Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into
the light.
I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past.
I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can't change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a
while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it
was a lie.
When guys kissed me--I felt only pain.
When they touched me--Nothing but fear.
Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story,
to find someone that will see you as their world.
But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted
redemption, I wasn't fool enough to think I'd ever get it.
Until he walked into my life.
I wasn't prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too
deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I
should have known it was just another lie--I should have known that falling in
love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from falling.
And he was powerless to catch me.
Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate
would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I'm stronger than I knew.
I'm stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you don't....after all
everyone has Shame in their lives-- and I'm no longer afraid to show you mine.
I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against hers. A
shaky breath escaped her lips. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Are you trying to prepare me or ask permission?” she
whispered, her voice beckoning me like a siren’s call.
“Both.” My lips hovered near hers. “I figure it’s only
fair.”
“Fair?” She pulled back slightly. “How so?”
“Ten thousand.” I angled my head and watched the pulse jump
on her neck. “That’s how many nerve endings, on average, are in your lips.
Consequently, when your body anticipates pleasure, the build-up is the best
part. Imagine, those ten thousand nerves are swelling, allowing blood to surge
through them in anticipation of… what?” I swept my tongue across her lower lip
and whispered, “Of being touched. I ask permission, not because I’m being a
gentleman. It’s actually the complete opposite. I ask permission so your brain
anticipates the pleasure before I’ve ever even touched you.”
I tasted her lower lip again and abruptly dipped my tongue
into her mouth. Then just as quickly retreated. “The human body is an
instrument. Know how to master it… and well…” I let my voice drop as I moved my
hands slowly to her shoulders and tugged her body flush against mine. Our
mouths met softly at first. I deepened the kiss, memorizing her taste, knowing
I wouldn’t experience a kiss like this again in my lifetime. The way her scent,
her soft moans destroyed my body, wrecked me from the deepest part of me, was
nothing short of life-altering.
And I’d like to think I’d kissed a lot of women.
I’d studied the psychology of sexuality.
I was an expert in pleasure.
But she was schooling me, absolutely wreaking havoc on every
logical thought as her soft whimper cascaded over me. Blood surged through my
body as it tightened with awareness at her proximity.
She pulled back, her lips swollen. “That was… not a good
enough warning.”
Laughing softly, I cupped the back of her head and gently
drew it toward mine and kissed her again, angling my lips differently,
searching her, consuming her, drawing pleasure from her lips as if it was my
life goal to discover every single secret she owned.
Her arms wrapped around my neck. She was shy; she didn’t
push against me, didn’t wrap her legs around me or moan into my mouth like I
was having sex with her rather than kissing her.
My hands moved down her corset to her hips, and I lifted her
into the air and walked her backward toward the brick wall. The whole time, our
masks collided. In frustration, I ripped hers off, then mine. The shadows of
moonlight hid our faces as I kissed her harder, losing myself in her.
Her nails dug at the back of my neck as she jerked my head
harder. Groaning, I let her fall to the ground as I placed my hands on the
brick wall to keep myself from ripping the dress from her body.
Shouting started from the ballroom.
“Ten, nine…!”
“Eight,” I whispered against her mouth. “Seven.”
“Six.” She sighed, her breathing labored as her tongue found
mine again. “Five.”
“Four, three.” I pulled back and trailed kisses down her
neck.
“Two.”
We broke apart, both breathing heavy. “One.”
People burst out onto the balcony as the fireworks started,
lighting up the sky. And our faces.
And the only thing I could say as she gasped in horror was
“Oh, shit.”
**NOTE: Every
book in the Ruin series may be read
as a standalone. HOWEVER, this is one of the best series ever, so I would
highly suggest you read them in order. You can’t miss out on Wes. Or Gabe**
I think everyone knows that I pretty much love
everything RVD writes. Her Seaside series?
Stole my heart. The Bet series? I
choke on my laughter. Ruin? Slaughtered
me. Her Eagle Elite series? My
preferred form of crack. Toxic? Broke
me. Shame? Healed me. I seriously can’t
believe that this is the last book in the Ruin
series. What am I going to do with my life now without Wes, Gabe, and
Tristan? Not to mention, the women who saved them, Kiersten, Saylor, and Lisa.
I love them all. Their chemistry as individuals, as lovers, and as a family has
made a huge impact on my life.
“My past came knocking sooner that I could
have imagined.
In the form of a ghost. A person I had no
idea existed. A person who knew all my shame.
A person I fell in love with.”
Ruin is
one of my all-time favorites. Toxic was
heartbreaking. And so I was truly scared to read Shame. And not because I was scared I would hate it, no, I would
never doubt RVD like that! But, because I knew it would consume me. And it did.
From start to finish, my eyes raced across my iPad screen as I devoured the
unconventional love story that is Lisa and Tristan. It was riveting, dramatic,
haunting, and most of all, beautiful. As with most books, I can’t say much
without giving the plot away. We found out a huge secret about Lisa’s identity
in Toxic. However, I can safely say
that we barely scratch the surface of her past until we dive into Shame. I was horrified, I was
sympathetic, and even I could feel the shame. It amazes me each and every time
how talented RVD is with making me feel! All. The. Emotions. With a complex
plot that seems so simple, Tristan and Lisa manage to take my breath away and
effortlessly steal my heart.
“She probably thought I was pissed—far from
it, just so damn tired of being the perfect son, of doing the right thing. I
wanted her. It wasn’t right; it was wrong, and for the first time in my life, I
wanted the wrong. I wanted the bad. I wanted it more than the truth. Give me
the lie. Just give me her.”
By the end of the book, I can’t help but think
that Lisa is truly one of the strongest heroines I have ever had the pleasure
of reading. She has a terrifying past with her ex, Taylor. And not only do I admire
her for her ability to survive that, but I can see how much she grows
throughout the course of the book and that astonishes me. She’s drowning in
guilt and living in fear, but she still manages to make it. She still manages
to lean on her family, Wes, Kiersten, Saylor, and Gabe. And she still manages
to find love and peace in Tristan.
“It won’t be easy. Letting you in.”
“It won’t be easy. Keeping you out.”
Tristan was a huge enigma for me at first. I was
seriously glad that we got to see alternating POVs between him and Lisa. I
liked the way that RVD set up his character. We discovered new things about him
basically every other chapter. But, by the end we realize we found yet another
Wes and Gabe. He’s rich, he’s sexy, he’s alpha, he’s crazy protective, and an
even fiercer lover. He could almost give Wes a run for his money in things he
says that makes me swoon. Almost. Because
everyone knows how spot-on Wes is with his “Hallmark quotes” and advice.
“I was pretty sure that’s how you know you’re
falling for someone—when you want the good and bad, when you want everything,
regardless of how horrible, how dark. You want it all, because at the end of
the day, it’s still them.”
In the end, we get to see everyone come full circle.
You’ll be happy to know that you actually get to see A LOT of the cuteness that
is Wes and Kiersten and Saylor and Gabe. I laughed, I almost cried. I got
angry. I fell in love. Over and over again. I didn’t know at the time that I
read it that this was the last book in the Ruin
series. It makes sense, except I’m incredibly sad to see them go. I will
miss Kiersten’s quiet strength, Wes’ amazing heart and wisdom, Saylor’s ability
to keep Gabe in check, Gabe’s protectiveness, Lisa’s humor, and Tristan’s sexiness.
Well, let’s face it—all the guys have the sexiness, protectiveness, and swoon
factor. It’s one of the things RVD specializes in, after all.
“You’re beautiful. And I love you more…and
more…with every passing day. And I’m never letting you go. For as long as I
live, I’m never letting you go.”
“Are
you promising me forever?”
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
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