USA Today Best Selling Author, Willow Winters, brings you an all-consuming, sizzling romance featuring an epic, anti-hero you won't soon forget.
Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it. That’s how I’d describe what happened to us.
Everything around me blurred and all that existed were his lips, his touch… The chase and the heat between us became addictive. Our nights together were a distraction; one we craved to the point of letting the world crumble around us. We should have paid attention; we should have known that it would come to this. We both knew it couldn’t last, but that didn’t change what we desired most. All we wanted was each other…
Willow started writing after having her little girl, Evie, December 2015. All during her pregnancy with Evie she continued to read and she only wanted to read romance. She was reading a book a day — sometimes two.
In January 2016 Willow was staying up late with Evie and just thinking of all these stories. They came to her constantly so she finally sat down and just started writing. She always wanted to do it so she figured, why not? Today Willow cannot be happier for making that decision!
Merciless World
A Kiss to Tell
Possessive Seductive
Merciless Heartless Breathless Endless
All He’ll Ever Be
A Kiss To Keep
A Single Glance A Single Kiss A Single Touch
Hard to Love Desperate to Touch Tempted to Kiss Easy to Fall
Merciless World Spin Off
It’s Our Secret
Standalone Novels: Broken Forget Me Not
Sins and Secrets Duets: Imperfect (Imperfect Duet book 1) Unforgiven (Imperfect Duet book 2)
Damaged (Damaged Duet book 1) Scarred (Damaged Duet book 2)
Standalone Novels: All I Want is a Kiss Tell Me To Stay Second Chance Knocking Boots Promise Me Burned Promises Forsaken, cowritten with B. B. Hamel
Collections Don’t Let Go Deepen The Kiss Kisses and Wishes
Valetti Crime Family Series: Dirty Dom His Hostage Rough Touch Cuffed Kiss Bad Boy
Highest Bidder Series, cowritten with Lauren Landish: Bought Sold Owned Given
Bad Boy Standalones, cowritten with Lauren Landish: Inked Tempted Mr. CEO
Title: ➳ ❤ This Love Hurts Author: ➳ W Winters Publication (Kindle ): July 14th 2020 Publication (Paperback): July 10, 2020 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
LIVE ღ an epic tale of both betrayal and all-consuming love, In this Edition we're going to find both the The prequel to (Do You Want Me), and part 2 (This Love Hurts)
Honestly, I didn’t want to say Wow!!! There’s just so much information to process in this Lil amazing book. so many pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place now…..
I started reading this book somewhat slow, I try to remember everything I could about Marcus. Then when I hit the part 2 section, Oh my gosh!! I inhaled this one, this captured me from the first page, it felt like one of those books where you stay up all night reading, even though you know you have to be a functioning adult the next day.I finish this book late last night , but I had to collect my thought before I wrote my review
For Anyone who has reads W Winters books knows that there has been Whispers In The night & in Dark Corners you’ll find him…. some call him the boogeyman others call him ghost, the grim reaper… the angel of death…other say the monster under your bed. They called him a lot of things but they only ever whispered his name in a single hiss.
Whatever you want to call Marcus, just remember Marcus knows all your secrets and more importantly he knows where you are hiding
📚 Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion+ Also I wouldn’t never discourage anyone from reading this book.
➦* Note: ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my review!
I feel like I'm missing something? This book is marketed as a the beginning of a series, but reading reviews, it looks like this is a spin-off of another series that gave pretty important background information on the characters. I was super intrigued that our heroine was a lawyer and falling for an FBI agent while a serial killer was stalking her and making her feel things. But I feel like the book only scratched the surface on any of these characters, especially the guys. There felt like an entire plot line missing between Cody and Marcus and I would have loved to have so much more of that developed in this book. There was a pretty good twist at the end that I'm interested in learning more about, but I don't know if I'll move on to book two until I've read the previous series that fills in a little bit more about these characters.
So when this series was announced I was so fucking happy because after reading Not My Heart to Break (AKA Hard To Love Series) I WAS OBSESSED WITH MARCUS! I always ALWAAAAYS fall in love with the villains. So I mean obviously Marcus attracted me from the very start. This mysterious man who NO ONE has ever seen, one of the most wanted man in the country. You get the gist of it.......
And then we had Delilah a former lawyer who used to occasionally check herself into an institute, who was also known to be one of the VERY FEW people who had actually been in contact with Marcus and seen him.
And then we had Walsh, the third character EX FBI agent, who had been in contact with Marcus for many years through letters. Marcus used to tip Walsh about some of the bad guys who he didn't want to deal with himself but wanted out of the streets. So they sort off had a partnership.
So that's all I understood about these three characters from the previous series. And now we FINALLY get their story and I was a tad bit disappointed with the first book from this series. This is probably a me problem or might also be for all the Marcus lovers out there as I wanted to read this series for Marcus and Delilah but the first book revolved more around Delilah and Walsh's relationship.
The book revolves around Delilah being in danger for speaking out against a criminal who was given bail instead of being locked up. Its about how even a strong person has their weak moments and breaks down. Also the part I didn't like, Delilah and Walsh......
We get a glimpse of Marcus's past and Walsh's relationship with Marcus. But more details will be revealed in the next book and FOR SURE more of Marcus and Delilah will happen in the upcoming books which I am SO excited for.
You know the book started off with (The Prequel Novel) a BOMB ASS PROLOGUE LIKE HUNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. (Its an interaction between Delilah and Marcus.)
“You said you’d let me go,” I whisper, speaking over my strangled breaths. My gaze never leaves his, even as tears prick my eyes. Not until he answers me. “I changed my mind.”
Like BAM BAM BAM, I was so pumped like OMG WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM FINALLLLLYYYYYYYY. But then I got Walsh and Delilah......So yeaaaaaaah.
But I did get Marcus and Delilah moments towards the end? It was brief but I did get something.
I’ll be her hero this time. The hero gets the kiss.
This book, as it's Prequel, unfortunately wasn't what I was expecting. It was good... But widely open.
IF YOU READ HER PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE MERCILESS WORLD, YOU'LL LOVE THIS BOOK!!
I am sorry to said that, because it's my first time with this author, and this book was suppose to be a standalone. That's why I picked up to know her writing.
This book is half the Prequel (published as If you want me) and listed here as part 1, and the sequel to the Prequel as part 2.
Again Delilah is in her friends with benefits relationship with Cody, and honestly, it's a lot going on in the background of their life, with her career and her family, with his secrets, and with their unspoken connection with Marcus (which now I know, it's a big bad wolf from previous books, but you can't know that just reading this book like me... You have to dig for spoilers) but from this book? I don't have answer for any questions.
It's not a standalone, and although I did liked the author's style, and even the plot of a growing love triangle, but it's a lot open yet. It's looks like just another Prequel...
It ends in a cliffhanger, which is the absolute killer mood for a person who's reading a standalone (ME). I'll probably continue with the next book, but only when it's all live and finished.
Note: An ARC was given generously by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Another Note: This is part of a series. This is the first book in the series. Please read in order.
Warnings: Mentions of physical abuse, domestic abuse, traumatic pasts, etc.
This book I thought, when I had first looked at it, had so much potential. It was a Willow Winters book, so of course I had high hopes for it.
But you know, sometimes, life doesn't go as planned. ...................................................................................................
The book was okay, I have to be honest.
Some things were definitely interesting:
The writing.
The history of Cody and Marcus.
And Marcus himself.
Marcus. Marcus. Marcus.
These were only three things I could appreciate from the novel. The rest, I wish had lived up too.
The female character was a heck load irritating. Her name should've been - drunk in coffeeland and wine (she was so busy drinking, I sometimes wondered if she ever even ate, maybe she was a smoker?) Not whatever her actual name was. I just...couldn't relate and connect to her like I wanted. She was just too much for my liking honestly.
On to Cody. He was bland as tea. (And I personally hate tea, unless I am sick). He lacked the edge, and the wittiness, and the general bad boy look he was trying to go for. Most of those things were missing honestly. I still wonder what's-her-name saw in him. I didn't see any chemistry or anything to root for.
They were boring, bland, and over complicated enough at times to give me a headache. I wondered why they were the main characters at all.
The plot was all over the place - so many things were going on at once - that I felt literally confused. Due to no spoiler giving, I can't exactly say (neither can I remember) the exact plot holes that I kept falling into like Alice in Wonderland (no potion to save me from this one).
Thankfully Marcus (even with his few and far between appearances) made things a heck load interesting. I mean that kiss with what's-her-name (see, it shows how little interest I had in knowing her or this novel), daaamn me. I'd have rather loved this couple, than Cody and WHN (what's-her-name). Things would have looked up more.
But hey, there is a sequel to this, so I keep my hopes up anyway.
And the writing being smooth and not troublesome, flowed well, so I moved faster than I did while reading this, despite thinking this novel would have been better. So yeah a plus point there too.
Thank god I have a sequel to look forward to, hopefully saving this one.
Review from 2020: Willow winters is an amazing writer; that’s very obvious, but I hate that this is way too short! For the price, it needed to be longer 😫🥺
The story continues, mostly in Delilah’s perspective and a sprinkle of Cody’s. I’m definitely DEFINITELY needing the second book now! I should’ve read that there was another book before I started this one because I’m left frustrated (in a good way, kind of, because I need more).
Someone is threatening Delilah and Cody and others are trying to find ways of protecting her. But the person that really ends up “solving” anything is Marcus. Apparently, Marcus appears in other books (I read reviews where people were excited to see him again) and does similar things. I’m left wishing I had read some of those other books to see what else I can understand about Marcus. I will say that the tension between Delilah and Marcus is damn thick. I mean, I felt WAY more excited seeing them interact (which was almost nothing) versus her and Cody. Don’t get me wrong; Cody is gorgeous and someone that COULD be with Delilah. But the tingles I feel, the butterflies, only come when Marcus is mentioned. The kitchen scene -🔥🔥 - and it was way too brief. I wanted more. I love me a antihero. In the background, we see things happening to her family, her parents, which she’s ignoring right now because of everything else going on in her life.
I have the entire series in audiobook; onto the next I go.
⚠️safety squad⚠️ -no owd/sharing -cheating ish* OM kisses the h. The h accepts it (doesn’t push him away) but she and H aren’t in a committed relationship yet. I’m not sure who the H is… she’s having feeling for OM -OMD- OM wants the h and threatens the H to take care of her -deaths -brief mention/description of the death of a child (the H’s brother) -FTB so no info on safe sex (again)
I was so excited when I heard this series was being released. When reading other books in the Merciless world, I was always intrigued by Marcus, the ultimate puppet master. He is always in the shadows, pulling the strings and his end game is never obvious. This is book 1 in the "This love hurts" series. You don't need to read any other Merciless world books but it will help build the intrigue around Marcus. This is a romantic suspense, focusing on the love triangle between Marcus (the villain), Delilah (the lawyer that puts away criminals) and Cody (the FBI agent tasked with catching villains). There are a lot of secrets, half truths and tension between these characters. I found the pace in the beginning of the book a bit slow for my tastes (hence my rating) but, as the story progressed, I got immersed in the suspense. It was like being part of a good TV procedural. And by the end of the book, I was hooked and I can't wait to get Marcus's side of the story and the motivations behind his actions. Great read overall!
USA Today best-selling author, Willow Winters, brings you an all-consuming, sizzling romance featuring an epic antihero you won't soon forget, in the brand new release, This Love Hurts!
We both knew it couldn’t last, but that didn’t change what we desired most. All we wanted was each other…
Start reading today for the special $2.99 release week price!
USA Today best-selling author, Willow Winters, brings you an all-consuming, sizzling romance featuring an epic antihero you won't soon forget, in the brand new release, This Love Hurts!
We both knew it couldn’t last, but that didn’t change what we desired most. All we wanted was each other…
Start reading today for the special $2.99 release week price!
this picks up right where ‘do you want me’ leaves off, so read that first to understand everything. this is a super short installment, but things are progressing and i have several theories on whats going on. cant wait to see what happens next and if im right!
This love hurts is a passionate and suspenseful novel by the best selling author Willow Winters . Told in dual perspectives , this was one epic tale of the hottest anti-hero you will ever meet.
I have read many books by this author and just like other works of hers , she has outdone herself in this novel. Marcus is absolutely my baby and love him from the bottom of my heart!!
Delilah was the most badass lawyer you will ever meet. But then even the strongest people have their limits. She catches the eye of a Ruthless stalker who completely disrupts her perfect life. That is when she is forced to meet the FBI agent Cody. Cody is a over-all intense and sweet guy , but even he has his secrets. Secrets that can be deadly.
Then there was Marcus. The darkest of them all. He was an obsessed and deranged person. But what can I say , those are the types that I love the most! He had complex feelings for Delilah and his Dark aura was very attractive for me.
This book kept me on edge almost throughout the end. It was so tough to decide who was the hero and the villian. Cody was on the good side but I knew he had some dark parts on himself. Marcus was the bad guy , but some of his moves showed that he actually felt for Delilah. I cannot wait to see how this book goes on!!!
Best thriller Romance , that intrigued me a lot !! I am craving for more of these characters and I don't think I will ever have enough of them!
This book is recommended to all the dark , gritty romance lovers out there , who would love a dark sexy stalker in the mix!
I mean daaaaaaayum, Willow knows how to hook me and get me invested! Marcus! … THIS.GUY. I mean daaaaaaayum!! Okay, but seriously, what a ridiculously good book/story this is! The pacing of the story is super fast but it is supposed to be. You will find yourself reading faster than you normally would because you will need to get to the next plot-point like yesterday! This is word crack and I am a full on junkie!
“You said you’d let me go,” I whisper, speaking over my strangled breaths. My gaze never leaves his, even as tears prick my eyes. Not until he answers me. “I changed my mind.”
What drew me to This Love Hurts is being told that this is a love story between a successful lawyer and a serial killer and I was like YES IM HERE FOR THE ANGST.
It started out great! The suspense caught me and kept me invested until about 30% into the book where everything fell a bit flat for me.
We navigate what is supposedly a gripping story through Delilah Jones (Assisstant District Attorney), Cody Walsh (FBI Agent), and lastly Marcus.
I honestly did not get much of the romance I was anticipating. The book maintained a mystery feel to it mostly but the romance is definitely a minor plot in this one but hints that it will be more focal in the next book.
What would she do? The beautiful woman with deep eyes and a smile she holds just for me, what would she do if she knew I played a part in a case that nearly destroyed her before her career had truly begun?
This is a hard book to review because while I did like some aspects of it, I was in a state of confusion many times which was an issue because I could not digest the story properly.
I'm not sure whether or not I'll pick up the next book, the cliffhanger definitely sparked my curiosity, even annoyed me a bit, but I'm worried the next book will follow the monotone style of this one.
Willow Winters gives us an epic tale of betrayal and all-consuming love.
Its spread over the Prequel to This Love Hurts and carries onto the book.
It's pretty drawn out and we are loaded with a lot to process to the extent you might lose track of what is going on. I struggled to keep the focus on the plot.
I think there is a chunk missing from this that probably I might find in another book because I didn't get Marcus or the point of his character until the end.
That end? I was absolutely miffed because this ends in a cliffhanger and no warning in the synopsis that there is a cliffhanger.
NOT good because having invested so much time reading this only to find out when I get to 93% it finishes with the question "What do you know about Marcus that I don't" and then it stops only to be told that it continues in But I Need You.
So because of no warning that this isn't a standalone its lost 2 stars and it ended up just an OK read for me.
Willow Winters delivers a whole new level of mind-blowing EPIC SUSPENSE in a book that is guaranteed to leave you wanting more long after you’ve read the last pages. My heart is still racing and the internal conflict is ever-present. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠 is heart-gripping and full of intrigue. As always Willow evokes so much visceral emotion- she makes you FEEL- her delivery is like a well-scripted movie that plays out vividly scene after scene in the mind’s eye.
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑠 is a written with masterful precision that will captivate you in every way. This is so much more than the story of the dark and mysterious ghost-like villain that has been around throughout the rest of the Merciless/ Cross Brothers world and so I had to will myself to enjoy everything that this story is and put aside the inherent need to know who Marcus really is... I’m already counting down the days to the next installment.
USA Today best-selling author, Willow Winters, brings you an all-consuming, sizzling romance featuring an epic antihero you won't soon forget, in the brand new release, This Love Hurts!
We both knew it couldn’t last, but that didn’t change what we desired most. All we wanted was each other…
Start reading today for the special $2.99 release week price!
Well.. its a start to the story. This will definitely be a trilogy that needs to be read altogether. I don't quite know if I want to continue. But we'll see.
Not very steamy. Bit of a thriller but also very confusing. I don't really feel any chemistry for either the FBI guy or the villian. Just kind of "meh"
Who the eff is MARCUS? Willow Winters needs to give me more... the suspense is killing me! This Love Hurts by Willow Winters is an EPIC read and will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
At 57% in, and it finally got interesting, which was annoying since the plot isn’t great. The main guy is kinda boring, not bad, just dull. I didn't expect a cliffhanger, which caught me off guard. I regret jumping in without knowing it was a series. The first book didn’t make it worth continuing. I won’t read the next ones. But the audiobook was good; I liked the narrators.
Marcus is still lurking in the shadows but soon we will know more. Delilah knows someone is following her. As a prosecutor she meets a lot of unsavory people. However, one case might just lead her in some trouble of her own. Someone is threatening her but who? Marcus is a powerful man, a murderer, a ghost, but no one truly knows the real man. When he sets his sights on Delilah there is no where she can turn. What does he really want from her? Is he a friend or foe? A great beginning to this dark suspense trilogy. I can’t wait to find out about Marcus as this is more from Deliah’s POV along with officer Cody’s POV. You will know of Cody and Marcus from prior books but this can be read as a new standalone series. We’re finally going to get to meet Marcus and I couldn’t be happier to see what happens.
O.M.G. I am in awe of this book. Like they say, I don't need sleep, I need answers! More than that, I need more MARCUS!!! Having read about Walsh and Marcus in the previous books, I was really excited to read more about them and now they've become one of my favorites compared to the others.
The story is about Delilah, a lawyer fighting bad guys and when anything bad is mentioned, of course Marcus is smack in the middle of it. A notorious serial killer who kills based on his moral. A criminal who makes his own rules. I liked Delilah and Cody a lot but I loved the mysterious and chilly vibe Marcus gave out. People are terrified of him yet none of them know what he looks like or if he even exists. The way he's referred to as a ghost and an angel of death, add to how bad-ass he really is.
And the KISS WITH MARCUS!! GAH! GAVE ME ALL THE FEELS!!
I'm dying to read more on how things progress in the next installment.
Who Are You? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME? *arc generously provided by the promo team in exchange for an honest review*
What’s this book about? (I'm trying to give as little spoilers as possible) This is Marcus’ story, our favorite anti-hero from the Merciless World. Do You Want Me?(already released novella) is part one of the book. Part two is the new content. (To my knowledge).
This Love Hurts is another mysterious and marvellous story by W. Winters! The lead characters are intriguing. Their entanglement is very inviting and it will have you invested from page one. They’re captivating and they will have you wondering, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? W. Winters is an expert at sensual mysteries and this is no exception. Our leading lady was exceptional to me and I desperately want to know more about her. The next book But I Need You is coming in October 20, 2020 and that can’t come soon enough!
Wow! Way too short and jeez too long till the next book. Damn willow what the hell are you trying to do to us! I've missed this type of writing so much!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Turns out Marcus is not a police officer, but a serial killer💀💀 He’s known as a grim reaper around town. This man is creepier than I thought. He’s everywhere all at once, breaking into Delilah and Cody’s houses like it’s no big deal.
In this book, we were given a little insight into Marcus’s past, and I was right Cody and Marcus do have a past. More importantly, Marcus and Cody’s dead brother Christopher had a history as well. I think that’s why Marcus turned into a serial killer. It’s kind of confusing at the moment, as to what Marcus stands for. I feel like maybe he’s on some revenge plan, trying to get rid of the bad guys. That’s why he and Cody worked together in the past. But I’m sure Cody is still hiding something.
I’m still curious about a lot of things. Cody and Marcus’s relationship is truly a mystery. Hopefully, it is discussed in the next book.