2.75 "Pissed Me Off" Stars

Now to start off, I'll warn y'all. I've been Bitchy this week. Like really Bitchy.

I hate, like hate-hate, that the author decided to go w/ the the non communication thing as a plot device. That's my #1 Pet Peeve. Why can't they think of another way to arc it? I mean really, I could care less if it's in the rising action or the climax. To me it's totally overdone shows a lack of imagination. The whole, I love them but they will never love me thing gets on my ever last nerve. It took it from a 4.5 down to a 3. Gggrrrrrrrrr!

I finished it last night and am still pissed this. morning. So I took it down to a 2.75. Now, I know some of y'all will say if a book has that strong up for reaction then you should rate it higher. Fine, then you rate it higher on your review. This is my review. So I will write it however I want. So sue me.

God when they start w/ that poor, poor pitiful me crap, I get to the point IDK & I don't care anymore what happens to the characters. That's not my only problems with this story. The author also didn't confirm nor deny a couple of theories we had. Yeah she may do that later, but she didn't finish the convo w/ him & Magda over Lambert. #Holes People.

So far warning... for those of you who hate cliffhangers, not only does this one have a cliffhanger, it pushes you off!

I happen to love cliffhangers. But not ones that all of a sudden just end. That end just pissed me off. So if she would have put Magda to confirm or deny that Gabriel's family was responsible for... Then her find out that she... Then Yes, I would have been on board. But no, it had to be the old poor unlovable me. And then he's all... and that'll keep her safe. And she's all.., No. Just not buying it!

Now to be fair, that was maybe the last 20% part of the miscommunication or lack of communication as you would say cuz there wasn't no mis about. Before that whole deal I liked it. Like really liked it. The hero even had me melting b4 the foreplay or the chicka bow wow even began. She did write a good alpha. Then those scenes... Yeah...

So why did it have to all fall apart???

I graciously received a free copy for this ARC of this book & would like to thank NetGalley & the publisher. <b>Obviously, I voluntarily chose to post a review of my Honest Opinion of this book with No Influence or Interference from any company of person. Unfortunately I also received a free copy of book #2. My bestie may have to talk me into opening that one.

Life has a way of not doing what you want. Oh sure things can "work out" but really being property to "The Breaker" isn't quite what most have in mind.

Charmaine Pauls has you from the beginning. A tense situation and your protective side flairs up faster than you can say 400 hundred thousand rand. Btw, I have no idea how much money that is but I assume a lot.

Playing on your sympathies, you are forced into the role. You wouldn't choose anything else. Or at least I wouldn't.


It's so hard not to fall for...well, I will keep that part to myself. But it's hot, consuming, and so very unfinished. You will get to the end and want to scream in frustration. Good thing book two comes out in a month!

A wonderfully well written dark romance.
Gabriel may have the name of an angel but he is anything but. Valentina is a victim in a mafia game but she is strong down to her core. It will take all of that strength to survive what Gabriel has in store for her.
A shocking cliffhanger ending rounds out this 5 star novel.

The minute I read the blurb for Charmaine Pauls' Dubious, I knew I needed to read it. It was dark, sexy, consuming and so addicting. I could not stop reading and tapping for the next page. Gabriel was so damn sexy. He was controlling and so domineering that I couldn't wait to see him explode as you could just see how deep Valentina affected him and got under his skin. Their chemistry was hot and their banter out of control combustible. He wanted her and would have her at all costs. I could not get enough of this story. This was dark and somewhat taboo but oh what a delicious ride!! I absolutely can't wait to read book two, Consent!

Faced with her brother's huge gambling debt, Valentina offers herself to loan shark Gabriel Louw in exchange for her brother's life. She never would have expected that being his live-in employee aka "his property" would change her life. I absolutely FLOVED this story! It was dark and sexy and so so engrossing. I could not stop reading the minute I started. I loved that Gabriel was so drawn to her. He didn't want to admit it but he was just as emotionally attached to her as he was physically attracted to her. They had a connection that he could not deny nor would he allow anyone to stand in his way. Likewise, Valentina was drawn to his dark needs, passions and desires. I love that she began to care for him. And that ending?! OMG. I can't wait to start Consent!! What an amazing story!

Charmaine Pauls is quickly becoming an automatic one-click for me. Her novels are sexy, filled with strong heroes and heroines and have stories that are so consuming. I CAN'T wait for more from her in the future! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula 

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

This was a lot darker than I imagined it would be but I really enjoyed it. It's probably one of the darkest romances I've ever read. Pauls does not hold back right from the beginning and I really respect that from an author. What I really enjoyed was going through the motions with Valentina. You could really feel all the struggles she went through. Just like her, you want to hate Gabriel but he does a really good job of getting under your skin in a good way. I even found myself warming up to Rhett and Quincy. This isn't like most romances and it was really a breath of fresh air. A few things to note...it does end in a cliffhanger but you'll be so engrossed in the story you'll want to keep reading. There are also possible triggers in this story; the biggest one being rape. If that's not your cup of tea, I'd steer clear. I'm really looking forward to reading Consent and more from this author.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amount of sex 3 / 5
How explicit 4 / 5
Story 5 / 5
Overall: 5 / 5

Wow! This story just blew me away!

Dubious is an intense and emotional story and the first in the Loan Shark Duet by author Charmaine Pauls. It does end on a cliffhanger, but rest assured the second in the duet, Consent, is being released on November 14th!

The storyline is unique and the characters are well developed and complex. It did touch upon some difficult subject matters that some people may have a hard time with. I personally have read a lot of dark books and I believe Dubious was written perfectly. The difficult scenes were not overly graphic, which was great as I have read some that were dark and very explicit.

Dubious grabbed me from the very beginning and I can’t wait to find out what happens next! A definite add to your TBR list!!

*Voluntarily Reviewed an Advanced Copy*

Some of my GR friends had read and given rave reviews for this book. I’d been eyeing it a little distrustfully up until that point. Initially, when I first met Gabriel, I thought my friends had surely lost all their marbles. This guy is in this apartment to kill two people. And one of them is the heroine, Valentina. Well, okay, I knew he wasn’t going to outright kill her…the story would be over very quickly if that were the case.

He’s one tough and hard anti-hero. He is not a good guy. Until you get to know him and are allowed into his thoughts. Then you realize that at the heart of him he just wants to be loved despite his appearance and his money or any of the things his status can bring the woman he’s with. And Valentina has had some incredibly hard and awful things happen to her but she’s a survivor and she’s survived it all in order to care for her brother. To atone for what she believes is her fault.

This is an incredible read! I was sucked in within a few short paragraphs and hated to put it down. There is definitely some rough sex and if you’re sensitive to dubious consent, rape or sexual abuse this is definitely one you need to skip. However, if you can wade through all of that and you like an anti-hero who makes no apologies for who and what he is, this is certainly one you’ll want to read.

This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley.

Dual POV
Safe – no cheating but a little ow drama through ex-wife and ex-lover but very little and nothing to make you want to throw your kindle
Triggers - definitely

I finished the book in two days. At first, the intent was to finishing so I could give my review before its release date. Since I only received it a few days before. But honestly, I couldn't wait to get back to reading.

The premise of the story evolves around, Valentina, (the heroine) and Gabriel, (strangely...the hero) . I say this, because, although he's known as a drug lord and killer, we never see this, Only when he kills a man for attacking Valentina.

The heat levels are some of the best I have ever read, Very descriptive, and real. The emotions are all there. It was well written, to see that a who is ugly in appearance, captivates you sexually, finding him erotically beautiful.

The plot to me was different, and I'm sure others will have issues with the whole mafia/drug lord as the main conflict. But, it is only a story meant to entertain our thoughts for a short time. And without conflict, we don't have a story.

The duet POV's worked well. Most times, it spoils the anticipation for the reader--always knowing what the other is thinking. This sometimes is a spoiler for me. Not this time. It was well executed and kept my interest.

Well done, Charmaine Pauls. Looking forward to Consent.

5 Dubious Stars!

I’m not a made monster. I was born one.

Charmaine Pauls’ Dubious completely took me by surprise. It’s a blending of morally gray actions in murky situations with this diabolical eroticism that sweeps you right in. I need the conclusion to this...pronto!

Gabriel is a loan shark in an area where crime rules the day. He’s one of the top dogs and his assignment? Take out a woman and her brother who owe his family money. But one look at the woman in question has Gabriel defying his family’s wishes and taking the woman as his own.

Valentina finds herself in an untenable situation when her brother racks up more debt than she can pay. She agrees to Gabriel’s demand—working as his maid and as anything else he requires. She only needs to last nine years...

But the forced pleasure he puts on her complicates everything Valentina thought she knew.

First, the book is set in South Africa. I really enjoyed that. The area Valentina lives in is fraught with corruptness, danger, and savagery. Valentina, however, is willing to do whatever it takes to get her and brother out of there. Valentina has a core of steel, and I admired the hell out of this woman. She meets fire with fire, and even though her choices are slim, they’re very much still her choices and she owns them.

Now, Gabriel. He’s one complication after another. Sometimes, I despised him and others, I really felt for this guy. I was a big bleeding heart reading this novel, and I couldn’t step away.

There’s a cliffhanger (of course), and it’s so good I was panting for the next. I’m so happy that both parts are releasing close to the other because dang…I need it.

Be aware that there is forced seduction. There are moments are dubious consent, but it’s tempered and wrapped up in Valentina and Gabriel’s POV in such a way that you’re pulled like a rubber band this way and that.

If you’re wanting a read that takes on and tests boundaries, one that colors outside the lines and makes us question the right and wrong of it all as well as the decisions we make for those we love—for what we protect—then you’ll need to run for this book.

Deliciously dark, inevitably erotic, and heart-wrenchingly enthralling, Dubious keeps your adrenaline pumping all the way through.

3.5 Stars
A gripping read with an interesting cast of characters. The dubious or forced consent brought on by Gabriel’s infatuation with Valentina was, as it should be, a bitter to pill to swallow. Valentina’s predicament with Gabriel, though, was quickly overshadowed by his mother’s abrupt and cruel behaviour.
Full review to be added soon.

Intense, suspenseful, dark and passionate.
This is book one of two and will leave you waiting with baited breath to read the second!

You know, I read some glowing reviews before reading this. I read where this was an unexpected read and yet I’m still kind of shocked with how much this story affected me.

Valentina just breaks my heart. The unfairness of everything she has had to endure and still comes out fighting. Most people would have broken long before. But the biggest surprise? Gabriel. The fact that this author took an evil man who does unspeakable things to people and made me care about him just astounds me. The obsession. The need for love in such a bleak world. The good hidden behind the evil.

Even the side characters were a surprise. The author showed us a little glimpse into the brutality of these men and then gives us the humane side of them. How can people have such opposing sides is fascinating. The complexity to all the characters made for a fascinating read.

I was so wrapped up in this book, I completely ignored life. If you can handle dark or triggers such as rape and physical violence, you really should check this book out. It does end on a cliffhanger, but you won’t have to wait long for the next book. Personally, I can’t wait to see how such an impossible situation is going to turn out. ARC provided by NetGalley.

4 "surprising" stars
This series was my first ever read from Ms. Charmaine Pauls. So, as an experiment I truly didn’t pack much expectation with me while embarking on the journey through its pages. This traveller believes lighter the luggage, easier the climb. No sound is more piercing than the shattering of false thought expectations. I thank Ms. Pauls for saving my feelings in that regard.
This book came as a pleasant surprise to me. When my mind was in turmoil about where to move the sail next, this one showed its way. The story is engaging with the characters showcasing their own individual point of view and feelings along with all the factors combined as a whole. True, the plot feels a little predictable and before-read. But I solemnly believe ‘Go on the feel, man!’. Most of the things are likeable even after all their minute flaws, in fact, because of them. Plus, this one ends in a cliffhanger, to be continued in next and last read in the series. And I am a huge sucker for a cliffhanger.
So, yeah! I’ll go back for more. Definitely going to complete this series and then, consider the author for another read in the not so distant future.

"Property is more untouchable than a wife."

Fucking fantastic. It's dark, unexpected, and straight out sexy. I can't remember how many times I cussed because of this book. I am sure this book made me cuss the most, even it's after effects on me kept me cussing with everything I do. I didn't think I'd make a fuss with this book, especially when it's related to mafias and gangs but after I finished it last night, I found myself unable to stop myself my talking about it to my friends. I cannot stop thinking about this book and it's preventing me from falling asleep at night. There's something about lust at first sight when it comes to books. I find that appealing to me, in literature form only of course.

P L O T

I can't say it's face paced, but it is in it's own pace. Charmaine takes us one day at a time. I can't say the same for the problems and issues that just come one after another. Even if you remove all the sex scenes in this book it's still quite interesting. However, the characters wouldn't seem very normal since human beings have sex as their basic need.


C H A R A C T E R S

"I'm not a made monster. I was born one."

That line right there is not an original, but it has never sounded so true. I always hate this character design where the guy thinks he's not worthy to be loved, but Gabriel Louwe has many reasons to feel that way. Physically and emotionally. Valentina also has every reason to be designed as proud, she has taken care of her older brother for many years all on her own despite being broken a lot of times and bearing scars almost as ugly as Gabriel's. I love each character no matter how dark they may be, I love how I hate them too.


W R I T I N G

"His eyes run over my body as if he's looking for sins in my soul."

I love how every named character is involved in some way and they're not just bystanders in the story. They have lines to say and roles to play.

I find writing erotic books very, very challenging. It has a lot of sex scenes and you need to make sure they don't sound the same and they need to keep the interest of the reader. There's only so much you could do with the human body during that lustful, private moment and how you describe it could be how another author does too and you need to find that unique voice to stand out. I highly respect authors of this genre for having their way with words.


O V E R A L L

Together we're invincible. As long as he's with me, no one else can touch me.

I don't know what else to say but 'You have to read this book'. This is my first mafia/gang themed book and I am not disappointed. I don't think it's overly done, nothing sounds exaggerated. I cannot express more how I loved this book so much and I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoy reading broken families, broken souls, mafia/gang theme and of course erotic books.

There is just so much to say about this book. It leaves you with a whirlwind of mixed emotions. There were many times where I found myself disgusted with not only the hero but also the heroine. And yet there were just as many times where a loved both of them and could empathise with them. First off, I loved the fact that the book was set in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was unique and refreshing. However, judging from how Charmaine Davis describes it, it does seem like Joburg is a dangerous and scary place.

Gabriel Louw is a loan shark who has a very bad reputation. Scarred physically from many fights and attacks, he is a monster of a man. He is dark and dangerous and only seems to have a soft spot for his teenager daughter Carly. He runs his business with his mother Magda. An even bigger monster than Gabriel, Magda has no qualms about killing anyone who gets in her way. She even shot Gabriel in the foot when he was a child when he refused to kill someone with her bidding. According to her, showing weakness is the biggest sin that one can commit. So when a young man with brain damage owes them 400,000 rand in gambling debt they decide to kill him and his only family, his sister in retribution. But it seems that Gabriel has finally found someone that softens his cold heart and makes him feel human again.

Valentina is doing everything to make ends meet. After losing both parents she is left to take care of her brain damaged brother. Charlie is all she has left and she will do anything to make sure that he is safe. So when she discovers that he has been going gambling while she is at work and now owes one of the deadliest mafia families a fortune she has no idea what to do. She knows that she can never find that much money and it seems that the only way that they are going to collect is through taking their lifes. But it seems that the dangerous Gabriel Louw has another idea. An idea that is a breath away from slavery. She has to work as his family's live-in maid and work for free for nine years. And also do everything that Gabriel asks of her. Everything.

And even though the mere sight of him scares her to death, she gradually finds herself being drawn to him and soon finds herself craving him and even trusting him. But with Magda determined to find fault in everything that she does and threatening her with death, she knows that her days are numbered and that she has to find a way to ensure that her brother is safe.

I must admit that I'm not a big fan of forced seduction. But there is just something about Gabriel that draws you in. Maybe it is the suffering that you feel deep within him or the tender way that he loves Valentina and tries to protect her even when she has no clue what he is doing. The book ends on a cliffhanger and leaves you breathless waiting to find out what's in store for this tumultuous couple whose not only relationship seems to hang from a thin tread but whose very lives are in constant danger. A romance that will have you constantly at the edge of your seat!!!

When I read the blurb and synopsis for this book I was expecting a dark story. While this had plenty of issues with possession and other dark urges, the story itself did not read as depraved. In fact, I could almost see why Val ended up accepting her fate. Gabriel is over the moon for her...

The author did a great job conceiving this story and the writing flowed easily. It was tough to put down mainly because it was damn HOT in so many places.

But all good things must come to an end and this one ended with a cliffy and the promise of more dark urges and training to come. Watch out for Momma tho! I have a feeling things are going to get nasty.

A good quality read. I was drawn in the whole way. I'm honoured to have received a copy from NetGalley

Well, color me blown away. I've never read anything by this author before and I went into this one totally blind. I really wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest. What I got was a fantastically well written and paced book with a plot that kept me turning the pages like a mad woman. I loved that it was set in South Africa. It gave the book a real uniqueness. There was minimal OW/OM drama. I wouldn't say it was overly angsty. There were some twists and turn and smokin' hot sex scenes. It had an excellent cast of interesting secondary characters, and both main characters were likable.

I loved that the author made the hero "ugly." Oh, he is still has a body that makes women weak in the knees. But he walks with a limp and has severe facial scarring. I guess what I am trying to say is that he wasn't "perfect" in physical appearance or actions. I adored him though. He was the perfect anti-hero to me. Damaged and dangerous and mean with glimpses of vulnerability that only the heroine brought out. I loved this heroine as well. This poor girl had so much shit happened to her, but she just kept battling forward. Her scenes with her mentally impaired brother squeezed my heart. She was a fighter for sure. Lastly, since this is a duet it, of course, ends on a rather large cliffhanger but book two is releasing in November so we won't have long to wait.

Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.

Valentina isn’t in a good place, but she is working hard to dig herself out of her circumstances. She’s taking care of her brother who has brain damage, going to school, and working. She’s determined to make it. That is, until she entrusts the wrong person to keep an eye on her brother. Her brother is indebted to a loan shark for a lot of money. Now, she is forced to work for him for nine years. She works for the family as a maid during the day, but she’s at the mercy of Gabriel’s desires at night.

This read is just what the doctor ordered. It’s a dark and steamy story that will take you on a wild ride. The first quarter of the book takes some time to suck you in, but it worked for this story. Things really begin to pick up and you’ll find yourself not wanting to put this book down. You’re going to enjoy this one!

Well written suspenseful story. This dark romance between Gabriel and Valentina deserves a 5 star rating for the well written and well thought out plot. His mother is detestable and I hope she gets what she deserves in the next book.

This Mafia style story is heartbreaking and gripping but ends in a huge cliffhanger which I hate. That being said, the author is talented and weaves a great tale.

If you don't mind the cliffy, this dark intense romance is sure to please!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley.