“I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It’s
undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you’ve paid off your
debts.”
Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Being the first born
daughter, her life is forfeit to the first born son of the Hawks to pay for
sins of ancestors past. The dark ages might have come and gone, but debts never
leave. She has no choice in the matter.
She is no longer free.
Jethro Hawk receives Nila as an inheritance present on
his twenty-ninth birthday. Her life is his until she’s paid off a debt that’s
centuries old. He can do what he likes with her—nothing is out of bounds—she
has to obey.
There are no rules. Only payments.
4 Indebted Stars
It’s another Pepper Winter’s novel and with that, you can expect some darkness, a damaged Hero and a little kinky fun.
I love Winter’s books, but with that comes with high expectations. Debt Inheritance wasn’t a total hit for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t love it as the series continues.
Tiny disclaimer - > I’m not fond of books broken up. Yes, Debt Inheritance is a series, but it’s a book broken into parts. I think my issue with this is that these stories drag just a tiny bit. But I did like the length, since Winter’s novels tend to be on the longer side.
The Hero
Jethro is a character. The thing that I love about Winter’s books are the Heroes. You just want to love to hate them. I found Jethro very dominate, mean and very alpha. A tiny bit of me could have seen him a bit meaner. I wanted him to be super villain I learn to love. I’m not sure what Jethro’s “issue” is, but I hope throughout the series, his character is more developed and I see a deeper side of him.
The Heroine
Poor tragic Nila, she gets “kidnapped” and if she leaves her family is in trouble. I like a strong Heroine that fights back at times, but I did find Nila a bit trying. I understand her conflicting issues. She doesn’t want to be in the situation she’s in, yet she’s kind of attracted to Jethro, I get it, it’s her complex. I think I could have liked a bit more banter between the two main characters to really build on the relationship.
The hits
I really liked the length. I felt like the novel was the perfect amount of writing. I have no issues against long books, I just don’t like dragging out stories.
I love the dialogue. I do believe there needs some tweaking on the emotional relationship between the Hero and Heroine, but there’s hardly any internal dialogue. THANK GOD! I’m sorry, I can’t stand internal dialogue, it just drives me nuts.
The misses
The pace is slow. I wanted her to get kidnapped within the first few chapters, but it’s a good portion before any movement happens. Then again the book is broken up so that can be expected.
I wanted the read to be darker. This is a personal preference. Some people will read certain parts and cringe, but me, I wanted to see bloodshed (or something on that level). Debt Inheritance reminds me a lot of Madeleine Abducted, but just more tamed.
I wanted to see different levels of the Hero. Yes, he’s kind of mean, dominate and has some elements of Q from Tears of Tess, but what’s his deal? Why is he the way he is? I understand it’s the first novel, so I hope to see different layers of him in the next parts.
I’m not fond of Heroes telling me how much of a “monster” they can be. I feel like actions speak louder than words. Instead of saying how mean you are, just do something to justify it. This is just a pet peeve of mine.
Overall
Despite the misses, I did enjoy the read. Pepper’s books have always been engaging and it’s nice to read something different from the Tears of Tess series.
My expectations for the series.
- I want Darker
- More emotions from the Hero
- More witty banter between the Hero and Heroine
- Faster pace
- Kinkier scenes
I think if my expectations can be met, I will be a happy camper. For now, not a bad start to a new series.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
I didn’t
look back.
I should’ve
looked back.
I should
never have placed my hand into that of a monster’s.
That was
the last day of freedom. The last day that was my own.
My life was
never mine.
My destiny was
already written.
My story
began the night he came for me.
BOOK TWO: First Debt
“You say I’ll never own you. If I win—you willingly give
me that right. You sign not only the debt agreement, but another—one that makes
me your master until your last breath is taken. You do that, and I’ll give you
this.”
Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Stolen, taken, and
bound not by monsters but by an agreement written over six hundred years ago,
she has no way out.
She belongs to Jethro as much as she denies it.
Jethro Hawk’s patience is running out. His inheritance
gift tests, challenges, and surprises him—and not in good ways. He hasn’t
leashed her but he thinks he might’ve found a way to bind her forever.
Debts are mounting. Payment waiting.
BOOK THREE: Second Debt
“I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as
perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro
isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him
annihilate me further.”
Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to
full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her
greatest weapon of all.
She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more.
But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win.
Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in
Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between
hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect.
The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no
matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be
extinguished.
Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA Today International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She's also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestsellers, best BDSM series voted by the SmutClub, and recently signed a two book deal with Grand Central. Her books are currently being translated into numerous languages and will be in bookstores in the near future.
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