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Fifth Republic #1
The Butcher
I found out my husband of three years had cheated on me and his mistress is the one who told me—because he didn’t have the balls to do it himself.
I move out and get a new apartment, a job as a bartender, and try to move on with a broken heart. I wonder where it all went wrong, if I hadn’t been enough for him, if I’d been stupid for marrying him in the first place.
I’m at work one night when he walks inside—the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He sits at the bar and a forest fire burns between us. I was depressed the moment before he entered, but the second I look at his blue eyes, I forget the dumpster fire that my life has become. I invite him back to my place and it’s the most passionate night of my life. I expect to never see him again.
I just want him as an anti-depressant—but he wants me all to himself. I just got my heart ripped out of my chest so I want something easy and no-strings-attached, but he wants all the strings because he’s hooked.
I don’t get much of a say in the matter, and that’s not surprising when I learn why—because he’s the Butcher. The crime lord of all crime lords, the boss that overshadows all of Paris, that makes everyone abide by his rules—or pay.
And now I’m his.
I move out and get a new apartment, a job as a bartender, and try to move on with a broken heart. I wonder where it all went wrong, if I hadn’t been enough for him, if I’d been stupid for marrying him in the first place.
I’m at work one night when he walks inside—the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He sits at the bar and a forest fire burns between us. I was depressed the moment before he entered, but the second I look at his blue eyes, I forget the dumpster fire that my life has become. I invite him back to my place and it’s the most passionate night of my life. I expect to never see him again.
I just want him as an anti-depressant—but he wants me all to himself. I just got my heart ripped out of my chest so I want something easy and no-strings-attached, but he wants all the strings because he’s hooked.
I don’t get much of a say in the matter, and that’s not surprising when I learn why—because he’s the Butcher. The crime lord of all crime lords, the boss that overshadows all of Paris, that makes everyone abide by his rules—or pay.
And now I’m his.
300 pages, Paperback
Published January 12, 2025
17471 people are currently reading
16142 people want to read
About the author
Penelope Sky
72 books6,684 followersA New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Penelope Sky is known for her dark romance that makes you fall for her characters….no matter how dark they seem. Her books are being translated into several languages around the world, and she’s sold more than a million books worldwide. She lives in a small town in California with her husband, where she spends most of her time writing on the back porch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,137 reviews
January 21, 2025
Where was the butchering?
This was just smut and her either talking to her ex or about her ex.
This was just smut and her either talking to her ex or about her ex.
June 2, 2025
This had so much smut I think I blacked out and forgot there was supposed to be a plot. She spends way too many pages yapping about the same crusty ex like girl, you’ve got a hot, rich new man obsessed with you, FOCUSSSS
🚨*spoiler*🚨
But I did like the part when he unalives the man that touched her and hangs him from the top of the Notre Dame so all of Paris can see how far he’ll go for his girl. That was iconic to say the least.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc💗
🚨*spoiler*🚨
But I did like the part when he unalives the man that touched her and hangs him from the top of the Notre Dame so all of Paris can see how far he’ll go for his girl. That was iconic to say the least.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc💗
February 17, 2025
4 Smut Scale Stars
How did I forget about Penelope Sky? I've read her before and somehow forgot that she writes smut that is totally to my taste.
I really enjoyed this and am only kicking myself because book two isn't out yet. Oh well.
Standby while I go tackle her entire backlist now.
How did I forget about Penelope Sky? I've read her before and somehow forgot that she writes smut that is totally to my taste.
I really enjoyed this and am only kicking myself because book two isn't out yet. Oh well.
Standby while I go tackle her entire backlist now.
February 16, 2025
Ugh. I wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it ended up being quite the opposite. The plot fell extremely flat and essentially every time Bastien and Fleur are together it’s about sex, which in certain scenarios I don’t mind that but not when it becomes EXTREMELY repetitive. There was an absurd amount of analogies, like I’m not even kidding it was every other sentence especially during the spicy scenes. Constantly comparing their body parts and orgasms to random life things and it really took away from the smut for me because of the fact it was so overdone. Also, Bastien gets terribly mean towards the end of this book. I started to not like him as a character. Even Fleur is pointing out how mean and angry he’s been. I get he has a lot going on with his job being what it is, but the whole point of this relationship is giving her better than her cheating ex husband. Why bother saving her from that if you’re just going to be a jerk?
Fleur meets Bastien in the bar she works at. They hook up. He’s in the underground government in France. They hook up. They start catching feelings. They hook up. He’s trying to catch a sex trafficker (very small part of the book). Fleur fights her feelings cause she’s scared (she’s not even divorced yet). They eat pancakes….and hook up. Bastien refuses to let her stay single knowing they both have feelings. You guessed it, they hook up. The book ends (there will be a part 2) on the WEIRDEST place in the book ever, right after they hook up of course. There you go I just told you the whole entire book so you can save yourself from reading it.
Fleur meets Bastien in the bar she works at. They hook up. He’s in the underground government in France. They hook up. They start catching feelings. They hook up. He’s trying to catch a sex trafficker (very small part of the book). Fleur fights her feelings cause she’s scared (she’s not even divorced yet). They eat pancakes….and hook up. Bastien refuses to let her stay single knowing they both have feelings. You guessed it, they hook up. The book ends (there will be a part 2) on the WEIRDEST place in the book ever, right after they hook up of course. There you go I just told you the whole entire book so you can save yourself from reading it.
March 4, 2025
"I want a divorce. I’m a fine piece of ass who doesn’t need this shit. I want a man who keeps his word and is so brutally honest that it’s almost cruel."
"like glass. It takes time to heat and temper, to make it transparent for both parties to see through. But once it’s shattered, there are so many broken pieces on the floor that it’s impossible to put back together. A year may pass, and you’ll step into the kitchen barefoot for a glass of water and get a shard in your heel. And you’ll remember how it got there.” A pain settled on my heart, an anchor lowered from a ship, a disappointment so heavy it dropped to the bottom of the ocean. “Power and wealth can be taken away—and all that’s left is your word. If you don’t have that, then you don’t have anything. He betrayed his word when he betrayed you, so he betrayed himself. There was a chance of redemption by being honest with you, but he chose cowardice instead."
Meh... a bit anticlimactic... there wasn't much butchering to be had in this book. Maybe in the second? I didn't hate this one, but I didn't love it. I'll give the second book a chance to see if the story picks up.
"like glass. It takes time to heat and temper, to make it transparent for both parties to see through. But once it’s shattered, there are so many broken pieces on the floor that it’s impossible to put back together. A year may pass, and you’ll step into the kitchen barefoot for a glass of water and get a shard in your heel. And you’ll remember how it got there.” A pain settled on my heart, an anchor lowered from a ship, a disappointment so heavy it dropped to the bottom of the ocean. “Power and wealth can be taken away—and all that’s left is your word. If you don’t have that, then you don’t have anything. He betrayed his word when he betrayed you, so he betrayed himself. There was a chance of redemption by being honest with you, but he chose cowardice instead."
Meh... a bit anticlimactic... there wasn't much butchering to be had in this book. Maybe in the second? I didn't hate this one, but I didn't love it. I'll give the second book a chance to see if the story picks up.
January 17, 2025
I was not ready for Bastian. But I definitely embraced and loved him. He is brutally honest to a fault and feared by his enemies. Fluer is a strong and independent heroine and a perfect match for Bastian.
I love the Persian background and the darker side of Paris. Plus you can never go wrong with a secret society. The Butcher is must read book. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Side note. The cover is stunning. My nurses in the hospital kept asking me about this cover and what was I reading.
I love the Persian background and the darker side of Paris. Plus you can never go wrong with a secret society. The Butcher is must read book. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Side note. The cover is stunning. My nurses in the hospital kept asking me about this cover and what was I reading.
August 2, 2025
Okayyyy Bastien 🥵🥵😍 Loved this one. Bastien just completely made it even better his bad boy vibe, but treating his woman like a queen was hot! Onto the next one in the series haha
May 28, 2025
This book was good but not great. I felt like there was a plot but not a lot happened at the same time. We have an instant connection situation between Fleur and Bastien. Fleur has found out her husband has cheated on her and after exploring a one night stand with Bastien she finds herself in his orbit. I felt there were a lot of teasers of how this book could continue as a trilogy and that it was a nice intro. I liked the darker aspect of it- that Bastien was the head of a group of men that kept Paris safe basically. They did bad things to do that though. I also liked watching Fleur coming out of her shell of her cheating husband. Bastien was so great at making this woman open up and realize how amazing she was. It felt a little too high school at points to me- like I am going to let her go and if she wants to come back to me she is far game. I know she felt a connection to the man but somehow she has found herself jumping back into a situationship after the disaster that was her marriage.
Fleur feels idiotic. How could she not have known sooner what was happening with her husband? That he was cheating on her. She doesn't know where it went wrong. How he couldn't have upheld their vows. But then she meets Bastien. A man who legit holds her attention. He is the most beautiful man she has ever seen and he seems to have his sights set on her. At least for the night. She experiences more passion with him that she did in her entire marriage. She doesn't expect to see him again but then she does. And he makes her feel free and strong and beautiful. She finds herself wanting to spend time with him. But her husband won't let her go. He asks her to try to make this work that he still loves her. She is torn. But then she makes her decision- she is cutting ties. She isn't sure where that leaves her with Bastien. He has told her who he is and it isn't someone she ever saw herself being involved in. But she finds herself intrigued. He makes her want to explore things she has never wanted to explore- parts of herself that maybe she never wanted to recognize. She realizes when he withdraws that she misses him. Which is her answer that yes she wants to be with him. Despite everything that means.
Bastien doesn't do relationships. He has one thing he is focusing on, and that is his brother. He has to stop the terrible things he is doing around town. But then he meets Fleur at the bar. And he can't think about anything but her. What would she be like in bed? Would she unravel around him? What is her story? And he gets to learn. He can't believe her husband was so stupid. But one man's mistake is another's treasure. Which is what Fleur is to him- a treasure. He understands she is scared and doesn't want to commit. Bastien usually doesn't do commitments but he finds himself wanting that with her. He finds himself wanting to solve all of her problems and help her see how amazing she is. So he does just that. He gives her space to figure out her marriage but recognizes that he doesn't want to wait forever. He CAN'T wait forever. He has to get his brother handled. But he would like to do that Fleur at his side. And his wish comes true after some back and forth. And now he knows he can concur anything because she is there.
I liked that this one did not end on a cliffhanger but that there is more that happens with Fleur and Bastien. There was a TON of spice in this one. Like more spice than plot maybe. I liked the narrators. It was definitely entertaining, but I don't know if I will dive into the other books. Though the reviews seem to be good so we shall see!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
Fleur feels idiotic. How could she not have known sooner what was happening with her husband? That he was cheating on her. She doesn't know where it went wrong. How he couldn't have upheld their vows. But then she meets Bastien. A man who legit holds her attention. He is the most beautiful man she has ever seen and he seems to have his sights set on her. At least for the night. She experiences more passion with him that she did in her entire marriage. She doesn't expect to see him again but then she does. And he makes her feel free and strong and beautiful. She finds herself wanting to spend time with him. But her husband won't let her go. He asks her to try to make this work that he still loves her. She is torn. But then she makes her decision- she is cutting ties. She isn't sure where that leaves her with Bastien. He has told her who he is and it isn't someone she ever saw herself being involved in. But she finds herself intrigued. He makes her want to explore things she has never wanted to explore- parts of herself that maybe she never wanted to recognize. She realizes when he withdraws that she misses him. Which is her answer that yes she wants to be with him. Despite everything that means.
Bastien doesn't do relationships. He has one thing he is focusing on, and that is his brother. He has to stop the terrible things he is doing around town. But then he meets Fleur at the bar. And he can't think about anything but her. What would she be like in bed? Would she unravel around him? What is her story? And he gets to learn. He can't believe her husband was so stupid. But one man's mistake is another's treasure. Which is what Fleur is to him- a treasure. He understands she is scared and doesn't want to commit. Bastien usually doesn't do commitments but he finds himself wanting that with her. He finds himself wanting to solve all of her problems and help her see how amazing she is. So he does just that. He gives her space to figure out her marriage but recognizes that he doesn't want to wait forever. He CAN'T wait forever. He has to get his brother handled. But he would like to do that Fleur at his side. And his wish comes true after some back and forth. And now he knows he can concur anything because she is there.
I liked that this one did not end on a cliffhanger but that there is more that happens with Fleur and Bastien. There was a TON of spice in this one. Like more spice than plot maybe. I liked the narrators. It was definitely entertaining, but I don't know if I will dive into the other books. Though the reviews seem to be good so we shall see!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
January 25, 2025
Concerningly bad
January 22, 2025
Spoiler Review in 3…2…1…
I wish I would’ve waited until all the books were released so that I could read the entirety of Fleur and Bastien’s story, but then I would’ve postponed the joy that was this first installment!
Fleur is happily married to Adrien, a rich criminal art dealer (amongst other criminal activity, I’m sure). She dropped out of college and gave her marriage her all. She loved Adrien and saw herself married to him forever, having children and living a happy life, that is until Adrien’s mistress calls Fleur to tell her about their affair. Knowing her worth, and that she’ll be plagued with distrust in her husband’s faithfulness, Fleur asks for a divorce. But Adrien has reach and the courts deny her every request.
Bastien is the head of a secret branch of government known as The Fifth Republic, basically his job is to police the criminals, making sure they don’t harm innocents, be it women or children. Example? There used to be a prostitution ring of kidnapped women and teenagers that affected the tourism and safety in Paris. Bastien broke it up and restored the safety in tourism, and the local community. With the exception of prostitution rings, Bastien lets crime exist, in return, he gets a cut of the profits that he doesn’t pay taxes on. Anyway, he is powerful as shit and has a much farther reach, bigger bank account, and dick, than Adrien. Bastien doesn’t do relationships, opting for one night stands- or something as shallow as that. But then he goes to a bar one night and meets bartender Fleur. He’s immediately intrigued.
Fleur and Bastien are soooo good together. Their sex is amazing and they fit like they were made for each other. Fleur has the ability to be sassy. She held on to her principles by leaving Adrien and the lap of luxury, to struggle paycheck to paycheck. Fleur wants brutal honesty in her next partner, although she knows she won’t be ready for a relationship for quite some time. Fleur tries to hold Bastien at arms length, in a casual position, not committing to anything solid with Bastien. Bastien, on the other hand, knows that Fleur has a hold on him. He’s a brutally honest man (to Adrien’s cowardice), and he highly respects Fleur for walking away from Adrien and his money. As time goes on, Bastien doesn’t see Fleur as his girlfriend… “girlfriends are for pussies, this here is my woman.” Bastien pushes Fleur to confront her reasons for not wanting a relationship, and admit to them being in a relationship due to their attraction to each other, time spent together, constant communication, and their bedroom routine. But Fleur is scared. She doesn’t trust men anymore, and, Bastien told her that his used to be a hitman, but he hasn’t exactly moved on from taking a life, so she’s worried about how powerful he is and falling for someone again when she know that she feels more for him than she did for her husband.
Then there’s Godric, who is making Paris unsafe again, profiting from kidnapping women and girls to do his dirty work. Bastien won’t let that stand and he sets out to find Godric to stop him… even if Godric is his own brother.
Man, I loved this story and I’m so happy there’s more to come! Bastien is sexy as all hell, and Fleur deserves the love, commitment, and honesty that Bastien will give her. I cannot wait until the end of February for the next book!
4.5 Stars!!
I wish I would’ve waited until all the books were released so that I could read the entirety of Fleur and Bastien’s story, but then I would’ve postponed the joy that was this first installment!
Fleur is happily married to Adrien, a rich criminal art dealer (amongst other criminal activity, I’m sure). She dropped out of college and gave her marriage her all. She loved Adrien and saw herself married to him forever, having children and living a happy life, that is until Adrien’s mistress calls Fleur to tell her about their affair. Knowing her worth, and that she’ll be plagued with distrust in her husband’s faithfulness, Fleur asks for a divorce. But Adrien has reach and the courts deny her every request.
Bastien is the head of a secret branch of government known as The Fifth Republic, basically his job is to police the criminals, making sure they don’t harm innocents, be it women or children. Example? There used to be a prostitution ring of kidnapped women and teenagers that affected the tourism and safety in Paris. Bastien broke it up and restored the safety in tourism, and the local community. With the exception of prostitution rings, Bastien lets crime exist, in return, he gets a cut of the profits that he doesn’t pay taxes on. Anyway, he is powerful as shit and has a much farther reach, bigger bank account, and dick, than Adrien. Bastien doesn’t do relationships, opting for one night stands- or something as shallow as that. But then he goes to a bar one night and meets bartender Fleur. He’s immediately intrigued.
Fleur and Bastien are soooo good together. Their sex is amazing and they fit like they were made for each other. Fleur has the ability to be sassy. She held on to her principles by leaving Adrien and the lap of luxury, to struggle paycheck to paycheck. Fleur wants brutal honesty in her next partner, although she knows she won’t be ready for a relationship for quite some time. Fleur tries to hold Bastien at arms length, in a casual position, not committing to anything solid with Bastien. Bastien, on the other hand, knows that Fleur has a hold on him. He’s a brutally honest man (to Adrien’s cowardice), and he highly respects Fleur for walking away from Adrien and his money. As time goes on, Bastien doesn’t see Fleur as his girlfriend… “girlfriends are for pussies, this here is my woman.” Bastien pushes Fleur to confront her reasons for not wanting a relationship, and admit to them being in a relationship due to their attraction to each other, time spent together, constant communication, and their bedroom routine. But Fleur is scared. She doesn’t trust men anymore, and, Bastien told her that his used to be a hitman, but he hasn’t exactly moved on from taking a life, so she’s worried about how powerful he is and falling for someone again when she know that she feels more for him than she did for her husband.
Then there’s Godric, who is making Paris unsafe again, profiting from kidnapping women and girls to do his dirty work. Bastien won’t let that stand and he sets out to find Godric to stop him… even if Godric is his own brother.
Man, I loved this story and I’m so happy there’s more to come! Bastien is sexy as all hell, and Fleur deserves the love, commitment, and honesty that Bastien will give her. I cannot wait until the end of February for the next book!
4.5 Stars!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2025
I was really hoping for a dark romance with a sexy morally grey MMC and high stakes action, but unfortunately this fell a bit flat for me.
The book itself has tons of spice, so definitely be mindful of that if that bothers you. To me it felt like too much of the book relied on the intimacy and the rest wasn’t built up enough to be engaging.
There was a lot of potential and I wish there would have been more to connect with the characters and the overall storyline.
The narrators did a great job, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the ALC!
The book itself has tons of spice, so definitely be mindful of that if that bothers you. To me it felt like too much of the book relied on the intimacy and the rest wasn’t built up enough to be engaging.
There was a lot of potential and I wish there would have been more to connect with the characters and the overall storyline.
The narrators did a great job, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the ALC!
May 13, 2025
3.75⭐ (Rounded up)
I was definitely just here for the vibes.
The Butcher is a really straight-forward crime-boss romance. Fleur is in the process of trying to divorce her husband for cheating on her, and while dealing with that, starts sleeping with Bastien. Both are only it for a quick hook up until they're not. (Totally shocking, right?) Crime-boss-things are also happening throughout, but that really takes a backseat to the romance and issues with her ex-husband.
I really enjoyed this. The FMC has a lot of mildly annoying hang ups. The MMC is kind of toxic. The language, especially in the smutty parts, is cringe as hell. But I am 100% here for it and will be continuing the series.
The narration was well done on Bastien's side, but I didn't love Fleur's. I had to speed up the audio more than usual because of just how slow her speaking felt.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this ALC.
I was definitely just here for the vibes.
The Butcher is a really straight-forward crime-boss romance. Fleur is in the process of trying to divorce her husband for cheating on her, and while dealing with that, starts sleeping with Bastien. Both are only it for a quick hook up until they're not. (Totally shocking, right?) Crime-boss-things are also happening throughout, but that really takes a backseat to the romance and issues with her ex-husband.
I really enjoyed this. The FMC has a lot of mildly annoying hang ups. The MMC is kind of toxic. The language, especially in the smutty parts, is cringe as hell. But I am 100% here for it and will be continuing the series.
The narration was well done on Bastien's side, but I didn't love Fleur's. I had to speed up the audio more than usual because of just how slow her speaking felt.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with this ALC.
February 2, 2025
3.5 Stars
January 17, 2025
Bastien Bastien Bastien
I read this gem of a book today and HOLY. MOLY.
Bastien……😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
There is something to be said about the strong moral character this “bad boy ” possesses.
This man is sexiness personified .
His quiet strength and unquestionable authority are exactly what Fleur needs after finding out her husband of three years has played with her time and emotions.
It was refreshing to enjoy a MMC who is honest, at times to a fault.
Never leaving anything to be desired,always saying precisely what he means,asking for what he wants and delivering nothing but loyalty and respect to the FMC.
I could gush about his honesty all day.
I’m looking forward to finishing the series and seeing where multiple aspects of the plot in book one takes them in the future.
This book does not end on a cliffhanger, but it does leave you wanting more.
Heat, heart, and a happy ending are what we readers have to look forward to!
I read this gem of a book today and HOLY. MOLY.
Bastien……😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
There is something to be said about the strong moral character this “bad boy ” possesses.
This man is sexiness personified .
His quiet strength and unquestionable authority are exactly what Fleur needs after finding out her husband of three years has played with her time and emotions.
It was refreshing to enjoy a MMC who is honest, at times to a fault.
Never leaving anything to be desired,always saying precisely what he means,asking for what he wants and delivering nothing but loyalty and respect to the FMC.
I could gush about his honesty all day.
I’m looking forward to finishing the series and seeing where multiple aspects of the plot in book one takes them in the future.
This book does not end on a cliffhanger, but it does leave you wanting more.
Heat, heart, and a happy ending are what we readers have to look forward to!
May 17, 2025
Smut del bueno y sabroso por dónde fuese, amé
April 11, 2025
3,5.
My feelings about this book isn’t what I expected. I think the mmc is a little robotic and I don’t see the connection between them.
Maybe I will try to read more.
My feelings about this book isn’t what I expected. I think the mmc is a little robotic and I don’t see the connection between them.
Maybe I will try to read more.
August 10, 2025
⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
I am too annoyed to spend time on a review for this one. This book was a chaotic mess with no real plot. This literally just consisted of hook up, after hook up, after hook up. That's it.
Then it ended on a cliffhanger, so their story continues in another book, and I have absolutely no interest in continuing.
The heroine was also super annoying.
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
I am too annoyed to spend time on a review for this one. This book was a chaotic mess with no real plot. This literally just consisted of hook up, after hook up, after hook up. That's it.
Then it ended on a cliffhanger, so their story continues in another book, and I have absolutely no interest in continuing.
The heroine was also super annoying.
May 11, 2025
𝘼𝙇𝘾 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝘿𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙎𝙠𝙮!🎧
They said fuck first, bond later. And I didn't agree.
This was way too insta lusty for me. They met eachother in the very first chapter AND slept together in the very first chapter. Fleur's inner monologue was just so arghhhhhhh. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE GUY!! I was practically screaming for her to use protection. But nuh uh. She needs to FEEL. EVERY. INCH. of the random dude she met a few hours ago. And who tf asks their partner (who's a stranger btw) if they're clean AFTER they ripped off each other's clothes and were just about to insert the thing? Wild.
Not to mention, her reaction to finding out about him being a killer was 'oh atleast he's honest. That's admirable.'
??????? 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗠𝗘 ????????
I know this is fiction and there's a universal rule out there that we forgive all mmcs as long as they're loyal and don't cheat. But you"d think a girl who finds out her stranger lover was actually a killer, would be a little more surprised and fearful than that. 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗧?
Chemistry? Non existent.
And communication where? They were basically fucking every other chapter. How they fell in love, don't ask me. Idk.
Bastian's inner monologue was basically his obsession with her tits and all about how he was so proud of her for 'choosing a hard life'. Mind you, the hard life he was referring to, was basically her choosing to leave her cheater piece of a shit husband who happens to be a bad guy and who's crazy rich. He went on and on about how brave he thought she was for choosing to work when she could've lived with him and blah blah blah.
To make things worse, I found out this is apparently a trilogy and not a single book. I have no fucking idea how these bland af characters are gonna carry three fucking books but oh well. This was a quick read but you literally could not pay me to care. The plot was so simplistic, there was no need to drag it out. I can literally picture how things are gonna go down. Absolutely no need for it to be THREE BOOKS! The characters don't even have that much depth for god's sake!
Needless to say, I will not be reading the next books.
(The narrators did a good job though.)
They said fuck first, bond later. And I didn't agree.
This was way too insta lusty for me. They met eachother in the very first chapter AND slept together in the very first chapter. Fleur's inner monologue was just so arghhhhhhh. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE GUY!! I was practically screaming for her to use protection. But nuh uh. She needs to FEEL. EVERY. INCH. of the random dude she met a few hours ago. And who tf asks their partner (who's a stranger btw) if they're clean AFTER they ripped off each other's clothes and were just about to insert the thing? Wild.
Not to mention, her reaction to finding out about him being a killer was 'oh atleast he's honest. That's admirable.'
??????? 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗠𝗘 ????????
I know this is fiction and there's a universal rule out there that we forgive all mmcs as long as they're loyal and don't cheat. But you"d think a girl who finds out her stranger lover was actually a killer, would be a little more surprised and fearful than that. 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗔𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗧?
Chemistry? Non existent.
And communication where? They were basically fucking every other chapter. How they fell in love, don't ask me. Idk.
Bastian's inner monologue was basically his obsession with her tits and all about how he was so proud of her for 'choosing a hard life'. Mind you, the hard life he was referring to, was basically her choosing to leave her cheater piece of a shit husband who happens to be a bad guy and who's crazy rich. He went on and on about how brave he thought she was for choosing to work when she could've lived with him and blah blah blah.
To make things worse, I found out this is apparently a trilogy and not a single book. I have no fucking idea how these bland af characters are gonna carry three fucking books but oh well. This was a quick read but you literally could not pay me to care. The plot was so simplistic, there was no need to drag it out. I can literally picture how things are gonna go down. Absolutely no need for it to be THREE BOOKS! The characters don't even have that much depth for god's sake!
Needless to say, I will not be reading the next books.
(The narrators did a good job though.)
February 4, 2025
1.5 Really disappointed in this one. I enjoyed her other series and was excited to read this one but it just didn’t do it for me.
The writing was just not well done, so many times I cringed at what both of them said.
Honestly I wanted the plot, but it got lost. The idea of his job, ruling the dirty, corrupt side of the city the government allows him to. The fact that his brother is his nemesis. So much potential but it just….wasn’t there.
The writing was just not well done, so many times I cringed at what both of them said.
Honestly I wanted the plot, but it got lost. The idea of his job, ruling the dirty, corrupt side of the city the government allows him to. The fact that his brother is his nemesis. So much potential but it just….wasn’t there.
Read
April 13, 2025Dnf at 17% — No🩵
January 20, 2025
well, well, well...
this book has, like every major red flag that would make me skip this baby in an instant, and yet it fuckin surprised me...
hopefully, the sequel will be even better...
this book has, like every major red flag that would make me skip this baby in an instant, and yet it fuckin surprised me...
hopefully, the sequel will be even better...
February 18, 2025
Wasn't really feeling this one. I have no desire to continue. And there's a continuing storyline..... 😐 meh.
March 18, 2025
Absolutely LOVE. The characters are built up and paint the picture so well. The relationship between Bastien and Fleur is intoxicating to a point where finding a mafia boss husband is going on my bucket list. Immediately starting The Carver!
January 28, 2025
Bastian is perfect. 😍🥵
June 10, 2025
3.5 stars. This was a quick and sexy listen! I loved how sassy the FMC was the entire time. No one was going to tell her what to do and I loved that. The MMC was sexy and supportive. I loved that he was always in her corner every step of the way. I would have liked to see their relationship develop more in the beginning but overall I really enjoy it. I do wish that this was a standalone as it felt like it ended abruptly. It was already fairly short so it could have easily been longer and had the story conclude at the end of the book. With that said, I’m very excited to read the next book in the series.
Thank you to Penelope, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for this ALC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
Thank you to Penelope, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for this ALC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
February 24, 2025
2.5⭐️
I went into this wanting a gutter trash smut book and that’s what I got. The whole book was in past tense for seemingly no reason so that was odd
I went into this wanting a gutter trash smut book and that’s what I got. The whole book was in past tense for seemingly no reason so that was odd
February 4, 2025
Apparently this is book 1 of 3. I did not do my homework...
But I did love it. Strong but not irritating FMC. A he falls first MMC. He was a total former manhoe BUT apparently she got around a bit before she got married--im all about an even playing field. If she was a V I would have skipped.
Safe--not with others after they meet
But I did love it. Strong but not irritating FMC. A he falls first MMC. He was a total former manhoe BUT apparently she got around a bit before she got married--im all about an even playing field. If she was a V I would have skipped.
Safe--not with others after they meet
January 31, 2025
✨4 stars✨
May 7, 2025
Spoiler Alert: No butchering was done in this book. The only thing butchered was my hope that it would eventually get better - it just got worse.
I don’t normally write reviews that are more than a couple sentences, if even that, but for this book I’m going to make an exception. Here comes one of my “biggest deposits” *iykyk*
This was just smut. And badly written smut at that. And eating. So much eating. All they did was fuck and eat, which sounds super fab in theory, but not for 300 something pages.
Oh! I forgot when they weren’t fucking or eating they were telling each other how hot they are. Nonstop. Paris Hilton x100.
Words I hope to never see again: “my cream”, “rock-hard” “fat dick”, “big dick”, “my seed”, “you’re so hot”.
Words that were way overused: sweetheart, dick, pancakes, hot.
One of the many things that didn’t make sense: He’s supposed to be this big 6’3” intimidating dude, right? And she’s some barely 5’ little thing. Yet it says when she’s in her 5 inch heels they’re face to face. Now hey, I’m not judging a short king … but like, that would make him 5’5”. And to say he looks down on all these bad guys… are they hobbits? Is this a city full of Frodo Baggins mfs? I’m so confused.
Random thought: The only thing more awkward than her thinking about her ex while she fucks him is him thinking about her ex when he fucks her. Which happens, a lot. Adrien living rent free in both their heads. Which, admittedly, there’s a lot of room to because I don’t think there’s much else taking residence up there for either of them.
I’d never been fucked like this, like an escort with a fee worth a Maserati
Girl, what?
A climax was a climax, but this one told me they weren’t all equal. This one told me that they could reach the glass ceiling and shatter it.
So we’re bringing up the glass ceiling barrier women deal with in this world when it comes to their jobs and use it during badly written smut to describe an orgasm? Ohhhkay.
“Here it comes, sweetheart.”
He’s talking about his “seed”, yeah he’s calling his cum an it. Sounds like a fucking horror movie.
He gave his final pumps and filled me, came inside me like I was more than a one-night stand.
…I have so many questions I don’t know where to start.
I expected him to pull out and begin his awkward departure, but he stayed buried inside me, still hard even though his come coated his base. “I’ve got a lot more bullets in this gun.”
BULLETS IN THIS GUN? I read this to my husband and he lost it. I couldn’t laugh with him though because I was cringing too hard.
plunged a finger into her river before I smeared it over the nub that was on fire.
Her river? JFC. Nub on fire? Sounds like an STI she could have gotten from, idk, screwing a dude, who told her he fucks around, with no protection a few hours after meeting.
I knew she was almost there, the tide rising higher and almost covering the entire beach.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!
aching channel.
No comment needed.
pushed through her entrance and sank in a single motion, flooded with enough arousal to fill the entire Seine.
Ya know, the 777km river.
The sight of her pussy turned me into a hungry bear that wanted her honey all for myself.
This is just so bad. I had a joke about Pooh but I’ll spare you.
I felt my body burn so hot I was about to shed my skin like a snake.
Idk, this was just weird and I wanted to add it.
by the deposits of seed I’d already left earlier in the evening.
Deposits of seed? What in the sperm bank...
I stilled, knowing whatever he would say would be profound.
“You’re too fucking beautiful for this bullshit.
So fucking profound, bro.
he pounded into me like a bulldozer into a building, demolishing it into pieces, leaving nothing but a wreck behind.
Girl, the image this created in my head is not pretty.
Then she took the bomb out of the cannon, the mound of come I’d been wanting to give her since the last load.
There’s a lot to unwrap here. Or, that should have been wrapped up here.
My dick was still hard even though I’d found my release. That didn’t happen a lot, but with her, it seemed to happen almost every time
Excuse me while I roll my fucking eyes.
I stared at him just as hard because his skin was red and his muscles were plump, probably from lifting trucks and buildings.
So he’s the Hulk now, yeah? A 5’5” hulk? Buildings? Girl. He can’t even reach the top shelf at Walmart.
Bastien continued to stare at me like he didn’t believe any of that, especially since he’d watched me silence my phone, something he’d never seen me do before.
Yeah? This is like the third time you’ve ever seen the dude. You’d probably doing a lot of things he’s never seen you do before.
I propped my head up on my arm and watched her for a while, watched her eat my dick like a pancake breakfast.
Lollipop, popsicle, fucking hotdog. All things that would make sense more than a pancake breakfast.
He grabbed on to my hips and tugged me hard against him, giving me all his length as he came, as he released deep inside me and made one of his biggest deposits.
Biggest deposits. Seriously when I thought I couldn’t cringe any harder.
This was the only woman who made my dick twitch like a fucking slingshot.
This sounds painful, ngl.
I pounded into her with the pace of a sprinting horse
*insert Justin Timberlake slow blinking at the camera*
It was bad. I read the other two books because clearly I’m a sucker for punishment with a curiosity issue and they were equally as bad.
I read this to start with because my kindle kept putting it as an ad for me. I wish I hadn’t.
I don’t normally write reviews that are more than a couple sentences, if even that, but for this book I’m going to make an exception. Here comes one of my “biggest deposits” *iykyk*
This was just smut. And badly written smut at that. And eating. So much eating. All they did was fuck and eat, which sounds super fab in theory, but not for 300 something pages.
Oh! I forgot when they weren’t fucking or eating they were telling each other how hot they are. Nonstop. Paris Hilton x100.
Words I hope to never see again: “my cream”, “rock-hard” “fat dick”, “big dick”, “my seed”, “you’re so hot”.
Words that were way overused: sweetheart, dick, pancakes, hot.
One of the many things that didn’t make sense: He’s supposed to be this big 6’3” intimidating dude, right? And she’s some barely 5’ little thing. Yet it says when she’s in her 5 inch heels they’re face to face. Now hey, I’m not judging a short king … but like, that would make him 5’5”. And to say he looks down on all these bad guys… are they hobbits? Is this a city full of Frodo Baggins mfs? I’m so confused.
Random thought: The only thing more awkward than her thinking about her ex while she fucks him is him thinking about her ex when he fucks her. Which happens, a lot. Adrien living rent free in both their heads. Which, admittedly, there’s a lot of room to because I don’t think there’s much else taking residence up there for either of them.
I’d never been fucked like this, like an escort with a fee worth a Maserati
Girl, what?
A climax was a climax, but this one told me they weren’t all equal. This one told me that they could reach the glass ceiling and shatter it.
So we’re bringing up the glass ceiling barrier women deal with in this world when it comes to their jobs and use it during badly written smut to describe an orgasm? Ohhhkay.
“Here it comes, sweetheart.”
He’s talking about his “seed”, yeah he’s calling his cum an it. Sounds like a fucking horror movie.
He gave his final pumps and filled me, came inside me like I was more than a one-night stand.
…I have so many questions I don’t know where to start.
I expected him to pull out and begin his awkward departure, but he stayed buried inside me, still hard even though his come coated his base. “I’ve got a lot more bullets in this gun.”
BULLETS IN THIS GUN? I read this to my husband and he lost it. I couldn’t laugh with him though because I was cringing too hard.
plunged a finger into her river before I smeared it over the nub that was on fire.
Her river? JFC. Nub on fire? Sounds like an STI she could have gotten from, idk, screwing a dude, who told her he fucks around, with no protection a few hours after meeting.
I knew she was almost there, the tide rising higher and almost covering the entire beach.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!
aching channel.
No comment needed.
pushed through her entrance and sank in a single motion, flooded with enough arousal to fill the entire Seine.
Ya know, the 777km river.
The sight of her pussy turned me into a hungry bear that wanted her honey all for myself.
This is just so bad. I had a joke about Pooh but I’ll spare you.
I felt my body burn so hot I was about to shed my skin like a snake.
Idk, this was just weird and I wanted to add it.
by the deposits of seed I’d already left earlier in the evening.
Deposits of seed? What in the sperm bank...
I stilled, knowing whatever he would say would be profound.
“You’re too fucking beautiful for this bullshit.
So fucking profound, bro.
he pounded into me like a bulldozer into a building, demolishing it into pieces, leaving nothing but a wreck behind.
Girl, the image this created in my head is not pretty.
Then she took the bomb out of the cannon, the mound of come I’d been wanting to give her since the last load.
There’s a lot to unwrap here. Or, that should have been wrapped up here.
My dick was still hard even though I’d found my release. That didn’t happen a lot, but with her, it seemed to happen almost every time
Excuse me while I roll my fucking eyes.
I stared at him just as hard because his skin was red and his muscles were plump, probably from lifting trucks and buildings.
So he’s the Hulk now, yeah? A 5’5” hulk? Buildings? Girl. He can’t even reach the top shelf at Walmart.
Bastien continued to stare at me like he didn’t believe any of that, especially since he’d watched me silence my phone, something he’d never seen me do before.
Yeah? This is like the third time you’ve ever seen the dude. You’d probably doing a lot of things he’s never seen you do before.
I propped my head up on my arm and watched her for a while, watched her eat my dick like a pancake breakfast.
Lollipop, popsicle, fucking hotdog. All things that would make sense more than a pancake breakfast.
He grabbed on to my hips and tugged me hard against him, giving me all his length as he came, as he released deep inside me and made one of his biggest deposits.
Biggest deposits. Seriously when I thought I couldn’t cringe any harder.
This was the only woman who made my dick twitch like a fucking slingshot.
This sounds painful, ngl.
I pounded into her with the pace of a sprinting horse
*insert Justin Timberlake slow blinking at the camera*
It was bad. I read the other two books because clearly I’m a sucker for punishment with a curiosity issue and they were equally as bad.
I read this to start with because my kindle kept putting it as an ad for me. I wish I hadn’t.
June 20, 2025
It was okay:)
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