Merciless

Carter Cross is one sinfully addicted alpha! <br /><br />Merciless is exceptional. Carter is sexy, powerful and dangerous. I love it. It is a book that captures your attention and doesn't let you go. I couldn't help but to fall in love with both Carter and Aria. Page after page, word after word of complete brilliance. <br />I didn't know what to expect with Merciless, but what I got was so much more and everything in between. <br /><br />I can already see that the Cross men are going to be an addiction to readers. I for one cannot wait to see what else is in store!

<b>“The enemy of my enemy is my friend…”</b><br /><br />Aria Talvery is the daughter of the most violent crime family around. She becomes a casualty when she is abducted and then given to Carter Cross to start a war.<br /><br />Carter sees an opportunity to get everything he’s ever wanted when an enemy of the Talvery family approaches him. He agrees to help the faction but only IF they meet his demand.<br /><br /><b> <i>“The best laid plans…”</i> </b><br /><br />Carter does not do anything without a reason. He is cold calculating and merciless. But, he starts to change his plans the more time Aria spends as his unwilling captive. He realizes how broken she is but he cannot and will not let her go. As days pass, Aria works her way under his skin. His cool demeanour thaws while the passion between them explodes. But, passion does not equal love or freedom and that’s what Aria needs and wants most.<br /><br /><b>Will Carter ever become merciful enough to set her free?</b><br /><br />This book was phenomenal! It is a darkly thrilling, exciting and engaging read. It is told in dual POV. The pace is perfect and the story flowed so well, upping the angst and the thrill as it progressed. I was riveted. It is a little different from this author’s normal writing style, leaning more towards “romantic thriller”, but I relished it nonetheless. It is also the second book in a series of standalones that are interconnected.<br /><br />Time ceased to exist as I read this book. I was consumed throughout. There was so much tension in this book that you could cut it with a knife. The desire between the characters was palpable.<br /><br />The writing pulled me in and kept me engaged. In alternate parts of this book, my breath came ragged and shallow due to the anticipation while others I held in my breath with dread. Not to mention fanning myself from the scorching hot sex scenes!<br /><br />As for the characters, Carter was a sexy, obsessive and possessive man. He was more of an antihero but I loved his character and his possessiveness. Aria is broken from a past trauma and she is a strong as she can possibly be, considering. Her character was well-written and I found myself feeling for her plight and having my stomach drop in fear for her.<br /><br />This is an all encompassing read about setting yourself free and facing your fears. The story resonated with me. What Carter does for Aria and how this author wrote it was masterful. I absolutely loved it! <br /><br />At the end of the book, I felt at odds with myself. I didn’t want this story to end and I guess I got what I was looking for because of the cliff-hanger ending but GRRR!!! I don’t want to wait! I’m so excited to continue their story in the upcoming book Heartless!<br /><br />Recommended to those who like passionate romance with a dark thrill. <br /><br />I received an ARC of this book. <u>All thoughts and opinions are my own.</u>

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. <br /><br />Where to start? Carter captivated me from the very start. Merciless is without a doubt one of my favourites books of 2018.<br /><br />Carter is the head of his family business. He's cold-hearted, ruthless and always gets what he wants. And he wants Aria. <br /><br />Carter and Aria's story isn't a straight forward one. There is sadness, fear, attraction and plenty of fireworks. I read this book from start to finish. I had to know what was going to happen between the two of them and I wasn't disappointed. <br /><br />We met Carter briefly in Poessessive and I was looking forward to learning more about him. He didn't disappoint me. Dominant, protective, ruthless and driven. He knows what he wants and he doesn't stop until he gets it. I was enchanted by him. He is so intense. <br /><br />Aria is strong and defiant. She resents being taken but finds herself drawn to Carter even though she doesn't want to be. <br /><br />I didn't see where the story was going and I loved it. I can't wait to see what Willow writes next.

Willow Winters has done it again and this book is going down as my early favourite of 2018. This book is gripping; an astounding mix of cruelty, brutality, beauty and frailty combining to produce a story that will leave you shellshocked and wanting more.<br /><br />Carter Cross is the dark knight who works to ensure that his world does not slip from his tight control. Aria Talvery is his songbird, beautifully broken by a world in which women are only pawns. Both are connected, haunted by a past that they will not share. These characters bleed from the pages as Willow Winters demonstrates her absolute mastery as a writer and you can't help but relate to their most dark actions, feelings and desires. Merciless is an amazing novel not just for the intriguing interactions between Carter and Aria but also for the secondary characters that surround them and the world that Winters is building. This book carries on from Possessive and while it can be read alone it will be much richer if read as a series.<br /><br />Merciless left me speechless. It is an unbelievable read and I would highly recommend everyone meet Carter Cross.

Merciless, book 1 in my USA Today Bestselling Merciless Series, is FREE!!!<br /><br />Start reading this dark, sexy and intense Mafia Romance today: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://geni.us/Aw8vTsY">https://geni.us/Aw8vTsY</a>

Title: ➳ ❤- Merciless<br /><br />Author: ➳ Willow Winters<br />⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br /><br />ღ Three family fighting over territory, in between there is always going to be casualties- hopefully she’ll find Mercy in the man that captured her<br />➦..Her name is Aria Talvery &amp; she the daughter of the most violent crime family in Fallbrook.<br />➦.At times Carter is a man you love to hate. In the end he could be a man that you could easily love- Maybe ? <br /><br />➦.. I loved Carter &amp; Aria’s story. I was pleasantly surprised at how much push &amp; pull happened between them. There was sadness &amp; there was sweetness &amp; it was lovely in its own crazy kinda way. I especially enjoyed when they had dinner in the dining room with the brother’s.<br />♥●•I loved the book. It was addictive. I am looking forward to reading the next book (Heartless). Must say W Winters has that sense of leaving you wanting more without realize it <br />► one way to find out how the story play out, is to “one click” this book &amp; find out for yourself<br />➦? Hope you enjoy this read &amp; also always keep in mind this is just my opinion &amp; my honest review ? <br />➦ ? would I recommend this book: Hell Yes.<br /><br /> ➦ ? I received an EXCLUSIVE copy of this book in exchange for my honest review of it. ? <br /> ? . .**This has not influenced my review.* **<br /> <br /> ? ✎Paulette Review ❤? <br />

<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1521910150i/25268457.jpg" width="500" height="110" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1526039889i/25522977.jpg" width="500" height="460" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508674779i/24242662.jpg" width="500" height="70" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1526039889i/25522978.jpg" width="500" height="105" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1526039889i/25522979.jpg" width="30" height="27" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><b>~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~</b><br>I will be honest, I am struggling a little with how to rate this book. On one hand, I enjoyed it a lot. The writing was fantastic. The pace was perfect. The plot was super engaging and kept me turning the pages like a crazy person. I just couldn't connect with Carter and Aria as a couple. I read (and love) a lot of dark romances so I don't always expect my heroes to be sweet upstanding citizens, but generally, there are moments even in the darkest of books that I feel the hero cares (even if it is in his own twisted way) for the heroine. In this one I just DIDN'T. Most people wouldn't treat their pets as awfully as Carter treated Aria. I just never understood the reasoning behind why he had to treat her so badly to get what he wanted? He wanted to break her? Why? Surely he could have gone about it in a less harsh and cold way? And from Aria's side, I just felt like the poor girl had Stockholm Syndrome so bad she would have done anything Carter said to stay out of the cell he kept her in. In any case, this one ends on a cliffhanger so I am hoping maybe we will get a bit more background on the "WHY" Carter did what he did in the next book.<br><br><br><b>~HERO~</b><br>CARTER...Carter was a bit of a mixed bag. He was sexy. He was domineering. He was charming. I love how close to his brother's he is. That said, the way he treated Aria was just really abysmal. Since we don't get a lot of background info (IMO) on WHY Carter is doing what he is doing with Aria, it just felt like he wanted to break her and didn't care how cruel he had to be to get it done. Like I mentioned above though, I am hoping we will dive a bit more into his reasonings in the next book. So I have my fingers crossed he can be redeemed. <br><br><br><b>~HEROINE~</b><br>ARIA...Sigh. I honestly just felt so sorry for this chick. She stayed strong for as long as she could. Even the most strong of spirits are going to break when being kept in a cell with a thin mattress. With very little sleep. Very little food. No place to bath, and having your mind f-cked with continuously. There really isn't much more I can say about her because her character was pretty much a victim for the entire book. Hopefully, in the next one, we see a stronger, tougher Aria.<br><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1526037623ra/25522061.gif" width="500" height="300" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <br><br><b>~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~</b><br>This one was pretty light of secondary characters. Mostly we just see Jase (Carter's brother), and a little of Daniel, (Carter's other brother) and the hero from the previous book. All the brothers intrigue me so I can't wait to read their books. <br><br><br><b>~HEAT LEVEL~</b><br>Low. There are couple moderately spicey sex scenes in this one, but I wouldn't say it was overly erotic or kinky. There was some spanking. Handcuffs. That sort of thing. That said, the frequency and heat felt organic to the story.<br><br><br><b>~ANGST LEVEL - SEXUAL HISTORIES~</b><br>High...Most of the angst in this one came from the way Carter treated Aria. There was no OW or OM drama. Neither were virgins, and there isn't a single mention of either of their past sexual experiences.<br><br><br><b>~IN THE END~</b><br>So yea, I don't know. Like I said, on one hand, I pretty much inhaled this book in one go. So obviously I liked a whole lot about the book. I adore this authors writing. It (more often than not) is top notch. The pace was good. The plot engaging. Mainly, I just struggled with the way Carter treated Aria for the entire book. I needed some "softer" scenes that showed he actually had genuine feelings for Aria. Or at the very least more explanation for his harsh actions. Hopefully, the next book will address both those things. I know I will be waiting <s>not so</s> patiently to get my hands on it. So, for now, I am going to go with a 3.5 Stars rating with the option of changing that as I marinate on it more.<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1526039942i/25522987.jpg" width="30" height="27" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <br><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1476947892i/20898919.jpg" width="500" height="85" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1477413057i/20949381.jpg" width="500" height="116" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> <br><p> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508614957i/24235660.jpg" width="65" height="30" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><a href="http://betweenthebookends.recinella.dk/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508614220i/24235579.jpg" width="61" height="61" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="http://betweenthebookends.recinella.dk/contactme/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508614220i/24235580.jpg" width="61" height="61" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BetweenTheBookendsBlog/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508614220i/24235581.jpg" width="61" height="61" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/BetTheBookEnds" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508614220i/24235582.jpg" width="61" height="61" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a><a href="https://www.pinterest.dk/eve1972/all-things-books/" rel="nofollow noopener"><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1508614220i/24235583.jpg" width="61" height="61" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"></a></p>

So....the alpha H needs to own the h... abducts her (allegedly to protect her from a mafia war)... decides he wants to break her (that is always a lovely way to phrase things)...locks her in a cell with no shower/food/bed/windows to achieve the "breaking"<br />Then in my opinion he waits until she develops Stockholm syndrom and agrees to kneel to him...then they have sex a lot lot lot.... and finally He turns her into a murderer to cure her from past trauma and help her get revenge...and cliffhanger!<br />I don't understand why I read that until the end...the writing probably.?

This book saddened me. This wasn't a romance novel, there was nothing romantic or sexy about this. This was all Stockholm syndrome and broke my heart. The reviews I read made it sound dark and romantic. it wasn't. The poor girl was locked in a cell and told she could never leave because she belonged to the main character. Abused when she expressed her need to go home. Manipulated to the point she believed she needed and loved her abuser.

Title: ➳ ❤- Merciless<br /><br />Author: ➳ Willow Winters<br />⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br /><br />ღ Three family fighting over territory, in between there is always going to be casualties- hopefully she’ll find Mercy in the man that captured her<br />➦..Her name is Aria Talvery &amp; she the daughter of the most violent crime family in Fallbrook.<br /><br />➦.At times Carter is a man you love to hate. In the end he could be a man that you could easily love- Maybe ?<br /><br />➦.. I loved Carter &amp; Aria’s story. I was pleasantly surprised at how much push &amp; pull happened between them. There was sadness &amp; there was sweetness &amp; it was lovely in its own crazy kinda way. I especially enjoyed when they had dinner in the dining room with the brother’s.<br /><br />♥●•I loved the book. It was addictive. I am looking forward to reading the next book (Heartless). Must say W Winters has that sense of leaving you wanting more without realize it<br /><br />► one way to find out how the story play out, is to “one click” this book &amp; find out for yourself<br /><br />➦? Hope you enjoy this read &amp; also always keep in mind this is just my opinion &amp; my honest review ?<br /><br />➦ ? would I recommend this book: Hell Yes.<br /><br />? ✎Paulette Review ❤?