Consequences

Consequences #1

by Aleatha Romig

Every action has consequences.

Waking in an unfamiliar bedroom in a luxurious mansion, Claire Nichols is terrified to discover that a chance encounter led her into the cruel hands of her abductor, Anthony Rawlings. Claire has no understanding of why she's there, but it's been made abundantly clear--she is now his acquisition and every action has consequences.

Learn the rules to survive.

Facing incomprehensible circumstances, Claire must learn to survive her new reality--every aspect of her livelihood depends upon the tall, dark-eyed tycoon who is a true master of deception. Driven by unknown demons, he has no tolerance for imperfection, in any aspect of his life, including his recent acquisition. Anthony may appear to the world as a handsome, benevolent businessman, but in reality Claire knows firsthand that he's a menacing, controlling captor with very strict rules: do as you're told, public failure is not an option, and appearances are of the utmost importance.

Captivate the captor.

To fit together the pieces of the puzzle, Claire must follow his rules. Will her plan work, or will Anthony become enthralled by Claire's beauty, resilience, and determination, changing the game forever? If that happens, will either of them survive the consequences?

Nobody ever did or ever will escape the consequences of his choices.--Alfred A. Montapert

Genres: Dark, Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Thriller, Suspense

366 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2011

About the author

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana, USA. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis, USA. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her friends and family, including her beloved grandchildren.

Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than a million e-readers. Her next series, INFIDELITY (not about cheating) hit New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-seller lists. Aleatha has since released over fifty novels in multiple genres: dark romance, romantic suspense, thriller, and romantic comedy. She went back to her edge of your seat romantic suspense thrillers with her WEB SERIES trilogies, Devil’s Duet, Kingdom Come, and most recently with her suspense series, the Sin series, ready to binge.

The titles keep coming. Be sure to check out her website to stay up to date.

Aleatha is represented by Danielle Sanchez of SBR Media and PR with Wildfire Marketing.

Reviews

[C.J. Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, it took me a second to wrap my head around the purpose of this story. It is NOT erotica, NOT romance. I don't say this negatively either. I mention it because this book is often compared to mine and it perhaps isn't a fair comparison. A lot of MY scenes ARE written in such a way to be titillating. The scenes in THIS BOOK are not written to arouse the reader and are spare in the details during the sexual acts. I don't think the author's intent was titillation. I believe this story is a straight-up psychological thriller.

I've read a lot of reviews where people are angry about the story because its so brutal and not 'sexy' or 'romantic'. It's not intended to be. If you're looking for hot sex scenes and hotter alpha males, this book is not for you. I like a smexy story featuring bare chested alphas chasing down honey's just as much as the next girl, but I also don't expect all my books to be about that.

Once I accepted the fact this book was not INTENDED to make me feel tingly in my naughty bits it took on a whole new shape - one that I really enjoyed.

It's very smartly written and I really give credit to the author for taking her readers into the depths of such depravity with Tony Rawlings. As a villain, he's exceptional. He is unapologetically evil.

Claire makes a lot of stupid mistakes early on. However, I enjoyed reading about her becoming a stronger and more nimble-minded person. I believe I'll enjoy her character much more in the second book.

Round one, I'm afraid, belongs to Mr. Rawlings.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW IS NOW UP!!!!! 4.5 stars




HOLY. FREAKING. MIND FUCK.

WHAT DID I JUST READ ? ? ?

That ENDING!!! I mean … just … ummm… *speechless*

I have lost sleep. My mind has been utterly toyed with. And I still have no freaking clue how I should feel about Tony Rawlings.

To the rest of the world, Anthony Rawlings is a mega-successful self-made billionaire who donated to charity, is always perfectly presented and never puts a foot wrong. To Claire Nicols, he is her captor. Her abductor. Her tormentor. And also the man she is falling for.

This book is about a young, sweet woman, Claire, who meets a charming man, Tony, after work one day who sweet talks her into dinner and then abducts her. Just takes her straight from her life to live in decadent captivity at Rawlings mansion. There is no ‘easing’ into this story. Cut off from every part of the outside world, she is violated, raped, physically abused and loses every possible measure of control over her life. Every single thing she now does happened by the will of her captor, and by his will alone. We hate him from the start – he is cunning, cruel, manipulative and controlling.

He toys with her mind and her heart. And yet! There is more to him beneath the layers… a spark of something… genuine? Real? Humanity? Enough to make me able to ride out of the waves of the book, able to consider seeing him from another side – a less predatory side… but still… I’m not yet completely sold on his humanity. But I have high hopes for it. Truly, I don’t want him to be as evil as I think he might be.

This book perfectly captures that feeling of literally not knowing what to expect, not knowing what is coming next. Just when I was *sure* I’d found my footing and got a *feel* for the story, it just yoinked the rug RIGHT out from underneath me.

Tony. ohhhhhhhhh Tony Rawlings. *deep breath* Man? Monster? Mastermind? Predator? Hero? Broken hero? Anti-hero? Villan? I don’t know. I didn’t know the whole time I was reading and honest to goodness, I. Still. Don’t. Know. This is the crux of the mindfuck. Are his actions those of an intrinsically sadistic man? A man with a hidden purpose? A tortured hero who is *trying* to heal in the only way he knows how? Or is he maybe really just a straight-up phychopath?

Honestly, I couldn’t decide if he was creepy, deranged, clinically insane, just plain fucked up or had some bizarre highly intelligent higher purpose behind everything…. but then if he *did*, it still wouldn’t justify the horrible things he did so really… ok. I have to stop myself. Literally, I can debate that in circles nearly endlessly.

I’m still on the fence about him but I have to say that judging from the sum total of what I’ve seen to far, I do NOT love him. I’m leaning towards hate at this point, but with an open mind… I don’t know, I *sense* a spark of something else in him. I think. Or, maybe that’s just the part of me desperate to redeem the “hero” of my book? Or maybe I’m getting Stolkholm Syndrome too? God. I don’t know.

He started chillingly sadistic, cruel and creepy. It almost made it worse that he was ever polite and gentlemanly. He was abrasive, brutal, violent and often irrational. He shocked me. Disgusted me. And then… just when you were SURE that he was a deranged asshole who deserved to have his nuts slowly ripped off, he would show this tender, caring side of him that was impossible not to fall for…

“I have spent most of my life only concerned with myself. I’m truly trying even if it does not always appear so… Perhaps I’m afraid of losing you, afraid you if you truly know me you will not want to stay with me.”

He had a deep rooted obsession with control – with having it, keeping it, losing it, and maintain absolute power over everything and everyone in his life.

The more I read about him, the deeper the mindfuckyness went. The *moment* I’d come within a whisper of thinking one thing that *maybe* I had a handle on him, he’d just swing the other way. Like 180. He’d go from suave to nice to creepy and sadistic to potentially understandable to downright fucking mental.

I need to *show* you what I mean by this… here are some of my updates while reading:

31% - Could this be??? A spark of … sweet?? *hopes*

38% - The fuck???? So unfair!!! I hope he feels FUCKING GUILTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

39% - WHAT?????? SERIOUSLY?!?? Fucking rat asshole bastard fuck shit DAMN YOU TONY RAWLINGS!!!!!!!!

40% - *huffs*

41% - *grumbles* why why WHY am I actually considering forgiving him now??? What is WRONG with me???

43% - Ooooo I’m liking this insight into the real Tony…. Do I sense a whiff of actual romance perchance?? *hopes*

44% - Waaaaaaiiiiiiittt…. W H A T ? ! ???
*speechless* …. *still speechless*
Wo-hoahhhhh I did NOT see THAT coming!!! O_O

Throughout the story we get alternating POVs. Thank GOD!!!! It was just sheer relief to see that because I seriously NEEDED to get inside that man’s head. Seriously. THE FUCK WAS HE THINKING????

Clearly SOMETHING in his past made him unable to functional in a normal loving relationship and yet, in some ways, you see HIM begin to crack a little. Almost as if he has reverse Stolkholm Syndrome. Against everything he believes in, despite the fact that he captured her for HIS purposes, he does begin to soften…. ish. For a time I wondered if he wasn’t so much a cold-hearted bastard, but more of a supremely messed up individual whose need to hold complete control preceded EVERYTHING else, even his morals (if, indeed he had any). I got to a point where I no longer thought he was evil and didn’t hate him. Yes, I wanted to beat the ever loving shit out of him more than once, but I didn’t hate him.

And JUUUUUUUUST when I was thinking that, he pulled a totally all-out SLIMY, and just plain COLD move that basically just reduced me to a violently shaking wreck. I mean, the fucking NERVE on that guy. I mean REALLY????? At that point I just wanted to SLAP myself for even considering “understanding” him. To the fucking gallows with that one!!

I wavered back and forth with Claire’s character. I guess I both understood where she was coming from and yet really wished she’d fight more. But then, I could also get why she wouldn’t. I mean, I really didn’t understand some of her decisions – especially a lot of the ones surrounding their first meeting and then first outings together. I mean, she *had* an out. She had several… and yet every time I thought mayyyyyyybe she’d do something, no. She didn’t. But then again, okay, not everyone’s logic works the same way, so maybe in her mind she was doing the best/most right thing? hmmm I don’t know. What I do know is that despite sometimes wanting to shake her, really, I just felt badly for her.

“She actually thought she would walk out of this twisted nightmare. However, it wasn’t a nightmare, twisted or otherwise. It was reality. Her mind searched for a way to survive and escape.”

However, despite it being told in third person, and having some insight into Tony’s perspective, most of the story is told “through” Claire’s eyes. And you really experience things along with her. You freak out. Feel violated. Justify. Theorize. Rationalize. Try to find a way out. Until you reach a bit of a “lull”, so to speak, of *acceptance*… and juuuuust when you start to get comfortable, or at least, acclimatized… — YOINK!!

Every possible shred of her privacy is stripped away bringing everything back to HIS complete and utter control and domination of every minute facet of her life.

And everything came back to HIM. To Tony. Him. Him. Him. What he wanted. What benefited HIM. What suited him. What pleased him.

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is about appearances and consequences. How do things look to the outside world. Every action has a consequence. Some can be good. Some, very very VERY bad.

I have to give the author major props for this book though. It was clearly VERY well thought out. From the quotes at the beginning of the chapter, to the way everything tied in at the end… just amazing!

There are these little hints that are dropped throughout the book that really nailed down the “chilling” backstory behind what was going on.

This book was long. But, it had my attention from the first page straight through till the end. There were a few parts that slowed a little due to detailed descriptions and the such but the *feeling* the book gives you makes you pay attention to everything and honestly, I didn’t want to stop.

There were a few ‘lulls’ and even a point about 2/3 of the way through where I really wasn’t sure where the story was going but then as it all started to come together at the end, it really built into something I never anticipated.

At 80% the events that took place just SLAMMED right into me. I’d been teased, I’d been toyed with, I been made to theorized, but now… I KNEW. I got full. body. CHILLS. Like literally starting at my head and going down to my toes. The REALITY of the event’s implications meant just FLOORED me. Like HOLYYYYY SHIT. Here was my reaction:

WOAH FUCK WOAH FUCK WOAH FUCK
He didn’t???
He COULDN’T??? Right???
Seriously. FUUCKKKKKKKK. NONONONO.
That is just….
Too. Far.
No.
No? Right??
That didn’t happen….
RIIIIIGGHTTTT???????

O_O That’s it. I’m gonna need therapy after this. That is for fucking sure!!!!!

For all you readers who are hesitant to start this, first of all, I encourage you all to take the plunge!!! Go for it!! If it helps to know this, this book is NOT graphic. There is sex. There is violence. There is brutality. But none of it described at length. You get just enough details to fully understand the situation but not enough to leave you grossed out. Truly this is a MIND fuck. It messes with your brain. Makes you question everything you are thinking, feeling and experiencing. But it is not a graphically disturbing book. This is not a BDSM book. This is not a kink book. Its just extra-ordinarily mind-fucky.

The ending is a complete cliffhanger but don’t worry!!! Book #2 Truth is out right now and you can dive right into it when you’re done this one.

Now I *know* you guys who have read book #2 all tell me to “just wait” because I’ll fall in love with Tony. At this point I’m kinda just looking at you guys warily and wondering how are all y’all crazy people in love with this dude??? Seriously??? He’s a freaking psychopath!!!!!

Okay. *deep breaths*

I promise to reserve judgment until after Truth.

And so, there are my final comments based on the ending of Consequences.

I now need therapy.
(Ms. Romig, please expect a bill for my therapy sessions in the mail.)
Tony needs a fucking padded cell.
Claire needs a hug and then a good shake.

Ok. That is all. I’m going to dive right into Truth now because I just NEED to know more!!!

4.5 stars\
CASTING:





*****

This gif represents exactly how I feel. Its NOT a spoiler but you'll understand why I've hidden it when you see it:



*****

READING ORDER:



Review requested by author.

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Yes, I'm giving this book an extra half star because the ending was a little bit of a head trip. But wow, did I have a hard time staying awake through the majority of the middle. Stuff started to draaaaag, big time.

Fairly spoiler-free review. I will mention the kidnapping and minor plot/character points, but I think most of this is a given, considering the book summary.

Before anyone throws popcorn at me, let me clarify that I did get the concept of the story. I understood the plot and why things happened the way that they did. That was not my issue. My biggest issue was with the chapters of filler with nothing big going on. The start was interesting (although bizarre). The ending was interesting (and even more bizarre). However, I should not have to sit through 80% of a book where not a whole lot happens other than scenes which switch back and forth between threats, violence, shopping, threats, bland sex scenes, social calls, shopping, threats....yeah, you get the picture. Just because the ending of a book is one of those Holy Crap, what did I just read?!? type of deals, it does not excuse the majority of the book when not much else was going on. Walks in the woods and swims in the pool? *yawn*

I won't even go into my complaints about details not matching up, editing issues, etc. There are probably other reviews floating around Goodreads which have addressed these issues. Normally, I'd have more to say about serious character stupidity, but I was so busy trying to keep myself awake that I forgot to be frustrated at how the woman who had been kidnapped COULD HAVE ESCAPED MULTIPLE TIMES! I don't buy that Claire had fallen victim to Stockholm, and I wasn't quite buying that she could have been so afraid to be tracked down by Anthony that she wouldn't have been at least a little willing to try to leave. Didn't she have a lawyer relative who could have helped her after escape?

Don't get me wrong. I was HOPING for more to the kidnap story. I love taboo books, and have read several kidnap books which I've enjoyed. This was not really a kidnap story in the sense of getting to see inside the character's head as you go down that path of emotional gray areas where the lines start to become blurred. There was nothing that made me attach to either character in Consequences. The emotions all felt very plastic and hollow. It was as if I were reading about a couple of stick figures who were being used as placeholders for real characters.

I'm not joking. So much of the book was dedicated to fashion and name brands and how Claire was already pondering about the clothing that belonged to her right after she was kidnapped. FFS, If someone had me trapped in a house, I'd have a gazillion things going through my head. Clothing wouldn't be one of them. Not once did I ever feel like she was even FREAKING OUT over her situation. Who gets kidnapped and doesn't live in constant fear for a considerable amount of time? If Claire was afraid, we weren't really being shown this. Especially if she was being raped and beaten as much as she was.

Oh, and I hated Catherine. She defended horrific behavior. "Mr. Rawlings is a good man," my ass.

Again, I'm going back to the other kidnap books I've read which have placed me into the mind of someone who's living through this. So I get that the bigger picture of the story was about more than the initial kidnapping (won't tell you any more than that or I'll spoil it...), but we as readers still need to feel like we're dropped into what's going on. I never felt that way.

Totally Random, but the chapter header quote attributed to Bill Crosby sort of made me do a double take. I think it was supposed to be Bill Cosby? Or would it be Bing Crosby? Not that it matters because little errors like that are no biggie...it just made me smile, sort of like when I read the phrase fists of furry (instead of fury) in a book.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 'Consequences' series has to be one of my all-time favorite series. If you follow my reviews, you know that I love disturbing, dark stories that feature nearly irredeemable heroes. This is one of those stories.

I first read this book years ago and I was blown away. It is one that I find myself returning to again and again. When I can't seem to find a new book that is holding my interest, this is one of my "go-tos". It is like a little piece of reading heaven for a twisted soul like mine.

I have never loved to hate, or hated to love, a main character quite as much as Anthony Rawlings. He is fictional perfection for a lover of dark romance, like myself. Everything about him sends up red flags. He's domineering, incredibly intimidating, violent and all-around scary as hell. Yet, there is something about him that pulls you in. His charisma oozes through the pages. Even as your mind is telling you to stay far, far away from this guy, his pull is irresistible.

Although I was sometimes baffled by her decisions, Claire was also a character that I felt a strong and immediate connection to. I was absolutely engrossed in her story and consumed by her plight. She was strong in her own way. It took me a while to recognize that strength, but once I did I gained a whole new appreciation for Claire.

When I read this the first time, the anticipation and anxiety was intense. I didn't know what would happen with the turn of the page. Surprisingly, that feeling has remained in subsequent readings, even though I already know the outcome. I still get the chills EVERY TIME. That is when you know a book is incredible.

While I'm not a reader that shies away from violent, graphic content, this book is mostly free of such graphic depictions. Ms. Romig provided just enough detail to allow your imagination to run wild. You know what has transpired, but aren't ever provided a play-by-play account for many of the more disturbing acts. Even without the graphic details, this is one of the darkest stories that I've ever read and by far, one of the best.

I don't want to give too much away, in case there are dark romance readers that still haven't read this phenomenal book. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way. Little by little, the pieces will fall into place. When you reach the end, you'll be dying to get your hands on the second book.

Hands-down, this is one of my favorite series ever! I highly recommend it to any reader that enjoys a darker, twisted story. It does contain a lot of content that might be offensive to some readers that are sensitive to topics like abuse, rape, kidnapping, etc. This is not a rainbows and unicorns type of love story. It is dark, twisted and suspenseful. I loved every minute!

[Persephone's Pomegranate · Rating 1 out of 5]

To paraphrase Elrond: Consequences must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

I would gladly travel to Mount Doom to achieve this arduous yet noble feat.

You may think I'm overreacting. I assure you I'm not. I tend not to rate the books I dislike or DNF. I don't have the time or energy to waste on bad books. Heck, I don't have time to review books I like. It's not often I stumble across a book so atrocious it makes me want to turn into She-Hulk.

The first few chapters were promising. I found myself intrigued by the plot. Seduction, revenge, secrets, and drama? That's my jam. The problem is, this isn't a jam but a can of worms.

SPOILER ALERT.

Consequences, ironically written by a woman, is complete and utter trash. How did we go from Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, and Emily Brontë to this shit? A heroine who is tortured repeatedly and a man who never faces the consequences of his actions?

Claire is kidnapped, raped, beaten, and degraded. But that's ok because her abuser, Anthony, is hot and rich. He can get away with it because he's a pretty billionaire (you know what, I'm starting to think this book is more realistic than I thought). Those five-star reviewers would sing a different tune if Anthony were poor and ugly. Then again, I used to think Twilight was a literary masterpiece, so who am I to shame anyone?



Anthony (or as I like to call him, Ted Bundy Junior) is the worst character I've ever encountered in a book. He is an abusive prick who manipulates everyone around him. At one point, he beats Claire so badly that she winds up in the hospital. Does he face any consequences? Of course not. Prison is for peasants, not the elite.

Claire is a bit bland and not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I will cut her some slack because I don't believe in victim shaming.

As atrocious as the first book is, what happens in the sequels is much worse. Claire and Anthony have a HEA. I wish I were joking, but I'm not.

The heroine lives happily ever after with her abuser. She forgives the man who KIDNAPPED her, RAPED her, BEAT her, and held her CAPTIVE for months. She has a baby with him. Because why not?

I can't believe a woman wrote this book.

If you do a google search, you'll find a ton of I heart Anthony blogs, t-shirts, and mugs. Am I missing something? I guess I'm not the target audience for this book.

This book was featured on Goodreads lists such as Most Possessive Romantic Men, Swoon-Worthy Men, and Smut For The Smart. SMUT FOR THE SMART?? In the words of Cher Horowitz, AS IF.

[Remittance Girl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no problem with erotic stories containing non-consensual sex. I'm not a hypocrite; I've written one. I have written erotic fiction for over 10 years. I have argued against conservatives, against literary critics, against certain streams of feminism for the legitimacy of womens' rights to carve their erotic fantasies out of a horrifically patriarchal past. I have argued that we cannot suddenly purge ourselves of the semiotic language of sexual power dynamics and that they will inform the darkest corners of our erotic psyches for many decades to come.

I have embarked on a doctorate to argue for the intellectual and social value of transgressive erotic fiction. I entered into it to champion the genre I write in; to challenge the assumption that the genre is all badly written pseudo-porn for women with no redeeming artistic value and offering no reflection of ourselves or the society we live in.

But this book has made me question what the hell I'm doing. It's not just the book itself, but the incredible success its had, the thousands of great reviews it's received, its 4+ star rating on this platform.

This must be the most fundamentally amoral piece of erotic fiction I've ever read. Far worse, far more fundamentally corrupt than anything Sade ever wrote. What it lacks in explicitness of sex it makes up for with explicitness of product placement. There is page after page of the protagonist name-dropping brand names like they're genital body parts. This isn't erotica. It's consumption porn.

In 1991, Brett Easton Ellis wrote American Psycho. It portrayed a man absent of all empathy, obsessed with the conspicuous consumption of branded products. Ellis used his constant mentioning of brand names as a way to illustrate his psychopathy. In "Consequences", the main character suffers from the same affliction. The difference is that Ellis expected his readers to find his main character terrifying and obscene. Romig presents her protagonist as someone we can relate to.

What does it say about us that so many readers can find a woman who allows herself to go on being raped in exchange for a free wardrobe and cosmetics? What does it say that clearly, thousands of women fantasize about it, masturbate over it? I'm not sure.

But I can't keep your company. I am ashamed that I write in the same genre as this. I'm thinking I need to get out of it. I don't want to play a part in feeding whatever this appetite for agency-less women, consumer-fetishism, and vacuous writing.

I have never written a review like this before. This book, I think, struck me so hard because of what I've written in the past. So, what you have here is a portrait of an erotica writer whose completely lost her shit.

[Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dedicate this review to Tony and Claire...



Firstly Tony...

There are no words to describe how I feel right now!!!


I had plans for you!!!

But you had to go and fcuk it up!!!



And to Claire...
[image error]

I sincerely hope this won't be a problem again!!! Cuz I like you skank! But next time you need to listen when I say run!!!

Dear Author... Please tell me this is true!!!


And finally to anyone planning on reading this series...

This book messed me up, I mean all I could think about was Tony!!!

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow my rules: do as you are told, do not divulge personal information, actions have consequences, appearances are of vital importance, and public failure is not an option.

OK, so I know it’s a well-worn, much overused reviewer’s cliché but I’m going to have to say it – THIS BOOK OWNED ME! I really did abandon all my responsibilities, including sleeping, as this book consumed me from the very second I started right through to finishing it in the wee small hours when I had to be up at 6am for work! It’s actually quite long, and the days that I was with this book, it was never far from my thoughts. It’s such a roller-coaster and I read with a kind of fascinated horror. It’s mind-melding – Aleatha Romig has you steadily going in one direction when, all of a sudden, she just rips the rug out from under and you’re left wondering why you feel like you just got hit by a train!

I have to say that I’ve seen a lot of readers on the web saying that they’re afraid to read this book because of the themes of abduction, rape and and brutality but I’d just like to allay some of those fears. Yes, this book is about an abduction and Claire, our heroine, is raped but this is not at all gratuitous and nor is it graphically described. As a reader, you know that it has happened and also you know when it is about to happen but it’s left for us to fill in those gaps. It’s tastefully done.

So, we have Claire Nicholls, a debt-ridden graduate meteorologist who was working in a bar after losing her weather job on a local TV station when, one night, an incredibly handsome customer asks her to have a drink with him and she agrees. They talk about her losing her job and she pretends to sign a bar napkin as a joke about a potential contract. This is a fatal mistake and Claire should really be afraid of the evil lurking behind the smiling Adonis but she’s blinded by his looks and lust and she and Tony Rawlings, our ‘hero’, share a night of passion.

Next time she awakens, she’s been abucted and locked away in Tony’s plush mansion in another state and is kept as his slave supposedly bound by the contract she has signed on that bar napkin to do as he pleases until he has paid off all her debt. Tony has taken everything from her – her liberty, her family, her friends, her wordly possessions and rules her with tyranny and fear. He’s the worst kind of abuser – he’s handsome, cruel, sadistic, manipulative and controlling and he rewards her by the very slow and gradual return of some of the things he has deprived her of. Her life is ruled by consequences, glitches, keeping up appearance and, above all, following Tony’s rules. Any variation from these rules is considered to be a glitch and the consequences for these are swift and brutal.

To go any further into the plot would be to spoil it but I urge you to read it – it did for me, what so many books fail to do, it completely surprised me. There were a few things and one major plot twist that I could never have anticipated and absolutely shocked me – hence the reading well into the ‘oh dark hundred hours’!! I really thought I knew where things were headed – I was absolutely wrong. This book really does offer something a little bit different than anything else out there right now.

Tony‘s behaviour is possibly rather like how Christian Gray may have been if he hadn’t been portrayed as a romantic hero. He’s controlling, dominant, sadistic but he can also be chivalrous and romantic. There were times when I felt I could come to love him the way I did Caleb in the Dark Duet, times when I really wanted to understand the man beneath the monster and then, at others, I hated him with a passion. He's a patient and calculating man and he definitely believes in playing the long game.

Claire is absolutely a victim – none of this is of her making and she definitely begins to develop a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome as she learns to compartmentalize, a skill that will serve her well during her time with Tony. She attempts to find small pleasures and block out the horror and think only of one thing at a time as she tries to be happy in her stifling, boring, gilded cage but she is losing herself, her personality is disappearing and she lives only to keep Tony happy and to avoid glitches. The world of independent choice is a lifetime away and fading into the distance.

This book is completely dynamic, it’s taut and compelling and I read with hope and despair, often on the same page. It’s so engrossing that I just couldn’t put it down and it constantly surprised me. It would be possible to finish the story after the sinister last few pages and leave it there as there’s no cliffhanger but we all know that this is only Act One and that we have a long road still left to travel.

I can categorically state that I HATE Tony Rawlings right now and I could not possibly ever imagine ever finding a glimmer of affection for him but Aleatha Romig is a devilishly clever writer and you can never be sure what she’s going to twist your imagination into thinking next. This is HIGHLY recommended – it’s not dark erotica as it’s not told as erotic fiction but it’s dark and twisted and incredibly captivating.

It was my absolute pleasure to buddy read this with the lovely (¯`·..·♥Anna♥·..·´¯) - we had a blast!


5 dark and captivating stars




For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews


Review copy courtesy of Aleatha Romig

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

FREE on Amazon US today (3/16/2016)

OMG!

BLURB:
Every action has consequences.

Waking in an unfamiliar bedroom in a luxurious mansion, Claire Nichols is terrified to discover that a chance encounter led her into the cruel hands of her abductor, Anthony Rawlings.
Learn the rules to survive.

Facing incomprehensible circumstances, Claire must learn to survive her new reality--every aspect of her livelihood depends upon the tall, dark-eyed tycoon who is a true master of deception. Driven by unknown demons, he has no tolerance for imperfection, in any aspect of his life, including his recent acquisition. Anthony may appear to the world as a handsome, benevolent businessman, but in reality Claire knows firsthand that he's a menacing, controlling captor with very strict rules: do as you're told, public failure is not an option, and appearances are of the utmost importance.

Captivate the captor.

To fit together the pieces of the puzzle, Claire must follow his rules. Will her plan work, or will Anthony become enthralled by Claire's beauty, resilience, and determination, changing the game forever? If that happens, will either of them survive the consequences?

http://www.amazon.com/Consequences-Bo...


FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 500 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I had to …

my thoughts before writing this review.

'Good morning, Claire.'

Was not sure what to expect with this one. I was on a high and on a low throughout the read.

“What is love? Love is when one person knows all of your secrets, deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets of which no one else in the world knows. And yet in the end, that one person does not think any less of you.”

I am not going to say too much in my review as I think folks are better off just going straight in not knowing too much. I went in without reading reviews. It is dark, it is scary, it is not romantic, well most of it is not romantic.

She put her arms around his waist and looked up at his face. “I did? What did I take?”
He bent down to kiss her. She stood to meet
him halfway. His lips softly touched her lips and her neck as his hands became tangled in her hair.
“I believe it was my heart.”

Most of the time I was thinking ….


I nearly gave up about halfway through but persevered thanks to encouragement from friends. Still not Team Tony – how can he redeem himself?


When I got to the end I was exhausted…..

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I definitely did not see THAT ending coming. A nice opener for Book 2.

[Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* · Rating 1 out of 5]

May is the month of Buddy-reads!! With no prior knowledge of this book, other than it is free on Kobo, I decided to join my girlies, Nenia, Kat & Heather for this one.

Start Date: May 18, 2015



1 Star

Review to come.... after:



Review, of a sort: (I am not wasting much bloody time on this one, guys. You can see by that one star I HATED it and there are several detailed reviews - Kat's and Heather's to name two - explaining in detail the reasons why. Instead I give you this.)

How to become a victim of your own stupidity

by Claire Nichols*

1) Completely IGNORE all controlling and predatory behaviour upon meeting someone (these traits are definitely not concerning, money and fine clothes however are worth noting).

2) When you find yourself in a situation not to your liking (eg: rape, captivity or physical assault) one should NEVER search out weapons or manners in which to escape, that would just be disrespectful.

3) Always apologize to your abuser and his/her staff or other personnel within the home prison you find yourself in. Anything else is just tacky. Extra points: if you regularly compliment the home, attire and services foisted upon you without your consent.

4) When paraded around like a fucking doll, you must remember NEVER to cause a fuss which might lead to your escape and the capture of your captor and rapist.

5) Make sure that you LIE whenever given the opportunity to tell your side of things (better yet DEFER to your captor, as he knows the best way to escape such situations smoothly).


6) NEVER question orders. ALWAYS follow the rules. And DEFINITELY marry your captor and expect his behaviour to change (this is VERY important)

This book made me rage more than I believed humanly possible. I will not be reading the sequel (and I will likely never pick up another book by Romig). I WILL be drowning my sorrows at having ever STARTED this book in several bottles of wine tonight.



How To Recognize if You are In a Potentially Abusive Relationship

* this is not actually included in the book, and certainly isn't written by Claire (as she is a character, not a live person) or the author whom the character was created by.

[Clumsy Storyteller · Rating 5 out of 5]

i always get back to this series and re-read it.

5 amazing mindblowing hearbreaking stars! my review would never do this book justice, This book is AMAZINGLY AWESOME! honestly. i'm at loss of words , That was unexpected turn of events !

Nothing is more common on earth than to deceive and be deceived.
—Johann G. Seume

Claire Nichols had a debt of $215,000.”, credit card ,a car , appartement , college loans ! Until she met him at a bar ! He knew everything about her and thats where i got confused he watched her for almost 6 months he was stalking her and one day he decieded it was time to take actions , he fooled her to sign a napkin he told her it was a job offer she was too drunk to realize what she just did ! Little she know ! He payed her debt and she had to work for him, he used her for his own pleasure , brutally tortured her she hated him , everything about him made her sick, sometimes he could be a really nice gentelman and a perfect lover who made her feel special and loved and she wanted nothing but to be with him and other times he was a her worst nighmare a monster who torrmented her and all what she wanted is to flee away from him

I have love/hate relationship with this book , i hated Tony at first for being a real asshole , he could be really gentle and sweet and sometimes brutal and heartless and violent ! i hated that he was a wealthy man therefor paparazzi were evrywhere so claire needed to be careful who she was seeing with or talking to « public failure are not an option » To be honest i really hate Tony ! I mean he is really a dick i tried to find light in all his darkness but there was none , the scene /lines in which He Beat Her So Badly broke my heart into a thousand pieces and made me cry for her that was really horrible to read , she had head injuries and broken ribs i wish she told the doctor she was being abused but she made a smart decision of not saying anything, she knew Tony very well Despite everything he did claire couldn’t tell anyone about him ! Was it fear ? Love ? do you think even the worst person can change...? that everyone can be a good person, if they just try? After doing what he was good at doing which is being a real jerk ! What better way to confuse readers more than a marriage proposal !! and then crazy plot twists began to show up and we are looking at Criminal charge, attempted murder of Tony. Criminal penalty is 7 years for claire ! i was like WTF ? It was revenge ! For his family he did what he did because of the two agents Jonathon Burkes and Sherman Nichols that betrayed his grandfather , now everything makes sense ! ,,, ohh poor next victim :/

Two and a half years ago, she had one goal—survival. Now she
had a new one: Mr. Anthony Rawlings will learn that his actions have consequences. Claire contemplated her actions. She had received the rare
opportunity to know him. With that knowledge, she had four to seven years to plan his demise.

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

ME , AFTER READING THIS BOOK :



THIS BOOK IS JUST PHENOMENAL !!!!!!!

I JUST WANT TO CRY RIGHT NOW ... IN A DARK CORNER ... WHERE NO ONE CAN SEE ME ... I .... I ......



Edit : 16/Oct/2012

The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool ~ Stephen King

Its very rare that I come across books that leave me speechless and make me want to talk endlessly at the same time ! And I can safely add that THIS is one of those books . What a story ... !! There are so many things running in and out of my mind that I cant even think straight !!

Imagine you woke up one day , on a bed that isn't yours . In a room that isn't yours . To make matters worse , you cant remember a thing about reaching there on your own . You are naked , bruised and hurt . Your memories of the previous night are foggy but something tells you that it has been one of the worst nights of your life ... And then slowly when that fog covering up your memories start to rise , you remember meeting a man who seemed friendly , caring and really handsome . You remember going out with that man , enjoying your time with him at his hotel but then .... then what .... whats next ... ?? Funny is the fact that this is not even the hotel room you were in ... this is somewhere else ... somewhere you don't know ... And then you remember that man raping you , making you do things against your wishes ... talking about some stupid rules ... What would you do then ? What if he tells you that all your issues would be taken care off if you offer to give yourself to him whenever he needs you to sate his desires ?? Sounds complicated right ? Well if that's complicated I dont even know what to call it when more of the whole situation is revealed !!! Which I'm not going to do .. Its something you would have to do on your own .

Before I move on with this review , there's something I want to do . I believe Aleatha Roming definitely deserves this :



Woman , you have won my heart with this exceptional and 'out of the box' kind of a story !!! BRAVADO !!!

If there's one song that I can associate this story with , then its Butterfly Caught by Massive Attack . This song is one of my fav's by them and it speaks about lost innocence . It talks about losing the freedom to be yourself and being someone you are not . Plus its gives out this really eerie effect that I absolutely love and is perfect for this book . Somehow my mind picture's Claire's struggles from the beginning to the end .

I'm not going to repeat the blurb again because it pretty much gives out a shady picture of what you are going to get into ... not really .. but its enough to pique your interest . Honestly speaking , when I first read that blurb I was all like , " Meh , another Stockholm Syndrome story , another ' I'm a billionaire alpha
male and you'll do as I say or else ... story ' nothing seems different . " If I could bitch slap myself right now , I'd do it ..
This is definitely not one of those stories that we've already read . This is definitely not one of those where the outcome of the various events that unfold is predictable . Its not one of those stories where the twists and turns follow in the anticipated manner . But its one of those stories that's going to make you feel gutted every waking moment . Its one of those stories that will choke you up with emotions of helplessness .. Where the lines between right and wrong will always seem blurred . where questions that you will find yourself asking will not yield you the answers you need or want ... Ah , just thinking about it gives me the whole creepy feeling again

This book is what it is because of two main characters . Claire , the female lead of this book has to be one of the most emotionally charged characters I've ever read about . Her determination , courage and resolution to survive under those hostile conditions had me crying and also cheering ! Pretty fucked up if you ask me !!! The torture , both physical and mental , that she had to endure kept tugging at my heart strings . I found myself supporting things I wouldn't support under normal circumstances just to make sure that she wouldn't get herself harmed in any possible ways . Then there is Anthony Rawlings . I've never hated any male lead character before so this came as a total shock to me . My hatred to his arrogance , ignorance and cockiness knew no bounds . He is the most selfish , egotistical , self centered , sadistic character ever ! His unpredictability were giving me emotional whiplashes ! It made me think of what I would do If I ever ended up with someone like him ! I'd go looney for sure and end up at a mental asylum !
But then last night something strange happened . I questioned Anthony's behavior. His ethics and morals . The answer was simple . But then I found myself asking is that answer enough for justifying his acts .. Maybe , maybe not . I'm still in a dilemma over that one .
I'm still questioning my dislike towards him .. Maybe I'm not being fair .... But the things he did .... bad , hurtful things ... I .... Arghhhhhhhhhhh , I need to calm down ..



Seriously just read the book , you'll know what I'm talking about !!!!

I have just one single , tiny complain .. Since this book has been tagged as an 'Erotica' and 'BDSM' novel , I would have loved if some of the scenes could have been a bit more descriptive or graphic . Yes , I know it seems that the masochist in me is over the moon right now . And is talking in a weird state of mind . But I just feel that , the connection that the reader makes with Claire , reading about her experiences could have been a lot more stronger . Not that it wasn't . I could connect with her pain and angst on being held as a prisoner . I could feel her anger on denial of freedom . On being treated as whore at times . I could feel her happiness shadowed by the feeling of dread . Still , I felt a little description would just amplify the emotions that roll off of this book .

To sum it all up , Consequences is a very well and intelligently written , thought provoking debut by Aleatha Roming that is going to take its readers for a brain boggling , gut wrenching roller coaster ride , through unexpected twists and turns and end with a cliff hanger so crazy that will leave the readers emotionally drained but still wanting more .
I cant wait to read book 2 , TRUTH and see whats in store for Claire , Anthony and the others !!!

[Brittni · Rating 5 out of 5]

WTH!!!! I WASN’T EXPECTING THAT ENDING!!!!



The last 10 percent of this book deserved the 5 stars. It was just so shocking and crazy. While reading this book, all I wanted to do was throw my kindle at the wall because I was so freaking frustrated.


This book was so good!! It’s a dark, intense, twisted, emotional mind fuck kind of story. I thought I had the ending figured out and then BAM!!! something totally different happens.

MIND BLOWN!!!!




At first, I felt really bad for Claire because she was thrown into this horrible situation against her will. She is physically and emotional abused by Anthony the whole time they were together. As the story progressed, I started to get really angry and frustrated with her. She had a lot of opportunities to run far away from Anthony, but she chose to stay with him and keep taking the abuse. I just felt like she was so weak at least try to fight back in some kind of way. So it’s really hard for me to feel sorry for her now.


I hate Anthony with a passion!!! He is a sick sadistic bastard who needs serious psychological help. The whole time I was reading about Anthony, all I could think about was Jack Nicholson in The Shinning breaking down that door lol




I just wish Claire would’ve left him in the forest to freeze to death or chopped off his balls for all the torture she endured. At least, she can say it was worth it in a way if she got some kind of revenge against him especially for that ending. Overall, Great Book!! Definitely a must read!!


Favorite Quotes

"Survival is not so much about the body, but rather is about the triumph of the human spirit."

"What is love? Love is when one person knows all of your secrets, your deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets of which no one else in the world knows. And yet in the end, that one person does not think any less of you."

"The worst thing you can do for love is deny it; so when you find that special someone, don't let anyone or anything get in your way."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of youself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out."

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 1 out of 5]

Story Review:
So, this is the third attempt for me trying to review this book. My first review, while probably entertaining was more of me coming off extreme emotions and I just spewed my hate. For me, it was a brutal review and I don't really like leaving reviews like that. So later I changed it to a "it's not for me" review and that isn't exactly helpful either. So now that it's been a year and I can calmly review this book, I'm going to give it a go.

First, I have to give props to the author because while I really did hate this book by the time I finished it, it also held me captive. The fact that it brought so much emotion out of me does show that the writing was superb. I'm not rating this book for the excellent writing and how she made me feel extreme emotions. If I was, this would be 5 stars all the way.

The reason I am giving this a 1 star is because nothing about this first book was a romance book. Seriously. NO ROMANCE WHATSOEVER IN BOOK ONE. I knew it was going to be angsty, I had been warned but I thought there was a light at the end of the tunnel. There was no light people! None. Ok, so maybe my emotions are still very strong. It just felt like the worst betrayal to pick up a romance book and get this.

The other part that left me feeling cheated is more of a me thing and while it is a me thing it's still why I felt so strongly about this book. I'm a big fan of the possessive, jealous, stalkery heroes. I was told by many of like minded people that this was what I was getting in Anthony. What I wasn't expecting was the real life horror version of that type of man. You know, the one you would call the police on? Tony was pure evil.

I'm still very baffled how after everything he did to Claire in book one, how he can come back from that. Readers are saying he does it later in the series but I just can't see it. Sadly, I bought the book set a long time ago because of all the glowing reviews from those like minded readers and now I'm stuck with it.

I've been told that the readers who went into this book knowing there was no romance and was expecting that thriller/mystery/horror aspect of the story was blown away and loved it. So that's my warning to anyone who reads this review.

I did stop half way in this book and with some encouragement from others, I tried to view it as a non romance but I think it was too late at that point. Yes, I was blown away by that ending, but that part of me expecting to see even the smallest change in Tony by the end was left feeling angry. As much as I love those strong manly, men who are extremely alpha, I can't stand it when that same man treats a woman the way Tony did Claire.

I should say that I'll give this a re-read far, far into the future to see if I still feel the same way, but why lie. I don't expect to ever touch book 1 again.

Narrator Review: The only complaint I have about the narrator is her voice sounded like an older woman to me. Claire in in her 20's and it just didn't match up. The more you listen, the more you get used to her voice and I could pretty much let that go. Otherwise, she did an excellent job.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Life is not what it's supposed to be. It's what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference." ~ Virginia Satir

Two words to describe this book?

Hmm... Let me think...

Oh, who am I kidding... Obviously, my response would be:

First of all, let me just say Consequences was an INSANE, INTENSE and INTRIGUING roller coaster ride AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!!! My emotions were pretty much all over the place while I was reading it. They went from rage to disbelief to shock to confusion to anything in between. So for those who are planning on reading it, I advice you to be prepared for the emotional and psychological consequences of reading a novel like the one the amazing author Aleatha Romig has written.


This book will leave you speechless and emotionally drained by the time you finish it. Still, I would recommend everyone to read this MIND-BOGGLING story because it is unlike any other book you'll ever read!!!

~

"The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool." ~ Stephen King

The story of Consequences starts when Claire Nichols, a young, independent waitress from Atlanta, meets the enticing and attractive business man Anthony Rawlings at the bar where she works. At first sight Anthony seems like the perfect gentleman; he is kind, attentative and extremely well-mannered. He even offers Claire to help her find a more suitable job.

Five days later Claire wakes up alone in a dark suite somewhere in an isolated mansion that belongs to no one other than Mr. Anthony Rawlings. There, Claire will be held captive as long as Anthony Rawlings sees fit. And now, she is surrendered to the whims of a very cruel, sadistic, controlling and manipulative man.

"Good morning, Anthony," she said with more determination than she'd been able to muster last evening. "I want you to know I have decided to go home. I will be leaving here today."

"Do you not like your accomodations?" Anthony's black eyes shone as his smile widened. "I do not believe you will be leaving so soon."

What Anthony wants is for Claire to understand that every action has a consequence. This consequence can be positive or it can be negative. And it is up to Anthony to decide which consequence will follow to every action she makes

"It is not the circumstances that make a person a success. It is how that person responds to those circumstances."

The rules Claire has to follow are simple;

Number one, do as you are told, do not divulge personal information, actions have consequences, appearances are of vital importance, and public failure is not an option.

As long as Claire follows these rules; there will be no negative consequences. The problem is, these rules are not easy to follow. What Claire has to go through is hell for every sane person and that is why she has to suffer through some very nasty negative consequences during her stay at the Rawlings Mansion.

Claire's only person to turn to in this "haunted mansion" is Catherine, Anthony's main housekeeper. She knows about Anthony's troubled personality and about the way he treats Claire, still she keeps on defending him at all times.

Catherine's voice held no judgment for either Claire or Anthony, instead a means of understanding, as if that could be possible from Claire. "I have known Mr. Rawlings for a long time. Did anything happen last night that he did not want to happen?"

Claire shook her head no. "Everything that happened he wanted to happen."

"Then there's no need for you to be embarrassed. It is when you do something that he doesn't want you to do. That is when you do not want to face Mr. Rawlings."

I often wished Catherine would just stand up for Claire and help her escape, but to her loyalty to her boss is what mattered most. And after all, she did try her best to make Claire's stay as "pleasant" as possible.


I have to admit Claire did annoy me sometimes as well. It was like she just accepted that life was no longer in her hands and that she was at peace with it. She had numerous occasions where she could have escaped, or tell anyone of her situation but still, she chose to stay and suffer the consequences of that decision. On the other hand, I do somehow understand that Claire probably hoped Anthony wasn't such a bad guy after all. Granted, he could be very enchanting when he wanted to be and when he was in a good mood he really did seem to care about Claire.

"I know I'm here because you own me and my debt. Sometimes I feel that way, but other times you make me feel special. I don't know any more if you're using me or if you care about me. I know what I hope."

"I"ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

The ending of the book was a real shock to me, but a positive one and it made me definitely want to read the second part of the story Truth as well. Hopefully, in this book Anthony will finally learn that Claire's actions aren't the only ones that have consequences but that his actions have consequences too... Because when everything has been taken away from you -

"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for it's prime function of looking - forward." ~ Margaret Fairless Barber

~

To end, this is a song that to me perfectly fits the story and the mood that I got from it: ♫ Little Dragon - Twice ♫

[I ♥ Bookie Nookie (bookienookiereviews.blogspot.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This Review was updated June 2013*

STOP THE MADNESS!!!

I get giddy just thinking about the level of excitement and frustration I felt when I first read CONSEQUENCES. I was a little crazed by the "not knowing" what was going to happen next, but that is half the fun, right? I struggled with wanting to strangle and hug Aleatha Romig for creating a story that elicited such powerful emotions in me. I was one of the first people to review this book on Goodreads and according to the author, Aleatha Romig, I was the first blogger to ever post a review - WOW! I have got to say, she writes a damn good story!

If you have not read CONSEQUENCES, then congratulations! You have the pleasure of looking forward to beginning this insane roller coaster of a trilogy. I am jealous! You have a whole boat load of mystery, intrigue and sexy thrills ahead of you. LUCKY YOU! You don't have to wait for the second installment, because it is already out and the third and final book in the trilogy is due out somewhere in the September-ish (2013) time frame...

First of all, I feel the need to disclose that CONSEQUENCES is not a fun and fluffy book – entertaining, mysterious, scary and frustrating – yes, yes, yes and yes! NOT a story of goodness and light. Of-course, parts of the book are fun and sexy, but there is always a sinister undertone lurking in the background.

Brutalized and kidnapped by a handsome and wealthy psycho, Claire struggles with a wide range of emotions over a period of 2 years while being held captive - trapped in beautifully exquisite surroundings but a horrifically terrifying life.

As the book’s blurb says, it really does “unfold like a movie.” In fact, SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY came to mind a lot. Reading CONSEQUENCES was like being on an emotional rollercoaster and I am still reeling. I was constantly conflicted. The emotional and physical abuse Claire endured was painful to read – I was screaming at her to get a freaking grip and get the hell out! Then, at other times, I was really rooting for Anthony and Claire to make it as a couple. As I was reading, I tried to distance myself from the contents on the pages, but ultimately, the bold imagery forced me to internalize the emotion of the abused heroine – this must be similar to the feelings abused women go through. The emotions of despair and anxiety at having to constantly walk on eggshells in fear of upsetting the sensitive balance between loving elation and angry outbursts. It was exhausting.

I love it when the author throws the reader a curve ball and that is exactly what Aleatha Romig does in CONSEQUENCES. I was certain I knew what was going to happen then she totally yanked the rug right out from under me, knocking me on my ass and leaving me totally stunned.

Just as I teetered on the narrow ledge between sanity and insanity, I was saved by the release of the second book in the Consequences Trilogy. Trust me when I say Aleatha really knows how to keep her readers on their toes!

Looking for a psychological thriller? Then you have found it! It’s a good one! CONSEQUENCES is definitely a book you have to read. I hope it evokes the same crazy emotions in you that it did in me and I hope you love it as much as I did!


**Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews


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[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I'm still questioning my sanity after reading this stars

She made a decision, and that decision would have consequences.



How do I even begin to review this book? What a dark, torturous, crazy, fucked up ride! I'm not sure I'm right in the head after finishing it. I'm not sure I'm right in the head for even starting it? I couldn't put it down. I looked like one of those crazy people that talked to themselves through the whole thing. I must have been yelling and swearing in 5 different languages throughout the entire thing.

I was going to rate it differently, but after sleeping on it, I decided to go with a slightly higher rating. Why? Because I choose to rate this book as a psychological thriller. And as that...it was fucking fantastic! For those that are reading the labels and expecting an erotic romance or even a romance...well you're in for one hell of a surprise...when you don't fucking get it! How this got labeled is an erotic romance is really just beyond me. I will not give you a full review, because there is NO WAY to review this without revealing spoilers. So let me try to sum this up as best as I can without the multitude of book notes and highlights I made. Just straight, fucked up feelings.


TONY

"Good morning, Claire"


AHHH! You sadistic, fucked up, fucking asshole! I hate you! I hate you so much! How the fuck are people Team fucking Tony? HOW?! I'm Team Tony Should Have an Unfortunate Accident. Period. But I digress.

Let me take you on my Consequences experience

20% in


35%


45% in



50-80%-ish


80%


The ending?


Any questions??
Oh you DO have some?



The only reason I took off stars is I had to majorly skim many parts due to extremely lengthy and unnecessary descriptions of clothing brands, trips, things that weren't too pertinent to the story. It just got way too wordy and lengthy and I found my interest waning in those parts.

This book fucked me up! I will never be the same. I may need intense vodka therapy after finishing it. I'm questioning my sanity for reading it. But what a ride! I'm really hoping for some answers in Truth...but somehow I'm doubting I'd get them...or even like the answers I get. Oh well. I'm off to cleanse my brain and read Truth.

And I thank you



For more reviews visit: Dirty Girl Romance Book Blog

[Vina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book because it had been compared to The Dark Duet Series by C.J. Roberts , which is one of my fav series of the year.
It was NOT at all like it.



Most people smack a big 5 stars on this book because it is a bloody mindfuck. I'll be the first to acknowledge that the best part of this book was the the last 15%. I didn't see it coming, it blew my mind. However that last bit didn't want a jump from a 1 star book to a 5 star book. The ending really only gave it another 2 star.



This book is bloody boring. It's a 500 page book and about 400-450 pages are tediously boring. I have alot of books on my TBR, alot of possibly incredible books so I seriously can't give a book 5 stars when I wasted a whole day reading stupid tedious shit. The majority of the book is made up of shopping, travelling, walks in the woods, picnics by the lake, some sex, sitting in his office watching him work, having arguments about communicating etc and it all gets a bit old. Actually it gets more than a little old, it was like watching paint dry; it was that boring.

Don't even get me started on claire. stupid dumb ass bitch. he gave you a choice of FREEDOM, but you go MARRY him. We are told that Claire is strong. It's helpful that we're actually told this straight out, because there is no evidence in her actions that this is the case. She wakes up imprisoned, raped and beaten, yet makes minimal effort to escape. She stays in an abusive situation because she is "in love" with her abuser. Sure, abused women do often end up staying with their abusers due to the gradual eroding of the self-confidence and the belief that they are totally dependent upon them. Unfortunately Claire seems to start off this way. I wouldn't have objected if it had been a more gradual process. In short, she is a spineless, brainless wimp. I gritted my teeth through the whole first 95% of the book.



As for Anthony, he is simply abusive. This isn't BDSM, a master training a submissive sort of stuff. This is straight out abuse. He beats her so badly that he puts her in a coma for 2 weeks. Afterwards, he constantly reminds her of her "accident" and that he can only promise it won't happen again as long as she doesn't make another mistake and "forget" his rules.The guy is sick.

The book is very long and at times boring and repetitive. I couldn't see where the author was going until almost the end.
Still I will go on with this series , and to be honest I can't wait for Truth .Because now the story really got interesting. I can't wait for the new Claire, I can't wait for the real Anthony, and most of all I can't wait to see what will happen.

[Blue Bates · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I just ask this real quick: Does everyone who rated this book highly have Stockholm Syndrome?

This is the worst book I've ever read.

This man - no that's not a good description of him - this PIECE OF SHIT - beats the crap out of this girl, continually rapes her, and then not only completely ruins her life, but her family and friends lives as well.

And all you reviewers are like "Go Team Tony!" *gush* *gush* *drool* *drool*

That was the major issue of the book. Some minor issues included: extremely long boring monologues and descriptions of trips that had no impact to the major plot of the story, and completely unrealistic situations and character reactions.

I just hated this book, I hate the idea of the next book, I hate this author now. I hate the time I wasted on this book, I hate that I spent money on this book.

Get my point? I hated this book.

I hope I spoiled this book for everyone so they know not to read it.

[Dd · Rating 5 out of 5]

CONSEQUENCE (noun)-A result or effect of an action or condition.


Warning for would-be-readers--This is not a ROMANCE.

Then what is this?

A pschycological thriller with mind-games?

A mind-boggling puzzle?

Or shall I simply go with the others and call this a MIND F*UCK?

"The fade into conciousness happens slowly..."

(And thus the game begins!)

Claire fades into conciousness.She can feel the warmth of soft sheets and a thick comforter against her skin.
And there is something nagging at the back of her mind.Something urging her to return to consciousness...

"How did this happen?How did I get here?Why am I here?And most crucially,how can I get out?"

***Claire Nichols is 26-year-old,born and brought up in Fishers.Her parents died in her junior year in a tragic accident.She has no one left except her sister Emily.Just as she thought her chances majoring were dashed,she received scholarships.She majored in meteorology.After college she stayed with Emily and her husband John,a lawyer.She went to work in weather business.When an offer of internship came from WKPZ,she moved to Atlanta.She was a rising star.But then when a large corporate network purchased WKPZ,she lost her job along with a lot of other people. She worked as a bartender in Red Wings.Now,she is a captive.***

As she looks around the opulent room,she realizes that it is her gilded prison.

And her captor- Anthony Rawlings.

-Tall,dark,magnetic, he can charm anyone with his dark eyes.He does not allow failure.One of the richest men in the country,he is a legend.He gets exactly what he wants,when he wants....

And he wants Claire.

Claire tries to compartmentalize her thoughts.She needs to escape.But her only means of escape was through Anthony.

"Good morning, Anthony,I want you to know I have decided to go home.I'll be leaving here today."

Anthony-"I do not believe you will be leaving so soon.We have a legally binding agreement."He removed a bar napkin from his suit pocket."Dated and signed by both of us."

FIVE DAYS AGO -Claire tending the bar ,sees a handsome man sitting there.He asks her to join him after her shift ends.She does.They talk.They drink.And suddenly he picks up a napkin and tells her,"What if this was a contract to a nice weather channel?Would you accept it?" Playing along she immediately signs it.

Today -She is informed that he owns her.He will own her,till her debt of $215,000 which he had settled for her,is paid.He alone will decide how and when it will be repaid.

And slowly he starts possessing her--

He controls her body by cruel punishments.By using her time and again.Consequences.She brutally learns that her each and every action has consequences.

He controls her mind by isolating her,demeaning her.Fear for her consequences rule her.

But how do you control one's soul?

He controls her soul by making her love him......

Confused???


Well,why do you think I called this a mind f*uck?

Anthony is a brutal,cruel,malicious and controlling sick bastard.

Anthony is also attentive,playful,generous,caring and comforting lover.

  So who the hell is Anthony???

Anthony is APPEARANCES.Each different from the other.

Here you will find how the line between right and wrong fades.The line between love and hate fades.

And Claire--Is she the weakest of the weak or is she the strongest of the strong?

I won't disclose the story.But I can promise you,it will leave you gasping by the end.

The stakes are high,very high.This is not a story about a Narcissist and a woman he controls.Though,it might seem so.Remember-APPEARANCES.

This is a story of ruthless venegeance,a master manipulator,and a victim who redifines herself.

Well there's a saying--

"Take what you want and then pay for it,says God."

Anthony Rawlings has taken it all.He has taken it cunningly,ruthlessly.

So the question remains--

"When and how will he pay for it?"

"When will the Master learn that there are consequences?Consequences to his actions."


Feel like knowing more?Or chatting with other readers who love this book?Please check out the Consequences Support Group -http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8....
We are hosting group reads of the first two books one after the other, so feel free to jump in.Questions,theories,....you can discuss it all,not only with other readers but Ms.Aleatha Romig too.Feel free to join in.

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh God…How do I review this book?

Do I like stories with over the top assholes, stalkers, controlling freaks, abductors? I DO. THE MORE LUNATIC THE BETTER.
Do I like heroes that behave like monsters, but they have a soft spot for their woman and they sincerely feel guilty when they hurt her? I DO
Do I like tortured heroines that at some point develop a backbone and they fight back? I DO
Do I like stories with Stockholm syndrome where the girl falls in love with her rich and famous abductor and they live happily ever after? I DO
Did I like “Infidelity” series by Aleatha Romig? I LOVED IT! I STILL LOVE IT AND I HOPE 5 MORE BOOKS ARE RELEASED.

So why did I have problems finishing this book?
Why it took me almost 30 days to finish it?
Why I wanted to scream “Oh for f@ck’s sake. Get to the point”?
Why it was a torture reading even just 10 pages per day?

Well, it is long. Definitely. It is slow. Absolutely.

Yes, many things will happen to poor (literally and figuratively) Claire Nichols by ruthless Anthony "Tony" Rawlings who is rich, famous and a real sadist.
Yes, they will eventually fall in love (as it seems...but are they?). And just maybe Claire is a masochist.

But all these details… About the mansion. Her room. The forest. Her clothes. The brands. The wedding dresses. The actual wedding. His car. His plane. His flat. The city lights. Her lunch. Her dinner. The wine. Their holidays. Arrrggghhh!!!!

I could endure anything.
Her tolerance. His aggression. Their fucked up relationship which somehow made sense. But everything was so so slow.
I suppose the writer was trying to create tension. Maybe?
Or she was trying to emphasise the end result. Maybe?

So why 5 stars? Because it really deserves it. The ending was awesome. The writing is original. I have never seen a similar book. I may have read similar stories, but not executed like this.
The last 100 pages changed the whole picture and they have sent Tony to the first place of the most manipulative disgusting sons-of-bitches I have ever read.

Will I read this book again? Definitely NO. It may take me two months to finish it the next time.

Will I read the next book? Definitely YES.
Because I have got it already :).
Because I am curious and I don’t like leaving stories unfinished.
And because after I saw the real Tony, I want to see the real Claire.

This review has become a long internal monologue, but I think I will leave it like this.

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind. Fucked.
5 Stars, Only for the last few chapters.

WHAT A FUCKING BUILD UP, The book was long and fucking weird.. But still when the end approached, it left me stunned, mind fucked and breathless...!!! :O


I couldn't figure this book. It had something but it was so beyond my reach... until I reached the end and I was like 'YES, Tony is crazy.'

"I hate Tony more than I hate Carol from Reason to Breathe and Ashley, Keesha, Carrie, Mr. Owen from Pushing the Limits put together!!" were one of my few first thoughts of this book.. but then, I was like I feel distant, disconnected and emotionless for everything in this book, then I reached the last few chapters and I was like, TONY YOU SON OF A BITCH, I hope you rott in the lowest level of hell.

'I swear I think the bastard is Bipolar and she has Stockholm syndrome!' were my second thoughts of the book and I was proven right. Fuck man, they both were lunatics.

Throughout the book, stuff skipped, nothing.. not even a single scene about the abuse or ANYTHING was in detail, So I didn't feel shit towards any of them, Sympathy for her and that maddening hatred for him, I felt nada.
During the book I see no suspense, no thriller, no erotica and no romance. So I couldn't decide where this was going, I had no clue at all what anything was leading to, NOT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST HINT!
All I could see is dark stuff and NO FUCKING DETAILS!!
I only read the book to reach the end so the puzzle fits, torturous read, but well worth it for the end.


I SWEAR I WANTED TO SLAP HER HARDER THAN I WANTED TO SLAP HIM!!!
I was like all..


in the middle when Tony asked her to marry him.
And she was like all "Ooooo, Yes." like a dumb lil bitch.

Usually when I'm reading a book, I look forward to the end but I don't want the book to get over
But here I was like YES MAN, This book is finally getting over, *hoot hoot* relief



But when the book got over I was all like 'NO!!! GIMME MORE~ Please!! Don't leave me hanging like this!' but then I was like phew, second book is there!!

I have no idea why I read this book, or why I continued with it when I felt no connection to any character. I felt distant and emotionless to the characters and story. THEN THE END CAME AND I WAS LIKE 'HOLY SHIT, Pinch me someone.' Thank goodness I didn't dump this book's sorry ass.

It was her smile. How could he not notice? It extended into her emerald eyes.
Fucking hell, that line shivers down my spine!!
The book is worth it only for the last few chapters, Only those chapters made it seem like a Mystery and Thriller. The build up, bloody hell! SHEER EPIC!!

Author.. I your way to build up. Its EPIC! It is crazy and amazing and I loved it!
Thank you for this crazy book!! I am twisted, Yes I know.. But fucking hell this book is BRILLIANT and I hate Tony, but yet some part of my likes him.. only when he has chocolate brown eyes.

Truth.. IT ALL STARS AGAIN. *shivers*

[alittlelifeofmel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I basically spoil the entire book but don't read this book so you won't have to worry about it. It's horrible.

I can't even begin to express how much I HATED this book.
I'm so speechless I don't know where to start. Anthony Rawlings is satan. He is the living embodiment (fictional embodiment??) of the devil himself. He makes Christian Grey look like a saint. He is abusive, manipulative, disgusting, there are not enough words in my vocabulary for this right now.
And Claire, Claire is an absolute idiot. She gets kidnapped and thrown into this HORRIBLE life where she is held prisoner and raped daily and how does she handle it? By doing everything he tells her to, including marrying him, and then dealing with all his baggage, and ENJOYING IT, even though he nearly killed her. The first time she was in public with him I don't know why she didn't tell anyone she could about what was happening to her. She had ample opportunity to run away, I am just shocked at her stupidity. I am actually astounded at her, and honestly the fact that she's portrayed this way makes all women look like imbeciles and I find this incredibly offensive.
I'm honestly sitting here going "why the hell did I read this" and I cannot fathom why I wasted a whole day on this book. I have two friends on here that read this and were screaming about how angry this book made them and how the end made up for it so I continued to push through to the end. And what a dumb decision that was!!
He attempts suicide but makes it look like attempted murder, gets her SENT TO PRISON, and is suing her for slander. I don't understand how that is ANYTHING close to helping make up for this horrid book. I didn't find this even remotely okay, Rawlings was essentially a serial killer, without actually killing anyone. And it is clear with the end he intends to do this again. I really don't know what to say, what to think, how to react, I just know that there are so many things in life I wish I would have spent the day doing rather than reading this book.

Not to mention that the writing itself is really dull and repetitive. She spends an astronomical amount of time just talking about day to day stuff, constantly repeating herself. It's boring and I had to skim a large portion of the book because it got old really fast. Just anger inducing.

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 4 out of 5]

8-9-13 WEEKEND S A L E.99cents link: http://amzn.com/B009VPQW7K
Spoiler Free Review -A MUST READ
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: Adult Fiction -Thriller/Suspense

If you're thinking of reading this book be prepared to have your mind f**ked over and over again until you can no longer take it.

If you have read this book then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. —Charles Darwin

The book starts with Claire waking up in a room/suite with no idea as to how she has gotten there. It does not take long for her to figure out that she is being held prisoner. Realization dawns on her as memories flood back of who she was with last.
Tall, dark, handsome and apparently filthy rich. Anthony Rawlings.

It all started with a signature
Ex-meteorologist Claire Nichols is a bartender working at a restaurant called Red Wing in Atlanta. She has no idea that tonight her life will forever be irrevocably changed. She is currently being watched from across the room, by billionaire Anthony Rawlings. After his business meeting wraps up Anthony takes a seat at the bar and engages in conversation with Claire.

Nothing new there as a matter of fact polite conversation is part of her job. However this encounter leads him to ask her to join him for drinks once her shift ends. She agrees. Sometime during the wine and talk of business, life in Atlanta and careers Anthony says to Claire
“You know, your destiny could be as simple as an offer and a signature away.”

He then takes a Red Wing napkin and tells her to pretend it's a contract, but not just any contract. No, this contract will be for her dream job as a meteorologist. Claire plays along not knowing she has just signed her name and made a deal with the devil.

Predestined
Anthony Rawlings is not just a billionaire businessman. Anthony is a man with an Agenda. And nothing can prepare Claire for what he has in store.

Consequences is a psychological thriller that will have you asking yourself 100 different questions with 100 different variations of WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY and HOW And NOTHING absolutely NOTHING can prepare you for the ending.

Thoughts
I will start with my dislikes.
I thought this book was a bit too long with a whole lot of narratives and inner monologues. Which in my humble opinion seemed to draw out the story. I personally prefer lots of character interactions in books that I read. Another thing I' am not a fan of is stories told from the third person which this was. Never the less the story flowed and kept my rapt attention.
My Likes
The story was violent yet Romig managed to hold back by not being very descriptive with the abuse scenes. Claire was abused and raped yet the reader did not experience it first hand except but on a few occasions. The author managed to give readers an abusive storyline, in an overtly yet none to graphic way. In other words, Romig let you know what was happening without being overly descriptive then she would 'fade to black.' Readers would catch the after math and feel all of Claire's pain. And believe me...there was a lot of pain and anguish in this book.

Anthony
Romig did a very good job with building a love/hate relationship for readers in regards to Anthony. And honestly, I could go on and on about Anthony being very malicious, cruel, manipulative, vindictive, controlling and so on and so forth. But in all reality one word could be used to describe him, EVIL. Every step he takes is evil even when he calls himself being nice.

Claire
A lot of questions are thrown around about WHY Claire stayed, why not run. I think the answer is simple and is given as the opening quote of the book. Which is a quote by Darwin that I used in this review. Her way of surviving was by adapting and to an extent it worked for her. Anthony very slowly started to bend on his rules and conform.
A man with no compassion started to feel compassion.
A man with no regrets started to regret.
A man who NEVER apologizes, apologized.
Claire's ability to ADAPT brought CHANGE.
Claire's decision to adapt allowed her to learn from the master....

Side Note: This book also has a host of secondary characters that I loved!

Fave Lines

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Tony during the Vanity Fair interview


“Claire, you don’t need to be perfect all the time. You don’t need to say everything perfectly, look perfect, and be perfect. Life isn’t a test that you must continually pass.” ~Courtney

My Ratings
Characters- Most I loved, one I hated *coughs* Tony.
Writing Style- Good
Plot/Storyline- Cunning, Deceptive, Methodical and Intense
Steam Factor- Medium/Moderately Steamy
Overall- I loved it!! And I totally recommend it!!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!

[JaHy☝Hold the Fairy Dust · Rating 2 out of 5]

** A LITTLE OVER 2 STARS BUT WHATEV**

It appears I'm ending CONSEQUENCES the same way I began...



I was so excited to start this book as all of my GR friends . . . actually all of GOodreads RAVE about it. I hate that I didn't enjoy this book ( I feel like such a loser). I wholeheartedly wanted to . . . honestly, I tried.

oh' Tony the Tiger,

Just kidding, I actually enjoyed disliking Tony.


But, little Miss Bambi . . . excuse me, I mean Claire,


. . . I have no more words, nor will I waste your time by having you read a rant fest. If you are interested in my opinion please read my statues updates.

P.S. I wish Mrs. Romig much success.

[Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW) · Rating 3 out of 5]

O.M.G. ! AFTER THAT KIND OF ENDING !!! i cant wait to pick up book II HOLY SHIT ! Seriously ! with the book going sooo slow, i thought i was going to end up giving this book a 2 star after all, but after this !it definatly earned a 1.5 for its ending :P ...which gave it a total of 3.5 stars ;D

*QUE EVIL LAUGH*

I hope ANTONY is ready for some proper bitch-slapping CONSEQUENCES that he's just won from claire ! LOL i cant wait to see him crash and burn...

Because seriously Mr.Crazy..opps....i mean Mr.Tony..

Because SERIOUSLY DUDE........

[Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS REVIEW WAS POSTED AT ANGIE'S DREAMY READS

THERE IS ALSO A SIGNED PAPERBACK OF CONSEQUENCES AND TRUTH UP FOR GRABS ON THE BLOG. HEAD OVER AND CHECK IT OUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED


4.5 CRAZY GOOD STARS

Well...Where do I start??? WOW WOW WOW!

This book was completely surprising and left me tongue tied and a bit speechless. I know?!! Me being speechless is pretty rare!!




I almost always review a book the moment I finish with it but with this book I needed a couple days to think about it, to really let the plot and it's twist digest in my head. I went into the book expecting something really dark and yes, it was dark but not nearly as dark as I thought it would be. It was different....something that was more than just a dark read! I can certainly tell you that Consequences by Aleatha Romig is superbly written. The author has a HUGE amazing talent with description and beautiful wording. She writes flawlessly and created a fantastic yet haunting world for the reader. This book is like a web that's intricately untangled the more you read. It was quite astounding as I thought about how she really led us to think one thing and then **BAM** another thing happened all together. I found that to be really, really great!


Let me tell you a little bit about the plot. I can't really say too much because as I've said before it unravels as you read but basically Claire is kidnapped. Tony her kidnapper is a complete douchebag, a**hole (Sorry but there is no eloquent way to say that :/ )!! He takes her and abuses her and she accepts her fate fairly quickly. She doesn't really question it much except on a couple occasions which result in horrible abuse (I will be honest that it did piss me off that she accepted her fate as quickly as she did. I wanted her to fight for herself and her freedom). This book is based on exactly what the title says; Consequences.


Definition of Consequences: A result or effect of an action or condition.


It’s really crazy but basically every action Claire takes has a consequence in this book. It can either be bad (and it’s really freaking bad when she makes a bad choice) or it can be good (in that case the results are pretty good). Claire has to learn what Tony’s “rules” are and she has to abide by them religiously.

Tony...OMG...He is a deeply evil man that you fall in love with reluctantly as you read. Seriously you do not want to love him but as you read the book you can’t help it. I knew he had serious issues but there was a human side to him too that I just loved. It was strange to have these emotions for a man that clearly was an abuser. But at one point I felt like he was changing, becoming a man that Claire could live with and be happy! (BOY WAS I WRONG)


Claire is a beautiful young woman; smart, adventurous and full of life. After Tony takes her, her spirit withers. She's extraordinarily smart though and figure out a way to keep her sanity in order to do what she needs to do to survive the ordeal she finds herself in! Her strength and character are remarkable. She surprised me so many times with her reactions to the thing's Tony did to her. There were tons of times where I was screaming "OH HELL NO" at my Kindle wanting her to defend herself but she handled herself so well and knew that the consequences of acting out would be so much worse than just submitting and that was really hard to read!!


I really am still reeling from the ending. The ending was.....well I'm stunned that it ended like it did because I really thought it was going one way and then it went another. I have so many questions that I need to have answered. Questions that I am DYING to get answered.


I want to tell you more! I really do but I can’t!! You have to experience all of the little things in this book yourself. It’s just one of those books YOU NEED TO READ and make up your own mind on. I also feel that you need to pay attention while reading (serious attention) because I get the feeling that a bunch of things that happened in Consequences somehow tie into Truth the second book in the series.


Overall I have only one small critique which is why I didn't give it a full five stars and that's this, there we're times in the book that I felt thing's were a bit overly descriptive and there we're things that we didn't need repeated again and again. It got a bit too informational and I got a tad bit bored at some parts. Other than that I have to say this book was brilliantly written and I am itching to read book two. It's a book that I HIGHLY recommend.


FAVORITE QUOTES

All these quotes were amazing and some were posted at the top of the chapters which I thought was brilliant.

"It is not the circumstances that make a person a success. It is how that person responds to those circumstances."

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it. " ~~ Bill Cosby

"A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug." ~~ Patricia Neal

"The heat of the summer transformed the green grass into long brown straw, only the weeds were green. Claire didn't mind, the weeds had pretty flowers. Unlike Tony's flowers, which had been sentenced to his yard, gardens, or clay pots, these flowers grew free wherever they wanted. Furthermore, weeds were survivors. When all else died, the weeds remained. Yes, Claire liked weeds."

[Katie(babs) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Consequences by Aleatha Romig is a current self-published book gaining some major buzz. It’s what I consider to be a more sinister Fifty Shades of Grey combined with Sleeping with the Enemy and an ending reminiscent of Gone Girl. After reading more than a few reviews on Goodreads, I decided to buy this one. At 368 pages for $3.03, I felt the price was right and the majority of the reviews have been very positive. The beginning is one of the most explosive beginnings I’ve read recently, where it gave me chills, but as the story progresses, it gets bogged down by needless information, descriptions, acts from the two main characters that don’t make any sense and among some other big issues, including an ending that comes out of left field with no reason explained for it. If Consequences was cut down massively and had better content editing overall, this could have been another Gone Girl in the making. But it’s a murky read with again what should be a shocking twister of an ending that left me going, WTF? The reason is for this is because there are not enough clues anywhere that I could find that makes this ending work. The foreshadowing here is very weak and because of that I wanted to chuck the book against the wall.

Consequences isn’t a romance in any sense of the word. This is about a psychotic individual bent on revenge who targets a young, vivacious woman and destroys her just because he can. Anthony Rawlings is one f’ed up bastard. He’s the monster in the closet, the deranged villain who on the outside is a very appealing package. He’s rich, handsome powerful and respected. He has many traits a romantic hero has. But right from the start we’re show how unstable Tony is. He's a sexual predator who gets off on the pain of others-specifically Claire Nichols, a twenty-something unemployed television meteorologist who is up to her eyeballs in debt.

When Consequences opens, Claire has been violated and raped. She locked in a beautiful room at the mercy of Tony. Claire met Tony at the restaurant she works at. She is confused but pleased that this older man, who apparently has money, would take an interested in her. She tells him of her job loss and he jokingly has her sign a napkin and dates it where she says she’ll do anything to work off her $200,000 debt. Claire is clueless to the fact that Tony takes this as a binding contract and expects her to work off her debt through him because he ends up paying off all her loans and bills after he kidnaps her. Now Claire is at his mercy, and no matter how much she fights, she can’t escape him. His staff is dedicated to him and he’s so aggressive and abusive and overpowers her. He expects Claire to accept her new lot in her life as his companion, or rather a slave who must do his every bidding. Tony has planned everything perfectly where she has no choice to obey. She’ll do what he wants and open to his every whim while she tries to figure out a way to save herself.

Claire is given free reign of Tony’s massive property and estate. As long as she obeys him and does what he wants, he’ll give her more freedoms. He even allows her to accompany him to events and parties, as long as she behaves. Again Claire has no choice because even if she was able to get away from Tony he might track her down and hurt her loves ones, such as her sister and her husband, the only family she has. But there is another side to Tony who is a very giving lover and very generous with clothes, jewelry and other materialistic things Claire has only dreamed about. Soon Claire thinks she is falling for Tony, but always must keep in mind that he makes the rules and expects her to obey him or will punish her for her mistakes. But Tony is frustrated because he feels Claire is always hiding a piece of herself from him and he expects her to give herself fully to him regardless of his abuse and rage.

Finally Tony goes too far in a jealous rage and the aftermath is what changes him. He promises never to hurt Claire again and through a new type of courtship, Claire welcomes this new side to Tony who wants to offer her the world, and for her to forgive him for his brutality. She accepts him, body and soul, and to a new life that has become a true fairy tale. But this fairy tale has major cracks, and it’s all part of Tony’s final plan where Claire is just collateral damage because of something that has eaten away at Tony for years. The consequences of those individuals and events from both Tony and Claire’s past are the reason these two were destined to meet, or rather because of Tony’s diabolical actions.

Consequences is all about the cause and effect of people. There are major consequences because of Tony. He’s the reason for everything that happens to Claire. Claire has no choices because Tony takes everything away from her because he feels he has the right. Aleatha makes an interesting case of Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to Claire and why she would end up falling for Tony and accepting his abuse. Tony is uber-powerful and master manipulator. Claire never stood a chance with him.

The first half of the book kept me riveted, but then it spirals out of control in this never ending drama and non-stop introspective from Claire who acts immature and naïve at times. She’s very angry and hurt at first, as well as scared, and does try to fight, but I felt she succumbed too quickly and her falling for Tony felt fake. Also Althea makes the mistake of jumping into Tony’s POV as if to try and explain why he acts the way he does. That's a big no-no because it ruins the entire thriller element that’s slowly building, which when all is said and done, never delivers. The overall plot became tedious. I felt Aleatha got to a point where she needed to end things but didn’t know how and decided to throw what should be a whopper of a shock to finish things off, but the steps to get there weren't planned effectively. Things just didn't add up for me with this ending.

Consequences had so much going for it. The first 100 pages are excellent reading but then things falter majorly with an ending that left me cold not because of the twist and the ruination of a young woman by a sick man, but that overall lack of execution to make sense of Tony's delusions.

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

Consequences is one of those books that has been sitting on my kindle for years, and I always meant to read it but you know how it is. I see another book and I'm like:


Anyways after my girlie Jasmine told me about her love for it, and after meeting this lovely author 3 times, and now that I'm not as afraid of dark books anymore (that's a lie I'm still scared), I decided to crack this one open. And you know what? I could not put this book back down! No kidding, I pretty much read straight through, sneaking peeks on my kindle app while at a theme park, reading in the passenger seat of a car, sneaking more peeks at the app while I was supposed to be visiting my grandmother (sorry grandma!). I honestly didn't stop until I was done.

Let me give you some of the plot. Claire wakes up in a strange, luxurious bedroom with fuzzy memories as to how she got there. Once the fog clears, she realizes she was abducted and brought here, and the man who did so has already done horrible things. Claire has entered into a contract with Anthony Rawlings, in which he will clear her debt and in return she will do anything he wants.

I don't want to give much away in terms of plot, this really is one of those books where the less you know the better. I will say at 45% in, this was me:


The rest of the time you couldn't get the book out of my hands or get my undivided attention. I was enraptured by this story and these complicated characters.

My only complaint was from about 60-80% marks in the book, there seemed to be excessive descriptions of things, almost like a Kristen Ashley novel, you know with the clothing and furniture? But I am going to assume maybe all of that will become important later? It didn't bug me that much, but it's probably why I can't give this book a 5 star rating.

Here are all of my reactions to the ending, pretty much in this order:






And then I just picture nice, sweet Aleatha Romig making this face when finishing the book: