No one knows how new members are selected to the board of Hale Banking and Holding. But there are rumors of a sordid rite of initiation.Whispers how one woman and nine men disappear into a boardroom.This time, that woman will be me.The Hale family owns everything—the eighth largest bank in the world, everyone in our town, even the mortgage on my parents’ mansion. And now Royce Hale wants to own … now Royce Hale wants to own me.
He is charming. Seductive. Ruthless. But above all, he’s the prince of lies. My body may tighten with white-hot desire under his penetrating gaze, but I refuse to enjoy it.
I’ll make a deal with the devil to save my family and sell myself to the Hales. But Royce will never own my heart.
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OMG!!!!!! Talk about an adrenaline rush!!! Such an incredible read!! I was literally engrossed with the story line!! Full of angst and so intense!! Choices were made and as devastating as it seems, it has me pondering what will they do with the choices that were presented to them?? Greed and chaos !! Dark and Twisted!!! My Goodness this book was phenomenal!! I need the next installment ASAP!!! So unbelievably good and a definite must read!!!
Sexiness. Deceit. Deception.
Nikki Sloane knows how to write romance. She writes these stories that drag you in and make you pause your life for the whole book. The character, the situations, the lies – OMG!! This book absolutely floored me and I need to pick my mouth up off the floor. What you think is going to happen – DOES NOT!! It is not even close to how you predict it will happen. Dear Nikki – I NEED The Obsession!! Now!! This book – while I love her other books – just took the cake for this author. She writes dirty, dark, and suspenseful romance books like she’s drinking water! It comes so natural and flows so easily.
Just read the book!! You won’t regret it!!
Royce and Marist – have this strange, odd past that will wrap you up until you don’t know which way is up. They help each other through the hard times – but you never dream of how they truly help each other. Other people have too much influence and it makes this story so twisted, delicious and sexy. Money and power rule this world you will read about – it will drag a person in and make them do things that wouldn’t normally do. It makes do and say things they wouldn’t normally do or say.
It is a read you won’t regret reading – and then sit and wait for the next book to come out – on the edge of your seat.
I’m HOOKED!! 100% Recommend!
So much drama and tension. It’s like watching a movie that has you on the edge of your seat.
This is my first Nikki Sloane read and I can’t wait to devour the rest of this series. It was so much more than I thought it was going to be….and that ending!!! I knew Macalister was a sneaky, evil bastard, but I had no idea Royce would turn out to be a such prick. UGH!! Poor Marist…after everything she’s been through already and now this!! I know she’s gonna come back swinging. Can’t wait to read the next book.
3
Style: Contemporary Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 2.95/5
Dark Level: 0/5
Sexual Level: OK – GOOD
Triggers: No
Violence: No
Male: Wealthy
Series: book 1(Cliffhanger)
Pages: 177
Audio: GOOD (f)
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY
This gave me mixed emotions. I sort of like it, but very much was not please with it. From the blurb, I expected so much. Royce was not dark or ruthless, he is just mysterious with his plans. The first half of the book, Royce came off like an older teenager at times. It wasn’t until the half way point I saw him as a grown man a bit. Marist was likable and she acts her age.
I would not at all consider this a dark read, not sure if this was label as dark. It only had a moment of shock value and that for me was a gagging moment, aka rich people’s problems.
SEXUAL CHEMISTRY:
Sex scenes were ok, I got so tired of the constant fingering. The initiation was not as sexy either.some moments with Royce and Marist were likable.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
So at times, the secondary characters made this a tiny bit interesting. Royce’s father looks more ruthless than Royce. Royce’s brother, crickets. Royce’s step mother, a freak. Marist’s family, her sister sounds interesting, but nothing that is appealing thus far.
OVERALL
Interesting read. I was not fully satisfied on entertainment, however, the storyline had some potential, so I kind of liked it.
TRIGGERS:
****I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read. I based my book reviews on my preferences and what I like, and while these preferences may not be the same for others, I hope this review was still helpful.
I keep changing my rating on this book. I think I will stick with a 3 – 3.5 out of 5 stars, with a 3/5 steam.
I was lucky enough to win a book off my Amazon wishlist through Bookstagram, with this series on my wishlist. I was very excited to pick up the first book in the Filthy Rich Americans series. I have enjoyed Nikki Sloane’s past books (especially her steam level)! However this book unfortunately fell a bit flat for me.
The Initiation follows Marist Northcott, where she must agree to an arranged marriage with the wealthy socialite Royce Hale, to avoid her family turning into unwealthy ruin. With her parents spending money they don’t have & her sister pregnant by her professor, she must step up for the family. However she is secretly excited to get closer to the handsome boy she has always crushed on.
What she didn’t count on was being scared by his father; Macalister Hale. One of the bank “kings” of America. Along with the interview and initiation she must go through to be worthy of a bride of Royce Hale.
The Initiation may not be for everyone. I personally didn’t mind it because you could tell Marist also didn’t mind it. But trigger warning; slight molestation does take place.
All in all, the story does leave on a cliffhanger so I shall be picking up the next book ASAP.
Whoa…Nikki shoved these characters into my head and had me thinking of them as if I was in their world.
The twists were intense and I found myself reeling in the emotion from whatever scene happened each time I had to stop listening and do real-world stuff.
I found myself a little underwhelmed with this book. It wasn’t terrible, but I expected and wanted more. It was basically Days of our Lives combined with Melrose Place, but with really really rich people. It didn’t have the heat I’m used to from the authors other books. It just was lacking any real substance and didn’t hold my interest.
The Hales are about as dysfunctional as a family can be. From a bizarre oral gangbang to a shocking twist when it comes down to a prenup, you’ll find yourself wondering if anyone tells the truth in this family and how many therapists’ vacation homes did they fund.
The protagonist is instantly like able just as the antagonist is a million shades darker than you thought humanly possible.
I have to admit it though, I’m hooked on this series.
The book is a form of sex domination/slavery. If you like that kind of thing, go for it. If not, don’t read it. It is nothing like Shades of Grey which was at least a love story with a happy ending.
As a survivor of abuse, I found this book not only troubling, but triggering of my PTSD. I suppose some folks may find this type of book acceptable, but I hard a hard time reading it, and skipped some parts because they were just too abusive. I usually read all the books in a series, but decided I would not read anything else in this series nor by this author.
Great book! This was probably my first romance book that I ever read
I loved this book and I didn’t loved it at the same time.
Marist and Royce have known each other since they were kids,but at the same time they never interacted.Marist’s father works for Royce’s father,they are both rich and it’s wildly known that Marist’s sister Emily is going to marry Royce.But one chance encounter is enough for Royce to release that Marist is the one he wants and not her sister.Problem is,while Marist is into Royce,she never really expected to take her sister’s place.When she finds out that her family is in financial ruin and that her sister is pregnant,Marist feels obligated to save her family and she strikes a deal with Royce’s father-Macalister.
This book was in a lot of ways weird for me.It’s set in modern day but with all the ruels and expectations that are set in front of Marist I had a feeling like it took place a century ago when women only needed to look pretty.When it comes to plot there were a few things that really pissed me of.I will give some spoilers now.When Marist decides to marry Royce she is told that she will have to pass the “initiation”-at first she thinks that she needs to change the way she behaves,dresses and acts in public and that all of that will need to be approved by the Macalister and his board members at Hales’s company.But it turns out that the initiation is the night where Marist will need to sleep with Royce while the board members watch-including Macalister.And on top of that they are allowed to use their hands and mouth on her as a-welcoming I guess.This part of the book was something that I didn’t like at all.And if it took place earlier in the book I probably wouldn’t finish it.Second thing-the way push and pull between Marist and Royce was a little bit annoying.Their relationship didn’t really developed during the story-they make one step forward and then take ten steps back.I was starting to be pissed at them.And then that ending-I was so angry there.
I liked Marist a lot.She is very smart and cunning.She entered the whole thing with a reason and she doesn’t plan on giving up.I loved that she wasn’t week and crying girl.I loved her attitude towards other people and how unimportant their opinion was to her.It’s obvious that she is into Royce but I think that she didn’t fully released that.
When it comes to Royce I really can’t say a lot about him.He is into Marist but he is also into his place at the company.Obviously he has something against his father but his motives are unclear to me.I wish we got his POV in the book.
The character I didn’t like very much-but at the same time I did-was Macalister.I hate his little infatuation with Marist,he can be her father and he will be her father-in-law.The way he treated Royce and Marist knowing how they feel was really disgusting to me.Also his behavior towards other people was not so great either-especially his family members.On the other hand it’s obvious that he loves his family and the once he was a good man.I have a feeling that he is not a real bud-guy in this story.
Minus the “Initiation”scene,I liked this book very much.It’s one of my favorits.
Cliff hanger. Good read
Great book, great series!
If you have read Nikki Sloane before you know she is gonna take you on a ride. You’re either here for it or not. I couldn’t put it down.
Phenomenal! I couldn’t put it down. I read the whole series in 3days it was that wonderful. It kept me right on the edge. Now I’m reading all of Nikki Sloane’s books.
It was definitely different, and had a few twists. Definitely want to know what happens in the next books.
Great characters, with an unexpected twist, is he the good guy or the bad guy?
Great book but it is the start of a series. I did not realize this when I started the book and am a little disappointed. This story is GREAT and I want to purchase the other books.
I read this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down. This was a rollercoaster of epic proportions and I loved it. This dark and twisty contemporary romance is based in Greek mythology and I loved that aspect. Marist is Medusa while trying to figure out who Royce and MacAlister Hale are. The negotiations that take place are intense and high stakes. MacAlister is controlling, devious and manipulative. Royce is sexy, but his motives are unclear sometimes…except for the Hale motto, “Win at all costs.” We are left with an epic negotiation at the end that leaves our heroine in quite the predicament. I immediately started book 2, The Obsession!