The USA Today Bestselling Dark Romance Series
A brilliantly dark, depraved and sensual romance that will have you begging for more!! 5 stars! Miss Petite Brunette Book Blog
From New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters, comes the third book in the Dark Romance series, Goddess Isles
“There was hate once. Hate born from dangerous attraction and fate’s cruel design.
There was love once. Love … was love once. Love destined to kill us if we didn’t surrender to our war.”
Eleanor Grace suffers an awful affliction. She’s falling for a man who doesn’t deserve her affection or her forgiveness. But there is no cure, so she does something reckless, stupid—she throws safety to the sea and leaps into danger.
Sully Sinclair suffers the same affliction. He’s falling for a goddess who will never earn his trust or his heart if he can help it. However, he wasn’t prepared for the lengths she’d go. How far she’d push to either stop such a bond or kill them both trying.
An elixir given to a monster.
A goddess running for her life.
An ending neither of them can survive.
more
Ever read a book where you didn’t want to turn the last page because it was just that riveting?
This book is will be one of those
Still reeling from the plot twists in this book! Pepper weaves her story around Sully and Eleanor’s deepening feelings for one another in spite of Sully’s past and Eleanor’s contract. Will Sully push Eleanor too far? Will Eleanor’s request be the catalyst that starts the ball rolling? And Sully’s past won’t stay hidden when a threat looms on the horizon of his Isles. What will Sully do? Need Fourth A Lie now!
Look What You Made Me Do…
*arc generously provided by the promo team in exchange for an honest review*
“You are who you are
I won’t change you for anything.”
Terrence Loves You – Lana Del Rey
What’s this book about? (I’m trying to give as little spoilers as possible)
I won’t be the one cast out of Winters’ kingdom for revealing the plot. LOL.
“Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time
I’ve got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined
I check it once, then I check it twice.”
Look What You Made Me Do – Taylor Swift
Hello there and welcome to the Goddess Isles. We’ve been pretty busy over here, slaying the readers and all, but come, take a look. Don’t be shy! You’re going to like it, I promise. After book two left me with mixed feelings about this strange couple, book three twisted and turned everything around. It was like Goddess Queen Winters listened to my prayers and delivered us with the GOODS. There was back and forth in this page-turner. I devoured this read THE MOMENT IT HIT MY KINDLE. Steam was ever-present. The cunning twists were everything I needed. Eloquent conversations by seemingly educated individuals graced the pages. Cute animals stole the show and made me want more. Ellie, one of my favorite Winters heroines, has a spot at ‘girl u cool’ table. She handed out slaps after slaps (not physical ones, unfortunately, LOL – I’m in no way promoting violence in real life. Just in this book.). She snapped multiple times. She showed her values and beliefs and I melted away. BABY GIRL, STAY STRONG, WE GOT YOU!
“The world moves on, another day, another drama, drama
But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma
And then the world moves on, but one thing’s for sure
Maybe I got mine, but you’ll all get yours.”
Look What You Made Me Do – Taylor Swift
Sully (whose name I’ve grown too love) has a special place in my dark room. He served all the angst we didn’t know we needed. I won’t say much about his shenanigans in Third A Kiss, but I’ll reveal that I understood him more at the end of this. There was a tiny part from approx. 60% to 75% where I wanted to slap the hell out of him, more than usual, but other than that, he was good in his bad ways. As always with our dark romance community, I plead not to let the social justice warriors hear of this, BUT let the Anonymous For The Voiceless community get a glimpse. I’m sure they’ll love the heck out of Goddess Isles. Lord knows, these guys need something to cheer them up! I’m forever in awe for Pepper Winters and what she’s done with Sully and the entire ideology he has. I never expected this sort of thing to be so elaborately treated in a romance novel. I love every single second of it and I’ll miss it when it’s over. Pepper Winters has created a universe in these three published books that is so wholesome, heartbreaking, fascinating and, well, steamy, too, if you roll that way. The sneaky author has tricks up her sleeve and I feel them coming! She’s not done yet, y’all. Every book unveils another layer of the characters and of the universe in itself. You think you know these characters? THINK AGAIN. I’m anticipating book four! I can’t wait for this continuation. By far, the best series in total so far of 2020 and I’m sure the final two books will cement that sentiment!
I recommend this to all fellow animal lovers/vegetarians/vegans (WE’RE GETTING A SEAT AT THE TABLE, Y’ALL! High school bully, who?), complex heroines with big hearts lovers and lovers of tortured trust-issues leading men with big… islands amongst other things.
“I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I’ll be the actress starring in your bad dreams.”
Look What You Made Me Do – Taylor Swift
“You, Eleanor Grace, are something. You have the power to be everything. And that is why you’ll forever remain nothing.”
How do you write a review about a book and author that from day one has delivered the most poisonous, addictive pain and the most euphoric pleasure without repeating past phrases or words? I don’t know, but here goes.
Third a Kiss by Pepper Winters is book three in The Goddess Isles series, and we pick up right where Twice a Wish ended. As with most of Pepper’s couples, there is this push and pull, hot and cold, give and take that destroys you. It makes you crave for the couple to be together but it also makes you want them to walk away so everyone, including you, can be put out of their misery. We finally get to see the culmination of these two people clashing and burning for each other, but as with all good Pepper stories, happily ever after is not real.
Sully and Eleanor go through so much, and to see their relationship grow made my heart burst. I cannot read a Pepper Winters book without almost instantaneously becoming engrossed and overwhelmed with emotions. When the characters are anxious, my heart races. When the characters are sad, I can’t help but cry. And when the characters fall in love, I can feel it in my soul. There is something about the way this woman writes that just calls out and yanks on every emotion I have. She writes such beautiful tragedy, and I seriously cannot recommend this series, and everything else she has written, enough to you all.
Overall rating: 5 stars
Steaminess rating: 4 stars
OH HO WHOA!!!! What on earth did I just read!! Third a Kiss is book 3 in the Goddess Isles series from Pepper Winters and all I can think is wow! This was an exceptional read. A full throttle entanglement that left me hyperventilating and my head spinning. As with every Pepper Winters book I have read, I think I have guessed certain things about where the story may go only to be slapped up the face with the many twists and turns that end up happening.
Book 3 picks literally from the point at which book 2 ends. Now if you have read Twice a Wish you will know how badly Third a Kiss is needed to stop you going completely mad with wondering what has Eleanor done and how will she react to Sully’s true monster being unleashed upon her.
Eleanor is the epitome of naïve and brave. She had no idea how giving Sully a taste of his own medicine to try and force him to confront his true feelings for her. She welcomed this confrontation but I think the violence and rage that was unleashed during Sully’s awakening was surprising.
The chemistry between these two is severely intense and passionate. An exothermic reaction giving out enough heat to melt the world around them. They see and hear nothing and nobody but each other. It is all consuming and erotic and when they come together it is explosive.
With every page I read, I had so many different reactions. My emotions soared to great heights and then fell to the pits of despair. It was like I could feel the characters emotions flowing off the page. Sully is a hard man. He does not trust, at all, letting Eleanor in is a fate worse than death for Sully. Everything he has ever loved had been brutally ripped away from him. The depths of betrayal that has left scares on his soul he will never allow to be repeated. Every loving ouch or embrace from Eleanor flays his skin and burns his souls. It makes Sully question himself and to take and inward look at his shackled closed down heart.
Death and Destruction litter his past, he does not want that to be his future. Too many outside influences try to destroy what he only wants to protect. The end is a fork in the road. Choices and ultimatums, all of which threaten his taste of relief from his darkness. Is this it? Is this all the relief he will ever experience? Fourth a Lie, book 4, I can only imagine how the story will unfold from here. But even in my wildest imagination, the story Pepper Winters will tell will be infinitely better and I cannot wait!
Wow what a explosive third book to this series.
This book picks straight back up where book two leaves you and it’s just as intense as the others.
Every book i read in this series the more i fall in love with the Goddess Isles world.
Pepper is the master of keeping on your toes and on the edge of your seat.
So amazing!
Need book four!
4*
Eleanor has found what she was looking for and tricked Sullivan but at what cost?
Sully is fearful of what Eleanor has done will they survive it?
I loved how the book is unfolding it gives more insight to the working of Sully’s mind.
I seriously can’t wait for the next installment ” Fourth a lie
Wow! Just wow! Every single book in this series just gets better and better!
Third a Kiss has knocked the socks right off from my feet! It’s rawer, more vulnerable and wonderfully written. It has a lot more emotion to it, and I’ve fallen more in love with the characters, (well, some of them) if that’s even possible.
We see Sullivan’s and Eleanor’s relationship develop even further in the novel, and we see a very different side to Sullivan. I mean, he’s still his broody self, but we see a more open Sullivan. And he’s truly spectacular.
Given where it finished in the last book, it pretty much starts off with a very hot and powerful energy, and it keeps going that way. More secrets get unravelled, hearts are changing on the island and we get to see more of Pika and Skittles, which is a win-win for me!
Not to say there isn’t any drama. There are tons! Wouldn’t be an original P.W. novel without it in spades! There’s a lot of energy and catharsis in the novel, and you can’t help but get swept away in it.
And yet again there’s a cliffhanger that knocks the air out of your lungs. I mean, it leaves you feeling, “What the eff did I just read?!” It’s unpredictable, just like this book, and this series so far.
And it’s almost criminal to not mention the tropics and paradise, no matter what secrets lurk there.
Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better couple, a better read or a beautiful image in my head when reading this incredible book. There may be trouble in paradise for Sullivan and Eleanor but it’s just plain paradise for the reader!
Highly recommended!
What did I just read!? This book…this series is beyond words! Sully & Eleanor are off the charts in Third a Kiss. Just wait for the ending though, you’ll be craving Fourth a Lie, just like me. This book is such a a amazing!!!
There’s one word that will describe this third book in Pepper Winters’ Goddess Isles Series. That word is INTENSE! From the first chapter to the last I was on the edge of my seat reading. Most times I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. The intensity sprang from the pages, grabbed me by the throat and dragged me through the entire book. The ending left me speechless. The need I have for Book 4 is terrifyingly overwhelming. I LIVE for books like this!! Do NOT miss it!!
I feel like a have been on rollercoaster without a safety harness taking a ride through a mine field, with no idea how to safely maneuver through it. The hits come bam bam, and you think you are safe and then bam bam babam and one more for the road. I feel so invested in them and their journey is my journey and I have no idea if any of us will be the same when it’s over. This one definitely was full of that delicious chemistry and some hot hot loving scenes, but that darkness waiting to drag you down and destroy it all us just waiting in the background and it breaks my heart. I don’t know how I’m going to survive the waiting, it’s gonna be hard and I’m probably gonna be an emotional wreck, but I will be there with bells on because Sully and Elanore are worth the pain and suffering to hopefully get to the rainbow on the other side!
Collecting my thoughts after this incredibly evocative 3rd book in the Goddess Isles series, my awe at how Pepper Winters meticulously crafts such an engaging story is overwhelming once more. You’d think with a 5 book set that the story would somehow drag or get a bit off course. But it doesn’t. And as a matter of fact, Third a Kiss had me as captivated as when I first started this journey with Once a Myth. Proving once again, just how talented a storyteller Winters continues to be.
Picking up where we left off in Twice a Kiss, Eleanor has struck out in only the way she knew how and now the consequences of her actions only prove that the attraction between her and Sully is beyond either one’s comprehension. That push and pull between them is in abundance and as the book progresses, we get to dig deeper into Sully’s psyche and the truths he has kept locked up tight for oh so long.
There is a deep emotional fire buried within Sully and with the way Eleanor has tricked him, it is unleashed to burn down anything in its path. I wasn’t certain just how this latest installment would play out knowing what she did was unimaginable but consider me shocked right along with Goddess Jinx at what actually does transpire.
This entire journey to redemption? Forgiveness? Understanding? Each turn of the page tries to answer those questions as we get to dig just a bit deeper into the whys of Sully’s islands, the reasons for his affection towards animals and the lengths he’ll go to to protect someone or something he loves. The man is a mystery that perhaps only Eleanor can solve but at what cost?
There is still so much to explore, with Winters again giving us a jaw-dropping cliffhanger as the seemingly evil brother in Drake may just be Sully’s ultimate downfall. So much is still left to uncover and with two books still to be released, I do believe my own heart and soul will go through the wringer right alongside that of Sully and Eleanor.
I’m beyond thankful for the lightness provided by those two adoring cuties in Pika and Skittles and who knows, maybe they will be the key to emerging from the depths of despair we have been left with.
Needing to be purposely vague with this review as not to give away just anything that could spoil your experience, I encourage to you to join me on the trek through the tropics and savor a story like only Pepper Winters can tell. She is the consummate wordsmith with the Goddess Isles series some of her best work to date.
Third a Kiss along with the rest of the series thus far, is one big angst-fest with smart characters driven by the proficient passages that Author creates. It is a 5+ star read all the way.
Omg! How do I even write a review that could possibly convey my feelings about this book, this series? Pepper Winters is the queen of dark romance. Third a Kiss sucks you right in and doesn’t let go. I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! I loved it. Amazing book. Amazing series. I can’t wait for more!
The QUEEN OF DARK ROMANCE at her best!
The Goddess Isles is an erotic story set in an exotic location, titillating and promising, thrilling and euphoric. it promises a Mind & Body experience like no other. Pepper has gone all out in creating this sparkling mirage, too beautiful to be true. when it turns to show the underside, It comes as a surprising jolt. surely to leave your mouth agape and a disbelief on your face!!
Euphoria. Where a mortal man could fuck any female he wanted. Sky, sea, fiction, or fact. Any illusion, any fantasy, a place where rules bowed to your desires, gravity kneeled to your wishes, and life was no longer full of monsters but magic.
When your highly anticipated book by your favorite author starts with this
“This book belongs to romance. The darker and hotter, the better. Without romance, without those butterfly flutters, heart-tripping whispers, skin-flaying touches, life would be boring.”
You Know that you will be in an Altered State Of Mind By the end of it. Pepper could have doled out Euphoriaherself, her intoxicating words matching in potency and exhilaration, taking readers to dizzying new heights of Passion and Ecstasy.
Pepper’s proved yet again, that her mighty pen has the power of transportation and teleportation.
She builds a serene, utopian Paradise. You get a virtual tour of crystal clear waters, lush Flora, teeming Fauna. In an otherwise pristine and calming setting, One would relax and indulge in Nature’s Bounty and Beauty. The Archipalego bursting with melodious noises of Birds and saved animals alike, acres of organic sustenance would all contribute towards idyllic Heaven on earth. yet there’s hidden darkness, nefarious agenda, rotten envy and wounded pride all trying to erode the good work.
And like an oasis, In the midst settles Nirvana.
The most peaceful place in the Fantasy Driven Island. Here Jinx and Sully connect at the most basic level. Barren of all sensory paraphernalia, Stripped of all the illusions, they are skin to skin, heart to heart, soul to soul. But Pepper never makes it easy for them to even Admit to their feelings, let alone act on them.
Both burning with hypnotic love yet in denial. the stage is set for torturous Angst and debilitating Heartbreak that will have them and the readers writhing and pining for more…more…more.
“I’ve been sullied by Sully…in every possible way. Mentally, physically, emotionally.”
What a wondrous journey this is turning out to be, it started on a volatile note in book 1 and by book 3 it’s promising turns are both indulgent to the senses and clambering off desires. I could feel the sizzling chemistry between the characters, the scenes were violently hot and sensuously erotic. I got high just by reading them, I wonder how pepper fared while writing them. This series will get more intricate as it goes into the next book, b/c it ended on a walloping note. My jaw dropped, heart dropped and pretty sure my panties were in a wad!
My heart just broke and broke again for ALL the characters, bipeds and quadrupeds, winged and aquatic…
Sully has his work cut out for him in the next book and all the characters will have to pass a test of loyalty and allegiance…cannot wait to get to the next episode in this Topsy turvy world of Goddess Isles!
5 stars for heart With thousand walls and locked with a million keys
This story is one that readers who enjoy a darker side to romance must read. Third a Kiss is the third book in this incredible series and I have not been disappointed at all. With two more books yet to be released I wonder where Pepper Winters will take us next. This series is thought provoking; It is most certainly addictive and as soon as a book lands on my Kindle, it is devoured in one sitting.
Twice a Wish left me desperate for answers and needing to discover what happened next and this instalment gave me exactly what I was hoping for. Not only did the situation that the second book left us on play out, and what a scene that is, but the author also addresses something that I and many of us have been constantly thinking about. I’m being vague, I know. However, I don’t want to go into details because you really do need to go in blind and discover everything yourself.
The more time I spend with Sully and Eleanor the more I fall in love with this couple. Their chemistry is off the charts. They have an intense connection that many of us will envy. This book finds them exploring their feelings for each other and these feelings are also tested. They are so well suited that I need them to find their HEAs together…. it is something I am desperate for. Put aside the rights and wrongs of the circumstances that they are in, fate has brought them together and I pray that nothing will tear them apart.
Third a Kiss is filled with passion, love, truth, betrayal and revenge. The suspense will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and you will be left demanding more. I absolutely loved the emotions that this book brought out in me and I have no hesitation in recommending for you to read this unique and amazing story.
Wwwooowww! Pepper Winters is the Queen of Dark Romance. These characters are everything right now. Angsty, romance, and brutality all swirled into one relationship. We are so far from where we started.
Pika and Skittles can they just be real and be mine. Pika kills me with Sully… hanging upside down on his head. I think they really run the island. They just let Sully think he does.
When I started reading Third a Kiss, it was apparent one of my theories was right. My thoughts were, OMG!!! I KNEW IT! I knew it. (I can’t tell you what I know… but I knew it!) This blew my mind, because I’d almost given up on the thought it.
This book took us deeper inside their relationship. It was more about that than what the island’s purpose is. They both have such great empathy. I think that’s what draws them together. I found myself in love and in hate with every moment I spend inside Sully’s head. He has major trust issues (DUH). Every step forward he takes four steps back. One of my favorite passages was from Eleanor “No matter your technology and masks, Sully, our chemistry will override everything.”
Just when I think I know where their story is going, the author flips everything. She wrings emotions out of me. It leaves me exhausted in the best way. Now, I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks. Oh yea, and I waiting for May. I need the next book.
My heart was in my throat all the time I was reading this book. If you liked the Monsters in the Dark series, you will love this one as it evokes the same response; as fast as I need to read it I don’t want it to end. Eleanor and Sully are made for each other but Sully is so consumed by darkness that Eleanor is not sure she will ever break through. There are so many twists and turns that it makes the reader’s head spin and there is no peace even when it seems there may finally be a resolution, bam, there is another twist and the reader is left anxious again. This is Pepper Winters at her absolute best and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Pepper Winters has destroyed my heart and soul in Third A Kiss. I am wrecked. I am dying from all the extreme emotions. This story was like an arrow straight to me heart. The passion. The drama. The tension. Mindblowing perfection. I am drowning in this exotic and ecstatic romance.
I really don’t know how can I capture the essence of this story by mere words. You all know the framework. The island that is gateway to fantasy fulfilment of rich and powerful people. Sullivan Sinclair is the lord of this paradise and his Goddesses. Eleanor Grace was supposed to be his next profitable acquisition. But she has become the storm ripping his controlled world apart. Let me tell you..I was obliterated by this story. The depth. The edge. The speed. The complexity. The nuances. The delicate yet explosive balance of sex, love and action. This is the author’s biggest accomplishment. She managed to transport me to the colorful tropical island in every sense. I lost myself and the story engulfed my heart, body and soul!
I fall in love with Sullivan Sinclair over and over again. I wanted to hug him and soothe him and that’s laughable. Because there is nothing soft about him. He oozes danger. Confidence. Arrogance. Ruthlessness. Possessiveness. Authority. Violence. He shows himself as a monster. But the author cracked him wide open for us and we can see the other side. The vulnerable, lonely, untrustworthy, self loathing and self destructive side. And I am helpless. Only someone like Eleanor Grace can break him and heal him. This woman is a true goddess. Fierce. Faithful. Sassy. Strong. Resilient. Stubborn. Kind. Sully posed one after another impossible challenges to prove she is nothing. And she rose up to the occasion every single time. It takes a lot to embrace Sullie’s broken edges and it takes a lot more to make him admit his feelings beyond angee, guilt and hatred.
The hero of this story is the chemistry. First of all this was intensely erotic. One of the most sensual stories I’ve ever read. There is nothing soft or sweet here. It’s raw, violent, breathtaking and sensational. Their physical attraction is the mirror of their inner connection. Trust me I felt sometimes I cannot take this emotional torture anymore. I cried. I cursed. I begged. I screamed. I abused my device by throwing it away quite a few times. The words sank under my skins, penetrated my heart and paralyzed me with their power. And that ending was the worst.
Third A Kiss by Pepper Winters delivered punches after punches till my heart was a mess. I feel like someone threw me into a tornado of emotions and all I can feel is emotional chaos. I don’t know what to do with my bruised heart after finishing this sexy, angsty, captivating and heartbreaking romance! Best series of 2020. Hands down.
Received ARC for honest review
We’re back in Paradise with Jinx and Sully and just wait until you read this one! This begins where the jaw dropping cliffhanger left us and be prepared for an EYE OPENING start!! I don’t know how Pepper tops herself but with each book I’m transported into this world she created! New revelations are revealed, New enemies unleashed and New feelings will all be introduced. Their connection flies right off the pages it’s so intense. Passion…Mystery…Action…this has it ALL!! Eleanor Grace and Sullivan Sinclair are what Dreams are made of! I’m so glad to see my predictions from the other books came true! Are you ready for another rollercoaster of emotions in the Goddess Isles? I don’t know if you are. Told in dual POV and as always yet another climatic cliffhanger and prepare for what awaits you in Fourth a Lie coming next.