Synopsis:
She was meant to be his assassin
A forced player in a rivalry within The Estate
Yet her loyalty was to no person but herself
When Hope is taken captive by Xander Black
She becomes the one thing that can ensure Aaron’s reign
Raised within a rival crime network, Hope Delacroix wanted nothing to do with The Estate. A fierce warrior, Hope is given no choice but to kill Aaron Carmichael. Caught in her attempt, Hope is captured by Aaron’s top guard in an effort to discover who sent her.
Ever loyal and protective, Xander Black’s sole objective is to defend Aaron and Maddy. Willing to do whatever is necessary, Xander gives in to darkness in order to force information out of Hope.
As Xander enslaves Hope to break her down completely, he learns that in the two years since Joseph Carmichael’s death, dissension still exists within The Estate.
“I find it ironic that your name is Hope…especially considering that you have none.” ~ Xander Black
WARNING: This book is intended for mature audiences ONLY. It contains graphic and explicit scenes involving physical and sexual violence
Review:
This is no hearts and flowers romance story and if scenes of non-con and violence are upsetting to you, this is not the book for you.
Our heroine Hope is a trained killer and fighter and this story about the forcible kidnapping of her sister Honor. Hope then embarks on a very rough and violent journey to try and secure Honor’s release from The Estate. Hope tries to kill Aaron, the head of The Estate. Her attempt is stopped by Xander, who is Aaron’s adoptive brother. Hope and Xander are two very characters who, because of their backgrounds and training, do not see light or happiness in anything. Of course, Xander is drawn to Hope, and there lots of dark, sexy times between the two.
Hope Restrained is perfect for those who love a fast-paced, dark, action story that has plenty of non-vanilla sex and a twisty storyline. I would have liked to feel a little bit more of a connection between Xander and Hope but the the last 25% of the book made up for that. I also loved that Hope was a kick-ass, strong heroine who was brave and honest.
I recommend reading Book One to get a feel for The Estate and the characters, but I don’t think you’ll feel lost if you don’t read the first book. Make no mistake, some of the scenes in Hope Restrained are tough to read but the end result is a very rewarding, suspenseful and dark romance story.
An ARC of Hope Restrained was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Buy Links:
The Series:
Madeleine Abducted:
Joseph Fallen:
Author Bio:
M.S. Willis is a romance novelist whose debut novel, Control, was released in 2013. Although currently writing in the romance genre, Willis has plans to expand her literary pursuits into multiple genres and has no fear conquering difficult subject matters in her writing. Willis is a native Floridian who is also a photographer and musician. When not absorbing herself in written, visual or musical expression, Willis is an adrenaline junkie, a ‘closet’ video game enthusiast, and an avid outdoors person and nature lover.
Visit M.S. Willis on her author page
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Giveaway:
To enter, like the author’s Facebook page then like and comment on our Facebook post! Giveaway runs until midnight on February 12, 2014. Prize is one ecopy of Hope Restrained.
