Splitting Lies

Lies #2

by Emma Jaye

Criminal Delights

I’m drowning in myself, ripping apart.

Torn from my life, I’m in a world I don’t understand. There are no masters, no kneeling, and no loving punishments to keep me grounded.
Despite the smiles and care Jiao provides, I’m not his priority. I believe his concern is genuine, but his interest is professional. Casting my world into history is his aim, and for that I can’t trust him.
The voices are getting louder; I’m losing time. I need to hold on; need to stay loyal. Master will come for me soon, and blood will wash my sins clean. I refuse to imagine what they will do to the man who stole me.


Kaspar’s mental health is shot to pieces; he’s flipping between personalities. I wish I could give him what the psychiatrist says he needs… time. But lives depend on the information locked inside that gorgeous head. How can I crack his loyalty to the centuries-old slaver organization that has already tried to kill both of us, without breaking him completely?

My boss says it’s a price she’s willing to pay.
I’m not so sure.


Themes: Slavery. Mental Health Issues. Abduction. Witness Protection. Assassination. Work vs personal life conflict.
Genre: Dark, psychological/thriller M/M romance.
Warnings: Violence. High angst and explicit steamin’ hot sexual scenes.
Length: 81K. HEA. 2nd in a series.


This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each of the other novels can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance. This book follows on from Sweating Lies.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.

Genres: Dark, M M Romance, BDSM, Dark Romance, Abuse, LGBT, Contemporary

231 pages, ebook

First published June 14, 2019

About the author

Emma is the #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of m/m series such as Paint, Incubus, and Lies.

Known as the Queen of MM angst her books include Sci-fi, paranormal, and contemporary romance and always puts her characters through hell before giving them a HEA. She blames her rebellious muse (who looks like Chris from the Paint Series) for the erotic aspects tickling the angst, and the humor cuddling up with the erotic.

When not writing or reading she herds Birman cats and sons; Both groups argue that the other is too large.
For a free book, join her NL: https://readerlinks.com/l/1869132/new...

If you want to keep up with her spicy, quirky imagination, you can find her here:
Author Page: http://bit.ly/2wox9M0
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2PCQuSs
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MRtGQk

She always answers questions and comments from readers, so feel free to get in touch.

Reviews

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 4 out of 5]

|| 3.5 stars ||

This picked up right where Sweating Lies left off, but this sequel was very different from the first book.

It's not nearly as dark or intense, and instead focuses more on the psychological aspect of Associative Identity Disorder, and also on the romance between Jiao and Kaspar.

It's a lot less plot-heavy than the first book, and doesn't have the same suspense, mystery or action going on.
This book is really more about Kaspar and his mental state. It was interesting, just very.. different, and maybe not everything I hoped it would be.

I still absolutely adore Kaspar, and I find his multiple personalities intriguing. The feelings his character invoke vary between fun and sad. He's still a bit of a conundrum, and I suppose that's the point. Seeing his different alters come out, learning about each of them, and also seeing them eventually accept each other was all very fascinating and compelling.
I did think he got out of his submissive side very quickly and easily, though. I didn't find that very realistic, especially considering all the trauma he's been through. Him and his alters should be a little more shaken up and also not be able to integrate so easily, I would think.

This disregard of Kaspar's trauma also ties in to the lack of climax and development for the storyline we focused on in the first book concerning the organization, Vladimir and other captive slaves. Everything was wrapped up super quickly and neatly, and I didn't find any of it particularly satisfying.

I was also never truly able to see the romance between Jiao and Kaspar. I found it difficult to understand why, exactly, Jiao was so obsessed with and caring for him? I could understand his devotion for Kaspar as a victim, but as a romantic partner I never quite saw it. Neither did I ever see genuine love from Kaspar for Jiao. This was all really too bad, since I would have loved to see their connection a bit more.

Anyway, this review sounds a bit negative, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like this book. Because I did. It's all very captivating, interesting and enjoyable.
Maybe my immense love for the first book had my expectations a bit too high, because genuinely, I did like this book. I just have some complaints about it, and it simply didn't blow me away in general.


'CRIMINAL DELIGHTS' COLLECTION:

Taken:
1. Wrong Way Home - 4.0 stars
5. Sweating Lies (Lies #1) - 4.5 stars
15. To Have and to Hold - 3.0 stars
16. Splitting Lies (Lies #2) - 3.5 stars

Assassins:
12. By Way of Pain - 1.0 star
14. Cold Light - 2.0 stars

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
See book #1 for review

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what a conclusion to this two part book ... loved the dynamic, the intensity and uniqueness of the characters. Extremely well written to track a multiple personality.
Dark and gritty but certainly a beautiful ending. There really is someone for everyone.

[dreamerinexile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrecked me 10 million gold stars

When I say I loved this story, I kid you not. It was emotional for me, in all sorts of ways. And I will be honest, this review does not do the book justice. But here goes nothing....

Emma Jaye's Splitting Lies is pure, unadulterated feels from the start to finish. Warning: if you have not Sweating Lies, please do NOT read Splitting Lies. This is a continuation of the first book in the Lies series.

When I first started reading Emma Jaye, I knew that all her stories have special emotions scattered in them... All sorts of emotions do come out to play in Sweating Lies and then Splitting Lies is the crescendo to all the anger, pain, sadness, hurt, joy, fear, and love.

I've always been intrigued by a character's psyche, what makes them tick, why does the good guy always think in a certain way, why do the bad guys always do all these heinous acts? What makes them the way they are! And we learn what makes Jiao and Kaspar who they are.

Jiao had aspects to him that made me love him in book 1 and it grew exponentially with this one. When you're in a situation you react in a certain, you go all alpha and protective but sometimes that changes when reality intervenes. However, Jiao was the same, he was more of a protector than before. As for Kaspar, he broke my heart. It was like he took a sledgehammer to my heart and soul. Shattered it into million pieces. I was so mad at his life. How is it fair? Why do good people, innocent people get mucked up in bad people crap and they drown in it!!!!

Kaspar's shattered mind, his realization, his voices, God, the voices, all of him made me love him hard. Then there was Luci, he was arrogant and awful at times. His hatred for Kaspar was clear and it broke some more of my heart. And Matteo, the sweet little boy, I wanted to cuddle. Mason's entrance in book 1 made me swoon. I loved his character, he was the one who would help save the day. Tino's involvement in the story was explained by Dr. Renee, it made sense how he coped with the cards life had dealt him.

And then came Cole and I was lost. I had loved Kaspar's snarky, sassy self. He was so wrong and flawed, yet so beautifully so. I was irrevocably lost by Cole's stoic, protective persona. He was the glue, he was the shield, he was everything. The beach scene truly brings to light who Cole is and what he's done to ensure that everyone around him was safe. So much so, that it was at the expense of his happiness. How can you not love a character who gives his all for the ones he loves?

Splitting Lies is a story of lost souls trying to find redemption in this crazy thing called life with the help of a protective alpha. The story started off with a crazy, psychotic organization and it ends with them. But whether it will have a happy ending is entirely up to you cos you would have to read this insanely good story to find out what happens at the end.

Will Kaspar be able to get out of the clutches of Vladimir and Azur? Will Azur be able to break what was his to break from the beginning? Will Vladimir take over the orta and everything it does stand for? Will Jiao be able to help the lost man, he is slow but surely losing his heart to? And will Luci, Tino, Matteo, Mason and Cole ever find happiness along with Kaspar?

1-click this roller coaster ride that is Splitting Lies to get to 'The End'!

[MM Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much to love about Splitting Lies and the series in general. I loved how dark the series is. And I absolutely loved how the author wasn't afraid of on page noncon scenes. With the darkness, there's also the light at the end of the tunnel for Jiao and Kasper. I can't wait to read more from this author..

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rating...a complex character and the author wrote the finale beautifully for him.

[Perdita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, the rating’s all based on my own enjoyment. Can’t exactly put my finger on why it didn’t click, but I just couldn’t get into it.

It was a bit of a struggle to finish, but I’m glad I did—those last three chapters totally made it worth it. Loved Cole.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the end of book 1 I was curious how the romance aspect of the story was going to work out and I admit being surprised by this.
kasper has a lot of therapy and spends a lot of time as cole but I loved the way that each personality came through to protect the whole.
The narration was just perfect and Jonathan Waters moves into my top 3 narrators

[Mirjam]

Part of the Criminal Delights series. While part of a series each can de be read as a standalone:

[Cheryl_cajun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Hate and love will be the dividing factor!  Bit of warning the darkness is so consuming!
 Kasper is miserable.. wondering if master was even looking for him. Jiao claimed he was recusing them but it didn't feel that way, everything is so jumbled together leaving such hideous mixed thoughts.
Poor Kasper is just a shell of what his master desires, at least the evil that lives in his head says, can he really be trust the cop to be any different then everyone else in his life. Can the Orta recover after the destructive blow, all because one man can't let go? Would you if so much was at stack, a war was brewing, one that Valdimir it dead center of, only which will come out the victor?
Jiao watches as Kasper's beautiful broken world implodes on its self. The split between each person living inside is damaged in their own ways but only one is the center of all the build up rage. The Chorbaji Vladimir had built back up Orta, the greed for power to hold true to the old ways, one man will bring it tumbling down around him.

Sure why not.. let's just say a bunch of pretty words around, like that is going to just undo all that the brain binding. It's hard to pick just which personality is more fun to read about. 

[Tammy Bulcao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series!

This story was an unexpected surprise!! Well written and highly entertaining albeit somewhat disturbing.
From the first chapter until the end I was captivated.
It wasn’t at all what I expected, it was better. Although, there was rape, abuse and torture it wasn’t as much about the sex as it was about mind control & brainwashing. Even Jiao who was gay didn’t walk around aroused by all the naked men around him but rather for the most part was disgusted by what was going on. He was determined to stay strong and do whatever it takes to save himself and as many others as he can.
Kasper was broken, he was weak yet strong, flamboyant yet shy, Kasper’s character was brilliant, in so many ways!! There were many additional secondary characters that were there for different reasons and this story really gave you an idea of what they each have had to endure while trying to survive their captors.
Let’s talk narration.
Jonathan Waters performance in this story was absolutely brilliant. This story has given Jonathan a platform to really showcase his voice acting talents. His range of characters and emotions are phenomenal. I’ve listened to many performances by him in a few different genres, but this performance was hands down my favorite. He made a great story even better!
This is book 2 with an HEA.
This review is for books 1 & 2.
I highly recommend this series!!

Sisters Spotlight 💜

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to “Sweating Lies” and you’ll want to start there for the beginning of Jiao and Kaspar (and company)’s story. In this book, we see the aftermath of their initial “escape” and how hard it is for both of them to figure out what to do, who to be, and how to relate to each other. There’s plenty of suspense and horrific things do happen, so heed the content warnings and if “dark and often disturbing” isn’t up your alley, this isn’t for you. I felt like this novel did a great job building on the mood and backstory established in the first book, and while I would have liked to see a bit more of the evolution from climactic moment to happily-ever-after, I did love how each of the different alters had their moment of recognition and how they’re all accounted for by the way things end up. It’s a way brighter finale than I was expecting, and yet was perfectly suited for the characters and their experiences.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splitting lies continues where the previous book ended with more mistrust and issues with adapting to a new world.
Knowing more of Kaspar's personalities and the way their minds works together was interesting, mental health is always a one up for me in a book with all the anguish it brings.

Though my favourite part is Azur and his devious mind and I would have liked to see more or it, the book needed more grit than angst. And Azur gave a small taste of it.

Though the ending wasn't bad, I had several thoughts throughout the book about how it could be ending and in a far more wicked way.

I wanted to punch Jaio a bit less in this book but still a bit too much hero and a bit too little villains.

[Linda Crandall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, but allowing a few rays of light to shimmer through.
Second and last(?) part to Jiao and the Tabor heir's story, much lighter in physical pain, but perhaps more profoundly unsettling because of the splits caused by so much suffering. A gradual acceptance of the particular situation(s) doesn't necessarily lead to blind compliance, and the struggles all go through are well developed and at times quite graphically described.
Although the mental problems of the cousins are gone through as they are played out, from various viewpoints, their stark embodiment is sometimes startling, and always disturbing.
Well written, but perhaps a bit lighter than would be expected with such dark subject matter.

[Ζωή Παππά · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the duology and it is not a standalone. The book starts where the last one ended and it was as amazing as the first one. I loved the pacing, it's a long book but I finished it really fast. It's a page turner, you just can't put it down. It focused a little bit more on Kaspar and I really really loved that because I find him absolutely fascinating as a character. He's very unique and different and I just wanted more Kaspar. The book had great action scenes and many intense moments that had me biting my fingernails. The ending was perfect, just perfect and absolutely satisfying.
It's an amazing series and I highly highly recommend it.

[Devoted❤️Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luci, I’m home

Emma Jaye put my heart through the wringer with this book but I am honored to have gone on this journey with Kaspar and Jiao. Kaspar is a fascinating person who took me on an emotional rollercoaster that was so intense I didn’t want to leave the ride. I also feel guilty for enjoying these two so much but at the same time I don’t. I suppose it’s a smaller scale of what Jiao feels. I do know one thing though life will never be boring for them and I am so happy about the way the book ended. An amazing faceted story about accepting yourself and love.

[Ola Adamska · Rating 5 out of 5]

WoW, I knew that the Lies series would break me while reading, but I was not prepared for what was delivered in this book. It has so much different vibes than the previous book, which was plot driven, here it has a VERY different pressure - on mental health and overcoming obstacles that come with it.
Kaspar... o my dear boy... his character broke me - there is so much more in him to be discovered in this book. There are a lot of voices - each has rights on its own and allows us to feel a lot of emotions from love to anger. Trust me - he will surprise you in the least expected ways.
Jiao - I had a jury still open on him but here his protective side won me over! He's so down earth person, that I loved and focused on one aim - bringing the best out of Kaspar and helping him.
Those two are made for each other - they should resonate with each other. Join those two men in their fight with demons inside Kaspar's head and how they can live after what had happened before - is it even a possibility?

[Stfnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It’s even better than the first one and makes me understand things in my own life better now and that’s so nice. Especially in the end I laughed out loud a couple o’ times.
Although I don’t know for sure if I want to read Azure’s book, because I’m afraid to sympathize with him after the story, I do want to know what he endured and how he ended up.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put book down!

Love this series! There’s so much plot and character development here, it’s amazing. Enjoyable read with light at the end of the tunnel, as author tends to do.

[Aethena Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

So very dark and intense. Emma Jaye doesn't pull any punches when it comes to telling a story about the worst sort of things human beings can experience. Her stories frequently push my limits, but I always keep reading because the stories are so well written and they are very engaging.

The resolution is worth any uncomfortable moments. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

[Julie Wickedly Sweet & Synful Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read.

Loved this book. It was a great conclusion of the duet. Can't wait to see what Azur's story will be.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like the wait for this one was eternal. I wanted to read it the moment I finish the first book if the series. The waiting paid off well. I had a great time reading more of Kaspar’s story. This is the book two of a series and it won’t work as a standalone.

The book was very interesting. I loved the plot. It took me to places I wasn’t expecting and I loved it. The more I keep reading about this characters, the more in love with them I fall. This time it was Luciano who take the spotlight. He might not be a charming character, but his attitude and protectiveness towards a particular character, regardless his reasons, make me love him even more than I already did.

Even though I loved the book, I felt it had less mystery than the previous one, maybe because the whole world was so new in that one and we already know most of what’s going on in this book. It is also a bit lighter than the previous book. It still have some of the angst that I love, but at a lower level. It is also a lot more romantic and more emotional in some aspects, which is always a positive thing. Jiao isn’t one of my favorite characters, never has been, but I think it is only a personal thing. I have no doubts everyone else will like him. Kaspar keeps being the magnificent character I fell in love with, there are a lot of changes with him, but the core of why I love him remains.

Something that I enjoyed was the character development. All of the have some interesting changes. I was particularly interested on Azur, whose development make me wish there was more in the series to get to know him better. Overall I had a fantastic time with the book and the characters. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending the book and series.

[Flavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

El 2do libro no me decepcionó para nada.
Fue atrapante la trama criminal pero tambien cómo trataron la trastorno médico del MC.
Mucha crueldad, tanta que no me entra en la cabeza y que quisiera que permanezcan sólo en la página, pero lamentablemente hay monstruos sueltos en el mundo.
Fue una buena historia oscura que culmina con un toque de luz entre tanto dolor.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book started right where the last one ended but it has a totally different feel from it. Both Jaio and Kasper have to figure out who they are now. There is a lot of mistrust and learning to adapt to where they are now. We get to learn more about Kasper's other personalities. I love this book and would definitely recommend it.

[Alias11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the second part to Jiao's and Kasper (and company)'s story, and it is fantastic. Still dark and dangerous, but the torture and ramifications are more psychological than physical here. I absolutely loved Kasper and getting to know his many alter personalities. This book is just so full of intense emotion, I found myself having to step away for my own sanity, but was helplessly pulled back under. Who will win, who will lose, will Jiao and Kasper find a HEA? Is it even possible after all Kasper has been through? The dissection and exploration of Kasper's fragmented mind left me in awe of the author and her ability to write such a tormented, beautiful character. I loved Jiao and his protectiveness, but Kasper really stole the show for me. If you have triggers, especially regarding mental health, read at your own risk, but if you are brave enough to proceed, you will not be disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book picks up directly from the previous book, and is not a stand alone. There was a lot to be resolved in this, somehow the author managed it, I don't know how because I was still concerned about loose ends 70% in.

I liked the exploration of Kasper and his alters; either this, the romance storyline, or the being on the run from the Orta storyline was enough for a full book. Like I said, I was worried there was more content than pages in this one.

There is still violence (mainly Azur) though no where near the amount in the first book. There is less sexual content, and the majority of it is consensual, although there is still some non-con.

The weakest part for me was the romance tbh. I would have liked to have more of Kaspar (and the alters) actually falling for Jiao.

I did still enjoy this book, probably more than the first. The pov is mainly Jiao and Kasper and/or one of his other personalities. We did get a bit of Azur pov, which is definitely a ymmv chapter - I like having villain povs, so I was on board.

[Brangela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deliciously Dark

Ratings: Book 1 5* Book 2 4*
This book has a fascinating concept. The combinations of an ancient cult/cartel, DID affliction and a morally ambiguous "hero" is captivating. Book 1 hits the reader with one breathtaking revelation after another. Both books are the most gruesome I've ever read . Please check the triggers, they're all here. If you're squeamish stay away. That said the plot itself keeps your interest and moves quickly. The characters are all written with depth and are not caricatures. My only complaint is that the ending of Book 2 was too Pollyannish. The writer was obviously setting up the scene for the next book. Everything was just too perfect for the distinctly aberrant MC's. Despite that I am eagerly anticipating the next book in this very dark tale.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Head Spinningly Good

I liked this book more than the first I think because Jiao and Kasper finally escape Vladimir and the orta but not before incurring Azur's wrath. There is a lot of violence, torture and suffering in the first half of the book but then after, you get Jiao and Kasper living in Australia trying to figure out how to get Kasper's multiple personalities to settle and be able to have a good life. This book will keep your head spinning but in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[DANNETTE HUGGINS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story slot more than I thought I would.

These two are blended together perfectly or maybe not blended together since one has multiple personalities but they work. This story read really well. The way these two had to fight tooth and nail to get where they ended up and the way they accepted each other just made the story so much better. New to me author and I enjoyed this story a lot. Though wondering if Azur did get his own book now.

[Light · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was a book slump. Boring.
Later the plot line picked up.
The Retribution to the bad guys was the most unsatisfactory.
And then the ending somehow just went to a happy ever after family with all the personalities and all the children. I felt like there was no buildup for a happy ending. Too easy.