From USA Today Bestselling Author Ella James, A Standalone Forbidden Romance with a throw-your-Kindle twist…
Homer Carnegie. Admit it–you know my name. Your kid’s got my e-trading card. Your husband sits up straighter when I stroll onto the TV screen. He knows I’m going to crack the bat and save the day. Even your grandma’s jonesing for my autograph. But women my age? They’re the worst. Or … women my age? They’re the worst. Or would that be the best?
It’s not my fault they line up at the door. They catch my balls all right, two at a time sometimes. Believe me, everybody wins.
At least they did–until the video. I heard TMZ paid a million for a bird’s eye view of Homer on his A-game. The only folks who didn’t watch with eager eyes? Red Sox management. They want me benched, or worse, shipped off to rehab.
It’s a long story, what happens next. How I end up on a boat, bound for the world’s most remote island: Tristan da Cunha. Just a speck of dust in the Atlantic.
Except my heart is there.
I don’t know that when I step onto the boat.
I don’t know a lot of things.
What I’ll covet…
What I’ll lose…
I’ve been in a book funk- started and stopped about 10. But I kept hearing how amazing this was, and I’ve never read her, and this cover kept calling to me.
Covet is a little different from what I typically have read. I’ve read tons of books from all over the world, but never in a remote, cold, rainy, cliffy island where they are kind of cut off from everything. It made the dynamic of the local characters and their mannerisms that much more interesting.
I thought I understood Finley’s hesitation. I thought I had the whole thing figured out. But I didn’t. Declan’s struggle is so eye opening and real, and these two go through SO MUCH. Near the end there isn’t just one HUGE twist, there’s two. And an ending I couldn’t have even hoped for. I loved it.
This book will take you on a remote island that will have you loving this amazing love story that will show you that love can happen years latter and can have you falling in love with a prince that was once a story when the young girl was getting story read by her mom when was young. This is a must read of love that will always be in your soul.
Declan and Finley were the couple. This was such a wonderful story. There are twists, angst, drug abuse, addiction, hope and healing. I liked this story.
Swathed beneath a delicate and beautiful land comes a hypnotic story that will leave you breathless. An opulent story, with striking storytelling, will take its reader into the depths of deep, punishing tones – forging harsh truths about human frailty, and the hardships of love.
Along with the brash darkness of the story-line is an abundance of love and the ultimate story of the human spirit’s capacity to endure.
With qualities much like that of a fairy-tale and exquisitely written words, this book will stay with me forever. As a long-time fan of Ella’s writing, I can say that this is by far her most epic story to date and one that I will never forget.
As Always, Happy Reading!
“5/5 Beaming Brains!” – Lit-Up My Mind
Although this is my third book by Ella James it isn’t the third in this series of standalones. I was drawn to this book by the daring cover, and the blurb just made me want to know more.
Declan is a hot commodity in the world of baseball, but it’s a world he is about to destroy through his own carelessness and disregard for authority. Forced to rethink his life and commitment to his team, he soon finds himself on a remote island he once lived on, ready to find out if there is more beneath his surface. He also remembers when he was a child, and the young girl, Finley, whom he made friends with.
But, Finley isn’t that young, innocent girl anymore and she doesn’t want to be near Declan as he knows the worst parts of her past, things she hates to think about. She can only see the bad stuff when she looks at him not the savior that others seem to see.
Happy ever afters don’t exist and neither does real love, or so she believes. It’s up to Declan to show her just how wrong she is.
This was quite a rollercoaster of a story, with plenty of emotional upheaval and some jaw-dropping twists you won’t see coming. This story is as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, the connection that Declan and Finley share is so consuming and deep it will leave you breathless and desperate for more.
Brilliant! One of the most powerful stories I’ve ever read. I will, forever, remember it! It was heart-breaking on so many levels, and had me in despair, but what both Declan and Finley accomplish is not only astounding, it gives hope, joy and happiness. What a masterpiece Ella! Thank you!
Covet is an incredible story! Ella James has a gift of writing so eloquently that it is so easy to become immersed in the book and feel the lives of the characters. Declan and Finley each have broken pasts and present situations and when a situation forces them to be together isolated from the world an indescribable connection begins. As they emerge from one situation they need to try to navigate the small island and decipher the amazing chemistry and friendship they have developed. Their relationship begins from complete resistance, to slow burn, to incredibly combustibly hot! The depths of despair to the peaks of immeasurable hope are the array of emotions Declan and Finley endure. Their laughter, love, fear and shame seep from their pores in full exposure. This story is tragic yet empowering, heart wrenching yet filled with love and certainly one you won’t soon forget.
An engaging story that will keep you captivated and glued to the pages of this fascinating storyline, and the momentum of the story keeps you wanting to read more. It will be hard to put this down once you get started. I wasn’t expecting the turn this story took; it has quite an unexpected revelation that may leave you flabbergasted but it is jaw-dropping good! This was a perfect blend of lust, steam, a little humor, and navigating the emotional angst of love with the added complication of drugs, rape, blackmail, secrets, lies, twists and turns—some you see coming, some you don’t! Of course, there is more to the story than can be surmised in a few short sentences, but I assume if you are reading this, you want to know more about what happened when Homer ‘Declan’ Carnegie arrived on a boat at the most remote island: Tristan da Cunha. Well, upon his arrival was when his life changed…. This is the first time I read a book by Ella James, but I assure you it will not be the last. Ella James manages to weave twisted plots with artfully developed main characters. The storyline is fluid, and the characters are extremely well developed. You won’t regret reading Covet!
After reading this book, I had to take a few days off to get over this book hangover. This is not an easy book to read because of all the emotions it emotes. It is also not an easy review to write because I do not want to give away the plotline. You need to read this to follow the journey of “Homer” Declan Carnegie and Finley Evans.
As you have read in the Blurb, Homer is a famous pitcher looking to rest his right arm while he detoxes and prepares himself for the surgery to repair his damaged arm. These are his secrets and they must be kept quiet. His name as a Carnegie, his fame as a pitcher, all add up to an obsessive interest by the paparazzi of anything to do with him. He must protect his family and his team.
Finley is an island girl born and raised. She has never gone anywhere. She is a jack of trades as well as the vet for the island. This is a close-knit community and everyone knows each other. All she has are the memories of her mother and father. She lost them at sea at a very young age while they were all boating looking for dolphins. She was the only survivor and will never forget that fateful day. You see, that occurred on her birthday.
Finley and Homer are the characters you will not soon forget. How they help each other heal, the love that grows between them, and the horrific events they both must survive will grip your heart and keep invested in reading this story to the end. Be prepared. When an addict detoxes on his own without help it is not a pretty sight. I was repelled and fascinated as this couple dealt with all the complications of this dilemma.
Definitely recommended for those of you who are not faint of heart and who love an adult love story that is very close to reality.
I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.
I am a longtime Ella James fan and I’ve been patiently waiting for the Sinful Secrets novels to be continued, so you can probably picture my excitement when Covet finally got a release date. I absolutely went into it with high expectations and I think EJ hit it out of the park. Just like Sloth and Murder, the characters and the sin they must work through are difficult and EJ does a fantastic job of describing it all. You can feel the ache of temptation, the pangs of loneliness, and the desperation of addiction. Like the previous novels, Covet is a standalone told from the perspectives of two main characters, Declan “Homer” Carnegie and Finley Evans. The only difference, for me, was the cover. Yes, the man on the cover of this novel has an incredible body, but am I the only one who misses the aesthetic of Sloth and Murder? Just me? Ok, I won’t speak of it again.
Ella James, like many authors, has the task of creating an original story in a world of books, where authors have written it all. The Sinful Secrets standalone series focuses on the seven deadly sins. While coveting someone isn’t new to the fiction world, the characters featured on this tiny island and storyline this novel follows is absolutely fresh. Declan may be the handsome baseball star, but rehab continues to fail him and this is his last shot with his team management breathing down his back. Finley is the girl who survived the worst, the girl who volunteers for anything on the island of Tristan da Cunha, and she’s the only girl who wants nothing to do with Declan, at least she thinks that. Their attraction to one another is instant, part of the sparks flying is their natural beauty and part of it is the thoughts they’ve carried of one another for years. Secrets don’t lend themselves to romance though and while the two are willing to shed their skin, they aren’t willing to spill their truths, and when they do, the things revealed may be insurmountable.
I was incredibly impressed with how well Ella James described the different stages of grief, addiction, withdrawal, and even love. More than the emotional state of the characters, we see how their interactions change, we see the deep, physical ache that comes from both the known and the unknown, and we see the important memories in the characters that have shaped them. I didn’t actually sort out how the sin of coveting played into the story for nearly half the novel though, so I will say that I was surprised with the reveal. The slow pacing of the novel does mean it takes time to warm up to the characters, to the setting, but I have to admit I loved the emotional upheaval I went through as the story, the puzzle pieces, clicked into place.
While I don’t know what it’s like to live on a remote island with very little outside interaction, I felt like I was right there alongside Declan and Finley, in the rain, in the dark, in the tiny homes hoping to remain undiscovered. It’s a heart wrenching, powerful story and I love that the romance isn’t glossy and perfect, rather filled with jagged edges and sharp points the characters must climb to conquer.
I will wholeheartedly admit that I had no idea this was even part of a larger series. I was also completely unprepared for how deep this story would swallow me and how affected by it I would be.
I’m new to Ella James, but will be hunting down her other stuff asap. This was a masterfully crafted story, and completely unexpected based on the blurb and cover. Sorrynotsorry. I was expecting a pretty sweet, fast-paced romance with some drama laced in and NOPE. I got an angsty, mysterious, hard-hitting and very beautiful romance between two people who are equally broken but in very different ways. I would like to say I figured out some of the twists, but I didn’t, not until they were smacking me in the face.
Read this. There are triggering themes, so be aware if drugs, abuse, suicide, etc are an issue for you.
Just so lovely. A pleasant surprise in all the best ways. Finley + Declan 4ever.
Covet by Ella James was quite the surprise. It deals with real life issues, loss, and hope. It was a bit heartbreaking, angst-filled and full of surprises. Declan’s life has hit rock bottom. He may have been a well-known major league player, but right now he needs to regroup and not by his own choice. Finley was a quiet girl with her own secrets and demons. Could they be what the other needed or the others downfall?
When they first meet it is definitely not love at first sight. Finley even tries to do all she can to avoid Declan. But life sometimes has other plans. Covet was an emotional and unique story that was captivating and engaging.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
A beautiful, emotional, sexy story with some twist. Loved every bit of this story.
This book is the first book I’ve read by this author and at first, I kind of struggled with it, but it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with her writing style and the characters she bought to live in this books.
Finley is a young woman living on a remote island in the South Africa sea, her past is anything but ordinary, with a dark and rough background, she works hard for what she has and what she wants.
Declan is a sports star and visits the island for a retreat, to get away from all the media after being caught up in a scandal and that’s where he meets Finley.
Delcan and Finley were different, not like most couples and I found that refreshing and intriguing, this love story wasn’t your typical hearts and flowers, it was so much more. The plot itself wasn’t a typical rich guy storylines, yet it still held some of the thing I love about those stories, but Ella James adds so much, and so many twists and turns, it was a bit of a change for me, and I’ll be the first to admit, I am not one for change but I am so glad I took a chance on this book its certainly not going to be my last by this author. Ella James pieces together a slow burn love story which is heart wrenching, soul-crushing and beautiful all at the same time. It’ll have you on the edge of your seat, and just when you think you know what is about to happen next, the author throws you another curveball. It’s thrilling, passionate, addictive and all-consuming and I loved it!
Worth the wait!
I feel like I was waiting for a long time for the 3rd standalone in the Sinful Secrets series, and let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier with how Covet turned out. Declan and Finley gave me all the feels, he- a world wide known baseball player and comes from a line of a very philanthropic family, she- from a very small isolated island in the south Atlantic with a tragic past. These two have lives that have intertwined more than once, and the story that Ella James weaves is simply beautiful. From the angst, to twists, to wonderful characters, I can’t say enough good things about this book.
Ella James is an outstanding writer, she’s got a talent that impresses me every time. The only thing that ever stops me from giving her books higher ratings is that her books are really long, and some of the scenes/details are unnecessary. They just don’t move the plot forward or add anything to the story. If we could get past that then I think several books would be rated a bit higher by me. This story is a bit different, which is a trend with Ella, and there is something about those kinds of books that I like. Declan and Finley are intriguing and the secrets will keep you interested in turning each page. When you get the big reveal, it’s a doozy. I also want to mention that the vague blurbs always get me. They get me every time. LOL
What a GREAT book! Ella James knocks this one out of the park!!!
I was completely thrown through all of the emotions while reading this book, I was angry at characters, so sad I almost cried at one specific part (you’ll know it when you get there), so so happy at another, & downright shocked at others.
The two main characters- lets start with the nicknames. I absolutely loved that they called each other Sailor & Siren! How friggin sweet is that?! I also really loved that I could hear her accent so well, some books say “in a British accent” & then you’re just supposed to picture/hear an accent, but there are so many different ways to hear it, but with this one, I could hear it. Especially when she says “wee one”.
I loved the Chemistry between these two! The fire, and the passion. I felt so badly for Declan about his addictions, and withdrawal. But wow, the sheer amount of detail added to that piece of the story was phenomenal.
Overall, a WONDERFUL, thrilling romance with a crazy rollercoaster of emotions & surprise! Buy it, devour it, and then reread it!
Also, I now need a tiny goat in a “nappy” called Baby….
Thanks for that
A steamy, intense, angst read that will keep you until the final page.
4.5
Covet is a wonderfully long book, about twice as long as most books I’ve seen in the last few years. I know without a doubt some people will feel Part One is too slow for them, and though I understand why they will, I really enjoyed the time the author took to create the world and build Declan and Finley’s love story, and that she made it a stand-alone instead of breaking it into a duet. Some really tough topics are tackled, and very well (though they will be triggering for some). The details of Declan’s struggles, and the acceptance and lack of judgment on Finley’s part were so very moving to me. The payoff for the slower Part One was huge in the very emotional and beautiful Part Two, which built to a climax that I saw coming from the very beginning with plenty of breadcrumbs, but it was no less impactful for having known it was on the way. A beautiful, emotional romance between The Sailor and the Siren.
An emotional spell binding book! Couldn’t put this book down! This enthralling book is about the tortured souls of Finley and Declan -their past and present all collide in a masterful puzzle. I loved this book and now am a fan of ella!
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