Rivalry

Wow! What an opener for a new series by this clever, gifted author. Celia had been so horrible in the Fixed Trilogy, that I entered into her sphere with no little trepidation, but, oh, was it worth it! Reading her scheming mind in the first person, as she takes on of the central roles, is illuminating. Seeing her pitched against the granite that is Edward Fasbender, a satisfyingly, almost voyeuristic, experience. With secrets, manipulation, heat and a spectacular ending, I am waiting with absolutely zero patience, for the next book in the series. Bring it on! I have my large gin and tonic and other supplies, ready!

The queen becomes a pawn in this game!

It’s only the beginning of their story and I am totally consumed by Edward and all his control! I both hate him and love him! The man is intense and intimidating. Cruel yet addictive.

Edward Fasbender is a man that leaves an impression. He invades your thoughts. Finds his way into your dirty dreams. He haunts you every minute. You won’t be able to get him out of your head.

Celia thought she was the master of manipulation. The queen of the game. She has met the man that is always a step ahead.

Edward has a plan. He wants Celia’s father’s company. Marrying her is his way in. He wants a wife by his side, to support him and ultimately obey his word. She’ll get everything she could ever want, but not his body or his heart. She’s just going to be his pretty puppet. His key to the kingdom.

Celia thinks she can do what he wants and in return she’ll be able to get what she wants…his ruin.

For once in her life, Celia is at a disadvantage. She thinks she can go head-to-head with Edward. She’s about to get schooled.

A twisted story that will have you hooked from the beginning. I was totally sucked in to their deceit and debauchery. And that jaw dropping ending has me desperate for more!

I went into this book determined to hate Celia and when I had finished my opinion had completely done a 180! Edward Fasbender is a wolf in sheeps clothing as far as the world around him see but to Celia he is her nemesis… She really has met her match! Now I fear Celia has played one game to many and karma is about to teach her the ultimate lesson.

There’s just something about the strong, silent types that reek of bad boy that just draws me in; and Edward Fasbender is the epitome of a strong, dominant anti hero alpha. however, we do get to see a vulnerable side to Celia. I’m so glad Laurelin decided to write Celia’s story because this now certainly intrigues me.

I re-listened to this on audio & Elena Wolfe was perfect as a narrator and her voice for Edward… Just how I had it in my head… Great story and great narration!

I’ve approached with reserve to new book written by Laurelin Paige.
In Fixed I hated Celia and her intrigues to Hudson and Alayna. This woman has always been a hot spot for me. I really don’t like her and when the autor announced her own trilogy, I told to myself that I won’t read it.
But… I love Laurelin Paige and of course Slay: Rivalry have been must read.

And I love this story!
In Slay: Rivalry Laurelin Paige shows us a real portrait of Celia. The lost girl in her life, her lonliness, living from her father money and fame.
One day she met Edward Fasbender, the wrost enemy of her father Warren Werner.

This meciless, demanding man has a proposition to Celia.
But she must think about it two or three times, because when she say yes, there will be no turning back.

This book is something new from Laurelin Paige.
I was waiting for the first sex between Celia and Edward, but the author made me wait a very long time for their close- up. But when it finally come I was really happy and shocked.
The chemistry between Celia and Edward is fantastic. They are like two poles.
Fire and ice. Lust and hate. Money and love.
This was very different and extraordinary in romance books. I really appreciate this.
Wait was paid off.

This story is intense and steamy. This story is hot as hell.
And this ending? WTF!? I was totally shocked and I need more!
Give me the next book now!

“ , ’ . , , — , , .”

Forget EVERYTHING you thought you knew of Celia Werner and get ready for one wild and provocative ride! My expectations were BLOWN out of the water! Laurelin Paige is an absolute MASTER when it comes to this particular genre!

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Kobo → https://laurl.in/slaybook1-kobo

Celia Werner.
I hate her.
Never thought I’d read a book about her.
And here we are.
Slay introduces us back into Celia’s twisted little world, where everything is a game. She’s no longer at the top of her shit, and is a bit battle weary. Celia is licking her wounds, when she is introduced to a man much, much more dangerous than any other she’s every encountered.

Edward Fassbender.
Everything he does makes the games that Celia has played feel like childsplay. Edward is in a league of his own, and he has his own reasons for seeking Celia out.

The both of them have their own secrets, each have their own agenda, and no one trusts anyone.
It’s the perfect recipe for a marriage.

I did not like Celia. I enjoyed this book all the more for it because the author did not force me to like Celia. I understood her better, felt bad for her, but did not like her. I also did not like Edward. He was a horrible, mean man.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t delicious. The chemistry between the two is palpable, leaping off the pages, and that ending was the best kind of torture. It’s wonderful to see Laureling pulling off that sexy, suspenseful torture she does so well once again.

I loved Slay. It quite truly slayed me, and I cannot wait for more.

Laurelin Paige had my rating scale all up in a quandary with her new release Slay: Rivalry. The bastard hero Edward Fasbender and manipulative heroine Celia Werner had me wanting to rate this story at a 4 because I wasn’t sure how I felt about these characters. I am not supposed to like Celia. I still carry over a little hatred from The Fixed Trilogy.

I’m all for a suited up alpha male but this Fasbender is a total A-hole. He didn’t start off like that because he sweet talked himself along the way and then my eyes opened and my jaw dropped and not because of his gorgeousness. No siree! My neck hurt with how fast his personality changes. I do carry some guilt because I think he is sexy as hell and I’m holding on to hope … Not for myself but for Celia.

Only Paige can turn a woman that I’m supposed to loathe into one that by the end of the story I have a feeling for. I may not have liked the games she played but with Edward, it’s a necessity a heart survival instinct, to say the least. I don’t know what it is about Celia but I’m openminded and I will be giving her the benefit of the doubt. Celia may have her reasons to accept Edward’s proposal but she is going to need a lot more than manipulation and her body to get through a man such as Fasbender.

Slay has sexual tension that pours off of the story, the characters are extreme with the high stakes games they play with each other but at what cost. I was left with a book hangover and still harboring feelings the next day that I couldn’t write my review right away. I can’t wait for book two.

5 Stars!

Before I start my review for book one in Laurelin Paige’s Slay Quartet, I need to be upfront with my feelings for Paige’s newest heroine…it even hurts my heart to call Celia Werner that because I never thought that the woman who made one of my favorite book couples of all time (Alayna and Hudson Pierce) lives’ hell with her spiteful and vindictive ways would ever be viewed as a central character, let alone one who, ultimately, would find her happily ever after, even if it’s by walking through fire and brimstone.

But that’s exactly the role Paige has penned for Celia, has been penned to play, so despite my disdain and loathing for her, I attempted to have an open mind about where Paige planned to take Celia and her readers in her latest release, and I have to say while I still don’t like her, I feel like I have a better understanding of who Celia Werner was when she and Hudson played their ‘games’ and the woman she is now, and with this new development in her life and the fact that someone else is actually playing a game against her – one that she doesn’t seem to know the rules of or can’t quite figure out how to play the creator of this new game – changes the woman she had worked so hard to portray and puts her in a rather precarious position – one that she’s not used to being in nor likes one bit, and I have to admit, I enjoyed watching her squirm…watching her feel overwhelmed, and while I don’t like the devil who has invaded her life with his own agenda and playbook, finding out that Celia isn’t as unfeeling as she’s always portrayed herself to be makes it quite interesting to be in her head space!

I wholeheartedly feel that the Celia Werner that readers were introduced to and detested in the Fixed series is nothing like the one we get in SLAY because even at the beginning of the book, when she’s determined to land her next ‘victim’ or do something else to get her out of her funk for lack of a better word, the fact that she reveals the reasons behind her need to not feel…her need to ‘run on nothingness and feast on void,’ it changes the picture of who she truly is…it lowers the mask, but what it also does is open up a multitude of questions as to why she chose to live her life that way and why everything changes when Mr. Edward M. Fasbender enters her life and proposes a new game for her to play, but it’s not one she’s ever played before and since he seems to be in complete control, constantly testing her and forcing her to play right into his hands, what the end game is for either of them is still too early to predict.

The devil has definitely come to play and as much as Celia likes to believe she’s a fiery dragon who will burn any adversary who gets in her way, Edward has the ability to stifle her fire and treat her as a broken bird – one he can easily manipulate and force her acquiescence at every stage of the game.
The Game is most definitely own, and unlike all of the other games Celia has played, she’s quite the underdog in this one, so readers will have to see as the series and the game continues, who has the advantage/upper hand when everything is said and done!

4.5 Poison Apples

Jaw dropping, heart stopping, and the WTF moments!!! Laurelin is the new queen for cliff hangers! I NEED MORE!!!!

Now that I got that off my chest, I was stunned into silence after I finished reading Slay. I needed a couple of days to decompress and I am not sure if I am better yet. Being in Celia’s head is a bit frightening, but refreshing. You start to understand the layers she has and the reason she ticks. Until Edward comes in and makes her want more. To feel. Be free.

I am having a real hard time liking our hero. There is no insta lust with him for me. He is pure alpha hole. But I am sure we have not started to unpeel his layers yet. Oh no. Laurelin is going to make us wait. Okay I have to admit, there are naughty things Edward does that will have your heart rate increase and blushing. I know there has to be more!

Slay has me in a tizzy. I have warmed to Celia and I need to see what awaits these two. I wish I can say more and talk it through. But I can say this…You will be on the edge from page one. The chemistry will have you begging for more, but it gets yanked away. You will love to hate these characters. You will be confused with the emotions that flow through you because you have no idea what will happen next. The dominate scenes will have you breathing hard! You will be shattered at the end because you have no clue what book two will bring. I freaking love it all!

I knew this book was going to be good but holy smokes!!!! That ending. I need book 2