Monster

Monster #1

by Francette Phal

Accidental Gold digger.

Circumstance forced Eden Mercer to sell herself to Dominic Armstrong for half a million dollars and in return she is to play the dutiful wife in public and submit to him completely behind closed doors.

The Tyrant.

Dominic is Ruthless, manipulative and sadistic but Eden is determined not to break under his cruelty. But how does one persevere when in the clutches of a Monster?

Genres: Dark, Romance, Dark Romance, Abuse, Erotica, BDSM, Contemporary

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 11, 2014

About the author

Francette lives in Massachusetts with her amazingly supportive husband of ten years and her darling two year old son. Reading amazing books has led her to writing and she’s dabbled in fan-fiction before self-publishing her own works. She’s constantly thinking up new stories to write and does her best work when music is playing in the background. Romance is where she’s most comfortable but she hopes to one day venture in mystery novels. She has a weakness for coffee ice cream, tropical fruits and a good glass of wine.

Reviews

[Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Monster
Author: Francette Phal
Genre: Romance, Interracial Romance, Drama, Dark Fiction

5++++++++ Second Chance Stars!!!



"Be very careful, pet, not to underestimate the extent of my generosity." He bent down so that he was inches away from her face, his cold green eyes piercing her. "Now, go clean my come off your face and wait for me like a good little wife, hmm?"

So I pretty much loved this book, actually I thought it was amazing. Let me explain, one ingredient that I always look for in a book I read, is an alpha male. That's the main one, but if it isn't written well then you've lost me. I'm a reader who thrives on lyrical prose, so I don't enjoy reading books written in spoken word. Phal's prose flowed well and kept me interested from start to finish. Monster is written in dual POV, with POV's from supporting characters to give the story more dimension.



Dominic Armstrong, is a man with a chip on his shoulder, and when he sets his eyes on Eden Mecer, he's hellbent on having her and doesn't let up until he's married her.

After the death of her mother, Eden realises how dire her financial situation is. So she marries Dominic, hoping for a life made easier by money, and perhaps they could even learn to love each other. Hence, accidental gold digger.

Let's move along swiftly shall we. After 4 years of living with an emotionally abusive Dominic, Eden finally decides to leave, while harboring a secret.

Here's where the story gets really good, how does an anti-hero who was quite frankly a glorified asshole redeem himself? Well, Dominic does, and I ended up really loving his character (well, I loved him when he was an asshole too, but that's neither here nor there). The story moved at a realistic pace, and I did not trouble connecting with this book or it's characters. Which is a great feat since I get annoyed easily and am not afraid to DNF a book if I'm not enjoying it.

LOVED IT. I'LL READ IT AGAIN.



Yes, read the book! But before you do. If you don't enjoy reading books where the words caramel and macchiato are mentioned numerous times, then I've warned you. I've read many a book where the heroine has rosy blushes, or lumimous pale skin, and blah, blah, blah, this is mentioned numerous times, and quite frankly I've never had a problem with it. But if that kind of thing annoys you. Well there I said it.



ARC kindly provided by author in return for an honest review

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★! Monster (stand-alone)! A woman’s journey from trophy wife & sex pet to independence when her husband manipulates her to come back!

“She was incredibly attracted to him, inexplicably drawn to the seductive darkness that lay prevalent in him.”

In Monster (stand-alone) we meet ex-stripper Eden Mercer-Armstrong, who is indeed married to a monster. Ever since media mogul and heir Dominic Armstrong approached her and she negotiated a deal in exchange for his name and money she’d be his wife and sex pet. It’s been four long years of humiliation and sadistic sex, but also at times sexual enjoyment on her part and the hope that things would change and their marriage would grow into love.

“Their marriage had started off corrupted and had only grown worse in the ensuing years.”

Eden doesn’t know that her husband saw her before the strip club and that he wanted her and meticulously planned to have her. Neither does she know that there are reasons for his cold, ruthless, manipulative and sadistic demeanor; His atrocious childhood, more details to unfold with story.

For months Eden has planned her escape to protect the little she has left. With only the clothes on her body and a little bit of money she walks out of Dominic’s life with no intentions of ever looking back. There are times she misses him and the could-have-beens, but she has a new life, new objectives. That is until the day Dominic tracks her down and takes her back.

The story goes onto to follow then in the aftermath of their separation and as their paths cross again. Dominic is ruthless and desperate in his attempts to have his property back while Eden has grown a backbone forcing Dominic to compromise. But years of mistrust and abuse has left deep scars… Is Dominic beyond redemption?

“He looked like he could pleasure a girl and devastate her in the same breath without even trying.”

Seven words to describe Dominic Armstrong, Dom: Haunted, broken, cruel, jaded, captivating, despondent and ruthless.



Seven words to describe Eden Mercer-Armstrong: Determined, broken, reflective, resourceful, nurturing, smart and adaptable.

Monster is raw, brutal, poignant, yet there is hope… it’s a slow build yet a roller-coaster all at once. Aside for a few inconsistencies in time line, I enjoyed their journey. Story left them in a good place, but I would welcome a bonus epilogue further into their future.

Ruthless and captivating hero! Sizzling sex scenes! Excellent story-telling!

“And however much I want that for you, I can honestly say that everything will stop for me.”

***
Hero rating: 4.5 stars
Heroine rating: 4 stars
Sexual tension rating: 4 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4.5 stars
Storytelling rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: 4.5 stars
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4.5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 4 stars

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt that the writing was...melodramatic for no reason? There were scenes, characters, and explanations that served no purpose.

The inner thoughts of the characters, especially Eden's, felt like stream of consciousness literature. It went on and on and on and said the same thing over and over, five different ways.

Mostly, however, the writing style and description style drove me nuts. If Eden's "shapely caramel legs" and "macchiato skin" was mentioned one more time, I would have punched someone.

And I never thought there could be anything worse than "nether regions," but referencing those nether regions with terms like "volcanic" and "magma?" Tres yuck.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Erotic and Angst Filled Stars

Their marriage had started off corrupted and had only grown worse in the ensuing years, the decaying layers of lies, distrust, humiliation, animosity and resentment had poisoned the very foundation of their union, making it impossible for anything else to flourish there. The only undeniable truth between them was the uncontrollable lust that drew them together with such cataclysmic force that it nearly always maimed her not to be touched by him.

If you like your heroes to be utter assholes, your angst overflowing, your sex scenes scorching, and a story that will grip you from page one, then you need to read this book.

If I had to rate this based on story alone, it would be a solid 5 stars. I was fully invested in the story, rooting for a HEA, and equal parts hating the hero and wanting him to get the girl. I'm a sucker for these types of books. I had read Francette Phal's Bet series and enjoyed it immensely. I actually found the characterization of Dominic and Eden to be similar to the hero and heroine from The Bet; and that's not a bad thing at all.

Dominic is rich, cold, ruthless, and jaded. He's been obsessed with Eden since he first saw her singing in a smoky bar, and he knew he had to have her by any means possible.

She became Dominic's obsession, and he'd known instantly that he would own her. She'd been a rarity, an artifact, another possession he needed to add to his innumerable collection.

And Dominic is a man that always gets what he wants. With Eden in a dire financial situation, he knows he has her right where he wants her. So he takes her, for a measly half-million dollars.

Eden didn't mean to marry Dominic for money, but that's exactly what happened. Feeling like she had no choice and nowhere to go, she makes a deal with the devil himself. Now 5 years later she finds herself married to a ruthless asshole who treats her no better than a sex doll, and reminds her of his ownership of her at every chance he gets.

He gets off on humiliating her, on branding her any way he can.

Be very careful, pet, not to underestimate the extent of my generosity." He bent down so that he was inches away from her face, his cold green eyes piercing her. "Now, go clean my come off your face and wait for me like a good little wife, hmm?"

I'm always afraid when it comes to stories like this that I'll find myself reading about a weak heroine. But that was certainly not the case here. In the span of the book you see Eden go from someone that accepts her fate to fighting for her independence. You see her come into her own.

Will Dominic ultimately break her in the end, or will she be able to turn the ruthless tyrant? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out, since that's all that you'll be getting from me.

So if I loved the story as much as I did, why not give it 5 stars? Because unfortunately I found the delivery a bit lacking. While the writing is fantastic in parts, I thought that it was overly descriptive to the point of redundant at times. I cannot describe how many times I read about Dominic's green eyes and all the different ways of describing it; emerald gaze, cold green eyes (actually, I didn't lose count, it was 58) Then there was Eden's golden gaze (26) and caramel skin (10. OK, so this one wasn't AS bad). Good lord. As much as I can usually look past it if I like the story enough, I found myself getting irritated here.

The other problem? Some of the descriptions of the sex scenes. I'm all for poetically written erotic scenes, but this was a whole different ball game for me.

First there was this:

She reclined backwards, her torn dress hanging haphazardly at her sides as she slowly propped herself on her elbows in offering Dominic a banquet of sumptuous breasts with nipples puckered to delightful peaks, the macchiato river of her flat belly led to the bare ocean of her salted caramel pussy.

Let's just say that caramel macchiatos were off the menu for me for about a week after this.

When that exploring hand gently pried her thighs apart, he discovered her garden, the fountain at her center overflowing with her essence, drenching his fingers.

My other quibble were the transitions, or lack thereof. Written in 3rd person POV and it would jump from Eden, to Dominic, to Eden's friend Jenna pretty randomly. I had to go back and re-read certain parts because of this as it got somewhat confusing.

Unfortunately, try as I might, I just couldn't look past these things. I love Francette Phal's unique story telling, and I would highly recommend this book for those that enjoy this type genre. But I do feel it fair to warn you if these things can make or break a book for you. Luckily for me, I enjoyed the story enough that this only brought my rating down slightly. There was also a delicious little teaser in the end of this book for a different character that was introduced here. I'm practically salivating at any more crumbs about that book. Though I am really hoping that the heroine is not the one that was mentioned. Guess I'll just have to stalk the author in the meantime for more hints. And I thank you


***ARC given to Dirty Girl Romance blog in exchange for an honest review***

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~~ 4 MONSTERIFIC STARS ~~~

An asshole that finds redemption in a woman's love...why do I gravitate towards these kind of stories? BECAUSE THEY ROCK!

Monster was an incredibly addictive read. It wasn't dark or anything like that in my opinion, but it dealt with issues that create darker tendencies. In an act of desperation, Eden marries Dominic, an uber-wealthy enigma of a man that only demands one thing from her: her body. In return, he pays off her debt and removes her from her life of poverty.

But 4 years later, Eden has has enough. Enough with the degradation, the ruthless disregard for her happiness and feelings, the disrespect, the humiliation. Now more than ever, and hiding a secret that can only end in heartbreak, she decides to make a huge change, and in the process threatens to incur the wrath of the one man that ignites her blood but hurts her soul.

Dominic was an asshole extraordinaire. At first we see his terrible behaviour and vile treatment of Eden. We sympathize with her and root for her plan to succeed. But Dominic has also hidden things from Eden. He's a tortured and scarred man. His start in this world was heartbreaking and cruel leaving his progression into adulthood stunted and filled with a need to control and debase.
Eden was a salve to his wounds and his redemption came only through her love. That is the best thing isn't it? Seeing a douche, an asshole of monumental proportions, brought to his knees by a strong and loving woman. But the changes to Dominic happen slowly, the relationship between him and Eden took time to progress and turn into something beautiful. Ahh, second chances.

That was what made reading this realistic. There was no insta-anything. Dominic came to see the errors of his ways from seeing how he misjudged Eden. Getting to know her for real this time, was what made him see her for who she was: his soulmate. Eden held out on Dominic, never trusting his intentions, which was expected. I loved how she didn't just believe him, but overtime was wholeheartedly convinced of his devotion.

The man wore redemption well! I didn't know how he was going to do it, but damn, he did! Things he said, his actions, melted me. Getting the story in dual 3rd person pov's helped as well. I don't think Dominic's change would have been as believable had the book been written any differently. Add some serious steam, and voila! Great story with a beautiful and satisfying epilogue! Loved it.

**one more thing, there's one line I can't get out of my head--keep in mind Eden's biracial--**
" CARAMEL SALTED PUSSY" HA!!! what a visual, except next time I eat a salted caramel, I'll unfortunately only be reminded of one thing! ;-D

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Perfect Asshole Hero Stars!





Dominic Armstrong is a man fueled by hatred. A man who has lived through a horrendous abusive childhood who has nothing but cold, ruthlessness left within. He manipulates everything to fit his own needs until he has no use for them anymore. Then he just discards them.

When he sets eyes on Eden in a local bar, she becomes his latest conquest. He gets what he wants always...no matter his means. He's rich, powerful, arrogant, and very very hot. He walks into a room and all heads turn...a powerful pull to his presence.







Eden is struggling to make ends meet, stripping to stay above water. So when the dashing dark-haired man propositions her for $500,000 she gladly accepts. One thing she wants, however, is a marriage. He agrees. And the story begins.

Eden was essentially beautiful arm candy for Dominic. He used her for sex and appearances. Until one day he takes it too far and Eden escapes with a secret. Fast forward a year...Dominic finds her. And brings her back.

Eden is a tough heroine and I credit her for her strength in dealing with all things Dominic. She makes one final deal with him. Six months then she gets her divorce...six months of living with Dominic as his wife. She will prevail. She will not let him win.

That's all you get. Will Eden finally get her wish for a clean break from Dominic? A divorce and freedom from his controlling ways?

Why not five stars?

This is one of those books that, with a good beta reader and editor, it would've been an easy five star read. Unfortunately, the little issues I had here and there grew to become distracting for me. Ms. Phal's writing style is beautifully poetic. She truly has a gift few authors have in describing scenes and senses that bring to life the plot before you. Several, however, went a bit too far to me.

***The constant description (10X to be exact) of her caramel coloring. We get it. His green eyes must've been mentioned, well doing a search on the word green pulls up 57X. It was distracting.

***The book is in third person alternating POV. The transitions however, were not clear. She would flip flop between two, sometimes three characters within one paragraph. Or the next paragraph would fast forward in time by days. I often had to go back and figure out where I got lost along the way. Again, easily an editor can fix this.

***These quotes took the artistic writing a tad too far.

When that exploring hand gently pried her thighs apart, he discovered her garden, the fountain at her center overflowing with her essence, drenching his fingers.





She reclined backwards, her torn dress hanging haphazardly at her sides as she slowly propped herself on her elbows in offering Dominic a banquet of sumptuous breasts with nipples puckered to delightful peaks, the macchiato river of her flat belly led to the bare ocean of her salted caramel pussy.

Overall, as I said, the storyline kept me interested and I plowed through it in a day. If I were to be even more picky, a different title would draw more readers. When I read "Monster" I thought I was heading into a very dark, sadistic read. Not at all. Just a man filled with hurt and vengeance he needs to change if he wants to keep Eden.

The pacing was perfect. His gradual evolution believable. Her resistance was also very believable. No weak heroine here. I really enjoyed it and the author has a really good thing going. She just needs a little editing/beta tweaking and this could be a perfect book.

Looking forward to the next book featuring a very hot tattooed man-whore bar owner Carver! Until It Hurts

And I thank you,

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars.

Monster is one of those books that you read, and what starts out as a potential 4 or maybe even 5 star read, gradually drops down the ratings as it progresses.

Don't get me wrong, this isn’t a bad book, in fact it’s far from a bad book, but there were issues that I had with it, that as the story progressed added up to stars being removed.

What I liked -

I love a book about an asshole, trying to make good on his past, and repair all of the damage his previous actions have caused, and Dominic Armstrong is the epitome of every asshole you have ever read about before. Cold, cruel, brutal and emotionally closed off, mostly due to the Monsters from his past.

In the beginning he essentially treats Eden like a whore, but after 4 years of humiliation and often degradation at his hands, she decides enough is enough and blows-town (there are other reasons for this, but spoiler free, so I’m not telling!). It makes a change to read of a woman fighting for something better and not putting up with her lot in life, just because your man is rich, buys you whatever you want, and parades you around like the next-best-thing doesn't necessarily mean that he is worth staying with. Eden stood up for herself in spades, particularly when Dom pulls her back to him after a year away from him, and I commend Francette Phal for giving us a heroine with some balls.

Their story as it progresses is pretty emotional too read. Dominic gradually realises that everything he perceived to be true about Eden is pretty much the opposite. They both concede that the other may have been wrong in their initial judgements. I loved watching Dominic put himself out there to Eden in the hope that he could repair some of the damage he had caused, and although his upbringing does not excuse his behaviour, the flashbacks that Ms. Phal provided as the book progressed were pretty heartbreaking.

The gradual thawing of Dominic’s heart towards Eden, and his realisation that he isn’t quite as emotionally stunted as he thought was, is a long, slow enticing burn throughout the book, the sex hot, and their connection undeniably electric.

What I wasn’t so fond of -

There is a lot of drama in this book from secondary characters that I feel completely detracted from the story. I don't feel it actually added to Dominic and Eden’s narrative as a whole, and it kind of pulled you away from the point of the book.

The breaks from one POV to another as a little sporadic, and at points I had to go back and work out where it had jumped from one person to the next.

Some of the language and descriptions were a bit overly wordy and flowery for a book of this type, and what made it stand out even more was that it was sort of sporadically added through the story, I felt like I was jumping from Historical to Modern fiction at points.

However I also want to applaud this as well, Francette Phal certainly has a broad and diverse library of language stored up, and she isn’t afraid to use it, but the example below was a little too far for me –

When that exploring hand gently pried her thighs apart, he discovered her garden, the fountain at her center overflowing with her essence, drenching his fingers.

Going back to the wealth of language, I pretty much think every descriptive word for brown and yellow were used at some point in the book, and I found myself craving coffee more than once! –

Espresso
Macchiato
Honey
Coffee
Caramel (copious amounts of times, occasionally salted!)
Bourbon
Citrine
Gold
Mocha
Chestnut
Cedar
Peaches

I would still wholeheartedly recommend this book, for the most part I enjoyed it and the story that was told, and I am eagerly waiting for Until it Hurts the next book in this series as it features a certain hot, tattooed bar owner going by the name of Carver.

I would like to thank Francette Phal for generously providing me with a copy of Monster, in exchange for the above honest review.

[Funda Demir · Rating 1 out of 5]

Give up at 20%


I’ve had enough of these ‘alpha’ males who treat women like a piece of shit, or don’t even respect them as a person but see them as a walking piece of meat??? He literally calls her a ‘whore’ and acts like she’s dirt. Oh but this is all justified because he’s so handsome and he turns on the stupid heroine so much that when he’s near her, his cologne apparently makes her lose all her brain cells.

I meannnn, just read this shit:

“You’re such a fucking whore.” It was his favorite thing to call her when they were in bed. Debasing her this way, making her remember exactly who and what she was, fulfilled his complete dominance over her... “I own you, Eden,” he whispered harshly, breathlessly along her ear. “Every inch of you belongs to me and I will brand my name on your delectable ass, my pet, so that you never forget it.” His thrusts grew erratic as he brutally rammed into her, and then, with a smack on her ass, he was finished.

Sounds romantic? Not to me.

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!!!

Review to come tomorrow. :D

~~

Oh. My. God.

Talk about a mad blurb!!



Can't WAIT for this book!!



GIVE IT TO ME NOW! Please!

[Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read** · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 Unrealized Potential Stars**



I had high hopes for this book, and unfortunately in the end I'm left disappointed.

The book started out great. Dominic's asshole light was shining bright! The story gripped me and I was buckled in and ready for the journey.

However, little by little as the story went on I began to feel disconnected.

There is no doubt that Francette Phal can write. The talent is evident with every word you read......and there are A LOT OF WORDS. That is where she began to lose me. Too many flowing descriptions, too much redundancy and too many unnecessary tangents regarding side characters.

With all this wordiness, I lost my connection between Dominic and Eden. And ultimately ended up being more drawn to Dominic's evolution and self discovery, rather than the romance.

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster is a new standalone novel from Francette Phal. It’s not dark erotica which I think I thought it would be, it’s much more of a sexy contemporary romance featuring Dominic and Eden

We begin, as the blurb describes, with Eden caught in a loveless marriage with the ruthless and imperious Dominic. She grew up in poverty, made money as a stripper to pay her way through college and got romantically involved with Dominic’s younger half-brother and, as they are wealthy, Dominic stepped in to prevent them from marrying but he wants her for himself so he offers her a lucrative contract to pay off her debts – arm-candy by day, whore in the bedroom. She agrees on the condition that he marry her and that’s where we begin, several years into their marriage.

The blurb states accidental gold-digger but I think it was more like opportunistic gold-digger. In the opening chapters, neither Dominic and Eden do much to endear themselves to the reader. Dominic is cold, callous and manipulative – he frequently debases and degrades her in front of his friends. It’s very hard to see any redeeming features in this cold-hearted bastard at all. I was also distinctly lacking in sympathy for Eden – she’d made her avaricious bed and, however sadistic Dominic was, I kind of felt like she ought to just lie in it and quit moaning. She agreed to this for money and there’s a part of me that felt that she really deserved what she was getting

BUT, Eden makes a discovery that sends her running, searching for a better and more meaningful life but Dominic isn’t about to let her go that easily and searches for her with the weight of his wealth and influence at his disposal and it’s not long before he finds her and coerces her into another contract.





I did really enjoy this – the novel took a whole different direction to the one that I’d anticipated after reading the blurb and this is very much a story of emotional growth and of love and forgiveness. The first few chapters depict Dominic as a cold, sadistic and ruthless control freak with very little endearing features, if any at all. It’s not until much later in the novel that we learn about his heart-breaking past and the incidents that caused this man to hate women and build an impenetrable emotional fortress around himself. It’s going to take something very special to thaw out that cold, black heart and Eden, unwittingly, has provided him with just what it takes to unlock his emotions and finally allow this man to love.

Eden, for her part, is very misguided. I really can’t understand what possessed her to sign that contract in the first place and she really did find herself living in hell during her marriage to Dominic but there is a really sweet girl hidden beneath the woman Dominic has forced her to be and she really did try to change her life for the better for the noblest of reasons. I really admired her attempts to make something of her life and how hard she tried to go it alone until, of course, Dominic manages to once more knock her off course.

This is a great second chance love story that simmers with an unrelenting chemistry between the two main protagonists – it’s very sexy, ultimately very romantic and a fantastic story of emotional growth. It’s very compelling and it’s quite the emotional roller-coaster that takes the reader from fairly awful scenes of degradation right through to real happiness with plenty of angst along the way.

This is my first book by Francette Phal – it definitely won’t be my last.

4 second-chance stars

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[Aycan · Rating 1 out of 5]

💵🎯Zayn - Common

Ben bu kitabı kışın araştırmıştım biraz, buradaki yorumlar falan aklımda çok farklı bir kurgu yaratmıştı ve çok güzel bir kitap olacağını düşündüğüm için beklemeye almıştım... Güzel olsaydı ne olurdu yani? Bu yıl *çok beğendim* listeme I Hate Fairyland #1 serisini eklemezsem sadece 4 tane kitap ekleyebiliyorum. İnanılır gibi değil... Ve bu lanet hala devam ediyor.

4 yıl önce evlenmiş olan Dominic ve Eden. Dominic, gördüğü anda Eden'a göz koyuyor. Bekliyor. Kızın ödemesi gereken borçlarının olduğunu öğreniyor ve para teklif ediyor, bir de evlilik. Para teklifine alışkınız ama evlilik biraz fazla kaçmış değil mi? Yani bu da psikopatlığın başka bir seviyesi oluyor.

Eden, Dominic'le evlendiğinde onu hiç tanımamasına rağmen pozitif düşünüp, zaman geçerse belki ısınırız, birbirimize karşı bir şeyler hissederiz demiş. Demiş ama boş demiş. 4 yıl geçmiş Dominic Eden'a hala köpek muamelesi yapıyor. Arkadaşlarının gözünün önünde YAPMAMASI gereken şeyleri yaptırıyor. Rezil herif.

En sonunda Eden, hamile olduğunu öğreniyor. 4 yıldır evli olduğu adamın net bir şekilde çocuk istemediğini biliyor. Eğer hamile olduğunu öğrenirse doğurmasına izin vermeyeceğini de bildiği için plan yapıyor. Biriktirdiği paraları alıyor, oyun yaparak evden kaçıyor.

1 yıl boyunca Dominic, Eden'ı bulamıyor. En sonunda Alex diye bir gerizekalı, kız arkadaşının eşyalarını karıştırıp Eden'ın yerini buluyor ve Dominic'ten para koparabilmek için gelip ispiyonluyor. Onun kız arkadaşı da Eden'ın arkadaşı işte.

Bunca zamandır meğersem kıçının dibinde saklanan Eden'ı gidip eve getirme zahmetinde bulunmayan Dominic, önce kızı zar zor elde ettiği işinden ediyor. Çıkarttırıyor. Daha sonra da bankada olan parasını çektiriyor. Bankada tek bir kuruşunun bile kalmadığını gören Eden'da kalkıp Dominic'in yanına gidiyor. İşte 'Sen ne yaptığını sanıyorsun!' tarzı bir konuşma oluyor.

Eden'ın doğurduğunu, bir oğlunun olduğunu bildiği halde sadece Eden'a odaklı olan Dominic çok itici geliyor. Oğlun olduğunu öğrendiğinde her şeyi bir kenara atıp, oğlum da oğlum diyerek etrafta dolanman gerekiyordu. Normali buydu.

Kendi oğlunun elinden alınacağı korkusuna dayanamayan Eden, Dominic'in tehdidine direnemiyor ve eski eve taşınıyor. Keşke şimdiki dik başlılığını 4 yıl içinde de gösterseydin Eden hanım. Sen de kıza biraz insan gibi davransaydın, sürtük annenin sana yaptıklarından dolayı bütün kadınları onunla bir tutup, ona yapılması gereken kabalığı kendi eşine yapmasaydın Dominic bey, bütün bu saçmalıklar olmazdı değil mi?

Uzun uzun anlatmayacağım, o kadar değdiğini sanmıyorum. Hatta bu yazdıklarıma bile değmeyen bir kitap ama işte sonuna kadar okuttu, aralarındaki bu nefret nasıl aşka dönüşecek diye merak ettirdiği için okuttu. Okuttu ama bin bir eziyet. Yazarın kullandığı dil mi desem, kelime seçimi mi desem bilmiyorum. Örnek verecek olursam; 'ama' diyeceği yerde 'amma ve lakin' , 'güzel' diyeceği yerde 'fevkaladenin fevkinde' şeklinde bir kullanımı vardı. Yani o saçma sapan hayatımda ilk defa gördüğüm kelimelerin ingilizce anlamlarına baka baka ilerledim. Kullansana normal kelimeleri bu kadar kasmaya ne gerek var yani. Anca uğraştırdın beni. Çokta güzel bir şey olsaydı içim yanmayacaktı şu an.

Bir de unutmadan, kitap mantıksızlıkla dolu. Gerçekten. Bir yeri tutup 'hı, mantıklı olabilir ya, olabilir böyle bir şey' dediğimde diğer şeyler saçma geliyor. Böyle devam ediyor. Hiçbir şekilde kutunun kapağını kapatamıyorum. Bu kitap bir kutu ve içindeki şeyler o kadar karmaşık ki kapağını kapatamıyorum. Mesela, Dominic, Eden'ı para ve lüks manyağı sanıyor buuunca zaman. Paranın ve mücevherlerin onu mutlu ettiğini sanıyor. Annesiyle bir tutuyor ve ona göre muamele yapıyor. Nefretini Eden'dan çıkarıyor bir nevi. Ya hadi tamam, annesi tarafından kazık yemiş, çocukluğu bokluk içinden geçmiş birinin sağlıklı olmasını beklemiyoruz ama sonuçta bu kişi bir iş adamı olmuş değil mi? Yani yeterince zekası var, karşısındaki kişiyi karşısına alıp iki kelam etmeye. 4 yıllık bir EVLİLİK bak. Evlilik diyorum. Ya dile kolay, 4 yılda sizin nasıl hiç zayıf anınız olmadı da bu konulara girmediniz. 4 yıl içinde niye hiç hamile kalmadı da bu kız şimdi kalıyor ve kaçma kararı alıyor......?

Zaten saçma sapan diğer karakterlerin düşüncelerine yer vermesi de ayrı bir gıcıktı. Bu kitabın tek güzel yanı, Eden, oğlunu Dominic'in göğsünde yatarken bulduğu, yanlarına yaklaştığı ve o sahneyi doya doya izlediği kısımdı. En güzel yanı bu sahneydi yani. Eski çocukluk evine Eden'ı götürüp orada geçmişinden bir kaç şey söyleyince Eden'ın hemen düşmesi de ne bileyim... İnsan bi' kalkıp, 'bu yüzden mi bana böyle hayvan muamelesi yaptın bunca zaman?!' diye en azından kavga falan çıkarır. Ama kız hemen eridi ya. pfff.

Yakınlaştılar, sonra saçma bi' tepki olarak kendini geri çekme olayı çıktı başıma bi'de. 6 aylık sözleşme yapmışlardı, 6 aydan sonra boşanacaklar diye. Araları düzeldi, birbirlerine aşık olduklarını söylediler, 6 ay bitti, boşandılar. Evet. Boşanmışlar ama aynı evde birlikte kalıyorlar, sadece boşanmışlar. ahha. ya siz benimle dalga mı geçiyorsunuz? Sanki bütün rezil kitaplar sıralanmış önümde bende kör kör seçip okuyorum.

kitap hakkında tek kelimelik yorum: r e z a l e t

PS. Kitabın kapağı kitaptan on yüz bin milyon kat daha rezalet.

[Angie **loves angst** · Rating 5 out of 5]

"How was it possible to share an emotionless, loveless marriage with someone, yet be so drawn to them?"

I don't know the last time I pulled an all-nighter to finish a book, but this changed all that. If you're looking for a dark read, sorry this isn't very dark. I didn't think of Dominic as a monster. There was really only one scene that disturbed me, and that was on a very small scale. I've read MUCH worse. I'm getting ahead of myself let me go back...

"He looked like he could pleasure a girl and devastate her all in the same breath without even trying."

The Plot
When Eden begins drowning in debt and faces financial ruin she accepts help from Dominic Armstrong, a wealthy businessman. Eden suddenly goes from poverty and hunger to riches, decadence and the arm candy of her cold husband. Her marriage is a business transaction. There are no feelings involved and Eden's main purpose is to look good in public and fulfill Dominic's sexual desires whenever he says. He uses her body, humiliates her and there is nothing she can do about it. Eventually Eden becomes tired of being Dominic's plaything and trophy wife. She runs, and like a hunter unwilling to give up his prey, Dominic tracks her. This is where things pick up and really get interesting.

"I hate you," she said venomously and he smirked.
"Well, then its a good thing I didn't marry you for love." He shoved her away from him. "Get the hell out of my sight, Eden."

I really enjoyed the fact that the author didn't rush the story, but allowed this couple's relationship to unfold day by day. Eden is not a weak whimpering heroine. In fact when she makes up her mind, she stands up to Dominic and does not allow him to bully her anymore. Dominic's childhood and painful past have molded him into the man he has become. It was easy for me to understand why he treated Eden the way he did, he has never experienced love and has no idea how to show tender emotions. When Dominic revealed a new side to his personality I couldn't help but fall for him. This is pretty steamy (not many sex scenes though), but I felt the deep attraction shared between the H/h.

"You are mine, Eden. Till death do us part."

If you're looking for a book with a redeemable hero and a strong heroine and very little angst this is perfect. Even though the blurb hints at darkness, this is a very light and in some scenes sweet read. Highly recommended to my romance lover friends who enjoy alpha heroes brought to their knees by a strong woman.

"Their marriage had started off corrupted and had only grown worse in the ensuing years, the decaying layers of lies, distrust, humiliation, animosity and resentment had poisoned the very foundation of their union, making it impossible for anything else to flourish there."

Rating 4.5 Monster to Lover Stars

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

****This review contains Spoilers****

Okay... I really liked this book. The writing was good.

I have to say that I saw pieces of other books in here similar to Underestimated by Jettie Woodruff.



Eden married Dominic for money and he used her for sex. Made her feel small and worthless chick with two holes.

Eden...



Dominic...



Then Eden saves enough money to run away and start a new life for herself because she is pregnant with the Monsters Kid.

Offcourse he finds her and takes everything away and Eden is forced to live with Dominic again.



Yes.... She falls in love with her husband.. The monster....



And Dominic changes into a loving can caring father and husband with that extra special sexiness!



The end.

[Nikki ღ Navareus · Rating 5 out of 5]

***FIVE STARS!***
I love an asshole hero, and Holy Hell, Dominic took the cake. He was horribly degrading to Eden in the beginning, and I was hooked. I loved the slow melting of his icy demeanor through the story. His transformation into the good guy he became by the ending was genuine. Dominic had a lot of ugly baggage in his his past, so he had to work hard to become a better husband to Eden. Eden was a spitfire, with a spine made of steel. I loved everything about both of these characters as well as their story! I cannot believe it's taken me this long to read this story. Total recommend!

[♡kitten♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it's just me, but I couldn't bring myself to love this book. I loved that Eden stood up on her own, but sadly I didn't feel any emotional connection between her and Dominic. What's up with the writing, tho? I loved Ms. Phal's Flawed but this book went downhill and I almost couldn't stand the writing. This could have been better if it wasn't written in 3rd POV, the constant shift of POVs annoyed me at times. I would've marked this as DNF but I wanted to see how Dominic would redeem himself and win Eden's heart and their child in the end. 2.5 stars.

[Sláinte Wanderlust · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read a lot of very positive reviews for this book so I was expecting a fair amount of angst/darkness/drama. Sadly I was left wanting. It missed the mark almost from the very beginning for me.
I have recently read a book with similarities to this and as a result I couldn't help but compare them. This in turn disappointed me even more.

I adore an anti hero/bastard as a lead, it is seriously one of my favourite types. The hook in the blurb for me was "Dominic is Ruthless, manipulative and sadistic". He was manipulative for sure. Ruthless.. eh not so much. But sadistic, that is an over exaggeration. I know sadist's & in my opinion Dom had some mild sadistic moments but no where near enough to be a sadist.

The flowery descriptions during sexual encounters had me eye rolling & wondering what exactly the author was try to achieve by including them. Was she trying to make Dom softer? Less harsh? I dunno what it was but they ruined the sex scenes for me. Here are two examples;
"when that exploring hand gently pried her thighs apart, he discovered her garden, the fountain at her center overflowing with her essence, drenching his fingers."
"..drank the flowing juices of her weeping womanhood with his rapacious tongue."


As for the rest of the characters, I was underwhelmed yet again.
Jenna was a bitch. She was not a good friend, not a nice person & clearly wasn't very intelligent.
I do not really know what to say about Eden, I felt her abuse wasn't explained enough for me to understand how she felt or for me to feel sorry for her.

*shrug* This book wasn't for me so I am not recommending it.

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Length: 255 pgs / 4314 kindle
Style: Contemporary Romance Dark
Story: GOOD
Intimacy level: Sex-citingly ENJOYABLE
Enjoyment: GOOD
Series: N/A
Price: $3.99

The Good

This is one F%^*# up marriage, but good to read the metamorphosis of Dominic .
Even reading the blurb for this book, I wasn't sure where the author was going or going to go with this story. However, as the story unfolds it hooks you in even with a monster of a husband by the name of Dominic.

Dominic is cold, calculating and possessive over his wife, Eden. He has secured a way to get her and keep her and that's with his wealth, because of course, to him, she is a gold digger in his eyes. Dominic, though cold at times was still sexy to me, of course he deserve a few, I want to put my fist in your face moments, but believe it or not, he eventually became a likable character for me. His background defined him and explain the way he is. Eden was desperate to do what she can for money she needed, when she decided to marry Dominic. In her mind she thought with time everything would be prefect, but it only has gotten worst with Dominic. As she plans her future, it does not include the monster, Dominic. Eden's character gels well in this story for me. Even in the beginning what she endure with Dominic doesn't make her stupid, I think she was young and naive. Her character compliments Dominic's character giving us a story that I began to love once it got to a pivotal moment in the book.


The Bad

Some characters and so call friends are questionable in this story, (hint hint) Jenny and Bruce . I really have nothing bad to say about this story and how it flowed for me. There were minor mistakes in the book, but that doesn't really bother me. I really enjoyed their physical chemistry as those scenes for me were spicy when it got to their intensity, but a little part of me wanted more, but that's just me being greedy.

Overall, I liked the story, there isn't any cliff hanger (love that) , love the ending and thought the author did a wonderful job.


RNJ
http://www.romancenoveljunkies.com

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[Rin W. Vitale · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Love-Hate Stars!

Me after reading this:



It was really good! I cried, I swoon. I'm in awe with Dominic! Well, not with the old Dominic. But damn yes with the Dominic after he met the chubby-bubbly Liam!



Here are some of my favorites moments of these two!

- ...Dominic awkwardly scoop up his son and hold him up to his eye level. His child. His son. He was a father. And in his hands was his child.

"Hello," he murmured thickly, "I'm sure your mother has not spoken much to you about me, and for good reason I would say," Dominic brought him closer, his heart shifting uncomfortably fast in his chest. "But I am your father, and I am terrified of you."

- ...It was there that she found him, seated in a wicker recliner, one leg slightly tossed over the other so that it formed a square and it was in the cradle of his that square that he had Liam nestled on his lap.



- ...Reclining in the rocking chair by the solitary window, Liam lay on his father’s chest in slumber, one of his receiving blankets covering the lower half of his body as he dreamed of sweet things, knowing instinctively that he had his father there to protect him. It was such a beautiful sight that Eden was lured closer, until she stood at their side.

Dominic was the cold-hearted a**hole!

Eden assessed him, tilting her head just so to see if she could peer beyond the austerity he wore so well. "Why is it so important for you to have me see you as nothing more than an asshole?"

"Because that is all there is," he drawled with that self-deprecating air that was not at all like him. "I do not know how to be anything else."

He did anything to degrade his "gold-digger" wife, Eden. Until one day, Eden decided it was to much for her sanity then she fleed. And it was so smart of her! Took long time for Dom to finally find her. *applause*

After learning his past childhood, it was no surprise that he became the cold bastard he is. His childhood remind me of Christian Grey's somehow...

And it was so sad.. :(

...playing with the truck helped fight the twisting and gurgling of his stomach, the hunger pains that were an everyday part of his life. Drinking a lot of water always helped, but not this time and while he searched through cabinets and fridge for something to eat, his eyes settle on nearly empty bag of bread. There were only two slices and each one had dusty green and white mold growing on it, but once Dominic cut away the moldy areas, he ate the slices of bread like it were the best things in the world.

Dom and Eden's marriage reminded me of Marcus and Katia of 'Til Death, Volume Two . And Dom's childhood reminded me of CG's..

Loved it when a**hole Dominic changed into this man..

..."In the five years that we've been married, I have not been a good husband to you. Hurting you as I have, disappointing you to this degree, has been my greatest failing as a man, and for that I am deeply regretful. You deserve better than me, undoubtedly. There are far better men out there who are free to love you in the way that you need. And I know when you walk out that door you will live and thrive and laugh and smile because that is the sort of person you are."

Overall, this was a good read. A really good read to me. So, I hope this also entertain you as it did to me, people! :D

[Delaney Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster indeed...

I almost didn't finish this book because of the hero, Dominic. I have no problem with ruthless, a-hole heroes, but I draw the line at disrespecting the heroine, so it was very difficult for me to read a particular scene in the beginning of the book. I still think it was too much, but I pushed through and eventually Dominic's background is revealed along with his need for the heroine.

There were two main reasons why my opinion changed about this couple and made me think they could actually make it.
1) Dominic's behavior toward the heroine changed, but that was partly because she changed, too. She was no longer his doormat, and having a child softened him.
2) Dominic admitted that what he'd done to Eden was abuse (not physical, but emotional). That was big for me. There was no candy-coating it; he accepted that how he'd treated her was despicable.

Really, I think this is a story about forgiveness. Eden forgave Dominic for his treatment of her, he had to overcome his past and forgive himself for his past behavior, and so they were able to grow closer and get the HEA.

Be warned, this story will be tough to get through at first, but eventually it does change. Ms. Phal is a great storyteller. For the most part she kept me completely engrossed because I just had to see how this tale would end.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so conflicted while reading this one. Still a 3.25*

I am no dark romance fan but do get attracted by the twisted themes at times.
In the first few chapters, when the the H seem like a true blue anti-hero - cold and sadistic, I was drawn and put off in equal measures. And that one scene - that will haunt the h/H, this whole book and the sequel novelette - left me hyperventilating as it unfolded.
But...

Then the h runs off, and after their reunion over a year later, the H changes (slowly) and tries to 'reform'. Suddenly the monster becomes a tame tabby. All good but the dark romance was dark no more but like a HP with a repentant H and an unforgiving h with a newly minted spine. Contrarily, I felt very very let down with the about-turn in the book. So, the tone change is huuuge. Of course, I wanted him to be a better person and a HEA but the story lost its tension and thrall.
For an erotica, the sex dries off but I would count it as a positive that the author is not one for in-your-face and incessant sexscenes.

Some things are hazy or confusing - like the extent of her involvement with his brother; and it's hinted that the H helped along the financial ruin and indebtedness of her mother to make the h come to him and then later hates the h for marrying him for money. He keeps confusing her need for financial security with greed and avarice imo. And it's beyond moronic, even for a depraved sex fiend, to do what he does to his wife - publicly. Anyone who believes that men are less gossipy is living in lalaland.
And all the mini sub-plots were quite floppy and I wish there was more evil from other ends to counterbalance the sudden downturn. The H's family should have had a bigger presence/interference with some serious payback by the H.

Quite a faux Monster this one.

[KatieV · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 3.5

I saw this rec'd on a Hqn forum as a 'non Hqn book that Hqn readers might like'. I can see the reasoning behind that as there are a few common Hqn tropes here: alph-hole tycoon hero, secret baby, runaway wife, blackmail.

However this book goes far beyond what Hqn would allow (at least for another 20 years or so). There is one scene that not only Hqn would balk at, but many readers as well. It's one many readers may never be able to forgive, but it definitely flat-out illustrated why the heroine needed to run.

Personally, I can forgive him - in fiction - but IRL I'm not sure it is worth any woman taking a chance with him.

Dominic (or Dom, which is kinda appropriate) is one sick puppy. He gets a real kick out of reminding Eden that she used to be a stripper and is nothing but a no-good whore. He treats her like a possession, chooses her wardrobe, controls her life, and flaunts her around like his personal pet slut with no feelings. One night, he forces Eden to do a strip tease in front of several of his buddies (something he'd apparently done before).

Eden is at the end of her rope with his crap and sorta doesn't care about pissing him off. She decides to push him by getting too close to the men and rubbing up against them (a no-no for the H). In a temper he orders her on her knees and she has to give him a blow job in front of these two creeps and then he comes all over her face. This little episode accelerates her plan to run away.

Eden is an interesting character, she is definitely not a Hqn-caliber poor little Mary Sue. I'm not a reader of... I dunno what the 'genre' term should be... maybe the biker & stripper type romances. No biker's here, but I feel this probably kinda fits that genre and it's one I know exists. At first I wasn't so sure I would ever identify with her, but I think the author did a good job of making her seem real and therefore identifiable.

IMHO it's the type of book that makes you think if you're of a certain social class in America. I never used to think my background was anything special. I was raised pretty solidly middle, middle class in Appalachia. No glamor there, especially by American standards. But, I had a stable family life and was encouraged/supported and blessedly able to be able to sponge off my parents while I sought an education. Considering the fact that my circle of friends were in similar circumstances, this was reality for me. In retrospect, knowing what I now know about the world - I was rich. I was EXTREMELY fortunate. I'm truly ashamed to say that if I'd read this book 20+ years ago, I'd have dumped it in a hot second before getting very far - out of outrage that the heroine basically prostituted herself. My limited life experience would have screamed that there had to be another way and I'd have self-righteously walked away.

The heroine's reality was much trickier. Maybe there was another way, but the heroine really couldn't see it at the time and I totally accept that. She had been raised in a horrible neighborhood by a single parent who worked herself to the bone. She probably went to school at one of those inner city crap holes where there were metal detectors at the doors to prevent weapons. It was likely her circle of friends had no great expectations beyond finding a way to survive and pay the bills. She probably didn't even know anyone from the middle class or who had been to college. Also, she's bi-racial. Which, in America, mostly means she's a black person. That wasn't really addressed, but I truly believe that while it doesn't make succeeding impossible it does present some truly significant obstacles.

So, the heroine is living in inner city poverty and at 19 her mother dies. She's a pretty girl, so the best, most profitable way for her to make decent money is to strip. No person on their own can live on minimum wage here, it's hysterical to even think so. Plus unbeknownst to her the "hero" has already staked her out and marked her for his "possession". So behind the scenes, he's pulling strings to make her financial situation even worse than it already is. By the time he shows himself and makes his offer of "protection" she'll be so desperate she'll agree to anything.

She throws him a curve ball though. Mostly I think she was just messing with him. She says she'll agree to his terms of ownership if he'll marry her. I don't think she ever expected him to agree, but he does. And, when he does, she just can't resist the allure of not having to live hand-to-mouth and all the riches she never dreamed could be hers. It's definitely a devil's bargain. But, she's at least very attracted to the man and she goes in with some good intentions. She hopes that they'll learn to care for one another, maybe even love one another, and she'll get to have children and a family.

She soon finds out that the hero has no intentions of providing her with a real marriage. While she can have anything she wants, materially speaking, she is a possession period. And the hero makes no bones about not wanting children. She is there to do exactly what he says and he humiliates and degrades her at every turn. He's not physically violent. There is some rough sex with a bondage collar, etc. But she's turned on by him sexually. The real abuse is emotional. He shows her no affection, yet is obsessed with her and tries to control every aspect of her life. He never fails to remind her that she's a whore. She's getting what she was paid for, etc.

She finally realizes after 4 years of marriage that while she may have prostituted herself, she does not deserve his crap and no amount of money is worth being treated the way he treats her. No one deserves his crap. The man really is a monster. She comes up with a rather devious and morally questionable way of escaping, but its hard to feel sorry for the guy she blackmails into helping her and boy is she desperate. Not only is there the infamous "scene", she's just found out she's pregnant. This is one of the few times where the secret baby is A-OK with me.

While on her own Eden, now having a nest egg to fall back on, gets a real estate license and goes about learning to respect and take care of herself and her baby, Liam. Of course, Dom finds her and ruins everything for her and blackmails her into coming back to him with threats of taking the son he admits he doesn't even want.

But, Eden's stronger now. She's no longer going to play the part he's written for her, and Dom is both frustrated and intrigued that this woman he thought he knew is not the vapid whore he once believed her to be. He has to find a way to regain her consent. He's actually not a rapist (one of the few bad things he's not) and he doesn't want her having sex with him if she doesn't desire him.

This is where he begins to change and face up to his demons and try to be a man who deserves a wife and child. Problem is, it's way too 50 Shades.

Mom was a drug addicted prostitute - check
Hero was starved and burned with cigarettes - check
Hero sees total control as a way of dealing with his demons and protecting himself - check
Hero has a driving need to punish women for his mistreatment - check
Deep down the hero believes he is a monster who is unworthy of and incapable of love - again, check

Obviously this wasn't a rip off, there are far too many differences. I'm just tired of people re-hashing that book with their own version. I think many aspiring writers (self included) have thought. HEY - that's not fair. I can do a better job than that!

But we need to try to do a better job with something different. Yes, Francette Phal did a better job. Her characters were more real and more believable, particularly the female ones. I thought Eden's stripper friend was quite well drawn. You also have a hero who despite the lack of the "red room of pain" was 100 times more convincingly terrifying than Christian Grey ever was. (By book 2, Christian became mostly a pathetic - not at all scary - cry baby if you ask me.) The end was more well done as well. You see a much slower progression and a heroine who is more cautious and taking the new relationship with the H day-by-day rather than jumping right back in. Still it dampened my enjoyment, because I've been there. Too many times. Please. No more 50 Shades re-writes.

ETA: I checked out the author page and apparently she lives in America, but I'm not 100% sure if she's American by birth. The only significance that has is that there were some word choices that I thought were a bit odd. Using 'sub zero' to refer to 'the freezer' for example. Also, the hero's pet names for her were 'pet' and 'sweeting'.

It was small stuff, granted, but it seemed a little off to me. Maybe it's simply regional, but 'pet' is always something I associate with being a British endearment and I've never heard a freezer referred to as a 'sub zero'. In any case, if she's not American by birth, she did a much better job than E.L. James of not including a bunch of foreign phrasing/words.

[Formerly Known as Spoiler W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster...a person who excites horror by wickedness, cruelty, etc.

When I read the blurb to Monster, I thought it was going to be one of "those" books. You know, where the guy is a complete asshole who does really bad asshole stuff that only assholes really know how to pull of well. Don't get me wrong. The character Dominic can be an ass but he wasn't much of an ass. I can see why he did what he did. His childhood wasn't pretty and he brought what was done and taught to him to his future and that's where his problems start. But I must say that Dom owned his faults and sought help for himself and to make him a better man for his family.

Dominic and Eden's marriage was doomed from the start. His degradation of Eden was from the beginning. Dom wanted Eden when she hadn't met him until he finally showed up to her place of work as a stripper. He saw her as a gold digger when she was far from it. Sure, she wanted the best things in life that Dom could give her but she didn't act like one. His treatment of her wasn't of physical or verbal abuse. It was mental. He would have her "perform" for his friends but never with his friends.

When Eden has had enough she sets her plan into motion and disappears. This part kinda reminded me of the movie Sleeping with the Enemy. Dom has no idea where she is at until a source reveals information and little by little he sets the trap for Eden to come out of her hiding. Communication is key in every relationship and once it's open they see that they can have a beautiful marriage and family. I'm a sucker for a man who can abstain himself from temptation and Dom proved that. I really liked that about him.

Now, I've been a fan of Ms. Phal's work before so I am used to her writing style and that style is that there are differnt pov's and they are mixed together. We can be reading what the woman is thinking then it jumps to another character. It can be confusing but somehow it works.


* I wouldn't catagorize the book as dark erotica*


*ARC provided by author*

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Forgiving Stars

My Thoughts

I first came across Francette Phal after reading Beautiful Disaster (The Bet)
Her writing has darkish tones to well written stories.
This one is no different. It kept my attention till the end.

Forgiveness, redemption and love...

Could Eden forgive the Monster she has married?


She is determined that he will not break her. So when a chance comes to escape will she be strong enough to leave to start a new life? or will Dominic find out what she is planning.....and makes sure that she never leaves...

[✝✝ Ⓓaisy ❣ ✝✝ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Monster is written is third person POV and this one def made me struggle too much.
Skimming thru and ended coming to the end so fast.

I did Ella Frank's way of writing! Just couldn't connect with me this book. What a shame.



And on top of that, I went I was in India for my holidays, I watched a Bollywood movie in the theatre for fun to my surprise, this book is exactly that! *yawns* I keep telling myself, it can't be but the more I was able to predict the plot, the more I got bored.



It was just not my book. Hope this book is brilliant read for you guys.

Happy reading

D xoxo

**ARC provided for honest review**

[Talltree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a somewhat dark romance, however bcos of the length and light writing quality doesn't have too much of an impact and comes off relatively light.
I liked the h a lot. She came out of poverty and got into debt. Became a stripper on the side when she was in college. Got a rich boyfriend but his elder cousin ( the H) intervenes to get him out of the h's clutches ( seems kind of HPesque, a bit). The H falls in lust with h. The h sees an opportunity to improve her circumstances and says H will have to marry her to have her. And evil H who is amused agrees. h gets every material thing she needs. But the H constantly grinds her down, verbally humiliating, degrading her and the h finds her fairy tale ( a Cinderella marriage to a rich guy) a prison. Although H/h have a connection in bed, it is the H who is the villain of the story. H makes her do public sex acts in front of his corrupt friends, and other stuff so much that h even vaguely thinks of jumping off a balcony to her death.H knows this and enjoys her mental anguish, he doesn't even care.
But then she becomes pregnant. And the h becomes a force to reckon with. She realises in the end all she needs is herself and the brains God gave her. H doesn't want children and h knows he will make her abort, so she schemes and plans till she makes a get away. She builds a career as a successful realtor, builds a good life with friends and has her baby. She is happy.
The H, he was sick. He had a horrible childhood, his family are not much better to him. His friends are corrupt womanisers who cheat on their wives. ( H doesn't cheat but at that point I didn't care!) H has a finger in all sorts of criminal stuff, blackmail, wheeling and dealing with corrupt politicians. He takes out all his darkness on the h like a whipping dog he bought with his money. But when h runs he is obsessed with finding her. He hires PIs, everything. He reminded me of one of those DV cases in the newspaper where the husband would rather shoot his wife or beat her to death than let her move on.
The only reason the book didn't sicken me enough to dnf was the h - she was strong, she was spirited, she fought back in her actions, she didn't care too much about H( no she wasn't secretly pining for him) and so he couldn't hurt her too much.
The H eventually finds the h back. Manipulates her into losing her job and reputation and she has to go back to H. But the H is surprised, the h wants nothing from him even his money. For years he has controlled her with money so now he doesn't quite know what to do. He also doesn't want the baby and h knows that. So they come to an agreement, they'll stay together for a year after which H will let her have a divorce and custody.
In that one year, the H mellows as he bonds with his baby, the h also tells him how much H hurt her. H recalls his terrible childhood and sees how loving a mom the h is in contrast. Slowly he opens up to her and they become intimate although h warns him its temporary. He even helps her get settled in a new career.
I loved the ending , its my favourite part of the book. The H apologises and gives her the divorce, custody, freedom from him. So they're divorced and dating bcos the h chooses to give him a chance. The H really meant it when he was letting her go and that made all the difference.
IRL if you've read psychology textbooks, the H comes across as a sociopath, a manipulator - they are not capable of forming connections even with their own child - so probably this is a fairy tale ending. Also DV case statistics show the husband never lets the wife go, they just can't - but in this case the H did, which seemed again unrealistic! Its hard to believe being a Dad and seeing the h as a loving mom would change him 180 degrees.
But still I admired the h a lot, she didn't crumble, even though she was hurt time and again, she just pulled her socks up and did what had to be done plus she was smart about it. She had excellent self-preservation skills, yet she was kind, proactive and loving. She never let the H change her into something she wasn't.
In the end the power was in her hands and I had confidence she would use it wisely, so it was a very optimistic hopeful ending. I wish all such abused women have a similar happy ending.

[Rosalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. If you know me, you know I love redeemable anti-heroes (Emphasis on redeemable). Most of the book is the hero redeeming himself. It is slightly dark in the beginning. I took a star off because I felt like the ending was abrupt!!! I would've loved a long epilogue, or to see them properly together as a couple again. It was like HEA , the end. I would still love a longer epilogue for this couple!!

In terms of safety, there's no OW/OM. In face the hero is clearly obsessed with the h from the moment he sees her. Unfortunately, the way they get together makes him see her as a gold digger and so he treats her as one. The h does go for the money but naively believes that love would stem from this.

Got to say though, I wasn't sold on Jenna (h's BFF) I get she did a lot for Eden, and irrational jealously is understandable. But the fact that she tried seducing the H and would've followed through with it made me dislike her completely. (The H completely is not interested in her) and the h never finds out.

She realises her mistake afterwards but still.... imagine the H responded to her.

Ps: I read that excerpt in the end about Carver's book?! When will it be out...

[Riz · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDITED

5 Stars!

After re-reading this book, I decided to upgrade my stars, becoming a 5 solid star! I can bear with the shortcoming in this book since I loved the entire story so much.

Wooooooohoooooo.... I wasn't supposed to love this story highly much!

I loooooveeed the plot, the conflicts, and both characters! I loved the development of Dominic's character.. honestly, in the beginning until 40 % of the story, I really really wanted to throttle his neck, shake his head, punch his face, and kick his manhood for how he treated her! But at 50 % to the ending, I felt touched more and more for his transition... and I also adored Eden's character!

But why I didn't give it 5 stars whereas I fell so hard for this story? because there were few things making me reduce the stars, such as there are several words mentioned numerous times in it and those a bit bothered me, and the use of a third person POV, usually, it doesn't bother me, instead I do like if the story written in third person POV, but I don't know, in this story I was a bit confused when it leaped from Eden to Dominic, and even to Jenna (Eden's best friend).

But overall, I LOVED THIS STORY!!! VERY MUCH!

[Menna · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Fantastic!

I'm so emotional right now...I kept reading through tears for the last 10% .

My heart is ready to burst from the crazy feeling this book incited in me......

Dominic! I can't find enough words....I loved your cruelty, your redemption, unique way of love, possessiveness, vulnerability, tenderness.........everything about you is just intense and raw!

This book has it all.....amazing lyrical writing that makes you feel and live every thought and feeling,great realistic plot and wonderful characters. It was a page turner.
I was hocked from the first page till the last one and couldn't put it down.

Highly recommended!

[Belle Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different from books i'm used to reading.
I'm used to books with tonnes of dialogue and less of a 'dear diary' telling of events.
Still, this book was enjoyable. The more I read, the more I wanted to know.
This is the book of two people who know each other, but don't really know each other at all. It was great to see the couple reconnect. I loved the progression. It was different, but in a good way.