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The Harlequin Bros Legacy #1
The Harlequin Doll
They’ll do anything to love her…
Elle Carey has never felt like she has ever truly belonged to anything; not her family, her body, her career as a journalist following in Editor-In-Chief father’s footsteps- none of it. By day she goes through the motions, reporting at her father’s side, playing nice with her over-achieving sister and pretending to be ashamed of her family’s heritage as her father is, but for Elle, it’s all a lie- she exists only to fly and has gone great lengths to keep her passion for the silks and trapeze a secret.
But when The Harlequin Bros spectacular comes to town, Elle gets the opportunity of a lifetime- one interview, one audition- one chance to live. She knows instantly that both of the beautiful Romani brothers, Archer and Jarrah Harlequin have the potential to steal her breath, but what she doesn’t know is that one is destined to do exactly that, and that the other will stop at nothing to make sure that the curse comes to pass as quickly as possible, yet again.
Elle expects to return to the paper afterwards with a few fond memories and maybe even an exclusive into the dark underbelly of the circus, but her destiny is not to see her name as a byline, but in the obituaries.
It is brother against brother, light against dark, demon against demon, temptation against love in this passionate and beautifully cruel story about the corruption of innocence and the illusions we weave to hide our true selves from one another.
Elle Carey has never felt like she has ever truly belonged to anything; not her family, her body, her career as a journalist following in Editor-In-Chief father’s footsteps- none of it. By day she goes through the motions, reporting at her father’s side, playing nice with her over-achieving sister and pretending to be ashamed of her family’s heritage as her father is, but for Elle, it’s all a lie- she exists only to fly and has gone great lengths to keep her passion for the silks and trapeze a secret.
But when The Harlequin Bros spectacular comes to town, Elle gets the opportunity of a lifetime- one interview, one audition- one chance to live. She knows instantly that both of the beautiful Romani brothers, Archer and Jarrah Harlequin have the potential to steal her breath, but what she doesn’t know is that one is destined to do exactly that, and that the other will stop at nothing to make sure that the curse comes to pass as quickly as possible, yet again.
Elle expects to return to the paper afterwards with a few fond memories and maybe even an exclusive into the dark underbelly of the circus, but her destiny is not to see her name as a byline, but in the obituaries.
It is brother against brother, light against dark, demon against demon, temptation against love in this passionate and beautifully cruel story about the corruption of innocence and the illusions we weave to hide our true selves from one another.
ebook
First published October 1, 2014
19 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
S.K. Munt
38 books283 followersFollow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/skmunt25
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skmunt?fref=ts
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S.K Munt is an author and playwright from north Queensland, Australia. She mostly writes adult paranormal fantasies, but loves to take the sweetness, hope and innocence that makes YA so beguiling, and give it an adult twist. You could say that she has a 'Pan' complex as far as happy endings go.
Samantha has 4 children, and is happily married to her first love. So far she has penned thirty-two novels, and five plays. In her spare time, she can be found at rehearsals for her local theatre groups, surfing, reading or cleaning compulsively.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skmunt?fref=ts
Tumblr:https://www.tumblr.com/blog/thearticu...
Wordpress: https://samanthamunt.wordpress.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/killerslim/
Instagram: thearticulatesk
S.K Munt is an author and playwright from north Queensland, Australia. She mostly writes adult paranormal fantasies, but loves to take the sweetness, hope and innocence that makes YA so beguiling, and give it an adult twist. You could say that she has a 'Pan' complex as far as happy endings go.
Samantha has 4 children, and is happily married to her first love. So far she has penned thirty-two novels, and five plays. In her spare time, she can be found at rehearsals for her local theatre groups, surfing, reading or cleaning compulsively.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 5, 2014
*Warning Contains very mature Content*
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3QE7LA
The Harlequin Doll definitely falls on the darker side of my genre scale, and it's taken me a while to truly let loose and write it, though it's a story I've been bouncing around inside my head for years. The blood flows freely, the spiders crawl, the sex is wild and the heroes are technically anti-heroes.
I drew inspiration for this novel from a scene in Interview with a Vampire, where the vampires are killing a woman live onstage and passing it off as entertainment. That's not exactly where I go, but I always loved that moment and so I've headed down the same creepy tunnel.
The basic premise centres around a circus- a circus full of supernatural beings who were cursed to live in eternal suffering by one very powerful demon. To pay for something horrible they all helped come to pass during the middle ages, these select members of an ancient gypsy sect must now live as monsters and in order to do that without the humans noticing how different they are, their long-suffering leader Archer, has formed a circus troupe with his brother 'The Harlequin Bros' and now they travel the world as one unit, making money and a living off their special powers. There's a shifter, a werewolf, a witch, a fairy, a vampire, an incubi and with them, a bunch of half-breed demons they have spawned over time and of course, a lot of innocent and oblivious carnies.
Chaos and tension threaten to shred the entire troupe when a human girl with a dream of being an aerialist, joins their ranks and catches the eye of not only Archer Harlequin, but his scheming brother Jarrah as well. She's destined to die in the arms of one of them, but though the fates are pulling her to Archer, Jarrah has decided to roll up his cape, sharpen his fangs and dig deep to finally best his perfect, cursed younger brother.
Mayhem, blood, carnage, the afore-mentioned spiders and a whole lot of black magic, plot twists and of course, a bit of love and laughter ensue :) You've been warned ;)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3QE7LA
The Harlequin Doll definitely falls on the darker side of my genre scale, and it's taken me a while to truly let loose and write it, though it's a story I've been bouncing around inside my head for years. The blood flows freely, the spiders crawl, the sex is wild and the heroes are technically anti-heroes.
I drew inspiration for this novel from a scene in Interview with a Vampire, where the vampires are killing a woman live onstage and passing it off as entertainment. That's not exactly where I go, but I always loved that moment and so I've headed down the same creepy tunnel.
The basic premise centres around a circus- a circus full of supernatural beings who were cursed to live in eternal suffering by one very powerful demon. To pay for something horrible they all helped come to pass during the middle ages, these select members of an ancient gypsy sect must now live as monsters and in order to do that without the humans noticing how different they are, their long-suffering leader Archer, has formed a circus troupe with his brother 'The Harlequin Bros' and now they travel the world as one unit, making money and a living off their special powers. There's a shifter, a werewolf, a witch, a fairy, a vampire, an incubi and with them, a bunch of half-breed demons they have spawned over time and of course, a lot of innocent and oblivious carnies.
Chaos and tension threaten to shred the entire troupe when a human girl with a dream of being an aerialist, joins their ranks and catches the eye of not only Archer Harlequin, but his scheming brother Jarrah as well. She's destined to die in the arms of one of them, but though the fates are pulling her to Archer, Jarrah has decided to roll up his cape, sharpen his fangs and dig deep to finally best his perfect, cursed younger brother.
Mayhem, blood, carnage, the afore-mentioned spiders and a whole lot of black magic, plot twists and of course, a bit of love and laughter ensue :) You've been warned ;)
October 17, 2014
Because this was a blog buddy read for us our review is quite long! The full review is posted at http://www.onceuponabookblog.com/blog...
Kristal - I thought this was a fresh and intriguing world and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. S. K. Munt FTW!
Charm - At the end of the day though I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who will listen to my rambling. This is my first foray into the work of S. K. Munt and it absolutely won't be my last, I can't wait to find out what is coming next for these weird and wonderful circus performers!
Amy- This story was so captivating and took me into a paranormal world that I have never experienced before. I think we are all in agreement that we can't wait for Book 2 to come out!
<3 Find us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/onceuponaboo...
Kristal - I thought this was a fresh and intriguing world and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in this series. S. K. Munt FTW!
Charm - At the end of the day though I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who will listen to my rambling. This is my first foray into the work of S. K. Munt and it absolutely won't be my last, I can't wait to find out what is coming next for these weird and wonderful circus performers!
Amy- This story was so captivating and took me into a paranormal world that I have never experienced before. I think we are all in agreement that we can't wait for Book 2 to come out!
<3 Find us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/onceuponaboo...
June 1, 2015
I really liked this book! How it began was cool and throwing in the Bathory name which is well known for the dark side of humanity. I liked the whole traveling circus idea, and it's not your kid's type of circus. Can't wait for the next book.
November 18, 2014
So one of my favourite authors has written another book.
I would give away my soul for this right now, it sounds amazing!
S.K Munt + hot guys + love triangle = best combination ever!
-------
HOLY MOTHER OF PLOT TWISTS I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING COMING!
I would give away my soul for this right now, it sounds amazing!
S.K Munt + hot guys + love triangle = best combination ever!
-------
HOLY MOTHER OF PLOT TWISTS I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING COMING!
December 5, 2015
Our Review can be found here at: http://www.onceuponabookblog.com/blog...
Want to read
March 5, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/5/2019)! 🎁
October 14, 2014
This book had all my favourite ingredients all mixed into one sinfully hot dark paranormal cocktail of deadly lust, passion, romance and horror! With two sexy bad boy brothers to give the Salvatores a run for their money, a curse to temp even the fallen Daniels of the world and sex that would turn Anastasia's checks a shade darker. Yes! I thought as I reading, this book is a mash up of all the things I love in a fictional world and yet a story all of its own. Unexpected and bizarre, Stranger than fiction!
I have often wondered what goes on behind the ropes at a circus. My mind conjured up all kinds of oddities involving carnies that stink of cabbage but after reading The Harlequin doll I will never enter a big top again without my eyes wide open. However I wouldn't mind running into either of the Harlequin brothers. I only hope I am permitted to leave with my memories of the incident intact;)
The story focuses on Elle who dreams of being an aerialist but when her sleeping dreams start to become reality also things get intense. I enjoyed watching Elle struggle with overwhelming feelings she can't control towards one of the brothers in particular and watching her slowly piece the pieces of the puzzle together. As well as Elle's story there is also the story of an unconventional and heart breaking love/obsession told through flash backs that I couldn't get enough of. I would have liked to have read the back story in its entirety perhaps as a prequel.
I was so engaged in this book that I literally flooded my bathroom. True story. I decided to read a few pages as I filled the tub, got to enthralled in the story and whoops.. Forgot to turn off the tap!
And don't get me started on the plot twists! As a fan of Munt's previous books I've learnt expect the unexpected so I was looking for clues the whole way through but she still managed to leave me with this face
Can't wait for the next book in the series
I have often wondered what goes on behind the ropes at a circus. My mind conjured up all kinds of oddities involving carnies that stink of cabbage but after reading The Harlequin doll I will never enter a big top again without my eyes wide open. However I wouldn't mind running into either of the Harlequin brothers. I only hope I am permitted to leave with my memories of the incident intact;)
The story focuses on Elle who dreams of being an aerialist but when her sleeping dreams start to become reality also things get intense. I enjoyed watching Elle struggle with overwhelming feelings she can't control towards one of the brothers in particular and watching her slowly piece the pieces of the puzzle together. As well as Elle's story there is also the story of an unconventional and heart breaking love/obsession told through flash backs that I couldn't get enough of. I would have liked to have read the back story in its entirety perhaps as a prequel.
I was so engaged in this book that I literally flooded my bathroom. True story. I decided to read a few pages as I filled the tub, got to enthralled in the story and whoops.. Forgot to turn off the tap!
And don't get me started on the plot twists! As a fan of Munt's previous books I've learnt expect the unexpected so I was looking for clues the whole way through but she still managed to leave me with this face
Can't wait for the next book in the series
October 14, 2014
This book had all my favourite ingredients all mixed into one sinfully hot dark paranormal cocktail of deadly lust, passion, romance and horror! With two sexy bad boy brothers to give the Salvatores a run for their money, a curse to temp even the fallen Daniels of the world and sex that would turn Anastasia's checks a shade darker. Yes! I thought as I reading, this book is a mash up of all the things I love in a fictional world and yet a story all of its own. Unexpected and bizarre, Stranger than fiction!
I have often wondered what goes on behind the ropes at a circus. My mind conjured up all kinds of oddities involving carnies that stink of cabbage but after reading The Harlequin doll I will never enter a big top again without my eyes wide open. However I wouldn't mind running into either of the Harlequin brothers. I only hope I am permitted to leave with my memories of the incident intact;)
The story focuses on Elle who dreams of being an aerialist but when her sleeping dreams start to become reality also things get intense. I enjoyed watching Elle struggle with overwhelming feelings she can't control towards one of the brothers in particular and watching her slowly piece the pieces of the puzzle together. As well as Elle's story there is also the story of an unconventional and heart breaking love/obsession told through flash backs that I couldn't get enough of. I would have liked to have read the back story in its entirety perhaps as a prequel.
I was so engaged in this book that I literally flooded my bathroom. True story. I decided to read a few pages as I filled the tub, got to enthralled in the story and whoops.. Forgot to turn off the tap!
And don't get me started on the plot twists! As a fan of Munt's previous books I've learnt expect the unexpected so I was looking for clues the whole way through but she still managed to leave me with this face
Can't wait for the next book in the series
I have often wondered what goes on behind the ropes at a circus. My mind conjured up all kinds of oddities involving carnies that stink of cabbage but after reading The Harlequin doll I will never enter a big top again without my eyes wide open. However I wouldn't mind running into either of the Harlequin brothers. I only hope I am permitted to leave with my memories of the incident intact;)
The story focuses on Elle who dreams of being an aerialist but when her sleeping dreams start to become reality also things get intense. I enjoyed watching Elle struggle with overwhelming feelings she can't control towards one of the brothers in particular and watching her slowly piece the pieces of the puzzle together. As well as Elle's story there is also the story of an unconventional and heart breaking love/obsession told through flash backs that I couldn't get enough of. I would have liked to have read the back story in its entirety perhaps as a prequel.
I was so engaged in this book that I literally flooded my bathroom. True story. I decided to read a few pages as I filled the tub, got to enthralled in the story and whoops.. Forgot to turn off the tap!
And don't get me started on the plot twists! As a fan of Munt's previous books I've learnt expect the unexpected so I was looking for clues the whole way through but she still managed to leave me with this face
Can't wait for the next book in the series
May 4, 2018
DNF at 11%.
I couldn't take this one any further. How can two alpha vampires ever come across as so unmanly as these two leading male characters did? While at first, I thought this was going to be a great find, something a bit different from all the other books in this genre. Not the case. It quickly devolved.
For one, in the first 9% of the book I kept running into over use of descriptive things. Too many "... reflected off her/his skin." I get it.
Then I ran into too many awkward lines that felt forced and difficult to assimilate into coherent lines. The over use of descriptions only furthered those awkward lines into an un-enjoyable read.
Also, for a first person narrative, there are three POV so far in this story. That's never really a good thing for books when it comes to me. The switching POV's every chapter was annoying.
I finally gave up on this when I ran into conflicting personas on our leading male characters. Instead of alpha vampire men, I got the exact oppose in their behaviors, actions, and words:
"He had a small vanity stand set up just beside the front door to his mobile home, where he kept his can of glitter spray, his bottle of lotion and his comb-with his silver slacks on already, he had his entire costume within reach..."
And
"Besides, Jarrah wouldn’t have worn stretchy pants in public for anything, not even for the top-notch pussy his brother pulled while wearing spandex and glitter. With that pretty face of his, Jarrah thought that ‘Sideshow Archer’ looked like an even bigger fairy than his lovely daughter. The indignity his family suffered got a lot more embarrassing than the fake moustache Jarrah donned.”
Nope, not for me. I need men in lead parts with a little more manliness to them.
I couldn't take this one any further. How can two alpha vampires ever come across as so unmanly as these two leading male characters did? While at first, I thought this was going to be a great find, something a bit different from all the other books in this genre. Not the case. It quickly devolved.
For one, in the first 9% of the book I kept running into over use of descriptive things. Too many "... reflected off her/his skin." I get it.
Then I ran into too many awkward lines that felt forced and difficult to assimilate into coherent lines. The over use of descriptions only furthered those awkward lines into an un-enjoyable read.
Also, for a first person narrative, there are three POV so far in this story. That's never really a good thing for books when it comes to me. The switching POV's every chapter was annoying.
I finally gave up on this when I ran into conflicting personas on our leading male characters. Instead of alpha vampire men, I got the exact oppose in their behaviors, actions, and words:
"He had a small vanity stand set up just beside the front door to his mobile home, where he kept his can of glitter spray, his bottle of lotion and his comb-with his silver slacks on already, he had his entire costume within reach..."
And
"Besides, Jarrah wouldn’t have worn stretchy pants in public for anything, not even for the top-notch pussy his brother pulled while wearing spandex and glitter. With that pretty face of his, Jarrah thought that ‘Sideshow Archer’ looked like an even bigger fairy than his lovely daughter. The indignity his family suffered got a lot more embarrassing than the fake moustache Jarrah donned.”
Nope, not for me. I need men in lead parts with a little more manliness to them.
November 20, 2014
I love Sk Munt. She has a marvelous imagination and a unique way of creating an intelligent, original story. Her characters are some of the best "love to hate" in this book. The imagery and descriptions drag you into the story and won't let you go until the last page. The last few chapters blew my mind - talk about a twist!! I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
January 8, 2015
Just wow! Such a fantastic book! My favourite book by this author! It has the mother of all cliff hangers that had me yelling out obscenities! Can't wait for the next book!
January 9, 2015
Absolutely amazing!! Once I began reading I couldn't put it down. Awesome twists and fantastic new angle on the supernatural realm... Definitely a must read eagerly anticipating the next instalment
September 3, 2016
Another great read from s.k. munt. So many interesting plot twists and a great love triangle. Cant wait to read the next one!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews