| Title | : | Trust in Me (Dark Erotica, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781620500644 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 180 |
| Publication | : | First published February 6, 2012 |
Tyler Martinez is an undercover FBI agent with one chance to right the wrongs of his past. Thrust deep into the seedy world of human trafficking, he must put aside his guilt over abandoning Mia all those years ago in order to save her now.
Someone’s pulling the strings in this sadistic play on trust, but Tyler and Mia may not live long enough to see the curtain fall. Trust in Me is a story of erotic pain and incipient romance, spiraling ever faster toward betrayal or redemption.
Trust in Me (Dark Erotica, #1) Reviews
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FREE on Amazon US today (8/31/2015)
Stand-alone book 1.
BLURB:
Mia longs for the daily torture to end, but one last task keeps her holding on. In a betrayal of the crime lord who pulled her from the gutter, she’ll free the shipment of human cargo, and if she’s lucky, die in the process. The alternative is unfathomable, even to a woman well-versed in erotic torture. But luck abandons her yet again when she meets the security expert in charge of the shipment and finds herself face to face with her childhood crush. The man she once begged for help. The man who failed her.
Tyler Martinez is an undercover FBI agent with one chance to right the wrongs of his past. Thrust deep into the seedy world of human trafficking, he must put aside his guilt over abandoning Mia all those years ago in order to save her now.
Someone’s pulling the strings in this sadistic play on trust, but Tyler and Mia may not live long enough to see the curtain fall. Trust in Me is a story of erotic pain and incipient romance, spiraling ever faster toward betrayal or redemption.
http://www.amazon.com/Trust-Me-Erotic...
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 470 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... -
4 dark, beating stars.
Second book in the Dark Erotica series. This time you get Mia. She was very young when she ran away from home. Carlos, the boss of the thugs from Keep me Safe, taken her off the streets when she was young with no where to go and took care of her until Mia was healthy again. Now she is Carlos's, pet, slave, dog, play thing, his whore. Mia doesn't think any different either. She's a whore, Carlos's whore and will not stand that down. When it comes to Mia she does not fight it. She accepts it because a girls gotta eat.... He is the one that helped her when she had no where to go. For Mia, it's easy for her to just have everyone uses her body for their pleasure and pain.
Then shows up Tyler. Mia's, crush when she was young before she ran away. Tyler lived next door to her. Now he is here... Her to come get her? To buy her? I was getting confused on what Tyler was there for. I knew it had to do something with Mia, but he kept giving me mix signals that I was having a hard time feeling what he was doing. Tyler stepped up in many levels for me.
This dark erotica series says it all. It's very dark and darker than the last book. Seems that Skye is making these books darker as you go. This book is not for the faint of heart. If you love dark erotica then you may love this series. Skye Warren is an amazing writer, the pain and pleasure she put into this book is outstanding. Jumping into the next one. -
Not sure where to begin here, I have spent the last 2 days working on putting my thoughts together to review this book. I have given this book 4 stars but it doesn’t feel right to say I enjoyed it because the nature was so painful to read. So, I will start by saying this, this book is about a woman, Mia, who is in the middle of a human trafficking/slave ring. She was saved from the streets by the man who is now her master but even though she says he saved her that is not the word I would use, as now she is his slave. The hardest part of reading this book, was not necessarily the, what I felt as rape and abuse of this woman, but the knowledge that she felt that she deserved this and was not worth anything more, that she was simply now a whore and that her life was not worth anything.
Enter Tyler Martinez, when Mia sees Tyler meeting with her master she is shocked to see him all these years later. She doesn’t believe for one minute that her teenage crush could be involved with these monsters and she is right, Tyler is an undercover FBI agent there to save Mia in a way that he was unable to do all those years before, in addition to helping shut down this leg of the sex trafficking ring. He needs to prove to Mia that he can be that savior she needed all those years ago.
I think what hurts me most about reading a book like this is that even though this is entirely a work of fiction, what takes place within is anything but. We all know that these monsters exist and this kind of abuse is actually out there. But that said, this is a work of fiction and I took a line from the book synopsis that is the best description of this story I have seen - Trust in Me is a story of erotic pain and incipient romance, spiraling ever faster toward betrayal or redemption.
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart and as I said before, it feels wrong to say I enjoyed this book but the writing was fantastic. Any book that can pull such an emotional response from me in just 100 pages I have to say a big thank you to the author! -
4.5 stars
First off, a warning. This is another one of those dark and extremely explicit stories. The story has a very mature subject matter that involve human trafficking & slavery. All of it led to one very graphic story and may not be suitable for everyone.
To me, the story had two sides, the one with Mia & Tyler and the one with Mia & Carlos. Mia is one tough chick. She grew up sexually abused by her father and ran away from home at an early age. Carlos found her, cared for her and then turned her into his whores (BTW, I really hate using that term, but I can't think of anything else to accurately describe it). She is thoroughly abused by Carlos. Mentally, physically, sexually...you name it, Carlos is a horrible man. The things that he made her do is so disgustingly sadistic & cringe-worthy. Ugh! These were the times I had to put the book down. Then there was Tyler. He knew Mia back when she lived with her father and grew suspicious of his treatment towards her. He tried intervening a couple times, but to no avail. To make up for never saving Mia, he goes and searches for her only to find her with Carlos. He's on a mission to save her.
Believe me when I say, that even at the very beginning...nothing was held back. Once you get over the initial shock of what's going on, it was hard to put down. Although at times I actually had to because the content was too graphic. Though it was short, none of it felt rushed. It was so surprising how much of the story actually transpired in such a short amount of time. A big kudos to the author. -
“He felt some responsibility for what happened to me. But he wasn’t my knight in shining armor, no matter how much I might have wished him to be.”
- Mia -
Trust in Me is nothing but constant misery acted out by uninteresting characters. It's supposed to be "dark" but it's dark in the way a stale old Oreo is dark; it’s entirely unappetizing and bland.
I'm sure some readers will love you, Trust in Me. I'm just not one of them.
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To start this review I want say the the cover of this book is one of the most beautiful covers of 2012 so far, for me and the blurb peeked my interest so strongly that I put everything else aside to read it.
I know most people refrain from reading non-consent books or books with disturbing scenes. While it can be unsettling or worrisome, Skye Warren has done a fantastic job of showing us how something so tragic can turn into something so beautifully wonderful.
This 128 page story had me in its grips the entire time! So much drama and torture. My heart was turned in on itself and I cried for Mia. This is a story of a tortured girl, starting from when she was a young girl and carrying on into her adulthood. Once, when she was young, she thought she had a savior in a young neighbor boy, Tyler, but sadly they were both too young and circumstances inhibited him from helping her.
Now, ten years later, she is a whore and in the service of an evil man, Carlos. She never thought she’d see him again, but in walks Tyler and her whole world is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions; frightened for her life, as well as his and many others’, she agrees to help the FBI take down Carlos and his slave trafficking ring.
Like I have said earlier in this review – this book is not for those faint of heart, I went in knowing this and I am so happy I read it. Skye Warren has an amazing voice and her characters call to you. This great story kept me guessing is he good, or is he not. FANTASTIC JOB!! I will be looking for more from Skye.
This is book #2 in the non-consent series and the first book I read. I normally do not read out of order but I am happy to say that I was never confused and she did a tremendous job telling the story. So do not worry…this can be read as a stand alone book with no problem and you will not feel like you are missing out on anything!
I say read this! Push your reading limits, you never know if you'll love it, like it, or hate it, unless you try. Oh and for those who want to know does it have a HEA…yes it does ;) -
I’m very attracted to books that are dark, disturbing and erotic and my friend Sophia knows this, so when she heard about Trust in Me, I ended up with a gift on my Kindle. The book starts with a note from the author in which she states, “I must warn you that this is a disturbing tale, one that starts dark and gets darker.” She goes on to warn of nonconsensual sex and erotic pain. If either of those are a trigger for you, than this book is not for you.
Mia is a whore, more than that she is a sex slave, not able to escape the daily forced sexual situations she is placed in. Long ago, she ran away from an abusive father, preferring to starve on the streets rather than go back to him. When Carlos finds her in an alley, dirty, starving and close to death, he takes her in. He nurses her back to health, and then basically takes ownership of her. Carlos is a crime lord, who is involved in many nasty things, including the selling of women. Mia becomes his sex slave, and he is very, very cruel to her. He doesn’t just force her into humiliating sexual situations, but he beats her and whips her. As Mia says,
“He didn’t train me to do better, he beat me to do worse, until my nerves manifested in performance that could be punished.”
Two years with Carlos, and Mia is a very broken woman. She knows what she has to do to survive, but it is a daily struggle.
Things change for Mia when she meets Tyler, who was her next door neighbor growing up. In her fantasies as a child, Tyler would rescue her from her father and his abuse, but that never happened in real life. Tyler was an adult to Mia’s twelve year old self, and mistook Mia’s pleas for something sexual, in which Tyler would never act on. Tyler thought he was doing the right thing, sending Mia back to her father, as he had no idea the horror he was sending her back into.
But now they are together again. Tyler recognizes her, and when Mia realizes he is there undercover, they start to work together to get her and the other women free.
Trust in Me is a 100 page novella and a lot is explored in this book. Yes, it is very violent and explicit and some of the scenes are difficult to read. I think this author does a really great job at not just showing Mia as a physical whore, but presenting her mental status as a whore is done so well. Mia is so shamed, and so convinced that no one will love her or trust her. She hates Carlos, yet she doesn’t. He saved her from the streets, and in a weird screwed up way, she feels like she owes him something. As I said, I think Mia’s mentality is really well done in this one.
When Tyler sweeps through Carlos’s compound, Mia sees a slit of light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe she won’t die a whore at Carlos’s command. Maybe she can escape. Tyler brings on many confusing emotions for her. He wants to help her and she knows that, but he also has to act like a disgusting crime lord, so his cover isn’t blown. So when Carlos offers Mia to him, he has to have sex with her, as any other drug lord would do that, even though the last thing Tyler wants to do is to hurt her. Emotions and physical displays of “love” are very confusing and cross many grey boundaries in this book. And I think while we are in the moment, with Carlos lurking and Tyler doing what he can to keep Mia alive, this is played out really well. My disappointment comes in at the end. Mia is obviously a screwed up person, and I did not like how this book ended. It felt way too rushed. All of a sudden Tyler is ready to commit to this woman? And Mia is all – yes, use me as a whore, hey let’s get married? That so didn’t work for me. I would rather them have a hint of a future relationship. Plus there is so much to explore with Mia, who has basically been abused physically and sexually her entire life. The end was a very weak spot for me. Maybe if I had another 100 pages to explore Mia, post-Carlos, things would have made more sense to me.
Otherwise, I think this author does a nice job with a very dark subject. It’s a quick read, but one you are not going to want to put down. It looks like she has another book similar to this coming out next month which I’m very interested in reading.
Rating: B- -
Review posted on
Wicked Reads
WOW! I'm not sure how to review this book.
Disclaimer:This book is NOT traditional erotica. It is a non-consensual storyline that includes force, violence, brutality, humiliation. In other words if you are looking for steamy lust scenes with hot leading men, this isn't it. I, however- enjoy isn't the correct word- crave this sort of story. For me dark erotica holds a very small niche in the erotica genre. When written well it is extremely psychological and fulfills certain needs for the reader. I liken it to a cutter using a razor blade to have a visual release of the pain that is held within their soul. I am able to relate to the characters and find my own release through their struggles and pain. If you aren't sure what I am saying than this probably isn't the type of book you NEED to read. With all that saying, the storyline was superb. In other words, if the brutal premise of the book doesn't upset you then you will undoubtedly enjoy the exciting storyline, back story, and heartbreaking bond.
I was captured from the very first sentence, drawn into the story as if watching it play out in my own mind. The story pacing and flow of information were flawless. The characters were obviously flawed, yet undeniably realistic. No matter how brutal the story it ended with a HEA and a feeling of hope. No matter how you are victimized, as long as you don't break, you will never be a victim. Even after experiencing this painful journey, I finished with a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.
I definitely plan on reading more from this author in the near future, or simply when my craving returns and I am in need of release. -
I will start this out by saying this is a 'dark erotica' read. Warnings are given by the publisher and by other reviewers that this book has multiple trigger potentials so do head those warnings when you consider reading/buying this book.
This is a stand alone contemporary read from the POV of Mia, a sex slave to a really high level nasty crime boss. It starts with Mia firmly entrenched in a life of submission, abuse, humiliation, pain, and deprivation. She's the favorite whore of Carlos, crime boss and basic a** who owns her and never lets her forget that. Her only hope to escape is through death and she's ready for it after one last heroic attempt to save a new shipment of women about to arrive. Who she trusts to help her and get the girls to safety will be a matter of life or death. Her own.
This is not your typical erotica read. I could use just about every tag with this book and that is saying a lot. The shock value is there from the first sentence in the book to the end. But. It's an excellent FICTIONAL suspense format read that I couldn't put down because of that. Seeing it through Mia's eyes was a wise decision on the part of the author as Mia's character would have come across as just another voluntary participant in this twisted world. Instead Mia, a victim since her childhood, comes across as someone who's been dealt cards from a bad deck but doesn't let that defeat her physically or mentally. She adapts and uses what she has to survive regardless of how that appears to others. When it's possible for her to actually help prevent other girls from a similar fate she does it knowing her days will be numbered if she's exposed.
I'm not discussing the different men who are in this book because that would give away a possible spoiler. The title of this book "Trust in Me" pretty well is the mantra for Mia's story. Who does she trust? The author kept me guessing with which man that would be as the story played out so I'll leave any potential readers with the same mystery. To discover and guess just as I did.
My issues with this book... First and foremost is the lack of addressing birth control and unprotected sex. I kept asking myself 'why isn't she pregnant' so many times through this story when all it would have taken was a simple sentence or two to clear it up. And if unprotected sex was intentional why wasn't there any reference to medical testing or such. I would assume that men in the crime and sex trade industry would be just as paranoid about contracting STD's so it didn't make sense that with all the sharing and excess this was never addressed. The other issue was that I got confused with the dynamics and actual professions of several of the characters. The core participants were obvious but there was one key character that seemed to have money, connections, and skill but I have no idea what he did for a living. Where he got his ability to have unlimited funds. And other aspects that I won't mention because it would be a spoiler and I don't do spoilers.
I did enjoy reading this book. It really pushed the envelope in certain areas which authors can do and not shoot themselves in the foot. My only disappointment was that there were times in the book when I found myself feeling it didn't make sense from a story line point. I love when an author pulls the rug out from under me with an ending I hadn't predicted in a suspense read but this book didn't work in that regards for me. -
Trust In Me is strong, dark and twisted, exactly how a dark erotica book should be. It’s easy to find events and concepts that disturb you in this genre, but the trick is all in the story. When you find one so well written as this one, there’s nothing you can do, you’re going to be captivated from beginning to the end and yes, shocked or not, you will enjoy every minute.
Many things happen during the reading, the kind that leave you wondering, and sometimes really surprised . . . I wasn’t expecting the story to evolve like it did, but I honestly loved it! I was overwhelmed with fear, love, sadness, lust, but even lots of hope. Mia and Tyler definitely gave me the best mix of emotions I could have asked for and they totally blew my mind.
Beautifully written, this story is still playing in my mind and I definitely recommend it to all those readers who really know how to embrace dark in a book, because those are the ones who can definitely see how really powerful this genre is and really appreciate amazing authors like Skye Warren.
I received a free copy of this book from the Author for an honest review. This does not affect in any way my opinion of the book nor the content of my review—originally posted on
Darkest Sins. -
I can't rate this one. I'm completely mind f*cked atm and simply can't rate it.
I just hope that leaving no stars doesn't mean that I have given the story a bad score or taken down the average score - if I have PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
My reasons:
This story is fabulously written. Skye Warren is talented. Oh, boy is she talented. I found the entire story intriguing and hypnotizing in its uniqueness.
But as great as this story is written, it just simply isn't for me. I wasn't entirely sure what dark erotica meant. I've never read it before. I'm a big fan of kink and thought maybe it was...f*cked if I know. I honestly don't know what I thought it would be. But this story just isn't for me. I like walks in the park and butterflies and fluffy bunnies. I don't like dubious consent, mind games and an ending that made me do a double take and go...Umm, what the hell just happened.
I still seriously have no clue how it was a happy ending.
ANYWAY. If you like dark erotica I would definitely recommend this book. Skye Warren is talented, not only with the way she gets words on a page, but the entire stories she comes out with. I'm actually quite blown away at how well thought out this story was and how it was put together...wow.
But if you're a "Nancy" like me, who likes their unicorns and fairies and rainbow - back the f*ck away. Back. Away. -
This starts off as a sorry tale for Mia, the main character, being used and abused, 'owned' by Carlos a local drug and gang leader. No respect for her, she has been taken and trained for his use. This is not a BDSM story with respect, care or consideration for Mia in any form whatsoever, until Tyler, known from her childhood, appears on the scene. Is he working for good or just another gang man wanting to take Mia for the same life? Will he be able to protect or help Mia? Readers find out.
Reading this is not going to give most readers a happy time, but it did make me think, for some girls and women this is their life, but without any friends or hope. Just used sexually, offered as favours, bought, sold, often introduced to drugs and an early grave. I read this on the day that BBC News reported similar things happening with gangs taking and using girls like this some as young as eleven here in the UK. It has saddened and depressed me.
Yet if we don't read it based on it not being a happy or erotic read we also turn our back on learning that these bad things happen, and that maybe, just maybe something we do whether educating or protecting others may stop it happening to one more person. For Mia is fictional and writer Skye Warren can choose her ending for her characters, yet she is also making us aware of some of life's grim reality, others don't get the choice. So yes it is a book I am glad I read.
Standard of English is reasonably good and edited. I thought this best fit my view of just four stars. -
WOW! This was definitely depraved! But WOW! It was well done depraved! Skye Warren's writing is very evocative!
Even though I have absolutely no concept of the kind of life the heroine has had to lead I really really really felt for her. Even though you only get a small glimpse into her past you feel for her regardless and even though her life is worse than shit you can feel her resolve. She was a character you couldn't help but like because of the horrors she had endured and the humanity she retained.
Tyler was a bit of a mystery. Not a whole lot of information was given on him and only glimpses into his past. His character did not play a huge part in the story (other than Mia's saviour/ knight in shining armour) and I did not connect with him like I did with Mia (heroine) but I think that was the author's intent.
This story was really well done for me. I like dark. I like depraved. I liked the way that Mia was characterized. I am glad there was a happily ever after (as such). I would definitely read more in this series and I would certainly read more from this author. I thoroughly enjoy her writing. 4 F*(#^% up, stars. -
Although you could technically skip this book and still fully understand the next/last book in this set, I’m glad I didn’t! In this book we meet some fascinating, twisted characters!!! Briefly introduced to him as Zachary‘s Uncle in book #0.5, this book introduces us to Carlos who is one evil, sadistic dude!!! In this book we also meet a prostitute named Mia. She’s young and living on the street. Mia is taken in by Carlos who keeps her as his sex slave, and wow, is he AWFUL to her. He brutally tortures her, passes her around to his friends, coworkers etc.. he’s beyond cruel to her. Mia has good reasons for staying though - those reasons combined with a whole history of baggage (which is why she was on the street as a young prostitute in the first place). When the FBI sends in an undercover agent, he and Mia connect. Nothing is what it seems though which makes this book totally unpredictable and super exciting! At times I was a bit confused about the storyline and there were a bunch of typos, but it’s an awesome story!!!!!
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I enjoyed Trust In Me much more than Keep Me Safe. Skye Warren is a great writer and I look forward to reading many more titles by her. Yes, this book is dark - VERY dark! - but there is a realistic feel to it. I would describe this book as more of a thriller than erotica though. Whereas Keep Me Safe seemed to focus on the over-the-top sex scene, Trust In Me focuses moreso on the brutality of Mia's life and the conditions any woman might find herself in when at the mercy of sex slave traders. Tyler was a good hero but the strength of the story comes primarily from Mia who endures much to free a cargo of women who have recently been acquired for the purpose of human trafficking.
Very intriguing story that I would recommend to those who enjoy thrillers with a bit of edge to them. Be warned though, the humiliation and abuse Mia endures at the hands of Carlos is very extreme! -
Alright, this is another in the "Dark Erotica" series, which oddly enough is not terribly dark.
Mia was abused as a child/young lady, ran away from home, was taken in by a gangster and turned into his slut/whore. So far, pretty dark, I'll grant you.
Then her next door neighbor shows up, and joins the gang. Mia is offered to him, forced into acts of depravity and beaten. Good so far!
Then we go off the rails, as we often seem to in this series, and Mia escapes with Tyler, who it turns out was her true love all along, and he rescues her from all the bad men and carries her off to marriage and happily ever after.
Bleh.
So yeah, another intriguing premise with execution that landed it in happy go fluffy land. -
I thought the first book was dark but it was nothing compared to this.
In some ways, it wasn't as bad for Mia because she wasn't dragged into this in quite the same way. But once you understand the whole story, it was just kind of agonizing.
I had been wanting to read this one for a while and I am happy I did but it isn't a fun story to get through by any means. I am curious about the third book and plan to read that one as well. After that, though, I am going to have to consider carefully. -
I liked it but it was a bit less than I expected. Awesome twist, though!
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![ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1572968006i/3840999._UX200_CR0,33,200,200_.jpg)
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...
The 2nd book in Skye Warren’s Dark Erotica/Erotic Non-Con series,
Trust In Me is about a prostitute and her life story, living with a crime lord and his minions. This book also explore the very sensitive issues of rape, abuse, torture and human trafficking, about women who are sold as sex slaves.
But most of all, this is Mia’s story, told from her POV.
Even as I’m trying to write this review, I can’t help feeling a little sick of thinking about the things I read in this book. No, I’m NOT regretting that I read it. I’m actually glad that I did. I’ve also read
Keep Me Safe, where the heroine Rachel was kidnapped by the same gang and the undercover FBI agent, Zachery saved her. That book also had rape, torture and abuse... but
Trust In Me exceeds that book by a big mark.
Mia has been a victim of sexual abuse even when she didn’t know what sex was... started by the hands of her own father. Years after years of being abused and having no help whatsoever, Mia runs away at the age of 16. After living in the street for a few years and selling herself for a bit of food, she was discovered by the crime lord Carlos (also appears in
Keep Me Safe), who took her in and made her his whore. Mia has been living with him ever since. It’s been a few years though I’m not sure exactly how many.
In her childhood, Mia had a crush on the golden boy of the barrio she lived in, Tyler, who was 6 yrs older than her 12 yrs old self. Now, there are bits and pieces of her time with Tyler revealed throughout the book. Tyler has always been kind to her but didn’t know the extent of abuse she’s been suffering. Mia, even in that age, knew that she had to trade her body for food and a roof over her head. And she also knew she can’t confide in anyone. One night, as she spies on Tyler, who lived next to her, having sex with another girl. Mia is crushed and jealous. As they quarrel, Mia sort of blurts out about her father and Tyler got the picture. In the meantime, her drunk as a skunk father comes out and they break into a fight. But Tyler also had some troubles keeping him from saving Mia. Mia, heartbroken, just resigned to her fate that this is what her life would be and there would never be anyone to save her from this, ever. And she always, ALWAYS thought herself the dirty whore, who has no worth in this world. And Carlos, the dirty sadistic pervert made this notion permanent with his abuse and torture. Mia, when saved by Carlos, thought him to be her savior, a misguided notion as it was. But to Carlos, she was nothing but a play toy. Something he owns and would discard as easily. To him, he ‘made’ her what she is today. Now, Mia knew she’d have to pay for her food and keeping with her body, and she does that too at first. But in a few days, the extent of Carlos’s perversion comes into light. There were things he made her do, I can’t even imagine. If it was only about sex, I would understand, though I do not condone prostitution. But it was outright torture, beating her to bloody pulp, letting other men use her like dirty dishrag, forcing her to perform disgusting blowjobs anytime, anywhere, in front of anyone... There are other things I don’t even wanna think about; things to degrade her beyond imagination. I cringed, I felt miserable, I felt numb (at one point, otherwise I knew I won’t be able to stand it anymore) and I cried as I read pages after pages of the misery that Mia called ‘life’ living with Carlos.
And the book only got darker as I read on.
Trust In Me takes place a few months after
Keep Me Safe. Mia knows about the human trafficking. Even though she thinks her life is worth nothing (the trauma she goes through every day, I don’t even know how she got by) but she would help saving the other women who are somewhere under Carlos’s guard. Mia is working for Zachery in secret, though she knows if Carlos gets one hint, she’s dead. But she doesn’t care... until one day, she sees Tyler in Carlos’s bunch. I can’t explain the scene how they met after all those years because she was ‘servicing’ Carlos at that moment, who liked having it publicly, while discussing business with other men. He even lets them have her service and if they aren’t happy, it’s Mia who pays for it. After seeing Tyler, Mia, after a longtime in her life, felt utter shame and disgust about herself. She can’t believe Tyler saw her like this and believe me, even after what she went through, I felt her shame and the crushing despair. I also have reservations calling her a ‘whore’ though she calls herself that at least 8-10 times in every page. She was a victim as any other who are forced into sexual slavery. She still is but she has taken her lot in life as an unavoidable circumstance. She has no self-worth to talk about (it comes back over and over again) and no hope for life beyond Carlos’s clutch.
Over the course of the story, we get more and more explicit description of Mia’s torture and abuse on the hands of Carlos and his men. Some comes out of her thoughts on the past and what Carlos made her do for her subjugation. I can’t explain in words how horrifying some of those things were and how at times I felt like I couldn’t breathe reading about those. After meeting Tyler, she didn’t know if she could trust him at all. And then, there was the fact of her ‘life’ and her still lingering attraction towards him from the childhood. She is at first hurt, thinking Tyler is disgusted to see her as she was because the abuse and torture doesn’t stop while Tyler was there. Mia keeps ‘serving’ Carlos’s whims throughout and more than once, with Tyler present. It was just heartbreaking, this whole situation, made worse by Tyler’s very apparent attraction for her. They also have sex, more than once, but most of those were more of a performance born out of circumstance than actual lovemaking.
One of the real heartwrenching moments for me doesn’t even involve Carlos. As she was skeptical about Tyler, Mia secretly calls Zachary and he confirms that Tyler wasn’t their agent. Mia is shocked. But she is more shocked by the name of the undercover man sent by Zachery, who was still working for Carlos under a code name. I’m not sure if this guy was FBI or just an informant but what struck me was that he was also one of those men who abused and hurt Mia, more than once. The whole thing was so horrifying, he working for the FBI, I would’ve thought this man at least won’t... I just didn’t know what to think and Mia just dropped the phone in the toilet and flushed it out. I felt her misery and despair to my own bone. It was such an indescribable feeling!
Tyler proved to be a sweet hero, much like Zachery and he wasn’t a he-man-who-saved-the-day kind. He had his flaws and he regretted never saving Mia from that hell of a life under her father. He came back later, only to find her gone. He didn’t know how to trace her, no idea where she might’ve been or if she was dead already... until that day, with Carlos. And he tried his best, also trying not to blow his cover with Carlos, to help Mia. He was more hopeful of the whole situation than Mia ever was, as he kept on telling her to ‘trust in him’. That everything will be alright in the end. But for Mia, she was sure that her misery would only end in death because a body can endure only so much. The only question was when and how.
Mia does help saving the lives of those women in the end, with her own freedom too. Carlos actually set her free with Tyler, even after knowing they were betraying him, working with FBI, though he tortures Mia beforehand. Why? I have NO idea. As the author’s note says, the ending is what you can call a ‘happy ending’ but I can’t help thinking, could Mia actually get over the trauma of such an elongated life of sexual torture and abuse? Could she have a more ‘normal’ life? They did exchange ILU in the end, with a promise of marriage but could it be all for a ‘normal’ life for these two? I don’t know the answer but I hoped that they do find some happiness somehow.
Then there was Mia’s ever misguided delusion of Carlos being her savior, even as the story ended she thought of him that way and I don’t know why. It bugged me to no end because Carlos was a m*********er who needed his balls chopped off, alive! As I said, if it was only sex and if Carlos didn’t let other men use her the way he did, I would at least try to find some ground here, something to even delude myself. But what he made her do, what he did to her and let others do to her... I just kept thinking, how could you think him as your savior after everything Mia? HOW????
In my review of
Keep Me Safe, I said that I tried to look at the whole issue from a realistic POV. Same goes for
Trust In Me. We all know that there are victims of sexual abuse, human trafficking all over the world. We just can’t imagine the extent of what they’ve suffered or still suffering, even as we speak. I would like the thank SW for her strong and unapologetic voice once again and forcing me to have a glimpse of that ‘extent’. I wasn’t fascinated by this book but rather shocked and really depressed. If I be honest here, I had nightmares while I was reading it. No one ever has to go through the things in life as Mia had.
Just about NO ONE in this world.
4.25 stars. I’ll definitely be picking up the next installment
Hear Me.
Warning: If you do not like non-consent stories, stories of rape and violence, torture and abuse along with some incest, this is NOT the book for you. -
Well with all the warnings I was expecting more. I have read darker books. The story was okay but pretty usual for this type of book. Abused girl becomes hooker, hooker gets taken and kept by gang lord. Undercover cop comes and in the end the girl is saved and ends up with the cop. The writing was good and the characters were okay. They seemed a little flat at times.
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Trust In Me… this is a fabulous story. I’m not even sure how to classify this book. Erotica, Dark Erotica, Suspense, Romance… all of the above? This story is so multifaceted that I’m still thinking about it a week later. It is beautifully written, and you find yourself really attaching to the main character, Mia, and her struggle within and to save other girls who are about to be in her same situation. But before I go on, let me say that the Warning is correct; this book is not for everyone. There are some really deep issues involving sex slavery inside, and it’s a no-holds-barred type of thing.
Mia works for Carlos as his whore. Well, no, working would imply that she gets paid. There I’m wrong again; she gets food, shelter, and clothing. But she also gets shared, beaten, and abused in every way imaginable. He took her in when she was younger, took care of her, and after many years their “relationship” is anything but a relationship. He beckons, she comes. Time, place, nothing else is a factor other than what he wants and when he wants it. And he has a bit of a sadistic side, so when she struggles, he is even more excited about it. And if she is disobedient there is a definite price to pay.
And yet she has this sort of Stockholm type of regard for him. It was pretty fascinating to just follow her mind through the way she processes and rationalizes things. It’s ok that he is abusive to her, because that means someone else is being spared. She continually berates herself when she feels she is being disloyal, but at the same time her brain also knows that everything happening is very wrong. It’s really quite a look at the psyche of someone who is thrust into this situation at a young age, and this is all they know.
“He could never have been a bad guy; the lighting was all wrong.”
And then Carlos offers her to share her for a moment with a new business associate. Only one problem, she knows him. Tyler, her childhood neighbor and big-time crush. This really throws a wrench in anything. Why is he there? And then she panics for a moment about him seeing her like this. He didn’t save her when she was younger and needed his help, so what is he doing here now? Personally, I really liked Tyler. There were times when I didn’t know if he was a good guy or a bad guy, I couldn’t discern where he was coming from. But he just seemed like he would be the guy to trust, out of all the people involved. Lesser of all evils, perhaps? I was really pulling for him to be a good guy, to be the knight in shining armor.
The whole story is a whirlwind of events taking place over a rather short period of time. Mia learns that she is stronger than she thought she was, and her will to live was greater than she thought, also. Tyler is a man on a mission, but there is definitely doubt cast against him as some things are brought to light. Carlos is…well, Carlos is a bad guy. And he is written so well that I hope I never meet him because he is quite scary.
If you like things that make you a bit uncomfortable, yet so fascinated that you can’t let go, then you will like this. There are some touching moments too; it’s not all just horror after horror. But it is definitely interesting and unlike anything I’ve ever read. -
This book contains human trafficking, consensual rape (I didn't even know such a thing existed until the last book), and physical and emotional abuse. Mia is our heroine and I must say that I really liked her. She has a very dim view of herself, but so would anyone in her situation being treated as poorly as Mia. Mia is a sex slave, and as abused and humiliated as she is, she still maintains an inner strength that is to be respected. She is waiting and sometimes hoping for death, as it is her only release from the pain, yet she has a greater purpose and cause in her horrid life....to save others from the same fate as her own. The abuse this character endures is so horrific, I can't even wrap my naive mind around it. I will have vivid pictures in my head for a while.
Tyler, the hero of the story, had me so discombobulated (in a good way), I didn't know what he was thinking or where he was going next. At first, I thought he was this person, then he did that and I thought something completely different. I was hopeful, then let down, then hopeful, then unsure. Well, he was a contradiction in every sense of the word, and I never saw coming what, not who, he really was. I loved him...until that one time I didn't like him very much...then I loved him again. As a matter of fact, I never learned who Tyler really was until near the end.
Carlos, the mobster from book #1 is back. I hated him in book #1 and I hate him in this book. The only thing I really liked about Carlos is that Skye Warren left the door open for him to invade book #3. Did I really just say that? Oh, my! I'm on a sickening journey here...I can see it now. He definitely brings his sadistic ways to the reader's mind with his two-phase philosophy. Phase 1: punishment. Phase 2: atonement. He is one scary, psychopathic monster. The way in which he "claims" his property is absolutely appalling! Did he really do that to Mia with his knife...and out of spite? Yes. He. Did! Repulsive!!
Skye Warren has brought a painful and realistic dark tale of human trafficking, prostitution, and masochism to light. Trust in Me is full of twists and angst and kept me trying to discern what would happen next in Mia and Tyler's world of pain. There were several shock moments regarding Mia and Tyler...not as a couple, but within their separate roles in the story. I loved how the author gave Mia's sordid back story along with her past ties to Tyler, making the story that much more believable. The progression of Mia and Tyler as a couple was very nicely written. So, the question remains...did I get my HEA? No question about it...yes, I did. I must admit this story is much lighter on the abuse and graphic nature than the previous installment (reciting a silent thanks for my sanity), and there isn't really a feel of Stockholm Syndrome in this one. But, make no mistake, it is still a very dark book. I give Trust in Me 4 stars and recommend it for those who can handle a painfully dark book knowing you get the HEA. -
I have no problem with angst or dark, even depressing stories. I do have a problem with torture porn. I'm not just talking about physical violence--which, while Trust in Me had plenty, isn't what I object to. No it's when nothing but bad things happen to a character that it becomes almost farcical. After a while it's, "Oh come on! How much shit can happen to one person?"
Mia has never had a single moment of happiness in her life. Raped by her father throughout her childhood until she ran away, she became a prostitute to survive, until Carlos, a crime boss, "rescues" her, only to turn her into his own personal sex toy/punching bag. Tyler, a childhood neighbor of Mia's who she always had a crush on, infiltrates Carlos' lair in an attempt to rescue the women he plans to sell as sex slaves. I won't bother with details of the plot--it wasn't bad, but I felt the writing was a bit spotty and it was hard to tell what was going on. Maybe that was deliberate, since this was told in Mia's POV.
My problem with this story--other than the constant misery suffered by Mia--is the relationship. Mia has never been anything but a man's plaything, it's all she knows, and she therefore has a very low opinion of men (who can blame her). And while she believes Tyler is a decent guy, she also knows that he's a man and isn't surprised when he treats her like men have always treated her. We're supposed to believe that Tyler has good intentions, even when Mia mentally calls Tyler out on his shit she ignores those feelings because she wants to be with him. Like when he wants sex when she's bruised and bloody--Mia knows that that's fucked up, thinks that he just a man like every other man, but still want him. And what kills me is that, considering her history, all of that makes perfect sense for Mia. I can't argue that any of her thinking or actions is not realistic or consistent. What I do take issue with is the framing the ending as a happily ever after. It may be what Mia wanted, it may make sense for her to feel that way, but it's certainly not a good thing. A happy-for-now would have worked better for me, with Tyler being her first stop on the road to better life. -
Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★
Overall rating: 3.6
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. After reading
Keep Me Safe, I was a little leary of this one.
It took me a while to get into this book, it seemed repetitious, Tyler was constantly apologizing and Mia was constantly getting beat just for the sake of being beat with no real cause or definition. Yes, I know the situation she was in. Yes I know this is Dark Erotica, it's pretty much all I read these days.I love dark erotica, but I also need the story to flow with some meaning.
Carlos saved Mia from the street, took her in, fed her, clothed her, made her his main "whore". But then he'd just go off and start beating her, or one of the other men would. And some of the beatings, it really didn't seem plausible that Mia could survive as long as she did after all that she went through. But I have to admit, during those scenes, I actually had to try and catch my breath. If Mia couldn't breathe, neither could I.
The book did pick up and hold my interest. Other characters were brought in that helped the story along, and made it an enjoyable ride to the finish.
The one thing that I felt was left unfinished was, what happened to, and with, Trunk?
This one was good enough that I will read
Hear Me. Hopefully the trend will continue and I'll enjoy it even more than the last.
The price of the book, currently $3.99 USD, for 142 pages (Kindle edition), I felt was a little high seeing how Hear Me is $2.99 for 161 pages and Keep Me safe is currently $.99 for 95 pages. -
🎁 Dark Nights Boxed Set: The Complete Series (Dark Nights #0.5-2) is FREE on Amazon today (3/4/2020)! 🎁
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Mia grew up in a tough neighborhood with a single parent, her father. She had a crush on her next door neighbor Tyler since she was 12. Ty was 18 and to Mia she was her knight in shining armor, or was he?
Circumstances led to Mia becoming Carlos'. She is to serve him in any way he demands and there is no disputing it. She is essentially his property. Carlos is a carry over from the first book and the fourth book in this series which comes out next year, according to Author's GR, is dedicated to Carlos.
Mia doesn't care about her life anymore and she believes all the put downs she has heard her entire life but she will do anything and I do mean anything to free the shipment of slaves, women that were kidnapped and forced into servitude, so that they do not have to live the life she has.
To say that Mia, as part of Carlos property, is treated well is an understatement. The physical abuse that is prevalent in this book is absolutely horrid. Will she survive the abuse that she endures not only under Carlos hands but the other men he "employs"? Doesn't appear likely at times......
The scene in which Mia recognizes Tyler, as her "Tyler", would make me wish if I were her the floor would open up and swallow me. She never imagined running into him again and she certainly didn't want him to see what she had "become" in her mind.
Tyler convinces Mia he is working undercover for the FBI and asks her help with the shipment of slaves that he wants to set free and promises Mia her freedom. But is Tyler who he says he is?
The book has betrayal, abuse, and heavy emotional feelings of worthlessness. Again Skye takes you there with Mia, as the story is told from her POV, and I felt what she was going through and I hoped, prayed and at times thought I would scream if Mia didn't get the freedom and life she deserved in the end, not the life she thought she deserved or the "freedom" as she interpreted it to be.
I'm addicted to this series and I really sat there at times scratch my head and going what??? I recommend this one wholeheartedly but not to those who do not want to read about dubious consent, physical beatings and emotional turmoil that would leave a person seriously emotionally damaged for the rest of their lives. You will have to read to find out if Mia escaped the hell she lived in! -
Wow, I don't know if its right to say that I enjoyed this book (although i really did) so I will just say that its an amazing read. For those of you out there that like your dark erotica this is right up there as far as I am concerned. Its on par with Comfort Food and Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas.
Dark, disturbing, this book is not for the faint hearted.
Loved that although Mia had had an awful, awful life her white knight came and rescued her.
I know that doesn't always happen in the reality of these situations, and that is why it is hard to say you enjoy a book like this. Because there are poor girls and woman out there that for them this is real life. Why would you enjoy reading about a situation you wouldn't want to be in ever. I don't know, but Skye Warren has written a book that is well written , shocking and compelling and i will be recommending to my girlfriends. -
as far as the dark erotica portion 5 stars
the story is what kills it for me from being amazing. I feel it needed to be longer because it was forced and felt skipped over.. the plot twist in the bedroom.. I still don't get it?
I guess since you still have questions at the end of the day it means it was a good book because you want to read the next book to find out.. and I almost did .. but I don't like the next books MC :P
I may come back to this series
