Empire of Lust: Empire of Lust, Book 1

“Empire of Lust” by J.L. Beck is an enthralling tale that delves into the depths of desire, ambitionSet against a backdrop of opulence and power, the book weaves a mesmerizing narrative that keeps you hooked until the very end. The characters are beautifully fleshed out, each with their own secrets and motivations that add layers to the story. Beck’s writing is evocative, bringing to life the decadent world in which the characters navigate their complex relationships. The chemistry between the protagonists sizzles on the pages, adding a passionate intensity to the plot. “Empire of Lust” is a rollercoaster of emotions, blending romance and suspense in a way that leaves a lasting impression. If you’re seeking a novel that explores the alluring interplay of power and attraction, this book should definitely be on your reading list.

I really loved this story and the characters. You couldn't help but love/hate Callum at times for his overbearing ways. The only thing that bothered me a bit was Biancas' immature attitude. She is a college grad and stepping into the real world. But at times, she was so childish in her reactions to things Callum did. I was waiting for her to stomp her foot and cry, "It's not fair!" A few times.Regardless, the story was well done and fascinating. I'm eager to read more and see where it goes and hope we get to see Bianca begin to develop into a more mature character.

When you take mafia, mix it with best friend’s dad AND a ‘touch her and I’ll kill you. Take her and I’ll burn the world until I find her’ attitude, you get PERFECTION!I loved how this book was super spicy but also had a real story to it. I cannot wait to continue reading. What a cliffhanger we were left with!

Mmm Callum Torrio. He’s truly filthy in the best way. I was very excited to read this book. I always love books by this author. This is definitely a dark romance with a morally grey MMC. If you enjoy dark romance I highly recommend but definitely check trigger warnings and heed them!!This story has all the fun taboo tropes. Age Gap, best friend’s dad, sabotaged birth control, mafia. You have Bianca who has been extremely sheltered by her father, she’s a rule follower. Her best friend Tatum is more the outgoing wild one and gets her to go along with her crazy ideas and usually ends up taking care of Tatum when she’s inebriated. As a college graduation gift Tatum’s Dad is sending her to Europe for the summer while Bianca is starting her new job. Bianca has harbored a secret crush on Tatum’s dad for years. Callum Torrio is a dangerous wealthy man. An arms dealer to be precise. As things progress you find out that there has been mutual attraction for some time and Callum Torrio will stop at nothing to keep Bianca.Some things I did like about this book are the characters are well developed including the supporting characters. It’s fast paced and interesting. The steam was great. Not too little and not too much and most importantly not redundant (which is the worst imo).I honestly didn’t like Bianca. She was whiny and distrusting. She was always looking for fault or assuming she was being tricked. Now don’t get me wrong, Callum is a sneaky creep but she became annoying with constantly looking for reasons to end things so it became hard to believe this older man would be so into such an insecure young woman.I felt that this book was well written and flowed really well. This is book 1 of a trilogy so it does end on a cliff hanger. And it’s a doozy!! Can’t wait for the next one.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

this is one of the best books i’ve ever read. J.L. Beck is such a good writer, bringing both smutty and romance in the same book. Love Bianca and Callum, sad their journey is now over but happy with the outcome! Definitely buy! I will be reading more of her stuff!

Oh my Callum!!! This man is a walking red flag and I LOVE it!! He is possessive, dangerous and sexy as hell.Bianca is Callum's 22 year old daughters best friend so HELLO AGE-GAP with him being 42. When Bianca catches Callum with a woman on by the pool she decides to use the encounter for her pleasure and enjoy the show. She didn't realize Callum could see her and was just as infatuated with her as she was with him. This becomes the match to a huge can of gasoline between these two especially when Bianca ends up living in the Torrio house.The story is definitely good but the spice is SPICY!!! I read this one in a little over a day. I couldn't put it down!!Tropes-Age-Gap-Birth control manipulation-Cheating(not between MCs)-Abuse (Emotional & Physical) not FMC-Rape (not FMC)

Empire Of Lust by J.L. BeckThis is the 1st book in the Torrio Empire trilogy. Okay lets unpack this baby. Callum and Bianca story starts off in book. Bianca is fresh out of a break up and goes to stay at her best friend Tatum’s house while Tatum goes off to Europe for a month. Bianca has always had a crush on Tatum’s dad Callum. Callum seems to feel the same way about Bianca. They get together in this book and good lord is it explosive.Age gap at its finest. I love how they tired to deny their feelings but in the end of course they couldn’t deny it. They love each other after all. I loved the writing of this book. It was fast paced but not to fast paced as to where you felt like you were missing things from the story. The authors writing was amazing. I truly did love this book. I normally don’t like reading books that have the 3rd act break up but those are hard to come by but this book did it in a spot that was perfect. It made sense and went along with the story line perfectly. This book was a rollercoaster ride and one of the best ones that I have been on in a while. I was in such a slump when I started reading this but this book drew me in from the first chapter and didn’t let me off the rid till I was done. 10/10 recommend. Fair warning this book ends on a cliff hanger.

This series is perfect for dark romance fans looking for an age-gap with stalker vibes and lots of “you’re mine” and “no one touches her but me” 💀It’s my first time reading a 20+ year age gap (her best friends’s dad) and it was so thrilling! Combine that with the taboo and forbidden side of it I was a complete mess while reading 🫠Callum is dark, extremely dangerous and the pure definition of villain. He’s also super controlling and manipulative. He has had a growing obsession for his daughters best friend that reaches its peak when he catches her secretly watching him as he 👅💦 .Now, he wants her and nothing will get on his way of claiming her. Even if it’s forbidden.An unputdownable guilty pleasure read 🥵 18+ read at own risk 😈

This book is one spicy forbidden age-gap romance. I enjoyed reading it and by the end of the book, it felt like a Game of Chess is being played where every character has a role to play and the moves taken fit the game perfectly. Bianca is a very pure-hearted soul with desires of forbidden fruit and when she acts on it, everything starts falling apart. It made me sad to see how she is suffering but she deserves better. I hope she gets her happy ending by the end of the trilogy. The writing is finely smooth like an ice cream and the cliffhanger the writer wrote shocked me and piqued my interest for the next book in the series.

„𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹, 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆.“…WT-💔🥹That Cliffy was sooooo disrespectful😫🤣 HOW am I supposed to wait on book 2 AND 3 ? That’s crazyyyy👀In this enthralling story, we are transported into the tumultuous world of Bianca, a young college graduate grappling with the uncertainty of her future. Despite pursuing a career in economics, she finds herself feeling trapped and battles to assert control over her life.To further complicate matters, her relationship with her boyfriend Lucas lacks fulfillment, leaving her clinging onto the remnants of their connection despite his repeated betrayals. Thus, Bianca's heart is torn between her deepest desires and the security of her own choices.Adding fuel to the fire is her attraction to Callum Torrio, the father of her best friend Tatum and a notorious figure her detective father vehemently disapproves of. Despite being warned against associating with the Torrio family, Bianca cannot resist her fascination with Callum, whose power and dangerous allure are the antithesis of the safety she seeks. The attraction is mutual, and as they resist the temptation to cross the line, their desire for each other consumes them both.The weight of moral conflict hangs heavily in the air, as Callum confronts his past, putting at risk all that he holds dear.Embark on a spellbinding emotional expedition with this book, as it takes you through a labyrinthine journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, eliciting a spectrum of intense emotions that will keep you riveted and ruminating on the nuances of love, longing, and the inexorable aftermath of pursuing one's deepest desires.

I've seen this book all over social media and wanted to see what it was all about. I love a good mafia romance, darker the better. Callum and bianca have a lot of ups and downs, its a he wants her, she's mine. Then pushing her away for her own good. Poor bianca is a mixed up young adult who crushes on the older dangerous dad of her BFF. The steam is brilliant between these two, but outside forces just can't help but interfere. I wasn't expecting it to end on a cliffhanger, but I did see the ending coming, I worked a lot out early on, but it was an excellent read and can't wait to see where it goes from here.

3.4 starsThis is a tough one to rate. On one hand, the book is well written and the author has done a great job of making the characters fully formed with good pacing throughout.On the other, the FMC is too weak and changes her mind at the drop of a hat which is ultra annoying. And the MMC is a complete sociopath / psychopath. This makes for a plot full of instances where you just want to tell the girl to run. Run away as far and as fast as you can.I like a good villain as much as the next girl, but this guy was a bad one. At several points in the book you get a hint of humanity and a taste that he could possibly be redeemable. Then he does something completely nuts and you conclude there could be no redemption for this man.By the time we get to 60% in, I'm begging this woman to leave. There are so many red flags and it's become a rather uncomfortable read. I kinda want to unalive him myself.This ends on a cliffhanger. And because it was well written, I'll pick up the next book. But honestly? This relationship made me squicky. It quickly went from forbidden with an obsessive / possessive alpha, to abuse.Read the triggers for this book. They're definitely needed.