With the paparazzi hot on her heels, Mandy Bettencourt is desperate for a place to hide, and her best friend has just the place.It’s perfect. No Internet. No phone. A deep bathtub she’s soaking in when HE shows up.Her best friend’s brother, Dante Crowne. Rich as a cardinal sin and handsome enough to piss off the devil. A man with a reputation for unforgettable bedroom games. Mandy got an early … got an early taste of them in high school–for seven minutes in a closet. She can tell you, the rumors are all true.
Dante knows he’s got a reputation for a lot of things, including a love of solitude.
But there’s a beautiful socialite in his bathtub, and the memory of those seven minutes isn’t inspiring him to kick her out.
So he offers her a deal.
If she wants to stay, she has to work.
If she makes a mistake, she’s corrected with pink hand marks on her backside.
That’s the deal.
Beg for it or leave it.
He’s surprised when she gets on her knees, and he’s even more surprised when she likes the punishment.
The most shocking thing, though, is how much he’s starting to like her.
They can’t stay in paradise forever.
Los Angeles awaits.
But an old nemesis sets his sights on tearing them apart, and Dante may be the one left begging.
—
Crowne Rules is a complete STANDALONE. You don’t have to read any of the Crowne Brothers books to pick this up, but you might want to once you’re done with Dante.
more
This Crowne ruled! 4 stars
Dante and Mandy had a spark from the beginning, and I was curious to see how it would light. As the book continued, their chemistry did become electric and their push/pull was intense. Their verbal sparing was so entertaining! Dante thought she was a vapid, shallow socialite, and I couldn’t wait until she proved him wrong. She was so sassy with him, and I loved it because it was not something he was used to. He had spent years building his self-control, but she challenged it and it was delightful to read! He was cold, calculated, numb and Dominant, and I couldn’t wait to find out why he was that way. Could he change? He did make me swoon, so that is all I will say! Both their journeys/revolutions were incredible to read. They recklessly wanted each other and both wanted the other as a “diversion, not a necessity,” and I was riveted to the pages to see if that changed! Nothing about Dante and Mandy together seemed to make sense, yet they did and ruled my heart because of it! I definitely recommend this book!
*I requested and received an advanced copy of this ebook for my honest review that I am voluntarily leaving.*
C.D Reiss’ magic has hit the pages again!
Her passion for her work bleeds into the pages and you feel every ounce of that passion when you read it. It makes you want to bury yourself so deep into those very pages just so you can get closer to the action.
Crowne Rules is dirty and sexy, it’s filthy and intense, it’s heat and passion, it’s affecting and raw, and it’s everything that makes C.D. Reiss the goddess of writing that she is.
I’m not going into a synopsis of the book, the author has done that herself. I am however going to tell you to pick it up, read it, enjoy it and let it consume you. Dante and Mandy will captivate your mind and heart while leaving their mark on your soul.
Dante Crowne is my favorite kind of hero, possessive, dominant, and tortured, but also has a soft spot for the heroine. Amanda (Mandy) Benttencourt has a gift for finding men who treat her badly. She is heartbroken and embarrassed after her latest failed relationship and needs to get off the grid and reevaluate her life. When she ends up at the secluded Crowne cabin, Dante is there looking for privacy as well. Neither are happy about their predicament, but they are both too stubborn to let the other win. They are also no strangers to being in close proximity to each other. Years earlier, Mandy innocently ignited Dante’s darker desires, and now Mandy finds the power and control she craves in her life when she submits to him. They open up to each other, trusting each other with their deepest secrets and their most passionate desires. Dante has his own tragic past that keeps him from opening up to anyone. But the more time he spends with Mandy, the more he questions everything he has held so close. They find a comfort and strength in each other now, but what happens when they get back to LA, and the real world where they could never be friends? I loved this story so much! Dante and Mandy were so good for each other, helping each other heal and become stronger.
Reiss wrote a beautifully poetic and unforgettable love story. Every scene seductively embraces you, holding you in complete rapture. She also treats us to a great epilogue that made me especially happy! I loved every word of this beautiful, passionate, poignant, and super sexy romance!
This is the third story about one of the Crowne brothers and I think Dante would have to be the most interesting one of all so far.
Dante Crowne was introduced to the world of sub/dom when he was an inexperienced young man. From that day on he was very aware of his sexual preferences and the sort of partner he preferred. However, his first real relationship was a bit controversial and ended tragically. This has definitely left a lasting impact the way he lives his life now.
Amanda is in the middle of a media shitstorm, her entire personal life has been splayed open for everyone to read about and make their own commentary on. She needs to get away from the madness and reset herself until things calm down. When Logan Crowne suggests she hides away in their family holiday home in Cambria it’s like a lifeline has been extended to her and she jumps at the chance.
‘No turning away from the knowledge that everyone knew. I wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, anything enough. ‘
Dante is heading to the Cambria house to make some ongoing repairs, this DIY project keeps him busy and he enjoys the isolation it provides him. Sharing a house with Amanda is not how anticipated spending the weekend but when the weather packs in, stay she must. If he was honest with himself, he’s always had his eye on Amanda, ever since he kissed her when she was a teenager playing a game of hoodat in the dark..
Amanda is exhausted and relieved to finally be alone but that is short lived when Dante arrives. He is not happy about sharing a house with her. His intolerance and arrogance really rubs her the wrong way – and arouses her too. Honestly though, he is absolutely gorgeous and he stirs something in her. He is so manly, you know, the kind that fixes things and just takes charge – most likely in and out of the bedroom…
‘So I knelt. My knees protested the frozen pavement, but I also felt a flash of heat go through me. It felt good to finally surrender. To just fucking submit.’
It doesn’t take long for Amanda and Dante to give into what they both want. Submitting to Dante just felt so natural to her, it’s like she found strength in submitting control to him. I absolutely loved his dirty talking and it really felt like this relationship had been building up for years. Dante’s brother forbid him from touching Amanda but the pull between them was too intense to ignore, his family will just have to get over it.
‘You’re beautiful and sexy, but you’re the only thing standing in your way. You’ve stuffed your needs into a bag and thrown them into the river because they scare you. But I see them, because I am the river.’
I absolutely loved this story, Dante was multi layered and super hot! This couple were perfect for each other and despite everything that Amanda went through she became a more confident and stronger person. Except when she relinquished control to Dante…
She’s in dire need of help, what with the paparazzi hounding her, and the public turning on her. Thus she finds herself at one of his families secluded properties, trying to escape it all.
He needs peace and privacy so heads to the one place he knows he will have it, but lo and behold there she is.
Will he pull rank and make her leave..?
I’ve loved reading about the crowne brothers and thus was quite excited about this.
I had high hopes, but they were almost immediately dashed with the repetition of events at the beginning of the book from each characters perspective.
I need a book to flow not to repeat scenes. That dissapointed me quite a bit.
It did get better, and this thankfully didnt become a common occurrence.
Mandy as a character didnt wow me. She was neither here nor there. I like the female characters to stand out, be assertive and generally shine and she just didnt.
Dante the dominant was quite entertaining, with his no nonsense attitude and twitchy fingers itching to punish, but he’s by no means my favourite of the crowne men.
The storyline didnt fully hold my attention sadly and I was quite happy to put the book down for a breather. Add that to not fully loving both the main characters and I’m giving this a lower rating than I had hoped.
(3.8 Stars)
Amanda “Mandy” Bettencourt needs a place to hide. Running from scandal and the paparazzi, she gets an offer from her best friend she can’t refuse. It’s perfect…until Dante Crowne shows up. She wants to stay and he needs a favor. Can they work out a deal? Alone in a secluded house…what will happen when this alpha meets the this socialite? They briefly knew each other as teenagers but they are all grown up now. What a great and temptIng delight. They both are hiding from their actions of the past but can they find the right path forward together? This is the third book in this series of stand alones and moves at a pretty fast pace. Dante is definitely an Alpha craving control! BDSM, Told in dual POV
Crowne Rules – by C. D. Reiss
What happened in the closest playing a game of Hoodat, back when they were teens, stays in the closest! Well, maybe not! It seems to have taken up residence in both the memories of Dante Crowne and Amanda (Mandy) Benttencourt and decided to come back out of the closet when Dante and Mandy are stuck at the Crowne’s Cambria house together.
At least Dante had a heads up from Logan, but Mandy, no heads up for her, he finds her in the tub singing her heart out…no singing so badly that she could easily have damaged his hearing. According to Dante.
Thus begins the resurgence of those closet memories and the thoughts that lead to well you know, hotter than sin dominant Dante Crowne and Mandy Benttencourt, the girl who maybe isn’t as vain, lazy and gossipy as he thought she was, finally getting their chance to see what will happen. Alone, in the Cambria house, both in need of something, the question is can they fill each other’s needs and will someone (like Logan or Ella) find out just what happened in Cambria.
To say that C. D. Reiss has given her readers one heck of a story is an understatement. She has given two people who for years have spent time not really fully knowing who they are as adults. As Dante introduces Mandy to his dominant bedroom ways, Mandy begins to evolve from the girl who gave love freely because she was in need of love to a woman who is willing to take what Dante offers and let that become her stepping-stone to growth.
I loved this story! I loved the hot steamy relationship these two share. I love Mandy’s character growth, I love all six foot, four inches of Dante moving beyond the world of hurt he has been living in.
I loved the whit, the humor, the combustible relationship between these two and the need to protect. Oh and kittens, I loved the kittens.
This is one of those “oh my gosh books” that becomes an “oh that man book” and that “she’s grown so much book,” that you want to start it all over again the moment it ends, because this is that “they were meant for each other book.”
I just finished this book and I have so many thoughts swirling in my head. Fast read with descriptions that made me stop
and highlight like crazy. It’s more enemies than friends to lovers. They have fun banter. He’s so alpha guy and she finds that sizzling hot. It was supposed to be a weekend to runaway from their issues, and it became a weekend to figure out what they craved and needed in their life. There was some sexy shadow play and it was on fire.
This is book three of a series. It may be read as a stand alone without needing background. But, I love CD Reiss stories and the Crowne guys are must reads. #DanteandMandy #sexysweet #alpha #D/s- lite #Crownfamily #houseissuesdontcare
Crowne Rules is C.D. Reiss’ third novel in her series about the Crowne brothers. This installment features Dante, the seeming black sheep of the family.
Dante as a strong and domineering womanizer and Amanda as a vapid socialite is a bit of a cliché, but the characters grew on me. Dante’s restraint shows his shattered heart from the start. Amanda’s broken heart is more about her public embarrassment over her bad choices in men. I loved the Cambria house as a metaphor of Amanda and Dante. They’ve got good bones, but they’re a bit of a mess and in need of some TLC and renovation.
There were a few phrases and actions that didn’t feel organic to me (e.g., sewing/fashion analogy attributed to Dante). The story line was heavy on the sizzling sex and the plot focused primarily on the developing relationship between the main characters. I would have liked the Colton-Dante conflict to be beefed up with more of the backstory on their conflict. Revealing both Colton and Veronica’s plans to the reader would have added great tension to the story.
I really enjoyed seeing Amanda bloom from a silly victim to a woman who learns from her mistakes and owns her behavior. Overall, Dante and Amanda’s growth as individuals and as a couple is beautiful, and that made the story for me.
Overflowing with sensuality, Reiss has penned a lush read that I found hard to put down. All the Crowne brothers are charmers, a trait they’d inherited from their father. And if you haven’t read Byron or Logan’s stories, you’ll be dying to get to know them after reading Crown Rule Reminiscent of Reiss’ earlier writing, it’s a brazenly hot addition to this stand-alone series.
‘My problems weren’t romantic. They were strictly professional and needed attending.’
Dante swept me off my feet and in the realm of my book boyfriends, he’s wearing the crown! It was a joy to see him thrown off-kilter by Amanda Bettencourt, the woman he’d had a brief albeit unforgettable encounter with way back. As circumstances would have it, they find themselves under the same roof again and just wow! Not only did Reiss’ build up the steaminess to a magnific level, but her protagonists’ different emotional stances couldn’t have fitted them better.
“You’re my gravity,” he said. “No matter how high I jump, I come back.”
Oops, Mandy’s one of the brother’s best friends and Dante’s been told that in no uncertain terms is she there for his diversion. However, once the gauntlet is picked up, their intense mutual lust might just get the better of them. I loved how they both examined their weaknesses, but observing their push-pull dance certainly made me wonder how it would all pan out.
‘We danced around each other like boxers.’
Shaded by the tabloids and taking quite a bit of stick from Dante doesn’t dampen Mandy’s spirits. Like her favoured colour, she is radiant and bright. And although I thought it wouldn’t be possible for me to love her more than I already did, the new her blew me away.
“I’m going to ruin you and you’re going to let me.”
Dante certainly made me go weak at the knees. So full of himself, beyond demanding, reserved and downright dirty, he has to cope with his feelings when his impenetrable armour is weakened. What he’s going to do about it is a discovery in itself.
“You’re everything I’ve been too afraid to become, and without you, I’ll never be more than I am.”
The sizzling dialogue and vivid scenes are something else and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the grammar spin on the story. Reiss’ prose is as always, beautiful, and the ending one I will never forget. I couldn’t get enough of these two gorgeous people’s story, and it’s a definite re-read for me. Bravo!
Every Book in this series is GOLD… but Dante has stolen my heart! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
There is a serious swoon factor of EPIC proportions going on with Dante Crowne. Logan and Byron make you fall in love and Dante comes in and steals you away forever! He’s has a dark and brooding exterior and it all encasing an beautiful soul who desperately needs more of life and love. It just takes him a quick minute to get there. This in no way tells you the depth of his journey to get to his happiness. SWOONING!
Let’s talk all things Mandy Bettancourt…. this woman is independent, feisty and goes after what she wants. Her entire life is thrown off at the start of this book, but I love her for it all. She stands up for herself, has strong friendships and allows just enough room for Dante to get inside her soul… somehow still standing STRONG!
Mandy and Dante are the perfect drink to fix each other’s wounded souls!
5 WOUNDED SWOONING STARS!
This book was totally mesmerizing with the great character and storyline development that as I turned the pages I felt like I was sitting on the side lines watching this wonderfully created story unfold!
Holy smokin hotness!! Crowne Rules will push your limits, but if you like a man who pushes your limits than Dante Crowne is definitely the man for you.
While Mandy deals the fallout of her recent relationship, her best friend. Logan Crowne, offers up a quiet escape in Cambria. What Logan doesn’t know is that his brother is headed to the same location to deal with his own demons. While neither one really wants the other to be there, they are both too proud and stubborn to leave. A battle of wills bring about change that neither saw coming.
As the story weaves in and out you find that both Mandy and Dante have a tangled past that began when they were just teenagers. Spending seven minutes in a closet together might have meant more than either one ever realized.
All of the Crowne brothers are highly dominate, but I give high props to Dante for being the king of that title. He learned at an early age what his desires meant and he’s spent years honing those skills.
While Crowne Rules is one of the more sensual books, I would say it is also very symbolic. Much like the relationship between Mandy and Dante, the house is fundamental to how their relationship changes. It is in need of repair and tender loving care. While they fight and argue, the house breaks apart. I love the physical representation of how they are feeling; how their emotional walls are physically crumbling while the house is literally doing so around them.
There will be times that Dante will push your limits. He did mine and honestly my limits are pretty high, but once you learn where Dante is coming from and you can see him through Mandy’s eyes his whole demeanor and presence makes sense and those limits melt away.
“I was in danger. He was going to break my heart, and I was going to beg for him to shatter it.”
Crowne Rules is by far my favorite of the Crowne Brothers books thus far! (Yes each book is a standalone and does not need to be read first to enjoy this one.) I felt like the author went back to her roots with this book and I was so ready for it. I have always LOVED when this author writes Dominant/ submissive books. It’s one of the things I love most about her writing, and boy did she deliver with Dante and Mandy. I was hooked I tell you, hooked on their story from the very first page. I devoured 80% of the book in the span of a day. I just could not put it down once I started it. The plot was so unique and emotional. It truly made for a great ride of self discovery. What you seen was what you got with these characters. They held nothing back and had some off the charts chemistry. I LOVED that each character grew and found themselves throughout the course of their relationship and book. Plus major brownie points awarded for tying in one of my guilty pleasure troupes, brothers bestfriend.
Mandy was one of those heroines you just know is going to keep you on your toes. I found her so relateable and easy to connect with. It was so compelling watching Mandy’s walls come down and for her to just learn how to love herself. Control is a hard thing to give up but I loved that Mandys character was just ready to live a little and I was all here for it. Get it girl!
Dante Crowne is mine, and I am so calling dibs now y’all. The cold, calculated hero we came to know in previous books turned out to be nothing like I expected him to be. I just melt like butter for a hero who isn’t affraid to show us how vulnerable side. Every word out of his mouth just oozed domaince and alpha male vibes. He was bossy but in the panty melting, swoons way of course!
“I’m going to ruin you, and you’re going to let me.”
*5 STARS
Well earned for this compelling, emotion, and beautiful read. Mark my words now when I tell you, you need this book. Because well you do. Its fantastic. Dante Crowne demands your attention and I guarantee you will love every page of it.
These Crowne men sure know how to make a girl swoon, and Dante just might be my favorite. I appreciate it when a strong Alpha male shows us his vulnerable human side <3
"I care." His lips moved so close to mine I felt the words. "I don't know who I am with you. I make decisions without thinking. I break my promises to myself. You make me weak, Amanda." ~Dante
Each book in this series can be read alone, but you won't want to, this family makes you want to be part of it and you'll want to read them all. The men need to be taken in hand and these women know just how to do it.
Dante and Mandy are struggling with the consequences of their mistakes. A little cracked, but definitely not broken. In each other they find the strength to accept and begin to heal and move forward together.
Seven minutes in the past turn into happily ever after for Dante and Mandy, and I couldn’t be happier about it!!!! CD Reiss took me exactly where I wanted to go with these characters, no surprise there, being the magnificent author that she is, she knows just what we want, and exactly how to keep us turning and burning through those pages!!!! That’s EXACTLY what I did!!!!
Holy scorching romance!
This book, dear reader, is hot. Romantic. Affecting. Compelling.
Dante Crowne has lurked in the shadows of his brothers’ (Byron and Logan) books, and now CD Reiss gives him a chance to tell his story. Not that he wants to do that, mind you. Dante is closed, and quite purposefully so. His interests may intersect with his family’s, but that’s more out of necessity than choice.
You’ve also met Mandy, whose sister Samantha was engaged to Byron prior to her suicide. Mandy is also best buds with Ella, Logan’s wife, and you may recall that her romance with a married man turned into a tabloid-worthy scandal. She seeks respite, so Logan and Ella send her to the Crowne cottage in Cambria, which just so happens to be the place Dante retreats to when he needs to be alone.
It turns out that these two met previously, and when CD Reiss treats you to that scene, you will melt. Neither has forgotten that moment, and it certainly is on their minds as they face off in Dante’s hideaway. He sees in Mandy today what he saw in her years earlier, and he makes a deal with her that will bring them both a certain type of relief.
This is where things get hotter than a forest fire on the sun. Dante demands, Mandy submits, and your thighs quiver with need.
My only minor quibble concerns the last couple of chapters, which felt a little rushed. Or maybe I just wasn’t ready to let go of Dante. You won’t want to, either.
Ooh Dante….you bossy man you. In a good way! And poor Mandy is just looking to get away, escape the press and the crazies hounding her. But they escaped to the same place. Hmm.
Something I liked about the development of their relationship is they both grew from it. They both kind of found themselves and a new kind of strength in this story. Dante and Mandy have a past that no one knows about. Only 7 minutes of it, but those 7 minutes had a lasting impact. Another interesting thing about them? It seems no one thinks they are a good idea. People have all kinds of opinions! But in the end, these two have to keep choosing themselves and F everybody else’s thoughts on it.
Oh and this book is unapologetically HOT. Mandy is finding strength in herself while giving up control. At least behind closed doors. And Dante is so skilled at the dirty talk, setting a mood, painting a vivid picture.
I love how vulnerable and open this couple became for each other. Their walls came down, and I loved the epilogue, and seeing their happy ever after and what it looked like. That was my favorite part, but I won’t say why.