I was twenty-one, a sassy university student who took crap from no one. While holidaying in Mexico, I was accosted by The Devil of Mexico called Diablo and shot, because the motherfucker mistook me for a spy.
I survived, only to encounter him again months later. How’s that for luck? Furious and sick of all that I’d been through because of him, I slapped him, told him to go fuck himself and braced myself for the bullet. He could shoot me – I no longer cared. But, to my surprise, the fucker became fascinated with me and blackmailed me into becoming his woman. He’d slay the entire village that sheltered me, if I rejected his proposal. He was Kong, hairy, tattooed from fingertips to face, with scary ass piercings, blood-shot snake eyes, a ruthless killer and above all, he was my murderer – how could anyone expect me to say yes? To save the village I had to. He took me by force, terrorized me into submission and made me his. To make matters worse, I had to put up with his ruthless, backstabbing family who hated me and wanted to kill me. I despised the bastard and I told him that. Spark flew. Fists too. When the FBI came on the scene and secretly recruited me to help put Diablo behind bars, I was thrilled. I wanted them to throw his ass behind bars, then torment him for the rest of his life like he was doing to me. I was willing to do whatever it took to get him there. But, the more I rejected Diablo, the more he wanted me. At times he wanted to kill me because of my insolence, but other times he just wanted me to love him. I was his Gringa and in an attempt to get my love, he began to change for me. Drastic changes that made me laugh at him at first, then made me curious and even intrigued me. After all, I was an ignored child and as an adult, nobody gave a rat’s ass about me. Here was a man who actually wanted me and was willing to do whatever it took to get me – how the hell could I not be flattered? As the days went by, I found myself drawn to him and I began seeing him differently. When I found out about his past, everything changed. I now wanted to protect my murderer, my tormentor, The Devil of Mexico from the FBI and I was prepared to lie to the Feds, if it meant saving him from them. I was even prepared to go to jail for him. And I did. My days in Mexico were filled with violence, hate, lust and sorrow. It was also filled with laughter, love and passion and most importantly, it taught me that love conquers all.
Gringa - a modern–day, love story that will have you laughing, crying and wanting more! WARNING: This book contains sexual violence, sex scenes, graphic language, drug references, strong violence and is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18
Eve Rabi is the author of 29 crime and suspense novels, three screenplays and more than half a dozen short stories. Inspired by the likes of Sidney Sheldon and Gillian Flynn, her tales are bold, scandalous, controversial. They’re also peppered with romance and humor. To quote an Amazon reviewer: “When you pick up an Eve Rabi book, forget sleep. She writes gripping page turners that will keep you reading till the very end.” In her spare time, Eve likes to dance like no one is watching. In fact, she also likes to eat like no one is watching.
PAYBACK (Free book) (Book 1 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://amzn.to/15c3Klj ONE WAY OR ANOTHER (Book 2 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://amzn.to/18vTfx9 MY WIFE’s LI’L SECRET – An errant wife, a husband determined to find answers and a web of lies and deceit. ((Book 3 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://amzn.to/1xGvonl THE OTHER WOMAN – A betrayed wife takes on a mistress with scandalous results. (Book 4 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://amzn.to/1BeLcB5 DERAILED – To win back her husband, the rejected wife must emulate the other woman. Become her if possible. ((Book 5 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://www.amazon.com/Derailed-husban... LEAD ME INTO TEMPTATION – He may be a man of God, but he’s still just a man. (Book 6 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://amzn.eu/18jJhFs TEMPTATION’S GRIP – A romantic crime & suspense novel about lust, infidelity and murder (Book 7 in the Girl on Fire Series) http://amzn.eu/18jJhFs THE WHISPER OF SEDUCTION – The power of Love (Book 8 in the Girl on Fire Series – coming soon) THE GOLD DIGGERS’s GUIDE TO SEDUCTION (Volume 1) - Unfair, Underhanded and Downright Deceitful Seduction Tips (Penned by Scarlett Smyth-Murdoch-Callan, coming soon)
THE BEAST OF MEXICO (GRINGA – book 1 free for a limited time) http://amzn.to/16tRxXJ THE TAMING OF THE BEAST (Book 2 (Gringa – free for a limited time) http://amzn.to/18aqZPt UNCONDITIONALLY (GRINGA – Books 3 and 4 combined, the final part of the Gringa series.) http://amzn.to/1uoqKbC
SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE (GRINGA – free to readers who have read all four of the Gringa series. Once you’ve read UNCONDITIONALLY, you will know how to obtain it free of charge)
CAPTURED – My Sworn Enemy, My Secret Lover (book 1) http://amzn.to/134MiAL CAPTURED: My Sworn Enemy, My Secret Lover (original book two, no longer in publication)
This story is raw and gritting, and very entertaining. Eve Rabi writes with a great sarcastic humour that had me chuckling and then cringing with the characters antics.
If you have read book 1 in the series you will already know that the story contains contains violence, some of it sexual, murder, drug references and profanities. However, it also has laugh out loud humour, tender scenes and characters I grew to love, despite their faults. It is a compelling and unforgettable read.
In this, book 2 the relationship between Payton and Diablo gets to a point where Payton very publically tells Diablo some home truths about his qualities as a lover. It is then that Diablo begins his metamorphosis and courts Payton in regular boy-girl romance style. This makes for some deeply romantic and hilarious scenes and we begin to see a different side to Diablo and we learn about his past. There are still some dark elements to the tale however, as others are out to undermine their relationship.
I was so emotionally invested in Payton and Diablo’s romance. Payton is a great heroine. She has balls, standing up to Diablo, his family and eventually her own, as she grows in strength. I really felt for her when she was recovering from her injuries and when Diablo did his worst, but especially with her conflicted emotions over Diablo when faced with those determined to take him down.
Diablo I loved him! He is attracted to Payton because she has the guts to stand up to him and her effervescent personality soon breaks through his bad-ass exterior. When we find out his childhood experiences, I, like Payton came to empathise with him. It is clear that he wants to change, but is it too late, will he be condemned for his past actions and will the couple find their HEA? You will have to read the series to find this out, and the story has so many twists and turns that I could not predict the outcome.
I adored the sheer inventiveness of the author and the way her words led me to experience a whole range of emotions, from disgust, fear, incredulity through to excitement, laughter and tears. It would make a super movie, but I cannot think of an actor or actress who could measure up to Diablo or Payton! I recommend this book to romance readers who can embrace a challenging plot and sometimes flawed characters within it and who want to experience a wild, unforgettable and above all romantic ride.
In this book Payton slowly starts to see a different side to Diablo and realises he's a product of his upbringing and if she had any doubts at all about just how unbelievably horrible Christa is they're gone now, although her family isn't exactly nice. This is the book where we actually begin to see Diablo as a character in a romance and while he'll never be a typical romantic hero I am starting to really like him plus there's some pretty funny bits in this book as well. The only downside for me again was how annoying Payton is at times she's more like a teenager than a twenty-one year old woman.
Aside from this not being a complete book and ending with a cliffhanger, it’s fantastic!Sarcastic Payton continues to be highly entertaining and now that we have insight into how Diablo became the man he is, he too is a much more engaging, interesting character. Although it was done quickly, learning about his traumatic, abusive childhood gave Diablo/Diago much more depth, resulting in myself and Payton developing a greater appreciation of him. As expected, the dynamics between Payton and Diablo change in this installment. Although their romance was predictable and inevitable, the twist Ms. Rabi threw in (to open Payton‘s eyes) was a great surprise! I also thought she did a great job of making this aspect of the storyline believable. Their chemistry is palpable; I’m eager to see what happens between them next!
Okay. I want to review all four books in this series in one review since the entire story spans all four books. These are full books, not novellas, with each book a little longer than the last. However, no matter how many pages, the book reads quickly, because you can't put it down.
Gringa- In the Clutches of a Ruthless Drug Lord is the story of Payton who, while on a family vacation in Mexico, is shot by Diablo, a ruthless drug lord. After he shoots her, he throws her off of a cliff and into the sea. Well, she survives because, well, it would be a pretty short story if she didn't. Payton is very likable, her family, not so much.
When Payton returns to the village, she encounters her family. They are shocked, but not terribly excited by her return. The day of her return, she encounters Diablo again. He is surprised that she is alive, and she is pissed for obvious reasons. Feeling she has nothing to lose, Payton gets in his face and tells him off. Diablo threatens to burn down the village if Payton does not return to his home with him and his HORRIBLE family. After hearing the pleas of the people in the village, she decides to go with him.
After returning to his home, she is ignored by Diablo during dinner, and his "mother," who is a total bitch from hell, and his "sister," who we soon discover he is sleeping with, make fun of her and threaten her. As she is getting ready for bed that night, Diablo enters her room and has sex with her against her will. Over the next few nights he does the same, and she just lays there and blocks it out.
While swimming at the rock pool, she is confronted by thirteen FBI agents and their guns. They persuade her to meet with them the following day. She tells Diablo she wants a massage, so he sends her (with one of his men) into town. While the guard waits, she meets with FBI agents Depp and Grey. They talk her into planting listening devices in Diablo's home and getting close to him so that he will talk about certain crimes that he has committed.
When she returns, she decides to butter him up, so she dresses sexy and attends dinner with "the family." Diablo is unable to take his eyes off of her, and she decides to go to her room and prepare for his next visit. While getting ready for bed, Diablo barges in and rips her clothes off. Then, he... well, it's not good. After this incident, she withdraws, and he notices.
At this point, I will only touch on the important events in the story. Since I am reviewing more than one book in this review, I don't want to go into too much detail with the rest of the story, as that would spoil the first three of the four novels.
After Diablo and Payton have a violent confrontation at dinner one night, EVERYTHING changes.
Payton learns that his real name is Diago, and what she believes about him is not true, or at least, there are reasons why he is the man he is at this time in the story.
They slowly form a bond, and even though she is still working with the FBI, she feels guilty. She finally gets him to open up about the specific crimes the federal agents wanted to hear about, but she is not wearing her listening device.
Eventually, this story turns into a shit storm of activity that will stress out the reader, if that particular reader happens to be emotionally involved in the goings-on of the characters.
Told from Payton's POV, the narration is hilarious and real. I fell in love with Payton in the first chapter. There are a handful of lovable characters and more than a handful of characters the reader will love to hate.
The Gringa books are funny, refreshing, entertaining, and sweet. I wasn't expecting too much from the first book. I had never heard of the books or the author. I was sucked in, and after the sort of cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I had to see this story through to the end.
I recommend this series to anyone wanting to read something new and refreshing. I don't consider this a book about a woman with Stockholm Syndrome at all. It does not seem like that when reading it. I consider this a love story about a young woman who finds out just how strong she is and a man who needs real love in the worst way.
I read this book because I liked erotic stories but I wasn't expecting that these series is just so awesome. This novel is not just about sex, lust & suffering. As you continue reading you'll find a lot of lessons that are not only true in the novel but in real life. It's about the challenges/problems that the main characters are facing, how they overcome it with a solution. The feelings that Payton manifests is so natural. Diablo, which is a symbol of masculinity & bravery. I suggest you all to read this. Sex scenes are awesome. You'll cry, laugh & giggles of the story. I loveee it. I love the author too. The message that she wanted to convey to the readers are effective. I love the Gringa! I love you Eve, more power& God Bless... :)
This book was better than the first. We find out more about Diablo. He is trying. lol There is a turn around in the story and I actually feel for him and want things to get better. The storyline is better in this installment. On to Book 3 because there is another cliffhanger. It should have been just one book. At least they are only 99cents.
I loveeeeee it :D I'm so hooked pn this story :D Payton rocks,thought she really should have burned her diary LOL and Diablo? Well,i knew he was gorgeous underneath all that hair :PPP Oh,and im kinda in love with him :D I just hope this love story is having an amazing happy end,i NEED it! :D Eve,you are amazing writter! Good work girl! :))
Darn it, but I like Rabi's style of romance writing. Yet, I am torn because I hate it when authors tease you with a freebie and expect you to buy the next if you want to know how it all ends. Fortunately, there isn't enough of a cliffhanger that you can't figure it out, so I'm compromising on the rating. Rabi's writing style-raw, edgy, romance, humorous (can you put romance with raw and edgy?) works for me. The editing needs some help, but hey, life's not perfect. Maybe there'll be a free promotion on books 3 and 4 sometime in the future and I'll get an opportunity to review them also.
There is something about this book that just keeps me reading! It is quite remarkable as far as believability, but there is something about the characters that just keeps you on the edge of your seat to see what happens to them next!
Even with some things that don't add up, you brush that aside to continue reading. I really can't explain it!
I loathe books that leave you hanging, and book one & two do just that, but they are so short it's almost to be expected. So again, I overlook it, and go on to books 3 & 4 which are together.
I'm enjoying this story a lot. It's like watching a soap opera - a guilty pleasure for the afternoons when one knows one ought to be working. I've only one serious beef about it - I hate that it's delivered chopped up into episodes. A book sold by itself needs to be able to stand alone, and with the cliffhanger ending, this one just doesn't. It would have been very little work to adjust the ending to remedy this, and if that had been the case I'd have given four stars.
Perfection throughout the entire book. This is the most entertaining book series I have had the absolute pleasure to read. It's impossible to put this or any of the books down because they keep surpassing my expectations with humor, sexiness, action, drama, love-hate, you name this series has it covered. Such a thrilling pleasure to read.
Wow what a incredible story. She taken to be with the beast and fall for him along the way. But will the FBI get him for all the wrong he did before turning good
Gringa part 2 is told in the same tongue in cheek, farcical style with off beat humor as the first installment. Payton has had enough with the raping and thinks about killing herself. Diablo is a little perplexed about why there's an issue because "she's his woman"; but it turns out all she has to do is ask him to cease and desist with the raping and he says "OK". Then the FBI get involved in a very improbable way and suggest that Payton cozy up to Diablo and get him to confess all his murdering, thieving, raping, drug dealing secrets. Payton sets out to beguile Diablo with her feminine charms, but being Payton; she somehow manages to end up telling him exactly what she thinks of him - which includes ugly as sin and awful in bed.
And so begins Diablo (or Diago as she learns is his real name) and Payton's courtship. Which is really actually very sweet and the part of the book that I really enjoyed. Diago somehow manages to come across as a fairly sympathetic character. He wants to be good for Payton; he just doesn't know how. When Payton learns about his abusive upbringing and he shows his vulnerability and insecurity...he actually seems almost childlike and dare I say it...well, sweet. This part of the story seems to slow down, it's more detailed and their interactions seem realistic. I really enjoyed it.
Then unfortunately all hell breaks loose. We get to know Payton's family better and they make Jerry Springer contestants look like sane, well adjusted, rational people. Diago's "family" is not any better; so unfortunately the heartwarming story of Diago trying to transform himself into a good man and he and Payton getting to know each other grinds to a screeching halt in favor of more insanity.
I didn't like the conflict this installment ended on and felt it was contrived. I don't see how hard it would have been for Payton to say and Diago to understand that "Hey, my feelings have changed. That's what I thought when...you know...you were sort of a complete stranger who went from trying to kill me to raping me nightly...so yeah there you have it".
My other issue with this installment is that I started to notice the use of "eh" and it started to drive me crazy. Payton says "eh" almost every time she utters a sentence. Sometimes in the beginning, sometimes at the end, sometimes in the middle. Sometimes multiple times in 1 sentence. At one point I started to think she was supposed to be Canadian, eh? But then I noticed that the Mexican characters used it too, just not as much as Payton. So I started thinking of this installment as the "book of eh".
There were parts of this story that were almost 5 star material and then the other more improbable, farcical parts I didn't care for.
Okay, I'm really not sure of what to say because most of my disappointment is a result of being misguided by the blurb I read on this book which I am well aware that authors many times do not have control over. I'm conflicted in rating the story because it was not poorly written; it was just not for me so I'd probably give it Three stars for the writing content, but only one if it were about liking. I'll split the different to average both into the equation.
Here's the deal. This story would not have been a book that I chose to read if I had known what it was truly about- again, misleading blurb. It wasn't for me and that had nothing to do with the author's writing talent, character development, plot or anything like that- that all seemed fine- okay well, only the main character was truly developed and a few of the secondary characters like the mountain healers, but the bad guys even Diablo were one dimensional. I did the author the courtesy of finishing the serial installments that were part of my download, but I did not enjoy it.
I thought this would be some sort of gritty Perils of Pauline style story. I liked the idea of a tough talking heroine in mortal danger and having to live by her wits to extricate herself. And the story did start that way. I also had some mental picture of a Beauty and the Beast style romance where the bad guy took the heroine and she is able to change him. And maybe that happens in the next installment. I'm not so certain I would find a romance between the two a good thing now because you see- in this installment the guy is pure evil and commits rape and murder without coercion or remorse and that is just not my idea of a hero. And I really didn't see even a spark of romance in this story so I'm not sure it should even be classified as such- again, misleading.
So, this is a cautionary review that the blurb is misleading and that this would not appeal to those who have trouble with dubious or non-consent sexual scenes.
Still really enjoying the story and we're getting to know Diablo in this installment. However, Payton. Oh, I could strangle that girl. I really feel like her character is going downhill. Where is the slightly shy but strong, self conscious but proud woman we met in the beginning. This Payton is a 15 year old screaming for attention and petulant. Also, all the "eh"s now have an accompanying "like" and I just can't get past the repetition to enjoy the story as much as it deserves. The storyline is great, but the dialogue needs some cleaning up. i.e., "I don't understand. I've like, sacrificed so much - so, everyone can be safe. Yet, you guys can like, so causally cut me out because of a "shadow" I have no control over?" That's written verbatim, including the 'causally' and there were problems like this scattered throughout the book that made me have to reread and reread the passages.
I read this book straight after book one because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the heroine next in her bizarre, horrific, but tantalizing story. ‘Gringa’ is a clever and witty book series, well written to give the reader a slice of life that is not often seen outside of movies like ‘Desperado’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. The exploration of human behavior and how families can treat each other is creatively woven into a riveting story.
It’s completely absorbing. I engaged with the characters immediately and love this series. Highly recommended if you are looking for a modern day love story.
The story of Payton continues in the second book of this series. Payton finds herself hating Diablo more than ever. He is her tormentor, her rapist, her prison guard in this villa she considers to be a prison. When she is suddenly confronted by the FBI, she finds the opportunity to escape the abuse she has suffered with for far too long. All she has to do is wear a recording device pendant and get some dirty, incriminating details that will clear her future and persecute Diablo.
To attract him, she changes everything--her clothes, her hair, and even the way she speaks to her tormentor. But something happened that she never expected...
Part 2 picks up right at the stop of part 1. Payton is broken but Diablo is changing. Payton gets to know the story behind the notorious devil of Mexico. Christa is not liking Diablo's change and she does everything she can to keep Diablo in line and if she has to beat Payton into submission she willing.
I enjoyed this part more and it was good to get more back story on the characters. It was hard not jumping into Part 3 because their is a pretty big cliffhanger at the end of this book.
Ok so I liked this one a bit more than book 1, but it still has its moments of enormous eye rolls. Again, I am missing the funny angle. There was 1 part I did LOL, but that was about it. It did suck me in more, emotionally, than book 1 and I'd like to continue reading, but I am not paying the asking price for book 3&4 so I will wait for a price cut if I can't get it free.
Gringa begins to tame the Devil and all hell breaks lose in this humorously told story of love on steroids. I could not stop reading until the last word. While an investment in professional editing needs to occur, the plot and sub-plots along with the pace of the story make this author one to follow.
I truly believed there was hope with this story. Unfortunately, the story fell flat. Actually it crashed and burned. I don't know were to start so ill just say NO!
In addition, I think our standards have been lowered.
Talk about wasted potential. Part two had the potential of being better and the way it started, it was, but the problem was that after she took the FBI advice, everything started to move so slow. I had to force myself to go the next chapter. I just couldn't continue.