It wasn’t meant to be this way—she shouldn’t have fallen for my brother and left me for him. But she did. And now I’m left to pick up the pieces of my shattered, broken heart. And to top it off, they want me to come to their wedding. Do they think I’m a pushover? Do they think of me as a joke? The old saying stands true, ‘why have enemies when you can have family.’ I understand it now, better … than I ever have in my life. There’s one unexpected surprise though, Storm. She blew in just like one and makes the pain diminish. She’s exactly as her name describes her—she is a storm. A beautiful and powerful one. But not all things are meant to last. Like a storm that wreaks havoc, some things cause anguish, and in my life she may very well be one of them.
(All books can be read as a standalone)
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Loved Echo and Storms amazing addicting intense beautiful love story.So love This series ready for more
Anguished is book 2 on the Crimson Elite. Can be read as a standalone but this series is going to rock your world so you’ll want to start with Cavalier. Seriously you won’t be disappointed.
Oh Echo. Where do I begin? I knew you had heartache from Creed’s story but your story made my heartache as well. But it was an honor to watch you over come and grow. Storm is your perfect match. I don’t think I could picture you with anyone else.
M.Never is doing wonders with these characters. Creed is my favorite male and Storm is my favorite female. There are still two characters left and I am kinda nervous. Darby’s mysterious side is all I can think about. Falcon has me wondering if the player can be tammed. I can’t wait to see how their stories turn out.
I love this book.
This is the 2nd book in the Crimson Elite series which follows four hot alpha males in their secret and elite business venture, all while they navigate life and the women who cross their paths. It’s hot, steamy, and Echo – the cocky yet broken hero – will make you sigh and swoon and want to be his 10!
Echo was a bit mysterious in Book 1, but I loved getting to know him and his past in this book. He is the partier, the “irresponsible” one when it comes to work and his family life. He has a twin brother, and I liked how their relationship developed throughout the book. Although Echo has been betrayed and hurt in the not so distant past, once he meets Storm (Red), a fire is sparked in him that he never knew was there. He uncovers his true feelings for not only his first love, but his family and Storm as well. I love an alpha hero who is sexy as sin and arrogant, but who can show his vulnerabilities once you get to know him – and Storm was able to uncover that side of him.
I loved the fiery side of Storm – she lived up to her nickname, Red, and Echo needed her to put him in his place often. She never settled for less than what she deserved, and although her own insecurities came out at times, her own drive for success and acceptance helped her fight to get what she wanted in the end. I loved the two of them together, and the other side characters who we met in Book 1 add to this story as well. Falcon is one who I have my eye on, and I’m hoping that his book is next! Well done once again TL Smith!!
WOW! Anguished by TL Smith is another BRILLIANTLY written story that centers around these 4 sexy hot men in the Crimson Elite. I LOVED everything about Anguished!
Echo OMFG! This man is sexy hot, charming, plus a dirty mouth that will leave you melting in the best possible way. After reading Caviler I wasn’t sure if the other 4 men would live up to the pedestal I placed Creed on, however Echo is sitting his yummy @$$ right up there!
I absolutely ADORED Storm!! The feisty, sexy redhead was the perfect match to challenge Echo. And when these two meet they have such an intense chemistry.
I LOVED this book! Once again TL has given us the perfect storyline, plus these explosive hot characters. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. Another perfect 5 star read!
Enthralling addition to the series….
These guys of the Crimson Elite are just so hot!! And I love that in this series they are an integral part of each story…. this is Echo’s turn in the limelight and he is hurting, his ex girlfriend has done a real number on him; not helped by his dysfunctional family… and then Storm, who has her own relationship troubles, enters into his world and suddenly everything changes…
A story of betrayal, new beginnings and finding love in unexpected places….this is a fabulous and enthralling addition to the series…I received an advanced copy of this book from the author.
Anguished is book two in the Crimson Elite series by T. L. Smith. Words escape me when I try to think what to write and explain how this book took me to another platform of reading bliss.
Our hero is a ruggedly rough around the edges type of character. He has been betrayed in the cruelest of ways, and it has left a legacy of walls of steel around his heart. He has charisma, crassness, and swagger. He is drop dead gorgeous and want what he wants and apologises for naught.
His storm. Now she is a force. These two had me beside myself with mixed emotions. Happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, and anguish. An author that squeezes every drop of my tears, every breath of my laugh, every flutter of my heart, every gasp of my astonishment, every thought, every word, every emotion. T. L. Smith is the master of delivery. The seller of seduction. The teller of truth. The leader of love stories. Hard fought, raw, soul revealing love stories. Unlike any other. I am so glad I found these blow your mind tales. 5 stars.
“We taste each other like old lovers who have been found. And we hold onto each other as if we’re looking for a new beginning.”
This book really did a number on me. IMO it is an excellent masterpiece that doesn’t miss a beat. Anguished is from now on, together with Lotus, my absolute favourite book by TL Smith. It’s pure perfection. Anguished is a dream that came true for a romance reader’s heart!
“Men like him aren’t made, they’re dreamt about. And that’s where he will stay in my dreams.”
Storm’s and Echo’s story is passionate, it’s hot and steamy, it’s full of funny banter, a character-match made in heaven. Not only did TL Smith set a perfect pace: a perfect mix of thrill, panty dropping scenes, action, heartache, character and relationship development. She set a whole new reading experience standard for her upcoming books. Not once it came to my mind to put down this book.
“Heart meet Echo. Your perfect ten. But if you fall for him, I swear I will tear you out with my bare hands.”
It was alarmingly easy to get invested in Storm and Echo. I continuously wanted to hug them, to slap them, to kiss them. But most of all I wished for them to be real. Seriously, they are a couple that you won’t meet every day. They are special and I already decided I’ll name my next pair of cats after them. LOL.
“This is the place between heaven and hell. That sweet ecstasy everyone craves, but only dream of.”
Echo is definitely from another planet. Not only does he look like he could be voted the sexiest man alive for several years in a row, but he’s the perfect amount of alpha, confident, smart, charming, enigmatic. A guy with a broken heart you can’t help to fall for.
Storm is incredible. I don’t have other words for her. She’s beautifully strong minded, confident, stands up for what she believes, cares deeply for the people she loves. And she’s not afraid to speak up to an intimidating man like Echo.
I love as they give into their off the charts attraction and chemistry and how they fight hard not to fall for the other. But that’s a thing that’s doomed to happen right from their first encounter. It’s a ride you can’t and don’t want to escape from. It captures your whole mind and doesn’t leave you until you turn the last page.
Together, Echo and Storm are a force that yet has to be named. They are both magnetic, they attract your attention like they are the centre of the universe.
“… her fingers brushing me like she wants to dance with fire, but first wants to test the flames to see if it will burn. I plan to burn.”
Reading Anguished is like hitting the perfect wave. The one that you waited for like a dream. The one you need to let yourself fall for, letting yourself get carried away without thinking too much. Enjoying the splashes of water in your face when the wave breaks and just live in the moment.
“… you’re more than my first choice, you’re my dream choice, my only choice.”
I’d like to end this review with a quote the book closes with:
“My forever ten.”
Echo!!!! I love him, absolutely love him. When I read Cavalier I was so intrigued by Echo and was so happy when his book was next in the series.
Storm and Echos characters in this book were perfect. Storm was just perfect. I could t stop reading and it didn’t want it to end. Another must read from TL Smith. You won’t be sorry!
I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book from Enticing Journey. Oh my! This is my very first book by T.L Smith, and WILL NOT BE MY LAST! Looks like I have some TBR’ing to do! So glad for Enticing Journey, as I may not have found T.L Smith’s books! If you want scorching hot, you want this book! I CANNOT wait to read more from this author! Crimson Elite… living vicariously does have it’s benefits! WOW! AMAZING! I would give this book more than 5*s!
A really enjoyable story. The characters and bantering grabbed me immediately. And the snapping and snarling made me gasp with wonder. The passionate storyline was phenomenal, it’s brilliant, fun dialogue keeps on going until the end, and it had deep lessons to learn. Anguished is a definite must read and will become a favourite for me I’m sure.
I highly recommend this book!
Echo has to watch his ex girlfriend and his brother be together. He feels like his family abandoned him. One night while out at the bar with friends he sees Storm and feels an instant attraction. They both claim to only want fun but can they really ignore their feelings? Can Storm let him in after her horrible ex? Can Echo realize every woman isn’t his ex?
I can honestly say that Echo is my new favorite book of my Dark queen. It wasn’t as dark as she normally writes but had me feeling so much. They were times that my heart was aching and wishing so bad for a happy ending, normally I am not against a not so happy ending for the couple as long it is real, but with Echo I just wanted a happy life for him. He is sweet and hot at the same time. What more can a girl want! I can’t wait to read more about Crimson Elite boys. 5 stars- Echo I can make you happy too LOL
You know, I don’t think I have ever meet any TL Smith’s boys more sweet than Echo. It’s interesting to see this beautiful man believe in love and hurt by that same love. Because for all the hotties in the book world that just “too Alpha” to admit they fall in and out of love and got hurt by it… I admire Echo. My first from this author I find a sweet and beautiful man like Echo.
And Storm… This girl I love. She got hurt. She is sceptical. She think sex with no string is her answer. Until she met her ten. Her perfect ten guy.
This couple I love. They find each other. They are stronger and braver together, I love that.
Never tought I’m gonna say this but, TL Smith your sweetness… I love!
Let’s start off by saying this is a brand new author for us and we really enjoyed our first read by them .The only thing we disliked is we wish that the author had written and Epilogue. I strongly dislike authors that end books just like this author did as we love seeing a glimpse into the future especially if the romance was a rocky road to get to a happily ever after.
We really loved the character’s Storm and Echo (love their names) they were a lot of fun and both of them had vibrant personalities which we love.
Storm’s character’s was a hoot ! We found her to be strong,successful,smart,independent,caring funny,and one of those women who doesn’t even know her own sex appeal.”We loved her from the very beginning!”
Echo-We love his name! We found Echo to be a little bit broken,successful,sexual,funny,has trouble letting go of the past but, most of all we loved the person he was when he was with Storm as she always brought out his best qualities.
We love the other character’s as well like Darby,Falcon,Creed all had different personalities some of them light and funny,others all serious like and others dark and dangerous.
The plot had a lot going on in it along with a complicated love triangle between two twin brothers and one crazy chick. lol The story came with tons if ups and downs but, what we loved most of all is that no matter what Echo’s friends who he considered his brothers always had his back.The story definitely kept you engrossed in the drama and suspense the entire time and I will say I wanted to kick the crap out of Echo’s entire family for being so blind more than once. lol
Overall the story was enjoyable and we loved getting to know all the character’s and we can’t wait to read Darby’s,Falcon’s and Creed’s story.This was one fun read that was full of tons of chemistry and had really hot sexual interludes as well as making us laugh out loud time and time again.I really think we are really going to love this series.
We recommend the read to all !
We are looking forward to reading more of this author’s works !
This series is only just really getting started with the boys from Crimson Elite, but already TL Smith has hooked me in with these complex, passionate and sinfully hot men!
With Echo she has broken the mould in a style you wouldn’t expect from our Queen of Darkness and delivered a sexy Alpha male who wears his heart on his sleeve.
When we are introduced to Echo in Book 1 he is a grumpy, heart broken, love sick puppy whose inability to cope with the departure of his “true love” didn’t really endear me to him at first.
But with the telling of his story and the truth behind his demeanour, (cue the most despicable family ever!) I fell in love with him and his belief in love, however misguided it is until he meets the strong and wilful Storm.
Storm is everything I love in a heroine; she’s successful professionally through her own hard work and ethics, she’s confident in her image and demeanour and despite having a skewed view on love and relationships, this lady is no shrinking violet!
All in all, she’s absolutely the perfect partner for our Echo.
Each other’s “perfect 10”, they just need to break through their respective protective walls and realise it for themselves!
This one is big on drama and is hard to put down, in TL’s usual style, and well worth 5 stars!
I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
It wasn’t meant to be this way–she shouldn’t have fallen for my brother and left me for him. But she did. And now I’m left to pick up the pieces of my shattered, broken heart. And to top it off, they want me to come to their wedding. Do they think I’m a pushover? Do they think of me as a joke? The old saying stands true, “Why have enemies when you can have a family.” I understand it now better than I ever have in my life. There’s one unexpected surprise though. Storm. She blew in just like one and makes the pain deminish. She’s exactly as her name describes her–she is a storm. A beautiful and powerful one. But not all things are meant to last. Like a storm that wreaks havoc, some things cause anguish, and in my life she may very well be one of them.
Anguished is book two in the Crimson Elite. I recommend reading the first book also as the characters from past books are in each book since this series follows four friends. Creed, Echo, Darby and Falcon. However I feel like you could read this story without reading the first book which was about Creed. If you do decide to start with this one then you might have a spoiler for the first book. Anguished is the story of Echo and Storm and what a story they do have to tell. As you know these four guys are like brothers and pretty much each others family. To say that Echo doesn’t get along with his family is a understatment. You will want to smack his parents up the side of the head a time or twenty. They have the most amazing son right in front of them and seem like they could care less. Heck they do not even know that he is hard working and very successful. However past events have caused him not to be so much of a hard worker and his brothers picking up his pieces as she lives in the bottom of a bottle mourning the loss of his logtime girlfriend and then finding out his one and only blood borther is marrying her. He just needs to forget her and when he sees Storm across a crowded bar he knows that she can help him with that. What he didn’t expect is for it to be the best night of his life. Now he has propostion for Storm and if she accepts everything will be easy breezy and things will be fine. This too is ok with Storm as she is career driven and new to town and hasn’t had time to make many friends. Heck a girl needs to left off some steam too!! This book is smoking hot and will have you reading as fast as you can. I loved every second of it and devoured it. I am so in love with Echo and S torm . They are such amazing characters and there is never a dull moment with them. I loved hating the ex and I have to tell you when she is trying to get to Storm that Storm is such a strong woman she has the best lines and combacks and doesn’t let it really bother her. Or does she? Your going to have to read and find out. I am so excited for the next book. I’m not really sure if it is about Darby or not but he is such a mystery to me I can not wait to find out more about him.
4.5 delicious stars….
After reading Cavalier I wasn’t sure anyone could beat my love for Creed but Echo surpassed my expectations and well………..I love hime <3<3<3
These sexy AF men, The Crimson Elite is a great package of dysfunctional hotness that will draw you in and make you crave them.
Echo peaked my curiosity in the first book, he was guarded and I wanted to know his story. Well tbh I want to know ALL their stories and I have a feeling they are going to go out of their way to one-up each other. Echo is hot AF, charming and has one hell of a dirty mouth that will leave you needing new panties.
He was more than a ten, trust me, Mel. Men like him aren't made, they're dreamt about
Soon as Echo and Storm meet there chemistry between then is combustible and instant. Both of them want nothing more then a one-night stand. They both have been burnt badly in past relationships and want to protect their hearts. When she unwittingly drops her ID she gives Echo a way to find her and he wants more of her.
Oh I loved Storm, she was the perfect person to challenge Echo. She is a feisty redhead and has no problems putting Echo in his place. I so loved how she had Echo's back with his family and his ex, even when they were not together. Personally I would have liked her to slap his ex around just a bit lol.
I can't wait to see what TL Smith brings us next in this series. I wonder at the end which of these 4 guys will end up being my favourite.
4.5 stars
Anguished is the second book in the Crimson Elite series and focuses on Echo and his story.
What can I say about Echo? He’s my ten! He’s very enticing, there’s something about him. He gives off this alpha, dominant vibe but there’s a vulnerability to him that had me tumbling head over heels for him. He’s been hurt badly in the past and he’s constantly having that wound prodded and poked so it’s never really healed. When he meets Storm the attraction between them is instant and they’re both after the same thing. One night, no strings, hot sex. Everything is going to plan until Storm realises Echo has something that belongs to her so she’s going to have to see him again…and so the cat and mouse games begin.
I loved Echo and Storm. The chemistry between them is perfect and both characters are extremely easy to like. The other Crimson Elite guys pop up in Anguished and I think TL Smith has made me fall in love with all of them (even though we haven’t got to meet Darby and Falcon yet). The friendship between these guys is everything! They may bicker but they’ve got each other’s backs.
I loved this book and I can’t wait for more from this series.
Gripping enjoyable from beginning to end. Echo is on a downward spiral. Nothing and no one can help him until he meets Storm. But all either wants is sex. Just meeting up and enjoying the sex between them. But he is her ten. Will the ex tear them apart or will they realize what exactly they have? Love Echo and Storm. A great couple . Loved this story line. I definitely want more from these characters.