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Blurb
Ripley
They call me RIP.
I’m a killer. A murderer. A psychopath.
In the eyes of the righteous, I’m a monster, born of sin and depravity.
I want to protect her, but I’m not a good man.
I want to love her, but I no longer feel.
She gets under my skin, though, and has awakened something inside of me.
Something I’d kill for.
I’m not her savior—not even close. In fact, I’m worse than the hell she’s already suffered.
I’m her vengeance. Tit for tat, as they say.
And if she’s not careful, I’ll be her ruin.
Dylan
For months, I’ve watched him.
I’ve fantasized him as my savior, my lover. My ticket out of the hell I’ve lived in for the last six years.
I never dreamed he’d be my nightmare.
Had I known what he really is, I’d have never gotten in the car that night, but life is full of cause and effect.
And sometimes the choice on offer isn’t a choice at all.
It’s the result of something already in motion, and we’re merely left to survive the ripple effect.
Review
“Every decision you make affects every moment that follows … It’s like a ripple effect. Choose wisely.”
4 dark, dirty and twisted stars
Goddam, Keri Lake can write dark and gritty romance! And wow, was this one dark! Dramatic, violent, sinister and twisted, this book plunges you into the seedy underworld of Chicago, where bad guys rule, the innocent become victims, and a merciless killer can become an antihero who will absolutely still your heart.
Ripple effect: noun
1. a spreading effect or series of consequences caused by a single action or event
Dylan lives a dismal life, living with her aunt and uncle after her mother overdosed when she was just 12 years old. Not that her life was all roses better before then, with her mother prostituting herself to pay for her drug habit, and Dylan being exposed to all sorts of hell. But since then, she has been subjected to horrors that would break a lesser person. The only sense of calm in her life comes when she downs her pills and watches a mysterious stranger from her bedroom window – a tall, dark and dangerous man that intrigues her like no other, and who she imagines in all sorts of deliciously dirty ways. She is counting down the days until her 18th birthday when she can escape the horrors of her ‘home’, but when it all becomes too much for her, she grabs her dog and her young foster sister, and she makes a run for it. When desperation leads her into a dangerous situation, her saviour comes in the unsuspecting form of Ripley, the man she has watched for so long.
Ripley (aka ‘Rip’) is a killer for hire. Ruthless and vicious, he is a seemingly emotionless killing machine – never missing his mark, and never failing to extract whatever information he is after – by any means necessary. But when their circumstances bring them together, Ripley is uncharacteristically considerate towards Dylan, and when he makes her an off she can’t refuse, the two of them are bound together for two months – Dylan getting a roof over her head and the safety and financial security she so desperately needs, and Ripley getting Dylan…. all of Dylan. It may seem like a sketchy deal, but the attraction that sizzles between these two is definitely two-sided, and they are equal partners in their depravity.
Seeing her face drudges thoughts inside my head. Feelings that shouldn’t be there, like how savagely I’d kill another bastard for laying a hand on her. How badly I want to claim her as mine, every ounce of pleasure that spills from her lips.
I want her. But more than that, I don’t want anyone else to have her.He’s not my saviour. He’s an angel with black wings. A dealer of death. My ruin.
The dynamic between Ripley and Dylan is intense and a little bit twisted. It’s not sweet and loving, and it’s not banter and playful animosity – this is hard core. Both of them taking what they need, and doing it unapologetically. The sex is hot and dirty, and their interactions are blunt, holding nothing back. But things slowly begin to shift, and as they start to open up to each other, they both find themselves dealing with feelings they never expected – the consequences of which could be deadly.
“As long as you’re mine, nothing touches you. Simple as that.”
If you’ve read a book by this author, then you’ll know what to expect going into this one, and if you haven’t, well… there are dark romances and then there are DARK romances. This one is DARK. Lake writes super dark books, so I sort of knew to expect it, but this one was a bit boundary pushing (I don’t think we needed quite that much detail). If there is a trigger – this book has it. Abuse, drug taking, violence, rape and hard-core torture. Parts of this book actually made my stomach turn, but it shows the brutality of the world and its inhabitants, and as a world-building tool it’s really effective. Just a bit cringy in places, and definitely not for the feint-of-heart.
But in the middle of all of that brutality, there is a love story. It’s twisted and unconventional, but it’s real and raw, and it develops really well. I could feel the shift of things between Ripley and Dylan, and though their situations are unique and completely out of the realm of ‘normal life’, I could feel what they were feeling, and I really enjoyed how natural it felt as everything changed for them.
As much as I fear that my demons will ultimately tear her apart, the disturbing reality is, they’d probably get drunk with hers and have a fucking orgy together. A woman like that is dangerous for a man like me, but letting her go is no longer an option. I can’t decide if she’s a nightmare or a dream. All I know is that I want more of it. More of her.
In a killer’s embrace, I feel something I’ve not experience my whole life – I feel safe.
But the romance is just a part of the story, woven into the dangerous, deadly world that they inhabit. There are so many dangers and secrets and there’s a lot that happens in the story, and it’s twisted and complex… in fact I’m still not sure I completely have my head around the intricacies of this storyline. But I enjoyed the twists and turns, and the reveals that had me gasping in shock, and I loved the fact that I kept getting dragged deeper and deeper into this complicated story so that I couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed this book. Like I said, it’s not an easy one to get through, but if you’re in the mood for something raw and gritty, then this is a great read!
4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Giveaway
There is a giveaway for a signed paperback of Ripple Effect, a $25 Amazon gift card and Keri Lake swag (3 winners).
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway
About the Author
Keri Lake is a dark romance writer who specializes in demon wrangling, vengeance dealing and wicked twists. Her stories are gritty, with antiheroes that walk the line of good and bad, and feisty heroines who bring them to their knees. When not penning books, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughters, and their rebellious Labrador (who doesn’t retrieve a damn thing). She runs on strong coffee and alternative music, loves a good red wine, and has a slight addiction to dark chocolate.
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