is not one redeeming quality to the man in the end, though the author sucks you in at the beginning, just as Joseph did with his poor unwitting Arianne, as you meet him in full on flattery mode on their wedding night. But Joseph is power and wealth hungry and nothing not even his new bride is going to stop him from achieving the success he craves at any cost. He idolises his wife to the point of obsession and puts her up on such a pedestal that only builds her up to fall and she does alongside her husband in the most tragic of ways for them both.
A few years on from their wedding and Arianne is living a life that seems like she has it all but one fateful incident pulls the rug right out from under her and poor Arianne is left reeling from the truth of who her Husband really is with unspeakable consequences. I can’t even go into detail as to the things Arianne goes through and as a reader you are praying that she finds a way out of the abyss her life has become; just as you think there is hope for her it is snatched away in the cruellest way. My heart just broke for her and I spent the rest of this book reading through tears and sobbing for her, there are no words to describe what she goes through.
I am left in a panic about a couple of characters in this book and what is to become of them and though I am scared witless to read the rest of this series I have to as I need to know their fate at the hands of this sick and twisted animal. And I sincerely hope I get to see Joseph Carmichael get his just desserts in the worst way imaginable.
This was an amazing book to read with the range of emotions it evoked, I honestly could not put it down and Arianne is a character that is going to stay with me for a very long time to come. The ending to this book left me feeling physically sick with how twisted and depraved Joseph had become, he was way, way past fallen. This author is not afraid to deliver punches and does not gloss over any of the details and it is never gratuitous but it will leave you rocking in a corner or like me sobbing and shivering in your bed.
April 13, 2015
Holy fuck. What I felt towards this book is beyond words I can imagine. Mind. Fucking. Blown. I hate to admit that my insides are still shaking and my heart is still breaking. Joseph Fallen had me at the prologue and I loved the first few pages of the book. The story started out like a fairy tale and a promise of forever. We were introduced to Joseph Carmichael and his lovely wife, Arianna Carmichael: two people truly, madly and deeply in love with each other like any other young married couples. I loved seeing this side of Joseph, a prince charming who worships his wife at his feet and a man who would be worthy of her love. He promises to build a kingdom for her, and that kingdom is known as The Estate. But as he becomes more and more consumed with greed for money and power, he slowly slips away from his wife and the good husband that he was, slowly becoming the man unworthy of her, and thus, warping him into a deranged, sick monster who had allowed darkness to take over and insanity to rule him. And then the real horror begins...
This book was brutally devastating that I could hear the sound of my heart breaking to a million pieces. I love the author, I love how she portrayed the characters, love how she made her readers loathe the evilness that existed in this book. I hated Joseph with every fiber of my being. He was the epitome of pure evil and I wanted to kill him over and over, to stab him to death and revive him, only to kill him again and take utter joy over his brutal demise. I can never describe how much I fucking abhor him. And Arianna, God, sweet, naive Arianna. My heart hurt for her and there were times I was bawling inside. The things he did to her... fuck. This was pure madness, sickeningly twisted, and utterly horrifying that the amount of darkness in it was so freaking immense it couldn't be measured... This book devastated me, and I hate how much of a sobbing mess I am inside right now. God.
This book was brutally devastating that I could hear the sound of my heart breaking to a million pieces. I love the author, I love how she portrayed the characters, love how she made her readers loathe the evilness that existed in this book. I hated Joseph with every fiber of my being. He was the epitome of pure evil and I wanted to kill him over and over, to stab him to death and revive him, only to kill him again and take utter joy over his brutal demise. I can never describe how much I fucking abhor him. And Arianna, God, sweet, naive Arianna. My heart hurt for her and there were times I was bawling inside. The things he did to her... fuck. This was pure madness, sickeningly twisted, and utterly horrifying that the amount of darkness in it was so freaking immense it couldn't be measured... This book devastated me, and I hate how much of a sobbing mess I am inside right now. God.
November 16, 2013
OMG!! I thought I saw the darkness,evil,hate and suffering in Madeleine Abducted, oh my was I wrong!!
The prologue gives you a warning and if your expecting hearts,flowers,romance and a HEA this is NOT the book for you. If you want dark,gripping,emotion and heart shattering this is for you.
The start of the book you see one man's love for his wife Arianna,who wants to give her everything. Arianna didn't come from money,so she doesn't need or want all the things Joseph talks about. The fancy house,clothes,expensive gifts and the world. All Arianna wanted was her husband she fell in love with. Did she get that? Hell no! You read about her suffering,pain and heart breaking. I felt her pain.
You think you see how dark,evil,nasty and psychotic Joseph is in MA but nothing could prepare me for what I read in Joseph Fallen. He is one sick S.O.B. My heart was racing,I felt sick. I kept reading and the more I read the more my heart broke even more,completely shattered.
One man wanting power,money and the world which cost him everything!
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*
The prologue gives you a warning and if your expecting hearts,flowers,romance and a HEA this is NOT the book for you. If you want dark,gripping,emotion and heart shattering this is for you.
The start of the book you see one man's love for his wife Arianna,who wants to give her everything. Arianna didn't come from money,so she doesn't need or want all the things Joseph talks about. The fancy house,clothes,expensive gifts and the world. All Arianna wanted was her husband she fell in love with. Did she get that? Hell no! You read about her suffering,pain and heart breaking. I felt her pain.
You think you see how dark,evil,nasty and psychotic Joseph is in MA but nothing could prepare me for what I read in Joseph Fallen. He is one sick S.O.B. My heart was racing,I felt sick. I kept reading and the more I read the more my heart broke even more,completely shattered.
One man wanting power,money and the world which cost him everything!
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.*
August 19, 2014
Omg! What the hell did I just read? This was so dark and so brutal. I'm just shocked.. I cried, UGLY CRIED! I knew the ending was going to kill me but damn if I was still not prepared. I hate Joseph with a passion that I have never hated another male lead chacter. He disgusted me.
Now, saying all that, I FREAKIN LOVED this book. It was dark and gritty. It was brutal and at times sickining. Joseph was a monster, where as Arianna was an angel. If you love dark reads, this one is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The story line was amazing and so original. I highly recommend to all my dark book lover friends. My heart was filled with love in the beginning and slowly but surely ripped apart. AND I LOVED EVERY SECCOND OF IT!
(NOT for the faint of heart.... NOT for those looking for hearts and flowers and NOT for those looking for a happily ever after)
Now, saying all that, I FREAKIN LOVED this book. It was dark and gritty. It was brutal and at times sickining. Joseph was a monster, where as Arianna was an angel. If you love dark reads, this one is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The story line was amazing and so original. I highly recommend to all my dark book lover friends. My heart was filled with love in the beginning and slowly but surely ripped apart. AND I LOVED EVERY SECCOND OF IT!
(NOT for the faint of heart.... NOT for those looking for hearts and flowers and NOT for those looking for a happily ever after)
March 3, 2015
The last TRULY dark book I read was Break Her by BG Harlen.
I think it's possible that this book surpassed the darkness, desolation and evil contained in Break Her, this book is NOT a dark romance.
It is DARK, period.
The beginning of the book lulls you into a false sense of security, the descent into depravity, insanity and evil is a slow, all consuming and utterly gut churning process.
There were parts of this book that made me sick to my stomach, parts that tore my heart from my chest and parts that made me want to weep.
I have to give this book 5 stars but I advise it is not for those with a weak constitution.
I think it's possible that this book surpassed the darkness, desolation and evil contained in Break Her, this book is NOT a dark romance.
It is DARK, period.
The beginning of the book lulls you into a false sense of security, the descent into depravity, insanity and evil is a slow, all consuming and utterly gut churning process.
There were parts of this book that made me sick to my stomach, parts that tore my heart from my chest and parts that made me want to weep.
I have to give this book 5 stars but I advise it is not for those with a weak constitution.
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