Beautiful Tyrant

Enemies to Lovers #3

by C.P. Mandara

Brandt and Gabriel have me tied down on the bed. While Mal points a gun at them, they're going to mess with me a little. Gabriel looks almost gleeful at the prospect, Brandt not so much. It's too bad. He might as well get his kicks where he can.

After Mal's finished with them, hopefully he'll find something unpleasant for them to do. He always needs a patsy to murder someone or other. My fingers are crossed that the pair can find an opportunity to run and get out of this mess. That's what I'd do if I had the chance.

Unfortunately for me, my last few days are to be spent at Mal's warehouse. The Airfix King is about to take his superglue addiction out on me, before he chops me up into little pieces and leaves me for dead.
This is probably not the time to wish I'd killed myself earlier, right?

Genres: Dark, BDSM, Abuse, Menage, Erotica, Romance, Suspense

174 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2020

About the author

C P Mandara writes Dark Romance and Erotic Suspense and she is a hybrid author. Her books feature lots of twisted naughtiness and BDSM.

Where can you find her?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/C-P-Mandara/e/...

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-p-m...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CPMandara

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cpmandara/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/cpmandara1

Want to sign up to her mailing list and claim two free books? https://bit.ly/3iL1wT5

Christina Mandara is a USA TODAY bestselling author and tends to write dark romance with lashings of kinky naughtiness. Her favourite pastime is travelling, and if it involves sun, sea and… sand then it’s all good.

In her spare time she’s usually cuddled up with a good book, exploring the countryside or baking in the kitchen. In fact, she loves her kitchen so much she’s one of few woman who wouldn’t mind being tied to it! Her first and foremost love is writing, however, and more often than not you’ll find her on a laptop spinning tales of romance, erotica or dark, paranormal fantasies.

She's a big fan of BDSM in all of its glorious forms, and her favourite item in the toy closet (a box simply isn’t big enough) is her riding crop.

Reviews

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man is about as much use as the 'g' in lasagne.

Harper, Brandt, Gabriel et al definitely saved their best until last!

C.P. Mandara never ceases to amaze me with the unexpected and eccentrically offbeat way her stories evolve. That's "eccentrically offbeat" in a very mesmerising, amusing and bloody brilliant manner, just in case you wondered. It's a cliche but it's also true that I couldn't put this book down. No I'd not had an accident with superglue, it was the fast paced and exciting plot, the mind-bending twists and the even more amazing characters that had me hooked.




This was the book where I fell in love with Gabriel, and where he found that gooey, soft centre that we all knew he possessed. He's still a sadistic alpha-hole but one that you worryingly find quite attractive and appealing. Especially once you compare him to the unhinged malevolence that is Mal. These two are cut from the same cloth, but it's the tailoring of the outfit crafted from that fabric that makes all the difference.

Is it me, or are we going around in circles? Why won't Mal take no for an answer? I seem to be a homing beacon for psychopaths.
His question hangs in the air between us like an STD, because Mal's sure he's got it, and I sure as hell don't want to touch it. I don't have the energy to lie to him any more , either. Still, I guess I can give him a weak smile. Sell the lie, Harper. Sell it good.

How I can be reading scenes of torture and terror and laugh at the sarcasm and irreverent humour is testament to the superior writing of this author. That or I'm just a twisted saddo, but I prefer to believe it's the first option. The lies, the secrets, the hope offered, the nightmare promised, the pain, the joy, the horror and love, the bluffs, the double bluffs are piled one atop the other until your head is spinning in the best possible way.


Whilst there is foreshadowing, it is very lightly done, so there is no guessing as to just what exactly will transpire next. However all the shock reveals and gob-smacking twists worked . I've read plenty of stories where the big twist was obvious from chapter 2, and others where the twist required a sudden influx of never previously mentioned characters or facts to work. It's rare for me to genuinely feel surprised by a twist and yet know that all the hints were there just waiting to be woven together. C.P. Mandara has that ability in spades.


This ending gave me everything I wanted, including the requisite HEA, a scorching hot sex scene (I'm still wondering just how big that butt plug was) and an epilogue to go to heaven on. I adored this trilogy and highly recommend it to all those who love a good dark romantic suspense with a generous dollop of kinkiness in it. In fact I already want to re-read the whole thing because I was in such a rush to read it all I'm bound to find even more amazingness to absorb from within it's pages.

[CC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★



Continuing without interruption in the timeline, Harper Wilkinson, Brandt Browning and Gabriel Rodriguez are at the mercy of Mal, the King of the East End. Harper is well aware of Mal’s depravities and he is ready to inflict pain to get his way, though she is willing to sacrifice herself. As they must perform like puppets, the end game is to survive.

“A solitary tear dribbles down my cheek. While my eyes might be spitting fire, there are some things I can’t control.”

With each volume having a different focus and tone, this one begins with the tension of helplessness of all three being held captive. Physically and emotionally, these characters are pushed with each using what little they have left to gain an advantage. It is brutally torturous at times, but there’s also sexually masochistic elements at play.

“We give our darling girl the works. I lock lips with her, mostly to stop her swearing, while Brandt teases her clitty to at least double its original size.”

With this book being the culmination of the series, I was hopeful for the storyline to either end in a certain direction or at least have a few certain scenes. Needless to say, I am definitely pleased. Though Brandt and Harper have a tenuous history, they do have a deep connection, and with the addition of Gabriel, he is the finishing touch. I liked how Gabriel acts upon his strengths and shows his humorous side. Damn, the man is sex on a stick. Brandt also remains true to his character by using capable skills. Finally, Harper shows resilience even at her weakest point.

Beautiful Tyrant is full of action and erotic elements sure to keep the reader glued to the pages. This book would appeal to those seeking dark romance suspense and two delicious main men.


Enemies to Lovers series:



*A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.*


*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey!*


For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[warhawke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Erotic Suspense
Type: Book 3 of 3 from Enemies to Lovers series
POV: First Person- Multiple
Rating:
3.75 Stars



Harper Wilkinson was in deep trouble. Together with Brant Browning and Gabriel Rodriguez, they had to endure and outsmart the city’s biggest crime boss to survive. And that’s not counting the survival of their hearts.



The story continued with Mal making each of their lives as difficult as he could. As usual, there were a lot of torture scenes (both sensual and not - ouch!) to keep any sadist happy. I liked that Gabriel showed his comedic side in this one.

I've accepted the fact that I'm not coming out of this alive, but I'm sure as hell not taking anyone with me.

The story was a little slow for me until about halfway through. I liked the revelations that answered the questions throughout the series. However, I was wondering about the fate of a certain character.

Beautiful Tyrant is a story of perseverance. It is the final book in this Erotic Suspense series.



Books in the series:





🌺🔪🌺 . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC . . . 🌺🔪🌺





For more reviews/interviews/promo visit:

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the series and it was a wild and intense ride! This series is something else - something so good and original! If you're in the mood for dark and soul crushing characters -Get this series! Such a captivating read. I literally lost sleep over it lol.
This story is graphic and not for the faint of heart -so be aware.

This book delves into just how far a mind go into pain and darkness before it hits rock bottom. How far it can be can be broken and abused. Just how much can one endure by the hands of others. We see weakness and hurt, but we also see a beautiful phoenix rise from the ashes.

Harper is such a badass chick. Dang, she is so strong and brave. What she had to endure by SO many men... wow.
Gabe and Brandt were so freaking hot and her dark knights. Together, with Harper and solo. They all came full circle. Lies and secrets were uncovered, some got what was coming to them and it ended just how I wanted it to.

[C.P. Mandara]

Dark and Intense

Beautiful Tyrant was a beast to write. It took forever. Seriously - it was like pulling teeth. By far and away my favourite character was Gabriel, and I think he kept me going. He's such badass alpha male. What's not to love? I'd jump in bed with him :)

Having said all of that, I love how it all came together in the end. There were lots of nice little twists and turns, which kept me thoroughly entertained. The ending was perfect, in my head. I've been meaning to end a book like this for a while, but just haven't had the right characters. These guys fit together so wonderfully.

I have to admit this was intensely dark - even for me. In fact the original book I wrote had 15,000 words scrubbed from it. This was probably for the best. Sometimes I get carried away. Dark romance meets the crime underworld. Eep. Hold onto your horses! :)

[Aղցela W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was book 3 and the final book in this series. This book picks up where book 2 left off Harper, Brandt and Gabriel are at the mercy of Mal and cruel sadist man who likes to inflict pain that Harper knows well. This book had a lot of intense and sexy scenes in it as each of them try to navigate and stay alive while trying to out wit Mal who is a crime boss from the East End. This book also answered a lot of questions that I had about these three although Grant and Harper have a deep connection because of the past that they had they both fell hot and hard for Gabriel. I loved Gabriel in this series he was a hot sexy dominant man. I liked that Harper didn't give up and showed that she was stronger than she looked. Brandt who is also sexy. There was some hot sex scenes in this book. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling.

[Witzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and original with such a creative plot. The characters are solid but lots of layers underneath that makes them so. Harper has been covering secrets because her past is catching up with her and she is trying to make sure no more innocent people go down when she does. Brandt can't understand why she will not have some respect for him and have the decency to explain why she lied and got him sent to prison. She completely ruined his life. He suffered untold injuries while locked up in prison with some hardcore criminals that took advantage of his younger and smaller self. He lost family friends and a life following in his fathers path of wealth. So he plans to keep punishing Harper as long as he can to get revenge and answers. Oh yeah. Harper and Brandt are way over milky way, crazy, hot, in lust for each other while hating insinc as well.

AND THEN everyone's past catches up with them. Gabriel joined Brandt in order to make Harper talk. Gabe is dark and titters through life with a lot of psycho socio going on. Brandt met him in prison and knows he can get Harper to talk. However Gabriel is like a live nuke with no containment option. He's just gonna do what he's gonna do so take a seat, watch and let him be.

Chaos ensues only to crest with Harper's worst nightmare coming true when the most evil man she's ever known shows up to collect her. Mal is a true sociopath who toys with his prey which Harper has both witnessed and suffered. His favored instrument of suffering is a tube of quick acting glue he uses for murderous exhibitions in order to torment victims through their last moments of life. While doing so he maintains an audience of his choosing to spread rumors and feed terror. Mal captures them after a show of dominance.

I think this is the best book of this series.

[Saskia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in the series and it was a wild ride with lots of twist and turns that I didn't see coming.

It is a very emotional story. It is a story about survival and in the end love. It had some graphic and gory scenes, but it was just the right balance. The reader knows certain things happened, but we don't get to see it all.

I love how the book showed a lot about the characters and what is going on in their minds. We see their strength, weaknesses and a lot of feelings.

Loved the ending

[Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. Intense and full of twists, turns, love, and betrayal I didn't see coming.
The characters are strong and captivating. The plot is dark and great. I would not recommend it for faint of heart, as the crime, torture and sex are graphic.

[JD (on semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the last in a trilogy and you do need to read the first two or you'll be lost. I also want to warn readers that this entry is more graphic than the others, and emphasizes extreme violence and gore rather than sex.

Here, Harper, Brandt, and Gabriel are at the mercy of Mal, the sadistic East End crime lord who has concocted a rather elaborate revenge plan against Harper and Brandt for reasons which were never clear and/or convincing to me. Told in triple POV, the book details our intrepid trio's attempts to endure his wrath, all while dodging several plot twists since they -- and, by extension, we -- never quite know who to trust.

I'm just going to come right out and says that although I enjoyed the first two, I didn't like this: its Grand Guignol litany of murder, torture, and blood was so absurd and desensitizing, I didn't see the point. The first two books had some character development to underpin the kink; in addition, the sexual activities, while somewhat extreme S&M, stayed within the realm of pleasure. This book, however, took such a deep dive into the pool of ridiculousness in terms of what a human body can realistically withstand that it stretched my willingness to suspend disbelief so far that it snapped. I felt that I was reading the literary version of a Road Runner cartoon.

2 stars. Ordinarily, I'd give it one, but Ms. Mandara's snarky sense of humor, her commitment to diversity in sexual orientation, and the fact that most (though not all) lines of action are resolved make some aspects of this palatable. If you want to read a The Revenger's Tragedy-like series of repetitive torture porn scenes, then this book is for you. Just don't expect any plot or character cohesion.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

DAMN, what a trilogy. Wonderful erotic story filled with EVERYTHING. My previous reviews might explain my life, past and present, but CP Mandara writes with crazy passion and story. Not going to spoil anything for anybody. Read this trilogy if you enjoy everything your brain can experience. Simply said. BDSM fans, you have to read these books!

[Annemieke Westerbeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the beautiful tears series. I have been looking forward to this. What is going to happen. I am not spilling. But the end is very satisfying. I loved this series. The way Mr’s Mandara’s mind works is wonderful. She grabs you attention from the beginning and is not letting go of it until the very end.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3*