If Bleu St. James relied on her first impression of Chris, she might have let him drown. But there is something about him that inexplicably draws her in. Maybe it was something she saw when she stared at his calm face as the plane they were on fell from the sky. Now stranded on a mysterious deserted island, Bleu must not only contend with the elements, she must depend on a survivalist who also happens to be a hate-filled extremist. Chris Stokes can’t keep his eyes off the well-dressed woman, even though he was taught that her kind is beneath him. Her very presence makes him feel inadequate in every way. Yet, Bleu saved his life and he owes her. That means doing his damnedest to keep her alive. Only, Chris can’t deny how alluring Bleu is or how badly he wants her to see him, and not the man he no longer wants to be. This book contains some views and language that may be uncomfortable for some. This story is about change, growth, and is for adults 18 years and older. Readers discretion advise.
Shea is a woman in love with the idea of love so it’s no wonder she writes Romance Novels. The East Coast native is a romantic to her core and reads and watches anything with a love story. She especially likes binge watching Romance TV around Christmas time.
She enjoys meeting people and chatting, collecting Barbie dolls, toys, anime, and is addicted to The Sims games. Shea also loves music and has mentioned that she writes better when she has music playing as white noise in the background.
This exciting author writes Adult Romance in the sub-genres of Contemporary, New Adult, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Erotica.
Message from Shea. I thank you for allowing me to showcase my work. If you liked this story, please consider leaving a review and tell you r friends. Also, you can find more of my work at… www.Sheaswainwrites.com
I love just about all genres but I know a lot of readers have preferences. In order to give readers what they want, I've decided to offer dedicated Newsletter choices. Keep in the know for amazing giveaways and more as well.
Well this was a pleasant surprise. Real growth, no insta-love. Both main and side characters had real depth. This is a suspenseful adventure-themed romance that I would gladly recommend. I am looking forward to hearing more from this group, especially my little baby Colin.
I can't say enough good things about this book. It had everything you look for in a story. Except I did have a few questions that a few things just didn't make since to me.....exactly who was Colin talking to and what exactly did he do on his computer? And what happened with the "wanna be " baby daddy??? And how did they know that the guy that got rescued was going back to the island. It was like some pertinent information was left out of some scenes.
This is an author I have read before. The theme of this story is one of my favourites. Racist falls in love with a woman of colour whom he is suppose to hate. This was an original take on the theme. This was Bleu and Chris story's. I loved that once he turned he never tried to deny his feelings for the woman he loved. He put himself in danger to save her. Now that is real love. Definitely worth a read.
This story was really, really good and kept me on the edge of my seat. Can we please have a reunion with Robert?!
If you sign up for Shea's Newsletter you'll get a free BONUS story featuring the prequel story of Colin and Shelly AND there are hints to the upcoming stories in the Hell Series.
High-class heiress Bleu St. James is used to dealing with racists, so running into obnoxious white supremacist Chris Stokes and his even more obnoxious (and aggressive) friend at the airport is no big deal -- until she and Chris are two of the only four passengers who survived the plane crash. Raised by a white supremacist father and indoctrinated while growing up in a white supremacist cult compound, Chris also learned about wilderness survival growing up, which will help keep him alive when he, Bleu, a Hispanic businessman and his (Caucasian) secretary are the only humans on a deserted island. But can he leave the city folk to die (even if two of them aren't white)?
Honestly, I never thought a romance between an African-American woman and a white supremacist could be so compelling, or that a (changing) white supremacist could be such a compelling character. Chris never had a chance to learn anything different, and while he's definitely not as die-hard of a "white power" guy as his father and friends, it takes the forced proximity of people of other races to get him to make true change. Bleu is able to look beyond his surface to see that he can be something more and help him make those changes.
Unlike most "stranded on a deserted island" books, this novel is way more character development than survival tropes, and it's all the better for it.
Great book! The island itself reminded me of that movie, “The Mist”. Minus the horrible bugs but all of the suspense. The island could be a couple of books all by itself. It’s still a mystery. I’d like to know the history of the island. How did the WWII plan crashed?
I enjoyed watching Bleu and Chris’ relationship grow. Although they were immediately attracted to each other, they still built their relationship with time.
Some parts were still left unanswered. What happened with Dennis’ story? And Ben and Kait’s? It’s said she had a really hard year. Understandably so, but there seemed to be so much more that was not said about her.
As far as Colin’s story? Well, I have a feeling he’s an informant. Maybe with the FBI. “Recruit” was mentioned.
The twist at the end is good too. I hope they told him. I know I would have.
This was suggested in the "READERS ALSO ENJOYED" section. A beautiful love story with action, suspense, and drama. I loved the fact that you get to experience the development of Chris' affection for Bleu. I also appreciated the fact that the author made the island a complex setting with time differences, abnormal creatures, and supernatural events.
I love a good castaway story. I love a well written interracial romance. Ergo, I'm totally loving this book. If I'm honest, I loved this book so much I stayed up to the wee hours reading til my eyes were burning, knowing full well I had work early the next morning.
Colin's story cannot get here fast enough. Meanwhile, I'm off to see what else Ms Swain has written.
Note: I've edited and condensed the former version of this review for length.
Shea Swain once again takes erotic Interracial romance out of the billionaire boardroom, and into the darker confines of horror with her interesting spin on familiar tropes. Like in her novel Chained to the Devil’s Son, she’s not afraid to tackle social issues in the context of psychological horror. But in Heaven on Hell Island, she steps it up a notch, creating a story out of a hodgepodge of genres. Does it work? Well, some of it. But before we get to that, let me give you a glimpse into what the book is about:
Bleu St. James is flying first class to hell island, and along for the ride is a Neo-Nazi, a generic businessman and his damsel-in-distress secretary.
Some of the strongest aspects of this book are the Science-Fiction and Mystery elements. There’s a mix of old school and new, and the Mysterious Island vibe they encapsulate as the story gets deeper, is a definite page-turner. The pacing at the start felt natural. I like the way Swain doesn’t get too bogged down in the details but teases the reader with just enough horror and mystery to keep us spooked and wondering what’s going to happen next. In short, all you romance junkies who also love Stephen King are going to be pleasantly surprised in some ways. I see influences in certain components of the story. Unfortunately, that all putters away due to the lackluster character development and construction of the second half of the book. This story was an exercise in coulda, woulda, shoulda. It could have been better with a strong developmental edit, Would have been if not for the inclusion of the second half of the book, and the author should have have exorcised those neo-Nazi demons that have taken many an IR Romance novel asunder of late. Of course, you can judge for yourself. The first half is more than worth a read on a boring night.
My rating: A woulda, coulda, shoulda 3.9 (and that's being generous)
Not what I expected...This book was unexpectedly good
The story of the four people being stranded on an island was a bit cliche for me so I avoided this book for a long time. I should have known better, I really like this authors writing style and was taken after the first chapter. Blue and Chris build their relationship from the beginning and build on that from the moment the plane crashes on the mysterious island. The story grabs you and has you mesmerized throughout, the island is mysterious and scary at times, feeding into your imagination, love the fact that Blue and Chris stay together after they get back home, the only thing I didn't like was the explore how they got off the island but say I g that I'm glad they did. I'm intrigued to find out more about Colin, scary that he had something to do with Stokes demise. Need more detailed description of Justin but I will wait for that story and hopefully hear more about Blue, Chris and Jackson. Fantastic story well worth reading!!
Heaven on Hell Island: An Enemies to Lovers Romance by Shea Swain. Chris and Bleu are from two different backgrounds. He has been taught to hate people that are different from him, and Bleu is a sweetheart who cares about everyone. Their chance encounter at an airport leads to them being stranded on an island together with another couple.
The way the author set up this story was amazingly awesome. The drama, the suspense, and the subsequent fallout from the plane crash was beautifully executed. I was hooked on this story.
The plot was amazing. I have never read a book like this, and I loved it. The timeline was easy to follow and did not cause any confusion. The dialogue was on point. The character growth was exceptional. I loved many of the secondary characters. They added to the story and did not detract away from Chris and Bleu’s story.
I will recommend this story to others. I cannot wait for the next installment. I give it 5/5 Platypires.
So Bleu is in a airport....looking all sexy and beautiful....high class...sophisticated...boogie....and sitting not to far off a two white supremacists giving of real bad vibes....one actually says a derogatory cliched tired old line and she just brushes it off and moves on...little does anyone know that they are on a doomed flight...some survived....some did not...and now comes the hard part...survival...of the fittest...smartest....and the vulnerable...and just when it seems worse...it gets worse...Shea introduces supernatural elements that seem to defy logic and time...and then the unthinkable happens...Bleu and the white proud Aryan Chris starts seriously bumping uglies...which becomes a whirlwind of emotional and self redemption that has natural consequences...
Loved this book! Not my first read by Ms. Swain but she always brings it. The author weaves a tale of how very different people learn to coexist in a every evolving world. Chris had the talent and the skills to survive on the island and to survive with others that were not like him. He went deep with in himself to determine the person that he really wanted to be.
Bleu's unwavering commitment to who she was as a person provided a very good backdrop to her interactions with Chris. Her quite, but some in your face to issues and her growing desire to establish herself as a person made for great interaction between the survivors; particularly with Chris.
What I am waiting for is Colin's story. He was an unexpected add to this story, he interactions and determine since of self was very engaging.
I didn't want to read this story at first with one of the characters being a white supremacist. There is enough of that every day in the news in today's climate. However survivorship, proximity, reliance on one another led to community, understanding, realization of the other person as a person and attraction.
I like that there were several "cast members" and interwoven story lines. I like how the story developed. Interesting thread with Colin at the end.
This is a good story and gets a 5 from me for not being the formulaic billionaire stories out now. Recommended read.
I did not know what expect with this book, I thought two people fall in love on vacation, classic plot right. Not this book this was a very interesting story, 5 people trapped on a desert island where time moves ..differently and things go bump when fog appears, do they all survive,do they turn on one another? add in an alt-right white elitists and a pampered African American woman who fall in love, will they be rescued or die on this mysterious island. Loved it. Fantastic!
The description did not do justice to this trippy book. Bleu encounters Chris, a white elitist, on a flight. When the plane crashes she pulls him to safety. They are joined on the island by three other survivors. The book is as much about Chris’ evolution as a person, Bleu’s decentness as a person as it is about the creepy island. I love that the four surviving characters are still friends at the end of the story. I see that the next story is about Brielle and Justin....hope Colin is lurking somewhere....
Loved the first half of this very sexy and exciting island adventure. Good enemies to lovers slow burn that always drives me wild. And I enjoyed the mystery island. But once they were mysteriously rescued the story kinda fell apart for me. It was like the author didn't know what to do with the characters once they were off the island. And she left too many loose threads. By the end I didn't know what was going on. Such a shame because it was a page turner until then.
I loved this book! The character development, storyline and details were fantastic. The love scenes were hot! I loved Chris and Bleu! I couldn’t put the book down. I hate it’s over.
It hit all the marks, the island was strange but small-scale binding. I would recommend this book, if your into science fiction and romance in one book. Thanks Ms. Drain for writing such an entertaining book.
Great enemies to lovers romance. Great plot, loved how love conquerors all. Survivalist white supremacist meets beautiful rich girl at the airport. Plane crashes and there are tons of epic situations where attraction and fascination turn into more.
“Words hurt”, she simply said. “Sometimes they hurt long after physical wounds have healed.”
Bleu St. James first spots them at the airport whilst waiting for her flight. Two white supremacists giving her the stink eye. One of them even has the courage to call her a derogatory name but Bleu rises above it and just walks away. Unfortunately, they are on the same flight as she is and despite how unkind they were to her at the airport Bleu manages to save one of them when the airplane goes down.
Christopher Stokes is a supremacist, all he has known is anger and hatred towards those they believe are ‘lesser’ than them. Oh, and they must keep their race pure. He is short tempered howerever he was taught survival skills since he was a young boy ‘in preparation for the war’. So, when the airplane crashes and the survivors realize they are in a deserted island with no rescue in sight they must rely on Chris’s expertise to survive.
I liked this story, I liked how their story was not insta-love. I mean the attraction was there but they did not act on it straight away as you cannot erase years of hatred instilled into you. We watched as Chris fought his attraction to Bleu, the battle between his heart's desire and what he has been taught all his life. There was real growth there and once Chris surrendered to what he was feeling, he was all in, no games played.
Total fangirl over this 3.5 star book! What an awesome read with so much going on. The premise makes it seem like an ordinary "white supremacist man and black woman fall in love" or "stranded on a desert island" love story BUT... there is a twist... or two.
Whilst I wasn't totally sold on Chris and Bleu's coming together (once they got there it was fine), the surrounding twist and mystery, the characters of Ben and Kait then Brielle and Colin and whatever he had going on at the end kept me intrigued.
There are a few issues left undone; the aftermath for both Ben and Kait as difficulties were alluded to, whatever happened with Dennis and his false claims, what was going on with Brielle and Justin, what medical issue happened to Bleu in the past, what happened to Mason (collateral damage - did he die or was he just injured?), what about Chris's reunion with his estranged family, and of course... Adrian Neil? What was that all about and how did they deal with the situation??? Also, there were a couple of times during the narrative where I felt that the story was skipped over unnecessarily and I almost felt as if I were missing some text. These are some of the reasons I couldn't rate it higher. I just needed more.
All in all, Ms. Swain, I must insist on at least one sequel (Colin's story) and a companion novel (to fill in all the missing gaps)! Pretty please? with cherries on top???!
3.75 Stars. I enjoyed reading the enemies to lovers romance of Bleu St. James and Chris Stokes, it was a charmer. Bleu is a kind thoughtful well educated 23 year-old Black female from a loving upper middle class family, while Chris is an angry short tempered ex-con who was taught hatred and White supremacy by is violent father. Bleu and Chris meet at the airport when he and his best friend yell out embarrassing and hurtful racial epithets directed at Bleu. The plane crashes, his fried dies, Bleu safes Chris'life and their angry banter and taunting morphs into lustful desire,mourns, groans, unprotected sex and pregnancy. After keeping Bleu, himself and the other two survivors alive while they were on the island, Chris executes a maneuver that allows them to be rescued. Bleu and Chris have a desire to be together; but, they must weather the storm of their families and friends descending comments and actions and her ex-boyfriend drama and attempts on their lives; however in the end, they unite and marry and have their child. Good read.
Heaven on Hell Island (An Enemies to Lovers Romance) by Shea Swain is the most thought provoking romance I’ve read, possibly to date. It pushes you as the reader to consider right and wrong on so many levels. Synopsis: Chris and Bleu are marooned on a mysterious island with several others after their plane crashes. These two seem to be complete opposites that could hardly be friends let alone lovers. But things are not as they seem. Shea is the queen of complex characters. Not only do the characters have many layers, they also are faced with tough decisions that have the reader pondering right and wrong at every turn. Throw in a back drop of a mysterious island with unusual things going on, and you have yourself one intriguing story! This was my first read of a book by Shea Swain but it will definitely not be my last!
Pleasantly surprised at the twist thrown into this one. Didn't expect it at all but it did give the story a sharp edge setting it apart from other "marooned survival stories". I won't give it away. There are a lot of unanswered questions and I know this can be a Deal Breaker for some...But I assure you that this complicated tale needs to play out in separate directions so we get a whole story in the end. I love the cast of castaways and those connected to them. Oh..The rascist putrid scum is portrayed accurately so if you have a weak stomach, don't bother. Looking forward to whatever comes next and hoping this tale doesn't derail as it so easily could with its myriad of mysteries.
This novel was an interesting mix that blended well together. First, there was the romantic element between Chris, who was indoctrinated into racist idealology by his father, and Bleu, who was raised in privilege and fame. It was lovely watching Chris shed his racist’s beliefs to open his heart to loving Bleu. I respected how Bleu didn’t let Chris’s racism intimidate her or ignite her own hate. She was subtle yet purposeful in her intent to open Chris’s eyes. Second, the paranormal aspect on the deserted island element was awesome. I love all things sci-if and this novel was a good blend on both. Overall, I love this novel and constantly reread my favorite moments.
I read this and as soon as I was finished I wanted to read it again immediately,that is so rare for me these days. I read fast and a lot but find myself skimming eyes rolling as I read something not worth the time. This was a great mix of chemistry,heat and fun I never rolled my eyes and this book has a white supremacist and a fantasy island. It just just goes to show u that in the right hands an interracial romance doesn't have to have a male billionaire a poor black heroine and a reason to throw them into a boring situation. Thanks for the lovely ride, I look forward to the sister and the promising bodyguards book. Please write fast:)
I was pleasantly surprised with this storyline. I was ambivalent about reading this book. But, glad I did. This story made its point with writing that flowed. Clear and concise dialogue, without having to work hard to get to the heart of the story. The h/h and the other characters has vast differences, but were very likable. I like how the backstory of Chris allowed you to understand his beliefs, even though you didn't share them. This is a diverse story. The series events of the book were well developed. Conflict, a good theme, other worldly elements surrounded an enjoyable love story. This is a book you want to add to your library.