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Lies #1
Sweating Lies
Criminal Delights
“Gladiator or toy?” Kaspar asks, as if it’s the easiest choice in the world.
It might be an easy answer for someone branded, brainwashed, and who remembers no other life. But that’s not me, not yet anyway. I’m a cop—or at least I was until my cover got blown.
Now, I’m one of the trafficked people I vowed to save.
Kaspar’s a toy —a pleasure slave— content to warm our sadistic owner’s bed; he laps up the abuse he’s conditioned to associate with affection.
He’s my only way out. To gain our freedom, I must play the hardest undercover role of my career and be everything his fractured mind needs: a more controlling bastard than the man who turns people into grateful slaves for a living.
Officer Jiao Sweatt thinks I’m a victim.
He has a lot to learn.
And it’ll hurt.
This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.
“Gladiator or toy?” Kaspar asks, as if it’s the easiest choice in the world.
It might be an easy answer for someone branded, brainwashed, and who remembers no other life. But that’s not me, not yet anyway. I’m a cop—or at least I was until my cover got blown.
Now, I’m one of the trafficked people I vowed to save.
Kaspar’s a toy —a pleasure slave— content to warm our sadistic owner’s bed; he laps up the abuse he’s conditioned to associate with affection.
He’s my only way out. To gain our freedom, I must play the hardest undercover role of my career and be everything his fractured mind needs: a more controlling bastard than the man who turns people into grateful slaves for a living.
Officer Jiao Sweatt thinks I’m a victim.
He has a lot to learn.
And it’ll hurt.
This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.
Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.
Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2019
About the author
Emma Jaye
47 books670 followersEmma is the #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of m/m series such as Paint, Incubus, and Lies.
Known as the Queen of MM angst her books include Sci-fi, paranormal, and contemporary romance and always puts her characters through hell before giving them a HEA. She blames her rebellious muse (who looks like Chris from the Paint Series) for the erotic aspects tickling the angst, and the humor cuddling up with the erotic.
When not writing or reading she herds Birman cats and sons; Both groups argue that the other is too large.
For a free book, join her NL: https://readerlinks.com/l/1869132/new...
If you want to keep up with her spicy, quirky imagination, you can find her here:
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Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2PCQuSs
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She always answers questions and comments from readers, so feel free to get in touch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 23, 2024
|| 4.5 stars ||
Holy hell, this was a pretty fucked up rollercoaster of emotions.
This book is really god damn dark and deals with super interesting yet horrifying experiences.
The story follows three people, who are all caught up in a centuries old scheme of slavery in the form of gladiators and sexual servants:
Jiao is an undercover cop, who gets sent to this terrible organization when his cover gets blown. Once there, he and his fellow new captives discover the horrors of this place, and Jiao discovers them even further by getting to know the brainwashed and traumatized Kaspar. He vows to bring the whole place down and save its victims. But how does he do that when he himself is locked up as well? And how do you save victims who don't want to be saved? Furthermore, who even are the victims when the slavers were once taken too? It's a vicious cycle of abuse and terror.
Kaspar is the favoured slave of the organization's current leader Vladimir, and therefore has a certain amount of status. However, Kaspar's experiences (past as well as current) have left him utterly and completely terrorized. Although he is incredibly bright, he has gone absolutely mad after years and years of brainwashing and pain. He suffers from dissociative identity disorder (meaning that he has multiple personalities), which he sometimes only recognizes as 'the voices in his head he wants to silence'. Kaspar will go to great lengths to get some peace and quiet in his head, even if that means being mutilated physically. He is strong, so very strong, but just doesn't understand his reality anymore. What is wrong and what is right? Is serving truly his only purpose? Which voices should he listen to?
Vladimir is the organization's current leader and appears to be the 'villain' of the story. And, I mean, he is the villain of course, but seeing how he was once taken and put into servitude as well, it gives him more depth than your average villain. His intentions are not always vicious, as he sees some of his actions as things that simply ought to be done for the glory and survival of the organization. He desperately believes in the organization and in what it stands for. He thinks that he is making these 'slaves' the best version of themselves: gladiator or sex slave, trained to the utmost perfection. Just like he once was by the previous leader.
The plotline of this story was really well-done. It had plenty of suspense, and the action was thrilling. There's also a bit of a mystery element, as many things will be revealed throughout the story about the characters as well as the organization.
The characters were well-developed and displayed interesting characteristics. Especially Kaspar blew me away in this regard. His mental state and manipulated brain were so incredibly interesting to read about. I couldn't get enough of it. He was a great character, and my heart often broke for him.
This book really is super dark and intense, and I can imagine that it might be difficult for some people to read. There is a lot of on-page abuse and torture (mentally as well as physical).
I personally loved the book, though. I was just completely invested in the story, and I found all of it to be very intriguing.
'CRIMINAL DELIGHTS' COLLECTION:
Taken:
1. Wrong Way Home - 4.0 stars
5. Sweating Lies (Lies #1) - 4.5 stars
15. To Have and to Hold - 3.0 stars
16. Splitting Lies (Lies #2) - 3.5 stars
Assassins:
12. By Way of Pain - 1.0 star
14. Cold Light - 2.0 stars
Holy hell, this was a pretty fucked up rollercoaster of emotions.
This book is really god damn dark and deals with super interesting yet horrifying experiences.
The story follows three people, who are all caught up in a centuries old scheme of slavery in the form of gladiators and sexual servants:
Jiao is an undercover cop, who gets sent to this terrible organization when his cover gets blown. Once there, he and his fellow new captives discover the horrors of this place, and Jiao discovers them even further by getting to know the brainwashed and traumatized Kaspar. He vows to bring the whole place down and save its victims. But how does he do that when he himself is locked up as well? And how do you save victims who don't want to be saved? Furthermore, who even are the victims when the slavers were once taken too? It's a vicious cycle of abuse and terror.
Kaspar is the favoured slave of the organization's current leader Vladimir, and therefore has a certain amount of status. However, Kaspar's experiences (past as well as current) have left him utterly and completely terrorized. Although he is incredibly bright, he has gone absolutely mad after years and years of brainwashing and pain. He suffers from dissociative identity disorder (meaning that he has multiple personalities), which he sometimes only recognizes as 'the voices in his head he wants to silence'. Kaspar will go to great lengths to get some peace and quiet in his head, even if that means being mutilated physically. He is strong, so very strong, but just doesn't understand his reality anymore. What is wrong and what is right? Is serving truly his only purpose? Which voices should he listen to?
Vladimir is the organization's current leader and appears to be the 'villain' of the story. And, I mean, he is the villain of course, but seeing how he was once taken and put into servitude as well, it gives him more depth than your average villain. His intentions are not always vicious, as he sees some of his actions as things that simply ought to be done for the glory and survival of the organization. He desperately believes in the organization and in what it stands for. He thinks that he is making these 'slaves' the best version of themselves: gladiator or sex slave, trained to the utmost perfection. Just like he once was by the previous leader.
The plotline of this story was really well-done. It had plenty of suspense, and the action was thrilling. There's also a bit of a mystery element, as many things will be revealed throughout the story about the characters as well as the organization.
The characters were well-developed and displayed interesting characteristics. Especially Kaspar blew me away in this regard. His mental state and manipulated brain were so incredibly interesting to read about. I couldn't get enough of it. He was a great character, and my heart often broke for him.
This book really is super dark and intense, and I can imagine that it might be difficult for some people to read. There is a lot of on-page abuse and torture (mentally as well as physical).
I personally loved the book, though. I was just completely invested in the story, and I found all of it to be very intriguing.
'CRIMINAL DELIGHTS' COLLECTION:
Taken:
1. Wrong Way Home - 4.0 stars
5. Sweating Lies (Lies #1) - 4.5 stars
15. To Have and to Hold - 3.0 stars
16. Splitting Lies (Lies #2) - 3.5 stars
Assassins:
12. By Way of Pain - 1.0 star
14. Cold Light - 2.0 stars
October 18, 2021
4 stars
Very dark captive story. Well written characters but talk of abuse and brainwashing. An undercover cops cover is blown while he was trying to get info on a mafia ring.
Very dystopian environment. Lots of triggers.
A potential relationship comes out of this story between the cop and the man he wants to rescue.
Good but hard to read at times story.
Very dark captive story. Well written characters but talk of abuse and brainwashing. An undercover cops cover is blown while he was trying to get info on a mafia ring.
Very dystopian environment. Lots of triggers.
A potential relationship comes out of this story between the cop and the man he wants to rescue.
Good but hard to read at times story.
May 29, 2019
okay, now THIS was dark! this whole thing was one big angst party and i'm so anxious that there's a second book (i mean, it does say it ends in a HEA but s T I L L i want them to be happy NOW)
would have been 5 stars except there was some slightly weird editing in places where paragraphs seemed to be really choppy and didn't flow from one scene to the other, so i'm side-eyeing whoever was in charge of that, but overall i really liked it. although now i need one big load of fluff to cleanse my palate.
would have been 5 stars except there was some slightly weird editing in places where paragraphs seemed to be really choppy and didn't flow from one scene to the other, so i'm side-eyeing whoever was in charge of that, but overall i really liked it. although now i need one big load of fluff to cleanse my palate.
Read
April 18, 2022dnf. lost interest.
April 29, 2019
This was a bit different than I expected. Throughout, I wasn’t quite sure if it was contemporary, dystopian or what. It starts out with Jiao on an undercover assignment, but things quickly turn when his cover is apparently blown and he ends up a prisoner destined to become one of the very slaves he set out to save. The story blossoms out from there as the other victims are introduced – men of all ages, of all backgrounds. Some destined to be castrated, trained and “adopted” out as companions, others as sex slaves, and still others as “gladiators” who are entered into fights. Jiao is heading toward this latter position, as he was a fighter when he was caught.
It becomes clear that there is a lot more going on than just sex trafficking. There is an entire organization which is run like a secret society, headed by one guy who can only pass the position down to his heirs. Unfortunately, it seems the heir has some issues which have forced the second in command (and seeming leader of the whole shebang) to take measures to ensure others don’t find out and that he remains in control. Things can get pretty brutal and violent at times, but it was easy to keep my eye on the other aspects of the story – Jiao and his figuring things out while finding a way to escape and save the other victims.
There were times this felt more contemporary or realistic, and other times where it felt more dystopian or otherworldly. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not, but the flip-flopping of not knowing kept pulling me out of the story. I generally need to suspend my belief and sink into the fantasy world and just go with it. That is on me and my reading requirements, and not necessarily the fault of the book. That aside, I was interested in what happened and wanted to see Jiao succeed. I wanted Kasper to find peace and the others to go down in a fiery ball of flames. I won’t say anything more about the characters so as to not give away any of the twists.
Needless to say, I am invested enough in the characters to want to know what happens next. I wasn’t ready for it to end the way it did, leaving us without truly knowing what happens. I’m really curious to see how these guys make out in the aftermath and hope they don’t suffer to terribly much before they find the peace they are all looking for.
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
April 29, 2019
4.5 stars Jiao and Kasper
Jiao is an undercover officer and after his cover got blown he lands as a prisoner and a trafficked one himself on a ship. He will be trained and end up adopted or dead.
On board he meets the beautiful Kasper, pet of the highest in rang. Jiao wants so save the people on board, the question is do they want to be saved,
Kasper wants to serve his Master and that isn’t easy, Kasper has to fight the voices.
When Jiao has to master Kasper, he doesn’t know what’s happening.
An amazingly written story, dark, very dark and quite a disturbing read.
We see a lot a dark action passing by: people trafficking, complex mindf ck, indoctrination, torture, isolation, branding, humiliation and a lot lot more.
Stunning personalities Jiao felt almost laughable with his morals between all the horrible cruelty. Vladimir as master brain and Kasper with his complicated mind.
Absolutely captivating written story with an unbelievable brainwashing plot. Very well done!
Jiao is an undercover officer and after his cover got blown he lands as a prisoner and a trafficked one himself on a ship. He will be trained and end up adopted or dead.
On board he meets the beautiful Kasper, pet of the highest in rang. Jiao wants so save the people on board, the question is do they want to be saved,
Kasper wants to serve his Master and that isn’t easy, Kasper has to fight the voices.
When Jiao has to master Kasper, he doesn’t know what’s happening.
An amazingly written story, dark, very dark and quite a disturbing read.
We see a lot a dark action passing by: people trafficking, complex mindf ck, indoctrination, torture, isolation, branding, humiliation and a lot lot more.
Stunning personalities Jiao felt almost laughable with his morals between all the horrible cruelty. Vladimir as master brain and Kasper with his complicated mind.
Absolutely captivating written story with an unbelievable brainwashing plot. Very well done!
August 21, 2022
A cop caught in a ring of trafficking.
The emotions are vivid and this is not for the faint of heart
The emotions are vivid and this is not for the faint of heart
January 24, 2022
I've never heard Jonathan Waters perform and audiobook before, and I'm blown away! His vocal range is amazing, and the accents he uses are simply perfect. The effect of the different voices in Kaspar's head is beautifully done.
Emma Jaye's Sweating Lies is the darkest thing I've read in a really long time. Dayum, this one is dark! Jaye maintains a contant level of intensity, full speed ahead from the very first page.
The story is exellent.
It doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but Lies #2, Splitting Lies, is nicely set up.
an audiobook copy of Sweating Lies was provided for my honest review, all opinions are my own
Emma Jaye's Sweating Lies is the darkest thing I've read in a really long time. Dayum, this one is dark! Jaye maintains a contant level of intensity, full speed ahead from the very first page.
The story is exellent.
It doesn't end in a cliffhanger, but Lies #2, Splitting Lies, is nicely set up.
an audiobook copy of Sweating Lies was provided for my honest review, all opinions are my own
Read
May 17, 2019A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Sweating Lies is another entry in the Criminal Delights series, a collection of standalone books by different authors with dark themes. The story is darker and more brutal than the other book in this series I reviewed. It involves sex trafficking, rape, castration, beatings, torture, branding, brainwashing, and so much more. This is not a book for anyone sensitive to such matters. However, I will say that all of the horrific and awful moments in this book serve to progress the plot and Jiao and Kaspar’s character development. For all that it’s lushly painted, it’s neither gratuitous nor grotesque.
Jiao is a conflicted man who is far more anti-hero than hero. Yes, he wants to rescue the victims, but almost more than that, he wants to punish the men who hurt them. He can shrug off his own physical humiliations and abuse — though he doesn’t forget them or forgive them — but it infuriates him to watch someone else being hurt. The feeling of helplessness is worse than the rape. He’s a cop and knows his absence will be noticed and that rescue is coming. While waiting in the cells in the bowels of the ship, he clings to that thought, using it to keep him sane. It gives him a reason to hold on and a goal to work for, a reason to endure. One more day of torture brings him that much closer to freedom, and one day closer to getting out of this nightmare.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Sweating Lies is another entry in the Criminal Delights series, a collection of standalone books by different authors with dark themes. The story is darker and more brutal than the other book in this series I reviewed. It involves sex trafficking, rape, castration, beatings, torture, branding, brainwashing, and so much more. This is not a book for anyone sensitive to such matters. However, I will say that all of the horrific and awful moments in this book serve to progress the plot and Jiao and Kaspar’s character development. For all that it’s lushly painted, it’s neither gratuitous nor grotesque.
Jiao is a conflicted man who is far more anti-hero than hero. Yes, he wants to rescue the victims, but almost more than that, he wants to punish the men who hurt them. He can shrug off his own physical humiliations and abuse — though he doesn’t forget them or forgive them — but it infuriates him to watch someone else being hurt. The feeling of helplessness is worse than the rape. He’s a cop and knows his absence will be noticed and that rescue is coming. While waiting in the cells in the bowels of the ship, he clings to that thought, using it to keep him sane. It gives him a reason to hold on and a goal to work for, a reason to endure. One more day of torture brings him that much closer to freedom, and one day closer to getting out of this nightmare.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
January 25, 2022
RTC but damn is this audiobook wonderful. The narration of this audiobook really worked for me. This audiobook really brought the story to life and I loved every moment I spent listening to it.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
January 29, 2022
DNF at 47%
This had some really big issues, and super annoying characters. All around a serious miss. Semi-incoherent rant:
1. The world's most naive and incompetent undercover cop
Seriously, I cannot say enough how innocent fluffy bunny this supposed veteran undercover agent, taking down mafia after mafia, is. I mean, when he's in a prison/cargo hold of a human trafficking ship, and there's people in there who've been there for a while...and he's all sunny "of course we'll get rescued! tell me your names and stories" and it's like...dude, just stop. You're making this worse. You know (should know) how hard it is to take down these huge organizations, and you're sure as hell not going to do it from inside a prison cell. He's so strongly affected by all this nasty behavior - which honestly I don't think it should come as a surprise - that he makes impulsive and idiotic decisions.
He completely lacks an understanding of Stockholm Syndrome/brainwashing, and since that's a major part of this book...wew. He gets taken down and sold into the human trafficking ring because he can't understand that maybe a seriously abused person won't trust a random security guy to protect and help him escape, and maybe he (abused victim) really has been brainwashed into staying. Or just not trusting.
He is also positively dreadful at assessing people and situations. He makes weird assumptions, acts aggressively on those assumptions, and they are repetitively wrong. Like not at all surprising wrong, super incredibly obviously wrong. This shows up with his total lack of understanding brainwashing/stockholm syndrome - you can't just "talk" people out of it.
Ooh and he has 0% understanding of BDSM. Or that some people really are masochists. He's like "but how could this guy possibly like being whipped? :o" like duuuuude. mofo. get with the program. But then he's all like "SaFe WoRd" to a brainwashed person who's obviously totally into it and also how in god's name could he still be so goddamn naive at that point??! Ugh.
2. just the entire thing in general
This book was far more concerned with the trappings of darkness and appearing edgy/gritty than actually developing a plot. Or the characters. Flat, naive main character. Weird demented extra character (Kaspar) who had his DID to be all tortured and confusing (spoiler: he was just super confusing and also that's not how DID works), some random leadery guy who I didn't care about.
There was so much time spent describing this sooper sekrit society and yet I just ended up confused. And in awe of their stupidity. All the fancy Roman-ish words, leaders with fancy names, rude names for sex slaves, etc. It was trying so hard and it just bogged everything down. So much time spent on explaining the hierarchy (why would they explain it to the prisoners anyway...?) and none making things happen.
thumbs down, execute the tortured creature
This had some really big issues, and super annoying characters. All around a serious miss. Semi-incoherent rant:
1. The world's most naive and incompetent undercover cop
Seriously, I cannot say enough how innocent fluffy bunny this supposed veteran undercover agent, taking down mafia after mafia, is. I mean, when he's in a prison/cargo hold of a human trafficking ship, and there's people in there who've been there for a while...and he's all sunny "of course we'll get rescued! tell me your names and stories" and it's like...dude, just stop. You're making this worse. You know (should know) how hard it is to take down these huge organizations, and you're sure as hell not going to do it from inside a prison cell. He's so strongly affected by all this nasty behavior - which honestly I don't think it should come as a surprise - that he makes impulsive and idiotic decisions.
He completely lacks an understanding of Stockholm Syndrome/brainwashing, and since that's a major part of this book...wew. He gets taken down and sold into the human trafficking ring because he can't understand that maybe a seriously abused person won't trust a random security guy to protect and help him escape, and maybe he (abused victim) really has been brainwashed into staying. Or just not trusting.
He is also positively dreadful at assessing people and situations. He makes weird assumptions, acts aggressively on those assumptions, and they are repetitively wrong. Like not at all surprising wrong, super incredibly obviously wrong. This shows up with his total lack of understanding brainwashing/stockholm syndrome - you can't just "talk" people out of it.
Ooh and he has 0% understanding of BDSM. Or that some people really are masochists. He's like "but how could this guy possibly like being whipped? :o" like duuuuude. mofo. get with the program. But then he's all like "SaFe WoRd" to a brainwashed person who's obviously totally into it and also how in god's name could he still be so goddamn naive at that point??! Ugh.
2. just the entire thing in general
This book was far more concerned with the trappings of darkness and appearing edgy/gritty than actually developing a plot. Or the characters. Flat, naive main character. Weird demented extra character (Kaspar) who had his DID to be all tortured and confusing (spoiler: he was just super confusing and also that's not how DID works), some random leadery guy who I didn't care about.
There was so much time spent describing this sooper sekrit society and yet I just ended up confused. And in awe of their stupidity. All the fancy Roman-ish words, leaders with fancy names, rude names for sex slaves, etc. It was trying so hard and it just bogged everything down. So much time spent on explaining the hierarchy (why would they explain it to the prisoners anyway...?) and none making things happen.
thumbs down, execute the tortured creature
May 11, 2019
Ok so this was harsh .. really harsh 🤯 it took me a while to get into the groove of this book and I was left quite hooked at the end ! Damn I’d like to see how these guys figure shit out - I mean Kaspar & co is an absolute mess. Not sure how Jaio is going to resolve this situation and break the many faces of this one person. No doubt a huge twist will occur. All I can say is I wish they blew up the boat and those nasty fuckers on board 😐
April 29, 2019
What a story, Emma really knows how to put you through an emotional rollercoaster. This story is so unexpected and surprising this book left me in awe. It was one of those books for me that I didn’t put down and kept turning the page. Every part of the book took me by surprise and I loved every minute of this dark and twisted story. I’m so looking forward to see what’s to come.
June 6, 2022
4.5* Damn this was good Stars.
This is DARK, DARK MM!
So Jiao is an undercover cop who gets found out & is sold into Human Trafficking. He is told he will either be a Gladiator or Toy.
Read the Book... You know you want to...
This is also a spin-off in the world of Blaire by Anita Gray which I haven't read but Def intend to. You can definitely still understand this if you haven't read that book. I'm not even sure it's a spin-off. But the author borrows a couple of their characters.
This is DARK, DARK MM!
So Jiao is an undercover cop who gets found out & is sold into Human Trafficking. He is told he will either be a Gladiator or Toy.
Read the Book... You know you want to...
This is also a spin-off in the world of Blaire by Anita Gray which I haven't read but Def intend to. You can definitely still understand this if you haven't read that book. I'm not even sure it's a spin-off. But the author borrows a couple of their characters.
May 2, 2019
Once more an author with too many ideas and nowhere near enough talent (or talented editors) to pull off what they attempted.
Stories with this kind of content require a lot of nuance and a light touch to successfully walk the fine line of turning a horrifying reality into an erotic fantasy. This author handles all of the delicate themes here about as subtly as a bull in a china shop.
Instead of morally grey everything is neatly black and white. The villains conveniently twirl their mustaches and the victims basically have a big V on their foreheads for easy distinction. There's no thrill to any of the depravity here - it feels juvenile and like it's there more for shock value than anything else.
The biggest failing lies in just not making me care about any the main characters. When I can shrug off their suffering and skim-read past sexual violence you know it's time to DNF.
Stories with this kind of content require a lot of nuance and a light touch to successfully walk the fine line of turning a horrifying reality into an erotic fantasy. This author handles all of the delicate themes here about as subtly as a bull in a china shop.
Instead of morally grey everything is neatly black and white. The villains conveniently twirl their mustaches and the victims basically have a big V on their foreheads for easy distinction. There's no thrill to any of the depravity here - it feels juvenile and like it's there more for shock value than anything else.
The biggest failing lies in just not making me care about any the main characters. When I can shrug off their suffering and skim-read past sexual violence you know it's time to DNF.
Read
December 3, 202215% DNF
March 29, 2019
If you like dark intrigue stories and you're not afraid of blood and violence, you will love this book! This book is one of the Criminal Delights books with the theme: Taken. The person Taken is Jiao Sweatt, an undercover cop who ends up kidnapped by a nasty bunch of criminals with a secret society. The leader is super nasty and ruthless in violence and abuse. Those captured are forced to either be trained to be a Pleasure Slave or a fighter. Jiao was undercover as a MMA fighter, so he escapes the fate of a Pleasure Slave. While being held captive on the ship, Jiao meets Kaspar who is the personal servant to the big bad guy. This book kept me interested the entire time. There was a little confusion at first, but that added to the effect of a big surprise later in the book!! Some really great secrets are revealed throughout the course of the book. The author did a great job of keeping me on the edge of my seat, so to speak. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!! A great read!!
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November 4, 2022If I had 100 Stars I would totally give them to this book. The characters are cruel, sadistic with no morals, they live only for their own agenda no matter how nice you think they are and the authour just let them drag you into their darkness without holding back.
The TRUE dark romance.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The TRUE dark romance.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 5, 2019
Sweating Lies is a phenomenal masterpiece by Emma Jaye. It’s well researched and with an astounding plot that showcases why Emma Jaye retains the Queen of Angst title. It was emotionally captivating and kept me on the edge of my seat!
The character development is flawless. The author really understands the complexity of people and it shines in her writing. The development is so strong it was impossible not to feel for these characters, whether love, hate or any mix of emotions. The world building was very intricate and added a vividness that kept the story moving along.
I didn’t want this book to end but at the same time I needed to know what would happen. My heart was racing through a good majority of this book and the pacing was on point. I think this may be my new favorite of Emma Jaye’s and I desperately need more!
5 stars for a captivating, suspenseful and angst driven read!
The character development is flawless. The author really understands the complexity of people and it shines in her writing. The development is so strong it was impossible not to feel for these characters, whether love, hate or any mix of emotions. The world building was very intricate and added a vividness that kept the story moving along.
I didn’t want this book to end but at the same time I needed to know what would happen. My heart was racing through a good majority of this book and the pacing was on point. I think this may be my new favorite of Emma Jaye’s and I desperately need more!
5 stars for a captivating, suspenseful and angst driven read!
April 28, 2019
5 mindfucking stars!
From the very first pages the book warns, this is gonna be a dark read. But with every page it only gets darker.
The world of the undercover cop, Jiao, flips upside down when he is betrayed and submerged into something he never dreamed was real. Orta - the society where people are branded, trained, and sold like animals. Sex slaves, gladiators, murderers; brainwashed people who would do anything on a command. Watching them, Jiao realizes, this would be his future, unless he escapes.
Kaspar—a diamond in the dark—broken, yet utterly attractive. His deep personality and unpredictable behavior fascinates Jiao and gives him a hope. Not only for escape, but for something bigger, but the more he watches, the more he realizes, things aren’t always what they look like.
This book isn’t for people with weak hearts or people who get easily offended or shocked. Deep psychology issues, insecurities, moral questions, and the blurred line in between of wrong and right is what made it a 5 star read for me.
I can’t wait to read the second book.
From the very first pages the book warns, this is gonna be a dark read. But with every page it only gets darker.
The world of the undercover cop, Jiao, flips upside down when he is betrayed and submerged into something he never dreamed was real. Orta - the society where people are branded, trained, and sold like animals. Sex slaves, gladiators, murderers; brainwashed people who would do anything on a command. Watching them, Jiao realizes, this would be his future, unless he escapes.
Kaspar—a diamond in the dark—broken, yet utterly attractive. His deep personality and unpredictable behavior fascinates Jiao and gives him a hope. Not only for escape, but for something bigger, but the more he watches, the more he realizes, things aren’t always what they look like.
This book isn’t for people with weak hearts or people who get easily offended or shocked. Deep psychology issues, insecurities, moral questions, and the blurred line in between of wrong and right is what made it a 5 star read for me.
I can’t wait to read the second book.
January 16, 2022
Outstanding narration
Jonathan Waters has just joined my list of favourite narrators. I was blown away at the talent shown in the performance since there were so many characters to balance and each had their own voice.
Sound effects were added and used liberally, which added to the ambience.
The story is dark and gritty. Not listed in the TW are mentions of rapes (plural) having occurred and the after effects of this.
I wouldn't say it is necessarily a romance though I can see the potential there.
The main characters are morally grey for the most part and this will split opinion on them. This is the kind of book that you pick apart with friends and discuss. The backstory is pretty detailed and not spoon fed so you have to pay attention.
Left as a HFN and has me hooked for the next one
Jonathan Waters has just joined my list of favourite narrators. I was blown away at the talent shown in the performance since there were so many characters to balance and each had their own voice.
Sound effects were added and used liberally, which added to the ambience.
The story is dark and gritty. Not listed in the TW are mentions of rapes (plural) having occurred and the after effects of this.
I wouldn't say it is necessarily a romance though I can see the potential there.
The main characters are morally grey for the most part and this will split opinion on them. This is the kind of book that you pick apart with friends and discuss. The backstory is pretty detailed and not spoon fed so you have to pay attention.
Left as a HFN and has me hooked for the next one
January 24, 2022
A very dark listen (an audio review)
I’ve been enjoying the Criminal Delight series and was (pun intended) delighted to see a new addition through this audio release. Now, if I had to listen to dubcon with morally questionable people every day, I’d get tired of them. One or two a month? Perfect.
To start, I’ll say I liked Jiao Sweatt as a character. Hard-scrabble life. Made his way up from nothing to be a cop. A cop who infiltrates the mafia world to bring down some bad dudes. He’s moved from assignment to assignment, sinking deeper into these roles. Killing other bad dudes without much compunction. Fighting in MMA-style brawls to keep his street cred. Doing whatever it takes to bring down the criminals.
Until the day it all goes sideways. His cover is blown, he’s taken down, and the next thing he knows, he wakes up on a boat. A boat full of slaves for an underground mafia family he’s never heard of. By the time he gets his bearings, he realizes he’s in deep trouble. There are bad men running this organization – possibly some of the worst he’s encountered. And they train their young captives to become obedient sex slaves. Human trafficking at its finest.
Jiao vows to bring them all down. But that’s pretty hard while he’s suffering horrific abuse at their hands, is miles offshore, and is falling for another captive.
Kaspar has a decent life – for a sex slave. His backstory was unexpected, and I won’t reveal it here as it’d be a huge spoiler, but I didn’t see it coming. He’s obedient to the captain of the vessel and mindless in his submission. Except the voices in his head. He’s clearly mentally ill – not so much because of the torture he appears to willingly submit to – but because there’s obviously more going on with him. Jiao sees it, but is powerless to help.
Until the day escape seems possible. But with the odds stacked against them, it doesn’t seem to be a true option. And this organization has tentacles everywhere. Even if they manage to get off the ship, would they ever really be safe?
Oh, and Kaspar doesn’t want to leave. He’s happy to remain onboard, a victim who doesn’t see himself as one, for as long as he’s alive.
High drama. High stakes. Dark, uh, stuff.
I was along for the ride. Ms. Jaye drew me in from the beginning and I was right there, horrified by the abuse – as I was expected to be – and rooting for some strange characters. Like the captain was a POV character, so I kept wondering what his true role was.
There are more books in the series and OMG when the opportunity to snag them comes along an audio, I’m all-in.
I will say Jonathan Waters is a new narrator to me and I’m hooked. I liked the effects he did with the voices in Kaspar’s head. And he held steady through the entire book. Glad to see he’s on board for the entire series. A dark series. A desolate series. An enthralling series.
I’ve been enjoying the Criminal Delight series and was (pun intended) delighted to see a new addition through this audio release. Now, if I had to listen to dubcon with morally questionable people every day, I’d get tired of them. One or two a month? Perfect.
To start, I’ll say I liked Jiao Sweatt as a character. Hard-scrabble life. Made his way up from nothing to be a cop. A cop who infiltrates the mafia world to bring down some bad dudes. He’s moved from assignment to assignment, sinking deeper into these roles. Killing other bad dudes without much compunction. Fighting in MMA-style brawls to keep his street cred. Doing whatever it takes to bring down the criminals.
Until the day it all goes sideways. His cover is blown, he’s taken down, and the next thing he knows, he wakes up on a boat. A boat full of slaves for an underground mafia family he’s never heard of. By the time he gets his bearings, he realizes he’s in deep trouble. There are bad men running this organization – possibly some of the worst he’s encountered. And they train their young captives to become obedient sex slaves. Human trafficking at its finest.
Jiao vows to bring them all down. But that’s pretty hard while he’s suffering horrific abuse at their hands, is miles offshore, and is falling for another captive.
Kaspar has a decent life – for a sex slave. His backstory was unexpected, and I won’t reveal it here as it’d be a huge spoiler, but I didn’t see it coming. He’s obedient to the captain of the vessel and mindless in his submission. Except the voices in his head. He’s clearly mentally ill – not so much because of the torture he appears to willingly submit to – but because there’s obviously more going on with him. Jiao sees it, but is powerless to help.
Until the day escape seems possible. But with the odds stacked against them, it doesn’t seem to be a true option. And this organization has tentacles everywhere. Even if they manage to get off the ship, would they ever really be safe?
Oh, and Kaspar doesn’t want to leave. He’s happy to remain onboard, a victim who doesn’t see himself as one, for as long as he’s alive.
High drama. High stakes. Dark, uh, stuff.
I was along for the ride. Ms. Jaye drew me in from the beginning and I was right there, horrified by the abuse – as I was expected to be – and rooting for some strange characters. Like the captain was a POV character, so I kept wondering what his true role was.
There are more books in the series and OMG when the opportunity to snag them comes along an audio, I’m all-in.
I will say Jonathan Waters is a new narrator to me and I’m hooked. I liked the effects he did with the voices in Kaspar’s head. And he held steady through the entire book. Glad to see he’s on board for the entire series. A dark series. A desolate series. An enthralling series.
May 1, 2019
Conditioned to love 10 billion stars
Emma Jaye is the ultimate Queen of Angst! Oh, how she loves to mess with the emotions of her readers! Sweating Lies left me cursing the author hard!!!! I had to refrain myself from throwing my kindle after the fight scene with Bennett and Marcus!
Sweating Lies is not just a regular dark read, I am warning you all, it is D. A. R. K. AF! We find our protagonist, Jiao Sweatt in the belly of the beast, trying to survive the evils that resides in our world. However, things aren’t what it seem. While infiltrating the dark side, he finds himself in a hard place. Alas, a hero will always attempt to be a hero, therein lies the problem. You see this world does not require a hero, it needs a villain and Jiao is betrayed.
Dropped in the middle of a ‘new world’ where men were trained to think in a certain way. Where death is a norm, wearing a brand and being castrated may be the way to serve a purpose. The Orta is where Jiao finds himself. While plotting his escape, he encounters a soul that will forever leave him changed.
Kaspar! Oh Kaspar! How I love thee! His emotions and lack thereof, left me reeling. His inner monologues, had me sitting up straight. My heart broke for the young boy who had to watch and survive the heinous and brutal torture of his family. And he survived all these, the only way he could. Jiao is captured by Kaspar’s fragmented soul. He wants to save him.
Evil exists in this world because we do not have more heroes like Jiao Sweatt. Will he be able to break the chains that keeps him a captive? Be it the chains around his heart or the literal ones around him!
This book is not for everyone, you will not like what transpires in the Orta, how they think, how they operate, what they do to prepare their victims to be toys or gladiators!
If ever there was a book where the lines are distorted and blurry, this one is it. The right and wrong of it may be conditioned out of your conscience. Emma Jaye beautifully portrays the struggles of our hero and the battle that waged inside the victim.
Emma Jaye is the ultimate Queen of Angst! Oh, how she loves to mess with the emotions of her readers! Sweating Lies left me cursing the author hard!!!! I had to refrain myself from throwing my kindle after the fight scene with Bennett and Marcus!
Sweating Lies is not just a regular dark read, I am warning you all, it is D. A. R. K. AF! We find our protagonist, Jiao Sweatt in the belly of the beast, trying to survive the evils that resides in our world. However, things aren’t what it seem. While infiltrating the dark side, he finds himself in a hard place. Alas, a hero will always attempt to be a hero, therein lies the problem. You see this world does not require a hero, it needs a villain and Jiao is betrayed.
Dropped in the middle of a ‘new world’ where men were trained to think in a certain way. Where death is a norm, wearing a brand and being castrated may be the way to serve a purpose. The Orta is where Jiao finds himself. While plotting his escape, he encounters a soul that will forever leave him changed.
Kaspar! Oh Kaspar! How I love thee! His emotions and lack thereof, left me reeling. His inner monologues, had me sitting up straight. My heart broke for the young boy who had to watch and survive the heinous and brutal torture of his family. And he survived all these, the only way he could. Jiao is captured by Kaspar’s fragmented soul. He wants to save him.
Evil exists in this world because we do not have more heroes like Jiao Sweatt. Will he be able to break the chains that keeps him a captive? Be it the chains around his heart or the literal ones around him!
This book is not for everyone, you will not like what transpires in the Orta, how they think, how they operate, what they do to prepare their victims to be toys or gladiators!
If ever there was a book where the lines are distorted and blurry, this one is it. The right and wrong of it may be conditioned out of your conscience. Emma Jaye beautifully portrays the struggles of our hero and the battle that waged inside the victim.
April 10, 2019
It was brilliant. I t’s even hard to find words to say how much I liked this book. The fact that is a new to me author is even more enthralling. I start the book not being sure what to expect and I end up falling in love with such an amazing story and even more so characters.
The plot is really interesting. I loved how we start knowing bit by bit about the whole situation Jiao has fallen into. To understand how everything work and who everyone is, was a fascinating experience. It is a dark read. I recommend to take seriously the warning, this is not a typical romance and is definitely not for the fainthearted. It might not be darkest book I’ve read, but it does contain some subject that might not be suitable for some readers, among them, but not limited to, non-con, self-harm and torture.
What I liked the most about the book was a mesmerizing character, Kaspar. He was a joy to read. I fell in love with his internal struggle. He was unlike anything I’ve ever read and it was captivating. I couldn’t get enough of him, either for his point of view or how the other characters see him. It was beautiful. There were other characters that I liked, but it was him who made the book work for me. Jiao was nice, but maybe he was too nice for me. It was a little troublesome and it didn’t allow me to like him that much. It might be only my issue, because I think most readers are going to like him.
Overall it was a fantastic book. I loved it and I just can’t wait for the next in the series to be out. Definitely recommend it if the reader is ok with the warnings.
* I received an ARC in echange of an honest review
The plot is really interesting. I loved how we start knowing bit by bit about the whole situation Jiao has fallen into. To understand how everything work and who everyone is, was a fascinating experience. It is a dark read. I recommend to take seriously the warning, this is not a typical romance and is definitely not for the fainthearted. It might not be darkest book I’ve read, but it does contain some subject that might not be suitable for some readers, among them, but not limited to, non-con, self-harm and torture.
What I liked the most about the book was a mesmerizing character, Kaspar. He was a joy to read. I fell in love with his internal struggle. He was unlike anything I’ve ever read and it was captivating. I couldn’t get enough of him, either for his point of view or how the other characters see him. It was beautiful. There were other characters that I liked, but it was him who made the book work for me. Jiao was nice, but maybe he was too nice for me. It was a little troublesome and it didn’t allow me to like him that much. It might be only my issue, because I think most readers are going to like him.
Overall it was a fantastic book. I loved it and I just can’t wait for the next in the series to be out. Definitely recommend it if the reader is ok with the warnings.
* I received an ARC in echange of an honest review
April 17, 2019
This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I could not read it fast enough. It has a story line that I was really not expecting. Actually I dont know what I was expecting but what we got.........wow was so worth the read. It is violent, dark and twisted and I loved every word on each page. The characters are amazing and really fall into the story. I cant wait to see what comes next.
November 2, 2021
My God what a ride! I'm honestly having a hard time putting my thoughts into words. This book was extremely dark and scary and thought provoking and just an absolutely fascinating read. I honestly couldn't put it down. I had no idea what was going to happen next and I really didn't know who I should feel sorry for. Some scenes really surprised me, the plot was so beautifully crafted. And I did not see the plot twist coming
Jiao was a great main character and Kaspar was fascinating.
I'm going to start the second book right away!
Jiao was a great main character and Kaspar was fascinating.
I'm going to start the second book right away!
April 24, 2019
*this review may contain spoilers
The world described in this book is one we all know it exists,we just choose not to acknowledge it. Drugs,weapons,human trafficking and slavery happen all over,but as long as they don't touch our lives,we can pretend they don't exist.
This book is a really check. Emma Jaye is great at introducing the reader to the dark underworld. Sweating Lies is highly engaging with its twists and turns and I couldn't put it down. Of course, it's disturbing and mind blowing, but very well written and with great character development.
And,who knows,maybe something good,a hope for a brighter future can shine out of that dark environment.
The world described in this book is one we all know it exists,we just choose not to acknowledge it. Drugs,weapons,human trafficking and slavery happen all over,but as long as they don't touch our lives,we can pretend they don't exist.
This book is a really check. Emma Jaye is great at introducing the reader to the dark underworld. Sweating Lies is highly engaging with its twists and turns and I couldn't put it down. Of course, it's disturbing and mind blowing, but very well written and with great character development.
And,who knows,maybe something good,a hope for a brighter future can shine out of that dark environment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2019
I had a really hard time with this book for about the first 1/4 of it. I picked it up and put it down so many times but boy am I glad I pushed through. Although I’m a big fan of dark and twisty I just couldn’t get past the graphic scenes in my head at first but then it blew my mind. I cannot wait to read the next instalment!
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 28, 2022DNF at 53%
The book in itself was not so bad but LIFE is interfering, Till now, no romance but the concept is interesting. An intense story but breaks in the reading is taking the enjoyment out of the book. 150 pages felt like a whole lot longer.
Will try it again later...
The book in itself was not so bad but LIFE is interfering, Till now, no romance but the concept is interesting. An intense story but breaks in the reading is taking the enjoyment out of the book. 150 pages felt like a whole lot longer.
Will try it again later...
September 2, 2024
Left me breathless!!!😍😃😋
Blew me away! 💣💥I just didn't know how I was going to take this one!!! It drew me whole like the sweetest bong drag and never letting me breath; just expanding and expanding... I frantically clutch my neck from beginning to end... I've never feeling this way after finishing...the Hot and cold, clammy skin...so shaky and wrung out, needy..mmmmhmmmm! Gimme more!!!😘😘😘
Blew me away! 💣💥I just didn't know how I was going to take this one!!! It drew me whole like the sweetest bong drag and never letting me breath; just expanding and expanding... I frantically clutch my neck from beginning to end... I've never feeling this way after finishing...the Hot and cold, clammy skin...so shaky and wrung out, needy..mmmmhmmmm! Gimme more!!!😘😘😘
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