What do you think?
Fire & Vice #9
Chasing Ecstasy
A friends-to-lovers standalone contemporary romance by USA Today Bestselling Author Nikita Slater.
There are three men in Cassandra’s life.
A husband who’s never touched her; a lover who doesn’t want her; and a bodyguard who will do anything for her.
After a lifetime without choice, Cass embarks on a journey of self-discovery where she learns to love and value herself as more than a mafia asset. Through her travels, one man stands true in his affection. When she finds herself pregnant, she faces a massive decision. Will love dictate her heart, or will she take the path laid out for her from birth?
Ruiz is at the height of his career as a famous Mexican wrestler when everything gets derailed, and he must go on the run to protect his sister. Despite this setback, Ruiz is the type of guy who’ll turn lemons into lemonade. When he finds himself in the employ of a vicious mobster, his solace comes in the form of the only woman he’ll ever love; his Goddess. The mobster’s wife.
While Cass attempts to sort out her future, her past stalks her every move, threatening everything she loves. Luckily, Ruiz has her back and he’s the one man who’s never let her down.
Chasing Ecstasy is the ninth and final book in the Fire & Vice Series. Each book is completely standalone and can be read in any order. Note from the while most of the books in this series are dark mafia romance, Chasing Ecstasy is mafia adjacent and lighter than the other books. Cass is light, love and laughter and she refuses to be shut away in the dark. I hope you give her a try and that you love Cass as much as the author does.
There are three men in Cassandra’s life.
A husband who’s never touched her; a lover who doesn’t want her; and a bodyguard who will do anything for her.
After a lifetime without choice, Cass embarks on a journey of self-discovery where she learns to love and value herself as more than a mafia asset. Through her travels, one man stands true in his affection. When she finds herself pregnant, she faces a massive decision. Will love dictate her heart, or will she take the path laid out for her from birth?
Ruiz is at the height of his career as a famous Mexican wrestler when everything gets derailed, and he must go on the run to protect his sister. Despite this setback, Ruiz is the type of guy who’ll turn lemons into lemonade. When he finds himself in the employ of a vicious mobster, his solace comes in the form of the only woman he’ll ever love; his Goddess. The mobster’s wife.
While Cass attempts to sort out her future, her past stalks her every move, threatening everything she loves. Luckily, Ruiz has her back and he’s the one man who’s never let her down.
Chasing Ecstasy is the ninth and final book in the Fire & Vice Series. Each book is completely standalone and can be read in any order. Note from the while most of the books in this series are dark mafia romance, Chasing Ecstasy is mafia adjacent and lighter than the other books. Cass is light, love and laughter and she refuses to be shut away in the dark. I hope you give her a try and that you love Cass as much as the author does.
Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2022
About the author
Nikita Slater
86 books972 followersNikita's social media:
Website: https://www.authornikitaslater.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/slaternikita/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/18531...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slaternikita/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nikit...
Nikita Slater is the USA Today Bestselling Author of action-packed suspenseful romance. She writes dark romance, mafia romance, MC romance, fantasy shifter romance, and post-apocalyptic dystopian romance. She lives on the beautiful Canadian prairies with her son, her awesome dog, and her partner. She has an unholy affinity for books, wine, pets and anything chocolate. Despite some of the darker themes in her books (which are pure fun and fantasy), Nikita is a staunch feminist and advocate of equal rights for all races, genders and non-gender specific persons. When she isn't writing, dreaming about writing or talking about writing, she helps others discover a love of reading and writing through literacy and social work.
Website: https://www.authornikitaslater.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/slaternikita/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/18531...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slaternikita/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nikit...
Nikita Slater is the USA Today Bestselling Author of action-packed suspenseful romance. She writes dark romance, mafia romance, MC romance, fantasy shifter romance, and post-apocalyptic dystopian romance. She lives on the beautiful Canadian prairies with her son, her awesome dog, and her partner. She has an unholy affinity for books, wine, pets and anything chocolate. Despite some of the darker themes in her books (which are pure fun and fantasy), Nikita is a staunch feminist and advocate of equal rights for all races, genders and non-gender specific persons. When she isn't writing, dreaming about writing or talking about writing, she helps others discover a love of reading and writing through literacy and social work.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 19, 2022
Cassandra has been through so much in her life, being promised to marry at a young age, all for her family and what it will give to them. Luckily for her Nic is a wonderful man and marries her.
She has gone from one cage to another cage, although the one with Nic is beautiful and nice, it is still a cage. She begins a relationship with Luke, Nic's righthand man, and from there her life turns and she begins a journey of finding herself, and allowing herself some freedom. Cass finds a friendship with Ruiz, although they both would like it to be more, but it's very complicated.
This is not a dark story, but a story of a woman's passage, discovering who she is, and figuring out where her life will lead.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story!
She has gone from one cage to another cage, although the one with Nic is beautiful and nice, it is still a cage. She begins a relationship with Luke, Nic's righthand man, and from there her life turns and she begins a journey of finding herself, and allowing herself some freedom. Cass finds a friendship with Ruiz, although they both would like it to be more, but it's very complicated.
This is not a dark story, but a story of a woman's passage, discovering who she is, and figuring out where her life will lead.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story!
Read
May 6, 2022I mostly really enjoy this author’s books but this one felt too different and I just didn’t find either of MMC’s interesting enough to be honest. Will not rate as I couldn’t finish.
April 16, 2022
My heart went out to Cass. She was shown so little love in her life as a child. Her marriage to Nic changed in a good way with his fierce pierce protection. All her life she was kept in a bubble unaware of the real world. She learned about herself when she had the thrill of being on her own after finding out she was pregnant. The father of her child was a loser. Ruiz was a true friend waiting on the sidelines waiting for her. Ms. Slater dealt with a sensitive subject matter of anxiety and depression in which Cass endured for many years. It was presented with understanding and compassion. Thank you Ms. Slater.
May 4, 2022
I enjoyed this final story in the Fire & Vice series. I could definitely relate to Cass and her issues with depression. I did find myself wanting to smack Cass and make her realize a lot quicker that she deserved better than Luke, what a puke he was…hmm Luke the puke is a pretty good name for him. I loved Ruiz and his unfaltering love of Cass even as he couldn’t be with her. Seeing Cass come into her true self was great. Motherhood can sure bring out the tiger in you and it did with Cass and she realized she deserved more and she went after her HEA. Loved the ending with a nice look back at all the couples in this series. Great read.
April 27, 2022
The last book in the series, I had been curious about Cass since seeing her in Burning Beauty, and I have to say that it was a wild ride. Cass was so different from other heroines in the series, as was Ruiz, and the the set up....wow. It had such a different feel to other books in the series; although you never forget the gritty world in which it's set. There is a real lightness that comes through, despite the heaviness in Cass' life and the personal issues that she deals with. Ruiz has a playfulness to him that disguises all the sharp edges, and his adoration of Cass was painful to watch in the very beginning because she deserved so much more than what she was getting from Luke.
Although the dynamics in the relationships surrounding Cass regarding Nic and Luke are not what I would usually enjoy reading, I loved Ruiz and fell in love with their story.
Although the dynamics in the relationships surrounding Cass regarding Nic and Luke are not what I would usually enjoy reading, I loved Ruiz and fell in love with their story.
April 22, 2022
Chasing Ecstasy wasn't what I was expecting and contained a couple of tropes that I wouldn't ordinarily pick myself but I really enjoyed it and the different take it brought to a well-established, darker series. While this story is set in the mafia world this author excels at and is the final book in her Fire and Vice series that is made up of dark, alpha-type, dominant anti-heroes that are kings of the criminal underworld, this novel broke the mould. For starters, the male lead is sweet, kind and compassionate and his love interest is sheltered and somewhat damaged - more on this in a bit. For fans of the series, there are some great cameos from previous characters of the series, especially Nic and Maria, but for those looking for a quick escape, you definitely don't need to have read the previous books as this one holds up just fine on its own.
For those that haven't read Nic and Maria's story in Book 8, there's a bit of cross over here and there so Chasing Ecstasy starts with a fair bit of time-skipping to segue different time periods and events in the characters' lives. Nic, the anti-hero lead from Book 8 and heir of an Italian mafia family, was betrothed to Cass when they were young. Having spent his life looking out for her, their marriage is more of a culmination of a friendship as they feel no romantic inclinations towards each other but instead see each other as family. As such, they seek companionship elsewhere and Cass eventually settles into a relationship with her bodyguard, Luke, later to be Nic's right hand man. Ruiz, possibly the best man on earth, is thrown into Cass' orbit since Maria, the woman Nic has fallen head over heels for, is his sister. From there, the two become close and while Ruiz loves Cass from the moment he saw her, they remain friends. I know how I described the relationships above looks like word vomit, but it works, I swear.
Cass is a complicated character. While she seems confident and strong at times, having led a life as a mafia princess has also kept her inexperienced and naïve in many ways. She suffers from infrequent but intense periods of depression due to trauma from an extremely violent upbringing from cruel, cold parents and therefore lives her life delicately balancing a lack of self-worth while trying to be positive and make the most of life. When she finds out she's pregnant and decides to take a trip of self-discovery, having never been truly alone before, she discovers she's stronger than she thinks. Ruiz, her friend and future love interest, was borderline perfect in the best of ways. I'll admit, it was strange reading a Nikita Slater book where the hero was just a gorgeous person in every way. Patient, kind, caring and willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the one he loved. So yeah... pretty much the opposite of every other male in most of her books lololol. I loved him, his love of family and the fact that for once, a male lead wasn't rolling in money. And it's not often that 'sweet' comes across in a male character in a way that isn't cheesy or boring, but Ruiz was perfect. He could thrown down when he needed to (he was a luchadore - I loved this) but was a real stand-up type of man while still being strong, confident and delicious. When he follows Cass to Vegas, both of their lives slowly begin to change and Cass realises what she's been looking for has been right there the whole time. While this sounds a bit cringe, it wasn't. It was beautiful to read and I think the fact that it was still set in Nic's mafia world stopped it from becoming saccharine.
For most of the book, Cass is in a relationship, and then pregnant, to Luke. Ruiz is there and so is the chemistry but I'm mentioning it because obviously this is a big thing for some readers, including myself. I don't generally like other man/other woman drama but since Ruiz was such a strong and likeable character, it worked for me. To be clear, there's no cheating from Cass and Ruiz wouldn't cross the line, so this obviously helped as well, but it's worth mentioning there was a long-term relationship present where Cass was in love with someone else at one stage, not to mention the surprise bebeh. I also thought the introduction of a baby would be weird but I even loved that as it showed a really beautiful side of Cass and Ruiz's characters.
While this wasn't a dark read, there were still aspects of the mafia life throughout the book due to the characters involved, particularly the secondary ones. The drama was solid without being unnecessarily full of angst and the story was spliced with enough action that I couldn't put it down once I started it. The author also added in a cute epilogue to wrap the series up with which I thought was a nice touch, finishing off a couple of the stories on a high note.
To sum up, I loved it. It was a sweet story that ended the Fire and Vice series, a favourite of mine, on a really upbeat, happy note. It was a risk for the author to go down this path, especially with a series of this length that is definitely on the darker side of life, but I love that she did because it let me finish a great series with not only a touch of nostalgia, but a smile on my face. Who would have thought that a dark mafia series would end with a story that started as unrequited love as well as a friends to lovers trope with a hero who's occupation didn't involve mayhem, murder and violence and whose wooing technique didn't involve a syringe, zip ties, rope and threats lol. This one, like the rest in the series, will be getting reread and while I'm sad that it's wrapping up, I'm glad it was this book to finish it all off.
For those that haven't read Nic and Maria's story in Book 8, there's a bit of cross over here and there so Chasing Ecstasy starts with a fair bit of time-skipping to segue different time periods and events in the characters' lives. Nic, the anti-hero lead from Book 8 and heir of an Italian mafia family, was betrothed to Cass when they were young. Having spent his life looking out for her, their marriage is more of a culmination of a friendship as they feel no romantic inclinations towards each other but instead see each other as family. As such, they seek companionship elsewhere and Cass eventually settles into a relationship with her bodyguard, Luke, later to be Nic's right hand man. Ruiz, possibly the best man on earth, is thrown into Cass' orbit since Maria, the woman Nic has fallen head over heels for, is his sister. From there, the two become close and while Ruiz loves Cass from the moment he saw her, they remain friends. I know how I described the relationships above looks like word vomit, but it works, I swear.
Cass is a complicated character. While she seems confident and strong at times, having led a life as a mafia princess has also kept her inexperienced and naïve in many ways. She suffers from infrequent but intense periods of depression due to trauma from an extremely violent upbringing from cruel, cold parents and therefore lives her life delicately balancing a lack of self-worth while trying to be positive and make the most of life. When she finds out she's pregnant and decides to take a trip of self-discovery, having never been truly alone before, she discovers she's stronger than she thinks. Ruiz, her friend and future love interest, was borderline perfect in the best of ways. I'll admit, it was strange reading a Nikita Slater book where the hero was just a gorgeous person in every way. Patient, kind, caring and willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the one he loved. So yeah... pretty much the opposite of every other male in most of her books lololol. I loved him, his love of family and the fact that for once, a male lead wasn't rolling in money. And it's not often that 'sweet' comes across in a male character in a way that isn't cheesy or boring, but Ruiz was perfect. He could thrown down when he needed to (he was a luchadore - I loved this) but was a real stand-up type of man while still being strong, confident and delicious. When he follows Cass to Vegas, both of their lives slowly begin to change and Cass realises what she's been looking for has been right there the whole time. While this sounds a bit cringe, it wasn't. It was beautiful to read and I think the fact that it was still set in Nic's mafia world stopped it from becoming saccharine.
For most of the book, Cass is in a relationship, and then pregnant, to Luke. Ruiz is there and so is the chemistry but I'm mentioning it because obviously this is a big thing for some readers, including myself. I don't generally like other man/other woman drama but since Ruiz was such a strong and likeable character, it worked for me. To be clear, there's no cheating from Cass and Ruiz wouldn't cross the line, so this obviously helped as well, but it's worth mentioning there was a long-term relationship present where Cass was in love with someone else at one stage, not to mention the surprise bebeh. I also thought the introduction of a baby would be weird but I even loved that as it showed a really beautiful side of Cass and Ruiz's characters.
While this wasn't a dark read, there were still aspects of the mafia life throughout the book due to the characters involved, particularly the secondary ones. The drama was solid without being unnecessarily full of angst and the story was spliced with enough action that I couldn't put it down once I started it. The author also added in a cute epilogue to wrap the series up with which I thought was a nice touch, finishing off a couple of the stories on a high note.
To sum up, I loved it. It was a sweet story that ended the Fire and Vice series, a favourite of mine, on a really upbeat, happy note. It was a risk for the author to go down this path, especially with a series of this length that is definitely on the darker side of life, but I love that she did because it let me finish a great series with not only a touch of nostalgia, but a smile on my face. Who would have thought that a dark mafia series would end with a story that started as unrequited love as well as a friends to lovers trope with a hero who's occupation didn't involve mayhem, murder and violence and whose wooing technique didn't involve a syringe, zip ties, rope and threats lol. This one, like the rest in the series, will be getting reread and while I'm sad that it's wrapping up, I'm glad it was this book to finish it all off.
May 3, 2022
I’m not sure what to do now.
The Fire & Vice series yanked me out of one of the worst and longest reading-blocks in my life. It grabbed me and hasn’t let me go since. Well, actually, truthfully Nikita Slater has a hold of me. If she writes it, I reads it. Her characters are and with such depth, the storylines well developed and intriguing, the steam, perfect.
All that being said, Chasing Ecstasy is the final (*sob*) book in an amazing series. It’s gritty, page turning, intense. I found myself hoping the story would go in a certain direction, and then changed my mind rooting for another and then another.
I was so *in* this book, I didn’t notice time, page turning, battery percentage. I feel I’m not the only read we that does quick checks on this, along with book progression? All I can say, is I didn’t check either of these. My eyes and mind were 100% on this story. And whereas I’m super bummed this series is over, I’m also very excited to see what else this amazing author releases.
Kudos! I received a copy of this book and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The Fire & Vice series yanked me out of one of the worst and longest reading-blocks in my life. It grabbed me and hasn’t let me go since. Well, actually, truthfully Nikita Slater has a hold of me. If she writes it, I reads it. Her characters are and with such depth, the storylines well developed and intriguing, the steam, perfect.
All that being said, Chasing Ecstasy is the final (*sob*) book in an amazing series. It’s gritty, page turning, intense. I found myself hoping the story would go in a certain direction, and then changed my mind rooting for another and then another.
I was so *in* this book, I didn’t notice time, page turning, battery percentage. I feel I’m not the only read we that does quick checks on this, along with book progression? All I can say, is I didn’t check either of these. My eyes and mind were 100% on this story. And whereas I’m super bummed this series is over, I’m also very excited to see what else this amazing author releases.
Kudos! I received a copy of this book and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
April 21, 2022
An Exceptional and Unique Love Story...Nikita Slater has written a terrific book for the ending of the Fire & Vice Series. The book was absolutely a page-turner, as I never knew which way it was going. It's the story of Cass, a beautiful woman and three handsome men, Nic, Ruiz, and Luke but not necessarily what you think when you have three men and one woman. The three men all had different personalities that fit with her until they didn't. I was spell-bound with the story. I was hoping it would go one direction, then another direction, then another way. And danger lurks around the corner. With all that said, you don't want to miss out on this book.
April 27, 2022
WOW! What an amazing ending to this series! I was utterly riveted to my seat and unwilling to put this one down even when I turned to the last page. Cass, Nic, Ruiz and Luke take us on an emotional journey filled with healing, passion and love. Cass had me entranced and heartbroken over what happened in her past and with how she now deals with her anxiety and depression. I laughed, I cried and I held my breath hoping for a happy ending.
Really well written love story that pulled on my heartstrings, kept me gripping my kindle tightly, and had me falling hopelessly in love with Cass.
Really well written love story that pulled on my heartstrings, kept me gripping my kindle tightly, and had me falling hopelessly in love with Cass.
May 22, 2022
I loved getting to know Cass and Ruiz. Their story was so authentic and romantic. It’s refreshing to see a man not only want, but make it his mission to care for a child that is not biologically his. This story was definitely different from the typical Alpha males that Nikita often writes about. Ruiz is an alpha male but at least he allows his woman to speak her mind, he respects her wishes, trusts her to make her own decisions and gave her so much support and encouragement to accomplish her dreams. I emphatically loved this story. Way to go Nikita! 👍🏾🤗❤️👏🏾
April 18, 2022
Nikita asked us to give this book a chance as it was a departure from her norm. Boy, was I glad I did! I love all of her books and it wasn't long until I was totally engrossed in Cass's story. Cass dealt with bouts of anxiety and depression which I thought Nikita handled with compassion and understanding. It's a great read as you go through Cass's life with all it's ups and downs. It is a romance of the kind i had never read before and I certainly did not expect the places it would go. I highly recommend this book.
April 20, 2022
This is the last book in Nikitas’s Fire and Vice series. This isn’t the typical story you will be used to if you read the rest of the Fire and Vice series. Nikita takes us on a wild ride and wraps the series up beautifully.
This book can be read as a stand alone but will make more sense if you read all of the Fire and Vice books first. Nikita does not disappoint with this series and I absolutely love her books! Another 5 star read!
This book can be read as a stand alone but will make more sense if you read all of the Fire and Vice books first. Nikita does not disappoint with this series and I absolutely love her books! Another 5 star read!
May 1, 2022
Nikitas’s Fire and Vice Series goes out with quite a bang. Cass is a character with so much to give and from the outside what seems like so many men in her life but in reality there’s a lot lacking. Her resilient nature is what keeps her pushing through all the disappointment but she never gives up. Although she doesn’t always make the best choices she’s brave enough to always love with everything she has.
May 1, 2022
“He had his pick of beautiful, rich, unflawed partners, but he’d never wavered in his desire…Nor had he gone back on his childhood declaration of protection.”
This book was nothing short of amazing. It hit every emotion…friendship, loyalty, fear, heartache, betrayal, survival, strength, love, steaminess…
“…when it came to his Goddess, all was fair in love and war.”
This book was nothing short of amazing. It hit every emotion…friendship, loyalty, fear, heartache, betrayal, survival, strength, love, steaminess…
“…when it came to his Goddess, all was fair in love and war.”
May 13, 2022
I loved Carinna and every pierced part of Maxim. The two of them blended in perfectly with the other couples. In fact, they have become one of my favorite couples in the series. Maxim is a dirty, possessive, alpha. Just what Carrina secretly craves. It was great to have the interactions from the other couples. Another amazing story.
April 27, 2022
The book was great. The characters Cass and Ruiz are great. I love the chemistry they have. I also like that I get to see some of my heritage in the book. This book kept me up until I finished it, I just couldn't put it down! That's how good it was... I highly recommend it!
April 29, 2022
This book was absolutely amazing. It was a little lighter then my Usually read but for Cass story it has be light and easy going. Cass journey was emotional, scary and happy. You can’t get any better then all these emotion in a book. A must read.
April 26, 2022
This was a great read, I loved it!! I see a reread in the near future!
April 28, 2022
Fantastic read
July 25, 2022
Luke is a 🐍of a man. The end.
Cass and Ruiz are a Perfect 🥰match. Love their relationship.
Cass and Ruiz are a Perfect 🥰match. Love their relationship.
November 25, 2022
Cass deserved the best HEA, Ruiz was more her friend than her lover for my taste.
April 21, 2022
I’ve been looking forward to Cassandra’s story since Burning Beauty. She’s wild and zany and I loved her fire within. This story was her journey of self discovery and I enjoyed how it stirred up all kinds of different emotions. Nikita Slater knows how to write strong female characters and Cassandra is relatable and you can’t help rooting for her happily ever after.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews