Forever Wicked releases January 14, 2014
Book links:
Kindle ~ Amazon print ~ Goodreads ~ 1001 Dark Nights
Synopsis:
They had nothing in common but a desperate passion…
Billionaire Jason Denning lived life fast and hard in a world where anything could be bought and sold, even affection. But all that changed when he met “Greta,” a beautiful stranger ready to explore her hidden desires. From a blue collar family, Gia Angelotti wore a badge, fought for right—and opened herself utterly to love him. Blindsided and falling hard, Jason does the first impulsive thing of his life and hustles her to the altar.
Until a second chance proved that forever could be theirs.
Then tragedy ripped Jason’s new bride from his arms and out of his life. When he finds Gia again, he gives her a choice: spend the three weeks before their first anniversary with him or forfeit the money she receives from their marriage. Reluctantly, she agrees to once again put herself at his mercy and return to his bed. But having her right where he wants her is dangerous for Jason’s peace of mind. No matter how hard he tries, he finds himself falling for her again. Will he learn to trust that their love is real before Gia leaves again for good?
My review:
Forever Wicked is a novella from author Shayla Black’s Wicked Lovers Series and is also part of the 1001 Dark Nights Series. A fan of Shayla’s and excited for this amazing novella series to start, I was thrilled to get an early copy of Forever Wicked. Well, let me say….Shayla has kicked off this series to one smoking hot start!
Jason Denning has many things. Tons of money and all of the material things that accompany having billions of dollars at his disposal. The one thing he doesn’t have and the one thing he really wants is his wife. He and Gia had met and married in a whirlwind affair and he had been looking forward to building a life together with her until her brother’s murder. After the tragedy, she had left him almost as soon as the ink on their Las Vegas marriage certificate had dried. And he had been thinking of her ever since. Now, armed with information on the reasons she left and the determination to get her back, he derives a plan. Surely Gia wouldn’t be able to turn down his offer and with a little bit of luck she would be wooed enough to stay with him. Forever.
To say Gia Angelotti is stretched thin would be a gross understatement. Besides the grief over her brother’s murder, helping her family and working as a police officer she had the guilt of leaving her new husband eating at her every day since she left him. Now it was too late though. It had been almost a year since she left him and certainly he’s moved on by now. Handsome and successful, Jason wouldn’t have sat around playing “she loves me, she loves me not” with a bunch of flowers waiting for her to come back to him. Imagine her surprise when, after all this time, he tracks her down and asks her to spend the two weeks leading up to their first anniversary with him. And being Jason, he makes her an offer she desperately needs and can’t turn down. The question is, what will happen when the two weeks ends….
It’s a good thing I read this book during the coldest week of the year…because the heat coming off of these pages sure kept me warm. Jason and Gia are in quite a stalemate in their marriage. Gia left Jason without a backward glance. Jason has been privately pining for her since she left. Both of them are unhappy. Their relationship isn’t conventional by any definition and I loved many things about it. They met at a BDSM club, married quickly and then ended up apart almost instantly. But that’s not what I loved most about it. What I loved most was that both Jason and Gia were willing to give their marriage a shot. Now, it wasn’t without a whole lot of struggles and there was certainly more than a little reluctance on both of their parts during the story but that’s where I grew to admire these characters. Both Gia and Jason were doing what they thought was best for their partners but in the end all it took was a little step back for each of them to realize they were both wrong….and it takes strong people to admit it. That’s what drew me to this couple. Of course, the ridiculously sexy scene in the department store dressing room and bathroom counter scene didn’t hurt.
Characters with numerous personality facets, hot chemistry and heaps of emotion make this novella a total win for me. Thank you, Shayla, for an amazing story and for kicking off the 1001 Dark Nights Series with a BANG!
Five Loves
About the author:
Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 40 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances produced via traditional, small press, independent, and audio publishing. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.
Shayla’s books have been translated in about a dozen languages. She has also received or been nominated for The Passionate Plume, The Holt Medallion, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. RT Bookclub has twice nominated her for Best Erotic Romance of the year, as well as awarded her several Top Picks, and a KISS Hero Award.
A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every new book.
LOVE Shayla Black and can’t wait to read. She was one of the first writers I read after I read 50 Shades. Thanks for Sharing!