It all started one dark night. The last night I saw my family. The night I met him. The only man to haunt my every moment.HerI witnessed something I was never meant to see.He took me.He broke me.He made me his.And now he wants to use me to bring down my family.HimI was never meant to have her.The daughter of the scum who stole my life.I took her.I broke her.I made her mine.And now she’ll do … family.
Him
I was never meant to have her.
The daughter of the scum who stole my life.
I took her.
I broke her.
I made her mine.
And now she’ll do anything I say.
One tattooed anti-hero gets caught up in a whirlwind with an innocent heiress. It’ll keep you on your toes with its web of lies and secrets.
If you’re a fan of dark romance, dive into Betrayal, the first book in the explosive Corrupt Empire Series.
Corrupt Empire Series
Betrayal #1
Sacrifice #2
Revenge #3
Benson Siblings Series
Provoked #1
more
What a hot and sexy book! I flew through it and cannot wait to read the next. Definitely not your typical romance, but that is what makes it so great.
5 Cranky Stars
Betrayal by Sarah Bailey is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading from this author, an boy was I in for a shock. Like, I did not expect to read what I did. It had my heart pumping. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the dark edge this story had, and I’m usually not one for steamy intense twisted romance. Surprisingly this book could make me change my mind.
Avery and Aiden are one spicy, passionate, electrifying couple. I love that the book was from both POV so the reader could really get into their heads and understand both characters for who they are and what they feel. I would love to read more on this couple and hope to in the future. Their attractive and out of this world phenomenal chemistry pulls you in and leaves you wanting more with every page.
I give this book 5 cranky stars! Job well done from a new to me author that I hope to dive into more.
Wow and holy cow. This author knows how to grab your attention from the start of the book to the end and leave you gasping for more. I was captivated and gobsmacked. The glimpses into the past and the flashes of rememberance make you question what you think is happening. Your heart breaks for Aiden and Avery while at the same time hoping things work out for them. I hope the next book has more of her friend James because that is a character that is dying to tell a story.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book.
He is going to use her and break her before using her to get revenge on her family. Things may not be as easy as he thinks they will be. Will he get his revenge? Will he need her more than revenge? See what he will find out
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lies, Deceit and Betrayal. Nothing is what it seems.
This is the first book in this series so be ready for the cliffhanger. This is a dark, twisted tale of lies, deceit and betrayal. Avery is the heir to her family’s company and fortune, even if she doesn’t really have a lot of interest in it. Avery isn’t some spoiled princess even if her parents dote on her, she likes simple things in life and truly loves to draw. But her family has secrets and there are things she doesn’t know about what her family does behind the scenes of their company. Aiden is out to expose Avery’s family for who they truly are, but she gets caught up in the middle and things start to run off course. Grab this wonderful book and delve into this world of privilege that is built on a web of lies that when unraveled could be Avery’s and Aiden’s downfall. Looking forward to book two, Sacrifice.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a very dark book that promises to be the first of a very dark series. Once I started reading, I was immediately pulled in to the story and needed to continue to read to learn more about the story but also the characters and what they were going to do next. It’s told from the 2 main characters point of view, so it helps in relating to what they are thinking as they are doing or saying. There is, as with all dark romances, a number of triggers in this story. It’s very well written and the characters are well developed. As it is book 1 there is a BIG, and I mean VERY BIG cliffhanger! Looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lovers of Steam–buckle up because you’re in for a ride! Betrayal is the start of a new three book series by Sarah Bailey and from what I understand it’s her first foray into writing a “dark romance”. What I mean by that is that you won’t find any love letters and flower bouquets here–and that was just fine for me! I love a good dark romance, where the characters are messy and flawed, and this was it! Avery is the daughter of a mogul who built his empire by nefarious means, of which she is unaware. Aiden is determined to make him pay and Avery gets caught in his web of vengeance. The two of them are determined to hate each other but, as in all great romances, their attraction and desire can’t be denied. As the layers of the characters are pulled back more and more, you can’t help but hear their voices in your head and understand where their motivations come from. Eventually, you root for their happy ending, but their inner demons intensify the struggle. A great read and I will definitely be awaiting the next books in the series!
This very dark romance was heartbreaking, cruel, compelling and sometimes painful.
Aiden’s life was filled with painful memories, abuse, and tragedy, all stemming from Avery’s evil family.
Well written, full of graphic sensual scenes as Aiden was captor, punisher, and lover to innocent Avery.
The dreaded cliffhanger was HUGE, and while I hate cliffys, I have to admit that this was well done. I’ll have to read the continuation to determine whether this was worth waiting for. So far, it looks good.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This romantic suspense thriller will have you on the edge of your seats the entire story. One moment she is with her parents and the next she is trapped in a cell unknowing what her fate will be. Betrayal is an intense emotional rollercoaster that has so much drama and intrigue. The story is well written with dynamic characters that sets the tone of the story that has you feeling like you are right there as the story unfolds right before our eyes.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Betrayal, by Sarah Bailey bills itself as a “dark romance,” which is one of those classic genre definitions that varies greatly on your own perspectives. Let’s try not to beat around the bush with this one though, when they say this is “dark”, they sure as shit mean it. Avery is a twenty year old heiress to the Mitchell Holdings “real estate” fortune and is dining with her parents in their fabulous penthouse one morning. Events quickly transpire, and her parents are killed, murdered, and Avery is stolen away by the lone gunman. Avery soon wakes up inside a concrete cell, chained and unaware of what awaits her. A man named Aiden approaches the cell, it’s time for redemption…and he’s got a plan. Step 1 is complete, now it’s time for Step 2: It’s time to make Avery his.
Yikes. Okay, let’s take a second to unpack this a little bit. Before we address the content itself, I want to examine the stylization choices. Betrayal is a back and forth POV, switching between Aiden and Avery, frantically moving the story forward with each chapter. There is no “all knowing” narrator, and that results in more intense and engaging storytelling. First-hand accounts of the proceedings will chill and excite the reader the whole way through. The turmoil of Avery’s trauma, and the painfully slow exposition of Aiden’s backstory make the entire length of the read hair-raising. With content as intense as this you’d expect a lot of machinery cogs turning in multiple directions to explore it all, and the narrative is quite well done through the lens of only two characters.
What rattles me the most about Betrayal is that I find so much of it to be completely believable. In a lot of novels of this type, there exists a cartoonish vibe that pats you on the back every now and then to let you know this is all a crazy fantasy, or that there’s a more mythic quality you can use to explain away some of the more darker elements. To its credit, Betrayal never lets off the gas pedal, and it’s a gritty and realistic exchange throughout. The characters themselves can be a challenge to the reader, but for remarkably relatable reasons. Aiden, setting aside his most of his conduct, is a pained but cocky little fuck that struggles with basic human emotion beyond his own selfish drives. Avery, on the other hand…well I can’t really talk about what I think about Avery when she’s in a situation like this. How could I critique the feelings of someone that’s been kidnapped and broken through what can only be described as mental torture in a prison cell? I assure you, there was and is a reason for all this. Aiden is not a sadistic murderer and captor solely for his pleasures. He’s working for a higher purpose…and Betrayal suddenly becomes a question of ends justifiable to their means. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Avery’s family works in some very illicit dealings, in which no detail is spared in their description. The reader is slowly exposed to what leads each of the characters to the present situation at hand, and the back half of the novel will keep pages turning as you crave every last detail. So much detail in fact, that you almost forget there’s romance to be had!
We’ve just discussed the very worst of humanity, and now we have to find a way to discuss romance. It’s crazy to try and explain it, but the author does an excellent job of executing the possibility of this over the course of the story. If you hadn’t figured it by now, there’s a veritable cornucopia of tension from the NON-sexual content of the novel, and sexual tension is spliced in at just the right moments, without the cheese factor. Aiden is a monster in many ways, but he’s an angel in others. Whether that’s just another layer of mental torture or not, Avery slowly melts for it and things eventually get hot and heavy. As a reader, there is an underlying question of consent. Can a literal captive victim truly ever give consent? Aiden needs Avery’s heart, but at what cost to her soul? After confronting this issue, the sexual side of things can settle into what you might expect from a traditional piece erotica, maybe even a little too much. At one point Avery learns of Aiden’s sexual desires, and we reach a moment when I truly question what’s going through the character’s mind. Of allllll the things happening in this story either to the main characters or others: murder, rape, mental torture, physical torture, conspiracy, and fraud, Avery seems most taken aback by one thing. Anal sex. It’s almost as if Avery is saying, “woah there…capture, mental re-programming, and a complete exposition of my family’s unspeakable crimes leading to my personal self hatred are one thing…but nobody said anything about butt stuff!!” To be fair again to Avery, she’s mentally broken by everyone’s admission…but damn girl, let’s focus on some priorities!
Verdict: Betrayal, by Sarah Bailey leaves me feeling a number of emotions. This isn’t just simple erotica with a hard edge, as the author is more detailed and talented than that. There is so much I hate to confront about its content. I’m appalled, bewildered, frustrated, and weirdly touched by the character dynamic throughout the course of the entire story. Of all these things that I feel, I simply cannot look away. I’ve never discussed a book more with my peers, and I’ve never needed to know what happens next in a series more than with this selection. This in many ways makes the novel a controversial work of art. To put it simply: I’m all-in.
Special thanks to Sarah Bailey for providing a review copy to tehben.com All opinions are my own.
A dark, twisted and hot read.
This is a dark and heartbreaking story and it will hit buttons you may not think you have. Avery and Aiden both give their point of views and that makes for a very interesting read. This one took me a bit longer to read because of how intense it was. This was a page turner and then damn if there is not a cliffhanger. Great job Ms. Bailey!! If you like the dark with just that bit of sizzle this is the book for you. I am so looking forward to reading the next book. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Betrayal is a tragically twisted and heartbreaking tale of control and revenge. It is not for the faint of heart. If you do not enjoy edgy, intense, suspenseful reads then this story is not for you. If you have read and enjoyed Bailey’s After Dark paranormal series, then you have a feel for her writing style and somewhat of an idea of what may lie ahead in this new series. This dark thriller holds intense undertones and is edgy, provocative, and electrifying and it will take you out of your comfort zone. This book is written in dual POV’s of both Avery and Aiden and we get a look into both their thoughts and the gut-wrenching emotional turmoil they both face throughout the story. Bailey did a remarkable job of showcasing the characters and their emotional journey. I was engrossed and holding my breath from the first page and read the book in one sitting. I lost myself in this story and was completely immersed with Aiden and Avery until the end. However, it is not quite the end. This book ends on a devastating cliffhanger but soon we will have the second installment in the series. I cannot wait to see what Bailey has in store for these enthralling characters. I was glued to the pages and I am ready for more.
*Thanks to Sarah Bailey for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this new series. I am under no obligation to review this book; I do so freely and am providing my honest review.
Betrayal was the first dark romance novel I have read; my mind is blown.
Aiden and Avery had my emotions in a constant state of confusion. Between them, there was love and hate, desire and disgust, respect and dominance. This truly is dark and twisted, sexy romance. And I had to keep reading.
Ms. Bailey had me hooked from page one, needing to know what would happen next. Three days later, heart racing as I finished the book and damn it, I need Sacrifice NOW! I need more Aiden and Avery, NOW!!