Title: Licentious
Author: Jen C ousi neau
Genre: Adult, Dark Romance, Erotica
Rating: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Amazon (US/UK/AU/CA) | Smashwords
Goodreads
***WARNING*** This book is rated for mature audiences only, due to sexual content, including violence, sexual violence, and strong language. It also contains how one person can help a human being overcome the struggles from such traumatic events.
Josephine:
I lost my life when I turned eighteen. Well, not technically. Technically, I'm still alive. My heart beats, and blood continues to pump through my veins. But my dreams destroyed my family, which ultimately, destroyed who I was.
Happiness. What is happiness? Helping others? Making sure I have a smile on my face, especially in the moments when all I want is to die? Then yes. I am happy.
Aléssandro:
I wanted to be a doctor. Instead, I had to fill my brother's role in the family business. And now? Now, I am a heartless, cold-blooded killer. Not every story has a happily ever-after. Mine vanished the day my brother was murdered. That day, who I was, died with him.
When Josephine and Aléssandro's paths collide, their fates try to intervene and save each other. But can they be saved? Will the secrets they keep and the betrayals they are faced with destroy what they share? Or does love truly conquer all?
Well it seems that Jen Cousineau is the one to pop my cherry and boy was it something ;) First off, I love the title! The book is a dark and suspenseful read with some very steamy moments. Josephine, the main protagonist, starts her story with the prologue highlighting her situation. She is very blunt and direct about the reality of her life. She doesn’t sugar coat it and it left me thinking omg, what happened! The event that triggers Joey, as her family calls her, to employ this attitude left me like this:
"But perfect for you does exist."
That just melted my heart to hear Addison say that and it gives me hope that the right one is out there :) Joey finally admits to Ale that she has feelings for him and you think yay! It's going to be okay! But she tells him that it changes nothing and Ale is infuriated. So much so that he walks out and the two stop speaking for 3 months! Just when I started losing hope that the two might not get back together, Ale's father tells him the truth:
"No one said it'd be easy, Ale. They just said it would be worth it."
*sigh* Beautiful, wise words and words to remember in life. So eventually Joey and Ale talk it out and she reveals her painful past. But there aren't just dark, emotional moments in this story. There are hot and steamy ones too! Like when Joey gives Ale permission to take charge.
"Undress me," he orders, his deep, dark eyes looking straight into mine. My hands shakily fly up to begin unbuttoning his dress shirt. As soon as the last button is cleared, my fingertips lightly graze over his cut chest, up to his strong shoulders, slipping the material down his arms, allowing it to fall to the floor. I kneel down on the floor before him and make quick work with his belt buckle. Sliding the belt slowly around his hips, and then dropping it to the ground beside me. My fingers fumble as they unsnap his pants, dropping them around his ankles. Ale steps out of them and I slide them out of the way. Looking straight ahead, his arousal is pushing tight against the fabric of his briefs, and suddenly, my mouth begins to water.
The message at the end is beautiful and heart warming. After everything Joey goes through, she finally realises why she was left behind, her purpose in living. What that is, well, you will have to read to find out :) I know! I'm mean! ;) lol. But trust me, it's worth it! It’s a darker book than I normally read but I enjoyed being taken on this rollercoaster journey that had many emotional highs and lows. I really felt Joey’s pain and had tears in my eyes several times. It is a statement to Jen’s writing and how she created depth and complexity in the characters. You really feel for them and feel their pain. And Ale and Joey *sigh* You really fall for them and want them to be happy :)
Overall, a heart-wrenchingly beautiful and haunting read that has you on the edge of your seat, anticipating what will happen next!