500+ PAGES OF “CAPTIVATING” AND “UTTERLY CONSUMING” STANDALONE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS ROMANCEOnce upon a cold, dark night, a Russian killer stole me from an alley.I’m dangerous, but he is lethal.I escaped once.He won’t let me do it twice. The revenge is his. The betrayal is mine.But so are the lies to protect the ones I love. We’re cut from the same twisted cloth. Both merciless. Both damaged. In his … same twisted cloth. Both merciless. Both damaged.
In his embrace, I find hell and heaven, his cruelly tender touch destroying and uplifting me at once.
They say a cat has nine lives, but an assassin has just one.
And Yan Ivanov now owns mine.
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As a huge fan of both Anna Zaires and Chramaine Pauls, I was super excited when I found out that they were working on a project together and that that project would be Yan’s book. Yan and Mina’s story picks up right after the events of Forever Mine which gave a brief hint as to who might be the hero/heroine of the next book. Darker than Love is chock full of action, suspense and scorching hot chemistry. It’s also a very emotional read and my heart broke for Mina many times. These two authors blended their individual writing styles seamlessly. The plot kept me at the edge of my seat, while the love story gave me everything I’ve come to expect from these two talented authors. I adored Mina – her strength, resilience and courage as well as loyalty and vulnerability. I was already intrigued by Yan from his appearance in Tormentor Mine series, and these authors definitely delivered on creating the obsessively possessive, uncompromising yet fiercely protective alpha male I’ve come to expect from their books. Definitely a must read for all fan of Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls as well as lovers of action-filled, suspenseful dark romance!
4.5*
I had high expectations going into this book. And I’m so happy to say I wasn’t disappointed.
Mina has known pain lost and suffering. But she’s unbelievably strong. Yet detached which is why her attraction to Yan catches her totally by surprise.
Yan takes the waitress as a precaution. He suspects she’s overheard their plans. A simple overnight kidnapping is all he has in mind. But there’s something about her that calls to him.
These two were meant for each other. But they lead dangerous lives. Lives that put them on opposing sides.
In this book we get the whole shebang. I mean everything is here including a dark obsessive love. An alpha male that’s controlling and ruthless. And don’t forget all the hot steamy sex.
I certainly hope we get more from these two authors.
Two hours. That’s how much sleep I got last night because I absolutely couldn’t put this book down till I finished it and it was so worth it. I was excited to get to read Yan’s story and the story was everything I hoped it would be. It easily kept my full attention with all the suspense, danger and smoking hot scenes. At times it could really pull at my heartstrings but that helped to make the HEA that much better.
If there’s one person more closed off to emotions than Mina it would be Yan. They both protect their heart for different reasons and that makes letting walls down and creating trust especially difficult. I loved the dark dynamic between the two and then to see things slowly change. A big five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
I love both Anna and Charmaine and to have them collaborate? Sign me up! Darker Than Love captivated me right from the start. Yan and Mina are each so strong and together they are unstoppable. i absolutely loved this book.
Wow! A must read. I was given the privilege by the author to receive an ARC copy. I hadn’t realized that I had pre ordered this book as well thru Amazon. I cried I laughed I stayed up till 2:00 in the morning trying to get as far that ahead as I could. Truly a page turner… I thoroughly enjoyed it it was very suspenseful the characters kept me on my toes I was so into them that I got angry, felt sympathy, Cried some more…
Story line had me so engrossed that I kept forgetting, THESE ARE SERIAL KILLERS!!! Pre order your copy today
I am always excited when Anna Zaires writes a new book! This one did not disappoint! We are once again brought into the dark underground world. What starts as an abduction, ends in something neither of them expects. This book has it all, mystery , suspense , plot twists, jealousy, and lots of steam. Yan and Mina’s story is scorching hot!
What an explosive combination of authors.
This book has you on the edge of your seat,not wanting to put this book down. The story of Yan and Mina grips you from the start.
Unrelenting attraction but working in a world with little trust and many enemies is this true attraction or part of the role.
Yan and Mina both have turbulent back stories and the pull jumps off the page and has you championing them.
Many twists and turns that you aren’t expecting leads to an array of emotions. from 68% I was convinced I would ugly cry.you will have to read to find out!
Nicely wrapped up at the end. Some authors would have made this a trilogy but I liked the ending and it finished appropriately although without the epilogue there could be room for more….. hint hint……..
Yan and Mina’s story was fantastic! These two had so many of the characteristics that I’m always looking for in my next story and I loved them!
This is a darker story and I am very picky about what I can enjoy in a dark romance. Mostly it henges on the hero for me. I was nervous about Yan’s character. I never knew what to expect with him. I wasn’t sure how far he would take his darkness and use it against Mina. It had me on pins and needles. By the end, his dark, obsessive love for her was everything.
Mina was just bonus for me. She was such a cool character and loved everything about this heroine. She is former special forces so that shows she is a woman who can fight and take care of herself. There were several times in this book she proves that. What made her even better was how mature she was and I felt she never had any dumb moments with her safety. Mina is going on my favorite heroines list for sure.
I enjoyed this book so much I’m hoping that the two authors will give Yan’s brother a book. He was such a great side character and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Yan and Mina if they were to write the brothers book.
Oh my good grief people! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!?!(Hotel!… I’ll say no more!!!)
It was dark, dangerous, action packed, very sexy, it has twists and turns, and it had me on the edge of my seat!…It was pure perfection – I honestly think this book is perfect!
The connection between Yan and Mink/Mina was believable, I liked them together and it was in no way conventional but hey, life’s life!!
Anna is one of my favourite authors, ever since Julian and Nora I have read her books without even bothering with the blurb!!! And she hasn’t ever let me down
I’ll be honest, I’ve not read any of Charmaine’s work – but I’m about to!!!!
An excellent read that I will definitely go back to, over and over. Would love Ilya and Anton’s stories – just putting that out there
Five massive well deserved stars
I voluntarily received an arc from the author and this is my honest review.
I absolutely loved this story. It is so intense that it grabs your attention and does not let go even at the end. The personas of both Yan and Mina are larger than life. The story is full of danger, violence and death but at the same time the feelings that are growing between Yan and Mina are just the opposite of this. Betrayal comes from a most unlikely source but it is handled efficiently. I would highly recommend this story as a great read but at the same time it may not be fully appreciated by everyone.
DARKER THAN LOVE/
ANNA ZAIRES
CHARMAINE PAULS
ז’אנר- אופל
את הספר הזה קיבלתי כעותק ARC דיגיטלי לסקירה ואין מאושרת ממני.
למה אתם שואלים?
אתם שמים לב לשם הסופרת?
כן, כן, בדיוק!
שרמיין פולס זו הסופרת שהביאה לנו את מפוקפק והסכמה דרך הוצאת לבבות u2066u2069u2066u2069
את אנה זאיירס אני פחות מכירה כעצמאית, יותר משיתופי פעולה רבים ברבי מכר הנמכרים באמזון.
אז מה חשבתי על שיתוף הפעולה כאן?
אם אהבתי אותה אז, אוהבת יותר כעת.
And it goes like this…
בלילה מושלג וחשוך, נקרעת מינה מחיק הוריה האוהבים על ידי שני רוצחים אכזריים.
אלא שהיא נמלטת על נפשה ובעור שיהיה מוצאת מקום מפלט.
בחלוף השנים, עברה הטראגי הפך אותה מילדה בת שש תמימה וטהורה, לאשה בת 29 למודת קרבות, חיים של תופת וכצפוי מאישה כזו, היא הופכת לשורדת, מסוכנת בעצמה.
כאמור, בגיל 29, היא נחטפת על ידי שני אחים בצאתה ממקום עבודתה על ידי שני עבריינים הזוממים לפגוע ולקחת את חייה.
אחד האחים הוא… יאן
גבר יפה-תואר, כל כך יפה שהיא מתקשה לשים בצד את רגשותיה כלפיו.
על המורא שניסה להטיל עליה גבר הקסם של מינה, היא כבשה אותו לחלוטין והיא? כמו מוכת ירח הולכת שבי אחריו.
It might be twisted, but now that we’re here, I feel like I deserve this, both the pain and the pleasure. This man, this killer, he’s my punishment and my reward, a dark gift to myself for making it this far.
אבל זה לא נגמר כאן… הסיפור שלהם מתפרש על גבי תקופה, לסירוגין אך לנצח ומכאן לא ארחיב עוד לגבי העלילה רק זאת אומר:
יאן ומינה (מינק) הם מסוג סיפורי האהבה הבלתי אפשריים שמתעלים על כל הנסיבות וכנגד כל הסיכויים.
תחת חשאיות מעוותת נרקמה כאן עלילה מטורפת, כזו שפורצת מהתיבה ומשגעת את הקוראת, זהו ספר שמעיר את כל החושים וממריץ אותם, סיפור אויבים-אוהבים מרתק, הוא אמנם אופל לייט אך כתוב כל כך טוב.
הספר מסופר לסירוגין כל פרק פעם מהצד של מינה ופעם מהצד של יאן, הוא מחולק ל-3 חלקים ואפילוג
ובסוף הספר… קדימון לספר ‘מפוקפק’!! (כמה מרגש)
יאן עצמו, הוא דמות משנית מסדרת ספרים ‘Tormenter’ של אנה זאיירס (ממליצה לכם…)
This story was fabulous, from the first page, to the final epilogue.
This writing duo has created a story that is woven so beautifully and flawlessly.
Yan and Mina meet when she overhears something she shouldn’t have. And Yan takes her for a very lustful night, promising to let her go in the morning. She overhears their change in plans and takes advantage of the situation as fast as she can.
They do not see each other for quite a while, but then, as fate would have it, they meet again. And they explode only as true lovers can.
Their journey takes them to different places, and they commit to doing one job and then they are done with each other. But that is not how fate works.
Darker Than Love grabbed from the beginning and didn’t let go. Now I need more!
I recommend this story to anyone who loves instant attraction, espionage, and lots of hot action!
Wow what a action, and romance thrill ride! I’ve been a huge fan of both these authors for some time now. I was not disappointed. Who knew that Yan had all that depth? I love those Ivanov twins! The setting was well described. The secondary characters where amazing. I am amazed that all this was happening in the background of Peters story. Mina is perfect for Yan. Her background story was so heartbreaking. It was very interesting to see a man come to grips with meeting his soulmate while being enemies. This was so well done. My favorite parts where when Mina showed her impressive skills. This had me reading well past my bedtime. I couldn’t put it down. I have wanted Antons story since Peters. I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
Wow, I knew this was going to be a great book when I saw that two of my favorite authors have teamed up to write this book. Great characters and an engaging story. Steam is overflowing and guaranteed to set your Kindle on fire. Yan and Mina will grab your heart and take you on an emotional roller coaster. Plenty of drama, lots of twists and suspense galore.
THIS here is what made me fall in love with the Dark Romances. I’m old school reader with spy thrillers in my library. This latest from Anna & Charmaine( both my faves) took me back to Robert Ludlum days where nail biting chases and heart thumping adrenaline kept me turning pages at warp speed. I was smack dab in the middle of a Kill or Die racy drama about heartless assassin Twins – Yan Ivanov & Ilya Ivanov, who kidnap a waitress-Mina Belan a.k.a Mink, who’s actually an ex military vet and a trained killer.
“The end will be tough. I won’t be pretty. What will he do with me? Will he grant me the mercy of a hospice and morphine, or slit my throat once it gets bad? When he realizes I’m no longer of use to him, will he keep me or set me free? I can’t imagine he’d want to be by my side when my body is bone thin and my skin sagging.”
Incredibly well written. This book takes you on a detailed and fast-paced adventure through Budapest and Prague, with Russian Spies, covert government agencies and paid mercenaries. Densely plotted, with subterfuge and deception playing a heavy hand, Mink who seems victimized by what i call “battered spy syndrome.” her handlers keep mistreating her, keep lying to her, keep setting her up, keep sending assassin squads after her and she unwillingly finds shelter with her abductors.
Surviving on borrowed time and counted mercies, she’s out of the frying pan and into the fire
“We’re so much alike. We’ve both seen the uglier side of life, and we can be ruthless. Yet we’re both loyal as hell to the family we love. Not to mention, we both need a little more spice in our lives than most people.”
Her clock is ticking on more than one front and her end is fast approaching.
Set against the backdrop of political intrigue and global terror is a romance that seems like a reprieve at times and a carefully plotted Scheme at others. Passions and Peril walk hand in hand, tempo of both rising till it reaches orgasmic proportions, before exploding internally and externally.
If you want plenty of action, stuff about global surveillance, illegal arms trade, and authentic dialogue, read this book.
I fell in love with Yan and his incomplete stoney heart. Blank and cold he doesn’t have room for emotions
“I wouldn’t recognize love if you waved it with a flag labeled LOVE in front of ”
Ilya is adorable teddy bear with a lethal paw, he protects his own and how!! I want him in my corner!!!
Mina just stole my heart. Her fragile body with a cast iron heart had me rooting for her
The most interesting character was the proverbial “Houdini” who’s the Puppet Master, pulling some strings
I think it was Raymond Chandler that said: if the plot slows, have two guys come through the door with guns blazing. And though this book had guns ablazing, at no point did the plot loosen or lax
The tension was consistent throughout.
Wonderful job Anna & Char. I’d love for you to keep going at it and give Ilya and Anton their books as well
5 nail-biting stars for Sun,Sea, Hanna, You & Me
Mina is the perfect soulmate for Yan; the chemistry between them is red-hot, the emotional angst is off the charts, and the pace is breathtaking. As though all that weren’t enough, the resolution could not be more heartfelt and satisfying.
I received an ARC copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Warning, while I try my best to make sure there are no spoilers in my review, there is always a chance that something any review says could count as a spoiler for you. If you want to just know my overall opinion on the book, and if I recommend it, please skip to my Overall and Would I Recommend It section.
A spicy sniper turned assassin trying to help the person she loves, and a hot assassin with a grudge clash in the most devastatingly sexy battle of revenge and forbidden desires, but what happens when revenge and hurt turn into loyalty and a love that neither of them expected.
Wow, what can I say about this scorching new dark romance? I honestly wanted to get this review up the second I finished this amazing book, but it was so fantastic that I could hardly find the right words to do it justice, and I doubt that this review can even comes close to the sheer beauty that is this dark romance. I can tell you all this right now, it’s only the start of the year and I already know without any doubt that this book has earned a spot on my top romance reads of the year list.
This book is a spin off from one of my all time favorite series, Tormentor Mine by Anna Zaires, and its start takes place about midway through the final book of that series, so while this is a standalone, and I promise you can in fact read this one without reading the Tormentor Mine series and understand everything that goes on, I do really suggest you read the Tormentor Mine series first. That way you get the full effect of emotions raging on both sides of the spectrum.
Our story starts with our heroine Mina accidentally stumbling into a situation she had no intention of being in. Mina is no pushover, and she knows what she’s capable of, but the life situation she finds herself in when she first encounters Yan is less than ideal, and she knows she is no match for these dangerous people. This, however turns out to be nothing compared to the situation she finds herself in with Yan not long after.
Mina is a strong, yet practical heroine. She isn’t the female fighter character that has become so common lately, meaning she isn’t some mythical goddess who could absolutely annihilate any and every opponent she comes across no matter how strong they are. She had physical strength, and some killer abilities, but she uses her head more than her fists, and recognizes not only her limitations but also the abilities of the opponents she faces. Since I am not a Xena Warrior Princess copy, this quality really helped me relate to her character more, and honestly I loved that. Don’t get me wrong, I know some women can kick some serious butt, but the more realistic view point that Mina has regarding the fact that she knows there are in fact some people stronger and more skilled than her, which most anyone who has real world combat skills does know, is what really helped ground this character for me. I love that she uses both her physical abilities and her mind to help her overcome the situations she finds herself in.
Beyond that, Mina is also an extremely loyal woman. Due to terrible tragedies that happened in her past, she doesn’t really let many people get close to her, but the few people she does let in mean the world to her, and she will do anything in order to keep them safe and happy. Sadly, this does wind up hurting her in more ways than one as well. However, since our best qualities tend to also be our worst, I really love seeing this in characters.
I found the way Mina’s feelings built for Yan to be remarkable as well. Since Yan and Mina share a lot of the same professional traits and experiences, Mina can understand and relate to what Yan is doing and why. I honestly feel that it’s because of their similarities that she can also appreciate the enormity of everything he does for her. In dark romances, it is easy to find you can’t really understand why the heroine falls for the dark hero, but this one made it easy to feel the love and devotion develop between the two characters and experience the feels coming off the page.
Now, Yan is a character that intrigued me in the Tormentor Mine series and I found myself falling in love with him in Darker than Love. Yan is one heck of a hot headed guy, and I have to say I actually found this to be a bit refreshing. I really liked the change from the usual cool headed steady dark heroes we see in dark romance to the more unpredictable attitude of Yan. Yan has not had the very best life either but similar to Mina, that has made him very protective of the few people he loves and of the things he has.
I really liked how he quickly falls for Mina, and how sure he is that he needs to keep her with him. Because of what’s going on and who he is, this also creates a battle within himself that was written beautifully. However, the little ways he shows his love for her really melted my heart.
I also really enjoyed how Yan showed his dominance over her. This is a dark romance, and Yan is for sure an alpha male, so you know there are absolutely going to be moments where he shows his dominance over her and others. There were of course the obvious more direct ways you’d expect to find in a dark romance, but then there were also smaller more subtle ways in which he did this that I could not help but smile about.
The other thing I’d like to briefly point out is the unbelievable plot point that wraps the story up beautifully. I will so not say what it is or what happens, but I will say that this point winds up being a huge obstacle for both Mina and Yan, and the way it all resolves at the end had me literally weeping. It is really not easy to get me to cry while reading a book, but the last few moments in this story had happy tears rolling down my cheeks. Oh, and to anyone reading this who is going to buy the book… do not under any circumstances flip to the end to see what I am talking about! I mean it, doing that will only break the beautiful spell this book will cast over you.
Overall:
There are no words in the English language that can describe the beauty of this book in a way that does it justice.
Would I Recommend It:
Yes, yes, and yes. This is a dark romance so if those things trigger you then please take that into consideration before buying, but if you are not triggered by dark romance then YES!!!
Suspenseful but just so so.
As always Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls didn’t disappointed me at all. Yan and Mina were mind blowingly amazing with each other. Anna and Charmaine take us on a tour to Budhapest and Prague. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely worth my time. Also worth more than 5 ******
Anna Zaires and Charmaine Paul have brought this to a whole extra level of yummm!!!! Holy hotness y’all!!!! Get ready!!!! Y’all ain’t seen anything yet!!!! Scorching HOTTTTTT!!!