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The Confidence Game #1
Constant
Fifteen years ago I met Sayer Wesley. I fell in love with him. I promised I would never leave him. I swore nothing could break us apart.
Five years ago I broke my promise. I ran away. I took the one secret that could destroy us both and disappeared.
Five days ago I thought I saw him.
I knew it was impossible. Sayer was locked away, serving a deserved sentence in federal prison. He couldn’t find me.
He wouldn’t find me. I was too good at hiding. Too good at surviving.
Because if Sayer ever found me, there would be hell to pay for a plethora of sins. The worst of which, he didn’t even know about.
Five hours ago, I told myself I was crazy.
Five minutes ago, I saw him again.
Five seconds ago, I was too late.
Five years ago I broke my promise. I ran away. I took the one secret that could destroy us both and disappeared.
Five days ago I thought I saw him.
I knew it was impossible. Sayer was locked away, serving a deserved sentence in federal prison. He couldn’t find me.
He wouldn’t find me. I was too good at hiding. Too good at surviving.
Because if Sayer ever found me, there would be hell to pay for a plethora of sins. The worst of which, he didn’t even know about.
Five hours ago, I told myself I was crazy.
Five minutes ago, I saw him again.
Five seconds ago, I was too late.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2017
544 people are currently reading
1428 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Higginson
122 books3,494 followersRachel Higginson is the best-selling author of The Five Stages of Falling in Love, Every Wrong Reason, Bet on Us and The Star-Crossed Series.
She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days writing stories and raising five amazing kids.
She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days writing stories and raising five amazing kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
November 17, 2017
✮ ✮ ✮ 5 STARS ✮ ✮ ✮
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
Confession: This is my first book by Rachel Higginson. Put those tomatoes and eggs away, I'll fix it, I swear.
The love for your child is all consuming. A good mother is like a bear, there is nothing she wouldn't do to protect her children. She also makes enormous sacrifices to give her kids the best life they can have at the expense of her own happiness. This, in a nutshell, is Caro, the heroine of Constant.
Caro ran away from her old life that was full of deceit, lies, danger and a beautiful man who had been the love of her life for 15 years. The courage it must take to cut ties with everything your life used to be has to be breathtaking but there is a very valid reason for her to break her promise to the man she swore she would stand with through it all. Caro is as resilient as they come, tough as steel, cunning, and can lie and manipulate like the best of them. Now she's living always with one eye over her shoulder, and although paranoid she's trying to live a normal and inconspicuous life, always expecting for her old life to catch up. And it does.
This story is cleverly written with flashbacks into Sayer and Caro's past so that we understand that Caro really didn't have a choice than to up and leave. It also shows us that their love is the once-in-a-lifetime-kind so to cut the ties, on both accounts, must have been harrowing.
When Sayer is back in her life he is understandably angry. And who wouldn't be? He doesn't have the whole picture.
Although the book is told only from Caro's point of view I could still see how Sayer has become the man he is now, the changes between the Sayer of then and now are notable. Where the boy was reverent and enraptured in his love for Caro, the man is hardened, often cruel with his words and they didn't only hurt Caro, they hurt me too. So bad that the knots in my stomach had knots.
Sayer is Caro's Archilles heel so he figures out fast where the chinks in her armor are. But despite the (really huge) chip on his shoulder there is a sense of longing. The feeling of Sayer's hurt is just as visceral as Caro's guilt. Neither of them has gotten over the other.
The book ends on a brutal cliffhanger and I wanted to throw things. Yes, it wasn't pretty. While the author did a fantastic job letting us see Sayer through Caro's eyes I would have loved his point of view, only because I didn't want his words to hurt so bad. But that's entirely selfish. I also enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters. Juliet was cute as a button and Francesca and Gus not just accessories, their voices were complex for the side-cast.
If there is one thing that I would like to point out it's that the first 25-30% are a little slower than the rest of the book. However, this is a complex plot and there is no way around taking the time to establish the background and setup for the events that follow. And she really digs deep into it. Once that's out of the way the story notably picks up and then it's angst galore. As for the author's writing style, she made an amazing first impression. I love how it flows so easily.
So now I start waiting for book 2. I hate Rachel Higginson a little for making me wait but I also love her because she asked me to read and review Constant. This epic love story goes right on my favorite-shelf - it's brilliantly told and will have you biting your finger nails. I loved every suspenseful second of it!
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
Confession: This is my first book by Rachel Higginson. Put those tomatoes and eggs away, I'll fix it, I swear.
The love for your child is all consuming. A good mother is like a bear, there is nothing she wouldn't do to protect her children. She also makes enormous sacrifices to give her kids the best life they can have at the expense of her own happiness. This, in a nutshell, is Caro, the heroine of Constant.
Caro ran away from her old life that was full of deceit, lies, danger and a beautiful man who had been the love of her life for 15 years. The courage it must take to cut ties with everything your life used to be has to be breathtaking but there is a very valid reason for her to break her promise to the man she swore she would stand with through it all. Caro is as resilient as they come, tough as steel, cunning, and can lie and manipulate like the best of them. Now she's living always with one eye over her shoulder, and although paranoid she's trying to live a normal and inconspicuous life, always expecting for her old life to catch up. And it does.
Past meet present. Life meet death.
This story is cleverly written with flashbacks into Sayer and Caro's past so that we understand that Caro really didn't have a choice than to up and leave. It also shows us that their love is the once-in-a-lifetime-kind so to cut the ties, on both accounts, must have been harrowing.
When Sayer is back in her life he is understandably angry. And who wouldn't be? He doesn't have the whole picture.
He was at once utterly beautiful and every nightmare I had ever had come to life.
Although the book is told only from Caro's point of view I could still see how Sayer has become the man he is now, the changes between the Sayer of then and now are notable. Where the boy was reverent and enraptured in his love for Caro, the man is hardened, often cruel with his words and they didn't only hurt Caro, they hurt me too. So bad that the knots in my stomach had knots.
Sayer is Caro's Archilles heel so he figures out fast where the chinks in her armor are. But despite the (really huge) chip on his shoulder there is a sense of longing. The feeling of Sayer's hurt is just as visceral as Caro's guilt. Neither of them has gotten over the other.
I had never had a choice in loving Sayer. I just had. Always. Since the day I met him, he had been it for me.
The book ends on a brutal cliffhanger and I wanted to throw things. Yes, it wasn't pretty. While the author did a fantastic job letting us see Sayer through Caro's eyes I would have loved his point of view, only because I didn't want his words to hurt so bad. But that's entirely selfish. I also enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters. Juliet was cute as a button and Francesca and Gus not just accessories, their voices were complex for the side-cast.
If there is one thing that I would like to point out it's that the first 25-30% are a little slower than the rest of the book. However, this is a complex plot and there is no way around taking the time to establish the background and setup for the events that follow. And she really digs deep into it. Once that's out of the way the story notably picks up and then it's angst galore. As for the author's writing style, she made an amazing first impression. I love how it flows so easily.
So now I start waiting for book 2. I hate Rachel Higginson a little for making me wait but I also love her because she asked me to read and review Constant. This epic love story goes right on my favorite-shelf - it's brilliantly told and will have you biting your finger nails. I loved every suspenseful second of it!
Tonight had been a fiery culmination of everything between us. Fireworks and explosions and the melding of two hearts that formerly belonged in two different bodies. Now I held his within me. And he owned every inch of mine.
August 15, 2018
I wish all heroes thought like this...
"“How?” I demanded of him. “How has there been no one since me?” His hand cupped my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone. With all the sincerity and raw, genuine truth, he held my gaze and said, “Because it felt like cheating. And I couldn’t. No matter how angry I was or frustrated or lost… I couldn’t make myself be unfaithful to you. I had no desire to be with anyone but you. So yeah, it’s been a long fucking five years. But it was worth it, yeah? Because now it can be you.”"
"“How?” I demanded of him. “How has there been no one since me?” His hand cupped my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone. With all the sincerity and raw, genuine truth, he held my gaze and said, “Because it felt like cheating. And I couldn’t. No matter how angry I was or frustrated or lost… I couldn’t make myself be unfaithful to you. I had no desire to be with anyone but you. So yeah, it’s been a long fucking five years. But it was worth it, yeah? Because now it can be you.”"
November 25, 2017
I know I’m probably going to sound like a broken record when it comes to this author, but this chick has held my attention for the past year and with every story she has written, it just keeps getting better and better!
Growing up in a life of crime was the norm for Caro. Groomed from a young age and now one of the best thief’s in the Russian Bratva, breaking the rules and taking what’s not her has never been a problem for this skilled thief. But this life is not always safe and for someone who has a lot to lose, running is the only option. But what happens when the past that she thought was left behind, suddenly comes back full force?
This story is way too detailed and layered for me to go into anymore details than what I just said so because of that, I won’t say anything else about the plot. What I will say is that I truly adored these characters and I loved how they bared their feelings with each other. I felt the hate, the anger, the frustration, but I unequivocally felt the love. It didn’t matter how much time was lost, or who did what in a moment of saving themselves, you couldn’t deny the love that they felt for each other.
“Come back to me.
Come home.
Take away this constant pain.
Breathe life into me once again".
Will Caro continue to fight her past and hold her secrets? Or will an old flame set her new world ablaze? With a story like this, blinking is certainly not allowed and you will be screaming WTF at the end but trust me when I say that it's worth it.
March 3, 2018
This new-to-me author gave me a wildly entertaining new-to-me kind of story. I was captivated by Caro and Sayer immediately and now that I’m at the end of this first part, they still haven’t let me go. The author wrote about their past with such clarity that I felt like I was reliving each moment right along with them. The tensions amidst the crew and each character themselves, the constant con, the politics of the bratva, the developing emotions between the main characters, their forced servitude and desperation for escape, the dynamic of the bratva versus their blossoming relationship, and the eventual ‘run for our lives’ all made for one heck of an intriguing read.
So why didn’t I give this amazing book 5 STARS? It all comes down to Caroline and her decision-making. I’m all for getting out of the game. I was applauding her for escaping all the way. But what I couldn’t get down with, what I couldn’t get behind, was the lies and omissions she fed Sayer. He didn’t deserve it. It was like she was completely blind to how he felt and what he was willing to do for her. I couldn’t believe how obtuse she was. I was so in love with her character for much of this book, but in the end, I absolutely hated her. She was still keeping the biggest secret of all and when he found her after five years, did she come clean? Did she beg for mercy? Nope, she acted like she was the one who was wronged. AND SHE DIDN’T REVEAL ANYTHING!! Not one peep of truth from her until she needed him to fix things for her. To save someone they both love more than anything. Kiss. My. Teeth. I wanted Sayer to let her go. But I’m sure that’s not going to happen so I hope she smartens up in the next book. And I’m off to read it ;)
Release: Nov. 16, 2017 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | POV: Heroine - 1st person | Heat: 3 out of 5 | The Confidence Game #1
So why didn’t I give this amazing book 5 STARS? It all comes down to Caroline and her decision-making. I’m all for getting out of the game. I was applauding her for escaping all the way. But what I couldn’t get down with, what I couldn’t get behind, was the lies and omissions she fed Sayer. He didn’t deserve it. It was like she was completely blind to how he felt and what he was willing to do for her. I couldn’t believe how obtuse she was. I was so in love with her character for much of this book, but in the end, I absolutely hated her. She was still keeping the biggest secret of all and when he found her after five years, did she come clean? Did she beg for mercy? Nope, she acted like she was the one who was wronged. AND SHE DIDN’T REVEAL ANYTHING!! Not one peep of truth from her until she needed him to fix things for her. To save someone they both love more than anything. Kiss. My. Teeth. I wanted Sayer to let her go. But I’m sure that’s not going to happen so I hope she smartens up in the next book. And I’m off to read it ;)
Release: Nov. 16, 2017 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | POV: Heroine - 1st person | Heat: 3 out of 5 | The Confidence Game #1
Read
December 13, 2018TBH I don’t know how to rate it.
2 stars would be too harsh… the book was safe and has one of the greatest lines said by the hero after the long separation:
But I struggled a lot with this read. Ok, maybe because I’m not a native speaker or maybe because I just couldn’t concentrate good enough.
It wasn't a bad read. I just didn’t feel it.
There were so many small and big things I just couldn’t ‘assign’. I was literally lost.
Could please someone educate me why (internal screaming WHY???) the hero gave the woman he loved such humiliating nickname???
Six / shesterka – the bottom of the russian criminal hierarchy. Underling. The scornful name of the man/woman on errands.
HOW IS IT ROMANTIC???
Did I miss something?! Damn, every time I read ‘six’ I cringed. As far as I took from the books and asked around, this title is nothing to be proud of. It’s humiliating.
Prove me wrong. Please!
----------> UPDATE!!!
My friend Anna confirmed my assumptions and the meaning of the 'Six'.
I have no words...
Drama-lama. Me still lost.
Cliffy.
2 stars would be too harsh… the book was safe and has one of the greatest lines said by the hero after the long separation:
“Because it felt like cheating. And I couldn’t. No matter how angry I was or frustrated or lost… I couldn’t make myself be unfaithful to you. I had no desire to be with anyone but you. So yeah, it’s been a long fucking five years. But it was worth it, yeah? Because now it can be you.”
But I struggled a lot with this read. Ok, maybe because I’m not a native speaker or maybe because I just couldn’t concentrate good enough.
It wasn't a bad read. I just didn’t feel it.
There were so many small and big things I just couldn’t ‘assign’. I was literally lost.
Could please someone educate me why (internal screaming WHY???) the hero gave the woman he loved such humiliating nickname???
Six / shesterka – the bottom of the russian criminal hierarchy. Underling. The scornful name of the man/woman on errands.
HOW IS IT ROMANTIC???
Did I miss something?! Damn, every time I read ‘six’ I cringed. As far as I took from the books and asked around, this title is nothing to be proud of. It’s humiliating.
Prove me wrong. Please!
----------> UPDATE!!!
My friend Anna confirmed my assumptions and the meaning of the 'Six'.
I have no words...
Drama-lama. Me still lost.
Cliffy.
November 20, 2017
3.75 Stars
October 1, 2019
According to my Google search, if someone has your back, or your "six", that person is watching out for you and protecting you.
Caroline and Sayer are both "Sixes" for the Russian Mafia. They were 10 and 13 years of age respectively when they were first inducted into the bratva. They start off as menial underlings who help perpetrate cons or create diversions for the bratva's theft rings, and just generally serve the powers that be, totally disposable once they have served their purpose, but untouchable while they remain useful.
Flash forward 10 years, later, and we find that the FBI has taken down their "pakhan" or cell of criminals and Caroline and Sayer's lives are blown apart. Sayer is sentenced to jail as a scapegoat. Flash forward another 5 years and Caroline and Sayer are at the mercy of that same criminal mob: Caroline's daughter has been kidnapped and is being used as a pawn in the the pakhan's bid to gain release from prison. Constant ends just as we learn that young Juliet has been kidnapped from her daycare centre.
There were many interesting elements in this story, but way, way too much filler and unnecessary introspection. So while I usually enjoy this author's work, I can only rate this one a 3.5 out of 5. On top of that, this ends on a cliff hanger, which I loathe, and has a darned sequel, which I usually avoid. This should have been one long, thick action-packed novel. Just saying. I'm already reading the sequel: i, too, is marred by too much filler. Such a shame, because the storyline is so engrossing, otherwise. I am sooo not a fan of sequels!
Caroline and Sayer are both "Sixes" for the Russian Mafia. They were 10 and 13 years of age respectively when they were first inducted into the bratva. They start off as menial underlings who help perpetrate cons or create diversions for the bratva's theft rings, and just generally serve the powers that be, totally disposable once they have served their purpose, but untouchable while they remain useful.
Flash forward 10 years, later, and we find that the FBI has taken down their "pakhan" or cell of criminals and Caroline and Sayer's lives are blown apart. Sayer is sentenced to jail as a scapegoat. Flash forward another 5 years and Caroline and Sayer are at the mercy of that same criminal mob: Caroline's daughter has been kidnapped and is being used as a pawn in the the pakhan's bid to gain release from prison. Constant ends just as we learn that young Juliet has been kidnapped from her daycare centre.
There were many interesting elements in this story, but way, way too much filler and unnecessary introspection. So while I usually enjoy this author's work, I can only rate this one a 3.5 out of 5. On top of that, this ends on a cliff hanger, which I loathe, and has a darned sequel, which I usually avoid. This should have been one long, thick action-packed novel. Just saying. I'm already reading the sequel: i, too, is marred by too much filler. Such a shame, because the storyline is so engrossing, otherwise. I am sooo not a fan of sequels!
March 5, 2018
4.5 Stars
I had to go back and reread this to refresh my memory. Loved it the second time around:))
Loved this one and can’t wait for the next book in Feb!
Ugh! That damn ending!!
I had to go back and reread this to refresh my memory. Loved it the second time around:))
Loved this one and can’t wait for the next book in Feb!
Ugh! That damn ending!!
November 16, 2017
Okay the blurb for this book complete intrigued me and knowing how fabulous Rachel's other books were, I was just quietly excited to read Constant and OMF-ing G this book just crept up on me and consumed me. Reading late into the night and sneak reading at work was a compulsion that I couldn't stop. And it was SO worth it, what an exciting and exhilarating story!
Caroline grew up in a world where choices and decisions were made that would forever chain to her a future not of her choosing. She did things she is not proud of but were necessary for survival. She also fell in love with a boy who was a part of the same world she lived in. The only way out is to die or run & hide - the latter being the toughest and only possible option if she was to ever break free. When everything in her life begins spiraling out of control she knows she has to get out, there is no other option.
Five years later and Caroline and her best friend Frankie are living happily in the Midwest. They have jobs, a very small handful of friends and keep to themselves. They can't get too complacent though, Caroline knows that the moment she begins to feel too comfortable, she risks letting her guard down and inviting danger back into her life. However, she also needs to trust that the life they have made in Frisco is a safe one and the people the live among now are genuinely caring and nice.
"I had to start enjoying my life and stop looking over my shoulder constantly. It was time to start forgiving myself for the decisions I was forced to make. It was time to bury the dead and find happiness in the land of the living."
When mysterious notes and packages start showing up addressed to her, Caroline is back on high alert. The last thing she wants to do is leave the life they have made but if her past is knocking on her door she will not be home to greet it. While she is trying to figure out what all these messages mean, in walks the last person she ever thought she would see again, Sayer Wesley, the only boy she has ever loved, now very much a man.
'He wore his five years in prison like new skin, flexing the hard-fought years with bared teeth and shredded muscle. There was no softness left in him, no gentle touch or understanding ear. Only anger. Only hatred. He was at one once utterly beautiful and every nightmare I had ever come to life.'
Talk about a complete mind fuck. She may have been in love with him back then, but she knew that leaving was the only way she could ever truly live the life she and Sayer always dreamed of - she just ended up doing it without him. Any trust she had of him is long gone so him showing up in Frisco makes no sense. Why is he here now? What does he want? What the hell is she going to do now? Does he know the truth behind why she ran? Why does he have to look so damn hot....
"Why did he have to look like that? Why couldn’t all ex-boyfriends just turn into toads the second things were over? So many bad decisions could be avoided in the world if women only had to face toads they were in love with and not the real men that represented their heartbreak and lost hopes and dreams and wasted orgasms."
I was as skeptical as Caroline was when Sayer showed up, both of them are skilled in the art of conning so it was hard to work out what was going on and if he was playing her. She had no reason to trust him and she also had every reason to trust him, based on what they used to have together. Just as things seem to be falling into place, Rachel Higginson rubbed her hands together and laughed with a witches cackle whilst slamming me with the mother fucking cliff hanger of all cliff hangers. Think of the highest peak in the world and imagine me now sitting up there until February 2018...... Needless to say, this was a freaking fabulous read!
'The fire between us had been building and building and we'd just been adding fuel without bothering to contain it or tame it. And now there was no stopping it. We'd built this pyre, and now we would have to burn at it's mercy.'
Caroline grew up in a world where choices and decisions were made that would forever chain to her a future not of her choosing. She did things she is not proud of but were necessary for survival. She also fell in love with a boy who was a part of the same world she lived in. The only way out is to die or run & hide - the latter being the toughest and only possible option if she was to ever break free. When everything in her life begins spiraling out of control she knows she has to get out, there is no other option.
Five years later and Caroline and her best friend Frankie are living happily in the Midwest. They have jobs, a very small handful of friends and keep to themselves. They can't get too complacent though, Caroline knows that the moment she begins to feel too comfortable, she risks letting her guard down and inviting danger back into her life. However, she also needs to trust that the life they have made in Frisco is a safe one and the people the live among now are genuinely caring and nice.
"I had to start enjoying my life and stop looking over my shoulder constantly. It was time to start forgiving myself for the decisions I was forced to make. It was time to bury the dead and find happiness in the land of the living."
When mysterious notes and packages start showing up addressed to her, Caroline is back on high alert. The last thing she wants to do is leave the life they have made but if her past is knocking on her door she will not be home to greet it. While she is trying to figure out what all these messages mean, in walks the last person she ever thought she would see again, Sayer Wesley, the only boy she has ever loved, now very much a man.
'He wore his five years in prison like new skin, flexing the hard-fought years with bared teeth and shredded muscle. There was no softness left in him, no gentle touch or understanding ear. Only anger. Only hatred. He was at one once utterly beautiful and every nightmare I had ever come to life.'
Talk about a complete mind fuck. She may have been in love with him back then, but she knew that leaving was the only way she could ever truly live the life she and Sayer always dreamed of - she just ended up doing it without him. Any trust she had of him is long gone so him showing up in Frisco makes no sense. Why is he here now? What does he want? What the hell is she going to do now? Does he know the truth behind why she ran? Why does he have to look so damn hot....
"Why did he have to look like that? Why couldn’t all ex-boyfriends just turn into toads the second things were over? So many bad decisions could be avoided in the world if women only had to face toads they were in love with and not the real men that represented their heartbreak and lost hopes and dreams and wasted orgasms."
I was as skeptical as Caroline was when Sayer showed up, both of them are skilled in the art of conning so it was hard to work out what was going on and if he was playing her. She had no reason to trust him and she also had every reason to trust him, based on what they used to have together. Just as things seem to be falling into place, Rachel Higginson rubbed her hands together and laughed with a witches cackle whilst slamming me with the mother fucking cliff hanger of all cliff hangers. Think of the highest peak in the world and imagine me now sitting up there until February 2018...... Needless to say, this was a freaking fabulous read!
'The fire between us had been building and building and we'd just been adding fuel without bothering to contain it or tame it. And now there was no stopping it. We'd built this pyre, and now we would have to burn at it's mercy.'
December 10, 2017
❝You're too pretty for the Midwest, Caroline. Too daring. Too independent. They wouldn't know what to do with a girl like you.❞
My thoughts when I started this book
My thoughts when I finished this book
Let me explain, I love this author's voice and I've yet to read a book by her I didn't enjoy. However, this was a totally different subject from her, and frankly, I had no idea she had this in her! 'Constant', was a little bit gritty, a little bit sexy and a whole lot good! BUT THAT ENDING! I'm still salty!
Caro's life was immersed in the Russian mafia thanks to her father being a low-level lackey. His parenting style left a lot to be desired, taking her along on jobs, he taught her how to steal, con and lie. One day while on a job, she meets Sayer. A homeless boy looking to survive, Sayer is more than willing to do whatever is asked of him. It wasn't long before his tenaciousness paid off and he became an invaluable member.
Caro and Sayer become inseparable, they learned to lean on and look out for one another. Until Caro finds out she's pregnant and Sayer refuses to leave the family. Caro's devotion to her unborn child and her determination for her child to not be raised the same way she was, caused her to run, run away from her father, the family, and Sayer.
❝I didn't leave Sayer because I stopped loving him. I left him because I found someone else that needed my love more.❞
Five years after running, she comes face to face with the man she left behind. Sayer is no longer the same young man he used to be. He's bigger, stronger and hardened and he's angry. He wants answers and he's not going to leave Caro alone until he gets them.
If you've not read a book by this author, this is the perfect book to start with (if you can get over that ending! I mean WHAT?). She brilliantly meshed past with present creating a thrilling, captivating second-chance love story.
November 20, 2017
This was my first read from author Rachel Higginson and OMG! This just BLEW ME AWAY! I became INSTANTLY ADDICTED to her words! The writing, the characters, the plot, the flow, the suspense of it all? I just had me HOOKED from the very start! The emotion and the intensity that flew off of the pages had me in shock and awe. How have I been missing out on this incredible talent?
Come back to me.
Come home.
Take away this constant pain.
Breathe life into me once again.
The raw emotion and the gritty intensity of CONSTANT had my fists clenched, my heart breaking, and my stomach in absolute knots. Ms. Higginson brought the pain in spades with her latest release and I enjoyed feeling every single second of it. Caro and Sayer were quite the pair. From a very young age there was a connection and Rachel walks us through the depth of that connection by giving us a story that flowed so perfectly and effortlessly. While I was reading, I could clearly picture in my mind, the setting and the characters and even the emotions that would play out on their faces. It’s a pretty damn epic talent to be able to do that with readers and all I can say is I definitely WANT MORE!
A woman running from her past, desperately seeking a new life. A man hell-bent on getting back what is his. When their paths connect after all these years, will the betrayal, deception, and lies be to strong to break free of? This is only the beginning of Caroline and Sayer’s journey and I for one, can’t FREAKING wait to see what Rachel gives us next. CONSTANT is an epic MUST READ ROMANCE for romantic suspense lovers everywhere!
Come back to me.
Come home.
Take away this constant pain.
Breathe life into me once again.
The raw emotion and the gritty intensity of CONSTANT had my fists clenched, my heart breaking, and my stomach in absolute knots. Ms. Higginson brought the pain in spades with her latest release and I enjoyed feeling every single second of it. Caro and Sayer were quite the pair. From a very young age there was a connection and Rachel walks us through the depth of that connection by giving us a story that flowed so perfectly and effortlessly. While I was reading, I could clearly picture in my mind, the setting and the characters and even the emotions that would play out on their faces. It’s a pretty damn epic talent to be able to do that with readers and all I can say is I definitely WANT MORE!
A woman running from her past, desperately seeking a new life. A man hell-bent on getting back what is his. When their paths connect after all these years, will the betrayal, deception, and lies be to strong to break free of? This is only the beginning of Caroline and Sayer’s journey and I for one, can’t FREAKING wait to see what Rachel gives us next. CONSTANT is an epic MUST READ ROMANCE for romantic suspense lovers everywhere!
November 18, 2017
I’m part thrilled, part frustrated over where I find myself at the end of CONSTANT. I’m certainly glad Rachel Higginson made the decision to make this a duet because this is an in-depth and intense story. I have to say that end is rather abrupt and felt a little unplanned but I am in utter suspense for what will happen in CONSEQUENCE. As ever, Rachel Higginson can write so well but new fans from her previous two novels (The Opposite of Us etc) will find CONSTANT a little different, a walk on the darker side. The good news is she executed this story well.
The setting for CONSTANT is a Russian crime family/brotherhood. Caroline had no choice in being drawn into a life of crime, she was born into it and she made a superb con artist. Sayer, a boy off the streets, finds food and employment with the Bratva. These two grew through their adolescence together and the story finds them apart many years later. I was completely drawn into this book, I found it difficult to ascertain where my allegiances should go, each character seemed to have bad and good in them. There are dark secrets, twists and I worried intensely for Caro, Frankie and Juliet, in fact I am still in this position.
The Sayer of the present was a compelling hero, bad boy with loyalty who gave an impressive physical presence. It was so hard to trust anyone from the Bratva that it’s an unusual position not being able to feel trust in the main characters but also fun to be in the dark. I highly recommend this as a romantic suspenseful read. Please join me in the wait for February 2018!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in return for a honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
The setting for CONSTANT is a Russian crime family/brotherhood. Caroline had no choice in being drawn into a life of crime, she was born into it and she made a superb con artist. Sayer, a boy off the streets, finds food and employment with the Bratva. These two grew through their adolescence together and the story finds them apart many years later. I was completely drawn into this book, I found it difficult to ascertain where my allegiances should go, each character seemed to have bad and good in them. There are dark secrets, twists and I worried intensely for Caro, Frankie and Juliet, in fact I am still in this position.
The Sayer of the present was a compelling hero, bad boy with loyalty who gave an impressive physical presence. It was so hard to trust anyone from the Bratva that it’s an unusual position not being able to feel trust in the main characters but also fun to be in the dark. I highly recommend this as a romantic suspenseful read. Please join me in the wait for February 2018!
A copy of this book was provided by the author in return for a honest review.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
November 21, 2017
Holy buckets, you guys. I am admittedly relatively new to Rachel Higginson’s books, but this is unlike anything I’ve read from her before. My brain hurts! And so do my shoulders, from carrying around the tension that this book just laid on me. My mind is a little blown right now and my heart feels all achy, and I’m still not sure what to make of this story. I only know that I am desperate for more.
This story is fascinating. Like, completely gripping in a way that had me sneaking reading time at every opportunity. The suspense was done masterfully, keeping me on the edge of my seat over the course of most of the book, and even once truths were revealed and things seemed to resolve, I’m not sure I can trust that everything is what it seems. The story ends on a cliffhanger and it’s a bit of a doozy. I want more – so much more – and I want to go a little deeper. That is, I felt like the love story took a back-burner a lot of the time. We were given romance in flashbacks and inner monologues but not a lot of time in “present” to really invest in their feelings for each other. I want to go deeper into that. I want more quality time with Sayer and Caroline and – of course – I want answers to all my questions. Is this a list of demands? Mayyyybe. But that’s what happens when you leave my heart and my head dangling out on a ledge like this! MORE, PLEASE! NOW!!!
*composes self * Seriously though, in all – Constant was a completely compelling read. Ms. Higginson is an insanely talented storyteller and she managed to weave together several complicated storylines here. Like I said, I am desperate for more and cannot wait for the conclusion of this thrill ride! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
****
Whoa, Constant was my first book by Rachel Higginson and it will definitely not be my last! I’ve heard such amazing things about Ms. Higginson’s romances and storytelling, I was so excited to finally have a chance to experience her writing first hand. And Constant did not disappoint!
Constant will have you holding on for dear life. Seriously. You’re going to be on the edge of your seat for Sayer and Caroline’s story. I loved learning their history. Loved learning about their childhood and how they met and how they separated. And holy hell, how they got back together.
Yes, Constant ends on a heartbreaking, heart pounding cliffhanger. One where you’re going to get to the end and cry out “NO, she didn’t do that to me!!” I know I may have added some more . . . err, choice words to that phrase.
I cannot wait for what’s bound to be an epic and probably explosive conclusion. ~ Missy, 4.5 stars
This story is fascinating. Like, completely gripping in a way that had me sneaking reading time at every opportunity. The suspense was done masterfully, keeping me on the edge of my seat over the course of most of the book, and even once truths were revealed and things seemed to resolve, I’m not sure I can trust that everything is what it seems. The story ends on a cliffhanger and it’s a bit of a doozy. I want more – so much more – and I want to go a little deeper. That is, I felt like the love story took a back-burner a lot of the time. We were given romance in flashbacks and inner monologues but not a lot of time in “present” to really invest in their feelings for each other. I want to go deeper into that. I want more quality time with Sayer and Caroline and – of course – I want answers to all my questions. Is this a list of demands? Mayyyybe. But that’s what happens when you leave my heart and my head dangling out on a ledge like this! MORE, PLEASE! NOW!!!
*composes self * Seriously though, in all – Constant was a completely compelling read. Ms. Higginson is an insanely talented storyteller and she managed to weave together several complicated storylines here. Like I said, I am desperate for more and cannot wait for the conclusion of this thrill ride! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
****
Whoa, Constant was my first book by Rachel Higginson and it will definitely not be my last! I’ve heard such amazing things about Ms. Higginson’s romances and storytelling, I was so excited to finally have a chance to experience her writing first hand. And Constant did not disappoint!
Constant will have you holding on for dear life. Seriously. You’re going to be on the edge of your seat for Sayer and Caroline’s story. I loved learning their history. Loved learning about their childhood and how they met and how they separated. And holy hell, how they got back together.
Yes, Constant ends on a heartbreaking, heart pounding cliffhanger. One where you’re going to get to the end and cry out “NO, she didn’t do that to me!!” I know I may have added some more . . . err, choice words to that phrase.
I cannot wait for what’s bound to be an epic and probably explosive conclusion. ~ Missy, 4.5 stars
June 27, 2019
Since I have just started to get back into the reading grind again, I'll slowly ease my way into it. So there won't be any lengthy reviews yet on GR.
But I will put them up on my blog.
I'll start writing reviews again on GR once I've been able to kick this DNF and 2/3 star reads to the curb.
But I will put them up on my blog.
I'll start writing reviews again on GR once I've been able to kick this DNF and 2/3 star reads to the curb.
dnf-for-now-maybe-later
September 18, 201825% and the H still isn’t in the story. The h just agreed to a date with the nicest guy that she’s been turning down forever. And she REALLY likes him. He’s close to her daughter. And I’m out!!
May 9, 2018
Really enjoyed this. It was quite a slow pace story, I really enjoyed the flashbacks too.
Loved the characters!
The ending of this book left on a cliffhanger!! So I need to read book #2 now! .. :D
Loved the characters!
The ending of this book left on a cliffhanger!! So I need to read book #2 now! .. :D
March 18, 2018
***DUET REVIEWED AS A WHOLE***
What a thrill ride this has been! Beautifully written and wildly exhilarating, this action-packed second chance romance—set in the dangerous criminal underworld of kingpins, mobsters, and professional con artists—had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. With my knee bouncing with both anxiety and anticipation, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, desperate to piece together a story that is bursting at the seams with complex subplots and unexpected twists and turns, whilst still being infused with the kind of emotional intensity and strong romantic element I’ve come to expect from Rachel Higginson. I couldn’t have loved it any more than I did!
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“He was the one constant in my life that had pushed me through the darkness. He was the one constant in my life that loved me beyond everything else, beyond what I was or had been or could ever be. He wanted me to be better. He wanted to be better for me. The problem was he was as tangled in the madness as I was.”
What a thrill ride this has been! Beautifully written and wildly exhilarating, this action-packed second chance romance—set in the dangerous criminal underworld of kingpins, mobsters, and professional con artists—had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. With my knee bouncing with both anxiety and anticipation, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, desperate to piece together a story that is bursting at the seams with complex subplots and unexpected twists and turns, whilst still being infused with the kind of emotional intensity and strong romantic element I’ve come to expect from Rachel Higginson. I couldn’t have loved it any more than I did!
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March 1, 2018
4.5 Thrilling Stars
"And in the end, the game must be played perfectly. Everything must go according to plan. Everything must fall into place and happen exactly right. The stakes are high. The risks are great. Yet the consequences are not enough to turn us away."
OMG!!! Rachel Higginson, you are my new favorite author!!
I will admit I knew nothing about this book going in. Caroline and Sayer's story blew me away! This is second-chance romance at its very best. Caroline and Sayer's story is told in flashbacks alternating between past and present day. Caro grew up as the daughter of a con man and thief, so she was in the life from the time she was a child. Skilled at stealing and lying, she meets her match in Sayer, a lost boy who rises quickly through the ranks of their Washington D.C crime family. Sayer steals her heart and soul from the first time they meet as children.
"He was the one constant in my life that had pushed me through the darkness. He was the one constant in my life that loved me beyond everything else, beyond what I was or had been or could ever be. He wanted me to be better. He wanted to be better for me."
Caro has escaped her old life with her young daughter and her lifelong best friend Frankie. They have moved to a small town in Colorado, where no one knows them and they can start over with a clean slate. Until Caro's past catches up with her and even her clever planning cannot protect her and her daughter from her dark past.
"Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you plan. Sometimes circumstances change and sometimes they’re for the better. But he was my constant then and he is the constant ghost that haunts me now."
Rachel Higginson does a PERFECT job of telling Caro and Sayer's story, weaving together the past and present in such a way that I felt every heartbreak, emotion and thrill. THIS is the way to build connection between characters! Nothing felt rushed or forced and I literally could not put this book down. If you are looking for a sexy, thrilling and intelligent romantic suspense story, then 'Constant' should be your next read. And the ending!! But 'Consequence' is out now, so I am diving right into the next book. I did not want this to end so I am thrilled to get more Caro and Sayer!!
"My world. The one thing I’m living for above everything else.”
"And in the end, the game must be played perfectly. Everything must go according to plan. Everything must fall into place and happen exactly right. The stakes are high. The risks are great. Yet the consequences are not enough to turn us away."
OMG!!! Rachel Higginson, you are my new favorite author!!
I will admit I knew nothing about this book going in. Caroline and Sayer's story blew me away! This is second-chance romance at its very best. Caroline and Sayer's story is told in flashbacks alternating between past and present day. Caro grew up as the daughter of a con man and thief, so she was in the life from the time she was a child. Skilled at stealing and lying, she meets her match in Sayer, a lost boy who rises quickly through the ranks of their Washington D.C crime family. Sayer steals her heart and soul from the first time they meet as children.
"He was the one constant in my life that had pushed me through the darkness. He was the one constant in my life that loved me beyond everything else, beyond what I was or had been or could ever be. He wanted me to be better. He wanted to be better for me."
Caro has escaped her old life with her young daughter and her lifelong best friend Frankie. They have moved to a small town in Colorado, where no one knows them and they can start over with a clean slate. Until Caro's past catches up with her and even her clever planning cannot protect her and her daughter from her dark past.
"Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you plan. Sometimes circumstances change and sometimes they’re for the better. But he was my constant then and he is the constant ghost that haunts me now."
Rachel Higginson does a PERFECT job of telling Caro and Sayer's story, weaving together the past and present in such a way that I felt every heartbreak, emotion and thrill. THIS is the way to build connection between characters! Nothing felt rushed or forced and I literally could not put this book down. If you are looking for a sexy, thrilling and intelligent romantic suspense story, then 'Constant' should be your next read. And the ending!! But 'Consequence' is out now, so I am diving right into the next book. I did not want this to end so I am thrilled to get more Caro and Sayer!!
"My world. The one thing I’m living for above everything else.”
March 12, 2018
Ok
I finished this a week ago and I'm still unsure about how I feel. On the one hand, Rachel Higginson sets the stage for what we all know will be an epic love between Sayer and Caro (Six). Kids united by their involvement in a russian crime syndicate.
Using flashbacks to depict their past, we return to the present where our heroine has established herself in a small Colorado town under a another identity. Her, her childhood friend Frankie and her daughter (Ya... she left because she didn't want a daughter stuck in a life of crime.) Live a quiet life, always cautious of the past coming to haunt them.
So we know where this is going to go. From the very beginning we know that Caro is super paranoid of being found and she will do anything to protect her daughter. Always musing about the probability of leaving in the event that they are discovered.
But then... When her past catches up to her, what does she do? Sweet fuck all that's what!! And that's when I lost faith in the story. This is where all that past and all of Rachel Higginson's well meaning storytelling fell off the map. Because from then on it's all about her feelings for Sayer and not the possible danger lurking because of his appearance in her town. She's even suddenly dumb enough to assume he doesnt know she has a kid. She keeps on her routine, bringing her kid to school and going to work as opposed to confronting Sayer with the truth and asking him if he means her harm. NO! She just goes about being paranoid and turned on by his looks instead of running for the hills. And what's the reason for not leaving? Not having enough money. Seriously??!!! The whole set was about how she was the most talented thief in their little crime unit. So she really had no real reason to not flee and protect her daughter. So everything she is and was set up to be throughout the entire story, disappears. (I call BS!)
I felt for the love story. I really did. The writing was stellar but the set up failed and sucked giant monkey balls PLUS the cliffhanger was a disappointment because it could have been avoided.
Sure, I'm curious about where this story goes. However I hesitate because I really didn't like the contradictions in this well meaning story. I'm shelving the second part for when I get over the colossal disappointment.
I finished this a week ago and I'm still unsure about how I feel. On the one hand, Rachel Higginson sets the stage for what we all know will be an epic love between Sayer and Caro (Six). Kids united by their involvement in a russian crime syndicate.
Using flashbacks to depict their past, we return to the present where our heroine has established herself in a small Colorado town under a another identity. Her, her childhood friend Frankie and her daughter (Ya... she left because she didn't want a daughter stuck in a life of crime.) Live a quiet life, always cautious of the past coming to haunt them.
So we know where this is going to go. From the very beginning we know that Caro is super paranoid of being found and she will do anything to protect her daughter. Always musing about the probability of leaving in the event that they are discovered.
But then... When her past catches up to her, what does she do? Sweet fuck all that's what!! And that's when I lost faith in the story. This is where all that past and all of Rachel Higginson's well meaning storytelling fell off the map. Because from then on it's all about her feelings for Sayer and not the possible danger lurking because of his appearance in her town. She's even suddenly dumb enough to assume he doesnt know she has a kid. She keeps on her routine, bringing her kid to school and going to work as opposed to confronting Sayer with the truth and asking him if he means her harm. NO! She just goes about being paranoid and turned on by his looks instead of running for the hills. And what's the reason for not leaving? Not having enough money. Seriously??!!! The whole set was about how she was the most talented thief in their little crime unit. So she really had no real reason to not flee and protect her daughter. So everything she is and was set up to be throughout the entire story, disappears. (I call BS!)
I felt for the love story. I really did. The writing was stellar but the set up failed and sucked giant monkey balls PLUS the cliffhanger was a disappointment because it could have been avoided.
Sure, I'm curious about where this story goes. However I hesitate because I really didn't like the contradictions in this well meaning story. I'm shelving the second part for when I get over the colossal disappointment.
January 3, 2018
NOT YOUR TYPICAL ROMANCE NOVEL
This is the second book by Rachel Higginson that I have read, and she never disappoints. Constant is very different from her book The Opposite of You. Rachel Higginson is a true story teller and each story is beautiful in its own right. I love how she was able to come up with something entirely different from her previous ones, truly talented if you ask me. Constant, is not your typical romance novel. Constant is the perfect combination of thrill, secrets, good romance and action. It was well-thought out and well-executed. A book that you will finish in one sitting, that’s how amazing it was.
We have our female protagonist Caro, who was running away from her dark past and protecting herself and her loved ones at all cost, and we have Sayer our male protagonist who’s trying to go back into Caro’s life and pick up where they left off. This book has been equally entertaining and gripping. It’s the kind of book that you wouldn’t be able to stop at a certain chapter and call it a night, no, it is the kind of book that you would devour bit by bit up until the inevitable end. A tip though, it ends in a cliffhanger, so if you’re not a fan of that, you can wait for the book 2 to come out. So you could binge read them in one sitting, yes that’s possible. Don’t worry you need not wait eternity for the next book to come out, good news for you by February you can sit down in a corner with a beverage of your choice and some snack and read the day away. You can thank me later.
Constant offers us a more mature take on new adult. This isn’t just the typical mushy romance novel, it is nothing like it. It is a step-up from the usual romance novels we read, which makes my heart happy. I love mysterious and dark love stories, the kind where you cling to every character’s actions and see how everything will unfold in the end. The kind of love story you’re not accustomed to reading. The kind of love story that went the extra mile. This is that book for you. It was gritty, intense and gives you some kind of suspense vibe to it. I also love the flashbacks and how it melds perfectly into the present making a coherent and well put-together story. Caro and Sayer’s chemistry is palpable. I loved that in a book, how the two characters have this pull to each other that no amount of denial could invalidate. I loved that even though they were apart, you could tell a good romance is about to unfold between them, and yes I was not disappointed towards that ending. It was nothing super crazy, it was what the story required and it was beautiful and well-executed! Mafia romance is something I really enjoy reading, and Constant truly served its purpose. And oh I hope there would be some sort of novella for Francesca and Gus, gahhh would love to read their story too!
I really enjoy Rachel Higginson’s writing style, she evolved a lot from her book The Opposite of You and I am glad I was able to see and be a part of this milestone. She’s becoming a favourite author now. Her talent on concocting stories different from each other and the element of surprising her readers with each new release are the best characteristics of an author. I’m pretty sure she’ll be a household name in no time.
This is the second book by Rachel Higginson that I have read, and she never disappoints. Constant is very different from her book The Opposite of You. Rachel Higginson is a true story teller and each story is beautiful in its own right. I love how she was able to come up with something entirely different from her previous ones, truly talented if you ask me. Constant, is not your typical romance novel. Constant is the perfect combination of thrill, secrets, good romance and action. It was well-thought out and well-executed. A book that you will finish in one sitting, that’s how amazing it was.
We have our female protagonist Caro, who was running away from her dark past and protecting herself and her loved ones at all cost, and we have Sayer our male protagonist who’s trying to go back into Caro’s life and pick up where they left off. This book has been equally entertaining and gripping. It’s the kind of book that you wouldn’t be able to stop at a certain chapter and call it a night, no, it is the kind of book that you would devour bit by bit up until the inevitable end. A tip though, it ends in a cliffhanger, so if you’re not a fan of that, you can wait for the book 2 to come out. So you could binge read them in one sitting, yes that’s possible. Don’t worry you need not wait eternity for the next book to come out, good news for you by February you can sit down in a corner with a beverage of your choice and some snack and read the day away. You can thank me later.
Constant offers us a more mature take on new adult. This isn’t just the typical mushy romance novel, it is nothing like it. It is a step-up from the usual romance novels we read, which makes my heart happy. I love mysterious and dark love stories, the kind where you cling to every character’s actions and see how everything will unfold in the end. The kind of love story you’re not accustomed to reading. The kind of love story that went the extra mile. This is that book for you. It was gritty, intense and gives you some kind of suspense vibe to it. I also love the flashbacks and how it melds perfectly into the present making a coherent and well put-together story. Caro and Sayer’s chemistry is palpable. I loved that in a book, how the two characters have this pull to each other that no amount of denial could invalidate. I loved that even though they were apart, you could tell a good romance is about to unfold between them, and yes I was not disappointed towards that ending. It was nothing super crazy, it was what the story required and it was beautiful and well-executed! Mafia romance is something I really enjoy reading, and Constant truly served its purpose. And oh I hope there would be some sort of novella for Francesca and Gus, gahhh would love to read their story too!
I really enjoy Rachel Higginson’s writing style, she evolved a lot from her book The Opposite of You and I am glad I was able to see and be a part of this milestone. She’s becoming a favourite author now. Her talent on concocting stories different from each other and the element of surprising her readers with each new release are the best characteristics of an author. I’m pretty sure she’ll be a household name in no time.
November 18, 2017
This got into my top 5 books this year, I loved this so much.
I cannot wait for book 2. I am so happy I found this because it was an incredible read!
I cannot wait for book 2. I am so happy I found this because it was an incredible read!
November 16, 2017
Whenever Rachel Higginson has a new book out, I often don't even need to know what it's about to know I'll want to read it. She's quickly become one of those auto-read authors for me. And then when I heard about the premise of CONSTANT I was so excited about it because it's not like anything I've read from her before. I always love to read a good bad boy story. I had gone in expecting this to be a dark story but in many ways I'm glad that it wasn't really dark. There are some dark subjects tackled but this is not a dark romance. So I just wanted to start off by clarifying that in case anyone had reservations about that aspect.What this book does deal with is the Russian Mafia. Specifically the fact that Caroline, the heroine of this story, has been knee deep in it since she was a child because her father worked for them. She worked for them from a young age. And she was also the reason why Sayer, the hero, was rescued from a life on the streets to work for them. Their lives are so intrinsically entwined with them that when she disappeared and ran away from it all, leaving love and danger behind, nobody saw it coming. And nobody knew the reason why.
I think the POV in this story was both one of my favorite things as well as the most frustrating. It's told in First Person POV entirely and I was dying to know more. I needed to know things outside of Caroline's head. It was a great way to experience the story because it allowed it to unfold at the pace it needed to for the reader. Good for the story, bad for my anxiety because I couldn't read fast enough to know everything! Even if I had things pretty much figured out.
All the elements worked perfectly together for me in this one. The setting, the characters, their personalities, the moral ambiguity at times when it served a higher goal, and ultimately the chemistry between the main couple. I came to really like Sayer even if we don't get to see a lot about him at first, and I absolutely adored Caroline. Of course, there are also great side characters especially her best friend Francesca because... what a great name! LOL The life Caroline has created for herself in Colorado is a life of looking over her shoulder and staying away from people but she has her few close relationships and they felt like real connections even as she tried to deny that to herself. I felt her hunger for a normal life.
I'll admit this was a little bit of a slow starter for me. I didn't immediately get sunk in even though I absolutely adored Sayer and Caroline's connection as kids trying to survive in that world. But once it hooked me, I couldn't put it down. I had to devour it and I'm anxiously awaiting the conclusion of this duology (coming February).
*ARC provided by author
Reviewed by Francesca❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
November 16, 2017
“We were a family. Not a conventional one or even one made by blood, but we looked out for each other, we supported each other and we protected each other.”
“I felt turned inside out, strung from the ceiling by my toes so all my secrets could shake out of me and land on the floor below. I felt exposed and transparent and broken in half.”
Wow! What a way to start a new series!! Constant kicks off not only a new series, but a new genre for author Rachel Higginson, and all I can say is that she totally knocked it out of the park! Constant is sexy and thrilling. The writing is intoxicating and the story-line is gripping. I easily finished this book in just one sitting and could not stop myself from devouring it. My eyes were glued to the pages and my breath was held in anticipation. I was on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next.
Constant will grab you from the very first page and will leave you totally riveted. The past and present blending in the most perfect way. The puzzles pieces all laid out and just kept you guessing. I loved the mystery and suspense that followed the story. I loved trying to guess the motives and figure out what it all meant; how this story was going to play out.
Constant is refreshing and an exciting start to The Confidence Game Series. This book hit all my marks and definitely kept me on my toes. It had just the right amount of romance, intrigue, mystery and sexy good times. And the ending…the ending will just leave you begging for more! I can not wait to see what this author will have in store for us next!
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
“I felt turned inside out, strung from the ceiling by my toes so all my secrets could shake out of me and land on the floor below. I felt exposed and transparent and broken in half.”
Wow! What a way to start a new series!! Constant kicks off not only a new series, but a new genre for author Rachel Higginson, and all I can say is that she totally knocked it out of the park! Constant is sexy and thrilling. The writing is intoxicating and the story-line is gripping. I easily finished this book in just one sitting and could not stop myself from devouring it. My eyes were glued to the pages and my breath was held in anticipation. I was on the edge of my seat, dying to know what would happen next.
Constant will grab you from the very first page and will leave you totally riveted. The past and present blending in the most perfect way. The puzzles pieces all laid out and just kept you guessing. I loved the mystery and suspense that followed the story. I loved trying to guess the motives and figure out what it all meant; how this story was going to play out.
Constant is refreshing and an exciting start to The Confidence Game Series. This book hit all my marks and definitely kept me on my toes. It had just the right amount of romance, intrigue, mystery and sexy good times. And the ending…the ending will just leave you begging for more! I can not wait to see what this author will have in store for us next!
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
April 24, 2018
Caro and Frankie were born into a life of crime. with no way out. but when caro is pregnant, they decides its time to escape. she is hidden for five years before her past shows up on her doorstep.
i really enjoyed the flashbacks and the seedy side to this story. hope to hear more about frankie.
i really enjoyed the flashbacks and the seedy side to this story. hope to hear more about frankie.
January 19, 2023
2,5 stars
March 29, 2018
I liked this story enough and because it ended in a cliffhanger I will be reading book 2.
December 9, 2017
When I read the blurb of this book, I knew i would just HAVE to read it. I mean seriously? My heart was pounding just thinking about what was gonna be in these pages and I most definitely was not disappointed!!!!
This book is full of intrigue and refreshingly different. It is told in both present and past perspectives, but it's seamlessly done and gives super insight and depth to the characters, making it impossible not to be captured and ensnared right from beginning to end. I absolutely loved every heart stopping and heart melting moment !!!
Caro has fled and escaped a life of lies, deceit, brutality and danger with her best friend Frankie. Groomed from a young age by her useless father to become a thief and con artist for the Russian Bratva! In escaping her life, accompanied only by her best friend Frankie, and leaving it all behind, she's also lost and left the love of her life, Sayer Wesley. But what happens when the past you left to stay safe catches up with you after spending 5 years in prison?
This story has so many layers, so much passion and intensity. Both Characters are complex and the more we find out about their past and the reasons behind so many of their actions and emotions you will be left speechless and your heart twisting. Caro is a strong, witty, skilled woman and Sayer is a man that has no fear of doing what ever has or needs to be done to survive but he also loves with his whole being. The chemistry between this couple is off the charts and even at the most intense of times, you still feel the passion and tenderness underlying all the issues they have to deal around.
Although this book ends in a cliffhanger, I am now waiting not so patiently for February, it really can't come quick enough !!!!
This book is full of intrigue and refreshingly different. It is told in both present and past perspectives, but it's seamlessly done and gives super insight and depth to the characters, making it impossible not to be captured and ensnared right from beginning to end. I absolutely loved every heart stopping and heart melting moment !!!
Caro has fled and escaped a life of lies, deceit, brutality and danger with her best friend Frankie. Groomed from a young age by her useless father to become a thief and con artist for the Russian Bratva! In escaping her life, accompanied only by her best friend Frankie, and leaving it all behind, she's also lost and left the love of her life, Sayer Wesley. But what happens when the past you left to stay safe catches up with you after spending 5 years in prison?
This story has so many layers, so much passion and intensity. Both Characters are complex and the more we find out about their past and the reasons behind so many of their actions and emotions you will be left speechless and your heart twisting. Caro is a strong, witty, skilled woman and Sayer is a man that has no fear of doing what ever has or needs to be done to survive but he also loves with his whole being. The chemistry between this couple is off the charts and even at the most intense of times, you still feel the passion and tenderness underlying all the issues they have to deal around.
Although this book ends in a cliffhanger, I am now waiting not so patiently for February, it really can't come quick enough !!!!
November 16, 2017
5 “I will never be the same” stars!!
Caroline has been part of the Russian mob syndicate in DC since she could remember. Even at ten she is the best liar around and an integral part of the cons they ran. One night during a job a new player is pulled into the game. A boy who isn't from that life. A boy who makes an impact. It is his first taste of the game, one that will alter the course of his life taking Caroline with him.
Though it’s the only life she knows, Caroline doesn’t love being part of the mob. When she falls for Sayer, things only get more complicated and her dreams of escaping get pushed aside. Then when things go terribly wrong, she knows she has to leave even if it means leaving broken hearts in her wake.
Wow, what a story! Talk about an angst-filled, emotionally intense, rollercoaster of a ride. It’s consuming and captivating from the first page to last. Written in Caroline’s POV, we jump back and forth from past to present and every word is engrossing. The flashbacks are enlightening and it’s thrilling to watch the story play out. With twists and turns I didn’t see coming, it kept me fully immersed in the lives of the characters. Characters who are fascinating, real, raw, and wonderfully complex.
I adored Caroline. She’s an amazing woman, with a huge heart, solid backbone, and steely determination. Her resolve to make a new life was beautiful. She knew what she was doing when she broke her promise to never leave Sayer and though that choice was utterly heartbreaking, her conviction remained strong.
Sayer is intriguing and mysterious, and you can’t help but fall for this complicated man. He’s changed when he reenters Caroline’s life and I could feel his anger and hurt.
He’s broken but perfectly flawed. His heart. His soul. His vulnerabilities. His truths. *Sigh* I loved everything about him. His intensity lit me on fire and his honesty left me swooning.
Caroline and Sayer share a powerful connection and from the moment meet their lives are never the same. I loved watching two teens fall in love and then seeing them fight to overcome the pain and heartache while handling their hearts as adults. Even after years spent apart their chemistry is electric but anger and hostility coats it making the sexual tension even stronger and more tangible than before. There was nothing that could douse the flames between them.
Running from the past that haunts her, Caroline is living in a small town in Colorado and things seem to be going well. I knew it was only a matter of time before her new life is threatened and I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. When Sayer shows up five years after she left him, their reunion is intense, emotional, and messy. She isn't expecting to see him again and it is a tangle of surprise, confusion, anger, heartbreak, fear, and longing. They have such a heavy history and it left an ache in my chest.
This story is full of feels. All the emotion that was jam-packed in the past and present, I felt it. I lived it. I loved it. The heartache was devastating but worth it when you have a love like Caroline and Sayer’s, solid and all-consuming. Every touch. Every kiss. Everything between them made my heart skip a beat. By the end I was a gooey mess on the floor with tears streaking down my cheeks and a warmness in my heart.
The way the story unfolded was exciting and I love how the romance, mystery, and suspense was weaved together. There were wonderfully intense scenes that made me a nervous wreck. My heart was pounding, my body was shaking, and I just about chewed off all of my nails. I didn’t know what was to come and OMG that cliffy?!?! I can’t stand it! This story grabbed me and won’t let me go until I know what happens.
Overall, Constant is a fantastic, emotionally charged, second-chance romance and I loved it!! It’s just the beginning, though, and after finishing the first book in the Confidence Series, I am now fully invested in Caroline and Sayer's lives and I am desperately waiting for Consequence so I can get my grabby little hands on more. More Caroline and Sayer. More answers. More excitement. More feels. More everything. February can’t come soon enough!
*ARC generously provided by the author*
A true confidence game takes skill, finesse, hours of planning and plotting and finally, when your team has been assembled and the stars align and the wind blows just right, it takes perfect execution.
...
And in the end, the game must be played perfectly. Everything must go according to plan. Everything must fall into place and happen exactly right. The stakes are high. The risks are great.
Yet the consequences are not enough to turn us away.
We’ve heard the siren’s song and responded to her deathly lure. We’re not criminals. We’re artists.
Con artists.
At least I was once upon a time…
Caroline has been part of the Russian mob syndicate in DC since she could remember. Even at ten she is the best liar around and an integral part of the cons they ran. One night during a job a new player is pulled into the game. A boy who isn't from that life. A boy who makes an impact. It is his first taste of the game, one that will alter the course of his life taking Caroline with him.
“Let’s go, kid!” Jack shouted after Sayer. He stepped forward, out of the alley and into the confidence game that would irrevocably change his life. The confidence game that would change us both forever.
Though it’s the only life she knows, Caroline doesn’t love being part of the mob. When she falls for Sayer, things only get more complicated and her dreams of escaping get pushed aside. Then when things go terribly wrong, she knows she has to leave even if it means leaving broken hearts in her wake.
Different realities surfaced, forcing me to reprioritize…
I had been willing to gamble before. I had chanced everything often and won every single time. Until one day, the reward wasn’t worth the risk. Until I knew I had to leave the darkness behind, even if it meant giving up the game.
Wow, what a story! Talk about an angst-filled, emotionally intense, rollercoaster of a ride. It’s consuming and captivating from the first page to last. Written in Caroline’s POV, we jump back and forth from past to present and every word is engrossing. The flashbacks are enlightening and it’s thrilling to watch the story play out. With twists and turns I didn’t see coming, it kept me fully immersed in the lives of the characters. Characters who are fascinating, real, raw, and wonderfully complex.
I adored Caroline. She’s an amazing woman, with a huge heart, solid backbone, and steely determination. Her resolve to make a new life was beautiful. She knew what she was doing when she broke her promise to never leave Sayer and though that choice was utterly heartbreaking, her conviction remained strong.
Sayer is intriguing and mysterious, and you can’t help but fall for this complicated man. He’s changed when he reenters Caroline’s life and I could feel his anger and hurt.
His lips moved over mine in a way they never had before. This wasn’t the sweet, gentle familiar Sayer I’d fallen in love as a kid. This was a man that had spent five years in prison alone, abandoned, hardened. This was his shocking transformation on display.
He’s broken but perfectly flawed. His heart. His soul. His vulnerabilities. His truths. *Sigh* I loved everything about him. His intensity lit me on fire and his honesty left me swooning.
Caroline and Sayer share a powerful connection and from the moment meet their lives are never the same. I loved watching two teens fall in love and then seeing them fight to overcome the pain and heartache while handling their hearts as adults. Even after years spent apart their chemistry is electric but anger and hostility coats it making the sexual tension even stronger and more tangible than before. There was nothing that could douse the flames between them.
This fire between us had been building and building and building and we’d just been adding fuel without bothering to contain it or tame it. And now there was no stopping it. We’d built this pyre, and now we would have to burn at its mercy.
Running from the past that haunts her, Caroline is living in a small town in Colorado and things seem to be going well. I knew it was only a matter of time before her new life is threatened and I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. When Sayer shows up five years after she left him, their reunion is intense, emotional, and messy. She isn't expecting to see him again and it is a tangle of surprise, confusion, anger, heartbreak, fear, and longing. They have such a heavy history and it left an ache in my chest.
My heart tore in two. Divided in half by want and need, past and present, life and death.
This story is full of feels. All the emotion that was jam-packed in the past and present, I felt it. I lived it. I loved it. The heartache was devastating but worth it when you have a love like Caroline and Sayer’s, solid and all-consuming. Every touch. Every kiss. Everything between them made my heart skip a beat. By the end I was a gooey mess on the floor with tears streaking down my cheeks and a warmness in my heart.
“You think my feelings started when we kissed?” His eyebrows drew down over his eyes. “You think my feelings started a couple months ago? Come on, Six, I’ve been after you since the first day I met you.
Since you saved my life and gave me something to live for.”
The way the story unfolded was exciting and I love how the romance, mystery, and suspense was weaved together. There were wonderfully intense scenes that made me a nervous wreck. My heart was pounding, my body was shaking, and I just about chewed off all of my nails. I didn’t know what was to come and OMG that cliffy?!?! I can’t stand it! This story grabbed me and won’t let me go until I know what happens.
Overall, Constant is a fantastic, emotionally charged, second-chance romance and I loved it!! It’s just the beginning, though, and after finishing the first book in the Confidence Series, I am now fully invested in Caroline and Sayer's lives and I am desperately waiting for Consequence so I can get my grabby little hands on more. More Caroline and Sayer. More answers. More excitement. More feels. More everything. February can’t come soon enough!
*ARC generously provided by the author*
February 23, 2018
4.5 all consuming stars!! This book was all I thought about when I couldn’t read this book. Aggg such a great story.
This is book one in “The Confidence Game” duet. This book ends unfinished so be ready for the next one!! And I finished just in time for Book two, technically it is 4am where I live but with that ending there is no way in hell this girl is going to sleep before I get some more of this story!!
This is a mafia style book full of deception, secrets, past, love, and so many other keep you on your toes subjects.
Caroline was raised by a real piece of shit dad who had ties with the Russian mob and being the great Dad that he is he decides to train his daughter well. Now Caroline at the ripe old age of 10 is helping the mob. And by the age of 13 she is pulling jobs for grown men. She hates it all but what can you do?!?! You can’t walk away from the mob. And then one day there is this boy that seems to look lost and sad. He was there to help with a job but she knew his fate once the job was done, so she gave him a bit of advice. Little did Caroline know that advice would change this boys life forever. And that’s when Caroline and Sayers romance began....
🔥This story is amazing!! Ok let’s start with Caroline. She is awesome. She is such a strong woman and I love her for loving Sayer that much. But knowing what was more important in life. Damn her father was a massive piece of shit and this girl still worries for him. Now Sayer, omg he is all that and a bag of a chips. I love this damaged man. And then when some of his past was revealed I was like a goner. Head. Over. Heels. !! I can’t wait to know more about lover boy. Gus is still a mystery to me and I hope he gets a story in the next book or the author gives him something. Atticus that little punk that’s all I want to say about him. And my girl Frankie. Love this Bitch too. She is what every girl wants in a best friend. Of course I love Maggie and Jessie too but they aren’t the core of this story I don’t think.
I don’t know if anyone reading this review has ever watched a show called “Blind Spot” but there is a character on it, Roman, and damn if Sayer doesn’t remind me of him down to the glasses. So that’s who my head conjures up and it ain’t bad!!
This is my first book by the author and from the second I turned the final page I knew it would not be my last. And considering as soon as I am done with this I am going to open my ARC copy of book two we can say I am now going to stalk her like a mad woman for everything she writes! She managed to sink her hooks in you with this book but only slowly torture you. Bombs were dropped but slowly and had your mind racing trying to figure things out, only to realize you were wrong and now you have to reconsider everything. I love books like this!! My only criticism would be to maybe cut some stuff out. There were a few things mentioned a few times sort of as it was a second book to remind you and with as good as this book is you don’t need a reminder you will remember every word!! These characters were so complex and each have a story, small or big, you want to invest in them all. This is a great read I highly recommend it!!!
**I received this book as a review copy and in return gave my honest review**
This is book one in “The Confidence Game” duet. This book ends unfinished so be ready for the next one!! And I finished just in time for Book two, technically it is 4am where I live but with that ending there is no way in hell this girl is going to sleep before I get some more of this story!!
This is a mafia style book full of deception, secrets, past, love, and so many other keep you on your toes subjects.
Caroline was raised by a real piece of shit dad who had ties with the Russian mob and being the great Dad that he is he decides to train his daughter well. Now Caroline at the ripe old age of 10 is helping the mob. And by the age of 13 she is pulling jobs for grown men. She hates it all but what can you do?!?! You can’t walk away from the mob. And then one day there is this boy that seems to look lost and sad. He was there to help with a job but she knew his fate once the job was done, so she gave him a bit of advice. Little did Caroline know that advice would change this boys life forever. And that’s when Caroline and Sayers romance began....
🔥This story is amazing!! Ok let’s start with Caroline. She is awesome. She is such a strong woman and I love her for loving Sayer that much. But knowing what was more important in life. Damn her father was a massive piece of shit and this girl still worries for him. Now Sayer, omg he is all that and a bag of a chips. I love this damaged man. And then when some of his past was revealed I was like a goner. Head. Over. Heels. !! I can’t wait to know more about lover boy. Gus is still a mystery to me and I hope he gets a story in the next book or the author gives him something. Atticus that little punk that’s all I want to say about him. And my girl Frankie. Love this Bitch too. She is what every girl wants in a best friend. Of course I love Maggie and Jessie too but they aren’t the core of this story I don’t think.
I don’t know if anyone reading this review has ever watched a show called “Blind Spot” but there is a character on it, Roman, and damn if Sayer doesn’t remind me of him down to the glasses. So that’s who my head conjures up and it ain’t bad!!
This is my first book by the author and from the second I turned the final page I knew it would not be my last. And considering as soon as I am done with this I am going to open my ARC copy of book two we can say I am now going to stalk her like a mad woman for everything she writes! She managed to sink her hooks in you with this book but only slowly torture you. Bombs were dropped but slowly and had your mind racing trying to figure things out, only to realize you were wrong and now you have to reconsider everything. I love books like this!! My only criticism would be to maybe cut some stuff out. There were a few things mentioned a few times sort of as it was a second book to remind you and with as good as this book is you don’t need a reminder you will remember every word!! These characters were so complex and each have a story, small or big, you want to invest in them all. This is a great read I highly recommend it!!!
**I received this book as a review copy and in return gave my honest review**
November 16, 2017
Well, this book was certainly different from what I’ve read by Rachel Higginson in the past. The synopsis didn’t give too much away. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to be getting into with this story and these characters, but I was immediately intrigued. Constant is a fast-paced romantic suspense that pulled me into the story, kept me riveted to the pages, and has left me wanting more.
From early childhood, Caro’s life has been spent in places and around people that no child (or adult, for that matter) should ever be around. Because of her father, she was subjected to a dangerous criminal lifestyle. She learned “skills” that were helpful to the criminal underbelly of DC, making her a useful asset to the business. She never really got to choose her own way of life, she was just thrown into it and expected to show her unwavering loyalty and allegiance. After all, it wasn’t a business that you could just back away from quietly and gracefully.
The story is told from Caro’s perspective from the present day and the past. Getting glimpses into the past were an important part of this novel. It allowed me to understand Caro’s upbringing, her friendships, her ties to a major crime syndicate, and how she met and fell in love with Sayer Wesley.
I liked Caro right from the start. She was definitely a product of her environment, but what I really liked about her was that she wasn’t a weak character. Oh no, she was a tough, feisty young woman who chose her loyalties as wisely as she could. She was a convincing liar, a manipulator, a cunning thief, and a con (not that these are normally great personality traits or characteristics, but it suited her environment). She didn’t merely exist in that crime ridden world, she learned from it, used it to her advantage, and even taught a young boy how to survive in it.
In the present day, Caro was just trying to live a normal life – as normal as she could. She had a greater responsibility now. But how could she ever live with any peace of mind when she had to constantly look over her shoulder in fear of her past catching up with her and destroying everything? She broke promises, allegiances, kept secrets, and fled her dangerous life for the possibility of a quieter, safer existence. But secrets always have a way of coming out, and Caro is only too aware of the consequences of breaking free from one of the most powerful mafias.
Constant is a page-turner that will keep you anxiously flipping the pages. It is filled with heart-pounding moments and nail-biting situations that will keep your suspicions on high alert. It made me root for the main characters, and even made me believe in the power of love amid the most dangerous times.
From early childhood, Caro’s life has been spent in places and around people that no child (or adult, for that matter) should ever be around. Because of her father, she was subjected to a dangerous criminal lifestyle. She learned “skills” that were helpful to the criminal underbelly of DC, making her a useful asset to the business. She never really got to choose her own way of life, she was just thrown into it and expected to show her unwavering loyalty and allegiance. After all, it wasn’t a business that you could just back away from quietly and gracefully.
The story is told from Caro’s perspective from the present day and the past. Getting glimpses into the past were an important part of this novel. It allowed me to understand Caro’s upbringing, her friendships, her ties to a major crime syndicate, and how she met and fell in love with Sayer Wesley.
I liked Caro right from the start. She was definitely a product of her environment, but what I really liked about her was that she wasn’t a weak character. Oh no, she was a tough, feisty young woman who chose her loyalties as wisely as she could. She was a convincing liar, a manipulator, a cunning thief, and a con (not that these are normally great personality traits or characteristics, but it suited her environment). She didn’t merely exist in that crime ridden world, she learned from it, used it to her advantage, and even taught a young boy how to survive in it.
In the present day, Caro was just trying to live a normal life – as normal as she could. She had a greater responsibility now. But how could she ever live with any peace of mind when she had to constantly look over her shoulder in fear of her past catching up with her and destroying everything? She broke promises, allegiances, kept secrets, and fled her dangerous life for the possibility of a quieter, safer existence. But secrets always have a way of coming out, and Caro is only too aware of the consequences of breaking free from one of the most powerful mafias.
Constant is a page-turner that will keep you anxiously flipping the pages. It is filled with heart-pounding moments and nail-biting situations that will keep your suspicions on high alert. It made me root for the main characters, and even made me believe in the power of love amid the most dangerous times.
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