Release Day Event And Giveaway: Greed: Fisher Amelie

by Reviews by Tammy and Kim - Tuesday, October 29, 2013

GREED (Book 2 in the Seven Deadly Series):

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Gather ‘round, love, because I want you. I want what you have, I want what you don’t have, I want more of what I already have. I want. But if you so much as ask for something in return, go ahead and walk away. Know if you want to play in my world, it’s every man for themselves and the weak become mine. Leeches will be obliterated because I make it my job to destroy them. I protect what’s mine and I take what’s yours...because that’s what I do. I want.

My story will not endear me to you and, frankly, I could care less if it does because I’m in this for the money and nothing else. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a corrupt, money hungry, immoral asshole from Los Angeles. I’m every man’s worst nightmare and every girl’s fantasy.

I’m Spencer Blackwell...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most coveted guy to the guy no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

VAIN (Book 1 in the Seven Deadly Series):
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Kim's 5 star review

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

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Prologue

Greed is a strange, strange sin.

All you want to do is acquire. Acquire money, acquire material, acquire time, acquire energy, acquire attention. The running mantra is “I want, I want, I want” but that quickly turns to “I need, I need, I need.” Suddenly there just isn’t enough time for friends, for family, for anyone. Your goal is to acquire and to make sure what you acquire stays acquired. Your life depends on it. You don’t see truth because the truth is shadowed by enormous homes, incredibly fast cars, in lavish spending. Your life no longer belongs to you, but you are blind to it all because those around you are seeking the same.

So you shuffle along at an impossible rate, and you pass the real world around you.

But what you’ll come to realize, altogether too late, is that it’s never enough. It’s simply never enough.

Chapter One

“It’s confirmed. Peter Knight of Evergreen won’t approve the acquisition. You know what to do,” my snake of a father told me, not two steps into his front door.

“I just got off a seven-hour flight. You can’t let me settle in? Possibly say hello?”

He stood, watching me, a slight tick in his square jaw. He tucked his hands into his Italian silk pants. His six-foot frame followed the steps up to the foyer and stopped a few inches away from my own. We were face to face. Although I fell an inch shorter, he no longer intimidated me. I knew if I had to, I could kick his ass.

“Hello, Spencer,” he said, a serpent’s smile spread wide across his mouth before falling flat. “Get to work. I don’t pay you to sit around. I don’t care if it is your Christmas break.” 

We stayed where we were, each waiting on the other to back down. The tension was palpable. In the end, his face relaxed and he began to chuckle, stepping aside and making way for me. I picked up my bags and headed for my room, giving myself plenty of space to pass him without touching him. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I changed my mind and threw my bags on the second to last step, intending to pick them up later. I stretched my muscles, loving the feel of my back popping, and started for the kitchen.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he asked, still standing in the foyer, watching my every move.

“If I don’t say hi to Mom and Bridge, they’ll think something’s up,” I told him and continued on.

He didn’t respond, but I felt his stare burning into the back of my head.

Greed is a strange, strange sin. All you want to do is acquire. Acquire money, acquire material, acquire time, acquire energy, acquire attention. The running mantra is "I want, I want, I want" but that quickly turns to "I need, I need, I need."...But what you'll come to realize, altogether too late, is that it's never enough. It's simply never enough.
We first met Spencer Blackwell in Vain. He was one of the super rich seemingly shallow people that ran with a young rich crowd, drove fast cars, and never wanted for anything material. But even then, you could see there was a deeper side to Spencer when you saw how he cared for Sophie. She was the one that got away. She went far, far away and changed her life. Spencer had no idea that two years later, his whole life was also about to change.

Spencer's life is truly not his own. He is his father's puppet. He is not proud of things he has done. But greed and guilt are negative emotions that are just part of his life. His mother and sister are at the mercy of the controlling man as well. And when it comes to a point where he needs to protect his precious sister from his father's wrath, he does not hesitate. Thus showing he is a better man than he thinks. But he has a long way to go.

I was certain there was nothing that could cleanse me, to launder my poisoned blood. This was who I was. Hopeless personified.

We shift gears from the glitz and glam of LA to a remote ranch in rural Montana. I immediately loved the change of pace and new cast of characters. Cricket Hunt is a little spitfire who can hang with the ranch hands, but also has a natural spark of femininity about her. She is smart, sassy, and completely knocks Spencer on his ass. Her sweet, thoughtful cousin Jonah was adorable and awkward. And their grandparents Ellie and Emmett welcome the duo with open arms and provide a positive parental influence that they had never known. But not everyone is thrilled with their presence or how the dynamics change with their arrival.

Spencer and Cricket are so drawn to each other, but circumstances are complicated. Very complicated. It is an emotionally challenging journey with pain and heartbreak. There was tons of tension, pushing away and denial. There were hidden secrets causing issues on both sides. Cricket is tied in ways that are hard to comprehend. Spencer and Bridget's past is not so easily buried. I was tense, frustrated, heartbroken and one point crying like a baby. But interspersed with the hard times, were times of humor, sweetness, and a deep connection.

She was everything I never imagined I could possibly want. She was ...devastating.

Spencer's life went from one extreme to the other. And it was interesting to see his priorities change as he starts to learn who he really is and who he wants to be. But with so much conflict and difficult issues bearing down on them, it is hard to see him continue to struggle and try to find a way to make the best decisions for everyone. And there were situations that were not easily fixed.

Life didn't feel like I was merely existing from one droning moment to the next. I felt effective, useful, and altogether worthy. I have never felt that before, not once in my entire life had I ever felt truly valuable. I had earned the right to be proud, but being enlightened in that way only exacerbated the fact that I had so much further to go before I could ever deserve someone like Cricket.

Can Spencer keep those around him safe? Will he find redemption only to lose what is really important?

This was another story in this series about a lost, previously shallow person finding the true meaning of life. Learning to connect with people. Learning what is truly important. Learning not to get bogged down in inconsequential things. It was not always easy to read. It was difficult, harsh, and negative at times. But it was also inspiring, hopeful and beautiful. These characters touched me and made me feel for them. It was a moving, poignant story of redemption, hope, and love.

This book is a mature YA/NA read, but it does not need sex to move the story along.You can read this one as a stand alone, there are some references to Sophie from Vain, but they explain all you need to know. But with that being said, I loved Vain and highly recommend reading it. And you did get to meet Spencer initially in that book. Fisher Amelie has a way of creating worlds that just draw you in and make you feel like you are right there. The dark, ugly world of the super wealthy overflowing with negativity, greed, and fake appearances. And the alternatives, in this case a rural ranch, where the love and value of family and hard work is all that is needed for fulfillment. I am looking forward to more in this series and from this author.

Thanks to Amelie Fisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from arc and subject to change in the final draft.

Fisher Amelie

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Fisher Amelie is the author of The Leaving Series, Callum & Harper and Thomas & January. She began her writing career as a copywriter for an internet marketing company wherein one of their client's said, 'Hey! You're funny. You should write books'. Which in turn she said, 'Hey, get out of here! This is the lady's restroom.' While washing her hands and the embarrassment from her face, she thought they may have had a valid point. So, she took the thousands of hours of writing stories growing up, tucked them into her pocket and began writing and writing and writing.