I actually can't believe that I'm saying this- seeing that I LOVED Storm, oh so much. But, I really didn't care for Vandal. It pains me to say it, because Storm was SO good, but I just couldn't connect to Vandal and Tabitha at all. I'm actually giving it 3.5 stars, and it's rare that I ever do that. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Carian's work- her writing style is awesome, but Vandal just missed the mark for me.
There is a very strong BDSM aspect to this book, which I didn't mind at all, but I think that for Vandal- he twisted it in a way that almost made my stomach twist. He, more or less, wanted to keep Tabi as a pet, hiding her away from the world and his family. Whether it be because of the guilt he felt given the nature of their relationship or not- it just didn't sit right with me. And Tabi- I just could not empathize with her in any aspect. The fact that she had suffered such a tragedy, and had so much anger over it, she just seemed to put it all aside to carry on this affair with V. What happened to the despair and hurt that she felt over losing someone so special to her?? She just immediately jumps in the sack with V, and never seems to look back. I just couldn't reconcile that in my head. Even when grief makes us do insane things- that was just beyond the pale to me.
Honestly, it's so hard to thing of V even being a Valentine, since he is so incredibly different than the other guys. And I'm not sure that it's a good thing. I just want to warn readers that if you are looking for another Storm in Vandal- take note--- IT ISN'T THERE!! He is nothing like Storm, so just be warned of that. I realize that there may be plenty of women that swoon over this severely broken man, but I just couldn't bring myself to be one of them. Again, it just wasn't there for me. The only part that truly redeemed things for me, at least, was Lukas and Ivy. Those two have quite a story beginning, and I am so excited to read their book next. So, obviously I'm not turning my back on the series, or Carian, because they are both phenomenal, I just couldn't get into this one. Kudos Carian, for giving me the feels for V, even if they weren't the warm and fuzzy ones- you made me feels something for the book, and in my mind- that's a true success.
Vandal Synopsis:
She takes my breath away; she is so beautifully damaged.
Yes I had broken her, ravished her life, destroyed her happiness. I brought her to ultimate despair. I was responsible for all the pain and suffering that now brought her to her knees in front of me.
Broken.
Hopeless.
Reckless in her agony.
She is a mirror of my own tortured soul.
But what I took away I can give back.
In ways she cannot even begin to imagine.
She is everything right in all my wrongs.
She loves me. She needs me.
She has no idea I’m the one who wrecked her life.
Yes I had broken her, ravished her life, destroyed her happiness. I brought her to ultimate despair. I was responsible for all the pain and suffering that now brought her to her knees in front of me.
Broken.
Hopeless.
Reckless in her agony.
She is a mirror of my own tortured soul.
But what I took away I can give back.
In ways she cannot even begin to imagine.
She is everything right in all my wrongs.
She loves me. She needs me.
She has no idea I’m the one who wrecked her life.
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble: Pending
(Storm, book 1 in ASHES AND EMBERS)
Carian Cole Bio:
I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My debut series, Ashes & Embers, follows the lives of rock band members as they find, and sometimes lose, the loves of their lives.
My first novel in the Ashes & Embers series, Storm, published on September of 2014. Vandal, the second novel in this series is publishing in February of 2015. I currently have approximately nine books slated for this series, as well as an MC series in the works, and a few stand-alones coming in 2015 onward.
Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.
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