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American Monsters #1
Devil's Slave
I thought I knew what hell was. After years as a cop, I was sure I'd seen the worst humanity had to offer.
I had no f*cking idea.
Now I know I've seen hell. Hell is the basement of an industrial warehouse where the rich, bored and psychotic buy their pleasure at the cost of innocent men and women.
I will take these bastards down, but first, I have to let myself be sold…
My life as a sexual slave should destroy me. Maybe I'm made for hell because as much as I want to end Domingo Morgan and his sick empire, I can't wait for the next moment I feel his hands on my throat.
Every day I spend as his property, I crave him a little bit more.
Lover. Cop. Victim. Damned if I know who I am anymore. My life as Hugh Kincaid, police officer, is over. The only thing that means anything, the only thing that matters now, is that I belong to him.
Lola Hale explores your darkest erotic fantasies in DEVIL'S SLAVE, the first book in her addictive male/male American Monsters trilogy. This book contains explicit content, including dubious consent.
I had no f*cking idea.
Now I know I've seen hell. Hell is the basement of an industrial warehouse where the rich, bored and psychotic buy their pleasure at the cost of innocent men and women.
I will take these bastards down, but first, I have to let myself be sold…
My life as a sexual slave should destroy me. Maybe I'm made for hell because as much as I want to end Domingo Morgan and his sick empire, I can't wait for the next moment I feel his hands on my throat.
Every day I spend as his property, I crave him a little bit more.
Lover. Cop. Victim. Damned if I know who I am anymore. My life as Hugh Kincaid, police officer, is over. The only thing that means anything, the only thing that matters now, is that I belong to him.
Lola Hale explores your darkest erotic fantasies in DEVIL'S SLAVE, the first book in her addictive male/male American Monsters trilogy. This book contains explicit content, including dubious consent.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2016
17 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
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March 11, 2017
2.5 Hearts
I'm having trouble articulating how I feel about this book. There is good stuff here, if fucked up characters and situations are your thing. They are my thing. But I felt like this throughout the read.
I kept trying to get a foothold in the story but there is so much going and yet when I think back on it nothing really happened. I struggled and didn't connect with either character. The potential is there but I found the plot a bit slapdash. People keep dying, none of the other character motivations made sense to me, there seemingly no one trustworthy and I kept thinking all those things were red herrings that detracted from the primary objective.
Hale does a good job with Hugh's characterization. He's a washed up ex-cop, some time private eye who's got an addiction problem. Through a series of events he finds himself Dom's pet. The entire story is told through Hugh and he's somewhat sympathetic and a train wreck. Dom's seemingly a sociopath but still largely enigmatic. Mr. Black was an intriguing secondary character though and a couple of the other secondary characters hold promise.
Honestly, I was expecting it to be kinkier. The kink that is there felt like a checklist with a dibble of pet play, a dabble of humiliation, a smidge of bondage, you get what I mean. Hugh's mouthy and he and Dom throw down frequently which I couldn't tell if it was their version of foreplay or they just like beating the fuck out of each other. Like a mini Fight Club of two.
Dom seems to have a penchant for choking and biting both of which Nate seems to respond to, but there was only one really kinky-pain slutty whipping scene. Honorable mention for the exhibitionist scene in the club. Not mad at that. My stumbling block is whether or not Hugh's responding so much to Dom's domination and the danger he poses, or is it just another gateway to a high. Hugh does like to check out. Some of the sex is hot enough and found this story depraved, yes, but kinky...
The people in this super secret underground ring are engaging in human trafficking and they have their own version of gladiator games. Yep. "Pets", and sometimes people that stepped out of line, fight to the death. I thought Hugh's primary objective was to save his niece who's been kidnapped by said super secret society, but... Hugh's either tweaked out or has the attention span of a tse tse fly. Following him was next to impossible. I'm not one to harp on tense and POV but I would've paid money to get out of his head. I like to be challenged and try to figure out what's going on especially in books that have an element of mystery or suspense, but I feel like I was sent into the gladiator ring with an arm and a leg tethered and blindfolded.
I do think Hale has potential and the technical aspects of her writing style are good; what would've helped me is tighter plotting. Perhaps this is all by design and there is some grand plan at work. Only time will tell. I do like that Hugh is older than Dom as well as the concept of this series. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I read it. *shrugs* I may try again once the series is complete.
I'm waffling between 2 and 2.5 Hearts but we don't have a 2.25 Heart thingamajig so I'll go with 2.5.
If dub-con and FUBAR characters are your jam, give the other reviews a looksee before deciding.
A review copy was provided by NetGalley.
I'm having trouble articulating how I feel about this book. There is good stuff here, if fucked up characters and situations are your thing. They are my thing. But I felt like this throughout the read.
I kept trying to get a foothold in the story but there is so much going and yet when I think back on it nothing really happened. I struggled and didn't connect with either character. The potential is there but I found the plot a bit slapdash. People keep dying, none of the other character motivations made sense to me, there seemingly no one trustworthy and I kept thinking all those things were red herrings that detracted from the primary objective.
Hale does a good job with Hugh's characterization. He's a washed up ex-cop, some time private eye who's got an addiction problem. Through a series of events he finds himself Dom's pet. The entire story is told through Hugh and he's somewhat sympathetic and a train wreck. Dom's seemingly a sociopath but still largely enigmatic. Mr. Black was an intriguing secondary character though and a couple of the other secondary characters hold promise.
Honestly, I was expecting it to be kinkier. The kink that is there felt like a checklist with a dibble of pet play, a dabble of humiliation, a smidge of bondage, you get what I mean. Hugh's mouthy and he and Dom throw down frequently which I couldn't tell if it was their version of foreplay or they just like beating the fuck out of each other. Like a mini Fight Club of two.
Dom seems to have a penchant for choking and biting both of which Nate seems to respond to, but there was only one really kinky-pain slutty whipping scene. Honorable mention for the exhibitionist scene in the club. Not mad at that. My stumbling block is whether or not Hugh's responding so much to Dom's domination and the danger he poses, or is it just another gateway to a high. Hugh does like to check out. Some of the sex is hot enough and found this story depraved, yes, but kinky...
The people in this super secret underground ring are engaging in human trafficking and they have their own version of gladiator games. Yep. "Pets", and sometimes people that stepped out of line, fight to the death. I thought Hugh's primary objective was to save his niece who's been kidnapped by said super secret society, but... Hugh's either tweaked out or has the attention span of a tse tse fly. Following him was next to impossible. I'm not one to harp on tense and POV but I would've paid money to get out of his head. I like to be challenged and try to figure out what's going on especially in books that have an element of mystery or suspense, but I feel like I was sent into the gladiator ring with an arm and a leg tethered and blindfolded.
I do think Hale has potential and the technical aspects of her writing style are good; what would've helped me is tighter plotting. Perhaps this is all by design and there is some grand plan at work. Only time will tell. I do like that Hugh is older than Dom as well as the concept of this series. Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I read it. *shrugs* I may try again once the series is complete.
I'm waffling between 2 and 2.5 Hearts but we don't have a 2.25 Heart thingamajig so I'll go with 2.5.
If dub-con and FUBAR characters are your jam, give the other reviews a looksee before deciding.
A review copy was provided by NetGalley.
November 14, 2016
3,5 stars. Rounded up.
Normally I rate my books solely according to my reading enjoyment. But sometimes it is difficult to rate a book, because I don't know where to place it. Devil's Slave is one of those books. I read it in one sitting and I enjoyed some parts A LOT, but there are also some parts that were STRANGE and difficult to judge.
The blurb sounded intriguing and even if dom/sub/sexual slave topic is not my usual genre, I became curious because of a mystery aspect in it that made this novel interesting for me.
A police officer who goes undercover as a sex slave and enters a dangerous world of trafficking and slave trade where justice means making your own rules? YES!
If you don't like when an author tells EVERYTHING, without giving you a chance to use your own brain, then it is your book. Lola Hale leaves open a lot of elbowroom for speculations and guessing. It is for sure a book that let you make your own inferences.
Hugh Kincaid is thirty-seven, an ex-cop and an ex-private investigator, an ex-junkie who keeps living off disability, spending his time sleeping and drinking and swallowing pills to fight down the nightmare. We get the story of Hugh's social decline, but the author didn't explain what happened to his partner David, under what circumstances did he die. His death was for sure the trigger of Hugh's fall.
When Shiloh, a daughter of David disappears, everything speaks for a kidnapping. It is not the first and probably not the last kidnapping in the area - thirty-six kidnappings in four months. The most victims are runaways and homeless. No one cares. Hugh suspects that police is somehow involved and that corruption runs deep, it is why he starts to investigate on his own. He discovers a closed private club for wealthy and mighty, and with some tricks obtains an access to a private party, and soon after he is a property of a very reach, attractive and dominant Domingo Morgan.
This book is dark, bloody and HOT AS HELL. It is no doubt, well-written, though the writing style is very unusual. For me it is in the first place an erotic thriller. With emphasis on erotic. I normally not a fan of BDSM themes, but I couldn't get enough here. The sexual tension between Hugh and Domingo made my kindle melting, BURNING in my hands! Hugh discovers a submissive side in himself that he doesn't even know existed. But for Domingo, who used to train slaves and trade them, isn't a big deal to recognize it.
Even if the main reason I picked up this book, was a PROMISED mystery, I think it was actually the weakest part in the plot. It was chaotic and not convincing. The mystery that I'm talking about, strangely happened to be not about a missing Shiloh. But about...something different (I don't want to spoil you anything. Nevertheless, I think that without a mystery part running alternately in the background/foreground I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. Yes, despite of its weak performance.
But sex...oh... yes...sex scenes were delicious...
**Copy provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
November 22, 2016
This is a strangely compelling story.
I am not sure that the blurb truly does it justice. The blurb and the cover present this book as your 'usual BDSM m/m romance' but it is really much deeper than that.
What we actually have here is the first book in a series that focuses on people who are caught up in the world of sex clubs and human trafficking.
Hugh Kincaid who is a retired police detective, infiltrates a sex club in order to find his niece. He then gets caught up in a world of sex and death where there are no rules except the rules of power. This is a world inhabited by shadowy people who know how to use this power to achieve their own ends.
And Hugh gets caught up in this world because he becomes caught up in Domingo.
Domingo Morgan is a strange man. He has trafficked in people, trained slaves, and is a member of Club Sheol. He is not shocked by the deaths and violence that take place in the club because he has his own rules and his own way of achieving his own ends.
Hugh is one of those ends and Domingo seeks to draw Hugh into his world by promising to help Hugh find his niece.
What then follows is a subtle and sometimes overt struggle between the two men as Domingo seeks to enslave Hugh and gain complete mastery over him in every way; sexually, physically and mentally.
I was surprised how gripping this was. I am not a great BDSM fan but will read these stories occasionally if there is more to the story than ropes and sex.
There is certainly a lot more to this story as we see the way in which the two men struggle against each other and against themselves as individuals. What is really interesting is when the two men work together to struggle against others. As Hugh negotiates this new, dark world he begins to question himself and to see that although he is shocked by what he witnesses there is a part of him that relishes the darkness.
The push and pull between the two men is fascinating and this is what makes the story gripping. I definitely want to read the others in the series because I want to see what happens.
Will Hugh find his niece?
Will Domingo and Hugh survive each other?
Will the two of them survive the darkness of Club Sheol?
This is the first time I have read anything by this author and I was pleasantly surprised by the initial simplicity of the story and the way it draws the reader in to a dangerous dark world and a relationship that is far more complex than first appears.
Definitely not to be underestimated and definitely a series to follow.
Copy provided by Carina Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I am not sure that the blurb truly does it justice. The blurb and the cover present this book as your 'usual BDSM m/m romance' but it is really much deeper than that.
What we actually have here is the first book in a series that focuses on people who are caught up in the world of sex clubs and human trafficking.
Hugh Kincaid who is a retired police detective, infiltrates a sex club in order to find his niece. He then gets caught up in a world of sex and death where there are no rules except the rules of power. This is a world inhabited by shadowy people who know how to use this power to achieve their own ends.
And Hugh gets caught up in this world because he becomes caught up in Domingo.
Domingo Morgan is a strange man. He has trafficked in people, trained slaves, and is a member of Club Sheol. He is not shocked by the deaths and violence that take place in the club because he has his own rules and his own way of achieving his own ends.
Hugh is one of those ends and Domingo seeks to draw Hugh into his world by promising to help Hugh find his niece.
What then follows is a subtle and sometimes overt struggle between the two men as Domingo seeks to enslave Hugh and gain complete mastery over him in every way; sexually, physically and mentally.
I was surprised how gripping this was. I am not a great BDSM fan but will read these stories occasionally if there is more to the story than ropes and sex.
There is certainly a lot more to this story as we see the way in which the two men struggle against each other and against themselves as individuals. What is really interesting is when the two men work together to struggle against others. As Hugh negotiates this new, dark world he begins to question himself and to see that although he is shocked by what he witnesses there is a part of him that relishes the darkness.
The push and pull between the two men is fascinating and this is what makes the story gripping. I definitely want to read the others in the series because I want to see what happens.
Will Hugh find his niece?
Will Domingo and Hugh survive each other?
Will the two of them survive the darkness of Club Sheol?
This is the first time I have read anything by this author and I was pleasantly surprised by the initial simplicity of the story and the way it draws the reader in to a dangerous dark world and a relationship that is far more complex than first appears.
Definitely not to be underestimated and definitely a series to follow.
Copy provided by Carina Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
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November 6, 2016So. Ahem. I feel like this one may need a little bit of explanation, especially as I mostly read YA and I know that many of my blog followers and Goodreads friends also tend to read YA and are themselves mostly quite young. This is not my usual type of book and is considerably more explicit than the genres I tend to frequent, so my review of it will be irrelevant to most of my followers/readers, who aren't looking for somewhat kinky m/m fiction. I am aware of this.
However, it was a NetGalley read, and while I'm a little bit embarrassed to have this on my Goodreads shelves (I'm so prudish in everyday life that I know it's noticeable), I'm trying to review it anyway. Can I make the excuse of it being writing research, or will that not fool anyone these days?
I'll say about this what I said about Captive Prince: it's a book where it considerably helps to know what you're getting yourself into. The cover makes it pretty unambiguous, but in case someone missed that, it's worth paying attention and not going into this expecting anything other than a somewhat screwed up story portraying an unhealthy, imbalanced relationships (with dubious consent issues), interspersed with seriously violent scenes. It doesn't try to hide that. Nor is it particularly trying to portray these things as anything other than messed up, which I think is the crucial point -- this is not supposed to be seen as healthy or romantic, even if it is supposed to be erotic. As long as you keep that in mind, it makes for an engaging enough story.
Because there is a plot in there, about rescuing a niece and trying to relive one's glory days and whatnot, though I have to admit it gets somewhat lost underneath the rest of what's happening. And at the beginning, I found it a little difficult to follow, thrown into the story at a fairly late part in the character's development and trying to make sense of his backstory while simultaneously keeping up with the rapidly unfolding plot. It isn't slow, that's for sure. I wouldn't necessarily say that plot was a this book's strongest point, though I don't think it's trying to be.
So. The sex. Ahem. *awkward prude blushes and shuffles feet* I guess it was alright? I'm really not an expert, especially when it comes to m/m sex because dude, I'm like the acest virginest reader to ever read books like this, and penises mostly just freak me out. However. My rating of "good sex scene" depends mostly on me being not outright disgusted by overly anatomical descriptions and poor euphemisms, or the overuse of the word "throbbing" (just no); by those standards, this would fall under the "good" category. It's explicit without being anatomical -- if you're wondering what I mean by that you've clearly never read the kind of fic where you feel you need a diagram to keep track of what's going on. It also focuses a lot on power play and emotions, which adds interests beyond general biological function.
Oh gods. This is such an awkwardly written review. I'm so easily embarrassed, and I'm just a wee bit too asexual to know how to talk about erotic fiction without blushing however carefully I phrase things. The question then remains as to why I read them, at which point I would like to plead the research excuse again.
To sum up: if you know what you're in for, as I did, this is quite a well-written book. It's dark, so 'enjoyable' possibly isn't the right word to use, but it certainly passes the time. However, it was a bit confusing at first, and I definitely wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for happy romantic fiction because that isn't what you're getting.
However, it was a NetGalley read, and while I'm a little bit embarrassed to have this on my Goodreads shelves (I'm so prudish in everyday life that I know it's noticeable), I'm trying to review it anyway. Can I make the excuse of it being writing research, or will that not fool anyone these days?
I'll say about this what I said about Captive Prince: it's a book where it considerably helps to know what you're getting yourself into. The cover makes it pretty unambiguous, but in case someone missed that, it's worth paying attention and not going into this expecting anything other than a somewhat screwed up story portraying an unhealthy, imbalanced relationships (with dubious consent issues), interspersed with seriously violent scenes. It doesn't try to hide that. Nor is it particularly trying to portray these things as anything other than messed up, which I think is the crucial point -- this is not supposed to be seen as healthy or romantic, even if it is supposed to be erotic. As long as you keep that in mind, it makes for an engaging enough story.
Because there is a plot in there, about rescuing a niece and trying to relive one's glory days and whatnot, though I have to admit it gets somewhat lost underneath the rest of what's happening. And at the beginning, I found it a little difficult to follow, thrown into the story at a fairly late part in the character's development and trying to make sense of his backstory while simultaneously keeping up with the rapidly unfolding plot. It isn't slow, that's for sure. I wouldn't necessarily say that plot was a this book's strongest point, though I don't think it's trying to be.
So. The sex. Ahem. *awkward prude blushes and shuffles feet* I guess it was alright? I'm really not an expert, especially when it comes to m/m sex because dude, I'm like the acest virginest reader to ever read books like this, and penises mostly just freak me out. However. My rating of "good sex scene" depends mostly on me being not outright disgusted by overly anatomical descriptions and poor euphemisms, or the overuse of the word "throbbing" (just no); by those standards, this would fall under the "good" category. It's explicit without being anatomical -- if you're wondering what I mean by that you've clearly never read the kind of fic where you feel you need a diagram to keep track of what's going on. It also focuses a lot on power play and emotions, which adds interests beyond general biological function.
Oh gods. This is such an awkwardly written review. I'm so easily embarrassed, and I'm just a wee bit too asexual to know how to talk about erotic fiction without blushing however carefully I phrase things. The question then remains as to why I read them, at which point I would like to plead the research excuse again.
To sum up: if you know what you're in for, as I did, this is quite a well-written book. It's dark, so 'enjoyable' possibly isn't the right word to use, but it certainly passes the time. However, it was a bit confusing at first, and I definitely wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for happy romantic fiction because that isn't what you're getting.
December 22, 2016
Даже не знаю какие теги ставить. Я ожидала темную эротику с рабством и БДСМом, а на самом деле...
1. Эротика. Я бы не назвала это произведение эротикой. Для нее здесь маловато секса, а автор слишком часто в нужный момент отводит взгляд, переключаясь на следующую сцену.
2. БДСМ. Чуть-чуть эксгибиционизма, нелепая порка, унизительный дог-плей, легенький бондаж и якобы суровый дом. Не складывается это все у меня в голове в БДСМую картинку.
3. Dark. Если это он, то какой-то странный. "Дарковая" тематика вроде и присутствует, но автор настолько на ней не сосредотачивается, старательно делая вид, будто ничего страшного не происходит, что ты и сам, наряду с героями, не придаешь ей никакого значения. Упомянули что-то такое мимоходом, ужаснулись и тут же двинулись дальше - продолжаем смеяться и наслаждаться жизнью.
4. Рабство. Тоже сомнительное. Жертва имеет уйму возможностей сбежать от своего похитителя, но остается с ним по собственной воле и с самого начала получает удовольствие.
Все, что касается выстроенной в романе системы похищений/рабства/боев/убийств/тайного клуба, это один сплошной абсурд.
Персонажи заслуживают отдельного внимания.
Доминго (богач, похититель, рабовладелец, убийца и т.д.) всю книгу то смеется и нежничает со своим рабом (90% времени), то устраивает с ним нешуточные драки. Ладно, допустим, он просто психопат. Но что в голове у Хью? Похищенный 37-летний бывший коп с первого же момента ведет себя с этим бандитом, как со старым добрым знакомым - отпускает шуточки, расслабляется, зовет сокращенным именем, несмотря на то, что знает, чем тот занимается. На второй день Хью уже охотно доверяет любовнику историю своей жизни, хотя получасом ранее засвидетельствовал в исполнении Доминго пример обращения с людьми - как со скотом. Ей-богу, это надо иметь память, как у золотой рыбки.
1. Эротика. Я бы не назвала это произведение эротикой. Для нее здесь маловато секса, а автор слишком часто в нужный момент отводит взгляд, переключаясь на следующую сцену.
2. БДСМ. Чуть-чуть эксгибиционизма, нелепая порка, унизительный дог-плей, легенький бондаж и якобы суровый дом. Не складывается это все у меня в голове в БДСМую картинку.
3. Dark. Если это он, то какой-то странный. "Дарковая" тематика вроде и присутствует, но автор настолько на ней не сосредотачивается, старательно делая вид, будто ничего страшного не происходит, что ты и сам, наряду с героями, не придаешь ей никакого значения. Упомянули что-то такое мимоходом, ужаснулись и тут же двинулись дальше - продолжаем смеяться и наслаждаться жизнью.
4. Рабство. Тоже сомнительное. Жертва имеет уйму возможностей сбежать от своего похитителя, но остается с ним по собственной воле и с самого начала получает удовольствие.
Все, что касается выстроенной в романе системы похищений/рабства/боев/убийств/тайного клуба, это один сплошной абсурд.
Персонажи заслуживают отдельного внимания.
Доминго (богач, похититель, рабовладелец, убийца и т.д.) всю книгу то смеется и нежничает со своим рабом (90% времени), то устраивает с ним нешуточные драки. Ладно, допустим, он просто психопат. Но что в голове у Хью? Похищенный 37-летний бывший коп с первого же момента ведет себя с этим бандитом, как со старым добрым знакомым - отпускает шуточки, расслабляется, зовет сокращенным именем, несмотря на то, что знает, чем тот занимается. На второй день Хью уже охотно доверяет любовнику историю своей жизни, хотя получасом ранее засвидетельствовал в исполнении Доминго пример обращения с людьми - как со скотом. Ей-богу, это надо иметь память, как у золотой рыбки.
December 16, 2025
Devil’s Slave is one of those reads that leaves you sitting there afterward, slightly unsettled and unsure how you feel. This is unapologetically brutal and not remotely gentle with its themes. If you need clear lines between right and wrong or struggle with cruelty being used as entertainment, this will likely be a hard no.
What kept me turning pages was the constant uncertainty. No one stayed firmly good or villainous for long, and my opinions shifted more than once. The moral grayness is thick, messy, and intentional.
Would I enthusiastically push this into someone’s hands? Probably not. Still, I’m curious enough to continue the series – if it is ever continued –, even if I’m not expecting redemption or ethical clarity anytime soon.
What kept me turning pages was the constant uncertainty. No one stayed firmly good or villainous for long, and my opinions shifted more than once. The moral grayness is thick, messy, and intentional.
Would I enthusiastically push this into someone’s hands? Probably not. Still, I’m curious enough to continue the series – if it is ever continued –, even if I’m not expecting redemption or ethical clarity anytime soon.
March 3, 2017
4.5/5
I normally find it hard to warm up to slave books. There is something about their execution that just doesn't do it for me. Until this book. 'Devil's Slave' reminds me that there are still hope for this genre. That it can done right, and when it does it's the goriest masterpiece mankind could ever craft!
... erhm... I meant glorious.
Anyhow, for a deranged sadist such as myself, this book has been a wonderful all-you-can-eat that has me walking away eager for more.
This book is brutal, amoral, psychopathic, and absolutely menacing - has I mentioned gore? Oh, the glorious gore.
They balance out with tender moments, be it pseudo or manipulative, but when they were on pages, they were convincingly genuine. It was these uncharacteristically considerate gestures in the most mundane time that made the love, misplace affection, between Hugh and Dom palpable.
The characters were delightful. Hugh was a traumatic alcoholic ex-cop with a steel moral that only torment more than doing him any good. It showed on the way how he tried to do right with everyone. How he shielded himself from certain scenes despite being an ex-feb. Most impressive of all, was how the book subtlety remind us of his addiction. In the way how he unconsciously reached for a drink, or how he would finish someone else’s off for himself. He was the kind of character that hid behind a mask of humor, but he did so without coming off tactlessly goofy. His hurts, fears and doubts could be read behind each joke, and they enhanced the depth of his character and the sweetness of his submission.
Unlike Hugh, Dom was more of a mystery. A contradiction. He’s a psychopathic sadist that seemed to be possessed by a delusional understanding of love. He’s an open book that was written backward in Latin. It was impossible to tell what’s real and what’s not with him. Whether his delusion was genuine or artificial. The same can be said about his emotion. In rare flickers, he showed his fear, and vulnerability. They reminded us that he was still human, and it makes him more powerful as a character than any robotic hitman could ever be. Both Hugh and Dom are flawed characters, but that’s what make them relatable.
Like Dom, the rest of the character were just as paradoxical, sociopathic, and manipulative. They too had their weakness that made them human, believable, and set them away from those typical cardboard-cut fan-fics’ super-villains. They all appeared to be playing the ‘find-the-liar’ game, but it was handled with such precision that helped fuel the suspend.
The sex and tortures were there, peppering the book. However, they knew when to step down without clustering the book. The author was a master of choosing what and when to show or tell to maximize the impact.
Like its characters, the book has flaws. The whole slave-cartel and underground society were superficial and occasionally questionable in their credibility. However, they are small spots in the bigger picture and they did nothing to deter me from appointing this book as one of the best slave book in existence thus far. In my humble opinion of course! All other slave book should take a moment to study from this prime example of perfection.
Be aware, this one did end in a HFN that lead up to a sequel. If you’re not a fan of this, wait until the whole series is out. Don’t let this damper on what could be an, otherwise, extraordinary experience.
I normally find it hard to warm up to slave books. There is something about their execution that just doesn't do it for me. Until this book. 'Devil's Slave' reminds me that there are still hope for this genre. That it can done right, and when it does it's the goriest masterpiece mankind could ever craft!
... erhm... I meant glorious.
Anyhow, for a deranged sadist such as myself, this book has been a wonderful all-you-can-eat that has me walking away eager for more.
This book is brutal, amoral, psychopathic, and absolutely menacing - has I mentioned gore? Oh, the glorious gore.
They balance out with tender moments, be it pseudo or manipulative, but when they were on pages, they were convincingly genuine. It was these uncharacteristically considerate gestures in the most mundane time that made the love, misplace affection, between Hugh and Dom palpable.
The characters were delightful. Hugh was a traumatic alcoholic ex-cop with a steel moral that only torment more than doing him any good. It showed on the way how he tried to do right with everyone. How he shielded himself from certain scenes despite being an ex-feb. Most impressive of all, was how the book subtlety remind us of his addiction. In the way how he unconsciously reached for a drink, or how he would finish someone else’s off for himself. He was the kind of character that hid behind a mask of humor, but he did so without coming off tactlessly goofy. His hurts, fears and doubts could be read behind each joke, and they enhanced the depth of his character and the sweetness of his submission.
Unlike Hugh, Dom was more of a mystery. A contradiction. He’s a psychopathic sadist that seemed to be possessed by a delusional understanding of love. He’s an open book that was written backward in Latin. It was impossible to tell what’s real and what’s not with him. Whether his delusion was genuine or artificial. The same can be said about his emotion. In rare flickers, he showed his fear, and vulnerability. They reminded us that he was still human, and it makes him more powerful as a character than any robotic hitman could ever be. Both Hugh and Dom are flawed characters, but that’s what make them relatable.
Like Dom, the rest of the character were just as paradoxical, sociopathic, and manipulative. They too had their weakness that made them human, believable, and set them away from those typical cardboard-cut fan-fics’ super-villains. They all appeared to be playing the ‘find-the-liar’ game, but it was handled with such precision that helped fuel the suspend.
The sex and tortures were there, peppering the book. However, they knew when to step down without clustering the book. The author was a master of choosing what and when to show or tell to maximize the impact.
Like its characters, the book has flaws. The whole slave-cartel and underground society were superficial and occasionally questionable in their credibility. However, they are small spots in the bigger picture and they did nothing to deter me from appointing this book as one of the best slave book in existence thus far. In my humble opinion of course! All other slave book should take a moment to study from this prime example of perfection.
Be aware, this one did end in a HFN that lead up to a sequel. If you’re not a fan of this, wait until the whole series is out. Don’t let this damper on what could be an, otherwise, extraordinary experience.
December 3, 2016
Wow. This was a fantastic romance novel. Actually, I’m a little hard pressed to call this a romance novel. Stockholm Syndrome? Maybe. Romance and Love? Absolutely not. Not in the conventional sense, anyway. Dom was jerky and his mood could change on a dime. He was incredibly easy to set off and the consequences for making him upset or angry were severe. He ruled with an iron fist and didn’t take no for an answer.
But he got off on being told no! He was so confusing. He wanted Hugh to be a good boy and disobey him at the same time. He is the hallmark of a true sociopath, but I loved him. He kept telling Hugh that his stay could be as hard or as easy as he wanted to make it, and I think Dom really believed that, but I don’t think it was true even in the slightest. Dom loved abusing Hugh, but he also loved doting on him and being that sweet, attentive lover that Hugh craved. I don’t think Dom could exist without having both in his life, and that’s exactly why he chose Hugh.
Hugh was a little fucked up. He’d completely destroyed his own life after a major accident/mistake got him kicked out of his law enforcement training at Quantico. He was a drunk and a druggie and he just really didn’t care… until his daughter/niece potentially became a human trafficking victim. Hugh threw himself into finding her, all but selling himself to Domingo to get on the inside.
But oh my god, these two were on fire.
Dom and Hugh had tension and hate and unbelievable chemistry and pseudo-love? The blurb does not do this book justice! It was so much more than an M/M BDSM Romance. These characters were intense and complext and I just completely loved it! I wanted Dom to be a better guy and take care of Hugh and I wanted Hugh to find his daughter/niece. I am very much looking forward to book 2 and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who even thinks they might like it.
Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
But he got off on being told no! He was so confusing. He wanted Hugh to be a good boy and disobey him at the same time. He is the hallmark of a true sociopath, but I loved him. He kept telling Hugh that his stay could be as hard or as easy as he wanted to make it, and I think Dom really believed that, but I don’t think it was true even in the slightest. Dom loved abusing Hugh, but he also loved doting on him and being that sweet, attentive lover that Hugh craved. I don’t think Dom could exist without having both in his life, and that’s exactly why he chose Hugh.
Hugh was a little fucked up. He’d completely destroyed his own life after a major accident/mistake got him kicked out of his law enforcement training at Quantico. He was a drunk and a druggie and he just really didn’t care… until his daughter/niece potentially became a human trafficking victim. Hugh threw himself into finding her, all but selling himself to Domingo to get on the inside.
“You see it now? You think you want power. An equal share, a little push-pull.” Another rock of his hips. Hugh’s breath went tight, frozen underneath Domingo and afraid to move. He was afraid that they might touch. “But if you let me, I’ll show you something different.”
But oh my god, these two were on fire.
“Tell me you love me.”
That gave Hugh real pause, and there was no way to hide it – Domingo held his eyes and rocked hard into him, winning another little moan.
Christ, he was so close. Domingo held him back from that peak, taunting him with it, and the words came bubbling up despite himself.
“I love you,” Hugh said, lips parting as he leaned up into a hard, lingering kiss. “Fuck me.”
Dom and Hugh had tension and hate and unbelievable chemistry and pseudo-love? The blurb does not do this book justice! It was so much more than an M/M BDSM Romance. These characters were intense and complext and I just completely loved it! I wanted Dom to be a better guy and take care of Hugh and I wanted Hugh to find his daughter/niece. I am very much looking forward to book 2 and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who even thinks they might like it.
Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way.
July 3, 2017
***3.88 stars rounded-up***
This is me while reading this book...
Beginning
Middle
End
Not going to lie. In the beginning the book started out a bit rough for me. A struggle. Overall, I think it was due to the author’s writing style. However, I kept reading and by the end I was acquainted with it. The only thing that kept bothering me was the phrase, 'a beat'. Couldn't the author used a better transition or term like, “after a moment” or something similar? Nonetheless, in the end I found myself needing and wanting more. So much so, I put up with reading the phrase, 'a beat' every so often. That, and it helps that it doesn’t read like it did in the beginning.
I enjoyed both MC's of the book and I assume we'll find out more about each character, adding to their depth as the story goes on. So far we have Hugh, the ex-cop. He is very sarcastic, which I like. You also can tell there is a story there waiting to be told. Something happened to make him do a complete 180 and end up addicted to alcohol and drugs. We are given some pieces to the overall puzzle, but ultimately not enough to draw any type of conclusion. Then there is Dom, the “psychopath”. He is very matter of fact to a point of awkwardness, yet from time to time he seems like he just might have a heart. I'm intrigued on how he came to be, who he is and who really is out to get him.
Please note, if you're expecting a very dark book, this isn't it. Believe me I have read a few books that are darker than this. I'm not saying I don't like it, just given the subject matter I thought there would be more abuse/struggle while stripping a person down. My only assumption is that there's a reason behind this.
This is a trilogy, so please keep in mind that there is a cliffhanger. I have to say I am a bit upset that Estelle is in the picture. I feel she is going to put a rift between Hugh and Dom; especially since Hugh is experiencing mixed feelings.
Triggers: Physical and emotional abuse, dubcon, kidnapping, and addiction to drugs and alcohol.
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is me while reading this book...
Beginning
Middle
End
Not going to lie. In the beginning the book started out a bit rough for me. A struggle. Overall, I think it was due to the author’s writing style. However, I kept reading and by the end I was acquainted with it. The only thing that kept bothering me was the phrase, 'a beat'. Couldn't the author used a better transition or term like, “after a moment” or something similar? Nonetheless, in the end I found myself needing and wanting more. So much so, I put up with reading the phrase, 'a beat' every so often. That, and it helps that it doesn’t read like it did in the beginning.
I enjoyed both MC's of the book and I assume we'll find out more about each character, adding to their depth as the story goes on. So far we have Hugh, the ex-cop. He is very sarcastic, which I like. You also can tell there is a story there waiting to be told. Something happened to make him do a complete 180 and end up addicted to alcohol and drugs. We are given some pieces to the overall puzzle, but ultimately not enough to draw any type of conclusion. Then there is Dom, the “psychopath”. He is very matter of fact to a point of awkwardness, yet from time to time he seems like he just might have a heart. I'm intrigued on how he came to be, who he is and who really is out to get him.
Please note, if you're expecting a very dark book, this isn't it. Believe me I have read a few books that are darker than this. I'm not saying I don't like it, just given the subject matter I thought there would be more abuse/struggle while stripping a person down. My only assumption is that there's a reason behind this.
This is a trilogy, so please keep in mind that there is a cliffhanger. I have to say I am a bit upset that Estelle is in the picture. I feel she is going to put a rift between Hugh and Dom; especially since Hugh is experiencing mixed feelings.
Triggers: Physical and emotional abuse, dubcon, kidnapping, and addiction to drugs and alcohol.
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2016
3.5 Stars, 4 Flames
If Dark Romances that do not really include any romance but hard cores of BDSM are triggers for you or cannot read, this is definitely not the book for you. This novel has it all in the ways of the darker kinks like sex slaves, harsh punishments, and blood sports, etc.
What drew me to this book was really the cover and the blurb. I knew this was going to get dark based on the title and the cover, just didn't realize how far it was going to go. Reading the first few chapters I could not connect with it and I almost did not finish it. The timeline was really off as well as the writing. But once Domingo enters the scene things take a turn for the worse in the best possible of ways.
I love dark romances as they bring human nature in all of its shades into the unforgiving light. Hugh was a hard character to like because he never took the blame for anything and always complained about everything. And I mean everything. He was never one to back down from a fight and he fights Domingo tooth and nail all the way.
Domingo is the quintessential Dom that everyone loves to hate. He molds Hugh beautifully until about half way through. Although, Domingo is creating a sex slave or "pet" instead of a submissive. Hugh holds onto his personality and ultimate goal- Shiloh.
There is so much drama, anger, hate, lust, passion, blood, sex, and murder that you cannot help but come back for more. Overall, it could have been better and I so hope we see Mr.Black in the rest of the series because the ending was perfectly depraved that leaves me begging for more!
I was gifted a copy of this novel from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review.
If Dark Romances that do not really include any romance but hard cores of BDSM are triggers for you or cannot read, this is definitely not the book for you. This novel has it all in the ways of the darker kinks like sex slaves, harsh punishments, and blood sports, etc.
What drew me to this book was really the cover and the blurb. I knew this was going to get dark based on the title and the cover, just didn't realize how far it was going to go. Reading the first few chapters I could not connect with it and I almost did not finish it. The timeline was really off as well as the writing. But once Domingo enters the scene things take a turn for the worse in the best possible of ways.
I love dark romances as they bring human nature in all of its shades into the unforgiving light. Hugh was a hard character to like because he never took the blame for anything and always complained about everything. And I mean everything. He was never one to back down from a fight and he fights Domingo tooth and nail all the way.
Domingo is the quintessential Dom that everyone loves to hate. He molds Hugh beautifully until about half way through. Although, Domingo is creating a sex slave or "pet" instead of a submissive. Hugh holds onto his personality and ultimate goal- Shiloh.
There is so much drama, anger, hate, lust, passion, blood, sex, and murder that you cannot help but come back for more. Overall, it could have been better and I so hope we see Mr.Black in the rest of the series because the ending was perfectly depraved that leaves me begging for more!
I was gifted a copy of this novel from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2016
Devil's Slave (American Monsters #1) by Lola Hale
3 stars
Triggers: Abuse, unwilling slave, BDSM, Murder, attempted murder, sex slavery
M/M
Cliff hanger ending
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
I don't even really know where to start. This book is not for everyone - if you're squeamish, have morals, can't stand to see other people's suffering for the amusement of others...
The only reason that I finished this story was because I hate not finishing... but this was a confusing, not well plotted story line. I had a difficult time with the jumping that happens in the story and sometimes had to go back to try to figure out what the character was talking about.
Honestly, I didn't like the book until the very last line. Now, I'm intrigued enough to want to know what is going to happen in the next one. Plus, this was short enough that it was a fast read, despite it's strange flow.
Not sure if I would recommend this story, but I am wanting to see where the next one goes, in the hope that it will be better than this one. However, I don't hold out much hope for the morality of the next story.
3 stars
Triggers: Abuse, unwilling slave, BDSM, Murder, attempted murder, sex slavery
M/M
Cliff hanger ending
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
I don't even really know where to start. This book is not for everyone - if you're squeamish, have morals, can't stand to see other people's suffering for the amusement of others...
The only reason that I finished this story was because I hate not finishing... but this was a confusing, not well plotted story line. I had a difficult time with the jumping that happens in the story and sometimes had to go back to try to figure out what the character was talking about.
Honestly, I didn't like the book until the very last line. Now, I'm intrigued enough to want to know what is going to happen in the next one. Plus, this was short enough that it was a fast read, despite it's strange flow.
Not sure if I would recommend this story, but I am wanting to see where the next one goes, in the hope that it will be better than this one. However, I don't hold out much hope for the morality of the next story.
February 4, 2017
Good start to the series. Dialogue and flow was a little stilted and felt forced, sometimes confusing. Chemistry between MCs was off from time to time, largely due to the lack of understanding of Hugh. His character is vital to understand and it took me a long time to get there. To figure him out. Once I did, things got much better. Will definitely continue on with the series... I've got to know what happens next. The mysteries of the story are the best part. Who actually fired the shot? Where is the girl? There are a lot of unresolved issues.
March 18, 2025
March 2025
Kindle edition
This was a tricky one. Despite that it was short it took me a while to read. I did like Dominic and Hugh's easy relationship when things were calm. Hugh didn't take anything lying down and had a light hearted cocky answer to almost everything. Then there was the other side of Dom that was toxic, manipulative and a little manic. Dark themes from trafficking, breeding, slavery and pit fights. Ends not quite on a cliffhanger but not a HFN either. Kink, drugs etc. Then there was Black. It was a lot but I wouldn't mind knowing what happened next.
Kindle edition
This was a tricky one. Despite that it was short it took me a while to read. I did like Dominic and Hugh's easy relationship when things were calm. Hugh didn't take anything lying down and had a light hearted cocky answer to almost everything. Then there was the other side of Dom that was toxic, manipulative and a little manic. Dark themes from trafficking, breeding, slavery and pit fights. Ends not quite on a cliffhanger but not a HFN either. Kink, drugs etc. Then there was Black. It was a lot but I wouldn't mind knowing what happened next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2018
Dark, but a fascinating read. I had a hard time putting it down to do other things. I had a little bit of trouble at the beginning it just wasn’t clicking with me, but once Domingo arrived the book came alive. There are a lot of loose ends that need to be wrapped up. I’m sure that will happen in the next two books. I’ll be watching for them.
August 17, 2019
Meh. Kinda boring but ill read the next one to know if Hugh does something other than whine.
August 28, 2022
#188 - 2022
Genre: MM Romance, Thriller
Genre: MM Romance, Thriller
November 21, 2016
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley.
Hmm, I don't what it says about me that I liked this book. I have no idea where it's going (Domingo is a sociopath after all), and Hugh is not a willing slave. It ends on a cliffhanger (but for the moment the crisis has passed) and I am looking forward to reading the next book (whenever it comes out). FYI, the sex is very HOT! :D
Again, I don't know how Hugh and Domingo will find a real relationship in this mess; the book ends with "continue Domingo and Hugh's love story..." Love story? So this is a love story? I guess that is still to be determined.
Lines are definitely being blurred for Hugh; he used to be a cop then a PI, now he is living on his disability and being a drunk. He's searching for his now dead partner's (his married lover - that's not clarified at all so I can't explain their relationship) daughter who Hugh suspects has been kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking.
Now, putting all the misleading aside, I truly enjoyed this story. I needed to know how far Domingo would take his punishments of Hugh. The darkness between Hugh and Dom didn't go nearly far enough I thought. I was expecting Dom to really torture Hugh, and there were whips and belts and literal fighting, but Dom was kind to Hugh, he didn't hurt him sexually, he didn't do any truly physical harm. Dom does has a strangle kink and made Hugh pass out, but Hugh never expressed any true deep down fear. It's almost as if Dom goes too far south into depraved, we as the audience won't be able to like him and cheer for his...redemption?
Mixed into Hugh being kidnapped into slavery, as well as looking for the daughter, there is the Slave Business secrets to figure out. Dom is a Prince in the Sheol club (slave), and through circumstances he hasn't been as involved in the scene as he should and therefore his seat as Prince is up for grabs. Hugh learns of those who want Dom's seat, and it soon becomes clear that they will go to any means to get it, including murder. Hugh saves Dom's life twice, and when it was all over, and I read the last page, I didn't understand the murder plot exactly. This culprit wasn't who I thought it would be, and I didn't understand who Dom was working with really to ferret them out.
It was confusing, but I think based on the cliffy we are left with, answers will be revealed in the future. At least I hope.
If this wasn't enough to confuse you, I will say I do recommend this book. It bears repeating: I don't see yet how Hugh and Dom will find a "love" match in this based on what Dom has allowed to happen to innocent people. Hugh is constantly crying out at Dom that he can't do this to people (this being murder, kidnapping, enforce slavery, making humans fight to the death, physical assault because they simply can) and his disgust is almost equal to his intrigue and reluctant desire of Dom.
***This book will NOT be for everybody. There is dubious consent, in case I didn't make that clear.***
Hmm, I don't what it says about me that I liked this book. I have no idea where it's going (Domingo is a sociopath after all), and Hugh is not a willing slave. It ends on a cliffhanger (but for the moment the crisis has passed) and I am looking forward to reading the next book (whenever it comes out). FYI, the sex is very HOT! :D
Again, I don't know how Hugh and Domingo will find a real relationship in this mess; the book ends with "continue Domingo and Hugh's love story..." Love story? So this is a love story? I guess that is still to be determined.
Lines are definitely being blurred for Hugh; he used to be a cop then a PI, now he is living on his disability and being a drunk. He's searching for his now dead partner's (his married lover - that's not clarified at all so I can't explain their relationship) daughter who Hugh suspects has been kidnapped and sold into sex trafficking.
Now, putting all the misleading aside, I truly enjoyed this story. I needed to know how far Domingo would take his punishments of Hugh. The darkness between Hugh and Dom didn't go nearly far enough I thought. I was expecting Dom to really torture Hugh, and there were whips and belts and literal fighting, but Dom was kind to Hugh, he didn't hurt him sexually, he didn't do any truly physical harm. Dom does has a strangle kink and made Hugh pass out, but Hugh never expressed any true deep down fear. It's almost as if Dom goes too far south into depraved, we as the audience won't be able to like him and cheer for his...redemption?
Mixed into Hugh being kidnapped into slavery, as well as looking for the daughter, there is the Slave Business secrets to figure out. Dom is a Prince in the Sheol club (slave), and through circumstances he hasn't been as involved in the scene as he should and therefore his seat as Prince is up for grabs. Hugh learns of those who want Dom's seat, and it soon becomes clear that they will go to any means to get it, including murder. Hugh saves Dom's life twice, and when it was all over, and I read the last page, I didn't understand the murder plot exactly. This culprit wasn't who I thought it would be, and I didn't understand who Dom was working with really to ferret them out.
It was confusing, but I think based on the cliffy we are left with, answers will be revealed in the future. At least I hope.
If this wasn't enough to confuse you, I will say I do recommend this book. It bears repeating: I don't see yet how Hugh and Dom will find a "love" match in this based on what Dom has allowed to happen to innocent people. Hugh is constantly crying out at Dom that he can't do this to people (this being murder, kidnapping, enforce slavery, making humans fight to the death, physical assault because they simply can) and his disgust is almost equal to his intrigue and reluctant desire of Dom.
***This book will NOT be for everybody. There is dubious consent, in case I didn't make that clear.***
December 26, 2016
Lola Hale is a new to me author. I saw this book recommended on another blog and it sounded like it would be right up my alley. An ex-cop forced to be a sex slave? Yes, please!
The problem?
This was a DNF for me. I got about 35% in and was bored to pieces.
The initial set up seemed to be decent. Hugh is an ex-cop working as a private investigator. He drunkenly stumbles upon a botched kidnapping and something about the entire scenario bugs Hugh (aside from a young girl being held against her will). He’s on the scene when the police arrive and clearly there’s some backstory with the arriving officer, Peg. Things become pretty cliché. Peg warns Hugh to stay far away from the case. Hugh pretends he will but follows up on the van he spied lurking around the crime scene. Follows up on the license plate through “connections in the department” and conducts a little stakeout which leads him to some underground sex club with the wealthy and well-known. Which in turn is connected to a human trafficking ring. Hugh is in deep, but he knows he can’t ask Peg for help because there’s no telling how far the corruption extends.
See? Cliché.
I kept plugging along anyway despite the storyline not being enthralling. Dom is introduced, and the way he’s introduced is just ridiculous. His hands are covered in blood, and basically, Hugh breaks the speed barrier trying to get back to his car after being discovered by Dom. All of this was not working for me.
But I kept plugging along.Read: I’m a masochist.
Hugh and Dom make a deal, and Hugh has to “audition” to be Dom’s. Hugh has agreed to do whatever the man wants but in exchange for his services; he needs help finding a missing girl (whose introduction was somewhat convoluted. I gathered she’s the daughter of Hugh’s deceased lover).
I called it quits.
The writing is odd, not bad not good but odd. Interesting maybe?
In any case, from what I read, I can say Devil’s Slave was worthy of two stars but what didn’t work for me may indeed work for another reader.
Reviewed for Gay Book Reviews
http://gaybook.reviews/2016/12/26/dev...
The problem?
This was a DNF for me. I got about 35% in and was bored to pieces.
The initial set up seemed to be decent. Hugh is an ex-cop working as a private investigator. He drunkenly stumbles upon a botched kidnapping and something about the entire scenario bugs Hugh (aside from a young girl being held against her will). He’s on the scene when the police arrive and clearly there’s some backstory with the arriving officer, Peg. Things become pretty cliché. Peg warns Hugh to stay far away from the case. Hugh pretends he will but follows up on the van he spied lurking around the crime scene. Follows up on the license plate through “connections in the department” and conducts a little stakeout which leads him to some underground sex club with the wealthy and well-known. Which in turn is connected to a human trafficking ring. Hugh is in deep, but he knows he can’t ask Peg for help because there’s no telling how far the corruption extends.
See? Cliché.
I kept plugging along anyway despite the storyline not being enthralling. Dom is introduced, and the way he’s introduced is just ridiculous. His hands are covered in blood, and basically, Hugh breaks the speed barrier trying to get back to his car after being discovered by Dom. All of this was not working for me.
But I kept plugging along.Read: I’m a masochist.
Hugh and Dom make a deal, and Hugh has to “audition” to be Dom’s. Hugh has agreed to do whatever the man wants but in exchange for his services; he needs help finding a missing girl (whose introduction was somewhat convoluted. I gathered she’s the daughter of Hugh’s deceased lover).
I called it quits.
The writing is odd, not bad not good but odd. Interesting maybe?
In any case, from what I read, I can say Devil’s Slave was worthy of two stars but what didn’t work for me may indeed work for another reader.
Reviewed for Gay Book Reviews
http://gaybook.reviews/2016/12/26/dev...
Read
November 6, 2016DNF @ 40%
I generally enjoy dark, taboo, dub-con stories. But this one didn't work for me.
I felt kind of lost from the beginning, as the book starts when Hugh is already at rock bottom and there is a lot of 'cop talk' between him and Peggy. There's mention of David, who is dead, and most likely a former boyfriend or partner. There's someone named Shiloh who called David and Hugh 'daddy and papa', but I don't know if she is actually their child, or someone else's?
Fast forward to Hugh investigating human traffickers, and infiltrating their party before getting beaten up and leaving with one guy, who drugs him and takes him home. Okay - he was way too willing. There is physical fighting sex, the dog...I finally hit my wall shortly after that and couldn't continue.
This book is well written, and very dark, but for my tastes it was too violent and 'gritty' for lack of a better term. I think fans of dark and dirty MM will enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.
I generally enjoy dark, taboo, dub-con stories. But this one didn't work for me.
I felt kind of lost from the beginning, as the book starts when Hugh is already at rock bottom and there is a lot of 'cop talk' between him and Peggy. There's mention of David, who is dead, and most likely a former boyfriend or partner. There's someone named Shiloh who called David and Hugh 'daddy and papa', but I don't know if she is actually their child, or someone else's?
Fast forward to Hugh investigating human traffickers, and infiltrating their party before getting beaten up and leaving with one guy, who drugs him and takes him home. Okay - he was way too willing. There is physical fighting sex, the dog...I finally hit my wall shortly after that and couldn't continue.
This book is well written, and very dark, but for my tastes it was too violent and 'gritty' for lack of a better term. I think fans of dark and dirty MM will enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.
November 17, 2016
Copy from netgalley.
This book was very hard to rate for me....and I have no idea why! Have you ever read a book and it left you thinking "Well then, I just read ...that"? I was like that with this book. Let me tell you my dilemma.
I finished it in one sitting so I must have enjoyed it....
but at times I felt a bit confused....
but it was actually really hot as hell....
but something just didn't feel right at a few points....
but it was an interesting story and really bloody dark....
but I just felt...
You see my problem? Lets just say...I KNEW I had read this book because it left me a little wide eyed, and I definitely want to read the next book to see what happens.
This book was very hard to rate for me....and I have no idea why! Have you ever read a book and it left you thinking "Well then, I just read ...that"? I was like that with this book. Let me tell you my dilemma.
I finished it in one sitting so I must have enjoyed it....
but at times I felt a bit confused....
but it was actually really hot as hell....
but something just didn't feel right at a few points....
but it was an interesting story and really bloody dark....
but I just felt...
You see my problem? Lets just say...I KNEW I had read this book because it left me a little wide eyed, and I definitely want to read the next book to see what happens.
August 18, 2017
Wow! I'm not really sure where to start, but I absolutely loved this book! Domingo is a horrible person. I'm not going to list all of the reasons for this, but trust me, he's done many, many terrible things. For some reason, I still like him! I think there's a good guy in there somewhere. I loved Hugh! I love his wit and his stubborn ways. There's a little mystery and suspense as well, which adds another layer to this complex story. There isn't any romance in this book, which is realistic considering the circumstances, but I definitely can see their relationship evolving in the next book. I cannot wait for their next book!
February 4, 2024
WHY would you end a book on a CLIFFHANGER and NEVER FINISH THE SERIES?!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2017
The skinny: If you like dark with with a dash of humor and heart, do not pass go, read this RIGHT NOW.
The summary: Hugh Kincaid just can't keep his mouth shut. We open to him getting his ass kicked on the street while attempting to save a young woman from kidnapping, and running his mouth all the way. Hugh seems to be some kind of washed-up former PI. The details of his downfall are vague, but have something to do with a dead former lover and the lover's daughter, Shiloh, who, Hugh soon discovers, has been snatched up by the same ring of sadistic sex slavers he foiled in scene one. Hugh's just not what he used to be, but he can't help himself--he has to find Shiloh. In the process of investigating her disappearance, he finds himself caught and quite thoroughly imprisoned by Domingo Morgan, a kingpin of the sex slavers. The two of them make a deal: Domingo will help Hugh find Shiloh, and Hugh will do whatever Domingo wants, both in and outside the bedroom. Domingo is utterly cruel and a seriously bad dude, but he's got a soft spot for Hugh, who just can't help being a cocky smartass, no matter how hard he tries. And Hugh begins to realize that facedown on the kitchen floor with Domingo's boot on his back (literally) is exactly where he needs to be. Meanwhile, someone is trying to kill Domingo, and Hugh has to decide whether it's in his best interest to try to stop them.
The specifics: This was delicious--smart, funny, and hot. Hugh is such an endearingly hopeless cause, and he and Domingo together are explosive. Domingo occasionally crosses the line from sexily menacing to outright cruel, which for me maintained the tension of the story and kept it from straying into the wink-wink-he's-not-really-so-bad kind of alpha villain story that is all too common. Domingo actually is really bad. And it's fascinating to watch Hugh navigate the realization that he loves what Domingo does to him. Another brilliant device on the part of the author is her strategic humorous deflations of the high drama of the admittedly rather absurd sex-slave-ring plotline: Hugh often points out that Domingo sounds like a "supervillain" and laments the unoriginality of the hell metaphors employed by the sinister sex club. I appreciated the author's open acknowledgment of the wild fiction she has spun, and it made me enjoy the story even more.
Please, someone tell me: When is book 2?
The summary: Hugh Kincaid just can't keep his mouth shut. We open to him getting his ass kicked on the street while attempting to save a young woman from kidnapping, and running his mouth all the way. Hugh seems to be some kind of washed-up former PI. The details of his downfall are vague, but have something to do with a dead former lover and the lover's daughter, Shiloh, who, Hugh soon discovers, has been snatched up by the same ring of sadistic sex slavers he foiled in scene one. Hugh's just not what he used to be, but he can't help himself--he has to find Shiloh. In the process of investigating her disappearance, he finds himself caught and quite thoroughly imprisoned by Domingo Morgan, a kingpin of the sex slavers. The two of them make a deal: Domingo will help Hugh find Shiloh, and Hugh will do whatever Domingo wants, both in and outside the bedroom. Domingo is utterly cruel and a seriously bad dude, but he's got a soft spot for Hugh, who just can't help being a cocky smartass, no matter how hard he tries. And Hugh begins to realize that facedown on the kitchen floor with Domingo's boot on his back (literally) is exactly where he needs to be. Meanwhile, someone is trying to kill Domingo, and Hugh has to decide whether it's in his best interest to try to stop them.
The specifics: This was delicious--smart, funny, and hot. Hugh is such an endearingly hopeless cause, and he and Domingo together are explosive. Domingo occasionally crosses the line from sexily menacing to outright cruel, which for me maintained the tension of the story and kept it from straying into the wink-wink-he's-not-really-so-bad kind of alpha villain story that is all too common. Domingo actually is really bad. And it's fascinating to watch Hugh navigate the realization that he loves what Domingo does to him. Another brilliant device on the part of the author is her strategic humorous deflations of the high drama of the admittedly rather absurd sex-slave-ring plotline: Hugh often points out that Domingo sounds like a "supervillain" and laments the unoriginality of the hell metaphors employed by the sinister sex club. I appreciated the author's open acknowledgment of the wild fiction she has spun, and it made me enjoy the story even more.
Please, someone tell me: When is book 2?
February 4, 2017
Devil's Slave is the first book in the American Monsters series by author Lola Hale. I took this book because it is edgy and uncomfortable in places. I was actually looking for that in the book. It does deliver. This is a gritty story not always clear on consent.
What I had problems with is the delivery of the storyline. It was so strange I had a hard time following it. There is a good plot here delivered at a good speed, it is just like looking into murky water trying to find a shiny rock. Can't do it.
This story feels extremely unfinished. And the entire plot suffers from that.
While there are some real gems in this story, for me it never quite reached its full potential as a story in itself.
Hugh is in deep cover trying to stop a slave ring. But along the way he gets lost in the life and feelings he has.
Domingo is a sadist but Hugh cannot get enough of him. Really as a reader I couldn't see the draw there.
Okay over all I would not want to read any more in this series. It is good invoked emotions in me, but too confusing for me.
Three Red Stars
What I had problems with is the delivery of the storyline. It was so strange I had a hard time following it. There is a good plot here delivered at a good speed, it is just like looking into murky water trying to find a shiny rock. Can't do it.
This story feels extremely unfinished. And the entire plot suffers from that.
While there are some real gems in this story, for me it never quite reached its full potential as a story in itself.
Hugh is in deep cover trying to stop a slave ring. But along the way he gets lost in the life and feelings he has.
Domingo is a sadist but Hugh cannot get enough of him. Really as a reader I couldn't see the draw there.
Okay over all I would not want to read any more in this series. It is good invoked emotions in me, but too confusing for me.
Three Red Stars
October 25, 2020
Def not for me....
Hugh ex cop aged 37 behaves like a stupid teenager in certain scenes, I couldn't imagine that he was ever a good police officer let alone being 37 years old?!
It wasn't romantic. The two main characters first beat up each other completely and then went to fuck, not my idea of romance.
I don't mind a dangerous hero or anti hero as long as he has some morals and feelings, and Dom had no morals or feelings at all so I thought he was disgusting.
There were scenes of underground fighting where people fight each other to the death, think of biting their faces off, dogs that first chase people like cattle and then enjoy them. I mean if you own something like that, then of course you don't go to a restaurant or movie ... you go to a gory show where human slaves are entraiment...
Lola Hale explores your darkest erotic fantasies in DEVIL'S SLAVE, the first book in her addictive male/male American Monsters trilogy.
Hugh ex cop aged 37 behaves like a stupid teenager in certain scenes, I couldn't imagine that he was ever a good police officer let alone being 37 years old?!
It wasn't romantic. The two main characters first beat up each other completely and then went to fuck, not my idea of romance.
I don't mind a dangerous hero or anti hero as long as he has some morals and feelings, and Dom had no morals or feelings at all so I thought he was disgusting.
There were scenes of underground fighting where people fight each other to the death, think of biting their faces off, dogs that first chase people like cattle and then enjoy them. I mean if you own something like that, then of course you don't go to a restaurant or movie ... you go to a gory show where human slaves are entraiment...
Lola Hale explores your darkest erotic fantasies in DEVIL'S SLAVE, the first book in her addictive male/male American Monsters trilogy.
May 26, 2017
I’m not usually a fan of dubious consent books, but there was something about this blurb that drew me in.
I started the book knowing that it may not be something that I would personally like, and while it did have some aspects that I didn’t enjoy, overall it was still a good read for me.
I really loved how Hugh wasn’t some picture perfect guy. He has his issues, and he accepts them. And even more than that Domingo accepted them.
The relationship between the two of them was very confusing. It’s almost as though they honestly care about each other, yet on the other hand it’s like they can’t stand each other.
When things happen with Domingo and his life is put in danger, it’s almost as though Hugh realizes how much he cares. But then he doesn’t.
I don’t really know how to describe this book without giving away too much about the book, but I will say that if you enjoy these types of books then you will enjoy this book.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy Provided for review*
I started the book knowing that it may not be something that I would personally like, and while it did have some aspects that I didn’t enjoy, overall it was still a good read for me.
I really loved how Hugh wasn’t some picture perfect guy. He has his issues, and he accepts them. And even more than that Domingo accepted them.
The relationship between the two of them was very confusing. It’s almost as though they honestly care about each other, yet on the other hand it’s like they can’t stand each other.
When things happen with Domingo and his life is put in danger, it’s almost as though Hugh realizes how much he cares. But then he doesn’t.
I don’t really know how to describe this book without giving away too much about the book, but I will say that if you enjoy these types of books then you will enjoy this book.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal's Many Reviewers
*Copy Provided for review*
February 25, 2025
I honestly did not like Hugh and the way he reacted to Black. It sort of rubbed me the wrong way LOL. I felt that Dom didnt deserve it or Hugh (in a twisted sense lol). Kudos to author that she evoked sympathetic feelings in me for the dark character like Dom and made the good/holier-than-thou character as irritating.
I see that there are no other books listed on GR. Did author discontinue this series?
I see that there are no other books listed on GR. Did author discontinue this series?
July 27, 2017
smoking hot! Ridiculously hot! If you are into dark dub-con-hate-to-suspicious-love stuff, and this would be your wet dream. The whole story is a little over-the-top but not horrendous nor unreasonable. Well, not THAT unreasonable.
July 14, 2020
Blistering heat in this one. So glad I stumbled upon it because it's the best bdsm I've read in a long time. I only wish the 2 follow-ups that Ms Hale promised in 2016 would come to be because she's terrific at this genre but it's been so long it doesn't look good.
December 4, 2022
I….this one was different. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great, but I was intrigued so kept reading. Didn’t love it, probably wouldn’t recommend it but it had enough to keep me reading and finish it so there’s that.
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