There was a girl once...

A dark romance as Pepper taught us in previous works.

 Loved to read about familiar characters. Once a Myth goes beyond intriguing with all the love and hate relationship.

 It’s not easy to read and brings all the wrongs to the surface. 

The way the story unfolds makes you feel as if you are living it.

 Angst is strong in this one. Very curious about the next.

Wow Omg what did I just read that blew me away. This is book one in the series and Pepper Winters didn't disappoint her readers. The twist and turns kept you on the edge of your seat and turning the page's to see what happens next. I can't tell you what a brilliant book this was and it is only the start. Pepper Winters is an incredible author and amazing writer and she takes you on a journey that you don't want to get off until the end. I definitely recommend you read this book and others by Pepper because you will definitely not be disappointed as her books are well worth reading. Five stars are definitely not enough for this masterpiece and I can't wait to read the next book.

An epic journey of pain, tragedy, passion & the will not to lose oneself!

Once A Myth is one of those utterly fascinating stories that will have you hooked from the first page to the last. An unputdownable, emotional roller coaster and marvelous storytelling that is twisted, gripping, suspenseful, and so vividly illustrated, that kept me cursing, screaming, and crying.  Believe me, this dark romantic suspense took me on a wild emotional ride that had my blood burning through my veins.

You need to read this book and experience it for yourselves to see what I'm talking about. So, if you're looking for a fast-paced, twisty page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you.

This book is freaking addictive and can't wait for my next fixed, when book 2 finally lands on my hands. OMG, please hurry up Ms. Pepper Winters!!

Wow! This is not my first book by Pepper Winters in fact I’ve read EVERYTHING that she has published and I’m a hardcore fan of hers and THIS BOOK is no different I LOVED this dark raw gritty twisted story and new I would fall in love with the characters because that’s what she does , she writes the darkest most twisted characters and has you falling in love with them before the book is over ! 

The chemistry between Sully and Eleanor is off the charts ! The push and pull between these two is so intense! There attraction to each other is definitely palpable and intoxicating and this couple just might be my favorite to date . 

I was also glad to see Tess and hear about Jethro in this story I like how these characters are all connected in this world somehow and how she brought them back to life in this story or remind us that they are still thriving and connected one way or another! 

All’s I’m going to say is if you are a fan of Peppers or if you like dark twisted all consuming stories than this is the story for you ! This story is a fascinating, disturbing, intriguing and thought provoking read and I can’t wait to see more from this AMAZING series! Definite 5 dark stars from me ! 

*** I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book ***

This is the  most seductive,addictive, darkest read ever. This was my most AWAITED BOOK by Pepper Winters and I had very high hopes with this, which I must say all fulfilled and pepper winters never cease to amaze her reader when it's come to uniqueness , and different plot of the story that Grab a hold on you ever since you read the blurb .
 
 The beauty of this book just blown my mind away,it's very captivating, spine chilling incident that made you edgy and kept you  glue  to the story till end. ... Characters are very intoxicating, I loved both of them , my heart cried and shattered in prices for Eleanor .On the other hand , although Sully Sinclair was an ass-hole. But there was something about him that pull you towards him like Eleanor she hated him but couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him.

Well not giving you all too much but telling you this that you won't be disappointed. 
If you are lover of Dark Romance and you can handle all the brutality and cruel acts that are inhuman the  this is The book for you.  HIGHLY Recommended to all the Dark readers.
A Must Read for sure

Well hell! The queen of darkness is back with a vengeance.
We asked Pepper for a Dark read and she sure delivered.
Once a Myth Is the first book in the Goddess Isles series.
This book is HAF, Dirty, Sexy Crazy and Taboo
Elinore Grace has been kidnapped, she’s is waiting for her boyfriend to come save her. Little does she know what her fate will be. Did I mention this book is HOT!!!!!
I can’t wait for the 2nd installment in this series.

This was one spectacular read! Even though we know where this story begins since it goes back to Tess and Q's story, there is still a mystery surrounding the hero, if that's how you view him, some may not. And let's not forget the flaming hot scenes between these two characters.

There is so much intricacy, mystery and contradiction with Sully Sinclair. He's an alpha you love to hate with more respect for animals than a human beings. He's shows no empathy whatsoever, yet he can show signs of tenderness. A total enigma of a man we cant quite figure out, but there is so much more to learn.

Eleanor Grace, or Jinx as a goddess, is a very confident and steadfast woman who has been taken against her will, but she shows no signs of cowering to her nemesis. We find ourselves rooting for Eleanor and hoping things will be different, but that's not how Pepper leads us through her maze of a story.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and the pages just melted one after another. Definitely a winner in my book and the ending left me screaming inside and out! I can't wait for the second installment. I need it stat!!!

What an ending!! That ending has left me craving for more of Eleanor and Sully - The Gorgeous Goddess and the Mystical Master. Eleanor's stable and adventurous life that she shared with her boyfriend has been ripped away. She now finds herself in the hands of the most vile kind of humans. They have stripped her of her clothes, her freedom and her future, but she is determined that they won't strip her of her dignity. I absolutely love Eleanor. She is beautiful and full of life, fire and passion. She does her best to hide her fear from her captors behind a mask of indifference that leaves them feeling confused and grasping for the straws of control. 

Even when Eleanor comes face to face with the man that holds her future in his hands, she keeps her chin up ready to fight for her freedom. Sully does his best to break her, but Eleanor fights him and his tactics with all the strength she has. Sully is fascinated by his latest acquisition. He has never felt anything towards one of his Goddess', but Eleanor has lit a spark and singed Sully from the inside out. He admires her strength and is drawn to her grace and beauty. He does his best to keep his distance but Eleanor has left Sully distracted and powerless. Oh Sully! He is quite the disturbing puzzle. He is full of all kinds of surprises and I cannot wait when all of Sully's layers are peeled back to reveal all of his deep and dark secrets. I absolutely loved Once A Myth and cannot wait to continue this dark and twisted journey that Pepper Winters is taking us on.

Ahh, this is classic Pepper Winters!! She has always been my favorite author when it comes to reading dark romance and this new series felt just like coming home. I don't know what that says about me that I enjoy her stories so much, especially with what they entail, but I could not put this book down. I was completely enraptured with Sully and Eleanor.

Eleanor - or Jinx as Sully calls her, poses quite the conundrum. He has never been tempted with any of his other goddesses, but this girl, young woman, tests him at every turn. She causes him to lose that carefully controlled calm he has perfected.

Sully, I haven't decided whether I love him or hate him just yet. The things he does are disgusting, buying trafficked women to provide sexual services to clients on his remote islands. The way he sees these women is positively barbaric, and gross and makes you want to kill him. But the subtle hints we get along the way tells me there is SO much more to Sully that we haven't seen yet, and it is going to be quite a journey getting to know him.

I really loved the conflict between Sully and Eleanor. She's a proud, willful, strong young woman who is not going to submit to Sully and what he expects of her. And Sully is absolutely going to do whatever it takes to get this woman to kneel at his feet like all his other goddesses have done. There's just something different about her though, and it doesn't help that she fits the description of his perfect, ideal woman.

I have to admit I would love to spend years on Sully's islands, just not doing what is required in order to do so. Pepper is just scratching the surface with this first book in the series, and I am dying to see what is in store for the rest of this storyline. If you've read Pepper's other dark romance stories, you will feel right at home with Sully and Eleanor. If this is your first foray into her taboo world of human trafficking, strap in tight for a dark and twisted tale.

Pepper Winters is back to her dark, forbidden and twisted roots in Once A Myth. The taboo feeling of attraction to something dangerous and monstrous is ruling this entire story. Pepper's words hit my heart and enter my veins like a potent drug  that will left me breathless, scandalized and wrecked beyond redemption.

Eleanor Grace has been stolen, abused and then sold. And Sullivan Sinclair owns her now. Hecis the king of his own empire as he rules in Goddess Isles. A tropical paradise where every sick, deviant and extravagant fantasy comes true at right price. He treats his women aka goddesses aka employees with respect and caring if they obey his rules. But Eleanor is not a rule follower. She is ready to fight with her last breath. And she intrigues Sullivan unlike any goddess he trained and prepared. And she feels this totally unexplainable and self destructive magnetic pull to this man with more power and riches than god.


Pepper Winters did my official initiation into dark and taboo romance world. Jethro Hawk and Q turned my reader world upside down. I still remember feeling completely confused, distressed and yet utterly euphoric with these stories. And now I am having the same feeling from this world! Things those are not supposed to feel sexy will feel so. A man like Sullivan should be hated, cursed and despised. But I am insanely amazed and in lust with this arrogant, ruthless, powerful and gorgeous man specially when we see the glimpse of her empathising and softer side. Eleanor is epitome of grace, class and strength in face of most gruelling tragedies and horror filled nightmares. She is a mass of emotional energy. That is sometimes sad, depressed and broken. But sometimes it is defiance and resilience. The chemistry was sharp and fiery. And it bloomed like a poisonous flower and creeped like a toxic scent between two desperate and deviant souls. It ended with a crack in my heart and the wait for second book will be torture.


Once A Myth is a classic Pepper Winters creation. Emotions are played with. Boundaries are tested and finally obliterated. She threw me into a beautifully chaotic and decadent world. And like an addict, I am desperate for more of this electrifying passion, jaw dropping secrets and raw emotions.


Received ARC for honest review

Once A Myth is what dark romance lover dreams are made of!

Pepper has a gift for creating worlds that you just cannot help yourself from getting lost in. Chapter by chapter you become emersed in it, begin a love/ hate relationship with the characters and overall fall in love with a story that will have you in a constant state of awe with the turn of each page. The angst level and slow burn in this book are AMAZING!

As a dark romance lover, I will say that Pepper has gone above and beyond with Once a Myth. The two main characters are both strong, powerful and I am in love with them! There are also secondary characters that I think will bring an entirely new level to this story as it progresses. The descriptiveness of this story makes you feel as though you yourself are living it and I have to say, I am fascinated with One A Myth and can not wait to see what transpires in the next book.

Once A Myth is a passionately-charged dark romance that harkens back to vintage Pepper Winters. A story that is the ultimate in cat and mouse games, I couldn't take my eyes off of this story. I purposely took my time as I knew I would have to digest each and every decadent word, knowing full well that I'd have to stop often and catch my breath.

Winters gives us yet another supreme alpha in the mighty Sully Sinclair. A man with an odd brilliance about him that I couldn't quite decipher. At least not yet. Right along with the woman who may ultimately break him, one Eleanor Grace, I found him both wildly alluring one moment and downright repugnant the next. But damn if he isn't a puzzle I'd love to solve. And something tells me throughout this multi-book series, I'll be sent on more than one detour trying to figure all the whys of his actions and the mysteries of his past. And then, of course, fall hard for him despite him being a loosely regarded procurer.

The remote island setting has a peacefulness about it that makes Eleanor very uneasy. Knowing her time there will be years long, I have to wonder if she'll be like the rest of Sinclair's goddesses and become desperate to stay because the remarkable debauchery that she'll be expect to partake in will be something she might ultimately enjoy. Especially when divested of her inhibitions.

Once A Myth is the kind of mind game that only Pepper Winters can create. The way she crafts this story of woman enslavement, because that is what Sinclair is doing whether he sees it as providing a needed 'service' or not, is subtle genius. She intersperses moments of clarity with what Sinclair might see as weakness but is actually a tenderness. One that shows a very painful vulnerability which can also be extremely attractive. No matter the person. I felt very slowly seduced, just as he has trained his goddesses and I couldn't stop wanting more if I tried.

I'm all buckled up and ready for the next segment as this ends on a cliffhanger. And I honestly can't wait to see just who will break first: the seemingly always in control Sully or the woman who has decidedly gotten under his skin, his newest goddess, the one now known as Jinx.

With unexpected yet very welcomed nods to prior books and the anti-heroes Winters has created, Once A Myth is the perfect start to this newest forbidden series and is very deserving of a solid 5 stars!

Once A Myth is a dark and delicious piece of silky smooth chocolate that leaves you craving more!
This book will draw you in and it will make you forget about all things that you think are right and wrong, it will make you love to hate Sully Sinclair for all the right reasons, but then he will take you under his spell and make you want him to be the man of your dreams.

This book was unputdownable!!! Pepper Winters has completely blown me away with this story. It's so emotionally charged and has such an electric feel about it. The tropical islands of paradise as the backdrop setting of a story filled with fear, sex and kidnap is a genius move to make the character of Eleanor Grace feel always on edge, always never knowing if her life will end or become better than she ever dreamed about.

The storytelling was superb, it was edge of your seat drama at it's best with a lot of sexual tension between Sully and Eleanor. I'm on edge myself so much that I need the next book in this series right now!!!!

Brilliant story and deserves all of it's 5 Stars!

I'm still processing what I've just read. I will be rereading as soon as I can find time to read without interruptions. I enjoyed it that much. A reader like me kinda gets all giddy when an author brings in characters from other books. Those books do not need to be read to understand what is happening here. It's just icing on the cake. This is a new standalone series.

Pepper Winters has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She writes well with storylines that capture my attention. Her characters shock me, but grab my loyalty as their story unfolds.

Eleanor is asked a question. "What is the worst thing that happened to you, and how did you survive it?"

This will be her story. The start of which has made my heart race, my body tremble, and left me wanting more. She is strong and regal. A heroine to emulate.

Sully has a quite a way to go to redeem himself. I am dying to know how it will come about.

I love a book that provokes my emotions. When my body physically reacts to the characters and storyline, it's an automatic five star read. I cannot wait for the next book in this series, because this was a brutal cliffhanger.

*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

'ONCE A MYTH' is the first full length dark|romance book in Pepper Winter's 'Goddess Isles' series. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'

WTF! Did I just read! This was so wrong in so many ways, but like a train wreck derailing I couldn’t stop reading, my heart and mind at war against the other!
Hate him, break him, fight him, love him.
And then that ending god!! Wtf was that!?! Who was that!?!

Unique, Unputdownable, Unexpected, and Utterly Unpredictable..This author is Unstoppable!!
We asked for DARK..Pepper Winters has delivered it!! How brave are you? Because without any warning your thrown into a dark, gritty place, it takes no prisoners, it's right up in your face and there is no escape!! Nothing will prepare you for this crazy dark ride!!

This was dirty, hot, dark, gritty, and left me panting for more.

The QUEEN of DARK is bacckkk!

When Eleanor was seventeen a teacher gave them a surprise pop quiz asking them to write about 'The worst thing that had ever happened to them, and how did you survive it?' what Eleanor wrote down that day was nothing compared to what's to come.

Now only four years later her answer to that pop quiz would be completely different.

Abducted..Sold..And gifted to a man who isn't just a man, he's a monster.

As Eleanor and her boyfriend of five months were staying in a backpackers hostel in Mexico she's taken by three men. Thrown into a stop over until she's sold. it's here where things start getting gritty and dark. The men who are holding her and others have no morals. To survive she has to dig deep.

We were being trafficked. We'd been stolen from different lives, stored in darkness, fed by beats, and now we'd been washed and prepared for sale.

Meet Sullivan Sinclair aka Sully owner of a beautiful island paradise. He purchases Goddesses to cater to the men that come to his island to indulge in all their darkest fantasies. He's never indulged or played with his purchases but when one girl steps onto his shores that meets every little requirement that could ever test him, it's her Eleanor.

"Raw and untouched, she bristled with injustice and courage. She could be Artemis's reincarnation or perhaps Aphrodite's twin."

She's nothing like he expected, she's a spitfire, she fights him at every corner. She's not just a goddess she's a godman queen. And slowly she awakens something up within him. Something he's never felt before.

"There was something...something ruthless and savage about him. Something instinctual that sensed predator from prey and firmly put him in the category of dangerous."

Why is it after reading this book that I have the urgent need for a cigarette? I feel as though I have been thoroughly f***ed by the hottest pompous man on earth and enjoyed every gratifying minute! Ladies brace yourself for Sullivan Sinclair. He is going to grab you by your lady bits and not let go. He will become your new obsession. He will leave you breathless and begging for pleasure.

~Sully was exactly what I thought. A dealer in sex using bought and trapped women.~

Stolen from her life, Eleanor Grace is purchased and plopped on an island in the middle of nowhere. Her owner, a contemptible lascivious man, that is wealthy in both physical and monetary assets. The manufacturer of a provocative endeavor of euphoria where men can act out sexual fantasies with goddesses on the isles for a price.

~How cruel that my imprisonment was prettier than any dream I could imagine. How unfair that my cage was the Garden of Eden.~

The attraction between Sully and Eleanor is high-powered and intense, and although he routinely affronts her, there is still that magnetism, that allure between the two. They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and this statement couldn’t hold more truth when it comes to Sully and Eleanor.

The eroticism pours from the pages of this deliciously deviant and exhilarating tale. Winters works her magic and slowly, word by word, the reader is swooning over this noxious, overbearing, pretentious ruler of goddesses and monsters. Hold on to your panties ladies because things are about to get wet and wild!

O.M.G! O.M.G! 
You will love Once A Myth if you loved Q and Tess. 

Sully is darker than Q, has a brilliant mind and well -- drawn to this brand new Goddess... 
I'm already enamored with Sully and can't wait to learn more about him. 
And Eleanor. She's kick a**! I love her fiery spirit, her strength and how she won't back down to Sully. She's one of my favorite characters Pepper has written so far. 

I can't wait to read book 2. I'm eagerly awaiting to see how Sully will lose control for the woman who wears the invisible crown. 

If you're looking for a unique read, uncontrollable characters and those who won't back down.... you will enjoy this sexy first book in Pepper's new series!!

5 stars from me.

*Recv'd an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This book... I can’t even tell you! It deserves much more than 5stars!

Pepper Winters is so very talented. Her ability to draw us in, make us feel what is happening in each story, is unprecedented. Her talent is un-matched.

Sully Sinclair... considers himself a god... a god who provides goddesses for those who can afford to pay his price.

Eleanore Grace has been purchased by Sully to be one of his goddesses... and she will fight him at every step. 

He is pulled in by her beauty, her absolute disdain for everything Sully stands for... just everything she is.

Sully’s patience, his very core of strength and who he is, seems to crumble when she is near. 

This book is utterly fantastic. I didn’t want to put it down, but I needed to know what happens! This ending! I can’t even tell you how fantastic I find this story.

I am impatiently waiting for the second book in this series!!

The QUEEN of dark romance, Pepper Winters, is back!
As a long-time fan of Pepper Winters and wholehearted lover of her work, I’m obsessed with her dark romance series and just knew I had to have this. I was dying just thinking about Eleanor and Sully’s story after reading the synopsis for their series which had me absolutely hooked.
‘This one moved like she had a crown upon her head. A crown made of dignity and diamonds, heavy on her brow but invaluable to her sense of worth.’ 
Once A Myth is single-handedly the most intoxicating novel I’ve read this year. A prelude to a dark romance series that is easily going to be the sexiest and most captivating unfolding of events. It’s exotic and revitalising and honest to god, like nothing I’ve read before. Everything about it just held me hostage and kept me captive in the enthralling story…
Read Full Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3049809898

Reviewing on behalf of Relentless Book Chics Ramblings and Reviews

A deliciously dark and twisted story set in paradise; I’m already addicted to this series!

I’m a huge fan of this author and all her previous series have been epic so I couldn’t wait to start the first book in the Goddess Isles.

Eleanor Grace was stolen from the life she knew while she was travelling with her boyfriend. Now as she sits in the dark waiting to be sold, she’s determined to escape from the horrors that face her and save herself because she knows that nobody else can. After days in a dark crate, she arrives at her new destination, a tropical island that appears to be paradise. Her new owner is the devil himself and after meeting him she’s even more determined to escape from this hell.

Sullivan Sinclair is the heir to his family’s pharmaceutical empire and the owner of the Goddess Isles. How the women are acquired may not be legal but his aim is to deliver the ultimate fantasy for the rich men who are willing to pay his price and his goddesses are highly trained to deliver their darkest desires. His latest purchase however is testing his willpower and every second he spends with her takes him a step closer to his own personal hell. He doesn’t sample his own goods and he hates that he wants her but does she have the power to destroy his control and his world?

I loved this story. Just when you think you’re going to despise a man who buys women, Sullivan comes along and you’re torn between loving and hating him. Eleanor is a great character; she’s strong and determined to survive so I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book. It was great to get a brief glimpse of Tess in this story and while I wait impatiently for the next book in this series, I’m going to do a re-read of the monsters in the dark series.