Affinity for Pain

Newborn City #1

by R.E. Johnson

Unbound by the burden of physical sensation, Hope Turner, the demon daughter of The Chakal makes for the ideal human hunting assassin. Brilliantly cruel and decidedly callus Hope finds no problem engaging her latest hit, Ciaran O'Connor. But as the very essence of nature begins to twist and turn around her, Hope becomes paralyzed by an onslaught of new-found emotion and feeling. Unable to kill, confused and in danger, the unlikely pair must embark on a journey together in order to survive the much darker powers that chase them from their pasts. Only through embracing their connection will Hope and Ciaran find the means to survive.

ebook

First published October 1, 2022

About the author

Lover of dark, decadent, and deadly romances, RE Johnson has been a passionate storyteller and fantasy fan since they were in elementary school. In fact, they wrote their first novel in fifth grade.

Now, they use their Creative Writing degree to create stories that profess love, respect, and triumph over evil and contain strong female characters who are always ready to throw down – both in and out of the bedroom.

Currently, they reside in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they spend their free time playing Dungeons and Dragons, wrangling their two rambunctious children, and reading all the smut, fantasy, sci-fi, and mythology they can get their hands on.

Reviews

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐ rounded up.

This is not my typical genre at all, but I was delighted to be asked to read R.E. Johnson's debut work.

Featuring ~ dual 3rd person POV, flashbacks, dark paranormal story-telling, assassin, demons, violence, torture, battle between good and evil, steamy romance

Hope & Ciarian
Hope is the perfect assassin since she does not feel any pain as a demon. She is hired by Marcus and is all set and in place, ready to kill her mark, Ciarian. When she finally lays eyes on him she knows she can't pull the trigger. She has found her soulmate and needs to come up with a new plan.

Ciarian is a human and former fighter that has been hiding out, with his sidekick, Dimitri, after escaping from Dante's grasp.
When Hope and Ciarian come face to face and figure out Marcus and Dante are the same man they join forces to take him down.
Hope, Ciarian and Dimitri made a good trio and had each other's back at all times.

Both characters have their demons (ha ha, no pun) and are flawed. Underneath all the violence is a beautiful story about two people that never thought they could find love, but found just that when they least expected it.
There are some words I am not familiar with, nor can I pronounce them, like, omaeriku and jabalv, so I'm not sure if the author made them up or it's typical for this genre.

Overall, a VERY dark and steamy read that I'm sure will appeal to those that enjoy these types of stories. It does not leave off on a cliffhanger, but the set up is in place for book 2....coming in 2023.

*Thanks to R.E. Johnson for sending me a paperback copy to read. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

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["Avonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

AFFINITY FOR PAIN (Newborn City Series Book #1) by R.E. Johnson is an intense first book in a new paranormal/urban fantasy romance that takes you into an exciting new world of demons and humans featuring a demon assassin who feels no pain. This story does have graphic scenes of sex and torture, but it is an integrated part of the story due to a sadistic antagonist.

Hope Turner is a highly successful Chakal demon assassin. Female Chakal demons feel no pain or emotion until omaraeriku, the moment they meet their soulmate. Hope is sent to eliminate a private detective she has been told is killing demons, but for some reason when she hears his voice for the first time she is hit by a wave of emotion and sensation.

Ciaran O’Connor escaped a life of degradation and torture while forced to fight demons in an illegal underground colosseum. Now confronted with an assassin who cannot kill him, they both discover their mutual enemy in Marcus Dentry. The chemistry between Ciaran and Hope is immediate and as they spend time together, even as they are evading assassins sent to kill them, the soulmate bond builds.

Can Hope and Ciaran track down Marcus before he captures them first?

WOW! This is a wonderful new paranormal world and characters to fall in love with. The worldbuilding is very well done so that you believe everything that happens in this world and the plot is fast paced. Hope goes from being an unfeeling killing machine to someone who is still a killing machine but has so many emotions and feelings after the omaraeriku she is made stronger with her emotions and bond to Ciaran. Ciaran is a tortured hero mentally and physically and yet he still has the ability to love Hope. The sex scenes are graphic in this romance, but not gratuitous. The scenes of sadistic torture were difficult to read, but I never felt they were just thrown in for shock value because Marcus was a sadist psychopath. Dimitri, Ciaran’s best friend and unknown type of demon who escaped Marcus’ torture with Ciaran originally was a breath of sarcastic and humorous relief just when needed.

I highly recommend this dark paranormal romance/urban fantasy world and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Charm The Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute 5 star read ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE !
It was a fun read especially cuz I haven’t read paranormal romance in a while. 💜

+ the spice scenes!? 🥵
HOLY CRAP it was *chef’s kiss* 😭🌶
(Pls check trigger warnings before reading this one)

[Lila Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Affinity for Pain very much and highly recommend it for those who look for a fun and captivating Romance/Supernatural read.

The pace, storytelling and dialogues work. The plot is original, the characters come to life right away and you feel an instant connection with them. You feel invested in their fate.
As often with me, I found myself rooting for some of the secondary characters rather than for the protagonists (DIMITRI!).

It's a fun, entertaining story that will leave you with all sorts of feelings. The author is talented and I can't wait to read the sequel!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked if I would read and review Affinity for Pain. I have found that sometimes you just come across a book that is beyond expectations.

Affinity for Pain is one of them. I knew this was a debut novel for R.E. Johnson and I was not disappointed. I like dark paranormal romance and don't mind trigger warnings, but I was blown away with the story, characters, and spice!

This story had me hooked and I'm a sucker for fated mates. I highly recommend this dark paranormal romance, just be aware of the trigger warnings.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

READ the trigger warnings 🖤

I was totally pulled in, but there was a small section (maybe at 30%) where it took me a little to get through. I’m so glad I pushed through because it really was a good story!

I loved the side characters and felt the originality in this book. I can’t wait to read more! 🖤

[Kaitlyn (heartoflane) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed reading this story. The storyline, characters, and over detail continously held my attention.
R.E. Johnson does a fantastic job at keeping readers on their toes and I loved all the twists and turns.

There was so many important topics that were seen throughout the story; a woman finding her independence, removing oneself from toxic family, and learning to love oneself in the midst of gruesome trauma.

These important topics were exceptionally written in this fictional world so readers did not become too overwhelmed.

I was intrigued from the very beginning and I highly recommend this book.

Warning: This is a dark romance, so please check trigger warnings.

I received this book as an ARC and voluntarily gave my honest review.

[Kates.korner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book. I know I am late and I greatly apologize for being late to finish and post my review. My initial rating is 3.5 but I'm giving it a 4 after some time to process.

Tropes:
PNR
Fated mates
Demon/human relationship
Assassin/personal security
Spicy!
Check triggers!
Graphic torture scenes
Pregnancy
Fighting - guns, knives etc.

Hope and Ciaran took me for a ride. If you like long chapters, don't mind the above things listed, then this book is for you! I won't lie and say that I 100% loved this story. I'm not usually the type of reader that likes long chapters or the pregnancy trope, especially after it has been specifically said that she wasn't capable of having a child with a human or without the ritual. But I guess the ritual is what we humans do causally lol.
There is so much that happens in this book that I can't really say much without it spoiling something. I did say the pregnancy trope part because that for some is a deal breaker when it comes to a book. I don't like it when it is the main focus of a book and this is not really like that. Does it play a part? yes. Does it help with the storyline? also yes.
This book gave me a lot of emotions, happy, scared for the characters, i was laughing at one point, and I felt sadness at one point as well.
I do highly recommend the book, but get past the initial build. Whatever that may be for you. It does get really good and it does get slow in some parts, but no ones life is always go, go, go. they need to breathe to lol.
I hate that I can't say much without spoiling or I would have so much to say lol. This book is really good.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A demon assassin hunting humans is ruthlessly efficient at her job until her latest hit sets off an inescapable bond that leads to dramatic results in R.E. Johnson’s Affinity for Pain.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

Hope’s demon heritage has provided her an advantage of not feeling pain, or anything really, which has proven to be an incredibly useful asset when hunting and taking down her contracted hits set up by Dante, who’s assured her she’s killing demon-hating humans. Her latest hit, Ciaran, is a bodyguard with a hauntingly dark past of his time fighting against others at the whim of Marcus and his twisted desires that Ciaran’s desperately trying to escape, and while setting up her shot to take him down Hope feels something, strange in itself but even more curious that it’s the sensation of omaeriku, a soulmate bond; mangling the opportunity for a clean hit, Hope now finds herself on her former boss’s hit list and she escapes with Ciaran into hiding. As the pair investigate ways to take down their newly discovered mutual enemy, with help from Ciaran’s brother in battle Dimitri, the pair give in to unexpected spark between them, exploring new sensations and emotions. With omaeriku overwhelming Hope, she struggles to cope with all the emotions she’s feeling for the first time and thinks that life might be easier without the confusion and pain, making her believe leaving Ciaran is in their best interests, or at least until Marcus’s plans reveal just what’s needed to exact revenge and stop his continued machinations.

Providing the perspectives of both Hope and Ciaran in an overlapping manner that occasionally backtracks, the narrative moves swiftly through events as it depicts current action amid snippets of remembered or narrated backstory to build out the characters – their motivations, and the horrific, content warning things that haunt them – as well as the broader world; the world is intriguing and decently built out, offering details to establish the paranormal elements at play within the world, how the demon clans seem to function, and the relations between humans and demons, which provides a well-envisioned base from which to build even if not everything has been fully established or clarified yet. Though there’s an insta-attraction portrayed between Hope and Ciaran there was a canonically relevant, if convenient, explanation for it, which also fits within the complexities of the broader demon world that slowly come to light throughout the story. While this narrative wraps up fairly neatly in a kind of happily ever after (or at least until they weren’t/aren’t), the next story is set up enticingly with the haunting image conveyed with the ending words via Dimitri.

Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

AFP is a new take on demons and PNR.

I love that Hope fights (well, tries to) her fate but finds that she needs to give in. And the whole not feeling any physical stimuli until she meets her fated mate?! Ugh so cool!

[Cheryl_cajun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for arc read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. A demon named Hope.. ironically hilarious!  The whole omaeriku was kicking all the doubts and desire haywire, and I'm here for the dramatic finish of which way this unlikely couple will end..amongst the chaos the world is spinning of Demons run amuck.
Taking this job that was to supposed to be a piece of cake for Hope, after all this she one of the things she exiled at. How was she to know that the joke was on her. Bam a omaeriku right in the middle of the job, stealth was not her friend because to make matter more of the headache she didn't need, he was the job! Ciaran was not a complexion she needed or desired to have as he brought with him the human emotions she dreaded. The pain that surrounded the ability to love was torture, was it even worth that just to keep the human around? What of the freedom she so desired more?  Knowledge was making it a toss up either way, did Ciaran even want to be with a demon.

[Mary Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! This story has so much! It’s plot is on point and the characters, the characters are everything. This is a little dark but so good. The characters have a lot of growth through out the whole book. Hope is smart, bad a$$, funny, and strong. Ciaran is wild and strong. Dimitri is my favorite!

Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Trope: Paranormal
Triggers: Definitely has a few murder, kidnapping, SA & mental health issues
Smutt/ Spicy: 10/10

Favorite things the characters say

Hope: “ Ha! Fine. But no white, I hate white”
Ciaran: “ How about wife”

[Am Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope has a job to do and his name is Ciaran. Fate has brought these two together, and takes them on a wild ride. I loved how passionate they both are in the situation they are in. Awesome read. I am voluntarily leaving my review of this ARC.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Affinity for Pain and I am so, so amazed!

Affinity for Pain is such a well written and amazing story, but definitely check trigger warnings!!

It only took a couple of pages for me to fall in love with the characters and the story itself. I mean, you had me at demon assassin… 😏 When brutal killer becomes morally grey and a bit vengeful there is nothing better.

There’s fated love, gladiator esque fighting and survival, sarcasm, dark humor, drama, and tension. SO. MUCH. TENSION. It’s such a captivating read and the spice is 🔥🔥

The level of commitment given to these characters and the stories of what they went through is beyond anything I expected and I’m so grateful for the inclusion of what it can feel like to be holding onto and processing trauma.

[Gloria Ramirez Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story so much!!! I was so excited to receive and ARC copy of this book and it did not disappoint. My favorite books are when writers bring a lot of lore into modern day and this one was done so well. There is a lot of world building without being over done. It's nice to see the first book of the series still give me everything I need to know about the world and still deliver an amazing story. I felt all the emotions on this one it was funny, spicy, dark, super dark and twisted, and happy and sad. It was a perfect combination of all the good stuff. It will have you laughing and giggling at one point and the next you are on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend you check this book out 🤩

[Becky Weeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

*arc reader*

Make sure to check all trigger warnings before diving in—I do think the book might be a but much for some people (especially with the SA), but I was pleasantly surprised with this story. I loved Hope, the FMC, and thought she did a great job of representing a strong, bad ass lead. Slight *spoiler* alert, but I honestly think what I loved the most is that we didn’t have to wait till the book was half way over for the two MCs to get together. They actually connect with one another right off the bat and I loved watching that instant connection form. I also love Dimitri and hope we get more of his story in the future!

[T Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received ARC copy - honest review

Spicy with multiple TWs needed
(SA, brutal violence, extra spicy scenes with dominance, and others)
Fated mates, demon/human love story that will break your heart and put it back together. He is the human that will break your heart while she is the demon working to put it back together. If you can handle a 4 outta 5 spicy level with so many TWs, you will enjoy this book. I could not put it down voluntarily, but it did take the better part of 10 hours to read. This is the first story I've read by this author, but will not be my last.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister informed me of this ARC and recommended that I join the ARC team, and I'm so glad she did!

While this book took me a little bit to get into, once I was in it, I was IN IT. I absolutely love reading stories where the relationship between the characters just catches fire! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a slow burn, but I so love the heat!

This book was an emotional roller coaster that I would gladly ride again, and I cannot wait to learn more about Newborn City and the people/demons that inhabit it!

10/10 would read again!
10/10 would recommend!

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Read the trigger warnings** and then dive in!!! This is a wild ride from Re Johnson! Demons, assassins, lovers, action, it’s got it all! I love the unique vocabulary and world building Johnson created. This book had me running through the whole gamut of emotions! I laughed, I cried, I panicked, I cringed(especially during some of torture scenes), I rooted for the couple, and I crumbled as they suffered. I love a book that makes you feel and takes you along with the characters. This is perfect for any dark romance lovers! Read the trigger warnings!

[Sandra G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was set in a world so much like our own, with the added twists of demons. I love the way that the demons were portrayed and the different powers. Hope's story is tragic but watching her grow and learn was a privilege. I don't even know what to say about Ciaran besides thank Maker for Hope and Dimitri! Affinity for Pain has just the right amount of spice and sarcasm, i loved it! And the villain? He truly is human and that is the most terrifying thing of all...

[Victoria Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing!
Hooked from the beginning.
Hope is a total bada$$! She stayed pissed off for a decent amount about the omeriku. But then she seems to peels away layers of Cieran. Or at least they did to each other.
The Chakal seem like a misogynistic jerks.
But….
The SPICE!!!
I am so glad that it ended the way it did.
Can’t wait to see who the red eyes belong to and what Dimitri does about them.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked how the characters acted with each other and how they grew. I can't wait for the next book.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this book. The characters are interesting and the plot is intense. The rollercoaster of emotions experienced are hard to put into words, but it’s all so satisfying over all.

Hope starts out a bit intriguing, but quickly turns into someone you just want to root for. Her past is a little murky for the reader at the start. When the focus sharpens, you really get hit in the gut with how much you love her. Her life, her choices, and the varying paths for her future… you’re invested and right there with her. More than once I wanted to sit down and have a talk with her about things she had said or done. Unfortunately that isn’t allowed…

Ciaran is… different. I didn’t like him much at first. I can’t really tell you why. I just didn’t. He grows on you though. I didn’t even realize it was happening. One minute I was kind of annoyed with him, the next I was cheering for him. The peaks in to the past give you a little more perspective. It changes your view of him. It’s not a major change, for me anyway, more of an appreciation for some of the choices we see him make. While it brings perspective, some of it was a bit overwhelming. Just the urge to give him a hug and tell him it will all be ok, but even if I could do that, I know he wouldn’t appreciate that.

Dimitri. Dimitri. Dimitri. I don’t think I was supposed to like him as much as I do. I love him. I want to claim him as mine. He can move in with me and we will live happily ever after. He is sweet in a very understated way and his sense of humor is fantastic. He isn’t really the focus here though, and I am dying to know more about him. You do get some insights into him and his life. All of them made me love him more. I know there is a second book in the works and I am DYING to read it!

Plot wise, I really like how it was defined. While there were sub-plots, the main ark of the book was concise, tangible, and easily understood. Even if you don’t agree with the goal (personally I think you would be crazy not to), there is little doubt to the whys. I felt it in my bones, and would have loved to be able to jump in with them (and not just to hang out with Dimitri). The connections and nuances were well written and left just enough room to make you wonder what will happen next. The only real criticism I have is in the final scene of the major plot ark. The suspense was so well done. I had real tears at times, and I didn’t want to stop reading it (stayed up waaaay too late last night). The scene where it’s resolved seemed to happen too fast. With all of the buildup, and all the tension created, I would have like to see the end of the scene a little more… drawn out? I guess? I can’t really explain further without spoilers, sorry, but even with that, I still loved the book, and its ending.

Overall, I loved it. It contained a wonderful balance between bringing the plot forward and developing the characters (something I would loooooove to talk about here, but everything I want to say is a spoiler…). I’m really excited about the second book, and seriously can’t wait for it to be finished!

Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥

[Suey_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tickle me intrigued I was left surprised, glued to the pages and a bit in a drooling pickle. Most people know I enjoy PNR, but RomCom's have my heart but how could I pass up a chance to read Affinity for Pain, that synopsis had me in a choke hold.

Yes please and thank you!

The main characters, Hope and Ciarian are the perfect examples of that morally grey attributes that really made them seem more relatable. Between the internal battles and flaws, to the moment their connection exploded on the pages I was hooked. Something that I really enjoyed was the fact that Hope wasn't this badass assassin who when involved with Ciarian no longer carried that 'strong' female lead vibe. She was true from start to finish; I always dislike when a book states that the female heroine is this amazing character, saving the world but is written more like a damsel. Don't get me wrong, I do not mind a damsel in distress plot, but if you market as a strong assassin female heroine then I want to see her be a badass and dang it, Johnson delivered. But the banter between Hope and Ciarian was very entertaining to say the least. They really complimented one another in the best ways.

The best part I felt was the fact that the romance flowed with the plot, it wasn't one or the other overshadowed each other, it was well balanced. And yes, the sex and tension was delicious but the plot - really intriguing (See, I don't just read romance for the sex...)! But the plot was great, the world building wasn't too drowning. I say this because sometimes in the start of a series, any genre, there is always a level of world building that needs to be setup for the reader, I personally felt like I could envision what Johnson was portraying without drowning in overused details. It was easy to follow.

Bottom line, this was a really great read. I enjoyed a lot about Affinity for Pain and surprised that as a debut novel this exceeded in my expectations. This was steamy, dark, twisty read, for anyone who really enjoys PNR I think this would be a great up your alley read. The characters likable, the burn was decent with the plot flow, I am definitely looking forward to book two!

***Received an free copy from author PR in exchange for an honest review***

[Wormy Book Lover]

Amazing Story ✨️

This story was a fantastic ride! I was gripped from the first page and could not stop. The humor peppered in is perfect and helps lighten some of those darker moments. The action is visceral and consuming. The spice is absolutely top tier, although I always want there to be more of it 🥵 honestly, it's a fabulous read!

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This made me want to regress back to reading children’s books.

[Céline Y. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/4 ⭐
Before your read this book, I strongly advise you to check the trigger warnings.

Being a mood reader, it took me a while to get through the story. But I kept telling myself to go on and I'm glad I did.

We have a bunch of interesting characters ( including one real badass FMC), an actionpacked story, there's nothing slow about the world building, and these characters just went through a lot before our story even starts and during.

What happens when you mix a demon assassin and a morally grey guy who came out of a gladiator prison and is out for revenge? This freaking book!
Factor in the fated mates, dark humor, witty characters, and the spice ... And here you have Affinity for pain.

This story mainly follows Ciaran and Hope but you better believe I was a sucker for Dimitri.

[natasha fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would easily give this book a 4.5/5⭐️This book was so uniquely different in the best way. I loved Hope and Ciaran and their different personalities. The way they met and their story had humor, passion, angst, and so so much more. Hope is definitely one of a kind and had a lot to work through, and so did Ciaran, but to see them through to the end was perfection

[Lauren McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ 4/5 🌶️

Please please please READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS! This books contains some dark plot points!

Now down to the good stuff! If you were/ are a tumblr girly who was as obsessed with the hurt/comfort trope as I was, this is a book for you. If anyone is familiar with the term whump just go ahead and put this on your TBR right now, you’ll thank me later.

The only thing stopping me from giving this book 5 stars was that the writing style was not my usual cup of tea and occasionally I had to backtrack to remind myself what had just happened.


*Unrelated to the book*
I had the pleasure of meeting this author at Books Gowns and Crowns this year and they are a lovely human and I can’t wait to read more of their work! 😁

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCELLENT PARA NORAML ROMANCE BOOK. THE WORLD BUILDING IS VERY WELL DONE. THE CHARACTERS ARE REAL, INTERESTING FULLY DRANW CHARACTERS. THE PLOT PUSHES YOU TOWARDS A SATISFYING CLIMAX. IT IS A VERY READ HOT SO READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS .