Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Dear A. –
I am writing to express my gratitude for your gift. There are no sufficient words, but please accept my sincerest thank you.

Yours,
R.


She writes me back.
I didn’t expect that.

She tells me she’s a lover of chicken pizza and video games, a hot sorority girl with the nickname Sloth. She wants to know something about me in return. She says I owe her.

This is how she saves my life. She doesn’t even know it. We’ve never even seen each other. But I need a reason. Just one reason to continue. She becomes mine.

The anonymity is good. She doesn’t need to know me, but I need her kindness. We both live our lives: a letter here, a post card there. For three years, I escape my demons. And then one day I’m pulled back in.

I’ve resigned myself to what I know is coming. Until the girl I’m spanking gives her safe word: Sloth.

And then the lie I’m living starts to unravel.

--

Sloth is an erotic romance. It’s a dark mystery, so if you’re sad, read another book. This one is real, and hard. Not that kind of hard. (That kind of hard, too). Consider yourself warned.

P.S. The book ends on a beach. That’s all I’m saying. As for an HEA, you’ll have to read and see.

P.S.S. Sloth is long—about 500 pages. It was supposed to be short and quick. Instead it’s a behemoth that consumed its author for six months. As such, the price is going from $2.99 to $4.99 shortly after release.

--

I whirl around, because I need to go now. Need to run.

He grabs my arms, snatching me around to face him, holding me in front of him. Holding me still as he tries to tell me things I never want to hear.

"Stop it! Shut up! Shut up, Kellan! Fuck you!" He pulls me closer, and I slap his face.

The sound echoes through the foyer. His smooth, tanned check stains brilliant crimson.

He doesn't move a muscle. Doesn't even blink as I look at him for what I know will be the last time.

I'm sorry. His lips move silently. I don't care. I can't. His secrets ruined my life. He ruined my life!

If I live to be hundred, my heart will never be the same.

Note: Sloth is the first in my new Sinful Secrets series. Each intense, erotic story is inspired by a sin, and centered around a life-altering secret. Each "sin" stands on its own, so they don't have to be read in order. After Sloth, I'm writing Envy. Between these two, I'm releasing a stand alone: a more traditional romance called The Boy Next Door.

475 pages, ebook

First published June 21, 2015

980 people are currently reading
9947 people want to read

About the author

Ella James

75 books5,799 followers
Ella James is the USA Today + Amazon Top 10 bestselling author of more than twenty books. Ella lives in Colorado with her husband and three kids. When she's not writing, you can find her in the foothills.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
3,296 (48%)
4 stars
1,974 (28%)
3 stars
969 (14%)
2 stars
395 (5%)
1 star
227 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,189 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle.
2,082 reviews895 followers
October 2, 2015
Ella James has blown me away with her novel, Sloth. Most of this novel is cloaked in mystery that all starts off with a few lies. So even trying to give any brief recap of the story of Kellan and Cleo is just outright impossible. So let me just touch on my feelings.

The heat. Holy smokes. I was a goner. Ella not only packed so much story into this book, she left you wanting more. I was surprised that steam wasn’t rising from my kindle.

Both Kellan and Cleo were instantly likable characters. I just could not resist the two of them. But what I loved the most about this book was the emotions.

Screenshot_300

I had an idea of what the overall secret was going to be. There was this heaviness that just lingered there through the pages, but it was more than just one secret. I loved that she gave us that. Enough insight to have expectations, time to prepare yourself, but not quite giving you everything. Leaving just enough so that when she was ready to show you everything, you felt it deep into your soul.

I was waiting for my tears to fall during most of this. I had a feeling that I was going to be ruined. But page after page I was okay. And then, then I just wasn’t OK. Nothing was OK. For just a moment it felt like nothing was ever going to be OK again. I lost it. All of it. Whatever in the hell I had... POOF! It was gone. I bawled. Not little sobs, but huge, ugly ones that came with sounds and little whimpers and hiccups. I should have been embarrassed by the look my husband gave me when he realized that the look of utter devastation on my face was caused by a book. But I could barely breath so how could I even explain to someone on the outside what THIS felt like.

I was anticipating the release of this book for what felt like forever. I expected a short read in the style that of the erotic fairy tales that had previously been released. That was not what I got. Sloth was exceptional. A mix of smoldering moments and moments that took a hold of your emotions, leaving you reeling.

In addition to the wonderfulness that was this story, there was the acknowledgements and the note from the author that just brought this story full circle. A fantastic job was done by Ella James on this story and I am looking forward to the future releases in this story.
Profile Image for Chelsea Humphrey.
1,487 reviews83k followers
January 25, 2021
"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness."

description

THIS BOOK. Reviewing Sloth is a tricky business, because the entire story is centered around a big, fat, juicy secret. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. If you're new to this series, here's the low-down: each book is inspired by one of the seven deadly sins and the entire plot is wrapped up in a giant secret, so while this is a super dark and super sexy book, it also has the appeal of being a fast paced, mystery driven, suspenseful book. Obviously this book is related to the sin of sloth, and you don't know how it will tie in until the beginning. Just to give you an idea of how quickly it reads, Sloth comes in at a whopping 510 pages, and I finished it in around 36 hours. (It helps that the first 15-20% is letters exchanged between 2 unknown people, drumming up the initial suspense.) See? Page turner!

"All I have left is my secret. And a flame of pride, because I never let her near it."

Again, I have to be very careful tip toeing around details, but know this: the female lead is scrappy, resourceful, and mature beyond her years, while the male lead presents a polished, perfected persona that we have the privilege of watching crack and wear away over time. There is a portrayal of BDSM and the sexual content is consensual and responsible, but if dark romance isn't your thing, this might be a bit heavy for you. As someone who regularly reads dark romance, I found it to be medium on my gage. The thing that really sold me with this story is the author's note at the end of the book; obviously I can't tell you what it's about, but please don't skip that part when you finish the book. It's been over a month since I finished this book, and it still haunts me in a beautiful way. I cannot wait to continue on with the series, and I'm dying to discuss with anyone who chooses to read this as well.

"I think I understand. Why all great things are sad. Why silence aches. Why people lose their way... We're not meant to be alone. We're made with holes inside our souls. The only way to survive is to fill them. I think the catch is, you don't get to choose with what."
Profile Image for Kirsten.
382 reviews173 followers
July 23, 2015
2.5 stars...

These are my least favorite reviews.
A friend who rec'd this and someone I read this with both really liked it, so by all means it could've just been me.

I'm going to be honest, I really struggled with this one. I almost called it quits many times. Much like this review, I contemplated giving up. It had some highs and lows, and I'll see if I can break it down. Spoilers will be hidden, and they will be major. So if you are interested in reading, I am warning you about clicking on them...they may ruin your experience with the book.

Where to start...hmmmmm.


I won't talk about the premise, because I liked the vagueness of the blurb. It made you have an open mind about what was to occur. This definitely caught my attention.

I guess I'll get the negatives out of the way.

I'm not a hater of a long book, but when something is 500 pages, I need to be grabbed. This was a big miss for me. I think if this book was half the length, I might have liked it more and appreciated the story better. Since the build up and the point to this took up so much time, I was tempted to DNF. This contained way too much filler, and felt this was unnecessary. Then when the big twist was revealed...it still kept going...and going.


The excessive information then brought light to plot holes.
There were quite a few, but I think the biggest thing that bugged me was While there was explicit details about some things (will also be brought up), other minute yet important info was brushed aside and basically not explained.


If I had to read any more about the hero's back, shoulders, chest, ass, biceps, thighs, dick, and BALLS...

We get it, he's hot.

The sex was decent, however...


I really didn't have any love for the MC's, so I think that carried on to everything else. A lot of things just came off OTT for me.

And because I hate sounding mean, the bitchfest is over.


The actual story and the twist was a great positive. It was very unique. Even though I'm usually pretty slow...when I found out what The flow of the story was good, and will keep you guessing to what the fuck is happening. I hate to reiterate, but if the execution was different I would have probably really liked this. I think my negatives took away from the beauty this book potentially had.

It wasn't a horrible book, I do want to say that. Since I mentioned it worked for others, it could have been just me.
Profile Image for Sandy ღCoffee Addict Booksღ.
229 reviews257 followers
June 29, 2016

***4 Sparrow stars***
“I’ve resigned myself to what I know is coming. Until the girl I’m spanking gives her safe word: Sloth.

And then the lie I’m living starts to unravel.”
Whoever is responsible for writing the blurb did an incredible job at making it intriguing enough to one-click this book ASAP, Trust me! I never before one-clicked any book as soon as I read the blurb like I did with Sloth. Mystery is something which keeps me on the edge and drives me crazy with all the riddles and angst, I usually avoid reading them unless when I’m sick and nobody dares to disturb me or when I’m absolutely jobless but this blurb grabbed my attention and I was like "fuck work, fuck sleep I need to find out what the hell he was talking about??"

description

And what a roller coaster ride it was!! I felt like my heart was ripped off, stomped on and put back with loads of warmth and love. Sloth is full of mystery but not much on dark aspect and take the author’s warning seriously because it’s hard, too hard at times! I hated her for the parts she almost killed me! I kind of had this love/hate relationship with her throughout, now since I finished it I can undoubtedly say I love her, love her writing, love that she gave me one amazing thoughtful deep reading experience.

It’s 400+ pages and yet I can’t say much about this story without giving away the spoilers, all I can say is - its, riveting, intriguing, hot, palpable, beautiful and full of surprises...

Story starts with a letter, a letter which started off as a note of gratitude from R.D to Sloth, soon becomes means of companionship, a reason to go on, a hope to fight the demons of past. Sloth aka Cleo Whatley- a struggling college student who is poor but being a sorority girl comes with a price, nobody knows she has financial problems as she fits perfectly into their lifestyle but to survive there longer she needs money, in order to do that she sells weed. While she is popular around college for the same purpose, least did she worry about getting caught and when she did, she didn’t expect it to be by the SGA president Kellan Walsh. Kellan has a strict no drug policy, he doesn’t go easy on her but warns her not to deal around the campus and if caught again she will be rusticated from the college. Certain circumstances brings them closer, that’s when chain of secrets starts to unravel changing their lives forever.

description

Cleo is needy, wild, fiery, reckless basically weird in cute way and Kellan for most parts is enigmatic, living a double life, a pure breed of Alpha male. If fucking was an Olympic event Kellan Walsh would get a gold medal for sure!
On paper he screams “horrible idea,” but in experience…well, he screams horrible idea, but also “hot fuck.”
Holy Hell he’s fucking god of dirty talkers, the things he said and done and those kinky sex scenes... I was on FIRE!!
“I just want to sink down to the ground
And spread my legs. And think of…
Damn.
Maybe I’m ovulating today? Because I want him.
Like...I totally, illogically, inappropriately want that asshole, Kellan Walsh, inside me. Right now.”
Sorry folks, that’s all I can give. The secret wasn’t revealed until three fourth of the story, was it worth waiting? maybe not, since the author doesn’t even throw us any hints to even come up with any sort of explanation but what followed later was one of the emotional episodes I've ever read. It broke my heart to read what they were going through I had to take a break to get my breathing back to normal, every page had me hoping and praying. I was an emotional wreck, don't remember crying this bad till the end.

description

Ella James is one of the most gifted writer I've come across, her words are heartfelt. Not only her story is compelling also she has given very descriptive narration of every scenario, it’s like everything is happening right in front of you. Story is said from dual POV and this woman knows, scratch that lives/breathes her characters, they are very much real and endearing though at times you feel like slapping some sense into them. I'm at awe that this same author who in first half wrote one of dirtiest hottest orgasmic sex scenes, makes the second half an emotional whiplash!

So why not 5 stars??

#1-The story was divided into three parts, and each part is a different phase in Kellan and Cleo’s life, the way I see it wasn’t blended well. It not like there was no continuity but felt like I was reading about different people, luckily that feeling didn’t last very long as I went about I started to connect with them easily because lets face it they are pretty messed up but amazing characters and I FREAKING LOVE THEM!!!

#2-First half was pretty slow, it was as if there was no end to all this weed talk and in all honestly cutting short few pages on weed and sex wouldn’t have ruined the story AT ALL!!

#3-What about the missing information??

And yet I loved it, it was unusual and unique with surprising turn of events which you do not see it coming. My favorite thing about this story is the letters and quotes. I’ve bookmarked each and every one of them, one at the end was extremely emotional and heart-touching, it brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it.
“Unless you love someone, nothing else makes any sense.” - E.E. Cummings
Sloth is one of those books you either go nuts over it or give up sooner but no middle ground! So if you read and don’t like it, wait till you reach 13% where you encounter one of the best phone sex EVER and if you like that, stick around for atleast half of the book that’s where all naughty kinky stuff happens *winks*.

Note: Above images are taken from authors fb page and not created by me.
Profile Image for Olga therebelreader.
894 reviews767 followers
July 25, 2015
3.5 STARS

This book has a strong emotional toll on a person.

This is NOT a badly-written book! It started off good and strong but unfortunately it took a bit of a dive and lost me half way through. It was difficult for me to write a review without giving away the story, but I tried and here it’s what I think about Sloth .

I liked this book, but there were issues. Let me tell you what I liked first:
1 – The writing style was almost perfect. The author is one of my favorites and, once again, she doesn’t disappoint.
2 – Good development of the two main characters, Kellan and Cleo
3 – I loved the first part of the book, I was a fan of the steamy scenes
4 – My favorite scenes were Kellan’s accident and his rescue by Cleo, and when Cleo meets Kellan at his apartment after his disappearance, in the third part of the book
5 – The messages that were conveyed and especially that ‘true love knows no reason and no boundaries’


What I didn’t like in the book:
1 – The hero and heroine were freaky horny all the time
2 – The three parts of the book weren’t blended well. I think that the story didn’t flow smoothly, balancing the elements and scenes
3 – I didn’t like Cleo’s reaction when she found out Kellan’s true identity, it was flat and not as dramatic as Kellans’ reaction when he found out she was ‘Sloth’
4 – Two many details, the text was long and densely written and the story became at times uninteresting and tiring
5 - Lack of strong secondary characters, the ones that exist weren’t well done
6 – The story fizzled out, the ending left me unsatisfied. I ‘closed’ the book with a sense of disappointment and a bittersweet taste

All of these at the end made me disconnect with the story. As I said I enjoyed it, but that's it.
It was definitely heart melting, breaking, wrenching… an emotional roller coaster.
I gave 3-stars and I think you should still give this one a try.

 photo 868886_zps26onu0pv.gif
Profile Image for TheCrazyWorldOfABookLover.
366 reviews936 followers
September 5, 2016
 photo i-tried_zpsjfonny5d.gif

Sooooo, yea. This didn't work for me. I am not a fan of extremely detailed writing and extremely slow builds, and this book had just that. I feel it could have been cut down SIGNIFICANTLY without taking away from the story. I skimmed majority of this because I just couldn't take reading 2 whole pages about weed or the names of every single one of her classmates. Not to mention the repetitive and numerous times Kellan's appearance was described. We get it. He's hot. Let's move on.

The many inconsistencies were also driving me a little crazy (1 page her jeans are black, 3 pages later they're grey. Kellan mentions her 'long' dark hair, while later she says it's shoulder length. She mentions how she takes great care of her body, then a few chapters later says she hasn't picked up a weight in months). There were too many things going on at once, and parts that just didn't make sense. They went nowhere and added nothing to the story. They were just there I am guessing to add a "crazy factor."

Overall, I just didn't click with the drug dealing story line and didn't find it interesting, and found the heroine to be a tad cliche. I wound up asking a friend how the story ends because I couldn't be bothered to finish.
Profile Image for Bibi.
1,287 reviews133 followers
February 11, 2018
Call me a prude or whatever but deep-throating a guy after only having two encounters is laughable. Selling drugs is not. DNF @ 12%
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,332 reviews1,341 followers
February 9, 2020
description

description

Phewwww - this was such a HUGE story. Not only as in lots of words and pages ... LOTS of story -lots of SEXINESS - lots of feelings - lots of this:

description

I loved every second of Cleo and Kellan's story (uhm yeah, how can I resist a hero named after my NUMBERONEBOOKBOYFRIENDKELLANKYLE)

I heard some people saying that there was too much story and too much criminal stuff - pfff - not true - the criminal stuff has a good reason for existing and if it's too much story for you - you're probably just confused by all the names and times and people ;)

GO AND BUY THIS AMAZING BOOK!!!! Bring your box of tissues and be prepared to fall in love with Cleo & Kellan!

description

description


Smokin Hot Book Blog Smokin Hot Book Blog Smokin Hot Book Blog Smokin Hot Book Blog Smokin Hot Book Blog
Profile Image for Vishous.
734 reviews594 followers
didn-t-finish
June 28, 2015
I can't.
I just can't read this mess anymore.
I don't care what happens later.
I don't feel any connection to the characters, or to the story.
The sex scenes are giving me the headache. They are simply awful and ridiculous.
She has tighter @unt than a virgin, and he has the biggest c@ck, NOT di@k.
Them as individuals, and them together, their conversations... *headache*

Who knows, maybe I'll finish this one day if someone pushes me enough to give it a second chance, but for now...

DNF @ 55%

Profile Image for Ash.
383 reviews39 followers
October 18, 2015
**I read this via Kindle Unlimited**

I actually finished this book about 3 hours ago....but I wasn't able to jump on the computer until now. When I finished, I knew it was going to be 5 stars....sadly, it isn't, as I've had a little while to think about it.

This book...was not at all what I was expecting. Not.One.Bit. I actually read a little of it, and then read the description again and then I decided "Yeah, I can totally get behind this". I hadn't actually planned on reading this when I did, but a GR friend wasn't sure what to read next, and I told her a few of the books I was hoping to read soon and she picked this one....So then I decided *I* also had to read it, so it was KIND OF like a buddy read, but not really. We did have a few good chats about it though, so maybe it was.

It was really interesting...this book. The writing style was definitely amazing, I didn't really want to put it down once, and I wouldn't have, but that pesky thing called 'life' got in the way. At first, I really had no idea what was going on, but I found it to be so intriguing and mysterious that I just had to go on and figure out what was going on. Let me tell you, this book is really slow paced... but it didn't matter to me, I enjoyed it all the same. Once things started coming together? definite 'holy shit' reaction for me, haha.

Cleo, the main character, is a college student, she's pretty likeable. Kellan, the 2nd POV, yeah...I liked him, but there was a few times where I was just like "what the actual fuck just happened!?" There is a lot of mystery wrapped up in him...like...a lot, a lot. Sometimes I wasn't even sure we were ever going to figure out what was going on...that bugged me...but it also kept me going. They start off pretty rocky [he's busting her for selling marijuana, also, there is a lot of marijuana in this book......just in case you don't like drugs] and then something happens and she is kind of forced into his life.....and then....its all sorts of hot, but of course...there is lots of confusion also.

There are three parts to this story....and it seemed like each part got more tragic/emotional....I didn't actually think the different parts flowed very well into the next part...but it wasn't a huge deal. Part three was pretty bad, I was actually afraid of how it was going to turn out. I cried once or twice...or more....actually there were a few times I wanted to cry through out the whole book. It isn't just about sex, there are quite a few emotional factors wrapped up. Lots of heartache....

When I first finished this...I loved it, I thought it was totally amazing, 5 stars AT LEAST...but after a little while I realized that...some stuff that I actually thought was fucked up...yeah that stuff wasn't ever explained....and there were some people that were THERE and then suddenly they were rarely mentioned....or they were mentioned a lot, but then didn't actually make any kind of appearance...there are a lot of flashbacks on Kellan's part...sometimes they dragged on, and sometimes I had no idea what the point of them was....and near the end, there was a lot of sexual contact....like...an unnecessary amount and seriously, I don't usually mind, haha

ANYWAY....This book wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it, and it's something I'd consider reading again. I would also rec this book out...It was definitely a roller coaster, and we all know how I love me some sad, tragic tales. Sorry if this review is a bit messy, its 5 am and I am quite tired....off to bed!

come find me:
www.facebook.com/ReadsAsh
IG: ash.reads Twitter: @ReadsAsh
Profile Image for Ally  Cakes.
256 reviews40 followers
July 2, 2015
Too many things going on. I felt I was reading 3 stories, one after the other. Not every fire started in the plot was put out. I was still left with too many questions. The Hero's and heroine's relationship was very unhealthy and codependent. The ending was predictable and manipulative. At least I'll say this, I didn't DNF it. I stuck with all 400+(?) pages until the end, only to be let down in epic fashion.
Profile Image for Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡.
737 reviews1,073 followers
Want to read
April 20, 2015



This story will now be released as ONE FULL LENGTH BOOK!

Excerpt #2

Sexy teasers by the author...







Excerpt reveal hosted by TRSOR
Profile Image for Peggy Dabney.
Author 3 books59 followers
September 25, 2015
What a roller coaster of emotion! The unexpected is what I loved the most. You never really could figure out what was happening next, which is both frustrating and fun. This story is full of mind f**ks, betrayal, and secrets. But through it all there was never any doubt of Cleo's love for Kellan. I had to stop reading several times just to try to keep my own emotions from skyrocketing out of control. Lesson for me in this one: Never push the people you love away. Hit's a little to close to home. This novel is long but worth every word. 5 stars all the way for me. Enjoy! :D
Profile Image for Julia (bookish.jka).
935 reviews282 followers
June 29, 2021
”We’re not meant to be alone. We’re made with holes inside our souls. The only way to survive is to fill them. I think the catch is, you don’t get to choose with what.”

SO💔MANY❤️‍🩹FEELS❤️‍🔥

Be ready to go through the entire range of emotions in this Ella James stunner, and make sure you have the tissues handy😭.

It starts with a lie. And lives changed. And love found. And love lost. And secrets, lots of secrets.

Oh and did I mention that it’s steamy AF🔥🔥🔥😅.

Highly recommended.

4.5 ✨✨✨✨✨
Profile Image for Holly.
532 reviews539 followers
Read
June 28, 2015
DNF @ 20%

This is probably the earliest I have given up on a book in a very, very long time. But....i just couldn't continue on with the confusing mind-fuckery this book is.

I was beyond intrigued when i read the sample of this book. It sounded so interesting and different. I even put down another book i was already reading, to start this one.



But, once we got past the letters at the beginning....well, things went downhill for me. Quickly.
I am all for a twisty ride. But, this story was just too...well, too much. I realize i am in the minority here, and hell...maybe I would have ended up liking this book if i had the patience to stick with it. But, unfortunately i just don't have it in me to finish it.

Profile Image for Jamie Davis.
91 reviews28 followers
June 24, 2015
This book ... OH MY GOSH! Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions. When I tell you Kellan has secrets, you can guess all day, and until you actually read it, you'll never believe how riveting his secrets really are. I absolutely love the way this book opens with letters from R and Sloth. It's like taking a sneak peek into their lives before actually getting to know them. The letters start your mind guessing and wondering what secrets will be revealed within the story.

I'm going out on a limb and saying this is Ella James' best book to date. Although she's always a favorite, this book really showcases her skill at weaving a story that will captivate you!
Profile Image for Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover.
953 reviews584 followers
January 15, 2016
3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed the storyline. For a NA it was quite unique. This story took me on an emotional rollercoaster. It's definitely not what it seems. But gosh this one was emotionally frustrating read! I love the element of suspense, but I hate when it's 50% into the story I'm still struggling trying to figure out whats going on, what's happening, why is the hero acting like this, etc. It was very wordy, but it made sense when I found out that this was originally released in 3 parts. I loved the authors note at the end and it's a very heartwarming story with a lot of steamy sexy scenes.

Thanks so much Ella James for kindly gifting me this copy. I must say I love the authors style of writing and I'll definitely be checking out her other books.
Profile Image for martina.
277 reviews100 followers
March 24, 2021
DNF @ 66 percent
↳ I am finally learning how to DNF because what is the point of finishing a story that is insanely long, when you know ultimately you will give it one star. This book was like Priceless meets Punk 57 and seeming that I enjoyed both of those books, you would think I would also love this. But I really did not. The letters during the first couple chapters intrigued me, but as soon as the book really started, I could not get into it. I just did not enjoy Ella James's writing. I cannot explain it, but the plot just felt messy and all over the place. There was like four individual plots happening in one book. As readers we were trying to find the mystery and reason of all these plots. Of course, I like to read some suspense in my romance and wait for the big reveal, but it got too much. It got to a point, where there were so many filler pages, and I did not care what the mystery was anymore. Additionally, I was not enjoying the heroine or the hero. The only thing this book had going for it was that the smut was decent, but otherwise that this is a big NO from me.
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews15.4k followers
Want to read
June 4, 2016
 photo free neon Tu4 by sb_zpswhqu0wrf.gif

FREE on Amazon US today (6/3/2016)

OMG! OMG! LOOKIE WHAT IS FREEEEEEE! Book 1.
Per author be vary of spoilers.

BLURB:
Dear A. –
I am writing to express my gratitude for your gift. There are no sufficient words, but please accept my sincerest thank you.

Yours,
R.


She writes me back.
I didn’t expect that.

She tells me she’s a lover of chicken pizza and video games, a hot sorority girl with the nickname Sloth. She wants to know something about me in return. She says I owe her.

This is how she saves my life. She doesn’t even know it. We’ve never even seen each other. But I need a reason. Just one reason to continue. She becomes mine.

The anonymity is good. She doesn’t need to know me, but I need her kindness. We both live our lives: a letter here, a post card there. For three years, I escape my demons. And then one day I’m pulled back in.

I’ve resigned myself to what I know is coming. Until the girl I’m spanking gives her safe word: Sloth.

And then the lie I’m living starts to unravel.


FREE: https://www.amazon.com/Sloth-Secrets-...


FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 500 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Profile Image for Samantha Schwerin.
508 reviews28 followers
May 24, 2016
So...I kinda want the last two hours of my life back because...no...just no. I will never understand how this got such high reviews. This is basically 50 Shades of Grey with slightly better characters in a drug selling environment. I stopped at 30% because I was getting really annoyed with everything going on and the story was just ridiculous. I must admit, the letters in the beginning had me intrigued. Cleo was spastic and all over the place in her letters, but endearing. But by the time the chapters started, that quickly turned to annoying. Kellan was interesting in the beginning as well-with him being so mysterious and all, but then it quickly turned into 50sofg in two seconds flat and my face was just -_-. I can't with that shit. Really can't. It's just not for me. I am not a prude by any means and love me some sex scenes but the minute he made her call him master I peaced out. I am also quite mad at myself for spending 5 bucks on this 'story'. When I read reviews from others that dubbed this 'the best book of 2015' and 'amazing' I snorted. And then I wondered if we were reading the same thing?
Profile Image for Dusti Hanrahan.
298 reviews96 followers
October 13, 2015
3.5 stars....
I don't even know where to begin w a review.
I didn't love this book, I think with this one you will either love or hate it...not much in between.
For most of this book it felt very juvenile...well other than the intense sex scenes which were fabulous until...well...they just got old...
It sort of felt like a FSOG for young college kids.
The whole 'weed dealer' premise made me a bit nuts.

I skimmed A LOT of this, even the sex got tedious and lost its sizzle because...well... I was just over it...
There was a mysterious factor that kept me intrigued. I couldn't quite figure out where some things were going..Some things I knew from the start and then...well...WTF is w Nessa.... It was like reading ADD if that's possible.
About the 80-85% mark the book gained a star... Although I had a feeling about this...Ella James wrote Kellan's' painful, tragic truth in such a way that sucked me in, left me in terrible emotional pain and I FELT EVERY WORD! She did a fantastic job w facts, even when stretched, and she made it feel real and I found I was praying for a HEA.
Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].
1,775 reviews411 followers
November 3, 2015
11/02/2015 --

This was a long book. Anyone who knows me, knows me making this comment first about a book, can't be good. Why? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE a long book, when done well. This one confused the heck out of me most of the time. It took me forever to read.

Things I liked about the book:
1 -- Something pulled me. I'm one of those people who will give a book 30%. If I don't like it well enough by then, or see some potential, I'll DNF and rate. Like it or not, my philosophy .. life is way to short and there are TONS of books out there to waste my time on something that doesn't grab me. Something must have grabbed me. This book is divided into three "parts"; 1, 2, 3. I liked half of part 1, and then most of part 3. I skimmed much of the later half of part 2. I wanted to see what the secret was. I guess that was the pull.

2 -- I liked Kellan. He didn't make a whole lot of sense to me all the time, but I liked him. I could tell you why, but that is part of the "secret" and I don't want to give anything away, in case you decide to read this one.

3 -- This was a Kindle Unlimited book. I like when I find something on that list that I'll read. I don't find enough to have the service pay for itself, but I just can't seem to cancel it either. So, yay! I read a KU book this month!!

Now for the numerous things that didn't work for me:
1 -- There were parts and pieces introduced that just didn't make sense. They went nowhere and added nothing to the story. They were just there.

2 -- Moving around between characters and between time elements were not smooth. More than a few times I had to look back to see what I missed. Turns out I missed nothing, but the author missed pulling me a along in a storylike manner.

3 -- The whole foray into mild BDSM elements was just lost in this story. Made no sense and added nothing. Why? Just for the crazy factor?

4 -- The secret is just crazy when put together like this story was put together. The concept could have been epic. Seriously. Epic. I don't think the author had the chops to pull it off. I know the author didn't have the chops or this review would tell you an entirely different story.

5 -- I mentioned above, skimming much of the second part of this book. About 18 chapters or so. Why? Vicious amounts of gratuitous sex. No real adds to the story and completely over the top. The smexy parts were written well. They were intimate, but they were many and pages long. UGH!!

I really could go on and on, but I think you get what I'm trying to say. I was on the verge of DNF'ing this book so many times, but just couldn't. I guess I'll bump a star for that. Something kept pulling me to read a bit more. I also was all over the place when thinking about how to rate this one. It never got above a 3 Star for me, and in the end, I settled on 2 Stars [that with the bump I mentioned]. I hate when a good concept just doesn't come together. I hate when there are characters I like locked forever in this craptastic story.

You may be more tolerant of some of the issues I found with this one. The drama may lend itself to your forgiveness. When I compare this to all the books I read, I just can't give credit without substance.

Happy Reading!!


Overall Rating = 2.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 3 / 4 / 5 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 2 Stars
Character / Secondary Character Development = 3 / 3 = 3 Stars
“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 3 / 3 = 3 Stars
Story / Background Story Development = 1 / 2 = 1.5 Stars
“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 2 Stars
Ending = 3 Stars
Worth the Chili = 2 Stars -- [$KU on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Steamy
506 pages

First sentence:
Dear A - I'm writing to express my gratitude for your gift.

Last sentence: I grip his shoulders. "Husband." "Always ..."
Profile Image for Julie.
750 reviews158 followers
October 6, 2015
NOT ENOUGH CLEO~BABY STARS **ONE OF THE BEST 2015 READS!

Ella rocked my world. This was Amazing!



SLOTH:

A tree-dwelling animal named for his extremely slow movements

"I don't wear anything around my neck except my trusty sloth necklace. Why a sloth? It's my nickname. It suits me because I'm slow-moving, and I like to sleep. Also, sloths are fucking adorable and weird. What better combination?"

Wow! I am stunned stupid. I. LOVED. IT! Nothing really can be said without a giveaway(s). I will never forget this read. The author doesn't reveal if it's a HEA, that I was very pleased about!

MY CLEO (Sloth)

[image error] photo f24b2efc-8031-4091-84f3-97dc5000f002_zpsuf8olamy.jpg

Meet KELLAN, let me say ladies, he did not disappoint.

[image error] photo 4adb00e6-d217-47f3-b939-d7482e0b9708_zpscvf2yre2.jpg

This will hit home with a lot of readers, I believe anyway. These two are incredible characters and I loved them both. All I can do now is provide ...

[image error] photo f8805a74-0c46-4a04-854d-10a840827d89_zpssdovnwxj.jpg


"Unless you love someone, nothing else
makes any sense."
-e.e Cummings


[image error] photo bfeeefe02209235cd1024a0700ba851e_zpse7h68xap.gif


BEWARE OF REVIEWS/SHELVES UNTIL YOU HAVE READ IT. ENJOY!

Profile Image for Rain.
2,577 reviews21 followers
June 30, 2021
This book reads like its 2000 pages long. At the 70% mark I was still confused and didn’t see the point. I pushed through because so many friends said it was SO GOOD and made them sob. It was literally about nothing for pages and pages. Here’s the basic run-down without spoiling anything. A weed dealing college student, meets a hunk of a guy who pays her to have kinky sex with him and also maybe be a dealer for him? Good luck figuring out why everything seems so weird and secretive. Are we all high? The writing isn’t bad, it just goes on for PAGES. Nothing made sense.

Around 75% is when the emotional manipulation comes into play. This is my least favorite trope. Hook the reader in, let them THINK that something awful happened, but it really didn’t, surprise! And then do that a couple more times until the end of the story. It’s a chunk of a book at 542 pages and it deals with some really heavy topics that I wished I had known when I started it. The spoiler below doesn’t list what happens to anyone, just the topics since there are no trigger warnings.

The only part of this story I actually liked was the end, it was really good! After all of that manufactured drama, there was a hea. Who knew? It felt like two completely separates stories smashed into one.

My favorite quote from this book came from another author, Louise Erdrich.
“You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart.”
So if you don’t mind all that OTT drama, it does have some interesting kink. I kept thinking that she must have been a really deep sleeper, how the heck does he fill those orifices without her waking up? Ok, one last point
Profile Image for L.E. Chamberlin.
Author 10 books143 followers
July 16, 2015
***Sloth is Ella James's Best Book Yet***

Who is Kellan Walsh? Is he really the buttoned-up, play-by-the-rules frat bro he appears to be? Or is he something...darker?

Cleo hates her strange pull to him - but giving in to Kellan feels too right to refuse.
Cleo gets under Kellan's skin, too, and suddenly his simple plan falls apart as he drowns himself in ecstasy with a girl he just can't say goodbye to.

Together they sizzle, combust, and keep burning - an endless, white-hot blaze. Secrets linger thick as smoke, and breathless pacing kept me guessing and guessing again.

Sloth is a love story both primal and complex, violent and tender, desperate and blissful. You won't want to miss this beautifully crafted and exquisitely executed masterpiece.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,632 reviews132 followers
January 2, 2016
First things first, I know I am going to have to edit this review to get it on Amazon, but I have to say Kellan Walsh fucks like a champion. Like a thoroughbred stallion on acid. And his cock Is the most beautiful one I have ever imagined in my dreams or seen on Tumblr.

The gift, I spent ages thinking what was the gift? How did this unlikely pair become penpals? And yes some of the letters I found a bit difficult to read because of the font size but I got there. The unusualness of them added to the complexity of the tale, because the writer R is unknown.

I loved both Cleapatra and Kellan - see note above. They are both Gold medal winners for great fuckery. Cleo has had a ton of shit in her life and Kellan too but you have to dig to find it.

So many things going on to think about and investigate. I did lots of pondering, then the eureka moment - I shouted out "That is the gift," and woke my husband up. Whoops!

I loved the little nod to M Pierce. Yay, I loved Night Owl, Kellan could have a great dirty talk competition with Matt Sky.

Ok back to the sex, did I say it was smouldering hot? I definitely needed a Lelo break. That said the book isn't all about the sex, it has great plot, great pace and is beautifully written. I love an author who is big on description and Ella gives great prose.

"It's a windy day. The treetops sway slowly. Pine bristles tremble with orchestral restraint. All around their roots, the river spills - an open vein. The rushing water hurts my ears, like someone turned the volume too loud."

"I think I understand. Why all great things are sad. Why silence aches. Why people lose their way. Why when I see a lone figure, I wonder who she's missing and not who'll she'll meet. Why babies die when they're not touched. Why girls cradle letters from strange boys with nameless pain upon their hearts. We're not meant to be alone. We're made with holes inside out souls. The only way to survive is to fill them. I think the catch is, you don't get to choose with what."

Now I need to buy a sloth key ring and a sloth cuddly toy because I feel my life will not be complete without them.


Profile Image for Kristi.
117 reviews10 followers
June 30, 2015
OK, deep breath. I loved this book so much! Kellan and Cleo are still on my mind 2 days later! I completely fell in love with these characters and their love story. I completely fell in love with the absolute mess that Kellan and Cleo were in. They both had such responsibility and such passion for the things they were involved in and fighting for. As the story unraveled, I wasn't sure how things were going to resolve. But they did! Oh, man, we got answers to all the secrets and went on a very emotional ride with them to the very last page.

And Kellan was so intriguing to me. He was definitely all alpha male and the sex scenes were off the charts hot! Cleo was a strong female character who was young and so in love.

I highly recommend this book. Sloth was a very secretive, messy, tangled plot that kept me spinning and swiping the pages of my kindle, clawing to find the HEA. So what if I was a sobbing mess? I'm so glad I read this book. I feel like it was a lesson in love, dedication, empathy and personal strength. And I am thankful!

*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,189 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.