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Contracts & Deceptions #1

The Devil's Contract

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He gave them a choice.

She took it.

He made her promise two years.

She should have known there was a catch.

247 pages, ebook

First published May 22, 2014

53 people are currently reading
3841 people want to read

About the author

Claire Contreras

45 books17.7k followers
Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated into over fifteen languages. When she's not writing, she's usually lost in a book or hanging out with her family.

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Find her on:

TikTok: @clairecontreraswrites

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5 stars
657 (29%)
4 stars
769 (34%)
3 stars
475 (21%)
2 stars
187 (8%)
1 star
114 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
Profile Image for Lady Vigilante (Feifei).
632 reviews2,974 followers
September 3, 2014
2 stars!

description

I think this is the first time in a long time where I finished a book feeling absolutely furious which is why I waited a few hours before starting this review or else it would’ve been ugly. It’s not my intention to bash the author or clash with others that did enjoy the book so I will be putting all my complaining in this gigantic spoiler tag.



Once again, me not being able to suspend disbelief is why I couldn't enjoy this book. You know what the saddest thing about this whole reading experience is? I’m actually going to be reading book 2 because I need answers and closure, both of which this book does not provide.

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,532 reviews35.9k followers
May 29, 2014
4 Stars!

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He gave them a choice.



She took it.

He made her promise two years




She should have known there was a catch.




The blurb for this book is vague- and it’s that way for a reason. This is one of those books you aren’t going to want spoiled. The story was nothing like I expected. There were so many twists and turns, things that came out that made my jaw drop. The writing was exceptional and fluid. The story was original and intense.

Amara is a character with so much strength and bravery. She is forced to make a choice. A choice that she should have never had to make. At first, the choice was easy, but when it became ‘time’, it was harder. Because the ‘catch’ changed everything.

You will meet ‘the devil’. A character I despised.
Once you make a deal with the devil, there’s no going back. He’s always watching and waiting... waiting for the right moment to strike and claim you as his own.

You will fall in love... in a confusing sort of way. There was a point my heart broke for Colin. There was another point that Colin broke my heart.

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I love you more than the stars. More than the motherfucking stars. Even though I wish the opposite. What I hate most of all is that I have to work at it to hate you, because my love for you is infinite. It’s unconditional. It’s everything.

Oddly enough, the character that really intrigued me most was neither of the MC’s or the villain, but a girl named Courtney /Chloe. I need to know more about her story!

The Devil’s Contractis sexy in a way that it shouldn’t be... It felt almost wrong by finding certain scenes hot, but they were. It’s on the dark side and there is some suspense and romance. What I loved most about this one is that it was unpredictable. I never knew what was coming next. There is a cliffhanger, but the way it ended was amazing. I can’t wait to see how the next book will go. I for one, have no idea, but I can't wait to find out!


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Profile Image for ✦❋Arianna✦❋.
790 reviews2,551 followers
February 8, 2017
I don’t know if I’ve read the same book than everybody else.

description

This book has been getting such great reviews that I never expected to be bored but..unfortunately I was. I barely finished it. First I have to say this was not a romance or a dark read.( for me) It wasn’t disturbing or anything. Infuriating yes…The blurb for this one is very vague. You go into the story blind without a clue what the story is about.

So..
The story is about Amara, a Iranian girl who grow up In New York. She thinks her family is wealthy but she doesn’t know about her father’s gambling addiction. What comes next? She is basically trade to save her family.

The premise in this book is highly original for me, but the execution lacked. The story begins pretty good, I liked to read about Amara and Colin relationship. I liked both… at first…I found this book very predictable and some parts are truly ridiculous. The twists are just mehh and the final twist at the end was nothing new or special to me. I expected it!

Character development is absent in this story. I didn’t love or like Amara at all. I didn’t understand her mind in some situations and I couldn't connect with her.

One of the biggest problem for me was the editing which was terrible.

description

The author is referring to Amara’s grandfather as Andon Abu. Well, let me tell you,this is not correct. I don’t know if the author wanted the name “Andon Abu“ to be a name ( first and last name ) or something else. In both cases the term “abu” is not used correctly.First, there’s not first name such as Abu. “Abu” doesn’t came alone never.
The term “abu” by itself means in Arabic father of... .It’s common among Arabs to call some one by Abu and stays only in front.

Ex. Waseem’s oldest son Is named Ali.
You can call Waseem - Abu Ali.

Abu can also mean 'possessor of X', where X can be an attribute or a distinct object. For example the name Abu Huraira means " Possessor of Cats ". There are some Arabic first names formed like this with “abu” but always in front.( ex.: Abu Backer )

Also, … Amara’s grandfather is a sultan…. In Iran… Really?!??? The last sultan in Iran was in the 12th century. Dahh!

Overall, what can I say? This was a major disappointment! I’m felling generous right now...so 2 stars for me!

Profile Image for La-Lionne.
484 reviews841 followers
June 9, 2014
I have no words do describe this book. Easily one of the worse I've ever read.
I wasted enough time on this book today, precious hours of my life I'll never get back. I need to get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll try to come up with some sort of review.
Good god...
Profile Image for ❤️ Diana ❤️.
403 reviews3 followers
June 11, 2014
I'm rating this between a 3 and 3.5 stars!!

Ok for the positives. Loved the story. The story was interesting with many layers. There are twists and WTF moments. So that was good and that is what kept me going. We still have questions like who is Philip and how is he connected to Colin and Amara's family and holy cliffhanger!!

Ok the negative. The story telling. The writing was just disjointed, choppy and at times confusing. Conversations were just cut short. Maybe to create angst but it just caused confusion instead. The writing was very surface based. I couldn't feel what the characters were feeling. Because of that I didn't connect with them. They are there but I'm not vested. And Amara?? OMG!! She's awful!!

So I'm giving it 3-3.5 stars cause of the story itself. Not a terrible read but not a great one either!!
Profile Image for Jessica Hull.
936 reviews652 followers
February 5, 2017
Dark & twisty, & very Claire Contreras

This book is so different from Claire's other books... yet it's so consistent with her signature writing style, her well-crafted story telling, and her layered, well developed characters.

This story is dark and twisty... sexy and angsty. This is Amara's story... but it should go without saying, I LOVED Colin. Amara is so different, her journey has to be experienced to be fully understood. It's dark. It's intense. It's frustrating and all consuming. It's a suspenseful thriller. It's unpredictable. It's a MUST read.
Profile Image for Crysti Perry.
292 reviews45 followers
April 30, 2014
Holy shit, this was an awesome, intense read. I cried. My heart threatened to jump out of my chest on multiple occasions. I don't know how she does it, but Claire's books get better and better each time.

Full review to come later.
Profile Image for ZARIA (Sheldon Cooper lover).
698 reviews
August 31, 2016
Not what I expected!

I did finish, but sorry I wasted my time. At first it started like it might be a good read but after a while

As a reader it's important for me to feel connected to the lead female character, and her whole attitude just grated on my nerves. The other characters were just so-so for me. I felt the book really dragged at the halfway point, I debated whether to finish the book or speed read to the end ... The writing itself was good, but I just couldn't get in to the story.
Profile Image for Aestas Book Blog.
1,059 reviews75.1k followers
Want to read
April 16, 2014
Dark Contemporary Romance coming out May 27th

He gave them a choice. She took it.
He made her promise two years.
She should have known there was a catch.

Profile Image for Candace.
1,179 reviews5,009 followers
October 30, 2015
Wow! First, let me say that I had absolutely no clue of where this book would go. The provided synopsis was lacking, to say the least. I decided to take a chance, because I've only heard positive things about this author and was undecided on my next book. All in all, it was a good book and I enjoyed it. Sometimes not having any expectations keeps you from feeling let down if it doesn't live up to them.

In a nutshell, Amara sells herself to a man, Philip, after her father accumulates millions of dollars in gambling losses, so that her mother may continue to receive the cancer treatment she needs. In doing so, she also had to give up her boyfriend, Colin, whom she loved dearly.

Initial impressions lead you to believe that Philip is just a dirty old man that was hot for Amara and used his affluence to coerce her into being his sexual plaything. While the nature and depth of his interest in Amara is never fully explained, it becomes apparent that there is much more motivating his actions than keeping her as his personal sex kitten.

While the book was good, in hindsight, I never would have read it without having the second book to read immediately, knowing what I know now. My advice is to wait until you can read both consecutively. I really felt that the story was incomplete. I read LOTS of series that end in cliffhangers, as does this one, but this book was like reading part of a story and you get to the end, only to find that you don't know the answers to ANY of the questions you had in the beginning! You don't know who can or can't be trusted, what Philip wants, etc. I expect for there to be some questions unanswered...but having everything remain a complete mystery after finishing the book was very frustrating.

If there had been more answers or more of a conclusion to the book, it would have been 4 stars easily. I gave it 3 stars because I felt like I was reading a good book...and somebody just came along and yanked my book away before I could finish it.
Profile Image for Mariam.
300 reviews128 followers
dnf
November 14, 2014
DNF at 66%
I just didn't understand this book. I was so excited for it because I read Catch Me by this author and loved it. I'm not even sure this book is a romance. It's not even dark either. To me, a dark book is a book that's disturbing and makes the reader uncomfortable but is also addictive. This book was just plain boring and strange. There were so many things happening at once. I didn't even know who the hero was! Was it Philip or Colin? Either way, a hero is supposed to be present in the book a lot and neither of these men were.
I'm not saying this is a bad book or anything like that. I'm just saying this book is NOT my cup of tea. I was also very disappointed when I saw it was in 3rd person POV because I was really hoping for it to be in first person POV. But oh well.
I'm sad, disappointed and utterly bored because I have no book to read now. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
Good luck!
Profile Image for Berry ♡ Nice.
583 reviews85 followers
August 20, 2017
Super Intense! Super HOT! Suspenseful! and Intriguing!

I 100% enjoyed this book. Definitely a page turner. I didn't want to put it down.
I'm so glad I have book 2 because I'm jumping right in. The ending was like "WHOA" wait what? Loooooove it!

Claire Contreras has not disappointed me with any of her books! one click author
Profile Image for Suzana.
232 reviews10 followers
May 27, 2014
5 intense stars!

What a story ...
A couple of hours had passed since I read the book and still can't get the story out of my head ...





I loved the bond between Amara and Colin and felt so heartbroken for them ...
I don't know what more to say, so I will say only this, read it!
Can't wait for the next book, I need it now ... please!!!


Profile Image for Valentina "TinchyB" .
350 reviews76 followers
May 28, 2014
Spoiler free review.

This was one hell of a story!
There was the right amount of weirdness,disturbing and sweet,all in one.
But still I was missing something...
The whole storyline has some flaws,herione was little annoying and weak...and author keeps with skipping major revealing parts... and that huge cliffhanger...
But,it still was solid 4 star read! :)
Profile Image for Cara Arthur.
33 reviews16 followers
May 23, 2014
Brilliant.
I read "The Devil's Contract" in one sitting.
It has romance, angst, passion, tough decisions, suspense, twists, and is has some of the HOTTEST SCENES I have read in a very long time.
Full review to come, but ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR TBR.
Profile Image for Yahaira.
557 reviews55 followers
December 22, 2014
http://www.smibookclub.com/review-the...

*Giveaway ends 5/29 @ 11pm ET*


When you read the book blurb below, you were probably thinking, what the hell is this book about? And when you finish reading our review, you’ll probably be thinking, what the hell is this book about? There is a lot of mystery and secrets in this book, which makes it so interesting. And we don’t want to ruin it for you. So we are keeping this review as vague as possible, while still explaining why you should buy this book.

What we LOVED about this book:

Grace: If you’ve read Claire’s other books, then you know how well she writes. Her descriptions make you feel the moment.

His fingers were an oxymoron, callused and soft, depending on what side he let you feel.

*gulp*

Combine those perfect descriptions, with some really hot scenes, and you’ll find this is a thigh clinchingly good read. Without giving away too much, BDSM, various gender combinations (yes, we are being very vague) and voyeurism play a part in the story.

“Those mirrors on the ceiling? They’re two-way mirrors. I can see you, but you cannot see me. You looked right at me though. You were in the heat of passion when your eyes found mine . . .”

I love a book that makes me think. Not to be rude, but there are a lot of brainless books out there. And I’m not knocking those books, sometimes that is exactly what I need. But not ALL the time. I like a book that makes we second guess and develop theories about what is going on. This book had a lot of moments, hints of something bigger . . . did he just . . . why is he there . . . what the hell is going on . . . moments. And I loved it all. I finished the book 3 days ago and am still thinking about it. Always a good sign.

Yahaira: I see a great storyline coming out of this book. I may still be processing everything that has happened. There’s quite a mental game going on with all the characters. Unlike the Darkness series, you don’t need a family tree to follow all the characters. Or do you?

Grace: This ARC came to us in PDF format, which I found on my kindle, does not allow the highlighting feature. Or I’m just technologically inept. Whatever. I ended up taking notes instead. And while I don’t think you HAVE to take notes, doing so wouldn’t be a bad idea. If you read Claire’s Darkness series, you know the complex family tree she created. Like Yahaira said, this book isn’t as complex, but there are character connections that are slowly revealed along the way, and understanding how those characters relate, MAY help you understand it all in the long run.

Quick Character Scorecard:

• Colin is Hot (Ay Mi Madre Santísima)
• Amara can be Hot.
• Chloe is Hot, Fuckable and Desirable #TeamNoShame
• Philip….?!? We need more. But he’s scary and mysterious.

“As soon as we’re born, the world is trying to find ways to spit us back out of its system.”

We are mixed on whether we like Phillip. I (Grace), think he’s an ass. Yahaira likes him. And if anyone knows us, you should not be surprised by these personal opinions.

• Sam is, uhm… we don’t know. We want to trust him but we don’t. Not yet at least. But, yeah, he’s hot too.
• Nolan…Gahhhhh….Humanah-Humanah…Wet Panty Alert!!

In summary, duh, this is Claire fucking Contreras, of course the characters are hot!!!


With all of the mystery, family secrets, and lust, there is a love story. A story with two souls meant to be together, who took too long to express their feelings and now have those family secrets pulling them apart.

“Not even your jealous hatred can break the love you feel for me, Amara. And that’s what kills you most of all, isn’t it? You know how I know? Because that’s how it is for me.”

“I love you Amara Maloof. More than the stars in the sky.”

What we didn’t like about this book:
Yahaira: *begins rant* I hate Amara’s parents. Her father is a worthless piece of shit. What kind of parent are you that you sell your only child to save your wife? Fuck that. You’re supposed to give your life for them. So your wife is sick. Oh fucking well. I will gladly suffer and die before one of my kids do. He should’ve worried about that when he was gambling their life away. I hate her father with a passion. Her mother, let me not even get started. Stupid Bitch ass women who can’t see their so called men doing anything wrong. She had the nerves to keep defending him. Philip, not too much. He didn’t do anything wrong except keep his end of the bargain. *ends rant*
As for Amara, I’m not saying I didn’t like her character, but her ass was a pushover. She didn’t even put up a fight.

Grace: At times it seems like Amara was blinded by lust. While only one man had her heart, she seems to easily give over her body to another. While she had no choice in the matter is debatable. I personally was annoyed by Phillip. He definitely has a master plan, and takes advantage of Amara’s personal situation repeatedly. He is a “tit for tat” kind of guy. And I definitely don’t trust him.

As we mentioned prior, this story can be complex, and we’d prefer if it slowed down and not throw too many things at once. Claire keeps you thinking non-stop. This book offers you many “what would you do” situations. Amara is obviously in a bad spot, and she makes several decisions that she and you will second guess. Would you choose the love of your life or your family?

“If you do this right I will make you a deal, a better deal, one that may get you out of here sooner.”

Would you make a deal with the Devil?

Laters, Grace and Yahaira!
Profile Image for Shannon.
355 reviews58 followers
May 28, 2014
Holy shit!!

Sorry, but that book was freaking AWESOME.

I read the first few chapters and then I cheated
My name is Shannon and I have NO self control
I needed to see what would happen who Amara would end up with.. I didn't find out, but I instead read that this book was a cliffhanger.. Which kind of sucks.. so I almost put the book down to read later.. Glad I didn't. Again sometimes my lack of self control is pretty awesome.

It starts out as a flashback of a meeting with Philip, who we learn is someone that Amara's father is asking to take care of his debt (He has a serious gambling issue). In order for this to happen, Philip wants Amara in return. When she is 17 she agrees, to her father's protests Philip gives her warning that when he is ready to collect her he will and she will be his for 2 years.

We come back to present time,five years later where Amara is 22, working at a diner and she's pretty happy. She has a great boyfriend Colin Oh Colin, you are IT! She's about to graduate college, but her mother is sick with cancer, and that is really weighing her down.

Then Philip decides it's time to collect her and it all goes down hill

First of all, let's discuss parenting here. What kind of parent would allow their child to become obligated to any other human being for something THEY did It's gross. I didn't like the man. Her mother of course has no idea, the woman is just trying to live to see the next day, every day. It was just sad.

In the contract, she finds out that she will have to be gone for 2 years, and the hardest part of it all is that she will have to end her relationship with Colin. This is hard for her, because although they are not exclusive you know that they love one another and it's really painful to watch Colin deal with all of this and not really knowing why Amara has to make all these choices and why she is leaving him.

She also finds out that she is going to be an escort of sorts. to high profile customers. She vows that she will not sleep with these men, but Philip later reveals to her that basically she is going to do anything and everything he tells her to do, and we hate him for that..

I mean really hate him

Courtney/Chloe. I loved her, I feel like she just needed a break, but she was okay where she was. She was in love with Sam but not allowed to be with him because Philip basically owns her but unlike Amara who made a choice to be there under Philips thumb, Courtney really can't change her position. That part kind of confused be but I feel like we will find out more about that in the next book.

Nolan is Amara's first real customer. Of course she goes on dates with a few odd balls, but he is a widower who she meets through email. he's lonely, not really sure that he is ready for dating just yet but he likes Amara so far and he puts the wheels in motion to meeting her.

Colin on the other hand, we get some back and forth chapters with him. Basically he is really sad without Amara, he has no idea why she left the way she did, but he is faced with other issues too, he has to take over his father's company, and he ends up engaged to another woman named Molly

The hardest part for me was how much Amara missed Colin, how much he missed her, how much the two of them really loved each other and there was nothing that they could do. It was so heartbreaking to feel that. I just wanted something to happen in the end that brought them back together.

The ending was pretty amazing..

I'm going to give the biggest secret in the book away so don't click this if you don't want to know..


So we end on a huge cliffhanger, and despite what the author says about not writing a cliffhanger if she didn't have the other book started, I am not happy LOL Fall is a very long time from not, does she mean September, October? Hell Thanksgiving? When will we see the 2nd and final book of this little series. Because I need to know what happens.

AMAZING!
Profile Image for Melissa *Pervy*.
72 reviews37 followers
September 26, 2014
Once you make a deal with the devil, there’s no going back.

The blurb for this book is practically nonexistent and tells me nothing of the book. I don’t like going into books blind, but I took a chance, and I was quite surprised.

First of all, for like the first 15 or 20 percent of book, the nonexistent blurb made me completely suspicious of every damn character in this story which had me frustrated and confused…but the good thing about that was that it sucked me in. There was so many twists and turns that I didn’t know what the actual hell was going on…and I just kind of loved that whole feeling.

It was nerve-wracking and enjoyable all at the same time.

I am not much for heroine’s in any book so I wasn’t surprised when Amara made me want to get her in a chokehold a time or two. She was good and made tough decisions for her family but could be so dense at the same time. I’m not sure, but when dealing with the Devil she should have expected some lies and corruption and just plain evilness is all I’m sayin’.

Colin, Amara’s boyfriend…friend…fuck buddy…whatever you want to call him, kind of stole my heart. He was a cross between an alpha and just a regular good ol’ guy. He was like demanding but gentle at the same time and he had some pretty good dirty talk going on when he felt in the mood.

I fell in love with Colin, and my heart broke for him. He loved Amara. He hated Amara. No one could ever replace Amara. She had his heart…always. Reading some of the scenes with him and Amara hurt like a punch in the face.
"Look at me, Amara. Show me those beautiful eyes. Let me see how much you hate me."

“Let me be a sinner, baby…”

“Take me to hell, Amara…”

Phillip, the damn devil…and Amara’s dad, the devil’s evil sidekick need to go to hell…or back to hell. Whatever. I hate them. And even though I don’t even want to admit it, I am still freaking curious what the hell Devil Phillip has up his sleeve…

I loved Courtney/Chloe. I liked the way she took care of Amara. I wish I knew more about her and Sam though.

So many mysteries that I have not yet solved…

The book was unexpectedly sexy and hot and somewhat suspenseful and mysterious, and I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2.

That ending…amazing.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,162 reviews51 followers
May 29, 2014

Overall Rating :: 2 stars
Series :: Book one of a two-part series
Hero/Heroine :: Colin?/Nolan?/Philip?/Amara or Jasmine
POV :: Third person, but primarily focused on Amara/Jasmine.
Cliffhanger :: Yes.
HEA ::


I feel like I read a different book than everyone. I hate when that happens. I feel mostly confused, I think. The way some of the chapters ended, or how the story seemed to skip forward, randomly focusing on details I don't remember being previously mentioned, had my head reeling a little.

There were tears in her eyes when Amara finished divulging everything and, as she wiped her face and looked at her mother, she expected her to tell her a million things - a million things that were far from what her mother said when she finally spoke.

Chapter ended.

What? Well, what did she say? Is it relevant to some larger picture the author doesn't want revealed yet, and that's why it was withheld? Or... is that just really how that was going to end?

How about when she started talking to Nolan, and he seemed rather shy and reluctant, but was a genuinely nice guy... then suddenly... sex talk.

Nolan: So sex.
Jasmine: I haven't really thought about it.
Nolan: Don't give me that bullshit. Think about it now. If I put my dick inside you, what would make you wetter?


...and it goes on. The conversation before this one, he said:

Let's take this slow for now until I can come to see you.

Or the conversation before that when they were talking about being in New Orleans, sitting on peaceful balconies, and french fries, or whatever. It just seemed sudden... and a bit out of character.

I felt like the whole plot seemed to do that. Jumping through periods of time that seemed to have bearing on the story, so I wasn't sure if I was kept in the dark on purpose, or there were just holes in the story. I don't know whether I even like Amara. The beginning of the story I enjoyed, seeing her connect (and subsequently disconnect) with Colin and such, but I still just felt confused. Why not just tell him exactly why she had to leave? I mean, hell... he already knew about most of the circumstances any way, right? He knew who Philip was, he knew about the gambling. Why hold back this detail?

I don't know. I'm definitely intrigued, but also confused. We'll see what happens in book two, I suppose.
Profile Image for Sheryl.
23 reviews
May 27, 2014
OMG , I love you, Mrs. Claire Contreras !

the moment i saw this Ebook available on Amazon,
*downloads quickly & began reading* I couldn't stop
reading, i was hooked within 10 pages into the story!

Another well-written, commendable work of hers, i must say!

I totally adore the love & bond establish between Amara
& Colin !!!!!!

damon

My heart breaks for both of them when Amara had to make a
painful decision and wasn't given a say in everything that
was going to unfold for her.

elena

& not to mention, i very much want to kick Amara's father
in the ass & Philip goodness, i want to punch him! *huffs*

punch

It's really courageous & mature of Amara to come to the
decision for the sake of her mother, she ain't that weak!

She's a really tough chick and as i read through the ups
& downs she encounter, i felt really sad and alone for her
despite making friends along the way.

And of course, i was mesmerized by Nolan through his back &
forth emails with Amara/Jasmine.

And when Amara/Jasmine finally see him.......well, well,well.
I must say, he's really hot ;)

even


as i was reading towards the end of the book,
no


I am suffering a book hangover after reading this new
work of hers..........

hangover

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL , please let there be a known release date soon,ASAP !!!! *cries and wails*


I am going to re-read her Darkness series again,
i just can't help it!


x
Profile Image for Chiara Cilli.
Author 58 books629 followers
July 5, 2015


Sinceramente, non so come pronunciarmi con questo libro :/ non ho capito il senso. Voglio dire, è partito veramente bene: Colin era fichissimo e l'attrazione tra lui e Amara veramente esplosiva... ma poi? Cosa è successo? Okay, Amara deve pagare il debito che suo padre deve a questo affascinante Philip... e quindi uno si aspetta che nasca una sorta di relazione tra la bella Amara e questo personaggio sinistro. Sto cavolo -_- Nieeente, neanche l'ombra di qualcosa di sessuale °_° Ora, io sono più che propensa alle scene lesbo, ma con uno scopo ▬ ovvero quello di far nascere una specie di triangolo che trasmette al lettore almeno un po' di ansia. E invece no -_- noioso, veramente noioso, senza neanche un po' di suspense. Avrebbe funzionato alla grande se fosse nato il triangolo Colin/Amara/Philip. Peccato, basi ottime, ottimo Colin, ma il resto... no :(
Profile Image for Kelena.
213 reviews
June 10, 2014
4.2 More than the Stars in the Sky Stars

would have given it 5 stars but to me the writing was little disjointed, scenes ending abruptly which left me sometimes confusing. But in the end it was an amazing read which totally blew my mind away, full of surprises, twists, steamy moments, and heartaches. I enjoyed it more because of BR with my crazy Canaries. ;)

*full review to come*

-----------------------------------
BR with the my Canaries started on June 9th.


Profile Image for Donna ~ The Romance Cover.
2,907 reviews323 followers
May 30, 2014
4.5 stars!! I absolutely loved this book, even though I had guessed the major plot twist early on. My heart broke for Colin and Amara, their connection was so strong, I felt his pain, I lived and breathed it and it made reading so much harder. For me the ending was not that bad, it was a fair place to end and was not that much of a cliff hanger in my opinion. I have read a lot worse! I cannot wait for the next instalment. (full review to come)
Profile Image for Becky.
528 reviews22 followers
August 30, 2016
Had me so intrigued i had to move straight onto book 2 which is unusual for me!
Profile Image for Grace.
2,303 reviews113 followers
May 27, 2014
4.5 stars
My full joint review available here: http://www.smibookclub.com/review-the...

When you read the book blurb, you were probably thinking, what the hell is this book about? And when you finish reading our review, you’ll probably be thinking, what the hell is this book about? There is a lot of mystery and secrets in this book, which makes it so interesting. And we don’t want to ruin it for you. So we are keeping this review as vague as possible, while still explaining why you should buy this book.

What we LOVED about this book:

Grace: If you’ve read Claire’s other books, then you know how well she writes. Her descriptions make you feel the moment.

His fingers were an oxymoron, callused and soft, depending on what side he let you feel.

*gulp*

Combine those perfect descriptions, with some really hot scenes, and you’ll find this is a thigh clinchingly good read. Without giving away too much, BDSM, various gender combinations (yes, we are being very vague) and voyeurism play a part in the story.

“Those mirrors on the ceiling? They’re two-way mirrors. I can see you, but you cannot see me. You looked right at me though. You were in the heat of passion when your eyes found mine . . .”

I love a book that makes me think. Not to be rude, but there are a lot of brainless books out there. And I’m not knocking those books, sometimes that is exactly what I need. But not ALL the time. I like a book that makes we second guess and develop theories about what is going on. This book had a lot of moments, hints of something bigger . . . did he just . . . why is he there . . . what the hell is going on . . . moments. And I loved it all. I finished the book 3 days ago and am still thinking about it. Always a good sign.

Yahaira: I see a great storyline coming out of this book. I may still be processing everything that has happened. There’s quite a mental game going on with all the characters. Unlike the Darkness series, you don’t need a family tree to follow all the characters. Or do you?

Grace: This ARC came to us in PDF format, which I found on my kindle, does not allow the highlighting feature. Or I’m just technologically inept. Whatever. I ended up taking notes instead. And while I don’t think you HAVE to take notes, doing so wouldn’t be a bad idea. If you read Claire’s Darkness series, you know the complex family tree she created. Like Yahaira said, this book isn’t as complex, but there are character connections that are slowly revealed along the way, and understanding how those characters relate, MAY help you understand it all in the long run.

Quick Character Scorecard:

• Colin is Hot (Ay Mi Madre Santísima)
• Amara can be Hot.
• Chloe is Hot, Fuckable and Desirable #TeamNoShame
• Philip….?!? We need more. But he’s scary and mysterious.

“As soon as we’re born, the world is trying to find ways to spit us back out of its system.”

We are mixed on whether we like Phillip. I (Grace), think he’s an ass. Yahaira likes him. And if anyone knows us, you should not be surprised by these personal opinions.

• Sam is, uhm… we don’t know. We want to trust him but we don’t. Not yet at least. But, yeah, he’s hot too.
• Nolan…Gahhhhh….Humanah-Humanah…Wet Panty Alert!!

In summary, duh, this is Claire fucking Contreras, of course the characters are hot!!!

With all of the mystery, family secrets, and lust, there is a love story. A story with two souls meant to be together, who took too long to express their feelings and now have those family secrets pulling them apart.

“Not even your jealous hatred can break the love you feel for me, Amara. And that’s what kills you most of all, isn’t it? You know how I know? Because that’s how it is for me.”

“I love you Amara Maloof. More than the stars in the sky.”

What we didn’t like about this book:

Yahaira: *begins rant* I hate Amara’s parents. Her father is a worthless piece of shit. What kind of parent are you that you sell your only child to save your wife? Fuck that. You’re supposed to give your life for them. So your wife is sick. Oh fucking well. I will gladly suffer and die before one of my kids do. He should’ve worried about that when he was gambling their life away. I hate her father with a passion. Her mother, let me not even get started. Stupid Bitch ass women who can’t see their so called men doing anything wrong. She had the nerves to keep defending him. Philip, not too much. He didn’t do anything wrong except keep his end of the bargain. *ends rant*
As for Amara, I’m not saying I didn’t like her character, but her ass was a pushover. She didn’t even put up a fight.

Grace: At times it seems like Amara was blinded by lust. While only one man had her heart, she seems to easily give over her body to another. While she had no choice in the matter is debatable. I personally was annoyed by Phillip. He definitely has a master plan, and takes advantage of Amara’s personal situation repeatedly. He is a “tit for tat” kind of guy. And I definitely don’t trust him.

As we mentioned prior, this story can be complex, and we’d prefer if it slowed down and not throw too many things at once. Claire keeps you thinking non-stop. This book offers you many “what would you do” situations. Amara is obviously in a bad spot, and she makes several decisions that she and you will second guess. Would you choose the love of your life or your family?

“If you do this right I will make you a deal, a better deal, one that may get you out of here sooner.”

Would you make a deal with the Devil?

*An ARC was provided by the author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jerzie Bishop.
19 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2014
~JERZIE’S REVIEW~

“More than the stars in the sky.” (Sigh)

OMG! I freaking love this book. I wasn’t sure I would, but man I’m sooo glad I stuck with it. I don’t even care that you are left with a cliffhanger because it was that good.

What would you be willing to do to save your family? Amara is left with no choice but to accept the devil’s bargain.

“I’ll do it.” -Amara

“It’s done then.” –Phillip

It isn’t until five years later that Philip comes back into her life to collect what he is owed. Amara signs over her life for the next two years and is forced to work for Phillip and this definitely isn’t your typical Monday to Friday, 9-5er. Oh no, what he has planned for her is something different altogether. She has to say goodbye to her old life and that includes ending her relationship with Colin. Your heart will break for Colin.

But like in every contract, make sure you read the fine print…

Amara’s journey is far from easy. She is put into all kinds of crazy situations. Some scenes are incredibly hot and intense, and one in particular I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. This book has many ups and downs and you will feel every moment with Amara. You can’t help but sympathize for her and the choices she has made.

Phillip “the Devil”. I wonder what else he has up his sleeve.

This book kept me intrigued throughout. The ending….my god! Why, why, why must we wait!

I am curious as to where this story will go. I loved all the surprises and can’t wait for the next one. This is the first book I have read by Claire Contreras and I will definitely go and check out her other series.

“I own you, Amara Maloof,” he said, his voice low and grating as his eyes bore into hers. “Do you understand me?”
She nodded slowly. The words had never been truer, yet they’d never tasted as bitter as they did then.

Seriously people, go out and buy this book!!!!!!!

Jerz
deliciouslywickedbooks.com
Profile Image for Aղցela W..
4,503 reviews318 followers
May 24, 2016
Spoiler Ahead Read At Your Own Risk This book was picked for me to read in a challenge. Amara Maloof is a young girl when she signs her life away after overhearing her father and Philip argue about her father's debts. She steps in to take care of it when Philip expresses an interest in having her work for him. No one knows that her father's debt was over a million dollars. Then he disappears and returns a few years later to collect her. I had a few issues with this book first she didn't question enough things for me at the time Philip shows up to get her she gives up everything including her boyfriend Collin. I didn't like Philip I felt that he used her father's debt to get his daughter to be is plaything. This book was confusing at times. The sex scenes were good The book also had a lot of errors in it. Overall this was a ok book that I had hoped would have been better
Profile Image for Big Joe  Rossi.
1,776 reviews50 followers
September 9, 2014
Poor Amara/Jasmine! She really has none in her life worth anything. Her dad seals her fate as a teen. Phillip is a whack job, Samuel is who knows what, Colin is her love but she has to leave him, I trust no man or woman in this book and love it!!!!!!!
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