Emilia is bullied and humiliated by Vicious... for many reasons! She is hurt, threatened and ruined by him ...many times! It is difficult to bear, really. I changed my mind about babies,” Emilia said "Maybe not right now or in a few years, but down the road, I want it."

I heard him rummaging through the cabinets. My eyes fluttered open. Grabbing a first-aid kit, he produced a small bottle of medicine and a syringe, frowning at the tiny instructions on the vial as he spoke. Friends, I’m just going to say it; the sex in this book is 11/10. Seriously, I immediately had to take a cold shower after, because the angst almost killed me during this reading experience. Like, the sexual tension in this is so damn extreme and some of the best I’ve read in a very long while. It feels like the slowest burn of all time, even though I don’t think I’d necessarily classify it as a slow burn. I don’t know, it’s a really weird reading experience, but so damn gratifying. The dirty talk was expertly done, too, and totally leg crossing inducing if you get what I’m saying. Devon, you should be counting your blessings every day that a hot girl like Belle would even give you the time of day you crusty old man!

The Plot

He scooped me in his arms with frightening ease, walking across the room, and dumping me onto the bed. I was stark naked, save for a skin-colored thong. She is absolutely loyal 🙏 Thank the lord for her loyalty. She had my heart because she remained loyal and faithful towards her boyfriend as she should have been. Emilia's parents take a job working for Vicious' parents when she is in high school. He is the spoiled, but neglected, rich kid. As he frequently points out, she is the "Help". It’s disappeared. Hopefully not in her hairdo.” I heard the grin in my sister’s voice. “Oh, by the way. Can you bring Hunter’s ring if his brother doesn’t show up to take it? Technically, it’s Cillian’s job, but he’s probably in the gardens, skinning a female employee and making fashionable coats out of her flesh.” But what crept me out more than anything was the "author's excuse" of his cruel treatment of the heroine...so his traumatic past warranted his demeaning actions towards her and other women he slept with?...but where is the demarcation line that has to be drawn between the flawed but redeemed Hero? This is a story in which boundary lines have become blurred. Yes, this book is perceived as "fiction" but this is meant to be the romance genre and therefore, the hero can be seen to be flawed, but not an amoral abuser. And we were supposed to believe that this Hero would love and cherish the heroine at the story's conclusion? His supposed love for the heroine? Could not withstand the lure of "other women" even after he knew what he was feeling he still cheated...Nothing was sacred to Vic. He came across as terribly immoral. So that love was strong but not strong enough...10 years seem like a long time realizing his true love for the heroine. The redeemable aspect of Vic and the emotions that it was supposed to stir somehow did not feel real to me.

Well, enough is enough! Emilia may be too good to be true, but she is stronger than she looks. The groveling in the end satisfied me somehow, but I still think Vicious is dangerous and he can flip out any time. Emilia and Vicious’ story is so good and doesn’t end with a cliffhanger as this will be a series with Vicious’ best friends all getting their own books! The lessons learned, the love that was always there and the writing… TW // child abuse, sexual abuse, grooming, pedophilia, rape, violence, stalker, fertility issues, & miscarriage.

Publication Order of California Love Books

Because frankly, books where a cold and ruthless hero suddenly becomes smitten with the heroine turning the good book into the complete mushy-mushy, rainbow-and-unicorns cheese fest annoy me as hell.

When the book ended, all I wanted was to rewind it and re-read it... I didn’t want to part my way from these people. Thank God, it is a series and we will see these characters in other books, at least as side characters :) I didn’t believe her until I met Baron Spencer and he became my nightmare. Then my nightmare became my reality. I thought I’d escaped him. I was even stupid enough to think he’d forgotten I ever existed.Welcome to Shh... [Smut, Heroes & HEAs], a reader group dedicated to contemporary Romance & Erotica.

and lastly “The night we got in bed together for the first time, at Cillian’s cabin, was the night I first contemplated breaking my pact with myself to never marry a woman. I refuse to lose the only woman who is worth breaking my word over.” - I - is Devon suffering from dementia? since when has he been obsessed with Belle from day 1??? The Four HotHoles ( Trent, Jamie, Dean and Vicious) who ruled the school, they were invincible, nobody touched them, everyone bowed down to them. Emilia was a heroine you can't help but like. They say the line is thin between love and hate and that's definitely the case here. She wants to hate Vicious and he surely gives her plenty of reason to...and yet, he's like a magnet drawing her in.My Auntie Tilda named me. She battled breast cancer, on and off. The week I was born, she got the all clear after her first round of chemo. My mother let her name me as a present.”