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Quid Pro Quo
"This is business. It's a fuck or get-fucked world out there."
Millionaire investor, Nicholas Beaucroft, is a man used to getting what he wants. But all he wants is the one thing he could never have... the love of his older stepsister, Justine. Once he idolized her; now his obsession has become warped and depraved, and there is nothing he won't do, and no game he won't play, if it means satisfying his dark passions.
Jay Varens was twenty-three when she fled from her screwed up family and their dark web of secrets, lies, and mind games. After eight years, she began to believe she was finally free from their twisted machinations--but Nicholas isn't about to let her go so easily, and when he plunges her back into her own personal gilded hell, Jay's about to learn that all things have a price.
Including her own soul.
Warning: dub-con/non-con, abuse, neglect
Cover by Heather.
Millionaire investor, Nicholas Beaucroft, is a man used to getting what he wants. But all he wants is the one thing he could never have... the love of his older stepsister, Justine. Once he idolized her; now his obsession has become warped and depraved, and there is nothing he won't do, and no game he won't play, if it means satisfying his dark passions.
Jay Varens was twenty-three when she fled from her screwed up family and their dark web of secrets, lies, and mind games. After eight years, she began to believe she was finally free from their twisted machinations--but Nicholas isn't about to let her go so easily, and when he plunges her back into her own personal gilded hell, Jay's about to learn that all things have a price.
Including her own soul.
Warning: dub-con/non-con, abuse, neglect
Cover by Heather.
466 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2021
About the author
Nenia Campbell
57 books20.4k followers
Hi there. I'm Nenia! I'm an author of several villain romances, and creator and moderator of Unapologetic Romance Readers.
I read a lot of amazingly trashy books that I would be happy to rec you. Coffee flows through my veins like ichor. Also, check out what I've written sometime!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nenia-Campbell/...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aficionenias
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alwaysbeebooked
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
Shelved as 'someone-with-my-name-wrote-this'
April 23, 20244/23- QUID PRO QUO is FREE today!!
4/10- QPQ hit 800 ratings today!!! *heart eyes* Thank you so much for reading ♥
This is all you need to know about this book: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8kjxmSQ/
9/23- QPQ hit 600 ratings today and I am so happy! Thank you for reading. ♥
3/20- OH MY GOD QPQ HAS 500 RATINGS THAT'S SO AMAZING AHHHHHHH
12/18- QPQ got its 100th text review today on Goodreads and I think that is AMAZING <3333
11/9- QUID PRO QUO will be FREEEEE until 11/13. It's been almost a year since I made this book free, so make sure you grab a copy while you can. This is one of my favorite things I've written and I love seeing people reading it: https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
7/21- OMG!!!!! QUID PRO QUO just got its 400th rating! I seriously can't express to you how grateful I am for your time in reading, rating, and reviewing this book. It means the world to me.
7/10- For a limited time, you can get QUID PRO QUO for only 99￠!!!
2/8- Hi! This book will be FREE in the Kindle store through February 10th. I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate Valentine's Day (aka Singles' Awareness Day LOL) and also, breaking 300 ratings on Goodreads! I'm not very good at promoting myself, but if you enjoy dark romances and stepbrother romances, you might really enjoy this. Especially if you like dual timelines and older woman/younger man pairings. LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
12/25- For a limited time, this book will be FREE in the Kindle store. Merry Xmas and happy holidays! <3 LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
9/28- Almost 250 ratings! Thank you SO MUCH for reading! This was my sanity project to take the pressure off during COVID, the election, and several anxiety attacks. So it brings me a lot of joy that something that was so fun to write is entertaining all y'all too. ♥
6/20- For a limited time, you can buy this book for 99 cents on Kindle!
5/12- QPQ has over 100 ratings! THANK YOU!!!! Ahhhh. You're all so amazing and I can't--
2/28- QPQ has broken 50 ratings after being out just over a month, which feels like a lot to me (my books normally don't get that many reads in so little time)! So I just wanted to say that I am so grateful to everyone who picked up a copy, and especially if you wrote a review! It means so much and whether you liked it or not, I really appreciate seeing what everyone thought and what I should do more of and what I need to do better. Seriously, thank you so, so much. ♥
IT'S OUT
Here's the playlist: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
And the link (it's free on KU!): https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
And now that it's almost release-o-clock I can write a bit more about it and give trigger warnings. WARNING: mild spoilers.
This is the story of a boy who fell in love with his older stepsister and then it got dark and weird.
Also, there's Daddy kink. BET YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING THAT.
The story contains minors in abusive situations but there is NO explicit content of a sexual nature with anyone under eighteen.
Content warnings include (not comprehensively) children being around people in sex work (heroine's mother works at a strip club and hustles on the side), neglect, emotional abuse, grooming for sexual abuse, sexual abuse by a parental figure, non-con, dub-con, blackmail, discussion of workplace harassment, sexism, forced sex, extortion, revenge porn, and allusions to self-harm.
THERE'S A SUMMARY NOW!!!! AHHHH!!!!
I'm currently 30% done editing this monster and I'm really excited to share it with you because it's one of the most "fun" things I've written in a while-- and yes, it's VERY disturbing.
This story is going to come out in just a few months! I already have 100,000+ words and it's about 80% complete! ANNNNNND Heather Crews made me an amazing cover that I want to cry over.
This is a dark stepbrother romance and there's like several twists with that but I don't want to say what yet. ;) Let's just say that there's a lot of obsession and the hero is a bit of a psychotic bastard.
Summary to come soon!
4/10- QPQ hit 800 ratings today!!! *heart eyes* Thank you so much for reading ♥
This is all you need to know about this book: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8kjxmSQ/
9/23- QPQ hit 600 ratings today and I am so happy! Thank you for reading. ♥
3/20- OH MY GOD QPQ HAS 500 RATINGS THAT'S SO AMAZING AHHHHHHH
12/18- QPQ got its 100th text review today on Goodreads and I think that is AMAZING <3333
11/9- QUID PRO QUO will be FREEEEE until 11/13. It's been almost a year since I made this book free, so make sure you grab a copy while you can. This is one of my favorite things I've written and I love seeing people reading it: https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
7/21- OMG!!!!! QUID PRO QUO just got its 400th rating! I seriously can't express to you how grateful I am for your time in reading, rating, and reviewing this book. It means the world to me.
7/10- For a limited time, you can get QUID PRO QUO for only 99￠!!!
2/8- Hi! This book will be FREE in the Kindle store through February 10th. I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate Valentine's Day (aka Singles' Awareness Day LOL) and also, breaking 300 ratings on Goodreads! I'm not very good at promoting myself, but if you enjoy dark romances and stepbrother romances, you might really enjoy this. Especially if you like dual timelines and older woman/younger man pairings. LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
12/25- For a limited time, this book will be FREE in the Kindle store. Merry Xmas and happy holidays! <3 LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
9/28- Almost 250 ratings! Thank you SO MUCH for reading! This was my sanity project to take the pressure off during COVID, the election, and several anxiety attacks. So it brings me a lot of joy that something that was so fun to write is entertaining all y'all too. ♥
6/20- For a limited time, you can buy this book for 99 cents on Kindle!
5/12- QPQ has over 100 ratings! THANK YOU!!!! Ahhhh. You're all so amazing and I can't--
2/28- QPQ has broken 50 ratings after being out just over a month, which feels like a lot to me (my books normally don't get that many reads in so little time)! So I just wanted to say that I am so grateful to everyone who picked up a copy, and especially if you wrote a review! It means so much and whether you liked it or not, I really appreciate seeing what everyone thought and what I should do more of and what I need to do better. Seriously, thank you so, so much. ♥
IT'S OUT
Here's the playlist: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
And the link (it's free on KU!): https://www.amazon.com/Quid-Pro-Quo-s...
And now that it's almost release-o-clock I can write a bit more about it and give trigger warnings. WARNING: mild spoilers.
This is the story of a boy who fell in love with his older stepsister and then it got dark and weird.
Also, there's Daddy kink. BET YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING THAT.
The story contains minors in abusive situations but there is NO explicit content of a sexual nature with anyone under eighteen.
Content warnings include (not comprehensively) children being around people in sex work (heroine's mother works at a strip club and hustles on the side), neglect, emotional abuse, grooming for sexual abuse, sexual abuse by a parental figure, non-con, dub-con, blackmail, discussion of workplace harassment, sexism, forced sex, extortion, revenge porn, and allusions to self-harm.
THERE'S A SUMMARY NOW!!!! AHHHH!!!!
I'm currently 30% done editing this monster and I'm really excited to share it with you because it's one of the most "fun" things I've written in a while-- and yes, it's VERY disturbing.
This story is going to come out in just a few months! I already have 100,000+ words and it's about 80% complete! ANNNNNND Heather Crews made me an amazing cover that I want to cry over.
This is a dark stepbrother romance and there's like several twists with that but I don't want to say what yet. ;) Let's just say that there's a lot of obsession and the hero is a bit of a psychotic bastard.
Summary to come soon!
March 10, 2022
[revisited quotes ~ 03/2022]
𖤐𖤐𖤐 all the stars 𖤐𖤐𖤐
not me watching this video, and then feeling inspired to check out my previously highlighted QPQ quotes 😌
this book is still my favorite interpretation of a step-brother romance, hands down. Nenia injects just enough realism into Quid Pro Quo to allow the romance between NicholasJay to finely walk the line between creepy and sweet. even by the end of the book you're still not sure if you should be rooting for Nicholas and Jay. and yet … the romance is compelling enough that you can't help but feel for Nicholas and are pushing Jay to give him yet another chance.
also, looking back on my old review i feel like i judged Jay a bit harshly the first time around. rereading the quotes (yes all of this introspection is based off of me reading sixty-six quotes) i realize that Nicholas betrayed Jay in a multitude of ways. he took a love that was supposed to be pure - that sibling bond - and made it, well … kinky as fuck.
he also forced her, not once, but TWICE to be with him. like … bruh. that's why i think Jay being hesitant the entire book actually makes complete sense. in most step-brother romances the heroine is all to willing to give in, and yet … Jay isn't. she, like any normal person, is VERY hesitant to give into Nicholas's obsessive love. additionally, i didn't really take into account the way Nicholas kept pulling the rug out from under Jay EVERY SINGLE TIME she started to trust him.
it's the realism spice i didn't know i needed.
now i need to go and read Batter My Heart cause apparently there's a decent sized NicholasJay cameo. i need another hit of my toxic and twisted loves 🥺🥺
not me hoping to see Jay pregnant with Nicholas's baby …
okay BYEEEEEE 👋👋
***
[an actual review written in ~ 02/2021]
-ˏˋ✩ 4.75 Stars ✩ˊˎ-
➽ here's a LINK for the whole ass playlist, you're welcome✨(◕▿◕✿)
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ Opening Comments ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
That's how you do it people. . . that's how you fucking do it! It is a literal (okay not really a literal) CRIME that I haven't given this truly fabulous✨ book a full review. I feel so so so bad that its taken me this long to craft - that's right craft - my review. Honestly, I inadvertently ended up waiting/taking this long to write down my full thoughts for Quid Pro Quo because I loved it that much. . . also I'm also a master procrastinator, but still, this story deserves ALL the praise. This may be a truly spicy take but this book, in my opinion of course, is the greatest step-brother romance I have ever read.
ALSO, before I really get into the meat and potatoes of this whole shebang I want to say that despite being friends with the author, Nenia Campbell, (right here on goodreads) I read this book all on my own volition. This is a 100% honest review. Any and all embarrassing fan-girl/gushing towards this book (and Nenia) is completely me ❤︎
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ The Plot ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
This is the story of how Justine "Jay" Varens and Nicholas Beaucroft. . . fell in love? Honestly, it depends on how you look at it. Jay's life dramatically changed when her mother remarried. Suddenly, she's living in a new neighborhood, going to a new school, and has gained a little brother. When Nick meets Jay for the first time it's clear that he has strong feelings for her. Unfortunately, she only sees him as a brother. Cut to 2017. Nick is no longer a child. He's now a millionaire investor, and he takes what's his. Jay fled home after college and never looked back. Fate has other plans. Caught in Nick's web she finds herself sacrificing more than her body. Can a love so twisted turn into a true happily ever after?
.⋆｡⋆☂˚���⋆ The GOOD, nay, The GREAT ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
*× NICHOLAS "NICK" BEAUCROFT ○*
First things first, this man is my husband. I don't care if that makes me f*cked in the head, I still call dibs. I - I don't even know how to describe Nick. The man was a possessive, manipulative, spoiled, intense, caring, and very obsessed individual. He was just so, flawed, and yet he was also so very heart achingly human? The way he loved Jay was. . . intense, and yet I also would trade spots with her in a heartbeat? I - I think I have some unresolved issues that I need to work out. You know what, NO, Nick was the kind of hero that I adore. See, he's the just right mix of possessive and obsessive with a touch of, hmmm, not creepy, more like. . . lovable psycho tendencies.
Nick, the lovable psycho that he is, stole the whole damn show. His introduction starts out with a giant bang and he only goes up from there. I mean this man serves us blackmail, dub-con, stalking, some more blackmail, intense longing stares, DADDY KINK, a somewhat creepy but also sweet nickname, and a love that in a weird, twisted, and fucked up way, is kinda pure.
In closing, Nick is my past, present, and future husband, thus I will find a way to turn any negatives about his personality into positives. A.K.A., my legs hurt from holding this position for so long. . .
*× THE TABOO(S) ○*
Total honesty time. I, Julia (lover of all things romance), am not a huge fan of the "i-wanna-bang-my-step-brother trope". . . #imadissapointment
I don't know what it is, but they just don't do it for me. I guess what always annoys me about them is that nobody - meaning the H/h - ever really acknowledges the creepiness factor of it all. Like, for all intents and purposes, that's your brother. Your parents didn't introduce you guys hoping you'd bone, they aren't running a weird fucked up dating service. They didn't introduce you two hoping you'd someday have a technically non-incestuous marriage. That's why I LOVED that with QUID PRO QUO we got to see an. . . awareness of the extra layer//creepiness that was attached to the romance. Oh and MS. CAMPBELL upped the ante even more when she included, wait for. . . DADDY KINK (yes i'm gonna uppercase this every time i mention it). See, not only did NENIA get me enthusiastically on board with a step-brother romance (a romance gleefully that basked in its taboo), but she also got me incredibly on board with DADDY KINK.
Confession #2, I'm not that into DADDY KINK. I'm not actively against it, but I don't seek it out. Its just not my thing. I can't help but associating the word "daddy" with my actual dad. Maybe I should take a page out of Mina's book and start referring to him as my paternal figure. . . that may help. ANYWAY, I say all of this because QUID PRO QUO actually made me like DADDY KINK. Okay, I probably only like it the way NENIA writes it, but still, that's what we call progress. I think what made the DADDY KINK in this book work so well was the way in which it was used. You knew that Nick was into it -
But - and this is where it gets twisted - I was never sure if Jay was into it. The way I interpreted the whole situation was this, I think deep, deep, DEEP down she actually did enjoy it. It seemed like Jay liked the taboo of calling her younger step-brother "daddy", but she was never fully comfortable admitting that to herself. That's a really interesting take on the whole DADDY KINK thing. By framing the DADDY KINK in that lens it gave the sexy scenes an extra layer of taboo and edginess that I greatly appreciated.
*× THE. . . ROMANCE ○*
Was QUID PRO QUO actually a romance? DEBATABLE. Did I consider it romantic as all get out? HELLS TO THE YES. What can I say, I like my romance with a bit of blackmail and heavy dose of obsession. For real, this was me, body, soul, and. . . *clears throat* ready, the entire damn time -
What made the romance so delicious was the fact that it resembled an imminent train crash. See, the story is told in past/present. In the present we see how f*cked up and borderline forceful Jay and Nick's romance has become.
Meanwhile, in the past we as the readers get to witness an actual friendship and a real bond form between the younger versions of Nick and Jay. Jay is the first person in Nick's life to really pay him any attention. She looks out for him and actually seems to enjoy spending time with him. Likewise, Nick is there for Jay. He becomes someone she can trust and you can see that she truly cares for him. That's why once Nick let's the truth of his feelings be known, it's almost hard to watch -
Car, meet crash. Their romance in the past begins with some. . . dubious consent, to say the least. Yet, even in the past, it's pretty clear that Jay feels something for Nick. Their romance in the past is full of emotion - both good and bad - anger, obsession, and perhaps, a tiny bit of affection (just a sprinkle).
Fast forward to the present and their love restarts again with some. . . dubious consent (and blackmail, can't forget the blackmail). However, this time it's clear that Nick is playing for keeps. It's obvious that for all his faults he really truly cares for Jay. His love is toxic for sure, but he at least acknowledges it. I officially officially got on board with him as end game once he started his grovel party. gah, I just love me a good grovel party.
The romance between Jay and Nick is toxic, passionate, a bit twisted, and all encompassing. It can also be interpreted in a multitude of ways. I choose to see it with a more romantic lens. Others may see it differently, and that's what makes the romance in QUID PRO QUO so amazing.
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ The "meh" ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
*× JUSTINE "JAY" VARENS ○*
Man this really pains me to admit, but, I was pretty meh on Jay as a character. Seriously, the only knock I have against this book is that Jay as a heroine was very hard to connect with. I felt like I had a bit easier of a time connecting with her in the past vs. the present, but even then I never fully got to know her. For example, did she truly love Nick? Couldn't really tell you. Was she into the sexy times that were afoot? I think. What was her reaction to learning the truth about everything that went down? Your guess is as good as mine. I think a lot of this connection error comes from the fact that Jay as a character is pretty reserved/shy. In addition, it really doesn't help that her co-lead is someone as magnetic as Nick. That's not to say she didn't have her moments, because she 100% did -
Not gonna lie, whenever she went toe-to-toe with Nick it was very entertaining to read. Unfortunately (or fortunately depends on how you look at it), whenever I think back to QUID PRO QUO I automatically remember Nick. Nick is the star and while Jay is no less important, she's not as. . . electric.
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ Concluding Thoughts ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
READ THE BOOK. Yup, that's it. Go read the book. Seriously, this is one of, if not thee greatest presentation of the step-brother romance I have ever read. NENIA CAMPBELL has once again wowed me, and I sincerely cannot wait to see what she releases next.
𖤐𖤐𖤐 all the stars 𖤐𖤐𖤐
❝you still see me as a younger brother,❞ he said eventually. ❝i think that's the excuse you give yourself to hold me at a distance: telling yourself i'm still a boy. but I'm not.❞
❝i know you're not a boy,❞ she said, her voice tight. ❝you've made that resoundingly clear.❞
❝i'm a man,❞ he said, as if she hadn't spoken. ❝with a man's goals and a man's desires.❞ he paused. ❝and a man's burdens.❞
not me watching this video, and then feeling inspired to check out my previously highlighted QPQ quotes 😌
this book is still my favorite interpretation of a step-brother romance, hands down. Nenia injects just enough realism into Quid Pro Quo to allow the romance between NicholasJay to finely walk the line between creepy and sweet. even by the end of the book you're still not sure if you should be rooting for Nicholas and Jay. and yet … the romance is compelling enough that you can't help but feel for Nicholas and are pushing Jay to give him yet another chance.
also, looking back on my old review i feel like i judged Jay a bit harshly the first time around. rereading the quotes (yes all of this introspection is based off of me reading sixty-six quotes) i realize that Nicholas betrayed Jay in a multitude of ways. he took a love that was supposed to be pure - that sibling bond - and made it, well … kinky as fuck.
he also forced her, not once, but TWICE to be with him. like … bruh. that's why i think Jay being hesitant the entire book actually makes complete sense. in most step-brother romances the heroine is all to willing to give in, and yet … Jay isn't. she, like any normal person, is VERY hesitant to give into Nicholas's obsessive love. additionally, i didn't really take into account the way Nicholas kept pulling the rug out from under Jay EVERY SINGLE TIME she started to trust him.
it's the realism spice i didn't know i needed.
now i need to go and read Batter My Heart cause apparently there's a decent sized NicholasJay cameo. i need another hit of my toxic and twisted loves 🥺🥺
not me hoping to see Jay pregnant with Nicholas's baby …
okay BYEEEEEE 👋👋
***
[an actual review written in ~ 02/2021]
-ˏˋ✩ 4.75 Stars ✩ˊˎ-
“Blue jay” was what he, and only he, had called her. His little bird.
➽ here's a LINK for the whole ass playlist, you're welcome✨(◕▿◕✿)
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ Opening Comments ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
That's how you do it people. . . that's how you fucking do it! It is a literal (okay not really a literal) CRIME that I haven't given this truly fabulous✨ book a full review. I feel so so so bad that its taken me this long to craft - that's right craft - my review. Honestly, I inadvertently ended up waiting/taking this long to write down my full thoughts for Quid Pro Quo because I loved it that much. . . also I'm also a master procrastinator, but still, this story deserves ALL the praise. This may be a truly spicy take but this book, in my opinion of course, is the greatest step-brother romance I have ever read.
-ˏ͛⑅ end of review ⑅ˏ͛-
I KID, I KID, this isn't the end of the review. . . i have WAY to much to say about this masterpiece of story!
ALSO, before I really get into the meat and potatoes of this whole shebang I want to say that despite being friends with the author, Nenia Campbell, (right here on goodreads) I read this book all on my own volition. This is a 100% honest review. Any and all embarrassing fan-girl/gushing towards this book (and Nenia) is completely me ❤︎
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ The Plot ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
This is the story of how Justine "Jay" Varens and Nicholas Beaucroft. . . fell in love? Honestly, it depends on how you look at it. Jay's life dramatically changed when her mother remarried. Suddenly, she's living in a new neighborhood, going to a new school, and has gained a little brother. When Nick meets Jay for the first time it's clear that he has strong feelings for her. Unfortunately, she only sees him as a brother. Cut to 2017. Nick is no longer a child. He's now a millionaire investor, and he takes what's his. Jay fled home after college and never looked back. Fate has other plans. Caught in Nick's web she finds herself sacrificing more than her body. Can a love so twisted turn into a true happily ever after?
.⋆｡⋆☂˚���⋆ The GOOD, nay, The GREAT ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
*× NICHOLAS "NICK" BEAUCROFT ○*
This time, she would not escape unscathed; he was going to make her suffer and do it so well that she might even grow to crave it—until it sent her plummeting. Until it left her broken and bleeding. Until he ripped her heart out.
First things first, this man is my husband. I don't care if that makes me f*cked in the head, I still call dibs. I - I don't even know how to describe Nick. The man was a possessive, manipulative, spoiled, intense, caring, and very obsessed individual. He was just so, flawed, and yet he was also so very heart achingly human? The way he loved Jay was. . . intense, and yet I also would trade spots with her in a heartbeat? I - I think I have some unresolved issues that I need to work out. You know what, NO, Nick was the kind of hero that I adore. See, he's the just right mix of possessive and obsessive with a touch of, hmmm, not creepy, more like. . . lovable psycho tendencies.
“I think she really might be planning on stealing your life. Remember, I know things,” he added, before closing the door behind him. “But don't worry. Even when your gross mom rips your face off, I'll still sit across from your ugly, faceless mug, blue jay.”
awww, wait no eww, or is it awww?
Nick, the lovable psycho that he is, stole the whole damn show. His introduction starts out with a giant bang and he only goes up from there. I mean this man serves us blackmail, dub-con, stalking, some more blackmail, intense longing stares, DADDY KINK, a somewhat creepy but also sweet nickname, and a love that in a weird, twisted, and fucked up way, is kinda pure.
“Let me love you,” he whispered. “If you let me in, I promise I'll raise you up and keep you safe and I'll never, ever leave you. You're my everything.”
In closing, Nick is my past, present, and future husband, thus I will find a way to turn any negatives about his personality into positives. A.K.A., my legs hurt from holding this position for so long. . .
*× THE TABOO(S) ○*
“You still see me as a younger brother,” he said eventually. “I think that's the excuse you give yourself to hold me at a distance: telling yourself I'm still a boy. But I'm not.”
“I know you're not a boy,” she said, her voice tight. “You've made that resoundingly clear.”
“I'm a man,” he said, as if she hadn't spoken. “With a man's goals and a man's desires.” He paused. “And a man's burdens.”
Total honesty time. I, Julia (lover of all things romance), am not a huge fan of the "i-wanna-bang-my-step-brother trope". . . #imadissapointment
I don't know what it is, but they just don't do it for me. I guess what always annoys me about them is that nobody - meaning the H/h - ever really acknowledges the creepiness factor of it all. Like, for all intents and purposes, that's your brother. Your parents didn't introduce you guys hoping you'd bone, they aren't running a weird fucked up dating service. They didn't introduce you two hoping you'd someday have a technically non-incestuous marriage. That's why I LOVED that with QUID PRO QUO we got to see an. . . awareness of the extra layer//creepiness that was attached to the romance. Oh and MS. CAMPBELL upped the ante even more when she included, wait for. . . DADDY KINK (yes i'm gonna uppercase this every time i mention it). See, not only did NENIA get me enthusiastically on board with a step-brother romance (a romance gleefully that basked in its taboo), but she also got me incredibly on board with DADDY KINK.
“Why do you care?” she asked woodenly. “It's like you said. He's not my daddy.”
“No,” he said, the low register of his voice sending a chill through her that was colder than the glass in her hand. “He isn't. But I could be. I'll be your Daddy. You can tell me what's bothering you and I'll make it all better.” His hand covered her left breast, flattening over her pounding heart. “I don't let people mess around with what's mine.���
gah, that shouldn't be hot. . . but it is totally is.
Confession #2, I'm not that into DADDY KINK. I'm not actively against it, but I don't seek it out. Its just not my thing. I can't help but associating the word "daddy" with my actual dad. Maybe I should take a page out of Mina's book and start referring to him as my paternal figure. . . that may help. ANYWAY, I say all of this because QUID PRO QUO actually made me like DADDY KINK. Okay, I probably only like it the way NENIA writes it, but still, that's what we call progress. I think what made the DADDY KINK in this book work so well was the way in which it was used. You knew that Nick was into it -
“You're my little bird. Say that, too. I want to hear it.”
“I'm your bird, Daddy,” she said
hell, I was into it. (。O⁄ ⁄ω⁄ ⁄ O。)
But - and this is where it gets twisted - I was never sure if Jay was into it. The way I interpreted the whole situation was this, I think deep, deep, DEEP down she actually did enjoy it. It seemed like Jay liked the taboo of calling her younger step-brother "daddy", but she was never fully comfortable admitting that to herself. That's a really interesting take on the whole DADDY KINK thing. By framing the DADDY KINK in that lens it gave the sexy scenes an extra layer of taboo and edginess that I greatly appreciated.
*× THE. . . ROMANCE ○*
“You threatened to drag my name through the mud in front of everyone in town. You forced me to have sex with you. You filmed me without my permission and you still haven't deleted the video—or were you planning on doing that as a wedding gift?” She drew in a painful breath. “What made you think I would possibly want to marry you?”
Was QUID PRO QUO actually a romance? DEBATABLE. Did I consider it romantic as all get out? HELLS TO THE YES. What can I say, I like my romance with a bit of blackmail and heavy dose of obsession. For real, this was me, body, soul, and. . . *clears throat* ready, the entire damn time -
What made the romance so delicious was the fact that it resembled an imminent train crash. See, the story is told in past/present. In the present we see how f*cked up and borderline forceful Jay and Nick's romance has become.
“So you're willing to hurt me,” said Jay. “To get what you want. Just like before."
“We have an agreement,” he repeated steadily.
“Then I am your prisoner. I just happen to have a really long chain.”
Meanwhile, in the past we as the readers get to witness an actual friendship and a real bond form between the younger versions of Nick and Jay. Jay is the first person in Nick's life to really pay him any attention. She looks out for him and actually seems to enjoy spending time with him. Likewise, Nick is there for Jay. He becomes someone she can trust and you can see that she truly cares for him. That's why once Nick let's the truth of his feelings be known, it's almost hard to watch -
“I'm in love with you.”
Jay sucked in a breath. “What?”
“You heard me.” Nick folded his arms. “I love you.” … “I love you. And I want you so fucking bad I really can't stand it, Jay. I think about you at night.”
Car, meet crash. Their romance in the past begins with some. . . dubious consent, to say the least. Yet, even in the past, it's pretty clear that Jay feels something for Nick. Their romance in the past is full of emotion - both good and bad - anger, obsession, and perhaps, a tiny bit of affection (just a sprinkle).
She could see it there in the history, mocking her. How quickly he flipped from “I'm in love with you” to “I don't want to fuck an angel.”
Fast forward to the present and their love restarts again with some. . . dubious consent (and blackmail, can't forget the blackmail). However, this time it's clear that Nick is playing for keeps. It's obvious that for all his faults he really truly cares for Jay. His love is toxic for sure, but he at least acknowledges it. I officially officially got on board with him as end game once he started his grovel party. gah, I just love me a good grovel party.
“Do whatever you want to me, my darling bird. Whatever it is, I deserve it. Ruin me, take everything, and tell everyone what a terrible man I am—because it's true. You were the best thing that ever came into my life and I'll take whatever you want to give me.”
The romance between Jay and Nick is toxic, passionate, a bit twisted, and all encompassing. It can also be interpreted in a multitude of ways. I choose to see it with a more romantic lens. Others may see it differently, and that's what makes the romance in QUID PRO QUO so amazing.
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ The "meh" ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
*× JUSTINE "JAY" VARENS ○*
"I can take a professional head shot that would run you about $100 in a studio. You should take me up on it. Your current LinkedIn picture looks like a missing person poster.”
Jay shot him a dark look. “You're going to be a missing person if you come near me with a camera.”
Man this really pains me to admit, but, I was pretty meh on Jay as a character. Seriously, the only knock I have against this book is that Jay as a heroine was very hard to connect with. I felt like I had a bit easier of a time connecting with her in the past vs. the present, but even then I never fully got to know her. For example, did she truly love Nick? Couldn't really tell you. Was she into the sexy times that were afoot? I think. What was her reaction to learning the truth about everything that went down? Your guess is as good as mine. I think a lot of this connection error comes from the fact that Jay as a character is pretty reserved/shy. In addition, it really doesn't help that her co-lead is someone as magnetic as Nick. That's not to say she didn't have her moments, because she 100% did -
"I'm not a cat grandma—at the most, I'm a cat aunt.”
Not gonna lie, whenever she went toe-to-toe with Nick it was very entertaining to read. Unfortunately (or fortunately depends on how you look at it), whenever I think back to QUID PRO QUO I automatically remember Nick. Nick is the star and while Jay is no less important, she's not as. . . electric.
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆ Concluding Thoughts ⋆｡˚☁˚｡⋆.
READ THE BOOK. Yup, that's it. Go read the book. Seriously, this is one of, if not thee greatest presentation of the step-brother romance I have ever read. NENIA CAMPBELL has once again wowed me, and I sincerely cannot wait to see what she releases next.
February 26, 2021
I love the ending❤️❤️❤️
This is the first slow paced book I have ever thoroughly read. Usually I get bored with frequent breaks i have to take in between but nope, this one really grabbed me by my heart and dragged me through hell and above.
This is the first slow paced book I have ever thoroughly read. Usually I get bored with frequent breaks i have to take in between but nope, this one really grabbed me by my heart and dragged me through hell and above.
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1647896333i/31792110._UX200_CR0,96,200,200_.jpg)
February 18, 2021
⤅ A very interesting book which has given me some mixed feelings.
For full disclosure, Nenia is a Goodreads friend of mine and I love reading her reviews, but this hasn't impacted my own opinions of her book. I picked it up because it has a TON of my favourite themes/tropes, including:
⤅ Stepbrother romance
⤅ Older woman/younger man
⤅ Totally obsessed and possessive hero
⤅ Dark romance, including a lot of dubcon
⤅ A POC heroine (she's biracial)
Anyone who liked Dinah Harper's book Corrupt Idol, THIS is the book you need to read. I'm frankly stunned this doesn't have more ratings. It's far better than the Harper, with a fuller plot, more fleshed-out characters, and an ending which (while still not a full traditional HEA) is a lot less open-ended than in CI.
QPQ tells the story of Justine 'Jay' Varens, who - when the book opens in 2017 - is a 31-year-old secretary for some sort of business firm. It's been eight years since she fled the house of her predatory stepfather Damon and his son, Nicholas Beaucroft, who back then had blackmailed her into a secret relationship. But after Damon dies (leaving her mother no money in his will) Nick ends up walking back into her life. They fall into a 'quid pro quo' relationship where she agrees to move into his house, work for him, and have sex with him, in exchange for paying off some nebulous debt.
That's the 2017 plot. Interspersed throughout the book are a bunch of flashbacks set at various points from the year 2000 onwards, when 10-year-old Nick and 14-year-old Jay have met for the first time. These flashbacks tell how Nick's obsession with her develops as he gets older. And that brings me to my confession: I totally did not read this book in order. I went through and read it chronologically by date instead, because to be perfectly honest I found the 'past' chapters a lot more interesting than the 'present' ones.
I think that's my biggest problem with this book: the 2017 plot feels like it moves soooo slowly. And my reading speed slowed as a response. It took me over a week to finish this book, which is REALLY slow for me, but actually I'd finished all the 'past' chapters on the very first night I downloaded the book. It was the present-day chapters which were taking me so long, because it felt to me like nothing happened for ages. Also, Jay's reserved personality makes her a hard character to connect with - Nick, even though he's the 'villain', is much easier to empathise with.
Other than that, this book is great. Nenia's prose is lovely and feels super-literary. It's hard to explain what I mean exactly, but essentially, I'm saying that this isn't ostensibly a 'literary' book, yet the writing makes it come across as so dark and suffused with emotion that every word is laden with meaning.
On the ending... hmm. Like I said, it's not wrapped up neatly, which is how I usually like my romances. Nick loves Jay; I'm not sure she'll ever reach the point where she could say she loves him back. But I think she will marry him, and she will stay with him, even if she tells herself she 'had no choice'.
For full disclosure, Nenia is a Goodreads friend of mine and I love reading her reviews, but this hasn't impacted my own opinions of her book. I picked it up because it has a TON of my favourite themes/tropes, including:
⤅ Stepbrother romance
⤅ Older woman/younger man
⤅ Totally obsessed and possessive hero
⤅ Dark romance, including a lot of dubcon
⤅ A POC heroine (she's biracial)
Anyone who liked Dinah Harper's book Corrupt Idol, THIS is the book you need to read. I'm frankly stunned this doesn't have more ratings. It's far better than the Harper, with a fuller plot, more fleshed-out characters, and an ending which (while still not a full traditional HEA) is a lot less open-ended than in CI.
QPQ tells the story of Justine 'Jay' Varens, who - when the book opens in 2017 - is a 31-year-old secretary for some sort of business firm. It's been eight years since she fled the house of her predatory stepfather Damon and his son, Nicholas Beaucroft, who back then had blackmailed her into a secret relationship. But after Damon dies (leaving her mother no money in his will) Nick ends up walking back into her life. They fall into a 'quid pro quo' relationship where she agrees to move into his house, work for him, and have sex with him, in exchange for paying off some nebulous debt.
That's the 2017 plot. Interspersed throughout the book are a bunch of flashbacks set at various points from the year 2000 onwards, when 10-year-old Nick and 14-year-old Jay have met for the first time. These flashbacks tell how Nick's obsession with her develops as he gets older. And that brings me to my confession: I totally did not read this book in order. I went through and read it chronologically by date instead, because to be perfectly honest I found the 'past' chapters a lot more interesting than the 'present' ones.
I think that's my biggest problem with this book: the 2017 plot feels like it moves soooo slowly. And my reading speed slowed as a response. It took me over a week to finish this book, which is REALLY slow for me, but actually I'd finished all the 'past' chapters on the very first night I downloaded the book. It was the present-day chapters which were taking me so long, because it felt to me like nothing happened for ages. Also, Jay's reserved personality makes her a hard character to connect with - Nick, even though he's the 'villain', is much easier to empathise with.
Other than that, this book is great. Nenia's prose is lovely and feels super-literary. It's hard to explain what I mean exactly, but essentially, I'm saying that this isn't ostensibly a 'literary' book, yet the writing makes it come across as so dark and suffused with emotion that every word is laden with meaning.
On the ending... hmm. Like I said, it's not wrapped up neatly, which is how I usually like my romances. Nick loves Jay; I'm not sure she'll ever reach the point where she could say she loves him back. But I think she will marry him, and she will stay with him, even if she tells herself she 'had no choice'.
April 15, 2023
As hard as I tried, I couldn't get into this book. This was partly due to the fact that the story was not working for me from the beginning.
I felt the writing was adequate, but not stellar. Repetition and predictability dominate the storyline. I guess you could say that this is just a watered down version of dark themes or taboos in a book. But, it was difficult to like the characters in the novel, and I felt angry, infuriated, and even disappointed while reading about them.
The characters weren't very appealing at all (Justine was so naive, weak, and annoying).
For just that reason alone, I was unable to relate to her side of the story. I found her laughable! I'll be harsh, but she borders on stupidity. Sorry, but who would agree to sleep with someone they clearly are fearful of over something that could easily be disapproved of?
The way she so easily agreed to Nick’s outlandish demands were absurd. The author banked I guess on people suspending their disbelief here.
I wasn't interested in the story due to the timeline from both past and present. It's a complicated timeline, too, bouncing back and forth without revealing much. A lot of the narrative was devoted to mindless childhood chit-chat that added nothing of substance to the plot.
Secondly, it didn't have a plot at all, and that seriously disappointed me. The mere fact that I had to read mundane things in a novel without a plot annoyed me. Justine's tendency to shake/tremble whenever she made contact with Nick was very annoying.
Also, the pace isn't great. Over the course of the book, Nick is discussed extensively, as is how he abused Justine emotionally. The novel depicts Nick stalking Justine and harassing her. This theme is heavily emphasized in the book. But, the characters were oddly quirky, and there was barely any action.
I can't comprehend how a character can be so jumpy when the male character is in her presence and then simultaneously be so horny in the next. In one sense, Justine is such a weak, stupid, and lackluster character that Nick's emotional and psychological abuse of her is difficult to comprehend.
I could not find any redeeming qualities in the characters and the book's consistency was horrendous.
A book's purpose shouldn't be so poorly defined that it leaves you wondering what the point is.
I felt the writing was adequate, but not stellar. Repetition and predictability dominate the storyline. I guess you could say that this is just a watered down version of dark themes or taboos in a book. But, it was difficult to like the characters in the novel, and I felt angry, infuriated, and even disappointed while reading about them.
The characters weren't very appealing at all (Justine was so naive, weak, and annoying).
For just that reason alone, I was unable to relate to her side of the story. I found her laughable! I'll be harsh, but she borders on stupidity. Sorry, but who would agree to sleep with someone they clearly are fearful of over something that could easily be disapproved of?
The way she so easily agreed to Nick’s outlandish demands were absurd. The author banked I guess on people suspending their disbelief here.
I wasn't interested in the story due to the timeline from both past and present. It's a complicated timeline, too, bouncing back and forth without revealing much. A lot of the narrative was devoted to mindless childhood chit-chat that added nothing of substance to the plot.
Secondly, it didn't have a plot at all, and that seriously disappointed me. The mere fact that I had to read mundane things in a novel without a plot annoyed me. Justine's tendency to shake/tremble whenever she made contact with Nick was very annoying.
Also, the pace isn't great. Over the course of the book, Nick is discussed extensively, as is how he abused Justine emotionally. The novel depicts Nick stalking Justine and harassing her. This theme is heavily emphasized in the book. But, the characters were oddly quirky, and there was barely any action.
I can't comprehend how a character can be so jumpy when the male character is in her presence and then simultaneously be so horny in the next. In one sense, Justine is such a weak, stupid, and lackluster character that Nick's emotional and psychological abuse of her is difficult to comprehend.
I could not find any redeeming qualities in the characters and the book's consistency was horrendous.
A book's purpose shouldn't be so poorly defined that it leaves you wondering what the point is.
January 19, 2021
Disclaimer: Nenia is a friend of mine but this has no bearing on my rating. I also beta read this book and paid money for it upon its release.
One of the reasons I started writing my own books was to create the kinds of stories I wanted to read. Nenia Campbell does that too—and she also happens to write the stories *I* want to read, especially her latest releases. These are stories with intense physical and mental connections, drama you can't look away from, and just the right amount of angst balanced with sweetness—twisted though it may be.
I actually started composing my review while this book was still in its beta stages because I was so excited to share my thoughts about it. It was just so good, and if you told me I would ever have thought that about a book involving daddy kink, I would have laughed in your face, because that's a genre I actively avoid. But holy crap. Just like Campbell made me enjoy shapeshifters and witches in her Shadow Thane series, she made me enjoy rich person daddy kink. How dare.
This book doesn't revolve entirely around daddy kink, but it's definitely an aspect that factors into the relationship between the leads. Campbell plays with several tropes in this book, such as age differences and the hot stepbrother (and he is hot AF). The sex was super hot too, but it's a story that goes beyond sex, delving into the minds of the characters, their surroundings and how those surroundings affect them, and the dynamics in their fucked up little family. Nothing ever feels cheap or played solely for titillation. I was EATING THIS UP and I loved every minute of it.
She's since informed me she's going to be writing more rich person drama, and even though rich person drama is something else I tend to avoid, I NEED IT NOW.
One of the reasons I started writing my own books was to create the kinds of stories I wanted to read. Nenia Campbell does that too—and she also happens to write the stories *I* want to read, especially her latest releases. These are stories with intense physical and mental connections, drama you can't look away from, and just the right amount of angst balanced with sweetness—twisted though it may be.
I actually started composing my review while this book was still in its beta stages because I was so excited to share my thoughts about it. It was just so good, and if you told me I would ever have thought that about a book involving daddy kink, I would have laughed in your face, because that's a genre I actively avoid. But holy crap. Just like Campbell made me enjoy shapeshifters and witches in her Shadow Thane series, she made me enjoy rich person daddy kink. How dare.
This book doesn't revolve entirely around daddy kink, but it's definitely an aspect that factors into the relationship between the leads. Campbell plays with several tropes in this book, such as age differences and the hot stepbrother (and he is hot AF). The sex was super hot too, but it's a story that goes beyond sex, delving into the minds of the characters, their surroundings and how those surroundings affect them, and the dynamics in their fucked up little family. Nothing ever feels cheap or played solely for titillation. I was EATING THIS UP and I loved every minute of it.
She's since informed me she's going to be writing more rich person drama, and even though rich person drama is something else I tend to avoid, I NEED IT NOW.
January 26, 2021
I knew from the blurb that I'd love this book, bc I know from the few books I read from Nenia that she writes my kind of heroes. I was afraid at the begining bc it was a little slow to start, but once it started, I couldn't put it down. The h was a little annoying sometimes, but she was very realistic in her insecurities. The H was simply perfect in his obsessive love. The taboo/daddy kink were very tame (and I was glad for it since I'm not much into that). And the most important, Nenia succeeded the feat of making the betraying body trope believable. Bravo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2022
5 stars
Me starting this book at midnight: eh I’ll just start this book no big deal
Me at 5 am, reaching the end: I fked up, ohhh I fked up.
Me starting this book at midnight: eh I’ll just start this book no big deal
Me at 5 am, reaching the end: I fked up, ohhh I fked up.
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October 3, 2023
This has no business being as good as it was (because of the step-sibling taboo), although I wish Jay had run and kept running when she got the chance.
April 22, 2021
Damn, I needed an epilogue to find out if .
Disclaimer: I'm friends with the author on Goodreads, but that hasn't affected my review. Basically, I loved her book reviews so I was curious when I found out she had published a few books and wanted to check them out.
This book is a hard one to rate because it's not really a romance and the book itself is so different than anything I've read. The atmosphere created is heavy and foreboding, a mix between a contemporary gothic horror/thriller without the thrills--idk it's so hard to describe.
I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get into this one with the first few pages because of the style. Sometimes, especially with historical romance, it takes a bit to adjust to the author's style. Nenia would write in all these interesting, obscure details that no other writer I've read in a while has. Again, it's hard to explain, but if you read it, you would probably understand. After finishing the novel, I still don't completely understand why Jay was so scared when he found her again. Maybe because she had run off?
My biggest problem with this book is that one character, in this case, the hero, likes the other character more than vice versa. I mean Nick was just SO desperate for Justine "Jay" that it kind of turned me off. It felt like for a while she merely tolerated him and started to enjoy the sex. At the end of the book, though I felt like she definitely cared about him, she wasn't in love with him. And I don't like that in books. Nick blackmailed her not once but twice into having sex with him. That's the dubious consent/nonconsent of the story. Once I thought to myself how he essentially raped her. I felt like he could have had the weakest excuse of blackmail and Jay would still go along with it.
I LOVED the flashback scenes, especially the first 80%. Interspersed in this book, which takes place in 2017, are scenes from the past from 2000 to 2009. They were 5 stars but I couldn't tell you why I liked them so much. I found the flashback scenes more entertaining than the present-day story tbh. Once or twice, however, I found it confusing when the flashback scenes to the past stopped and we returned to the present day--I wasn't sure where the present-day narration had dropped off at!
I also didn't like any of the characters lol. Even though I was continually told by Nicholas and others that everyone liked Jay, I didn't personally like her myself. She came off as kind of an annoying prude...I know that sounds bad...Also, Nicholas was weird as a kid and for a good portion of the book, I thought he was a psychopath too.
There is a Daddy Kink (Nicholas's choice) that I found a little ironic considering that Jay was 4 years older. It might have bugged me at first, but I got used to it and even found it a little cute how Nick would call her his "little bird", "little blue jaybird".
I wish this book had a Sparknotes or something because I feel like there's this deeper meaning/complexity that I'm so close to getting but missing. I will definitely be reading the other reviews...
Once again, I found this book to be very unconventional, definitely different from any dark romance I've read in both plot but mostly style.
Disclaimer: I'm friends with the author on Goodreads, but that hasn't affected my review. Basically, I loved her book reviews so I was curious when I found out she had published a few books and wanted to check them out.
This book is a hard one to rate because it's not really a romance and the book itself is so different than anything I've read. The atmosphere created is heavy and foreboding, a mix between a contemporary gothic horror/thriller without the thrills--idk it's so hard to describe.
I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get into this one with the first few pages because of the style. Sometimes, especially with historical romance, it takes a bit to adjust to the author's style. Nenia would write in all these interesting, obscure details that no other writer I've read in a while has. Again, it's hard to explain, but if you read it, you would probably understand. After finishing the novel, I still don't completely understand why Jay was so scared when he found her again. Maybe because she had run off?
My biggest problem with this book is that one character, in this case, the hero, likes the other character more than vice versa. I mean Nick was just SO desperate for Justine "Jay" that it kind of turned me off. It felt like for a while she merely tolerated him and started to enjoy the sex. At the end of the book, though I felt like she definitely cared about him, she wasn't in love with him. And I don't like that in books. Nick blackmailed her not once but twice into having sex with him. That's the dubious consent/nonconsent of the story. Once I thought to myself how he essentially raped her. I felt like he could have had the weakest excuse of blackmail and Jay would still go along with it.
I LOVED the flashback scenes, especially the first 80%. Interspersed in this book, which takes place in 2017, are scenes from the past from 2000 to 2009. They were 5 stars but I couldn't tell you why I liked them so much. I found the flashback scenes more entertaining than the present-day story tbh. Once or twice, however, I found it confusing when the flashback scenes to the past stopped and we returned to the present day--I wasn't sure where the present-day narration had dropped off at!
I also didn't like any of the characters lol. Even though I was continually told by Nicholas and others that everyone liked Jay, I didn't personally like her myself. She came off as kind of an annoying prude...I know that sounds bad...Also, Nicholas was weird as a kid and for a good portion of the book, I thought he was a psychopath too.
There is a Daddy Kink (Nicholas's choice) that I found a little ironic considering that Jay was 4 years older. It might have bugged me at first, but I got used to it and even found it a little cute how Nick would call her his "little bird", "little blue jaybird".
I wish this book had a Sparknotes or something because I feel like there's this deeper meaning/complexity that I'm so close to getting but missing. I will definitely be reading the other reviews...
Once again, I found this book to be very unconventional, definitely different from any dark romance I've read in both plot but mostly style.
Read
September 6, 2024Not rating this one because I had two very different experiences reading it. I know for most people this book is an instant favorite! So, I definitely recommend checking it out.
Experience Part 1:
Reading the first half of the book, I just had a hard time getting into it and struggled to connect with the characters.
I couldn't help comparing it to Little Deaths, which has one of the strongest opening scenes of any book I can recall. That doesn't mean Quid Pro Quo is bad at all, it's more a testament to just how amazing Little Deaths is. And I wonder if I would have felt differently if I had read this book before Little Deaths.
Fewer quotes grabbed me in the first half of Quid Pro Quo, compared to Campbell's other books where I'm usually highlighting every other line.
Ultimately, I took a break from this book around Chapter 20 because the stuff Jay experienced in the past was really brutal and challenging for me and, as a result, I found the transitions from past to present jarring.
Experience Part 2:
After a few months, I decided I wanted to give this book a second chance and that I would just read the 'present day' chapters. And I really enjoyed them! Like, I seriously loved the last few chapters.
Reading the later chapters, I thought the writing was really striking (alternatingly heart-wrenching and cheeky) and I connected with the characters much more. My highlights went way up, lol.
Overall:
I don't actually know if there is any significant difference between the first and second half of the book, I just didn't click with it at first.
Definitely give it a shot, because odds are you will probably love it. And, take care of yourself; if the 'past' is hard for you to stomach, just reading the 'present' was better for me.
Experience Part 1:
Reading the first half of the book, I just had a hard time getting into it and struggled to connect with the characters.
I couldn't help comparing it to Little Deaths, which has one of the strongest opening scenes of any book I can recall. That doesn't mean Quid Pro Quo is bad at all, it's more a testament to just how amazing Little Deaths is. And I wonder if I would have felt differently if I had read this book before Little Deaths.
Fewer quotes grabbed me in the first half of Quid Pro Quo, compared to Campbell's other books where I'm usually highlighting every other line.
Ultimately, I took a break from this book around Chapter 20 because the stuff Jay experienced in the past was really brutal and challenging for me and, as a result, I found the transitions from past to present jarring.
Experience Part 2:
After a few months, I decided I wanted to give this book a second chance and that I would just read the 'present day' chapters. And I really enjoyed them! Like, I seriously loved the last few chapters.
Reading the later chapters, I thought the writing was really striking (alternatingly heart-wrenching and cheeky) and I connected with the characters much more. My highlights went way up, lol.
Overall:
I don't actually know if there is any significant difference between the first and second half of the book, I just didn't click with it at first.
Definitely give it a shot, because odds are you will probably love it. And, take care of yourself; if the 'past' is hard for you to stomach, just reading the 'present' was better for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2022
Trigger warning ⚠️ rape, assault, blackmail. Not a huge trigger warning but they are there for those who find it difficult to read such subjects.
Ok let’s get into this review. I enjoyed this book but I have some thoughts. Let me explain.
At the beginning of this story I was joyful of this going back in time to get the background of the characters and their relationship. And then I kept reading, and I seriously had so much whiplash with how I felt about Nick. When I tell you I went from liking his aggressive manner but then I hated how he treated Jay, then ending the book with me liking him again. It was so much going back and forth with his character I didn’t even know what the author wanted me to feel about him. Do I hate him? Do I love him? Do I feel bad for him? Do I route for him and Jay?
And Jays character development was kinda at the same level the majority of the time. Throughout the book she was adamant she hated Nick, and said no on many occasions to his sexual nature. I really think at certain points Nick forced her to have sex with him. But then she goes willingly to him? So at that point I thought, “maybe this is a story of a victim working through her trauma.” But by the end of the book she goes to him? But guys, she never said she loved him at all in the present. I just sit back and wonder who is Jay and why does she want to be with Nick.
Even though the story focused on Jay, Nick was the main character. He had more of the character development, and more depth than Jay. I’m not saying Jay didn’t have depth because she did, but she became stagnant in her development at a certain point.
This was an erotica through and through, and oh how I love some steamy scenes. You already know I was about it, and they were written well too. Again I always wondered though if Jay really wanted some of it to happen or if she was forced. Not all the time but especially in the flash backs. I’m not spoiling anything! Just wondering…
This was my first read from Nenia and I wasn’t disappointed, even through my inner dialogue while reading. I have followed Nenia’s book reviews for years and I have stood by her thoughts with books because we had such similar thoughts while reading. Even if they were different thought processes I enjoy her reviews each time. So I am excited I decided to read a book of hers.
So which one of her books should I read next?
3.7 star rating.
Ok let’s get into this review. I enjoyed this book but I have some thoughts. Let me explain.
At the beginning of this story I was joyful of this going back in time to get the background of the characters and their relationship. And then I kept reading, and I seriously had so much whiplash with how I felt about Nick. When I tell you I went from liking his aggressive manner but then I hated how he treated Jay, then ending the book with me liking him again. It was so much going back and forth with his character I didn’t even know what the author wanted me to feel about him. Do I hate him? Do I love him? Do I feel bad for him? Do I route for him and Jay?
And Jays character development was kinda at the same level the majority of the time. Throughout the book she was adamant she hated Nick, and said no on many occasions to his sexual nature. I really think at certain points Nick forced her to have sex with him. But then she goes willingly to him? So at that point I thought, “maybe this is a story of a victim working through her trauma.” But by the end of the book she goes to him? But guys, she never said she loved him at all in the present. I just sit back and wonder who is Jay and why does she want to be with Nick.
Even though the story focused on Jay, Nick was the main character. He had more of the character development, and more depth than Jay. I’m not saying Jay didn’t have depth because she did, but she became stagnant in her development at a certain point.
This was an erotica through and through, and oh how I love some steamy scenes. You already know I was about it, and they were written well too. Again I always wondered though if Jay really wanted some of it to happen or if she was forced. Not all the time but especially in the flash backs. I’m not spoiling anything! Just wondering…
This was my first read from Nenia and I wasn’t disappointed, even through my inner dialogue while reading. I have followed Nenia’s book reviews for years and I have stood by her thoughts with books because we had such similar thoughts while reading. Even if they were different thought processes I enjoy her reviews each time. So I am excited I decided to read a book of hers.
So which one of her books should I read next?
3.7 star rating.
February 21, 2021
It was the same piercing agony he'd felt every time Jay looked right through him when they were young. She'd seen him—but not the way he'd wanted. Not until he'd made her look. He hadn't been able to touch her then, but now there were consequences for driving him crazy.
It has been a while since I´ve read a book by Nenia Campbell, I don´t know why since she is one of my favorite authors, she has written two of my favorite dark series: Horrorscape and The IMA series.
Demon prince, she thought. Only, he looks the part, now. Nick didn't touch her but the look in his eyes as they raked over her made Jay feel as if she were being burned slowly alive, especially when they dropped to the silver necklace at her throat, and then lower, lingering on the beaded decolletage of her gown.
It hurt to look at him then. It hurt to breathe. Nobody who saw him look at her like that could harbor any doubts about what was going on between them.
Her style of writing is amazing, I have so many highlighted passages it´s embarrassing. And her characters, she just writes bad boys so well, and they are not your typical alpha assholes you normally encounter in romance novels, her heroes are truly bad, a little psychopathic if you will.
She reminded herself again that she hated him, but she didn't hate him enough; in the darkness, he was as familiar as a habit, and just as easy to fall into.
If you generally enjoy dark taboo books I´d truly recommend this (it is not super super dark or depraved), also it´s a standalone and it can give you a glimpse into how this author writes, if you don´t want to commit to a series right away. I loved the dynamic between the characters, the push and pull, the insight into the psyches of both characters, the pacing, chapters are switching between events that have happened in the past and present.
I truly enjoyed this delicious dark treat and now I must get on to reading more books from this authors that I haven´t yet read.
Can I watch the world burn with you?
June 9, 2022
This is one of the few blackmail/dub-con books I have read that are reverse age gap. Great read. Please Nenia, write us an epilogue for this couple.
January 16, 2024
I have always thought I was immune to the allure of the FMC calling the MMC "daddy."
Thanks to this book, I now know I was wrong. So wrong. 🥵🥵
It turns out that when it's a step-sibling taboo-type situation, he's the younger one, and Nenia Campbell is the author, I am fully on board. 👀
I LOVE Nick & Jay. Such a hot pairing, so much fun. 🔥
Thanks to this book, I now know I was wrong. So wrong. 🥵🥵
It turns out that when it's a step-sibling taboo-type situation, he's the younger one, and Nenia Campbell is the author, I am fully on board. 👀
I LOVE Nick & Jay. Such a hot pairing, so much fun. 🔥
July 13, 2022
Nenia what have you done to me???? this was sublime. my heart is still pounding. my new favourite of yours, I want to read it again and again and again.
October 30, 2023
This book is so underrated?? It does the taboo step-sibling dynamic so well! The characters are very fleshed out compared to other dark step sibling romances I’ve read. It’s easily become one of my favorite reads EVER. I feel robbed that I didn’t discover this author sooner 😭.
January 2, 2024
Absolutely loved this book! Loved Nick and Jay. The vibes, the psychology, the tension!
I am equal parts scared of and obsessed with Nick.
I am equal parts scared of and obsessed with Nick.
Read
April 10, 2021Nenia is someone I've interacted w/ for years on GR. However, she writes dark romances which are not my thing, and for those reasons I am refraining from rating this book. I mentioned in passing that I was in the mood for a departure, pre-slump, and might pick up one of her books to try. So I did-this one.
First, I love that cover, Heather.
Second, this book was carefully written, engaging, and really hooked me after I got going on it. I was part what's Nick's deal, part horrified, and I guess b/c of the subgenre, this is absolutely an indication of a solid dark romance. It was pleasantly written, although the cruelty and abuse were not always easy to read.
I loved the flashback/dual timelines to build character. I loved the consistency of the characters themselves, and I would recommend this to someone who wanted to read a book with a nearly unapologetic bastard of a hero. If you are like me, I'd caution you up and down it's near horror-but for anyone interested, it's a well-constructed foray into a darker relationship than is my typical fare.
I suspect, for anyone interested and who enjoys the subgenre, this would come in near a 4 or 5.
First, I love that cover, Heather.
Second, this book was carefully written, engaging, and really hooked me after I got going on it. I was part what's Nick's deal, part horrified, and I guess b/c of the subgenre, this is absolutely an indication of a solid dark romance. It was pleasantly written, although the cruelty and abuse were not always easy to read.
I loved the flashback/dual timelines to build character. I loved the consistency of the characters themselves, and I would recommend this to someone who wanted to read a book with a nearly unapologetic bastard of a hero. If you are like me, I'd caution you up and down it's near horror-but for anyone interested, it's a well-constructed foray into a darker relationship than is my typical fare.
I suspect, for anyone interested and who enjoys the subgenre, this would come in near a 4 or 5.
March 5, 2024
No because I absolutely loved this book. Wow. Unexpected, it’s kinda underrated 😫
It’s for sure a book I’d re-read. Even tho I just completed it, I plan on re-reading it soon enough, I loved it that much
It’s for sure a book I’d re-read. Even tho I just completed it, I plan on re-reading it soon enough, I loved it that much
July 31, 2024
So the author advertises this with lots of unhinged "step f*cking" posts, but it is exponentially more. The characters are rich, with so much more going on. The writing is wonderful, as I have come to expect from the author, and I have to say this book had a big impact on me in terms of life observations... Also typical for an NC book.
Was it perfect? No. Was it damn fine and worth your time? Absolutely.
Was it perfect? No. Was it damn fine and worth your time? Absolutely.
November 8, 2021
This should really be called Missed Opportunities
So.
This had potential.
So much potential.
But.
I'm convinced that the only reason this has so many high reviews is because the author's Goodreads hustle must be TIGHT.
Seriously- look and see just how many reviews start with, "she's a friend of mine."
Anyway.
The writing is oddly detached and at times it's hard to tell who is doing/saying what.
There are odd typos (just an h instead of he, her instead of here, ect.)
Nick's reasons for terrorizing this broad are ... flimsy at best. He never even really tries to get closer to her in a normal way when they were both teenagers. He just goes from, "I think I love Jay" to "I'm going to take what I want from her no matter how she feels."
The whole "call me daddy" thing was odd and obnoxious considering how much the two of them hated his father.
The main characters high school classmates made it seem like she was embroiled in some sort of a scandal before she left town ...and she wasn't.
Her stepfather was manipulating her financially, so I'm not sure why she didn't get a job and an apartment where she went to school??? Instead of returning home after college where his reach and pull went much further.
Midway through this book switches gears and turns into a legal drama and the timeline changes are really really REALLY long. So long that you start to forget at times that the real story is in 2017 and not 2008 or 2003. Overall I'd say I'd give this book a strong 1.5 stars- 1 star for finishing it and 1/2 star for the main character being biracial and not a complete and utter lazy stereotype like in the last book of this author's terrorscape horrorscape whatever-scape trilogy.
Anyway, this book doesn't know what it wants to be and it shows. Big time.
If you're looking for an unfocused repetitive book that just goes in a million different mediocre directions before ending abruptly- this is the book for you.
Sadly, that wasn't what I was in the market for.
So.
This had potential.
So much potential.
But.
I'm convinced that the only reason this has so many high reviews is because the author's Goodreads hustle must be TIGHT.
Seriously- look and see just how many reviews start with, "she's a friend of mine."
Anyway.
The writing is oddly detached and at times it's hard to tell who is doing/saying what.
There are odd typos (just an h instead of he, her instead of here, ect.)
Nick's reasons for terrorizing this broad are ... flimsy at best. He never even really tries to get closer to her in a normal way when they were both teenagers. He just goes from, "I think I love Jay" to "I'm going to take what I want from her no matter how she feels."
The whole "call me daddy" thing was odd and obnoxious considering how much the two of them hated his father.
The main characters high school classmates made it seem like she was embroiled in some sort of a scandal before she left town ...and she wasn't.
Her stepfather was manipulating her financially, so I'm not sure why she didn't get a job and an apartment where she went to school??? Instead of returning home after college where his reach and pull went much further.
Midway through this book switches gears and turns into a legal drama and the timeline changes are really really REALLY long. So long that you start to forget at times that the real story is in 2017 and not 2008 or 2003. Overall I'd say I'd give this book a strong 1.5 stars- 1 star for finishing it and 1/2 star for the main character being biracial and not a complete and utter lazy stereotype like in the last book of this author's terrorscape horrorscape whatever-scape trilogy.
Anyway, this book doesn't know what it wants to be and it shows. Big time.
If you're looking for an unfocused repetitive book that just goes in a million different mediocre directions before ending abruptly- this is the book for you.
Sadly, that wasn't what I was in the market for.
May 10, 2021
The book was really good.
I enjoyed it alot.
The H was hot and just the way i like- J/P.
It had good writing which i hardly find in dub-con dark books so another brownie point.
My only problem was with lots of flashback. I only enjoyed the one of their first meeting and when their relationship started. I also wanted more couple time. :P
Still a good read. I highly enjoyed it. Specially the hero. He was written very well. I could feel his hotness through the pages.^_^
Also i like these type of covers. We need more of these. :D
I enjoyed it alot.
The H was hot and just the way i like- J/P.
It had good writing which i hardly find in dub-con dark books so another brownie point.
My only problem was with lots of flashback. I only enjoyed the one of their first meeting and when their relationship started. I also wanted more couple time. :P
Still a good read. I highly enjoyed it. Specially the hero. He was written very well. I could feel his hotness through the pages.^_^
Also i like these type of covers. We need more of these. :D
March 20, 2021
I have to say I LOVED LOVED LOVED how obsessed Nicholas was for Justine. He was desperate for her love and I adored that about him. I had a slight problem with their age gap when they were kids. It was kind of gross. I also did not like that Justine was a martyr that was always good and always the victim. Nevertheless, Nenia Campbell wrote one HELL of a great story.
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 9, 2021DNF
January 7, 2024
Nenia what have you done to me?
Nicholas and Jay have fucked me up, irrevocably, irreversibly, irreparably all the synonyms, all the words and all the feelings!
First, I knew going in this book was going to be sexy, and good lord was it 🥵 but beyond that it had heft, it had story, there was smut but it was deserved it belonged.
Some authors use smut in their books as a distraction from the plot, or they hope you’ll be distracted by the lack of plot by all the sexiness. QPQ has sex, it has capital S smut, but it fits the storyline, it feel genuine to the characters
Second, Nicholas and Jay, I loved how absolutely damaged they both were. It wasn’t morally grey man seduces nice girl, it wasn’t morally grey girl gets the guy. This was to people who were a little fucked up when they met and then over the course of their interactions became more so. Sometimes because of each other sometimes it’s due to outside influences but it always affected how they interacted.
I adored Jay, she’s flawed, she’s a woman in a world where sometimes it isn’t really all that safe to be a woman, especially a pretty one and she is so very aware of this and it shoes her character.
(“pretty came with a price and it could make some people ugly.” )
And Nicholas, my sexy, dark, damaged Nicholas
(“It seemed wrong that he should be so warm when his heart was so cold.”)
He loves her, but does he even understand what love is other than ownership? I feel like I could write an entire essay on Nicholas and his motivations, but suffice it to say I love a morally grey man and he is the epitome.
Why do I so love his character when I should be wishing Jay had run screaming? I’ll let the author and her character speak for himself:
“You were the only woman I wanted. The only woman I have ever fucking wanted. No one else comes close. No one. My whole life—it's always been you. There was a time when I would have given anything for a kiss from you. “
“He wondered if he had upset her again. The thought pained him. This time, he had gone out of his way to be tender.”
All of this is to say this book was so good I avoided real life and all its obligations because I couldn’t put this down. I am infinitely grateful that the author has decided to grace us with another instalment. I cannot wait to rejoin Nicholas and Jay and see what other shenanigans they might get up to that will have me questioning my morals and what exactly constitutes romance.
I fully accept that there are people who do not understand Dark Romance as a category, and even if they think they get it all readers have a “line” they don’t want crossed in a book. Obviously Nicholas blackmails Jay, and if this were real life we’d all have the ick and we’d be telling Jay she was an idiot to stay. But this is fiction, it’s fantasy, it’s the darkest parts of us and lets us live this alternate lifestyle where it’s sexy to have an overbearing lover who follows your every move and wants to consume you and own you.
If you really look at it at the end of the day, we want a man that would burn the world down for us. It’s the devotion, it’s his absolute single mindedness when it comes to the woman he loves.
“Different, but the same. He would know her anywhere. He would know her blind.”
In this book it’s dark and maybe a little scary but isn’t that what we as readers were looking for when we first cracked this baby open?
If this alone doesn’t get you, what are you even doing here?
“I'm leaving now,” he informed her, as she struggled to breathe. “Not because I want to, but because I need to, and because I want you to remember this when you come to me—because you will come to me, and when you do, I want you to fuck me the way you just kissed me.”
I’m glad I found you on threads Nenia, you’ve ruined my life in the best possible way. I can’t wait to see the rest of the “depravity “ you have in store for me.
April 5, 2024
Top-tier dark romance that stimulates your mind and heart. This isn't a punding explicit erotica tale that starts hard and ends hard. It is a melody, a soft flourish, and most of all its an enigmatic rendering of what a step-sibling romance should look like; there are many tags going on in this story:
"he couldn't bring himself to look away from the tall, leggy creature who, with her sweatshirt knotted around her long, slim waist like a kilt, looked like some defiant young goddess."
#stepsiblingromance We meet Jay and Nicholas when they are at different periods of their lives. Blue Jay is older than Nicholas, around 4 years. Nicholas is 10, and Jay is 14 when they are introduced together. The novel's brilliance starts with us seeing the major event through Nicholas's eyes. It's a smart investment; through the readers' perspective, through our eyes, we see the beginning of a Meet Cute or love story. Fearless Jay is the selfless, innocent, naive protector of broken, unloved things. Jay is the type of FMC who is difficult to write and enjoy as a reader. Is it sanctimonious behavior or just regular nativtee? Nicholas, however, is the perfect morally grey or just plain villain.
"He had watched the girl march away, still clutching the cat, muttering to herself as her sweatshirt swished angrily around her hips with each determined stomp. “I think that's my new stepsister, Justine.”
#darkromance We see his origin story. We understand how he processes things, and at first, I was fully on board with him being a sociopath, but as the book wears on and we see more from his perspective, we get ask is loneliness in a household lacking warmth or is it quiet manic obsessive behavior because he's learned to give pain and break things from the best (his father). The journey through dual POV is what makes this stand out. We see each side. Here, we become intimate with Nicolas's thoughts and feelings, so we see how, as a step-brother, his love is true love, but we are waiting for him to figure it out. For Jay, we see it's a begrudging peace when you settle with someone you are forced to share a space with. These perspectives must meld, and that's the only low point of the book.
"Nicholas tossed the ruined bird into the trash and smiled grimly as he turned to the computer and bought himself a plane ticket. I'm going to possess you, my little blue jay. And I'm going to make you love it."
#tr!ggers And love her he did but is it enough for Jay? for all the damage he caused and he did cause it. Pay attention to the triggers because the dark romance is interwoven throughout the tone, characterization, and basic story events. We know something menacing and dark happens in that household as it hops back and forth between 2001 and 2017, but we also understand that whatever that event was, it has to be something Jay overcomes. She has to push through her wiring because Nicholas is serious, and he's coming for her. Jay isn't used to opening up to others. We have child n3gl3ct and SA as well as s3xual coercion all in the book, a stepbro who doesn't quite understand the word no, but it's all layered within the context of the larger story
"I'll be your Daddy. You can tell me what's bothering you, and I'll make it all better."
#st@lkerOTT #obsessed The st@alking was subtle. We know that Nicolas has money and, therefore, keeps tabs on Jay, but he does it because he wants to burrow deep into her skin and possess her. His need for her is the same as needing the air he breathes.
"Next time I come, I'm going to be inside you."
#steamy #hot The smex scenes are not drawn out explicitly but they are impactful with great dialogue. We can see the overall use of smex as a tool, but the author doesn't spend long amounts of paragraphs describing elaborate situations. Instead, the author lays out the foundation and smex is all a part of the larger themes and conflicts. N0nc0n is presented as this complex thing to pull apart like the Gordian Knot, but it is so matter of fact in its presentation that we automatically feel the darkness and p3rv3sion of the act.
Only downside...the ending just comes. Abruptly the resolution is here, and we kind of see the fallout then THE END scene. We went through this gigantic buildup and love journey just to see these changes and poof it's the end, and we aren't sure how they got to that kind of good and why it would work knowing what we know.
"he couldn't bring himself to look away from the tall, leggy creature who, with her sweatshirt knotted around her long, slim waist like a kilt, looked like some defiant young goddess."
#stepsiblingromance We meet Jay and Nicholas when they are at different periods of their lives. Blue Jay is older than Nicholas, around 4 years. Nicholas is 10, and Jay is 14 when they are introduced together. The novel's brilliance starts with us seeing the major event through Nicholas's eyes. It's a smart investment; through the readers' perspective, through our eyes, we see the beginning of a Meet Cute or love story. Fearless Jay is the selfless, innocent, naive protector of broken, unloved things. Jay is the type of FMC who is difficult to write and enjoy as a reader. Is it sanctimonious behavior or just regular nativtee? Nicholas, however, is the perfect morally grey or just plain villain.
"He had watched the girl march away, still clutching the cat, muttering to herself as her sweatshirt swished angrily around her hips with each determined stomp. “I think that's my new stepsister, Justine.”
#darkromance We see his origin story. We understand how he processes things, and at first, I was fully on board with him being a sociopath, but as the book wears on and we see more from his perspective, we get ask is loneliness in a household lacking warmth or is it quiet manic obsessive behavior because he's learned to give pain and break things from the best (his father). The journey through dual POV is what makes this stand out. We see each side. Here, we become intimate with Nicolas's thoughts and feelings, so we see how, as a step-brother, his love is true love, but we are waiting for him to figure it out. For Jay, we see it's a begrudging peace when you settle with someone you are forced to share a space with. These perspectives must meld, and that's the only low point of the book.
"Nicholas tossed the ruined bird into the trash and smiled grimly as he turned to the computer and bought himself a plane ticket. I'm going to possess you, my little blue jay. And I'm going to make you love it."
#tr!ggers And love her he did but is it enough for Jay? for all the damage he caused and he did cause it. Pay attention to the triggers because the dark romance is interwoven throughout the tone, characterization, and basic story events. We know something menacing and dark happens in that household as it hops back and forth between 2001 and 2017, but we also understand that whatever that event was, it has to be something Jay overcomes. She has to push through her wiring because Nicholas is serious, and he's coming for her. Jay isn't used to opening up to others. We have child n3gl3ct and SA as well as s3xual coercion all in the book, a stepbro who doesn't quite understand the word no, but it's all layered within the context of the larger story
"I'll be your Daddy. You can tell me what's bothering you, and I'll make it all better."
#st@lkerOTT #obsessed The st@alking was subtle. We know that Nicolas has money and, therefore, keeps tabs on Jay, but he does it because he wants to burrow deep into her skin and possess her. His need for her is the same as needing the air he breathes.
"Next time I come, I'm going to be inside you."
#steamy #hot The smex scenes are not drawn out explicitly but they are impactful with great dialogue. We can see the overall use of smex as a tool, but the author doesn't spend long amounts of paragraphs describing elaborate situations. Instead, the author lays out the foundation and smex is all a part of the larger themes and conflicts. N0nc0n is presented as this complex thing to pull apart like the Gordian Knot, but it is so matter of fact in its presentation that we automatically feel the darkness and p3rv3sion of the act.
Only downside...the ending just comes. Abruptly the resolution is here, and we kind of see the fallout then THE END scene. We went through this gigantic buildup and love journey just to see these changes and poof it's the end, and we aren't sure how they got to that kind of good and why it would work knowing what we know.
April 17, 2023
There was SO much potential but unfortunately I have to give it a 3 star. One big complaint is that it's written in the 3rd person and falls victim to all the negatives of 3rd person. We don't get to experience the characters' true emotions and motivations. This made the lack of romantic plot much more pronounced. Also this one was so long and drawn out. So many unnecessary details that did little to drive the story.
The H, Nicholas was not likeable at first but grew on me. His motives and actions made sense.
The h did not grow on me. She seemed quite stunted and very naive. Her life experiences should have given her better insight but she simply becomes helpless and apathetic. She hates her experiences with the H but gives in easily or acts immaturely. She is best at avoiding and running away. She has no backbone and had even less will to survive/succeed. She assumes a lot and it seems like she feels it's beneath her to communicate clearly.
I found it quite disappointing that we didn't get to see the h's thoughts or deeper emotions. She simply lives her life by going through the motions mindlessly. She allows everyone to walk all over her, the H, her mom, stepdad, "friends". The H makes a correct observation towards the end that the h is unable to form a true relationship. Regardless, it would have been nice to understand her motives. I also didn't like the fact that the h acted like a long suffering martyr while the H tried in his own desperate way to reach her and help her. She gave him no credit and we still don't get to see her emotions when she finally realizes how much the H has done for her. She still seems to be on her own pedestal feeling sorry for herself.
I hated the ending just because it was so abrupt and we still don't know what the h feels, if she has forgiven the H or if she even loves him or is continuing to be a martyr. It would have been nice to have one more chapter or an epilogue after such a long, drawn out story.
The H, Nicholas was not likeable at first but grew on me. His motives and actions made sense.
The h did not grow on me. She seemed quite stunted and very naive. Her life experiences should have given her better insight but she simply becomes helpless and apathetic. She hates her experiences with the H but gives in easily or acts immaturely. She is best at avoiding and running away. She has no backbone and had even less will to survive/succeed. She assumes a lot and it seems like she feels it's beneath her to communicate clearly.
I found it quite disappointing that we didn't get to see the h's thoughts or deeper emotions. She simply lives her life by going through the motions mindlessly. She allows everyone to walk all over her, the H, her mom, stepdad, "friends". The H makes a correct observation towards the end that the h is unable to form a true relationship. Regardless, it would have been nice to understand her motives. I also didn't like the fact that the h acted like a long suffering martyr while the H tried in his own desperate way to reach her and help her. She gave him no credit and we still don't get to see her emotions when she finally realizes how much the H has done for her. She still seems to be on her own pedestal feeling sorry for herself.
I hated the ending just because it was so abrupt and we still don't know what the h feels, if she has forgiven the H or if she even loves him or is continuing to be a martyr. It would have been nice to have one more chapter or an epilogue after such a long, drawn out story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2021
For fucks sake what is this fucking book honestly. I wasted my fucking time even finishing h the is shit. WAKE THE FUCK UP JAY !!! Nick is never gonna change that is not love ! Until the very fucking end he has used you. You are like the typical doormat heroine “ I hate him he ruined my life and he is blackmailing me but I can’t resist his magic dick always making me wet “. Don’t get me started on mummy dearest, have you not heard of the saying “ blood doesn’t mean family “ how can you not fucking see your mum has been using you as well if you claim to be so smart ? Wtf Jay ! You could have made so many decisions that could have at least made ur life a little easier but no, you just decided to be a whiny bitch and suck nicks dick and complain. Fuck off honestly and grow the fuck up. Honestly one of the worst books I’ve read, until the very end of the marriage proposal nick is still using you, mummy dearest is still using you but no “ she is my mum don’t talk about her like that ( even when she just sold you to nick like that - the root of your problems ) fucking nice. Fuck off, Jay, Nick, mummy and daddy dearest you can all suck my imaginary dick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2023
Nick was just the right amount of desperate and obsessed and I love that for me. There was no point at which I was NOT rooting for his blackmail. 😭
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