From New York Times bestseller, Pepper Winters, comes a new Dark Romance Series, Goddess Isles.For those who loved Monsters in the Dark, Indebted, and Dollar Series, you’ll LOVE this one!“There was a boy once. A boy who wasn’t strong enough to save me when I was taken.”There was a girl once. A girl called Tess Snow who sat with me in the dark, waiting to be sold.There was an … waiting to be sold.
There was an owner once. An owner who bought me, entrapped me, and made me his unwilling goddess.”
Eleanor Grace is a naïve dreamer. Trusting and young, she believes her travel-loving boyfriend can save her when her freedom is snatched and sold. Squirrelled away to an island at dawn, delivered to a man even darkness won’t touch, she’s bound by a contract.
Sullivan Sinclair is the giver of fantasies. Any wish, any desire–he is the master at quenching any appetite. His private paradise and perfectly trained goddesses are there for one purpose: to ensure every guest is extremely well satisfied.
He bought her.
He trapped her.
She belongs to him.
Dark Romance
First book of the Goddess Isles
75,000 words
Pepper has again singled herself out as the Queen of Darkness and Suspense.Wanton Book Lover Blog
Once A Myth needs to be on your e-reader, in your hands, and being read as soon as it is LIVE. As a dark romance lover, I highly recommend it! Chris
I believe one of the best series of a dark and twisted tale of 2020. And yes, I’m predicting that after just reading book 1. Sassy Southern
I’ve loved Pepper’s work since Monsters in the dark and all the in between work and let me tell you this is one of the best work she’s ever done. Dangerously in love with books
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This was my first book by this author and I am so happy to have started with this book. It was everything I didn’t know I needed lust, heat, intensity, passion and so much more. The story line is brilliant drags you in. Sully is a tortured sexy soul for sure. I can’t wait for the next book! This is a top read for me for 2020. Pepper Winters
What did I just have the privilege of reading !!!!
I am gobsmacked with the cleverness of Pepper Winters and how she creates wondrous stories from unforgiving brutality and loss.
Pepper has created the most sinful anti hero yet. Sully Sinclair oozes power and control. His beauty is a bonus that’s work wonders with his delicious charm but it’s his intelligence that scares the living days out of me. His island is an enticement of dark desires colliding with fantasies however for the delectable Eleanor it’s a nightmare that has just begun.
The explosive chemistry between these two characters is an aphrodisiac. Their connection is a tug of war of emotions that leaves you hating their fight but loving their pull to one another. They are chaotic and violent and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Your skin will be seared with so much lust and heart palpitations.
This story got me from the very beginning. The island pulls you in like it’s owner with beauty and charm but what lies inside is a world like no other..
Get ready for a ride like no other
This book… it messed with my head! All of the emotions spewing across the pages. I couldn’t lay it down. If I did I was still thinking on this book.
Sully was so arrogant. I kept thinking did he really believe his crap that these women were there willingly. He drugged them. Bought them from traffickers… but they were happy to stay. It shocked me to find that was the truth.
I’m puzzled by his thought on our diets. He was fanatical about it. He was self sustaining on the islands, but that tied to how he feels women should be treated? Maybe I want to understand it, but it isn’t tied to it. He has so much money, and he seems so unhappy with his life.
I am thinking that Jess will be pivotal for Eleanor. I think she will help her to settle more. I don’t want all of her fight gone, but moments of peace where she is not worried and afraid.
Pika the bird I actually laughed at that. I full fledged laughed out loud at the bird. I felt it showed some humanity in him. I loved it.
I am thinking that maybe he has more in common with Jethro than has been revealed. Sully helped Jethro with medication before he fell in love with Nila. I hated how the medicine effected Jethro.
I also love that we get memories of Tess. I so want Q to show up to save the day… if only to get more of him. This book has just opened up more possibilities, and I am excited to get back into it.
My favorite lines… “You’re dangerous, Eleanor Grace. You have the power to ruin me.” “I don’t. I won’t. I’m yours. You made me yours.” “Yes, I did. I made you mine.” I pulled away. “And that’s perhaps my biggest mistake of all.”
An epic journey of pain, tragedy, passion & the will not to lose oneself!
Once A Myth is one of those utterly fascinating stories that will have you hooked from the first page to the last. An unputdownable, emotional roller coaster and marvelous storytelling that is twisted, gripping, suspenseful, and so vividly illustrated, that kept me cursing, screaming, and crying. Believe me, this dark romantic suspense took me on a wild emotional ride that had my blood burning through my veins.
You need to read this book and experience it for yourselves to see what I’m talking about. So, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, twisty page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you.
This book is freaking addictive and can’t wait for my next fixed, when book 2 finally lands on my hands. OMG, please hurry up Ms. Pepper Winters!!
Reviewed for A Wanton Book Lover Blog
Once A Myth is book 1 of 5 books in the Goddess Isles series. Pepper goes back to her dark romance roots in an intense, roller-coaster ride of emotions in her explosive new series. Eleanor Grace finds herself ripped from her boyfriend and on journey that no person wants to find themselves in. Then she meets Sullivan Sinclair or Sully, the proprietor of a beautiful island filled who can make all your fantasies come true with the perfect gorgeous woman. This is wear Eleanor, now Jinx, finds herself living and working but only if Sully can fight his own pull to her.
Once A Myth is a suspenseful, unique story. I didn’t know whether to fall in love with Sully or hate him on principle. Eleanor is a strong, female who isn’t afraid to stand-up to Sully and tell him exactly what she thinks of him and his island. The pull between these two characters is explosive to say the least. March can not come quick enough for me to read what Sully has in-store for Eleanor next.
Pepper has again singled herself out as the Queen of Darkness and Suspense. She is amazing.
Ba boom ba boom this book got my heart going all kinds of crazy. First slow , normal , then little by little. I feel it going Ba BOOM Ba BOOM by the end it pounding so hard so fast BOOM BOOM BOOM. Can you say heart palpitations.
I loved every piece of this book. Its Nothing what you think it is. Sully AKA Sullivan Sinclair is Sin in all sense of the word. Eleanor Grace aka Jink her goddess name which suits her to a tee. Hes so cocky and Her mouth is going to get her in trouble. Oh these 2 are going to love to push and push but there is only 1 God ..
By the end you so blown away your left going Holy Shit. So unique never read anything like it so excited to spell the tea on this book
Wow! This is not my first book by Pepper Winters in fact I’ve read EVERYTHING that she has published and I’m a hardcore fan of hers and THIS BOOK is no different I LOVED this dark raw gritty twisted story and new I would fall in love with the characters because that’s what she does , she writes the darkest most twisted characters and has you falling in love with them before the book is over ! The chemistry between Sully and Eleanor is off the charts ! The push and pull between these two is so intense! All’s I’m going to say is if you are a fan of Peppers or if you like dark twisted all consuming stories than this is the story for you ! This story is a fascinating, disturbing, intriguing and thought provoking read and I can’t wait to see more from this AMAZING series! Definite 5 dark stars from me !
*** I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book ***
I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around what to actually write as my review but I’m still not coming up with the right words. Anyone who has ever read Pepper knows that she is the queen of dark and this book is just the beginning of something so out of the box that I know it’s going to blow us completely out of our minds when we finish the entire series. Once I started reading this book I was hooked word for word and couldn’t put it down. Eleanor was the epitome of strength and grace through everything she had suffered through so far. But of course when we are put in a situation we could never imagine we don’t know how we will react. Sully has built his world around making men’s fantasies a reality but will this one woman be his ruin? Now if you do not like dark books you need to stay away from this one but if like me and there is just something that pulls you in to the dark and twisted. Then Pepper Winters is your girl and this book is just the beginning of I believe one of the best series of a dark and twisted tale of 2020. And yes I’m predicting that after just reading book 1. That’s how invested I was in this book!!! A must one- click book for sure and I’m impatiently waiting on book 2!!! – By Tina
Pepper Winters turns everything on its head with this first look into the Goddess Isles series.
What you think you know about this author and her writing is about to be obliterated. Your mind will be blown!
This first book is so beyond expectation. It’s masterful!
A dark and gritty read that put me right into the main character’s shoes. Rooting for her to fight and break free. Then praising her efforts and breaking down at her failures. It is riveting and so close to being real it’s eerie.
“Patience was a virtue. Patience was a gift. Patience will grant my freedom.” – Eleanor
Eleanor is kidnapped and sold on the slave market. She is eventually brought to what under other circumstances would be heaven on earth. A utopia. With the current reality she is living, however, it is anything but. Her tenacity, fire and resilience amidst her situation in tantamount to her strength of character, She keeps on fighting and defying expectation. But is this a fight she can win?
“Enter my shores, and I wasn’t just the owner of this establishment… I was god.” – Sully
Sully is a rigid control freak. He has dominion over himself and everyone around him. You can feel his resolve and need for control. I loved to hate him and hated to love him. There is so much I don’t know about his character that I need to know. He’s an enigmatic character and I cannot wait for his layers to peel down one by one to see what is left once his restraint has been abandoned.
I’ve never been so electrified by two characters. Sully’s command is tested by Eleanor time and time again. Every once in a while, I could see and feel that his character was about to snap. And, those moments were the most incendiary. I couldn’t help but wonder when he would lose this control.
I was also intrigued by Tess’s character even though she only has a minor role in this book. I’m wondering, and hoping, if she will play a role in future books.
I literally have goose bumps and am on a high from this book. I am more than eager for the next book. I’ve been sullied by Sully and I don’t care if I ever become clean again.
Are you a fan of dark romance? If so, Once a Myth is the book for you! Pepper Winters has a magical way of sucking you into the dark and not letting go! I couldn’t put this book down and devoured it all in one sitting. I loved it and can’t wait for the rest of the series.
I was in the mood for some Pepper-ing. And, on GOD, I RECEIVED IT.
*self-purchased on Amazon. No need of sugar daddies called promo teams*
“You’re screwed up and brilliant
And look like a million dollar man
So why is my heart broke?”
Million Dollar Man – Lana Del Rey
What’s this book about? (I’m trying to give as little spoilers as possible)
Eleanor Grace gets sold to Sullivan Sinclair. She lands on a magically beautiful island where she’s supposed to become a goddess that respects her God and performs her duties, breathing life into rich men’s fantasies.
This isn’t my first Pepper Winters read. I participated in the promo phase and I also observed lucky early arc readers being really fascinated by this story. Last summer, I played with the idea of re-reading the Indebted series, but then I remembered how much it MESSED ME UP from book one on. Initially, I was afraid to begin this. Then, the other day, I felt an urge for some Pepper-ing, so I gave in and purchased the book as soon as it was online on Amazon.
I can say that this book didn’t leave me as messed up mentally as Indebted. I’m immensely grateful for that. LOL.
However, this book was exquisite in every other way. The chemistry between characters was immense. Their back and forth WAS EVERYTHING. The teasing, arguing and even the quiet moments, these two are star-crossed for real. The side characters from human to animals were GLORIOUS (Pika) and also ANNOYING but STILL SO READABLE UGH, see Calvin LOL. *The mention of former characters from Winters’ series was amusing.
The leading lady was ONE OF THE BEST OF THE YEAR. I loved her spirit. Her attitude from page one was relatable and she was number one on the list of PEOPLE I’M CHEERING AND ROOTING FOR. When Sully (I hate his name, but whatever LOL) described her beauty, I was even more mesmerized by her. I respected her and I thought she’d be a bit more obviously calculating once she landed on the island, but then again, I understood that she had to have a character arc. She had to reach a breaking point although I fear that with Pepper Winters at the helm of this series, Mrs. Grace only reached part one of her breaking point and still has so much more to go through. HER SASS WAS OUTERWORDLY.
The leading man was a guy I loved to hate and I knew that I’d end up empathizing with with UGHHHHHHHH I hate him. He was so hilarious at times but also very hypocritical. I’m curious do non-vegans or non-vegetarians react the same way? I just started turning a blind eye to some of the stuff he was doing WHEN I SHOULDN’T HAVE. And call it intuition and gullibility, but I think Mr. Sinclair is in loooooooooove and there’s something terribly wrong with him. Can’t wait to see what exactly is messed up about him besides the obvious DUH. Although he’s a bad man, one of the worst for sure, and he did portray meanness at times, even though he believes in a food ideology that I support, he was also fair. He seemed more man than some other people that I’ve read about, sighing and shading Kova from Off Balance… Sully (I hate this name!) made us believe that there were some redeeming qualities in him. After Jethro and his crazyass family, I was glad (GLAD? THIS MILLENIAL LIBERAL SNOWFLAKE WAS GLAD. PEPPER WINTERS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME) at some of his actions which I’m not going to spoil HEHEHEHEHHE. This man uses PAPER STRAWS. Damn. Greta Thunberg has reached the Dark Romance universe. I couldn’t be more amused and happy.
It felt like a grand introduction to a world that will span a lot of books. The world-building was fantastic although I struggle to believe that gmail transaction can happen like this without consequences as innocent as the emails may look like. Maybe some dark web communication system would work out better for these criminals, ey? Also, did I understood it correctly that Sully kept his properties (the ACTUAL material/housing properties) vegetarian. I’m not entirely convinced he can charge as much as he charges for vegetarian food to be served to his wealthy clients, but that’s just me picking at straws because I don’t have much else to say that’s negative.
This book should come with a warning: No fingers were actually wounded in the duration of this novel. However, you might need a fair change of underwear next to you while reading because the teasing is REAL.
On a side note: I don’t know if that occurred only to me, but the last 5 chapters presented formatting issues for the chapter titles.
I recommend this to Pepper Winters fans, Dark Romance lovers and vegetarians. WE’RE INVADING THE ROMANCE WORLD SLOWLY BUT STEADYYYYYYY!!!! Can’t wait for the rest of the series!
Twice A Wish (Goddess Isles Book Two) comes out March 24, 2020.
Third A Kiss (Goddess Isles Book Three) comes out April 21, 2020.
Fourth A Lie (Goddess Isles Book Four) comes out May 19, 2020.
Fifth A Fury (Goddess Isles Book Five) comes out June 16, 2020.
“We all look for heaven and we put love first
Something’ that we’d die for, it’s our curse
Don’t cry about it, don’t cry about it
This is what makes us girls
We don’t stick together ’cause we put love first
Don’t cry about him, don’t cry about him
It’s all gonna happen.”
This Is What Makes Us Girls – Lana Del Rey
Once A Myth is what dark romance lover dreams are made of!
Pepper has a gift for creating worlds that you just cannot help yourself from getting lost in. Chapter by chapter you become emersed in it, begin a love/ hate relationship with the characters and overall fall in love with a story that will have you in a constant state of awe with the turn of each page. The angst level and slow burn in this book are AMAZING!
As a dark romance lover, I will say that Pepper has gone above and beyond with Once a Myth. The two main characters are both strong, powerful and I am in love with them! There are also secondary characters that I think will bring an entirely new level to this story as it progresses. The descriptiveness of this story makes you feel as though you yourself are living it and I have to say, I am fascinated with One A Myth and can not wait to see what transpires in the next book.
Sullivan Sinclair is Pepper Winters best anti hero ever! EVER!! Yes I went there, I said it! I’m so intrigued by him. Just when I thought there was no beating Q, along comes Sully. His intelligence is both a turn on and a scary thing. I’m not confident that I know him well enough to trust him and his actions. And I really like that. I like been kept on my toes and not knowing how he’s going to react. I wanted to dislike him (I really did) but that’s obviously not what happened. He has this untouchable aura surrounding him. There’s something about him that drew me to him from the start. He’s good looking, rich and intelligent. He oozes power and control but he’s got that tortured, don’t push me too hard because you won’t like the consequences vibe going on that I can’t get enough of. He may not be a good guy but he is definitely a hot one.
Eleanor is a determined, stubborn woman. She’s not the type to follow orders and has no problem voicing her opinion, and I loved that about her. She doesn’t want to be there and I can’t wait to see how she copes with whatever the future books have in store for her.
There’s a constant push and pull battle between the two characters that i found very addictive. The chemistry between them is combustible and the slow burn is done perfectly. I’ve never wanted to read a book as fast as I can yet at the same time wanted to take my time and savour every word as I did with this book.
No other author I’ve come across sets the scene as perfectly as Ms Winters. The descriptions and attention to detail in this book is mind blowing. The storyline is unique, it’s flawlessly executed and this book is a definite must read for fans of darker romances. I can’t wait for the next books in this series and to see what’s in store for Sullivan and Eleanor.
4.5 stars–ONCE A MYTH is the first instalment in Pepper Winters’ contemporary, adult GODDESS ISLES dark, romance series focusing on billionaire Sullivan Sinclair, and his captive Eleanor ‘Jinx’ Grace. The GODDESS ISLES series is set in the same world as the author’s MONSTERS IN THE DARK. Tess Snow makes a cameo appearance.
WARNING: Due to the nature and dark content of the story line premise, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Eleanor and Sullivan) ONCE A MYTH focuses on the sex trafficking of female slaves. At twenty-one years old, Eleanor Grace was kidnapped, violated and drugged on her way to becoming a sexual slave. A prisoner in a gilded cage, Eleanor, along with several other girls, are either the willing sexual partner in a fantasy island paradise, or find themselves forced into a lifetime of suffering and pain. Purchased by billionaire Sullivan Sinclair, Eleanor is defiant to the end but a defiance that will come with price. Four years a slave, Eleanor is about to discover that all is not well on the island paradise or with the man who is now controls every aspect of her life.
ONCE A MYTH is a dark, raw and gritty story line as only Pepper Winters’ is able to write. An emotional, heart breaking and staggering story of one woman’s life as it slowly spirals out of control, a life that is no longer hers to command. Strong willed and energetic, stubborn and challenging, Eleanor’s insubordination makes her the perfect foil for any number of men willing to pay the price but it is Sullvan Sinclair who may pay the biggest price of all.
Pepper Winters pulls the reader into a thought-provoking story line of sexual slavery, power and control; of abuse and assault; of loss of freedom with no way out. ONCE A MYTH is a tragic, powerful and ill-fated story line.
Once A Myth is a dark and delicious piece of silky smooth chocolate that leaves you craving more!
This book will draw you in and it will make you forget about all things that you think are right and wrong, it will make you love to hate Sully Sinclair for all the right reasons, but then he will take you under his spell and make you want him to be the man of your dreams.
This book was unputdownable!!! Pepper Winters has completely blown me away with this story. It’s so emotionally charged and has such an electric feel about it. The tropical islands of paradise as the backdrop setting of a story filled with fear, sex and kidnap is a genius move to make the character of Eleanor Grace feel always on edge, always never knowing if her life will end or become better than she ever dreamed about.
The storytelling was superb, it was edge of your seat drama at it’s best with a lot of sexual tension between Sully and Eleanor. I’m on edge myself so much that I need the next book in this series right now!!!!
Brilliant story and deserves all of it’s 5 Stars!
Ahh, this is classic Pepper Winters!! She has always been my favorite author when it comes to reading dark romance and this new series felt just like coming home. I don’t know what that says about me that I enjoy her stories so much, especially with what they entail, but I could not put this book down. I was completely enraptured with Sully and Eleanor.
Eleanor – or Jinx as Sully calls her, poses quite the conundrum. He has never been tempted with any of his other goddesses, but this girl, young woman, tests him at every turn. She causes him to lose that carefully controlled calm he has perfected.
Sully, I haven’t decided whether I love him or hate him just yet. The things he does are disgusting, buying trafficked women to provide sexual services to clients on his remote islands. The way he sees these women is positively barbaric, and gross and makes you want to kill him. But the subtle hints we get along the way tells me there is SO much more to Sully that we haven’t seen yet, and it is going to be quite a journey getting to know him.
I really loved the conflict between Sully and Eleanor. She’s a proud, willful, strong young woman who is not going to submit to Sully and what he expects of her. And Sully is absolutely going to do whatever it takes to get this woman to kneel at his feet like all his other goddesses have done. There’s just something different about her though, and it doesn’t help that she fits the description of his perfect, ideal woman.
I have to admit I would love to spend years on Sully’s islands, just not doing what is required in order to do so. Pepper is just scratching the surface with this first book in the series, and I am dying to see what is in store for the rest of this storyline. If you’ve read Pepper’s other dark romance stories, you will feel right at home with Sully and Eleanor. If this is your first foray into her taboo world of human trafficking, strap in tight for a dark and twisted tale.
There is something about Pepper’s writing that just consumes me while I’m reading. Her attention to detail is spectacular, and the depth of this story just blew me away. This is the stuff that makes a book so much more than what it is.
I don’t think Pepper could have given me a better present than this book. It’s everything I wanted from her, and then some.
The angst of this story is my favorite part. I love that this is more slow burn romance, and that she didn’t just throw them together.
Gahhh the last two chapters… I died.
This is heart-stopping, wickedly hot, and so scandalous that Sully will be the death of me.
She owns me now with this.
I’m still processing what I’ve just read. I will be rereading as soon as I can find time to read without interruptions. I enjoyed it that much. A reader like me kinda gets all giddy when an author brings in characters from other books. Those books do not need to be read to understand what is happening here. It’s just icing on the cake. This is a new standalone series.
Pepper Winters has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She writes well with storylines that capture my attention. Her characters shock me, but grab my loyalty as their story unfolds.
Eleanor is asked a question. “What is the worst thing that happened to you, and how did you survive it?”
This will be her story. The start of which has made my heart race, my body tremble, and left me wanting more. She is strong and regal. A heroine to emulate.
Sully has a quite a way to go to redeem himself. I am dying to know how it will come about.
I love a book that provokes my emotions. When my body physically reacts to the characters and storyline, it’s an automatic five star read. I cannot wait for the next book in this series, because this was a brutal cliffhanger.
*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. It was so good, I bought my own copy!
Once A Myth is a passionately-charged dark romance that harkens back to vintage Pepper Winters. A story that is the ultimate in cat and mouse games, I couldn’t take my eyes off of this story. I purposely took my time as I knew I would have to digest each and every decadent word, knowing full well that I’d have to stop often and catch my breath.
Winters gives us yet another supreme alpha in the mighty Sully Sinclair. A man with an odd brilliance about him that I couldn’t quite decipher. At least not yet. Right along with the woman who may ultimately break him, one Eleanor Grace, I found him both wildly alluring one moment and downright repugnant the next. But damn if he isn’t a puzzle I’d love to solve. And something tells me throughout this multi-book series, I’ll be sent on more than one detour trying to figure all the whys of his actions and the mysteries of his past. And then, of course, fall hard for him despite him being a loosely regarded procurer.
The remote island setting has a peacefulness about it that makes Eleanor very uneasy. Knowing her time there will be years long, I have to wonder if she’ll be like the rest of Sinclair’s goddesses and become desperate to stay because the remarkable debauchery that she’ll be expect to partake in will be something she might ultimately enjoy. Especially when divested of her inhibitions.
Once A Myth is the kind of mind game that only Pepper Winters can create. The way she crafts this story of woman enslavement, because that is what Sinclair is doing whether he sees it as providing a needed ‘service’ or not, is subtle genius. She intersperses moments of clarity with what Sinclair might see as weakness but is actually a tenderness. One that shows a very painful vulnerability which can also be extremely attractive. No matter the person. I felt very slowly seduced, just as he has trained his goddesses and I couldn’t stop wanting more if I tried.
I’m all buckled up and ready for the next segment as this ends on a cliffhanger. And I honestly can’t wait to see just who will break first: the seemingly always in control Sully or the woman who has decidedly gotten under his skin, his newest goddess, the one now known as Jinx.
With unexpected yet very welcomed nods to prior books and the anti-heroes Winters has created, Once A Myth is the perfect start to this newest forbidden series and is very deserving of a solid 5 stars!
What is the worst thing that has happened to you, and how did you survive it?
This line gave me pause when I read it, just what was I getting myself into with this book?
Holy smokes! Forget what you’ve read in the teasers because they definitely don’t give you the correct idea what type of roller coaster that you are embarking on when starting this book. Yes, you’ll see Tess, but keep in mind, she and Q are not the characters that this story is about. You are about to meet Eleanor Grace, who is “stolen” while backpacking, stoic and graceful throughout the entire ordeal even while her anxiety threatens to take over. You’ll meet Sully Sinclair, a man with God-like looks and attitude; and he owns everything in his sight, including Eleanor, who he determines shall be named Jinx.
While trying not to give anything away, I will say that I love how the characters play off of each other, how they fuel each others’ interest and antagonism towards the other. I’m definitely in for the long haul with this series. Big five stars from me!