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T**Z
Not That Dark, but I Still Liked it
While Dirty Angels is touted as dark and comes with a warning, I didn't find it as dark as some I have read in the past. That being said, I still really liked this book. The amount of dark worked for each character, highlighting the "good" guy and the bad, if there can be a "good" drug lord.Luisa Chavez is poor and has been poor her entire life. Her parents are ailing and her waitress job at the bar isn't cutting it anymore. Luisa needs to figure out a way to make more money for her parents, to give them better care than they have now. The answer walks into the bar in the form of Salvador Reyes.Salvador Reyes is the head of one of the two big drug cartels in Mexico. He is an ugly man, but a rich man. A man that can help Luisa get out of poverty and her parents taken care of. Salvador takes one look at the beauty queen and makes her his. Marrying the young Luisa and setting her parents up with a new home and constant care.Now that Luisa Chavez is Luisa Reyes, she has a price on her head. The wife of a drug lord is always in danger, which she doesn't care about, she just wants away from the situation. Luisa is in too deep, she didn't think her plan through, didn't think about the abuse she would endure daily by a man that never really loved her. Seizing an opportunity, Luisa takes off from the Reyes compound, only to find herself in the hands of Salvador's rival Javier.Javier Bernal is looking to get some of Salvador's business and plans on using Luisa to do it. Javier is way better looking than Salvador, but is still cut from the same drug lord cloth and does awful things to her. Javier has a past, one that controls his actions. You begin to see he isn't like Salvador at all and actually has a heart deep down.Javier has Luisa for a week, using her to bait Salvador, but the big man isn't budging. This gives Javier's emotions time to play with his head until he doesn't know what he wants to do about Luisa anymore. He is leading with his heart, something the head of a cartel does not do.I understand after reading other reviews that Javier is a spin off character from another Karina Halle book, one in which we learned about his past and how it shaped him in to the man he is now. I didn't read that book, only Sins and Needles and at the time was looking for more romance than action. I think I will go back to this series to see it all come together. I liked the character Javier. He was ruthless when he needed to be, but then showed a softer side that quickly hooked me in. I found the internal battle he waged interesting, showing how hard he fought to have his cake and eat it too.While the book isn't super dark, it does have some dark issues. I felt those scenes were described and moved on from rather than drug out, which worked well. Javier and Luisa needed time for this whatever to develop and it did. The book was well written and keeps you on your toes until the very end.
L**S
This dark and gritty read, is epic!
So this is my first Karina Halle read. I've got stacks of her books on my kindle, but I just hadn't got around to reading them.So I started with Dirty Angels, no idea if that is a good starting point, but it was good for me. I loved this book!Granted I have read a lot of books, that skate around this subject lately, but Dirty Angels, took it's own spot in the running, and was miles ahead in my opinion.That was obviously partly down to the incredible writing style, and partly down to just a fantastically addictive story.So Dirty Angels is apparently a spin off from KH's older series, The Artists Trilogy, which I obviously haven't read. So I panicked a little, that I would need to have read that series. Luckily I didn't need to. Yes a character had crossed over, but this wasn't linked to that series, so I felt comfortable with the background.Luisa, is a beautiful, selfless Mexican girl. She works hard to take care of her parents, who are unable to take care of themselves. Luisa has always put others first, and never fully enjoyed life, the way she would of liked to. But, she doesn't dwell on that.Luisa lives in a world where, Cartels and drug lords are common faces around her. She words in a bar, with a scummy boss, who likes to take advantage.One day, Luisa's life begins to take a different turn, when the most wanted and feared man in Mexico, Salvadore Reyes. Leader of the largest, most corrupt Cartel, sets his sight on Luisa.He offers her the opportunity, to allow her parents to live in luxury, to be taken care of by specialists, and not have to worry for anything.But, Luisa would have to marry Salvadore, and be his trophy wife.Luisa decides to accept, as she feels she has no other choice, as nobody turns down Salvadore, and lives to tell the tale. Plus she give to her parents, the security they have never had.So begins her new life, as the wife of the notorious cartel leader.It's obviously not all hearts and roses. Salvadore is a much older, and very twisted individual. He walks hand in hand with pain, and believes his new wife, lives to serve him, and do exactly what he wants of her.But she doesn't have to endure that hell for too long, before another hell steps in.Upon trying to escape Salvadore, with her carefully thought out plan. She didn't factor in, a rival cartel gang, abducting her before she actually leaves the grounds.So now Luisa is a hostage. She is the bargain tool. Rival cartel boss Javier Bernal, has taken Luisa, and plans to trade her back to Salvadore, in place for something he wants of his. "My darling. You're going to be my undoing."Except his plans didn't factor in the effect Luisa would have on him. “I will break you.” “Then do your worst. And you will see that the worst has already been done.”So that is my summary, and I can't go any further without potential spoilers.This books was incredibly gritty, and dark. When I first started reading it, it skated around dodgy issues, or scenes that could of been potentially nasty. So I just assumed it was keeping on the edge of being a fully dark and nasty story. How wrong I was.If you are in any way squeamish, or have an aversion to any scenes of a dubious nature, this book is probably not best for you.I absolutely loved it!!I always look for stories that push my boundaries. Make me feel uncomfortable, and shock the hell out of me. It's how I escape and step away from the norm.So when I started reading Dirty Angels, and thought that it was perhaps a more tame version of a cartel/hostage style story. I was quite surprised, when the story steps up a notch, with some chosen scenes, that actually blow any other shockers, I have read recently, fully out of the water.Throughout this story, I felt on the edge, not sure what to expect, and what would happen next. It was full of twists and turns, and crazy shockers. The atmosphere was a mixture of darkly chilling, and then sizzling hot with chemistry.I went from stomach churning, to hot and bothered in the blink of a page. It was that exciting.I think what made it so incredibly intense, was the faultless writing style of KH. She managed to drag the reader in to the story, and almost feel like you are in the back of each room, watching. Which isn't always the best, with some scenes. :-/I loved the characters, Luisa went from being someone, who you wanted to shout at, to have some self preservation, but then felt in awe of how she could do a 180, and become so strong and awe inspiring.Javier, was awesome!! Totally in control of every situation, to the point of actually being scary. I would sit thinking, wow if he is capable of 'that' I wouldn't want to get on his bad side. Of course besides the black and gritty edge to him, he was also stupidly sexy, oozing sex with every word and move. I loved him so much, I actually want to go and read, The Artists Trilogy now. I haven't got enough of Javier, just yet.All round amazing surprise read. The feelings and thoughts I had when I first started reading, were blown to pieces after the first chunk. This book was intense, dark, sexy, and very dirty!! “You must feel your soul is dirty then.” “Oh, my darling. No, I don’t even have a soul.”4.5 Stars.**I was given a copy of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review**
A**S
Simply Brilliant!!!!
I always said I was team Javier and this book demonstrates why this man, this bad, bad man, is just so damn loveable.Time has moved since Ellie left Javier behind and now running his cartel without a love interest to distract him, he is back to his cold blooded ways. He is still plotting and planning in order to extend his empire and to do that he needs to control the lucrative shipping lane known as the Ephedra. This lane is currently under the control of Salvador Reyes though and Javier targets his weakness, or so he thinks, his wife, Luisa.Luisa has been living a poor life, working to support her frail parents when she catches Salvador's attention whilst working in Cabo Cocktails. Knowing that her family would be taken care of if she accepts his marriage proposal she reluctantly agrees to become his wife but assuming that he will take care of her and protect her she is horrified when she becomes his toy as he abuses, debases and humiliates her by sharing her amongst his men. When she attempts to make a break for her freedom though and is kidnapped, little does she expect to fall into the arms, and bed, of Javier Bernal.Salvador has 7 days to reply to Javier's ransom demands but during that time, Javier becomes enamoured by Luisa's strength and beauty.The story continues with Javier and Luisa slowly falling for each other but knowing they can never be together, Luisa knows she will either be returned to Salvador or killed.I loved this book so much. Having been a fan of the Artists Trilogy and pretty much everything else Karina Halle has written this for me was a perfect way to end the Christmas holidays. This was face paced and dark and brought to life the cruelties and horrors of the narcos and their lives. A brilliant book.I can't wait to read Alana's story, Javier's sister is bound to have an exciting tale to tell!!!Reviewed on behalf of Jezabell Girl & Friends....
P**G
Suspenseful, hard-hitting and shocking with a heartfelt twist. 4-STARS
Suspenseful, hard-hitting and shocking with a heartfelt twist. ~ Kelly, Perusing Princesses.Marrying a ruthless and abusive Mexican drug cartel leader to keep her parents in a safe home and food on the table is what many would call selfless... Luisa Chavez calls it survival. In a land that is overrun by narcotics and violent crime, this beauty queen is willing to lay down with the devil; she just didn’t know how much of a monster Salvadore Reyes was until their wedding night.Javier Bernal is a businessman who is looking to expand; a rival competitor in the Mexican drug cartel trade, he wants a bigger slice of the cake – the only problem is Salvador Reyes holds all the pieces.Kidnapping his new and beautiful wife was easier than he could have possibly imagined, but what he didn’t bargain for was a strong woman whose quick tongue and inner fight would ignite a burning need within him. There is nothing stronger than a woman willing to die to keep a secret. Fight, Flight or Die Trying is Luisa's motto, and one that appeals to him greatly.Javier keeps a distance from women, falling in love makes a man weak, but when he finds himself caring for the enemy’s wife… he knows nothing good could ever come out of that.Or could it?*Whoa! If you enjoy the whole kidnap / held for ransom / stockholm syndrome theme, then Dirty Angels is a real suspenseful, action packed read that will have you flicking through the pages with relish.Karina Halle has done an exceptional job in portraying a gritty and quite disturbing plot that focuses around the Mexican drug cartel. Dirty Angels isn’t my darkest read by a long shot, but one that is still thought provoking and a little gruesome in places, that just gets my heart pounding, my blood pumping and my book lovin’ soul buzzin!’I haven’t read The Artists Trilogy and I was concerned that Javier would be more of an enigma to me then a fully formed character that I could connect with, but I shouldn’t have worried my little head, because I didn’t feel like I had missed out at all. Karina made it obvious from the beginning of Javier’s narcissistic and psychotic ways, and briefly touched base on a woman who had broken him. For me, that is all I needed because Javier and our main heroine, Luisa, told this story in joint first person POV that gave it both potency and substance.Yes, there were a few moments when I started to question Luisa’s choices, her mind set and way of thinking came over a little unrealistic at times, but when you live with a monster and swap it for one a little less officious, I could see where her need for affection would arise. But what I will say about Luisa is she wasn’t sappy, immature or played the typical ‘damsel in distress’ card; she was incredibly strong and would have given her life to save the ones she loved, and that was what made her character shine.Javier was scary as much as he was sexy and I can’t even justify that in my own head, it doesn’t even make sense to me but read this and you will know exactly what I mean. He is HOT, ladies! Well… in-between severing heads and sawing arms and legs off in his makeshift torture chamber.All in all this was a satisfying, suspenseful read with grit that made a nice change from the contemporary norm.READ IT!
T**T
Was ok but felt lacking
★Book Basics★Genre : - Dark Romance (Not for the faint of heart, or for those who might find certain things triggering)Series : - Book 1 in the Dirty Angels series, although states it can be read as a standalone (Spin off of The Artists trilogy, blurb states you do not need to have read this though)Writing - First Person Dual POVMain Characters : Luisa Chavez, 23. Former beauty queen and at the beginning of the book, has been married to Salvador Reyes for 2 months, and is running away from him and his abuse. Married him to be able to offer her parents, her mother who is blind, and her father who suffers from dementia a better life.Javier Bernal, leader of a rival cartel, who kidnaps Luisa to hold her for ransom and gain more ground and power away from SalvadorLove triangle? - noCheating? - noHEA - yesWould I read more by this author? - Probably★Review★I have to admit, that I have not read The Artists Trilogy, that features Javier (as it appears to be a love triangle which I am not a fan of, and I tend to avoid trilogies these days too).So the blurb states ***While this is a spin-off of The Artists Trilogy, prior knowledge of the books is not needed** However, I felt that to be able to fully understand Javier and the choice he makes, how the relationships and actions from that trilogy affects him now, his relationship with Esteban, his fight to get to the top of the cartel, all of which is sort of brushed over here, written as if I should have prior knowledge to, made me feel as if I missed out on certain nuances and subtleties to his character and needed more of that back story in this book to help offer some insight to who he was as a man.At time, there was something almost, naive about Javier. It is hard to put into words, given some of his actions in this book, but it was just hard to see him as some feared cartel leader. A violent messed up man, yes. A feared powerful Cartel leader - nope. His own men seemed to second guess him and not have much faith in him. His insistence on some sort of honour amongst thieves seemed at odds with his supposed role in becoming leader of the cartel and the world he was determined to immerse himself in.Luisa I struggled with also. She had an awful life, and an awful time of it, however, I rather disconnected from her as a character. I felt for her, of course, but I felt like her sole purpose became being with Javier, only there as a prop for Javier to, break, fall in love with, and work through his feelings for another woman.It was gritty and violent and disturbing in places, and I am glad they got the HEA. But, I did not find it as gripping as I thought I would. I did not get as emotionally invested in their story as I should have. Something just felt missing.
B**R
Dark, sadistic, intriguing... but I am just not sure if I love it
I pre-ordered this book and was anxious to read it after enjoying Love, In English so bloody much. I had high hopes and even though I knew this was going to be much darker, that didn't bother me.While I love Karina's writing style, I did have some issues with this work. It is hard not to compare this to LIE, which for me was an introduction to her work. I felt immersed in LIE but with this one, sometimes I felt like an outsider looking in. I shouldn't compare the books but honestly I couldn't help it because her other work was much more powerful. Even though this book was graphic and horrifying in places, it didn't always pull any real emotion from me. My reasons why...Though some of the scenes in Dirty Angels had me gripping the edges of my device, with the brutal gruesomeness, Luisa's whole reasoning for marrying a drug lord, was loose at best. A virgin deciding suddenly to better her life by marrying an ugly, sleazy, abusive so and so. Something jarred there and, I don't think I am alone in my thinking. Luisa very much had a choice - she also had another big choice to make later in the book and made a bad decision there if you ask me (won't reveal spoilers here). I felt something was thrown in for effect (won't reveal spoilers here either). I accept hers was a difficult world but believability was stretched. You need some believability and why if she was a beauty queen, did she not have lots of nice men asking her for dates? I know she was offput by men, but surely one would be nice? Would be alluring enough? As Javier later says, the area she worked in was teeming with tourists and surely one nice man would have taken an interest in her at some point. I know - so many people will probably not think twice about this. Maybe I am overthinking this. The fact I am thinking it at all says something was amiss. I don't want to think - I want to read and trust in the story. A tiny part of me didn't though and it's still bugging me, even now. Why did her life have to be so dramatic for this transformation from willowy angel to queen? Something bothered me all the way through this book and I realised at the end, this was it: I am all for the downtrodden woman fighting back and rising from the ashes, but something didn't mesh here. If she had zillions of dollars worth of medical bills backed up, okay ... if she was prostituting herself to all and sundry and the prospect of marrying a drug lord was better ... maybe I could believe it ... perhaps if she was that naive (which she doesn't seem to be, she seems intelligent enough) maybe I could have got past my disbelief. Maybe then take the outlandish step of marrying an utter monster ... in the process breaking your parent's hearts.I don't know what I felt for Javier. I understood why he was psychotic and all that, but sometimes he just seemed like the antidote to the husband who didn't give her orgasms.It's hard to say what was missing for me here. I hate to be mean, but I just feel frustrated with this book because I wanted so much more! I know this is a shorter novel and part of a wider work but always I was waiting for something, some massive strip of enlightenment, that never materialised. Saying that though, I appreciated the research that went into this and the ballsy approach to such a dark topic.
A**R
loved it .....but
Ill get straight to the point i loved this book i love Javier and his sick twisted mind,this book is dark and gritty and not for the faint hearted BUT....SPOLIERS!i loved dirty angles but i felt it could of been so much more ,i have read all the artist trilogy and because of that i was comparing Javier from this book to Javier from the other series,Javier with ellie their sex scenes were a lot more hot and intense and dirty to be honest,he seemed more possessive and way more intense i tried to put that in the back of my mind while reading dirty angles but i kind of wish the author would of gone all out and made Javier a lot more crazy in that aspect. I think what won me over was that how Javier was willing to give up his 'empire' for Luisa which he wasn't willing to do with ellie so he won me over. I think the only other thing that niggled at me was how easy Luisa could except Javier life style i think i would of liked to see Luisa a lot more twisted and psycho for me to accept how easily she could kill and accept everything in Javier world and be apart of it than just a kidnapped or sideline wife.But over all i loved the book and it is great read and cant wait to read more.
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