⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 stars!!
**Read for the 2019 DE A-Z Challenge**
This series was really fun, decently dark, and pretty damn suspenseful. I went into it thinking it would be categorized more as horror than anything else, but I was definitely wrong. Granted, I have a dark, dry sense of humor, but I thought this was a hilarious read. It was also sexy and at times even heartwarming. I also really didn't expect to fall in love with a serial killer, but that is exactly what ended up happening...
I truly believe ridding the world of scum is a good deed. It’s not wrong to kill a man who’s hurt others or who has the potential to harm again. I’m a vigilante for those I hold dear and it was the right thing to do.
Oh, Mark Jameson. The entire series is told from his POV, and thank God for that. Sure, it's probably exhausting living inside his head, but for the reader it is nothing short of fascinating. Mark is a loyal, depraved ex-porn star. He currently owns a hotel on Lake Tahoe, so his clientele is mostly entitled rich people. He was birthed and raised by awful humans, so the fact that he's even somewhat capable of emotion is nothing short of remarkable. He has a contentious relationship with the members of his family, and yeah, he shows his love in strange ways, but there's still no doubt that he loves them unconditionally. When the story starts, Mark is already in a somewhat established relationship with Jules, a much-younger woman that works the front desk at his hotel. Mark and Jules are made for each other. They're hilarious and loving in their own way. I loved watching the development of their relationship, especially how Mark came to accept how much he cared for her and couldn't live without her. At first, I thought Mark might be a psychopath, but really, he isn't at all. He's just a guy that shows his love the only way he knows how- by controlling everything and everyone around him.
"Who the fuck are you and what have you done with my balls?"
"Julia Alison Barringer," she whispers. "Your balls hang on a necklace around my neck. You can have them back once you prove that you're a man."
I loved Jules. She's fun, independent, and loving. She understands Mark, which is no easy feat. She supports him but she also challenges him, which is why he loves her like he does. Jules definitely isn't interchangeable with some other sexy twenty-two-year old; she's in a league of her own, and it's easy to see why Mark broke all his rules for her. That being said, even though Jules was awesome, Mark was the headliner of this shitshow. The story was originally broken up into six novellas, and it makes for a fast-paced read with lots of mini-climaxes. The story runs seamlessly and you not only get to know the characters, you develop with them. The only complaints I have involve the backstory. It was a little over-the-top and unbelievable. I couldn't quite grasp how everyone was related and furthermore, why things were happening now as opposed to happening in the past. There were a few grammar mistakes, too, but they weren't egregious. All in all, this was a fun, suspenseful read that had a lot of hot sex and strong personalities! I would highly recommend it to anyone that isn't afraid to take a little walk on the dark side.
"You're the first woman I've ever lusted for and the only one who's given me comfort. You put me at ease and pacify my heart."