Inferno

by D.S. Dehel

Simple. Kinky. Complicated. Lasciate vi stesso voi ch’entrate. “Abandon yourself, you who enter” are the words engraved on the invitation given to Rose Dantes by her fiancé, Nico. It is a chance to uncover her passions and unlock her darkest desires. It is a gift of magnificent proportions—one that will change her life irrevocably. With the enigmatic Virgil as her guide and mentor, Rose endeavors to complete the gauntlet known as “The Nine,” a pilgrimage tailored to her fantasies. Doing so earns her nothing more than the praise and adoration of her fiancé, something she wants more than anything else. Her quest pushes her boundaries and makes her question her entire life. Yet, Rose is no shrinking violet. She has a mind of her own and an attitude to match, qualities she will need to complete her Pilgrimage. Inferno plunges her into an abyss of pleasure and personal pain, and in the end, she must face her very own Lucifer.

411 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2018

About the author

D. S. Dehel is a lover of literature, good food, and the Oxford comma. When she is not immersed in a book, she is mom to her kids and spoiling her rather pampered feline, Mr. Darcy or her equally pampered puppy, Jameson, and her slightly psychotic Australian Shepherd, Piper. Having finally retired, she spends her days dreaming up new plotlines. She adores literary allusions, writing sex scenes, and British men. Actually, make that hot men in general. Her devoted husband is still convinced she writes children’s books. Please don’t enlighten him.

Reviews

[Heather Lin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that the cover of this book does not do it justice. It doesn't deserve a typical, heavily-photoshopped sexy girl/sexy guy romance cover because it is anything but typical. Most erotic romances in this vein take readers through mildly interesting, not-very-twisty plots that involve a ton of very satisfying sex scenes--usually one girl and one guy and they live happily ever after. (Because it is, after all, a romance.)

I love those stories. Don't get me wrong.

But "Inferno" takes it up a notch. Dare I say a level? Dare I say 9 levels?? I do.

There is GREAT sex in this book. There is a lot of sex in this book. It's genuine. It's relatable. And none of it is gratuitous. Each encounter serves to develop Rose's character, which is an interesting enough journey on its own, but then there's the added layer of her fiancee, who is DEFINITELY up to something, and the added layer of her sexy and mysterious guide who is a forbidden fruit in an orchard containing a TON of freaking fruit. AND the added layer of a world inspired entirely by Dante's "Inferno".

Which, by the way, I feel very inclined to reread right now.

I will say that after chapter 14 things got just a tad confusing. Perhaps a tad rushed. But I was already teetering over the edge of the roller coaster that was the last 6 chapters of the book so I didn't even care.

If you love sex, a happy (and deliciously dark) ending, fierce female protagonists, and impeccable writing....

Just buy it already!

[Joyce Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting, extremely sensual, very dark story and yet, there are romantic moments woven through the deception, lies, intrigue and mystery that balances out a bit of the negativity. As the story unravels, this reader came to realize there were a number of sub-plots within the main story. The main characters and players were all clearly defined, with myriad characters involved in the telling of this tale. The author had good command of the story line that made it easy to read and also was well edited. Not my usual `cup of tea` but must admit I enjoyed this read.

I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel via Booksprout and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by D.S. Dehel; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is creatively done. I loved how the book parallels Dante’s Inferno, so the book is aptly named. I don’t know anything about Inferno, so it was a great learning experience, besides reading experience.

For the main characters, I really adored Rose. Her character arc is wonderfully executed. Each level she takes, awakens her to what she didn’t think she possessed, but secretly does. As for V aka Virgil, he’s quite enigmatic, and I liked this. Having V hover around in secrecy as Rose’s guide left me wanting to know who he really was, and what part he played in the book, because Rose already has a fiancé. And she was getting pretty chummy with V.

There are no gratuitous sex scenes in this book. Each scene, and there are many, further Rose’s character arc. For me, sex scenes must have a purpose, such as shedding light on the character or the relationship, and this happens in Inferno.

I must say the side characters who assist Rose on her journey were interesting and very likeable. And some were quite unique. I especially adored the character who was hearing impaired.

Read more here: https://maggieblackbird.com/2019/09/1...

[Lynn Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inferno was the first book that I read by writer D.S. Dehel and it had me hooked. Her writing style flows in that I never wanted to put this story down. Before Inferno I steered clear of most romance or erotica because I didn’t want to simply read about gratuitous sex thrown in the story to be titillating. Inferno shows that you can have a sexy, lust filled story without sacrificing the storyline. This book is multilayered and sensual and I enjoyed it so much I gave my own mother and daughter copies!

[V.J. Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a blue-hot erotic read! Well done, DS!!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely amazing. My high school teacher wrote it so OBVIOUSLY I had to read it. It’s sexual, but not smutty. If you’re looking for something that’s a million times better than 50 shades of grey, then pick this book up. It’s arousing, it’s erotic, and the ending is unexpected. This book literally has it all and I am so proud to say that I know the author. This book is literally perfect when it comes to the sexual enlightenment of women. MUST READ!!!

[Amy Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels hyperbolic to say that this book “elevates the genre”, but that’s how I feel. While reading I got to enjoy all the kinky, lustful sex of an E-Rom but it mirrored the Divine Comedy so *literature*! I felt a little dirty and a little intellectual, and I LOVED IT! The story was interesting and the characters were engaging. I found myself hoping Rose would run away forever with ever guy she met (and there were many). However, I think I was more interested in Rose’s partners than Rose herself for the majority of the book (and I’m not sure how I feel about that).
Overall it was a quick book that I couldn’t put down. I’ve found myself opening my Kindle app more than a few times today, hoping that an extra ten chapters just magically appeared. But alas....