I’m a motherless son to a father who hates me. Fury has lived and breathed in my black heart for so long, it’s a part of my soul now. The only thing that’s ever mattered to me is protecting my twin sister, Sabella, from my father’s temper.So when the chance to join a secret society presents itself, there’s no question I’ll do whatever it takes to become a member and earn my place in the ranks of … the ranks of only the most Elite.
With a taste for the deviant, I’m drawn to the darkest of desires, and no one ever leaves my bed unscathed.
My task: seduce Patience Noelle, St. Augustine’s sweetheart and the mayor’s beloved daughter—then break her heart.
Sinning is what I live for, and deviance is my passion. Failing has never been an option.
But what happens when my sin becomes my curse—when destroying the only woman I’ve ever wanted is my key to protecting my sister?
Accept your sin wisely, for the tasks given to earn your place are not for the weak…they’re for The Elite.
This isn’t just my chance, it’s my legacy and reckoning.
I am Samuel Gunner.
I am Wrath.
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Awesome third story In the Elite Seven series!!! The build up was slow going but once it did pick up-Wow! Very intense and dark. I prefer my stories darker and this definitely meets that expectation. This series just gets better with each book.
I’m left not knowing how to feel after reading this book! Seriously this series keeps getting better, so freaking intriguing and it’s so interesting!
Samuel story broke me! From the start I knew his story was going to be tough! I wasn’t prepared for what I read! I can’t even express my emotions without giving spoilers! It’s a great story it’s just filled with so many emotions and so much crazy drama.
Claire is a new author for me! But she sucked in from the start! Love her dirty thinking, totally intrigued me to read more from her. Loved her writing style as well. She totally made this story and continued along with this incredible crazy series that’s so freaking good!
I can’t wait for what’s to come. Once the series is complete it’s going to be a great set of books to re-read a bunch of times!
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Shannan –
Wrath is the third installment in the Elite Seven series. The series should be read in the order that the authors intended.
Wrath – Samuel Gunner
“…to be the best, you must be ruthless.”
Samuel’s mother died in childbirth delivering Samuel and his twin, Sabella. His father, Maxwell, in his grief blames the children. Maxwell’s parents believe he would be better off without the kids in his life. Something Samuel and Sabella overheard. Samuel’s anger started at that point and grew until he had to release it in some fashion. Becoming an underground fighter helped with that while sex was his other release. As long as sex happened on his terms, control was everything to him.
Finding out about The Elite was an awakening for Samuel. He did what he had to do to get noticed. When he receives his invitation and his task, it may be more than he can handle. Is it worth hurting those closest to his heart? Is it too late to change his mind?
I lost myself in Wrath. He was ruthless and so hard. I loved watching him get those walls knocked down. I can’t wait for Envy. I need to know why Sebastian wasn’t where he needed to be!!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Wrath (The Elite Seven #3) by Claire C. Riley to read and review.
Wrath, for me, was the darkest book of the series so far. And no one character has emboldened his sin like Samuel Gunner. He IS wrath. This story even had a feel to it. It felt angry, sinister, desperate…everything that Sam Gunner is. He was one we haven’t gotten a huge look at in the previous books, but he is one of the most intriguing. His story is very similar to the previous two in that each young man was chosen for a reason and I don’t think we have enough of the full picture yet to figure out just WHY each was chosen. With Sam, we get a better understanding of his childhood, which made his task even more heartbreaking to read. He has been the most complex of the guys so far, that’s for sure. Wrath certainly unravels more of the plot, which at this point, I have no clue how it is going to play out. This is just one dark layer of seven that keeps drawing me in and I cannot wait until the larger picture is revealed. I have a few suspicions and I’m anxious to see if they pan out. I can’t wait to peel back another layer with the next book
Wrath is the third instalment in The Elite Seven series, and you should start reading right now!!!
This twisted, dark book was mind-blowing and left me speechless and breathless.
This secretive society is so f# up and more we get deep into that more garbage we seen.
Every time a task is set you know something cruel and heartless it will come. I started to get anxious for them; it is worth it? Power, money, status…
Wrath is intense and kind, and Patience is strong & fierce. Their second chance romance is hot and unstoppable, and I’m a sucker for second chances
Together they make an earthquake.
This book is an intense level of 100, and I love it so much.
So you know there is a cliffy, but you knew that, but the end oh lord!!!
Can’t wait for the next book!
All the naughty Stars
“I’m Samuel “The Machine” motherfucking Gunner. Wretched brother to a twin sister, shameful son to a dead mother, an undefeated champion in the ring, and a master of sin in the bedroom.”
HOT DAMN! This series just keeps getting more and more intense with each installment…and we’re only into #3!! Wrath had such an incredible build up with a nail biting lead into ENVY’s story next. My head is spinning and I’m more anxious than ever to get started on the next book in this series.
Samuel Gunner was an incredible character. Deep down he’s one of the most vulnerable of the guys we’ve come to know so far. But being so vulnerable for so long has led to him fortifying himself physically. Brick by brick, his exterior of massive armor is used to protect and avenge. And let’s not forget his intensity in bed. HOLY MOLY, this dude had me vibrating with need with how sexy and commanding he was. WOW! Ooh -wee, I have to fan myself just from the memory of those scenes.
“Other than fighting, sex is my domain. My dark domain. I like my sex like I like my fights—dark, bloody, and full of cries of pain.”
Like Rhett Masters aka LUST, his goal in life is to do whatever it takes to be noticed and receive that elusive invite to The Elite. A secret society that will give him the means to escape the life of neglect he and his sister have endured. They’re life is proof money doesn’t equal happiness. That life has damaged and scarred him. Making him a flawed character I connected with and felt for since the beginning of the Prologue.
“I don’t love like most. I love darkly, cruelly, and brutally, or not at all.”
But as we’ve learned so far that the tasks they’re asked to complete in order to prove how badly they want to become Elite, are not easy nor for the faint of heart. Each task asked of the initiates just gets more difficult as the series progresses and with WRATH’s story the overall vibe of the series just amped up the intrigue, suspense and thrill to an all new high!!
I can’t wait for ENVY’s story!! I need answers as do the rest of the characters. I’m literally bouncing in my seat just thinking about it. March 22nd can’t get here soon enough!!!
Wow…drop what your doing right now and go buy this book! You’ll thank me later! This series has got me hooked!
It’s Sam’s (aka Wrath) turn to fulfill his task in order to be accepted into the Eliete. But with all tasks comes consequences. Sam is filled with so much hate and anger that he can hardly contain it and when he loses his s**t he loses it big time.
I really loved his sister Sabella she was like the yin to his yang and then you have Patience who’s a firecracker and seems to be the only one besides Sabella that can calm the beast down!
This ends in a cliffhanger but it’s so worth it to see how everything is going yo come together and if Sam is going to be accepted into the Eliete.
I have so many questions burning through me but I know I have to wait just a few more weeks and hopefully I’ll have the answers!
Holy Samuel!! This book hooked me straight from the get go and did not release me until the end. Samuel is an amazing character who has gone through so much to protect his sister and what he underwent broke my heart. His and Patience’s story was very predictable but unpredictable to me and I loved the twists and turns. This whole Elite thing and the characters involved with all the twists is so original and mind blowing and these books need to release at a quicker pace.
I love how these books are their own but follow a very similar time line. This book is dark and twisted and hot and a definite page turner
Amazing!
How giddy was I when this book landed in my kindle. I’ve been waiting to more about the mysterious Wrath.
Having grown up with no love Samuel learnt how to take care of himself by using his fists.
He’s intense and I just couldn’t help love his characte, yes there were times o wanted to smack him over the head and say, Hellooo seriously!! Hoping it knocks some sense into him, but Damn that is one hell of a killer ending with cliffy. I’m dying for Envy and need it yesturday.
Absolutely loved this, I couldn’t put it down.As the series goes on it just gets better and better. I have never read Claire before and now I want to devour all her work!! This book epitomes Wrath
As the third book in the Elite Seven series, we are left with so many questions and theories.
This one is a single POV so we only feel Samuel’s side. A lot of anger, a lot of lashing out.
A broken young man who never received love but definitely deserves it.
I actually would of loved to have read Patience’s POV. I feel her character has suffered the most so far. I wanted to connect with her and her emotions.
A lot of the plot starts to unravel here. You get some snippets from the first book when it comes to initiation. Some things I didn’t even remember reading first. It kind of jumps a bit there.
It’s not as dark as I would of thought, it is suspenseful and in some places action packed. There was a lot of lust. Like a lot. So it lacked the romance aspect until then end and that was rushed.
I’m looking forward to Envy. As I feel we will get a better conclusion to Wrath.
Wrath, written by Claire C. Riley, is the third book in The Elite Seven Series. It is the story of Samuel “Wrath” Gunner a man whose life is filled with anger, rage, and demons that are buried soul deep. The only time he feels relief from the anger that bubbles inside of him is when he is beating another man to a bloody mess or when he gets a woman to submit in the bedroom. Those are the only times that the anger is subdued and calm washes over him. Everything that he does is part of his plan to be known and heard by The Elite. Once he becomes part of The Elite, then Samuel will have the power that he needs to destroy his father. Maxwell Gunner holds his son responsible for the death of Samuel’s mother, who died in childbirth, and has made Samuel’s life miserable. He is the reason for Samuel’s demons. He must be punished. Samuel thinks that the hard part is getting noticed by The Elite but what doesn’t realize is that once in, The Elite knows everything about him and will do anything to control him. Is Samuel really so closed-off emotionally that he can fulfill the tasks at hand or have The Elite found his weaknesses?
This book just confirms that this is a dark, sexy, intense, and erotic series. Once again, I found myself needing breaks from the intensity. Claire C. Riley has created such a broken, dark character in Samuel. It is amazing to watch his counter ego arise during the interactions with Sabella and Patience. This “happily-ever-after” lover was waiting for the rainbows and unicorns to appear but they didn’t. I was left with a broken heart and….a cliffhanger which made my wrath bubble up a little bit. Oh well, the next book comes out soon and I might get FlyGirl to switch books with me to help calm my wrath. I give this dark, erotic page turner 4 out of 5 stars!
My first Claire C. Riley book, and definitely not my last, because WOW! A passionately written story that was sexy and powerful, yet showed a vulnerability in the characters that pulled at my heartstrings.
*Don’t forget to breathe*…you’ll be needing this reminder!!
Samuel is an intense, angry man as a result of a horrendous upbringing. Not caring about anyone except his twin sister, he spends his time screwing, drinking and fighting. The Elite is the way out…for him and his sister, but at what price?! Samuel is Wrath, and wreaking wrath on those around him is what he does best…submission, domination and control is a way of life in all things.
When The Elite give him his task and Patience comes back into his life, it turns out she’s the perfect woman for him. Patience for Wrath…so fitting. Of course, that just complicates things further and nothing is simple when you’re vying for The Elite. Twists, turns and mayhem unlike anything we’ve seen in this series yet abound!
This story is so incredibly intense, painful, raw, steamy, and then…oh my God, that ending! A Jaw dropping cliffhanger that’s going to have me marking off the days until Book 4, Envy.
Wrath/Sam Gunner
Oh my word this young man is tormented. He and his twin sister lost their mother to childbirth. His father Maxwell never fully recovered and shut out his children not really showing them the true love they deserved. Now this angry young man that has used his fist to solve problems is entering the Elite. Everyone in this group is bringing something to the table he brings fury, he is fierce ….he is Wrath. A force to be reckoned with destroying so many things in his path including himself . He has known Patience since childhood and now this young girl that always intrigued him has become his task. Can he fulfill his duty without tearing them both apart. Patience has put her trust in Sam and soon it may be tragic to them both. I am not sure where their journey will take them but I so want to root for them.
~~Michele McMullen ~
This series is just getting better and better! I absolutely love that all the stories are written by different authors so we are seeing so many different styles of writing. This is my first time reading anything from Claire C. Riley but I’m so glad I found her! The writing was absolutely wonderful and the chemistry between the main characters was sizzling hot!
Wrath is Samuel Gunner’s story.
Samuel and his twin sister Sabella have only had each other. Their mother died in childbirth and since then their father has been an absentee parent, leaving them with nannies that treated them horribly…or should I say treated Samuel horribly. Samuel quickly realized as a child that if he acted out it would take the negative attention away from his sister, and he would do anything for Sabella.
As an adult, Samuel’s sin name of Wrath describes him perfectly. Anger and pain are a constant in his life. Samuel is determined to get his sister and himself out from under the financial foot of their father and he thinks the only way to do that is to become part of the Elite.
He does a lot of questionable things to get the Elite to notice him, but they finally do. When he first receives his task he accepts wholeheartedly, thinking it’ll be a breeze to break the mayor’s daughters heart, anything for the Elite right?
Samuel and Patience, St. Augustine’s sweetheart and the mayor’s daughter, have a history. As children, they were friends until Samuel let his anger get the best of him one night and ruined their friendship. Samuel hasn’t seen Patience in years, but she’s his task and he will do whatever it takes to succeed.
“I don’t love like most. I love darkly, cruelly, brutally, or not at all.” – Samuel
That is until he starts spending time with Patience again. Like her namesake she has more patience then she should with Sam. Patience is a genuinely GOOD person and Samuel is feeling more and more guilt over having to hurt her.
But if he wants to be a part of the Elite, what choice does he have?
Patience, as of right now, just may be my favorite heroine in this series yet. She is such an incredible girl. Don’t think I missed the play on their names either, the names Patience and Wrath really were fitting for these two characters.
The sexy scenes… H-O-T!
Let me just say that the sex in the other books was VANILLA compared to this one! Wrath is a dominant man and likes to have complete control in the bedroom. Let me just say that it makes for a much more *uh..hum* intense read.
My heart broke for Samuel and Patience. I did not see THAT coming AT ALL! I’m just wondering why would (if you’ve read it, you know who!) do that?! There has to be more to the story and I can’t wait to find out.
That ending…OMG, I could have screamed! Claire Riley, I know there had to be a cliff hanger but damnnn girl!
I need Envy’s story right NOW!
My only negative is that the story is getting a little repetitive, which I understand they have to show what each character was going through at the same time so some parts will be, but I wish each book just told the characters back story and then picked up where the last one left off.
All these stories have been 5 star reads for me so far but I will say that the further along we get into the story, already knowing some of what is going on behind the scenes makes these books even more intense!
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.
***5 Stars***
*Jaw drops, eyes boring into the Kindle as my finger keeps tapping the screen even though NO. MORE. WORDS. Are showing up*
Seriously??
SERIOUSLY??
That’s where things are left???
O.M.G.
I get that there is crazy in the book, but that’s just not cool…
Not cool at all.
*Takes a very slow, deep breath in, then a slow, deep breath out*
Ok. I’m good.
Samuel aka Wrath is intense. I loved him, but boy did I want to reach out and shake some sense into him because when he goes big. He. Goes. BIG. and sometimes they go sideways. But the thing is, he’s got reasons for the way he is and I couldn’t ever truly fault him for his actions because beneath the rage is a man with a bruised, yet still pretty golden heart.
Patience, I ADORED this girl. I did. She’s strong, fierce and boy does she give as good as she gets. The evolution of their relationship was an interesting one, to say the least, but it all worked for me, even the crazy, smexy parts. They have his connection that is undeniable and I loved them together.
Obviously there is a cliffy and all that, but man did this one pack a punch all around. Things get intense, not that the first two books ~ Lust and Pride ~ weren’t, but now that we (the reader) have more of an understanding of what’s being done behind the scenes it does up the ante. (And seriously, when is that person finally going to be cannonball shot off the island??)
This is my first read by the author, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The writing was engaging, pacing was good and the first person POV was potent. I loved getting more of the rest of the Elite, and though I’m not all too sure how I feel about Envy, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what crazy his book brings to the game!
~ Copy provided via the author/Just Another Book B & voluntarily reviewed ~
I loved the grit and rawness that this book had, and I felt Sam’s emotions jump from my e-reader because the author did a highly commendable job describing everything he was thinking and going through. Just like with the other guys who become part of this new batch of inductees into the Elite, Sam is far from perfect, especially considering how he treated Patience even before the whole Elite thing came into the picture. When they meet again, you could feel him begin to re-shift his focus and to not be totally eaten up by his anger. I will admit that his decision to even mention a particular plan to Patience later on in the story had me take a step back because putting someone you claim to love in that position comes with no guarantees that no one will get hurt. The aftermath of that event had me knocking off half a point to my overall rating, but that had to do with my personal feelings and not the quality of the author’s writing. I can also kinda-sorta-maybe picture the beginning of the next book, but I could be wrong. Either way, Claire C. Riley did a great job with her Elite Seven story and getting me excited for the next one. Wrath gets 4.5 stars.
I went into this one with lowered expectations regarding the romance aspect and thank god I did because AGAIN the romance was the weakest part of this book. In fact, at this point I think I would enjoy this series more had it been an erotic thriller series, with no romance at all. There was also too much OW sex in this one. However, I tried not to let it affect my rating too much because at this point I figure that type of thing will be in every one of these books, but there was too much of it for me to overlook completely. One detailed scene, I could have rolled with, but two overly descriptive scenes, and a third non descriptive one, ya, not so much. I debated throwing in the towel several times. Last, after three books parts are getting a little repetitive in places.
Those issues aside the book wasn’t BAD. I am sure many people will love it. It was well written, and I appreciated that it was on the longer side so it felt a little more developed. I can’t say I ever warmed up to Wrath, but Patience was an OK heroine. We don’t really get much page time with her, so it was hard to really connect with her character. That said, I am still enjoying the Elite Seven angle, and the ending left me going…WTF!! I need the next book NOW! So again…a very mixed bag. This entire series is turning out that way, yet I still have enough intrigue in it to want to carry one.
It’s a series that just keeps giving. More secrets, more trials, more Elite.
Wrath will have you holding your breath and waiting impatiently to see what happens next.
I can’t wait for the next book!
This is just straight f’d up.
When starting the book for Wrath aka Samuel Gunner, I know it would be harsh because of the name. What I didn’t expect was this to be so emotionally draining. It’s like one bada$$ story of lies and hatefulness with a love story sprinkled in.
Gah I’m an emotional mess now. Everything was left up in the air for Samuel and Patience.