Adrienne and David meet in a library and the rest is history. Leaving their past lives behind, they race off to get married and make a promise of undying love. Waiting in the wings, however, are dark and deadly secrets threatening to tear them apart.
Their passion has never been up for question – but is there a limit to what love can overcome? Moreover, what does the future hold for Adrienne after she has her heart crushed, her spirit broken and her resolve disintegrated?
Are all great love stories destined to end badly . . . ?
**Suitable for readers 18+ only. Tainted Lovers is a complete standalone novel.**
Some readers run at Sarah with hugs and kisses, while others shoot daggers at her for killing their favourite character off. Sarah can only apologise and say, "The story made me do it..."
Sarah Michelle Lynch is a former journalist who wrote a trilogy of science fiction novels while on maternity leave. In 2012 she took a deep breath and published the "Ravage Trilogy" which was later re-edited and became the UNITY novels. Sarah is lucky that some readers have been with her since the very beginning and have read all the different books she’s written.
It quickly became clear from reader response that Sarah has a flair for penning erotic scenes and so, Sarah took inspiration from real-life people around her and wrote "A Fine Profession", a compelling and compassionate read. At book signings readers often confess in a whisper that they’ve read this book – Sarah’s first erotic novel – and sometimes, readers have even admitted it’s their personal favourite.
Sarah loves nothing more than to put her feet up with a book and be consumed by a story, so in turn, she endeavours to give you all this and more.
This is a very emotional read (that's if you're in touch with your emotions) because it speaks to the heart and soul of you. It reminds you that we are all flawed, we (may) have beginnings that are not always the best, and those things do tend to thwart any meaningful progress if we allow it.
It also teaches you that life has an unusual way of causing you to see what might not be so obvious, and how important it is to understand that your way of thinking may not be common to everyone else around you. This...made me think about a lot, and most certainly feel a lot that I didn't realize was even there. It shows you that trying to love a person in an unhealthy manner can and more than likely, will lead to a lot of pitfalls that can ultimately destroy something beautiful; so if you love someone, don't ever assume things, communicate, and at that, the truth of where you're at. It makes things so much easier to work through, and potentially save a relationship that just needed a little TLC.
Besides my personal thoughts, this was well written; it often felt like a real-life scenario because it got really messy (good Lord) and life can be a lot of that. I also felt David's love for Adrienne was genuine (despite his feeling worthless) but, he was very misguided and had such a difficult/dysfunctional start that helped to fuse those elements into his reality. Just focusing on his story alone, makes me want to advocate for proper courting before marriage because so many couples don't have a clue who their spouses really are, and much less, who they are themselves.
The twists and turns were reminiscent of a six flags rollercoaster ride on damn steroids right after guzzling down a huge Icee, and when it finally stopped, surprisingly, you don't vomit when it ends. (lol, sorry, that's just me being me.)
Anyway, this was honestly a great "worth the time and energy" read.
A LOT of love -with a side order of sexy bedroom steaminess, a good family dynamic, the random element of surprise, coupled with a well-developed to the human aspect theme, makes this worth 4 out 5 "read me again" stars.⭐️
And thanks to my "invisible" friend for the suggestion.
Tainted Lovers is a dark, emotional and very engaging love story of David and Adrienne. This is not your average love story, I'm telling you now!
Both hero and heroine went through so much in life and both have dark secrets they keep. The story has it's own twists and turns that will keep its readers engrossed.
This book took my emotions to a huge test. I was taken to a plot I never saw myself reading. I kept wondering how it'll end well for the characters if it's too twisted.
I'm not a big fan of emotional and dark reads, but Sarah Michelle Lynch was able to keep me interested. There were some parts of it that went a little slow for me, but my patience and curiosity was eventually rewarded.
Sarah Michelle Lynch took me out of my comfort zone and I loved it! I don't wanna say much without spoiling this book for you, but if you are a fan of dark and twisted reads that will take your emotions into a roller coaster ride, Tainted Lovers is for you!
I would actually give this novel a 3.5! It has VERY mature content!!! I really enjoyed this novel, warts and all. The first half of the novel, is all about love and how it can grow apart, and come back together, true love, all consuming love. The second half totally and completely blew my mind. It was fantastic. If you enjoy explicit romance novels, definitely pick up this book, it's definitely worth a read :)
How dangerous can loving someone be when you don't even love yourself. Sarah Michelle Lynch has totally swept me away this raw, heart wrenching, disturbingly beautiful & truly emotional rollercoaster of a read.
Ade & David meet across a library. Their love comes hard & fast, deep & raw. It is true love at it's most primal, all consuming, the kind that can destroy everything it touches, leaving a trail of anger, hurt & hatred in it's wake. .
Both of them have lived through such tragic pasts, the kind where monsters are born & survival comes at a cost. Fear is now the one dominant emotion that threatens all they hold dear. It is what consumes them both equally yet differently. It is the fear to trust, to believe in a future that can be good & wholesome. To believe that broken souls can heal, with love, support & understanding.
Can love conqueror all?? Sarah manages to pull you into the darkness of these two troubled souls. You feel the emotions pouring off the pages & with so many twists & turns, you honestly don't know how the story will end. All you do know is that you hope beyond hope, that love will find it's way to win the battle over fear. That trust & forgiveness will win the battle over betrayal & anger.
This is my first ever Sarah Michelle Lynch book & it wont be my last.A fabulous 5 star read.
Wow let me start by saying this was phenomenal and the poetry outstanding! I really got into the emotional and instability of David's and Adrienne's relationship. Although they were truly in love, they were so clueless of how dangerous that naivety and immaturity of the world diminished such a pure attraction and connection. At first reading I thought that there was something supernatural about Adrienne and why David was so transfixed by her. It didn't seem real for his affection to be natural at first,but creepy. But I'd never think in a million reads that the plot would be so thick I could've been sunk like quicksand! Wow there was so much drama, but there was no real suspense leading to anything substantial, then boom! The real reason why this story is awesome reveals itself in the most shocking way!
I’m completely new to Sarah Michelle Lynch. I am certainly intrigued to read more of her books. Tainted Lovers is a wild ride and while at times I struggled liking either of the main characters, in the end it was a good read. It took me a couple repeat tries to get past 10% as I just couldn't feel the connection between David and Adrienne and the writing style is a bit choppy at times. Between 10 and 25 % I still wasn’t sure I got them, but eventually they started to hold my interest and the drama kicks up many, many notches.
Tainted might be too subtle of a word to describe who and what David and Adrienne are. Once things really got going, it was clear these two are tortured individuals who had the bad fortune of meetings and falling for each other. Individually they face demons and they do further disservice to themselves and each other by not sharing their pasts, causing a very definitive canyon in their relationship and only increases the distrust they have.
The story is intensely angsty and kept me up way past my bedtime. Once the pace picked up, there are twist and turns that make the read emotional and chaotic. At times, the main cause of the split between them, is revisited and nearly repetitive. But this happens over a decent sized time period and I get with the wrong done why it would keep coming back up. It’s a major betrayal and would weigh on an individual and especially on a couple. David is a idiot (and then some) but his apologies feel genuine. I’ll give him credit for that. Although I started to warm to him as father and I got that he truly loves Adrienne, he damaged her, he damaged them and I could feel Adrienne’s self doubt and pain.
As for Adrienne, at times she is a head case and a most frustrating character. I felt bad for her but then her thoughts would swing another way. At times She is wildly contradictory from one minute to the next and she wallows in her misery and creates her own chaos. My emotions were ruled by her actions and what she withholds from David does as much damage to their ever tested relationship. It’s dire and really these two really don’t stand a chance...but then their are new twists, ones that left my head reeling.
Because of the mystery twist ( it's a doozy), I ended up enjoying the story more that I initially thought I might. At times I had a hard time liking either of the main characters, but I couldn’t stop reading. I really enjoyed the ending and especially the epilogue as we have Davids words reflecting on just how crazy their relationship had been.
4 Stars & recommendation for an angsty and unsettling read.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I was given this book in turn for an honest review
Is it possible for two people to survive an all-consuming, powerful love when their souls are dark and their pasts torment their every turn? Are they bound for life or bound for destruction?
Sarah Michelle Lynch has totally and completely blown be away with Tainted Lovers. This story consumed me mind, body and soul; taking me on an emotional rollercoaster I won't ever forget.
She builds your heart full of love and hope, then slowly fills it with sorrow and sadness and as if that isn't enough, out of the blue she rips your heart out and stamps on it, completely destroying it, leaving you broken and in my case floods of tears. I was more than ready to throw my kindle and demand that this can't possibly be true!
The two main characters I fell completely in love with and routed for them from start to finish. I felt they both made mistakes and both deserved forgiveness. They both had failed to fully open up and let the other person in, allowing their pasts to dictate who they are and how their relationships should be. Both deserved happiness having lived a dark and torturous time previous to meeting each other. It was clear they held the key to mending each other’s dark, broken souls.
There were two characters I really did not like in this story and one I had suspicions of from the first moment I met them. With this said I never for one moment expected to learn what I did about them and safe to say it only added to my despise of them.
Michelle subtly and expertly created twists and turns with this story. None were clear, obvious or predictable; many left me in shock or surprise. One plot twist left me in complete shock and in a bubble of excitement. I didn't see it coming and I was still unsure if to believe it was really happening. It was at this point that I knew without any doubt this book will be one of my top reads of 2016!
Tainted Lovers is an all-consuming twisted, suspense filled, and dark romance. The darkness to this story isn't clear at first and hits you like a freight train.
It's hard to fully sum up my feelings on this outstanding story without giving so much of the storyline away, all I can say is if you like your romances to have that uniqueness about them, with a little added mystery I highly recommend Tainted Lovers by Sarah Michelle Lynch
This was my first read of a book by Sarah Michelle Lynch and it definitely won't be my last. I went in pretty blind to this story, with no idea what to expect. I half thought it was going to be a love story, which was partly right, but there was a definite thriller element, too, especially towards the end.
Ade and David's story is beautifully written and gut wrenchingly real at times. They are both scarred by pasts that they can't quite seem to move beyond. They find solace in one another's bodies and love each other more deeply than I think I've ever read before. The question you're left with throughout the book is whether or not that passionate love they have for one another will be enough to see them through. The book was extremely dark in places and explored the best and worst in human nature.
At times I was confused by who to root for, and the twists and turns in the story caught me off guard time and time again, which is the one of the marks of an excellent storyteller.
For me, the most memorable parts of the book were the way that the author describes the deep, painful emotions that we all feel from time to time. She took her characters to the lowest places it's possible to go and took the reader down with them with her insanely good prose and heart wrenching dialogue. At times I felt like I was bleeding emotionally onto the pages so I can only imagine how it was for the author. It is a real gift to be able to make the reader feel the pain right along with the characters, and I was there beside them as they suffered and as they triumphed. I laughed when they laughed and cried when they cried. It's not every book that can do that to me.
Overall, this was a solid read. It isn't for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy romance with a dark twist, I would highly recommend this book. I can't wait to delve into more of Sarah's books and see what other places she can transport me to.
Oh my goodness!! What a read this was. This is the first book I have read by this author and now I have finished I won't hesitate to one click her books. I felt connected to this story in more ways than one! For one, some of the places that are mentioned, I know them. I grew up there, so I could picture exactly where the characters were, this felt kinda special - daft I know but I felt I was there right in the story with them! It's taken me a while to digest this story before I could attempt to write my review, and I still don't think I have properly. I feel this is one that I will think about for a long time. It wasn't just the places I connected with, I also connected to Adrienne and what she'd been through! There are a few twists and turns and a few OMG moments. At one point I became vocal and my husband said "It must be a good one" haha. Oh yes a good one it is! I love the way this is written and it takes you from one end of the scale to the other, you feel every emotion possible! Although I didn't cry it was heart wrenching at times and believe me my heart ached! I really can't recommend this enough. It's not hearts and flowers and make believe, it feels real! I couldn't put it down, I'm glad my life didn't get in the way of reading this, I had no interruptions which I embraced with open eyes!! 5 Brilliant stars!
After reading the blurb and the reviews, I was really excited to read this story. I am left feeling disappointed.
I really wanted to like this story. The first several chapters were like reading a rough draft, and it was a little painful. I wanted to put the book down, but I held out hope that it just started out slow and it would get better. I was actually looking for an "anti-romance", at least for some or most of this book, and what I got was a romance from beginning to end.
For me, the story just didn't flow. It seemed rushed at times, and other times it was so painfully slow that I almost put the book down. Elements that were missing for me are chemistry and character development. I had nothing invested in either of the main characters. And my apologies to the author, but one can only read "French kiss" so many times before it starts to annoy. I'm pretty sure that readers of romance know what a passionate kiss is without it being spelled out every single time.
This story has potential, but I didn't find it that enjoyable in it's current form. The twist/surprise that the author put in there is a good one, and one I didn't see coming. But that wasn't enough to save the entire reading experience.
Tainted Lovers sounds like a romance, but it’s really more of a suspense/thriller. Either way, Sarah Michelle Lynch’s latest book is a good read!
Adrienne and David have a whirlwind romance and rush into marriage. They both have dark pasts that are only partially shared with the other. While the two want to be better people, betrayal and lies eventually lead to heart break.
I felt the beginning half of the story dragged in pace, but this was made up for in the second half of the book which is jam packed with shocking twists and reveals!! I didn’t feel Adrienne and David’s initial attraction or chemistry, and I really did “get” them as a couple early on. As the characters and their relationship developed, I could understand the underlying need and love they felt for one another.
The story culmination is a wild, suspenseful ride, and ends in a perfectly satisfying way. I’ll say no more about Tainted Lovers since that would ruin the thrill of the read!
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review which was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official: www.nerdgirlofficial.com
Adrienne's life hasn't been the best, her father bribed her to leave and not come to back. She was hurt really bad when she was pregnant with her son. Adrienne likes to keep to herself and raise her son. She plans on going to school during the fall. While she was working someone was trying to get her attention, after words David was at the library all the time to see Adrienne.
Adrienne works at the library, has a son William "Billy." she is 21 years old. She comes from money. David has a PHD, he is working on his second PHD. He lost his father at the age of 12. He is very intelligent, he is very clever. Rachel is David's mother, she loves her son. Max is Ade's father, moved to Spain, wants to have a relationship with his daughter Ade. Josie is Ade's mother, she has manic depression, paranoid, has dementia. Marissa is David and Ade's youngest daughter. Lucinda is David and Ade's oldest daughter. William " Billy" is David and Ade's son. Viola is Max and Josie's housekeeper, loves to take care of everybody.
This is a good read. I found it took me a while to get into this book. The characters were well developed. I look forward to reading more of Sara's books.
I received this book as an arc. I have never read this author before. She was a good writer but it felt a little rushed at times. I think it should have been more than one book.
This is a story about unconditional love between Ade and David. They first meet when they are young. They have a instant connection and it was love at first sight. Despite all the hard hips and devastation they alway find a way through it with love for one another. I felt sorry for both of the characters through out the book. These characters are raw and real. Both of these characters have a dark past and secrets they are hiding from each other. Can there unconditional love conquer the dark past or will the past destroy them both?
Tainted Lovers by Sarah Michelle Lynch is the consuming, often dark, extraordinary love story of Adrienne and David, who are both closed off and extremely damaged from their pasts. Can they overcome the horrendous things that happened and find their happily ever after?
I found this book to be, at times, depressing yet uplifting, with so many highs and lows, twists and totally unexpected turns that made me wonder how these two would EVER find their way! My heart was ripped out (a few times), but Sarah always managed to put it back together again, only to rip it out once more....finally giving this story the ending it truly deserved! A very different love story for me, but one I rather enjoyed! A solid 4 star read for me!!
God, what a ride... Just when you think you know where the book is heading, a twist throws everything up in the air again. Drama, conflict, passion - this book has it all. The relationships, and the struggles within them, are so real. Sometimes you just want to bang the characters' heads together because they want the same thing but can't see it, and yet who of us haven't been exactly there? This is possibly not the best book to read if you're going through a bleak time, as it gets pretty heavy in places, but if you're willing to take the risk, please do read it. I received my copy for free in exchange for an honest review.
Wow!! This book is full of twists and turns... You like the characters, you dislike the characters, you love the characters and at times hate the characters... you feel all the emotions they go through... and there is alot of them... just when i think this book could be finished up with a perfect little bow and have their happy ever after... BOOM!!! plot twist that leaves you literally saying 'WTF just happened'
To be completley honest i think i would have loved this book even more if it was spread out over 2 maybe even 3 books, it was so long but i would say thats the only negative... and i dont really think its a negative
First let me say the Sarah is an evil genius and yes I've told her this. Adrienne is nobody's fool but when she meets David there is a connection. One that she trys to ignore for quite sometime before they eventually become friends and then more. They suffer happiness, heartbreak and everything in between. I found this book one of those that I've not read in such a long time. The storyline was unpredictable. Every time I thought I had something straight in my head. In came Sarah and throws a curve ball, that made me rethink everything I thought I'd worked out. I love Sarah's books but this one has to be my favourite
There are different types of love. Ade and David have unconditional love, they love each other despite everything and work hard to make it through the trials they find themselves in. At certain parts of this book, I was on the edge of crying. The main thing I loved about this book was the fact Ade and David felt so real.
I didn't give this book more stars because I felt like it so so long, and had so many different things going on. I think this book could have been spread out into at least three books, like a mini series.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
A heartbreakingly deep, twisted and emotional rollacoaster of a journey at times I didn't want to carry on believing it wasn't possible to feel anymore emotion as Sarah sweeps you away with so many twists and turns and just as you catch up with what's happening another loop de loop spirals you over the edge again.
Ade and David's love is unlike any other, both come from a broken and troubled past and hold dark secrets but to each other they are a light on a dark night,
Will love conquer all, can the past finally be laid to rest?
This book has so many head liners that it's okay. Adrienne is a a women who went through a rough relationship and is dealing with the fallout David is a guy who is seeking Adrienne out.
When Adrienne and David meet its love a first sight. They rush to get married and all hell breaks loose afterwards. Both of their paths comes back to haunt them and they try to deal with it. With all the lies, secrets, and betrayal this book will have you turning over and saying what now. And with the extra help to put a hurting on their relationship this book still ends with an HEA.
Holy moly, this book was an intense, fast paced, emotionally charged, angst driven read, that I am still recovering from griping my kindle so tight and sitting on the edge of my seat. WOW, the twists and turns were awesome and the amount of OMG moments, you did good Sarah, you did good, if your desired results where you left your readers with a major book hangover, you succeeded. No plot reveals in this review, why spoil the adventure, read it my friends. Reviewed for HeadTripping Books by Carolyn.
This is my first book that I've read by Sarah Michelle Lynch thou I think she's a great writer and puts a lot of thought and detail in this book, I thought the love story between Ave and David was really rushed. They go through struggles ,rocky marriage ,raising children, death, and fighting enemies. The true question is will they fine their way back to each other?
So many twists and turns, You never know or expect what is going to happen next. I love when stories throw me... I laughed, cried, and said WTF more than once. Great job Sarah!
It's not often that a book blows me away, and draws out every single emotion in me but this book did just that.
Firstly, Tainted Lovers could be a trilogy. There was so much amazing content and story to this book. God bless Sarah, for giving us one hell of a standalone.
As a reader you can feel Adrienne and David's blazing connection right away. The beginning of the book is quite fast paced which was great because you got too got to be part of the whirlwind romance from the beginning while they found their feet in the new relationship, then you started to get to the root of the book a third of the way in.
Both Adrienne and David have pasts they would rather forget. They don't want to share the depths of what they have been though with each other because they both believe that the other person could see the ugly side they're trying to hind. Although their love for is never in question as it’s so strong, they are both still holding back a little and not giving 100% of themselves.
Adrienne had been in an extremely abusive relationship a few years before meeting David. Some scars can't be seen but can be felt every day. You can understand why she holds herself back a little and has this harden shell. After being what she had been through I could see why she protected herself but also forgave David when she did. As a reader I found her story gripping, I completely got her, not having complete control of your relationship/life after what she had been tough is so hard. As for David, I loved the dark side of him, you’re on the edge of your seat trying to figure him out. He was a conundrum!
I’m not ashamed to say I nearly had heart failure, I also found myself holding my breath though most of it, the anticipation was riveting. Some parts of this book was truly heart breaking. Sarah's writing captivates you in a way that you feel their pain. I think I would have given anything to get inside the book and just hold Adrienne, as strong as she is, I think she just needed someone to hold her/be there for her.
There are twists in this book that make you gasp and leave you in shock. There is also some poetry in this book that was just stunning.
For me this book was very special. I still don't think I have the words to give this book justice.
A top recommendation!!!
***ARC received in exchange for an honest review***
Once again this author has taken me by surprise, I wasn't sure what I was letting myself in for when I started this book. I knew from the synopsis that it wasn't going to be a romantic read, especially when the author signed my copy of the paperback and put beware!
This story is the most beautiful anti-romantic book that I have read for a long time. Whilst reading I wasn't sure where the story was going, having met in a library (surely that's romantic?) Adrienne and David have a whirlwind romance, they are passionate and get completely lost in each other. However both have dark pasts, both are striving to be better. They rush into a marriage but trouble soon finds them. Hearts are broken, betrayal and lies occur, can their relationship survive?
Adrienne is a strong woman but can only stay strong for so long, I was constantly wondering how on earth she was surviving not only what was currently happening to her but also the demons from her past.
The story has poetry scattered throughout that is written by the character David, during times of heartbreak and tying to win Adrienne's love back. He has his own past and completely messes up his relationship with Adrienne. He knows snippets from her past but can he handle the whole truth? Can he give her everything she needs?
And then right towards the end I found myself with my mouth gaped open in shock, the twists and turns, the anguish and further heartbreak that this story entails totally took me by surprise. The ending is perfect.
I've not gone into specific details about the content of the book, but neither has the author in the books blurb. This book has so much more than what is mentioned in the synopsis, read it for yourself and find out just how tainted these lovers are.
I was given an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review and I am very grateful for that.
I really wanted to love this story but I just couldn't get into it. There were a few occasions I considered putting it down and almost skipped the last 20% but actually that was where it got interesting. I loved the twists and turns as the story reached it finale but unfortunately they came too late for me.
It failed to grip me and keep me interested and didn't seem to flow very smoothly, it jumped about and skipped large periods of time that left me with more questions than answers.
I gave it 3 stars because I really did enjoy the unexpected twists and turns towards the end.
I loved the blurb for this book the storyline sounded like it would grab your whole attention and drown you, so i needed this book. The story line is quite catching but it took me until almost the end to appreciate the characters and really enjoy them. Adrienne and David had a complex marriage with lots of twists and turns which rock their relationship to the core. When Luca comes along i instantly wanted to throw my kindle across the room because i knew id hate him straight away. The last 30% of the book did it for me and i was sucked in and loved it, defintely worth 3.5 stars
This is the first book I have read by this author and I kind of went into it blind. It starts so painstakingly slowly that I was ready to give up and mark it as a dnf. But... I'm so glad I persevered because it did pick up and I became invested in the story. There are a few twists thrown in towards the later stages that I really didn't see coming and overall this became a read I really enjoyed.