Wicked Fascination

by J.M. Brister

Freya Morgan survives a terrible rape where she is scarred both internally and externally. The perpetrator is not caught, and while she tries to heal under the watchful eye of her father, the rapist continues to torment her through harassing phone calls. No matter where she hides, he somehow finds her. Fearing for his daughter’s life, Joe Morgan—the head of a major publishing company—decides to hide her away at one of his top author’s (and friend’s) summer mountain home. It’s a place so off the grid that there’s no way she’ll be found.

While Freya stays at Brian Ash’s guesthouse, she attempts to isolate herself, but their attraction to one another keeps pulling them together. But he doesn’t know what has happened to her, and she’s terrified that he’ll find out. Meanwhile, her rapist is still on the loose and close on her tail.

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2020

About the author

J. M. Brister is the author of dark and twisty romantic suspense novels that blend heart-pounding tension with steamy, emotional connections. Her stories feature complex characters, gripping mysteries, and unexpected twists that keep readers on edge. When she’s not crafting addictive page-turners, J. M. enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and three mischievous cats. A passionate advocate for the disability community, she brings raw, authentic emotion to her writing. You can usually find her balancing the chaos of family life, creativity, and cat cuddles—with plenty of caffeine in hand.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of all of the books in the Gray Tower series so far, but I think this is my favorite of Brister's yet. It has a diverse cast of characters, which I loved, and I found myself rooting for both couples to get together.

This book takes a sensitive subject and I think very accurately portrayed Freya's recovery from what happened to her. Although the story begins after the traumatic rape and abuse done to Freya, enough is told in flashbacks that readers would do well to heed the included trigger warning. I thought the pacing was very well done and the use of dates and times helped reinforce a realistic healing process for Freya, one that was at times two steps forward and one step back.

One of Brister's talents is creating hot characters with strong chemistry, and this book is no exception. I really liked Brian as a war veteran with his own issues to work through. It's refreshing to see a romance where mental health is such a strong theme.

Set in a pre/non COVID world aka be ready for a bunch of hot people NOT socially distancing.

[Thomas Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had the pleasure of reading several of J.M. Brister's titles. Her arrival on the writing scene was my personal introduction to the world of romance and erotic fiction. I was taken aback by how much I had enjoyed the reading experience of the Gray Tower books. Wicked Fascination, Brister's stand alone novel, show signs of growth and maturity of the author's writing, understanding the complex world of human emotion, and storytelling. This book covers some serious ground without feeling weighed down by the subject at hand. I found myself flying through the pages looking forward to what was around each bend. The overall pace and forward progress of the story was quick without robbing character development or key plot discoveries. Just enough twists and turns to keep it fresh without over complicating good story telling.

What else could you ask for? There is an absolute slime-bag of a villain who's arrogance plays a part in his fate. A good ole fashioned coverup. Reunited lovers. Recovery from the traumas many of us experience while on this planet and the different paths we can take to heal from them. Real talk about real issues. As someone who has experienced a level of the issues brought up in Wicked Fascination I feel that J.M. Brister handled the topics in this book with a sensitive touch. She goes as far as warning the reader beforehand of any possible triggers to the aftermath of sexual assault. The compassion exercised throughout the book to those who have survived or known others who have suffered from such acts is evident.

Like all of Brister's books thus far, I am left wanting more, in a positive way. The story and relationships were all wrapped up nicely without feeling rushed or thrown together. There was a sense of realism to what was left open and what was yet to come for the characters. I do enjoy a snapshot into the lives of the characters that leaves the imagination open to discovery of how they got there and where they go from here. There was plenty of plot and character development without too much fat. I have enjoyed watching Brister's style and skill grow and develop and I continue to look forward to where she will go next!

[J.M. Brister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a departure from my normal romantic suspense style. If you've read any of my Gray Tower books, you know that I tend to put a lot of action, suspense, hot steamy scenes, and twists and turns. Wicked Fascination does have those things, but it's toned down in order to deal with the emotional and psychological effects of the aftermath of rape.

Freya deals with the shame and fear of her attack. The fact that her attacker is still out there does not help this. Brian attempts to be her knight in shinning armor, but he has his own issues from his time in the military. Healing from trauma is a big theme throughout the book.

Of course, there's plenty of action. It's a love story, a detective story, and a suspense story all wrapped in one. As always, I provided some twists and turns that I hope you will enjoy. I had a lot of fun have a two sets of romances in the book--a primary and a secondary. I also enjoyed the mountain setting. It seemed like the perfect place for Freya to begin her healing.

There are no explicit rape scenes, though a quick generalized recap is given of what happened to Freya. I was very sensitive about the subject matter, and although the subject is obviously not light reading, it is not unnecessarily dark. Still, I understand that this is a sensitive subject. If you are at all triggered by such topics, you may want to pick up a Gray Tower books instead.

I hope you all enjoy Wicked Fascination. It's a book I've been working on for a while now, and I'm glad it's finally being appreciated by readers.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very difficult subject to use in a romance book. Although the rape/torture was written horrific I think the author didn't go too far. The things Freya had happen to her had lasting effects internal and external. I could never fathom a romance at all for this sweet girl, let alone in the length of a summer. The author uses dates and times in chapter or paragraph changes to move time along.

Things that made it work was that her dad knew the guy. Brian was one of his authors in Joe's publishing house. Brian wrote his books with his soldier PSTD background, so he had trauma of his own to work through.
What didn't work for me was the relatively short time frame. So only one star off.

The raptist/murderer was smart. He left MIT. We don't get any clues on why he was the way he was and why he chose his victims. His source of living bothered me a little. Again, this was meant to be romance so the story turned to their relationship or that of another couple when the bad guy struck. He wanted to psychologically torture Freya when his torture with her had been interrupted by her dad's discovery of her when she had missed work and came looking.

So there was a pretty good balance towards romance and healing over what could of been much darker.

I read it at night so it wasn't too real...it was more "yay, team Brian."

[Jaime Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real page turner that I could not put down once I got started. It is not your usual style of romance book, (although there is romance involved). I do not want to give a lot of the plot away or spoil it for readers. The story is of Freya, who survives a horrific rape. In vivid imagery, and with a clear understanding of human psychology, the author literally describes how she copes with trauma, the way she is afraid and trying to heal, her PTSD from the episode, her shame and not wanting to let people know. The worst part is that her fears are just beginning at this point.

The author brilliantly captures her POV, her thoughts, and one can not be helped but pulled along in her journey. There are lots of twists and turns at work in this book, and each chapter left me needing more so I would have to read another, which in turn would leave me feeling the same way. This is the first book that I have read by J.M. Brister. But I will definitely be checking out more of her work in the future.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book by J.M. Brister I have read. The book has a beautiful world and characters with plenty of plot twists. Ms. Brister tackles a tough topic (sexual assault) and PTSD but handles both with tact and grace. The love story between the two characters develops slowly over time. The heroine doesn’t just fall into bed with the hero, which is a nice change and fits well with the heroine’s background.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Francina · Rating 4 out of 5]

First

This was my first time reading this authors work. The story kept me interested. I loved how Brian took control and helped freya get her self out.

[Holly Graf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes a lot of skill to write a book about trauma and not mess it up or miss something. This one does it all: the healing, the complex events surrounding the investigation-side of Freya's rape, the relapses, and the mix of hopes and fears. The story achieves that while balancing other POVs in a tasteful way that never detracted from the main goal: what happens to Freya? The hero of the story is the romance, but that would never happen without the entire cast. There are no supporting roles: everyone matters. Wicked Fascination is a unique story, a memorable romance, and worth every page.