Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The Counsellor by Celia Aaron

In the heart of Louisiana, the most powerful people in the South live behind elegant gates, mossy trees, and pleasant masks. Once every ten years, the pretense falls away and a tournament is held to determine who will rule them. The Acquisition is a crucible for the Southern nobility, a love letter written to a time when barbarism was enshrined as law.

Now, Sinclair Vinemont is in the running to claim the prize. There is only one way to win, and he has the key to do it -- Stella Rousseau, his Acquisition. To save her father, Stella has agreed to become Sinclair's slave for one year. Though she is at the mercy of the cold, treacherous Vinemont, Stella will not go willingly into darkness.

As Sinclair and Stella battle against each other and the clock, only one thing is certain: The Acquisition always ends in blood.



 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26838277-counsellor

 
Full disclosure: This book is a dark romance with elements of slavery, violence, BDSM, and super-hot sex. It is the first of a series and ends on a cliffhanger. But lucky for you book 2 is available now.

So I'm not usually one for dark romances but this one really pulled me in. Sinclair Vinemont is the eldest of the family has been chosen to take part of the Acquisition - a type of Hunger Games for the southern social high class.  Stella Rousseau is trying to save her father from going to jail, and so she agrees to become Vinemont's slave for a year - not knowing what she has walked into... 

Sinclair has this push pull attraction to Stella. I can't say too much without giving away major parts of the story but the glimpses of Sin that you see - you feel for him at times, even though he is in all senses the villain in this story.

" I wanted to be her knight instead of her demon. I kissed her like I meant it, like I felt something more for her than ownership." - Sinclair Vinemont

Although this ends in a cliffhanger, the good news is that book 2 is already out! I really enjoyed this book. It's something different than other dark romances out there.
4 Stars

 
 BOOK 2 - Magnate

Lucius Vinemont has spirited me away to a world of sugar cane and sun. There is nothing he cannot give me on his lavish Cuban plantation. Each gift seduces me, each touch seals my fate. There is no more talk of depraved competitions or his older brother – the one who’d stolen me, claimed me, and made me feel things I never should have. Even as Lucius works to make me forget Sinclair, my thoughts stray back to him, to the dark blue eyes that haunt my sweetest dreams and bitterest nightmares. 

 Just like every dream, this one must end. Christmas will soon be here, and with it, the second trial of the Acquisition.




 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26838277-counsellor


Celia Aaron is the self-publishing pseudonym of a published romance and erotica author. She loves to write stories with hot heroes and heroines that are twisty and often dark.






1 comment:

  1. Great review, Becca! This sounds like a great read and hot, too! Glad you liked it! :)

    ReplyDelete