Amazing story

First book I've read from this author but it definitly won't be the last.
I loved everything about it (even though I did expected it to be darker).
It's in my top 5 favorites. ( )

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
Descent is a standalone by Sam Mariano and I am not sure how I feel about this one here. It definitely was my least favorite from this author. I know many compare this one to Untouchable, but yeah Untouchable was way better. I really had to push myself through this one here, and it was a novel I wanted to love but I will be honest the heroine drove me batty throughout most of this one here. It just seemed like her character just wasn't the best for this type of hero to be honest. And there was no softness that happens with her until the very end, but it did have some similar complexities that this author tends to write in her books.

My Outlook
I want to say that I loved this one, but alas, I really struggled through this one. And its a long one just warning you folks, its over 500 pages, now if it had been more like Untouchable then I probably wouldn't have minded, but I had to force myself to keep going especially in the second half. Normally its the first half I struggle with but nope it was the later half of the story. I think my major issue with this one was the heroine. Because in the beginning she comes off as being this gentle sweet heroine and yeah she isn't that way. She was way too confrontational that didn't match up with her character. I get she was in a bad situation with the hero, but for this type of hero, he needed someone that wouldn't fight him on every little thing and knew how to pick her battles and she just came off so ignorant at times and not in a attractive way at all. The hero is typical of this authors style of heroes, so if you like psychopaths, then you will get a kick out of the hero. And also the friend of the heroine was AWFUL! She is just as manipulative as the hero but acts like she is above it all and how she treats her husband, is horrid. Yeah I really didn't like her in the ending at all. I will say that the ending was satisfying and I am glad that the author really delivered on that because I needed something good after all the struggle haha

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building:4
Cover: 4
Hero: 5
Heroine: 3
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels: 4
Ending: 5
Overall View: 3.5

Trigger Warnings:
Non Consent Sexual Content ( )

oh boy
(spoilers ahead, duh)

"Obviously, I'm not blackmailing you to be here anymore. We're in love and having a baby, it's all real now."
"In love," she echoes dimly.
"We've calmly discussed murders I arranged and you're still here, Hallie. You love me."
"Oh." She frowns. "Maybe."

soooooooooo, the hero rapes the fmc like 5 minutes into the first chapter. ( )

What a way to start my reading in 2022.

This author has been a one-click author since I discovered the Morelli Family series. Since that time, I have read everything she has written, oftentimes, more than once. There is just something about the way that she creates an anti-hero. There shouldn't be anything remotely redeemable about them, yet, she does the unthinkable and makes them not only redeemable but she makes them delicious. That was most assuredly the case with Calvin.

I wasn't sure how this book was going to fit into the Heaven and Hell series, and Purgatory, the interconnected club that ties all the books by various authors together. Especially, considering that this author's books don't traverse down the BDSM club scene. However, other than the initial "meeting' between Calvin and Hallie, there was nothing to tie things back to that club and the story didn't tie into a BDSM-type theme.

Calvin is a mix of Mateo and Carter. His manipulation tactics are out of this world. There were times, that even I had a hard time not seeing his rationale. He made it make sense which is almost ludicrous because he was a lunatic in many aspects. Yet, I still loved him. I loved that he would set the world on fire for Hallie. He knew that he wanted her and in his world that was all that mattered. Some of his flippant responses were so spot on of Mateo that it will likely prompt a reread because it made me miss him. Other responses were, completely, Carter. Even with the similarities, he was uniquely his own character. He was shameless and unbothered by how he obtained a relationship with Hallie. One moment, I was nodding in agreement with how he rationalized things, and in the next, I was shaking my head in wonder that he thought it would work.

Hallie was interesting. I felt for her as a woman. I wondered how she would adapt to the situations that she found herself in with Calvin. There should have been no way that she should have been able to get past how this all started. Yet, as a former Luke and Laura from General Hospital fan (look it up if this is confusing as to why I mention that), I know that it can be done. Some moments she did well trying to negotiate with Calvin, but for the most part, she was in over her head. There was no way that she was going to win against him. What I, initially, thought of was her being naive was more that she was kind-hearted. She had the capacity to forgive, at least in the case of Calvin, which wasn't a bad thing. Some could call this Stockholm syndrome, however, I felt like it was more that she realized that this man truly would give her the world and would burn it to the ground if he had to do so.

I don't need to mention the steam because anyone that is familiar with this author knows that she can bring the good stuff. Even in the scenes that were uncomfortable, she depicted it accurately which says something.

There were a few areas of the story that I wished had been fleshed out more. It felt rushed in a couple of places. However, none of that deterred me from loving this book. In some ways, I loved Calvin and Hallie more than I loved Mateo/Mia and Carter/Zoe. In other ways, I didn't. However, all the trademark things that I love about this author were in this book and I cannot say enough how delightful it was to have this Cheshire grin back after reading this book. I will say that there are triggers so be prepared. That seems redundant to even have to say because it is this author that I am talking about. However, I am saying it anyway because I would hate to see this book get bashing or low ratings because of it.

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