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thatonekid's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bailey_ontherocks's review against another edition
5.0
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I loved it
mindy_minmin's review against another edition
1.0
I normally don't write a review if I don't like a book but with this one I have too. No just no it's no
smugpeanut's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
jsani_library919's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
lmrivas54's review against another edition
4.0
Enthralling and complicated, the plot of this story has revenge as its central plot. A man bases his career on obtaining revenge for the misfortune of his family but ends up falling in love with the daughter of his enemy.
In the town of Eastridge, North Carolina, Gideon Winthrop was the richest man, the owner of Winthrop Textiles. Pretty much everyone in town, the working class, that is, either worked for the Winthrops or had their money invested in their textile company. When the company folded due to fraud, the whole town went broke.
Gideon was not charged for lack of evidence and he fled the town. As a consequence, Betty and Hank Prescott, housekeeper and groundkeeper, respectively, lost their jobs, lost their house and lost their medical insurance. Hank had a heart condition and didn’t survive.
Emery Winthrop was the princess of the castle, except she wasn’t. Raised by her mother to be her mini-me, she endured but longed to be free. Her best friend was Reed, the Prescott’s youngest son and her partner in crime and studies. She was secretly in love with him but he was clueless and in love with another of the society girls in this very snobby town.
Two things happened. Emery decided to take matters in hand and decided to climb into Reed’s bed and seduce him. Except the lights were out and after a very hot sexy episode, the lights are turned on and she finds she screwed Nash, Reed’s older brother.
Soon after, the collapse of Winthrop Textiles happens and Emery flees town, goes to college away from home under a new name.
Four years later, Nash is a millionaire, owns a hotel chain, and Emery is dirt poor and needs a job. Reed finds her a job, but what she didn’t expect was to work under Nash’s supervision.
Nash is vindictive and cruel, but can’t help the attraction he feels for Emery. I think he’s been attracted to her all this time, since they were kids. Emery is dirt poor, homeless and hungry all the time. Nothing makes sense, and he feels the compulsion to feed her, but pride keeps her from accepting his offers. They are embroiled in this vicious circle of feelings against their wishes, a slow burn of desire that drives them to each other. Nash wants Gideon’s new address but Emery withholds the information.
It’s all a maelstrom of confusion, desire, anger and revenge. They have a history that ties them together and secrets that tear them apart.
The story is very passionate and riveting. Emery has a fascination with rare, unusual words, very rarely used. She calms herself mumbling these strange words, calls them magic words and the author insidiously worms the usage of these words into the plot. I liked that I learned new vocabulary but at the same time, find that the complicated wording and the obtuseness of the characters made for bumpy reading. There’s a lot of verbiage about mythological creatures and historical figures that left me glassy eyed, but once past the highbrow paragraphs and into the mainstream parts of the prose, the going got good and hot and yummy.
Although I didn’t love the complicated wording, I did love these complicated and angsty characters, loved how the good vanquished evil and loved how nothing was how it seemed. It all turned over and sideways. The only thing I didn’t like was that I never got a real comprehension over who Reed was and why he was so in love with Basil, who was such an empty character. She was colorless all the time and it felt like a void. Apart from this, I loved Nash and Emery’s love story.
In the town of Eastridge, North Carolina, Gideon Winthrop was the richest man, the owner of Winthrop Textiles. Pretty much everyone in town, the working class, that is, either worked for the Winthrops or had their money invested in their textile company. When the company folded due to fraud, the whole town went broke.
Gideon was not charged for lack of evidence and he fled the town. As a consequence, Betty and Hank Prescott, housekeeper and groundkeeper, respectively, lost their jobs, lost their house and lost their medical insurance. Hank had a heart condition and didn’t survive.
Emery Winthrop was the princess of the castle, except she wasn’t. Raised by her mother to be her mini-me, she endured but longed to be free. Her best friend was Reed, the Prescott’s youngest son and her partner in crime and studies. She was secretly in love with him but he was clueless and in love with another of the society girls in this very snobby town.
Two things happened. Emery decided to take matters in hand and decided to climb into Reed’s bed and seduce him. Except the lights were out and after a very hot sexy episode, the lights are turned on and she finds she screwed Nash, Reed’s older brother.
Soon after, the collapse of Winthrop Textiles happens and Emery flees town, goes to college away from home under a new name.
Four years later, Nash is a millionaire, owns a hotel chain, and Emery is dirt poor and needs a job. Reed finds her a job, but what she didn’t expect was to work under Nash’s supervision.
Nash is vindictive and cruel, but can’t help the attraction he feels for Emery. I think he’s been attracted to her all this time, since they were kids. Emery is dirt poor, homeless and hungry all the time. Nothing makes sense, and he feels the compulsion to feed her, but pride keeps her from accepting his offers. They are embroiled in this vicious circle of feelings against their wishes, a slow burn of desire that drives them to each other. Nash wants Gideon’s new address but Emery withholds the information.
It’s all a maelstrom of confusion, desire, anger and revenge. They have a history that ties them together and secrets that tear them apart.
The story is very passionate and riveting. Emery has a fascination with rare, unusual words, very rarely used. She calms herself mumbling these strange words, calls them magic words and the author insidiously worms the usage of these words into the plot. I liked that I learned new vocabulary but at the same time, find that the complicated wording and the obtuseness of the characters made for bumpy reading. There’s a lot of verbiage about mythological creatures and historical figures that left me glassy eyed, but once past the highbrow paragraphs and into the mainstream parts of the prose, the going got good and hot and yummy.
Although I didn’t love the complicated wording, I did love these complicated and angsty characters, loved how the good vanquished evil and loved how nothing was how it seemed. It all turned over and sideways. The only thing I didn’t like was that I never got a real comprehension over who Reed was and why he was so in love with Basil, who was such an empty character. She was colorless all the time and it felt like a void. Apart from this, I loved Nash and Emery’s love story.
kerilynn_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
n_desmond's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
j_readsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I was expecting a cute but messed up romance where the older brother falls for his brothers best friend but instead it was a 600 page revenge and love story. At the beginning I had a love hate relationship with Nash and I felt so bad for Emery. This book was 600ish pages long but I do wish there was a chapter between the last chapter and the epilogue. The ending just felt a little too rushed after all they’ve been through.
krianne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Expected the typical enemies to lovers book, but the storyline between Emery and Nash was beautiful, especially her love of "magic " words woven throughout the story. Don't yet me wrong, there was a lot of suspense that kept me hooked, I kept catching myself coming back to it straight away just to find out what happens. But overall, I loved it. It was worth the read imo.