DNF@27%

Ok so first let me say that I thought book 1 was ok. While it started good for me it quickly went downhill. I didn't like Gabriel, I found him weak with Mommy issues and Val was naïve and annoying. Even with that said I decided to give book 2 a try since I already had it. I'm sorry but I just can't continue. I'm not sure what my disconnect is but I just can't get into it. My first problem is the writing, it doesn't really work for me and that is something I did realized in book 1. The second is that I still don't like Val or Gabriel. So far the story is boring and with my disconnect I can't seem to find any desire to continue.

Rip out my heart why don't you! For once, the sequel is just as good as the first. Oh Valentina, she has had such a hard life trying to survive and take care of her brother Charlie. This is the first book in a long time that I've cried more than once while reading. She maybe a fictitious character, but my heart broke for her soo many times throughout both novels. Although I didn't want this series to end, I'm glad it ended on a sweet, life changing note. A true happy ever after!

I absolutely loved this duet! I couldn't put it down! At the 70% mark, I think the book would have ended, but I still have 30% to go! There were some things I predicted because what happened towards the end of this book also happened in another book I just finished. It worked out well in this story. I'm sad to see these characters go, but I'm glad I took a chance on this author, because I will probably check out her other works.

loved reading the outstanding and enthralling second book in the Loan Shark Duet series. I voluntarily reviewed the story through NetGalley.
Gabriel finds Valentina with her brother, Charlie, and brings them back home. He never wants to go through the anguish again of Valentina slipping through his fingers. Even though Valentina is pregnant and has fallen in love with him, she is still his possession, toy, and wife in name only.
Read the highly recommended, captivating and intriguing full of passion, heartbreak, and romance, and a wonderfully written, must read romance hooking the reader from the beginning and riveting the reader until the end.

Gabriel and Valentina's story is explosive. There are secrets, lies, passion, and love. Their ride is so emotional and fabulous I could not put the book down. I loved this duet so much I can't say enough. There's creative writing and an intriguing story line. If you are looking for suspense, angst, steamy scenes, look no further. This book has it all.

This is the second book in the series and I do recommend reading them in order. Val has run away and Gabriel won’t stop until he finds her. Once he does, he doesn’t plan on letter her go. In this read we learn more about both characters. This read is fast-paced and the chemistry between the characters is intense. The sex is off the charts hot and the story is entertaining and drama filled. I was hooked from beginning to end.

Consent is a fitting conclusion to the Loan Shark duet. When it starts, Valentina is on the run with Charlie, having decided she can't live with a man she thinks will force her to terminate her pregnancy. The pregnancy Gabriel forced on her. I wanted to shake her because really?! On the run with no money with her disabled brother and she's pregnant? So stupid...but understandable, considering the circumstances she was in. Of course Gabriel is not about to let his property go, though. You have to know that was never a permanent option.

I liked Valentina's character growth here in Consent. She grew a little and developed a little bit of a backbone. I don't think she was ever weak, she's certainly a survivor and strong, it's just that she was always a little meek. I wanted a little more fire from her, and in Consent she finally shows some. Bravo!

Lots of crazy stuff happens, though, and of course Valentina and Gabriel's road to an HEA couldn't possibly be easy. Not with his family and not with their history. Some really big secrets are revealed, betrayals are exposed and some unfortunate things happen. I don't want to call them tragedies, because really they were kind of a relief, but they were kind of unfortunate, if only because certain people suffer because of them. I won't give spoilers, I'll just say that some were kind of predictable, but the big one was a complete surprise to me, and to everyone else with the exception of the one person who knew the big secret.

I've really enjoyed this duet. Gabriel and Valentina make for an exciting, passionate couple. I can't say that I ever fell in love with either of them, but their story is so readable and engaging that I couldn't put either book down. I really hope more is coming from Charmaine Pauls and this world she's created. Perhaps Rhett and Quincy could get their own stories? Hint hint 😘.

Consent thankfully starts with the end of Dubious in case, like me, you need a refresher. (Too bad I went back and re-read the last few chapters before I realized that. Yeah, not sorry.) I loved getting reacquainted with Valentina and Gabriel.

Consent continues the tangled web of lies, deceit, and destruction that began long before Dubious. But all lies have a way of coming out...

Not only lies but truths seem to have unavoidable consequences. If you thought Dubious had some life changing actions for the characters, wait until Consent breaks you in a whole new way.

Twisted emotions, endless hope, and heartbreak aren't the only things willingness pages. Before long consent will be a given and no longer will you question it...

I knew where this book was going. Valentina's strength was incredible and her never faltering made me sure. She is truly an incredible person. Her "Men" are absolutely adorable and it was a pleasure enjoying their new joy. I am happy to say my Consent was given. Gabriel will always be mine.

Ugh, this story tore me apart and put me back together. This is one of those reads where you want to skip to the end to make sure there's a happily ever after. Just like Valentina, I fell in love with Gabriel too. Being able to get inside this head, you can see what a broken man he is and that he really craves love even though for so long he doesn't recognize that need in himself. I love Valentina and her strength. That strength is what ultimately saves Gabriel. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away but this story is so gripping and real. Pauls doesn't hold anything back! It's gritty, sexy, dirty, and will give you all the feels.

Well what do you know about that? I did not love Dubious, thought it was too wordy and repetitive but I am here to say that I really enjoyed Consent!! I had every intention of finishing this duet since I was curious to know how or if Gabriel and Valentina could find a way to truly make it work and not just be a dangerous Mafia man and his pet.

Charmaine Pauls pulls out all the stops and there is so much happening but what struck me the most was the fierceness, the determination Valentina possesses as her life implodes piece by piece. I was in awe of her strength and her resolve to figure out the mystery involving her husband. The author was clever in giving this hardened man the angelic name of Gabriel since in many ways he was Valentina's savior. Somehow they fit together despite all the ragged pieces of their lives and I loved the twist the story took showing just how selfless Gabriel had become. His wife really did affect his life and more importantly, his soul with the decisions he put into motion later on in the book.

Overall I'd would recommend this duet. Much of it I've read elsewhere but there is certain twisted charm that Gabriel and Valentina possess that made me want to continue.

A solid 4 stars for this conclusion and now I've found a new to me author which is always a bonus.

*****ARC NETGALLEY***** continuation of Dubious. I loved how the author did not make the Valentina fall apart or become stupid because she had obstacles in her way. The fast paced story has her on the run, pregnant and her brother in tow, trying to start over without any money or technology to survive. With a little help from new friends she survives a pregnancy mishap. Gabriel deceptions causes family issues not just for Valentina but the other females in his life. Love the bodyguards who are always there to help pick the pieces of Valentine, Charlie and Gabriel.
****Recommending this series to friends and colleagues***

FUCKING CRAZY, SEXY, MIND-BLOWING, AND HEART STOPPING. I can't express how much I love this duology.

"What lies in front of me is a broken creature, an angel with torn wings and pieces of her soul and body missing. Despite the injuries, she still fights to fly."

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

P L O T

THE PLOT IS MESSED UP AND CRAZY!
When I thought Consent couldn't get any better compared to Dubious and the drama couldn't get any worse, it just did. Compared to Dubious, this is more fast paced. We no longer take it a day at a time because Valentina is pregnant and she's bound to give birth before the book ends. We stay in the important events.

C H A R A C T E R S

The character development is hard to miss. Everyone has their own problems and their own struggles and they are so human for it. My most favorite ones in this sequel is their bodyguards Quincy and Rhett. They have really fallen under Valentina's spell; not in a sexual way but their more loyal to her than to Gabriel now and they adore her so much. Gabriel keeps repeating that she has that effect on people, heck she even worked her magic on someone else in the Louw family.

Valentina is no longer powered by her anger but she's become so much stronger, mentally and physically. While Gabriel is on his own path to walk on.

W R I T I N G

(Spoiler) There has been a lot of deaths in this book and I understand why they had to be killed of because it'd be too complicated and the story could not progress well if they still breathe. (End of spoiler)

What an education to sexual activities and tricks this is. There was an 'orgasm oil' I don't know if it's a real thing but it's in the book. Once again I repeat, my respect for erotic authors is still great.

O V E R A L L

I thought this book was about Valentina and her struggles, but in the end I realize it was about Gabriel. He's more broken than Valentina with wounds that run too deep which causes for him to have a hared time accepting himself and forgiving himself for the lives he has taken and the life he was forced into by his mother.

This will surely be one of my best reads of the year. Charmaine Pauls has pierced my heart, this book made me cry a couple of times. My heart hurts during those heart-pounding events. 5 stars is not enough to rate this book, it should get 10!

Consent by Charmaine Pauls is Book Two in "The Loan Shark Duet". This continues the story of Valentina and Gabriel. You do have to read the previous book "Dubious" before reading this one to fully enjoy their story.
Consent picks up where Dubious left off. Gabriel is trying to locate Valentian who has up and left with her brother and not thinking to take any money with her. Gabriel plans on things going different than how he was working it before when he get a hold of Valentina again. Valentina is a strong women and has been through a lot to keep herself and her brother Charlie going. But even the strongest women still falls in love and can't stay away from that man.
This book continues the transformation from Gabriel being totally a dark character to a totally different one after finding love with Valentina. The sex scene where hot and loved the secondary characters a little more in this book.
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Consent picks up right where Dubious leaves off and thank goodness for that because it was a huge cliffhanger that had me on edge to see what was gonna happen next. In fact, this whole series has kept me on the edge of my seat.

I don’t think I’ve been more surprised by a series than I have by this one. Not only was it so much more than I expected, it also had elements to it that just blew my mind. This has one of the most anti Hero’s I’ve read to date and I never felt a person deserved the heroine more than I did this guy.

If you have gotten to this book, you already know what this story is about and why I’m raving about it, so I won’t give any spoilers. Just know that you will not be disappointed in the second and final book.

This author is one to watch out for. If she can create a masterpiece like this, I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us. Brilliant! ARC provided by NetGalley.

Valentina runs away thinking that Gabriel will get mad after he finds out she is pregnant. Her best plan is to run away with Charlie. What she doesn’t know is that Gabriel purposely got her pregnant to protect her from his evil mother Magda. Magda wouldn’t dare harm the mother of her grandchild.
Even after Gabriel finds her and brings her back, Valentina is still not safe. Magda will always be a danger to her. Then there is Carly, Gabriel’s daughter and how she will react to having a baby sibling. Gabriel still hasn’t found out who were the ones responsible for Valentina assault when she was younger. When he finally learns the truth, will it tear Valentina from him?
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2177997519

The minute I read the blurbs for Dubious and Consent I knew I needed to read it. I have been consumed with this story from the get go and seriously could not put it down. I was obsessed with Valentina and Gabriel's story and could not wait to see how it would end after the cliffhanger in book one. I thought this story was fantastic and could not get enough!

Consent begins immediately after the cliffhanger in Book one, Dubious, and can not be read as a standalone. I was absolutely sucked into this story. On the run after what she discovered after book one, will Valentina be able to escape Gabriel and his far reaching reach or will she continue to be his prisoner?

Gah I absolutely loved this book. I thought the author did a fantastic job having Gabriel maintain his ruthless edge while seeing the evolution of his deep feelings for Valentina. There was a priority shift and it was so well done without having him look weak. I thought Valentina was also fantastic as she was strong throughout and determined to look out for her family. I loved that the evolving story between them was just as engaging and thrilling and their chemistry between Gabriel just as fiery and sexy.

All in all this was a great story and I look forward to more from this author in the future! I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula

4.5 "I'm more than a vendetta or a debt, and he's more than The Breaker" stars.

"He's my darkness and my love, and he has no idea how truly I am his."

I have been obsessed with this story ever since I devoured Dubious–one of my favorite books of this year. With Consent, Charmaine Pauls delivers an intense, nail-biting story with a lot of twisting and turnings that will keep you on the edge of your comfy seat until you hit the end.

Consent is the the conclusion of The Loan Shark Duet, the perfect ending for Valentina and Gabriel. I'm going to love Charmaine Pauls forever for giving me this story, these characters. Valentina & Gabriel's journey is one I felt in my gut, in my heart. A story that just like the author will stay with me forever.

While decidedly dark, the author skillfully adds sweetness to the story, creating an intriguing, steamy romance. And, to top it all off, an engaging writing style that will test your boundaries and draw you into a world full of violence and an endless love.

Of course, not everything was perfect. I had two big complaints. One of them was just so sad to witness, and the other one... even though, I know it was necessary for the story to run its curse, I hated it.

The side characters. Rhett & Quincy made me laugh my ass off. And the thing is that I wasn't expecting these two to add fun to the story, but they did it and I LOVED it. Loved them. I hope the author considers them for a novella.

Overall, if you love dark romances with a sweet side, then you'll devour this book, and will feel sad to finish when you do.

"Gabriel and I have never been the norm. Perhaps we weren't meant to be the norm. We're us, and I love us."

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2 STARS
Wow!!!, What a read this was, I was engrossed until the bitter end.
"Consent" starts where "Dubious" left off and right from the get-go we are plunged right back into the raw and gritty world of Gabriel Louw AKA The Breaker.
So Gabriel is now on the hunt, his very delectable prey Valentina Haynes has bolted along with her brother Charlie to whereabouts unknown.
Valentina and Gabriel Both with very crossed wires over this now very real pregnancy and a new baby on the near horizon.
Gabriel himself is counting down the minutes until he has Valentina back in her cage. This time around things are going to be different and he has plans for Valentina once he catches up with her that is.
Right, so the last book "Dubious" I didn't find at all angsty, not that I was complaining.
"Consent" more than makes up for this in buckets.
There is so much going on here in regards to angst and all characters involved take steps out of there very own cliches to evolve brilliantly throughout.
I'm also Loving the new roles for Gabriel’s bodyguards, they make fantastically funny baby-sitters and they had me chuckling along with them.
So where do I start with this, well I found this such an enjoyable read and I was glued to the pages throughout.
The story flowed easily and it was great to catch back up with everyone from "Consent"
so sorry for being vague here, but I'm trying to keep this as spoiler free as possible as I don't want to give away anything.
I only have three small nitpicks that in hindsight made me deduct half a star, but really these are just little things overall.
So number one, I like my dark heroes to stay mostly dark and in this instant, Gabriel becomes a whole lot whiter, I didn't find him that dark initially so I really didn't want him to get even lighter in nature.
And yes I do get it, why he wants to change so dramatically, it's very understandable and also extremely commendable.
It doesn't mean I have to like it though.
That brings me to number two "The Events" themselves, they were dragged out a bit too much for me and I wanted to move on from them, I cried, and then I tried to heal and I wanted poor Gabriel to heal also, then to pull himself back together.
I really don't mean that to sound harsh, it's just I thought poor Valentina was given a bit of a raw deal and could have done with a bit more TLC. instead, she was mainly ignored and pushed to the sidelines by Gabriel, dealing with a pregnancy that had been largely thrust upon her young shoulders.
On a further side note and without giving anything away I was also decidedly disappointed in The makeover, that is all I’m contributing on that matter, but so not a happy bunny here, just saying.
So despite these small grievances I loved all the rest of this and couldn't put it down "Consent" was full of Angst and drama and unforgettable characters and I would highly recommend this as an unforgettable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC of Consent this is my own unbiased honest opinion.

Holy mother of god was this book INTENSE. I think this may be one of the best duets I have read all year. WOWZA...so good. The writing remained fantastic. The pace (up until 75%) was great. The plot was engaging. The setting unique. There were twists and turns. The sex scenes were hot. The secondary characters were fantastic. And I LOVED both main characters (up until 75%). Valentina, what can I say? This poor girl was like a puppy that just kept getting kicked over and over and over again. And Gabriel, I wanted to smack him, then hug him, then smack him again.

That said, at 75% this book fell apart a bit for me. At that point, a particular event took place, and I was NOT a fan of the direction the author choose to go in. It was dragged out FAR too long. I was not a fan of the change an individual character(s) made. Especially considering it was one of the things that made me LOVE that character(s), to begin with. It didn't feel authentic to the characters or their actions up until that point. I honestly can't say more about it without spoiling things, so I am going to have to leave it and just say the last 25%ish disappointed me and cost this book a star.

Not much else to say. I'm a bit sad at the way the duet ended but for the most part, I loved the story and the characters and will be keeping my eye on this author to see what else she has up her sleeve. This gets two thumbs up from yours truly.

A dark romance lovers’ dream.

Charmaine Pauls’ Loan Shark Duet was pretty much everything. It was decadently dark, perfectly twisted, and all kinds of sexy. I held my breath through both of these books, and Consent ended the duet with a sizzling bang.

Consent picks right back up from where we left off in Dubious--with a HUGE jaw-dropping reveal, one that left me biting my nails in anticipation of this installment. Book two didn’t disappoint! It was one surprise after another, and a beautiful mess that just kept my attention.

I think my heart clogged my throat through most of it. I battled tears multiple times. Then there was the tension that just left me fanning my face because dang… does Gabriel bring intensity and heat.

There are so many different layers to both Gabriel and Valentina. Just when I thought I had one or the other pegged they’d do or say something that opened another facet to them. Gabriel’s not the only one who can play hard, and Valentina stole the show here.

Then there was the drama. Not over the top, by any means, but enough that everything fell together and bowled me over. A few times I had to stop to take a breather. I'm being deliberately vague because this is a book you just have to experience.

Dark romance enthusiasts have found a delicious duet in Charmaine Pauls. I can’t wait to experience this one over and over again.

4.5 stars!