Fawn Bailey presents The Emperor, a STANDALONE full-length dark romance novel.In Venice, Italy, a world of cursed diamonds, hidden secrets and twisted fantasies awaits a star-crossed couple who were meant to be together. But can they work together to bring down a villain? And will their love survive it all… or break into a thousand pieces?GINGERI’ve always been a pawn. That stops now. I’m ready … pieces?
GINGER
I’ve always been a pawn. That stops now. I’m ready to play. I’m ready to win.
My past is catching up with me. I left everything behind twice – first, when my sister killed her twin and our parents, and then again when I walked away from the love of my life, my soulmate, Ryker Marino.
Now, both of my worlds are colliding. My sister is coming for me, but not if I find her first.
Astor is crazy. Evil. She won’t stop until she’s killed our entire family.
I follow her to the other side of the world – Venice, Italy.
Here, a game of cat and mouse draws me further into her trap.
Here, one of us will end the other.
But what Astor doesn’t know… is that I’m ready for a fight.
RYKER
I’m The Emperor. L’Imperatore. And I’m going to win my girl back.
Ginger disappeared without a trace seven years ago. I uprooted my life because of her. I moved to a different continent. I became obsessed with a cursed diamond that has shaped my family’s lives for centuries.
But what if the stone isn’t to blame for our misfortune? What if everything, including losing Ginger all those years ago, is my fault?
I have to face my fears. I have to find Ginger. I have to bring her back.
But there is a third player involved in this game of chess… And she’s about to beat us both.
Fawn Bailey is the pen name of USA Today bestselling author Isabella Starling. Ryker & Ginger first appear in Fawn’s series Gilded Cage.
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She wanted him now but he was part of her past.She is now in trouble and she needs his help so she steps back into the hornet nest. Can he help her? What has she done? What danger is she in? Follow their adventures
7 years past, Ginger starts looking into her past. Will Ryker and Ginger reunite and survive ? The storyline was well written and filled with suspense, surprises, twists and turns. I really enjoyed reading this story. Grab yourself a copy ! I read this book as an arc program.
An awesome book. Extremely entertaining, captivating, and interesting read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong and intriguing characters. I want to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have loved every book I’ve read by this author, both as Fawn Bailey and Isabella Starling. This one is no exception. However, as good as it was, it wasn’t one of my favorites. There was plenty of steam, suspense, and darkness, as well as some “daddy” action. Due to the shorter nature there were parts that felt rushed, and I wish it was longer. That being said, I would still recommend reading this, along with previous books by this author.
*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is my honest review.*
Fawn Bailey is a new author to me and I must say, I was blown away. Reading the teaser caught my interest but once I started reading, I knew this one was a winner. The storyline will take you on an emotional rollercoaster with twists and turns you won’t see coming. A love story worth reading about and a sexual chemistry between Ryker and Ginger that is just hot as blue blazes. This is one you don’t want to miss.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
Cards of Love: The Emperor by Fawn Bailey
4 Stars
This is my first book by Fawn and it won’t be my last!! This is an enjoyable read!
Ginger and Ryker’s story~ hot, sexy
Weirdly enough this story just missed for me. I do think it is well written, the plot was interesting but seemed (again, to me) as though it drew inspiration from multiple books I read long ago, Shirley Jackson’s ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ comes to mind for one. It seemed too as though many of the things that did bring a very strong sense of ‘creepy/scary’ to the story: Tarot cards & notes of threat from an unsigned person, an infamous cursed blue diamond, an unknown person orchestrating one of the character’s actions– all just petered out & ultimately went nowhere. And the most heinous thing in the story came from out of nowhere.
And I really just couldn’t seem to connect to either Ryker/Emperor (H) or Ginger/Tesoro (h). Again (IMO) there was a good foundation set up for each but then seemed to rocket into too INSTA for me.
The orchestrated creepiness of the present is eclipsed by the true horror of the past as the story plays out.
Again, I do feel the story was well written, the plot, suspense & character build ups were very good but then they seemed to just– go flat while the H/h’s good foundation led to INSTA. And, somehow I really, really disliked Ryker’s manner of treating his ‘Tesoro’ after searching in vain & obsessing about her non-stop for 7 years (however, please note: this does not stop him from having a long term sexual relationship with another woman– his reason? Because she reminded him of his Tesoro). I do understand the Daddy dynamic/lifestyle Ryker & Ginger shared WAS consensual & something many may happily & pleasurably live, but IMO the *degrading* portions of it seemed to be VERY degrading of Ginger & personally turned me off to Ryker as a likable hero. But perhaps I just don’t understand that aspect of their dynamic?
There is suspense, a Daddy dynamic, a little kink, creepy foreshadowing, curses, vengeance & romance. Overall, just because this just missed for me doesn’t mean another person wouldn’t love it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I don’t quite know what to say about this book. It’s Fawn and Isabella at her dark and twisted best. When the most recent book of the Gilded Cage closed out, I thought we’d already seen Ryker’s forever. Imagine my surprise to learn that it’s actually here, in this book. There is so much more going on below the surface than I’d ever guessed. Just as there’s so much more to Ginger than simply her submissive nature. I can’t wait to dive back into this world with the next book to be released.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout
Ginger’s tarot cards lead her back to Ryker
This is my 2nd book by Fawn and I love an author who writes in dual point of view. The Emperor aka Ryker reminisces his life’s changes over the past seven years and especially without his shy little Ginger that he let slip away. Trying to find her all these years had led no where. His fling with his assistant has ended and he begins his search for Ginger in earnest. Ginger is in hiding from her past, until her sister sends a tarot card to her. In search of her sister, Ginger travels to Venice and finds her sister and Ryker. Ryker quickly kindles their relationship, but will the threat of Ginger’s sister destroy their love? You have to read to find out and will be surprised by the twists and turns in the story.
In this hot little number, we have Ryker — Emporer and Ginger. They met 7 yrs earlier and both have never forgotten one another.
Ginger has no family left of that she knows of. She had left her childhood home and never returned. She moved on with her life and never looked back.
Ryker, we don’t really know much about him other than he comes from wealth and has lived a very extravagant lifestyle. He’s recently come into possession of something that had been in his family but was lost, now he has it again.
We learned about Ginger’s younger twin sisters. But we don’t have a follow up on them or one other character. So, I’m not sure if we will have a follow in book with the other characters or not.
I did receive an advanced copy of this book from the author.
A fabulous book, no doubt, with so much passion, darkness and devotion.
The Emperor is just a dream… So intense, so strong.
I read the book non stop and can not wait to read the whole serie.
l L O V E D IT!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A well-written and fast-paced dark, edgy, gritty and emotional romance story filled with suspense, angst, drama, mystery, secrets, lies, deception, unexpected twists and turns, and scorching chemistry. The Emperor is a definite must read!
I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.
Fawn Bailey really surprises you with the depth in her books. I so enjoyed getting back to the story of Ryker “The Emperor” and Ginger a love that he thought he lost forever. This delightful book brings everything full circle. It’s a great read and hard to put down.
OMG!!! This was such a good book by Fawn. I could not put this book down and was hooked from the first page. This is Ryker and Ginger’s story. They were introduced during the Gilded Cage series. These two have been apart for seven years and never forgot the other. This story will give you the feels. You find out what happened in Ginger’s past and how she came to meet Ryker. There are twists and turns, surprises, truths, second chance at true love and of course some hot and steamy sex. This is such a good story with wonderful characters. If you want to know more of Ryker’s past, read the Gilded Cage series.
This story is full of suspense, mystery and sexy love scenes. Ginger and Ryker are characters from another book. I did not read the previous story but did not feel as if I was missing anything. In this story, Ginger is involved in a cat and mouse game with a murderer. The murderer just happens to be her sister. They have unfinished business and things will have to come to a head. The mystery and plot twists will keep you turning the page. Dark romance with some BDSM.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
While I’ve not read the Guilded Cage series, after reading The Emperor, I know I need to catch up on what Fawn is putting out there. I was drawn through the story, truly living up to the theme of the Cards of Love, and with Fawn’s dark touch added to it, I enjoyed the ride I was going on.
Ryker “The Emperor”, is on the search not just for a cursed jewel but also the one that got away, trying to prove to himself that curses don’t exist unless you give them the power too; but without Ginger at his side, he is having trouble standing firm in that belief. Ginger is running from her past, from herself, from her shame, and with someone from her past drawing her out from hiding, working towards a revenge that could cost both Ryker and Ginger everything. In true Fawn/Isabella fashion, you can count on intense need between Ryker and Ginger, with a touch of Daddy love. If this is your kink, be sure you add this to your list.
What a freaking read. OMG. This story takes a few twists and turns to light and you really have no idea what is going to happen until really the end. But what a ride it is.
Ryker is the Emperor he buys and sells things which in most cases has curses. Which he really could care less about. But his main thing is finding the one girl that he is in love with.
Ginger is in hiding. There are some major issues when it comes to her family but she doesn’t even really know the half of it. When she finally comes out of hiding things are even worse then she thinks. And when she finds Ryker and finds out what he has been up to. Will these two be able to forgive and forget?
Will the curse win out?
This is a must read story!
Sexy, suspenseful and simply stunning! This book is filled with drama, kink, danger, shocking twists, intense passion and a love that will not die. With a storyline that is compelling, complex and totally engaging, you will be completely swept up in Ryker and Ginger. This dark, second chance romance is a true slice of delicious decadence for the reader.
Seven years gone just like that and Ginger starts investigating her horrid past and Her and Ryker reunite in a shocking way, I loved Ryker and am so glad we got their story its full of surprises and twists that you wont see coming and he is one sexy dark and dirty man and will do anything for his girl. I loved the whole storyline and the writing just sucks you right in wit a whole lot of shocking surprises.
Cards of Love: The Emperor was a riveting read full of suspense, mystery, angst and a love that was always meant to be. From the brief glimpses of Ryker from the Gilded Cage series I couldn’t wait to finally get his story and I must say it was definitely worth the wait!
Losing the woman he loved changed Ryker though he never forgot the one that got away. When Ginger unexpectedly crosses his path again Ryker is determined to claim what has always been his. Everything is not what it seems and soon secrets and deceptions are revealed. There was several twists I wasn’t expecting that kept me hooked and on the edge of my seat wanting to unravel what truly happened. I loved seeing another side of Ryker that he only revealed to his Tesoro.
Cards of Love: The Emperor was an intriguing and riveting pageturner I couldn’t put down. With the perfect mix of romance, suspense, angst, and sizzling heat this book is a perfect afternoon read.