What do you think?
Rate this book
Black #1
Black
I am loyal, but I will betray you.
I am strong, but I have scars.
I am an angel, but the devil.
I met her when I was sixteen and she was a breath of fresh air. She swooped in, making me smile. But then she left, taking my next breath with her.
Her smile could light up a room, making my black heart pitter patter.
I found her again ten years later, with a syringe in her arm.
Blood coming from between her legs.
She was broken and I was glad she was broken. She wouldn't think less of me and my damaged ways.
I am strong, but I have scars.
I am an angel, but the devil.
I met her when I was sixteen and she was a breath of fresh air. She swooped in, making me smile. But then she left, taking my next breath with her.
Her smile could light up a room, making my black heart pitter patter.
I found her again ten years later, with a syringe in her arm.
Blood coming from between her legs.
She was broken and I was glad she was broken. She wouldn't think less of me and my damaged ways.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2016
About the author
T.L. Smith
73 books5,726 followersUSA Today Best Selling Author T.L. Smith loves to write her characters with flaws so beautiful and dark that you can’t turn away from. Her books have been translated into several languages. If you don’t find her in her home town of Queensland, Australia you can usually find her travelling around the world to sitting on a beach in Bali, to exploring Alcatraz in San Francisco or walking the streets of New York.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authortlsmith/
Instagram - tlsmith1313
Twitter - @LsmithT
Tiktok - tlsmith.13
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authortlsmith/
Instagram - tlsmith1313
Twitter - @LsmithT
Tiktok - tlsmith.13
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 711 reviews
April 6, 2016
I could not put down my kindle. I was so mesmerized by this story. I finished watching the sunrise. This is a very emotional read. With some dark scenes. But that's what I like about The Authors writing is she tells the story in such a way that you are drawn into her mind. I love that! This story just grabs you and takes you on a journey. About two lost souls who have to fight just to breathe. I can't wait to read the next installment. The cover is right on for Mr. Black.
August 3, 2020
2.75 Stars
This was just an OK read for me. The storyline was good but it felt like some parts were missing. I didn't fully connect with the characters. I love books with enigmatic and mysterious heroes who lead a reclusive life and keep to themselves but sadly Black didn't wow me.
The writing style is good but I had trouble connecting with it. The author uses short chapters and sentences with a lot of dialogue creating a certain rhythm and flow of the story which didn't suit me. The atmosphere of the book is mysterious and dark but sometimes it felt weird and despressing.
The best part of the book is the ending which is totally unpredictable.
Overall rating: 3 stars
Writing style: 3 stars
Story: 4 stars
Flow of the story: 3 stars
Character development: 3 stars
Heroine: 3 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Secondary characters: 4 stars
Tone/mood of the book: 3 stars
Emotion evoking: 3 stars
Originality: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 2 stars
Effect on me: 2 stars
This was just an OK read for me. The storyline was good but it felt like some parts were missing. I didn't fully connect with the characters. I love books with enigmatic and mysterious heroes who lead a reclusive life and keep to themselves but sadly Black didn't wow me.
The writing style is good but I had trouble connecting with it. The author uses short chapters and sentences with a lot of dialogue creating a certain rhythm and flow of the story which didn't suit me. The atmosphere of the book is mysterious and dark but sometimes it felt weird and despressing.
The best part of the book is the ending which is totally unpredictable.
Overall rating: 3 stars
Writing style: 3 stars
Story: 4 stars
Flow of the story: 3 stars
Character development: 3 stars
Heroine: 3 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Secondary characters: 4 stars
Tone/mood of the book: 3 stars
Emotion evoking: 3 stars
Originality: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 2 stars
Effect on me: 2 stars
January 29, 2016
Black by TL Smith
5 Black As My Heart Stars!!!
“I am loyal, but I will betray you.
I am strong, but I have scars.
I am an angel, but the devil.”
That opener has to be one of the BEST ever. I NEEDED to read this book so damn bad and I’m so glad I did! This is the first book I’ve read by T.L. Smith and it certainly will NOT be the last. Man can this lady write a story! Bad. Ass. Black had me captivated from prologue to epilogue. It was mysterious, suspenseful, gripping, hot, sexy and emotional! What more could you need in a book?! Nothing!
Black owned me from the beginning. He is such an intense character, and the more I read on the harder I fell for him. That man. Oh that man. He is everything! As Rose would say “Shit fuck a duck. My heart just grew ten times it’s size and my girlie parts just melted .” Yeah. It’s true. Rose. Rose. Rose. Oh! I loved her so much. I cheered for her. Cheered for this couple, through the whole damn book! I was on the edge of my seat for a good part of this second chance love story. My heart swelled, squeezed and shattered! What a ride these two took me on. I didn’t want this book to end! EVER!
That epilogue had my guts in knots and wondering WTF just happened! JFC, I mean...I NEED BOOK TWO NOW! NOW! NOW! What an amazing, original read from T.L. Smith. In the meantime....I’ll just be over here DYING until I get my hands on book two!
5 Black As My Heart Stars!!!
“I am loyal, but I will betray you.
I am strong, but I have scars.
I am an angel, but the devil.”
That opener has to be one of the BEST ever. I NEEDED to read this book so damn bad and I’m so glad I did! This is the first book I’ve read by T.L. Smith and it certainly will NOT be the last. Man can this lady write a story! Bad. Ass. Black had me captivated from prologue to epilogue. It was mysterious, suspenseful, gripping, hot, sexy and emotional! What more could you need in a book?! Nothing!
Black owned me from the beginning. He is such an intense character, and the more I read on the harder I fell for him. That man. Oh that man. He is everything! As Rose would say “Shit fuck a duck. My heart just grew ten times it’s size and my girlie parts just melted .” Yeah. It’s true. Rose. Rose. Rose. Oh! I loved her so much. I cheered for her. Cheered for this couple, through the whole damn book! I was on the edge of my seat for a good part of this second chance love story. My heart swelled, squeezed and shattered! What a ride these two took me on. I didn’t want this book to end! EVER!
That epilogue had my guts in knots and wondering WTF just happened! JFC, I mean...I NEED BOOK TWO NOW! NOW! NOW! What an amazing, original read from T.L. Smith. In the meantime....I’ll just be over here DYING until I get my hands on book two!
Want to read
May 25, 2017
FREE on Amazon US today (5/1/2017)
Book 1 of 3. Series complete.
FREE: https://www.amazon.com/Black-T-L-Smit...
BLURB:
I am loyal, but I will betray you.
I am strong, but I have scars.
I am an angel, but the devil.
I met her when I was sixteen and she was a breath of fresh air. She swooped in, making me smile. But then she left, taking my next breath with her.
Her smile could light up a room, making my black heart pitter patter.
I found her again ten years later, with a syringe in her arm.
Blood coming from between her legs.
She was broken and I was glad she was broken. She wouldn't think less of me and my damaged ways.
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day. I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 600 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
January 30, 2016
TITLE: Black
AUTHOR: T.L. Smith
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 29h, 2016
MY RATING
BEFORE: Black starts us off by showing us Black and Rose, two childhood friends, both from different worlds, she hung around the rich kids he was a loner until one day out of the blue she spoke to him, then like that day out of the blue she disappeared without a trace..
Have you ever loved someone so much that the thought of them hurts?
NOW: At a bikers compound Black reconnects with Rose in not such stunning circumstances, she doesn't recognize him, though he recognizes her that night and carries her out of the compound and takes her home, cleans her up, feeds her.
Evidence of who I am is written all over her now stricken face.
You… she says accusingly.
Me… I smile at her, finally being able to tell her the truth of who I am.
Black is a very dark complex man, a hit-man, he does what others won't do for a price, Rose is a junkie
I was once known as Rose… before… before I was broken.
I can honestly say that I have never read anything like this before, the authors writing style takes a while to get used to in the beginning, it's almost in poem format, but once you to get used to it your hooked into the story..
I… will… kill… for... you...
I'm the fucking exeutioner.
I wouldn't class this as dark only because I've gone as dark as one can go with books, black is a dark character, someone you wouldn't want to cross, a man of very few words..
Black surrounds me, Rose. If you’re with me, near me, black will surround you, too. Then it will drown you. Taking everything you are with it.
As you progress further into the book you see the many layers of Black get stripped away, at first he reminded me of the movies Rocky, you know the ones where he hardly spoke, this was Black, but slowly you see him opening up, showing us more of what makes him tick, what made him the man he is, he's hard, tough, scary but then a softer side will reveal itself..
They say I bring nothing but black, darkness. Though when I'm with you, all I see is color, and fuck, it's the best thing I've ever seen, rose.
That ending GAH!! Can't want to get my hands on the next book!! This book surprised me on so many levels, the biker element, Blacks job. Rose, this had me sitting on the edge of my seat frequently..
January 30, 2016
3.5 -3 Where's Book Two At Stars!
Well once again I seen a hot cover and was intrigued by the blurb so I bought it before I was done sampling. Black pulled me in quickly. I was up reading this baby all night until my eyes just had to shut. Then some where after the halfway mark it started to fizzle out but I still kept reading it because I wanted answers.
One night Rose is sitting in the park and she's sad. She sees the schools bad boy Liam Black walking by and she instantly is drawn to him. Liam doesn't know what to think of the sixteen year old girl he's seen at school hanging with the popular crowd whenever he bothers to show up. But he's drawn to her and for a month they become close friends spending every day together until one day Rose is gone.
Years later Black is at his best friends motorcycle club and sees the girl that he's always wondered about. Rose is thin. She's hooked on drugs. She's a club whore and will do anything for her next hit. Liam debates with himself if he wants to leave her or help her. So he takes her to his house and locks her up until she gets clean.
Both Rose and Liam have secrets but we aren't sure what they are yet. Liam is nothing but black. He kills people for a living and he loves it. His soul is black and he doesn't like to be touched. He likes it that way. He needs Rose to leave and get away from him so he doesn't turn her world black. Once she finds out what he did she will hate him anyway. These two have never forgotten each other all these years.
Now I was really into this book at first. Black was mysterious and I couldn't wait to see what was going on. But for some reason I just couldn't connect with Rose or Black as a couple. I found myself at the end scratching my head and pissed that it ended the way it did. I wish I could say the sex was hot but it wasn't that memorable to me. I'm not one to worry about typos because hey I'm not the best either but I'm not publishing my work. lol So I noticed many typos. Words were missing or in the wrong place making me reread sentences. But anyway that didn't really make my rating drop. The drop was because I didn't feel the love between these two. The secrets that came out were not as wowing as I thought they were going to be. I was kind of saying to myself really? That's the reveal? I also felt a few things were still left unanswered. I doubt they will be answered in the next book. Will I be reading the next book when it comes out? Maybe but I won't be rushing to buy it:)
Well once again I seen a hot cover and was intrigued by the blurb so I bought it before I was done sampling. Black pulled me in quickly. I was up reading this baby all night until my eyes just had to shut. Then some where after the halfway mark it started to fizzle out but I still kept reading it because I wanted answers.
One night Rose is sitting in the park and she's sad. She sees the schools bad boy Liam Black walking by and she instantly is drawn to him. Liam doesn't know what to think of the sixteen year old girl he's seen at school hanging with the popular crowd whenever he bothers to show up. But he's drawn to her and for a month they become close friends spending every day together until one day Rose is gone.
Years later Black is at his best friends motorcycle club and sees the girl that he's always wondered about. Rose is thin. She's hooked on drugs. She's a club whore and will do anything for her next hit. Liam debates with himself if he wants to leave her or help her. So he takes her to his house and locks her up until she gets clean.
Both Rose and Liam have secrets but we aren't sure what they are yet. Liam is nothing but black. He kills people for a living and he loves it. His soul is black and he doesn't like to be touched. He likes it that way. He needs Rose to leave and get away from him so he doesn't turn her world black. Once she finds out what he did she will hate him anyway. These two have never forgotten each other all these years.
Now I was really into this book at first. Black was mysterious and I couldn't wait to see what was going on. But for some reason I just couldn't connect with Rose or Black as a couple. I found myself at the end scratching my head and pissed that it ended the way it did. I wish I could say the sex was hot but it wasn't that memorable to me. I'm not one to worry about typos because hey I'm not the best either but I'm not publishing my work. lol So I noticed many typos. Words were missing or in the wrong place making me reread sentences. But anyway that didn't really make my rating drop. The drop was because I didn't feel the love between these two. The secrets that came out were not as wowing as I thought they were going to be. I was kind of saying to myself really? That's the reveal? I also felt a few things were still left unanswered. I doubt they will be answered in the next book. Will I be reading the next book when it comes out? Maybe but I won't be rushing to buy it:)
February 4, 2016
*LIVE Amazon US * Amazon UK * Amazon.com.au *
Black is a fast paced intriguing romance about second chances in both life and love. It’s a dark story told in first person and from the dual perspective of the hero and heroine. So, where to start? I’ve thought about and discussed this story at length, in terms of how I should rate it and convey my thoughts. There are aspects I absolutely loved but there are elements within the execution of the piece that didn’t work so well for my personal reading tastes. I finished the story on a high feeling a genuine WOW but throughout my read there were times when I questioned aspects of the prose and story arc. Not everything felt as cohesive as it should have, which would normally lead me to dislike a book, but curiously for me, I enjoyed the bones of the story arc and the portrayal of the characters.
The protagonist’s shared history and re-connection is engaging and drew me into their story quite quickly. We discover why Rose was drawn to Black way back all those ten years ago. In present time she’s plucked from the depths of darkness, a possible unsalvageable situation. Black is professed to be a dark character of the underground world and he’s convincingly depicted this way throughout the course of the story. His cold and callus nature magnifies the darker elements of the plot. It’s not for the faint-of-heart; brutal in places, there were times towards the end that I had to pause to take a moment but they were the times that my anticipation and interest intensified. I simply had to know how this first part ended.
As the story began to unfold I felt a lack of consistency in some areas and the transitions, in my opinion, were not always smoothly executed. There’s so much content in this story, maybe too much. I truly feel not all of it is essential to the telling and I think consequently elements felt underdeveloped and a little rushed which in places may have caused me to misinterpret and believe there were inconsistencies when actually maybe there weren’t any.
As I debated my feelings and thoughts about this story I didn’t once question the motivation of the protagonists, the author tapped into her character’s inner minds and whilst I occasionally found some of their inner thoughts to be more contrived than character driven, I believed their actions and thought processes most of the time, an aspect which is hugely important to my reading enjoyment.
On finishing I was stunned by what had happened which enhanced my overall enjoyment of the story. A story that's suspenseful, dark, and story driven and despite some of my conflicted feelings, I liked reading Black and very much enjoyed the climax of the story which left me anticipating the next part in the series.
Note: (I believe this is a two part series)
Advanced copy received for my honest review thoughts
Black is a fast paced intriguing romance about second chances in both life and love. It’s a dark story told in first person and from the dual perspective of the hero and heroine. So, where to start? I’ve thought about and discussed this story at length, in terms of how I should rate it and convey my thoughts. There are aspects I absolutely loved but there are elements within the execution of the piece that didn’t work so well for my personal reading tastes. I finished the story on a high feeling a genuine WOW but throughout my read there were times when I questioned aspects of the prose and story arc. Not everything felt as cohesive as it should have, which would normally lead me to dislike a book, but curiously for me, I enjoyed the bones of the story arc and the portrayal of the characters.
The protagonist’s shared history and re-connection is engaging and drew me into their story quite quickly. We discover why Rose was drawn to Black way back all those ten years ago. In present time she’s plucked from the depths of darkness, a possible unsalvageable situation. Black is professed to be a dark character of the underground world and he’s convincingly depicted this way throughout the course of the story. His cold and callus nature magnifies the darker elements of the plot. It’s not for the faint-of-heart; brutal in places, there were times towards the end that I had to pause to take a moment but they were the times that my anticipation and interest intensified. I simply had to know how this first part ended.
As the story began to unfold I felt a lack of consistency in some areas and the transitions, in my opinion, were not always smoothly executed. There’s so much content in this story, maybe too much. I truly feel not all of it is essential to the telling and I think consequently elements felt underdeveloped and a little rushed which in places may have caused me to misinterpret and believe there were inconsistencies when actually maybe there weren’t any.
As I debated my feelings and thoughts about this story I didn’t once question the motivation of the protagonists, the author tapped into her character’s inner minds and whilst I occasionally found some of their inner thoughts to be more contrived than character driven, I believed their actions and thought processes most of the time, an aspect which is hugely important to my reading enjoyment.
On finishing I was stunned by what had happened which enhanced my overall enjoyment of the story. A story that's suspenseful, dark, and story driven and despite some of my conflicted feelings, I liked reading Black and very much enjoyed the climax of the story which left me anticipating the next part in the series.
Note: (I believe this is a two part series)
Advanced copy received for my honest review thoughts
January 29, 2016
**Black generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
2 "What a beautiful devil he is." Stars
This is a really hard book to review for me. Black, told from the first person points of view of both the hero and heroine, took me for a wild ride. Contemporary romance surrounded by dark subject matter, the story of Black and Rose is a complicated web of betrayals, depravity, and hard subject matter shrouded in mystery.
The two main characters of this book and their plights intrigued me throughout. Black himself is very cold, detached, and emotionless which I truly felt and even connected. His presence is consuming and while he has an air of danger surrounding him the promise of his protection wraps you in a net of safety. His warnings of the kind of man he is are as unheeded by the reader as they are to Rose. Rose is desperate, longing and in need of love and care which as the reader I also felt and connected with. Her life is not pretty, it's the most grotesque part of the book, in my opinion, yet without it we wouldn't feel as strongly about her. The meat of the plot, the complex history coupled with the present provides a great story-one in which you want to sit down and just absorb.
The problem for me is the execution of this complex plot and the style of writing. I often found myself very confused as to what was happening with the characters and how certain actions even come to fruition. A lack of clear transitions and underdeveloped tangents of plot were found throughout the story. Structurally the writing is quite different for me. At times where I think the story was supposed to be cloaked in mystery it came off as confusing. There are few spots where plot points were never finished or inconsistent with previous action.
Black overall was on OK read for me. I'm intrigued to the point that I want to know where the story will go and see how the characters find their way. It's for fans of darker subject matter.
January 29, 2016
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book surprised me. The plot really took me by complete surprise, especially the ending.
Black is a dark, mysterious man with a very lethal job. Rose is a woman with a heavy past and a very tough present.
Black & Rose have huge history, and so when they meet again, their lives are forever changed.
The book contains some dark themes that might disturb some readers, but if you are a lover of the dark side, delve into this one.
I liked how fast paced the story was. It did not drag out and I liked the element of surprise in the end.
I had one tiny problem with the main hero though. I did not find Black captivating and that put me off the story a bit. He read a bit flat to me and frankly, he gave me whiplash! Rose was a woman with a difficult life and we get a few surprises from her. I liked that.
I am curious where the author will take the story in the second book.
****3.75 Stars****
February 21, 2016
*ARC received from author via blog tour*
3.5 ★
GAH!!!!!! After I finished reading this, I ask myself, “Elle, Elle, Elle, why do you do this to yourself??? Why don’t you pay close attention to the cover or the blurb??? How do you miss the crucial part where it says it’s a series?!?!? Now you just finished another book with a crazy cliffhanger ending and you’re left hanging, again?!?!? *runs to Goodreads and read the book details again* Wait!!! It doesn’t say anything about series anywhere?!? SONOFA…
TL, TL, why o why must you do this to me?!?
Dang!
I’d say you can read the blurb over and over again and you still won’t be prepared for the ride that you’re in for. So I say just dive right in!
There’s enough depth to both characters. Rose is a broken character. She’s fragile but she showed strength. For all the messed up stuff she’s been thru, she managed to rise above it. Black is a fascinating H, or antihero. His profession and his history guarantee that. All the emotions are buried deep, deep down. Stoic but feels strong emotions. Despite the evil that surrounds him or lives in him, I saw what Rose saw in him.
The story itself, or certain parts of it, is familiar, giving me the feeling of having read it before, yet unique enough to make me wonder where it’s going.
And now you probably wonder why I didn’t rate it higher. Frankly, I really wanted to, I really did!!!
There’s too succinct a feeling to it that I couldn’t shake off, which I really wished I could’ve because I felt it prevented me from completely connecting. I also really wished that their history included Rose’s POV because I felt it didn’t allow me to fully buy into Rose’s feelings about Black. I felt like I missed something important to make me understand her younger self better. And I really wished that this was longer. Yes, there’s such thing as meandering and adding superfluous details, but on the other hand, it felt like I was only getting a summary or an overview of certain events when I would’ve really loved a more descriptive narration. Oh, and *whispers* there were some typos… But you know what, this is just me, ok?
The last 20% def made up for a lot of things in my head. Over all though, you wanna talk about suspense? Oh you’ll get it alright. You wanna talk about dark? Oh you’ll get it… And of course, how can I not mention the cover?!? Franggy!!!! Sigh…
Now, I just really really hope that I’ll be fortunate enough to get my grubby lil fingers on book 2. I have to!!! *grins*
Dang!
3.5 ★
GAH!!!!!! After I finished reading this, I ask myself, “Elle, Elle, Elle, why do you do this to yourself??? Why don’t you pay close attention to the cover or the blurb??? How do you miss the crucial part where it says it’s a series?!?!? Now you just finished another book with a crazy cliffhanger ending and you’re left hanging, again?!?!? *runs to Goodreads and read the book details again* Wait!!! It doesn’t say anything about series anywhere?!? SONOFA…
TL, TL, why o why must you do this to me?!?
Dang!
I’d say you can read the blurb over and over again and you still won’t be prepared for the ride that you’re in for. So I say just dive right in!
There’s enough depth to both characters. Rose is a broken character. She’s fragile but she showed strength. For all the messed up stuff she’s been thru, she managed to rise above it. Black is a fascinating H, or antihero. His profession and his history guarantee that. All the emotions are buried deep, deep down. Stoic but feels strong emotions. Despite the evil that surrounds him or lives in him, I saw what Rose saw in him.
The story itself, or certain parts of it, is familiar, giving me the feeling of having read it before, yet unique enough to make me wonder where it’s going.
And now you probably wonder why I didn’t rate it higher. Frankly, I really wanted to, I really did!!!
There’s too succinct a feeling to it that I couldn’t shake off, which I really wished I could’ve because I felt it prevented me from completely connecting. I also really wished that their history included Rose’s POV because I felt it didn’t allow me to fully buy into Rose’s feelings about Black. I felt like I missed something important to make me understand her younger self better. And I really wished that this was longer. Yes, there’s such thing as meandering and adding superfluous details, but on the other hand, it felt like I was only getting a summary or an overview of certain events when I would’ve really loved a more descriptive narration. Oh, and *whispers* there were some typos… But you know what, this is just me, ok?
The last 20% def made up for a lot of things in my head. Over all though, you wanna talk about suspense? Oh you’ll get it alright. You wanna talk about dark? Oh you’ll get it… And of course, how can I not mention the cover?!? Franggy!!!! Sigh…
Now, I just really really hope that I’ll be fortunate enough to get my grubby lil fingers on book 2. I have to!!! *grins*
Dang!
June 14, 2017
what the fuck
wasted an hour of my life reading this confusing, boring shit ugh i hated this garbage
rtc maybe
wasted an hour of my life reading this confusing, boring shit ugh i hated this garbage
rtc maybe
Read
April 25, 2020DNF 15%
No my cup of tea...
No my cup of tea...
June 6, 2021
The story was dark at the beginning but as it went on it became more and more ridiculous and predictable, not dark at all. The hero, ruthless hitman, became a soft puppy by the end of the book and the heroine ended up being pregnant (which I hate in books). He having amnesia as a cliffhanger was the last straw.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2016
queria muito dar 5 estrelas....
pois esse livro trouxe todas as emoções q eu adoro sentir quando leio...
mas esse final me matou, saber no finalzinho q o livro terra sequência, q a autora está escrevendo... me deixou bem puta da vida.... pois em nenhum lugar e momento a autora avisou q seria série, pelo contrário, todos divulgando como standalone...
ahhh mas claro q vou ler quando sair o dois....
e essa capa... ahhhhh
resenha depois... ainda to absorvendo tudo!
pois esse livro trouxe todas as emoções q eu adoro sentir quando leio...
mas esse final me matou, saber no finalzinho q o livro terra sequência, q a autora está escrevendo... me deixou bem puta da vida.... pois em nenhum lugar e momento a autora avisou q seria série, pelo contrário, todos divulgando como standalone...
ahhh mas claro q vou ler quando sair o dois....
e essa capa... ahhhhh
resenha depois... ainda to absorvendo tudo!
January 29, 2016
***** 5 AMAZING STARS *****
Holy shit!! Bloody LOVED reading this!
I had to take a moment or few before I was able to form words to write this review, I've NEVER been so fricking HOOKED on a story like this one for quite sometime... Not going to forget for a LONG time!!
Normally I would explain very briefly about this AMAZING story, but I won't as I know for a fact I won't to it justice that this book deserves... However I can say this... I think you NEED to read this for yourself and be prepared to be TOTALLY blown away like I was!!
Honestly its the most captivating read, twisted, dark & OMG an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. A ride that I would happily do over & over!!!
This Author is definitely going to be on my go to list along with many!! Her writing style is so fricking EPIC!!!!
*ARC kindly provided by the Author for an honest review*
Holy shit!! Bloody LOVED reading this!
I had to take a moment or few before I was able to form words to write this review, I've NEVER been so fricking HOOKED on a story like this one for quite sometime... Not going to forget for a LONG time!!
Normally I would explain very briefly about this AMAZING story, but I won't as I know for a fact I won't to it justice that this book deserves... However I can say this... I think you NEED to read this for yourself and be prepared to be TOTALLY blown away like I was!!
Honestly its the most captivating read, twisted, dark & OMG an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. A ride that I would happily do over & over!!!
This Author is definitely going to be on my go to list along with many!! Her writing style is so fricking EPIC!!!!
*ARC kindly provided by the Author for an honest review*
February 10, 2016
Just ok.
November 22, 2021
random ramblings:
no happy ending
cliffhanger
choppy writing
beautiful cover
1,5⭐
no happy ending
cliffhanger
choppy writing
beautiful cover
1,5⭐
September 3, 2018
Rose ha perdido a la única persona que la amaba de verdad, eso es hasta que se encuentra con el callado chico que va en su clase esa misma noche y lo invita a bañarse con ella. Siempre ha querido sentirse amada y cuando conoce a este chico es lo que siente. Eso es hasta que otro la destruye.
Black perdió hace 10 años a la única persona que le dio luz a su vida. Un día desapareció y nunca supo nada más. Hasta que la encuentra tirada en el suelo, aguja en brazo y sangrando. Es hora de cambiar las cosas, incluso si ella no lo recuerda.
En realidad la nota es 4,5.
Y hablando de libros difíciles y complicados...
Creí que no iba a ser capaz de amar a Black, porque no atisbaba yo algún sentimiento en el fondo, y aunque su cambio de actitud fue un poco repentina, no puedo decir que no he acabado el libro llorando esperando que fuese una broma, para luego cagarme en todo en la tipa que sea que le está mintiendo.
Mi pobre Rose... cuanto has sufrido tú y yo contigo. Amo a tu pequeña familia de ahora, y eres una luchadora. Yo también estaría destruida pero dios... ay Dios mío solo quiero saber qué será de ti en el segundo libro porque yo ya estoy cabreada sólo de pensarlo.
No puedo esperar un minuto más necesito leer ya el siguiente!!!!
Black perdió hace 10 años a la única persona que le dio luz a su vida. Un día desapareció y nunca supo nada más. Hasta que la encuentra tirada en el suelo, aguja en brazo y sangrando. Es hora de cambiar las cosas, incluso si ella no lo recuerda.
En realidad la nota es 4,5.
Y hablando de libros difíciles y complicados...
Creí que no iba a ser capaz de amar a Black, porque no atisbaba yo algún sentimiento en el fondo, y aunque su cambio de actitud fue un poco repentina, no puedo decir que no he acabado el libro llorando esperando que fuese una broma, para luego cagarme en todo en la tipa que sea que le está mintiendo.
Mi pobre Rose... cuanto has sufrido tú y yo contigo. Amo a tu pequeña familia de ahora, y eres una luchadora. Yo también estaría destruida pero dios... ay Dios mío solo quiero saber qué será de ti en el segundo libro porque yo ya estoy cabreada sólo de pensarlo.
No puedo esperar un minuto más necesito leer ya el siguiente!!!!
June 6, 2018
*** 3.5 stars
I picked this one up for the cover.
Yeah I know, not the best way to chose your next read but sometimes I just can't stop myself.
He looks oh so bad and sexy and I was in the mood for a bad boy tale.
It started really well to be honest, I was sucked in. The story moved along at a really good pace but midway it kind of hit a wall where it went on a bit of a repeat pattern. The MC, Black, keeps repeating how bad he is and not worthy and lather, rinse, repeat. It wasn't done badly, I just needed more from him and I feel like I didn't get it.
Then the story went into hyper-melodrama and I had a hard time relating.
It was good overall, I'll read the 2nd book because well... cliffhanger.
I picked this one up for the cover.
Yeah I know, not the best way to chose your next read but sometimes I just can't stop myself.
He looks oh so bad and sexy and I was in the mood for a bad boy tale.
It started really well to be honest, I was sucked in. The story moved along at a really good pace but midway it kind of hit a wall where it went on a bit of a repeat pattern. The MC, Black, keeps repeating how bad he is and not worthy and lather, rinse, repeat. It wasn't done badly, I just needed more from him and I feel like I didn't get it.
Then the story went into hyper-melodrama and I had a hard time relating.
It was good overall, I'll read the 2nd book because well... cliffhanger.
November 1, 2020
2.5 stars
Black and Rose didn't do it for me. They were friends for a fairly short period of time as teenagers, and then Rose disappeared one day. Why she left wasn't ever addressed. When they meet up x number of years later as adults, it was instalove despite the fact that they were both completely different people.
I wasn't interested in them as characters. Rose was nice. Despite being a recovering drug addict, she adjusted well to sobriety. Things were bad with her ex, but I didn't feel her pain. I didn't understand why she liked Black. She wasn't affected by what Black did for a profession and to her. Why wasn't she more disturbed? Black was a cold-hearted loner. I wasn't feeling his pain either. His past was only briefly touched on, so it didn't make a lot of sense why he became the way he was. For a guy who was so evil, he showed a lot of kindness.
The writing was awful! The transitions were really bad. Sometimes the setting would change from one paragraph to the next with no explanation. Some scenes didn't explain well what was going on. I often reread scenes thinking I missed something, but what I wanted to know simply wasn't written.
This was one of those books that was darkish. The drugs and abuse were mainly mentioned in passing. The sex scenes weren't anything out of the norm. There was a fair amount of murder, but I did not give a shit about the people Black was killing. As the story went on, it became more and more ridiculous. The reason people were after Rose was stupid as hell. Black's involvement in it all was even dumber. It was so far fetched. I really don't want to read the next one since there is a time jump and it's an amnesia story. No thanks!
Black and Rose didn't do it for me. They were friends for a fairly short period of time as teenagers, and then Rose disappeared one day. Why she left wasn't ever addressed. When they meet up x number of years later as adults, it was instalove despite the fact that they were both completely different people.
I wasn't interested in them as characters. Rose was nice. Despite being a recovering drug addict, she adjusted well to sobriety. Things were bad with her ex, but I didn't feel her pain. I didn't understand why she liked Black. She wasn't affected by what Black did for a profession and to her. Why wasn't she more disturbed? Black was a cold-hearted loner. I wasn't feeling his pain either. His past was only briefly touched on, so it didn't make a lot of sense why he became the way he was. For a guy who was so evil, he showed a lot of kindness.
The writing was awful! The transitions were really bad. Sometimes the setting would change from one paragraph to the next with no explanation. Some scenes didn't explain well what was going on. I often reread scenes thinking I missed something, but what I wanted to know simply wasn't written.
This was one of those books that was darkish. The drugs and abuse were mainly mentioned in passing. The sex scenes weren't anything out of the norm. There was a fair amount of murder, but I did not give a shit about the people Black was killing. As the story went on, it became more and more ridiculous. The reason people were after Rose was stupid as hell. Black's involvement in it all was even dumber. It was so far fetched. I really don't want to read the next one since there is a time jump and it's an amnesia story. No thanks!
July 24, 2024
I don’t often rate a book 1 star but damn this was bad. Like so freaking bad. Why did I read this entire book? I think I just kept hoping it would get better. 😩 Between the OW drama, the lack of cohesive storyline, the trauma porn, and the terrible ending it was genuinely not worth the time. 🙃
What I liked:
Dark romance 🖤
He’s a hitman 💀
Dual POV with plenty from both sides
Imperfect heroine who survived some stuff 💪🏼
Recovery from drug addiction 💉
Single mom rep 👏🏼
What I didn’t like:
Most twisted and dark heroes push themselves for the heroine. Black doesn’t for the bulk of this book. There’s one scene where Rose literally gets slapped and is crying. He just drives away….like wtf? 😅😅😅 we want touch her and die energy, not touch her and run away 😤😤
Some of the lines are just bad. Like instead of saying he’s filled with darkness they say he’s black and then use his name afterwards so it’s “black, Black” 😬😬
Rose got hooked on drugs after a terrible relationship but the whole thing started because her ex’s Gma required he have a child to get his inheritance? Nope. Dumb 🤡
The MC Rose for sold into wants her back but like they were fine with Black/Liam taking her? It doesn’t make sense. Them eventually coming is also dragged tf out for as long as possible 😑
The hero and heroine break up like a million times. They aren’t solid and Rose is literally the only one fighting for them. 😐
The ending drags on for so long and it was basically nonsensical trauma porn. A lot of it feels forced and just not good to be honest. 🫠🫠🫠🫠 also the ending is awful. Absolutely ridiculous.
The sad part is I love a dark romance. I love a morally black hero, but this just wasnt that 🙄
FAQs:
OW scene at 10%, hero and heroine haven’t seen each other since high school. Condom was used but still freaking why was it necessary??
OW scene at 16% after hero has kidnapped the heroine and is forcing her to get clean. He screws the woman he made shower and take care of the heroine. 🙄🙄🙄🙄 and apparently he does it every day. During this scene he thinks of Rose but like no thanks. 🫠
OM scene at around 40%. An officer of the LAW asks her out. By 58% they’ve had a whole ass relationship 😅
There’s no HEA. They finally end up together. Liam gets shot and it’s insinuated he gets amnesia 5 years later and doesn’t remember her at all. So I survived all this stupidity not even to have a good ending 😅😅😅😅😅
TLDR;
Don’t make the mistake of reading this entire book like I did. It genuinely felt like a dark romance fan fiction but done by someone whose never read a dark romance book before 🙃
What I liked:
Dark romance 🖤
He’s a hitman 💀
Dual POV with plenty from both sides
Imperfect heroine who survived some stuff 💪🏼
Recovery from drug addiction 💉
Single mom rep 👏🏼
What I didn’t like:
Most twisted and dark heroes push themselves for the heroine. Black doesn’t for the bulk of this book. There’s one scene where Rose literally gets slapped and is crying. He just drives away….like wtf? 😅😅😅 we want touch her and die energy, not touch her and run away 😤😤
Some of the lines are just bad. Like instead of saying he’s filled with darkness they say he’s black and then use his name afterwards so it’s “black, Black” 😬😬
Rose got hooked on drugs after a terrible relationship but the whole thing started because her ex’s Gma required he have a child to get his inheritance? Nope. Dumb 🤡
The MC Rose for sold into wants her back but like they were fine with Black/Liam taking her? It doesn’t make sense. Them eventually coming is also dragged tf out for as long as possible 😑
The hero and heroine break up like a million times. They aren’t solid and Rose is literally the only one fighting for them. 😐
The ending drags on for so long and it was basically nonsensical trauma porn. A lot of it feels forced and just not good to be honest. 🫠🫠🫠🫠 also the ending is awful. Absolutely ridiculous.
The sad part is I love a dark romance. I love a morally black hero, but this just wasnt that 🙄
FAQs:
OW scene at 10%, hero and heroine haven’t seen each other since high school. Condom was used but still freaking why was it necessary??
OW scene at 16% after hero has kidnapped the heroine and is forcing her to get clean. He screws the woman he made shower and take care of the heroine. 🙄🙄🙄🙄 and apparently he does it every day. During this scene he thinks of Rose but like no thanks. 🫠
OM scene at around 40%. An officer of the LAW asks her out. By 58% they’ve had a whole ass relationship 😅
There’s no HEA. They finally end up together. Liam gets shot and it’s insinuated he gets amnesia 5 years later and doesn’t remember her at all. So I survived all this stupidity not even to have a good ending 😅😅😅😅😅
TLDR;
Don’t make the mistake of reading this entire book like I did. It genuinely felt like a dark romance fan fiction but done by someone whose never read a dark romance book before 🙃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2021
I am a hopeless romantic, so I reviewed the book on Audible while listening to the last 2 chapters! When I should have waited for the end!
Anyway, I enjoyed this dark antihero romance. Black/Liam and Rose met when she was 16 and would meet at a lake. They fell in love, but then the book doesn’t go into details what happened to them. The book starts with him saving her from a bikers clubhouse. She was abused and drugged, so she became addicted. Black is a complicated character, he had a bad upbringing and no role model.
He is a professional killer and has no remorse.
Rose has many secrets, Black finds out about them, she also remembers that he is the Liam from her youth . This is a loaded storyline, with so much going on.
It has shady characters and some good ones. I loved Liam and Rose, they healed each other. And through all the chaos in the storyline I start to get happy that the ending will be a happily ever after. I just realized this is series and now I’m going to listen 🎧 to the next book Red!
Anyway, I enjoyed this dark antihero romance. Black/Liam and Rose met when she was 16 and would meet at a lake. They fell in love, but then the book doesn’t go into details what happened to them. The book starts with him saving her from a bikers clubhouse. She was abused and drugged, so she became addicted. Black is a complicated character, he had a bad upbringing and no role model.
He is a professional killer and has no remorse.
Rose has many secrets, Black finds out about them, she also remembers that he is the Liam from her youth . This is a loaded storyline, with so much going on.
It has shady characters and some good ones. I loved Liam and Rose, they healed each other. And through all the chaos in the storyline I start to get happy that the ending will be a happily ever after. I just realized this is series and now I’m going to listen 🎧 to the next book Red!
October 6, 2018
What was that???
It was so good... and so sad!
It was about bad choices, wrong affairs but also for strong relationsips like friendship and love.
It was black and colour...
I Just love it and I absolutely want to read the next book...
It was so good... and so sad!
It was about bad choices, wrong affairs but also for strong relationsips like friendship and love.
It was black and colour...
I Just love it and I absolutely want to read the next book...
January 21, 2016
Dark. Dramatic. Suspenseful.
Beautiful. Hopeful. Sexy.
This was my first T.L. Smith experience, one that I will not soon forget. First off,the writing style hooks you. The author delivers one edge of your seat, lip biting, eye covering, gut wrenching story that will be talked about for years to come.
Black is an enigma, one that we can't get enough of and we just can't walk away from despite all the warnings. Red Flags and Sirens are going off and we can't see nor hear them. This man is beautiful yet scary he is the perfect combination of both.
Prepare yourself for an amazing and emotional journey. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride. I can guarantee that you will want MORE of Black and Rose. There can never be enough of them.
"Can I have you" -Rose
"You already own me" - Black
He will make you feel like never before and you will bring so much color into his dark, sad, and lonely world.
Get ready to pull on one fine man's beard and run your fingers through his hair. He will f**k you like no one else.
Beautiful. Hopeful. Sexy.
This was my first T.L. Smith experience, one that I will not soon forget. First off,the writing style hooks you. The author delivers one edge of your seat, lip biting, eye covering, gut wrenching story that will be talked about for years to come.
Black is an enigma, one that we can't get enough of and we just can't walk away from despite all the warnings. Red Flags and Sirens are going off and we can't see nor hear them. This man is beautiful yet scary he is the perfect combination of both.
Prepare yourself for an amazing and emotional journey. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride. I can guarantee that you will want MORE of Black and Rose. There can never be enough of them.
"Can I have you" -Rose
"You already own me" - Black
He will make you feel like never before and you will bring so much color into his dark, sad, and lonely world.
Get ready to pull on one fine man's beard and run your fingers through his hair. He will f**k you like no one else.
April 22, 2019
RECENSIONE: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...
"Black" è un romanzo avvincente e intrigante sulle seconde possibilità della vita e dell’amore. È una storia oscura raccontata in prima persona dalla prospettiva dell’eroe e dell’eroina. Lo stile dell’autrice è coinvolgente, ci attrae pagina dopo pagina, ci sprona a voler scoprire sempre di più dei suoi personaggi, ad amarli nonostante l’oscurità che alberga nei loro cuori. Mi è piaciuta molto la caratterizzazione psicologica dei personaggi, il riuscire dell'autrice a delinearli perfettamente. Quindi, da dove posso cominciare? Lo sviluppo e la connessione dei protagonisti sono coinvolgenti e mi sono immersa nella storia attratta come una calamita. Rose è una protagonista insolita e unica, è il fantasma del passato di Black, dei suoi ricordi felici e spensierati ma nel presente è una donna danneggiata e dimenticata. Scopriamo perché Rose è sempre stata attratta da Black in tutti quegli anni, nel presente viene strappata da lui dalle profondità dell’oscurità, dal buio senza fine e da una situazione insalvabile. Black è considerato un personaggio oscuro del mondo sotterraneo, un uomo pericoloso e autoritario, spaventoso ma affascinante e viene rappresentato in modo convincente nel corso della storia. La sua natura fredda e metodica, il suo essere cauto e paziente accrescono gli elementi oscuri della trama. Ma Rose lo ama e spinge anche noi lettori ad amarlo totalmente anche se la sua anima oscura e la mente crudele lo spingono a compiere azioni crudeli. Entrambi i protagonisti hanno dei segreti che durante la vicenda scopriamo pian piano. L’autrice ha attinto dalle menti oscure dell’uomo e le ha plasmate adattandole ai suoi personaggi, soprattutto per quanto riguarda Black che rappresenta l’emblema delle tenebre e il profondo oblio. L’atmosfera del libro è molto misteriosa e oscura e a volte sembra quasi strana e opprimente. Una storia piena di suspense che durante lo svolgimento rilascia quel climax sempre più graduale e intenso e, una volta terminata la lettura, il lettore rimane in attesa di leggere il prossimo libro della serie. L'unica pecca è che lo stile dell'autrice è molto frammentato, l'evoluzione è talmente rapida che non ti fa godere appieno degli eventi oltre anche ad una traduzione non eseguita correttamente che sicuramente rovina il libro...
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
"Black" è un romanzo avvincente e intrigante sulle seconde possibilità della vita e dell’amore. È una storia oscura raccontata in prima persona dalla prospettiva dell’eroe e dell’eroina. Lo stile dell’autrice è coinvolgente, ci attrae pagina dopo pagina, ci sprona a voler scoprire sempre di più dei suoi personaggi, ad amarli nonostante l’oscurità che alberga nei loro cuori. Mi è piaciuta molto la caratterizzazione psicologica dei personaggi, il riuscire dell'autrice a delinearli perfettamente. Quindi, da dove posso cominciare? Lo sviluppo e la connessione dei protagonisti sono coinvolgenti e mi sono immersa nella storia attratta come una calamita. Rose è una protagonista insolita e unica, è il fantasma del passato di Black, dei suoi ricordi felici e spensierati ma nel presente è una donna danneggiata e dimenticata. Scopriamo perché Rose è sempre stata attratta da Black in tutti quegli anni, nel presente viene strappata da lui dalle profondità dell’oscurità, dal buio senza fine e da una situazione insalvabile. Black è considerato un personaggio oscuro del mondo sotterraneo, un uomo pericoloso e autoritario, spaventoso ma affascinante e viene rappresentato in modo convincente nel corso della storia. La sua natura fredda e metodica, il suo essere cauto e paziente accrescono gli elementi oscuri della trama. Ma Rose lo ama e spinge anche noi lettori ad amarlo totalmente anche se la sua anima oscura e la mente crudele lo spingono a compiere azioni crudeli. Entrambi i protagonisti hanno dei segreti che durante la vicenda scopriamo pian piano. L’autrice ha attinto dalle menti oscure dell’uomo e le ha plasmate adattandole ai suoi personaggi, soprattutto per quanto riguarda Black che rappresenta l’emblema delle tenebre e il profondo oblio. L’atmosfera del libro è molto misteriosa e oscura e a volte sembra quasi strana e opprimente. Una storia piena di suspense che durante lo svolgimento rilascia quel climax sempre più graduale e intenso e, una volta terminata la lettura, il lettore rimane in attesa di leggere il prossimo libro della serie. L'unica pecca è che lo stile dell'autrice è molto frammentato, l'evoluzione è talmente rapida che non ti fa godere appieno degli eventi oltre anche ad una traduzione non eseguita correttamente che sicuramente rovina il libro...
CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
January 21, 2022
That was one hell of an emotional ride I didn't expect to come across on...
The prologue begins with Liam Black, a 16 yr old boy, finding Rose Miller, a fellow classmate, plucking the petals off a flower in the dark . At first, he thinks she is weird but as he starts to leave , he is asked to stop & come near by her. For some unknown reason, he couldn't help being drawn by his angelic classmate and went next to her.😍😍😍
The girl took him to a river and both of them jumped. After reaching the surface, the girl hooked her arms around him in a loop and then sounded the first laugh (which was one of the first aspects of Rose that Black fell in love with). Little did she know that the boy who was next to her was the one who was going to love her more than life itself years later.
After enjoying days filled with moments of stolen kisses and graffiti, she abruptly left the town without leaving a sign of her whereabouts.
10 years later, Black is a hit man who mostly does work for the President (Gray) of the Coffin MC group . In actuality, Black has been harboring hatred for the President for being the reason of him losing a loved one a long time ago.
He is shocked to find the girl he liked long ago as a druggie in the clubhouse of the MC. He saves her from the life of a wasted druggie and helps her...
The story of Black & Rose hooked me up from the start. Their chemistry was undeniable and the whole plot with the cliffhanger at the end stole my breath.
Read this beautiful romance to find out the different feelings that emerge while they spend their time together and how they react to those uncontrollable feelings.
The prologue begins with Liam Black, a 16 yr old boy, finding Rose Miller, a fellow classmate, plucking the petals off a flower in the dark . At first, he thinks she is weird but as he starts to leave , he is asked to stop & come near by her. For some unknown reason, he couldn't help being drawn by his angelic classmate and went next to her.😍😍😍
The girl took him to a river and both of them jumped. After reaching the surface, the girl hooked her arms around him in a loop and then sounded the first laugh (which was one of the first aspects of Rose that Black fell in love with). Little did she know that the boy who was next to her was the one who was going to love her more than life itself years later.
After enjoying days filled with moments of stolen kisses and graffiti, she abruptly left the town without leaving a sign of her whereabouts.
10 years later, Black is a hit man who mostly does work for the President (Gray) of the Coffin MC group . In actuality, Black has been harboring hatred for the President for being the reason of him losing a loved one a long time ago.
He is shocked to find the girl he liked long ago as a druggie in the clubhouse of the MC. He saves her from the life of a wasted druggie and helps her...
The story of Black & Rose hooked me up from the start. Their chemistry was undeniable and the whole plot with the cliffhanger at the end stole my breath.
Read this beautiful romance to find out the different feelings that emerge while they spend their time together and how they react to those uncontrollable feelings.
July 31, 2017
Part of me loved this book and the other part thought it was a touch too dark, black as his soul, if you will. The story itself was probably a three but I gave it an extra star because it was steamy and I bought the next book.
I'm not a girl who shies away from a dark and twisted book, I usually love them, but this one was a little too dark. I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that the "sweet" or "romantical" parts between the love interests saved the book from spiraling into full darkness. Of course, the steamy sex scenes along with the tattooed and pierced male love interest, sure didn't hurt either.
While the predominate thought in my mind while I was reading this was, "that's just f*cked up," it certainly made for a compelling read. That's part of the reason why I had to buy the next book. That, and the twist at the end, I certainly didn't see that one coming. I'm sure the next book will be effed up too, but I guess it's better to know that from the get go. With that said, if you have a problem with people treating women (and children for that matter) poorly, pseudo rape-like situations (thankfully not with the kids), or hoeing it up for drugs; this probably isn't the book for you. But if you like pierced, tattooed men, with epic beards to fantasize about, you'll be hooked just like I was. Oh, and if you are lazy and like to pay people to read for you, as Aziz Ansari would say, the narrator for Black has a lovely accent. Swoon.
I'm not a girl who shies away from a dark and twisted book, I usually love them, but this one was a little too dark. I don't want to give away too much, but I will say that the "sweet" or "romantical" parts between the love interests saved the book from spiraling into full darkness. Of course, the steamy sex scenes along with the tattooed and pierced male love interest, sure didn't hurt either.
While the predominate thought in my mind while I was reading this was, "that's just f*cked up," it certainly made for a compelling read. That's part of the reason why I had to buy the next book. That, and the twist at the end, I certainly didn't see that one coming. I'm sure the next book will be effed up too, but I guess it's better to know that from the get go. With that said, if you have a problem with people treating women (and children for that matter) poorly, pseudo rape-like situations (thankfully not with the kids), or hoeing it up for drugs; this probably isn't the book for you. But if you like pierced, tattooed men, with epic beards to fantasize about, you'll be hooked just like I was. Oh, and if you are lazy and like to pay people to read for you, as Aziz Ansari would say, the narrator for Black has a lovely accent. Swoon.
Read
January 24, 2016Review to follow on release day.
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 9, 2022DNF
I very rarely DNF a book, but I was struggling with this one, and when I learned that it was part 1 of a trilogy, I realised I didn’t care enough to read three books about these characters, so I’m done.
The blurb is a bit vague, but I do like a dark romance and an enigmatic anti-hero, so I picked this up when it was free and grabbed the whispersynced audiobook to listen to. First mistake, because the book is set in Australia with two American narrators (Cat Gould and P.J. Ochlan) faking Australian accents. Very few people can fake an accurate Australian accent, and as an Australian, I can be completely turned off a book because a non-Australian narrator is badly faking an Australian accent. These aren’t the worst fake accents I’ve heard, but every mis-pronounced word just made me cringe (it’s “passenger”, not “pissinger”! Nobody says "pissinger"!). And I’m not sure if it was faking the accent that did it, but I didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of emotion in the storytelling, so I wasn’t off to a very good start.
Then we have our ‘hero’, Black. Black is an assassin-for-hire who exists in the dark and secretive parts of society. We get to see him have graphic, emotionless sex with a random biker chick a couple of times before he finds a woman from his past drugged up and in bad shape. He takes her home and handcuffs her to his bed while she withdraws, and he leaves his biker chick provide (minimal) care. We see a little bit of Black’s life and there is a hint of humanity there, but mostly he’s a pretty soulless dude. I didn’t care for him at all.
Turns out the woman he rescued was his only real friend in high school. They had a month together and became close before she just took off. And Rose’s life has been hell since then. She fell in love with the wrong man who got her hooked on drugs, and her whole life spiralled out of control. But now that she’s clean, she’s determined to get her life back.
Black and Rose have an odd dynamic. I get their friendship as teenagers, but as adults, I just couldn’t see it. He seems to be wildly obsessed with her, she wants him right back, and I honestly couldn’t figure out why. There is sex, but it’s emotionless, and Black doesn’t seem to care for her at all. I felt absolutely no hint of romance, and I get that it will probably develop over the rest of the book, and into the next two books, but I’m not feeling anything at all between these two, and I don’t care to see them come together.
I made it to chapter 27 of 43 in the audiobook. I’m sure there’s lots of character development that happens as the story progresses, and I’m sure the romance builds right along with it, and I was going persevere, but when I stopped listening for a day and then felt a sense of dread when I went to turn it back on, I just couldn’t do it.
Sorry to give up on this one, but life is too short for books that make you feel like this.
DNF – no rating.
I very rarely DNF a book, but I was struggling with this one, and when I learned that it was part 1 of a trilogy, I realised I didn’t care enough to read three books about these characters, so I’m done.
The blurb is a bit vague, but I do like a dark romance and an enigmatic anti-hero, so I picked this up when it was free and grabbed the whispersynced audiobook to listen to. First mistake, because the book is set in Australia with two American narrators (Cat Gould and P.J. Ochlan) faking Australian accents. Very few people can fake an accurate Australian accent, and as an Australian, I can be completely turned off a book because a non-Australian narrator is badly faking an Australian accent. These aren’t the worst fake accents I’ve heard, but every mis-pronounced word just made me cringe (it’s “passenger”, not “pissinger”! Nobody says "pissinger"!). And I’m not sure if it was faking the accent that did it, but I didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of emotion in the storytelling, so I wasn’t off to a very good start.
Then we have our ‘hero’, Black. Black is an assassin-for-hire who exists in the dark and secretive parts of society. We get to see him have graphic, emotionless sex with a random biker chick a couple of times before he finds a woman from his past drugged up and in bad shape. He takes her home and handcuffs her to his bed while she withdraws, and he leaves his biker chick provide (minimal) care. We see a little bit of Black’s life and there is a hint of humanity there, but mostly he’s a pretty soulless dude. I didn’t care for him at all.
Turns out the woman he rescued was his only real friend in high school. They had a month together and became close before she just took off. And Rose’s life has been hell since then. She fell in love with the wrong man who got her hooked on drugs, and her whole life spiralled out of control. But now that she’s clean, she’s determined to get her life back.
Black and Rose have an odd dynamic. I get their friendship as teenagers, but as adults, I just couldn’t see it. He seems to be wildly obsessed with her, she wants him right back, and I honestly couldn’t figure out why. There is sex, but it’s emotionless, and Black doesn’t seem to care for her at all. I felt absolutely no hint of romance, and I get that it will probably develop over the rest of the book, and into the next two books, but I’m not feeling anything at all between these two, and I don’t care to see them come together.
I made it to chapter 27 of 43 in the audiobook. I’m sure there’s lots of character development that happens as the story progresses, and I’m sure the romance builds right along with it, and I was going persevere, but when I stopped listening for a day and then felt a sense of dread when I went to turn it back on, I just couldn’t do it.
Sorry to give up on this one, but life is too short for books that make you feel like this.
DNF – no rating.
July 27, 2018
This book was a decent read. It was entertaining and I read it in an afternoon.
If you are sensitive to things like rape, murder, drugs, kidnapping, abuse, etc., this book is probably not for you.
Black is told in alternating POV for the two main characters, Liam "Black" and Rose.
There wasn't really anything to give the 'wow' factor and really make me love what I was reading but it was still good.
I didn't really care for the ending and what is set up for the next book. I don't feel an overwhelming urge to continue this series but I might read the next book someday.
I should also mention that I really liked some of the secondary characters, especially Jake.
Audible: I added the whispersync audible narration to this kindle book. The narrators were good and easy to listen to.
If you are sensitive to things like rape, murder, drugs, kidnapping, abuse, etc., this book is probably not for you.
Black is told in alternating POV for the two main characters, Liam "Black" and Rose.
There wasn't really anything to give the 'wow' factor and really make me love what I was reading but it was still good.
I didn't really care for the ending and what is set up for the next book. I don't feel an overwhelming urge to continue this series but I might read the next book someday.
I should also mention that I really liked some of the secondary characters, especially Jake.
Audible: I added the whispersync audible narration to this kindle book. The narrators were good and easy to listen to.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 711 reviews