Blog Tour: DEBASE: Rachel Van Dyken
From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken, comes the final book in the Eagle Elite Series and the first new book in the Elite Bratva Brotherhood...
With blood on my hands, I held her.
With death in my soul, I took from her.
With the devil in my heart, I coveted her.
There're many definitions of Hell.
My list was exhaustive, my definitions tragic.
Tonight I was adding something new to the very top.
Girl number six thirty-two.
She arrived on my birthday, the same day, every year, I play Russian Roullete and pull the trigger.
She was my omen.
My end game.
She made it personal.
And for the first time in my life, I gave in.
A virgin mob boss with no soul.
My name is Andrei Petrov.
They call me the devil.
All I want is for the pain to end.
All she wants is for me to share it.
I am the last remaining heir to a dynasty that should burn in Hell.
And my last wish remains for it to die with me.
Okay. Deep breath. Wow! This book brings the bang, the twists, the surprises, and a big, bloody mess of a situation. It not only concludes the Eagle Elite series, but also starts a new Elite Bratva spin-off series with some new and exciting developments.
Andrei Petrov has been around for a while and it was hard to tell if he was really as bad as he seemed and which side he has the most loyalty for since he played both of them. He is the last Russian Petrov heir. He was raised in a world of darkness, pain, and terror. He sees himself as a monster void of emotions and dirty to the core. He is a chameleon and manipulator. He hates himself, his life, and hopes it will just end and he will be out of his misery.
But then she came. Alice. A woman raised in her own horror show, abused by those who should have protected her, and now has a target on her back. But somehow Andrei responds to the spark of life and light she exudes. She is tough, smart, and has some fight left in her. But she has been thrust from one nightmare into another with a different monster.
They are a pair of lost souls who have wished for their own deaths out of misery. He is her new jailer or protector. She brings fire and life to his void existence. There is so much push and pull as Andrei struggles with his own self hate and issues. It is a dance of vulnerability, acceptance, passion, touch, and intense feelings. I loved seeing Andrei's more human side emerge from his hard, stoic facade.
S**t gets real in more ways than one. New threats, old enemies, secrets, betrayals, dirty deeds, and mafia rules make it a volatile and precarious situation. There does not seem to be a way out to protect what they have found. This installment is full of twists, surprises, and big revelations. At the core of this are the families. And there is so much going on that sometimes I had to stop and think about some of the complicated situations. There were some things I never saw coming.
It will admit I had a rough time getting started due to the bitterness and anger of the characters, but I soon found myself invested in their story and enjoying their changes and dynamics. As usual, the author does not pull any punches and there are raw, brutal, and vicious parts. But there is also humor and strong bonds. I always love to see the crazy camaraderie and brotherhood of these complex men and the stubborn women that have somewhat tamed them. One minute they are teasing each other, and the next there is a weapon in the conversation and they often use them. But they love hard and are willing to die for those they care about.
I am looking forward to more in this new spin-off series since there was some intriguing news I cannot wait to learn more about. Bring it on!
But then she came. Alice. A woman raised in her own horror show, abused by those who should have protected her, and now has a target on her back. But somehow Andrei responds to the spark of life and light she exudes. She is tough, smart, and has some fight left in her. But she has been thrust from one nightmare into another with a different monster.
They are a pair of lost souls who have wished for their own deaths out of misery. He is her new jailer or protector. She brings fire and life to his void existence. There is so much push and pull as Andrei struggles with his own self hate and issues. It is a dance of vulnerability, acceptance, passion, touch, and intense feelings. I loved seeing Andrei's more human side emerge from his hard, stoic facade.
S**t gets real in more ways than one. New threats, old enemies, secrets, betrayals, dirty deeds, and mafia rules make it a volatile and precarious situation. There does not seem to be a way out to protect what they have found. This installment is full of twists, surprises, and big revelations. At the core of this are the families. And there is so much going on that sometimes I had to stop and think about some of the complicated situations. There were some things I never saw coming.
It will admit I had a rough time getting started due to the bitterness and anger of the characters, but I soon found myself invested in their story and enjoying their changes and dynamics. As usual, the author does not pull any punches and there are raw, brutal, and vicious parts. But there is also humor and strong bonds. I always love to see the crazy camaraderie and brotherhood of these complex men and the stubborn women that have somewhat tamed them. One minute they are teasing each other, and the next there is a weapon in the conversation and they often use them. But they love hard and are willing to die for those they care about.
I am looking forward to more in this new spin-off series since there was some intriguing news I cannot wait to learn more about. Bring it on!
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Debase is the last of the Eagle Elite series and the first of the new Elite Bratva series. Rachel has wrapped up one series and began another in one fell swoop and readers should be excited!
Andrei Petrov is that character I’ve never been able to fully trust. Working deals, he works hard to hide his demons from those around him, but the violence and debauchery he was raised with hangs on him.
When she arrives on his birthday, she inadvertently cracks his thickly worn armor. 632. Alice. He knows exactly who she is, but her survival is dependant on her identity remaining a secret to everyone else in Andrei’s life - a challenge, especially as his interest in her causes him to act out of character for the first time since the Eagle Elite group has interacted with him.
Her life was not a cake walk either, as evidenced by her relief at finding herself in unfamiliar territory in the back of Andrei’s club with a new shipment of women. What must her life have been like for this to be a relief? Andrei doesn’t know particulars but finds himself attempting to make things as easy as he can for 632.
I loved watching these two broken individuals find new strength together. Andrei is not used to being vulnerable, nor is he used to opening up or sharing, even with his best of friends. Alice has never had a supportive family or group of friends around her, particularly during the last few years, and her new place in the Elite group is hard for her to trust.
There was something about the story though that made it difficult for me to fall in love with this story quickly. By the end I was fully invested, but the power play between the characters and the hatred early on made it difficult for me to feel empathy, particularly towards Andrei, and I felt little more than pity for Alice’s situation. But as the story progressed and Andrei began feeling conflicted, I fell in love with him and them.
In the end, I am intrigued by the direction this new series will take. Eagle Elite never failed to surprise me with its twists and secrets, and it appears there are still secrets left to reveal. With this new Russian connection, this series is sure to take on new life as the Elite Bratva Brotherhood.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Andrei Petrov is that character I’ve never been able to fully trust. Working deals, he works hard to hide his demons from those around him, but the violence and debauchery he was raised with hangs on him.
When she arrives on his birthday, she inadvertently cracks his thickly worn armor. 632. Alice. He knows exactly who she is, but her survival is dependant on her identity remaining a secret to everyone else in Andrei’s life - a challenge, especially as his interest in her causes him to act out of character for the first time since the Eagle Elite group has interacted with him.
Her life was not a cake walk either, as evidenced by her relief at finding herself in unfamiliar territory in the back of Andrei’s club with a new shipment of women. What must her life have been like for this to be a relief? Andrei doesn’t know particulars but finds himself attempting to make things as easy as he can for 632.
I loved watching these two broken individuals find new strength together. Andrei is not used to being vulnerable, nor is he used to opening up or sharing, even with his best of friends. Alice has never had a supportive family or group of friends around her, particularly during the last few years, and her new place in the Elite group is hard for her to trust.
There was something about the story though that made it difficult for me to fall in love with this story quickly. By the end I was fully invested, but the power play between the characters and the hatred early on made it difficult for me to feel empathy, particularly towards Andrei, and I felt little more than pity for Alice’s situation. But as the story progressed and Andrei began feeling conflicted, I fell in love with him and them.
In the end, I am intrigued by the direction this new series will take. Eagle Elite never failed to surprise me with its twists and secrets, and it appears there are still secrets left to reveal. With this new Russian connection, this series is sure to take on new life as the Elite Bratva Brotherhood.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I slid my tongue into her mouth. I tasted, I took, I was greedy with each kiss. With blood on my hands, I held her.
With death in my soul, I drank from her.
With the devil in my heart, I coveted her.
I wanted closer.
More.
My gloves felt too hot for my hands.
My hands too big to contain the weeping leather as I pulled away from Alice and stared into her big blue eyes.
“You don’t want this,” I whispered.
She bit down on her swollen lip and reached for me, I stood still as her warm hands touched both of my cheeks. “Lie.”
I let out a hiss of air at her touch. “Walk. Away.”
“Kiss me again.”
“I can’t do that.” I needed to stop doing that.
“Can’t or won’t?”
I told myself one more kiss, one more touch. I told myself it would be okay, that I was still in control.
That I was above this.
That no woman had ever owned me.
No woman had ever taken everything.
My chest heaved as I stared at her mouth, unable to move, completely rooted to the floor.
Alice moved her hands to my jeans and slowly unbuttoned them. I didn’t stop her, I needed to fucking stop her, but it was like I’d drank this paralyzing poison from her lips and couldn’t function, could only watch her as my soul floated above my body, mocking my inaction, telling me that this would be the end of me.
The very end.
Letting her in.
Keeping her there.
I would give her everything.
And then I would lose control.
Lose my mind.
Lose my heart.
I would lose.
So would she.
“Alice…” My voice cracked. “I wish…” Her hands stilled on my jeans like she was ready to pull them down. “I can’t. I wish I could. I can’t.”
How could she possibly understand?
How could I explain the gut-wrenching fear of looking in the mirror and knowing that one choice kept me sane. One choice.
And that was sex.
He’d made that choice.
I wouldn’t.
I couldn’t.
I couldn’t trust myself, couldn’t trust it wouldn’t happen to me too, and hurt someone like her.
Someone so very… perfect.
Without blinking, Alice gripped my jeans, indecision etched on every pretty part of her face.
She was beautiful.
So damn beautiful.
I gripped her wrists with my hands and pulled them away from the very real temptation of getting completely naked and sinking into her, feeling her clench around me, her tight heat.
Shit.
I pulled her into my arms, and she rested her head on my shoulder. Just because I couldn’t let her touch me, couldn’t cross that line, didn’t mean I couldn’t make her happy, I would kill to watch her face in the throes of multiple orgasms.
I quickly gripped her by the hips and put her up on the cold granite countertop.
“Andrei what are you doing?” She looked down at me uncertainty in her blue eyes.
I moved my hands to her ass and pulled down the black leggings she’d been wearing, all the way down to her ankles, right along with a pair of lacy underwear that were bright pink, and perfect.
“Andrei?”
“Yes?”
“Seriously, what are you doing?”
I gripped her knees with my hands and then spread them wide. “What’s it look like I’m doing?” I smirked. “I’m feasting.”
Her eyes widened.
Never underestimate a virgin with an extremely vivid imagination and heightened sexual appetite.
I wasn’t a fucking monk.
I would like to think I knew more than most men, because I’d seen it all, watched it, inadvertently studied it.
If someone gave me a diagram of a woman, I could point out over twenty-two ways to get her off — with my tongue, a feather, my fingers, take your pick.
“You don’t have to—” She let out a gasp, gripping the edge of the granite, turning her hands white.
I chuckled darkly against her right thigh and bit. “I’m sorry, what was that? I don’t have to?”
“I’ve never, nobody has ever… done. This.”
“Tell me,” I asked gently before I dipped my tongue inside her and flicked.
Her entire body jerked.
“Tell me he never touched you like this, tell me nobody has ever touched you like this.”
“Never,” she rasped. “You.” That word was like a gunshot going off in my soul. “Only you, Andrei.”
“Me.” I flicked my tongue again, and gripped her by the ass, pulling her almost completely off the counter while I sat beneath her and sucked her off in the most primitive aggressive way I knew how.
With every ounce of energy I had in my physical body.
With my soul.
I used every weapon in my arsenal.
Elite Bratva Brotherhood series is a spin-off and conclusion of the Eagle Elite series, but these do not have to be read to start this new series.
Debase can be read as a stand-alone.
Debase can be read as a stand-alone.
Every book in the Eagle Elite series is a stand alone except Elude and Empire (Sergio's full story)....Note that the story in ENRAGE and EULOGY are closely related
ELITE (#1)
ELECT (#2)
ENTICE (#3)
ELICIT(#4)
BANG BANG (novella)
ENFORCE (#1.5--Male POV)
EMBER (#5)
ELUDE (#6)
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
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