Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Ember (Eagle Elite, #5) by Rachel Van Dyken

 

RELEASE DATE: FEB 19
I am a Killer. A Rapist. A Monster.
I know only pain and survival.
That is until the Cappo's sister walked into my life.
And changed everything.
She's a light who makes my darkness darker, her smile makes my heart turn to ice, and I can't escape the fear her seductive looks instill--knowing it's only a matter of time before I fail--again, and take her for myself.
This is the story of my redemption.
But it's not pretty...I died, and now I'm alive, but not living, breathing but not surviving. I am Phoenix De Lange, son to a murdered mob boss, estranged brother, horrible friend, monster in the making, newest leader to one of the most powerful families in the Cosa Nostra.
And I will have my vengeance.
Or die trying.
I am Phoenix De Lange.
Death is all I know.
Until she offers me a piece of life--I can't resist taking.
 
 
5 Rise from the Ashes Stars

Let’s get the big elephant out of the room. Phoenix is a rapist.  I can get over the killing and maybe the female beating, but rape? **CRING**

I didn’t think I could do it. I mean I had my doubts from the very first book.

BUT…

I love **GASP** Phoenix De Lang!!!

Crazy. I know. But Rachel Van Dyken can write some really good stuff. After five books, I still love this series and I’m salivating for more.

It’s Phoenix’s story. So, he was forced to rape and abuse girls throughout his childhood life. This has given Phoenix some major daddy issues and well general issues all around.

He’s nervous around girls and has ZERO intentions of starting anything with anyone.

Now, he must protect Tex’s sister, Bee.

Bee, a girl who has a major crush on Phoenix.

I love BEE! She’s too cute, she’s adorable and I love how positive she is. The thing that I love so much about Ember is that I felt like Rachel Van Dyken was going back to the roots of the story. We are back to the school, classes and all the drama that is attached to going to college.

I love that stuff!  While Bee goes to school, Phoenix acts as her bodyguard. Oh boy do I love this story line.  I also love Phoenix and Bee’s dynamics.

Phoenix continually pushes Bee away (as he should because he’s kind of messed up) and Bee continues to push Phoenix’s buttons because well, it’s just too fun to read!  I love how mean Phoenix is, but he isn’t mean like wow-I-really-hate-you mean, but more like wow-you-are-mean-oh-god-it-makes-me-want-you-more mean.

I’m serious people!

I could have read pages and pages of this stuff. Of course we still get tiny glimpses of the gang, Nixon, Chase, Tex and Sergio.

Ember was really fast pace and I felt like I never knew what was going to happen and probably because there was no foreshadowing!!!! It’s a pet peeve of mine, when I read a bit of foreshadowing at the beginning of the book, and somebody is very known for that (not naming names), BUT I didn’t get it in this one and that made me a SUPER DUPER HAPPY GIRL.

<b>I love Ember, I love the series, I love Phoenix and I still love Rachel Van Dyken.</b>

I can’t wait for Sergio’s book!!!!! (it’s the next one)

 READ IT!
 

 
PROLOGUE:
Phoenix
“Do it,” my father spat. “Or I will.”
I looked at the girl at my feet and back at my father. “No.”
He lifted his hand above my head; I knew what was coming, knew it would hurt like hell but had no way to fight back — he’d already starved me of my food for the past three days for arguing, for trying to save the girl and her cousin.
His fist hit my temple so hard that I fell to the ground with a cry. The click of his boots against the cement gave me the only warning I’d have as he reared back and kicked me in the ribs; over and over again he kicked. The girl screamed, but I stayed silent. Screaming didn’t help; nothing did.
I waited until he was done — I prayed that he would kill me this time. I prayed so hard that I was convinced God was finally going to hear me and take me away from my hell. Anything was better than living. Anything.
“You worthless—” Another kick to the head. “—piece of shit!” A kick to my gut. “You will never be boss, not if you cry every time you must do the hard thing!” Finally, blessed darkness enveloped my line of vision.
I woke up from the nightmare screaming, not even realizing that I was safe, in my own bed. With a curse I checked the clock.
Three a.m.
Well, at least I’d only had one nightmare — that I’d remembered. I’d been living with Sergio for the past week; his house was so big that I’d basically taken the east wing, and he’d taken the West, said he’d hated living alone anyway. I wasn’t stupid; I knew the guy wasn’t exactly a big fan, but it worked. I needed to stay in the States while I figured shit out.
And I wasn’t ready to leave. Not when I needed to learn all I could from Nixon. Not when I had responsibility.
And not when I had those black folders freaking burning a hole in my mind.
Luca hadn’t just left me an empire; he’d left me secrets. I wasn’t sure what was worse, knowing everything there was to know about those I was supposed to be protecting or knowing that at any minute one of them could turn on us.
“Hey!” Bee barged into my room.
“Damn it!” I pulled the blankets over my naked body, my heart picking up speed at her tousled hair and bedroom eyes. Tex’s sister, Tex’s sister. My body wasn’t accepting that — physically it wasn’t accepting any information other than she was beautiful.
And it was dark.
I looked away, scowling.
“I heard screaming.” Bee took a step forward, her perfume floating off her body like an aphrodisiac or drug, making me calm, making me want something I had no business wanting.
“Yeah, well…” I gave her a cold glance. “…clearly I’m fine, so you should go. Actually, why are you here? You know you live with Tex, right?”
She shrugged and sat on my bed. I clenched my fists around the blankets to keep from reaching out to her. It was getting harder and harder to ignore her warmth — when I lived in a constant state of near-death cold.
“He’s with Mo, and they need privacy. I’m not stupid. So I asked Sergio if I could move in for a while.”
“You did what?” I asked in a deadly tone, one I was sure would probably give her nightmares later.
She grinned. “I’m your new roomie!” Bee bounced on the bed and sent me a shy look from beneath her dark lashes. “Admit it, you miss our slumber parties.”
Forget the nightmare — I was looking at it.
 
Ember:

 
  

SERIES Buy Links:
Elite:
Elect:
Entice:
Elicit: 
 
 
BANG BANG:
ENFORCE

 
 
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at
www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
 
 
  


No comments:

Post a Comment