It was never a question of love.I knew I loved Elias Lancaster and that he loved me.At least I always thought he did.But for some reason, he always found an excuse not to be with me. The pain I felt as my childhood love rejected me, again and again, after promising me the world when we were kids… times called for desperate measures, and I never wanted to be considered desperate, but I knew if something didn’t change soon, I’d lose Elias for good and die of a broken heart.
No one told me how many times my heart could break in the process.
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Exposed by Willow Aster is LIVE!
Get ready for Mara Catano’s redemption!
It was never a question of love.
I knew I loved Elias Lancaster and that he loved me.
At least I always thought he did.
But for some reason, he always found an excuse not to be with me.
The pain I felt as my childhood love rejected me, again and again, after promising me the world when we were kids…
Well, it just wouldn’t go away.
No matter how hard I tried.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and I never wanted to be considered desperate, but I knew if something didn’t change soon, I’d lose Elias for good and die of a broken heart.
No one told me how many times my heart could break in the process.
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It’s not often I’d give 4 stars to a book where I absolutely did not like one of the main characters but here we are. Mara, good grief. That girl was on my last string of patience the entire book. She was not likable and came off as a spoiled brat who only cared about her own feelings. Her one redeeming quality that under all of her very unlikable traits was that if she let you in she loved you, and if she loved you she loved you with no inhibitions about it.
I am loving this world Willow is building. It is entertaining and takes you on an adventure. She is setting this up to be a series I won’t soon be putting down. I have a feeling as it progresses Willow will not disappoint in taking on a guilty pleasure ride.
Although this is a stand alone series I highly recommend reading the first book Downfall first. It is a great introduction to this world and it’s characters. Exposed will be that much better if you take the ride of Downfall first.
Whew! I was stoked to dive into this 2nd book of the series. The reader gets a glimpse into Mara’s life as she’s the sister of Luka, but we had no idea of who she was. Until now. And let me tell you! This book completely hooked me and I was all in! There’s sexual tension. Intrigue. Danger. Secrets. And I wanted it all. I could feel the emotions lift off the pages and I was consumed in Mara and Elias’s journey. The push/pull between them. I liked how Willow gives the reader glimpses into Mara’s past and her feelings toward Elias. These best friends had been set on a path long ago, but as life tends to do, it intervened. I enjoyed how their relationship came to boil and sides had to be chosen. While Mara was sometimes bratty, the reader knew her intentions. I was rooting for her. Mara and Luka had terrible parents and things are revealed in this book. I felt every emotion in this story and I couldn’t consume it fast enough! Be sure to read Downfall first, but don’t miss this read!
I have no idea how Willow managed to make me fall in love with a character I thought I hated, but that’s exactly what she did with this book. When I read Downfall, I thought Mara was vile. She acted in such a despicable manner, I had pretty much written her off as unredeemable. It turns out I was so wrong! She is such a layered character and when bits and pieces of her back story were revealed, her behavior made so much more sense. It wasn’t excusable, but she’s a character that was meant for growth and I truly loved watching that unfold on the pages of this book. Elias was so multi-faceted as well and the two of them made me want to scream at times, but I loved the intensity and the history between them.
This world that Willow Aster has created is so much fun. I love the concept of different kingdoms & monarchies, but with all of the modern conveniences we’re all accustomed to. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!
Exposed by Willow Aster will make you fall in love and hate with Mara and Elias. A royal story set in background of conspiracies, manipulations and deceptions, Exposed is a whirlpool of intense emotions. The characters are beautifully broken. Their feelings are raw, gritty and incredibly terrifying. The story sucked me in and left its permanent mark on my heart.
I met Mara in the first story of this series, Downfall and I absolutely hated her. She was bitter and full of conniving lies. I was really intrigued to read how the author will redeem her. And what an amazing deconstruction of Mara. She has layers after layers. She has been brought up in an almost abusive environment. She is the scandalous princess who lives for the wrong kind of attention. Imprisonment of her father and the role of her brother aka the king of Niaps, Luka has broken her down. And her lighthouse in every storm, her childhood love, her only love and King’s advisor Elias is pushing her and breaking her heart over and over again. My heart is aching so much for this misunderstood woman. She is being targeted from every direction and she is almost alone. She is hurt, angry, ashamed, jealous of Elias’ companions, pressured by her parents and torn between her choices. She is incredibly strong and stood up for herself at the end.
Elias is one of those broken and tortured souls who makes you wanting to heal his scars. He has deep feelings for Mara. But his life is a mess, drowning in debts and darkened by violence. He does not feel worthy of Mara. The author brought each of his dark, angsty, heartbreaking and cruel emotions to life expertly. The chemistry between Mara and Elias is epic. They have this soul deep, never ending and life changing love. But they always have circumstances standing between them. They are the epitome of star crossed lovers. They hurt each other like they cannot live without the pain. The fire of passion burns them brightly. The plot is full of twists and turns. And my heart dropped to my stomach way too many times.
Exposed by Willow Aster is an intense story of two flawed yet perfect souls. The heartbreaking emotions ripped my heart out. An epic and unforgettable story!
Received ARC for Honest review
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
So much going on with Mara and Elias. This friends to lovers story gave me all the feels – such an intensly good book! This is book 2 in this series and I recommend reading Downfall first. Another great ready by Willow Aster!
4.5 He’s All I’ve Ever Wanted stars!
Elias Lancaster is the advisor in charge of running his best friend Luka’s life, who is the new king of Niaps. He’s spiraling out of control between his duties to the king, and his own personal issues. Then there’s the persistent, beautiful Mara. They’ve been close since they were children, and his obsession with her is ruining his sanity. She’s owned his heart for as long as he can remember. He wants her, but it’s complicated. She’s his weakness, and will completely consume him if he’s not careful.
Princess Mara Catano of Niaps was expected to look pretty and not have an opinion. She was on display, especially all her mistakes. She was the embarrassing sister always causing trouble, conflict, and scandals. Nobody takes her seriously, and she’s a bit lost lately. The only person that see’s the real her is Elias. He was her best friend since they were kids, and the only man she’s ever truly loved. She believes they belong together, and that he’s her destiny, but lately he feels like a stranger. He’s always been her everything, and she’s determined he will be the man she will marry. She finds herself when they’re together. Tired of waiting, her patience is gone. She’s exhausted from chasing him, but not giving up. She needs him to stop running, and wake up and realize what’s right in front of him. She just has to convince him he belongs to her.
Exposed (Kingdoms of Sin, Book 2) by Willow Aster was a captivating royal romance full of angst, explosive chemistry, and love. I really enjoyed seeing a different side of Mara, and loved this couple together. I adore this series, and can’t wait for more books!
This is book two of the series and to have a better understanding of the story I recommend reading Downfall first. Mara is a character that I truly disliked her actions really didn’t make her a likeable person. However I had a complete reversal with her story and as we got to know her I was on her side. I was willing someone to look at why she was acting out and be fully on her side. I love when an author manages to turn my expectations around and Willow did it with ease. Elias has always been her one no matter how much they hurt each other. He certainly wasn’t perfect to be truthful at times I wanted to give him a slap but I still loved him. The drama and intrigue following the royal family continues with twists and turns I never expected. They say you can’t choose your family and that is so true of this famiy they truly are a nest of vipers. I struggled slightly with the first book as I didn’t connect with the characters but I really enjoyed this one.
Overall Grade:
“Elias, she was wrong. It doesn’t matter what we’re born into, how wealthy one of us is, or how smart, or strong…we’re the same. Our hearts are the same.”
There is this idea that we should only get what we deserve. That there is some random assignment of pleasure or privilege afforded those with the most promising traits. In the end, this is simply that…random. In Willow Aster’s second book from the Kingdoms of Sin series, Exposed, this seems to be the prevailing ideology.
We meet Elias and Mara in the first book of the series, Downfall, the story of Mara’s brother, Luka, and his journey of love. In Downfall, Mara is horrible to the heroine, Eden, and readers like me assumed it could be difficult to accept a story about a character who is vain, shallow, and mean-spirited. Yet, Aster, through her astute storytelling, helps us empathize with Mara in Exposed. We find out quickly that Mara’s behavior is a consequence of conditioning and emotional/mental abuse. It becomes clear quickly that Mara simply wants to be seen, cherished, and loved for herself. She finds this with her friend, Elias, and her brother, Luka, in her youth and teenhood. However, complications in her present separate her from Elias and set her up as an enemy towards her brother. All of this occurs because she simply doesn’t have all of the parts of the story. Aster also shows us through Elias that choices from their past have separated them, even though it’s clear from the first page that Elias and Mara are destined for each other. Exposed is a journey of a 1000 deaths as Elias and Mara struggle against each other. While these two seem fated from the start of this book, they spend much of the book apart because one cannot accept that he can have what he wants and the other believes she isn’t worthy of him.
To begin, you should know that I loved Downfall, the first book in Aster’s series. Yes, there were times when I wanted to reach into the book and strangle Luka for his torturous ways with Eden. Yet, Aster uses his bullish ways to illustrate his internal struggle against his familial responsibilities. In the end, he redeems himself with Eden, and that story finds a most beautiful happy ending. To say that I was excited about Exposed would be an understatement. I’m a fan of authors taking the most unlikeable character of a story and enlisting me to fall for them. In Downfall, Mara is tied for this role with her parents, so going into Exposed, I was ready to be challenged and encouraged to accept Mara.
And to a certain extent, I did. It’s smart that Aster allows us to see Mara’s past. In fact, it’s necessary as it helps us empathize with her. Mara has borne great abuse on herself, and it has transformed her into a spiteful woman who views herself as only something to be possessed. She doesn’t recognize her talents and abilities for most of the story. What can be frustrating about Exposed is Mara’s continual self-sabotage. She’s the queen of it in this book, and it grates on your soul because she makes choices time and time again that leave her dejected and broken. This is more than Luka’s bullish ways in Downfall. There were many times when I found myself yelling at the book, yelling at Mara, to stop. Some might find this frustrating, but I believe this is Aster’s capability to pull us into her world. When authors provoke us to feel deeply for their characters and respond vehemently to them, I think they’ve done their job. Aster achieves this distinctly in Exposed through Mara’s characterization.
Similarly, Elias produces the same results. He’s stubborn and obtuse in his characterization. Honestly, it takes much of Aster’s book for Elias to finally understand his relationship with Mara. Every other character in the story recognizes his connection to Mara except Elias. Just like Mara, this is biting. For all of his intelligence and power as the king’s advisor, he too self-sabotages and remains dense for much of Exposed.
There is a big pay-off with this book, though. Aster plays on your emotions for much of Exposed, making us feel that journey of a 1000 deaths as Elias and Mara struggle with their connection. When they finally earn their happy ending, it’s blissful and well-deserved for her readers. But know, that you must traverse the pitfalls of their inane choices to get there. Reading Exposed is like walking through an emotional minefield. Once you begin, you cannot stop until its end as you can only gain respite from the tension of potentially stepping on bombs of emotion at its borders. Yet, the journey feels fulfilling, insightful, and worth the time you spent negotiating the challenges of it. In the end, Elias and Mara teach us that we are worthy, that we can be more than our pasts, and that love will always reign when we fully accept it.
“Mara has always been a part of me. I won’t ever be able to let her go.”
This is the 2nd book in this series and is Elias and Mara’s tale. I must admit I was not too keen on Mara in #1, however, she certainly redeems herself in this novel. These two are both broken souls yet together they are perfect. This is a well written story which is emotional, humorous, raw, gritty, intense, and a steamy read with sizzling chemistry. I highly recommend for all and look forward to reading the next novel in this addictive series.
Exposed by Willow Aster is the second book in the Kingdoms of Sin series and though it can be read as a standalone, reading book one would be helpful. This is Elias and Mara’s story and will take you on quite the ride. These two are a bit broken and lost, but have cared for each other for a long time, but somehow are not together.
Elias and Mara had a push and pull relationship and crazy chemistry. Mara may not have been very likable at the start, but as the story continues, we get to see a different side of her. What she wants and feels and the biggest thing she wants is love. Elias has his own demons to fight. Can they find a way to be together or is it too late? Exposed by Willow Aster was emotional and heartbreaking and completely captivating!
Read and reviewed for Reviews From the Heart.
Happy reading!
Exposed is the second book in the Kingdom of Sin series and I loved it just as much as I did the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mara and Elias’s story, though it was a slow warm-up to Mara’s character. I was hooked with this series from book one and look forward to reading more from this author.
The steam on this one was off the charts, if I want a steamy book Willow Aster is my go to for sure, what a great, sexy story.
Elias and Mara’s story was not one I was really looking forward to. I really, really did not like Mara in Downfall and I was worried there would be no redeeming qualities for her. I was so wrong! Wow! I love how Willow took Mara’s character and turned her into someone I loved so much! Exposed was everything I didn’t know I wanted it to be! FIVE STARS!