Sy reviews: TEARS OF TESS by Pepper Winters

Title: Tears of Tess
Series: Monsters in the Dark #1
Author: Pepper Winters

Genre: NA/Contemporary Romance

~Synopsis~

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

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~Review~

 

This book is not for the weak-hearted, let me tell you that. I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of books with dark stories or dark plots and I try to stay away from stories with rape in it. So going into this book, I can say I made a huge pep talk to my fragile heart to suck it up and read it. This is not the first time I read a dark story. I've read plenty as a matter of fact (see I'm not that weak after all). Tears of Tess though is the first dark novel I have truly enjoyed and did not leave me feeling like I needed major therapy and counseling session afterwards. :)

This came as a major shocker to me because the content in this book, the things that happened between Q and Tess were not at all easy to imagine and take. I think this even had the most outrageous and wild kind of Dom-Sub context. Surprisingly though I enjoyed it. I did not cringe on the rape scene. Q slapping Tess was a bit of a what the hell moment for me but even that wasn't really a big deal for me. *insert squealing-OMG Q is so hot!!!*

I guess the reason why I loved this story so much was because the characters have captured my heart from the beginning. I like Brax. I felt bad that he couldn't be what Tess wanted him to be, that he wasn't as
sensitive as a loving boyfriend should be, but I love his gentleness, his tenderness towards Tess. I like Tess for her fierceness. She's bold and she is just so badass I feel like standing up for her by shouting "you go girl!" so many times while reading this book. I love Q. Of course I love Q. He was so fucked up that I love him so much for that. I love how the author managed to make these characters so strong and so likeable that even if I was reading the rape scene I didn't stress myself too much and ended up having a migraine and asking the universe "Why? Why did this has to happen?"

Q is so mysterious and he may be damaged but you know and you believe deep inside there's a gentle monster in there (if there is such a thing as a gentle monster though).

I don't even know what more to say but I really love this story and this is the first dark story I gave 5 stars for. And for someone who loves a book with all sweet and happiness and fairy tale with swoon-worthy men (not that Q is not swoon-worthy, believe me, he is, more like swoon-worthy-drool-worthy-

panty-melting hot kind), for me to enjoy and love it this much, that's saying something.

Here's my Tears of Tess Playlist:

Bluebird (Sara Bareilles)
Sugar (Wanderhouse)
All This And Heaven Too (Florence and the Machine)
Between Two Lungs (Florence and the Machine)

~Playlist~

I picked these songs because they all have that air of dark and mystery in them. Also, some of the lines of these songs fit Q and Tess so beautifully. Plus, I love Florence and the Machine, they're my go-to music when I feel dark clouds hovering my heart. ;)

Rating:

DIAMOND RECORD

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author 

Pepper Winters 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. Her debut book Tears of Tess will be followed with Quintessentially Q. You didn’t think Q could stop so soon, did you? Her other two titles, Last Shadow and Broken Chance will be coming soon. She loves mail of any kind: pepperwinters at gmail dot com

Find Pepper online: Website | Twitter | Goodreads