Painted in gold, Jaslyn was born into a life of luxury with the world at her feet.After the death of her father, his empire became hers and the princess became a queen.Her fortune was sought after and deception and deceit had a ring around her finger.But with the ring, came the accessories that money can’t buy.At the hands of the new king, the empire began to crumble as Jaslyn’s world spiraled … Jaslyn’s world spiraled out of control.
Through the bars of her prison, she watched life pass her by.
Hope was fading quickly… until she met him.
Axel was the glimmer that she needed to survive.
From the wrong side of the tracks, Axel’s life was never easy.
He worked his way through the blood and sweat and went from rags to riches
When you’re on top of the world, one mistake is all it takes to lose it all.
And getting back up is always harder than the fall.
Getting his life back came with an offer he couldn’t refuse and he would pay the cost.
Jaslyn wasn’t part of the deal, but she was a temptation that he couldn’t escape.
She was his endgame and he would fight to the death to get to that finish line.
Together, they roll the dice and risk it all for love.
But when you gamble in the game of life or death, you pay a price.
And sometimes, that price could cost you everything.
more
Mirage by C.M.Radcliff is about the illusion called life where monsters hide behind designer clothes and angels take shelter in broken people.
Jaslyn may have been born into money but she is physically and mentally abused everyday by her fiance aka CEO of her father’s company Jasper. Axel thinks himself as the bad guy as violence is his coping mechanism and he comes from the wrong side of track. But something in Jaslyn stirs a very inconvenient protective spirit in him and he is determined to help her fight back. And it is not going to end well.
I had some difficulty connecting it with Aladdin’s tale. I feel I would have enjoyed it more if I did not let myself focus on the retelling part. I loved Jaslyn and her bravery under the bruises and cuts. And of course I loved Axel. What’s there not to love in a broken and angry man who fights underground? He is kind of dominating, possessive and protective book boyfriends who make your knees weak! And I loved his brother by life’s battle Rush! The chemistry was definitely scintillating but it lacked something. And that ending!! Oh wow! That kind of made this story a hundred times better because I cannot wait to read the conclusion.
Mirage by C.M. Radcliff was a dark, steamy and raw romance that will make your body and heart sing!
Received ARC for honest review
With every new addition to the Sinister Fairy Tales series I’ve enjoyed each author’s twist on their tales and Mirage was quite the interesting surprise. Though I realized quickly which fairytale this book was about the unique spin on it sucked me into the somewhat dark world the author penned. Axel was everything I enjoy about book boyfriends Fierce, protective, broody, mysterious and with a huge heart only those closest to him had the privilege of seeing I couldn’t help but root for him. Jaslyn was so much fiercer than she believed and I found myself wanting to knock some sense into someone repeatedly on her behalf. The sparks between these two were intense and immediate. The ending left me all sorts of curious about how the second book in this duet will conclude.
What a modern twist on a fun classic. Aladdin was never a huge hit in the fairy tale world of movies for me but this one wasn’t as bad as some and I did enjoy the soundtrack. Plus who doesn’t enjoy a bit dreamy and sweet Aladdin? What I am an even bigger fan of is CM Radcliff though. She writes these stories that rock the foundation and are extremely different while bringing sometime special to the story. Mirage was one of her best stories that I’ve read yet! I really feel like CM was able to transform the characters into something unique and extremely special. I was way more invested than I ever expected to be!
I was in deep with these characters though. Axel Reed is our bad boy street drifter (fighter). He’s lived on his own by his own rules. Jaslyn is our resident mistress… I’ll leave her story for you all to learn all on your own. Hers life is way darker than the original. I was smitten, absolutely smitten with Rush! He’s just full of life and has to be the correspondence with the Genie! He’s just the life of the party and is Axel’s bestie… they are as thick as thieves! I was even more thrilled to see this is going to be a DUET! So we are left hanging off a very large cliff hanger! Ugghhhh… I’ll be real, she killed the story right when my obsession was really taking over… good job! I cannot wait to read the second book!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
Painted in gold, Jaslyn was born into a life of luxury with the world at her feet. After the death of her father, his empire became hers and the princess became a queen. Painted in gold, Jaslyn was born into a life of luxury with the world at her feet. Her fortune was sought after and deception and deceit had a ring around her finger. But with the ring, came the accessories that money can’t buy. At the hands of the new king, the empire began to crumble as Jaslyn’s world spiraled out of control. Through the bars of her prison, she watch life pas her by. How was fading quickly…until she met him. Axel was the glimmer that she needed to survive.
From the wrong side of the tracks, Axel’s life was never easy. He worked his way through the blood and sweat and went from rags to riches. When you’re on top of the world, on mistake is all it takes to lose it all. And getting back up is always harder than the fall. Getting his life back up is always harder than the fall. Getting his life back came with an offer he couldn’t refuse and he would pay the cost. Jaslyn wasn’t part of the deal, but she was a temptation that he couldn’t escape. She was his endgame and he would fight to the death to get to that finish line.
Together they would roll the dice and risk it all for love. But when you gamble in the game of life or death, you pay a price. And sometimes, that price could cost you everything.
This is yet another amazing book for the Sinister Fairy Tales Collection If you haven’t read any of these books you need to get on it. They are amazing and Mirage is no exception. This is a dark read and will have you reading from the beginning to the very end of it. I did not put it down and loved every second I spent in the world of Jaslyn and Axel. This is a retelling of Aladian and your going to to love these characters so much. Jaslyn grew up in the lap of luxury and that is thanks to her father. However when he dies her life if forever chanced and she in now under the thumb of Jasper Lafar. Oh how your going to love to hate him. Feeling helpless Jaslyn has lost all hope until the day see meets the boy from the wrong side of the track, Jasper Reed. This story is dark and gritty and absolutely amazing. Since this is book one in the due you should expect to finish the book with your mouth hanging wide open. I can’ not wait for the second book. I need some serious answers now.
Mirage is all kinds of fecked up. It’s also a story of survival. Survival for Jaslyn and Axel. These two meet at the worse time possible. Yet, their connection can’t be ignored. Jaslyn is dealing with a lot. She perseveres through her abusive relationship. She’s strong even when she thinks she’s weak. You will fall in love with Axel and Jaslyn. I can’t wait to find out what happens next with these two!
Mirage by CM Radcliff is the story of Axel Reed and Jaslyn Astor.
Jaslyn’s father had died leaving her his wealth and company. Jaslyn ends up getting tricked into and engagement to Jasper Lafar who becomes abusive. Axel has no family and has to work his way up and is now a illegal street fighter. Axel ends up meeting Jaslyn via Jasper. Their feelings become entangled but of course there is danger and they will need to work together to help each other.
This book is a re-take of Aladdin and it does end with a cliffhanger.
***4 Stars***
Well, that was unexpected.
Not to say that this retelling was expected, because the twist to this particular fairy tale was definitely an interesting one, but that ending ~ and yes, it is one hell of a cliffy ~ most definitely not what I saw coming. But, let’s start at the beginning.
I have to say, that prologue was very well done. It had me needing to know who all the players were and just how far things would go. And they went far. As this is a duet, I’m keeping things vague, but I really liked Jaslyn and Axel. Both are much stronger than people believe and once they collide all bets are off…especially with that cliffy. But up until then, I enjoyed watching as they got to know each other better.
This was an interesting twist to the Aladdin tale. The elements are there, but the author definitely made it her own. Jasper fascinated me, didn’t like him, but one doesn’t have to like someone to be fascinated by them. But my favorite was Rush. He was all kinds of awesome! I’m not a fan of going into books and not knowing a cliffy is possible ~ it doesn’t take away anything from the story, but one cannot help but be frustrated when things end abruptly ~ but even with that said, I’m quite interested to see how everything ends up for the Jaslyn and Axel, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for part deux of this duet.
~ Copy provided by EJBP & voluntarily reviewed ~
This sinister fairytale was a take on Aladdin. In this story Axel is a street fighter and is on Jasper’s payroll. Jasper is still the villain but worse. This is a darker retelling so there is things that would make some readers uncomfortable. The story was well written and really captured my attention. I’m not a fan of cliff hangers and this is book one in a duet, I would read book 2. I give the book four stars.
By Tiffany
This book is part of the Sinister Fairytales collection and is a must read!! Mirage was fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot was fast-paced and kept me engaged from the very beginning. I fell instantly in love w/ the main characters. Jaslyn may come across as weak, but I felt that she was a very strong heroine for overcoming all that she endured and Axel was the protective alpha w/ his own obstacles to overcome. That cliffhanger, ahhh!! Now, I am eagerly awaiting the next book. I think everyone should check this out.
I love the sinister fairytale books. Each story has its own twists and turns and they all keep getting better and better. Jaslyn and Axel have trials and tribulations they must each go through. Whether they make it out is another story. This book is so good.
This is part of the Sinister fairytale collection , so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but let me tell you it’s Fantastic!
Jaslyn is one kickass heroine, she may come across as weak and meek until we are shown how strong she really is..
Axel is just WOW, now for all that know me know I have a weakness for the name Axel so I had extremely high expectations of him and he sure as shit didn’t disappoint.
Two broken souls, who shouldn’t be together, yet their connection is undeniably strong. Their attraction is HAWWWWWTTT, and that’s all I’ll give away, but let me just say that cliffhanger will leave you wanting to scream and cry!!!
I can’t wait for the 2nd book. I need it like NOW
This is part of the sinister fairytale collection which retells some of our favorite fairytale’s and lets say…spices them up a notch! Mirage is the adult remake of a certain star crossed couple with a few wishes. 😉 Axel Reed is an illegal street fighter. Once on top, he is now trying to find a way back there. Jaslyn Astor is from a very wealthy family. After her father’s passing she became the owner of his company, Astor Medical Devices & sadly, the fiancé of his right hand man, Jasper Lafar. She is stuck in a dangerous situation she desperately needs out of. Axel meets Jaslyn when Jasper wants to hire him for a “position” in the company. Can these two work together to find a way out? When you mess with fire, sometimes you get burned. They might be from different worlds but they are looking for the same thing. Their sexual tension is perfect. Who doesn’t like a sexy fighter with a heart. This was a perfect “present tense” loosely based on a fairytale and I truly enjoyed every minute of it but UGH I wish I knew it ended in a MAJOR Cliffhanger!! Part two is coming in the fall of 2020. Told in dual POV