The devil has a name, and it’s Cristiano de la Rosa. On my wedding day, he was the last man I expected to see standing at the altar. He wants to make me his queen. His brother wants to rescue his princess.Getting Cristiano to lose control becomes the name of the game, and the stakes are life and death. But as truth and lies blur, loyalty is tested, and our chemistry threatens to reach the melting … the melting point, the prize grows less clear. Either freedom no longer means what I think it does, or Cristiano is as devious as everyone says, and he’s mastered the art of playing my mind.
All I know for certain is that nothing is certain. And all you need to know?
This is a love story.
But even love stories have to end.
more
From a seamless flow of enchanting moments and enthralling intricacies, I’ve found myself totally charmed and unconditionally enamoured by this sinfully decadent series. Violent Ends is more sordid, full of wicked sexual tension, rife with inescapable angst and featuring the filthiest, dominant anti-hero—the outright debauched insinuations increased tenfold— all weaved together to create a devious, sexually heated and emotionally raw narrative.
“Her fear both excited and calmed me. Her tears were mine to collect and soothe. Her pussy was mine to devastate and worship. And lick and explore and fuck.”
I have been officially ruined by Cristiano de la Rosa. His unfathomable series of hidden facets and untold secrets, threaded together beautifully, manifests itself into an unreadable, ruthless man doused in confidence, lascivious domination and raw sexuality. Despite the inexorable intimidation in Cristiano, it is soothed by an unforeseen sweetness and fondness for Natalia, creating an attractive, irresistible allure to this merciless character. He will leave you wanton and compelled, unashamed in your attraction to this dangerous, but caring man.
“I stared at him, utterly perplexed at the puzzle before me. This was exactly what I’d feared. Not knowing whether to hate him or to feel something else entirely.”
Natalia Cruz’s defiant attitude matures—she’s less naive, more fierce—with an unrivalled stubbornness and closed-mindedness to follow it. In some aspects, her inevitable confusion, mistrust and aversion is understandable, but the continuous complex warring between body and mind becomes frustrating. Once certain rumours are justified, secrets are unveiled and brutally honest truths are delivered, Natalia’s harsh judgments are challenged, steadily changing into acceptance that made is easy to love her once again.
“For every door she slammed, I would open another. I’d pursue her. I’d break down that defiance until I found myself in her sweet core. She would cross over into the darkness. And I’d be waiting with open arms.”
Powerfully seductive and beautifully devilish, Cristiano’s dominant attitude, brimming with undeniable wickedness and intense fervor, is an irresistible enticement. Full of animosity, but eased by desire and soothed by flourishing affection, Natalia’s inner submissive blossoms in slight measures in this slow burn romance, leaving me absolutely thrilled to discover what kind of connection this couple will have.
“Walking that fine line between hate and admiration only seemed to kindle our sexual attraction.”
Violent Ends is all-consuming and angst-ridden, rendering you entranced; your heart erratic, your mind chaotic and emotions racing tenfold. Compelling in deliverance, this romance won’t disappoint—Jessica Hawkins amplifies the sensations and heated connection budding between Natalia and Cristiano as it continues down a dark albeit wonderfully satisfying path.
After twenty years of living an oblivious life, being the daughter of a cartel leader, Natalia was faced with a choice between two men, two brothers to be exact, with whom to trust. With Cristiano’s help she learned the lifestyle she should’ve learned years ago.
After eleven years of being exiled from the Cruzes family, Cristiano is back to find closure in this dirty world of corruption and lies.
Natalia learned very little about the world she lived in. Without a mother to guide her into womanhood Natalia was at a disadvantage when it came to judging the de la Rosa men.
Overall:
This enemy to lovers sadly had limited sex scenes. There was however lots of dirty talk and plenty of foreplay.
However, Natalia’s character wore on my patience with her inability to see what was so obvious to the reader.
If your looking for a typical cartel story you won’t find it here. While these characters were living the life of cartel leaders the focus was on developing the relationship between Cristiano and Natalia.
Jessica is the Queen of angst. Yet, this wasn’t the type of angst I was anticipating. I’ve learned to expect the slow and steady pace of a slow building love built from a hate. What I didn’t expect was to become so unconcerned whether they consummated the marriage. I’m still hung up on the deceit of pinning the murder on Cristiano and exiling him from the family.
“You don’t know the first thing about my business, and you haven’t made any honest effort to learn. You see what you want to see and believe rumors without substantiating them. I won’t indulge that behavior.” Cristiano’s words from the story.
Cristiano’s character put my mind at ease when it came to Natalia’s inner turmoil. He had her pegged. While she thought she could play his game I liked how he still controlled her moves.
I get how easy it was for Cristiano to tolerate Natalia’s assumptions, as a reader we are not privy to the type of relationship Cristiano had with Natalia growing up. All I see is a stubborn, naive, petulant child who believed in rumors and accusations instead of searching for the truth.
I wanted to like it more than I did, but it just wasn’t what I expected. Jessica is an amazing and talented writer and this storyline is unique and creative, yet it’s lacking for me. Natalia’s character held me back from enjoying this story with her doubtful thoughts. I know the premise was to wait until Natalia was ready for her role, but at the age of twenty I would’ve thought she would have learned something useful from all her eavesdropping.
I had a love hate relationship being inside Natalia’s head. She frustrated the sh*te out of me. I know Jessica is sitting in her chair laughing at how well she wrote her character. I wish I could say I enjoyed watching her grow and learn, but her inability and lack of skills was alarming.
I kept waiting for something to happen. I’m not even sure what that something was…something sneaky or spiteful. Where the hell was Diego? He would’ve brought some much needed drama. This was supposed to be Natalia torn between two men, yet she kept rehashing how she was captured against her will. I wanted to ring her neck. I wanted to smack some sense in Cristiano for wanting her.
The ending was fantastic. I wish the rest of the story had held the same type of danger and energy that this cliffhanger ending did. I appreciate the time and effort to develop characters, yet the slow building of trust was too drawn out.
Finally when something was getting good it ended. Ugh.
This book was better than the first only because it had more of Cristiano but I still need more.
I felt their connection in this book for sure but again I’m selfish and need more.
Natalia needs to get it together. Everyone around her can see what she doesn’t and it’s annoying. I just wanted to scream at her like Jax!
The ending was great! Great cliffy that makes us hang on to the next one!
Good story. Christiano secrets are slowly revealed in book two. The only complaint is wait for book three. This series is a glorious distraction from other Hawkins books, her creativity is a all new high.
Jessica Hawkins once again left me breathless, in shock, with no words to even put into any capable reasonable, coherent way what has been the journey of Violent Ends, the second book in the White Monarch series. I’m speechless and so in loveeeeee, my goodness.
Every single turn so unexpected, the actions and twists so eloquently put together that I felt my heart in my throat and the butterflies most of the time. Cristiano de la Rosa could do no wrong in my eyes. I will be here counting the seconds until November. Wow, wow, wow!!!!!
Holy S***!!! This trilogy just keeps getting better and better. Violent Ends (White Monarch #2) is an incredible page turner filled with so much conflict, danger and turmoil. The storyline is concise, well written and unpredictable at times blended with a web of lies and deceit.
Not only are the cartels still at war but the power struggle between Cristiano and Diego is at an all time high and so is the fight for Natalia’s heart. Natalia is torn as her faith, loyalties and trust in the ones she loves is tested beyond belief. But don’t let that fool you because she is feisty, defiant at times, protective and a force to be reckoned with. Cristiano is one of the sexiest anti-heroes I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and with his alpha strong personality, he’s downright irresistible. And the combustible sexual tension between these two coupled with their witty, back and forth banter was the ultimate foreplay. The hate you but I want you to pound me good attitude is oh so tantalizing.
There are so many suspenseful layers to Violent Ends and when the deceit unfolds and truths are discovered, I was more than shocked. And the cliffhanger ending was enough for me to scream out loud and lose my mind!! I need Violet Triumphs more than my next breath!!
How do I express what I feel about this book. Yes it’s a continuation and yes there is a book three. I adore Cristiano. At the end of book one I wasn’t sure how to feel about him but in this book we find so much about him. I can’t tell you because… gah!!! And Natalia? I did like her in book one. She was fighting for love. In this book she is close minded. I wanted to slap her and tell her to use her instincts and her own mind. She does become a strong person through this book and she eventually sort of comes around. Waiting for the last installment might just kill me.
I absolutely loved this book more than book one and I am not sure how. There are so many puzzle pieces moving in this story line and trying to figure out who to trust, who is looking out for who just left me captivated. All the emotions running through this story of even the most stoic of characters was memorizing. This is truly a brilliantly written book and now the waiting begins with me on the edge of my seat.
A captivating continuation of the White Monarch trilogy. Jessica Hawkins left us hanging in the most desirable way with her jaw-dropping ending in Violent Delights. Everything we thought we knew had exploded before our eyes and now we had a whole new hero to focus our attention on.
The chemistry between Natalia and Cristiano gave me thrills beyond compare, and quite possibly, some soaked panties. We saw snippets of it in book 1, just enough to whet our appetite for Cristiano and prepare us for all that he is. As Natalia prepares for the worst as the bride of the devil, she finds herself cursing her traitorous body as it responds to Cristiano’s filthy and provocative words. Lustful desires are brought to the surface and Natalia wonders how long she can deny herself the pleasures he is sure to deliver. Cue the soaked panties. While Natalia continues her steadfast determination, Cristiano steps up his game and has all of us wanting him and hoping Natalia goes over the edge. Their iron-will to stay focused on their goals is commendable and Jessica Hawkins has raised the bar where sexual tension and anticipation is concerned. At this point in the game, no one writes it better. Jessica has nailed it. Any reader who is not #TeamCristiano by the end of book 2 hasn’t read the same book I did.
After book 1, Violent Delights, readers were left with many questions and many readers were teetering on the bring of which hero to cheer for. Violent Ends brings to light much of Cristiano’s past and opens his wounds to us. We see his emotional struggles with internal demons and desires for more than love. Cristiano craves unconditional love, trust, and loyalty. Even knowing having those things may ultimately lead to his downfall.
Natalia has been raised in this world but has been sheltered from much of it. Cristiano is opening her eyes to his cartel and preparing her to stand by his side as his wife and queen. Cristiano is still dealing with a past that everyone believes and trying to redeem himself through the truth. No matter the good he has done and has revealed to Natalia, she still struggles to let go of a lifetime of hate. This proved to be a little frustrating for me as a reader who wanted her to see the truth a little faster but she is coming around and I anticipate that book 3 is going to be epic.
Violent Ends was amazing by all accounts. I was gripped by the words, sucked in to a world where evil isn’t what it seems, the past is being revealed, and the future is uncertain. Jessica’s writing is clearly on another level. She doles out the secrets we need to know in small bites, letting the reader wrap their mind around what is being said and what is going on before she hands us a little bit more. By the time you get to the shocking ending, your eyes have been flying over the pages, your heart is beating a mile a minute, and you are most certainly trying to pick your jaw up off the floor.
Hang on for a tension-filled ride, be prepared for your loyalties to be tested, maybe even develop new ones, and open your mind to all the possibilities still to come our way with book 3, Violent Triumphs. There is so much more story to tell and I cannot wait. My calendar is marked and my schedule cleared.
Christiano & Natalia
This book took me right out of a slump! It was an engrossing, can’t put this down type of story. I’m glad I didn’t pass on the book because I’m not one for a cartel type of book, but I’d read more if they were like this one. The sexual tension is taken to another level and leaves you panting for more. We need more lol! Natalia is learning to not be so naive which works for her character. She showed growth mixed in with vulnerability. Can I just say Christiano is the book husband we all need? Hot mouth, protective, and not an overbearing jerk which seems to be the norm lately. I need book 3 now! Highly, highly recommend.
This book was amazing. It took me a long time to get into the first book in this trilogy but Violent Ends consumed me from the first page. This book is pretty much impossible to put down. I was Team Christiano all the way through Violent Delights and that didn’t change in this book. What did change was how I felt about Natalia. What started off as a luke warm reaction to her has somehow turned me into her cheerleader.
Violent Ends picks up from where the first book ended and Natalia is soon forced to face some truths. With Christiano seemingly determined to open her eyes and show her how strong she has the potential to be, Natalia loses some of the innocence I found so infuriating in the first book. Starting to question things and finding her own voice, Natalia is starting to see the power she could hold. Christiano…I could swoon and gush over this man all day long. He is definitely the star of this book for me. I’m obsessed with him. With his actions, his intentions, just him in general.
No one does a slow burn like Jessica Hawkins and no one can make me both love and hate it more than she can and this is the perfect example of that. For such a fast paced story, the relationship between Natalia and Christiano doesn’t feel rushed. They keep doing this dance, this push and pull, and I honestly can’t get enough of it. The ending is exactly what I’ve come to expect from this author. She knows how to leave her readers wanting more and this will definitely leave you impatiently waiting for the final instalment.
After finishing Violent Ends my mind was left reeling and my jaw dropped wondering how I’m going to be able to hold out on finding out how Cristiano and Natalia’s story truly ends. Intense, gritty, angsty and a delicious slowburn I craved more of this book was a pageturner I couldn’t get through quick enough.
Cristiano was so much more than the beast everyone feared and I loved seeing the side of him that he only revealed to Natalia. By the end of Violent Delights Cristiano had me under his spell but in this book he completely stole my heart and I’m totally okay with it. Natalia’s defiant attitude and her unwillingness to accept what’s right in front of her made for tons of angst and a push and pull between her and Cristiano that drove me a bit mad.
Violent Ends left me with my heart racing and my mind chaotically trying to figure out how I can get more of these two as soon as possible. The White Monarch series and its captivating characters is one of my favorite series and I’m eagerly look forward to the wild ride Christiano and Natalia have yet to take me on.
Picking right back up where Violent Delights left off, Jessica Hawkins rejoined Cristiano and Natalia after their wedding. Thus began a thrilling, sensual, slow-burn story that kept me on my toes and had me so thoroughly engaged.
I think I fell even more in love with Cristiano in this book. And while I had moments where I found Natalia to be maddening, it was also pretty hard not to love her sassy wit and attitude. It was especially hard because I loved Cristiano and only wanted whatever would make him happy. So sometimes I just wanted to shake some sense into her.
There were so many webs and lies and secrets to untangle in the story. But it kept me reading. It kept me swiping the pages of my Kindle screen in a rush to see what was coming next… And then that freaking ending!!! You don’t see it coming. You can’t wrap your mind around it at first. And now I have to wait months to see how it ends. Darn you Jessica Hawkins for giving me brilliance yet again. Then for leaving me on the edge and desperate for more. But please don’t ever stop. I cannot wait for Violet Triumphs.
***ARC Provided by the Author***
4.5 Stars
Well, that was a cliffhanger.
Egads that ending.
Even as I saw it coming (for about 3% of the book so don’t think this was even a little predictable) I was positive that there was just no way Jessica Hawkins would leave us hanging like THAT.
Guess what? She did. She totally did.
The ride getting there, to the end of the book, was a lot of fun. It was sexy, and unexpected, and well-written.
This story grabs you and draws you in. You don’t know what you think is going to happen, and when you decide you have figured it out…you’re wrong.
I love Natalia and Cristiano is so layered, so interesting and so different from what I was expecting. But, to tell the how, or the why, I would have to ruin the surprise with spoilers…and we all know I won’t be doing that.
I enjoyed this title and I recommend it.
I am completely in love with this book and series! It is addictive, fast-paced, suspenseful, and the slow burn and angst between Cristiano and Natalia is one like I’ve never read.
This book picked up exactly where Book 1 left off….with Natalia feeling betrayed, hurt, used, and shocked. I felt like I really got to know Natalia’s character in Book 1, but Cristiano is ALLL Book 2 and I loved every second of it!!! Each time I thought I knew which direction this story was going, I was wrong. Cristiano is surprising at every corner, and I found myself falling for him more and more. He is so deliberate with every action and word he speaks, and although at times he is somewhat vague with Natalia, I knew his reason behind it. He wants her to realize the truth about him and his cartel on her own. He uses his power and dominance to not intimidate her, but to empower her, and I was enthralled by him!!!!
Natalia’s character was a bit frustrating to me at times, but with how she was raised and what she was told over the years, it is easy to understand her reservations about Cristiano. No matter how hard she tries to fight him – the pull is still there. Their chemistry is HOT. It’s almost forbidden – her inner battle between letting herself give in to her desires versus remaining loyal to what she believes is Natalia’s biggest enemy right now. Although she is slowly learning the truth about Cristiano, she still has some trust issues and growth to do before she fully gives herself to him. And I absolutely love that Cristiano is not pushing her or bullying her into becoming “his”. Every little thoughtful act he does for her, and how he cherishes each moment with her made me swoon for him more and more.
Cristiano is a hero I could spend my life with – he’s protective, possessive, strong, successful, passionate and unbelievably good looking. He would take a bullet for those he loves, and crawl the Earth to protect them. His determination to uncover the truth was surprising, but he is on a path to win Natalia’s heart, not just her body. The end of this book is such a cliffhanger – I just don’t know how I’m going to wait until November for Book 3!!! Well done once again J. Hawkins!!!! I am #teamcristiano all the way!!!
Book #2 in the White Monarch Series did not disappoint!!!
After a shocking wedding, Natalia finds herself in the last place she ever dreamed she would be…and with the last person she could have imagined being tied to.
Cristiano is hell-bent on proving to Natalia that he is a worthy man…far more worthy than his deceitful brother, Diego.
But after believing him to be responsible for her mothers’ murder, will Natalia give him a chance to redeem himself in her eyes?
I devoured this second part to the White monarch series in less then 4 hours. I couldn’t put it down. Jessica Hawkins did not disappoint with this one, it was well worth the wait. I fell deeper in love with Cristiano’s character with each page. Finally we got to see a softer side to the Devil himself, and boy was it ever loving hot as Hades when we did. Natalia was getting on my ever loving nerves in this book she is still very young and naive though so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I just wish she would stop with the back and fourth. I can’t wait to see her come into her own in the next book. Also Diego who??? lol. The off the charts Chemistry with Cristiano, and Natalia makes you forget all about that other guy. This book left me on the edge of my seat and I know its going to be torture waiting till November for the next installment of this decadent series.
I take big bites. I eat like I won’t get another meal. I gulp down the finest wines and unwrap my candy fast, lick and suck until I get to the sweet core,” – he nipped the shell of my ear – “because I’m greedy for the juicy centre.”
Omg I can’t get enough of this series!!! I kinda dreaded finishing this because I know book 3 isn’t until Nov but I’ll read other books and reread before it comes out! You will LOVE this series! Cliffhangers for sure but don’t worry! The story is too good to put off. You get everything here…angst, drama, the guy you shouldn’t want but do, darkness, etc etc. Read this ASAP!!
Once again this lady has kept me up at night because I don’t have the ability or the will power to put the book down and go to sleep at a sensible time… promising myself just one more chapter, then one more. I have to prise my damn kindle out of my hands but sleep doesn’t come easy as my mind is working out the plot, berating the characters for their actions and literally telling them to just communicate with each other to avoid all these misunderstandings… but where’s the story in that right?!?
Christiano, who started off the series as a character that felt my wrath on many occasion has now made my heart do a 180… I’m absolutely head over heels in love with this guy! He exudes power, sexual prowess and a persona that is so smooth it melts my panties and explodes my ovaries… he is my new fixation. Natalia in the other hand has gone from being the girl I championed as was rooting that she found her way back to her childhood sweetheart now makes me want to slap her and tell her to wake up.
This author pulls so many emotions out of me it makes my head spin, my heart palpitate and my palms sweat. This is always a go to author for me if I’m in a funk as she kicks starts my reading with vigour. No one does live triangles like Jessica Hawkins.. this woman pours angst into her books but the bucketload!!
That ending!!!! Where is November when you need it, LOL!
This book picks up right where Violent Delights ends so we have tension between Natalia and Cristiano right off the bat. That’s mostly the first half of the book, a lot of push and pull between the two of them…Natalia constantly pushing Cristiano to the line, trying to find his breaking point, and Cristiano pulling himself back, trying to exact the patience he struggles to keep when all he wants is to tell her everything and make her his. Natalia continues to think the worst of him even though the answers seem to be right in front of her face which was kind of frustrating to read for me. Natalia spent a little too much time in her head and too little time asking the right questions to get the answers she wanted and needed, but I can get why that was so, girl has NO CLUE who to trust anymore when it seems she’s been used as a pawn in everyone’s game and she’s viewed Cristiano as the devil for so long.
The second half really picked up for me, with more revelations about Cristiano, his cartel, and life in the Badlands. Natalia finally started putting things together and we really got to some action in the storyline. The sexual tension between the two is out of this world, but it’s kind of a slow burn as far as anything actually coming from said tension. I feel like I have reader blue balls, bwahahaha. And then we culminate with that ending…boy, it was a doozy! Definitely can’t wait to find out what happens in the conclusion in November…I have a feeling it will be shocking and explosive!