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Heaven & Hell #6
Descent
Calvin will do anything for me... except let me go.
We were strangers, as far as I knew.
He saw me once, but didn’t introduce himself like he could have.
Calvin Cutler. Nice to meet you.
But there’s nothing nice about Calvin Cutler.
He’s ruthless and single-minded, and he zeroed in on me—a hapless target for his dark and twisted appetites.
In the depths of Hell, I first looked into his sinful brown eyes, felt the greedy touch of his demanding hands for the first time.
Not the last time, though.
He wanted more. So much more.
He wanted me, whether I wanted him or not.
WARNING: Descent is a standalone dark romance with an unrepentant bad guy hero. This book is intended for an adult audience only and contains subject matter (such as non-consent) some may find triggering.
We were strangers, as far as I knew.
He saw me once, but didn’t introduce himself like he could have.
Calvin Cutler. Nice to meet you.
But there’s nothing nice about Calvin Cutler.
He’s ruthless and single-minded, and he zeroed in on me—a hapless target for his dark and twisted appetites.
In the depths of Hell, I first looked into his sinful brown eyes, felt the greedy touch of his demanding hands for the first time.
Not the last time, though.
He wanted more. So much more.
He wanted me, whether I wanted him or not.
WARNING: Descent is a standalone dark romance with an unrepentant bad guy hero. This book is intended for an adult audience only and contains subject matter (such as non-consent) some may find triggering.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2022
1842 people are currently reading
11020 people want to read
About the author
Sam Mariano
48 books4,820 followersFollow Sam Mariano on Facebook, Instagram (@sammarianobooks), or check out her Blog! If you need to email her, she can be reached at sammarianoauthor@gmail.com (but she is sometimes tardy about checking email. Mateo is very demanding).
Sign up for Sam's mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects--she won't spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)
All of Sam's books are available on Amazon! (And don't forget to follow Sam's Amazon Author page to get notified about the newest releases.)
Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on Dante’s book (if you’re a Morelli reader) and some other WIP.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!
Sign up for Sam's mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects--she won't spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)
All of Sam's books are available on Amazon! (And don't forget to follow Sam's Amazon Author page to get notified about the newest releases.)
Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on Dante’s book (if you’re a Morelli reader) and some other WIP.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,212 reviews
January 4, 2022
✨2 + extra .5 (I happen to love and appreciate Miss Mariano's work, but I'm in a petty bitch mood today so I won't round the rating up shut tf up 🥱) stars✨
Now you know how to get this particular man interested. Oh, and you're welcome, ladies. 💅🏻
There has never been a rapist gentler. A kidnapper more considerate. A jailer more protective than Calvin. +100 to his karma.
Only a man created by Miss Mariano will ignore his girl's (she's not his girl, but she is his girl, you get my meaning?) pleas to stop the onslaught and make her heart flutter (her words not mine), while she's fully aware that she's about to get raped, with an offhanded compliment.
His confidence is so thick it gets under your skin and creates discomfort, yet you cannot help rooting for someone whose ass deserves landing in a correctional facility for the rest of his life.
It's almost touching... the numerous ways in which he takes care of Hallie (h) throughout the book: helps her achieve her dreams, pours all kinds of resources into her, trains her to be his treasured little pet. Even their rape sessions — he ensured that they had a kinda therapeutic effect on her. Abandon convention, Hallie... I can almost feel these words echoing in her mind for decades to come.
Speaking of which...did you ever stumble upon that horror film in which a group of careless friends goes on vacation to a place in the middle of nowhere only to be welcomed to the ominous house owned by serial killers, cannibals, or crazy scientists?
Well, if you did, then you probably know the stereotypical honey blonde groupie who never fails to fall first in the hot embrace of a psychopath.
My congratulations!! You pretty much have our Hallie girl's personality type all figured out.
When at some point she suddenly realized that she most likely needed to gather up her wits around her clingy rapist, I was out of my breath, laughing. How can you gather something that you don't have, queen?
It's truly embarrassing how this book forces me to become a villain of this story and go all victim-blaming on Hallie.
I put blame on Miss Mariano for the emergence of those appalling thoughts. No one but her has the power to convince me that the victim is a dumb bitch and her rapist is the pillar of sanity and reasonable behavior.
How did she end up in the clutches of a psychopath, you might ask?
Hallie went out of her way to get into a plight: texted back her asshole ex, bailed out on her friend's bachelorette party on the complete stranger's orders, and didn't let the absurdism of her much richer ex-boyfriend asking for her financial help faze her in the least.
Wow, took her a moment or two to evaluate correctly the situation she had got herself into too. Verbal confirmation from her unbothered rapist-to-be (which was uttered withing the walls of a sex club...the symbolism 🌚) almost did the trick: she turned that doorknob at least a hundred times before realizing, after another verbal confirmation (see a pattern?), that it is (shocking, I know) locked (so thoughtful and considerate of Calvin). That's about summarises her rescue mission: pure, simple and useless.
I think there's a line between being dumb and being a sweet, compassionate soul eager to extend a helping hand. I can always count on Miss Mariano to deliver the former. ✊🏻
AIN'T SHE SWEET?
Just look at this princess putting her blind trust in her personal rapist whom she had met twice. 🖤
To be fair, just like Sam's psychopathic heroes, I do feel a weird fondness towards the women they love. But in my humble opinion, Hallie is so far this author's best creation. She's naive, delusional, and clueless to the point of being absolutely dumb. 😂 Obviously Miss Mariano's favorite type, judging by her other books. Bless her readers' patient souls.
Suffice it to say, even my weird fondness crumpled under this girl's usage of common courtesy in the weirdest contexts:
— she thanks the guy who brought her to her Prince Raping on the silver platter;
— she thanked Calvin after he had kidnapped her cat and had sent her a photo of the kitty safe and sound (the guy really did want to have that dinner with her, huh);
— she thanked Calvin for uncapping a bottle of water and handing it to her. There's nothing like a guy who helps you deal with the physical and emotional impact of being drugged and waking up naked in his bed.
BITCH SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW FOR THE SAKE OF MY SANITY. 😂😂🤚🏻
The girl doesn't even expect the most basic level of decency from anyone. No wonder her personal stalker and psychopath assumed she'd be perfect for him. And I thought it was me who had standards lower than the Dead Sea Depression. Time to say ciao to my delusions. 🤧
WHAT I LIKED
— Man chases his dreams.
— Man is self-aware. He knows what he wants.
— Man cherishes and values what he has.
In other words, Calvin is extremely possessive, totally unscrupulous, ruthless and unapologetic, naturally confident, occasionally mocking, endearingly caring, and unexpectedly tender. In case the FBI is asking after me, you guys didn't just witness me appraising and salivating over a rapist. ✊🏻
I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that Sam Mariano writes the most superb psychopaths a reader may find in romantic fiction these days. No reader is asinine enough to believe that there's something that Sam's men are incapable of doing to get their own way. Surprisingly, she doesn't even need to turn them into murderers or guys who don't shut the fuck up about the darkness and depravity that live inside them to create crème de la crème of the psychopathic secret society. OTHER AUTHORS, TAKE HEED. Don't languish in the swamp of mediocrity. The swamp might be easier to navigate, but the turbulent waters of the sea are more adventurous. 🖤
✨WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE✨
—Hallie's thought process was tedious. I didn't know who I wanted to shoot, her or myself.🔥
— Lack of any genuine struggle and fighting from Hallie. She almost gave the impression of someone reluctant to put up a fight, which didn't make any sense (considering her circumstances) and made it hard for me to sympathize with her predicament. The girl was being raped during the 3/4 of the book and all it managed to elicit from me was a bored yawn, and 'again, huh?'. He’d done it so many times, it no longer held weight (bonus point: it took Hallie time to turn into a warm puddle for him though, at least I can give her that).
— I'll admit that there were a few intense well-written scenes that kept me glued to the story, but the second half of the book lost me.
— Calvin came closer to Carter Mahoney's archetype than any other Sam's hero so far. Moreover, I'm fairly sure that he was a sliver 🤏🏻 more single-mindedly obsessed with his girl than Carter. Yet he loses on all fronts in my eyes because his perfect match Hallie didn't let him fulfill his potential to the max. Also, I was slightly taken aback by how many passages he dedicated to articulating his based needs (some call it dirty talk). As I've already mentioned, I have absolutely no doubt about Sam's heroes' ability to carry out any threat, promise, or fantasy. But the long paragraphs in which he elaborated, in explicit detail, on what he was going to do to the heroine were redundant. A silent man who does wicked things without any prior notice is so much sexier than a wordy one. Spare me the monologues and fuck her already.
Give me a little mystery, keep me in suspense, like Mr. Mahoney, is all I ask. *asks begging* 💋
OVERALL
±
I loved the writing style, a few unexpected scenes that gave the story some flavor (stealing a cat and conceiving your child in an Egyptian temple? 🥰), and Calvin's psycho ass.
—
Hallie making a bare minimum of effort to free herself from the beast's clutches deprived the story of any sparkle, angst and vivacity.
I loved Untouchable.
I enjoyed The Boy on the Bridge.
I liked Because of You.
This book seems to have all the ingredients, but it reads like a very bland story that Sam conformed to her established standard with none of the usual vibrancy.
✨You can do better, Ms. Mariano✨
(No, I love her too much to rate this book 2 stars)
She was the last person to spark my interest, and she wasn’t even naked or afraid.
Now you know how to get this particular man interested. Oh, and you're welcome, ladies. 💅🏻
There has never been a rapist gentler. A kidnapper more considerate. A jailer more protective than Calvin. +100 to his karma.
I grab onto it. “Please, Calvin,” I say softly, looking up at him.
He cocks his head and looks down at me, then softly strokes the side of my face. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Only a man created by Miss Mariano will ignore his girl's (she's not his girl, but she is his girl, you get my meaning?) pleas to stop the onslaught and make her heart flutter (her words not mine), while she's fully aware that she's about to get raped, with an offhanded compliment.
“How do you typically respond when people give you an answer you don’t like?” I ask.
His answer is simple. “I don’t accept answers I don’t like.”
His confidence is so thick it gets under your skin and creates discomfort, yet you cannot help rooting for someone whose ass deserves landing in a correctional facility for the rest of his life.
She only hesitates for a moment, then she hands the form back without touching the pen. “No.”
I like the sound of that word on her lips.
It's almost touching... the numerous ways in which he takes care of Hallie (h) throughout the book: helps her achieve her dreams, pours all kinds of resources into her, trains her to be his treasured little pet. Even their rape sessions — he ensured that they had a kinda therapeutic effect on her. Abandon convention, Hallie... I can almost feel these words echoing in her mind for decades to come.
A rush of blood hits my cock at the mere sight of her, doe-eyed and mildly horrified by the depravity of her surroundings.
Speaking of which...did you ever stumble upon that horror film in which a group of careless friends goes on vacation to a place in the middle of nowhere only to be welcomed to the ominous house owned by serial killers, cannibals, or crazy scientists?
Well, if you did, then you probably know the stereotypical honey blonde groupie who never fails to fall first in the hot embrace of a psychopath.
My congratulations!! You pretty much have our Hallie girl's personality type all figured out.
When at some point she suddenly realized that she most likely needed to gather up her wits around her clingy rapist, I was out of my breath, laughing. How can you gather something that you don't have, queen?
It's truly embarrassing how this book forces me to become a villain of this story and go all victim-blaming on Hallie.
I put blame on Miss Mariano for the emergence of those appalling thoughts. No one but her has the power to convince me that the victim is a dumb bitch and her rapist is the pillar of sanity and reasonable behavior.
How did she end up in the clutches of a psychopath, you might ask?
Hallie went out of her way to get into a plight: texted back her asshole ex, bailed out on her friend's bachelorette party on the complete stranger's orders, and didn't let the absurdism of her much richer ex-boyfriend asking for her financial help faze her in the least.
Wow, took her a moment or two to evaluate correctly the situation she had got herself into too. Verbal confirmation from her unbothered rapist-to-be (which was uttered withing the walls of a sex club...the symbolism 🌚) almost did the trick: she turned that doorknob at least a hundred times before realizing, after another verbal confirmation (see a pattern?), that it is (shocking, I know) locked (so thoughtful and considerate of Calvin). That's about summarises her rescue mission: pure, simple and useless.
I think there's a line between being dumb and being a sweet, compassionate soul eager to extend a helping hand. I can always count on Miss Mariano to deliver the former. ✊🏻
“You lied,” I say thickly, or I try to, but my words get a little lost. “You lied to me.”
He said I could drink the wine, but I’ve been drunk on wine, drunker than two glasses, and I didn’t feel like this.
He drugged me.
The fucker drugged me.
AIN'T SHE SWEET?
Just look at this princess putting her blind trust in her personal rapist whom she had met twice. 🖤
To be fair, just like Sam's psychopathic heroes, I do feel a weird fondness towards the women they love. But in my humble opinion, Hallie is so far this author's best creation. She's naive, delusional, and clueless to the point of being absolutely dumb. 😂 Obviously Miss Mariano's favorite type, judging by her other books. Bless her readers' patient souls.
Suffice it to say, even my weird fondness crumpled under this girl's usage of common courtesy in the weirdest contexts:
— she thanks the guy who brought her to her Prince Raping on the silver platter;
— she thanked Calvin after he had kidnapped her cat and had sent her a photo of the kitty safe and sound (the guy really did want to have that dinner with her, huh);
— she thanked Calvin for uncapping a bottle of water and handing it to her. There's nothing like a guy who helps you deal with the physical and emotional impact of being drugged and waking up naked in his bed.
BITCH SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW FOR THE SAKE OF MY SANITY. 😂😂🤚🏻
The girl doesn't even expect the most basic level of decency from anyone. No wonder her personal stalker and psychopath assumed she'd be perfect for him. And I thought it was me who had standards lower than the Dead Sea Depression. Time to say ciao to my delusions. 🤧
WHAT I LIKED
I just also want her to be mine at any cost, and I don’t particularly care if she’s not on the same page.
I can get her there. I know I can.
— Man chases his dreams.
I understand that my predatory side is unconventional, that seeing fear leap to a woman’s eyes and knowing I put it there shouldn’t get me hard as fucking steel.
— Man is self-aware. He knows what he wants.
She’s so goddamn adorable. I want to stroke her again, my treasured little pet, but I don’t.
— Man cherishes and values what he has.
In other words, Calvin is extremely possessive, totally unscrupulous, ruthless and unapologetic, naturally confident, occasionally mocking, endearingly caring, and unexpectedly tender. In case the FBI is asking after me, you guys didn't just witness me appraising and salivating over a rapist. ✊🏻
I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that Sam Mariano writes the most superb psychopaths a reader may find in romantic fiction these days. No reader is asinine enough to believe that there's something that Sam's men are incapable of doing to get their own way. Surprisingly, she doesn't even need to turn them into murderers or guys who don't shut the fuck up about the darkness and depravity that live inside them to create crème de la crème of the psychopathic secret society. OTHER AUTHORS, TAKE HEED. Don't languish in the swamp of mediocrity. The swamp might be easier to navigate, but the turbulent waters of the sea are more adventurous. 🖤
✨WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE✨
—Hallie's thought process was tedious. I didn't know who I wanted to shoot, her or myself.🔥
— Lack of any genuine struggle and fighting from Hallie. She almost gave the impression of someone reluctant to put up a fight, which didn't make any sense (considering her circumstances) and made it hard for me to sympathize with her predicament. The girl was being raped during the 3/4 of the book and all it managed to elicit from me was a bored yawn, and 'again, huh?'. He’d done it so many times, it no longer held weight (bonus point: it took Hallie time to turn into a warm puddle for him though, at least I can give her that).
— I'll admit that there were a few intense well-written scenes that kept me glued to the story, but the second half of the book lost me.
— Calvin came closer to Carter Mahoney's archetype than any other Sam's hero so far. Moreover, I'm fairly sure that he was a sliver 🤏🏻 more single-mindedly obsessed with his girl than Carter. Yet he loses on all fronts in my eyes because his perfect match Hallie didn't let him fulfill his potential to the max. Also, I was slightly taken aback by how many passages he dedicated to articulating his based needs (some call it dirty talk). As I've already mentioned, I have absolutely no doubt about Sam's heroes' ability to carry out any threat, promise, or fantasy. But the long paragraphs in which he elaborated, in explicit detail, on what he was going to do to the heroine were redundant. A silent man who does wicked things without any prior notice is so much sexier than a wordy one. Spare me the monologues and fuck her already.
Give me a little mystery, keep me in suspense, like Mr. Mahoney, is all I ask. *asks begging* 💋
OVERALL
±
I loved the writing style, a few unexpected scenes that gave the story some flavor (stealing a cat and conceiving your child in an Egyptian temple? 🥰), and Calvin's psycho ass.
—
Hallie making a bare minimum of effort to free herself from the beast's clutches deprived the story of any sparkle, angst and vivacity.
I loved Untouchable.
I enjoyed The Boy on the Bridge.
I liked Because of You.
This book seems to have all the ingredients, but it reads like a very bland story that Sam conformed to her established standard with none of the usual vibrancy.
✨You can do better, Ms. Mariano✨
(No, I love her too much to rate this book 2 stars)
December 30, 2023
5 I-don’t-care, you’re-mine stars
Sam Mariano releasing a new book with no owd had me one-clicking faster than a shopaholic on Black Friday; plus, it has an H that doesn’t take no for an answer? *gasps* the AUDACITY!!
I’m in 😈.
Hallie gets called by her ex boyfriend on the night of her best friend’s bachelorette party. He insists he needs her to meet him, and when she calls him back, a stranger answers the phone. He tells her she needs to meet Jackson there, and she goes 🙈😬🤦🏻♀️.
Except when she gets there, it’s not Jackson she’s really there for… but Calvin. Calvin, Jackson’s boss, has been wanting Hallie for a while now. He waited for the right time, and this is it 😉. She’s left alone to Calvin, and he’s going to enjoy his time with her, whether she likes it or not💁🏻♀️.
SPOILERS
What I loved/liked
—The word no doesn’t exist for Calvin 💅. If you expected this psycho to be considerate when Hallie says no, you’re gonna be very disappointed (not me, I was chillin 😎🍿). When she says no, he says “How cute. Watch me get my way” 😈 and oh, does he get his way 🔥
—He’s manipulative. I love me a man that knows how to get his way. Whether he’s blackmailing people or kidnapping cats (poor Marie 😂), he’ll do whatever he needs to do to get his way. He’s alpha in all aspects of his life. So he borrowed Hallie’s cat for a little while 😬… without her permission… she was safe the whole time 🤷🏻♀️.
—Hallie fights back. A lot. Well, okay not a lot- she TRIES to fight, but Calvin’s just too strong for her, so he overpowers her every time. But I liked the effort from her. I wouldn’t have minded if she threw some dishes at him 🤷🏻♀️, maybe a lamp or perfume or something 😎, but it never happens. Womp womp😂
—the smexxxxy times- no FTB here 🔥🥵. Most were noncon/dubcon, but they were all intense. Calvin makes sure (for the most part) that he takes care of his obsession, even if she’s not ready for it. Even when she’s trying not to find pleasure, he knows what she’s doing, and is all too happy to prove her wrong 😉💦
—Calvin bulldozes himself into Hallie’s life. I guess that’s similar to the first thing I love, but man, this man finagles himself by any means, and he gives no Fs 😂😂😂. He takes spying to another level 😅
—the secondary characters need their own books. Okay, I’m VERY interested in reading a book on Arson or Hollis, maybe even Nick 👀. Shoot, if Sam writes it, I’ll take a book on Marie too. Just give me more from this world
—did I mention he’s a psycho? Cause Calvin’s the definition of a psycho. But… He’s in love with Hallie. Some would say obsessed. I say tomatoe tomahto 💁🏻♀️ lol. So he might have a hard time expressing his love 😂, he figures it out… eventually
—he fights for his woman. Gawd. No one better even look at Hallie… or take her out on a date… lest you wanna get your knee blown 😎
—he’s OTT JP 😅. This man gets jealous of the fabric touching her skin 🤣 and don’t get me started on the smiles she gives people 🤣🤣🤣
—the comeuppance for the people that have wronged Hallie was👏🏻🤌🏻. How can people hate on Calvin? This man’s protection’s RETROACTIVE; how many men out there would do the same? 🥺👀❤️ swoooon 🤡🥰🥰🥰
—forced breeding. Oh Hallie. Come on girl🤦🏻♀️.
—the sweet things Calvin did. Sigh. I mean, sure, it’s all an f’ed up situation because Hallie’s being forced to be with him, but, dang it, he’s so sweet sometimes. He listens to her 🥺 finds her likes and dislikes and wants to help her accomplish her dreams. And come on! He’s willing to desecrate a museum temple, get a chef to cook all her meals, massage her feet, buy her a store-full of rings, even build a cat sanctuary (😬to those that read it)- if this isn’t love then what is? 💅
—he’s obsessed with her, Dare I say, in love with her before she ever is. It melted my heart ❤️🥺
—he’s determined. He recounts his life story and opens up to her, all to show her how much she means to him. He might be a psycho, but he can be a vulnerable loving one too ❤️
—there were many times I giggled- probably at the wrong times 🙈but I swear, Sam’s signature dark humor was in here (not as much as others, but it was here)
—D/s in a subtle, no-chains way. Can’t say it’s BDSM since that means it would require consent, and Calvin ain’t about that life😎🤡😂
What is didn’t like/wanted more of
—more sweet/in love scenes with Calvin and Hallie. Most of the book’s noncon/dubcon, I would’ve like there to more scenes when they’re finally a true couple and it’s more consensual on Hallie’s side
—sigh. Her friend’s infidelities. They’re kind of addressed but I wanted to know what happened with it all, especially with what Calvin found out
—the comeuppance scenes could’ve been live. I wouldn’t have minded 😎💅
—Hallie’s naivety sometimes 🙈 ay yay yay. Come on Hallie!!! It takes you many weeks to realize he’s never used a c@nd@m with you. What did you THINK was gonna happen 🤦🏻♀️
Overall, I loved it!
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-noncon/dubcon galore
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-OM her ex makes an appearance. OM2 goes on a date with h. Nothing happens
-the H goes on a “date” so that he can be with the h at a wedding. I don’t consider this owd at all since he doesn’t even touch the ow 🤣 she’s really the ticket he needed to get in so he can watch/be with the h
-praise kink/breath play/hand necklace/spanking/breeding/light somnophilia
-D/s, TPE ish
-H mentions his father's cheating/mental abuse of his mother/a side character cheats
-past smexual assault recounted
-no c@nd@ms
Sam Mariano releasing a new book with no owd had me one-clicking faster than a shopaholic on Black Friday; plus, it has an H that doesn’t take no for an answer? *gasps* the AUDACITY!!
I’m in 😈.
Hallie gets called by her ex boyfriend on the night of her best friend’s bachelorette party. He insists he needs her to meet him, and when she calls him back, a stranger answers the phone. He tells her she needs to meet Jackson there, and she goes 🙈😬🤦🏻♀️.
Except when she gets there, it’s not Jackson she’s really there for… but Calvin. Calvin, Jackson’s boss, has been wanting Hallie for a while now. He waited for the right time, and this is it 😉. She’s left alone to Calvin, and he’s going to enjoy his time with her, whether she likes it or not💁🏻♀️.
SPOILERS
What I loved/liked
—The word no doesn’t exist for Calvin 💅. If you expected this psycho to be considerate when Hallie says no, you’re gonna be very disappointed (not me, I was chillin 😎🍿). When she says no, he says “How cute. Watch me get my way” 😈 and oh, does he get his way 🔥
—He’s manipulative. I love me a man that knows how to get his way. Whether he’s blackmailing people or kidnapping cats (poor Marie 😂), he’ll do whatever he needs to do to get his way. He’s alpha in all aspects of his life. So he borrowed Hallie’s cat for a little while 😬… without her permission… she was safe the whole time 🤷🏻♀️.
—Hallie fights back. A lot. Well, okay not a lot- she TRIES to fight, but Calvin’s just too strong for her, so he overpowers her every time. But I liked the effort from her. I wouldn’t have minded if she threw some dishes at him 🤷🏻♀️, maybe a lamp or perfume or something 😎, but it never happens. Womp womp😂
—the smexxxxy times- no FTB here 🔥🥵. Most were noncon/dubcon, but they were all intense. Calvin makes sure (for the most part) that he takes care of his obsession, even if she’s not ready for it. Even when she’s trying not to find pleasure, he knows what she’s doing, and is all too happy to prove her wrong 😉💦
—Calvin bulldozes himself into Hallie’s life. I guess that’s similar to the first thing I love, but man, this man finagles himself by any means, and he gives no Fs 😂😂😂. He takes spying to another level 😅
—the secondary characters need their own books. Okay, I’m VERY interested in reading a book on Arson or Hollis, maybe even Nick 👀. Shoot, if Sam writes it, I’ll take a book on Marie too. Just give me more from this world
—did I mention he’s a psycho? Cause Calvin’s the definition of a psycho. But… He’s in love with Hallie. Some would say obsessed. I say tomatoe tomahto 💁🏻♀️ lol. So he might have a hard time expressing his love 😂, he figures it out… eventually
—he fights for his woman. Gawd. No one better even look at Hallie… or take her out on a date… lest you wanna get your knee blown 😎
—he’s OTT JP 😅. This man gets jealous of the fabric touching her skin 🤣 and don’t get me started on the smiles she gives people 🤣🤣🤣
—the comeuppance for the people that have wronged Hallie was👏🏻🤌🏻. How can people hate on Calvin? This man’s protection’s RETROACTIVE; how many men out there would do the same? 🥺👀❤️ swoooon 🤡🥰🥰🥰
—forced breeding. Oh Hallie. Come on girl🤦🏻♀️.
—the sweet things Calvin did. Sigh. I mean, sure, it’s all an f’ed up situation because Hallie’s being forced to be with him, but, dang it, he’s so sweet sometimes. He listens to her 🥺 finds her likes and dislikes and wants to help her accomplish her dreams. And come on! He’s willing to desecrate a museum temple, get a chef to cook all her meals, massage her feet, buy her a store-full of rings, even build a cat sanctuary (😬to those that read it)- if this isn’t love then what is? 💅
—he’s obsessed with her, Dare I say, in love with her before she ever is. It melted my heart ❤️🥺
—he’s determined. He recounts his life story and opens up to her, all to show her how much she means to him. He might be a psycho, but he can be a vulnerable loving one too ❤️
—there were many times I giggled- probably at the wrong times 🙈but I swear, Sam’s signature dark humor was in here (not as much as others, but it was here)
—D/s in a subtle, no-chains way. Can’t say it’s BDSM since that means it would require consent, and Calvin ain’t about that life😎🤡😂
What is didn’t like/wanted more of
—more sweet/in love scenes with Calvin and Hallie. Most of the book’s noncon/dubcon, I would’ve like there to more scenes when they’re finally a true couple and it’s more consensual on Hallie’s side
—sigh. Her friend’s infidelities. They’re kind of addressed but I wanted to know what happened with it all, especially with what Calvin found out
—the comeuppance scenes could’ve been live. I wouldn’t have minded 😎💅
—Hallie’s naivety sometimes 🙈 ay yay yay. Come on Hallie!!! It takes you many weeks to realize he’s never used a c@nd@m with you. What did you THINK was gonna happen 🤦🏻♀️
Overall, I loved it!
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-noncon/dubcon galore
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-OM her ex makes an appearance. OM2 goes on a date with h. Nothing happens
-the H goes on a “date” so that he can be with the h at a wedding. I don’t consider this owd at all since he doesn’t even touch the ow 🤣 she’s really the ticket he needed to get in so he can watch/be with the h
-praise kink/breath play/hand necklace/spanking/breeding/light somnophilia
-D/s, TPE ish
-H mentions his father's cheating/mental abuse of his mother/a side character cheats
-past smexual assault recounted
-no c@nd@ms
January 8, 2022
So far, I’m seeing a lot of similarities between this and Untouchable. Mostly between our leading men. Both Calvin and Carter have too much money, they’re too bored and they both think they can do what they want. They have the same taste or lack thereof with how they treat women. Even while they’re both heinous, they still manage to charm even me with my cold, dead heart.
The FMC’s are also somewhat similar. Both intelligent, quiet by nature but with a mostly sturdy backbone. Unfortunately I find Hallie to be a bit annoying. Her inner monologues are a bit repetitive and long winded.
Unlike Carter, Calvin went further than a BJ. Calvin commuted full on rape, allowing our fair author to go full non-con. Something I’d bet money she’s been itching to do. But I’m as devious as your next dark romance reader so I’m certainly not complaining.
It’s both funny and ironic that she’s so set against him, she fights so hard that it encompasses flirtation with him. The harder she battles, the more he wants her. If she simply agreed at the beginning, he’d no doubt lose interest.
I will say this is a harder read than Untouchable. It’s pretty heartbreaking how powerless she is.
Meanwhile, Calvin is thinking like mold. Just waiting for the day that he’ll grow on Hallie. But our girl is holding strong … good for her. Even though it’s meaning less … sadly.
If she really wanted to annoy him, hit him where it hurts. He told her point blank what his weakness is but apparently she’s either too obtuse or weak to follow through.
I went back and forth quite a bit on this one. It didn’t knock it out of the park for me but I definitely enjoyed it for the most part. I guess you could say the book and Calvin grew on me much like mold.
The FMC’s are also somewhat similar. Both intelligent, quiet by nature but with a mostly sturdy backbone. Unfortunately I find Hallie to be a bit annoying. Her inner monologues are a bit repetitive and long winded.
Unlike Carter, Calvin went further than a BJ. Calvin commuted full on rape, allowing our fair author to go full non-con. Something I’d bet money she’s been itching to do. But I’m as devious as your next dark romance reader so I’m certainly not complaining.
It’s both funny and ironic that she’s so set against him, she fights so hard that it encompasses flirtation with him. The harder she battles, the more he wants her. If she simply agreed at the beginning, he’d no doubt lose interest.
I will say this is a harder read than Untouchable. It’s pretty heartbreaking how powerless she is.
Meanwhile, Calvin is thinking like mold. Just waiting for the day that he’ll grow on Hallie. But our girl is holding strong … good for her. Even though it’s meaning less … sadly.
If she really wanted to annoy him, hit him where it hurts. He told her point blank what his weakness is but apparently she’s either too obtuse or weak to follow through.
I went back and forth quite a bit on this one. It didn’t knock it out of the park for me but I definitely enjoyed it for the most part. I guess you could say the book and Calvin grew on me much like mold.
September 3, 2022
Well. Happy Effing New Year to me! 🖤🎉🖤🎉
This has all my very favorite things. 🥰
🖤 Unrepentantly ruthless, manipulative, bulldozer Hero who takes what he wants
🖤 A sweet h who is a bottomless pit of empathy and forgiveness but is also clever and witty - she’s PERFECT for this H
🖤 Aaaaall the dark banter
🖤 noncon/dubcon - Calvin is not interested in “no”
🖤 BDSM elements without all the official stuff. This gal really needed a safeword, but Calvin wasn’t about that life. 👀😏😅
🖤 Calvin has tried CNC in the past, but what he really wants is an authentic Total Power Exchange
🖤 Conscious decision by the H to forgo condoms (only with h, and without consulting her) 👀😬
🖤 H pursues h RELENTLESSLY
🖤 H is super jealous and possessive and protective. He’s not messing around.
🖤 While he’s dabbled in CNC before, what he wants from the h is EXCLUSIVE to her. I was nervous at first, but my dear Sam soon makes the distinction. The h is definitely special and an exception for the H. Just be patient.
🖤 There’s a sweet kitty who steals the scenes and who I identified with WAAAAY too much. #meow 😻
🖤 the H is not afraid to do whatever it takes to bind the h to him. Up to and including stalking, kidnapping, blackmail, and impregnating. What a ✨PRINCE✨ 👀🤡
🖤 Calvin is all about the “good girls” which is my favorite. Lots of praise kink in this one. 👌🏻👌🏻
Anything I didn’t like?
- this book is in a series with each book by a different author. They are all connected by a sex club. I REALLY don’t like sex clubs or heros who frequent them. So the beginning of the book was kinda shaky for me. Sex clubs aren’t typically Sam’s thing. It’s one of the the aspects I love about her heros. HOWEVER, hang tight because she fixes it quick and we never see that club again. I can’t really let the sex club thing affect my review because I knew ahead of time the premise of the series, and chose to read it anyway. Because… duh. *SAM MARIANO* 🤡
- no OW drama AT ALL - Zero #imadramahoooaar 🤷🏼♀️
Bottom Line? Oh Friends. 👀😏 Calvin was a perfect mix of Carter and Mateo and maybe a little Jasper thrown in. It felt like Sam Mariano’s greatest hits with some extra depravity thrown in. I looooooved it. What a way to finish out 2021. 🖤
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- no OM drama
- noncon and dubcon
- loose total power exchange - no safewords
- throat grabs, spanking, rough sex, manhandling
- H drugs the h, strips her and possibly fondles her while she’s passed out
- H refuses condoms
- H intentionally impregnates h without her consent
- H blackmails h into a relationship
- H murders men who have hurt the h
- h is 26 and is experienced but not promiscuous
- H experienced
- One scene is in a sex club but they are alone in a room. They do not go back to the sex club after the initial scene. It doesn’t really factor into the story at all.
This has all my very favorite things. 🥰
🖤 Unrepentantly ruthless, manipulative, bulldozer Hero who takes what he wants
🖤 A sweet h who is a bottomless pit of empathy and forgiveness but is also clever and witty - she’s PERFECT for this H
🖤 Aaaaall the dark banter
🖤 noncon/dubcon - Calvin is not interested in “no”
🖤 BDSM elements without all the official stuff. This gal really needed a safeword, but Calvin wasn’t about that life. 👀😏😅
🖤 Calvin has tried CNC in the past, but what he really wants is an authentic Total Power Exchange
🖤 Conscious decision by the H to forgo condoms (only with h, and without consulting her) 👀😬
🖤 H pursues h RELENTLESSLY
🖤 H is super jealous and possessive and protective. He’s not messing around.
🖤 While he’s dabbled in CNC before, what he wants from the h is EXCLUSIVE to her. I was nervous at first, but my dear Sam soon makes the distinction. The h is definitely special and an exception for the H. Just be patient.
🖤 There’s a sweet kitty who steals the scenes and who I identified with WAAAAY too much. #meow 😻
🖤 the H is not afraid to do whatever it takes to bind the h to him. Up to and including stalking, kidnapping, blackmail, and impregnating. What a ✨PRINCE✨ 👀🤡
🖤 Calvin is all about the “good girls” which is my favorite. Lots of praise kink in this one. 👌🏻👌🏻
Anything I didn’t like?
- this book is in a series with each book by a different author. They are all connected by a sex club. I REALLY don’t like sex clubs or heros who frequent them. So the beginning of the book was kinda shaky for me. Sex clubs aren’t typically Sam’s thing. It’s one of the the aspects I love about her heros. HOWEVER, hang tight because she fixes it quick and we never see that club again. I can’t really let the sex club thing affect my review because I knew ahead of time the premise of the series, and chose to read it anyway. Because… duh. *SAM MARIANO* 🤡
- no OW drama AT ALL - Zero #imadramahoooaar 🤷🏼♀️
Bottom Line? Oh Friends. 👀😏 Calvin was a perfect mix of Carter and Mateo and maybe a little Jasper thrown in. It felt like Sam Mariano’s greatest hits with some extra depravity thrown in. I looooooved it. What a way to finish out 2021. 🖤
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- no OM drama
- noncon and dubcon
- loose total power exchange - no safewords
- throat grabs, spanking, rough sex, manhandling
- H drugs the h, strips her and possibly fondles her while she’s passed out
- H refuses condoms
- H intentionally impregnates h without her consent
- H blackmails h into a relationship
- H murders men who have hurt the h
- h is 26 and is experienced but not promiscuous
- H experienced
- One scene is in a sex club but they are alone in a room. They do not go back to the sex club after the initial scene. It doesn’t really factor into the story at all.
January 4, 2022
disclaimer: even though these types of books are waaay out of my comfort zone, the rating isn't because of the noncon. i knew what i was getting into, so i tried not judge the book too harshly for something i don't like when it's warned from the beginning. no, the rating is 85% because of the heroine 💀
💀 Hallie. could she be any more naive?!?"??! this girl will get on your nerves so badly. of course it's never the victim's fault, but she had zero self-preservation. the book starts with Hallie at her best friend's bachelorette party when she receives a call from an anonymous man (Calvin) saying that Hallie's ex is in trouble and she should come help. Hallie's ex is a piece of shit and she doesn't know the man who's calling her, so she is hesitant (as she fucking should!!!) for about 0.2 seconds, but of course she decides to go anyway.
how can you not tell ANYONE that you're meeting a strange man when you receive such a sketchy call shdjaks i can't
YOU DON'T SAY!!!!!!!!!
throughout the book she has MANY opportunities to get help. she can tell someone, she can call the police, she can move to another fucking city, i don't know. she does nothing. i swear i'd give this 5 stars if she just reported his rapey ass to the police and lived happily ever after as a single woman. she's just convinced that nothing will come out of telling anyone, but how is she constantly going out with him after he rapes her, and she says she's afraid yet does nothing about it? i—
IT'S NOT RIDICULOUS WHAT IS SHE SAYING 😭😭😭 Calvin literally rapes her before the 10% mark. He could pounce on you ANYWHERE.
It would just be better if she flat out admitted she's interested in him, cause her words say one thing but her actions say another. i'm sorry for being such an awful person but she put herself in danger 10000% of the time. just say you want this shit and we can all be done with it😇
like—see what i mean?! he's giving you an out by saying he only wants one more date and you point out that one of those wasn't a date??? you do realize you'll end up getting two instead? please shut up😭
at some point in the story Calvin blackmails her into staying with him and being hissex slave girlfriend because he finds some pictures of Hallie's best friend cheating on her husband, and Calvin says he'll send them to the husband if she doesn't stay. And Hallie's all like "oh nooo i can't do that to my best friend, she just got married, poor thing". bro... would you really rather have this guy rape you every night? Please don't cancel me for being a shitty friend lol. But it's kind of a no-brainer in this situation 💀
i'm sorry but i just couldn't vibe with her at all. the second half was a bit better, and i did feel sorry for her a bunch of times when Calvin was particularly disgusting lol. but overall she's not the type of heroine i wanted 😥
💀 The so-called obsession Calvin has for Hallie. apparently, Calvin became obsessed with Hallie at his job's Christmas party when Hallie showed up with her ex, one of Calvin's employees. first of all, ahem. second of all, i couldn't see it. i didn't get it. they didn't even talk at that Christmas party. you can like her all you want but you can't just randomly become obsessed without knowing the first think about her?? get yourself a hobbie please 🥰
HOW DO YOU KNOW?!! YOU DON'T KNOW HER!!!!!! dsdhaj i'm getting triggered. but i hate instalust, instalove, instaobsession, instaeverything. i needed WAY more in order to believe Calvin.
i needed more backstory okay. the guy was willing to get her pregnant the first night just so that she'll be forever tied with him. i just kept thinking: what's so special about her? 🤔
i admit that some things in his POV were kinda funny and he could be pretty charming whenever he wanted (plz ignore i said that about him 💀), cause he was 100% devoted to Hallie aww. though some things just made me snort like how he was angry at the guy who had raped Hallie in the past?? look yourself in the mirror bitch🤡 this guy really said "No other person but me can rape you" huh?
(also.. i found it particularly distasteful that Hallie was a rape victim and ended up falling for her second rapist in the end. but maybe that's just me🙃)
but yeah overall i didn't get why he was so obsessed with her. also, get this man away from children please😭 huge red flag lmao
💀 Why not 1 star? despite this not being my cup of tea, like I said, there were some funny moments and the book was well written, plus it kept me reading until the end so there's some merit in that I guess.
━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━
call it morbid curiosity 🤡
p.s. can't believe i low-key liked a rapist more than the heroine. revoke my feminist card, i deserve it
💀 Hallie. could she be any more naive?!?"??! this girl will get on your nerves so badly. of course it's never the victim's fault, but she had zero self-preservation. the book starts with Hallie at her best friend's bachelorette party when she receives a call from an anonymous man (Calvin) saying that Hallie's ex is in trouble and she should come help. Hallie's ex is a piece of shit and she doesn't know the man who's calling her, so she is hesitant (as she fucking should!!!) for about 0.2 seconds, but of course she decides to go anyway.
The bouncer looks my way as I burst out of the club. It occurs to me belatedly that maybe I should’ve told someone before I left. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get right back in.
how can you not tell ANYONE that you're meeting a strange man when you receive such a sketchy call shdjaks i can't
I look up and tell the man on the other end of the call the name of the club I’m at.
I did it because he told me to and I’m bad at falling short of people’s expectations of me, but as I stand alone on the sidewalk outside the noisy club, it occurs to me… I could be putting myself into danger if I get into this stranger’s car.
YOU DON'T SAY!!!!!!!!!
throughout the book she has MANY opportunities to get help. she can tell someone, she can call the police, she can move to another fucking city, i don't know. she does nothing. i swear i'd give this 5 stars if she just reported his rapey ass to the police and lived happily ever after as a single woman. she's just convinced that nothing will come out of telling anyone, but how is she constantly going out with him after he rapes her, and she says she's afraid yet does nothing about it? i—
Something else whispers that perhaps I should be wary of his interest to get me alone, but that’s ridiculous. We aren’t in the dungeon of some New York sex club. We’re at the Temple of Dendur in The Metropolitan Museum of Art for God’s sake. It’s not like he can pounce on me here.
IT'S NOT RIDICULOUS WHAT IS SHE SAYING 😭😭😭 Calvin literally rapes her before the 10% mark. He could pounce on you ANYWHERE.
It would just be better if she flat out admitted she's interested in him, cause her words say one thing but her actions say another. i'm sorry for being such an awful person but she put herself in danger 10000% of the time. just say you want this shit and we can all be done with it😇
[Calvin:] “Regardless of how tonight ends, I want a guarantee of a third date.”
“A third date.”
“I’ll count the wedding as the first and tonight as the second. I want a third.”
“The wedding… we weren’t even there together.”
“We talked, we had a drink.” When she still seems unconvinced, I tell her, “All right, we can call tonight date one and then you’ll owe me two.”
like—see what i mean?! he's giving you an out by saying he only wants one more date and you point out that one of those wasn't a date??? you do realize you'll end up getting two instead? please shut up😭
at some point in the story Calvin blackmails her into staying with him and being his
i'm sorry but i just couldn't vibe with her at all. the second half was a bit better, and i did feel sorry for her a bunch of times when Calvin was particularly disgusting lol. but overall she's not the type of heroine i wanted 😥
💀 The so-called obsession Calvin has for Hallie. apparently, Calvin became obsessed with Hallie at his job's Christmas party when Hallie showed up with her ex, one of Calvin's employees. first of all, ahem. second of all, i couldn't see it. i didn't get it. they didn't even talk at that Christmas party. you can like her all you want but you can't just randomly become obsessed without knowing the first think about her?? get yourself a hobbie please 🥰
[Hallie's ex] thinks Hallie was out of line for finally getting sick of his shit and leaving him, but he most assuredly does not think he was out of line for heaping his attention upon the many other women he seemed to find much more fascinating than his own.
I think he was sitting on a diamond mine and lusting after costume jewelry.
HOW DO YOU KNOW?!! YOU DON'T KNOW HER!!!!!! dsdhaj i'm getting triggered. but i hate instalust, instalove, instaobsession, instaeverything. i needed WAY more in order to believe Calvin.
i needed more backstory okay. the guy was willing to get her pregnant the first night just so that she'll be forever tied with him. i just kept thinking: what's so special about her? 🤔
i admit that some things in his POV were kinda funny and he could be pretty charming whenever he wanted (plz ignore i said that about him 💀), cause he was 100% devoted to Hallie aww. though some things just made me snort like how he was angry at the guy who had raped Hallie in the past?? look yourself in the mirror bitch🤡 this guy really said "No other person but me can rape you" huh?
(also.. i found it particularly distasteful that Hallie was a rape victim and ended up falling for her second rapist in the end. but maybe that's just me🙃)
but yeah overall i didn't get why he was so obsessed with her. also, get this man away from children please😭 huge red flag lmao
💀 Why not 1 star? despite this not being my cup of tea, like I said, there were some funny moments and the book was well written, plus it kept me reading until the end so there's some merit in that I guess.
He may not be exactly what I imagined for myself—okay, not remotely what I envisioned, but it’s hard to deny that I am drawn to him, even if he’s a raving fucking lunatic.
can't argue with you babe🥰
━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━
call it morbid curiosity 🤡
p.s. can't believe i low-key liked a rapist more than the heroine. revoke my feminist card, i deserve it
March 26, 2022
4.5 stars. i love it when authors write dark and borderline abusive characters and own it.
the author doesn't even try to redeem this hero😅. the h either accepts him or accepts him later but with consequences😅.
the writing is superior.
i wish it was a bit darker and more emotional
the author doesn't even try to redeem this hero😅. the h either accepts him or accepts him later but with consequences😅.
the writing is superior.
i wish it was a bit darker and more emotional
March 25, 2024
4 The Devil Would be Beautiful Stars ⭐
I've evidently fallen down the rabbit hole because somehow I wasn't opposed to the rapey asshole that was Calvin Cutler. Maybe I should feel guilty?! Or just acknowledge that dub con does it for me. This was dark and depraved and I was hooked.
Tonight, I want to taste her fear.
I want to play with her.
I’m going to play with her, whether she wants to play with me or not.
Descent is definitely not for everybody. In the first half of the book, consent was non existent and many have accused that heroine of being a doormat. But let's be honest. Manipulation and blackmail will muddy most situations.
Hallie meets Calvin through her ex boyfriend. And when it comes to Calvin nothing is by chance. Once he decides he wants something he takes it. Everything about this is wrong. But there's something addictive about his motivations and the way he goes about things.
A shiver dances down my spine. I don’t know what to make of this man. There’s something obviously off about him, but…
It’s the ‘but’ that’s my damnation.
You really feel for Hallie. It's like a kitten caught up in a hurricane. I was uncomfortable the entire time. None of Calvin's actions were orthodox or sane, but it was clear from the beginning how obsessed he was with Hallie. Somehow she managed to tame the psycho.
I've evidently fallen down the rabbit hole because somehow I wasn't opposed to the rapey asshole that was Calvin Cutler. Maybe I should feel guilty?! Or just acknowledge that dub con does it for me. This was dark and depraved and I was hooked.
Tonight, I want to taste her fear.
I want to play with her.
I’m going to play with her, whether she wants to play with me or not.
Descent is definitely not for everybody. In the first half of the book, consent was non existent and many have accused that heroine of being a doormat. But let's be honest. Manipulation and blackmail will muddy most situations.
Hallie meets Calvin through her ex boyfriend. And when it comes to Calvin nothing is by chance. Once he decides he wants something he takes it. Everything about this is wrong. But there's something addictive about his motivations and the way he goes about things.
A shiver dances down my spine. I don’t know what to make of this man. There’s something obviously off about him, but…
It’s the ‘but’ that’s my damnation.
You really feel for Hallie. It's like a kitten caught up in a hurricane. I was uncomfortable the entire time. None of Calvin's actions were orthodox or sane, but it was clear from the beginning how obsessed he was with Hallie. Somehow she managed to tame the psycho.
Read
October 24, 2022Descent is LIVE!!!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qzp7fj
Universal link: https://books2read.com/descent-sm
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qzp7fj
Universal link: https://books2read.com/descent-sm
January 7, 2022
4.5
this couple need therapy. like a lot of therapy. she's traumatized af with a serious case of stockholm syndrome, he's sick in the head. you can't tell me they're not the definition of true love.
But really, this book was written for me 😆
this couple need therapy. like a lot of therapy. she's traumatized af with a serious case of stockholm syndrome, he's sick in the head. you can't tell me they're not the definition of true love.
But really, this book was written for me 😆
January 2, 2022
neutral good
fine for anyone else, uninspired for sam
calvin's chapters cracked me up but there just weren't enough of them
fine for anyone else, uninspired for sam
calvin's chapters cracked me up but there just weren't enough of them
January 3, 2022
Non consenting sex check
Heroine stupid doormat check
Hero dominating asshole check
No romance check
Heroine into non consenting sex after getting raped check
Terrible way to start 2022
Heroine stupid doormat check
Hero dominating asshole check
No romance check
Heroine into non consenting sex after getting raped check
Terrible way to start 2022
January 7, 2022
“Let go of convention, Hallie. Give yourself to me.”
3.5*
Ok, so I liked this one, but I didn’t love it. I can’t explain it in detail, but the sort of anticipation and anxiety I had when reading Untouchable or The Morelli’s, by the same author, just wasn’t there for me. I love how this author just writes whatever she wants, and really doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it. The story between Calvin and Hallie is tense and at times hard to swallow and I’m assuming that’s exactly what this author wants. She wants you to know this is an uncomfortable dynamic and make you enjoy it anyway. I think she does a great job with this.
All that said, I’d love a book about some of the other characters in this story if it was a dark and twisted MFM. There’s some serious potential for an amazing story weaved into the subplots of this one. Can’t wait to see if any of that actually happens!!
****TW - will include spoilers for plot
Non-con, dub-con, captivity lite 😅
3.5*
Ok, so I liked this one, but I didn’t love it. I can’t explain it in detail, but the sort of anticipation and anxiety I had when reading Untouchable or The Morelli’s, by the same author, just wasn’t there for me. I love how this author just writes whatever she wants, and really doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it. The story between Calvin and Hallie is tense and at times hard to swallow and I’m assuming that’s exactly what this author wants. She wants you to know this is an uncomfortable dynamic and make you enjoy it anyway. I think she does a great job with this.
All that said, I’d love a book about some of the other characters in this story if it was a dark and twisted MFM. There’s some serious potential for an amazing story weaved into the subplots of this one. Can’t wait to see if any of that actually happens!!
****TW - will include spoilers for plot
Non-con, dub-con, captivity lite 😅
January 3, 2022
4 Stars
Safety Spoilers (and slight plot spoilers)
Really enjoyed this one. Good amount of noncon too, and he did redeem himself in my eyes, although I can't say he had much character development 🤔
It does need an editor though as there is a good amount of fragmented sentences and some grammar mistakes. I also wish the heroine didn't push the hero away the whole book too. I understood why, but because this book is so long, it just got a bit annoying, thankfully though, I actually liked the heroine overall (outside of the pushing away) and I never got bored. But while I did like their relationship, I wish they had more couple-y moments where they are together together and spend more time doing other things rather than him just telling her how it is the whole book, such as more dates or trips, or meeting the hero's "friends", or just mundane things, and there also needed to be more details, like did we ever get an actual description of the hero or details such as his age?
It also felt like it ended too quick? I wanted to see more epilogue moments with the hero and the baby, and I wanted the heroine to also find out about Charity being a crap friend, so maybe there will be a book for Charity or Nick? Idk but I want it.
I gotta say though, that my favorite part is probably how manipulative the hero is 🙈 he is a psychopath (which I'm all for). He never gets angry, he never backs down, and his character hardly changes the entire book. He doesn't even get angry ever, and he's STILL keeping secrets and pretty much stalking her all day without her annoying. Honestly, I'm glad he never really changed though. Most heros always get too "good" after meeting the heroine, so I'm glad it wasn't unrealistic where he just changes his personality after being with her. Definitely loved the hero👏
Safety: Safe
No virgins
Both have been in previous relationships, one makes an appearance but he doesn't cause much drama.
No ow/om drama (hero does talk about his past with women and going to the sex club, and heroine's ex bf makes an appearance. Heroine also goes on a date with someone else but nothing happens between them)
No cheating although heroine goes on a date when they aren't technically together? Idk its complicated. There is cheating from side characters though.
No sharing
Both only with each other after meeting.
There are some triggers
Safety Spoilers (and slight plot spoilers)
Really enjoyed this one. Good amount of noncon too, and he did redeem himself in my eyes, although I can't say he had much character development 🤔
It does need an editor though as there is a good amount of fragmented sentences and some grammar mistakes. I also wish the heroine didn't push the hero away the whole book too. I understood why, but because this book is so long, it just got a bit annoying, thankfully though, I actually liked the heroine overall (outside of the pushing away) and I never got bored. But while I did like their relationship, I wish they had more couple-y moments where they are together together and spend more time doing other things rather than him just telling her how it is the whole book, such as more dates or trips, or meeting the hero's "friends", or just mundane things, and there also needed to be more details, like did we ever get an actual description of the hero or details such as his age?
It also felt like it ended too quick? I wanted to see more epilogue moments with the hero and the baby, and I wanted the heroine to also find out about Charity being a crap friend, so maybe there will be a book for Charity or Nick? Idk but I want it.
I gotta say though, that my favorite part is probably how manipulative the hero is 🙈 he is a psychopath (which I'm all for). He never gets angry, he never backs down, and his character hardly changes the entire book. He doesn't even get angry ever, and he's STILL keeping secrets and pretty much stalking her all day without her annoying. Honestly, I'm glad he never really changed though. Most heros always get too "good" after meeting the heroine, so I'm glad it wasn't unrealistic where he just changes his personality after being with her. Definitely loved the hero👏
Safety: Safe
No virgins
Both have been in previous relationships, one makes an appearance but he doesn't cause much drama.
No ow/om drama (hero does talk about his past with women and going to the sex club, and heroine's ex bf makes an appearance. Heroine also goes on a date with someone else but nothing happens between them)
No cheating although heroine goes on a date when they aren't technically together? Idk its complicated. There is cheating from side characters though.
No sharing
Both only with each other after meeting.
There are some triggers
April 6, 2022
LOVE LOVE LOVED THIS BOOK! Calvin Cutler is just so swoon worthy! I love a man who can’t take no for an answer 😅
January 6, 2022
Ok, I might need to talk to a professional regarding my hate , no my love... ok my lust for Calvin with all his deranged acts. If you don't like villains or heroes that will possess all of you no matter what it costs YOU... your freedom, your sanity, your everything.
You probably won't. He will not have many fans, but if he could eventually win over a woman who should hate him (rightfully so) then he might just do the same to you.
There were things I liked and also hated about this read. I loathed Calvin for most of the book. Like I wanted him to be struck by lightning or hit by a falling asteroid... you know the weirdest oddities out there because there is nothing normal about him. Little by little he carved his way into my heart, not my soul.. my mind for sure. He be psycho like that, ya know.
Hallie. My heart ached for her. At a Christmas Party, dressed in red she catches the eye of her own personal nightmare. Her nightmare that invites her to Hell. Literally. Despite everything, she was not broken. She bent something fierce, but tried her darndest to stand tall while sparring with the Devil.
This read WILL NOT BE FOR EVERYONE!! Hell, it almost wasn't for me. But. But... something about the book hooked me. There is so much I want to say, but I won't... I can't. Either read it or not. It truly is a personal opinion. Be mindful of the TRIGGERS... they are often and they are dark.
You probably won't. He will not have many fans, but if he could eventually win over a woman who should hate him (rightfully so) then he might just do the same to you.
There were things I liked and also hated about this read. I loathed Calvin for most of the book. Like I wanted him to be struck by lightning or hit by a falling asteroid... you know the weirdest oddities out there because there is nothing normal about him. Little by little he carved his way into my heart, not my soul.. my mind for sure. He be psycho like that, ya know.
Hallie. My heart ached for her. At a Christmas Party, dressed in red she catches the eye of her own personal nightmare. Her nightmare that invites her to Hell. Literally. Despite everything, she was not broken. She bent something fierce, but tried her darndest to stand tall while sparring with the Devil.
This read WILL NOT BE FOR EVERYONE!! Hell, it almost wasn't for me. But. But... something about the book hooked me. There is so much I want to say, but I won't... I can't. Either read it or not. It truly is a personal opinion. Be mindful of the TRIGGERS... they are often and they are dark.
April 15, 2023
3,5. Lunatic, psycho, crazy and more it’s the male character.
This book is twisted and good.
It’s worth the reading.
This book is twisted and good.
It’s worth the reading.
December 31, 2021
The complete Sam Mariano experience- if you know, you know. The is this even romance?, why am I so into this toxic romanticism?, I need to have my head checked Sam Mariano magic. No one writes psychologically manipulative, deliciously controlling and possessive, F'ed up yet somehow swoony anti-heroes like her...and I fall for them EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Sam has such a keen ability to make the psychological toxic enchanting. The darkness and twistedness of her stories come more from the psychological complexity of the relationship dynamics than anything- the warped and f’ed up power dynamics that exist between her characters. And not only does she somehow make it romantic and sexy, she makes us CRAVE it, desperately- like her writing itself performs the very logic-defying seduction her heroes are so notorious for. Perhaps she speaks to the part of me that wants to be so deeply cherished, craved, and worshiped that a man savagely rearrange the entire world so I had no choice but to be his- or perhaps she’s just a master at exploring unusual and riveting connections and character chemistry. I think it’s both, but either way, the result is the same very time- I AM THIRSTY FOR IT.
Her heroes are truly and unapologetically anti-heroic- they never change and they are unapologetic for the reprehensible methods they use to capture their lady, and with a practice finesse, Sam makes us swoon for them. Their masterful machinations and mind-bending manipulation, and when all else fails, how they assume complete control. They are soft only for their heroine- but they go hard for her, in very wrong ways. They are messed up, flawed, deplorable- and holy hell, I fall for them every time. Because somehow Sam finds just the perfect match for them- a heroine whose damages and needs, whose jagged edges perfectly fit the depravity of the hero. Together their dysfunction warps into something more beautiful, yet taboo and unconventional. And Descent is just that- a Sam Mariano anti-hero at his finest, but with perhaps her most obstinate (yet still soft, like we and our heroes like) heroine to date. And the push-pull is EVERYTHING. Calvin gave me all the Mateo-meets-Carter vibes, and I ravenously gobbled up every single page. He does horrible things to capture our heroine Hallie- yet she soon finds herself falling into his tangled web willfully. No spoilers- but so many tropes I love in this story!
And like always, in the end, I’m swooning- Sam so brilliantly unpacks the psychology of our characters’ perversions and inexplicable longing, that somehow we not only accept but are drawn to the very messed up nature of these two soulmates. The characters accept the darkest, most messed up (in-real-life-very-concerning) parts of each other- and in turn, we do too. It is consuming, addicting, tantalizing, and so very wrong- but the wrongness isn’t the point. It’s the singularity of true love- how somewhere in the universe there's someone whose soul calls to yours because your crazy is perfectly matched to theirs….someone who doesn’t just forgive your messed up pieces, but loves you for them. And that's the beauty of the "wrong."
Fair warning- this is not for everyone. Not only are there triggers and very uncomfortable beginnings, but some would not find this type of hero quite unromantic. PM me with questions! If you can handle Mateo, you can handle Calvin- but he’s perhaps a bit more unforgivable than even Carter.
Sam has such a keen ability to make the psychological toxic enchanting. The darkness and twistedness of her stories come more from the psychological complexity of the relationship dynamics than anything- the warped and f’ed up power dynamics that exist between her characters. And not only does she somehow make it romantic and sexy, she makes us CRAVE it, desperately- like her writing itself performs the very logic-defying seduction her heroes are so notorious for. Perhaps she speaks to the part of me that wants to be so deeply cherished, craved, and worshiped that a man savagely rearrange the entire world so I had no choice but to be his- or perhaps she’s just a master at exploring unusual and riveting connections and character chemistry. I think it’s both, but either way, the result is the same very time- I AM THIRSTY FOR IT.
Her heroes are truly and unapologetically anti-heroic- they never change and they are unapologetic for the reprehensible methods they use to capture their lady, and with a practice finesse, Sam makes us swoon for them. Their masterful machinations and mind-bending manipulation, and when all else fails, how they assume complete control. They are soft only for their heroine- but they go hard for her, in very wrong ways. They are messed up, flawed, deplorable- and holy hell, I fall for them every time. Because somehow Sam finds just the perfect match for them- a heroine whose damages and needs, whose jagged edges perfectly fit the depravity of the hero. Together their dysfunction warps into something more beautiful, yet taboo and unconventional. And Descent is just that- a Sam Mariano anti-hero at his finest, but with perhaps her most obstinate (yet still soft, like we and our heroes like) heroine to date. And the push-pull is EVERYTHING. Calvin gave me all the Mateo-meets-Carter vibes, and I ravenously gobbled up every single page. He does horrible things to capture our heroine Hallie- yet she soon finds herself falling into his tangled web willfully. No spoilers- but so many tropes I love in this story!
And like always, in the end, I’m swooning- Sam so brilliantly unpacks the psychology of our characters’ perversions and inexplicable longing, that somehow we not only accept but are drawn to the very messed up nature of these two soulmates. The characters accept the darkest, most messed up (in-real-life-very-concerning) parts of each other- and in turn, we do too. It is consuming, addicting, tantalizing, and so very wrong- but the wrongness isn’t the point. It’s the singularity of true love- how somewhere in the universe there's someone whose soul calls to yours because your crazy is perfectly matched to theirs….someone who doesn’t just forgive your messed up pieces, but loves you for them. And that's the beauty of the "wrong."
Fair warning- this is not for everyone. Not only are there triggers and very uncomfortable beginnings, but some would not find this type of hero quite unromantic. PM me with questions! If you can handle Mateo, you can handle Calvin- but he’s perhaps a bit more unforgivable than even Carter.
December 31, 2021
Alright.
Calvin doesn't top Carter for me.
BUT! I still very much enjoyed his craziness. And I feel like Hallie was still strong and pushed back, yet bent enough to not drive me crazy.
TWs are for REAL though. There was not a Consensual sexual interaction until 71% into this book. Rape and dubious consent until that point. Also, unprotected sex and breeding happening as well.
.
But.. I love SMs crazy shit so..
5/5 stars
Calvin doesn't top Carter for me.
BUT! I still very much enjoyed his craziness. And I feel like Hallie was still strong and pushed back, yet bent enough to not drive me crazy.
TWs are for REAL though. There was not a Consensual sexual interaction until 71% into this book. Rape and dubious consent until that point. Also, unprotected sex and breeding happening as well.
.
But.. I love SMs crazy shit so..
5/5 stars
January 4, 2022
4 stars!
What do I even say about this book other than Calvin is a psycho and Hallie fits his personal brand of INSANE. If you are going into this book for romance and a unicorn that poops rainbows and butterflies I suggest you stop right now and put this book back on Want To Read or maybe Not To Read.
Me? This kind of f*cked up and toxic story is my cat nip so I thoroughly enjoyed Calvin's crazy ass that is unapologetic for all the messed up things he says and does. I also enjoyed Hallie and her unique brand of sarcasm...I mean let's be honest if she didn't have her sarcasm she'd probably be buried six feet under because who wants to hang with someone that thinks flicking paint all over a guys apartment is going to win you freedom and respect. Nah in this case it lands you a spanking and a dirty romp in the hay. But I digress...this is basically a story about a guy that doesn't have the word no in his dictionary and will do whatever he wants to make Hallie his despite her extreme and justifiable reluctance.
Props to Mariano though because she made me root for Calvin to win the girl the whole time. That's some mind f*ckery there. Overall, this was a steamy and fun read that left me both shaking my head in disbelief and awe. Loved it.
What do I even say about this book other than Calvin is a psycho and Hallie fits his personal brand of INSANE. If you are going into this book for romance and a unicorn that poops rainbows and butterflies I suggest you stop right now and put this book back on Want To Read or maybe Not To Read.
Me? This kind of f*cked up and toxic story is my cat nip so I thoroughly enjoyed Calvin's crazy ass that is unapologetic for all the messed up things he says and does. I also enjoyed Hallie and her unique brand of sarcasm...I mean let's be honest if she didn't have her sarcasm she'd probably be buried six feet under because who wants to hang with someone that thinks flicking paint all over a guys apartment is going to win you freedom and respect. Nah in this case it lands you a spanking and a dirty romp in the hay. But I digress...this is basically a story about a guy that doesn't have the word no in his dictionary and will do whatever he wants to make Hallie his despite her extreme and justifiable reluctance.
Props to Mariano though because she made me root for Calvin to win the girl the whole time. That's some mind f*ckery there. Overall, this was a steamy and fun read that left me both shaking my head in disbelief and awe. Loved it.
i-do-not-read-this
January 1, 2022What a pity! After reading the reviews, I understand that the hero is exactly what I want to read. but here is my main trigger - the heroine is not a virgin. therefore it is not for me. But for those for whom the heroine's experience is not important, I think it will be a Five Star Reading!
May 26, 2024
Sam writes the most twisted MMC’s and I can’t get enough of them. A friend of mine referred to Calvin as a grown up version of Carter and I totally got that impression. Carter still takes the cake though. He’s my boo for life.
May 9, 2022
I don’t know why I do this shit to myself. I decide to give this one a try but I just couldn’t get past the stupidity and sleaziness of the heroine and the hero was a scumbag. Until I bailed on this, I hated it.
January 24, 2023
This is a hard book for me to rate
I hated the first part, when the MCs met. It wasn’t the writing or the characters. It was just personal preference because it made me extremely uncomfortable. But I knew going in this book had non-con. So as the story progressed I tried to ignore the first part, forget it, so I could try to focus on the rest of the story and it kinda worked.
This was the first book I’ve read by Sam Marino and I’m kicking myself for not reading her sooner. She’s talented. Her writing is stellar and sucked me in. I was feeling like a (very uncomfortable) fly on the wall during each and every scene. I will be checking out more of her books.
I hated what Charity’s character became. Idk if that was the goal, but it further isolated Hallie (FMC) from any and everyone except Calvin (MMC) and who he deemed fit to be around her. I wanted her to have someone that she could lean on outside of him, but we never got that.
I think this was labeled as a dark romance, since it had non-con, but it felt more like a contemporary billionaire romance with an extremely toxic MMC and relationship that tried to switch to dark romance near the end. There is something about dark romances where I can switch a part of my brain off to, that I can disconnect from, because it’s like fantasy, we all know we don’t want this and it doesn’t exist. But this felt too real, like it could (and does) happen. I wish it was dark from the start. Then I wouldn’t have been so tense and uneasy.
Lastly, I guess because of how the relationship felt and was portrayed for about 75+%, when the confessions of love came I didn’t believe them. From either of the MCs. There was a sentence I loved by Hallie that said something along the lines of “by keeping me prisoner you take away my choice of ever choosing you.” She was never not his prisoner, even at the end. So how was I supposed to believe she chose him when it felt like she settled in her defeat? Again, maybe this is how SM meant to leave the MCs. If so, she really wove an incredible story that made me feel a shit ton more than I was expecting.
I just wanted to feel the FMC have some consent at some point in the book. 😞
I hated the first part, when the MCs met. It wasn’t the writing or the characters. It was just personal preference because it made me extremely uncomfortable. But I knew going in this book had non-con. So as the story progressed I tried to ignore the first part, forget it, so I could try to focus on the rest of the story and it kinda worked.
This was the first book I’ve read by Sam Marino and I’m kicking myself for not reading her sooner. She’s talented. Her writing is stellar and sucked me in. I was feeling like a (very uncomfortable) fly on the wall during each and every scene. I will be checking out more of her books.
I hated what Charity’s character became. Idk if that was the goal, but it further isolated Hallie (FMC) from any and everyone except Calvin (MMC) and who he deemed fit to be around her. I wanted her to have someone that she could lean on outside of him, but we never got that.
I think this was labeled as a dark romance, since it had non-con, but it felt more like a contemporary billionaire romance with an extremely toxic MMC and relationship that tried to switch to dark romance near the end. There is something about dark romances where I can switch a part of my brain off to, that I can disconnect from, because it’s like fantasy, we all know we don’t want this and it doesn’t exist. But this felt too real, like it could (and does) happen. I wish it was dark from the start. Then I wouldn’t have been so tense and uneasy.
Lastly, I guess because of how the relationship felt and was portrayed for about 75+%, when the confessions of love came I didn’t believe them. From either of the MCs. There was a sentence I loved by Hallie that said something along the lines of “by keeping me prisoner you take away my choice of ever choosing you.” She was never not his prisoner, even at the end. So how was I supposed to believe she chose him when it felt like she settled in her defeat? Again, maybe this is how SM meant to leave the MCs. If so, she really wove an incredible story that made me feel a shit ton more than I was expecting.
I just wanted to feel the FMC have some consent at some point in the book. 😞
January 5, 2022
This book .. ugh .. firstly I absolutely hate reading books about weak females. Strength doesn't mean aggression but bloody hell... how can anyone just take it like that? At least have some kind of fight in you.. the female protagonist was weak and pathetic.. the male was a bloody rapist and a psychopath and not the kind you end up liking.
So disappointed with this book.
So disappointed with this book.
dnf-try-again-later
January 8, 2022Only read the sample, I won’t be continuing. This book has a pushover doormat for a h. I’m not surprised this book is non con, she probably didn’t have the guts to say a firm no. This girl is a major people pleaser. 🙄
January 6, 2022
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars
POV : Dual
Cliffhanger : None
Hero : Calvin
Heroine : Hallie
Pace of the story : Moderate
Angst Rating : 5/10
Heat Rating : 9/10
Triggers Involved : Non con , dub con , psychopath hero , no groveling , blackmail
Plot Summary :
Hallie is living a simple life. Recently broken up with her boyfriend, she knows that she yet again failed to find the perfect man for her. But what she does not know is that the only man who will possess her already had his eyes on her. She gets called by her ex to come to his office where she meets Calvin. A man who is ruthless and does not know the meaning of the word NO. His twisted Fantasies can make anyone uncomfortable and give people nightmares but it was what it was for him. He was unapologetic about everything he did and that is how it would be.
Calvin scared Hallie. He is relentless to have her and she knew that he would cross all limits to possess her. Their first meeting left her even more shaken and broken. That is until her stalker visited her again And demanded more. He might be someone straight from her nightmares but for Calvin she was the one unwilling victim he had to fulfill all his fantasies. No matter if she wanted it or not.
Overall Opinion :
Holy shittttt.. First Carter and now Calvin, Sam Mariano never fails to create my favorite heroes!! Calvin is crazy okk? He does such horrible things and not s single time does he utter the word the word SORRY here. Not even once. He was an absolute psychopath and his ability to never see anything wrong with whatever he did to have Hallie was hilarious!!
At times this sort of behavior might piss me off because I am a digger for groveling heroes, but with Calvin it just fit. That is how he was. If he had apologized and changed personality all of a sudden then I think I would have been more sad lmao. But just be ready before reading her. He is the villain. His moral compass is legit broken to pieces let alone twisted. The triggers in this book are mentioned below and it's a stand alone HEA.
Definitely recommending it to all the dark romance people out there. This one is full of triggers and taboo so just make sure you know about them before starting this book!
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August 14, 2022
The book starts with a rape and ends on a rape.
it's one of those where you see an accident happen, you want to look away, but you can't - afterwards you feel ashamed. I feel like I want to bleach my eyeballs. I know there is crazy shit out there, but damn... like the man has raped her throughout the whole book, the whole book.
I am disgusted with myself.
it's one of those where you see an accident happen, you want to look away, but you can't - afterwards you feel ashamed. I feel like I want to bleach my eyeballs. I know there is crazy shit out there, but damn... like the man has raped her throughout the whole book, the whole book.
I am disgusted with myself.
January 2, 2022
4 Stars.
Yea Calvin won me over and I was rooting for his success and happiness with Hallie... but a lil part of me was dying to see his ass get jumped. Like pls somebody come and send him to the hospital cuz that man needs to suffer before he can earn his redemption.
Sadly nobody volunteered to beat his ass even though that would've rly elevated my reading experience 😔
I got over it though after the scene where he tells Hallie she's the fly to his toxic lake.
“Not just any fly,” he says, amusement laced in his tone. “You’re my fly.”
Like how can I not root for them after that 🤣
But I think the real reason I was able to get past the non-con and still root for them was bc Calvin was 100% about Hallie.
* He was financially and emotionally supportive. He validated her feelings and encouraged her to chase her dreams, even if he doesn't understand it. Cuz she's an illustrator for children's books and wtf does he know about that 😂
* He ALWAYS paid attention to the little things. He was always focused on her needs and did his best to make her life easier, safer, and more comfortable. Even during the non-con scenes it was never just about HIM.
* His audacity knows no bounds. That man straight up ANNOYING andilowkeyloveit. Hallie flakes on him once and he sends her a notice for a reschedule and then kidnaps her cat just in case she wanna say no. Then he texts her a pic of the cat all cozy on a new bed like bitch...this OUR cat now.
* His vulnerability 🥺
I need to see how these next few days go without me. I want to see if, given the opportunity, she might miss me the way I already miss her.
So that's the story of how I ended up on his team. Hallie though?? She's a people-pleaser through and through. Like to the point where she says please and thank you to the people who she should definitely punch in the eye.
Like girl 😭🤚🏼
She does fight Calvin but honestly not that much. So the angst is below avg really.
But overall I actually liked this so 2022 is off to a good start
Yea Calvin won me over and I was rooting for his success and happiness with Hallie... but a lil part of me was dying to see his ass get jumped. Like pls somebody come and send him to the hospital cuz that man needs to suffer before he can earn his redemption.
Sadly nobody volunteered to beat his ass even though that would've rly elevated my reading experience 😔
I got over it though after the scene where he tells Hallie she's the fly to his toxic lake.
“Not just any fly,” he says, amusement laced in his tone. “You’re my fly.”
Like how can I not root for them after that 🤣
But I think the real reason I was able to get past the non-con and still root for them was bc Calvin was 100% about Hallie.
* He was financially and emotionally supportive. He validated her feelings and encouraged her to chase her dreams, even if he doesn't understand it. Cuz she's an illustrator for children's books and wtf does he know about that 😂
* He ALWAYS paid attention to the little things. He was always focused on her needs and did his best to make her life easier, safer, and more comfortable. Even during the non-con scenes it was never just about HIM.
* His audacity knows no bounds. That man straight up ANNOYING andilowkeyloveit. Hallie flakes on him once and he sends her a notice for a reschedule and then kidnaps her cat just in case she wanna say no. Then he texts her a pic of the cat all cozy on a new bed like bitch...this OUR cat now.
* His vulnerability 🥺
I need to see how these next few days go without me. I want to see if, given the opportunity, she might miss me the way I already miss her.
So that's the story of how I ended up on his team. Hallie though?? She's a people-pleaser through and through. Like to the point where she says please and thank you to the people who she should definitely punch in the eye.
Like girl 😭🤚🏼
She does fight Calvin but honestly not that much. So the angst is below avg really.
But overall I actually liked this so 2022 is off to a good start
December 31, 2021
A very Mia (from her Morelli series) like FMC. It seems that I can't tolerate that kind of heroine that much! But I did a lot of skimming hence the low rating.
January 2, 2022
Uhm… this one was dark, as in NC dark. But that’s not what made this book disturbing. It’s the calm matter that Calvin’s pov were written in. He is a complete psychopath, but he doesn’t growl, doesn’t get angry. He’s always composed and calm. And that will freak you out. A good portion of the story is told from his point of view and jingle freaking bells is a mind of a disturbed person. You get to read something amongst the lines of “I understand she doesn’t like it now, but she’ll come around.” In his own twisted way, he does care about her. If anyone hurts her, he’ll “take care of them” without making a big deal.
Hallie’s character is well written. She made a naïve decision in the begging, that cost her dearly, but she’s not a stupid woman. It was fascinating to read about her trying to reason with him. Her arguments were solid. There were parts were I thought that he’s going to bend, he did agree with her, plus he does care about her. So… so nothing! It has Stockholm syndrome written all over the story.
I also want to mention the writing, witch was beyond and above, and is the reason that made me keep turning the page. I’ll be keeping a close eye on upcoming books of Sam Mariano, that’s for sure.
As for the ending (this might be a spoiler).
If you ask Calvin, it is a happy ending. If you as Hallie, it is a happy ending. If you ask me, you have a two characters, one is a possessive psychopath, another one develops Stockholm syndrome by the end of the book. So what do you think?
Yeah, that is a mindf*ck for ya.
Hallie’s character is well written. She made a naïve decision in the begging, that cost her dearly, but she’s not a stupid woman. It was fascinating to read about her trying to reason with him. Her arguments were solid. There were parts were I thought that he’s going to bend, he did agree with her, plus he does care about her. So… so nothing! It has Stockholm syndrome written all over the story.
I also want to mention the writing, witch was beyond and above, and is the reason that made me keep turning the page. I’ll be keeping a close eye on upcoming books of Sam Mariano, that’s for sure.
As for the ending (this might be a spoiler).
If you ask Calvin, it is a happy ending. If you as Hallie, it is a happy ending. If you ask me, you have a two characters, one is a possessive psychopath, another one develops Stockholm syndrome by the end of the book. So what do you think?
Yeah, that is a mindf*ck for ya.
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