Smoke and mirrors. A web of lies. He’s come for the devil’s ultimate prize.J.D. Wilder strides into my hotel bringing the dark musky scent of sin with him. Arrogant and powerful, he’s the president’s eldest son. Even after all these years, I can still taste him on my lips. But when he speaks, there’s not a glimmer of the boy I once loved. He struck a deal with my parents. That’s what he claims. … parents. That’s what he claims. Loaned my mother the money she desperately needs to stay alive.
Now he’s here to collect.
What does he want?
My soul, of course.
The one thing I will never give him.
The duet is complete! Download a copy of Depraved today, and let Eva take you on a decadent journey, where nothing is as it appears. Buckle up.
Praise for Depraved
“Depraved is absolutely the best book I have read this year!! Eva Charles has given us a suspenseful and romantic story that is filled with family secrets, lies and deceptions.” ★★★★★ -Lisa, Amazon Reviewer
“I am so in love with JD, I am craving more of this alpha male! He’s dark and dangerous, oozes power and control, he’s fierce and intense and his dominating ways will have your body temperature rising!” ★★★★★-Danielle, Books Obsessive
“Readers can count on being pulled in and held captive… It’s the best kind of torture.” ★★★★ -Corrie, Lamplight Review and Promotion.
“Ms. Charles is EVIL right down to her toes only giving you glimpses of what she wants you to see right until the end! So much intrigue here and don’t even get me started on the steamy sexy times!” ★★★★★-Lisa Marie, Amazon Reviewer
“Intriguing, well-written, hot as hell…” ★★★★★-Lisa Hines, Amazon Reviewer
“I loved this book!! He is a delicious Alpha male, but I really enjoyed him in his more vulnerable moments.” ★★★★★ -Stacey, Romancing Reading Diva
“What a wild ride. Loved every second of book one! Five Smoldering Stars on this one!” ★★★★★-Julie, Amazon Reviewer
“I read both Depraved and Delivered this weekend—TWICE!” ★★★★★ –Amazon Customer
“The intrigue, the mysteries, the heat, and even the sweet moments are blended in perfect proportion.” ★★★★★-Laurie K., Amazon Reviewer
“The end was jaw dropping…” ★★★★★ -Rebecca A., Amazon Reviewer
“Even days after finishing this book, I’m seriously suffering from a book hangover” ★★★★★-Danielle R., Spellbound Stories
“The push and pull between J.D. and Gabrielle is intoxicating.” ★★★★★-Janine, The World Was Hers For the Reading
“Brilliant story line that captures your attention and does not let go…” ★★★★ -Kathy, Cajun Heat Book Blog
“I trust no one!!” ★★★★★ -Melissa, Book Addicts Review
“The writing is fabulous, and I was utterly captivated from the very beginning.”★★★★★-Rachel, Behind Closed Doors Book Review
“Be prepared because JD is the broodiest, sexiest bastard I have ever met and when he turns on the charm you will melt! I’m still a muddled mess!”★★★★★-Patricia, Words We Love By
“The characters had so much chemistry it’s almost unbearable. I had to read this book a couple of times, I truly loved it that much.” ★★★★★-Vanessa, Sassy Southern Book Blog
“This book snuck in from out of the blue and is definitely going in the best of 2019.” ★★★★★-Kindle Customer
“Sweet baby Jesus this book is something amazing and then some! I loved the main characters… The chemistry they share is amazing and something you don’t see often.” ★★★★★-Tee, Amazon Reviewer
“Eva Charles masterfully threw in twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. Even now, I’m still thinking about certain scenes, playing them over and over in my head. Wow! ★★★★★-Amy, Amazon Reviewer
“The twists, OMG the twists are insane! I’m still dropping f-bombs long after I finished. ★★★★★-Jennifer, Goodreads
“It’s hard to even get 4 stars from me, 5 stars are for rare finds….and I would be willing to give 10 stars if I could…this book is that good. I couldn’t put it down.” ★★★★★-Jennifer H. , Goodreads
more
This book was absolutely amazing. It is dark and twisty and so sexy. I cannot wait to read the next book in the duet.
Eva Charles
Depraved (The Devil’s Due Book 1)
This is my first time reading from Eva
And I’m glad I was able to read this book
Overall a great story plot.
I love JD&Gabrielle characters
The twist and pull between these two was intrigueing to see the outcome I wasn’t bored by the story overall this book
Made me want to to read the next book.
This was my first book by this author and I’m so glad I took a chance on Eva Charles and The Devil’s Duet.
You could feel the chemistry between Gabrielle and JD in the very first pages which is also how long it took me to be fully immersed in this world. It’s a world full of mystery, intrigue and blazing hot scenes.
I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough so I could find more information on the mystery but the more I read the more assumptions I made only to finally make me realize I didn’t know anything at all and you get pulled deeper into this world of suspense.
I’m so happy book 2 in this duet is available as I will be starting it immediately
Depraved by Eva Charles is the first book in her brand new Devil’s Duet. A new foray into the darker side of Charleston and the upper class elite.
Gabrielle Duval is a kick-butt woman with a boutique hotel to run and the last thing she expects is for JD Wilder to show up throwing his weight around after 15 years in her rear view. When he had her sent away all those years ago she vowed never to forgive him, and at first it is easy to hold to that. But as his reappearance in her life becomes more intense she is starting to see the past with clearer eyes than her 15 year old self.
JD Wilder swore he’d leave Gabrielle alone and safe but with his father now the president-elect he needs to rally the troops, keep her safe and carefully collect the damning evidence that will put the devil away for good.
Intriguing, well-written, hot as hell and ends of a cliffhanger which is picked up in book 2, Delivered. This is my first book by this author but it won’t be my last. Enjoy!
4.5 Stars
Before reading DEPRAVED, I hadn’t heard of Eva Charles. From what I gather this is her venture into anti-hero/ dark themed romance and it was quite good. I’ve read my fair share of dark romance and I’d consider this more of a “light gray.”
The writing was really good and the characters, Julian and Gabrielle, were strong. It was easy to like and connect with them and they shared a very hot and heavy connection that steamed off the pages.
Occasionally I felt it moved a bit slow at times, but the story managed to keep me engaged and invested in what would become of the characters. By the time I reached those last couple of pages, I was on the edge of my seat and biting my nails in anticipation of what will come next.
I’m looking forward to the next part on their story.
This is my first book from this author, but it will not be my last! Wow, it was a great book. JD will draw you in & you won’t be able to put it down. I can’t wait to see how everything plays out with Gabrielle & what happens with his end game.
Wow! This is dark romance at it’s finest! Eva Charles told a tale that sucked me in and DID NOT let me go! WARNING – there are sensitive topics, so please be aware before reading. Also, this book was one heck of a book hangover!
I cannot wait for book two!
Well! I’ve met J.D. Wilder and I LOVE him! I see through all his depravity into the very depths of his very soft soul.
JD and Gabrielle have stolen my attention. They each have their own agenda and falling back in love is not part of the plan, for either of them. But alas, seems the heart never forgets…
“The minute I saw you, all I could think about was your warm mouth, your rough hands on my skin. That, and a thousand other feelings swamped me. It had never—not since you—been like that. I wanted it again, JD. Deep down I wanted it again. Not just the sex part, but all of it. I was so sure I could handle you, handle my feelings.” “And now?” “Now I think I’m f***ed.” He throws his head back and laughs. It rings clear with a pure joy that I rarely feel from him. “It’s a small elite club,” he says. “Welcome.”
This story had me gripped in its clutches from beginning to end, and oh what an end Eva Charles has left us in. She has me in a book hangover while I hang off a cliff waiting for the conclusion of this duet.
Depraved is full of drama and secrets that are still to be uncovered. JD is meticulous in his actions to protect Gabrielle while he works to uncover the sins of the past, but seems he is still being outsmarted by someone. There is someone out to hurt him or maybe they want Gabby. The mystery is captivating and solving the puzzles are so much fun.
I expected more darkness with this book, and I expect more darkness is yet to come, but we will see. I would say this is the reason for my 4 star. To me, the blurb shouted DARK, but we only saw glimpse of the darkness inside JD. JD may be the spawn of the devil, but he is every bit the angel to me, and I am smitten. I hope he doesn’t break my heart.
Almost immediately, I had mixed feelings about JD. He is a complicated character and this is seen with his actions. Sometimes he is incredibly sweet and gentle and other times, cold and cruel. He can be a real bas**** too. I don’t blame Gabrielle for her hatred of him and it’s easy to understand why she agrees to his terms. People would do anything for someone they love, even a deal with a devil. I must admit though, there were moments when I was irritated with Gabrielle and her choices. At times, I felt as though she was a masochist because she knew that heartache would follow and, yet, she chose to go through with it. Despite this, the story sucked me in and I was turning pages quickly to discover more about this complicated duo. It’s hard to place into words what exactly it is about the story that interested me. Perhaps it was a combination of the different characters, the plot, and the flow of the story. Nothing is what it seems and dangers are lurking in the shadows. But the only person who can see them is JD. By the end of the story, I had a greater appreciation of JD and, perhaps, a greater understanding of the man himself. There are wonderful characters in this story, particularly, JD’s brothers. Smith is also one of my favourites. I especially enjoyed the banter between Smith and JD. I’m interested to see where the story will go from here and how the secrets will unfold.
Popping my Eva Charles cherry with this book, Depraved book one of The Devil’s Duet. Written very well, with a story that flowed good…but with all books in a duet/series… this book just sets up the scene and we must wait for book 2 to be released to get the actual punch. Thank goodness the wait for book 2 is not too long as the ending of this one is a cliff that I felt myself trying to flip the pages on my kindle to see if there was a preview of book 2 nestled perfectly in the back. Just a tiny tiny look at what was to come…But nope nothing there.
JD and Gabrielle have history.
Many years ago, she was sent away from her family, friends, town. Only to be enrolled in a private school, then off to college, and now she is back in town running a successful hotel. Her dream has come true!
It’s been years, many years and now JD is standing in her office. She’s always and will always be in love with the man who was her first. But she vowed after that one day, what she saw, she would never forgive him.
JD is a man who gets what he wants. Right now, what he wants is Gabrielle. He’s taken all the proper steps to ensure she will say yes. Because even though he can’t say it right now, he’s been in love with Gabrielle all these years. Every woman he’s been with, it’s been Gabrielle.
The chemistry between these two is off the charts hot!
The foundation has been set, now the building starts. We’ve found out who the workers are…now let’s bring on book 2 asap so we can put the roof on and have a Party.
#BookBistroBlogApproved
This book is a solid 4.5 stars. I did not know what to expect from the beginning to the end. I will say that this book definitely had me on the edge of my seat and I can not wait for the second book to be released. There are so many questions left unanswered that I just need the answers tooo. The main one being what exactly is JD’s endgame with Gabrielle. I mean I know what I want it to be, but if I have learned anything authors do not always do what you want them to.
JD or Julian to Gabrielle is our (anti) hero who wears that crown proudly. He was born into one of the country’s most prominent families. Julian and Gabrielle were young lovers who broke up, because of something that JD did. I won’t spoil it for you by saying what, but now he wants something from her so we get to see the love hate relationship begin all over for these two. He meets up with Gabrielle 15 or so years later after breaking her heart with a proposition she can not refuse. He is a very flawed man that has built walls around himself that very few can get behind. He does not let the real him show very often, but when he does you can not help but to love him.
Gabrielle is our heroine who is strong, sassy, and strong. Gabrielle is a devoted daughter and business woman. She had her heart broken by JD and really doesn’t want anything to do with him. Now if only she can get her body to follow suit. I love the fact that she goes head to head with JD and refuses to be a doormat.
The characters are strongly written and the story flows. The interaction between Julian and Gabrielle will have you not only fanning yourself, but will have you flipping through the pages just to see what is going to happen next. As you know this is part of a duet so yes that means you will be left hanging on just what is going to happen. So now I sit here patiently for the next book to see what is going to happen.
Eva Charles has stepped into a new genre so to speak and I absolutely loved it. She has always made her characters realistic and entertaining and down right sexy but now she has added deeper traits and she did it with style.
JD Wilder and Gabrielle Duvall have known one another all their lives and once had a relationship and JD wants it back but Gabrielle isn’t sure that is the best thing. JD is out to prove her and everyone else how wrong she is.
Can’t wait to see what Eva Charles has in story for the next in this series. She is an amazing author and I am glad that I have been able to read everyone of her books.
Gabrielle Duval has spent the last fifteen years chasing her dreams of becoming the owner of a high-end hotel and doing all that she can to forget JD Wilder. When JD shows up out of the blue after years apart, Gabrielle knows that he will bring nothing but trouble.
JD convinces Gabrielle to enter into an exclusive relationship with him in exchange for top-notch health care that her mother desperately needs. Gabrielle tells herself that it is nothing but a business deal, but her heart says otherwise. Each time that they are in the same room, there is nothing but sexual tension between them.
When Gabrielle finds herself in trouble, JD is determined to keep her safe and protect her from the evil that is an every day part of his world. Will JD be able to save Gabrielle? Or will she just become another piece of his life that has been destroyed?
(I received an ARC of Depraved from Eva Charles in exchange for my honest review.)
Depraved is the first novel in The Devil’s Duet. It is filled with steamy scenes and lots of drama. Together, JD and Gabrielle find themselves falling head over heels in passion. They share a painful history that has them both erroring on the side of caution, and yet they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. If you love a good drama-filled romance, this is the novel for you!
A well written and exciting first part to this duet, I’m looking forward to reading the rest.
Hmm, this is one of those difficult to rate and review books. Overall I liked it, after all it held my attention all the way through to the cliff-hanger ending. In fact several times I found myself reading and page flipping as fast as I could. Overall I liked both main characters, and some behaviours that irked me were necessary for the plot, so I could accept them.
However I had a couple of BIG ‘NOPE’ moments with the book though again, once I set my mind to letting go of them, I did enjoy what I read.
#1 was the fact that they had been together for approx 2 years starting when she was 15 and he was 17. The story is set about 15 years later than this but both are still not over the other one. Sorry but that was just too ridiculous and unbelievable, as was the idea that they indulged in a very kinky/BDSM type relationship for those two TEENAGE years.
#2 was the whole JD not being able to be honest with Gabrielle, or tell her the truth of why he was worried for her safety. It just didn’t wash or make sense, other than the author deciding this was a key point to spin the story around.
Julian/ JD said it all himself with
” Why can’t I tell her? No reason.”
Regarding the second point, JD did start revealing some things to Gabrielle, which helped me get into the story more. I also liked that JD shared his doubts/concerns/suspicions with his brothers and his best friend, so at least we as the reader were not kept totally in the dark. Again this was something that not only helped engage me with the story as well as driving the plot along.
At first I thought this was going to be all about JD manipulating Gabrielle, messing with her head and forcing her into an intolerable situation. I was expecting quite a dark and twisty read, but it isn’t that at all. JD is a good man doing some bad things but with the best of intentions.
However very quickly it morphed into them indulging in a hot and kinky sexual ‘non-relationship’ for a while, whilst twisting throughout was also a suspense element. Towards the end the sexual shenanigans were pushed aside to bring the suspense part more to the fore. This, for me, felt as though it impacted the pace on a couple of occasions. The majority of the time the pace was good though, for me, it did swing from too slow to too fast a handful of times.
The writing style is easy to read, it flows smoothly and I didn’t notice any glaring grammar or spelling errors. The dialogue felt very natural and all the characters we met seemed well rounded, I liked how many of them were woven into the plot even without necessarily appearing in that particular scene.
I’m very much looking forward to reading the concluding half of this story and would recommend it to those who love a steamy romantic suspense.
Gabrielle had done what she set out to do with the hotel she was running. It was her dream come true and everything was going according to plan. Well at least it was now that she was done with Dean. JD now he is a whole nuther thang. There are some secrets here and while he has a plan he is holding it close to the vest. Is he protecting her? Using her? She has him all in knots and while he pretends otherwise she has him by the sack and he is happily lapping it up. This isn’t a clean sweet read. JD has made her and now he is taking control again. With all kinda stuff going on it’s a dark dark path these two return too. What they experimented with as kids is what they pursue with fervor as adults. Gabrielle may have fought against it as much as she could but her body and heart have other ideas. It’s a battle of wills, but that’s not all. It’s not over yet. There is a cliffhanger so with tension high and lives in the balance we are left waiting to wonder who will survive.
5 super sexy stars!!
This is book one in the “Devil’s Duet”. I need book TWO right now!! Damn this ends in one hell of a cliffhanger!!!
Ok so going into this I thought it was like some 50 shades shit. I mean yea that book was ok but it is played out. I WAS WRONG!!! Nothing like that at all!! This book is about past mistakes, current mistakes, secrets, love, hope, pain and so much more. These two (JD and Gabrielle) have a past. A BIG one! There is so much unresolved issues. I am in love with this book! There is sooo much more I need to know.
I also am totally in love with Chase and Gray as well. Like these three brothers need their own books!! JD and Gabrielle are sexy and the perfect combination. They light each other’s fires, they push each other’s buttons and they protect each other loyally. This isn’t an contract this is so much more.
I think the beginning of this book is deceiving. Give it a minute and you will not be able to put it down!! I went through the whole list of emotions. I fell hard for these two, I got angry for these two, I wanted to smack these two and more then anything I want to protect these two. I trust no one!! This book is intriguing, sexy, heartbreaking and just damn good! March can not come fast enough!! This is a definite MUST read!!
**I received this book as an ARC and in return gave my honest review**
Depraved is my first book read from Eva Charles and WOW… she is a phenomenal writer. There is no question about it. I could probably hand this lady my grocery list and she could make it sound poetic. She writes with such beautiful prose and really delves deep when fleshing out her characters while pacing the plot perfectly.
This was a romantic suspense with a somewhat darkish undertone to it…not as dark as I had initially hoped it would be with a title like Depraved, or the type of darkness the blurb implied, but it was definitely not a light and fluffy read, and Eva Charles comes out swinging introducing us to JD, the hero…or should I say anti-hero…right off the bat.
JD was definitely an enigma. There were times when it seemed like he had no soul or remorse, but then we also saw good and redeeming qualities about him, which made me think his bad guy persona was just a facade. He was pretty much the epitome of an alphahole that most of us “good girls” (and I use the the term “good girl” very loosely here) swoon over in our smutty romance novels.
Then there’s Gabrielle. I didn’t love her character, but I didn’t hate her either. Her and JD had a lot of history together that turned especially sour when they were both teenagers until JD comes waltzing back into her life 15 years later trying to blackmail her into falling back in the devil’s bed with him.
There was loads of heat, tension and push/pull between JD and Gabby. They had an undeniable chemistry that was damn near nuclear. But that cliffhanger was brutal… it was like the book just stopped mid-sentence! And now I’m left silently crying and dangling from that dreaded cliff waiting until the next book comes out.
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! This book really started out with a bang!! I LOVE the deep and twisted history between JD and Gabrielle. The layers in the story really captivated me, from the very beginning we are taken along a crazy path!
Gabrielle has so much going for her, but there are so many bad things in her life. I love how JD swooped in and cleaned up the mess, one that she didn’t even fully know she had! There’s such a love/hate relationship with her, and there are so many secrets and lies with him. All of these things make for the absolute best roller coaster! There are so many emotions involved too. There are so many deeper problems, truths, lies, that you just kind of spin a little. The best part though, is how their old feelings start to come back immediately. You can totally tell that JD and Gabrielle would die for each other if it came down to it. They have that special type of bond, like true soulmates.
Let’s talk about history now. There is SO MUCH history with these two. Especially since JD’s dad seems like some kingpin that just became President. I am beyond curious about their relationship. But there is also a history that I think we are missing with Gabrielle and other characters. Especially with JD’s brothers. This story constantly had me guessing and wondering. The little twist we have in the story that is woven throughout, with the issues Gabrielle is having, that’s the biggest mystery of all. This book is just a constant web of questions and paths that lead to more questions. It makes it so intriguing!! I can’t wait for the next book to see how their story ends!!!
Depraved is a romantic suspense story with a touch of dark. I’d like to say that it had just the right amount of suspense, mystery and sexy but that would be wrong. Depraved is sooo hot!
“Nothing good happens when he’s anywhere near you.”
Julian Wilder is the three A’s: alpha, anti-hero, and arrogant. He can also be calculating and manipulative. One thing is certain, he must always have control. He is walking a fine line as he attempts to balance certain situations. He is so arrogant in the beginning of the story. I love that I hated him at first! There are secrets and sorrow that he carries. He has a lot on the line so he is willing to manipulate and deceive to get what he needs.
“I’m stuck in his trap. Snared without a single hope of freeing myself.”
And then there is Gabrielle Duval! Gabby is the common girl with humble roots. I loved her character! Strong, confident, loyal and beautiful. Eva Charles paints a beautiful picture of her using words and descriptions. Julian and Gabby share a past that is filled with love and pain, hurt and betrayal. Although she has not seen Julian in 15 years, the passion and chemistry is still hotter than ever! There are several off-the-charts erotic scenes – a few with a touch of kink.
“Southern women don’t leave home looking like they haven’t bothered. It’s not about vanity, it’s just impolite.”
The story starts out strong and intriguing. The writing flows from page to page. There are southern traditions, interesting twists, unresolved issues and lies! All wrapped up in with emotional angst. So many questions! So many twists! And that ending…. I am left asking WHY? And WHEN IS BOOK 2 COMING!
Eva Charles is a new-to-me author. I understand that Depraved is different from her other stories. There are several secondary characters who I would love to read about (Hint- Gray and Chase)! I am glad to have found it and I look forward to reading Delivered!
4.5 stars
#AuthorEvaCharles #JulianAndGabrielle #Depraved #Delivered #Dark #Sexy #ATouchOfKink #Suspense #Mystery #HOT #SouthernTraditions #emotional #angst
When I kept hearing about this book I was excited for it. The blurb is really vague when it comes to the overall story so I’m going to be also vague. I will say that before I went in I saw talk that JD was a jerk type hero and I never felt that. He was a good guy deep down. Gabrielle was strong and I really liked her. She was a little bit of a pushover but it was because of love. The plot was paced good. We don’t get all the answers we want but being the first book in a duet, I know going it it would be that way.
Once I finished the book I struggled a little. Most of the time when I am super invested in the characters and the story I fee something when books end like this one did and sadly I didn’t feel much. No burning feel that I need the next book, sadness that it was over. I’m not saying that that makes it a bad book because it was a good book. Just some aspects really pulled me out of the overall story. There is a BDSM type aspect and to me, at times it over shadowed what was going on. I have to be in specific mood for BDSM type books and I didn’t releaize in advance that this book had it so it pulled me out of the story a little.
That being said, I liked the characters and am very intrigued to see what’s going to happen in the next book. With interesting suspense and a whole lot of intriguing sex. I know this isn’t the best review. I’m the first to admit that but with a story like this it gets really iffy on what could be spoilers. I hope the BDSM comment isn’t one but if so I’m sorry. I look forward to the next book. 4 stars #2OCCJD