Title: Blood and Roses
Series: Tainted Hearts #3.5
Author: Lylah James
Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC
Genre: Mafia Romantic Suspense
Release Date: February 27, 2018
Blurb
Maria
I was trapped. There was nothing left of me.
Then he came and wanted to make me his.
He saved me. He gave me a home, a family.
He made sweet love to me.
I was his Angel. He was my everything.
I thought we would live happily ever after, but there are no happy endings in the mafia life.
I found this out the hard way, as the blood flowed, red as roses…
Lyov
Angel. The word meant nothing until I saw her.
I found her in a place worse than hell. She calls me her savior.
But I didn’t save her. I captured the pretty angel and made her mine.
Life was perfect. I had everything I wanted.
I was her salvation. She was my redemption.
Until I lost her.
Angels deserve happy endings, but monsters like me don’t.
My darkness became hers, and our happily-ever-after became tainted.
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Excerpt
"I am a mad man, Maria. And you tested my patience today,” he hissed, his face coming so close to mine and I shivered in his hold.
My hand came up and gripped his wrist, not to dislodge his hold from my throat but to keep it there. His eyes flared dangerously and I knew I was playing with fire.
“I am sorry,” I whispered.
No. I don’t think you are.”
Shock coursed through my body at his words and I flinched. The tears made another appearance. I tried to deny his claim but the look on his face stopped me.
“Stand up,” he ordered softly. But oh, it was every bit menacing.
My body was his, my mind was his…and I obeyed instantly. There was no hesitation. His grip released my throat and I stood up on shaking legs in front of Master.
“You broke my rules, Maria. The rules are there to protect you and you consciously went against me. I can’t keep you safe like this.”
My chin wobbled against the effort to keep my tears at bay. I was ashamed. Embarrassed. And wanted nothing more than for Lyov to just hold me.
But he was angry. I’d made him angry.
“You know what happens when you break one of my rules. You are aware of the consequences,” he continued in the same harsh, rough voice.
I nodded silently.
“Your words,” he demanded. Each word hit me like a harsh lash against my fragile skin. Lyov was brutal.
“Yes. I am aware of the consequences, Master.” Maybe…just maybe that was why I did it.
He stared me down, his grey eyes icy. “Good. Undress then.”
I went to quickly do as I was told, gripping my nightgown and starting to pull it over my head but Lyov’s voice stopped me.
“Slowly, Maria. Undress slowly for me.”
His words sent a shiver down my body, all the way to my toes. My thighs clenched. Lyov sat back lazily and watched me intently. Without taking his eyes off me, he took a bottle of scotch from the small table beside him and poured some in a glass.
His head was cocked to the side as he brought the glass to his lips and sipped slowly. The darkness in his eyes didn’t disappear. It was still there and more. Intense. Furious. Dangerous.
There was a fiery need inside of me. My hands trembled as I brought them up to unbutton my nightgown. My fingers fumbled with the buttons and Lyov watched me with rapt attention, an eyebrow raised mockingly.
Finally, when all six buttons were open, I breathed out a sigh. My hands paused and my stomach clenched. Slowly, like Lyov wanted me to, I pushed the nightgown down my shoulders and then my arms before it pooled at my feet.
I was left with only my bra and panties. The cold air caressed me and goosebumps rose on my skin. I shivered even though Lyov’s heat was penetrating into my every pore.
His gaze was filled with danger, brutality…and need.
At the thought of Lyov being in complete control and seeing him exude dominance with just a mere glance, or just a simple word—it had my senses in override. "
In this series
My review
I hope to not cry writing this review, but it will be really hard not to.
Let's take a step back when Lyov meets Maria for the first time. Their story should be a fairy tale. Love always should give and not take everything. I have no words to tell you what Blood & roses is. First comes the roses with all their beauty and intensity and then fate decide to rip off the petals. Deciding that the thorns have to prevail. And that's when comes the blood with all its devastating power. It has no mercy. It never looks back, it takes everything. But it can't break the bond between these two hearts. Never! ( I told you I'll cry ). When you love someone you'll feel it deep inside. And that person will be with you for eternity, even if you can touch or hear her anymore, she will always live in your heart be right next to you like a little angel intending to look after you and guide you like a star in the darkness.
A love like they HAVE never die.
But love sometimes is cruel is like those thorns.and you can do nothing, because it's the same love which made your heart beat faster, it's the same love who will break it in million pieces.
But there is the beautiful side of love too, memories nobody can take away. Memories of a time when Lyov loved and has been loved. Moments when he would shoot the moon, put out the sun to make his Maria happy. Moments when her voice was his favorite sound. A time where love made them a promise. A time when they believed it.
But love is also sacrifice. You give it everything you got and you won't think twice
You'd risk it all, no matter what may come. That's what love asked Maria to and she had no doubts to make her (right) choice for her lover.
So Blood and roses is a teerjeker masterpiece. Lyov will remind you so much of his son. And Maria will mell your heart with her sweetness and devotion.
An advance: be sure to have some tissues next to you, because you'll use them all!
I can't end this heartbreaking review without a word to this DARK GENIUS of Lylah. I called it my Lyladdiction. Because when you read such a blowing mind dark love story, you can't live without it. Lylah is perfect in all and for all. There were moments when I was speechless by her perfect style. It's like she got the pieces of a puzzle and with her magical touch that comes naturally and effortless for her she's able to put them in the right place and create a dark fairy tale.
About the author
Lylah James lives with her parents and younger brother somewhere in Canada. She uses all her spare time to write. If she is not studying, sleeping, writing or working – she can be found with her nose buried in a good romance book, preferably with a hot alpha male.
Writing is her passion. The voices in her head won’t stop and she believes they deserve to be heard and read. Lylah James writes about drool worthy and total alpha males, with strong and sweet heroines. She makes her readers cry – sob their eyes out, swoon, curse, rage and fall in love. Mostly known as the Queen of cliffhanger and the #evilauthorwithablacksoul, she likes to break her readers’ hearts and then mend them again.
