Now hmmm where to start? I really enjoyed this book more than I thought. It has a Pepper Winters type vibe. So, if you like that author you definitely will like this one. This read is sensual and heart breaking. Valentine and her brother have had a rough go of it. Their parents died, Charlie has brain damage. Valentine has guilt issues thinking that it is her fault her brother is like he is. I really feel like there is going to be a major turn and twist in this story. I Can Feel It Coming!! Magda Despises Valentina.. Why? Well, I am definitely Reading 📚📚 this next one!

I received this E-arc from the publisher via Net Galley for my honest opinion. Thank you Net Galley!

Dubious by Charmaine Pauls is a really good surprise,I didn't expect to like this story as much as I did.
Firstly the book is far way from the typical stereotype indeed the hero is not the handsome billionaire that we can read everywhere,he's scarred inside out,at the begining he even seems repulsive,more beast than man. So it was pleasant to see him change in the eyes of Valentina,to progressively see her care for him.
I like the dynamic between him and her,the push and pull and their fiery attraction.
I can't wait for the next book

A badass loan shark who is called The Breaker. This is not your typical love story. It is dark and dreary and passion-filled. Gabriel. Enough said. How much more can Valentina’s life handle? She just has nothing going right for her until Gabriel. He does skirt the line of dubious consent but he does it out lust (really his love that he does not recognize) for Valentina.

Beware this does end in a cliffhanger which I usually do not like to read. This book was a surprise and I need to know what happens so I am definitely reading the next book.

Didn't do for me tbh, felt like a mix of all type of plotlines and characters you've seen out there x times and a buncha smut scenes with lack of character depth makes it worse.

wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, the relationship between val and Gabriel just screams off the page. the intensity and passion between the two of them is just electric. the characters feel very real and very strong. very descriptive.
there are elements of humour that make the story seem less dark, and then there are elements that are just a bit too unrealistic.
the story itself is brilliantly written, well paced and emotive where it should be. I loved this and cant wait to read the next.

This book was sexy, interesting, and steamy. Definitely need to read part 1 to understand part 2 and I loved the build up of the attraction and relationship between the main characters and the storyline behind it all.

This is a Back to Back, flows from one book to the other. This is a dark romance HEA. Since this is the first book I will only review this, I enjoyed this very much, I wished the characters talked to each other more but you understand why they don't/can't.
The sex scenes are well written, and a joy to read :)

I did not read this book as I couldn't get into the characters. DNF

The plot has tension, suspense and passion that can't be denied as the excellent story unfolds. It comes highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this! The plot was great and grabbed me from the start...add in the bold and beautiful characters and I couldn't put it down! Oh and lets not forget the dirty, steamy hot sex scenes.
Valentina and Gabriel are 2 characters with some deep emotional and external scars..their stories allow you to really get into their heads and believe what is going on. You can feel what they are feeling and see why they act how the act. Their emotions and darkness that surrounds them both make them absolutely perfect for each despite how they came together.
Wonderfully written! I enjoyed it so much I have already started the 2nd book!

<b>I LOVED THIS BOOK!!</b> That being said, it's not for everyone.

This is a dark, gritty, romance. It plays with the idea of consent and at first, I did not know if I would even like it, let alone get through the book. I was proved very wrong about that within the first 10% of reading it. This book is set in Johannesburg, South Africa. I've never read a book set in this location. But it was very interesting learning about the city--it has big class disparities, poverty, pockets of lawlessness, racial divide, and areas that are very corrupted.

The way Charmaine Pauls writes is a revelation. It's intelligent, emotionally-driven, and well done. The minute I had a thought of, "But what about this? Or that?" She would answer those burning questions that if unanswered would have been plot holes or issues I'd have with the book. This particular book is written from both the Hero and Heroine's point of view, which alternates in a clear way.

Valentina is a student getting a correspondence degree to be a vet and lives the crime ridden area of Berea in Johannesburg, South Africa. She's on her own with her disabled brother Charlie. He had a traumatic brain injury as a teenager and can't live on his own. She's had a rough childhood, a mother who was questionable at best and a father involved in crime.

Gabriel grew up in a rich crime family, dealing in loans and effectively is a loan shark that does his mother, Magda's bidding--to a point. They conflict quite a bit about the family business. Magda is basically the boss of the family business. She calls the shots, for the most part. Gabriel is the epitome of a tortured hero. He scarred emotionally and physically. His mother is basically a cruel bitch. She was the arbiter of his abusive childhood. To say they don't get along and butt heads over the family business, is an understatement. Gabriel's reputation precedes him. He is called <i>The Breaker</i> and enforces loans that aren't paid.

He is tasked with killing Charlie who has racked up debt at one of their casino bars, to the tune of R4000,000 (about $30,000 USD). Someone (not Gabriel) loaned him the money even though he's disabled and now he has to pay. The problem is, Valentina barely makes ends meet and the neighbor tasked with watching him in exchange for her cleaning his place, a petty criminal and gambling addict, but the only one she can trust, has gotten Charlie in this mess. When Valentina finds out, she takes Charlie from the bar and not soon after the loan shark, Gabriel is there with two of his thugs to kill them both for not paying their debt.

Gabriel is intrigued and taken aback by her bravery and protectiveness and love for her brother (love that he's never known from his family) and offers her a deal to work for him for 9 years to pay back his brother's debt. It's either that or he kills her brother. She wants to make monthly payments but that's not an option. She has to do anything he says. He wants her as his property. <spoiler>My only big issue with this beginning scene is one of the guards/thugs, Rhett, shoots her dog, Puff. It's later explained it was an act of mercy so he didn't end up a street dog starving to death (a big issue in S.A.) because Rhett is told they're there to kill Charlie and Valentina by Magda to make an example out of them, not strike a deal). The first beginning scenes also involve rape, which is a touchy subject for some.</spoiler>

When he brings her back to his house, his mother, Magda, is not pleased. She lets her know her and Charlie are dead if she so much as makes a mistake (which she is planning on). She doesn't want other "customers" and associates to think they've gone soft on those who don't pay their debts. Magda decides she'll be the maid for their palatial house. She's set up for failure.

Gabriel visits her in her room, on her first night in the house. Thinking she'll be raped by him, he instead says he won't sleep with her until she begs for it. Though they do engage in some sexual activity that night.

This book was emotional, intense and a rollercoaster. I don't normally go for books like this. But I <b>LOVED</b> it. It was so well done.

It reminded me of a mix of the Sopranos meets Sons of Anarchy meets I don't know what. There's crime, murder, rape (if that puts you off entirely, this is not the book for you), betrayal, and lots of dark emotions. It's an intense read. <b>I could not-put-it-down.</b> Pauls really focuses on the character development of both Gabriel and Valentina and some of the secondary characters, which can be rare for erotica novels. Gabriel and Valentina grow to have a deep connection and bond. He does what he can to shield her from his mother, Magda. Ultimately, he wants her trust and love and he made the deal with her to save her and her brother's life.

<b>Fair warning:</b> This book is filled with intense sex scenes, BDSM, including sadomasochism, plays with and focuses on the concept of consent.

I'm not sure what's stopping me from giving this 5 stars. For me, I wish Gabriel was sometimes a bit nicer to Valentina. It wasn't that he was mean or cruel. But sometimes, when she would ask him questions, he didn't say the most endearing things. For example, <spoiler>at one point in the book, he's already admitted to himself he cares for her and obviously has feelings for her. But when she asks if he's sleeping with anyone else, he does say no. But then says, "I'll let you know if I do." It's so unbelievably OFF CHARACTER to me. Given he says he's never had such an emotional and physical connection and previously had thoughts that he didn't want to sleep with anyone else but her. So why be so cavalier??</spoiler>

This book ends on a <b>cliffhanger</b> and I kind of wish it did not. Book 1 is 241 pages and so is book 2. To me, a single book of 482 pages would have been better. But luckily I have an ARC of book 2, so off I go!

<i>This book book was generously provided to me by NetGalley and the Publisher for an honest review.</i>

I really liked this book. It was dark yet there was a ray of hope throughout. The characters were very well developed and I found I couldn't put the book down because I was so interested in what would happen next. I gave it only 4 stars because it was a cliffhanger and I prefer the full story in one book.

***ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review***

Fans of the Consequence series by Aleatha Romig will fall in love with Dubious by Charmaine Pauls. This is one lone shark series you don't want to miss. Captivating from the beginning to the end, Charmaine writes a suspenseful mafia romance of control, passion and love that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next!

"Valentina is a natural submissive, my favorite kind of conquest."

Finding herself at the service of Gabriel Louw, the Breaker of the Napoli family, Valentina has ended up in quite a predicament! Her brother has racked up thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt and the lone sharks have come to collect. instead, Gabriel strikes a deal... Val is to be his "property" for 9 years. To be whatever he wants, when he wants. She will do anything to see her brother not harmed. Even though she would rather see herself in better circumstances, she comes to rely on Gabriel for comfort and lust. he trains her to be ready for him at a moments notice which she soon craves.

Enemies lurk at every corner waiting to pounce on Val and give Gabriel backlash on his new acquirement. As Gabriel learns more and more about Val, he begins to fall for her, but at the same time keeping his harsh ways. When the enemies become to close to comfort, can Gabriel find a way out for Valentina or will she meet her end?

A dark mafia romance that I devoured on a 4 hour plane ride. I loved the storyline, characters and plot! reminds me a lot of other dark romance authors, but Charmaine Pauls has her own unique style of writing that I admired that sets her apart. This is the first book in the duet series and I can't wait to continue on to find out the conclusion for Gabriel and Valentina!

The book was well written and fast paced. The characters are believable and the story is well developed. There are a few characters I hope will get their just desserts in the upcoming book, and I hope the heroine catches a break or two. The only thing I might take exception to, was the unexpected ending. It seemed like one really long book had originally been written and the publisher decided to chop it into two to get a series out of it. (That's how I felt about the Fifty Shades Series) That said, I will definitely be reading the second book to see what happens.

4.5*


Firstly this is a cliffhanger but since both books are being released back to back it didn't present the usual wait which is the part I struggle with.

The book paints a desolate picture, it's set in Johannesburg in what has become known as drug valley, everyone with money moved leaving the area for the drug dealers, Mafia and gangs.
It's safe to say Valentina is struggling, after losing both her parents she looks after her brain damaged brother, Charlie. She's trying her best to give them a future by training to become a vet but she hardly earns enough to get by on top of feeding and looking after Charlie she has huge college bills to cover.
She's barely keeping her head above water which is bad enough but the book opens with her arriving home from work one night to find Charlie missing. She knows where he'll be, her neighbour a car thief named Jerry was supposed to be watching him but as well as being a car thief he also has a gambling problem and she discovers Charlie is not only gambling but he's a VIP and owes four hundred thousand rand.
She never thought to declare him incompetent and revoke his financial signing power.

Gabriel Louw is known and feared and he's come to collect, Valentina has nowhere to go and no way to pay the debt.
Gabriel has orders to kill both Valentina and Charlie to set an example and reinforce that's it's a bad idea to mess with the Louw family but Gabriel wants Valentina and offers her a different deal. She's his for nine years while she works off her brothers debt in any way he sees fit.

Magda (Gabriel's mother) is furious she wants Val and Charlie dead and so Valentina finds herself property of the Louw family and made to clean the huge mansion.
Magda pushes because she needs her to fail, she's determined to kill her whereas Gabriel is intrigued and obsessed and needs her alive but his mother is a cruel and powerful woman who always gets what she wants.

Gabriel turned out to be an interesting character and not what I was expecting. I've read books similar to this before and in them the Gabriel character is always top of the food chain with total control and command and while they may have demons they answer to no one.
The fact that Magda is very much at the top of food chain adds another dynamic to this book. Gabriel is also scarred and disfigured and far from the male perfection I'm used to but the attraction between him and Val is unlike anything either of them has felt before.
Gabriel's obsession increases along with Magda's determination to push Valentina to fail. Valentina is caught in the middle with nine long years stretching out before her but we all know one way or another she's not making those nine years as she is now, something has to give.

Valentina is strong, unbelievably strong and her love for her brother is, at first anyway the only thing that gets her through each day. As things progress Gabriel turns into the only thing getting her through the nights.

This in itself makes for compulsive reading but the more Gabriel gets to know Valentina the more both she and her past confuse him and he starts to investigate.

By this point, faults and all I just wanted Gabriel and Valentina to be together and this is the point a lot of books would end, with a nice HEA and I'd be happy.
But here there's Magda and Gabriel needs to find a way to keep Valentina alive.

I'm running on 3 hours sleep since I stayed up to finish this and even then I barely resisted starting Consent.

It's safe to say this book was a surprise, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did and it's very close to getting 5* which is a rating I very rarely give.

And so it's straight onto Consent now for me.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Charmaine Pauls.

I really enjoyed this Duet of books. The characters were well developed. They were flawed, yet each changed. I really really loved it and cannot wait to read more by this author. I devoured these books!

couldn't out it down! So happy to have the chance to find and read! Definitely a new author for me!

This gave me all of my recent cravings all rolled into one intense book. There's servitude to repay a debt, dubious consent/forced seduction, and mob/mafia influence. Set to release this October, it's definitely one to put on your tbr shelf. 

Valentina is a vet student who takes care of her brother after he suffered serious brain damage in a car accident. Set in Johannesburg, there's a lot of poverty and paying people off for protection. Val finds her brother gambling one night and discovers he owes a debt to a loan shark for 400,000 rand. Obviously, Val doesn't have the money to pay the loan shark, Gabriel, off so she's forced to work off the debt for nine years. What she doesn't know is that Gabriel wants to make her his and doesn't plan on letting her go at the end of the contract.

However, Gabriel's mother, who runs the family business, wants both Val and her brother dead. She puts Val through grueling tasks to set her up for failure, but Val doesn't break. Meanwhile, Gabriel trains her to desire his body and what it can do to her, and she struggles with her heart and her mind's attraction to him. Gabriel starts having deeper feelings for Val and he devises a plan to ensure her safety from his mother. 

I thought this was really well-written because it felt real; Val's reluctance with Gabriel was believable and I loved that she didn't really secretly desire him outside of the bedroom. When the heroine starts falling in love with her captor right after a sexual encounter, it kind of ruins the whole dubious consent thing, so I really appreciated this. It also showed Val's desperation and strength through all her interactions with Gabriel and his mother. There was solid character development and many secondary characters started to steal my heart. I can't wait for the conclusion to the story!

5 stars. This was super freaking addicting! Right from the very beginning I was drawn in and hooked on to the story and I was dreading come to the end. This could’ve easily been 2x longer than what it is and I would’ve been perfectly happy.

I knew this was going to be a dark read but this was brutal at times! It was intense and just an overall very heavy book which honestly, if I’m going to read adult romantic suspense novels, the darker the better. This definitely delivered on that front.

This was my first book by this author and I am super impressed with her writing style. I loved it. She did a great job with the pacing, the story was intriguing, the setting was so different (it’s set in South Africa!) and the characters were perfectly flawed and fucked up. There were just so many elements to this that just worked for me.

Valentina was a great character. Despite her situation I feel like she stayed true to herself all the way through. She was so strong and so kind that it was easy to root for her. I felt for her so much and yet she still preferred to look at the positive side of things in a situation that could’ve easily broken her. It was admirable. I also love the way she took care of her brother, Charlie, which that entire situation ripped my heart out. So good.

Gabriel is an enigma and I hate that I love him so much. There is so much more to his character than the surface level and I really enjoyed seeing just how complexed and twisted he was. I just can’t wrap my head around his character but I was so infatuated the more he opened up and let his guard down even a little bit. I want more of his character because there’s still so much more to know about him.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I’m looking forward to the second and final book.

A twisted steamy smoking hot romance book that is shocking but you can't put it down. A great introduction to this series