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kelly_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
OMG! I was totally not expecting this book! In the beginning I thought this was going to be a sweet, sexy little read. But I was hooked right away.
Brandi/Emily leads a double life, a single mom by day and a high end escort at night. Her son has special needs and requires expensive medical equipment and services. Waitressing and bartending just does not cover the bills. Then along comes Marco, a hot Italian male that makes her feel. I can't spoil this, you just have to read it!
And that ending!! I had to one click the finale!
Brandi/Emily leads a double life, a single mom by day and a high end escort at night. Her son has special needs and requires expensive medical equipment and services. Waitressing and bartending just does not cover the bills. Then along comes Marco, a hot Italian male that makes her feel. I can't spoil this, you just have to read it!
And that ending!! I had to one click the finale!
kate_and_books's review against another edition
4.0
Dear Elisabeth,
May I call you Elisabeth? Yes/No? Well I'm going to anyway. To answer your question.
Was it possible to write about an inherently good person doing bad things and have readers root for her?
Yes Elisabeth you did. Every step of the way I was rooting for the heroine. I'm still rooting for her now. And to be honest I think that this is one heroine that I won’t forget this year.
4’This ain’t Pretty Woman peeps’ Stars.
Experience the life on an escort in Las Vegas. Or more than likely Brandi’s life as an escort in Las Vegas. We first meet Brandi with a john and get a feel for her character. I shall only refer to her as Brandi in this book as we don’t find out her real name to the very end. This aspect of the book I loved.
She is real she doesn’t make herself out to be anything that she isn’t. She is candid about her job.
Yes I let them use my body. But I used them, too. I took their money, and in return I fulfilled their deepest fantasies.
She is funny, smart and loyal and will go above and beyond for those that she loves and this is where I was caught and captivated. We find out why she does what she does. She doesn’t have daddy issues or a drug problem. It is unconditional love that makes her do the things that she does.
I. Don’t. Judge. You. Quite the opposite I understand you. Wouldn’t you do anything for your child? We see what her evenings are like and what her days consist of how she looks after her son, Daniel who has muscle dystrophy. A single mother with a special needs kid. Each interaction that she had with her son only solidified the compassion I felt for Brandi.
I personally really liked Brandi. I don’t know how I would have dealt with Brandi’s profession but I wanted to be her friend. I didn’t want her to be alone. I wanted her to share her pain, her hopes and her dreams. What a ride, what an emotional rollercoaster.
This book is outstanding, it is riveting and an engaging read. I laughed at the GFE/PSE, I cried. All the emotional ques set by the author where met to my emotional responses.
The Hero of the book is Marco Valenti. He is a new john for Brandi and their first encounter is unique. It is a battle of the wills but one thing is for sure Brandi is most likely to fail all three escort rules epically.
Somehow my body knew what I didn’t already. Marco Valenti would be the springboard in my life that caused everything to change.
Marco is smooth, intelligent, and powerful combined with his Adonis good looks and being rich and last but not least let’s not forget the Italian accent. He is lethal for any woman. Even the White Witch from Narnia would drop her panties for him.
Marco books Brandi and what started out as a one-time booking turned into a lot more. But Marco has enemies and they have set their sight on Brandi to get what they want from him. He is possessive and obsessed and will do anything for Brandi. He is very alpha but it doesn’t border on treating Brandi like an object. And other men touching her? No.
“I didn’t want his hands on me.” My breath was shallow as I admitted what I’d been trying so hard to keep hidden.
“Why?” His dark eyes were searching as he looked down upon me. “Because they weren’t yours.”
This is where it got difficult for me where I would have liked to have seen his POV because although his character is three dimensional I felt disconnected to him because I didn’t get enough insight to how he ticked. But he accepts her life, her job, her son.
They form a tight relationship I can’t really say what the time span is in how long they knew one another. They were good together. They have chemistry.
“I knew we would be amazing together.” I didn’t admit it to him, but I’d known it too.
I felt as if they could have had a more emotionally connection and although that did happen it happened at the very end and therefore for me it felt rushed. They briefly touch on the demons and the scars that they have. I know why dwell on the past. But at times he is so sweet.
“I see you for who you really are. I don’t look at you and see what you do to make money. I see the woman, the mother, the lover, the friend.”
And then the unthinkable, the unimaginable happens what I never would have really thought Ms. Grace would write and her my heart stopped.
I screamed, the sound of the gunshot reverberating through my head and ripping my soul to shreds. Mine too Brandi, mine too.
And here we see what kind of impact one small word can have.
The eyes of the man I thought loved me bore into me from above, and the realization hits- he is the one responsible.
By the way - I’m still hoping that I’m wrong.
There were some things that niggled at me and apart from that I have nothing negative to say about the book. I also took a gamble with this book as I requested an ARC for the second book and thought, no problem I’ll read the first. All good. Now as Murphy’s Law is my best friend I realized the error of my ways and thought oh shit if you don’t like it then what are you going to do about reading the second one. Well I would have to force myself or skim. Luckily for me I loved this book so it all didn’t backfire on me.
Luckily for me I can go off and read book two.
Review can also be found @ http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blogspot.de/2016/07/hook-duplicity-duet-1-by-elisabeth-grace.html
May I call you Elisabeth? Yes/No? Well I'm going to anyway. To answer your question.
Was it possible to write about an inherently good person doing bad things and have readers root for her?
Yes Elisabeth you did. Every step of the way I was rooting for the heroine. I'm still rooting for her now. And to be honest I think that this is one heroine that I won’t forget this year.
4’This ain’t Pretty Woman peeps’ Stars.
Experience the life on an escort in Las Vegas. Or more than likely Brandi’s life as an escort in Las Vegas. We first meet Brandi with a john and get a feel for her character. I shall only refer to her as Brandi in this book as we don’t find out her real name to the very end. This aspect of the book I loved.
She is real she doesn’t make herself out to be anything that she isn’t. She is candid about her job.
Yes I let them use my body. But I used them, too. I took their money, and in return I fulfilled their deepest fantasies.
She is funny, smart and loyal and will go above and beyond for those that she loves and this is where I was caught and captivated. We find out why she does what she does. She doesn’t have daddy issues or a drug problem. It is unconditional love that makes her do the things that she does.
I. Don’t. Judge. You. Quite the opposite I understand you. Wouldn’t you do anything for your child? We see what her evenings are like and what her days consist of how she looks after her son, Daniel who has muscle dystrophy. A single mother with a special needs kid. Each interaction that she had with her son only solidified the compassion I felt for Brandi.
I personally really liked Brandi. I don’t know how I would have dealt with Brandi’s profession but I wanted to be her friend. I didn’t want her to be alone. I wanted her to share her pain, her hopes and her dreams. What a ride, what an emotional rollercoaster.
This book is outstanding, it is riveting and an engaging read. I laughed at the GFE/PSE, I cried. All the emotional ques set by the author where met to my emotional responses.
The Hero of the book is Marco Valenti. He is a new john for Brandi and their first encounter is unique. It is a battle of the wills but one thing is for sure Brandi is most likely to fail all three escort rules epically.
Somehow my body knew what I didn’t already. Marco Valenti would be the springboard in my life that caused everything to change.
Marco is smooth, intelligent, and powerful combined with his Adonis good looks and being rich and last but not least let’s not forget the Italian accent. He is lethal for any woman. Even the White Witch from Narnia would drop her panties for him.
Marco books Brandi and what started out as a one-time booking turned into a lot more. But Marco has enemies and they have set their sight on Brandi to get what they want from him. He is possessive and obsessed and will do anything for Brandi. He is very alpha but it doesn’t border on treating Brandi like an object. And other men touching her? No.
“I didn’t want his hands on me.” My breath was shallow as I admitted what I’d been trying so hard to keep hidden.
“Why?” His dark eyes were searching as he looked down upon me. “Because they weren’t yours.”
This is where it got difficult for me where I would have liked to have seen his POV because although his character is three dimensional I felt disconnected to him because I didn’t get enough insight to how he ticked. But he accepts her life, her job, her son.
They form a tight relationship I can’t really say what the time span is in how long they knew one another. They were good together. They have chemistry.
“I knew we would be amazing together.” I didn’t admit it to him, but I’d known it too.
I felt as if they could have had a more emotionally connection and although that did happen it happened at the very end and therefore for me it felt rushed. They briefly touch on the demons and the scars that they have. I know why dwell on the past. But at times he is so sweet.
“I see you for who you really are. I don’t look at you and see what you do to make money. I see the woman, the mother, the lover, the friend.”
And then the unthinkable, the unimaginable happens what I never would have really thought Ms. Grace would write and her my heart stopped.
I screamed, the sound of the gunshot reverberating through my head and ripping my soul to shreds. Mine too Brandi, mine too.
And here we see what kind of impact one small word can have.
The eyes of the man I thought loved me bore into me from above, and the realization hits- he is the one responsible.
By the way - I’m still hoping that I’m wrong.
There were some things that niggled at me and apart from that I have nothing negative to say about the book. I also took a gamble with this book as I requested an ARC for the second book and thought, no problem I’ll read the first. All good. Now as Murphy’s Law is my best friend I realized the error of my ways and thought oh shit if you don’t like it then what are you going to do about reading the second one. Well I would have to force myself or skim. Luckily for me I loved this book so it all didn’t backfire on me.
Luckily for me I can go off and read book two.
Review can also be found @ http://jerisbookattic-reviewblog.blogspot.de/2016/07/hook-duplicity-duet-1-by-elisabeth-grace.html
__livesbtweenpgs__'s review against another edition
5.0
Review to also be posted on Book Loving Fairy Blog
.
.
Star Rating: 5 Stars
First off, cliffhanger I LOATHE YOU!!
I need to know what happens, why? Why? Do you do this? Gah!
Okay we start off with well let's just say a different approach to the story, there are different angles to see her from but connected with the mother side.
What do you do when you need to take care of your child? You do anything and everything to make sure that they are taken care of.
Brandi, a high paid escort, doing what she has to in order to care for her son who is her whole world. But what happens when someone comes in and makes her question everything. Who is he and what is he capable of?
Marco Valenti, sexy and downright swoony. I mean come on this man! Le sigh! Usually I let out more about the man in a book but with this one I can't, be surprised.
I will say if you want a book that is angsty and is thrilling almost then this is the book for you, however there is a damn cliffhanger that will have you saying NO!! I can guarantee that!
Good luck if you jump into this one
.
.
Star Rating: 5 Stars
First off, cliffhanger I LOATHE YOU!!
I need to know what happens, why? Why? Do you do this? Gah!
Okay we start off with well let's just say a different approach to the story, there are different angles to see her from but connected with the mother side.
What do you do when you need to take care of your child? You do anything and everything to make sure that they are taken care of.
Brandi, a high paid escort, doing what she has to in order to care for her son who is her whole world. But what happens when someone comes in and makes her question everything. Who is he and what is he capable of?
Marco Valenti, sexy and downright swoony. I mean come on this man! Le sigh! Usually I let out more about the man in a book but with this one I can't, be surprised.
I will say if you want a book that is angsty and is thrilling almost then this is the book for you, however there is a damn cliffhanger that will have you saying NO!! I can guarantee that!
Good luck if you jump into this one
aschae's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Yet another FABULOUS book by Elisabeth Grace!! Warning.. Major cliffhanger that will leave you dying for the next book! Emily (aka Brandi) is not only a high end escort, she's also a highly intelligent woman with a life and a vision that's totally separate from her work. Until she meets Marco that is....as this hot, sweet a$$ man will change her world forever and make her rethink everything she's thought she had figured out until now... This book was sweet, passionate and sexy as hell which characters that you can't help but fall totally in love with <3 HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended and now I CAN'T WAIT to get my hands on the next book in the series!!
mandy_pandy's review
5.0
Wow! I am totally blown away by how good this book was! I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put this book down. I'm a little hesitant to read books about escorts but this was so well done. The heroine was easy to relate to, which shouldn't have been easy given her profession, but I understood why she chose her line of work and even admired her for it. There was mystery, suspense and super HOT sexy times. This author writes some of the best steamy scenes ever and the ones in this book were amazing! This book ends with a massive cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the next book.
rockchick's review
3.0
Hook is the first book in the Duplicity Duet.
It tells the story single mom Brandi.
Brandi has a son with special needs. She raises him alone and does everything in her power to be a good mother and provide all his medical needs.
In order to do that, Brandi works as a call girl.
I admired Brandi's character.
She is never apologetic about her profession. She does what needs to be done to ensure her son ,Daniel gets the best care possible.
Hook also stars Marco, a mysterious client who is attracted to Brandi, keeps coming back for her services but also gets her mixed up with the wrong people, putting her and her sons safety at risk.
I loved Brandi's character, I enjoyed reading about her and Marco's sexual relationship, but didn't feel the emotional connection between them.
The sex scenes were hot, but the depth, that turns lust into love, was missing.
Another thing that bothered me was Marco's use of Italian as various points in the book. It didnt "read" natural to me.
It tells the story single mom Brandi.
Brandi has a son with special needs. She raises him alone and does everything in her power to be a good mother and provide all his medical needs.
In order to do that, Brandi works as a call girl.
I admired Brandi's character.
She is never apologetic about her profession. She does what needs to be done to ensure her son ,Daniel gets the best care possible.
Hook also stars Marco, a mysterious client who is attracted to Brandi, keeps coming back for her services but also gets her mixed up with the wrong people, putting her and her sons safety at risk.
I loved Brandi's character, I enjoyed reading about her and Marco's sexual relationship, but didn't feel the emotional connection between them.
The sex scenes were hot, but the depth, that turns lust into love, was missing.
Another thing that bothered me was Marco's use of Italian as various points in the book. It didnt "read" natural to me.
darianstarr13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
whatcha_listening_to's review
5.0
** ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
** Reviewed Previously for Books n Boys Book Blog **
5 Hooker-tastic Stars!
Yeah I just said Hooker-tastic. Never thought I would come up with such a word. But wow this book. I finished it minutes ago and I can still feel the urge to press next page next page and nothing is happening I want MORE!
Question:
What would you do for your children?
Answer:
Anything…
I loved how we meet Emily aka Brandi, she is a strong fighting women who has more gumption in her pinky then most people will ever have. She is fierce and loyal and most of all a mother to an incredible little boy who needs more than most. And so that she can provide it for him she does anything necessary for that to happen. So what if she gets paid to sleep with men. It’s a job just like any other only she gets paid a heck of a lot more than just the regular old Joe who owns a bar. Just because someone uses their body to make money does not make them weak or uneducated.
Emily is a character I have a lot of respect for maybe because I am a mother with a son who needs more than most, not the same as hers but it’s a common understanding. You would do and say anything to put your children first. I have no judgement for how she takes care of her son.
Marco comes in to the picture this hot Italian man you just want to get down and dirty with. But no, no you don’t expect him to be so patient. I love this about him, just because he pays for a women’s time and body doesn’t mean he gets to be a bastardo as he calls it.
He’s a formidable business man and knows what he wants and will get it at any cost. Even at the expense of others but he is sly about it you don’t really see it so much as feel it.
Watching how Brandi gets under his skin was fun and funny he wants more from her but to her he is a pay cheque and she has to keep it separate.
These two together is explosive. And when her life is in danger and Marco comes to her aid. I love how lines get blurred it’s an incredible story of finding what you didn’t expect.
Also Daniel steals the show as most 9 year old boys do.
Watching him show his mom that it’s okay to be a kid and to not worry so much is sweet and makes you smile more than once.
Here are some of my favorite quotes you had to know they were coming!
“It should matter not what you do for a living. You are still a woman, are you not?” – Marco
“You’re mine. Do you understand? I don’t care what your ------- job is. You. Are. Mine.” – Marco
“Baby girl, you are looking F-I-N-E this evening.” – Leroy bodyguard
“Even the angel has a devil that sits on his shoulder.” – Marco
And can I just say that was sooo mean that Cliffy!! I want more!
If I get down on my hands and knees and beg really, really nicely?
** Reviewed Previously for Books n Boys Book Blog **
5 Hooker-tastic Stars!
Yeah I just said Hooker-tastic. Never thought I would come up with such a word. But wow this book. I finished it minutes ago and I can still feel the urge to press next page next page and nothing is happening I want MORE!
Question:
What would you do for your children?
Answer:
Anything…
I loved how we meet Emily aka Brandi, she is a strong fighting women who has more gumption in her pinky then most people will ever have. She is fierce and loyal and most of all a mother to an incredible little boy who needs more than most. And so that she can provide it for him she does anything necessary for that to happen. So what if she gets paid to sleep with men. It’s a job just like any other only she gets paid a heck of a lot more than just the regular old Joe who owns a bar. Just because someone uses their body to make money does not make them weak or uneducated.
Emily is a character I have a lot of respect for maybe because I am a mother with a son who needs more than most, not the same as hers but it’s a common understanding. You would do and say anything to put your children first. I have no judgement for how she takes care of her son.
Marco comes in to the picture this hot Italian man you just want to get down and dirty with. But no, no you don’t expect him to be so patient. I love this about him, just because he pays for a women’s time and body doesn’t mean he gets to be a bastardo as he calls it.
He’s a formidable business man and knows what he wants and will get it at any cost. Even at the expense of others but he is sly about it you don’t really see it so much as feel it.
Watching how Brandi gets under his skin was fun and funny he wants more from her but to her he is a pay cheque and she has to keep it separate.
These two together is explosive. And when her life is in danger and Marco comes to her aid. I love how lines get blurred it’s an incredible story of finding what you didn’t expect.
Also Daniel steals the show as most 9 year old boys do.
Watching him show his mom that it’s okay to be a kid and to not worry so much is sweet and makes you smile more than once.
Here are some of my favorite quotes you had to know they were coming!
“It should matter not what you do for a living. You are still a woman, are you not?” – Marco
“You’re mine. Do you understand? I don’t care what your ------- job is. You. Are. Mine.” – Marco
“Baby girl, you are looking F-I-N-E this evening.” – Leroy bodyguard
“Even the angel has a devil that sits on his shoulder.” – Marco
And can I just say that was sooo mean that Cliffy!! I want more!
If I get down on my hands and knees and beg really, really nicely?