Lachlan's Protégé

Dark Protégés #1

by V.F. Mason

Once upon a time an angel and a monster fell in love… Valencia Moore spent her whole life living in the bubble of her family’s creation, dedicating herself to her one true passion–ballet. Until the day she meets a mysterious man who turns her world on its axis and makes her question everything she knows. His gorgeous blue eyes mesmerize her. His charming charisma tempts her. His dangerous nature makes her feel alive for the first time. But all of her dreams are crushed when she discovers his true agenda and identity. Because the monster craves her now. And will do anything to keep her. *** Powerful, deadly and ruthless billionaire Lachlan Scott lives for one thing only. Vengeance. He's an underground king ruling an empire whose goal is to destroy the one man responsible for the nightmares still haunting him at night. And he found a perfect weapon for his revenge. The beloved daughter of his nemesis. Except the beautiful creature pulls at the strings of the soul he thought he lost. Slowly the monster falls for the one woman he shouldn’t, endangering her life. Because love is a weakness his greatest enemy would not hesitate to use.
Lachlan's Protégé is a dark billionaire romance. It's book one in the Dark Protégés series but can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Dark, Dark Romance, Romance, Abuse, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2018

About the author

Visit me on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2e1wFpE
Reader group: http://bit.ly/2iXZd0l
Website: vfmason.com
Instagram: authorvfmason
Twitter: @Author_VFMason

V.F.Mason always loved reading books and had quite a few fights with her mama over the genre she liked (romance, duh!) She studied filmmaking and thought that would feed her desire for stories, but that didn't happen.
Finally, when she was tired of all those voices in her head, she sat down and wrote a book. It was a huge decision to make and she thanks her friends and family for supporting her in it.
When she is not writing, she can be found with her friends doing all sorts of crazy things or reading recent romance books that were written by her favorite authors.

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
 
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
To be honest, I am a bit unsure on what rating I want to give this one. I am flip-flopping between 3-Stars and 4-Stars. If I rate it based on enjoyment alone, then it is a solid 4-Stars. That said, I did have a few issues with it (more about those in a bit). In any case, this author does dark serial killers well, and this book was no exception. The writing was very good. The pace was OK. The plot was engaging and kept me turnings the pages. It had some good twists and turns. It had blood...a lot of blood. It had torture. We go back and forth in time, which I am not a big fan of, but it worked OK in this instance. Having said that, I did find myself a bit confused at certain times because we get a lot of dates thrown at us. Not to mention, sometimes we are in the past, then the present, then the future. So yea, a little confusing, but nothing overly annoying.

So on to the issues I had, and again, these were really more minor issues than things that greatly affected my feelings about the story. One was the pace. This book was a bit slow out of the gate. It really wasn't until 30% in that it started to pick up. Second, the relationship between Lachlan and Valencia felt a little underdeveloped for me. We get a lot of background scenes for Lachlan that set up why he is the way he is. Which is great, but because of so much page space being devoted to that the relationship suffered (IMO). I didn't quite feel as strong as a connection as I would have liked. Perhaps if we would have gotten more scenes from when they meet in Italy? Last, the ending felt very rushed for me, and it felt incomplete. I don't know if they are living together? (I think they were). If they were married? There were no "I love you", and this especially bothered me as his daughter says that to him, and the heroine notes he never says it back. I mean I get it, he is a serial killer, but he needed to tell his kid he loved her!!

SIDE NOT: I am adding this trigger warning as some content in this one could be triggering and a no go for people... there is rape of a child in this one. It isn't overly descriptive, but there are a couple scenes that could be distressful or triggering to people.




~HERO~
LACHLAN...I liked Lachlan for the most part. I mean, he wasn't going to win any "boyfriend of the year" awards, but I loved the darkness he let loose. My heart broke for him and all the pain and abuse he suffered. Also, he carried a cane with a knife in it. I love hot evil guys that carry canes...*lol*


~HEROINE~
VALENCIA...I liked Valencia well enough. I thought she was a bit of a doormat in regard to everyone around her, but I loved the way she stood up to Lachlan. 


~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
This book was pretty light on secondary characters. Or I should say, secondary characters that played large roles. We get A LOT of characters that come and go throughout the story, but none that I would say stand out. That said, I cannot wait for Jaxon's book! We also see a few familiar faces pop up. 


 

~HEAT LEVEL~
Surprisingly low. I am not sure why I was expecting something with more kink and heat, but there was really only two or three fairly spicy sex scenes. I wouldn't have minded a few more, and I think it may have helped me feel this couple's connection more.


~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~
Medium. I wouldn't say that I found this one too heavy on angst. The subject matter itself is heavy though. Neither were virgins. Neither had been with anyone else during the six months between when they first meet in Italy and when the books starts. There was also no OW or OM drama.


~IN THE END~
Did I enjoy it? Yes.
Was it perfect? No.
Would I recommend it? Undoubtedly.
What type of reader would this book cater too? Those who like a good dark romance. Just take head of the trigger warnings.
Will I read this author again? YES! 

[Dri ✰]

DNF @ 48%

▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬⋆▬

It seems like I'm not in the mood for this book. *sigh* Maybe I'll come back to finish it. Maybe not.
I can’t connect with the main characters.
I wasn’t able to like the heroine, her personality didn’t please me at all.
So I tried to find something else in the story that I liked... but at this point I'd rather stop it before I come to hate everything.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Arc Book Review
Release Date-15/8/18

I was really looking forward to "Lachlan's Protégé"; it had one of those blurbs that was just oh so intriguing and it certainly didn't disappoint capturing and retaining my interest ever so easily.
I didn't like this quite as much as "Psychopath's Prey" but have to say it was a very close second indeed.
I adored the way this story was told with present time and flashbacks and it certainly managed to keep me on my toes as I was never quite sure of Lachlan's hidden agenda and what his ultimate
end-game was.
This author is an expert in misdirection and as usual, managed to weave a dark entangled web that I really enjoyed trying to decipher.
I did prefer Lachlan in all his unapologetic depravity than Valencia with all her fresh wholesomeness but that's mainly because I am more drawn to the dark in all its shades of grey.
I really do love me a story that takes a walk on the dark side, managing to keep me off balance with its potential.
I really did inhale everything about this deeply decadent story and the only reason I removed half a star here was that I didn't always feel the connection between Lachlan and Valencia as deeply as I could have.
I feel that this may have been due to how much back-story we are given here.
No matter I still really enjoyed this.
My only other criticism here was the ending I would have prefered maybe a bit more interaction between our Main two characters; I felt that I didn't quite get given the closure I needed with these two.
Saying that the finale was also pure genius didn't see that one on the horizon.
All in all, this was a fab read That I really enjoyed and I am happy to recommend.
On a final note just wanted to add that there are some triggers here that may bother some readers; this is at its heart a dark read so don't expect some sweet vanilla story as this is definitely not what you're going to receive here.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of "Lachlan's Protégé " of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Heather❀Kiss The Pages❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Wow! My first book from this author but I'm blown away. This is a spoiler free review because you just need to go in blind for the most enjoyment.

Once upon a time, an angel and a monster fell in love.

This was an unconventional love story that was dark, gritty and emotional. Yes! I was surprised with all the feels I had with this one. Lachlan is the ultimate anti-hero who most will call a monster. I mean he is a serial killer after all. How can you love a serial killer you may ask? It always amazes me when an author has the ability to to make such an unorthodox character relatable and likable to the point where you are desperate for him to get his HEA and this is exactly what V.F. Mason did.

Our heroine, Valencia was also a surprisingly strong character. She surprises Lachlan as well.

...maybe, just maybe, I'm not dealing with a princess... but a warrior who has managed to hide her armor from me all this time.

Valencia was just supposed to be a pawn in Lachlan's game but she became so much more.

Keep in mind there are very graphic killing scenes and there were times I thought the scene would fade to dark but no the author went all out. These scenes are few though and don't overpower the story. There are twists and turns on every page that will keep you fully engaged. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book while having my mind blown at the same time.

You NEED to try this sexy psychological thriller with an unconventional love story! Highly recommended!

4.5 Stars
Dark Romance
Heat Level: Moderate to Hot
POV: Dual
HEA



Stalking is encouraged!

[Bookgasms Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become a fan of V.F. Mason after Psychopath's Prey and was so excited to read Lachlan and Valencia's story. This story was intense, sexy and addicting and I could not get enough of their snappy banter and hot af attraction!

Without giving away any spoilers I enjoyed the feel of this story and the reasoning behind Lachlan's motive for doing what he did. This story was consuming and I could not put it down. I will honestly say though that the first 15-20% confused me alot as I felt the author tried to set the scene but jumped around entirely too much with a myriad of dates, flashbacks, etc. I was forced to go back and forth and figure out what scenes were when and before what. It was very frustrating and almost a reason for me to throw in the towel. But if you push forward you will get lost in the story and the drama and painful secrets that came to the surface.

I did find some plot discrepancies and found the ending to be a little OTT but regardless, enjoyed this story and was glued to my kindle reading this. I look forward to reading more from this author! 4 stars! ~Ratula

[Expresso · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first sentence on page one I knew this story would give me LIFE! Mason is legendary for her darkness and is completely unapologetically authentic!

Allow me to convey this story’s backdrop is a religious cult. If you are sensitive to the subject, STOP NOW. Walk away from the tunnel!

Valencia, a renowned ballerina, is the spoils of war brewing for decades. This story is so well written I couldn’t figure out the “whodunnit”! I mean really....who would have thought that joka? Yeah pretty vague but I can’t say more without spoiling for you readers.

What can I say? It’s a super dark super fabulous read! It’s not a read a vanilla or gray reader should tackle. However if you’re an equal opportunity reader, I highly recommend LP!

Five stars!

[Hasi | hasi.readsromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much abuse, and there wasn't enough good to balance it. Lachlan wasn't someone I could root for. His desire for revenge made sense, but he had a weird way of going about it. I thought it was ridiculous that he trained other demented people to be torturers and murderers like himself. He was a fucked up guy as it was. That part of the story wasn't necessary to show he was evil. I probably would have liked him more if he had shown growth by the end.

Valencia irritated me because she tried too hard to be perfect. I didn't get why she was attracted to Lachlan. He was the antithesis of everything she believed in. At first she hated him but was physically attracted to him anyway.

The time jump near the end was aggravating. There was a situation that happened, and then it was completely ignored because of the time jump. Everything that happened after was rushed. It wasn't a sad ending but it wasn't a happy one either.

[Paula D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I’m blown away! What a intense, crazy, dark, deep story! Valencia i love how strong of a character she is. That no matter what she never gives up. Lachlan what a dark soul but while reading you understand why and you think to yourself wouldn’t you want revenge. Two people in different worlds collide and become trapped in darkness and maybe the little of light will bring them together. At points this was a very tough book to read it shatters your heart. But in the end who is the devil and who is god? 5/5 stars

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another awesome read by this author. I really need more time to read all of her previous books. Although I’ve read a few I know I need to read more.

Lachlan and Valencia’s story is a dark intense read. Two completely different people from two different worlds. I felt as if I was mumbling to myself so much while reading this. It’s just that kinda book for me.

The author knows how to grab her readers attention and keep it from start to finish. This is one of those books I wish I could give more than five stars to. I loved it.

[Karla ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pero que buen libro...definitivamente V.F.Mason entra a la lista de mis autores favoritos.
Al principio todo iba bien con respecto a los protagonistas,pero cuando ya empezó a contarse la historia de Lachlan cuando era niño,mi corazón se hizo chiquito,ni un niño debería sufrir esas atrocidades.
La historia en sí es muy buena, no hay desperdicio en ni una página.

"Lachlan no es un príncipe y nunca lo será. Pero él es el hombre que amo, y eso es suficiente para mí."

[Mg ♥ The Bookishmedialite · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Once upon a time, an angel and a monster fell in love. And both of them paid dearly for it."

Lachlan's Protégé was everything I've come to expect from V.F. Mason's writing style. Gritty, sexy and a little bit disturbing. Aimed straight at my dark heart.

Circumstances throw Valencia into the arms of Lachlan, or that's what she thought, little did she know she was nothing but a means to an end. A pawn in a game she had no idea she was playing.

It’s hard to talk about the plot without giving something away and believe me, you don’t want any spoilers to ruin the experience–but I assure you that what comes next is a dark, gripping journey full of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages.

Forgiveness, faith, and love are the muses that fuel this tale. A story about two lonely souls finding love at the wrong time and with the wrong person.

Lachlan's Protégé, told from dual POVs, is the new thrilling and dangerous standalone by V.F. Mason that will appeal to dark romance lovers. The story ended a little bit rushed, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it because I really did–the author definitely knows how to keep you guessing until the very last page.



You can find me here: INSTAGRAM

[Serialbookstarter:Marla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lachlan and Valencia

Lachlan is a Serial Killer and Valencia is a ballerina. He schools SA victims on how to torture and murder abusers. We can all figure out who was Lachlans abuser… he kidnaps and falls for Valencia who he plans to use for revenge. The story is told in so many flashbacks that it’s extremely annoying. I hate this type
Of story telling. Just give me the story from start to
Finish. Literally every chapter is back and forth in time. Dude if you write like that I’m gonna skip half of the book because it’s just useless filler. Fmc 5 years old then 8 months ago then fmc 6 yo the 10 yo until we start with the MMc back and forth from when they are effing babies to teens—then a continuous backtrack to 8 months ago… such a freaking buzz killer when books are set up this way! One word for this book—- monotonous! Uggghhhh!!!!!

[Alexandraa XX · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly this book is the first book from the author that i have to give 3 stars. I don’t want to but I can’t helped the way I’m thinking and feel when I read the whole story.... it just no for me. Sadly...


TOO MUCH PUSHING AWAY from the HERO that made me want to literally punch him so bad.

I GET why he do that at the first couple of times, his past and what he been through it just really make sense. I’m sympathize with that for him... BUT Because there was too much of pushing away and in the end I didn’t like the hero a bit actually.


✅✅✅NO CHEATING, IT HAS SEPARATION for almost 9 months and 6 months if I’m not mistaken BUT DURING THOSE TIMES BOTH DIDN’T EVER GO TO ANYONE ELSE OR EVEN HAVE S*X. “No one, There has been no one.” The heroine touch her boyfriend tho but only kissing and the boyfriend only touch her hands and head. Nothing more because in the end we find out why he did that because he was gay. THE HERO IS OTT POSSESSIVE ALPHA MALE.
The hero always says to the heroine many many times YOU ARE MINE She’s mine MINE MINE MINE MINE she belong to me ONLY ME. THE HERO is obsessed with the heroine..... NO DRAMA WITH OW. Only with OM but not too annoying/much. NO VIRGINS but have been celibate for a while, past partner mention from the heroine and never from the hero. LOVE IN FIRST SIGHT and electricity.





SAFE DARK HOT LOVE STORY.

I didn’t put “romantic” because the hero is just very annoyingly confusing and too stupid. One minute he wants the heroine and then he doesn’t, one minute he wants to let the heroine in and then he doesn’t, one minute he tells her this amazing things then he remind her something that made her really disappoints all over again, one minute he thinks the heroine is in love with him and then the next he doesn’t want her to love him. HE ALWAYS DO THAT AND EVEN ALMOST IN THE END OF THE BOOK. He was very sorry alright because he have his karma, it made him separated with the heroine and he was very sorry. But I didn’t get to see the romance of him being together again with the heroine and said how sorry he is all of that. ARGH.

‼️‼️‼️HAPPY ENDING.
They got married and have a daughter.

But only short amount of epilogue. I want longer. I need longer after the pushing away too much!





‼️‼️‼️THIS BOOK AND STORY have triggers. R*pe, killing, bad sick pastors that do f*cked up stuff and child and human trafficking.





This author made great books and I believed this book just one of those book that didn’t get me. Didn’t capture my heart like other of the author’s made. I’M GLAD THAT THE AUTHOR MADE A LOT OF GREAT HEROES WITH A DARK SIDE LIKE THIS ONE But along the way the hero didn’t disappoint and truly accepts the heroine (he didn’t push the heroine away too many times like this one).

[Nerdy Dirty & Flirty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The devil and the angel once met in a faraway place, only later to find out that their chance meeting and blissful week were the well-constructed plans of a serial killer.

Lachlan is my favorite kind of character. The ultimate anti-hero. He is dark and cold. He plans and sets into motion a complicated end-game. One that is really not clear until the very end of the book. There are little crumbs left for you to follow but it isn't until the last 20% of this book that you really see what is going on. So for pages, Lachlan becomes this person that you can't quite hate but want to really badly. He is devilish and unforgiving and a killer. He is a trainer in the art of torture. He has zero remorse and very few feelings in general.

Valencia is a ballerina, a princess, a put everyone's happiness before my own type of girl. For the most part, she has lived a good life, a little bit sheltered and naive but good. She is a fighter and stubborn. She does try to see the good in people even when it is buried deep. She is just trying to get into her role as the lead in Swan Lake and maybe thinking of escaping the life she has right now. And then her whole world is turned upside down. Things she thought were truths are not, lessons she thought she learned were false, and the killer in the suit is muddying up her thoughts.

There were side characters that I am interested in learning more about. A whole collection of killers who all have their own niche. They are the bad guys but they are after the worst of the worst. We got to see Lachlan's history and it was not pretty but molded him into the crazy man that he is today. I really enjoyed this story. I needed to see how we got to where the book starts and for all of my theories, I did not see that coming. There were points that things moved a little slow but every piece had importance. I also wanted to turn the heat up a few degrees, I wanted a bit more of the explosive chemistry between Valencia and Lachlan to be out there. Overall though it was crazy good and the last 20% made me late for work. I am curious about this one chapter and hope that what goes down with a certain other character is explored later on.

[Kael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t even know what to rate this. I couldn’t stop reading but I hated it. HATED!

His revenge was so dumb. What happened to him was awful and yeah he should go ahead and punish everyone but she was innocent? I don’t get it. Did he know her dad was alive? But he never said he was luring him, just punishing her to punish him. And it was so dumb. Make her a murderer so she goes to Hell but her dad was dead so he wouldnt have known??? So stupid. And then he regretted it 2 seconds after he did it. Then why did he do it??!

I’m also confused about the dancing on glass scene. Was there glass there? Why didnt she mention she saw it? Why did he do that? If he only punished the abusers and ones who stayed silence, it made no sense to hurt and kidnap her. It made more sense to kill her mum since she knew about it. Also I’m glad she left him but she still let her see her dad. That’s gross. He mightve threatened her but she was okay with him being around her kid? And she could live with the knowledge of what he was doing without trying to stop it? Seriously?!!!

Also I hate the flashbacks. They’re sad and disgusting and triggering and we don’t need flashbacks in every chapter.

It was hard to see their connection because the author gave us their childhood flashbacks instead of a proper few chapters of them meeting and spending time in Italy. So they had this past but I didn’t know what they thought or felt or did except at like 70% where we saw them meeting. That’s it.

And oh my God are you kidding me with the end?!’ The same as Pakhan’s rose. One of them is hurt and dying, the chapter ends and then ITS THE FREAKING EPILOGUE WITH A TIME JUMP!! And in both they visited a grave!??!! Stop!

Instead of seeing their reunion after she was kidnapped we got a dumb epilogue. And we didnt see his reaction to finding out she had a baby while she was kidnapped. We didnt see her saying she accepts him and loves him or him saying he loves/cares about her. And what they want from their relationship and future. Nope

Stop writing so many triggering flashbacks and a shitty epilogue and give the characters a proper ending please!

They were both so annoying and stupid. Urgh.

I only liked Jason (her ex) and the cover.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

She never knew nightmares. Until she became mine. She was a ballerina. He was a serial killer. She ran away from him. He caught her. She begged for mercy. He gave her none. She was an angel. He was a monster. She wanted to escape. He wanted to destroy her. They were at war. And only one of them would read.

Holy wow!!!! This book is amazing. It has a lot of twists and turns and I swear it kept me on my toes the entire time. This is a dark romance so if you have triggers you might want to consider that before you start reading this book. This is the story of Lachlan and Valencia. If ever there have been two people in the world who are complete opposites in the world it is them. I don't want to give away any of the plot of this story because I pretty much went into it blind except for knowing that it was going to be a dark romance. This book will blow you away and your going to love that it is told in dual points of view and from the past to the present. If your a lover of dark romances then you don't want to miss this book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mmmm! A very dark story. Lachlan certainly had many deep issues and his actions and choices of dealing with them were horrific to say the least. And Valencia unfortunately finds herself his next target.
The story had me hooked right from the start. I was enthralled with the sick, crazy story, and it had twist and turns that kept me turning the pages for the next surprise. The only annoyance I felt was the constant flashbacks, there was quite a lot and I got a little confused as too where we were in time. But that aside, the story has terror, blood, intense suspense, a beautiful heroine and a relationship you have no idea where it is going.
A really good read, well written and developed. I enjoyed it very much!

[tee ✧˖° · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5
Honestly heartbreaking, and in my opinion, for a modern day romance novel, it was written beautifully. I don’t think enough caution was given, cause there was a lot, and I mean a lot of damaging things about this book - the most significant being child abuse and rape. It was completely terrifying and really makes you think, even after the book, so be cautious of that. Though I loved the author’s writing style and appreciated the romance between the character’s. The only reason I didn’t give it 4 or 5 starts was because I thought they could have expanded a bit more on Lachlan’s healing and the reconciliation of the two characters after what they endured. Just a bit more healing time, but overall good read.

[Shyralf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars! This was good read. What happened to Lachlan as a child was terrible, which contributed to the person he became. The heroine had a sheltered upbringing and became a ballet dancer. Both MCs had great chemistry.

[Cheryl Whitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on behalf of http://bookaddict.live,
My god Lachlan’s protégé is a compelling, but dark read. This is no fluffy romance, it is psychological torture. The story is told a dual pov which works very well for this story. Also we see plenty of flashbacks as we learn about Lachlan and Valencia stories.
This starts as a normal romance, but quickly moves into something much darker. No one is who you think they are, as we the author leads you down a darker road.
V.F Mason has wove a dark but compelling read, Valencia is a loving and kind person and had a almost perfect childhood. As soon as she meets Lachlan she knows what she feels is something stronger than she has felt before. Valencia has never been in love, but with Lachlan the sex is hot. Lachlan’s childhood was barbaric and someone has to pay.
This is not a book for the faint hearted, but if you like a psychological thriller with some hot sex you have been warned. If you like things darker then what are you waiting for?

[Gabrielle Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.80

Cómo cada libro de V.F. Mason tiene siempre los reales giros inesperados pero que te atrapan desde el comienzo, por momentos sentí que faltaron muchas cosas pero siento que igual ame 💖

Entendí a Lachlan 🥹 y a Valencia ✨

[DemetraP · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew this was a dark romance due to the trigger warning on the book summary.

I was expecting the happier kind of dark romance where he kidnaps her because he's so in love with her. Nope. Not this book.

He kidnaps her to get revenge...SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S...........
.................................Lachlan wanted revenge against her father, a pastor. Her dad was a pedophile and also gave kids to other pedophiles. She did not know this. Her mom knew and NEVER TOLD HER. Supposedly her father threatened her mother. The mom should have gone to the police.

Anyway, Lachlan was abused as a child sexually by this evil guy, heroine's father. There are many scenes of graphic child sexual abuse. It was really unnecessary in my opinion. One scene would have shown his suffering. Those scenes were in italics so you can skip them easily.

So his plan to get revenge is make her fall in love with him, kidnap her, and force her to become a serial killer like him, so her father's perfect little princess is ruined.

YEAH HE FORCES HER TO KILL SOMEONE. He holds the knife with his hand on top of hers and they stab the victim (victim did bad things so it's a vigilante killing) She didn't want to, but he said if she didn't stab the guy and give him a painless death he would make the death much worse. The victim asked her to kill him.

Then the hero feels bad that she feels bad about the killing.

Eventually the hero tells her that her dad is evil and what he did to him as a kid. Then the heroine's dad kidnaps her and the heroine is pregnant with Lachlan's baby. Her dad takes the baby away after she gives birth, it's a girl. Lachlan finds her (he didn't know about the baby) and paralyzes her dad so he can't walk then the dad goes to prison so he can be raped every day in prison. Lachlan wanted him to suffer a very long time.

So they live happily ever after with Lachlan killing bad guys and her knowing about it in a vague sense but not having to kill anyone.

[Tianna✸loves books✸]

Not for me

Lachlan is a serial killer. Valencia is a ballerina.

“The time has come though to clip those wings of hers and bring her not to mortals, but underground to the depths of hell so I can taint her light with my darkness and prove that no matter where you come from, you are never immune to it.”

Lachlan and Valencia spend a whole week fucking each other in Italy. But then they part ways. And the next we see that Lachlan owns almost everything where Valencia is concerned.
And yes she already has a boyfriend. But she doesn’t feel anything for him. When he proposes her, she declines.
And then Lachlan kidnaps Valencia. He tortures her.

But that’s not it. There’s more to this. I honestly couldn’t get into this. I zoned out. There are too many triggers. So I just skimmed through.
a religious cult.....
h’s father is the leader or something.....
H’s flashback scenes.....
Where H is raped.....
many side characters...

Too many difficult things to read. Couldn't get through all those details.

Cover Model: Colton Benson
This is what happens when you read books just because the cover model looks hot 😒
Thank god this was KU.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have truly enjoyed some of this authors dark and twisted stories and this was no different. This story was dark, twisted, intense, and addicting!

So for most of the story we don’t know what is driving Lachlan's so there is this huge puzzle that we are given piece by piece in flashback. As a result, the first 25% or so was quite confusing since you don’t really connect with the characters since their pasts are so complex. But if you can push through the never ending flashbacks you will truly understand why Lachlan is the way he is. It is a complex story and Valencia ends up being more than just a pawn in his game. It’s amazing that an author can create just a dark character and yet you are hoping for them to get together!

Hero (Lachan) 5 | Heroine (Valencia) 5 | Plot 3 | Writing Style 4 | Steam 4 | Romance 3 | Angst-Suspense 3 | Darkness 4 | Humor 1 | Secondary Characters 3 | Drama-Conflict 3 | Mystery 4 | Twists 4 | Action 3 | Pacing Steady | Dual POV | MF | Serial Killer | Alpha | Ballerina | Dark | Overall 4.5 Stars
#MSBB

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don’t know how to feel about this one.

[Joyffree · Rating 4 out of 5]

The road to he'll I'd paved with good intentions

Marcus Aurelius once said, “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”
If only Lachlan had held that belief close as he sought his revenge the outcome might have been a bit more desired? But alas that was not to be

Our characters :
Valencia - raised under the guise of purity as a vessel for the future. A prominent player on the board, too bad she was unaware of that fact. Really liked her stubborn streak and she was honest about the fact she desired that which she knew wasn't quite within the "rules"
Lachlan- a sociopath created by the hands of depravity in the name of the righteous. The mastermind behind the game and the King in his world. Let us not forget he is also as a master of subterfuge and deception - I would love to get into his mind, for me, he is one of those leads that are so unprincipled that they seem to run on base instincts - a sociopath
Supporting - I am so hoping that we get the opportunity to read the stories for each of Lachlan's proteges. There were so many breadcrumb trails left here and there that left me wanting more
The Story:
This tale does do the timeline jump - Each chapter is dedicated to either the past or the present and also alternating lead characters - it works! The downside, I wish we got a little more detail about their tryst (can't tell you) and a couple other scenes that I think impacted the story quite a bit but did not get the exposure they deserved. The flow was smooth and kept a steady pace overall.
I would have liked a bit more to the ending -though I have a funny feeling my selfish needs may be met in upcoming stories 🤞

* A warning for those who do not read graphic novels-This does contain a lot of blood and torture and noncon, most of which is quite graphic
If you love your romances bathed in the shadows of darkness bordering on not quite right - one click - because this is definitely one of them

[Elle Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent!

"Once upon a time, an angel and a monster fell in love. And both of them paid dearly for it"

I don't even know where to start.
I'm mesmerized by this book and as soon as I finished this story, I wanted more and started missing the characters already.
I can't point my finger on it, but there is something about this book that I don't remember finding in another book. As I said, I don't know what it is, but the feelings is there, all the feelings, and so much suprise and astonishment, because whatever I imagined about this book before reading it, the book was more and it was different.

First of all, I think it's necessary to say, this is a dark romance, a lot twisted and it is definitely not a book for everyone. It's intense, with so many potential triggers, and starting by the (anti)hero, the characters are mostly not good people.

But, oh my, what a wonderfully written story. The plot was exquisite and the way the story developed, got to me at every turn.
I was so oftenly wrong about this book, that it kept me on edge page by page.
Whenever I thought I understood what was going on, or who was behind things, the author tricked me and I found myself completely lost not knowing what was about to happen.
When I thought I couldn't be surprised anymore, I found myself wrong.
I was out of breath so many times, it’s a wonder I’m still breathing.
And I loved how the author played with so many periods of time, first coming and going from Valencia childhood, her main moments with Lachlan’s and her downfall, and then coming and going from Lachlan’s past, his presente revenge and breaking for his Angel.

What a rollercoaster.

Lachlan is...I can't find a word for him. He says he is a Monster, and he is not far from the truth. But he is also a survivor. He is definitely a serial killer, and a total revenger. He is a not a good person. But I could never say he is a bad one either.

"He says it was his choice to be bad, and it's true.
But at the same time, it doesn't change the fact that no one taught him how to be good either. As weird as it is, he doesn't strike me as a man who loathes everyone and everything. Rather as a man who knows what he wasnts and what he despises, and he doesn't seek redemption for his actions"

Lachlan had an unbearable past. He faced what no one should ever face, let alone a kid. Since so young he was ripped from his innocence and the few people he loved and loved him back.

Lachlan was taught about pain, humiliation, grief and monsters.
But the funny thing about monsters is that, in this fairy tale we call life, we know monster exist. In fact, they live within us, as we all have monsters inside. Some beasts are already unleashed, others are dormant, but the monster is there.
The main difference is the level of monstruosity inside us.
An Angel can taint her soul, and a Monster can find redemption.
After all, there are shadows in the brightness, and you can always find a glimpse of light in the dark.

And the light in Lachlan's darkness was his Angel. His ballerina. His warrior. His ultimate protégé. Valencia.

"But maybe, just maybe, I'm not dealing with a princess...but a warrior who has managed to hide her armor from me all this time"

She was the key to his revenge, but little did he know that she was also the key to a brighter life. He will always seek darkness, don't get me wrong, but she was a reprieve in a world where all he knew was pain. She was a breath of fresh air where he was willingly drowning in a wild ocean where he was one of the sharks, and he had no idea he could still swim after being so brutally attacked.

She had a comfortable life. Living among the darkness, but inside a bright bubble, she had no idea what sins and sickness surrounded her. But she wasn't a brat living blind from other people's pain. She wasn't ignoring them for the sake of it. She just didn't know, but she wasn't conivent with any ot if.
As sweet and pure as she was, as protected as she was inside the rules that were forced on her, she was also selfless almost to a fault, she was noble and oh so strong. And soon enough she learned about faith (which she learned how to use to her benefit without hurting others - as it should be), but she also was taught about guilt, one that she had no place embracing, as it was delivered by the worst kind of monster that she could have ever met, even though she didn't know it at the time.
And if anyone could ever face Lachlan and his darkness, that person was Valencia with her shadowed light.

Together, even though they could be called polar opposites from an outsider, somehow they found themselves in the middle, with all their differences and pain.
It wasn't only about hate, pain and revenge anymore. It was also about faith (the real one), hope and love.

"For a brief moment, the monster and the angel have made a truce, and he shared his secrets with me, but unfortunately the secrets acomplished only one thing.
I can't hate him anymore.
And this will be my ultimate downfall"

Angel and Monster, united for an unspeakable pain, fighting all odds to find out if their connection and possession was a result of their sins or their redemption. As it turns out, they were the results of everything they lived and faced, of their chemistry and love, of their lights and their darkness.
And their feelings were so strong that even the Monster had to aknowledge.

"For the first time, two words play in my mind, despite my iron belief to never use them. What if?"

I’m in awe with this book. I’m in love with these characters. And I’m already a fan of this author.
Bravo! Standing up and clapping my hands, I say "Bravo!".

"Once upon a time, there was an angel. Who made the monster's heart bleed"

[Wikki Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy...!

I never would have thought in a million years I’d have chosen a book about a ballerina and a serial killer as a pairing. That said, holy cow! This book deserves the praise it’s receiving and more. Absolutely well done! You understand the motivations and the twists are PHENOMENAL! Very well written! I’ve recommended it to two different people already. I’ve told them they need to stop whatever they are doing (including eating and sleeping) and just read this book. I couldn’t put it down! I fully intend on reading the other books that tie in to this one ASAP!

[Arabesque · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not sure how I feel about this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️