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The Hale family is obsessed with status, power, and control. No problem is too big their money can’t solve.

Royce Hale manipulated me into giving him everything. My virginity. My hand in marriage. My heart.

And as soon as he got what he wanted, he callously sold me off for a cool ten million.

In the boardroom and the twisted game his family plays, he says the only rule is to win at all costs.

Yesterday I learned a painful lesson not to trust the prince of Cape Hill. Today I’ll destroy his carefully laid plans and show him just how badly he’s already lost.

All the money in the world won’t be able to stop me.

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2019

1387 people are currently reading
6017 people want to read

About the author

Nikki Sloane

42 books7,725 followers
USA Today bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. Now she writes full-time and lives in Kentucky with her husband, two sons, and two super destructive cats.

She is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA® & Vivian® Finalist, a Passionate Plume & HOLT Medallion winner, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist, and couldn't be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,038 reviews
Profile Image for ✰ Liz ✰ .
1,430 reviews1,337 followers
August 25, 2019
"A cage may open from the inside but it's still a cage."
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The Obsession is the second book in the Filthy Rich Americans Series. Once again, Nikki Sloane has crafted an addictive work of art with complex characters and an intense plot. The saga of the Hale family continues as Marist scrambles to maintain her dignity and keep her family safe. She is continuously battling her feelings for her fiance (and enemy) Royce. As she becomes more inundated with the Hale dynasty she inadvertently captures the attention of the KING himself, Macalister Hale! Now a pawn in a dangerous game, Marist is in danger and might just lose it all!

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"It's so hard when you can't have every little thing you want."
Told in first person POV, The Obsession is a dark and delicious read full of money, greed, lust, and love. Every moment is riveting and crafted with meticulous detail. The deception and lies paired with these two broken beautiful men leave you desperate for Marist to overcome her tormentors and get her happily ever after!
"Feeling him lose control was sexy as hell. And it made me feel powerful."
Overall, The Obsession would appeal to dark romance fans who like a strong heroine and alpha male hero(es). I am absolutely OBSESSED with this series and I cannot wait for more!!!!!

★ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review!★

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Profile Image for Melanie (mells_view).
1,930 reviews395 followers
August 13, 2019
The best lies he told with his lips were the ones where he didn’t use words.

(I want to post the disclaimer that a 3* book is still a good read in my opinion!)

I’ll start this off by saying that The Obsession, like the Initiation, was incredibly well written and engaging. Unfortunately, unlike the Initiation I was not exactly obsessed with where the story went. That being said The Obsession still has the intense corruption and lies of the first story mixed with some new layers to Marist’s story.

My biggest issue with this story is I felt that Marist was a bit stagnant in some ways. Maybe that was intentional because this is the second book, but I felt like she blossomed and had so much forward motion in book one and I didn’t feel the same this time. Also certain things that felt taboo and torrid in book one, felt a little more on the creepy side of uncomfortable (once again FOR ME) in book two. That may have been the author’s intention, but I honestly won’t know for sure until everything pans out in book three. Yes. I will be reading book three, because even though I had some issues with this installment that doesn’t take away from the fact that this series is entertaining and a page turner, and one I highly recommend!

I know that MANY of the fans of this story will LOVE The Obsession and the events that take place, so PLEASE take my opinion with a grain of salt. It truly is just my personal preference surrounding certain things that I would explain, but may be too much of a spoiler.


https://instagram.com/p/B04OfuRARuK/
^fan edit on IG!


AVAILABLE NOW!!
*ARC
Profile Image for pauline.
139 reviews28.1k followers
July 20, 2021
The first book drove me insane BUT I THINK THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF THE TRILOGY.

Just the absolute fuckery in here had me in a full body blush. And granted, the spice isn’t even severe. It’s not incredibly detailed or frequent to warrant an off-the-charts rating, but the setup?! The tension?! OOOOOFF loved it.

Macalister had me switching teams in this book. With Royce being the main love interest, obviously I root for him and Marist from the start, but Macalister got me acting up.

5 out of 5, this is so much fun.
Profile Image for D.L. Howe.
Author 25 books600 followers
July 27, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Strange that McAlister is actually becoming likable and that’s saying a lot. Normally I would prefer the dad but he was such a schmuck the first time around, I couldn’t even consider it.

Man, there’s a lot of brown nosing toward Merist which is a nice change from The Initiation. Probably best not to get too comfortable about that though. Lies and manipulation still abounds I’m sure.

Omg it’s official, I want McAlister! As soon as he said he wanted to teach her a new game, to teach her pleasure. 🔥🥵

Well that cliffhanger was a trip! Thank goodness I don’t have to wait.
Profile Image for  Nayeli ♡.
177 reviews145 followers
February 24, 2021
⭐ 2.5/3 Stars ⭐
I'm not sure how to rate this book


❝He'd probably think me on my knees meant I was submitting to him, but he was about to learn who was in control.❞


Long story short...this wasn't what I expected at all, and yes, I'm a little bit pissed.
But hey! I guess that's what happens when you have high expectations after reading the first book in a series🙃
I'm pretty sure everyone will think that the second book will be better, right? Sadly, it wasn't better.
Anyways, enough of me rambling about my thoughts😂

I'm just gonna mention what I disliked, because tbh there's not much to say about "what I liked" since this second part gave me headaches and, at certain moments, I just wanted to stop reading.

What I didn't like:

1. The romance this time didn't even come close to what I read in the first book😩 I wanted more of Marist and Royce, but I guess you can't have everything in this life.

2. I hated Macalister so fricking much, ugh! That man was a complete idiot. Everything that he did to Marist was twisted and sometimes non-consensual (in my opinion), just because he wanted what he couldn't have. That old rich man was crazy af and so obsessed with her, it really disgusted me🤢

3. I don't think I liked any of the characters this time because all of them made stupid decisions.

4. At first, I couldn't connect with the story and that's why I finished this book after 1 week. I struggled so hard to finish it🤦🏼‍♀️


So, the only thing I liked from this second part was THE ENDING🤯, again another awesome cliffhanger, and just because of that I'm gonna keep reading this series. I will keep my fingers crossed hoping the next one will be better😭🤞🏻


Now, I will leave some quotes here📖:

❝The best lies he told with his lips were the ones where he didn't use words.❞

❝Betrayal was a staple in the myths I adored, and the mortals always suffered at the hands of the gods.❞

❝Two could play that game. I was eager to see how much he liked being manipulated.❞
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Manvi.
240 reviews215 followers
January 29, 2022
4.5⭐
So, here are the ratings now that I've completed the trilogy. This was really fucking questionable but I enjoyed it thoroughly and I'm afraid I'm hating myself for enjoying it so much.

Ever hated something so strongly that you started loving it? That's Macalister Hale for me (and that extra .5 is because of him).

Me throughout the book: The fuck did I just read?!
Profile Image for Salma.
410 reviews5,708 followers
January 3, 2023
literally read book 1 & 2 in the span of like 6 hours
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
3,241 reviews6,441 followers
January 7, 2021
3.5 Stars. Ahhhh this one didn't hit as hard as that first one. It was still intriguing, but it definitely didn't have the same thrills. CW:

After finishing The Initiation I instantly went into my hoopla to check out the follow up to see what would become of our characters. While I was intrigued by this story, I didn't really feel as invested as I was in the first one. I still have some issues with the characterizations. Some of the characters feel like stock characters so they end up falling flat. As a reader, I feel like I'm supposed to be invested in the relationship between Royce and Marist, buttttt I don't really care about them. My heart and interest is in this "thing" that we may possible be seeing develop between Marist and Macalister. Although, it really isn't a thing considering some other factors. I think what bothers me the most is watching Marist fall for Royce when he treats her like complete trash. He "appears" to have these plans to assist them both, but it comes off as not being genuine because there is a lack of transparency.

Quite frankly, I'm more interested in seeing what Sloane decides to do with Macalister as a character. While he has this overly possessive and aggressive personality, I can't help but believe that he's coming from an extreme place of pain and he genuinely wants to be loved. It doesn't justify his behavior, but it explains it. In fact, a lot of his behavior reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. He wants to be good to Marist. He wants to be nice to her, but he allows his ego and anger to get in the way overall preventing him from doing the right thing. There relationship is definitely complex, but one that I'm interested in seeing unfold.

Overall, this was a decent read. I will be finishing out the series. I'm still loving the tie in to mythology in these books. There definitely was a lot more in this installment than the first book. I'm hoping that we delve even further in the next book. It helps explain the behavior and personalities of some of the characters.
Profile Image for benevolent bastard.
528 reviews304 followers
August 5, 2020
This book played with my emotions. Another cliffhanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Literary Temptations .
591 reviews54 followers
August 22, 2019
MY RATING: 4*
TITLE: The Obsession
AUTHOR: Nikki Sloane
SERIES: Filthy Rich Americans
RELEASE DATE: 13 August 2019
CLIFFHANGER: Yes

ARC was kindly provided for an honest review

Okay, y’all know how much I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since Royce made that deal with the devil in The Initiation. So obviously as soon as I got the obsession in my kindle I was on it. I loved it but the whole time I was reading it I had my “what the fuck” face on. I must admit I was a bit nervous about reading it because the Initiation was fantastic. I mean how do you out-fantastic fantastic? I bet you’re wondering too huh? I already told you, Nikki Sloane has lost her mind and this book is evidence of it. Only crazy people come up with shit like this. Nonetheless

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When Marist Northcott agreed to marry the prince of Cape Hill, Royce Hale, she underestimated just how fucked up a situation she was agreeing to. Hell the initiation was bad; surely it can’t get any worse than that? Well, I’m glad you asked. When Macalister forces Marist to move into the Hale mansion, to Marist this is just a nuisance and an inconvenience, but the plans that Macalister has for her are all the way fucked up.

Okay let’s pause here for a minute. I get it Marist is facing the devil himself in Macalister. He’s all power, entitled, vindictive, and manipulative and holds the fate of her family in his hands. But description

My God the emotional immaturity displayed by Marist started to piss me off. I get it Macalister has her under his thumb and she wants nothing more than to protect her family but fuck me. At what point do you draw the line? When the chess game proposal was made I thought okay, he’s asserting his dominance and shit, also maybe she’s picking her battles. A chess game, that can’t be a bad thing, right? WRONG!!

She’s understandably pissed off at Royce, so she’s reactive to her feelings and not thinking logically. So I cut her some slack when she did and said things just to piss Royce off and worry him. In a bid to show some defiance, home girl decides to go get a tattoo. But she’s going to need a ride to go get said tattoo. I’m thinking okay, I can see how that would piss Macalister off and make her feel like she’s in control of something.

But first she has to get to the tattoo parlour; alone and unnoticed - which means she needs her car keys back. So that means she has to get back to the negotiation table with Macalister.

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Who the fuck does that shit for keys to a car just so they can go get a tattoo? I mean surely she has a bit of money; she couldn’t have just taken an uber or whatever the equivalent of that is for filthy rich people? She claims to have strong feelings for Royce and to detest Macalister; yet she allowed that shit to happen?

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At this point I’m done with Marist. Really I am. But it gets worse. Macalister is really fucking with Royce and Marist for real. And Royce and Marist are really treading water trying to stay sane, out of Macalister’s way and find a way to each other’s arms. You know, stolen moments. So I would have thought Marist would realise that Macalister is fucking with them and at least lied about where she was going when he insisted on joining her in the maze where she was meeting Royce. Now Macalister has done some nasty things to these kids at this point, but the proposal, or shall I say the demand made in the maze

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In my mind I thought no, this HAS GOT to be the point where she draws the line and says

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But oh no. I mean I’m still trying to cut her some slack, and I’m not one to shame people but Marist at this point is exhibiting some

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And while all this is happening, where the fuck is Royce? For a man of his status; one who exudes so much power and claim to care for his fiancé, he sure is a

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ROYCEdescription

Outraged, so angry that he tears his room up, I thought okay Royce, its time we got some emotion out of you and see you protect your woman for a change so

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And you know what he did?

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COME ON ROYCE

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And then there’s Alice and that cliffhanger…AGAIN

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The battle faced by Maris and Royce is so frustrating. I must admit, this book really pissed me off. Not the story per se that was dope. It’s the characters. I mean at the initiation I felt sorry for Marist. I thought she was a victim of circumstances and poor Royce was just as victim to his father’s deception. But fuck my life, were they infuriating in this book. What the hell is wrong with Macalister?

I really wish the book was written from dual POV so we can hear what Royce’s train of thought it about all the shit that’s happening. We spent all our time in Marist’s head and I’m over it. This book was basically about Marist and Macalister and the back and forth between them. After a while I was just over it to be honest. There wasn’t enough Royce featured and very little romance and a whole lot of fucked up shit. BUT

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FOR-A-FULL-REVIEW-VISIT
Profile Image for Lover of Romance.
3,713 reviews1,125 followers
January 13, 2021
The Obsession is a book that carries us through the journey of Royce and Maris and a third party that plays a role is Royce’s father: Macalister. Maris is out for her own vengeance when she realizes the true depths that Royce will go to in reaching his goals. Its not easy for Maris to see how he will cast her away for his future. Maris has just started to fall hard for Royce and now must deal with the hardness of his father Macalister. She has literally no freedom or much choice now that she was willing to do what needed to be done, especially with her family practically destitute thanks to their bad decisions and her sister being pregnant. She is split into two wanting to trust Royce but knowing he could easily stab her in the back again.

I did find this installment to be my least favorite of the three books featuring Royce and Maris. We get Royce’s betrayal and its really hard to see that but Maris really shows courage in this installment and I admired what she does to stand up to his father even when its not easy. I wasn’t really for this cat and mouse game that she and Macalister play with each other. And all three individuals have ISSUES LOL And there is plenty of intrigue because of all the secrets that are kept from each other. You understand fully why especially Royce keeps Maris in the dark because of his plans to take over the company because of how dangerous his father is becoming. But despite the issues, the writing is so addicting and I honestly couldn’t get enough of seeing where this author was taking us. But there are scenes of almost “cheating” its complicated of course, so if you have read the book you probably understand it more because there is plenty of manipulation especially from Macalister.

And while this isn’t my favorite book in the series, it has growth and mystery and plenty of hot sensual scenes that will keep you up late reading because you won’t be able to get enough of it.
Profile Image for Vanessa Booked Up.
1,077 reviews479 followers
April 14, 2020
4.25 Stars!

Wow, this one was way better than the first book. This is turning out to be a really strong series.

My only complaint is that I don't FEEL the emotion and connection between Royce and Marist...from Royce. But I think that might be intentional from the author. Hoping to see Royce really step up his game in The Deception.

P.S. I F-LOVE Macalister! =))
Profile Image for Antonella.
4,129 reviews622 followers
January 24, 2021
wait the fucking second ... so Macalister is a typical rich old man who wants what he can't have..
how groundbreaking...
and then his plan and plotline of this book is to make his son & future daughter-in-law be less in love by seducing her and have her..
so smart I mean ... him judging them being too in love and him becoming obsessed with her ...wow




and this one has a cliffhanger too and yes I am reading the next book..
so who is the fool here..me!! if that wasn't clear enough...

2,5 stars
Profile Image for hugsandcookies.
990 reviews81 followers
February 5, 2020
More mind games and more twists.

When I left off in book 1 I was like so overwhelm angry at the turn and yet book 2 is just even worse where I wanted to just give it 2 stars but I’m starting to really grasp onto Royce and Marist and I keep hoping for the best for them yet having a Minotaur of a father play games really had me twisted up where half the time I kept cringing at how creepy he was towards Marist. Anyways I totally felt like the story focused more on his stupid games but I wanted Marist to really not give in and not be so naive and at times feel weak. He’s an older man that has no right to play games. As for Royce it would have helped if I knew what his thinking was (would have been nice for his own POV)but I’ll never know. Now, the ending just keeps getting worse and poor Marist.
Profile Image for Halle Reads.
999 reviews184 followers
March 28, 2021
Ugh I really don't like any of these characters or the relationships but of course the cliffhanger has me moving on to book 3. Fingers crossed I don't regret it 🙈🙈
Profile Image for maegan.
471 reviews89 followers
January 12, 2022
Me: This is so fucked up. I should just drop it.
Also me: Shamelessly reads the book in a day.

I have rarely felt so much internal conflict when reading a series. There are problematic scenes beyond the obvious cringe I objectively get from reading about a love triangle between a father, his son, and the protagonist (I never thought I would be reviewing something like that), but at the same time I have to admit to myself that I am addicted to this series. I can't stop reading and feeling utterly entertained while doing so. Maybe this is the very definition of guilty pleasure.

Anyway, so I have many thoughts about this second instalment:

🔹 First off, the fuckedupness of this book is less than the first one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fuckedup and can make some people feel uncomfy and icky and the reason is non other than Macalister, BUT, admittedly, he’s also the most interesting character. On a spice level I’d say Macalister >>>>>> Royce. I SAID WHAT I SAID

🔹 I’m not ashamed (well, maybe a little bit) to say that Macalister is a better character because Royce has no personality whatsoever other than his father-son conflict and his good looks. I’m hoping this gets solved in the third book *fingers crossed*

🔹 Macalister does border on rapey. It pains me to say this and that’s my main issue with this book. There’s a scene where he just throws consent out the window and forces a kiss on Marist and that’s when it truly hit me that I’m full of shit!!!!!!!!!!! lol such a hypocrite, the feminist in me is seething. Other than that scene at the end of the book where he throws a man child tantrum over being denied, he’s always nearly crossing the line of consensual sex, but all’s justified and forgiven because we’re told that he wouldn’t be so forceful if Marist didn’t want it deep down inside. Ok………….. I’ll choose to blindly believe that for my sanity.

🔹 But let’s cut to the chase. The spice in this book is over the roof. Nikki Sloane writes smut like nobody’s business. She knows how to control the reader with the sensual tempo she sets in the smutty scenes. Seriously. She might just be the first author that manages to make me cross my legs while reading…. (so sorry if that’s TMI)

🔹 Even though this review hasn’t been short of criticism so far, I have to say that my biggest pet peeve with this series is the Greek mythology metaphors. They are so forced.

I’m leaving some examples below:

Maybe Macalister really was Zeus, and this thunderstorm was what had pulled him abruptly away.

I was Medusa, but she was the perfect vision of Hera, queen of the gods.

He was Ares in the flesh, hungry for battle. Starving for war.

Sophia had been Aphrodite, but today I needed her to be my Hermes.

If he was Ares, then I was Aphrodite.


SToP, please stop. Marist keeps pulling these metaphors out of her ass for no good reason other than that she’s a mythology fan. So what, lady. Stop trying to be a pick me up girl because you enjoy reading books about Greek everything. Gosh.

And with that this hype/rant review is over.
Profile Image for SinfulSoulRead.
385 reviews30 followers
August 7, 2019
4,5 CHECKMATE STARS

After the emotional ending of The Initiation, I could not stop thinking about Filthy Rich Americans. When The Obsession hit my kindle, my heart stilled, literally. Like the first book, I consumed Marist and Royce story, with flushed cheeks and shaking hands.

The Obsession is hotter, more depraved and filled with manipulative and cunning people who are ready to do everything in their power to win. And Marist is the price.

This time we have two players. Two successful, handsome, intelligent and greedy men, Macalister and his son Royce. Both, they have their own reasons to own Marist. But she isn’t some land to conquer. She is the bravest and fierce woman. Beautiful and smart she wants to win her and Royce freedom but Macalister won’t give up so easily. He is a master of mental manipulation and has fantasies.

All these twist and turns made me torn. At one time I was team Macalister and then switched to team Royce. And in the end, I am team Marist because I want her to win and be free. Because the things she does…

You thought The Initiation was dirty? This was nothing. Prepare for a very intense and emotional ride. Nobody is trustworthy and the ending left me breathless! I need the last book like tomorrow!

An arc kindly received in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
Profile Image for Steph's Romance Book Talk.
2,864 reviews1,399 followers
January 12, 2021
4.5 Stars / 4 Steam Fans

The second book in The Filthy Rich Americans series is as bonkers as book one and I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT. ALL!!!

Video review available in Week 1: Jan 3 – Jan 9, 2021, full weekly book reviews available on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.
Profile Image for C.P. Mandara.
Author 35 books538 followers
January 23, 2021
description

I had a feeling Macalister would be up to his old tricks, and I wasn't wrong. When will Marist learn? She can't play these games and hope to win. That fiancé of hers had better have some tricks up his sleeve because if he isn't careful she will be stolen from right under his nose. You need to fight harder, Royce. How can you let this happen?

Mind you, there are a couple of moments where I put myself in the heroine's shoes and think, actually, the Dad is quite something... which just goes to show 😂

Loved the colossal cliff hanger ending. Dove straight into the next book with bated breath!!
Profile Image for Kim Whitehead.
2,824 reviews
August 14, 2019
Holy moly!! Intense and full of angst!! My anxiety level was through the roof!! Heart pounding! Twisted and captivating!! Brilliantly written!! So many secrets and had a mysterious feel to it!! Phenomenal story that will leave you speechless!! What an incredible game! Check mate!!
Profile Image for Katie.
745 reviews639 followers
March 14, 2021
This book is just insane and I can’t stop reading. The Hale family is completely twisted but I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading!
Profile Image for Alla.
1,039 reviews50 followers
June 28, 2020
Okay, so this is starting to get a little more dark and twisted, but I´m really enjoying it, even though at times I had a hard time turning to the next page because I got worried about what crazy thing would happen next to Marist. This one was a one crazy ride and I´m off to the next one!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,038 reviews

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