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Inspired by The Book of Tobit

“Blood was spilled on the holy land for the worst kind of LUST was driven by the desire for God.”

Lace, white, everything frilly and pretty. The theme to Sara’s life used to be that of a princess, one she romanticized. But when her previously perfect world turned upside down, Sara became convinced that she was cursed. She hid in the shadows to spare others of the agony she brought along. 
The only person she could never hide from was her adopted brother.

Tristan Marcolf wasn’t the run-of-the-mill rich and successful politician. It was his ethereal good looks that left others bewildered. So much so, they wondered if his looks were a gift from God. Only Tristan suspected that the gift wasn’t from God at all but from the devil. Because the cursed gift gave him everything he wished for, except for the one thing he truly desired.
His adopted sister, Sara.

With Tristan’s unquenchable thirst for Sara spiraling out of control, the Demon of Lust, Asmodeus, rejoiced in the victory for he loved to play with mortals. He had orchestrated the perfect setting to prove to God that humans would choose pleasures of the flesh and materialistic desires over the simplicity of LOVE. The two souls set out to prove him wrong and humble his vanity, but rarely do demons give in without a fight.

**There are no heroes in this dark PNR series, only villains. It consists of explicit content, dubious, and graphic situations that some readers might find offensive.

368 pages, ebook

Published April 12, 2022

670 people are currently reading
3877 people want to read

About the author

Drethi Anis

9 books1,037 followers
Drethi lives close to DC with her husband, where she runs her own wedding planning business. When she’s not busy planning a special day, she can be found planning out ways to put her characters through hell. She is all about angst and dark themes in her books, with a side of psychology.

Drethi loves to turn negatives into positives, which is how she became an author. When COVID hit worldwide she decided to use her spare time creatively and wrote her very first series. Drethi is drawn to flawed and disturbed characters, whom she loves to put through the wringer before she gives them the Happily Ever After that suits their flaws and personalities.

She also loves to travel and tries to visit multiple countries per year.

You can find Drethi both on Facebook and Instagram. She loves talking with her readers, so don’t be shy.

✒️❤️ Find me online:
Facebook: http://bit.ly/3aggdLI
Readers Group: http://bit.ly/3j7Ejw7
Instagram: http://bit.ly/3tjVJKO
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drethi
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MHR0So

Website ➜ www.drethianis.com

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5 stars
747 (36%)
4 stars
625 (30%)
3 stars
424 (20%)
2 stars
139 (6%)
1 star
106 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews
Profile Image for  ⚔Irunía⚔ .
431 reviews5,519 followers
Read
April 20, 2022
We, only childrens, are such losers. 😔 I'm holding Miss Anis responsible for reminding me of what a bummer my lonely, siblingless existence truly is. The things I'm missing out??



Is it 4 stars? 3 stars? 2 stars? 5 stars?

I only know I want to be called little shit, little monster and maybe... just maybe? little sister 👉🏻🥺👈🏻 before I come on a guy's fingers in my sleep. How is that for a confession, father
Profile Image for TJ ☾.
834 reviews1,898 followers
April 13, 2022
“As his c*ck repeatedly plunged into me until I saw stars, I could no longer deny the truth in his proclamation.
I liked fucking my brother.”

4 stars babe 🤪✌🏽😇✌🏽✨😚💖 how could i not?

i can always count on drethi anis to write a disgusting, chillingly obsessive, reprehensible, god-playing narcissist, PRISON DESERVING hero. this tiktok is me about tristan:

https://www.tiktok.com/@lilihayes/vid...

and i love her for that <3 it's what i need 🥰 she keeps writing and i keep reading and i love that for us
Profile Image for Sonia.
1,305 reviews2,080 followers
August 17, 2024
4.5 stars taboo step-sibling, OTT, age gap dark romance
Extra points for the duet narration (bumped my score up)

What do you get when you have an OTT older stepbrother who suddenly sees his adopted sister in unsisterlike ways? You get this delicious taboo book- and Tristan’s gonna do whatever he needs to in order to get her 😈.

The book opens up in the past, 15 years before, when Sara first comes into Tristan’s family. At the time, she was only a child, but her age didn’t hide the feistiness she harbored. I really enjoyed the way she stood up to Tristan, even though she was young lol. And Tristan takes her retorts in stride as well 😂.

15 years later, things are starting to shift. Tristan (30) started seeing her different years before, and now that she’s 19, he’s finding it harder and harder to mask his desire and love for her 👀. Sara gets taken into jail by Tobias (OM) when she accidentally falls into a cop at a peaceful protest. Luckily, Tristan’s a congressman, and he comes to save the day, but not before she feels a certain way towards Tobias 😬. However, she knows nothing can happen with him because…

For years, whenever she’s tries to be in a romantic relationship with a guy, something happens to him 😬, which is why she believes she’s cursed and she’s destined to remain a virgin (unless she wants to risk the life of the man she’s with). So when Tristan blackmails her to be with him and not Tobias, she does it to protect him and hurt the man that changed the sibling relationship.

What I liked (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
—Tristan’s devotion and obsession with Sara 😈. He’ll do ANYTHING to be with her 💅 a-ny-thing 💅👀

—How OTT JP AND protective Tristan was of Sara. Sigh. I found him so swoony many times (even when those times shouldn’t have been swoony moments 🤡)

—the connection to Asmodeus and his beloved Sarah (with an h). Omg. This was simply amazing👏🏻! I genuinely kept rereading these scenes. Michael (Tristan’s therapist- let his name sink in a little bit 😉) has been advising Tristan for a while. The stories he told Tristan were spot on. Yeah. I googled some 😬. I loooooved the bridge between Asmodeus, the demon of Lust, and Tristan. Makes so much sense (Tristan was very.. um… “loose” during his younger days… the title of this book embodies that). He feels “Lust” towards his sister, his Sara, and there are consequences because of it

—The pranks were hilarious! Although this is a “serious” book, I found myself giggling and smiling a lot (I might try the salt one on my hubby one day 😂😂😂 jk jk… or am I?). Dude. When she accuses Tristan of riding in a white van and giving out free candy 💀😂😂😂

—the lack of protection. Yeah. I said it 💁🏻‍♀️.

—the angst and turmoil felt by both MCs, but mostly Tristan’s, especially during…

—their first official time (non Connie came to the party)

—the steamy times 🔥although Sara was “surprised” (girl, come on🤦🏻‍♀️), we saw the way they interacted from the beginning of the book. I loved all those stolen glances and clenching jaws 😉. And, of course, I love how dedicated Tristan was to give Sara pleasure 🥵

—the HEA/epilogue

—the 95% mark- I was crying 🥺

—how Tristan only saw Sara. There as an OW lurking around, but he didn’t even see her. He only sees Sara.

What I didn’t like/wanted more of:
—the relationship development. I do NOT like and am NOT a fan of “weeks passed and this and this happened” in books. Sigh. Sure. In those weeks, they were f’ing, but I wanted to see the development of their relationship outside of the bedroom

—what happened to the side characters? We see Tobias maybe causing a problem and the OW that was suspicious of them, but I don’t remember getting closure on them. I like my loose ends tied 😬

—I would’ve liked there to be more angst on Sara’s part. I actually found myself frowning when she went from liking Tobias to her wanting Tristan because we hadn’t seen her feel this way quite yet. I think if we had seen her thinking “sinful” thoughts of her stepbrother sooner, I wouldn’t have been frowning

—I noticed a couple of grammar things, but not enough to distract me or pull me away from the book

Overall, I really enjoyed it. Having Tristan’s POV and the Asmodeus aspect bolstered my enjoyment of the book

2024 reread
On my reread, Tristan’s manwhore past being mentioned many times bothered me 😐. Yes. Tristan. We get you’ve done threesomes, orgies, manage a trois, etc 🙄. We get it 😒. You only had to think this once 😒 (and that was too many times 🤣). I also wished we had seen their relationship develop in a positive way instead of being told time had passed. I wish we had seen it ☹️.

Overall, I still enjoyed it ❤️

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-noncon/dubcon
-suicidal thoughts/attempt
-virgin h/previous manwhore H (but he’s been celibate for four years-when he realized he wanted the h in a sexual way)
-OM is interested in the h and pursues her. He kisses her. The H loses it. Eventually, it causes him to punch OM 😬
-OW mentioned but I don’t even consider it owd. That ship has sailed and the H only has eyes for the h
-somnophilia/praise kink/breeding/ Biting/marking/toys/blindfolds/spanking/handcuffs/degradation kink/dirty talk/anal/anal play
-no condom/on purpose
-HEA/epilogue/bonus epilogue
Profile Image for mira.
925 reviews1,379 followers
April 14, 2022
3.5⭐️

“Grabbing her hands, I moved them out of the way to once more crush her with my body because, by God, she felt so right. She felt like home. Like comfort. Like warmth.”


i loved the first 50 or 60% of the book and then i kinda got pissed and bored. it started out so well, it was so toxic and wrong and just juicy. he had to be nice and listen to her demands. ugh. (i'm fucked up istg).

i wish tris remained the same throughout the book bc then i wouldn't have gotten bored at how sweet he was like no sir i like you as a villain, i don't need a hero.

anyways, this shit was so hot and wrong and hot.

Profile Image for Crystal (Crystalreads2).
970 reviews992 followers
April 12, 2022
WOW!! Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. My review will be vague and may have a warning at the end.

I am twenty-four hours post-reading this book and still have a book hangover. A few questions to ask me.

Is this the darkest and direst book I have read? No, but it can be for others. On my dark scale, it is between dark grey and black.

Did the book captive me from the start? Yes, it did.

Did I read the book in one setting? Yes, I did.

Is this what I look for in dark romance? Yes, it is. The author didn’t shy away from any details.

Let me count the waves of how excited I was about the seven sins series. Then when I found out who was writing Lust, I set my expectations high. I was not disappointed.

Our anti-hero Tristan, you will hate and love him. There is a whole bunch of darkness that surrounds him.

Sara, our heroine. You will love her. She is a sassy spitfire. When reading her chapters, don't drink anything. You may spit your drink out while laughing. She is the light to Tristian’s darkness.

The book has several tropes, dark, taboo, and PNR. Suppose you’re looking for safety or heart and rainbows, Lust is not for you, and it is okay. Take the trigger warning seriously. There is a graphic non-con scene, and I can see some people picking it apart. I am not taking your feelings away, just warning you of this trigger.

Overall I freaking loved this book. Tristian is a close second to Milo ( from the author’s quarantine series) my favorite character.
Profile Image for Pisces.
304 reviews14 followers
April 20, 2022
Currently in 75%in
Will be continuing

I have been very busy these past couple of days...

..apparently not for this book


Anyways I wanted to give this a four star but then I love Drethi so why the hell not!!

Take all my stars away girl you deserve that and more. Bdw why are all your heroes so finger licking good?
Did you get my diary or something..hmmm let me know💋


Loved all the characters
Especially .. he who shall not be named
I love you
Profile Image for Matilda.
269 reviews2,843 followers
May 12, 2022
the audacity tristan had to ONLY rape sara once, ONCE

asmodeus deserves the whole world and more 💕💕
Profile Image for Melluvsbooks.
1,570 reviews
April 25, 2022
I really wanted to love this. 😬

And there were some things I loved:

- standalone!!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 - a full story in one book. It’s a beautiful thing. *tear*

- virgin h (19) - she’s only wIth the H 👍🏻

- noncon and dubcon 😈 - I love that there are still authors who have the balls to write the more controversial stuff. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

- OM drama - I love a jealous scene 😈

- the H is very jealous/possessive 😈😍

- no condoms on purpose 🥵



Why only 3 stars?

- I never connected with the h - she’s unemotional, especially compared to the H - and she never seems to reciprocate his feelings until the end when he changes - she legit seems baffled that he ever thought of her in a sexual way… and this made me uncomfortable - she was much more interested in the OM 🤷🏼‍♀️

- the H is very wishy-washy in how he wants to approach the h - one minute he’s all bulldozer rapacious alpha male and the next second he’s a sweet caring teddy bear and feeling bad about what he’s done.

- I hated being in his head - he’s an out of control nutcase - and all his neurotic handwringing in his head was not hot. He seems delusional and desperate. And that is not alpha to me. I would have liked this WAAAAAAY more if I spent far less (preferably none 😬) time in his head. His thoughts were major cringe

- the *twist* at the end where we find out the truth about her curse…. Well first, was anyone surprised? 👀 I wasn’t. 🙋🏼‍♀️ I assumed that was the case the whole time…. But also… I know it was supposed to be swoony… but the way he describes it, it’s just more evidence of him being completely out of control. He blacks out and becomes a monster… and that’s not swoony to me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ He needs a straight jacket. I like a hero who loses his sh*t over the h… but I need that to be an anomaly… not a major character trait. If he’s just a crazy loose canon, I’m just not into it.

- the odd way she offers him her ass… so cringe. I love a back door claiming as much as any j/p hero fan… but offering it as payment for him being nice was weird and uncomfortable. 😬

- what ever happened to the OM? He just slinks off and that’s it?? What about that OW? She doesn’t cause any trouble??? She seems to be on to them, and didn’t seem like a nice person, but that never goes anywhere… 🤔

- the reason I like noncon in my books between MCs, is that I’m fascinated by the journey from noncon to HEA. How they navigate that relationship arc… how they come back from it… how their intimate relations evolve… that’s why I’m reading…. But this author legit yadayadayada’d past all that with one paragraph about them f*cking like crazy for an entire week. And when the story picks up, the h is basically all-in… sooooo… how’d we get there?? I’m so confused. And super disappointed. 😐

- instead of a relationship arc we get a redemption arc for the H… someone who really isn’t redeemable. By the end, he’s a saint. Totally turned his life around. 👀😐 The homicidal maniac who raped his adopted sister. This makes no sense, nor is it something I’m even looking for as a fan of books with this theme. I would much prefer an H to own his crazy and them move forward despite his flaws. Not turn him into someone else entirely.


Bottom Line? I didn’t hate it, but I was never invested. The H is weak (and needs some meds) and the h is cold. I liked this more than Quarantined, tho. This author doesn’t concentrate on the stuff that makes for a satisfying read for me. BUT I’m giving extra props for really committing to noncon/dubcon. That takes ballz. 🤷🏼‍♀️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️






⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️

- no cheating or sharing
- dubcon and noncon between MCs
- OW drama - very lightly touched on
- OM drama - the h fancies herself into someone else and intends to have sex with him. We get kissing scenes with them - the H is wild with jealousy
- the h is a 19 yr old virgin
- the H is a 28 yr old manwhore - but apparently he’s been celibate for a while??
- no condoms
- the H intentionally tries to get the h pregnant to tie her down
- attempted suicide
- somnophilia
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Оля (hiatus) ***.
211 reviews210 followers
April 26, 2022
It would be perfect if it were two books. The book of Tristan with its history and the book of Asmodeus with its own, and both with HEA.
The beginning is written as I wanted in recent weeks, with a heroine who is completely indifferent to the hero. I have long wanted a book where the heroine is not in love and does not want the hero (even a little in love with someone else), and the hero does all the vile things so that she belongs only to him. I really liked the first 70 percent of this book, then there was a lot of unnecessary drama.
Profile Image for ↬ Ⓛ.
378 reviews706 followers
April 23, 2022
The one time hardcore rape scene was golden. But I wish he raped her more tho, I mean he kind of did while she was sleeping. But that’s not my main point. *sigh*
Profile Image for Jena .
2,313 reviews2 followers
May 9, 2022
Quarantine was one of my fav reads of 2021, so I was super excited to read this from the same author. Sorry to say, I m DNFing this at 40%.

Omg this book dragged! 😴😴
Nothing happens, it basically repeats the same thing over and over..and the MCs had zero chemistry together. Maybe this is a slow burn romance , which I hate and avoid, so maybe it’s just me.🤷🏻‍♀️

I need instant attraction between the MCs in romance.
Honestly I was bored out of my mind with this book, and I went in expecting a dark read with non con, but almost fell asleep…🙄




- flat chested, bi racial h (black+Brazilian??)
Why are 90% of heroines flat/small chested? Why are ow always big chested🙄

- The H is white, and he’s prettier than the h, which is a pet peeve of mine. His beauty is mentioned every few pages. I bet he had bigger boobs than the h too.😂
Profile Image for Carla .
1,669 reviews531 followers
April 16, 2022
Wrong, wrong, wrong…
But sooooo good 🤷🏻‍♀️
I love this author.
It’s worth the reading!
Profile Image for bonnie.
207 reviews63 followers
May 16, 2022
0/5.

fuck this 🤞❤️ literally wtf was that. that was NOT cnc. she was literally sobbing and begging him to stop.
Profile Image for Seikai.
91 reviews188 followers
May 12, 2022
First off, I just wanted to say that I had to do a double take on that book summary, because my dumb ass read that as "Inspired by The Book of the Hobbit" and I was like:



Luckily, it was just my traitors eyes deceiving me and this was not a book trying to tie incest and erotica into Hobbits, wizards, and the eye of Sauron.

This is a taboo story about Tristan and Sara. Tristan is the rich stepbrother of Sara, and they are even adopted siblings. Of course, Tristan's feelings for Sara are anything but brotherly 👀. Sara was adopted when she was very young, and while Tristan was not thrilled about getting a new baby sister and tries to bully her, he becomes infatuated with her after she gets even with him and pranks him. There are multiple time skips, and throughout the story, it's revealed that Tristan has dreams of making a deal with Asmodeus to have lots of money, women, and power, in exchange for "love." Because making a deal with the devil definitely won't come back to bite him.

In the present time, we find out Tristan is now a wealthy and successful politician with women hanging all over him. Sara works at a volunteer shelter, and believes herself to be cursed - any man that tries to get close to her meets misfortune or injury. (If you think that the reason for this "curse" starts with a "T" and ends with an "n," congratulations, because you probably read enough of these stalker romance stories to see this reveal coming a mile away 👏.)

Sara has been alone and unable to find a boyfriend, but thinks that maybe her luck has changed when she gets wrongfully arrested and meets the handsome cop that guards her jail cell, Tobias. Honestly, the way they meet is cute af, not gonna lie 🥰. They banter back and forth, and Tristan comes raging in to put a stop to their flirting and bails Sara out. Sara finds herself falling for Tobias, despite the constant taboo pull towards Tristan. As Tristan finds Sara slipping away from him, he gives into his dark side and eventually takes Sara by force, raping her. Keep in mind that even before this, Tristan had been drugging Sara and molesting her in her sleep 👀. But at least he was a true gentleman that waited until she was conscious to take her virginity 😌. And so begins their taboo relationship...

Sooo, like a lot of the reviews, I also felt that the first 50 - 70% of the book was pretty great. Love the taboo of step-siblings with a huge age gap, the non-con, the somnophilia, and the jealous possessive rage of the hero. Always down for a villain that gets the girl 🥰. This book reminded me a LOT of a short novella version of Torment by Dylan Page. It had a similar feel with a sweet innocent young girl that gets adopted, with her much older manwhore step brother falling for her early on, and becoming violently possessive of her to the point of murdering any man that looks at her. It's unfortunate that Tristan doesn't quite meet the mark of taking up Shay's (hero of "Torment") mantle for psycho villain stepbrother. I think Tristan was far too conflicted, and we could've done with less of his POV. The shit he does is pretty vile, but I wish he would've been more unapologetic about it 🥲.

Also, for a book titled "Lust" and is literally about a guy who made a deal with Asmodeus, why did he reform his manwhoring ways and be celibate for so many years before pursuing the heroine? This is one of the few cases where it would've made so much more sense for him to keep screwing around while he waited for the heroine to become of age. I never would have thought this was something I'd complain about, but it makes no sense. He gets a pass if even the title of the damn book is "Lust," ok? 🙄

The ending of this book was garbage, and the plot twists were silly. Yeah, it was a HEA, but the hero lost his balls and became a simp. He literally swung from being a crazy psycho villain to saving orphanage shelters and sacrificing himself for the greater good like WAT. We aren't reading this for a well adjusted hero. By the end, I'm just like:

He gets half his face scarred up, Sara is pregnant, and she is like "ok we can be together now" and everything is ok??? The OM Tobias just kind of drops out and is never mentioned again after Tristan had him attacked? To be fair, while Tobias had cute and romantic moments with Sara, I didn't quite get how they went from a playful antagonistic flirty relationship to him suddenly being crazy about her the next time they meet. I guess maybe his feelings for her weren't that deep then if he just got dropped off the face of the earth in the end? 🤔

I'm giving it 5 stars for the first section, because it's so hard to find hot villainous step smut and non con 😭😭. It's a shame the author didn't keep the hero villainous and unapologetic, and the ending was so abrupt. I did love the cute flashbacks to their past and the hero calling the heroine a "Little Shit" while getting smitten with her ❤. Those parts reminded me of the parts I loved in "Torment" where we get to see how the hero became obsessed with the heroine.

Highlight Moment in the book:
Our hero seeing the heroine in a sexual light for the first time while she's dancing to music, and his boner dancing to the beat.

The girl was unaware of her surroundings, engrossed in watching the sunset and the music she was listening to on her air pods. Her perfect ass jiggled when she moved, my cock jerking to the rhythm. Seriously! What in the hell?![...]
My shock subsided at long last. “You little shit,” I found myself murmuring.


I will never NOT be impressed with dancing dicks, and all I could imagine was the music video for "Turn Down for What".

Safety:
* Heroine is a virgin. Shared a few innocent kisses, but never had a serious relationship. The hero made sure to eliminate all potential suitors.
* Hero definitely NOT a virgin. Had lots of sex and was a manwhore.
* No cheating after they get together.
* OM drama - the heroine develops a crush on OM, the policeman Tobias. They kiss and share cute moments together, and the heroine wants to lose her virginity to him. The hero puts a final stop to it by getting Tobias attacked, raping the heroine, and threatening her to leave the OM.
* Some OW drama, sort of - the hero was always a manwhore until a few years before the book's present timeline. There's an OW that thinks of herself as his official girlfriend, and whom the family approves of because she helps his campaign and status. The hero doesn't like her at all, and was just using her.
* Non-con and rape
* No condoms, hero tries to impregnate heroine
* HEA with pregnancy
Profile Image for Neelakshi.
511 reviews393 followers
April 26, 2022
“Sara, listen to me. I don’t want to hurt you. I only want to be with you, not force myself on you.” But I will if you don’t agree, I heinously admitted to myself.

I wish I was a better person because
Mama likey.

“Just one taste. Please, God. That’s all I will do. I won’t go inside her.”
And Jesus LAUGHED

Also damn asmodaddy i feel sad for you



I would also like to pay Michael to tell me that story...maybe extra so he can whisper it in my ear...
Profile Image for april ♡ probably reading smut - safety reviews.
1,471 reviews2,592 followers
September 28, 2022
Five taboo stars ☆☆☆☆☆

This book, y'all. THIS BOOK. It's my second time reading it and damn, I loved it just as much as the first time I read it.

OTT older stepbrother + innocent younger stepsister = a grocery list of kinks and sexual tension!!

The story really starts when Tristan is 30 and Sara is 19. He finally notices her as a woman and now that that's happened... nothing will stop him.

I ADOREEEE Tristan! He's so vicious, overprotective, and almost irredeemable but the love he has for Sara shows in the little things he does for her. Sara doesn't want to be caught up in a romance with him at first, but he soon changes her mind. ;)

safety:
virgin heroine
celibate hero
small OM/OW drama but nothing serious
no cheating/sharing
noncon/dubcon
somnophilia
praise
spanking
anal play
rough sex
HEA ♡
Profile Image for Hannah.
248 reviews104 followers
April 30, 2022
I'm sorry Tristan, but did anyone ask you to repeat for the MILLIONTH time about how many girls you've fucked??!?!?!!
And where on earth did Sara suddenly get feelings for him from? I swear it came out of thin air...
Profile Image for KatS.
133 reviews
April 11, 2022
Please heed the warnings. If non-con a/k./a forced seduction/rape and/or sex/romantic love between adopted siblings and/or an older hero with younger heroine paring bothers you then skip reading this book because this story contains those elements.

I enjoyed reading this story. It kept my interest. I read it in one sitting without taking breaks. I was not ready for the books to be finished even though staying up to finish it resulted in me going to work the next day with only 4 hours of sleep.

One of the things that helped keep my interest was the story within a story. I liked the way the book transitions from one story to the other, slowly building up both stories as the book progresses. I say this even though I am not a fan of romance books where a God and /or a Goddesses is one of the main characters. Those types of books are not my jam but that didn't matter with this book.

Another thing that kept me interested was that the hero was jealous and possessive. Jealous and possessive heroes are my kryptonite and so I loved that about Tristan. I loved too that OM showed interest in Sara. For one it brought out Tristan displaying his jealousy. Totally delicious. Also I hate it when a hero gets a lot of attention from OW, like Tristan did in this book, while a heroine doesn't have anyone else interested in her other than the hero. That was not the case here. Despite being extremely sheltered OM, one in particular, wanted Sara and was not afraid to show it.

As always though I will be honest. Other than the fact that Tristan was jealous and possessive, stopped screwing OW before doing the deed with the heroine, and by the end of the story changed for the better, I disliked everything about him. Tristan was selfish, narcissistic, greedy, cruel disrespectful, and obnoxious. Until near the end of the story I found him to be ugly inside and therefore completely unattractive to me. By contrast I liked Sara. She was loving, nice and unselfish without being a goody two shoes.

Romance books with instant love on both the hero and heroine's parts bores me. That was not a problem here. Despite hero worshiping Tristan when she was younger, Sara fought her feelings for Tristan after things got physical. She didn't give into Tristan right away. I loved that she made him work for it.

The story included hot, sexy times, which I always want in any romance book that I read. The non-con scenes didn't bother me. As long as a heroine is not very hurt and ends up enjoying the act in the end, I tend to like non-con scenes. I like them because they have a taboo element to them as well as because the heroine is still fighting her feelings for the hero but he is so out of his mind with passion that it cannot help himself. I allow myself this guilty pleasure because it is Romanceland and not reality.

What didn't I liked? Reading about what a walking std the Tristan was, starting at a young age. While there were no scenes of him with OW, there were references make including his thoughts about him engaging in ménage à trois and tons of sex with OW. It was another ugly thing about him. However I recognize that the author was between a rock and a hard place because how can she have a hero in a book titled "Lust" and not have the hero be a total manhoe?

If you have to have a manhoe hero then the things that would have made it easier to accept for me would be if the hero stopped having sex with OW upon meeting the heroine, which is always my preference, (not much of a choice in this book because Tristan and Sara grew up together) OR an option here, not have Sara be a virgin. Let the girl get some. It evens the playing field a little. I am sick of and have been for a long time, virgin manhoe parings.

Even though I found the ending bittersweet, I liked it. The Tristan and Sara got their HEA and it included an epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Precious ✨.
671 reviews108 followers
February 7, 2023
"Go to Hell, Tristan.
Only if I can take you with me."


I. HAVE. SO. MANY. THOUGHTS.
But most of them come second place behind my spirit needing to be CLEANSED. IMMEDIATELY. 🛁

description

I can't even think of giving this toxicity anything less than four stars and quite honestly, even though WTF did I just finish experiencing, the execution was top-notch. From the parallels to the vehicle in which it was presented, the solution and conclusion. Were all fantastic. Homeboy was giving me a mix of Carter (Untouchable) and Shay (Torment: Part One), while still being solely himself... how sway???

“Wait,” I said before her knees could touch the ground. “Put your knees on my feet.” The dirty basement was hardly how I imagined this, but I didn’t need her scuffing up her pretty little knees. 😍🙈

Because even when he’s using coercion he doesn’t want her to hurt herself 😌


Live footage of me starting this at 2am today knowing I should have been sleeping:

description


I could not put this filth down. How did this author write a hero male lead that literally should be 🔥in HELL. 🔥 You know what never mind. 👩🏻‍🦯👩🏻‍🦯
I am just here, existing in this moment because this is me after finishing.

description


I've filled my quota of taboo for the season, with this one. Good job to this author this was my first book from you and phew that was wild AF.
Profile Image for Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth).
2,255 reviews1,524 followers
April 22, 2022
Holy wow!!

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: taboo (adoptive siblings)
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Not really sure where to start with this one except to say I was completely blown away! The storyline is fantastic, you experience the full rollercoaster of emotions while almost hating yourself for rooting for this clearly rotten, diabolical, and manipulative anti hero. Except, at the same time, he's pulling on all your heartstrings. Sara is just perfection for Tristan. Challenges him mentally, physicslly, and emotionally. This is a dark one that doesn't spare you the details, so if noncon, somnophilia, and forced pregnancy offend you, you may want to skip it 🤷🏻‍♀️. If you can hang, you're in for a truly awesome happy ending that will leave you with a smile on your face and all the feels in your heart ❤.
Profile Image for Sarah.
628 reviews291 followers
April 25, 2022
n0nc0n/ step bro/ sleep play/ based on asmodeus

Mannnnnnn This was sooooo good. I literally couldn’t put it down! This has sooo many delicious things!
The things:
-OTT JP H …. Our H is the step brother/adopted brother of the h and he’s POSSESSIVE and it’s sooo delicious. He deals with any boy/man who looks at her with to much interest or touches 🫣
- non c0n 💦 that’s LENGTHY and happens a few times. It’s delicious 🤤 it’s violent and messed up and raged filled and its SOOOO DAMN GOOD 😝 and we get multiples and even some dub con too 😍😍😈
-somn0phi!ia aka sleep play …. This is something I’ve really come to love in books. We get this twice. Little sis takes a sleeping pill and gets a little h0rny and our H is there to take over! One time she’s sleeps through and the other she does the first O and the wakes up during the next lol it’s soooooo good 💤
-this is “paranormal” bc it’s based on the lust demon asmodeu but it’s not a real paranormal so if that’s what your worried about don’t … I’ve never heard of him or his story but I wasn’t lost. This book explains the story and it’s links into our characters. There’s also referenda to angels and hell/heaven which this series is kinda based around. You don’t need to know anything to read this but it was cool to know this stuff and I also like that our MCs were not the actual demon/angels or anything.
-standalone
-Spicy and that dirty Talk (not much of it sadly but when we do it’s good)
-I highlighted the FK outta this book 😂
-H is celibate for years bc he knows he’s into the h. He calls her his even before they cross any lines
-h is a V card
-No BC tampering BUT, he does go unprotected and when he learned she’s gone to get the BC shot, he knows there’s a 10 day window she could still get preg so he make sure to 🥜 again to try and get her preg so she’d be stuck with him.
-Interracial romance (adding bc I forgot to add it originally)
-HEA 💕
-written really well


This was so good. OTT JP H, delicious non and dub con, a little OM drama to set the H off, H whose unable to control his obsession and possessiveness of how he feels for the h… YES PLS! Lol loved it.
Profile Image for Alo Ha.
228 reviews9 followers
April 10, 2022
“𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘶̈𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”


Holy hotness...the things this man says and does 😍🥵. I knew this book would be hot but d@mn.

Tristan is everything I love in a H. He's deliciously manipulative and of course a level of jealous/possessive that is only acceptable in books *swoon*. His obsession with Sara is intense, dark and twisted. He may not be allowed to have her, but that doesn't mean he'll let someone else try and take her from him.

From the first chapter, you can see how Sara slowly chips away at Tristan's reserved and impassive exterior and it adds such an amazing layer to their relationship. Sara is such a great mix of kindness and strength. She's understanding and caring but with a strong backbone, unafraid to challenge Tristan or stand up for others.

Of course, there are many obstacles for these two, the biggest being they are adopted siblings. Tristan may have realized his feelings for Sara are far from "brotherly", but Sara still needs some convincing 😈. Definitely heed the trigger warning because Tristan's methods of convincing aren't always cönsensual.

I absolutely loved this book, and Tristan has cemented himself as one of my top book boyfriends. The love these two have for each, even when they may not see it for what it truly is, was amazing!
Profile Image for Hey Lin.
745 reviews
August 6, 2022
Sooooo at first when I was reading this, I thought that it was the girl who had political aspirations and wanted to be president and it threw me for a loop! I was like, "yeah! Woman president!" And then I was like oh, ma bad when it was Tristan instead. 😂😂

I thought this was an interesting and engaging book just because the story of amodeus was new to me and I loved how she incorporated the angels and demons into this book!

Had some of that non c0n up in there with the step sister bruh! Okur!

I enjoyed it and never got bored. Was it my favorite of all time? No, but I thought it was worth reading
Profile Image for Kursed Reads.
801 reviews9,301 followers
October 22, 2025
On the surface, Tristan Marcolf has it all: the looks and body of a god, women falling at his feet, unmatched success, and more money than he could ever spend. The one thing he doesn’t have is reciprocated feelings from his adopted sister.
 
After a series of unfortunate events befalling each of her suitors, Sara Marcolf could draw no other conclusion than she was cursed. When their mother sets Sara up with a handsome policeman, she is hesitant but keen. When Tristan realizes this man is a legitimate threat to their future, he spirals.
 
So… Yeah… How about a few adjectives to sum this one up: hot, toxic, and intense. This one was chock full of some of my favorite triggers and tropes and kinks. It will NOT be for everyone. Y’all probably know this about me, but I do love a hero who takes what’s his with no fcuks to give and Tristan fits the bill.
 
I saw several reviewers noting they would have liked to see more relationship development. I get it. Kinda. Let’s not forget they were raised together and knew one another well in every way but intimately. So, it didn’t really feel like Drethi skimped on that to me. That said, my only criticism is relative to Sara’s change of heart. It felt a bit abrupt and I could have done with a little more time spent on that. Overall, a great read for me!
 
Oh, as for the paranormal aspect, Lust is a reimagining of The Book of Tobit. Drethi did an exceptional job of weaving that tale into the book and describing the parallels, making it easy to follow for those who aren’t familiar with Asmodeus’ story.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🥺😳🥵🫠😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}

POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}

🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, New Adult, Paranormal

✨ Tropes: Age Gap (10), Forbidden, Forced Proximity, Retelling/Reimagining
 
💫 Microtropes: Alphahole, Boy Obsessed, Interracial/POC, MINE!, OTT Hero, Touch-Her-and-💀, Tracking/Spying, Unhinged MMC, Virgin FMC

💋 Kinks: 🍑, Biting/Marking, Blindfold, Body Betrayal, Degradation (Mild), Dirty Talk, Domination, Finger Licking Good, Handcuffs, Somnophilia, Toys as Teammates

🤰🏻 Pregnancy: Minor Storyline

📍 Setting: Virginia/Washington, DC

⚠️ Warning: This one-handed read may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care. It may also leave you questioning your morals.

🚩 Safety Squad: NonCon, Violence, Unaliving, and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: Lust is part of Seven Sins series, a multi-author collaboration. However, no other books need to be read to enjoy the story.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Profile Image for Nelly.
333 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2023
Lust by Drethi Anis is a book that completely caught me off guard. This enthralling novel delves into the depths of dark themes while skillfully weaving a forbidden taboo love story. The chemistry between the main characters, Tristan and Sara, is palpable, and their love story is nothing short of extraordinary, reminiscent of the legendary tale of Asmodeus. In comparison to Anis' quarantine series, Lust truly left a lasting impact on me.

Set in a world where societal norms are challenged, Lust takes readers on a journey through the complexities of forbidden love. Tristan and Sara, the central characters, find themselves drawn to one another against all odds. Their connection transcends the boundaries of what is considered acceptable, as they navigate a love that is both exhilarating and dangerous.

Anis skillfully explores the intricate emotions and desires that drive Tristan and Sara's relationship. The forbidden nature of their love intensifies the emotions, making every interaction between them electrifying. The author's ability to capture the essence of their chemistry is nothing short of remarkable, creating a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Drawing inspiration from the timeless tale of Asmodeus, Anis masterfully intertwines elements of passion, desire, and temptation throughout the story. The parallels between Tristan and Sara's love and that of Asmodeus add a layer of complexity to the narrative, leaving readers captivated and wanting more.

Having previously read Anis' quarantine series, I must admit that Lust evoked emotions in me that her previous works did not. While her quarantine series was engaging, it did not have the same impact as Lust. This novel took me on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving me contemplating the depths of human desire and the consequences of pursuing forbidden love.

Lust by Drethi Anis is a novel that defies expectations and leaves a lasting impression. With its expertly woven narrative, dark themes, and forbidden love story, it is a book that will keep readers enthralled from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, the ending fell short of my expectations, leaving me with a lingering feeling of disappointment. While the writing style and narrative techniques employed throughout the book were engaging, the conclusion failed to deliver the impactful climax that I had anticipated.

Despite this, "Lust" still possesses many redeeming qualities, such as its thought-provoking themes and the author's talent for crafting compelling scenes. Although the ending left me unsatisfied, I appreciate the journey the book took me on and the emotions it evoked along the way.

In conclusion the chemistry between Tristan and Sara is palpable, reminiscent of the legendary love stories of Asmodeus. If you're searching for a captivating read that explores the complexities of desire and the consequences of forbidden love, Lust is an absolute must-read.
Profile Image for Reading with Robin.
288 reviews79 followers
April 14, 2022
I am nothing but honest in my review, and before I read this, I was a little hesitant about it.

I mean the word has 'LUST' in it, so I expected a very cliche story about a hero who can't stop using his dick enough to think.

But I should have known better IT IS Drethi Anis, and her books have never failed in plot and character.

I love the whole concept of Asmodeus(The god of lust) and how his story intwined into Sara and Tristan's story. The way the author interlaced both stories was just 🤌
I usually would get bored when author try to parallel the mythology with the main character's story, because I would be like GET TO THE POINT, I don't wanna know about mythology and shit.

But I was as invested into Asmodeus story and his Sarah, as I was with Tristan and his Sara.The author was able to interwined their story so well that I was looking forward for another piece of Asmodeus story.

Tristan was descipable, there really is no other way to say it, he has no redeeming qualities except for his love and possessiveness over Sara,not gonna lie, that was enough to win me over.

Because while he was this ruthless politician that would do nothing to achieve his dreams, he has never NOT put Sara above his dreams.

In contrast to his mean and jaded self, Sara was the utter opposite.She was kind, forgiving(NOT A DOORMAT), sassy, and just strong in her own way.It's like you KNOW why Tristan fell for her.

I think the main highlight of the story was how the author made it so that Tristan was able to have EVERYTHING but Sara.

Women, power, glory but they were all just fluff against Sara, he would have traded everything and anyone for her, but he couldn't, and that was just the curse Asmodeus put him through.

For safety readers, the word is TITLED 'Lust' so this man was the embodiment of it, but I think the author did the best she could do to do the title justice while still taking account the safety issue.

He was an utter manwhore through and through, BUT after he started having feelings for Sara(she was 16 I think), he was celibate.
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