Blaine Jacobs knows nothing of love, but Alana Williams does and she’s opening doors to truths he’s never felt before. Walls will be broken and secrets revealed, regardless of consequence.*****BLAINEMy throat growls out in distress, desperate for more alcohol to fuel this panic ridden hatred of myself. That’s all this is. I know that. It’s rage and indecision. A barrage of self-loathing and … self-loathing and repugnance, one confused and trapped in its own irrational behaviour. The psychologist in me would tell me to quieten down. The magician would play for the fun of it, but the monster in me? He’s ready to rut hell into anything that will take me, just so it can imagine her face and abandon the last drops of my resistance.
I’m confused.
Losing control.
Being torn into three.
And no matter how I try to avoid it, the layers keep peeling apart with no sense of clarification or psychological evaluation. They just split for her.
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The End concludes Blaine and Alana’s story perfectly. It continues from where ‘Once Upon A’ (the first book in this duet) left us, so it is a must that you read that part first.
Blaine is such a complex character. My comfort zone regarding reading dark scenes was tested throughout this duet and I loved that. I certainly have learned more about Blaine and I feel I understand him to a greater degree after reading this instalment – Alana too. I don’t think I’ve previously read a story containing sadomasochism at this level and I now have a deeper understanding of that lifestyle also.
This story is angsty, emotional and mind blowing. I already knew by the end of book one that Blaine and Alana were perfect for each other and this sequel sees the couple trying to move forward but having to take time to explore their own thoughts and feelings – especially Blaine. I loved witnessing the struggles that Blaine has dealing with his emotions just as much as I loved seeing Alana remain true to herself and her feelings, and pushing Blaine to his limits.
This duet will not be for everyone but for readers who enjoy their romance on the dark side then this is one I highly recommend to you to read. I loved the twists and turns throughout. The supporting characters throughout this duet, in particular Priest and Bree, added to the story perfectly. The End receives 5 fabulous stars from me. I am now gutted that this really is the end.
Wow this book was hard to put down and has many twists and turns that are very dark. You will be ble to feel the emotions coming of the pages. This book is very dark and has sexual tension that will that you on a very twisted relationship and see that the darkest person can still love and care very much for a person. This book is well worth the read but read the first book first and you will love the series.
Sometimes in life you read something that truly blows your mind, this did just that to me.
This second part of Blaine and Alana’s story is nothing short of pure perfection!
It is hot, I mean spare panties required hot. Blaine is… well he is fabulous and I’m not really one for sadists like Blaine (hmm I may be lying a little there but not really as I usually prefer my sadists to be European and bi lol) but there is beauty in his story, beauty that stole my breath, my heart and in a couple of places my tears (pretty sure he would love that lol).
Alana is frankly superb, she is everything I want from a heroine, feisty and yet vulnerable, hard and yet soft. She simply comes across as real and that is what I want when I read.
It is not often in life that you come across authors that can take you so deep into the words that you feel as if you are there watching everything, and I do mean everything, play out before you but Charlotte does that every time. I can not recommend this book/her work enough as it is simply breathtaking!
STARS.
What the hell did I just read and how did Blaine Jacobs make me fall hook line and sinker for his cruelly sadistic Arse when in real-time I would be running screaming for the hills.
Five Stars all the way, really wish I could give more to this as it so deserves it, it’s such fantastically addictive reading.
Charlotte Hart has achieved the impossible, actually crafting a story that shows this unapologetic sadist in an actual sympathetic warm light, don’t ask me how she has achieved this I just know my feelings towards Blaine were akin to puppies and rainbows approaching the end of this story. I really wanted him to get his HEA with his little Dove like so so badly.
So this is the second part in The stained duet it is ironically and appropriately named “The End”
I’m assuming that you’ve read Part 1 and as such should have a fairly good idea of the kind of content to expect from this as Despite me previously mentioning puppies and rainbows, well let’s just say I wouldn’t bank on anything remotely fluffy in this tale.
its More akin to whips, Blood and Pain with a side order of degradation and humiliation thrown in just for shit and giggles.
So “The End” begins where “Once Upon A” left off with Alana thinking she is ready to handle a relationship with Blaine, That she can provide what he needs while still not realising that it is something that she herself also finds necessary to quiet the noise inside.
So the next chapter for Blaine and Alana’s unique love story begins and for every step forward Alana takes Blaine seems to take ten backward, so scared of the feelings emerging from the barren expanse that is his usually cold heart and his past heavily impacting on there future, Blaine desperately tries to lock down his emotions scared of the past repeating itself when this time around he has something of importance and value to lose, an irreplaceable, breakable and vulnerable Toy, irresistible to his monster
We are also introduced to Blaine’s inner psyche’s, he sees each mask as a separate persona all functioning as individuals, all identities performing a purpose he needs in what he explains as his madness and self-diagnosed insanity.
The Professor, The Magician and The monster.
one to adore and teach, one to manipulate and manoeuvre/Blaine’s puppet master if you will and one to annihilate, play and devastate, unapologetic in its savagery and mercilessness
Can Alana his little Dove accept all of these faces leaving Blaine grounded in Alana’s love and acceptance of his true nature.
Alana herself grows so much also, accepting her inner masochistic nature seems to give her a strength and also a peace she has struggled to find in her busy demanding life, surrendering to Blaine silences the noise if just for a little while.
It was interesting to see the dynamics between these two evolve as both slowly realise that they had found there soul in each other.
“The end” was such a deeply intense and emotional tale, exploring and dissecting the dynamics of the unconventional.
Though this was a hot read, for me it was more the emotion and obvious adoration here that drew me in, captivating and hooking me completely, there was a scene towards the end of the book where Blaine openly shows his love for Alana and to me, it was stunning in its intention and brutality, showcasing Blaine’s commitment and intentions and cementing their relationship.
Oh, I could just go on and on exploring the blurred grey lines of this very unique love story it’s just such delicious reading.
but all good things must come to an end sigh. So just to conclude this is a very dark love story with a sadist that only follows his own rules, Please do avoid if the darkness is a trigger for you, myself I love that Alana and Blaine stay true to there natures even in love, Sadist and Masachist a match made in heaven or maybe hell, there’s no childhood trauma or rhyme or reason to this it just is what it is. Alana and Blaine laid bare. I raced through this in record time and loved every second of the experience. I adored “Once Upon A” but “The End” is in a league all of its own beguiling and thought-provoking in its originality.
Thank you so much, Charlotte E Hart for providing me with an arc of The End (The Stained Duet #2) This is my own honest unbiased opinion
I have been waiting to get my hands on this from the moment I finished Once Upon A. Blaine Jacobs is not my typical book boyfriend, but I do believe that Charlotte ruined what I considered my norm when she wrote him. Give me his dark, raw, twisted passion any day. Him and Alana and their back and forth, one step forward, ten steps back journey to the end was glorious. With its dirty and sadistic storytelling The End is more than I was expecting and dare I say better than the first. I loved every minute!