I didn’t know darkness and evil lurked inside me until I had to murder in order to survive. Forced to become my own worst enemy. With so much blood on my hands, I was surprised I could still see my own skin.I killed. I tortured. I loved… I played God while I was rotting in Hell. Thriving on control and power was the only way I knew how to live. There were no other options. If you weren’t my …
If you weren’t my friend, you were my foe.
If you weren’t with me, you were against me.
Traitors, as I called them. There were no imaginary lines. I’d crossed them all. No boundaries. No second chances. No redemption.
Not for me.
For them.
For anyone.
Only for her…
She loved me. Always convinced I was a saint, never believing I was just another sinner.
A fucking monster.
Until it was too late.
Except, I didn’t choose this life.
It. Chose. Me.
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Never read a M. Robinson book in a my life and I am kicking myself!
Damien and Amira have had a special bond/chemistry from the beginning of their story. Damien does bad things but he’s not a bad man. Amira is proof of that.
Amira broke my heart so many times during the book, I’m so happy she had Mama Rosa to look after after what happened, I was so worried for her future. I loved Damien affection for Amira, it was so swoony and HOT!
I loved both characters a lot they both had their faults and were complex. I also enjoyed all the culture M incorporated in the book, I really loved learning about it and all the languages.
Totally going to be dying for the next book after that ending!!!!
Really 5 stars is not enough for this book.
By far this book is Monica’s best. Her talent is unbelievable. The way she crafts the story you are lured into a false sense of security and then she guts you! Rips your heart right out! .But you cant stop reading because you need to find that happy ending each and every time!
Damien and Amira are her most complex hero and heroines to date. You will continually wonder is he a sinner or a saint. And Amira she may be young but she is wise beyond her years!
You must read this book! This is not a flowers, sunshine, walking hand in hand through the park romance. Yes its dark, its gritty. It will rip you to pieces. You will feel every emotion reading this book!
How can I put into words what this book has done to me. I cannot seem to find the right words that will give this book the review that it deserves. I mean how can one truly express the way that an author was able to reach into your chest and rip out your heart, all the while she is standing in front of you smiling while she is holding your bleeding heart. Well this is what M. Robinson did with this book. I was left in an emotional tailspin that I am normally never in. This book was able to take you through a tidal wave of emotions, that engulfs you into your ocean of emotions to the point where you don’t know if you’re going to be able to come up for air.
I found myself loving, then hating, and then feeling remorse for Damien. There wasn’t a time that I did not find this character to be anything other than perfect. The perfect mixture of an asshole, lover and broken soul that was needed to make up this character. Amira was able to make my emotions go from love to pride and to empathy for her. She was a strong character, yet she also had her weaknesses that made her human. It was this emotional tug-of-war that these characters put you through that made this story the piece of art that it is.
I bow down to the Queen again. This book exceeded all my expectations. I have read lot of Monica’s book and this one by far has been the most emotional for me. I’m still as mess. When I got my copy I stopped what I was doing and started it immediately. I was crazy enough to read this book all the way through with no breaks.
You start off with Damien as young man. He had a very difficult childhood. Damien grew up to be the most feared men in his country. Damien is know as El. Santo. He has never shown anybody his true heart except her. Amira is also young when you first meet her. She is a perfect little girl until one night it all crashes down. Amira meets the monsters on the night that shattered her whole world. She now has to be protected and Damien is the only one that can do it. What will happen when these characters grow up? Will they grow closer or will they grow apart?
You will fall in love with both of these characters in different ways. I had a love hate relationship with Damien. He is not a good man but he has a special place in his heart for Amira that gives him redemption. Amira is so sweet and innocent in the beginning but when she grows up she gets feisty. She is also so brave and strong after what she witnessed when she was just a little girl. This book has it all love, betrayal, and a lot of angst. Monica is one of my top authors I read because she give you all the feels. She is an evil genius and I love her for it. The ending will make you speechless and you might scream. I can’t wait to see what this talented author has in store for us next.
This book is unputdownable.
The Queen of Angst has done it again.
She’s written another page-turning story that made both my heart and mind race as the story unfolds.
Her background in psychology is evident not only the development of her characters but in the twists that you never see coming.
It’s what made me fall in love with her books from the start.
Have you ever heard the Dolly Parton quote – “If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain”?
That comes to mind when reading M.’s books.
I never know what kind of storm my heart will have to endure, but every new book she writes, my grabby hands can’t get a hold of it fast enough.
I loved and highlighted SO MANY awesome quotes, but I don’t want to spoil anything by including them here.
There are so many kickass, “mic drop” moments and then a few that left me in a puddle of goo.
You’ll see what I mean as you’re reading.
Damien Montero, what can I say?
He can be an asshole, but I still love him.
He made my heart frown, my eyes cry, my mouth cuss at him, my brain question his intentions and stomach swoon – and sometimes all in the same chapter.
I love complex men who are fearless, strong and confident and Damien has those qualities in spades.
I also absolutely love the heroine, Amira.
She’s smart, funny, fearless, resilient, compassionate, loyal, feisty and strong.
My favorite kind of female character.
My love for both characters, an unpredictable plot and sitting on the edge of my seat while reading makes this 5-star book a definite re-read for the future.
Excuse me a moment while I pick up whatever is left of my obliterated heart… Yes, Monica soothed it a little, but it took major wattage to kick start my heart again. That was by far the most amazing and agonizing ride from the queen of angst herself. I am left in a catatonic state that is my book hangover and in need of some strong alcohol and a hug right now. Monica has outdone herself with El Santo. Leaving a river of tears along the way, and loving every second of it.
Damien’s character couldn’t be more perfect. Beautifully broken and hard. You just love to hate him, but hate that you love him so much at the same time. You don’t know if you want to junk punch him or crawl on his lap and wrap your arms around him. Amira was another great character who doesn’t only show great amount of courage and loyalty, but because of her loved ones, she manages to stay sweet and innocent without being naive to the world they live in. A world where you must do whatever it takes to survive.
Loved how this books just twists you in every which way. All the unexpected turns this story took me to just kept me on my toes. M Robinson is one of my automatic 1click authors and never disappoints to get you in the feels, and El Santo was no exception!
El Santo by USA Today bestselling author M. Robinson is a walk into the dark reality of a character we have all longed to know more about. Hold on tight this won’t be pretty.
Damien’s world was shattered and the illusion he was led to believe became a distant memory the night he saved a young Amira. He became a bad man, a murderer and monster, and he never looked back. He had nothing left to hold back his inner darkness, so he set it free. If you weren’t his friend, then you were the enemy. The only bright spot in his existence, the beautiful Amira. She thought he was a savior, her hero. He knows better, but he can’t seem to convince her of just how bad of a man he is. Until she finally sees him for what he is and everything changes.
Damien is a dark, tortured and just overall bad man and I love him! I’m not sure why but I am always attracted to the villain, or the supposed villain, of the story. And nothing, I repeat, there is nothing that will dissuade me once I fall for them. Damien is the latest bad boy book boyfriend on my list and boy did he earn his way onto that list. He was ruthless, crossing way beyond what most people consider basic morals. He wanted power and he took it.
Just like with any villain, he had a weakness. Amira. Ever since he saved her she saw the man beneath the monster and she never let him forget. No matter what he did she still believed his was her El Santo deep down. While her faith in him never wavers, as a reader I found myself teetering back and forth between love and hate, but mostly love. I saw what Amira saw in him. Was he cruel, absolutely, but his circumstances have made him that way. You can argue that he a choice, blah, blah and he chose to go down the path he did, and yes that is true, but I refuse to judge him harshly for doing what he needed to.
All the twists and darkness of Damien are what make this a fantastic read. Not mention the wonderful writing by an extremely talented author. If this isn’t on your TBR yet, add it now. FIVE stars!
Wow what a book, what great characters and what a great author!
My emotions are all over the place with this book. This was one intense, emotional, heartbreaking and violent ride to go on. But I loved every second of it!
Oh the queen of angst has done it again!
This book will take you on a ride where you feel ALL possible feels. There were times I had to put my kindle down to preserve it from being thrown across the room!
I always say Monica’s books need a reading kit that should consist of
Drink of choice
Lots of Kleenex
Large supply of bubble wrap
And lordy lordy that ending!
Holy hell when i started reading this book i thought it was a stand-alone but as i got more into the book i thought surely not so to know that it was duet i was excited i loved duets and i am loving Amira and Damians story so much.
I loved how this book took us from the very start of their story and when we first meet Damian i knew i would love a monster of a character and i wasn’t wrong as much i wanted to hate him i just couldn’t but by the time i got to the end ohhhh he was not nice and i wanted to punch him.
Amira was a sweet soul who lost her family tragically and when she leaned on Damian i knew this was going to be a heartbreaking story for her. I really liked her and i loved how she stood up to Damian even knowing who he was and what he was like.
Their connection was so strong and even though there is an age gap you could still feel the love even though nothing could really happen.
At the end of this book i was like what the hell but it just makes me want to read the next book straight away.
M Robinson does amazing job telling this story and if your into a dark romance that has the angst then you need to read this i loved it and can’t wait to read El Pacedor.
Damien knew the minute he saw her he would do anything to save her, he would keep her safe that he promised her. He never knew that in keeping her safe he would turn into the exact thing that took her family from her.
Amira knows that Damien isn’t the monster he tries to tell her he is, she knows he feels the pull between them, but won’t admit that there is something between them and she can’t work out why. She knows she loves him, she’s in love with him but he keeps pushing her away.
Damien knows the only way to protect Amira is to push her away, keep her out of his life and let both of them move on. They can never happen she’s his weakness and he can’t let his enemies know that he has a weakness they can use against him.
Damien never said he was the Prince Charming, he’s more life the wolf and you see why with the ending, but can he redeem himself in the next book.
I received a copy of this book to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
El Santo is the first book in M. Robinson’s Saint-Sinner Series. I will go ahead and till you to expect a cliff hanger since it is the first book in the series.
Damien didn’t know there was evil lurking inside him until he had to murder in order to survive. He was forced to become his own worst enemy. With so much blood on his hands, he is surprised he could still his own skin. He killed, tortured, loved. He played God while he was rotting in hell. Thriving on control and power was the only way he knew how to live. There was no other options. If you were not his friend, you were his foe. If you were not with him you were against him. Traitors. That’s what they were. There was no imaginary lines. He had crossed them all. No boundaries. No second chances. No redemption. Not for Damien or anyone except for her…..She loved him. Always convinced he was a saint, never believing he was just another sinner. A monster. Until it was too late. Except, he didn’t choose this life. It chose him.
If you have read El Diablo then you have met Damien. But if you have not, that is ok because this book stands alone. However I must tell you that El Diablo is amazing and your missing one heck of a read if you haven’t read it. In El Santo we get Damien’s story from the past to I’m assuming what will be the present in the second book. It has alternating points of view between Damien and Amira. Damien was abandoned by his mother and raised by his father who is a solider for the leader of Cuba Emilio Salazar. He is actually one of his top guards and while raising Damien Salazar takes an interest in his saying that they are exactly alike. This is the beginning of the end for Damien as far as who he is to become. I don’t think he ever wanted this life and one night changed everything. Damien is forced to do things to a traitors family he never would have ever dreamed of doing. However he did one of the best things he ever could have done and saved Amira that night. However no one knows she is alive and the woman Damien thinks of as a mother is now a mother from Amira. She was nine when her life was forever changed but she has such a connection to Damien from the very beginning. Damien is the only one who can make her nightmares go away. He is her comfort in the world where everything is lost to her and this is their story basically. I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about Damien at times. The man sure has no soul when it comes to taking care of business but the way he cares for Amira melted my heart. He protected her and keeps her save as if his and her life depends on it. Well, actually it probably does. I don’t want to give away to much of this story but I will say I am excited about El Precador coming in January. I want more of this story. I will say that I took a while to think on this book to write my review. I had to sort out my feelings about everything. When a book can make me think as much as I have on this one then I would say it is a must read. I just hope you go into it with an open mind and don’t let Amira and Damien meeting when he was 18 and she was 9 mess the whole thing up for you.
**5 angsty emotional stars**
The title for M. Robinson is so well deserved and she owns it; ‘Queen of Angst’ is back yet again! She’s an evil genius but that’s what makes her stand out of the crowd!
I don’t know how to start this review ‘cuz I really want to do it justice!
If you have ever read a book by M. Robinson, you just know that she is an author that can rip your heart out and make it better again in the end. Well, let me tell you, El Santo just blows that all out of the water! If you think you have read angsty books by her in the past, you are in for a wild roller coaster ride! I want to keep this as spoiler free as I can but just know that even when you start reading this story, you will cry and your heart will ache so much that you will want to throw your kindle and just go cry in the corner!
And you won’t stop crying… Crying for everything that Damien goes through but so much more for Amira. You will have a love/hate romance with Damien ‘El Santo’ from beginning until end.
If you think you know what’s coming next, you don’t… It will leave your head spinning and will blow you away! It’s just everything and more.
4.5 Damien stars!!! I devoured this! It had me hooked from the beginning! Filled with angst, struggle and an anti hero you are desperate to love yet hate. Great back story and can’t wait for the conclusion!
This book had me all over the place as I read! I’ve read a couple books by this author before and I thought I had it all figured out. I. Was. Wrong. Right off the bat M. Robinson hits us straight in the heart and she doesn’t stop until the very end. This book had a knot in my stomach and I had to stop reading several times to compose myself. I have really come to enjoy these stories by M. Robinson as the story just flows and her writing just keeps getting better and better. I love that even though her characters are far from perfect you can’t help but want them to have their happy ending. I know some people may not care for the love story between the main characters but please go in with an open heart. This story as tough and ugly as it was to read has a beautiful message. I’m so happy I stuck with this story and fell so hard for Damien and Amira. Well done M. Robinson.
I absolutely adore M. Robinson’s writing and the good ole boys series together with all spin offs. After being introduce to El Santo in It Ends Here I couldn’t wait to hear Damien’s story. However, this book fell a little short of the mark for me. Why? Because I didn’t get the feeling that Damien was to be feared. That he was a ruthless soldier, a confident of the Cuban dictator. He walked the walk & talked the talk but all we were given was Damien’s vulnerable side.
This book has paved the way for part two and I’ve no doubt whatsoever that M will be bringing in the big guns and give us the adrenaline rush her books usually give. I like Damien and it was great to get some of the background history before being thrown into the modern day. I did feel like there were inconsistencies with ages. I calculated in the beginning there was thirteen years between him and Amira but at one point it was down to eight.
Told from a dual POV as usual Ms writing flows and carries you along on the crest of a wave. The book is steady paced as it tells of how Amira’s life from the age of nine was entwined with Damien’s . The unspoken love between these two characters was deep seated. His possessive streak was hot, this is what M does best, write strong dominant alpha guys that make you go weak at the knees. We need to see more of this side of Damien.
I just finished El Santo and WOW! I am at a loss…what an amazing book! I love all of M. Robinson’s books but this one was one takes the cake! That cover is so HOT! The story was HOT! I fell in love with Damien from page one. He portrayed the hero in a situation that he was forced into. In spite of Amira losing everything she was sweet and positive.
Damien was forced to do things he didn’t want to do; but that did bring Amira into his life. Damien was being the hero and save Amira’s life but just put her life into more danger. Despite everything Amira saw and experienced she could not fight those feelings that developed from the beginning for Damien. All Damien wanted to do was protect her. El Santo was written in a duo POV. I always love POV’s so you can see inside each characters heads. M. Robinson had my attention from page one. I could not put it down.
I have read several books by M. Robinson and love each and every one of them. El Santo is book one in a duet. I, for one..cannot wait to get my hands on El Pecador (Book two)! I have already recommended this book to my friends!
This is my 1st from Mrs. Robinson and man was I blown away. Like WOW! This book was so freaking intriguing I just couldn’t put this down. It was driving me crazy. AT times I wanted to throw my kindle, and many, many times I would ask myself WTF!!! What am I reading, Why is this happening? I’m telling you, as much as it was driving me mad, I was so loving this story.
I love Robinson’s style of writing. her story! she’s just so amazing, I cant believe I waited this long to read her book.
We meet Damien and Arima. They both have a crazy start. They meet in such an unconventional form. Damien is raised to do bad things. He’s the bad guy. But you cant just not LOVE him. Arima life was taken away from her at such young age. But she sees right threw him. She always understood and saw way more than what Damien realizes.
This stories hits home. It has some background to Cuba’s communism. S reading I would so easy see this being a true story, how events can be possible. But I truly LOVED and enjoyed this book.
M. Robinson is officially killing me with her book!! I love El Santo what an amazing start..
In the first book of El Santo, we meet Damien and Amira story..
Damien is the handyman of Emilio Salazar the most feared man in Cuba.. Damien was in a constant battle of morality.. he didn’t want to be like him, he still had a heart but his own father train him to be a cold blooded soldier.. he was handsome, strong and bold.. everybody fear him but not her, there is only one person in this world who can handle him and his heart.. if only he knew and gave this a chance..
Amira was a beautiful little girl, living a happy life with her family, when all her innocence was taken away from her.. watching all the horrors playing in front of her.. loosing her entire family.. nothing was going to be the same ever again..
Damien meets Amira in terrible circumstances.. she was hiding when something bad was happening in her own house.. she thought everything was lost, she thought she didn’t had a future… but nothing could prepare her to finally come face to face with her future, a monster with a heart of gold.. someone who will bring back her hope or her demons..
“I may have saved her life. But she kept me alive.”
The love between Damien and Amira is breathtaking, i love how it started slowly, i love how the author gave the time for Amira to grow up and gave us the experience of feeling all Amiras emotions as she was becoming more aware of her femininity and sexuality..
“I love you, Muñeca. I’ve always loved you, and I always will.”
He was her protector, no matter where she was, he was always watching over her, making sure nobody gives her any harm or pain.. he was his savor and his monster..
“I love you, my tiny shadow. No matter what, I will always be with you.”
Amazing story!! so in love with M.Robinson writing..
love how she mixes some words in Spanish.. and whenever Damien calls Amira “Muñeca” I just melt!!