Aleatha Romig

Review posted at The Eclectic Review

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your thirst for revenge twists into unexpected sympathy for your enemy? If you’re nodding along, then you’re going to love the emotional rollercoaster found in Book 2 of Consequences.

After facing the torment that Tony put her through, Claire finally gets a lucky break to start anew. It’s great to see Claire grow and blossom into a confident woman who gathers a circle of friends ready to support her show more because trust me, she totally deserves happiness after everything! But here comes the plot twist: instead of clinging to her rage against Tony, she starts feeling sorry for him. Seriously, it’s as if she views him as a confused puppy that just needs love. Can you imagine? Just when you think she’s accepted that “he couldn’t, nor will he ever hurt me again!” thought, she lets her guard down. Talk about a letdown!

And then there’s Tony, creeping back into Claire’s life with his classic manipulation and blackmail. But here’s where Claire shines a bit more brightly. Through her careful negotiations, she begins to reclaim some independence from his controlling ways. Yes, Tony seems more vulnerable and “human” in this book, but honestly, that’s not enough for me. I just can’t forgive him for the monstrous things he did to Claire and the devastation he wrought on her family and friends. But then again, Claire’s toxic attachment to him adds another layer of intrigue in this saga.

Get ready for surprises galore! The storyline is packed with new and old characters, each with their own hidden motives regarding Claire’s well-being. But she’s not the only pawn in this game of manipulation. Mind-blowing secrets surface, and trust me, the questions keep piling up. Will Tony get what he truly deserves? You’ll have to wait for Book 3 to find out!

At the end of the day, we all want to believe that love or sympathy can conquer all, don’t we? If you’re a fan of romantic suspense filled with questionable characters, plenty of secrets, and unexpected twists, do yourself a favor and give this book a whirl. You won’t regret it! show less

Consequences is a very dark, painful, and complex story. It is not a romance. It's a psychological thriller with lots of twists that will leave you reeling. Sensitive topics such as rape, physical abuse, and mental abuse are not glossed over and left me feeling raw. The suspense of not knowing where this story was going completed screwed with my head. At some point I even thought this book was going to be the death of me and the reason for my lack of sleep.

Claire met Anthony at the show more restaurant where she bartends. While she worked, they flirted and teased one another. Anthony charms her into meeting him for a drink after her shift. Thinking Anthony is joking when he offers her a job with enough money to pay off her debts, she signs a little napkin that changes her life forever. A week later, she is drugged, kidnapped, violated, and taken to Anthony's beautiful home which is now her prison. She is now at his mercy until her debt is paid in full.

"He hurt her - not just physically but also emotionally - down to her core. He had humiliated and seemed to enjoy humiliating her routinely since she arrived."

Even though a relationship is eventually formed between Claire and Anthony, it never felt...right. The consensual sex scenes even felt wrong at times. And when Claire had to keep compartmentalizing things in order to stay sane, I continued to feel uneasy about the relationship. Because this relationship was strategically created by Anthony in the beginning, and no matter how much I would let my mind hope things could be different for them, I couldn't let go of the malicious and cruel things he kept doing to Claire. My fear for Claire was always close to the surface.

This story made me question my own limits. How can a story as disturbing and appalling as this one keep me compelled to keep going? It pushed my boundaries. Made me angry. And it was almost too painful to read at times. But, to be quite honest, not knowing where the story was going is what kept me glued to the pages! show less

I must say that this time around I worked things out a lot sooner and most of my assumptions proved to be true.

Nonetheless I loved this book because it was just amazing to see the pieces fall into place. I was still flabbergasted when I finished and still am over two weeks later.

This series takes mindfuck to a whole new level and I can hardly grasp how the author worked out such an elaborate puzzle with words alone and then reach such a mindblowing picture in the end.

I keep wondering if she show more has a room that's plastered with notes about the many characters, who lies when, where and how and most importantly WHY THE HELL IS ALL OF THIS HAPPENING?!?

And then while a book discussion I had somewhat of an epiphany, it all made sense! Especially the situation with Catherine since Tony is indeed a child of someone who brought Nathaniel down - Samuel was the biggest puzzle piece in bringing down Nathaniel, so why not wait till Tony has found something he truly loves and then take it from him? And meanwhile he can take care of all the other people involved. It's basically a win-win for Catherine.

I'm still not sure what shocks me more: how many pieces were needed to reach this point and that it made sense.

I probably sound like a crazy person right now, but I don't care - I loved this book and can't wait for the third one!

I have to add one more thing: I still don't like Tony, actually my feeling for him keep jumping between dislike and hate but that doesn't make me love this book any less. show less

I didn't think this series could've gotten any better than the first two books...but it just kept building to a thunderous crescendo. I realize we individuals come in all shapes, sizes and "uniqueness"...however for the life of me I cannot fathom anyone giving this third and final installment of the CONSEQUENCES TRILOGY anything less than 5✮'s. In a word, it's brutally phenomenal! Never have I been so captivated with a series since Fifty Shades of Grey...and even though this story is show more absolutely nothing like FSOG, it's still a non-interrupted, glued to your seat page turner.

He's very tall, very dark with his black hair and penetrating black/brown eyes, and very handsome....and he's deadly. He's power personified. He's severely aggressive, controlling, condescending and demanding. He can be a charming and polite gentleman when he wants to. ...he doesn't want to. Not usually anyway. He's abrasive, abusive and brutal. He's a total dominant authority in all things. He's mesmerizing, callous and commanding. He is Anthony Rawlings...and with Claire, well...he's possessive and obsessed with her. And... he's changing...Claire has become his "saving grace" and no one is more surprised than Anthony..aka: Tony, aka: Anton. She has become his absolute reason for living. He's now (in this third book)...oh so gradually...turned from a tormented & damaged empty soul whose only outlet was rage and cruelty, to an all consuming, passionate man in love with his wife. He adores her and claims her with pride. In this third installment, Tony begins to heal.

Twenty-eight year old Claire Nichols is not only smart, she's quite intelligent, cunning and she's drop dead gorgeous with her chestnut hair and deep emerald green eyes. She's strong, determined and resilient. She's brave. And above all else, she's a survivor. Initially, in book #1- The Consequences Series..... Claire is kidnapped and isolated...she must follow the rules or suffer the consequences....the repercussions. But not only does she survive...she thrives! Book #2 Truth shows us, though conflicted with her emotions.. just how strong she actually is...This third installment Convicted ...hashes out all the secrets & scandal...the rewards are worth the journey.

I loved this third installment of this trilogy...I loved how this Author gives us (the reader) a brief historical synopsis of each supporting/main character & how they all play into this fabulous plot. Genius! Doing so makes the reader even more emotionally invested. It keeps us apprised of what's happening behind the scenes as well as what leads up to the scene we're reading.

This is a story of Claires' continual fight for survival while trying to unite with Tony. It's the story a man having so much power that you control all things....ALL THINGS.....but with one person, you discover you control nothing. Tony has come full circle from the night he signed a contract on a paper napkin in a pub with Claire...a contract that gave him ownership of another person - - but what he actually acquired was her soul. And after limitless, painful, contractual disputes and labor issues...in the end...Claire's soul found residence in Tony.

This story is an amazing, long and painful journey of the power healing and renewal...but the final destination was worth it all in the end. show less