Review: The Teasers got me hooked!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 21, 2014
Well I knew a bit about what this book was about prior to reading it because of the great teasers NL Echeverria shared during her Facebook Release Party a week or so ago. Most of which were very hot and steamy [insert break for cold shower]. However, after reading the book I now realize the teasers were just that teasers and she shared the perfect ones to get you interested in the book, but not give away too much for you to think you know what the story will be about or any major details. I mean that’s what a teaser is right..just a freaking “TEASE.”“The coffee was for your pleasure and so I can admire the way your lips look every time you bring your cup to them, I love watching your mouth as it parts and presses against the rim.”The premise of the story is mainly about 2 people; Stephanie Wilcox/Barnes and Eric Sutherland. Stephanie comes from an abusive home where her Father reminded her everyday that she was worthless and didn’t deserve anything good in life. Even though Eric was her boyfriend (while they were in high school) she never revealed her living situation until she was forced to one night. The very next day her father shipped her off to live somewhere else with family and did not allow her to contact the one good thing/good person in her life that never hurt her, Eric.“don’t ever say that! You’re beautiful, smart and full of so much love. Any man would be lucky to just be in your presence. You have to see yourself for more and stop letting the shit your dad told you hold you down.”Years pass and Stephanie is married to a wealthy man named Travis Barnes. Except the marriage isn’t blissful at all. Stephanie is living in a nightmare that seems to be a very similar nightmare she experienced with her Dad growing up with the exception that this man she is married to takes punishing Stephanie to a whole other level. Seems as though Stephanie has walked right into the one thing she promised Eric she would never allow herself to be apart of again. However, it was done unknowingly.“Is that all? You don’t have anything else to say?” I look at him confused and then realize I’m supposed to thank him for giving me an orgasm. “Thank you.”One day while Stephanie is at the market she runs into no other than the handsome, Eric Sutherland. All her feelings come back, well rather resurface for Eric and even though she is married to Travis, she can’t help but want to be with Eric. Eric never gave up hope of finding Stephanie and now that he found her he doesn’t want to let her go, but Stephanie is now to afraid of what her husband may do if he ever found out about Eric so she decides to keep Eric and their meetings a secret. All is going well and then in just a split second all goes wrong.Even though I have read stories similar to this Evil of Love was still very enjoyable and not too predictable as I assumed it might have been when I began reading the story.Eric is that one guy all women want and dream of one day meeting and sharing a life with. All he wants to do is protect Stephanie and make her see how beautiful, worthy, and special she is and that she doesn’t deserve to feel anything less than happy everyday of her life. Characters like these make women like me raise our standards to an impossible high when we are on the prowl, but I think rightfully so to some extent. No one should have to go through the abuse that Stephanie with through with not only her Dad, but her husband as well. Two men that were supposed to love, cherish, and protect her. She was so beat down that they had her believing that she was exactly what they called her. But even though Stephanie was weak at times she did find a way to get her strength back and not allow Travis to completely break her and I think that had a lot to do with Eric coming back into her life.“How could you think that? No way am I going to let you go that easily! I didn’t sleep all night after I got your email. I couldn’t believe you would just run away again. I won’t let you, Steph!”There are a lot of people out there that don’t agree with books like this because of the abuse that is portrayed in it, but I feel as if these kinds of books should be out in the universe especially if they show triumph. This allows for someone who may be going through such a thing maybe give them the courage to stand up and realize that the behavior put forth to them is not normal or okay. Words are very powerful and can do a lot of damage or a lot of good, as you will see when you read this book and that is one of the main reasons why I love reading. One book whether it’s fiction or non-fiction has the power to change a life for the better.Now even though I enjoyed the book there are a few things I didn’t like. For instance, I love the different POVs, but for Eric and Stephanie only. I feel as though the little that we did get of Travis’ point of view may have been unnecessary only because there were not enough of them. Had there been a bit more POVs for him it may have fit better to have them in my opinion. One thing I like about books like these are that when there is a villain and you don’t get the POV of that villain it makes that character even more horrible because you don’t completely know why they do such things, or you learn that information through the main characters bit by bit. However, it was good to know why Travis was the kind of person he was.I also felt like the climatic event could have been drawn out a bit more or had a bit more chaos added to it. I think it ended way to fast for all that happen or what was building up to that particular part of the story. Just felt a bit rushed and with Eric being a MMA Fighter, there should have been a fight between the two male characters or a beat down. Something to put Eric’s fighting abilities in action outside of the ring because throughout the book he mentions more than a few times that if he ever hurt Stephanie he would beat the hell out of him and there was nothing even close to it.I can see as to why NL Echeverria decided not to go that route, but I think it would have wrapped the story up even better.