TITLE: Quintessentially Q
AUTHOR: Pepper Winters
SERIES: Monsters in the Dark (Book 2)
“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark —wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right."
Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.
He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.
There are no words to express how much in love with this series I am. Seriously. Pepper Winters has an uncanny ability to make me feel so many emotions at once, it is unparalleled. I felt scared, angry, downright terrified at times, but most of all I felt the wonder that is the unconventional love and connection that exists between Q and Tess. Their love story isn't what fairytales are made of, but it is just as beautiful and gut wrenching. It is one of the most emotional books I have read in a while. If you haven't read Tears of Tess already, then I would highly recommend that you do, because I swear these are not books you want to miss.
The story picks up four days after Tess returns to Q. After spending some time together Q asks Tess to come and work for him. It is on her first day that all hell breaks loose and their world is not only turned upside down, but inside out. Q has one thing on his mind and that is vengeance with a capital V! He goes to the ends of the earth and back again in order to exact his revenge on those who took from him. During this time, I loved how we were able to find out more about Franco and Frederick and the influence they have on Q. They were able to pull him back from the brink on more than one occasion, thus giving us an insight to other aspects of Q's character. By the end of the book I had a greater understanding of the complexities that make up Q.
As we already know Tess is a strong minded woman. However what she has to go through this time is enough to try her strength and may be what finally breaks her. I don't really want to say much more than this because in doing so I run the risk of giving away spoilers and believe me there is so much that happens in this book that it would be so easy to inadvertently do so. What I will say is this, Tess and Q go through so much in this book that it will change them forever.
This is definitely a roller coaster ride of emotions that will have your head and heart in a spin throughout. Pepper pulls you in from page one and by the time you reach the end you realise that the lightheaded feeling is because you have been forgetting to breathe the whole time!! I honestly cannot praise this book or series high enough. As I was preparing this page and looking over the teasers and excerpts, looking at them and reading them, conjured up the feelings of the story at that time and made me want to read it all over again. There are very, very few authors who have the ability to make me want to do that and that is why I have added the name Pepper Winters to my small list of favourite authors.
My Rating
I was given the choice of a few excerpts, but this one is the one that I felt summed up the whole book for me. DD
Q moved suddenly, pushing off from the cage and striding toward the entrance of the aviary. He unlocked the deadbolt and entered the space. Birds chirped louder as Q stood in the centre of their world. He looked like a man robbed of his own wings. A fallen angel that had no place on earth and fought a daily battle to fit in.
I stepped forward. Should I say something? Comfort him? My heart twisted, needing to be there for him, but no longer able to. No matter how many kind words I spoke, Q would see I no longer lived inside.
My soul jangled with chains and locks, saving me but also ruining me. The longer I lived in my tower the more passion and connection faded.
I hated the numbing virus inside, spreading slowly, deleting all memory of who Tess had been. I was replaced with a carbon replica who would float away in the wind, robbed of her convictions and thoughts. All because I wasn’t strong enough to face what I’d done.
Q cursed under his breath, his chest pumping with emotion. “Why should I keep you when you don’t want to be here? You’re not here for me. You’re here because I lock you up. You’re my prisoners, my captives, my trophies.”
He hung his head before waving his arms. “Allez vous-en. Je ne veux plus de vous. Elle ne veut plus de plus alors ça sert à quoi, putain? ” Fly away. I no longer want you. She no longer wants me, so what's the fucking point?
The birds went crazy, darting left and right, spying freedom through the open door. They exploded through the exit and into the conservatory, weaving through plants and water features.
Wings rustled as I ducked from a small flock of robins.
“Get out!” Q yelled; the birds flurried harder. “Get far away from me.”
I stepped backward, not wanting to see Q breakdown. I wanted it to hurt—to kill me with knowledge that I’d ripped out his heart—but all I felt was emptiness.
Q looked up and froze.
His eyes locked on mine, shining with rage and blackness. I prayed for some awakening, so I could put both of us out of our misery. I wanted to bring forth all my love for him and keep hiding from my guilt. I wanted to erase the darkness, the lostness and hate from his eyes, but I was useless.
Bowing my head, I dropped my gaze.
Q cursed, exiting the aviary, humming with anger and rage. He stalked toward me, stopping so close his body heat seared my skin.
I flinched, expecting him to lash out—to grab my hair, slap me—something to wake me up.
When he didn’t touch me, I looked up. Q murmured, “So low you must think of me.”
He captured a curl, running it gently through his fingertips. “Fly away, esclave, if that is what you want. I won’t stop you.” His tone was bleak and derelict.
Rereading this, ripped me apart, all over again. DD
AMAZON | AMAZON UK | B & N | SMASHWORDS | CREATESPACE
Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero the better and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters.
Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby (who speaks French—hot!) who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She loves to hear from her readers so hit her up at pepperwinters@gmail.com
Pepper is offering up (5) eBook copies of Tears of Tess (INTL) and (2) swag packs
(INTL) up for grabs. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST 12/30/2013
More by Pepper Winters
TITLE: Tears of Tess
SERIES: Monsters in the Dark (Book 1)
AUTHOR: Pepper Winters
A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.
“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”
Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.
For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico.
Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.
But lusty paradise is shattered.
Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror. Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.
Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
AMAZON | AMAZON UK | B & N | iTUNES | SMASHWORDS | CREATESPACE
I cannot tell you how happy I was to hear that Pepper is going to treat us to more Q and Tess. Am I excited?? HELL YES!! DD
TITLE: Twisted Together
SERIES: Monsters in the Dark (Book 3)
AUTHOR: Pepper Winters
RELEASE DATE: Early 2014
“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”
Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.
And who says monsters aren't beautiful...? DD
