This isn’t your Mama’s Hallmark romance. Whiskey and Vixen are dark and deliciously twisted. They have problems that make your childhood resemble a Disney movie. But, despite their mutual tragedies, they share a love and lust that reaches beyond the darkness—beyond Hate F*ck City.
You’ll hate them. You’ll love them. You’ll want to kill them. Then, you’ll pick up the story and read it. And read it again.
Whiskey and Vixen—the Bonnie and Clyde of dark romance.
Dark gritty and dirty asf! Vix and Whiskey will have you panting for more. Vixen is a hard ass boss bitch who doesn’t take shit from anyone. She fights for what she wants but also faces her doubts and fears in a way I can relate to. Whiskey... my heart. He’s broken and dark. He wants and he needs but masks it all with anger and hate. I cannot wait for more!
Tainted love is intense in every aspect. The sex scenes are explicit but very realistic, sensual but rough, and very captivating. The elements of the story dealing with child abduction, and child sexual assault, are clear but also not a focal point, because the character that suffered it(Whiskey) is still struggling with speaking about it. As an abuse survivor myself, I felt this book did a great job at genuinely expressing certain aspects of the recovery process, while also keeping me entertained with the main characters' love story, which really took center stage. It is also very inspirational because the main characters are finding a way to heal each other with their love. I felt genuinely connected to the characters although this is a work of fiction. Overall, I truly enjoyed this, felt it was surprisingly realistic, and cant wait to read the other books in the trilogy.
Kristens mother in a nut case, and her fathers death has not really sunk in yet..
Pax(whiskey) , is a lot older than her by 8 years.. and he’s always been there . He was her first and they do love each other .. I just think they both are afraid of commitment.
“I’ll always see you as my naughty little vixen..”-Pax
It’s funny to me that she calls her mom satan lol.. even Pax calls her house the underworld.
Pax has had a rough life . I can’t believe it .. he’s so nonchalant about it all..
They definitely have explosive sex and the hear was melting my kindle ..
I loved how things worked out in the end .. it didn’t look like it would but I’m curious to read Pax’s story..
I posted my full review on the FULL TRILOGY page. This book is just STUNNING. Still reeling from this trilogy. Vivid, raw, gritty, powerful. A dark romance masterpiece.
You can tell this author is in DEEP with this story. While reading, I lived and breathed everything about these characters, from the way Pax walked to Kirsten's anger against her mother. To me, that is a good author worth following. This book made me *feel* things.
Pros: RC goes head first in to the grey areas of life without sugarcoating reality. This made the book very relatable for me. Also, Pax is a huge pro to this story. He reminds me of a drifter I once knew, and his backstory is so gripping that it is hard to dislike this character at all. His dedication and way of just being himself makes the story unique. Also, the formatting of this book is beautiful. I am not usually one to like pictures of my characters throughout the story, because I want to create my own versions of what the character looks like, and how they may, for example, lean up against a motorcycle. That being said....these pictures were oddly good! Now that I am reading book two, I see the Pax that the author wants me to see with his stunning tattoos and whipped-back hair. These pictures add the flavor and boldness to the book that RC waves proudly to all. It is as if they are saying "these characters are a part of who I am, and you are a guest in my territory." Again, normally a turn-off but I oddly DIG IT. Lastly, this book was amazing to read while drinking beer at the end of the day when I just want to relax. What a great night read. This book just encapsulates the darkness of nighttime and humanity.
Con: Kirsten was a hard sell for me at first. It takes time to understand her, and that just adds another layer to the book that I did not realize I needed. It's another example of how RC says "look, I'm not sugarcoating anything for anyone. This is the story that needs to be told." I like that boldness. I feel like in many of the Bestsellers out there, characters are watered down so they can be liked by everyone. I am at the point in my reading journey that I don't want watered-down characters. I want real, livable and breathable characters. And that is what RC delivered.
Fantastic job, author RC (I hope you don't mind the way I shortened your name.) What a raw book that makes the reader feel things. Keep going.
So. This isn't my normal read and saying that is one of the reasons I'm giving this amazing author a 5 star rating. Even though it was something that pushed me I enjoyed every second of it and that for my is a huge deal.
This author grabs you from literally the first page. Fast paced and in your face, which is the only way to do it in my opinion.
You learn about the main characters right away as it throws you into their chaotic lives.
Kirsten, also known as Vixen, is a headstrong woman who pulls no punches. She is an amazing character and pulled me in right away with her strength but at the same time vulnerability. Which in my personal opinion, isn't always an easy character to write. But the author made it flawless like it took no effort at all.
Pax, also known as Whiskey, is a damaged drifter inked with snakes all over his body. He has a very troubled past and no one other then Vixen can seem to keep him in one place for too long or tame the beast within.
Kirsten and Pax may have met on accident but they needed each other more then they could have ever imagined.
This book is funny, sweet, dark and lovely beginning to end. The author did an amazing job in this fast paces, thrilling story. The more I read the more I was hooked. Another book I read in 2 days, not counting the day I took to myself lol.
Truly a must read by a very talented amazingly sweet author. Can't wait to dive into the next part of the series.
I bought the ebook trilogy set and just finished book one! I drug my feet reading this book I have heard so much about because quite simply, I don't read erotica. It's not that I disapprove of it, it just makes me uncomfortable. However, I decided to give it a whirl, if I couldn't get through it, at least I gave it a try, right? I quickly realized I had nothing to worry about! Christiansen writes a good story! It's not like the erotica that has no storyline and is all about sex. It has family history, a broken childhood that breaks your heart, there is anger and eventual healing and it makes you want to understand how two broken people who came from polar opposite backgrounds came across each other and fell in love. It's also real. The events and lives described in this book really happen to people and this book helps to give a voice those who suffer from neglect, violence and the several forms of abuse used against people. Thank you to the author for not being afraid to pull the curtain aside on these topics. I applaud you.
“Take my tears and that’s not nearly all …” (Tainted Love, Soft Cell, 1981). I don’t know whether the book was inspired by this hit, but it most certainly could have been, and I couldn’t get it out of my head while reading it.
The plot is a ‘dealing with baggage’ tale of two characters, Vixen and Whiskey, both from troubled backgrounds, whose mutual attraction is like an antidote for each other’s pains. V & W don’t always get on … both are powerful characters with strong wills, hot tempers and a tendency to keep issues to themselves. It is a well-crafted tale of conflict resolution via the tried and tested ‘1981 Soft Cell/Olivia Newton-John Fusion Methodology’ ... “Sometimes I feel I’ve got to run away, I’ve got to … get physical, physical … ”
Warning - strong adult material, not for the faint-hearted, but a compelling read for over 18s who like sizzle … or indeed just for research purposes.
I really, really wanted to like this book. I was super excited to read it! But I just couldnt connect to the characters. I felt like I knew half the story and was thrown into the middle of the book when I was at the beginning. I feel like if I had more background with the characters and how their relationship developed then I would have been able to connect to them more.
The relationship between Vixen and Pax was super confusing to me. I didnt understand the dynamic of it which is a first for me. It also just felt very flat with little to no character development. I really wanted to see Vixen trust Pax more but the end of this book.
I wish some of Vixens actions had a little more sense to them. Such as being injured when she has a complete meltdown. Or having difficulty riding the bike when she first got on it. Instead of magically being able to do this.
I absolutely loved Vixen and Whiskey's love story. It was heart-wrenching and beautiful and sad and perfect and a thousand other adjectives I won't bore you with in my review. Vixen is a strong, capable woman, and it's nice to not see the typical damsel in distress. Whiskey is hot, and he knows it. He's not my usual kind of book boyfriend, but he quickly won me over. Great book for fans of friends to lovers, dark romance, and stories that squeeze your heart. I already downloaded book two and can't wait to dive in! PLEASE NOTE: There are trigger warnings in this book, so make sure you read those before you jump in :)
Bonnie & Clyde. Lula & Sailor. And now, Vixen & Pax. Oof, what a wild, fast-paced ride with these two! I'm a sucker for friends-to-lovers romance and fell for Vixen and Pax and their intense chemistry the minute she hopped on the back of his Kawasaki. While R&C Christensen kept me guessing for a bit around whether we'd see them as a couple in this first foray into "hate-f*ck city" (as she so aptly calls it), it was clear from the get-go that Vixen and her boy are soulmates, and that their journey towards acceptance of this fact was going to wreck me. A solid intro to a rich new world. I'll follow this author wherever she wants to take me next!
I should start by saying I don't usually like dark romance or erotica especially, probably due in part to Fifty Shades and other similar books. This is nothing like that. My initial worry is that the relationship between the main characters would be toxic and whilst they are flawed and complex characters with trauma in their past, there is a healthy, communicative and affectionate relationship behind the sex and anger. It's certainly steamy, but it also has a lot of heart.
I've never cried so much reading a book.This is one of my favourite books ever.There were parts of the book which were tough to read the story was so sad and dark it grabbed you and held your attention till the last page.I dont think I have ever read such a beautiful love story whiskey and vixen were so beautifully written by this wonderful husband and wife team that if you read this book you will understand completely. Please if you can read this book have tissues handy.
Another amazing story by R & C Christiansen. A bumpy, fast ride on two wheels. Whiskey breaks your heart and Vixen makes you want to step in to protect her. Their love story is steamy and sexy, with a mix of heartbreaking pain. Grab yourself a glass of Whiskey, let your hair down, and settle in for this fast paced ride.
This was a great first read from author RC Christiansen. The tale of Kirsten (Vixen) was well-told with vivid imagery of what it was like to live in a home with no love, and in the case of Pax (Whiskey), grow up without a home at all. A dark romance to be sure, but one that ends with a beautiful HEA.
This book had me taking breaks to read others because of how heavy the content was. If you're ready to have your emotions tore into, tossed back at you, and placed neatly infront of you as some sort of peace offering... Then you need to read this.
Whiskey and Vixen share a Tainted Love. Both are a release for each other from the hate filling them from abuse. Apart, Whiskey and Vixen are broken while together, they are whole. All the baggage should be a wedge preventing them from having a successful relationship, but because of the beauty of their bond, Pax and Kirsten must survive as a couple. They just have to.
Pain experienced at the hands of evil can spawn hate so ingrained, it is all consuming. Pain can also shed light in the darkness on an awareness. An awareness of madness leading to understanding the necessity to escape and planting seeds of compassion.
R&C Christiansen gripped me with the manifestation of emotions resulting from abuse. The driving force for all decisions made. I am ready to find out what else is to be revealed.
Really enjoyed this story! I love the way the author shows even if one person's trauma isn't as awful as another's, that doesn't mean it's not just as important. Both Vixen and Whiskey had trouble with trust but in the end love was able to prevail. They just had to get out of their head what most people think what love is and embrace their own version of love.