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Fiendish
Fiendish is a dark and twisted take on Beauty and The Beast. This story contains mature themes meant for readers 18+.
So what would you do if your prince charming turned out to be the worst kind of monster?
Calida Alexander moves from Charlotte to Atlanta after a painful break up. She faced some harsh realities about herself during that breakup and desperately wants to change who she perceives herself to be. When she meets Seth, she is drawn in by his sexy good looks and is won over by his gentlemanly demeanor. On the surface, he's her dream come true.
Seth Jokobi is sexy and charming, the kind of man that women dream of being with. As a master manipulator, he uses his charm and good looks as a lure. His prey never suspect that lurking behind those piercing blue eyes and million dollar smile, lies a sadistic monster. When he meets Calida, her shy nature tempts him into playing a game where the stakes end up being higher than he could have imagined.
Can love really conquer all or is it sometimes just not enough?
Warning: This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes some that may contain dubious and non-consent, adult language, and graphic violence and may be considered offensive to some readers.
So what would you do if your prince charming turned out to be the worst kind of monster?
Calida Alexander moves from Charlotte to Atlanta after a painful break up. She faced some harsh realities about herself during that breakup and desperately wants to change who she perceives herself to be. When she meets Seth, she is drawn in by his sexy good looks and is won over by his gentlemanly demeanor. On the surface, he's her dream come true.
Seth Jokobi is sexy and charming, the kind of man that women dream of being with. As a master manipulator, he uses his charm and good looks as a lure. His prey never suspect that lurking behind those piercing blue eyes and million dollar smile, lies a sadistic monster. When he meets Calida, her shy nature tempts him into playing a game where the stakes end up being higher than he could have imagined.
Can love really conquer all or is it sometimes just not enough?
Warning: This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes some that may contain dubious and non-consent, adult language, and graphic violence and may be considered offensive to some readers.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2014
25 people are currently reading
1345 people want to read
About the author
Meka James
20 books285 followersI'm a stay at home mom of 4 kids and have been happily married to my husband for 11 years and counting. I lead a pretty basic and straightforward life and use writing and reading as my escape.
Best places to find me:
Blog:
http://mekasmusings.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AuthorMekaJames
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/author_meka...
Best places to find me:
Blog:
http://mekasmusings.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AuthorMekaJames
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/author_meka...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 9, 2017
5 DARK AND DISTURBING STARS!
note: this is a DARK DARK DARK book...the gore and the torture are VERY explicit...be forewarned. This is hands down the most gut wrenching book I have EVER read...in more ways than one!!
that being said..wow...this book was INTENSE and AMAZING! The things this book discusses is both horrifying and depressing at the same time.
This was me during MOST of the book:
okay, so now that I can officially breathe again after reading this, I can FINALLY write my review...
Let's start with the main characters- Calida and Seth
Calida
Damn, this poor girl. We meet Calida, a beautiful red-head who is ALREADY mentally broken from her last relationship that left her torn and broken. Finally finding the strength to leave her unfaithful boyfriend, she moves in with her best friend Macy. Loved Macy the ENTIRE story. Seriously, such a kick-ass female character...But I digress. Calida accidentally spills coffee all over a handsome man- Seth. And from there, she experiences more heartache and crap that no one should EVER have to deal with. Hoping to God this relationship with Seth would be different than her last, Calida does everything she can to make this relationship work. Won't give away any spoilers, but OMFG. This woman endured sooo much shit from Seth it's not even funny.
Seth
controlling. possessive. scary. monster. evil. sexy.
are just a few words I would use to describe this man. I have never ever ever experienced such an evil man in ALL of the books I have read. He's evil to the core and there is just no way around it. We are immediately eluded to the fact that this man CLEARLY has a bad case of schizophrenia. There are these voices in his head that convolute his thinking the entire story and omg..it's terrifying. Along with schizophrenia, he is also extremely bi-polar. Seriously, his emotions from one page to another were enough to give me a headache, you could only imagine what it does to Calida. Like I said, I really don't want to give away any spoilers, but trust me when I tell you- you will NEVER come across another character like this man. He scared the shit out of me and he does the same with everyone else in the book.
what I loved
-the length of this book is pretty hefty, but I can honestly say that every page in this book is needed to convey the true depth of this story. There was no skimming in this book. I even found myself having to read this book while eating...literally could not put it down.
-I felt so much for Calida. I have been in mentally abusive relationships and I couldn't' imagine going from one of them to one with a man like Seth. He's horrible. There was NO redeeming part of this man and that made this book that much creepier. There was no "oh, he's just misunderstood"...no...he's an evil and sadistic monster. That's what I loved the most about this book. You are literally waiting on baited breath hoping that he would snap out of whatever he's dealing with. Not saying if he does or doesn't, but I can promise you that at the end of this book, you will not be disappointed with the outcome.
-The twists in this book were amazing. Did NOT see them coming. At all. And let me tell you, they were amazing. You literally never know whats going to happen next and that's what kept me reading.
-Although this book is very descriptive and gory during it's many 'cringe-worthy' scenes, its worth it. You cannot comprehend the depravity that is Seth without these scenes. and yes, they were VERY VERY disturbing.
I literally cannot put into words what this book did to me. Meka James is truly an amazing writing. My psyche hurt ater reading this...i'm not sure if its possible for a psyche to hurt, but like I said, I cannot put into words how I felt during and after reading this. This book will NOT leave me for a while. I cannot WAIT to read other books from this author. Consider me a fan Meka James !
note: this is a DARK DARK DARK book...the gore and the torture are VERY explicit...be forewarned. This is hands down the most gut wrenching book I have EVER read...in more ways than one!!
that being said..wow...this book was INTENSE and AMAZING! The things this book discusses is both horrifying and depressing at the same time.
This was me during MOST of the book:
okay, so now that I can officially breathe again after reading this, I can FINALLY write my review...
Let's start with the main characters- Calida and Seth
Calida
Damn, this poor girl. We meet Calida, a beautiful red-head who is ALREADY mentally broken from her last relationship that left her torn and broken. Finally finding the strength to leave her unfaithful boyfriend, she moves in with her best friend Macy. Loved Macy the ENTIRE story. Seriously, such a kick-ass female character...But I digress. Calida accidentally spills coffee all over a handsome man- Seth. And from there, she experiences more heartache and crap that no one should EVER have to deal with. Hoping to God this relationship with Seth would be different than her last, Calida does everything she can to make this relationship work. Won't give away any spoilers, but OMFG. This woman endured sooo much shit from Seth it's not even funny.
Seth
controlling. possessive. scary. monster. evil. sexy.
are just a few words I would use to describe this man. I have never ever ever experienced such an evil man in ALL of the books I have read. He's evil to the core and there is just no way around it. We are immediately eluded to the fact that this man CLEARLY has a bad case of schizophrenia. There are these voices in his head that convolute his thinking the entire story and omg..it's terrifying. Along with schizophrenia, he is also extremely bi-polar. Seriously, his emotions from one page to another were enough to give me a headache, you could only imagine what it does to Calida. Like I said, I really don't want to give away any spoilers, but trust me when I tell you- you will NEVER come across another character like this man. He scared the shit out of me and he does the same with everyone else in the book.
what I loved
-the length of this book is pretty hefty, but I can honestly say that every page in this book is needed to convey the true depth of this story. There was no skimming in this book. I even found myself having to read this book while eating...literally could not put it down.
-I felt so much for Calida. I have been in mentally abusive relationships and I couldn't' imagine going from one of them to one with a man like Seth. He's horrible. There was NO redeeming part of this man and that made this book that much creepier. There was no "oh, he's just misunderstood"...no...he's an evil and sadistic monster. That's what I loved the most about this book. You are literally waiting on baited breath hoping that he would snap out of whatever he's dealing with. Not saying if he does or doesn't, but I can promise you that at the end of this book, you will not be disappointed with the outcome.
-The twists in this book were amazing. Did NOT see them coming. At all. And let me tell you, they were amazing. You literally never know whats going to happen next and that's what kept me reading.
-Although this book is very descriptive and gory during it's many 'cringe-worthy' scenes, its worth it. You cannot comprehend the depravity that is Seth without these scenes. and yes, they were VERY VERY disturbing.
I literally cannot put into words what this book did to me. Meka James is truly an amazing writing. My psyche hurt ater reading this...i'm not sure if its possible for a psyche to hurt, but like I said, I cannot put into words how I felt during and after reading this. This book will NOT leave me for a while. I cannot WAIT to read other books from this author. Consider me a fan Meka James !
July 2, 2015
❝The most basic principle of Yin and Yang is that one cannot exist without the other. . . There can be no light without the dark, no good without evil, and no you without me; we are complementary opposites that balance each other. . . I will do whatever is necessary to keep you where you belong. Which is with me.❞
DID SOMEONE SAY: “DARK AND TWISTED”? Who? What? When? Where? SOLD! SIGN ME UP! I’M THERE! Now I am calling out to all my twisted-sisters who love a good dark read because I have a new one for you - FIENDISH-A TWISTED FAIRYTALE by Meka James.
First things first! When new author, Meka James said her new release, FIENDISH-A TWISTED FAIRYTALE is a “dark and twisted” tale, she wasn’t joking, but I quite enjoyed it; it’s a very new take on the old classic BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Here’s my disclaimer: If you have an aversion to themes that include kidnap/captivity, forced seduction, dubious consent, non-consensual sex, torture and other graphic violence, then please know that this book contains all of those, so proceed with caution. If you are a fan of dark reads, then jump on it because you are gonna love it!
❝Baby, I’m a lot of things, but insecure isn’t one of them. . . I’m a jealous and possessive man. All issues could easily be avoided if you remembered that and acted accordingly.”
Jealous and possessive, jealous and possessive. Act accordingly. Those words were on repeat in my head, trying to figure out what the hell he meant by them. Someone was only jealous or possessive if they cared, right?❞
OR it means that person is a total psychopath and you need to run like the hounds of hell are chasing your submissive-little-ass! That’s kind of the story of heroine, Calida’s life - she might be just a smidgen too trusting. She is sweet, innocent and VERY naïve, but not in an annoying way – trust me, she has a fiery side, but it just takes a lot to get her to that point. Calida’s biggest problem is that she has no self-confidence – but there are plenty of reasons she is lacking in the confidence department and I can't say that I blame her, but her insecurities make her a prime target for predators like Seth.
Seth is the quintessential anti-hero; one minute, he is charming and chivalrous and the next minute he is a sadistic lunatic. I had a hard time deciphering my emotions in regards to Seth. I vacillated between hating him and thinking he might be ok – well, as “ok” as a brutal killer can be… I wanted to love him because when he was good, he was off the charts “Mr. Wonderful” – handsome, charismatic, and he had plenty of money to burn, but when he was bad… GOOD LORD! HE WAS FUCKING NUTS! We are talking major cray-cray! I’m not going to tell you what I thought about him by the time I finished the book – I think you will figure that out when you read it ;-) This is kind of what I picture might be going on in the basement of Seth's mansion.
Just so we are clear – this is NOT your traditional fairytale, BUT there are plenty of “fairytale moments” that help to balance out all the madness. FIENDISH-A TWISTED FAIRYTALE is a long one at close to 600 pages, but there is so much going on I can’t imagine cutting anything out without taking away from this very exciting and emotional story. Meka James is a new author and she is definitely on my list as one to watch. There is NOT a cliffhanger, but there IS more to the story and I absolutely cannot wait until the next installment called NOT BROKEN, due out sometime this fall (2014).
Dark romance lovers, rejoice, because there's a new kid on the block and her first book is filled with all the naughty goodness and madness we crave! If you have enjoyed books from the likes of Aletha Romig, Jettie Woodruff and Pepper Winters, then you are bound to enjoy the work of this new author, Meka James. Check it out and let me know what you think!
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
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December 28, 2014
4.5 Psycho Crazy Stars
September 1, 2017
Dark and gritty but the heroine did annoy me sometimes with her behaviour.
April 9, 2015
Dark and twisted read
Holy shit............I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. Do not take the word fairytale in the title literally. It was anything but and beyond intense. A mix of dark horror with romance? It was different, unique, and unlike anything else Ive ever read. It was a really long book. Over 600 pages, but there was never at one time a dull moment. It could have been broken out into a series easily, and I, for one, am quite grateful it was not. The fact that this was a stand-alone defiantly added to the intensity. Im just blown away. Upon completion Im speechless. I would have liked a little more details at closure, but it was still a solid 5 star read. It was amazing and well worth its current price tag of $3.50. This was my first time to read this writers work, but it won't be my last. I can't recommend this one enough.
Holy shit............I had no idea what I was getting into with this book. Do not take the word fairytale in the title literally. It was anything but and beyond intense. A mix of dark horror with romance? It was different, unique, and unlike anything else Ive ever read. It was a really long book. Over 600 pages, but there was never at one time a dull moment. It could have been broken out into a series easily, and I, for one, am quite grateful it was not. The fact that this was a stand-alone defiantly added to the intensity. Im just blown away. Upon completion Im speechless. I would have liked a little more details at closure, but it was still a solid 5 star read. It was amazing and well worth its current price tag of $3.50. This was my first time to read this writers work, but it won't be my last. I can't recommend this one enough.
avoid
May 6, 2023Not a love story or romance.
H is a serial killer. He kills and have sex with his victims,
and he continues this even when he’s with the h, even forcing her to have a threesome and watch him have sex with another woman.
- H is also constantly attracted to other woman, even when he’s suppose to be obsessed with the h.
Don’t grab this expecting a romance novel.🙄
I hate when reviews throw this around, for a book to be “romance” or a dark romance, it must have a HEA…and this book doesn’t.
This is simply a trashy dark book.
Spoilers
Killer dies. The h is free.
H is a serial killer. He kills and have sex with his victims,
and he continues this even when he’s with the h, even forcing her to have a threesome and watch him have sex with another woman.
- H is also constantly attracted to other woman, even when he’s suppose to be obsessed with the h.
Don’t grab this expecting a romance novel.🙄
I hate when reviews throw this around, for a book to be “romance” or a dark romance, it must have a HEA…and this book doesn’t.
This is simply a trashy dark book.
Spoilers
Killer dies. The h is free.
March 1, 2015
This book was recommended to me by my best mate and I loved it!
It was a lot of pages at a low price but I never felt that the author had padded out the story to get a high word count. Every single sentence in the book led somewhere.
The characters were complex and well developed. The story moved along at a good pace, didn't jump around, was very methodical. You could feel the inner struggle Seth had trying to control his feelings. You knew that somewhere it would be too much for him to cover up, and that brought a tension to the reader, waiting for the blow-up!
The story ended the only way it actually could end.
I have recommended this book to my friends, it's a great book.
The only thing I would change is the title.....I would drop the "A Twisted Fairytale" from the title and just call it Fiendish. The title gives the impression that it is going to be a re-telling of a fairytale from the dark side and that's unfair for this book. This book is so much better than that.
It was a lot of pages at a low price but I never felt that the author had padded out the story to get a high word count. Every single sentence in the book led somewhere.
The characters were complex and well developed. The story moved along at a good pace, didn't jump around, was very methodical. You could feel the inner struggle Seth had trying to control his feelings. You knew that somewhere it would be too much for him to cover up, and that brought a tension to the reader, waiting for the blow-up!
The story ended the only way it actually could end.
I have recommended this book to my friends, it's a great book.
The only thing I would change is the title.....I would drop the "A Twisted Fairytale" from the title and just call it Fiendish. The title gives the impression that it is going to be a re-telling of a fairytale from the dark side and that's unfair for this book. This book is so much better than that.
October 17, 2014
5++ stars!
"...and obey you from this day forward until death do we part"
This random internet quote sums up the story for me.
Lives are for living, I live for you.
Dreams are for dreaming, I dream about you.
Hearts are for beating, mine beats for you.
Angels are for keeping, can I keep you?
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale, so of course I couldn't wait to read this book, especially the promise that it will be dark. Without giving too much away, I absolutely LOVED it. The book is more of a slow burn book, so give yourself ample time to finish it or you're be staying up all night reading it. Although the book was long, it was necessary since it showed the character's development and everything happened for a reason. The characters were definitely well developed. You can't help but pity and love them because they were both so conflicted...at times...while being frustrated at the same time because how could this book end? All Seth and Calida wanted in the end was to be loved...truly loved.
Normally, I
I'm half tempted to believe that this book's intention was to mock a lot of the
This book deserves a lot more stars and reviews (maybe the cover just needs to be prettier) and I would definitely so recommend this to anyone who loves dark reads. Can't wait to read the sequel!
May 22, 2017
Calida Alexander has an admirer.
Bumping into Seth Jokobi spilling hot coffee on his shirt, Calinda is flattered when he continues to show an interest in her though he's a perfect gentleman in all ways. A change from men in her past, Calida finds herself falling in love though she's not sure if her affection is reciprocated.
Seth Jokobi is the poster child of wealth, debonair charm, good looks, and sexuality. A chance meeting with Calida reminds him that there really are good girls in the world, he just hasn't met them until now. Maybe it's time to re-think things and change from his current womanizing ways.
* * * *
Warning: This isn't a fairy tale sort of romance. It is a dark themed erotic romance suspense thriller that includes elements of sadistic sex, horror, violence and non-con. It's disturbing and may (and probably will) push comfort zones. Intended for fans who can appreciate this sub-genre only. Consider yourself warned.
This was a book I didn't want to like but did. Calinda & Seth's relationship' was a mix of sadomasochistic erotica scenes and mind f*ckery that challenged me the reader to understand that while not all love is conventional it's still love as long as consensual, but, when does it cross the line into being more, unacceptable, dangerous, taboo, and what do you do when that happens. That was the question that was answered but only after an emotionally draining journey.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and disagree with certain cited story assumptions. It's listed as "a twisted fairytale" "take on Beauty and The Beast." That brings to MY mind that a story will have some relationship to the mentioned fairy tale and/or be a darker more sinister version of said fairy tale for which I'm not in agreement with. I'm hard pressed to consider this as a fairy tale (unless Stephan King is misunderstood and really a romance author) and that the source is a fairy tale character (unless Ted Bundy is as a muse for Beast). Taking the fairy tale reference out of the mix, I can then agree that this is a TWISTED TALE story.
Not having read anything by this author before I am asking myself why I haven't. Her warped devious surreal deranged mind is compatico with mine which translates into fun times. I started out thinking I was going to be reading a dark twisted sort of fairy tale story only to find that things weren't all that they seemed as things got more and more .... complicated ... Here's little ole' me hoping for that silver light at the end of the tunnel as chapter after chapter unfolded. Nope. Not yet, so maybe the next chapter? Nope. Not then either. Damn, this really is one crazy ride and I'm on it to the end.... Next chapter? Oh man....
The overall story premises average girl meets guy scenario. Sparks flare, chemistry does it's thing, and the two become a couple. Pretty simple right? Oh, you naive soul. The author builds off that adding multiple layers of baggage, angst, depravity and other unmentionable elements to create situations that defy logic. This is when I REMIND potential readers that this is hard core dark and not to be read by those who are not open minded to the fictional deep dark horrors possible in life.
The cast of secondary characters. Me, myself, and I would scream RUN!!!!! Don't be a secondary character in this story. Alas, they are still in the story, some good, some bad, and some, well, they're there. To really isolate any specific character would spoil things so I won't.
The problem areas of this book are definitely the length and balance. Good, bad, or ugly, a book that evokes a lot of emotionalism and darkness is difficult on me, the reader. Not to imply that a story can ever be too long, rather that I did have to break at times because it got to be too much in one sitting. Maybe, again imho, more content added to the end chapters to balance the 'other' chapters would have been appreciated. My take away is the ending deserved more space in the scheme of things.
This is a book I'd recommend only to readers who appreciate dark psychological suspense thriller reads that include erotica. If you do ... check this book out as it's intense and plays into the part of us looking for really dark, really twisted, really emotional reads.
Bumping into Seth Jokobi spilling hot coffee on his shirt, Calinda is flattered when he continues to show an interest in her though he's a perfect gentleman in all ways. A change from men in her past, Calida finds herself falling in love though she's not sure if her affection is reciprocated.
Seth Jokobi is the poster child of wealth, debonair charm, good looks, and sexuality. A chance meeting with Calida reminds him that there really are good girls in the world, he just hasn't met them until now. Maybe it's time to re-think things and change from his current womanizing ways.
* * * *
Warning: This isn't a fairy tale sort of romance. It is a dark themed erotic romance suspense thriller that includes elements of sadistic sex, horror, violence and non-con. It's disturbing and may (and probably will) push comfort zones. Intended for fans who can appreciate this sub-genre only. Consider yourself warned.
This was a book I didn't want to like but did. Calinda & Seth's relationship' was a mix of sadomasochistic erotica scenes and mind f*ckery that challenged me the reader to understand that while not all love is conventional it's still love as long as consensual, but, when does it cross the line into being more, unacceptable, dangerous, taboo, and what do you do when that happens. That was the question that was answered but only after an emotionally draining journey.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and disagree with certain cited story assumptions. It's listed as "a twisted fairytale" "take on Beauty and The Beast." That brings to MY mind that a story will have some relationship to the mentioned fairy tale and/or be a darker more sinister version of said fairy tale for which I'm not in agreement with. I'm hard pressed to consider this as a fairy tale (unless Stephan King is misunderstood and really a romance author) and that the source is a fairy tale character (unless Ted Bundy is as a muse for Beast). Taking the fairy tale reference out of the mix, I can then agree that this is a TWISTED TALE story.
Not having read anything by this author before I am asking myself why I haven't. Her warped devious surreal deranged mind is compatico with mine which translates into fun times. I started out thinking I was going to be reading a dark twisted sort of fairy tale story only to find that things weren't all that they seemed as things got more and more .... complicated ... Here's little ole' me hoping for that silver light at the end of the tunnel as chapter after chapter unfolded. Nope. Not yet, so maybe the next chapter? Nope. Not then either. Damn, this really is one crazy ride and I'm on it to the end.... Next chapter? Oh man....
The overall story premises average girl meets guy scenario. Sparks flare, chemistry does it's thing, and the two become a couple. Pretty simple right? Oh, you naive soul. The author builds off that adding multiple layers of baggage, angst, depravity and other unmentionable elements to create situations that defy logic. This is when I REMIND potential readers that this is hard core dark and not to be read by those who are not open minded to the fictional deep dark horrors possible in life.
The cast of secondary characters. Me, myself, and I would scream RUN!!!!! Don't be a secondary character in this story. Alas, they are still in the story, some good, some bad, and some, well, they're there. To really isolate any specific character would spoil things so I won't.
The problem areas of this book are definitely the length and balance. Good, bad, or ugly, a book that evokes a lot of emotionalism and darkness is difficult on me, the reader. Not to imply that a story can ever be too long, rather that I did have to break at times because it got to be too much in one sitting. Maybe, again imho, more content added to the end chapters to balance the 'other' chapters would have been appreciated. My take away is the ending deserved more space in the scheme of things.
This is a book I'd recommend only to readers who appreciate dark psychological suspense thriller reads that include erotica. If you do ... check this book out as it's intense and plays into the part of us looking for really dark, really twisted, really emotional reads.
May 9, 2014
One word to describe this book....Fantastic!!
This is a dark read. Some of the scenes were stomach-churning and some were so sweet that my heart melted.
At over 600 pages you are getting a lot of book for your money. Some authors might have spanned this book into a trilogy but I am glad that Ms James decided to just write it as one epic book because that is what this book is...epic.
Seth wasn't the beast in Beauty and the Beast, he was Jekyll and Hyde. He was pure evil, callous, vicious, a total twisted and perverse creature. What he did to his Pets will make you want to puke. The way he was with Calida in the beginning was so different. He obviously was fighting some very bad inner demons!!
Calida was too trusting and accepting but knew their relationship wasn't healthy, even in the beginning.
I spent the whole book trying to work out how this book was going to end, because it was fairly obvious that it wasn't going to be a Cinderella ending!!
My first time reading a book by Meka James and it certainly won't be the last. She writes with such flair and really knows how to develop her characters and paint a very vivid picture with her words. Not once did I feel like skim reading, I wanted, and did, take in every single word.
Well deserving of 5*.
This is a dark read. Some of the scenes were stomach-churning and some were so sweet that my heart melted.
At over 600 pages you are getting a lot of book for your money. Some authors might have spanned this book into a trilogy but I am glad that Ms James decided to just write it as one epic book because that is what this book is...epic.
Seth wasn't the beast in Beauty and the Beast, he was Jekyll and Hyde. He was pure evil, callous, vicious, a total twisted and perverse creature. What he did to his Pets will make you want to puke. The way he was with Calida in the beginning was so different. He obviously was fighting some very bad inner demons!!
Calida was too trusting and accepting but knew their relationship wasn't healthy, even in the beginning.
I spent the whole book trying to work out how this book was going to end, because it was fairly obvious that it wasn't going to be a Cinderella ending!!
My first time reading a book by Meka James and it certainly won't be the last. She writes with such flair and really knows how to develop her characters and paint a very vivid picture with her words. Not once did I feel like skim reading, I wanted, and did, take in every single word.
Well deserving of 5*.
January 1, 2016
I read this whole monstrosity despite the terrible prose and stupid characters because at last the scary dark and sexy man was truly scary and did not care for the petty humans one bit. I liked that. I have even overlooked the poor writing because it was told from the First-Person POV of the two main characters, neither one of them possessed the soul of a poet, certainly not our little heroine. She was a sweet little simpleton and the writing fit her. The man was more complex and here the writer failed. Half way through, the story began to draaaag. The incessant showers, outings and horrid weddings became more torturous than pulling the nails from some screaming woman. The end was utterly predictable and disappointing. I admit I am a little envious of those readers who were shocked by the end. I wonder how they would feel if this antihero killed the friend, her ugly brother and then after the heroine gave birth, killed her too and raised the child by himself.
May 15, 2014
I really liked this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole story. It definitely wasn't predictable!
My only complaint is that I felt the ending was rushed. Without giving away spoilers I can only say that when that "holy shi*t, did that really just happen?" moment occurred it fell a bit flat. It lacked the drama it deserved.
On a different note, I'm kind of confused about the book blurb. This wasn't even remotely fairy tale-esque. It's kind of misleading and might not entice potential readers. It should be marketed more as Beauty meets Silence of the Lambs.
My only complaint is that I felt the ending was rushed. Without giving away spoilers I can only say that when that "holy shi*t, did that really just happen?" moment occurred it fell a bit flat. It lacked the drama it deserved.
On a different note, I'm kind of confused about the book blurb. This wasn't even remotely fairy tale-esque. It's kind of misleading and might not entice potential readers. It should be marketed more as Beauty meets Silence of the Lambs.
September 22, 2014
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as part of a blog tour and in exchange for nothing more than an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
The blurb i received in the tour invite for Fiendish piqued my curiosity. The idea of a dark, twisted fairy tale was something I couldn't ignore!
Calida has had a rough time she chose to move to Atlanta from Charlotte following a painful break up. She wants to change how she sees herself. Since her break up she hasn't dated or wanted to date. Then she bumps into Seth. Seth is; well; charming, sexy and the all the things dreams are made of, or is he?? Behind his sexy exterior is a predator with some serious skills! Calida's shyness tempts Seth into playing a game where the stakes are incredibly high.
Is Seth still in control? Have the stakes been raised a bit too high? Can Calida become the person she wants to be?
I have loved every page of this book. It has not been a quick or short read, but I have been engrossed in every single page. I love the depth and personalities of these characters.
Calida's willingness to openly trust people and her naivety for me was her biggest downfall. She knew that her relationship with Seth wasn't healthy but she chose to not try to change it. Seth, oh my, he was awesome when he was being nice. He's so sick and twisted underneath. Seth intrigued me, his ability to switch between this almost loving, hot and sexy person into a possessive, dominating, manipulative, evil murderous ass was unreal, it would happen so fast almost like switching a light on. The scenes when Seth was with a "Pet" could be quite disturbing, but those scenes for me made the book so much more appealing, Sorry I can't help it.
The story overall is awesome. This is one of very few dark and twisted books that I have read recently and really enjoyed. This isn't a quick read at over 600 pages, but it is definitely well worth the time. This is the first book by Meka James that I've read and I'm thrilled to have been introduced to her work.
I thought Meka's writing style was really good, everything had flow and continuity. The story doesn't jump or falter. The descriptions give enough information to begin building a vision but leaves out just enough just enough to allow the reader to add more details and keeps you guessing until the end.
I'm not convince that "A Twisted Fairy tale" does this book justice, this is so much more than a fairytale. I will definitely be recommending this book to other people as it is definitely a favourite for me. I am now looking forward to my next encounter with Meka James' work!
This is an awesome book, well written and definitely dark and twisted. A book not for younger reads and not for the feint hearted! 5* all the way!! :)
The blurb i received in the tour invite for Fiendish piqued my curiosity. The idea of a dark, twisted fairy tale was something I couldn't ignore!
Calida has had a rough time she chose to move to Atlanta from Charlotte following a painful break up. She wants to change how she sees herself. Since her break up she hasn't dated or wanted to date. Then she bumps into Seth. Seth is; well; charming, sexy and the all the things dreams are made of, or is he?? Behind his sexy exterior is a predator with some serious skills! Calida's shyness tempts Seth into playing a game where the stakes are incredibly high.
Is Seth still in control? Have the stakes been raised a bit too high? Can Calida become the person she wants to be?
I have loved every page of this book. It has not been a quick or short read, but I have been engrossed in every single page. I love the depth and personalities of these characters.
Calida's willingness to openly trust people and her naivety for me was her biggest downfall. She knew that her relationship with Seth wasn't healthy but she chose to not try to change it. Seth, oh my, he was awesome when he was being nice. He's so sick and twisted underneath. Seth intrigued me, his ability to switch between this almost loving, hot and sexy person into a possessive, dominating, manipulative, evil murderous ass was unreal, it would happen so fast almost like switching a light on. The scenes when Seth was with a "Pet" could be quite disturbing, but those scenes for me made the book so much more appealing, Sorry I can't help it.
The story overall is awesome. This is one of very few dark and twisted books that I have read recently and really enjoyed. This isn't a quick read at over 600 pages, but it is definitely well worth the time. This is the first book by Meka James that I've read and I'm thrilled to have been introduced to her work.
I thought Meka's writing style was really good, everything had flow and continuity. The story doesn't jump or falter. The descriptions give enough information to begin building a vision but leaves out just enough just enough to allow the reader to add more details and keeps you guessing until the end.
I'm not convince that "A Twisted Fairy tale" does this book justice, this is so much more than a fairytale. I will definitely be recommending this book to other people as it is definitely a favourite for me. I am now looking forward to my next encounter with Meka James' work!
This is an awesome book, well written and definitely dark and twisted. A book not for younger reads and not for the feint hearted! 5* all the way!! :)
December 30, 2014
***I received a free copy in exchange for a honest review***
I loved this dark, twisted story. I’m not going to lie, the length of the book scared me. I didn’t know if I could get through 600 plus pages, but I’m happy I took the challenge (which ended up not being a challenge at all. It was a fast read because I was engrossed in all the drama and conflict). The story was written through Seth and Calida’s first person point-of-view accounts. My favorite lines: 1) “You believing you know anything about me could prove to be a grave error on your part.” 2) Tonight wasn’t about sex, it was about power. 3) Her shy demeanor made me want to study her outside of the confines of my basement. For now at least.
The author wasn’t afraid to write in fear, and I respect her for that. Seth was a cold-hearted bastard and I loved reading every moment. He was sick and gave me the creeps. For example, one of his inner-thoughts was: Why aren’t you playing with her now? Using ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ put distance like a serial killer or multiple personalities. The entire premise: Seth owns Pets, who are women. Some he locks in his basement to torture, but Calida is special in his eyes, so she gets a different treatment.
He was very controlling. I liked that Macy, Calida’s best friend, had suspicions. It made the story more realistic. She kept questioning Calida but her low self-esteem wouldn’t allow her to leave him. Just my opinion, but I couldn’t stand Calida. She was too weak for me and definitely a Mary Sue type (but it fit the storyline). My favorite characters were Seth (the perfect villain), Macy, and Malcolm. They brought charm and personality where Calida was lacking.
Some parts were repetitive, especially in the narration, but that just boiled down to the characters’ obsessions with each other. I swooned during the steamy sex scenes and cringed in the abusive ones. Seth was definitely a prick. Besides their relationship, there was other tension. Calida had a crappy boss and her sister was awful. No wonder she held on to Seth for dear life, besides Macy, she really didn’t have anything else to be happy about. I did feel bad for her, especially her backstory with her ex. I cheered for her when she started to fight back with mind games towards Seth. Someone needed to put him in his place.
My favorite section was 77% to the ending. I couldn’t put the book down! All hell broke loose, and I wish the author would’ve spent more time on the aftermath of Calida seeing the basement. This section was very entertaining and I feared for all the characters. Seth was determined to harm anyone Calida loved if she ever dared leave him.
I’m looking forward to the sequel…broken characters are interesting to read about. Bring on the drama.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
I loved this dark, twisted story. I’m not going to lie, the length of the book scared me. I didn’t know if I could get through 600 plus pages, but I’m happy I took the challenge (which ended up not being a challenge at all. It was a fast read because I was engrossed in all the drama and conflict). The story was written through Seth and Calida’s first person point-of-view accounts. My favorite lines: 1) “You believing you know anything about me could prove to be a grave error on your part.” 2) Tonight wasn’t about sex, it was about power. 3) Her shy demeanor made me want to study her outside of the confines of my basement. For now at least.
The author wasn’t afraid to write in fear, and I respect her for that. Seth was a cold-hearted bastard and I loved reading every moment. He was sick and gave me the creeps. For example, one of his inner-thoughts was: Why aren’t you playing with her now? Using ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ put distance like a serial killer or multiple personalities. The entire premise: Seth owns Pets, who are women. Some he locks in his basement to torture, but Calida is special in his eyes, so she gets a different treatment.
He was very controlling. I liked that Macy, Calida’s best friend, had suspicions. It made the story more realistic. She kept questioning Calida but her low self-esteem wouldn’t allow her to leave him. Just my opinion, but I couldn’t stand Calida. She was too weak for me and definitely a Mary Sue type (but it fit the storyline). My favorite characters were Seth (the perfect villain), Macy, and Malcolm. They brought charm and personality where Calida was lacking.
Some parts were repetitive, especially in the narration, but that just boiled down to the characters’ obsessions with each other. I swooned during the steamy sex scenes and cringed in the abusive ones. Seth was definitely a prick. Besides their relationship, there was other tension. Calida had a crappy boss and her sister was awful. No wonder she held on to Seth for dear life, besides Macy, she really didn’t have anything else to be happy about. I did feel bad for her, especially her backstory with her ex. I cheered for her when she started to fight back with mind games towards Seth. Someone needed to put him in his place.
My favorite section was 77% to the ending. I couldn’t put the book down! All hell broke loose, and I wish the author would’ve spent more time on the aftermath of Calida seeing the basement. This section was very entertaining and I feared for all the characters. Seth was determined to harm anyone Calida loved if she ever dared leave him.
I’m looking forward to the sequel…broken characters are interesting to read about. Bring on the drama.
I RECOMMEND this book to read.
August 9, 2014
Let me just start of this review by saying WOW. James has earned herself a stalker--me!--with her debut novel, Fiendish.
First I want to say I was drawn in by the cover. It is very dark, and I haven't seen a cover like this is a long, long time. I love that it's not naked-people just to draw people in. Then I read the blurb saying it was a twisted take on Beauty & The Beast and I just had to read it. I love that fairy tale, (Disney's version, the ACTUAL story and everything in between) so I was very excited to get my hands on this. Especially seeing the word "dark". I have read so many fluffy stories as of late, I was dying to get my hands on something that made my stomach clench--and well if Seth doesn't do that to you, you need serious mental help.
Fiendish is about Calida Alexander, who moves to Atlanta for a fresh start on life. She wants to break free of the person she has become... You know I have to comment. Don't be thrown off by the idea of the sweet, innocent and naive girl meeting the big bad alpha male dude. James kept it very realistic with her characters and they are developed beautifully, and it's not a total bleh-stereotype relationship. I really liked it! Calida's character was very believable and well-developed, and Seth was amazing. You really KNOW all their struggles and demons and you have no idea what either of them are going to do next. It's amazing.
This is a LOOOONNNNGGGGG book. Seriously. She easily could have cut this up into a trilogy or even a series if she wanted to (though I'm glad she didn't because it just WORKS as one novel). It didn't sound drawn out and it's obvious James didn't just ramble on at points so she could write the epic-novel. You really need to pay attention to this one--it was delicately woven in all the right ways and I love that in a story. If you miss something, you miss the whole novel, and I have missed those kind of stories.
This book is awesomazing and I recommend it highly to all the weirdoes like me who are dying for a book that will make them scream, cry, and a little nauseous, and it even had a few minutes where you fall in love. Worth more than 5 stars, but that's as high as most review sites will let me go. <3
Now do yourself a favor and buy a copy!! You will LOVE it.
First I want to say I was drawn in by the cover. It is very dark, and I haven't seen a cover like this is a long, long time. I love that it's not naked-people just to draw people in. Then I read the blurb saying it was a twisted take on Beauty & The Beast and I just had to read it. I love that fairy tale, (Disney's version, the ACTUAL story and everything in between) so I was very excited to get my hands on this. Especially seeing the word "dark". I have read so many fluffy stories as of late, I was dying to get my hands on something that made my stomach clench--and well if Seth doesn't do that to you, you need serious mental help.
Fiendish is about Calida Alexander, who moves to Atlanta for a fresh start on life. She wants to break free of the person she has become... You know I have to comment. Don't be thrown off by the idea of the sweet, innocent and naive girl meeting the big bad alpha male dude. James kept it very realistic with her characters and they are developed beautifully, and it's not a total bleh-stereotype relationship. I really liked it! Calida's character was very believable and well-developed, and Seth was amazing. You really KNOW all their struggles and demons and you have no idea what either of them are going to do next. It's amazing.
This is a LOOOONNNNGGGGG book. Seriously. She easily could have cut this up into a trilogy or even a series if she wanted to (though I'm glad she didn't because it just WORKS as one novel). It didn't sound drawn out and it's obvious James didn't just ramble on at points so she could write the epic-novel. You really need to pay attention to this one--it was delicately woven in all the right ways and I love that in a story. If you miss something, you miss the whole novel, and I have missed those kind of stories.
This book is awesomazing and I recommend it highly to all the weirdoes like me who are dying for a book that will make them scream, cry, and a little nauseous, and it even had a few minutes where you fall in love. Worth more than 5 stars, but that's as high as most review sites will let me go. <3
Now do yourself a favor and buy a copy!! You will LOVE it.
October 26, 2017
This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I had a vague idea what I'd be getting myself into, but still found myself with whiplash... the absolutely amazing kind. It went so much deeper than I thought it would... addressing intricacies within the main characters' psyches that made the story as a whole SO MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL.
This book delves into subject matter not for the faint of heart, but if you have even a modicum of backbone, I highly recommend you add this to your To Be Read list. It is very well written, and the characters--and their struggles--are frighteningly real. The emotions I experienced while reading this book were so intense that I actually had to stop reading at one point and "process" through them. But that, to me, means this is phenomenal writing and a fantastic story.
If you're looking for something different, something with bite, and packed with unexpected surprises, then Fiendish is for you!
Highly recommend!! <3
This book delves into subject matter not for the faint of heart, but if you have even a modicum of backbone, I highly recommend you add this to your To Be Read list. It is very well written, and the characters--and their struggles--are frighteningly real. The emotions I experienced while reading this book were so intense that I actually had to stop reading at one point and "process" through them. But that, to me, means this is phenomenal writing and a fantastic story.
If you're looking for something different, something with bite, and packed with unexpected surprises, then Fiendish is for you!
Highly recommend!! <3
January 22, 2016
Fantastic!! Pulse pounding!! Sexy!! Horrifying!! One HELL of a rollercoaster ride!! Seth was the best part of this book. What an incredibly interesting character with such depth. This story had me by the throat and would not let me go till I finished it. The h was a little annoying but you really feel bad for her. She endured so much. There were some things I didn't like such as the Seth giving the h the silent treatment bc he is mad at her. It was frustrating that he would just cut all communication with her. Very juvenile. The scene with the stripper was bothered me. It didn't make sense why Seth made the h participate in that. Overall, this was a phenomenal story. I don't want to read more about the h. I think Seth was the best part of the story so I will probably not read the next book. But congratulations to the author. She did a stellar job.
April 17, 2016
*3.8 stars*
This book was a hard one to review. I finished it last night and took some time to mentally sort through it all because, yes, this is that kind of book.
I've been on a angsty-serial killer kick lately. I don't know if it's because I ran out of Midsomer Murders on Netflix, or if it kicked in while binge watching Jamie Dornan in "The Fall." (Which is seriously amazing)
Anyways...
I can't talk about the things that urked me without MAJOR spoiler spillage so if you don't want to know details, please look away now.
*
*
*
OK.
Our heroine, Calida/Lee is mentally damaged. She endured horrible bullying from her sister all her life and the douce bad of a boyfriend she just left was seriously horrible.
So she moves a few hours away from her family and starts a fresh life bringing along her BFF Macy. Macy is the usual cardboard cut-out best friend. Beautiful, sexually expressive and deeply protective of Lee.
Lee meets our Hero(?) Seth in a coffee shop after she douses him in coffee. She then (of course) falls to her knees and begs forgiveness for being so clumsy. (kinda-sorta, you know what I mean here)...she then tries to shove the little money she has into his hands so he can have the shirt dry cleaned.
Seth.
Seth is the portrayed as the typical billionaire. Overly handsome, expressive eyes, blah blah blah, BUT THEN we find he has a secret life that goes on behind the closed doors of a basement.
Now, to be honest, If we hadn't had the small tidbits from Seth's POV, I'd have never known he was a psycho. I kept waiting for his behavior towards Calida to get weird. Maybe I've read too many fsog characters. (ugh, so over them) but he wasn't any different from the rest of them.
HOLD ON, let me explain...
He's OTT possessive, controlling, buys her expensive things (like a treadmill so she doesn't go out running in the dark, foresty park at night) that she of course returns. He shows up at her work to drive her home...etc, etc. He's another CG cardboard cutout. Just with a hint of something darker, something deeper.
We're also meant to know he was schizophrenic. He has thoughts that run through his head constantly. I wish this would have been played up more. To me, instead of hearing 'voices,' it just came off as more of an inner-monologue. I've read characters in hooks that had it worse than he did.
Seth doesn't feel anything. Emotions are non-existent in his world. The only thing that makes him feel -what he thinks is- happiness is what he does with his "Pets."
And yes, it's pretty descriptive, so if you're squeamish keep that in mind.
Anyways
After meeting Calida though, he doesn't enjoy having his pets like he used to. He begins to focus more on her and these strange feelings he's now experiencing. He doesn't know is going on. So she becomes more of a "case study" to him. He begins to talk to her, study her actions, tries to decipher why he doesn't like when other men talk to her.
What the hell is going on with him?!
Seth starts to change. He notices when Calida is upset, he doesn't like it. His basement has less and less captives until he stops all together, -for awhile anyway.
Calida is a woman of bad, bad luck. She gets caught in the worse circumstances. She's pretty naive, so Seth often catches her in the clutches of other men, in various lies, etc, etc. They fight, she tries to run only to easily forgive him of his outbursts and jealousy.
I'll try to wrap it up here.
So this goes on and on -and like I said, I kept waiting for Seth to get super-creepy and lock her away or whatever, but he's trying to understand why he can't be away from her, the thought of hurting her is abhorrent, and why she's upset...all. the. time.
Seriously.
Calida was ALWAYS CRYING...basically on every page.
He's always baffled because he doesn't understand what is happening most of the time.
I was here still waiting.
Until I hit about the 65 or 70% mark on my Kindle.
Things went NUTSO after her sister's wedding
Calida cries, Seth tries to fix it, Calida again cries enough tears to flood a desert, then forgives him.
FINALLY, later on, Calida decides enough is enough and tries ro leave him for good.
Was it for the bruises on her arms? NOPE
Was is for the forced threesome he made her participate in, then had sex with the stripper right in front of her while staring into her eyes? You'd think so...but, NOPE.
Was it the forced sex in the shower after? NOPE
Was it the Yin and Yang tattoo he'd ask her to get on his birthday? NOPE
Was it from the tiny vines in the tattoo that wrapped around the Yin and Yang and curved into his initials?
YES! For the love of all things holy, THAT DID IT!
I'm not even joking.
She tries to leave
Chaos ensues.
I didn't hate the book.
Not at all.
I found myself laughing at some of the humor.
Calida: Glancing over, I noticed scratches on his hand for the first time. "Seth, what happened?"
Seth. "I got a new pet," he replied, holding his hand up a bit. "It's a little feisty and scratched me. I'm thinking of declawing her."
This book was a hard one to review. I finished it last night and took some time to mentally sort through it all because, yes, this is that kind of book.
I've been on a angsty-serial killer kick lately. I don't know if it's because I ran out of Midsomer Murders on Netflix, or if it kicked in while binge watching Jamie Dornan in "The Fall." (Which is seriously amazing)
Anyways...
I can't talk about the things that urked me without MAJOR spoiler spillage so if you don't want to know details, please look away now.
*
*
*
OK.
Our heroine, Calida/Lee is mentally damaged. She endured horrible bullying from her sister all her life and the douce bad of a boyfriend she just left was seriously horrible.
So she moves a few hours away from her family and starts a fresh life bringing along her BFF Macy. Macy is the usual cardboard cut-out best friend. Beautiful, sexually expressive and deeply protective of Lee.
Lee meets our Hero(?) Seth in a coffee shop after she douses him in coffee. She then (of course) falls to her knees and begs forgiveness for being so clumsy. (kinda-sorta, you know what I mean here)...she then tries to shove the little money she has into his hands so he can have the shirt dry cleaned.
Seth.
Seth is the portrayed as the typical billionaire. Overly handsome, expressive eyes, blah blah blah, BUT THEN we find he has a secret life that goes on behind the closed doors of a basement.
Now, to be honest, If we hadn't had the small tidbits from Seth's POV, I'd have never known he was a psycho. I kept waiting for his behavior towards Calida to get weird. Maybe I've read too many fsog characters. (ugh, so over them) but he wasn't any different from the rest of them.
HOLD ON, let me explain...
He's OTT possessive, controlling, buys her expensive things (like a treadmill so she doesn't go out running in the dark, foresty park at night) that she of course returns. He shows up at her work to drive her home...etc, etc. He's another CG cardboard cutout. Just with a hint of something darker, something deeper.
We're also meant to know he was schizophrenic. He has thoughts that run through his head constantly. I wish this would have been played up more. To me, instead of hearing 'voices,' it just came off as more of an inner-monologue. I've read characters in hooks that had it worse than he did.
Seth doesn't feel anything. Emotions are non-existent in his world. The only thing that makes him feel -what he thinks is- happiness is what he does with his "Pets."
And yes, it's pretty descriptive, so if you're squeamish keep that in mind.
Anyways
After meeting Calida though, he doesn't enjoy having his pets like he used to. He begins to focus more on her and these strange feelings he's now experiencing. He doesn't know is going on. So she becomes more of a "case study" to him. He begins to talk to her, study her actions, tries to decipher why he doesn't like when other men talk to her.
What the hell is going on with him?!
Seth starts to change. He notices when Calida is upset, he doesn't like it. His basement has less and less captives until he stops all together, -for awhile anyway.
Calida is a woman of bad, bad luck. She gets caught in the worse circumstances. She's pretty naive, so Seth often catches her in the clutches of other men, in various lies, etc, etc. They fight, she tries to run only to easily forgive him of his outbursts and jealousy.
I'll try to wrap it up here.
So this goes on and on -and like I said, I kept waiting for Seth to get super-creepy and lock her away or whatever, but he's trying to understand why he can't be away from her, the thought of hurting her is abhorrent, and why she's upset...all. the. time.
Seriously.
Calida was ALWAYS CRYING...basically on every page.
He's always baffled because he doesn't understand what is happening most of the time.
I was here still waiting.
Until I hit about the 65 or 70% mark on my Kindle.
Things went NUTSO after her sister's wedding
Calida cries, Seth tries to fix it, Calida again cries enough tears to flood a desert, then forgives him.
FINALLY, later on, Calida decides enough is enough and tries ro leave him for good.
Was it for the bruises on her arms? NOPE
Was is for the forced threesome he made her participate in, then had sex with the stripper right in front of her while staring into her eyes? You'd think so...but, NOPE.
Was it the forced sex in the shower after? NOPE
Was it the Yin and Yang tattoo he'd ask her to get on his birthday? NOPE
Was it from the tiny vines in the tattoo that wrapped around the Yin and Yang and curved into his initials?
YES! For the love of all things holy, THAT DID IT!
I'm not even joking.
She tries to leave
Chaos ensues.
I didn't hate the book.
Not at all.
I found myself laughing at some of the humor.
Calida: Glancing over, I noticed scratches on his hand for the first time. "Seth, what happened?"
Seth. "I got a new pet," he replied, holding his hand up a bit. "It's a little feisty and scratched me. I'm thinking of declawing her."
December 22, 2019
DARK ROMANCE THAT HAS CHEATING. So i give it 3 stars.....
I LOVE THIS BOOK BECAUSE THE HERO IS OTT POSSESSIVE ALPHA MALE. But the MOST ANNOYING PART is that the hero is not smart enough and very hard on himself. The HERO IS A KILLER AND STILL KILLS EVEN WHEN THE HEROINE GOT TOGETHER WITH HIM so that made me feel very mad at him because he won’t let go of his past.
I HAVE MANY books that are very complicated like this and very hard drama hero but in the end and along the way the hero never made stupid mistakes that is just not right! I don’t mind if the hero still kills but THE HERO KILLS AND HAVE SEX WITH THE VICTIM SO IT MADE THE BOOK SO WRONG :(
THE BOOK IS VERY LONG.... NOT SAFE LOVE STORY. The HERO CONSTANTLY have attraction to someone else and doubts the heroine and very hard on heroine. THE HERO CONSTANTLY ALWAYS MAKES THE HEROINE FEEL BAD ABOUT HIS INSECURITIES AND ALWAYS HAVE BAD THINGS TO SAY TO THE HEROINE EVEN IN THE LITTLE THINGS..
I give it 3 stars because i read a very long book and the hero always wants the heroine.
•WHEN THE HERO MEET THE HEROINE he felt a different vibe from her no one else did. He still have his pet that he trap in his basement when he meet the heroine and stars to like her. THEY FELT A ELECTRICITY but the hero is just damn stupid.
•IT HAS A LOT OF DRAMA.
Drama with the heroine’s sister, with OW AND OM. Because the hero is selfish and always pick on the heroine even in the little unnecessary things.
•THE HEROINE have been through a lot and have a bad relationship in her past so it made her sometimes scared of the hero. THE HEROINE IS VERY BEAUTIFUL and very sweet. Not sassy tho.
•IT HAS CHEATING. The cheating is when the hero starts to go out with the heroine and even they officially dated. The hero force the heroine to have a threesome with him and the hero have sex with another woman in front of the heroine. THAT WAS SO ANNOYING AND MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH HIM!!!
•THE HERO IS OTT POSSESSIVE but when someone else being touchy to him and flirt with him while the heroine was there the hero didn’t mind and doesn’t think about the heroine’s feeling. BUT WHEN THE HEROINE HAVE MANY GUYS APPROACH TO HER OR EVEN LOOK AT HER, THE HERO WENT SO CRAZY ON HER AND SAY BAD THINGS TO HER. Selfish!!!!
•IT HAS SEPARATION MANY TIMES because the hero was being hard on himself. THE HERO KNOWS THE HEROINE WAS THE ONE FOR HIM AND SO DIFFERENT It made him feel but HE’S BEING DISTANT TO HER. He stalked her when the heroine and him was not making any contact or meet SO IT JUST STUPID. DURING THE SEPARATION THE HEROINE WAS LOYAL BUT THE HERO WAS NOT.
•THE HERO WAS STUPID AND not manly enough and so hard on himself. He always thinks about the past and never want to be better for himself and for the heroine WHEN HE KNOWS THE HEROINE WAS THE ONE FOR HIM AND HE LOVED HER SO MUCH. The hero in the end always selfish and stupid.
•THE HERO CHEATED AND HE THINKS ITS NOT A PROBLEM. WTF!!!!! He even compared the heroine action with his cheating situation. The heroine action is when some male stripper at her sister’s party sit on the heroine and just dance in front of her. THE HERO TOLD HER THAT WAS NOT RIGHT AND HE WON’T ADMIT THAT HIS CHEATING WAS WRONG!!! How can he be sick twisted person like that :(
•MANY JEALOUS SCENE FROM THE HERO
•IT HAS VIOLENCE but not too much because the hero doesn’t want to hurt her bad.
•HOT SMUT SCENES
•NOT HAPPY ENDING
•THE EPILOGUE WAS NOT ENOUGH HAPPINESS
IT Was not good in my opinion
•NO VIRGINS
•THE HEROINE was celibate for years and the hero always wear condoms when he have sex with someone else. He never wear condoms with the heroine so in the end the heroine got pregnant.
SO OVERALL THE STORY IS VERY annoying and sad. I get it the hero went through a lot but those past just makes him more bad on himself and doesn’t want to change. He loved the heroine but thats not love from what i see. He is sick stupid person. THE STORY IS NOT SAFE EVEN THE HERO WAS POSSESSIVE OBSESSED ALPHA MALE. I thought the hero was going to change and be better but no... he keeps controlling the heroine in a bad way and it made the heroine doesn’t want him anymore. The way the hero loved her and move to her was not right. It’s sad :(
I LOVE THIS BOOK BECAUSE THE HERO IS OTT POSSESSIVE ALPHA MALE. But the MOST ANNOYING PART is that the hero is not smart enough and very hard on himself. The HERO IS A KILLER AND STILL KILLS EVEN WHEN THE HEROINE GOT TOGETHER WITH HIM so that made me feel very mad at him because he won’t let go of his past.
I HAVE MANY books that are very complicated like this and very hard drama hero but in the end and along the way the hero never made stupid mistakes that is just not right! I don’t mind if the hero still kills but THE HERO KILLS AND HAVE SEX WITH THE VICTIM SO IT MADE THE BOOK SO WRONG :(
THE BOOK IS VERY LONG.... NOT SAFE LOVE STORY. The HERO CONSTANTLY have attraction to someone else and doubts the heroine and very hard on heroine. THE HERO CONSTANTLY ALWAYS MAKES THE HEROINE FEEL BAD ABOUT HIS INSECURITIES AND ALWAYS HAVE BAD THINGS TO SAY TO THE HEROINE EVEN IN THE LITTLE THINGS..
I give it 3 stars because i read a very long book and the hero always wants the heroine.
•WHEN THE HERO MEET THE HEROINE he felt a different vibe from her no one else did. He still have his pet that he trap in his basement when he meet the heroine and stars to like her. THEY FELT A ELECTRICITY but the hero is just damn stupid.
•IT HAS A LOT OF DRAMA.
Drama with the heroine’s sister, with OW AND OM. Because the hero is selfish and always pick on the heroine even in the little unnecessary things.
•THE HEROINE have been through a lot and have a bad relationship in her past so it made her sometimes scared of the hero. THE HEROINE IS VERY BEAUTIFUL and very sweet. Not sassy tho.
•IT HAS CHEATING. The cheating is when the hero starts to go out with the heroine and even they officially dated. The hero force the heroine to have a threesome with him and the hero have sex with another woman in front of the heroine. THAT WAS SO ANNOYING AND MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH HIM!!!
•THE HERO IS OTT POSSESSIVE but when someone else being touchy to him and flirt with him while the heroine was there the hero didn’t mind and doesn’t think about the heroine’s feeling. BUT WHEN THE HEROINE HAVE MANY GUYS APPROACH TO HER OR EVEN LOOK AT HER, THE HERO WENT SO CRAZY ON HER AND SAY BAD THINGS TO HER. Selfish!!!!
•IT HAS SEPARATION MANY TIMES because the hero was being hard on himself. THE HERO KNOWS THE HEROINE WAS THE ONE FOR HIM AND SO DIFFERENT It made him feel but HE’S BEING DISTANT TO HER. He stalked her when the heroine and him was not making any contact or meet SO IT JUST STUPID. DURING THE SEPARATION THE HEROINE WAS LOYAL BUT THE HERO WAS NOT.
•THE HERO WAS STUPID AND not manly enough and so hard on himself. He always thinks about the past and never want to be better for himself and for the heroine WHEN HE KNOWS THE HEROINE WAS THE ONE FOR HIM AND HE LOVED HER SO MUCH. The hero in the end always selfish and stupid.
•THE HERO CHEATED AND HE THINKS ITS NOT A PROBLEM. WTF!!!!! He even compared the heroine action with his cheating situation. The heroine action is when some male stripper at her sister’s party sit on the heroine and just dance in front of her. THE HERO TOLD HER THAT WAS NOT RIGHT AND HE WON’T ADMIT THAT HIS CHEATING WAS WRONG!!! How can he be sick twisted person like that :(
•MANY JEALOUS SCENE FROM THE HERO
•IT HAS VIOLENCE but not too much because the hero doesn’t want to hurt her bad.
•HOT SMUT SCENES
•NOT HAPPY ENDING
•THE EPILOGUE WAS NOT ENOUGH HAPPINESS
IT Was not good in my opinion
•NO VIRGINS
•THE HEROINE was celibate for years and the hero always wear condoms when he have sex with someone else. He never wear condoms with the heroine so in the end the heroine got pregnant.
SO OVERALL THE STORY IS VERY annoying and sad. I get it the hero went through a lot but those past just makes him more bad on himself and doesn’t want to change. He loved the heroine but thats not love from what i see. He is sick stupid person. THE STORY IS NOT SAFE EVEN THE HERO WAS POSSESSIVE OBSESSED ALPHA MALE. I thought the hero was going to change and be better but no... he keeps controlling the heroine in a bad way and it made the heroine doesn’t want him anymore. The way the hero loved her and move to her was not right. It’s sad :(
September 15, 2024
Brilliantly written. This is my first book without a HEA (I run away from them actually) and although I can’t say I’m a fan of this type of ending, it really worked here. There was no other way to end it. The H was scary and not in a cute-romancelandia way, but like real life scary. He gave me the creeps and I hated reading his POV.
The heroine confused me at times, but I could understand her actions and fears. However, even before she discovered the hero’s mania (he’s batshit crazy and a full blown nightmare), she should have ended things, especially after her awful experience in her previous relationship. She let him get away with far too much and should have shown him the door much earlier.
I’m not sure I’ll be diving into the sequel anytime soon; I need time to recover from this one. The characters felt incredibly real, and they’ll linger in my mind for a long time.
Ps. We should all hope for friends like Macy. I loved her so much.
The heroine confused me at times, but I could understand her actions and fears. However, even before she discovered the hero’s mania (he’s batshit crazy and a full blown nightmare), she should have ended things, especially after her awful experience in her previous relationship. She let him get away with far too much and should have shown him the door much earlier.
I’m not sure I’ll be diving into the sequel anytime soon; I need time to recover from this one. The characters felt incredibly real, and they’ll linger in my mind for a long time.
Ps. We should all hope for friends like Macy. I loved her so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2015
I'm going to be brutally honest and tell you that I hated the ending of this book. That said … I absolutely enjoyed this story. This book had me tied up in knots from start to finish, and it left me questioning myself, and my sense of right and wrong. I have never read a romance like this before, EVER. And in fact, I'm not actually certain it can truly be classified as a romance at all, even though at times it does lean heavy on the hearts and flowers - literally!
I am a firm believer in spoiler-free reviews, but this is a hard book to dissect without getting into too much detail, so I’ll try to do my best. I have extremely strong feelings about our hero (who in actuality isn’t a hero at all) Seth Jakobi. Not many of those feelings are good, because - as the title says - he is fiendish. He is an absolute monster in every sense of the word. But that description doesn't do him justice either, because at times, he can be the most charming, endearing, romantic sexy beast alive. So much so that even after all the horrific things he does (and trust me, there are some truly vile, heinous things), you still want to root for him to get his sh*t together and be the man that Calida needs for him to be. But that never happens in this haunting, tragic tale that will stick with you long after you read the final page.
Interestingly, my feelings for Calida (our heroine) are not nearly as strong. I found myself rolling my eyes and shaking my head at most of her actions and reactions when it came to dealing with others - not just Seth, but also her best friend, her sister, her boss, and her other love interest, Malcolm - all of whom I felt could be very overbearing at times. However, thinking about it now, I feel Ms. James wrote Calida very true to someone caught in this sort of situation. And believing that makes me understand my own reactions to the choices Calida made in this story. Well done, Ms. James!
I became aware of this book through a weekly blog hop that Ms. James and I both participate in, and I was sucked in from just a tiny 8-sentence snippet. And I admit, I was also intrigued by the subtitle: A twisted fairytale. Going in, I knew that this was going to be a dark and twisty sort of romance, but I was expecting something more along the enchanted side of things. But at a certain point in the book, which I won’t point out, it becomes very clear that this story is more a portrait of an abusive relationship than anything resembling what we think of as a fairytale. This story is dark and twisted, and at times remarkably beautiful in its fiendish nature. For example, being inside Seth Jakobi’s head for a while is both terrifying and fascinating! Meka James has created one of the greatest villains ever, and I, for one, am still reeling.
I am a firm believer in spoiler-free reviews, but this is a hard book to dissect without getting into too much detail, so I’ll try to do my best. I have extremely strong feelings about our hero (who in actuality isn’t a hero at all) Seth Jakobi. Not many of those feelings are good, because - as the title says - he is fiendish. He is an absolute monster in every sense of the word. But that description doesn't do him justice either, because at times, he can be the most charming, endearing, romantic sexy beast alive. So much so that even after all the horrific things he does (and trust me, there are some truly vile, heinous things), you still want to root for him to get his sh*t together and be the man that Calida needs for him to be. But that never happens in this haunting, tragic tale that will stick with you long after you read the final page.
Interestingly, my feelings for Calida (our heroine) are not nearly as strong. I found myself rolling my eyes and shaking my head at most of her actions and reactions when it came to dealing with others - not just Seth, but also her best friend, her sister, her boss, and her other love interest, Malcolm - all of whom I felt could be very overbearing at times. However, thinking about it now, I feel Ms. James wrote Calida very true to someone caught in this sort of situation. And believing that makes me understand my own reactions to the choices Calida made in this story. Well done, Ms. James!
I became aware of this book through a weekly blog hop that Ms. James and I both participate in, and I was sucked in from just a tiny 8-sentence snippet. And I admit, I was also intrigued by the subtitle: A twisted fairytale. Going in, I knew that this was going to be a dark and twisty sort of romance, but I was expecting something more along the enchanted side of things. But at a certain point in the book, which I won’t point out, it becomes very clear that this story is more a portrait of an abusive relationship than anything resembling what we think of as a fairytale. This story is dark and twisted, and at times remarkably beautiful in its fiendish nature. For example, being inside Seth Jakobi’s head for a while is both terrifying and fascinating! Meka James has created one of the greatest villains ever, and I, for one, am still reeling.
July 29, 2014
4.5 Stars
Fiendish is a very dark and twisted adult version of Beauty and the Beast.The book will have you on the edge of your seat throughout and will shock you as well. Fiendish is very unpredictable story and unlike anything I've ever read.
The story is about Calida Alexander and Seth Jakobi.
Calida has just moved to Atlanta after a bad break up. During the break up a lot of harsh words were said about Calida that really affected her, because of this she decides to change herself and become a better person.
Seth is a man that everybody wants. He comes across as charming, sexy and a dream man, but underneath all his charm, Seth is a master manipulator, sadistic and a massive game player.
As soon as Seth meets Calida, Seth is drawn to her shy, sweet nature. Seth instantly wants to break play his games and break Calida.
The characters in this book were extremely complex and very well developed. I was drawn in to their charactors, but I was very wary of Seth and the games that he likes to play. I couldn't work out if Seth was going to turn "good" by the end or not as the book was so unpredictable.
The story went at a very good pace, and there was a lot of information to take in throughout. This wasn't a quick, easy read you can breeze through on a Saturday afternoon.
The only thing I would change about the book is "The Twisted Fairy tale" in the title. I felt this was misleading, as this story was not like any kind of fairy tale I've ever read or heard about, even when adapted for adults.
Overall the story was very good and is up there with my top dark reads. It was different, unpredictable and nail biting.
Great job.
Fiendish is a very dark and twisted adult version of Beauty and the Beast.The book will have you on the edge of your seat throughout and will shock you as well. Fiendish is very unpredictable story and unlike anything I've ever read.
The story is about Calida Alexander and Seth Jakobi.
Calida has just moved to Atlanta after a bad break up. During the break up a lot of harsh words were said about Calida that really affected her, because of this she decides to change herself and become a better person.
Seth is a man that everybody wants. He comes across as charming, sexy and a dream man, but underneath all his charm, Seth is a master manipulator, sadistic and a massive game player.
As soon as Seth meets Calida, Seth is drawn to her shy, sweet nature. Seth instantly wants to break play his games and break Calida.
The characters in this book were extremely complex and very well developed. I was drawn in to their charactors, but I was very wary of Seth and the games that he likes to play. I couldn't work out if Seth was going to turn "good" by the end or not as the book was so unpredictable.
The story went at a very good pace, and there was a lot of information to take in throughout. This wasn't a quick, easy read you can breeze through on a Saturday afternoon.
The only thing I would change about the book is "The Twisted Fairy tale" in the title. I felt this was misleading, as this story was not like any kind of fairy tale I've ever read or heard about, even when adapted for adults.
Overall the story was very good and is up there with my top dark reads. It was different, unpredictable and nail biting.
Great job.
September 18, 2014
I am not sure what pulled me to try and read Fiendish, it is outside of my usual genre. Maybe I was pushing my limits, or maybe I saw dark and twisted fairy tale and decided to give it a try. Dark and twisted it is, fairy tale not so much. I tried to dislike this story based on who and what Seth is…and isn’t. I couldn’t get there. I found myself wanting Calida to stick with him, to change him, to make everything exactly right. I wanted to jump in and help make this a fairy tale, what an unexpected response. Did I want to slap them both more than once? Yes, but I think that is a testament to the author’s skill in writing this story.
Meka James has taken a distasteful subject (to me) to task and has done it brilliantly. I could no more put down this book and walk away from it than a drug addict could with their drug of choice. She wrapped the story around me making me see and feel everything. I can say I recommend this book solely on that basis. Yes you need to be strong to read it and yes it will rip you to shreds, but I dare say you will like it. The lines as it were become blurry and not as defined as I would have them be, proving that even a person such as myself (judgmental and rigid) can be wrong about a subject and see it in a different light when presented so well. Kudos to Ms. James and I do look forward to reading the next book. I want to thank her for allowing me to read and review her book, it was an eye opening experience.
Meka James has taken a distasteful subject (to me) to task and has done it brilliantly. I could no more put down this book and walk away from it than a drug addict could with their drug of choice. She wrapped the story around me making me see and feel everything. I can say I recommend this book solely on that basis. Yes you need to be strong to read it and yes it will rip you to shreds, but I dare say you will like it. The lines as it were become blurry and not as defined as I would have them be, proving that even a person such as myself (judgmental and rigid) can be wrong about a subject and see it in a different light when presented so well. Kudos to Ms. James and I do look forward to reading the next book. I want to thank her for allowing me to read and review her book, it was an eye opening experience.
May 27, 2014
I received this ebook in exchange for a review.
Calida Alexander meets Seth Jokobi. He's handsome and a gentleman. However Seth has a darkside Calida doesn't know about and it changes her life.
This book is very dark and for mature readers only.
Despite the difficult subject matters in the story, I really enjoyed it. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Calida was very relatable and I really felt so much for her and what she went through.
Seth, wow my feelings on him are hard to say... He's everything I would avoid in a man: Possessive and controlling. He was a well written character. Every reaction he had was believable. None of the violence was there for its own sake. It showed either how sadistic Seth was or how it effected Calida.
I highly recommend this book and highly anticipate Meka James's next novel.
Calida Alexander meets Seth Jokobi. He's handsome and a gentleman. However Seth has a darkside Calida doesn't know about and it changes her life.
This book is very dark and for mature readers only.
Despite the difficult subject matters in the story, I really enjoyed it. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Calida was very relatable and I really felt so much for her and what she went through.
Seth, wow my feelings on him are hard to say... He's everything I would avoid in a man: Possessive and controlling. He was a well written character. Every reaction he had was believable. None of the violence was there for its own sake. It showed either how sadistic Seth was or how it effected Calida.
I highly recommend this book and highly anticipate Meka James's next novel.
January 29, 2015
Let me first start by saying, this book was unlike anything I have ever read before. It was not what I expected. If you are looking for a dark erotic read, this is not that book.
There are some scenes that could be considered erotic but, this book is not erotica. It is dark, it is twisted and it is heartbreaking.
All that being said, Meka James managed to pull me in and I didn't stop until 2 days of my life had passed. When they were over, I was left wrung out, twisted up and heartbroken.
I felt for both of the characters and I have to say, the ending (without spoiling too much) was not what I hoped for, nor what I wanted for these characters but, in keeping with "reality" it is how it all had to play out.
These characters will stick with me for some time and Meka James is now firmly on my auto-buy list.
There are some scenes that could be considered erotic but, this book is not erotica. It is dark, it is twisted and it is heartbreaking.
All that being said, Meka James managed to pull me in and I didn't stop until 2 days of my life had passed. When they were over, I was left wrung out, twisted up and heartbroken.
I felt for both of the characters and I have to say, the ending (without spoiling too much) was not what I hoped for, nor what I wanted for these characters but, in keeping with "reality" it is how it all had to play out.
These characters will stick with me for some time and Meka James is now firmly on my auto-buy list.
February 15, 2017
This book absolutely blew me away. Few books have ever left me feeling as if my heart was ripped out, but this one was one of them. The story follows Calida, a timid but beautiful young woman that literally bumps into Seth. At first glance, Seth is prince charming, Calida's knight in shining armor, but something very dark lurks beneath. James did a great job of putting a spin on the typical "girl meets millionaire" storyline and turned it into something great. There were so many things that I liked about this book, but most of all I liked that the author highlighted how hard it can be to stop loving someone, regardless of the horrible things they do to you, and even to others. As so many reviewers pointed out, I too maintained a strong sense of hope throughout the book, hope that love would conquer all and that Calida and Seth would get to share a happy ending together.
March 16, 2015
This book was amazing! I loved it completely... until the end.
The ending felt rushed and ended abruptly. I was left feeling incomplete and without closure. It's not how I pictured the book ending. This entire story was so detailed with such great content and it built up to every moment. And then that 5 month later ending... No detail. Too quick. That's my only disappointment. Other then that this book was incredible. I would still encourage any reader to read this book and enjoy the ride!
The ending was the only thing stopping me from rating a full 5 stars.
The ending felt rushed and ended abruptly. I was left feeling incomplete and without closure. It's not how I pictured the book ending. This entire story was so detailed with such great content and it built up to every moment. And then that 5 month later ending... No detail. Too quick. That's my only disappointment. Other then that this book was incredible. I would still encourage any reader to read this book and enjoy the ride!
The ending was the only thing stopping me from rating a full 5 stars.
December 28, 2015
Best thing about this book, Seth is dead. phew! Though I wish he was made to suffer like his victims before bumping him off.
Worst thing about this book, Calida. She is a moron. Low self esteem, self doubt, self pity, submissive nature, all that is ok. To put the lives of loved ones at risk is NOT ok. This level of stupidity is NOT ok.
I hated reading about these two. Why did I give three stars then? Coz I couldn't stop reading this train wreck even as i tried hard not to, page after page of this insanely lengthy book...
Worst thing about this book, Calida. She is a moron. Low self esteem, self doubt, self pity, submissive nature, all that is ok. To put the lives of loved ones at risk is NOT ok. This level of stupidity is NOT ok.
I hated reading about these two. Why did I give three stars then? Coz I couldn't stop reading this train wreck even as i tried hard not to, page after page of this insanely lengthy book...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2014
amazing!
March 3, 2015
I just finished this story and all I can say is wowwwwwwwww.
Its been a very long time since Ive enjoyed one this much.I recommended this book to all other lovers of dark twisted romance.
Its been a very long time since Ive enjoyed one this much.I recommended this book to all other lovers of dark twisted romance.
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