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Beauty in Lies #2
Until Forever Ends
It was all a lie.
A monster like Rafe could never be the loving, doting husband I deserve.
He knows it too.
He says he gave me a chance.
He says I made the wrong choice.
The man determined to possess me is no longer hiding his true self. The notorious crime boss, El Diablo, will not be denied. He’s going to imprint himself on me. Body and soul, I will belong to him…
Unless I escape – endure.
The fires of Hell burn hot.
Hot enough to forge its new queen.
This is a dark mafia romance and contains elements that may be triggering to some readers. Please read at your own discretion and refer to the warning at the beginning of the book.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2021
764 people are currently reading
5258 people want to read
About the author
Adelaide Forrest
29 books3,120 followersAdelaide fell in love with books at a young age and quickly discovered her love for writing soon after. Since then, she’s become a self-professed plot hoarder of over 300 book concepts.
After receiving her degree in Psychology, Adelaide went on to work in a therapeutic riding facility. When her daughter was born, Adelaide traded out her boots to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2019, she added author to those job duties after a lifetime of dreaming about it.
She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and their dog and cat who all make up the center of her world.
For updates, please visit www.adelaideforrest.com or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdelaideForr...
or instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adelaidefor...
After receiving her degree in Psychology, Adelaide went on to work in a therapeutic riding facility. When her daughter was born, Adelaide traded out her boots to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2019, she added author to those job duties after a lifetime of dreaming about it.
She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and their dog and cat who all make up the center of her world.
For updates, please visit www.adelaideforrest.com or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdelaideForr...
or instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adelaidefor...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 536 reviews
September 16, 2021
it was going so well for me, until the branding scene happened
I’m so sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I could’ve... while I love dark romance and dubcon/noncon, for a book 2 in a series, I expected more... and I’m so bummed...
The book continues from where book one ended, right when Rafael injects Isa and she is unconscious. He kidnaps her and takes her to his private island, where he proceeds to put two trackers in her while she’s still unconscious and has a doctor give her a fertility shot to try to get her pregnant as soon as possible- all without her consent (well, she’s unconscious and never finds out this happened- at least not in book 2- and I don’t mind forced pregnancy tropes). This happens right at the beginning of the book, so I was sure that it was going to get better, maybe because Rafe is so obsessed with her and wants her forever (I LOVE the title and my heart melted when Rafe tells Isa this- about their love). That part didn’t bother me; what bothered me was Isa not having more of a backbone. She wakes up and realizes that she’s sore but doesn’t say much. Now I get it; she’s at the mercy of a mob boss, killer, obsessive man, so there’s not much she can do. But, I wanted her to fight her attraction to him more. She continually gives in, making it seem like she doesn’t have a mind of her own. Rafe makes it hard for her to choose anything, even going as far as deciding what she’s going to wear for the day (which doesn’t bother me- one less thing to worry about). And yes, she’s on an island, so she really can’t leave. Even when she tried, there was nowhere for her to go, and everyone that lives on the island won’t lift a finger to help her.
We sometimes see that Rafe is sweet, but then he goes and does some thing that sets him back a step (in my eyes). And Isa... I felt horrible for her. While I get it- she’s only 18, lived a pretty sheltered life in many aspects, was a V before meeting him, I wanted her to have more of a say or not accept everything thrown her way. She tried to fight it, but then Rafe makes her submit and accept it all with sex. I’m all about the sexual attraction and the intense chemistry that even makes ME feel goosebumps, but when your man is being an @$$#0!€ and isn’t giving in to you at all, then how am I supposed to root for him? Ugh. I have so many mixed feelings! One thing that made me root for Isa was when she fought back (yessss Isa)- stabbing him with the fork and making him bleed, throwing things at him, scratching him a lot, and not telling him everything he wanted to know about her, because he might “own” her body, but won’t own her mind; shoot even when she forced him to use a gun on her to marry him... Made me all root for her (and him, kind of). Buuuut then the branding scene happened...
SPOILERS (as if the previous paragraph doesn’t have any spoilers LOL). I hated when he branded her. When he threatened to do it the first time, I almost stopped reading. But, then he changed his mind, and I felt relief. Him forcing a tattoo on her didn’t bother me as much, because he got a similar tattoo as well (plus, tattoos are removable lol). But then he decided to brand her anyway when she supposedly betrayed him by not listening to him. Um... excuse me... her trying to learn how to fight and protect herself is NOT betraying you... IDGAF about you feeling “upset” that she thinks you can’t protect her. In this mafia world, you just never know! Ugh! He “punished” her for disobeying him when he came back, and then he still ended up branding her. He already tattooed her, put trackers in her, gave her a fertility shot without her knowing, won’t wear protection so she’s bound to get pregnant (which I’m all for lol), and has her basically stranded on an island, away from the life she’s known and her family...oh and he forced her to marry him...That’s not enough? Honestly, I don’t know if he’s redeemable. I feel horrible saying this cause I LOOOOOVED HIM in book 1!!! He did no wrong in my eyes. But now... the branding scene was the hay that broke the camel’s back for me. I saw the trigger warning in book 1, but I didn’t read it again before starting book 2. I love me a crazy OTT J/p H that is obsessed with the h and worships her like no other... but branding her the way he did was not for me! He has no regrets, no compromises, which bothers me; I'm all about an anti-hero, but I also like knowing that the H can be the baddest mothaf*cker out there, but he will give in to his woman here and there, and I don't know if Rafe will ever do that. Annnnnd... to top it ALL OFF... while she’s being tied down and tattooed, he’s edging her (I have to admit, this was pretty hot but probably very unrealistic), and while he brands her, he’s smexing her. He’s holding her down, branding her, and she manages to O? Um.... what?🤔 how can she possibly be THAT into it; her skin is being burned off and she STILL manages to O??? 🤔. Yes, he did it to himself first- which is probably “romantic” or like an “equalizer” (cause he’ll do to her what he does to himself), but then, doing it to her and her accepting it and then O’ing right after? I was rolling my eyes and was about to DNF, but at this point, I was like 90% of the way in. I needed to just finish. I felt a little bit of hope, because she DOES tell him “I won’t forgive you”... so I was thinking “yes! Make him grovel and don’t give in Isa! Take a stand so he feels regret!” But then he says “yes you will” and continues anyway. You were right Rafe. She didn’t even bat an eye. She didn’t care that she was in pain, permanently scarring her at the ripe age of 18, and she forgave you 🤷🏻♀️. END OF THE SPOILERS- which is really just me venting and upset.
I’m so sad 😩. I don’t know about reading book 3 now. The cliffy was so good!! I want to know why the accident happened! I need to be in the right headspace and take a break from this series if I continue.
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/owd/omd
-my whole review is full of triggers lol: noncon/dubcon galore
I’m so sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as I could’ve... while I love dark romance and dubcon/noncon, for a book 2 in a series, I expected more... and I’m so bummed...
The book continues from where book one ended, right when Rafael injects Isa and she is unconscious. He kidnaps her and takes her to his private island, where he proceeds to put two trackers in her while she’s still unconscious and has a doctor give her a fertility shot to try to get her pregnant as soon as possible- all without her consent (well, she’s unconscious and never finds out this happened- at least not in book 2- and I don’t mind forced pregnancy tropes). This happens right at the beginning of the book, so I was sure that it was going to get better, maybe because Rafe is so obsessed with her and wants her forever (I LOVE the title and my heart melted when Rafe tells Isa this- about their love). That part didn’t bother me; what bothered me was Isa not having more of a backbone. She wakes up and realizes that she’s sore but doesn’t say much. Now I get it; she’s at the mercy of a mob boss, killer, obsessive man, so there’s not much she can do. But, I wanted her to fight her attraction to him more. She continually gives in, making it seem like she doesn’t have a mind of her own. Rafe makes it hard for her to choose anything, even going as far as deciding what she’s going to wear for the day (which doesn’t bother me- one less thing to worry about). And yes, she’s on an island, so she really can’t leave. Even when she tried, there was nowhere for her to go, and everyone that lives on the island won’t lift a finger to help her.
We sometimes see that Rafe is sweet, but then he goes and does some thing that sets him back a step (in my eyes). And Isa... I felt horrible for her. While I get it- she’s only 18, lived a pretty sheltered life in many aspects, was a V before meeting him, I wanted her to have more of a say or not accept everything thrown her way. She tried to fight it, but then Rafe makes her submit and accept it all with sex. I’m all about the sexual attraction and the intense chemistry that even makes ME feel goosebumps, but when your man is being an @$$#0!€ and isn’t giving in to you at all, then how am I supposed to root for him? Ugh. I have so many mixed feelings! One thing that made me root for Isa was when she fought back (yessss Isa)- stabbing him with the fork and making him bleed, throwing things at him, scratching him a lot, and not telling him everything he wanted to know about her, because he might “own” her body, but won’t own her mind; shoot even when she forced him to use a gun on her to marry him... Made me all root for her (and him, kind of). Buuuut then the branding scene happened...
SPOILERS (as if the previous paragraph doesn’t have any spoilers LOL). I hated when he branded her. When he threatened to do it the first time, I almost stopped reading. But, then he changed his mind, and I felt relief. Him forcing a tattoo on her didn’t bother me as much, because he got a similar tattoo as well (plus, tattoos are removable lol). But then he decided to brand her anyway when she supposedly betrayed him by not listening to him. Um... excuse me... her trying to learn how to fight and protect herself is NOT betraying you... IDGAF about you feeling “upset” that she thinks you can’t protect her. In this mafia world, you just never know! Ugh! He “punished” her for disobeying him when he came back, and then he still ended up branding her. He already tattooed her, put trackers in her, gave her a fertility shot without her knowing, won’t wear protection so she’s bound to get pregnant (which I’m all for lol), and has her basically stranded on an island, away from the life she’s known and her family...oh and he forced her to marry him...That’s not enough? Honestly, I don’t know if he’s redeemable. I feel horrible saying this cause I LOOOOOVED HIM in book 1!!! He did no wrong in my eyes. But now... the branding scene was the hay that broke the camel’s back for me. I saw the trigger warning in book 1, but I didn’t read it again before starting book 2. I love me a crazy OTT J/p H that is obsessed with the h and worships her like no other... but branding her the way he did was not for me! He has no regrets, no compromises, which bothers me; I'm all about an anti-hero, but I also like knowing that the H can be the baddest mothaf*cker out there, but he will give in to his woman here and there, and I don't know if Rafe will ever do that. Annnnnd... to top it ALL OFF... while she’s being tied down and tattooed, he’s edging her (I have to admit, this was pretty hot but probably very unrealistic), and while he brands her, he’s smexing her. He’s holding her down, branding her, and she manages to O? Um.... what?🤔 how can she possibly be THAT into it; her skin is being burned off and she STILL manages to O??? 🤔. Yes, he did it to himself first- which is probably “romantic” or like an “equalizer” (cause he’ll do to her what he does to himself), but then, doing it to her and her accepting it and then O’ing right after? I was rolling my eyes and was about to DNF, but at this point, I was like 90% of the way in. I needed to just finish. I felt a little bit of hope, because she DOES tell him “I won’t forgive you”... so I was thinking “yes! Make him grovel and don’t give in Isa! Take a stand so he feels regret!” But then he says “yes you will” and continues anyway. You were right Rafe. She didn’t even bat an eye. She didn’t care that she was in pain, permanently scarring her at the ripe age of 18, and she forgave you 🤷🏻♀️. END OF THE SPOILERS- which is really just me venting and upset.
I’m so sad 😩. I don’t know about reading book 3 now. The cliffy was so good!! I want to know why the accident happened! I need to be in the right headspace and take a break from this series if I continue.
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/owd/omd
-my whole review is full of triggers lol: noncon/dubcon galore
February 3, 2022
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars
POV : Dual
Cliffhanger : Yes
Hero : Rafael
Heroine : Isa
Pace of the story : Moderate
Angst Rating : 6/10
Heat Rating : 8/10
Triggers Involved : Dub Con , Forced pregnancy , Branding , Kidnapping
Plot Summary :
Rafael and Isa are back!
Isa knows about who Rafael is. She knows that the stranger who has swept her off her feet is not an innocent man. He is a ruthless one , a man who would cross any limit to keep her. So now she has run away. Or tried to. Rafael caught her and now she is his captive. The man she loves is now the man she hates and there is no way he is letting her go.
Rafael gave her a chance. He gave her a chance to fall in love with the man but she chose to run away. And now she would meet the monster. She had no idea how many years he had waited to claim her. No idea how much he controlled her life. And by the time she did, it would be too late to run away. Isa was his, willing or unwilling. And there was no way he was letting her go.
Overall Opinion :
Okay so honestly speaking, I don't think there has ever been a book that drove me as crazy as this one!! That ending of the first book was downright cruel and had me dreaming about these characters!! 🤣🤣 that's how obsessed I was!
Those Who have read the first book of those series would know that this part would be a darker part of the series since in this part, Rafael's monster came out to play. The book had a few triggers like DubCon scenes, forced Branding, forced pregnancy and major stalker tendencies. Rafael was one ruthless son of a bitch and there was no limit he would not cross to possess Isa. No matter how much she protested, he did not let her go.
I have read a lot of Dark hero but holy shit, none of them have consumed me as much as Rafael has! The ending of this book was the best part. It was a jaw punching plot twist that I did not see coming and I am going crazy!! I need answers!! I can't scream and recommend this book enough, hell this whole series is a MUST READ of all the dark romance lovers out there!!
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November 3, 2021
3 Stars
Entertaining enough but super repetitive and it caused it to start dragging at times. I do like how crazy the hero can be, but the heroine ruins it with how much of an idiot she is at times and I'm so sick of her constantly forgiving the hero right away because of BBS🙄 2 books down and I feel like I have barely gotten anywhere in their relationship, and why tf is this series so long.
Safety: safe
No ow/om drama
No cheating
No sharing altho hero is def into some public sex
Entertaining enough but super repetitive and it caused it to start dragging at times. I do like how crazy the hero can be, but the heroine ruins it with how much of an idiot she is at times and I'm so sick of her constantly forgiving the hero right away because of BBS🙄 2 books down and I feel like I have barely gotten anywhere in their relationship, and why tf is this series so long.
Safety: safe
No ow/om drama
No cheating
No sharing altho hero is def into some public sex
January 24, 2022
The devil is a gentleman
Immediately picks up where the heart-gripping cliffhanger in book one left off, literally with my mouth in an awe-struck position. All the delicious alpha male from before but upped the ante. Rafael is in true form as the head of underground cartel and the master of his chosen mistress, his queen. A figurative we tried it your way, now we'll do and finish it my way. Isa’s innocence graduates to be his match both in confidence and embracing her darkness. Yet despite the darker tones, I could feel the romantic undercurrent, much more profound in light of the now revelations.
Again, alluring characters, excellent character development, and vivid descriptiveness to this now more turbulent love affair. Chemistry between Rafe and Isa is still strong, and despite the now darker themes attached to it (please and thank you), I liked the honest depiction of their mutual attraction. No need for false pretenses, or contrived push and pull. These two are combustible, and underneath the turmoil, though, the unspoken love is still apparent. Book 2 is definitely darker with a drool-worthy, possessive, unleashed Rafael who claims his lady love, whether she likes it or not. The word "mine" reverberates in my head. This is a very steamy affair.
While I typically prefer faster pace adventures, this author has a talent for words. Truly, reading this story is like living through the eyes of the characters, so I settled in and absorbed it, partook in the scenery, enjoyed the passion, and let it all consume me. Cliffhanger ending. I eagerly await the arrival of the next book.
Immediately picks up where the heart-gripping cliffhanger in book one left off, literally with my mouth in an awe-struck position. All the delicious alpha male from before but upped the ante. Rafael is in true form as the head of underground cartel and the master of his chosen mistress, his queen. A figurative we tried it your way, now we'll do and finish it my way. Isa’s innocence graduates to be his match both in confidence and embracing her darkness. Yet despite the darker tones, I could feel the romantic undercurrent, much more profound in light of the now revelations.
Again, alluring characters, excellent character development, and vivid descriptiveness to this now more turbulent love affair. Chemistry between Rafe and Isa is still strong, and despite the now darker themes attached to it (please and thank you), I liked the honest depiction of their mutual attraction. No need for false pretenses, or contrived push and pull. These two are combustible, and underneath the turmoil, though, the unspoken love is still apparent. Book 2 is definitely darker with a drool-worthy, possessive, unleashed Rafael who claims his lady love, whether she likes it or not. The word "mine" reverberates in my head. This is a very steamy affair.
While I typically prefer faster pace adventures, this author has a talent for words. Truly, reading this story is like living through the eyes of the characters, so I settled in and absorbed it, partook in the scenery, enjoyed the passion, and let it all consume me. Cliffhanger ending. I eagerly await the arrival of the next book.
July 2, 2023
#0.5 Until Memory Fades — 3 stars
#1 Until Tomorrow Comes — 3.25 stars
#2 Until Forever Ends — 2.5 stars
the H checks all the red flags which makes him the perfect anti hero, but he needs better h than this doormat. shes ruining the series for me. 😩 despite being abducted, physically violated, manipulated, and coerced into doing something she doesnt want by the H, the h gives in to him way too easily. she throws tantrum and fights back for like one second. then everything is fixed & forgiven by an orgasm.
i thought that she would have more claws than this. apparently that was too much to hope for. 😭 always being the responsible good girl, it makes sense that she wants to let loose and have someone else (the H) be in control for once. its just that her character feels a lot like a broken barbie doll. the dynamic gets repetitive & boring. instead of exciting, reading this book was exasperating. 🙄
(read as an audiobook)
#1 Until Tomorrow Comes — 3.25 stars
#2 Until Forever Ends — 2.5 stars
the H checks all the red flags which makes him the perfect anti hero, but he needs better h than this doormat. shes ruining the series for me. 😩 despite being abducted, physically violated, manipulated, and coerced into doing something she doesnt want by the H, the h gives in to him way too easily. she throws tantrum and fights back for like one second. then everything is fixed & forgiven by an orgasm.
“You’re mine to hurt. Mine to break. Mine to fuck, and mine to keep, Princesa.”
i thought that she would have more claws than this. apparently that was too much to hope for. 😭 always being the responsible good girl, it makes sense that she wants to let loose and have someone else (the H) be in control for once. its just that her character feels a lot like a broken barbie doll. the dynamic gets repetitive & boring. instead of exciting, reading this book was exasperating. 🙄
(read as an audiobook)
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March 14, 2021
Rafael Ibarra is everything. He is epically OTT JP alpha caveman to the extreme. And I am here for every second of it. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
August 7, 2023
Another cliffhanger.
I have no words for Rafael Ibarra.
I worry about myself sometimes, what does it say about me the fact I like stories like this?
I have no words for Rafael Ibarra.
I worry about myself sometimes, what does it say about me the fact I like stories like this?
July 25, 2021
Okay.. I don't know to feel about this one. I almost DNF d it. It didn't have anything the author didn't warn me about. But also... there was NOTHING redeemable about Rafr in this one.
I forgave thing after thing and he just got sadistic and cruel to this child he supposedly loved. I am honestly unsure if I will conclude this series. I am pretty made that he was such a dick. Like... way past being a sexy dick.
.
TW: Dub Con, branding, knifes, forced marriage, forced unsafe sex, kidnapping, pain. It was a lot.
I forgave thing after thing and he just got sadistic and cruel to this child he supposedly loved. I am honestly unsure if I will conclude this series. I am pretty made that he was such a dick. Like... way past being a sexy dick.
.
TW: Dub Con, branding, knifes, forced marriage, forced unsafe sex, kidnapping, pain. It was a lot.
December 11, 2023
My first 3 star in a while!
I have no idea what happened with the first book in this series (which I previously listened to and rated it a 1 star, btw).
In this second book, the chemistry, the sex, and the heroine are MILES better!
I love me a psychotic/unhinged hero... but a hero like that is nothing without a heroine putting up a fight and actually making it difficult for the hero to win her.
I liked the heroine here more than I liked her from the first book. (In the first book, she was all puppy dog loser, falling in love out of nowhere...)
But in this book, even though she is still attracted to the hero and loves having sex with him, she is NOT a doormat. She actually fights her situation in a way that I like.
This was gonna be a 2.5 stars for me, but then the heroine stabbed the hero with a fork, and I cheered,,,
because I love when heroines shoot/stab the hero, so I added a third star.
Deserved.
I have no idea what happened with the first book in this series (which I previously listened to and rated it a 1 star, btw).
In this second book, the chemistry, the sex, and the heroine are MILES better!
I love me a psychotic/unhinged hero... but a hero like that is nothing without a heroine putting up a fight and actually making it difficult for the hero to win her.
I liked the heroine here more than I liked her from the first book. (In the first book, she was all puppy dog loser, falling in love out of nowhere...)
But in this book, even though she is still attracted to the hero and loves having sex with him, she is NOT a doormat. She actually fights her situation in a way that I like.
This was gonna be a 2.5 stars for me, but then the heroine stabbed the hero with a fork, and I cheered,,,
because I love when heroines shoot/stab the hero, so I added a third star.
Deserved.
November 7, 2023
No.
Rafael is irredeemable .
Rafael is irredeemable .
March 29, 2021
Adelaide Forrest is indisputably a great writer. However, I had a lot of problems with this book. My problems were not with the triggers, but with the execution of the more contentious moments. I can excuse a lot when love is involved, but there was really no love in this book. There were innumerable mentions of how Rafe and Isa loved each other, but it was all “telling” us that they loved each other—that love was never shown. In fact, it’s kind of concerning to think that this could possibly be considered love. I’m all for a damaged, dark hero with a hurtful past who is redeemed, in part through the love of the heroine. But Rafe is no redeemable villain; he’s actually borderline psychopathic. And in regard to Isa, there were many illusions to her becoming a stronger, fiercer character, but I actually thought she was steadily becoming a weaker, more submissive character. I really lost respect for her.
I could’ve moved past that though, if not for the somewhat boring plot. I had a similar problem with the first book. Just, not much happened in this story. It was essentially an endless cycle of Isa fighting her feelings for Rafe, Rafe fighting Isa about the denial of her feelings for him, and back again. There were no exciting plot points, beyond the very last few pages of the novel. Because of that, I felt like many of the lines were overly dramatic in an effort to force some interest in the story.
Overall, I cannot recommend this book, and I will not continue to read this series. Forrest is a gifted writer, but her current stories are a bit off for me.
*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*
I could’ve moved past that though, if not for the somewhat boring plot. I had a similar problem with the first book. Just, not much happened in this story. It was essentially an endless cycle of Isa fighting her feelings for Rafe, Rafe fighting Isa about the denial of her feelings for him, and back again. There were no exciting plot points, beyond the very last few pages of the novel. Because of that, I felt like many of the lines were overly dramatic in an effort to force some interest in the story.
Overall, I cannot recommend this book, and I will not continue to read this series. Forrest is a gifted writer, but her current stories are a bit off for me.
*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*
March 15, 2021
My mind is blown by this story and the way this book ended . Isa and Rafael are my favorite couple ever !
Isa seemed to be a good girl with a good family but a troubled twin sister .
Raphael is the devil . He knows the second he sees Isa he has to have her . Their story starts in the prequel . Talk about possessive! Rafe is ott j/p plus some.
Isa finds out what being with the devil means . Rafe will stop at nothing to have his queen by his side . He wants her to be tied to him in every possible way and he’s willing to do whatever he has to to get her to agree.
Rafe is dark and he is not for everyone . This book contains non-con , blood, gore, and everything that you can imagine in a dark romance . I loved all of it .
This is not your soft book boyfriend sugarcoated kind of read . It’s dirty , gritty , and dang hard to stomach at times but at the same time I couldn’t put it down .
If you like dark romances then this is the book for you . It can’t get much darker and yet I still loved Rafe. I love that there is no ow drama. Rafe is completely obsessed with Isa and only Isa. This ends on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to get more of Isa and Rafe’s story ! Don’t miss this amazing, dark story!
Isa seemed to be a good girl with a good family but a troubled twin sister .
Raphael is the devil . He knows the second he sees Isa he has to have her . Their story starts in the prequel . Talk about possessive! Rafe is ott j/p plus some.
Isa finds out what being with the devil means . Rafe will stop at nothing to have his queen by his side . He wants her to be tied to him in every possible way and he’s willing to do whatever he has to to get her to agree.
Rafe is dark and he is not for everyone . This book contains non-con , blood, gore, and everything that you can imagine in a dark romance . I loved all of it .
This is not your soft book boyfriend sugarcoated kind of read . It’s dirty , gritty , and dang hard to stomach at times but at the same time I couldn’t put it down .
If you like dark romances then this is the book for you . It can’t get much darker and yet I still loved Rafe. I love that there is no ow drama. Rafe is completely obsessed with Isa and only Isa. This ends on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to get more of Isa and Rafe’s story ! Don’t miss this amazing, dark story!
March 31, 2021
Oh dear what on earth happened?!!!
I was so looking forward to the second book in this series as I gave 5 stars to the first book but this was disturbing reading, the H was a deranged psycho and the poor h who was only 18 was drugged, kidnapped, raped, given fertility drugs without her knowledge and tortured it was uncomfortable reading with not one bit of romance - 1 star
I was so looking forward to the second book in this series as I gave 5 stars to the first book but this was disturbing reading, the H was a deranged psycho and the poor h who was only 18 was drugged, kidnapped, raped, given fertility drugs without her knowledge and tortured it was uncomfortable reading with not one bit of romance - 1 star
September 28, 2021
Spoilers are in this review.
"If he did not invite you to your own wedding, how did you come to be my new niece?"
"He put a gun to my head.”
I absolutely hated this story from beginning to end. She literally didn’t have a choice in ANYTHING. ( Ahem, putting a gun to her head to force her to marry him) Considering who the author is, I really should have seen that coming. I feel like this story was literally written just for the smut.
And Rafe? He’s an idiot. He kept changing his mind about everything. He wanted to brand her, then he didn’t want to, then he did. Like, MAKE A CHOICE PLS! The entire story he makes it clear that he doesn’t care about her happiness, he just wants to own her and then randomly he says, “Your happiness matters to me.” NO IT DOESN’T. He locked her up in a room, practically r*ped her, and then demanded she love him and tell him all of her secrets. Somewhere in the story it was suddenly decided Rafe loved her after he said that he couldn’t love anybody. But his actions never changes. He continuously abused and used her. He literally wanted to brand her the first time because she tried to leave after finding out that he’s a murderer.
Somehow Isa still loves and wants him enough that it keeps her from killing him? She should’ve stabbed him and ran when she had the chance. Sure, he would’ve hunted her down, but at least she would’ve had a head start. That’s another thing, in the beginning she wanted to hurt him and escape but then that suddenly changed? I’m not sure why it even changed considering she was still treated terribly.
I have read stories before with the “no one will kill/hurt you but me” trope before and I normally like it. But I absolutely hated it in this book. He would hurt her and threaten to kill her for the stupidest reason. She’s an 18 year old girl who doesn’t want to marry or get pregnant by a 30 something man. Yet, he doesn’t understand. I’m all for the forced pregnancy trope too. But I hate how it was executed in this book.
And this guy is literally obsessed with being the devil. His nickname is El Diablo, I get that, but in almost every chapters it’s mentioned. “You're here because this is a part of me, and you cannot love part of me without loving the devil too," SHE WAS ALREADY SEEING THE FREAKING DEVIL!!! That was said almost three chapters from the ending.
"You suggested that Rafael can't keep you safe. No wonder he tore out of here like there was a fire up his a**," he laughed. "You insulted the devil's manhood and lived to tell about it. Congratulations, mi reina. I think that might be a first."
Is this what toxic masculinity is? 😭 All she wanted to do was learn how to defend herself and he acted like a complete jerk. Rafe is just an incredibly cruel person. This isn’t a dark romance where the man loves the woman. This is a dark romance where the man says he loves the woman and then continuously abuses her and takes away all of her rights.
He treats her like property. And he’s extremely controlling. He doesn’t want her to have any friends unless it’s the ones he lets her have. Reading this story made me incredibly angry and gave me a headache. I won’t be reading any more stories by this author.
"No, mi reina. You are the only person who is a prisoner here. You have no rights like freedom. Not when you're mine.”
Content warnings: non-con, violence, semi-voyeurism, forced pregnancy, super-controlling guy
"If he did not invite you to your own wedding, how did you come to be my new niece?"
"He put a gun to my head.”
I absolutely hated this story from beginning to end. She literally didn’t have a choice in ANYTHING. ( Ahem, putting a gun to her head to force her to marry him) Considering who the author is, I really should have seen that coming. I feel like this story was literally written just for the smut.
And Rafe? He’s an idiot. He kept changing his mind about everything. He wanted to brand her, then he didn’t want to, then he did. Like, MAKE A CHOICE PLS! The entire story he makes it clear that he doesn’t care about her happiness, he just wants to own her and then randomly he says, “Your happiness matters to me.” NO IT DOESN’T. He locked her up in a room, practically r*ped her, and then demanded she love him and tell him all of her secrets. Somewhere in the story it was suddenly decided Rafe loved her after he said that he couldn’t love anybody. But his actions never changes. He continuously abused and used her. He literally wanted to brand her the first time because she tried to leave after finding out that he’s a murderer.
Somehow Isa still loves and wants him enough that it keeps her from killing him? She should’ve stabbed him and ran when she had the chance. Sure, he would’ve hunted her down, but at least she would’ve had a head start. That’s another thing, in the beginning she wanted to hurt him and escape but then that suddenly changed? I’m not sure why it even changed considering she was still treated terribly.
I have read stories before with the “no one will kill/hurt you but me” trope before and I normally like it. But I absolutely hated it in this book. He would hurt her and threaten to kill her for the stupidest reason. She’s an 18 year old girl who doesn’t want to marry or get pregnant by a 30 something man. Yet, he doesn’t understand. I’m all for the forced pregnancy trope too. But I hate how it was executed in this book.
And this guy is literally obsessed with being the devil. His nickname is El Diablo, I get that, but in almost every chapters it’s mentioned. “You're here because this is a part of me, and you cannot love part of me without loving the devil too," SHE WAS ALREADY SEEING THE FREAKING DEVIL!!! That was said almost three chapters from the ending.
"You suggested that Rafael can't keep you safe. No wonder he tore out of here like there was a fire up his a**," he laughed. "You insulted the devil's manhood and lived to tell about it. Congratulations, mi reina. I think that might be a first."
Is this what toxic masculinity is? 😭 All she wanted to do was learn how to defend herself and he acted like a complete jerk. Rafe is just an incredibly cruel person. This isn’t a dark romance where the man loves the woman. This is a dark romance where the man says he loves the woman and then continuously abuses her and takes away all of her rights.
He treats her like property. And he’s extremely controlling. He doesn’t want her to have any friends unless it’s the ones he lets her have. Reading this story made me incredibly angry and gave me a headache. I won’t be reading any more stories by this author.
"No, mi reina. You are the only person who is a prisoner here. You have no rights like freedom. Not when you're mine.”
Content warnings: non-con, violence, semi-voyeurism, forced pregnancy, super-controlling guy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2021
DNF #3 was too covulted.
1. The number of times people refer to him as El Diablo made me want to roll my eyes.
2. WTF was that branding scene for?
3. WTF how did he even know she is the Queen to his darkness or whatever.
Everything made me want to roll my eyes and cringe
1. The number of times people refer to him as El Diablo made me want to roll my eyes.
2. WTF was that branding scene for?
3. WTF how did he even know she is the Queen to his darkness or whatever.
Everything made me want to roll my eyes and cringe
August 21, 2021
dnf at 60%
Characters are so unlikable and Rafael is not even E of El Diablo.
Characters are so unlikable and Rafael is not even E of El Diablo.
May 13, 2022
Okay but now I need to know what the father has to do with everything cause I am confused.
HOW DID HE FIND HER?????
HOW DID HE FIND HER?????
July 17, 2022
"Until Forever Ends" is the continuation of Isa and Rafael's story.
The devil has kidnapped the angel. Will she give in? Or will he have to clip her wings?
In this part, the hero uses every tool under his belt to keep the heroine with him. Be it . She eventually gives in and opens up, only to realize he might have deeper connections with the demon from her past..
Safe
4.25/5
The devil has kidnapped the angel. Will she give in? Or will he have to clip her wings?
In this part, the hero uses every tool under his belt to keep the heroine with him. Be it . She eventually gives in and opens up, only to realize he might have deeper connections with the demon from her past..
Safe
4.25/5
January 1, 2023
Rafe can be a sexy sociapath for all I care still I'll Love him!
and rafe finally admitting that he's in love with her had me-😍🥰🥵😩😭
Love wasn't a strong enough word for how I felt for Isa, but it was the only one that existed. She was my weakness. My everything.
absolutely loved seeing Isa embrace the darkness and become the queen she is!
The darkness had always been a part of me. I'd always been more at
home in it than I had the sunshine.
and rafe finally admitting that he's in love with her had me-😍🥰🥵😩😭
Love wasn't a strong enough word for how I felt for Isa, but it was the only one that existed. She was my weakness. My everything.
absolutely loved seeing Isa embrace the darkness and become the queen she is!
The darkness had always been a part of me. I'd always been more at
home in it than I had the sunshine.
July 11, 2021
The couple: Rafe and Isa
Romance genre: mafia
Series: Beauty in Lies
Length: 302 pages
Plot: Our story continues, with Isa having been kidnapped and taken to Rafe's island. She is drugged and unconscious, injected with . When she wakes, she finds a less genial Rafe than she knew before. He is cold and mean and determined to make her tow the line. As far as he is concerned, she betrayed him by wanting to go back to her family. Rafe's criminal crew (mafia?) has a tradition: when you do something wrong, you get branded. Rafe thinks he's going to brand Isa because she ran from him. At the last minute, he can't do it, so he . Later in the story, when Isa asks to learn self-defense, Rafe gets really mad because he thinks she disrespecting him and his ability to protect her. When she gets one of her bodyguards to teach her, Rafe finds out and . Also, they get married. All the while, he is waging a war against a Russian criminal family, mostly because one of them interrupted his time with Isa. At the very end of the book, he has Isa become involved in that particular part of his work. I know that's vague. Sorry.
Character development: I find myself pondering the difference between an anti-hero and a psycho sociopath abused. I'm really leaning toward the latter for Rafe. I liked the first book a lot, and so I was looking forward to this one because I wanted to see how their relationship developed once Isa had a better understanding of who Rafe actually was. But mostly, what she (and the readers) saw was that he wanted to mold her into his perfect queen, no matter what it took. He took one look at her when she was 16, 17 years old and decided that she would be his perfect blood-soaked, violent criminal queen. It's a little weird. The truth is, Rafe is warped. He suffered trauma as a child that is inconceivable, and he certainly never had any help overcoming that, especially since he was expected to take over the organization. So he is an emotionally stunted man who took a teenager and decided to turn her into a feminine version of himself, through physical and emotional abuse. I don't mind dark romance and I don't mind anti-heroes. But normally the (anti-)hero at least doesn't physically abuse the heroine to the point that she needs medical attention, at least not after he's claimed her for his wife. He does several things to her and claims it's because he loves her (he doesn't use the word "love" yet, but instead says something like"she belongs to him," but we know what he seems not to know) but that's hard to believe. He actually says that he will kill her if she tries to leave him. I know that a lot of people like him as a sort of prototypical jealous/possessive hero, but I see this as red-flag city. It goes beyond being possessive. He's not even possessive of her as she is, but of her as he wants her to be. I really struggled with this, and was hopeful that the next book would clarify my feelings.
Next book in the series: Until Retribution Burns
Romance genre: mafia
Series: Beauty in Lies
Length: 302 pages
Plot: Our story continues, with Isa having been kidnapped and taken to Rafe's island. She is drugged and unconscious, injected with . When she wakes, she finds a less genial Rafe than she knew before. He is cold and mean and determined to make her tow the line. As far as he is concerned, she betrayed him by wanting to go back to her family. Rafe's criminal crew (mafia?) has a tradition: when you do something wrong, you get branded. Rafe thinks he's going to brand Isa because she ran from him. At the last minute, he can't do it, so he . Later in the story, when Isa asks to learn self-defense, Rafe gets really mad because he thinks she disrespecting him and his ability to protect her. When she gets one of her bodyguards to teach her, Rafe finds out and . Also, they get married. All the while, he is waging a war against a Russian criminal family, mostly because one of them interrupted his time with Isa. At the very end of the book, he has Isa become involved in that particular part of his work. I know that's vague. Sorry.
Character development: I find myself pondering the difference between an anti-hero and a psycho sociopath abused. I'm really leaning toward the latter for Rafe. I liked the first book a lot, and so I was looking forward to this one because I wanted to see how their relationship developed once Isa had a better understanding of who Rafe actually was. But mostly, what she (and the readers) saw was that he wanted to mold her into his perfect queen, no matter what it took. He took one look at her when she was 16, 17 years old and decided that she would be his perfect blood-soaked, violent criminal queen. It's a little weird. The truth is, Rafe is warped. He suffered trauma as a child that is inconceivable, and he certainly never had any help overcoming that, especially since he was expected to take over the organization. So he is an emotionally stunted man who took a teenager and decided to turn her into a feminine version of himself, through physical and emotional abuse. I don't mind dark romance and I don't mind anti-heroes. But normally the (anti-)hero at least doesn't physically abuse the heroine to the point that she needs medical attention, at least not after he's claimed her for his wife. He does several things to her and claims it's because he loves her (he doesn't use the word "love" yet, but instead says something like"she belongs to him," but we know what he seems not to know) but that's hard to believe. He actually says that he will kill her if she tries to leave him. I know that a lot of people like him as a sort of prototypical jealous/possessive hero, but I see this as red-flag city. It goes beyond being possessive. He's not even possessive of her as she is, but of her as he wants her to be. I really struggled with this, and was hopeful that the next book would clarify my feelings.
Next book in the series: Until Retribution Burns
January 29, 2024
This review contains A LOT OF SPOILERS
!! Please read at your own discretion !!
Stars ⭐⭐⭐
Overall Opinion: This book is darker than the first one, although I do not know if I would describe Rafe as 'dark' or rather as 'unhinged'. Since his dad was a nutcase, maybe that is exactly what Ms. Forrest was trying to accomplish? I'll go with that for now.
While reading the book, I thought it described Isa's transformation over a time period of a couple of months, but it turns out all events happen in approximately 2 weeks, a period which is, IMO, too short for Isa's transformation (obedient daughter to a woman that sticks a knife in someone's heart)
I was surprised to find out what happened to Isa 14 years ago (the drowning accident). I expected this to be one of the final revelations of this series, but instead, it turns into the motive of the third novel.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Isa and Rafe's story.
The story begins right where the first book ended. Isa found out her lover is not just a businessman, he is a killer as well. Rafe sedated her (this is the ending of the first novel) and at the beginning of the second one, they arrive on his private island. What follows is a description of her battle to adjust to her new position, her transformation from his 'princess' to his 'queen'. There are sexy times but there are also dark times that border on abuse. (trigger warning!)
Point Of View (POV): Dual POV (Isa & Rafe)
Overall Pace of Story: A LOT happens in a time period of +/- 2 weeks; it's like a rollercoaster of emotions and events.
H (Hero, Rafe) rating: 3 stars.
He has dark tendencies, but in a couple of situations, he turns abusive rather than dark. This is, IMO, a sign of weakness and not of darkness. The tattooing scene was understandable but the branding scene was OTT.
h (heroine, Isa) rating: 2.5 stars.
She is starting to disappoint me. Although she is fighting back and tries to stand her ground, she is too pliant towards his abuse and attributes this as "discovering her dark side".
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: forced pregnancy motive, so no condoms or birth control
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: clifhanger
Safety:
- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the h pushing the H away (she tries to stand her ground, but nog near often enough)
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does have abuse (IMO some situations border on abuse and rape; I can imagine some readers would describe it as such without a doubt)
!! Please read at your own discretion !!
Stars ⭐⭐⭐
Overall Opinion: This book is darker than the first one, although I do not know if I would describe Rafe as 'dark' or rather as 'unhinged'. Since his dad was a nutcase, maybe that is exactly what Ms. Forrest was trying to accomplish? I'll go with that for now.
While reading the book, I thought it described Isa's transformation over a time period of a couple of months, but it turns out all events happen in approximately 2 weeks, a period which is, IMO, too short for Isa's transformation (obedient daughter to a woman that sticks a knife in someone's heart)
I was surprised to find out what happened to Isa 14 years ago (the drowning accident). I expected this to be one of the final revelations of this series, but instead, it turns into the motive of the third novel.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Isa and Rafe's story.
The story begins right where the first book ended. Isa found out her lover is not just a businessman, he is a killer as well. Rafe sedated her (this is the ending of the first novel) and at the beginning of the second one, they arrive on his private island. What follows is a description of her battle to adjust to her new position, her transformation from his 'princess' to his 'queen'. There are sexy times but there are also dark times that border on abuse. (trigger warning!)
Point Of View (POV): Dual POV (Isa & Rafe)
Overall Pace of Story: A LOT happens in a time period of +/- 2 weeks; it's like a rollercoaster of emotions and events.
H (Hero, Rafe) rating: 3 stars.
He has dark tendencies, but in a couple of situations, he turns abusive rather than dark. This is, IMO, a sign of weakness and not of darkness. The tattooing scene was understandable but the branding scene was OTT.
h (heroine, Isa) rating: 2.5 stars.
She is starting to disappoint me. Although she is fighting back and tries to stand her ground, she is too pliant towards his abuse and attributes this as "discovering her dark side".
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: forced pregnancy motive, so no condoms or birth control
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: clifhanger
Safety:
- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the h pushing the H away (she tries to stand her ground, but nog near often enough)
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does have abuse (IMO some situations border on abuse and rape; I can imagine some readers would describe it as such without a doubt)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2025
He. Fucking. Brands. Her.
If you rated this book anything more than 2 ★, it's very possible we will never see eye to eye.
This book was already slowly, but steadily gliding down the dumpster shoot.
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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
If you rated this book anything more than 2 ★, it's very possible we will never see eye to eye.
This book was already slowly, but steadily gliding down the dumpster shoot.
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2021
Just when I thought Isa and Raf's story could not get more twisted, boom, book 2 through me for a loop.
Rafael is certainly not a good man but for his Queen, Isa, he will stop at nothing.
The plot of this story is getting surreal and so enthralling I cannot stop!
I recommend this series!
Rafael is certainly not a good man but for his Queen, Isa, he will stop at nothing.
The plot of this story is getting surreal and so enthralling I cannot stop!
I recommend this series!
March 23, 2024
I don't know why but I still really enjoyed this book.
"Such a shame that I do not fucking care. I gave you the chance to love me. I'll take your hate instead."
Did the MMC forget he had almost 2 years to fall in love with her but expect her to fall in love with him right away. she just met him. Give her a chance bro!!!!
Also why the MMC always see the FMC leaving them as a Betrayal. You are something messed up, you are a Monster, she does not understand. why are you angry.
Anyway, I really did enjoy this book, I do realize sometimes the MMC can get a little abusive. He is also very strong on opinionated. There was so many spicy scenes that the plot was missing. But I still enjoy them together. The MMC did annoy me a little compared to the first book. He is hot and cold and hot and cold. There is the wedding scene that felt a bit jarring compared to the fact that he just said he love her so much.
The FMC wasn't weak, she doesn't always fight back but she still standup for herself and I like that.
Read
September 13, 2021Lo siento pero no puedo seguir leyendo, si leí las advertencias de lo que se iba a narrar a lo largo del la historia pero no no no osea no 🙂
May 19, 2021
2nd updated review: I rated this book a 3.00. The author pulls no punches in listing the triggers/heinous situations that these novels contain. This is no garden variety dark read; I would classify this read as a very depraved dark read. If you are okay with that then enjoy; otherwise be warned.
I reread this book to prepare myself for the third book in the series. I have to say that I am having a really hard time getting through this series. I really like this author but Raf's character is beyond tolerable as this story progresses. He continues to cross back and forth between sanity and insanity. His character is devolving at a rapid pace making this story a difficult read for me.
Raf is a Sadist pure and simple - " a person who derives pleasure, especially sexual gratification from inflicting pain or humiliations on others." Let's see - he kidnaps Isa when she no longer is the willing gf, drugs her while he has two trackers put in her body, gives her a fertility shot so she can get pregnant, plans to marry her even if he must hold a loaded gun to her head, regularly inflicts pain that is coupled with humiliation on a regular basis to her body/mind and this is just book 2. He's obsessed beyond comprehension with her and has no problem killing or inflicting pain on any man that barely gives her a first or second look. Quite the catch!
There is allot of repetition with Raf's sadism and insane mannerisms that bogs this story down. There is only so much forced sex in a novel when it becomes "just another day at the office". The story is too slow moving making me wonder what can possibly be of interest to fill two more books in this series. It has been my experience that when an author is writing a series whereas sometimes the storyline can get too detailed or wordy. I don't like repetition or fillers and like to stick to the story and the characters resulting in a clean read with a clean plot, i.e. beginning middle and end. This author writes well and has the ability to spin her words which can make the read very engaging and can do a good job with most characters; even the dark ones. If really dark depraved characters are your thing, then you most likely enjoy this series.
The reasons behind Raf's attraction to this 18 year old girl (age difference) has yet to be fully disclosed. He's a grown man running a cartel so it's a bit of stretch to understand this pull that he has to her. The story in book 1 starts off innocent enough with him playing "the gentleman" and trying to get her to fall in love with him in a very short period of time. The time he has invested in stalking her and setting up the whole fake vacation is admirable but the "career criminal" is still the boogeyman as Isa finds out in the end of book 1. Book 2 quickly escalates from his obsession's with Isa to his need to completely control and isolate her. It's like Raf flips the switch from his façade as somewhat normal to insane.
There is definitely a sick lust factor between these characters, but it's no "love story" or even the beginning of a love story. You don't get an HEA with someone like Raf unless you take a deep dive into his darkness and join him in Hell. Isa's character has her moments and is feisty for being so young. Unfortunately she is up against a maniac and falls prey to him over and over again. He plays her in book one continues to do the same in book 2. She is still into how exciting their sex life can be when he is not disfiguring her body with some kind of kink, and is still attracted to her stalker which makes me questions her sanity at times. She can be easily manipulated at times throughout this series.
If I had any say in the final book of this series, I would love to see an additional character enter Isa's life saving her from Raf's wrath once and for all. They would ride off into their HEA, while Raf bled out from the bullet hole in his heartless chest. There are no HEA's with characters such as Raf, only complete submission.
I reread this book to prepare myself for the third book in the series. I have to say that I am having a really hard time getting through this series. I really like this author but Raf's character is beyond tolerable as this story progresses. He continues to cross back and forth between sanity and insanity. His character is devolving at a rapid pace making this story a difficult read for me.
Raf is a Sadist pure and simple - " a person who derives pleasure, especially sexual gratification from inflicting pain or humiliations on others." Let's see - he kidnaps Isa when she no longer is the willing gf, drugs her while he has two trackers put in her body, gives her a fertility shot so she can get pregnant, plans to marry her even if he must hold a loaded gun to her head, regularly inflicts pain that is coupled with humiliation on a regular basis to her body/mind and this is just book 2. He's obsessed beyond comprehension with her and has no problem killing or inflicting pain on any man that barely gives her a first or second look. Quite the catch!
There is allot of repetition with Raf's sadism and insane mannerisms that bogs this story down. There is only so much forced sex in a novel when it becomes "just another day at the office". The story is too slow moving making me wonder what can possibly be of interest to fill two more books in this series. It has been my experience that when an author is writing a series whereas sometimes the storyline can get too detailed or wordy. I don't like repetition or fillers and like to stick to the story and the characters resulting in a clean read with a clean plot, i.e. beginning middle and end. This author writes well and has the ability to spin her words which can make the read very engaging and can do a good job with most characters; even the dark ones. If really dark depraved characters are your thing, then you most likely enjoy this series.
The reasons behind Raf's attraction to this 18 year old girl (age difference) has yet to be fully disclosed. He's a grown man running a cartel so it's a bit of stretch to understand this pull that he has to her. The story in book 1 starts off innocent enough with him playing "the gentleman" and trying to get her to fall in love with him in a very short period of time. The time he has invested in stalking her and setting up the whole fake vacation is admirable but the "career criminal" is still the boogeyman as Isa finds out in the end of book 1. Book 2 quickly escalates from his obsession's with Isa to his need to completely control and isolate her. It's like Raf flips the switch from his façade as somewhat normal to insane.
There is definitely a sick lust factor between these characters, but it's no "love story" or even the beginning of a love story. You don't get an HEA with someone like Raf unless you take a deep dive into his darkness and join him in Hell. Isa's character has her moments and is feisty for being so young. Unfortunately she is up against a maniac and falls prey to him over and over again. He plays her in book one continues to do the same in book 2. She is still into how exciting their sex life can be when he is not disfiguring her body with some kind of kink, and is still attracted to her stalker which makes me questions her sanity at times. She can be easily manipulated at times throughout this series.
If I had any say in the final book of this series, I would love to see an additional character enter Isa's life saving her from Raf's wrath once and for all. They would ride off into their HEA, while Raf bled out from the bullet hole in his heartless chest. There are no HEA's with characters such as Raf, only complete submission.
March 15, 2021
This is by far Adelaide Forrest's hottest book yet! Without a doubt, Rafe has moved into first place as my favorite character in any of her series. This book was pure fire! Chapter 19 ALONE had me standing in front of the freezer trying to cool off!
At the end of the previous book (Until Tomorrow Comes), you could feel a shift coming in both Rafe and Isa. Faced with deceit and betrayal, Isa has no choice but to break or accept her true nature.
"I watched the moment mi Princesa died on the pyre, her innocence lost as the last pieces of my deception snapped into place."
I could not begin to imagine the growth both characters showed in Until Forever Ends. When the masks come off, these two explode with chemistry that scorches the pages. Isa's firey tempter and Rafe's controlling nature clash in some of the hottest scenes I have ever read. Seeing their personalities come alive as the freedom to be who they are is gained is a beautiful thing.
What is left when the ashes fall is nothing short of phenomenal. The King and Queen, yin and yang, ready and poised to reign.
"El Diablo had been reborn in flames. Mi Reina had been reborn in water. But our love was born in blood."
This is not a book for the faint of heart. Rafe will push you, piss you off and make you want to strangle him at times. He's an OTT, jealous/possessive Alpha in control of everything he sees as his. He's manipulative and seemingly cruel at times, but his love is strong and all he does is with Isa's protection in mind. Isa is headstrong and challenges him in many ways. She's a fawn on new legs, finding her way in this new world while embracing the demon that resides inside.
You can expect many triggers in this book so I advise anyone considering the series to take the warnings seriously. Adelaide Forrest does not shy away from taboo subjects such as dubious consent, forced pregnancy, kidnapping, violence, and blood.
I'll just say, I am dying for more of Rafe and Isa! These two are a force on their own, but together they may just burn the world to the ground. Book 3 is no doubt going to blow our minds!
"The only path forward was for our demons to dance together, to entwine until we were one nightmare moving through the darkness."
At the end of the previous book (Until Tomorrow Comes), you could feel a shift coming in both Rafe and Isa. Faced with deceit and betrayal, Isa has no choice but to break or accept her true nature.
"I watched the moment mi Princesa died on the pyre, her innocence lost as the last pieces of my deception snapped into place."
I could not begin to imagine the growth both characters showed in Until Forever Ends. When the masks come off, these two explode with chemistry that scorches the pages. Isa's firey tempter and Rafe's controlling nature clash in some of the hottest scenes I have ever read. Seeing their personalities come alive as the freedom to be who they are is gained is a beautiful thing.
What is left when the ashes fall is nothing short of phenomenal. The King and Queen, yin and yang, ready and poised to reign.
"El Diablo had been reborn in flames. Mi Reina had been reborn in water. But our love was born in blood."
This is not a book for the faint of heart. Rafe will push you, piss you off and make you want to strangle him at times. He's an OTT, jealous/possessive Alpha in control of everything he sees as his. He's manipulative and seemingly cruel at times, but his love is strong and all he does is with Isa's protection in mind. Isa is headstrong and challenges him in many ways. She's a fawn on new legs, finding her way in this new world while embracing the demon that resides inside.
You can expect many triggers in this book so I advise anyone considering the series to take the warnings seriously. Adelaide Forrest does not shy away from taboo subjects such as dubious consent, forced pregnancy, kidnapping, violence, and blood.
I'll just say, I am dying for more of Rafe and Isa! These two are a force on their own, but together they may just burn the world to the ground. Book 3 is no doubt going to blow our minds!
"The only path forward was for our demons to dance together, to entwine until we were one nightmare moving through the darkness."
March 25, 2021
I was very excited about this book after the first one ended on that cliffhanger. And it was definitely worth the wait. Until Forever Ends gave me everything my dark heart desires when it comes to dark romance. Rafael came out swinging and didn't let up till the end. While Isa fell in love with the man in book one, she was not prepared to meet the monster in this installment. Lets just say that if you have triggers, this book may not be for you. Our "hero" certainly does many, many questionable things, but I loved the fact that Ms. Forrest was willing to push our and Isa's boundaries. Now Isa had an interesting mix of defiance and giving in, mostly due to "betraying body syndrome" which normally doesn't work for me, but here, somehow, did. We have to remember that she's only 18 and this is her first experience with love, lust, relationships etc. We get to see how her own darkness comes out to play and complement Rafael's. This is definitely not a hearts and roses romance but rather pain and thorns. There is a lot of steam in this book, like, a lot! Not that I'm complaining. The ending is, once again, both unexpected and intriguing. Can't wait to see what happens next!
September 17, 2024
DNF @chapter 14: this book gives me nothing but a headache🤡💀
I have no problem reading dark romance, if it's showcasing the finesse of their relationship development, the push and pull, the ROMANCE mixed in with smut and darkness... This didn't have any of it. It was pure smut (and not very imaginative at that⚠) and the complete absence of any sense🤷🏼♀️👉👈
I have no problem reading dark romance, if it's showcasing the finesse of their relationship development, the push and pull, the ROMANCE mixed in with smut and darkness... This didn't have any of it. It was pure smut (and not very imaginative at that⚠) and the complete absence of any sense🤷🏼♀️👉👈
July 29, 2021
Incredible
Absolutely jaw dropping, passion burning, obsession filled story that you must read if you are a lover of dark romance! The story is so intricately woven, drawing the passion from the Hero and Heroine that you are living the story with them. Incredible.
Absolutely jaw dropping, passion burning, obsession filled story that you must read if you are a lover of dark romance! The story is so intricately woven, drawing the passion from the Hero and Heroine that you are living the story with them. Incredible.
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