His Cinderella

Mayhem Ever After #3

by Vivi Paige

She thinks she can escape me? She’s wrong.
She will never escape.

Ella Ashmore was perfect.
Hell, she still is.
Kind. Sweet. Pretty.
A body that doesn’t quit.
She’d have guys lined up around the block if they weren’t so worried I’d kill them for looking.

Because I never stopped loving her.
Even when she found out about me. About my family.
Got sickened and disgusted about what I did for a living.
Told me to get the hell out.
Sure, I left.
But I knew I’d be back.
That I’d make her mine.

And now… I’m back, baby.
She needed saving.
She put herself out there. For sale.
Anyone coulda had her.
But I got her.
I paid good money for her.

And now I’m going to collect.

Welcome to Mayhem Ever After series! This is the third in a series of dark, possessive, alpha male romances featuring brooding heroes and the sassy women that love them. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA guaranteed!

Genres: Dark Romance, Audiobook, BDSM, Adult, Second Chance, Smut, Romance

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2020

About the author

Vivi Paige is the sekrit pen name of a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author who decided she wanted to play on the dark side of happily ever after… Join her in a sinister world of murder, mayhem, and marriage. Get a FREE dark romance from Vivi at http://bklink.to/vpfreebie

Reviews

[JenMcJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 64%. I can't spend another minute with Ella. She's an absolute b!tch and frankly, Deryk is a saint for putting up with her and a pushover for letting her get away with all her accusations that she blames on him that are ALL HER FAULT. This is also a "my body betrays me" type of BDSM book. I am not familiar with this author, I don't know if she writes all bdsm but I wasn't expecting it based on the blurb, so when it just exploded incoherently into a bdsm relationship I was not prepared and I didn't buy into it at all. At times the sex scenes were pretty erotic but they were so overwhelmed with different bdsm toys, techniques and orgasms, one right after another in the same scene I was exhausted.

There is also a gem of information that opium isn't as addictive as other drugs. I mean. WTF are you even talking about here? Deryk was using a drug that seemed to be a play on krokodil on a regular basis and he's just fine going cold turkey from his "swamp gas" drug. Just. No. This is so irresponsible to spread this type of misinformation and to do zero seconds worth of research.

This book is just not for me.

Oh, and after skimming to the end, for some inexplicable reason, the author includes a scene where a mother bear with two cubs chases and traps Ella so Deryk kills the mother bear leaving two orphaned cubs. Neither Ella or Deryk even considering the future for those cubs and just leave the dead bear and move onto the next problem. WTH?

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Style: Dark Romance
Story: 3/5
Sexual: GOOD
Enjoyment: 3/5
Male: Trouble, Dark and Sexy
Series: Book 3
Pages: location 3049
Kindle Unlimited: Yes

So I will say first, I have not read this series, so this was my first book in the series. With this dark spin on Cinderella, I was interested to see what the story would entail.

Deryk’s character is troubled. After Ella, broke his heart he has been on a downward spiral. Ella, is desperate for money and is at an auction to provide her services to the lucky winner, who happens to be Deryk. The story wasn’t bad, but I think for me, it was the dynamic between Deryk and Ella I didn’t like it for this particular story. Their physical chemistry was amazing, but I personally didn’t like how Ella was so eager. I think also it’s the Dom/sub in this Cinderella theme story that’s throwing me off and me thinking Ella is too eager.

Overall, not bad, still had a bit of enjoyment. I think it’s the way Deryk is doing his revenge when I mentioned the dynamic between the characters.


***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s definitely about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the stories you read. I know we all have different opinions and taste with what we read and hope this review was helpful.

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

[Essaba · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think I like how she writes these female characters. Does anyone even like women? Can they be written to not be so annoying??

[Fed · Rating 1 out of 5]

❌

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please only read this if you want all smut and zero plot 😭🙏🏼 The rat was the only great character in this

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The addition starts with the book cover….yeah…yeah…yeah don’t judge a book by its cover they say ….well we all do it and this one here it is the scratch to your itch or better yet the filling to your oreos! Speaking of filling…..wait, that’s for later. Within the first chapters you get the panoramic view of whom you’re dealing with!
Bad boy….check
Bod boy’s crazy brother/friend…check
Bad boy’s Kryptonie…check ….check and check
By the time you’ve figured out who is who and how deep hate can run, you’re already hooked, and you may as well give up the fight and prepare yourself for an all-nighter!
Can’t say I didn’t warn you.
It’s edgy yet always within boundaries of morality. It’s compelling, like Nutella, bacon and oreo cookies had a threesome and this story is their lovechild. It reads much like the books before this one. Deryk is Mafia, an alcoholic and druggie until his father puts his foot down and makes him get straight but to understand we much go back to college where he met the love of his life Ella but she couldn’t deal with the fact that he was part of the Mafia and so she broke up with him devasting him causing the downward spiral. Ella was always treated as a step child and her father is sick and suffering from alzheimers and in need of around the clock care so he is in a facility and she works herself to the bone three jobs just to be able to pay for his care and in sending it back home her stepsisters use it to buy items for themselves making her auction herself for the next five years no matter how much she doesn’t want to her love for her father compels her to sign up for the auction and yep you guessed it her ex. Deryk paid whatever the asking price was but will he forgive her, understand her and help her or will there be issues and she never stopped loving him just didn’t want to be a part of his lifestyle is happiness in the books for them?

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deryk is part of a mafia family. When he was in college he met Ella and they dated. Deryk fell hard for her and he has heartbroken when she broke up with him. The last few years have been spent drinking and doing drugs trying to get over the one who got away. He was really angering his father until his father laid down the law. No more drugs and he assigned a man to watch over Deryk to make sure he stayed clean. He also sent Deryk to collect their cut from an auctions that was being held. Deryk arrived right before the final auction of the evening. To his shock, the item being auctioned was his ex, Ella. Deryk had to win this auction. He needed to keep anyone else from getting her and he wants a little revenge.

Ella loved Deryk but she broke up with him because of his ties to the mafia. She was afraid that she would get sucked if she stayed around. No she is single and working three jobs. Her dad or was it granddad was suffering from alzheimer's and needed around the clock care. Her step-mom and sisters were no help. Then one day she got a call saying her father's medical bill hadn't been paid for three months. One of her steps kept the money to buy stuff instead of paying the bill. Her father is going to be kicked out if she doesn't pay the bill. Ella needs to make money fast. A couple of days ago, a man left his card if she wanted to make a lot of money fast. Ella has no choice but to call. She is told that if she agrees to be auctioned off and serves her new master however he wants for the next five years, an account will be set up to pay her father's medical expenses for the rest of his life. Ella agrees but she is shocked by who wins the auction. Her ex Deryk wins and now she is back to the danger of being sucked into his families' doings.

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

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Mayhem Ever After series with a twist of the classic Cinderella fairy tale. Deryk had wanted Ella from the moment he first met her at the prep academy, most women fell to their knees when they heard the Maynes family name but not Ella she wasnt from their wealthy world and Deryk wanted to keep it that way until she stumbled upon it herself. Disgusted Ella pushed Deryk out of her life, she wanted to become a ballerina but life had other plans, her father was in a care home and her step mum and sisters just spent money they didnt have whilst Ella worked 3 jobs. As if life couldn't get any worse, Ella ends up needing money fast to pay her father care home bill's, when shes approached with a porpersition to auction herself for 5 years of companionship to an elite member for 5 million towards her fathers bills. Deryk couldn't believe his eyes seeing Ella at the auction, Deeyk never got over her leaving and turned to drugs to numb himself making him unreliable to the family, but he knew he wouldnt let her get away a second time and if it meant being the winning bid then so be it. But could all of this be just a coincidence? Thrust together again, is their a chance they could be happy together, overcoming the past hurt to be become something or are there others out there seeking to destroy that chance at any cost. Well written with a great storyline mixing the classic fairy tale with the criminal world. Well developed characters that come to life with action, desires, suspense and more!

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

[Erin Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨🔮🌞🌕🍄🌕🌞🔮✨
Audio REVIEW

His Cinderella - Vivi Paige

4.5/5⭐️
5/5🌶️

✨✨✨✨✨✨
This one is seriously my favorite of the series! Deryk stole my heart instantly. He’s just a man with a past that haunts him because the one got away. Ella omg I broke for her! The way she was treated by her horrible step mom and sister when all she was trying to do was care for her dad ughh. Well Ella has to do something big to save the day and she finds herself being sold at a club. Who she is sold to is her ex boyfriend and the one she still deeply loves Deryk. The way these two are together holy steamy and spicy!! The banter I ate up and the chemistry was so good! That ending definitely had me pacing for a good minute 🤣 The narration I felt was done really well and would totally recommend adding this one to the tbr.

📚📚📚
If you like to read:
- Cinderella retelling
- Mafia ish
- Auctions
- Very spicy
- Glass slipper tattoo
- Dark romance
- Suspense
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚

✨What’s a favorite princess for you?

#books #booklover #smut #booknerd #bookfriend #bookish #booklovers #bookishcommunity #bookloversunite #instabook #bookporn #bookphotography #reviews #igbooks #ilovereading #smutty #bookaddiction #bookhoader #hotnsexy #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecs #yummy #givemeallthebooks #readingthepainaway #booktok #arc

[Daisy Sauceda · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Cinderella is a dark fairy tale worth reading. So we have Deryk who meets Ella in prep school. There is something about her that he cannot shake. They dated until she finally broke it off. Then years later they meet again and it was not what I expected. So Ella has had her ups and downs in life. Even when her family had money, she still lived the same way. She never changed who she was. Deryk's family ties are with the mafia. He lives his life on the edge and doesn't care. That is until one day his dad says no more and tells him he needs him for a job. Well then everything changes when he sees her again. These two are quite the pair. She mentally despises him but her body says some thing else. He is going to do what he can to make her his. Only I am not sure it is going to work. I can say that this is hot as heck and pretty steamy. I sure did not see how everything was going to play out. I am glad I stumbled across this book. I definitely will be reading more by this author.

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

[Renata Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella....yes we have the evil stepmother and the lazy stepsisters, the over worked Ella, her prince might be dashing and handsome but thats were the fairy tale ends as our prince is the son and future heir to an organized crime syndicate...
Dark and broody Deryk Mayne has loved Ella since they met in school and now years later after she left him he hasnt forgotten her and has spiraled into a world of drink, drugs, partying and loose women. When he sees her being auctioned off he decides then and there that he is going to be the man that will own her.
Ella cant run from Deryk anymore as he is her master and owner....
This tale is filled with action, drama, BDSM and consensual sex scenes that will have you fanning your face to cool down...i definitely recommend this book.

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

[Ronel Olver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and twisted retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella that is exceptionally well written with intrigue, kidnappings, blackmail, dark elements of drug usage, BDSM, twists and turns and intense chemistry. I was hooked from the beginning and the well-developed characters and surprises keeps the reader engaged.

Ella is desperate to pay medical bills for her father after her stepmother and step sisters use the money for themselves, she decides to auction herself off for 5 years in exchange for her fathers medical bills being taken care off for the rest of his life. She did not count on her ex Deryk to become her new owner or that she would like what he does to her. Both Ella and Deryk have some unresolved issues that causes some explosive moments between them, but they end up healing each other. I enjoyed the book

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

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivi Paige is a new to me author and her take on the Cinderella fairy tale is pretty intriguing. Derek Mayne is one of four Mayne brothers or better known as the Mayhem Brothers. It seems their company skirts the edge of legitimate, legal businesses. Ella Ashmore was the one that got away from him in prep school, when he tried and failed to hide who his family was from her. Years later he has the opportunity to own her. Ella desperately needs many to pay for her father's nursing home care, the money she gave her wicked step mother to pay the bills, but she spent on herself and her daughters. Sound familiar? The book is well paced, super steamy, and has enough of the fairy tale in it for me. Overall, a compelling, steamy tale.

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

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. Deryk and Ella have a past that did not end well. Neither really got over the other but their lives have kept them busy and apart until now. Ella has her own Cinderella drama happening that she has to find a way to get money. She was lucky the he stepped in even if her brain told her otherwise. He was going to finally get what he wanted, but he ended up with what he needed also. Ella was a little hard for me to like at first. She got more that I felt she deserved at times. Things turn out well in the end, but there are a lot of bumps getting there. I have enjoyed this series. Their story was not my favorite but I look forward to book four

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

[Anna M_82 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good fairy tale retelling from Vivi. I really enjoyed this Cinderella story that delves into the dark romance genre. Ella is working through jobs to pay for her father’s health expenses. To make ends meet, Ella signs up to be auctioned off to a rich man for companionship. The man that finds her and purchases her is her ex boyfriend Deryk. They had broken up because of his ties to a crime family but he’s there for her when she needs someone the most. Even if it’s because a contract says so. When they are together old feelings emerge and new feelings begin to grow. I loved how Vivi used the glass slipper in this book, very original and interesting. I also loved the added level of suspense later in the book with Ella’s kidnapping. This was a great book and I enjoyed reading it.

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

[Cathy Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella and Deryk met in college and were together until Ella learned of Deryk and his family and what they did. Ella's father has medical bills that were not paid by her steps. Ella works three jobs and does not want her father kicked out of the facility. Ella needs quick money and someone leaves a card for a way for Ella to make sure her dad and his bills paid for the rest of his life. She jumps at the chance and it is an auction. Deryk is the one who buys her. I loved this story as the other ones also, but I just liked this one better. The characters were great and the twisted telling of Cinderella was truly enjoyable. I had a hard time putting it down, but I did need sleep. Great book.

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

[Gladys Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

His Cinderella. This book was definitely a dark romance. The storyline was great! I was not expecting the really sexy steamy sex scenes. Derek Mayne is Lucian Mayne's son and a very arrogant goth son. He was torn apart when he lost the love of his life. He got into drugs and alcohol trying to forget about Ella. Years later he finds her in the craziest place, an auction. He buys her and the fun for him begins. An interesting read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. *** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

[Doodle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The FMC is exhausting and not likable. I didn't like the dynamic between the main characters, but the reason I'm giving this one star is because I can't stand when someone leaves their partner, with NO discussion whatsoever, and then blames that partner for not "fighting for" them or "coming after" them. The FMC is the one who left the MMC years ago, but she is angry with him and blames him for not calling her and fighting for her. Excuse me? Why didn't she fight for him and communicate like an adult instead of leaving without talking to him about her concerns/issues? SHE is the one to blame for the end of their relationship, not him.

[Stephanie Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story! I wasn't sure what to expect, but damn, it did not disappoint! Deryk is lost after what happened with Ella in high school and Ellas life didn't turn out as expected, but fate steps in and brings them back together. They have explosive chemistry together and the sex scenes? Yes please! Their love is one for the ages, The way vivi worked in the Cinderella references was fantastic, great pops of reference. Loved it!

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

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deryk and Ella were together and in love at their prep school until Ella figured out that he had lied, and bribed everyone with else to lie, about his family. After breaking up, they hadn’t spoken in years until he sees at an auction. Deryk had spent the years without her with drugs and women while lamenting losing her, Ella spent it working multiple jobs taking care of her dads medical bills. This is a good story of how two broken and disillusioned people find their way back to happiness together.

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

[Tammy]

Ella and Deryk fell for each other and the she found out about his mafia family and broke up with him. Now years later Ella is in desperate need of money and ends up for sale and Deryk becomes her master. The sparks are still there but Ella is still in danger, can he keep her safe? Fast-paced read with plenty of twists and turns, drama and intense chemistry. A steamy/dark version of Cinderella. A good read.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars


A modern retelling of Cinderella complete with evil stepmother two awful stepsisters.
A second chance romance of sorts with Deryk wanting revenge for getting his heart broken by Ella after she discovered his family’s criminal connections.
I liked the way he was unable to help himself from falling in love and forgiving her for the past.

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

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 50%. It initially lived up to my expectations- not much plot and lots of smut. That was going fine until more of the spicy scenes played out and the descriptions of female anatomy used just got more and more awful. I feel like this book was more of an experiment to see how many cringe names could be used in one book. Not to mention both characters are annoying and there is way too little negotiation before beginning a dubious BDSM relationship.

[Shelby White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dark and twisted take on the classic Cinderella. This is a well crafted fantasy that has all the steamy feels and all the alluring bad that you want to indulge in but should not. Ella and Deryk are quite the pair. Sex, danger and an all consuming chemistry that can’t be denied.

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

[Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story in this series was a little different than the others. I enjoyed it but didn't like Ella very much. I could see the similarities with Cinderella but her attitude just didn't sit well with me. I loved Deryk and the dynamics between them was hot and cold although really steamy. It is somewhat dark but not too much.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Preference Rating 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶🌶️ Audiobook (Everand)
By now I think you know how these books are styled. Fairly standard sub/dom trope in this one. I wish the MMC had a bit more character building to compensate for the minimal plot, but was somewhat of a ‘left turn’ near the end that was kinda fun.

[Amanda Turner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my goodness this was a DNF.

Too much fighting (Kung foo style not lovers fighting), then the spice scene I dnf'd in was just vile. I wanted to be sick. I know vivi page can be hit and miss for me but this was definitely a miss

The book seemed so poorly written too.

All in all I would not recommend.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story line.
But some of the words chosen for $=×y time is cringey. I don't have many words that make me cringe. But this one does.
I continued with it because I already started the series I'm going to finish it.

[Michelle Grimison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second chance romance facilitated by an auction?!?! Ok
The terminology for certain parts of anatomy had me fucking cackling!

🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
Rigger Dom/Bratty sub, impact play, withheld and forced Os… the shibari though! 😙🤌🏻

[Mandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not my favorite one. The story is a bit odd. I thought this was more of a beauty and the beast than Cinderella retelling.