Crushed (Previously published as Loving the Enemy)

Prequel Novel, Seven Forbidden Arts

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Pub Date 08 May 2015 | Archive Date 06 Apr 2016

Description

If your father is a powerful criminal, you can’t trust anyone, especially not the stranger who saves you.

Lily is on the run for her father’s sins. Having escaped a brutal attack on her home that left her dad’s small army and her beloved nana dead, she finds a job and a cheap room in Camps Bay, South Africa. When the men from Sky Communications track her down, she’s forced to flee again. This time, Lily ends up homeless, alone on a bench under a brewing winter storm in a violent city. It’s a lucky coincidence that Jacob appears through the mist just before a gang finds her in the dark, deserted park. Or is it?

After offering Lily shelter for the night, Jacob’s flat is destroyed in an explosion. With Jacob’s help, Lily tries to locate her father in search of his protection. In a whirlwind escapade from Africa to France, danger always a step behind, Lily learns about desire, love, survival and trust. Eventually, she’ll also learn about betrayal … and the truth about the savior to who she gave her body and heart.

If your father is a powerful criminal, you can’t trust anyone, especially not the stranger who saves you.

Lily is on the run for her father’s sins. Having escaped a brutal attack on her home that...


A Note From the Publisher

This book contains consummated love scenes and explicit language. Reader discretion is advised. The story is a full-length prequel novel to the Seven Forbidden Arts series, but also reads as a standalone.

(Please note that CRUSHED has previously been titled LOVING THE ENEMY. The story is unchanged.)

This book contains consummated love scenes and explicit language. Reader discretion is advised. The story is a full-length prequel novel to the Seven Forbidden Arts series, but also reads as a...


Advance Praise

What readers say on Amazon

“Wow! This is by far one of the best books I have read this year. It's action and romance packed! The story line is unique and keeps you on your toes.”

“I LOVE the action in this book. So much action, what a page turner.”

“Lily may be young, but she is smart, strong, and doesn't take crap from anyone. By the end of the book, she has grown into a woman readers will be proud of and root for.”

“Read it on my vacation, and it was incredibly hot!”

“Deadlier, sexier, and more action, makes for a book that I read in one fell swoop, and could not put it down.”

“I could NOT get enough of Jacob! I am so mad I read it so fast! I. Want. More. I found my next series!”

You will root for Jacob and Lily to find their way to each other. She will grow. He will soften. An easy read with a great ending.”

“This book has a lot going on from action to suspense to passion and even betrayal. This is just the prequel and if it's this amazing then the rest of this series should be awesome. It will get you hooked right from the beginning. If you are looking for a book with a little of everything then this is the book for you.”

“I love this Author and can't wait to read the other Seven books. Job well done.”

What readers say on Amazon

“Wow! This is by far one of the best books I have read this year. It's action and romance packed! The story line is unique and keeps you on your toes.”

“I LOVE the action...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9780620655781
PRICE $2.99 (USD)

Average rating from 84 members


Featured Reviews

4 golden stars from me
Iam so excited about this book, it was close to perfection.
Loving the enemy is a prequel to Seven Forbidden Arts series and i have to say if this is the prequel the series are gonna be very promising.

Let's talk about the story Lily is on the run for her father’s sins. Having escaped a brutal attack on her home she ends up homeless, alone on a bench under a brewing winter storm in a violent city. Then Jasob appears (not by coincidence)
offers her a shelter in order to win her trust and extract information from her. Instead of taking informatio and killing her he falls in love and becomes her protector from the other ones who after her (i can't say why).

Lily is young, innocent but very intelligent for her age and such a teasing minx when it comes to Jacob
(when she tries to seduce him...that was fun) combined with her honesty that creates a super lovely character
(she won me from page one).

Jacob is the classic Alpha male (don't get me wrong i love classic alpha males and he is one of them) Sexy and for a personality like him very moral (he tries very hard not to fall for Lily's seducing attempts) he is caring,overprotective
(ooh my i won't stop saying things about him...i'm in love!!)

A very enjoyable book with fast plot, great characters,a lot of action,hot scenes..the perfect combination for a book.
I'm so happy and looking forward to read the following books of the series!!

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I loved this book! For a debut, it was really well done. The characters were fully developed and the plot was refreshing. I'm looking forward to reading this series...

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I couldn't put it down! From the very beginning, Lily was on the run. From one attempt on her life to the next, you'll be holding your breath in anticipation!

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Loving the Enemy follows the story of Lily and Jacob. After the guards that were hired to watch her were murdered, Lily is on the run and just trying to stay alive. That is until a man (Jacob) approaches her in a park and takes her back to his house to clean up and sleep. But when a bomb goes off the following morning in his building, Jacob is then on the run with Lily. But nothing is as it seems, especially when their feelings for each other become a factor. Will they survive on the run? Or will Jacobs secret get them killed?

This was a wonderful surprise of a book! I love books that can take me by surprise and pull me in. And this book did that for me. Though I didn't love some of the actions taken by Lily when it came to sex and Jacob, I still really enjoyed her character along with Jacobs. I thought the storyline was awesome and it kept me on my toes all throughout. You definitely can't really trust what you're reading and what you think because nothing is as it seems and you won't know what's really happening until almost the very end. Overall this was a wonderful read and I'm so glad I came across this book. It was a refreshing change for sure and I highly recommend it!

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This book was hard to put down. It is a great setup for the books to come Jacob has a dangerous job to do. Keep Lily safe and yet gain her trust so will lead him to her dad. Of course the hurdles to overcome...Yet there is a greater hurdle for them both. I can't wait for the next adventure.

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I could not stop reading this book. I loved how the story unfolded. I had anxious moments with the characters and I simply loved the storyline. I can not wait to start reading the other books that follow this one

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4.5 stars from me. This was fab! Loved the characters, the storyline and the twists! I seriously could not get enough and it makes me want more from all of them. My only dislike was the fact is stated there's paranormal beings but there was not much talk of them to the point I forgot it was supposed to be paranormal at all. Can't wait for the next one!

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An intriguing sexy prequel with much action and suspense…

This book is a prequel to the Seven Forbidden Arts series which can be read as a stand-alone.

This was an intriguing prequel to a paranormal series though we do not see the paranormal aspects much in this story, this tale sets the stage for the world the author has designed and whets your appetite for more.

The heroine, Lily Reid, who is eighteen years old finds herself homeless in Cape Town, South Africa after her heavily fortified home is attacked and her caretakers killed when her father and stepbrother are away. Her father’s a dangerous powerful man who for her own protection sheltered Lily all her life and she’s feeling the lack of knowledge trying to survive alone. Though Lily might be naïve she’s intelligent with good common sense and learns quickly. I loved the growth this character exhibited throughout the story. She’s a survivor and a fighter experiencing many things for the first time and taking them all in stride, she’s gutsy. Trusting anyone is risky but she’s going to have to do so at some point so when a handsome stranger offers to help and then saves her life she takes the chance. But with her father’s competitors after her can anyone really be trusted?

On his way home from a pub Jacob Miller runs across Lily alone in an empty park on a rainy night. He knows that she’s not safe being there alone and though she turns down his offer of help we are led to believe that he can’t in good conscience walk away knowing the danger a woman in this town can face. But before he can convince her to let him help her what he feared occurs when they are joined by a group of men who would do Lily harm. Jacob is no stranger to danger and takes care of the situation and then takes Lily home doing what he can to put her at ease by asking a female friend to join them at his place for the night. Jacob was the white knight that evening but he’s not without an agenda which changes upon meeting Lily. There’s something about her that gets to him and he alters his plans.

When you meet that one person who makes you yearn to be a better person it changes you. Amidst an action and suspense filled storyline Jacob tries to do right by Lily yet he had to stay focused on his goal, keeping secrets from her hoping that when the information is divulged she won’t hate him. They make quite an interesting and sexy pair, he’s thirty to her eighteen years and it works. There’s more than just a strong physical chemistry between them, there was emotional depth to both of them. The banter between them and the situations they found themselves in kept this reader turning the pages. The ending was filled with nice twists and I loved the epilogue. This was a most enjoyable read with compelling likable characters and I look forward to reading more in this series.

One thing of note there were many sentences with odd phrasings that I’m attributing to the author being foreign and that English spoken in other countries differs from ours.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

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Although this is a prequel in the Seven Forbidden Arts Series it is a full book with no cliffhanger.
We start in the middle of the story when Lily is homeless and on the run since an armed attack on her home 2 months ago. Up to that point she lead a privileged life with an over protective father who she recently discovered was a criminal mastermind. When she is tracked again and almost killed she knows that she must try to get to her father in Paris.
She meets a man in the park, Jacob, who says he is in private security and will help her get to her father after his home is destroyed by the attack on her life. It turns out there is a hit on her and he is one of the many people trying to either use her to get to her father or kill her. She feels bad for getting him caught up in the mess she is in so she ditches him before anything happens to him, but will she realize just how much danger she is in before she comes face to face with the man who wants her dead?
I really enjoyed the story and the way Jacob took care of her but at the same time how strong she was when faced with the many threats. Turns out she knows about the Seven Forbidden Arts which means she is valuable to some and a threat to others. There was just enough of an intro to the characters in the rest of the series to make you want to read more!

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Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ❣
Lily finds herself in desperate times. She discovers her family may not be who she thought they were. Yes they are rich but at what cost. One thing leads to another and Lily finds herself on the run from her father’s crimes. She is naive and young with little knowledge of what the world is like. Late at night, alone on a park bench Lily is running out of options. That’s when her knight in shining armour turns up but as the title of this book hints you should be careful who you trust. I don't do spoilers so this is all I'm giving away. This book is action packed and most definitely recommended.

Jacob is the other side of the coin in this story and he needs Lily to help him find her father. He doesn't want to lead her on but is struggling with his feelings/ attraction to her.

A world wind romance with twists and turns along the way. Loving the Enemy could just save them both.

I would rate this book 4.5* out of 5. 233 pages Free for kindle Unlimited users! or £2.00 Published May 8th 2015

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Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review......

SPECTACULAR !!!!

Oh I ATE this book up !!! Start to finish 6 (ish) hours......I couldn't stop !!!

This is Lilly and Jacobs story and quick summary Lilly's dad is a very powerful underground baddie, but on the surface appears business man of the year. Lilly as a result has been raised in comfort and idolised her dad.

One day ALL that changes is a very bloody thirsty way. Lilly runs and is left to survive, negating the big wide world alone searching for her family......with me so far ?

Lilly finds the world cruel and harsh and very soon hits rock bottom.....enter Jacob - pauses for moment to appreciate the splendure that is this man !!.....okay paused and continuing.....

Jacob takes pitty on Lilly and agrees to help her. Sounds to good to be true meeting your very own knight in shinning parker, complete with cable ties !! (you need to read the scene where Lilly and Jacob meet to appreciate my humor here peeps x).......well you know what they say "if it looks to good to be true, it probably is".

This is where our story really goes bam!. I have not read for a while a thriller, suspense, romance with a touch of the paranormal and I have obviously missed it, as I could not put this down until it reached it's conclusion.

I did what any satisfied reader would do finishing an awesome read.....I quickly checked for the next book !. Its not out yet, but TRUST me I will be devouring that story too !!

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book....it is exceptionally well written and just ticks so many boxes. Plus it is duel POV....sighs with delight !!

I very well done Charmaine.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this opportunity.

Later peeps xxx

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Loving the enemy was some full of action love story. Writing was good. Story got me hooked from the start and was interesting until the end.
Characters very likable and easy to fall in love with both of them. Lilly who is on the run from hers fathers enemy and not knowing that her rescuer is also an enemy. Jacob has one mission finding Lilly’s father but for the first time he want to do it more gently. So they are on a run from Africa to Europe. But journey is full of action adventure. The feelings are changed and other emotions. It was story full of surprises. We see Lilly grown from weak girl in to a strong woman with help of the man she love.
*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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This was a new author to me so wasn't sure what to expect but am so pleased I got the chance to read this book. I will definitely be checking out more from this author and this series. This story is a novella that does what it should in leaving you wanting more. I was left with so many questions about the dark arts and what happened next.

This story is about Lily who is left to fend for herself after her father flees leaving her behind in supposedly the protection of his men. Unfortunately they weren't protection enough and Lily, a young 18year old previously pampered has now to fend for herself. She has many life skills to learn and needs to so quickly. Evading being found she is alone, hungry and homeless.

That brings me to Jacob who sees Lily and offers her help. Jacob her knight in shining armour who just happens to be able to look after himself and her. Definitely if something appears to be too good to be true then it usually is but does Lily think this? Jacob is all alpha protector and tries to be honourable with Lily even though she is making things extremely difficult for her but doing all she can to seduce him.

This was a great opener to the series and gives you a glimpse of characters I'm sure will feature prominently in future books which I imagine delve further into the paranormal which is teased in this book. This was a suspenseful romance and I would definitely recommend this book and will reading more from this author without a doubt.

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Really good book. The storyline had caught and held my attention from the beginning. I would highly recommend this book.

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Loving the Enemy is the first book I've read by Charmaine Pauls, and it won't be the last. Lily is on the run and just trying to stay alive. Jacob approaches her in a park and offers her help. Jacob and Lily both end up being on the run together after an explosion at Jacobs building. Nothing is as it seems, especially when their feelings for each other become a factor. This read is about love, survival and trust, full of action and suspense that will keep you on your toes till the very end.

I look forward to reading more in theSeven Forbidden Arts series.

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***Note: Book provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I think this book was entertaining but had its with moments. It was refreshing to see a tough female lead able to overcome adversity and come out the survivor. I did find her bit annoying at first but soon was able to accept her and relate to her character. She turned out to be smart and tough and incredibly resourceful. The paranormal twist in the story was a “WTH” moment as it was something I was not expecting and couldn’t quite grasp.

The story was interesting, the love scenes entertaining and the characters captivating. I will definitely read the next book on the series to see how this story unfolds.

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Pauls has a great action-packed storyline with Loving the Enemy (now aptly named Crushed). The story follows Lily, a sheltered, young lady who learns that her father is a high powered killer and criminal. She denounces his activities and threatens to run away from home. Unfortunately, while her father and stepbrother are away on business, a group of assassins attempt to kill her, whilst killing everyone else she knows in the looming mansion. She narrowly escapes death and finds herself living in the slums, scrounging for food to survive until on a rainy night she is saved by Jacob, a brooding and mysterious gentleman. Through a series of twists and turns, Jacob and Lily begin to fall in love while on the run. Their journey is a push-pull of emotions, both defying love at one point or another only to be pulled together again. The story ends lovely and the reader will feel as though the story was a complete thrill from beginning to end, including a little racy with some very candid sex scenes. Tastefully done, Pauls.

Raging Book Reviews Recommended!

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I enjoyed this book! It was a solid, well rounded read with good plot and great characters. This is a prequel story for a paranormal series that at the end introduce us to the main characters of the books to come. I would love a little bit of paranormal in the prequel which only had a reference to the subject...

So a little taste of the plot:

Lilly is a sheltered and naive 18 year old girl who is on the streets trying to escape her fathers enemies. When Jacobe find her, she is starved and too tired to think why a total stranger is so generous to give her not only food and a shelter but also protection. They start a journey to Paris so she can find her father. On the road they don't only fight with the enemies but also their feelings and desire for each other. Till they reach the final destination the truth will surface and no one is prepared for the revelation...

This was an easy and smooth read with some twists that picked your adrenalin and some good and juicy scenes. I liked it and I would love to read the next book!

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Loved it. Fast paced action hopping we figure out the stodgy on the dad

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This is my first book by author Charmaine Pauls but I can say for sure it won't be my last. This book is exciting and kept me entertained the entire time I was reading it. I was waiting with each turn of the page to find out where this story was taking me. I would recommend this book to anyone who asked me if I liked it or not. Charmaine Pauls will be an author that I now add to my must read list.

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