Last Temptation

by Sloane Virago

Others have already fallen prey to Daemon's dark influence, but he's still resolved to fulfill his secret mission. Then, he meets the enchanting Esperanza, and everything starts to change. Can he bear to corrupt the woman he loves like he has corrupted everyone else? Or will he give up his hidden calling and entire purpose for her? With so much on the line, his decision is going to cause eternal repercussions that no one expected.


This is a double romance that follows the dual stories of two different couples.


From the moment Daemon appears in Jacob's life, he should have known that Daemon was nothing but trouble. It wasn't all bad news though. Because of Daemon, the lovely, unreachable Sara came into Jacob's life, and Jacob can't imagine life without her. There is so much about Sara that he still doesn't know, and it troubles him. Is Sara really the person she seems to be?


Jacob isn't the only one encountering Daemon's sinister ways for the first time. As a child, Jacob grew up with his two best friends, Esperanza and Peter. As Jacob becomes wrapped up in Daemon’s unconventional lifestyle, Esperanza finds herself spending more and more time with Peter. He may have been just a childhood friend before, but he now has a sexy allure that she can’t ignore.


Everything changes for Esperanza when she is crushed by a personal tragedy, and Peter is nowhere to be seen. In desperate need of love and support, she is an easy target. Daemon quickly proves himself to be a dashing, dangerous competitor for her love. Whether Peter knows it or not, Daemon is now the hidden threat in their love triangle and an intriguing, irresistible paramour for the innocent Esperanza.


When Daemon swoops in with his seductive charm, Esperanza, like Jacob before her, is unable to resist him. No one other than Daemon knows the hidden truth behind his sinister deeds—or the terrible extent he will go to fulfill his divine purpose.


Can she fall for his seductive appeal without losing her soul? And will he let her? What will Jacob give up to be with the guarded, beguiling Sara?


When he met Esperanza, Daemon never expected to find true love. Until then, he'd been content to play the field and introduce Jacob to his unorthodox career choices. Now, the eternal bad boy is left with a problem. Is he willing to give up his entire purpose in life for the only woman he has ever loved? Could he accept the consequences of his decision and choose love over duty? More importantly, would she?


This dark romance is intended for mature audiences only.

Genres: Romance

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2021

About the author

A decade ago, Sloane Virago moved to Taiwan to teach English. After a year apart, she realized that she couldn’t stay away from the love of her life any longer. She flew home on Valentine’s Day to surprise him, but the surprise was on her. He proposed that day, and they’ve been together ever since. Today, Sloane spends her time writing novels and hiking with her husband and son. Last Temptation is her debut novel.

Other than working as a novelist, Sloane Virago is finishing her master's of business administration and has a degree in history. To follow Sloane Virago's latest releases, check out her Facebook page, Instagram page or websiteLast Temptation now through its Amazon page.

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Last Temptation” by Sloane Virago, is a magnetic literary romance novel that will have you invested from start to finish. It’s the first book in the author’s Trials of the Demiurge series.

Daemon has a dark side, and Esperanza may be the one to help him, but is love enough? Jacob and Peter are best friends, and Esperanza has been friends with them both since childhood. Daemon is connected to the three of them, but not all of the ways are obvious or with good intentions. Esperanza has fallen for his wiles, and she may be in too deep. A love triangle complicates things.

Jacob admires Daemon and his unorthodox ways, and Peter is tantalizing to Esperanza, who had only regarded him as a friend before. But a turn of events puts the brakes on her relationship with Peter, and since Jacob is so wrapped up in himself to care what’s happening with her, she’s vulnerable to the irresistible Daemon. He has secrets, he seems a bit dangerous, and he has a destiny that he is intent on fulfilling. Can she let herself love him, or will it cost her something more than life itself? Daemon has a decision to make. He could relinquish his reason for being, all for Esperanza, the only woman he’s truly ever loved. But this would mean ramifications. Esperanza, or his calling? Which will he choose?

This compelling novel ticks a lot of boxes for romance fans. The author’s easy style is engaging from page one, and the breezy dialogue and clear descriptions make getting to know the characters a lot of fun. There is a love triangle, and the friends-to-lovers angle, and a dark mysterious element named Daemon that throws a wrench into the works. At first you think you know where the story is going, but Virago wisely adds some twists and turns. The angst will have you walking the floor as you read, and you really won’t know how it will end until you get there. The author’s casual writing style is deceptively simple, but there is a lot of turmoil going on under the surface. This is a romance novel with some suspense, sexual encounters, and a dilemma with eternal consequences.

“Last Temptation” by Sloane Virago, is a deep romance you shouldn’t miss. It’s a captivating beginning to a promising series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this, and I can't get the ending out of my mind. The story was amazing and engrossing, but I'm still chewing over the author's underlying message--this book was really profound. The steamy sex scenes broke up some of the ore serious moments, and the plot is really interesting with just enough twists and turns. I also like the friends-to-lovers and love triangle angle. In some ways, it reminded me of a modern, dark version of the F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby. Anyway, I definitely recommend it. So far, it's my favorite book of 2021.

[Taylor Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just started reading it, and I already am completely pulled into the story line. Virago really makes her characters come to life. I can't wait to find out how everything ends.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[E.M. Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a little gem this book is! The writing flows and the characters draw you in. Quite the page-turner and definitely worth the read. Great debut novel!

[Melissa May · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I finished reading Last Temptation I kept thinking about the plot. It’s an intriguing dark romance. The characters are very interesting and I really liked Esperanza and Deamon.
This is not the genre I usually read and I surprised myself with how much I liked it.
It has angst, steamy romance, a lot of twists and turns and a paranormal twist.
I highly reccomend it for Dark romance readers. I received this arc from the author and this review is my honest opinion.

[lovelust andbloodygoodbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Sloane for sending us this book over to take a read it's very much appreciated.

this story follows three childhood friends as they are wrapping up their college year and moving not their chosen paths.
Peter has passed all his exams and is now starting out in the police force, Esperanza is slightly younger and still a student and Jacob still can’t decide on a career path for himself.
Then you have Daemon who is ver mysterious, he pulls Jacob into the social world of unstoppable and unpredictable drama.
With a love triangle and some tantalising sex scenes that break free of serious crime and suspense told within the twists and turns of this storyline.

overall I enjoyed reading this book, my only critique is the dialogue between the characters is a little choppy, however, the ending keeps you guessing.

Overall Rating 3 1/2 💋💋💋😘
Passion Rating 3 💋💋💋

[Michael Blythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last temptation is a solid debut novel by Sloane Virago, I am not at all surprised to learn that she is an English teacher. The last temptation is a sensual and emotive drama that follows three childhood friends as they are finishing college: Peter the rookie cop, the beautiful Esperanza who is a student, and Jacob who lacks career direction. Then enters the dark mysterious businessman- Daemon who subverts Jacob into his social world, from there the story slowly builds into an unstoppable and unpredictable drama, the author peeling away layer after layer of mystery in a deep psychological study of motivation, self-deception and true revelation. What I loved most about this book was the convergence of characters transforming each other as the drama gained momentum and spiralled out of control and of course the love story which was beautiful. This book contains sex, drug use and some crime and spiritual themes as well. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the romance, coming of age, mystery, or crime genres, or anyone who feels like reading something original and different, sensual and emotive.

[Leslie Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best romance triangle stories I’ve read. Sexy and gripping throughout, with a breathtaking plot that makes you guess what’s coming next. The smart storyline keeps the reader craving for more and more of this temptation.. Loved the character of Esperanza and the evil nature of her seducer Daemon and how she manipulated him in the end. Loved the book and looking forward to the next installment in the alluring series.

[Douglas Pocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was a real page-turner, and I'm still thinking about the way it ended. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys literary romance or dark romance. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.

[Courtney Crass · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling romance that will keep you guessing until the end. I read it all in a day--it's worth it.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to be honest, I wasn't a fan. The book was choppy. It wasn't edited to where it flowed smoothly. Conversations between the charachters seemed to go like this...Problem presented, character gets mad, very little explaining reason for problem, character forgives ( but only after saying that 'with everything the other person told them') as a reader, I was like "but they didn't say any real reason at all" It was like the author wanted you to assume there were conversations between characters that were not in the book. The ending was abrupt, left me wondering how it was going to turn out. It didn't seem possible that a normal life can be led in the end.
Though I am thankful I won the book in the giveaway, I would have been disappointed if I had purchased this book.

[S.K. Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read for dark romance fans.

[Scarlett Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really gripping novel which kept me guessing right until the end. The characters are intriguing as is the plot and it was nothing like I'd expected :-) which was awesome!