*** Now a USA Today bestselling series! ***From USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense. I should’ve known she would ruin me the moment I saw her. Women like her are made to destroy men like me. I couldn’t resist her though. Given to me to start a war; I was too eager to accept. But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. That …
But I didn’t know what she’d do to me. That she would change everything.
She sees through me in a way no one else ever has.
Her innocence and vulnerability make me weak for her and I hate it.
I know better than to give in to temptation.
A ruthless man doesn’t let a soul close to him.
A cold-hearted man doesn’t risk anything for anyone.
A powerful man with a beautiful woman at his mercy … he doesn’t fall for her.
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Not all matches are made in heaven. Carter Cross is the man you want to love, the man you want to trust and believe in, and the man you know you should hate. Carter Cross has his reasons for what he does and how he treats his new possession, Aria, but he is so frustrating. We are given a hint as to why he wants Aria for his own, but the whole story is yet to be revealed. This story is a constant push and pull between Aria and Carter and the ending will shock you, leave you with jaw-dropping desperation for more.
Aria Talvery now belongs to Carter Cross but she fights him at every turn, staying strong to resist him seems easy at first, but Aria slowly weakens and wavers. Carter has a presence about him that calls to Aria’s inner being. He is a pleasure she knows she should steer clear of but how long can she hold out? Carter’s gentle touches and soft whispers, call to Aria to give in. Her mind says no but her body desperately wants her to let go.
I love Aria’s character. She is strong and feisty. Even though Carter brings out desires in her body and makes her weaken, she always keeps her eye on the goal. She may seem to have submitted fully to Carter, but Aria continues to lay in wait for the perfect moment. The moment when she is the one in control commanding those around her. She is the pampered daughter of a drug lord and knows that she has been sheltered from the horrible truths that surround her. She has experienced unimaginable pain in her life that has left her reeling with debilitating memories. Now, a kidnapped prize in the drug war between three families, Aria fights for her life at the puzzling hands of Carter Cross. Why does he do what he does? Why is she his captive? These are the questions Aria wants to answer and she may have to give up some of her stubborn pride to get those answers.
Merciless was not what I expected. I enjoy reading dark romance for the different dynamic between the characters. I always end up feeling some connection to the male and enjoy seeing him conquered by a strong female lead. Although I am enjoying Aria and Carter, there is so much about Carter that I don’t understand and I find puzzling. I just have a hard time figuring him out, understanding what his purpose in his treatment of Aria is. His love for her right now seems more like the love between a loyal pet and its owner instead of a man for a woman. Carter’s treatment of Aria really makes me wonder about everything he has endured in his life to have hardened him so much. After finishing Merciless, I am left to think and rethink the events in the story, wondering if Carter is redeemable. Will he win over my heart in the conclusion, Heartless. Merciless was still a page turner for me so it earns 4 stars.
What a powerful, emotion driven book. She Asked For It is by far one of the best that I have read!
It’s a fast paced page turner, that I couldn’t put down. I was drawn in from the beginning.
Dean and Allison are each captivating in their own right. Each have old wounds that fester and refuse to heal. Can they heal each other? Can they each forgive and move on from their pasts? Those were my questions as I was reading. I am so in love with how the story was written and the events that played out.
To find out I implore you to read this book. Willow never seems to disappoint with hurting your heart and then making it whole again.
m just floored by this book. This is a dark romance and it’s honestly amazing, but, you have to be a dark romance fan. Carter is just freaking intriguing, And Aria is damaged, but she’s there, just under the surface, she’s feisty, and Carter’s attractionto her and his need to heal her is what this story is about. This story will make you a little uncomfortable, but what is reading if we aren’t a little uncomfortable once in a while? You will want to know and understand Carter’s endgame. I think readers should know Willow Winters is a fabulous writer, and I fully trust her in her writing process and I always know this will be explained. Thanks again for another amazing book!
Another out of the world book by Willow Winters
This one has left me speechless and in awe.
Carter is a man who you don’t want to mess with. Him and his brothers are a force to be reckoned with and he will take what and who he wants no questions asked and he was Aria.
Aria comes from a violent and powerful family and she is feisty and strong willed. She gives Carter a run for his money and swears that she will never be his. But Carter will make her his by all mean necessary.
I am looking forward to seeing where Carter and Aria end up
Carter is the perfect anti-hero. what amazing characters and I was pulled into this world so deeply that when I finished I just sat there staring for awhile. if you want a book that will consume you this is the one to read.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader copy of this book. Wow! I’ve been waiting for Carter and man he was so worth the wait. I was sucked in from the start and couldn’t put this down. Carter is not a good man, he works for bad people, he’s dark and not to be messed with. Aria is stuck on the middle of a fight for territory between crime families and Carter wants her and what he wants he gets. They start out unconventional and it turns into something more between them, but will the choice Carter made hurt him them in the end? There is so much to their story that you will have to read for yourself, no spoilers! absolutely loved it!
4*
Writing this review has been difficult & not in the sense that the story wasn’t good it was.
It tells of the life that Aria had after the death of her mother the circumstances we become aware of reading through the book.
Carter has a little history with Aria which she is unaware of but this plays a huge impact on his need for her.
All I can say is bring on Heartless the next part in this story.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Past to future
Willow Winters books have always piqued my interest and the story of Carter and Aria in Merciless didn’t disappoint. This book is deliciously dark in every aspect. It will keep you flipping pages and you dreaming for a man like Carter to break and consume you.
Aria Talvery is the daughter of a crime boss. One of three families fighting for territory and she becomes a pawn in the war to come. She’s broken, a little sheltered and has demons in her past that haunt her beyond sleep. “But there’s nothing that can save you from your past.”
And then there’s Carter Cross, the oldest of the Cross brothers. Cold, calculated, possessive and sexy. He has a dark ora, thought engulfs you when you close your eyes. He’s watching, always watching.
I thought I had it all played out, how Carter would break down Aria and rebuild her. But her strength is undeniable. It’s present when she deliberately disobeys him. The games they play with each other knowing they have undeniable chemistry is intriguing.
As you get down to the last pages of the book, your left with a cliffhanger. Your grasping to keep hold in the dark. All the while something lurks in the shadows. Leaving your craving more, this book ends leaving no mercy your painfully going through withdrawals needing more. “This is how it was supposed to be.”
I warred with myself over how to rate this book so I took a step back and really examined it and you can see I did choose the full five stars. For the simple fact that it’s very well written and the dark scenes sort of emanate within while reading, it deserves all five stars. Merciless is an apt description.
This book skirts the very edge of the romance boundary, I would call it more of a psychological thriller versus anything romantic. It was gut wrenching to read, but in a good way. A way that made me feel and think and consider. By the time I reached the end of the book I am seeing more of the deeper reasons Carter chose to do what he did. For Carter to understand Aria and choose this particular method he would really have to love her in intense, existential way. That kind of love is romantic in its own twisted reality. It sort of ended in an odd place and I’m not sure what to make of that, however I’m glad that the story is continuing for another full book because the characters desperately need it. Dark, gritty, and full of themes that may make some uncomfortable yet still something worth reading. It’s worth exploring this intensely unconventional world that Willow Winters has created.
Merciless is a great read. The story is dark, intense, and captivating from the beginning to end. The characters Carter and Aria were well developed. Was nice that the other Cross brothers were in this story too, as I’m hoping we’ll get their srories in the future. This ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read Heartless to see what’s going to happen.
Wow. What a story. Carter is so intense, so cold-hearted and merciless. I loved him. Aria is broken and he tries to fix her while making her his. This story has so many emotions running through it. Can not wait to find out what Willow Winters has in store for us next.
Didn’t expect carter to be as twisted with him being such the older brother in daniel’s story but wow, realistic considering their childhood. The reasoning behind his motive, the strength warring with aria’s thoughts, it took me a couple chapters to get really into it but the combination of everything was absolutely beautiful. Dying to know her past and what earth happens next!
This book is AMAZING!!!! Carter is incredible! A wonderfully dark read. I loved it!
I can’t wait for Heartless!
Carter is a ruthless man. What he wants, he gets and he’s decided that with two crime families gearing up for war, now’s the time to get what he wants. And what he wants is Aria. The daughter of a crime boss, Aria is broken when Carter first gets her but there’s a defiant, stubborn side to her. She resents been taken, she wants to go back to her family and she struggling to deal with her attraction towards her kidnapper.
I’m left with conflicting feelings after reading Merciless. I really enjoyed it. There’s enough going on that my attention didn’t wane once. I really liked Aria. I’m not sure how I feel about Carter which is where the conflict comes in. I really wanted to like him but even after reading this book, I don’t really feel like I know him. I know he’s cold, calculating, ruthless and merciless if you cross him. I know he has his slightly softer, more compassionate side that he rarely lets out. He’s a bit of an enigma that intrigued me as much as he confuses me.
Overall I did really enjoy this book. I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens and hopefully to get to know Carter a little better.