I don’t give a fuck. Not about money or fame, beauty or power. I’ve had all those things since birth, and trust me, they’re a fucking snooze. I don’t give a fuck about anyone, not even myself. Until my father proves evil can exist in the most holy of places.For the first time ever, something like interest stirs in my soul.He wants me to enroll at St. Augustine. Join The Elite. Court the virginal … Elite.
Court the virginal daughter of Archbishop Savoie.
Prove that I’m worth the family name?
I’ll do it all.
And I’ll do it so well, no one will know what’s coming.
People are so quick to underestimate the wicked and lazy.
They forget idle hands are the best tools for the devil’s work.
I am Rush Dempsey.
I am Sloth.
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Shannan –
Sloth is the sixth book in The Elite Seven series. The series HAS to be read in order to understand any of the storyline. They are not standalones!
Sloth – Rush Dempsey
Giana Darling is a new-to-me author, but she did a fantastic job with this book. Sloth was everything I needed and more. It explained what I have been wondering and closed certain storylines. Sloth went from the uncaring lazy kid to someone on a mission. He would avenge his mother and find the truth. It is a super-hot read that has you on the edge of your seat and gives you that YES moment!
I can’t wait for the Webster & Dukey team-up to wrap up this storyline and knock it out of the park with Greed!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Sloth (The Elite Seven #6) by Giana Darling to read and review.
I have a confession—this is the first book in The Elite Seven series that I have read! I know, I know I need to read the others…and I will…especially after reading Sloth! I can’t help myself because when Giana publishes something I feel the need to dig in immediately! It is recommended that you read them in order and that probably is the best way to go, but there is a preface in Sloth and Giana does a good job filling in some background points that I didn’t feel overly lost. If anything, it just made me more intrigued! She does a fantastic job weaving this tale of secrecy, deception and revenge. Rush is a wonderful lead male sort-of antihero (although really, he is completely redeemable!). He’s hot and passionate and clever. Isabelle is an excellent match for him because of their near opposite nature. They give and take from each other equally and it’s sweet and sexy as hell. If elite secret societies full of corruption and deviancy are your jam, read this book and series right now! 5 stars for Sloth!
Rush was everything I wanted and needed him to be and more!!
Love that Isabelle was not a push over!!!
AND. THAT. ENDING!!!
Bring on the finale!!!
YEAH!!! It’s so exciting to finally get some justice for this brothers. Don’t get me wrong, this book is still dark. And the new Elite’s idea of justice is extreme. But we finally see results. We finally have many answers. And something finally is going their way. No more tragedy for these guys and their loved ones.
One of the things I liked best about Sloth is that he is the definition of control. He is calculated and thinks ahead. He not only understands that knowledge is power, he knows that the appearance of disinterest can give you an advantage. Everyone underestimated him. But he is as smart and driven as they come. And with Isabelle by his side, he is balanced. With her love and understanding his demons don’t take over. They don’t cripple him. He will learn to do what needs to be done at all cost and accept his wrongdoings. If Isabelle was going to sin the best way to do it was with Rush and that filthy mouth of his. Like DAMN, being a sinner never felt so good! His wicked ways became her prayer. I can’t wait for the last one to come! This has been a great ride on the dark side.
“He was a gorgeous sinner, a siren of fault and virtue who sang to something inside my heart that yearned for that duality. He wasn’t all bad and I wasn’t all good.”
I inhaled this story, written for maximum impact and powerless to become addicted, I couldn’t put it down. Isabelle and Rush were polar opposites, but turned out to be the perfect match. This addition to Elite Series added dept to the backstory, peeling layers away, discovering more and more ghastly secrets and leaving us with jaw droppers abound. So much has happened from the first to this, that my head is spinning with needing more, and sad that it will eventually come to an end. This was my first book from this Author, and I loved her writing, so I will be reading more!! Insanely hot, the banter was intoxicating, and the story itself held me in the clutches until the very end. I thank the Author for providing a copy to review.
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
I’ve really freakin’ loved this whole series so far, and I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on Sloth’s book. There was so much going on in the previous books, and by the time I was finished with Gluttony’s book I needed to know what was going to happen next! Sloth was such a mystery throughout the series thus far, so I was past excited to get into his story. Plus, the fact the author was Giana Darling pretty much guaranteed an epic book.
Sloth dives into the story behind The Elite member, Rush Dempsey, or “Sloth” as the sin he is given. It almost picks up right where the last book left off, just a little behind because there is need to set up the current events. You learn what happened in the previous books, albeit a very condensed version. (I highly recommend reading the other books in this series before jumping into this one!!) The book gives you a glimpse into Rush’s life, why he is the way he is, and what the endgame is for the seven new members. Rush has been labeled “lazy” with a careless attitude. He is often looked over and underestimated by those around him. In reality, he is cold and calculating, paying attention to everything around him and taking notes. He works hard to achieve his singular goal, reaching the endgame.
This books isn’t as dark as the last 2 in the series but the story still works. That there is a love story in all of the ugly happening makes it even better. There are so many twists and turns in this book, a lot of which I just didn’t see coming, but some that I also would like a little more explanation! I hope the next book in the series wraps a lot of what has happened up, especially since this on ends on a pretty big cliffhanger!
I’m ready for the end!!
Oh my Giana brought bad boy Rush to life with a bang I just hope you see ready for this one.
We are at the business end of this addictive series now. Things are starting to make sense the pieces of the puzzle are fitting together. Plans are set in motion and secrets of the society are revealed. The thurst for revenge has only grown with each new revelation.
They always say watch out for the quite ones and Sloth/Rush definitely fits that sentence. He’s been watching in the background, is always there when his brothers need help. But why?? All will be revealed. The ending has the story building to one final confrontation between the brothers and The Elite. I’m so excited for book seven.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Holy smokes!! I devoured Rush’s ( Sloth) book in 4 hours. I couldn’t put it down. I think he’s my new favorite. Rush is so charming and sneaky and so sexy.
Rush Dempsey is a bad boy. He is angry, broken, vengeful, broken, sexy as sin, and yet honorable underneath his bad boy persona. He is a member of the Elite 7. His name is Sloth and he has a task to complete for the Elite. It isn’t pretty. This is where he meets Isabelle Savoie & everything changes. We have seen Rush “Sloth” Dempsey in previous books and he seems so laid back, but appearances can be deceiving. We learn what Sloth was up to all that time.
Isabelle Savoie is the daughter of Archbishop Savoie. She has lived a sheltered life growing up in the church. People think she is weak and underestimate her but they have no idea.
There was a lot of angst, twists, turns, and steamy hot scenes! Rush and Isabelle were fire together. I loved their chemistry. I loved the darkness and mystery to the Elite Series. I recommend reading this if you don’t mind a little dark and twisty to your story. I can’t wait to see what happens in the 7th and final book in this series!
****ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.****
This had been quite the tangled web that the series had taken me on. Rush and Isaballa sure know how to go from 0-60 real quick and I loved every sinful minute of it.
Their banter was . I loved that Isaballa wasn’t such a little mouse after all. Rush was all kinds of delicious.
The stories have all merged together so great and each one is unique. I can’t wait to see how it wraps up.
Smitten and in love with Rush. I had yet to meet a Darling hero I didn’t adore, and the streak continues.
I recommend reading the full series as all the books are interconnected. Darling does a good job providing context though, so I was able to follow the story thread.
Love Love loved it. Rush Dempsey is so now one of my favorites. He’s need to uncover secrets of the Elite Society. He has a task to complete which includes Isabelle this very sheltered and innocent girl. sloth is intriguing, sexy and mysterious, it will keep you entertained up to the very end. This is hands down one of my favorite reads this year
Holy moses what a book not only do we get to learn more about Sloth and what his task is, but we also get one step closer to finding out what the Elite has done and is doing!
Sloth has been given his task and it’s a big one! But what happens when Sloth decides to take matters into his own hands and turn the tables on the Elite? We also learn more about Sabella and what happened to her as well as Sebastian’s fate! But fair warning Miss. Darling heats things up only to leave us hanging for more!
I have really enjoyed these books as we have been taken on a journey of Power & Greed learning of the 7 deadly sins as we go but there is still one more to go and if the last one is as good as good as this one then were in for a treat!
Sloth is the sixth book in the Elite Seven series. This is Rush Dempsey’s story.
Rush has it all. Money and power since birth but never worthy of the family name. Until one day, his father comes to him with an offer he can’t refuse. Enroll at St. Augustine. join the Elite, and court the virginal daughter (Isabelle) of Archbishop Savoie. He’ll do it all to prove he’s worthy of the family name.
Isabelle’s father forces her to go on a date with Ward Dempsey. She finds out what her father and Ward have planned. She wasn’t going to let any man control her. There was only one thing to do.
The last thing Rush expected was getting a text from the Archbishops daughter, Isabelle aka Church Mouse.
Mouse: “You said to text you for a good time. Well, laissez les bons temps rouler.”
When he learns his father has her on a date he’s furious and takes her away. If anyone was going to have her, it would be him and no one else.
“There was something about her gentleness and reserve that surged through me like an excess of endorphins. I felt simultaneously high on her unassuming loveliness and soberer than I’d ever been before because I was constantly aware of protecting her from the world around her.”
Rush never cared for anyone or enjoyed anything except for weed. This all changed when Isabelle came into his life.
“Please touch me. I want your body to cover my scars and your hands to soothe them with your touch. I want your lips to heal the wounds I wear on my heart and your eyes to ignore the ones you couldn’t stop that mar my face. I want you to show me what it’s like to love another body with your own.”
The boys of the Elite take matters into their own hands. Someone shows up surprising them all. Revenge is sweet but what happens when you take it too far?
I can’t wait to see where the story takes us in Greed. The seventh and last book in the Elite Seven.
Advanced readers copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely awesome! The 6th book in The Elite Seven series blew me away. Giana Darling, has given us an interesting and exciting story with Rush Dempsey and Isabella, aka Sloth and his Church Mouse. I loved the quick recap of characters in the series at the very beginning and how the story jumped right in to action.
Giana has given us everything we desire in this book; all the sin, revenge, suspense, and gave us answers to mysteries left open from previous books in the series. And oh how those answers satisfied! And in true style, this book ended in a bang!!! A bang that will leave you greedy for the last book in the series, Greed!
This whole series is one where you have to step back and look at the bigger picture. It’s not a chronological series; timelines in each book overlap and it takes a bit of thinking to get everything straight in my head.
Now at book six of the series (which I believe was originally meant to be book seven), plot lines and events are starting to make more sense, especially as I imagine at least part of this book must have needed re-writing.
Sloth is the ironically named Rush Dempsey, a rich, disaffected young man with no motivation in his life until his beloved mother dies. Intent on discovering the truth behind it, he plunges headlong into The Elite, determined to bring it down from the inside.
As we have seen from the other books in the series, he ends up with an unlikely band of brothers at his back whilst trying to navigate the murky world of the Elite. Blood ties are never as strong as this new brotherhood. Along the way, Rush meets his polar opposite, the pious, innocent Isabella who is the Yin to his Yang. They balance each other out, as well as sharing some extremely hot sexy times.
Given that this should have been the climax to the series, it feels like a big story that has been somewhat tempered to suit its new place in the series. It’s still a hell of a book and I’m interested to see how this epic saga ends
Giana Darling is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. This series has been gripping from the start and things are all beginning to come together. We haven’t seen much of Rush Dempsey AKA Sloth throughout the other books, we know he is a bit of a stoner, a man of few words; yet he always seems to show up at the perfect moments to help his brothers out. I always suspected that some if not all of his perceived personality traits were a front and boy was I right!
The book begins with some history a year prior to joining the elite, showing us the motivation behind Rush wanting to seek out membership to the secret society. A somber and sullen way to start; but it provides the motivation needed to spur Rush into changing his “I don’t give a fuck” ways. A year on and we come to the moment that Mason gives Rush his task. they already suspect things are not quite as they seem. Rush has to seduce and defile the Archbishop’s daughter Isabelle Savoie, Rush already knows he doesn’t want to play into the Elite’s hands and rob this virginal woman of everything she deems sacred. However once he sets eyes on her praying at the alter with a ribbon in her hair he can think of nothing but doing just that.
As you get to know Isabelle and Rush you quickly figure out both are far more aware of what is going on, the deceits, the lies and the games that surround them. Isabelle is tired of living under the guise and rule of her father’s fists and demanding ways and when she meets Rush their chemistry and connection is instant.
I loved the way Giana wrote the chemistry, Rush a southern gent at heart, despite his filthy talk and dirty thoughts, he fights for the integrity and honour of his little ‘Church Mouse’. Rush and Isabelle were fire, his dirty dirty mouth had me all hot and bothered, and I was addicted to reading their story, even without the added Elite elements! The subtleties Giana added in were on point and stood out to me, the way each brother kissed his girl, the camaraderie, the loyalty, the way a ribbon is placed or tied or even the way it’s undone…. gah just fabulous!
When it comes to the Elite storyline Rush holds the key to the beginning of the end in so many ways, I refuse to say anything more than that because this girl is spoiling nothing. You will love all the twists and turns the clever ways things piece together, the vengeance and the clarity which culminates to an epilogue with a epic cliffy. I want Greed and I want the answers badly but I do not want this series to end!
Sloth by Giana Darling is book 6 in the Elite Seven series and it is one of my top favorites in this series. Rush Dempsey seems like he lives up to his sin of sloth, but does he? I absolutely love the way his story played out. Isabelle is his perfect match, his perfect virtue. This book is raw, gritty, intense and hot n steamy!!
This is the series that just keeps on giving. Packed full of twists and turns that you would not see coming, Sloth is the penultimate book in the Elite Seven series and it seems to be setting up one hell of a finale.
“Idel hands do the Devil’s best work…….”
Sloth aka Rush Dempsey is the Black sheep of the Dempsey family, while all of his brothers have followed I his father’s footsteps, Rush has absolutely no interest. A perpetual MJ enthusiast, he actually uses to keep himself calm. He is extremely privileged, the son of Senator Ward Dempesy and an Elite legacy.
Dubbed the moniker Sloth, due to his extremely laid back attitude and vice, Rush is quickly dismissed by many as a threat, even from his brothers. He cares for none, or so he would have you believe. Rush is hiding one hell of an inferno buried deep inside. Tragic events have led Rush to take matters into his own “idle” hands. He plays the part, gets into the Elite and then he will drop the axe.
“Most people call me lazy but you know the old saying?”……..”The devil finds work for idle hands to do”
Isabelle Savoie is Rush’s complete opposite. A devout Christian, daughter to Archbishop Savioe her life revolves around St. Augustine’s chapel and her father. Such a sweet, beautiful soul, with eyes filled with pain. A pain no one can know. Hidden behind ugly clothes she screams virginal and innocent. This has Rush salivating. The force of his attraction is unexpected, but it sets Rush on a path from which there is no return. The romance that develops between Sloth and his “Church Mouse” is one of the sweetest in the series. There are definitely a few “aww” moments.
Together they will concur, together they will survive the coming Armageddon.
The shift in the new crop of Elite pledges becomes more apparent in this book. Every sin joined for their own selfish reasons but as they spend more time together, helping each other through their tasks and other perilous situations, a different type of bond has formed between the guys. They are brothers to the core and will fight to the last breath for each other. This book is building up to an epic conclusion and there are some jaw dropping moments that had my eye popping as well. It was deliciously good and my first, but not last, read by Giana Darling. I love how she brought Rush to life. I wasn’t too sure about this character in previous books, as he was always just lurking in the background or mysteriously appearing as if from a puff of smoke “pun intended lol”, but I am now in Team Sloth’s camp. The board is set, the players are ready, let the final battle commence, bring on GREED!!!
“Brothers over sin.
The message was clear: No. One. Fucks. With. My. Brothers.”
I read this book from the unique position of not having read the previous books in this series and not having read the blurb, so this could have gone one of two ways…
I either got so totally lost in the previous content and put it down.
Or it was enough of a stand alone that it wouldn’t need the knowledge from the rest of the series.
But we’re talking Giana Darling here! This author can give you a story tied so seamlessly to those that came before and weave her own magic around it that you really don’t feel bereft of their omission, and yet you still want to go back and see where it all began! She really is that good!!
Rush Dempsey is The Elite Seven’s “Sloth” and from first glance this rebel is taking his name seriously if only to exasperate his father. But his own agenda within The Elite reveals another man, and though his dictated task is that of desecration, it was never going to be his goal and nor does his conscience allow it.
The subject of his supposed desecration, Archbishop Savoie’s virginal daughter Isabelle, is also not the sacrificial lamb she appears to be. In true Giana style, this heroine has the intellect and gumption when required to support and be the worthy and perfect mate for our veiled anti-hero.
As events unfold, secrets are revealed and tension mounts, these two are more than worthy opponents for the evil that has ruled The Elite before the current Seven found their true calling as a Brotherhood.
And though this is not the conclusion to this epic series, Giana gives you enough closure within this instalment and another bite at the next apple, to make this one brilliant stage-setter for the real finale.