Solid 4.3 out of 5

HOT DAMN! This book was a lot of mystery and spicy spice. I did not see the twist comming, although with trashy romance novels I don't really care so much about figuring it out. I'm along for the ride.

Steamy Steam

This story has some serious steamy stalker vibes going down. Of course the usual Giga-chad, eight pack, super-rich dominance fetish male protagonist with a c0ck so large he puts a horse to shame. Because... of course. Ha ha ha. Yet, despite that the story has at its core a theme of fearing ones sanity. We've all had moments where we wonder if we're loosing our mind, if the things we've seen are real, right. It's happened to other people to... right.... RIGHT?

Vague Spoiler Filled Summary Time

The story follows Corvina, a small+ physicly weak+ slightly goth girl who's into tarot cards and low level magic and stuff. For some unknown reason she gets an invitation to a boarding school full of other people, all from broken homes and with some form of mental instability (yes nothing bad can happen from this set up). She meets Jade, a vulnerable but sweet girl.

Various drama's happen and Corvina meets her professor Vlaad the Impaler... ahem I meant Vad Deverell. Who rumour has it made a girl disappear last year and Jade is adamant Corvina go no-where near him.

Drama's unfold, Corvina goes into the forbidden forest meet's creepy professor Vad and hears Moh whispering in her ear. Moh is some prophetic voice and she's gotten used to trusting the voice. One day she forgets to send a letter to her mum but misses the deadline. Vad offers to drive her into town to deliver it. On the way back it starts raining and the two have wild sex in the car. Then Moh speaks in her head and she says Moh's name which annoys the dominatrix professor. Vad pretends nothing happens after and proceeds to get p!ssy when she talks to male class mates.

Corvina has various visions, and hears creepy voices. More mysteries are revealed. It turns out some students in the past murdered people and there was witchcraft involved. But the students got lynched and their graves are in the woods. Oh, also Vad starts having frequent sex with Corvina.

One of Corvina's friends totally accidently walks off a roof and goes splat. Leaving a macabre note referencing the upcoming ball. Various student drama's unfold. Kids go into the woods. The students older brother and detective arrives to investigate. Its revealed the Vad is actually Dracula because he owns the school atop a mountain.... ok he isn't Dracula but he DOES own the school. (Oh also the book Dracula is referenced a bunch of times).

The night of the ball happens. Students and teachers have an orgy because... ah... whatever. Corvina and Vad have riskey sex then sneak away to do it properly. Later that night the shack they did it in is set ablaze. Some students almost drown. Jade then kidnaps corvina and reveals she's eigther Vad's cousin, or sister (I can't remember which), and Jade was actually an imposter who used magic leaf powder to mmind control people and was in love with Vad wanting to make babies and some stuff... Vad intervenes, kills Jade and Corvina goes complete skitzo-mode and ends up in hospital.

This story has a great two part ending. After being released from hospital the two are married and happy. Then later Corvina's book is published and they decide to go back to the school after Vad reveals he's unanimously decided to have kids.

Boston Cream Donut Test - Success!!!

Did I pounce on my woman and make her a boston cream donut because of this book. Yes! Thank you RuNyx.

Do I recommend this Book?

I do. I enjoyed Nocticadia immensely and the thinking machines recommended this book and I'm glad I gave it a read.

My review

The wheel turns and various cogs (groups of heroes) move in the over churning wheel of time. This book is mostly set up. There's very limited action in this book. That being said I wasn't bored. I never am with these books. It's all chess peices moving into possition and somehow the writer does a great job of keeping you engaged.

Rating 4 out 5

This actually moves forwards with relationships (somewhat). So it gained +1 point, otherwise it'd be a 3 out of 5. I've heard of slow burn relationships but damn! This book series has them covered in the SLOW BURN department.

Spoilers Ahead - Vague Summary Time

>!Council of Evil gathers and makes plots against Rand. (This is becoming a theme). Story shifts to Rand in training as he gets strong with the blade. Meanwhile the call has gone out to gather every man who can channel. The false dragon Mazrim Taim offers his services and even gives the True dragon a seal to bind the big bad. Fake-dragon then uses his skills to detect men with the gift and gets to work training the great Rand Wizard Army (I call it that). Rand continues his awkward relationship with Love Interest 1 (Aviendha).!<

>!Meanwhile in Magic School Minimum and Elayne Trakand continue to gripe about being Accepted again but they go on to teach the Aes Sedai how to dream walk. Various dramas unfold, and events in the dream realm.!<

>!Meanwhile, various plots and plans unfold. Pawns move into possition, whilst the lords of evil make their plots in the background. This story seems mostly set up but its never boring. Gawyn Trakand and Egwene al'Vere have a fledgling romance. The queen of Andor is terrorized into making a deal with the children of the light.!<

>!The Aes Sedi have their own dramas and to everyone's shock Egwene al'Vere is elected Grand mother. Later Mat shows up and completely misreads the situation. Thinking Egwene is involved in some plot (which she kinda is), he plans to rescue her and take her to Rand whilst other factions make their own plots and plans.!<

>!Meanwhile, Min is playing flirting games with Rand. Trying to get that juicy goodness... I mean his lips... yeah totally. Aviendha is playing extremely coy for several books, and its not surprising his head gets turned by another woman.!<

>!Oh yeah, I also forgot about the whole it's winter but hot as hell like summer sub-plot and the journey to Ebou Dar to get the Bowl of the Winds by Elayne, Nynaeve and Mat. Additionally there's the whole Black tower subplot where the male wizards make their own magic school and the like.!<

>!Oh... then Rand gets straight up jumped by the witches of waverly place... ahem sorry. Rand gets abducted by the Aes Sedai of the white tower. No-one realises he's gone for like 6 days and when they do its a rush to find him. Oh and Min tries to help but gets captured herself.!<

>!Armies march to get rand. Wolf-man summons his army of wolves and there's a big climactic battle. The Aes-Sedi get their butts kicked and Rand has to stop himself form going on a rampage and escape with his new lover.!<

Graphic Content Warning

Wow the happiest, most upbeat and cheerful Keri Lake. Its not like a woman gets her throat cut whilst being penetrated. Nah, that totally never happens... right? RIGHT?

Here we are again. Book in hand (proverbially) and I'm about to plunge into another bleak smut-infested world of Keri Lake.

DARK! - Solid 4 out of 5

Do you want lots of sex? Well you'll have to wait. The protagonists don't even meet for several hours into the book. Seriously, its about them sorting out their own dramas long before they even met.

So how is it? Look, I'm a writer and I write some dark stuff, enough so I have to put a content warning. Yet, this sh!t had me thinking about it for days after and not in a good way. I felt disturbed and cautious to visit the underbelly world of keri lake again.

That being said. I actually enjoyed it. All her books have mysteries at their core. Look, I treat these books as trashy novels so I don't expend brain power trying to figure it out. I'm along for the ride and this book was ALOT of fun. But when it gets dark, it gets DAAAARK! If you don't mind, I highly recommend it.

Slow Burn

Keri straight up tells us the story is a slow burn, and its true. Yet, you never feel bored. Character development is galore in this thing, as well as gore.

Vague Spoiler Filled Summary Time

>!The story revolves around Molest and... ahem I meant Celeste, and Thierry Bergeron (known hereon out as Hitman). Celeste goes skinny dipping on a dare for drugs, but when the guy tries to cop a feel she kicks butt... well no she almost gets the big R until fake daddy shows up (police dad). Plot development happens, Celeste see's visions because every Keri Lake protagonist female hallucinates and see's horrific things. Except Celeste takes it to another level and needs drugs just to sleep otherwise creepy mask man shows up.!<>!Police daddy dies of cancer. Celeste feels sad and moves out. Deciding to investigate her homeland.!<

>!Meanwhile, Hitman is running a strip club/brothel... ahemn "totally legit establishment" (nudge nudge wink wink), as a former Hitman he ends up being roped into a job by shady Bossman (don't forget this guy, he's important). Hitman does a job. Then has drama with one of his girls.!<

>!Celeste arrives in town is bumming around in various places and goes around investigating. At a convenience store she runs in Addict Lady (this is a Keri Lake book after all), and Addict lady's son. Celeste tries to help them start their car but ends up giving them a ride to the strip club...(totally legit buisness). There kid runs inside and ends up with Celeste loosing her knife and running into an old friend who's grown up.!<

>!Celeste has to make meeting with Hitman to get her special knife back. Meanwhile Celeste investigates her father's mansion and discovers secret documents. Various people show up to investigate but she hides. Eventually old friend shows up and the two reunite.!<

>!Celeste is late for the meeting, Hitman agrees to give her the knife if she can win a bet, and of course she looses. He offers to sleep with her for the knife back but she refuses even though she's hot for the guy.!<

>!Various events unfold. Celeste see's things and Hitman has drama at his club. Meanwhile Bossman wants Hitman to investigate the house. Though various events Celeste ends up in Hitman's care. They go to fancy hotel but Hitman spots a corrupt FBI agent who spots Celeste and makes moves. By now Hitman has figured Celeste is special and he wants to use her as leverage to get out of the gangster life and be free.!<

>!Hitman takes Celeste to his boat and they resist each other at first but animal urges take over and they go at it with generic Keri Lake sex scenes. After, Hitman puts her through rehab by locking her in room until she overcomes her addiction. Celeste meets creepy grandma who's crazy and pretends to be Hitman's cleaner but isn't really. Somehow grandma knows about Hitman's sister who lives in a mental asylem. Celeste meets sister much to the annoyance of a nurse at mental asylum who loves Hitman and is pissed she's with him. Sister recognises Celeste's mark and Nurse is curious.!<

>!Hitman is given an offer he cannot refuse by Bossman and sent to Meheko (Mexico) to pick up a mafia boss's daughter. Meanwhile Celeste is put into the care of Luke, Hitman's cousin and friend. Luke is super kind and nice.!<

>!Events unfold and Luke has to leave. Celeste visits her old friend and finds out friends sister vanished days earlier. Boy comes out saying he saw a masked man and has a mark like Celeste. There's evidence a man entered the house and they leave. Events unfold and Celeste arrives at the carnivale where she almost gets raped by FBI man. Hitman arrives back in town after dropping mafia-man's daughter with Luke. Hitman kills FBI man.!<

>!Hitman drops Celeste in his boat and heads to Luke but finds he's having sex with mafia-princess. Hitman drives Princess to place and returns home to find Celeste missing. He goes to asylum and discovers Nurse lady is actually a satan worshiper and her son Adolf is supposedly the spawn of the devil, oh and he raped Hitman's mum or whatever.!<

>!Hitman reaches the place and meets Luke. Shocker, Lukes with the devil cult. Luke had fallen for Princess but the watches as Adolf has sex with Princess, !<(darkness inbound overt your eyes). >!Then she has an 0rg@sm and he cuts the woman's throat!< (this disturbed me for days and now it'll disturb you too... I warned you). >!Oh, also grandma is actually Celeste's grandma. They believe that children have to be marked for breading or sacrifice. Celeste's mum ran away with Celeste when she'd been marked for death. The "dad" Celeste remembered was just a therapist investigating the cult.!<

>!Various fight scenes happen. Hitman sets the bad guys ablaze and leaves with Celeste. It turns out Bossman is the main bad guy running the cult. Bossman reveals he doesn't believe but this gives him power. Bossman agrees to let them go if they kill certain people. Hitman agrees. !<

>!Book ends with Celeste chillaxing on a beach whilst Hitman returns after another kill. Oh, also they leaked the files so people got arrested. (Why Hitman still has to kill people with the list of cult members leaked is beyond me but whatever). Story ends on a happy note. Celeste and Hitman get to roam the world whilst killing bad people or whatever.!<

Boston Cream Donut Test - Fail

Yeah, it wasn't that good. Yeah things were spicy but not THAT spicy. Look, the sex in Keri Lake books boils down to the same three things. 1. Monster cock, 2. Dominance Fetish. 3. Woman never had an orgasm before she meets MC. It was great when I first read Noctocadia, its stale by my third book

Do I recommend this Book?

Its a fun book, and quite full of excitement and build up. I make this out to be a grim-dark book but its only less then 1% of the story. The rest is dark but not grim-dark. So, do I recommend? Hell yes!

What's my next Keri Lake Book? Ah... I'm taking a break. I find them to be very similar. People keep recommending Anathema: The Eating Woods, but I don't start books until the series is complete (which is why I'll likely never read game of thrones).

If anyone can recommend a Keri Lake book, let me know. Thus far, Noctocadia is my favorite and I'll probably read it again in a few months.

Here I am again. Book in hand (proverbially) and I'm about to plunge into the morally grey world of Keri Lake once more. Well, how was my second attempt at raunchy, corrupted souls smut romance fiction?

HOT! - Solid 3.5 out of 5

Hot and spicy. Fully of the raunchy sex stuff we love. From perverted protagonist drowning himself whilst Masticating (pretend it doesn't mean chew and means the other thing). A good amount of fathers humping people they shouldn't, to idiotic main characters who think they can get people pregnant without ejaculating and much more. Yet, the story kept me enthralled.

Jump Right In

This story jumps right into the action. A short drive up a creepy road and Isa is deposited into the hands of the beast (Lucian). In fact, I'm getting a little bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes already.

Vague Spoiler Filled Summary Time

>!Isa needs a job. Why? To pay for medical bills, college or drugs? Nope she needs to pay bills like a normal person. Ah! A breath of fresh air, a normal female protagonist who doesn't have mental issues and some dark/shady back story.... oh except the people she stabbed, dressing like a goth (I did that once) and cutting herself... oh and the best within. Moving on.!<

>!Lucian is your typical super rich 8 pack toting giga-chad with thundercock syndrome (I roll my eyes because its generic at this point), seriously getting ripped takes ALOT of time and the super wealthy usually don't have that kind of time to waste... ah whatever... moving on.!<

>!Isa works as a caretaker for grouchy-lady (Lucian's mother) who's sporadically mentally deficient. The nurse is a former drug addict and proves to be nice enough. Everything is going well until Isa gets attacked by a dog one night and Lucian saves her. He feels intense attraction to her but brushes her off. !<

>!Isa returns home to find her drug addict mum has returned. The woman has escaped drug dealers whom her boyfriend owes $50,000 to. I sure hope this doesn't come back to bite anyone. Mum stays with Aunty who's raised Isa since she was 10 as a surrogate mother.!<

>!Not even 24 hours pass and Mummy dearest is kidnapped with a warning to get 50 Gs OR ELSE!!!!!<

>!So naturally Isa goes to steal something from Lucian's mother. She gets caught on camera and Lucian interrogates her. (He totally has a boner the whole time). She explains the situation and Lucian resolves the issue. Mother-dearest is returned home. Gangster who dared screw with Mum is "disappeared".!<

>!Various events unfold. Lucian and Isa get together. Meanwhile we find out about Lucian's past. He was being molested by a woman who was into real dark kink stuff, drowning whilst masturbating and cutting flesh. Lets call her Child-Predator Woman. It turns out she was a hallucination and he was loosing his mind. Lucian went to a mental asylum for a time. Later during a party when he's all better he meets a beautiful girl and tries to have sex with her but he cannot finish. He gives up and they return to the part. Later, she gets pregnant they're forced to marry and he has a beautiful boy whom he loves. Meanwhile his wife goes into depression. Lucian then looses his son when the boy takes pills, and Lucian crashes a bike out of grief and ends up in hospital.!<

>!Meanwhile, in the present Isa and Lucian have a whirlwind romance. There's ALOT of sex in this book. Of the three Keri Lake books I've read this is the most sexually active one. He takes her to a cave, almost drowns her whilst eating her out and wont let her escape until she cums. Yeah, things get intense.!<

>!Flash back reveals Lucian's first wife killed herself. Oh, also there's some evil organisation who tortures people. This mayor wants part of the group because he has a twin and the group wants the mayor's daughter. It's revealed that the daughter is Isa.!<

>!Evil organisation makes their move, kidnaps Isa but Lucian goes all psycho-protector mode. He busts some skills, does a backflip and snaps a guy's neck in order to save her (I'm being dramatic). Isa is kept a secret whilst Lucian does away with the bad guys to protect her.!<

>!The story nears its end when SHOCKER. Lucian's mother is perfectly mobile and goes to kill Isa. It turns out Child-predator woman wasn't a figment of Lucian's imagination but a real woman, Mummy-dearest simply hated her because she molested Lucian and had sex with his dad. Also, it turns out the dad was the real father of Lucian's son and had sex with the girl right after Lucian did (eeeewww). Lucian does away with his mum.!<

>!Isa and Lucian live happily ever after and he even buys her a book shop. PHEW, that was a long summary. I skipped some stuff, compressed others and did some other stuff out of order. This book is FLASHBACK HEAVY! Be war.!<

Boston Cream Donut Test - Fail

Did this book make me put it down and pounce on my wife... nope. It got me hot but not that hot. Mindue me and my lady have an active sex life so I don't need a story to have an excuse.

Do I recommend this Book?

I enjoyed it. It was a fun ride, and alot less dark. then Noctodadia. Jeeze, I sure hope the next book isn't super dark and sadistic... Oh well The Isle of Sin and Shadows is next, I'm SURE that will be a bucket of sunshine... right... RIIIGHT? Thanks