Broke and desperate, Kayla siphons thousands from her employer to pay for her daughter’s treatment, but when CEO Gage Channing discovers her theft, she learns her sadistic boss has no intention of turning her over to the police. Instead, he issues an ultimatum—submit to him in the bedroom, or go to jail.
Backed into a corner by a man with no shame, Kayla must find the strength to travel down the path of pain and pleasure. But when her past catches up to her, prompting a free fall into forbidden territory with a man she once loved, Kayla realizes nothing is black and white when everyone around her has secrets.
NOTE TO READERS: THE DEVIL'S KISS is a dark billionaire romance with a BDSM edge that does NOT conform to safe, sane, and consensual practices. Includes explicit content and subject matter that may offend some readers. Intended for mature audiences. Book 1 in the Devil's Kiss series.
Gemma James is a USA Today bestselling author of sexy contemporary and dark romance. She loves to explore the darker side of human nature in her fiction, and she’s morbidly curious about anything dark and edgy, from deviant seduction to fascinating villains. Readers have described her stories as being “not for the faint of heart.”
She warns you to heed their words! Her playground isn’t full of rainbows and kittens, though she loves both. She lives in Oregon with her husband and children, a gaggle of animals, and bipolar weather.
Like her on Facebook or sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss out on future releases!
This was listed as an Anna Zaires recommendation...and if you know me, you know I am obsessed with Anna Zaires...so I thought this thing was going to be amazing.
Sadly, such was not the case. I just thought it was a little bit all over the place with not enough ground work. I won't be continuing.
I can't blame the author, she warned. But, this was too much for me. Mayyyyyyybe if it weren't for the fact the heroine's child was going through cancer treatment and her ex-husband was abusive I maaaaaaaayyyyy have been able to deal with the story a bit more. It was just too much trauma and abuse piled on the heroine.
Then again, probably not. This was just too much for me. This guy was a sadist with no rules. He was SCARY.
I so rarely can find a dark romance or erotica that doesn't cross that invisible line-of-no-return in my head or, on the flip side, go with insta-luv and downright silly/unbelievable reactions from the MCs. Why can't these people read my mind?
Seriously, if you enjoy reading hardcore dubcon/noncon BDSM with serious overtones of abuse and psychological mindfuck, you may enjoy this. For me it was just too brutal, too scary, and the H was too out of control. YMMV
You know those books that make you cringe while reading them? That make you wonder what on earth are you really reading? That make you question why you're even continuing to read it? This was that kind of book. Even after marinating on it for a while, I still can't pinpoint what about it made me keep going. I just know that I had to. I was hooked. I needed to know what Gage was going to do next. I had to know what his motivation was. I couldn't put it down because I had to know what the heck he was going to subject Kayla to next.
The story was wonderfully written. I'll give it that. The author did an amazing job of drawing me a picture. I was held captive during each scene and my mind raced with the many ways that Kayla allowed herself to be a slave to Gage. Incredibly erotic with a BDSM twist, this story had a touch of the dark side and I would have appreciated getting Gage's POV. I'm continuing the series because I have to know what he's up to now.
Release Date: December 8, 2013 Genre: Erotica POV: Heroine - 1st person Steam: 5 out of 5 Series or Standalone: Book 1 of The Devil's Kiss series
I am not even sure where to begin with this review....
I'll give it a go.
This is not a dark erotic romance. This is a raw, intense, smack against the face dark erotica book.
Kayla is desperate. So, desperate that she has embezzled thousands of dollars from the company she works for in order to try and save her daughters life. Eve is 3 years old fighting for her life with cancer. It is very sad and breaks your heart.
Gage which is Kayla's boss, he has found out what Kayla has done. He does not want to sent her to jail with her daughter in the hospital. But, what he does want is for Kayla to his sex slave for 6 weeks. While being Gage's sex slave she must be with him on the weekends and do what he says 24/7. Also Gage will pay for the rest of Eve's treatment. Kayle is desperate to do anything to saves her daughters life. So, she agrees to being his sex slave and signs a contract for it.
Kayla is struggling with being a sex slave. With her own past that still haunts her. Her body is betraying her. Everything about this situation is fucked up. Not to mention Gage. OH MY FUCKING GOD! Gage is out of his mind. I mean seriousness when I say this. He takes everything to the next level and when I think things couldn't get any worse they do. I fucking HATE him. BUT I so, LOVE him down to his empty heart.
And this so far does not even top all the fucked up things that happened in this book. It's not the type of book where I had to put down and take a breathe. This book sucked me in and couldn't stop reading till I finished. Even when I did finish I wasn't satisfied with it, I wanted MORE .
This is a 3 book trilogy. They are all on this one book. Thank the Lord for that cause I would be stalking Gemma James with emails asking for the rest of them if it did not. This book is mind blowing and so good. This is a must read if you are looking for something that is dark and keep you there in your seat till it's finished.
I received a copy from the author for exchanged for an honest review.
I have such mixed feelings about this book! I really liked some parts but hated others.
What I liked:
1. The power exchange and Dom/sub relationship between Gage and Kayla 2. The dub-con smexy scenes. I thought the author did a really great job of setting out Kayla’s internal struggle with her feelings towards Gage and their relationship. 3. The twist at the end. I did NOT see that coming!
What I didn’t like: 1. This story spans 4 books. Each book is about 200 pages each, which I consider to be novel length, not novella length. So I don’t understand why there was no character or story building at the beginning. Would it have killed the author to have 50 pages of interactions between Gage and Kayla at the office before he propositioned her? He had his hand up her skirt within the first few pages of the book! There was absolutely ZERO relationship building. 2. The love triangle. I HATE love triangles. There was just too much OM drama. 3. Cheating. Gage was getting BJ’s from another woman, and then fooling around with Kayla pretty much right after, which I found to be disgusting!
Despite the things I didn’t like about this, the ending and the twist were good enough that I want to continue to the next book.
I met his gaze--maniacal eyes possessing me--and shuddered. My heart feared him, but the gate of my sexual need was manned by him, owned by him. And he knew it.
"You're my Master."
His ultimatum
Kayla Sutton faces a question no mother wants to face: what would you do to save your daughter? Broke and desperate, she siphons thousands from the company she works for to pay for her daughter's life-saving treatment, but when Gage Channing discovers her theft, she is shocked to learn that her domineering boss has no intention of turning her over to the police. Instead he issues an ultimatum--submit to him, or go to jail.
Enslaved by the devil
As her daughter's life hangs in the balance, Kayla must dig deep to find the strength to fully submit, to travel down the path of pain and pleasure. But when her past catches up to her, prompting a free fall into forbidden territory with a man she once fiercely loved, she knows her only recourse is to come clean about her transgression and beg her Master's forgiveness . . . only she never imagined he'd have such a horrifying punishment awaiting her.
Retribution isn't so black and white
She faced sexual servitude in Ultimatum. In Enslaved she was seduced into craving it. Now she must find the strength to either accept the part of her that craves him still, or walk away for good . . .
You know those books that make you cringe while reading them? That make you wonder what on earth are you really reading? That make you question why you're even continuing to read it? This was that kind of book. Even after marinating on it for a while, I still can't pinpoint what about it made me keep going. I just know that I had to. I was hooked. I needed to know what Gage was going to do next. I had to know what his motivation was. I couldn't put it down because I had to know what the heck he was going to subject Kayla to next.
The story was wonderfully written. I'll give it that. The author did an amazing job of drawing me a picture. I was held captive during each scene and my mind raced with the many ways that Kayla allowed herself to be a slave to Gage. Incredibly erotic with a BDSM twist, this story had a touch of the dark side and I would have appreciated getting Gage's POV. I'm continuing the series because I have to know what he's up to now.
Release Date: December 8, 2013 Genre: Erotica POV: Heroine - 1st person Steam: 5 out of 5 Series or Standalone: Book 1 of The Devil's Kiss series
I love when a twist smacks me upside the head. I give 5 stars just for the surprises. I would've preferred the full story all in one book (this is 3 parts in one and it still doesn't include the ending). I also wanted more character development from the male characters, specifically Gage Channing.
Otherwise, the writing is polished, the plot moves, and the characters are craycho. I read it in one day and recommend it to those who love hypocritical, irrationally possessive, emotionally-retarded, bad-tempered Doms.
I can't believe I made it as far as I did. I don't know if I'm going to even bother with a full review of this 'trilogy' but the characters are ridiculous and I hated every single one of them. Not a single redeeming thing about Gage and JUST UGH. NO.
There is a way to write BDSM in a way that makes it sexy and interesting and intriguing and this is definitely not it. Let's not even talk about the way the bdsm / slave aspect is portrayed.
Purch Amazon April 25, 2016 The Devil's Kiss by Gemma James Genres: Adult, Dark Erotica, Romance, Suspense 4.75 Stars
The Devil's Kiss by Gemma James is a DARK Erotic Romance Suspense. Yes, I meant to make the word dark in all caps and bold.
I was completely spellbound. The suspense kept me on my toes. The writing flows smoothly, pulling you into Gage and Kayla's world. It gripped me hard and refused to let me go.
The elements in this story are ominous and sinister, wicked and conflicting, twisted and often frightening. There is also courage, grit and daring.
I could not get enough. I could not stop reading. My heart pounded and my mind was in turmoil. I loved every shade, tone and nuance.
What would you do to save the life of your child? What happens to us when we look closely into ourselves and find our dark places?
Are you brave enough to read this and be TRULY honest with yourself?
Wow. That was crazier than I was expecting. In a good way!
Kayla is a desperate woman in desperate need for treatment for her small daughter diagnosed with Leukemia. In an act of reckless abandon, she embezzles money from her employer. Gage Channing has caught on to Kayla's stealing. But instead of jail time, he proposes an entirely different sentence: sex slave.
But what neither of them banked on was the intensity of feeling that develops between them.
This was surprisingly addictive. It was dark, sensual and very intense. I really liked the dynamic between Kayla and Gage, even though it was completely screwed up. And Gage. He was one sick SOB. I can't figure him out. I sense there's a lot brewing below the surface and his reaction to Kayla was hopeful.
Then there's Ian, an ex-love from Kayla's past who comes back. She grapples with him and her arrangement with Gage. Things are not what they seem and there were some interesting surprises that left me gaping! I loved reading this as a novel and not in novellas. Excellent book. Now I'm looking forward to Devil's Salvation!
*** Arc kindly provided by the author for an honest review ***
Not quite sure what i think of this story, so a quick summary Gage catches on to Kayla who has been embezzling money out of the company to pay for her sick child's cancer treatment and decides to blackmail her to become his slave for a set period of time and in return he will not turn her over to the police and also will continue to bankroll her daughter's treatment (where's the actual compassion) this is where it gets confusing throw in a bunch of other people an ex boyfriend, an abusive ex Husband, the witchy secretary from work and an ex friend and my head was spinning, there was also some issues here I just could not come to terms with within myself and I don't care how sorry he was and "I just want you to trust me" yeah mate don't really think so, my advice Kayla is to stay as far away from this psycho as you can.
Team Gage!! 5 stars because this kept me thoroughly entertained from the beginning. It reminded me of Trent Evans' At His Will. Red-haired woman embezzles from her employer who uses this information to blackmail her into a BDSM arrangement. I got this in 2022 but put a pause on it because the writing failed to capture me initially. I'm really glad I stumbled upon this book again aand was able to enjoy all the wtf twists. It could have been too much with her ex, her one-that-got-away, and her boss all in the mix but I liked it. I had also tempered my expectations. I had heard folks say this was not a dark romance. I was worried the hero would do a complete about-face, but I thought the hero was still unreasonably possessive boor. He just said a few times he felt bad about the Ian/Katherine dungeon scene which omg. Damn.
I don't usually drop a book off the bat, but something from the first page didn't work for me. I'm used to fast love and quick reads, but this was like super fast...and the story, kinda felt the same as something I just recently read. Everything happened so quickly, in the 6% we saw his plan, his demand and her choice... I may pick it back up later on, but I'm putting it aside for now.
I hate Kayla with a passion, she is the perfect definition of tstl. This book took me forever to finish because i truly disliked the heroine, she was weak, dumb and very stupid with the decisions she made. I am going to continue the series and hope for a huge improvement.
I hate dark romances like this one. The male lead starts out so ruthless and conniving. He's low on empathy and he's a bit sadistic. He has absolutely no morals when it comes to how he treats the heroine. Then, out of nowhere, the author decides to give him a conscience.
Suddenly, he's all "girl, I wanna treat you right" and "hey lady, I totally want to respect your personal boundaries" even though there is no reason for him to have had such a drastic personality change in such a short amount of time.
The male lead in this novel went from blackmailing the heroine into having sex with him, and keeping her compliant by promising to pay her sick daughter's medical bills (I know, what a charmer) to taking her on expensive vacations, worrying about her consent and promising to never hurt her or her daughter. In like, twenty pages.
That's not how character development works oh my gosh. Either keep the character you've created morally bankrupt, or really put some work into developing a redemptive character arc. I see so many dark romance authors do this. They create a bad guy as the romantic interest and then they give him a personality transplant halfway through the story. It's just not believable to me.
This story started out so dark and so interesting, but it soon became very disappointing to me. I may however, continue on to the next book. I must admit, I'm a little bit intrigued about what's going to happen next.
Who ever said: "Speak of the devil and he shall appear" was a liar because I said it, now where the hell is he?
THE DEVIL’S KISS will light you on fire! I’m still not sure if it is from the searing pain his sadistic side relishes in dishing out or the scorching hot sex he was so obviously born to engage in.
Gage Channing is the Devil, but don’t forget that the Devil was once an angel. I’m not convinced that this devil doesn’t have some goodness beneath all that darkness. At least that is what I keep telling myself since I was really crushing on the jerk in a totally fucked up kind of way, because short and simple, the dude is a complete lunatic. He is charming and cruel, sexy and sadistic and totally hell-bent on owning Kayla.
Kayla Sutton is being forced to deal with any parent’s worst nightmare; a sick child. I am not talking about a 24-hour stomach bug here, I am talking serious business, her life is on the line kind of illness. How far would you go to save the life of your child? Would you lie, cheat and steal? That’s kind of what Kayla does and once her debauchery is discovered, she finds herself between a rock and a hard place (that might be a smidge of an understatement). Kayla’s life is forever changed when she forces every defiant bone in her body to submit to the Devil in order to save her daughter’s life and to save herself from prosecution.
THE DEVIL’S KISS trilogy was presented to me in one delicious package, but it originated as three separate novellas – ULTIMATUM, ENSLAVED and RETRIBUTION. I might have had to hunt down and kill author Gemma James if had been forced to read this trilogy separately – no way! I HAD to know what was going to happen next. In ULTIMATUM, she was caught and forced to choose between jail time or sex slave (did I mention that Gage was panty-droppin’ hot? So, not much of a hardship there… or so I thought…). In ENSLAVED Kayla found out exactly what it meant to be Gage’s slave and let me tell you, it wasn’t always pretty! Then, the trilogy wraps up with RETRIBUTION and that, my friends, is when the shit hit the fan and all kinds of craziness comes out! Yeah, I was kind of blindsided by some most of the stuff that was uncovered!
THE DEVIL’S KISS trilogy is pretty much rockin’ – yep, I’m a fan. It’s dark, but nothing too extreme. It’s hot and I do mean smokin’! So, needless to say, I will be keeping an eye on author Gemma James’ future releases. If you are a fan of BDSM elements and dark erotica with some mystery and a few curve balls mixed in, then this is the perfect choice for your next read!
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
“I want your submission...absolute ownership of you and your body. That’s what I want.”
Confession: I am HOPELESSLY HOOKED on Gage Channing...the devilishly cruel yet insanely hot "hero" of THE DEVIL'S KISS!!
This book is so deliciously dark and twisted and I floooove it!! Gage is...oh my! No words! I have not met a master that's so powerfully commanding, so wickedly sinister and shockingly depraved, and SCARY possessive, since Price from the Rough Love trilogy!!! And the sex/domination scenes are so BLAZING HOT they left me throbbing for more!!!
Gage's master/slave relationship with his beautiful yet desperate employee Kayla Sutton, who got caught red-handed embezzling 10 grand to pay for an experimental treatment to save her precious cancer-ridden daughter's life, starts off as punitive blackmail but transforms into something much more intense and vile and ALL CONSUMING!
This is as dysfunctional of a relationship as you can get...a sadist who doles out panty-melting pleasure and intense pain in equal measure, and as the book unfolds the levels of smoldering lust, co-dependence and depravity reaches soul-shattering heights!
Kayla loathes her boss/tormentor with every fiber of her being but she also craves his iron dominance as much as her next breath. And when their contract becomes null and void, walking away becomes easier said than done. They are in each other's blood and they are an addiction neither wants to ever be cured of!
Holy moly... the INSANELY TALENTED Gemma James was not kidding when she issued the disclaimer that this book was not for the faint of heart and that "her playground isn’t full of rainbows and kittens." She takes these characters to VERY dark, demented places. Yet even in those scenes where I cringed in revulsion and was so appalled at the wrath Gage unleashed on poor Kayla, I was also so scintillated and transfixed I couldn't stop reading!
Truth is, I was powerless to resist the electrifying passion, gutwrenching emotion, and fiery sparks that flared between this tempestuous duo. These characters lived inside my head..and my heart..and I couldn't get enough of them!! This was a very fast-paced read with lots of juicy drama, treachery and backstabbing galore.....and the author dropped some mind-blowing bombshells along the way that left me shrieking: "WTF just happened?!"
And, of course, after that STUNNING ending, I am breathless with quivery excitement to dive into THE DEVIL'S CLAIM! Squeeee! I can just imagine the delicious brand of torturous pleasure Gage is gonna wield on his beloved Kayla in that book!
Well, I think you have made an obsessive fangirl out of me, Gemma James! And I could not be more thrilled!!!!
Kayla has been caught by her boss Gage of stealing money from his company. Gage gives Kayla the option of becoming his slave in the bedroom or going to jail. Kayla does not want to go to prison because her 3 year old daughter is very ill in hospital. Follow Kayla in this dark romance as she puts trust in her boss with his out of court agreement.
I found The Devil’s Kiss to be a FUN read. It is an ADULT erotic story that has a fair amount of sex which involves a lot of BDSM. This tale is unrealistic but enjoy this book for what it is, a story of a fantasy world within a master and slave relationship.
The characters of Gage and Kayla were well developed and the rawness of their relationship is fully explored. Other characters are brought into this story to play their part, co-workers, an old boyfriend and an ex-husband.
I liked how this whole story was told in the first person, from Kayla’s point on view and with a linear time frame. There is a plot which gives this book a useful framework to work around. I liked how social issues were explored including the old adage of victims of domestic abuse whose new partners very often abused them. Sadly some women seem to repeatedly attract abusive men, going from one bad boy to another.
The Devil’s Kiss is a work of fiction and although the situations are very unlikely, I suggest the reader simply goes along with it and enjoys it as ADULT entertainment for a mature audience. Because this story is unbelievable, it is very easy to find it funny in many, many places. For example…
“We have a Christmas party to get to.” Gage helped me to my feet, and I gasped when he spun me around and pushed me to the bed. “Bend over.” I hadn’t noticed the cocktail dress he’d set out on the mattress...or the butt plug and nipples clamps. I cringed to think of the pain those things would inflict.
His eyes lingered on my nipples, and the edges of his mouth turned up. “Stand up straight and clasp your hands behind your back. You’ll learn to present your breasts properly.”
...The Devil’s Kiss is NOT a wonderful book but it is full of surprise that will raise your eyebrows and maybe a laugh with the role play between Kayla and Gage. It was a welcome change and distraction from my usual crime/mystery/thriller genre and I consider The Devil’s Kiss to be an OKAY 3 star read.
I asked for this exact book. I wanted a dirty, erotic, evil hero, tortures heroine and blackmails her type of book because this is what I love :) I’m a sucker for those kinky hero blackmails heroine tropes. It usually has it all, sexy scenes, shocking twists and turns and then we readers are usually rewarded with a beautiful redemption scene in which he proclaims her love.
This book has (some) of that, most of that. I LOVE this book. It has some of the most insane scenes I’ve read. Humiliation to the core. He treats her bad, really bad. The hero, Gage is Kayla the heroines boss. He catches her stealing from his corporation and blackmails her into being his sex toy.
That’s the original premise which we stay with for quite a while. That’s the best part of the story and plot because that’s what we are all here for. So we get the blackmail, the shock, the “no, he can’t! Nooo” and we are just with Kayla throughout the way while Gage ruins her life essentially while dominating her sexually.
The sex scenes are definitely BDSM. More sadism masochism. Unlike some of the reviews, I don’t feel the spanking and whipping and all that is SO shocking to me. This is because it’s 2020 and I’ve read probably 100 books by now with a hero sexually beating and torturing a heroine. That probably would have sounded crazy to me before reading this many books however, if you read romance novels, these types of books are par for the course.
So, I LOVE a good hero treats the heroine like crap but takes her of her plot. This book is that plot and reminds me A LOT of the book called “At His Will” by Trent Evans.
At his will is probably my favorite romance book at the moment because gave me so many feels it’s been a year and I still think about that book. This one, not so much.
I recommend this book to those who love this trope as much as I do. I just want to warn those who like me, wanted something more at the end than what they got. I’m not giving away any spoilers other than the fact that it’s kind of disappointing :(
The thing that bothers me the most is that it’s a series. I don’t particular like dragged out story lines. The crux of the 4 books is a dragged out story line.
There’s also a love triangle in a way but not really. What I like about the book and that part of it is, yes while there are 2 secondary characters, they don’t ruin the book. I HATE when secondary characters are in a romance novel. I never want to hear from anyone usually other than the hero and the heroine other than important friend and other character scenes that mold a story. This book has that.
If it were 1 or 2 books with a beautiful ending it would be a great book to me. Since it seems that won’t be the case, it’s good. I’d say go ahead and read but don’t get your hopes up.
Overall, it was a very satisfying read! I liked the story and enjoyed all the unexpected twists! However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters.
Gage. There's something about Gage that I couldn't resist even though he is not your typical book boyfriend. I'm not giving up on him, his heart is in there somewhere and I intend to find it!
Kayla. My tolerance level for her is running very low. She is her worst enemy! She has and needs to own it!!!!!
Couldn't totally blame Gage.
Ian I wanted to like him! He's such a nice guy and a DOCTOR!!!! But sometimes, a girl wants a challenge! ; ) And
IMO, Kayla does not deserve either of them!!
Looking forward to reading The Devil's Salvation: Final Epilogue.
I really really wanted to love this, really I did but it just never sucked me in as I had hoped it would. The concept was good and had great potential but I just kept feeling like I was watching a cheesy soap opera. As I said this had great potential however, I felt the author was trying for shock value a bit too much and instead of shock it just started to have a corny feel to it and got a bit rushed for me. The author certainly has the talent but the story just didn't work for me.
This isn't my first time reading Jenna James, but I have to note just how different the books are I've read. I loved the uniqueness of the story line and characters. I loved the brother twist. I loved that a nast disease was cured for a little girl, but I didn't like the cliff at the end. But it did do its job because I want to read on in hopes of a hea.
Well that was certainly different. I can't figure out how to rate it. I've read darker. I've read angstier. I've read smuttier. But dammit this was a page turner.
I can't decide how to rate it. 5 stars? 2 Stars?
I'll settle for 3. I hope you know what you're in for if you pick this one up.
DNF at 30%. It's been a while since I've dnfed a book but this reads too wrong for me. It blurs BDSM and I just cannot finish it. The characters don't help either. The writing is good but not enough to keep me going.
Story: GOOD Intimacy Level: GOOD Enjoyment: GOOD Length: 213 pages Style: Erotica BDSM Series: The Devils's Kiss Trilogy
**Combined Reviews
BOOK#1 WOW....ok...intense and dark and a little surprising; I'll even throw in the phrase a little disturbing. I can honestly say, I thought this would be your typical watered down blackmail concept with a few sex scenes, as I was caught off guard on how dark and intense it got for a novella. I do love my blackmail concept story-lines like fine wine, and this was your typical story line. Kayla took money from the company she works for with every intention of putting it back. The money was used for her daughter's health care and hospital stay. Once she is found out by Gage, CEO and owner, he finally sets into motion events blackmailing Kayla into a master/slave relationship, which includes a choice of blackmail or jail. Ok, sounds a little innocent right, wait until you get to the weekend at Gage's home. It went there.
The moment the story starts, the scene opens up with both parties in Gage's office and he starts to confront Kayla about the money. I'll start with Gage with my thoughts. After finish reading, I'm still not sure of what to think about Gage.He seems to be at a thin line between hero and nemesis. The things he did to Kayla once their weekend blackmail affair began had me a bit worried for Kayla at some point. He still came off Alpha, demanding, jealous and controlling but the author didn't allow you to feel comfortable with his personality not knowing his intentions towards Kayla other than a master/slave blackmailed affair. I don't find any fault with that, it just kept me on my toes personally, because there was no history given about him, so I had no idea where he was coming from and what made him tick. Basically, he seems like a s.o.b most of the times. However, Kayla , I thought she would be the, ok I'll do what you want and not speak up type in this blackmail concept, but she proved a little difficult to deal with which lead to harsh punishments from Gage. With her daughter being in the hospital, survival mode kicked in and this blackmail has her doing things she has conflicts doing because of her past and what she went through with her ex husband.
The story spans from the moment in Gage's office, to Kayla signing the master/slave contract and the first weekend spent at Gage's home. In the mix, the author also introduces, Ian, who is apart of Kayla's past.I won't say much on that, but lets just say, that the way how book 1 ended and the things Gage told Kayla to do in a journal before she left his house, things looks as though it will get interesting. Normally, when you read a romance/erotica, nine times out of ten, you know the main characters will end up together. The way the story is going I really don't know who or what will happen towards the end as this is a three part series.
To the readers, a heads up, dark erotica that contains an intense spanking scene. This isn't light BDSM either and may or may not be graphic for some.
BOOK#2 In Ultimatum, Gage was a question mark for me and in Enslaved, still a question mark, but with more insight. When you think he is beginning to let his guard down and dare I say seemed a bit softer, here comes the wall, his exterior and interior that are hard to understand, plus new information that is a game changer for the plot. Kayla, still enjoyed her character not so much her situation, but that's what makes this plot interesting to me. She is conflicted on how she feels towards Gage and the acts in which she performs for him. Nothing has changed for her as her daughter's health is the driving force of her actions. Ian, I am conflicted with his character. In Ultimatum, I was a bit excited because though his introduction to us was brief, I had an idea what the author was doing introducing us to him. However, I.......don't know how I feel towards him right now, it's like he's here but not really here. I am at a point where I like the relationship building between Gage and Kayla (complicated but good to read) and compared to Gage, Ian seems soft to me and out of place, although he is more involved towards the end. I am all for past love reuniting but not this time. I have grown attached to Gage, and in a warped kind of way, what turns me on to him is the appeal of still not knowing if he is good or bad or the intentions he has towards Kayla knowing what I know now as the plot becomes crowded with more bodies and lies.
I enjoyed the story, but for me, the beginning was ok nothing new. But as the story progressed it definitely wets your appetite on what's going on sexually and watching the plot unfolds. The story picks up from Ultimatum, after Gage and Kayla's weekend encounter. After finishing Enslaved, my conclusion, this blackmail got a whole..... lot more complicated and I would definitely be reading Retribution book#3 for the conclusion of this story.
BOOK#3 I truly enjoyed this series and the chemistry between Gage and Kayla that the author gave us. Gage and Kayla's chemistry and attraction was one that left you disliking the situation but loved what transpire. Although this was a novella, I liked the mystery and suspense the author kept her readers in with the storyline and doubt of not knowing if the main characters affections are real or misguided. The twist that took place with Ian a little surprising. However, I wasn't excited about it but it blend in well with the story. As for the ending, I was not a fan, why, because it didn't feel complete. Although its a trilogy, it felt as though the ending left room for maybe a fourth book.
Again, likable for book #3, but love all three series. Thanks to the author for an interesting ride with this series.
Books Ultimatum book #1 Enslaved book#2 Retribution book#3
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Devil's Kiss is the first book In Gemma James Devil's Kiss Series. This is a dark romance with a BDSM edge. Heed the authors warnings if these book disturb you.
What would you do to save the life of your three year old daughter? You'd do anything it took including embezzling thousands of dollars from your boss. That's exactly the position Kayla Sutton finds herself in. Desperate and willing to do whatever it takes. Now her boss Gage Channing has discovered what she's done. Kayla is shocked when he offers her two options. Be his slave for six weeks or go to jail. Gage wants her total and absolute submission and he's got the contract to go along with the agreement. It's a no brainier for Kayla since she'd do anything for her baby girl. Only now her past is coming back to haunt her and she finds herself falling into forbidden territory with a man she once loved. However things are not alway black and white especially when everyone around Kayla is keeping secrets.
Oh my goodness what a way to start a series. I absolutely love the character of Kayla. I think as moms a lot of us can understand why she's done what she had to to save her daughter. I know I'd do anything if the shoe was on my foot. She's one tough cookie and has lived through hell. She's got a mouth on her too and I liked that a lot. Especially since Gage is a dominant and they hate sassy mouths most of the time. Gage is a man who knows what he wants and he wants Kayla He has for a while and now he has the ammunition to force her into the things he wanted to do with her. This begin the journey of these two characters. A story I could not put down. It's not your average man sees woman and has dark desires read, there is so much more to this story. More characters and quite a bit going on.
I'm a huge dark romance loving kind of reader so this series is right up my alley. I couldn't put this book down. Had sleep not won the battle I know I'd have kept reading till the very end in one go. This is a series and the first book so keep that in mind. I'm just glad the next book is sitting on my kindle waiting for me. I am hooked and can't wait to see what happens next.