This was marketed as a beauty and the beast retelling with a darker mafia/drug lord backdrop. Instead we see a girl get kidnapped and kept in a cell with only a mattress and a toilet for weeks. Her only way out is to fully submit to the MMC in every way (including sexually, obviously) and this finally happens past the 30% mark (so we are waiting a long time for her to escape that cell).

If you like some of the darker romance genre / bdsm / sub & dom dynamics that is fine and dandy, everyone enjoys different kinks. But where this could have been a sexy willing sub/dom relationship… it just comes off as nothing more than Stockholm syndrome. If she doesn’t continue to submit and please him she gets to go back to a cell? Even though she’s portrayed as secretly being attracted to the MMC over time… that only seems to develop as she becomes more and more desperate to gain back some freedoms. I was never convinced it was genuine, only fear driven.

Overall this needed way more consent and way less imprisonment. DNF ( )

I have a love/hate relationship with series, hating that I have to wait for the next one. But this is a well-told tale of love masquerading as power , lust and fear with a mafia war backdrop. Now I am going to see if I can afford book 2. Do yourself a favour and buy the box set. You will want to read it all anyway and it's quite a saving. ( )

** spoiler alert ** If I'm completely honest, Merciless wasn't my type of book and it wasn't something I think I'll be wanting to reread again like many of the books that I have read before. When I first started to read Merciless, I had to put the book down as I was struggling to read it and I wasn't enjoying it very much. I wasn't a fan of how Carter was treating Ari at the beginning, it was really making me angry and annoyed at how he used to be with her. I wasn't able to keep reading because of it

I did pick it back up again to see if I could get into the story a little better than the first time and I am glad I have done so. I slowly started to like the story I was ready.

The feelings that Carter has for Aria, he is controlling and he is obsessed over her. It makes you feel the nerves that he gives Aria when you read about his feelings. Carter is the type of man who knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. Especially, when it comes to Aria and his men. He is protective, but in a controlling way.

Aria is scared and her feelings for Carter are more confused than love right now. She doesn't know if what she is feeling for him is true or not. She is wanting to go home, back to normality and back to what she knows, as well as getting out of the locked cell. I love the way she gets pissed at Carter when he talks to her like he is the one who will be in charge.

In the ending, Aria is finally able to take revenge for her mother and killed Stephan in front of the Cross Brothers, Romano (Who took her to Carter when she was taken). It wasn't what I expected to happen at the end, but I’m happy it did. It shows that it is what she needed to happen and it shows that Carter was willing to give her something in order to help her heal.

Because of how long it took be to get into the story, I’ll give it a 3. I do recommend this to those who love dark romance. ( )

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS.
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-15/5/18

I really enjoyed "Merciless" Willow Winters new book and while at times I did wonder about the reasons behind Carter's cold and calculated facade; and his abysmal treatment of his enemy's daughter Aria; It was not enough to bother me and turn me away from this intriguing piece of fiction.
So after having, Aria delivered for his own personal obscure reasonings.
Carter sets out to break her to his will and I'm not exactly sure why.
There a lot of mystery surrounding his internal thought process; even when we are are listening to things from his POV.
It's almost like Carter is the only one fully aware of the intricacies of his mental reasonings.
I mean locking her up in that cell with the barest of necessities does seem a trifle overkill in my opinion.

I'm also not fully sure why he wants Aria to Kneel and obey him so much; other than the obvious of course.
And there were almost times when it seemed to me that Carter believes he is actually saving her.
I can only surmise; From her family's ultimate fate.
There are some clues to a shared past as well, but mainly at this moment, everything seems to be clouded in a mist of obscurity.
I'm assuming Carter has his reasons for his heinous behaviour and we will eventually be let in on his full agenda in the next book.
Fingers crossed there.
Aria herself, well I just felt really sorry for the poor girl.
What a crock of crap shes inherited just by the accident of her birth.
The daughter shall pay for the fathers sins is a very apt observation here.
Aria has definitely gone into survival mode and has formed an unhealthy attachment to her Jailor Carter, but Carter ultimately is her heaven as well as her hell.
Her downfall but also her salvation.
And I've got to admit I'm partial to a bit of stockholmy type behaviour; its a secret weakness of mine; so I was quids in here.

"Merciless" was fast-paced and easily kept my attention.
It was dual POV and had minimal secondary characters.
Mainly just Daniel and Jace; Carters Brothers.
there was no OM or OW drama and it had just the correct balance of intimacy while still focusing heavily on its addictive storyline.
So I was rocking along nicely at a four-star rating then.
OMG!!!

That bloody finale, what a finish folks.
That ending nicely catapulted this up into a different hemisphere totally.
Making what was for me a great read into a fantastic one.
Can't say how much I adored it.
So, in conclusion, this was a really enjoyable read and I so can't wait to read the next instalment here.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of "Merciless" of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS.
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Release Date-15/5/18

I really enjoyed "Merciless" Willow Winters new book and while at times I did wonder about the reasons behind Carter's cold and calculated facade; and his abysmal treatment of his enemy's daughter Aria; It was not enough to bother me and turn me away from this intriguing piece of fiction.
So after having, Aria delivered for his own personal obscure reasonings.
Carter sets out to break her to his will and I'm not exactly sure why.
There a lot of mystery surrounding his internal thought process; even when we are are listening to things from his POV.
It's almost like Carter is the only one fully aware of the intricacies of his mental reasonings.
I mean locking her up in that cell with the barest of necessities does seem a trifle overkill in my opinion.

I'm also not fully sure why he wants Aria to Kneel and obey him so much; other than the obvious of course.
And there were almost times when it seemed to me that Carter believes he is actually saving her.
I can only surmise; From her family's ultimate fate.
There are some clues to a shared past as well, but mainly at this moment, everything seems to be clouded in a mist of obscurity.
I'm assuming Carter has his reasons for his heinous behaviour and we will eventually be let in on his full agenda in the next book.
Fingers crossed there.
Aria herself, well I just felt really sorry for the poor girl.
What a crock of crap shes inherited just by the accident of her birth.
The daughter shall pay for the fathers sins is a very apt observation here.
Aria has definitely gone into survival mode and has formed an unhealthy attachment to her Jailor Carter, but Carter ultimately is her heaven as well as her hell.
Her downfall but also her salvation.
And I've got to admit I'm partial to a bit of stockholmy type behaviour; its a secret weakness of mine; so I was quids in here.

"Merciless" was fast-paced and easily kept my attention.
It was dual POV and had minimal secondary characters.
Mainly just Daniel and Jace; Carters Brothers.
there was no OM or OW drama and it had just the correct balance of intimacy while still focusing heavily on its addictive storyline.
So I was rocking along nicely at a four-star rating then.
OMG!!!

That bloody finale, what a finish folks.
That ending nicely catapulted this up into a different hemisphere totally.
Making what was for me a great read into a fantastic one.
Can't say how much I adored it.
So, in conclusion, this was a really enjoyable read and I so can't wait to read the next instalment here.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of "Merciless" of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )