Darker Shades by Charlotte E. Hart and Rachel De Lune is the prequel to the of House of Skin series. This prequel delivered an eye opening experience into the criminal underworld and prepares readers as to what to expect from the other books in the series.
Title: Darker Shades
The world is evil.I know that better than most men, but I never understood its true face until I let them in my club and struck a deal. The Cortez brothers brought money and allegiance. All I had to do was agree and do as I was told. But Cortez was a monster I hadn't fully understood. And I wasn't prepared for one of the girls. She was spice and ire. Attitude and fire. With a body to kill for. Yeah, my conscience got involved. Or maybe it was my heart This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Author(s): Charlotte E. Hart, Rachel De Lune
Series: House of Skin #0.5
Also in this series: When Sinners Hate , When Sinners Dare , When Sinners Fear, When Sinners Rise
Published by Amazon Digital Services on September 8, 2022
Pages: 133
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Format: eBook
Purchase: Amazon
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Darker Shades is definitely not for the faint hearted. Going in, I knew this would be a dark romance, but it was so much darker than expected. A well written story with interesting characters, but the premise was not one I would have gravitated towards. As you can see the blurb provided no information as what to expect when diving into the story.
In the initial stages of the story I considered giving upon the story. However, the authors’ engaging style of writing held me captive. The story piqued my curiosity and so I continued reading. I had to know how the main characters would escape the precarious situation they were in. A situation created by the hero because of his insatiable greed for money. Although not a candidate for sainthood, he abhorred the situation he got caught up in, forcing him to formulate a creative way to to extricate himself as well as the heroine and the other women involved from it. His immediate attraction to the heroine also played a part in influencing his decision to double cross the Cortez brothers.
The parts leading up to the execution of the plan and the aftermath had me on the edge of my seat. The story featured disturbing events such as human trafficking, kidnapping and rape.
Darker Shades was an interesting but disturbing tale.
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Title: When Sinners Fall
Coming back to San Antonio wasn’t on my radar, but life happens. Fresh from heartbreak, I have a brand new job to keep me occupied and I'm ready to start over. I’ll be dreaming up weddings for the rich and privileged, delivering their perfect day - their perfect fantasy. Those fantasies look nothing like mine, though. Mine are mysterious and threatening and full of intensity.All make believe, of course. Until it isn’t. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Author(s): Charlotte E. Hart, Rachel De Lune
Series: House of Skin #1
Also in this series: When Sinners Hate , When Sinners Dare , When Sinners Fear, When Sinners Rise
Published by Self Published on November 14, 2022
Pages: 322
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Format: eArc
Purchase: Amazon
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Dante Cortez came at me like a dark saviour with sin on his lips. Dangerous. Demanding. Deadly.The boy I knew was long gone. And I wasn’t ready for the man he'd become.
Note: The House Of Skin Series deals with themes some may be uncomfortable with. These are bad men who make no apologies for their particular trade.
Reading a romance novel featuring an antihero is not the norm for me. So learning the rest of the series focused on the Cortez brothers made me curious to learn if they possessed the capacity to fall in love. When Sinners Fall features Dante Cortez and Wren Campbell.
Dante, known as the Dragon to both his enemies and family, is not a man one should think to cross. A man without a heart and who does several questionable things throughout the story. He makes no apologies and feels no remorse for his actions. He may be cold, evil, but one thing he is not is disloyal. In relation to his family, his loyalty knows no bounds. I was prepared not to like him after learning of the evil he’s capable of. However, after getting to know him through his experiences, my understanding of his nature changed. I liked him and sympathized with him but didn’t like his actions.
Wren certainly had the gumption needed to deal with a man like Dante. She challenged him every step of the way. Their interaction ranged between smooth and volatile, but Wren stood her ground with each scenario. I understood his need to protect her, but his response to her challenging him was overbearing and possessive. Wren’s attraction to danger made it easy for her to enter Dante’s world. She knew of his involvement in illegal activities, but she was oblivious to dirty and repulsive side of it. The discovery of the role her man played shocked her senses, but it never changed her feelings towards him.
Dante had a rough childhood, and the one person who helped him to survive those difficult times was Wren. The connection they shared then survived distance and years.
The story is well paced and engaging. I was curious to learn how it would unfold. I was especially interested in Wren’s reaction to learning that Dante the man was so different from Dante the boy.
Overall, When Sinners Fall is an intriguing story which readers who enjoy dark stories will appreciate.
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Wow, this does sound good. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with an anti-hero either
It looks like these ended up being a very interesting edgier experience for you. Dark romance can get pretty dark haha
That firrt one sounds intense!
It has been a while since I last read a darker romance. It might be time that I pick one up. This sounds really well done.