Dubious: A Seductive and Adrenaline-fueled Dark Mafia Romance (The Loan Shark Duet: A Dark Mafia Romance Book 1) Kindle Edition

I did not expect to like this, at all. I have read the blurb for this title many times and each time I had the impression this was going to be another fake dark that is really just a romance with an otherwise violent dominant.I like dark. I hate fake dark. There is dark erotic and there is dark erotic romance. I like both and I think there should be a distinction between dark erotic and dark erotic romance. Dark Erotic is about a nonconsenting or dubious (in this case) consenting sexual relationship that is intended to titillate the reader. Dark erotic usually involves an imanalance of power that is not previously agreed to like a D/s relationship should be. Dark Erotic Romance, however, is all of that but it also contains the romantic attachment, tender feelings, a genuine regard between the two.Dubious is a Dark Erotic Romance. Not fake dark because there is a clear and stated element of a nonconsenting (coercion is not consent) imbalance of power. Valentina, being completely inexperienced learns that she is aroused by the imbalance of power and enjoys being handled roughly, being spanked, little bites of pain with her sex. She doesn’t enjoy the fact that she enjoys it, but enjoy it she does. Gabriel wants her as soon as he sees her. He develops very strong feelings for her even while he enjoys the imbalance of his power of her, enjoys that she responds so powerfully to his erotic commands, caresses and manhandling.The gritty depravity comes in because the environment is one of practical lawlessness and criminals, the other characters are borderline sociopaths, or genuinely decent people doing the best they can. The violence happens off screen and isn’t detailed at all.I bought this book because, and strictly because, I heard it had been banned from other publishing sites due to the dubious consent. Banning a book is a sure way to get me to buy it! Literature, whether highbrow or trash, is where freedom truly exists. Ideas don’t harm us. Thoughts and feelings don’t harm us. The expression of sexual taste is unique and personal to each of us. If you don’t insist I only have sex in missionary I won’t insist you can only enjoy it while handcuffed to the bed!Real live sex should always always always be freely consented to and since neither children nor animals can freely consent sex with either should remain illegal and punishable by serious incarceration. But if imagining having sex with a dolphin turns you on, have at it. Freedom in literature reigns supreme.

Decent. Some things annoyed me and I wish the heroine would have said no to the hero for once, although I did like the hero most of the time. I can't say I liked reading about his past and how much of a manh*e he was right up until the heroine, or how much he used to love his ex (who is still in the picture because he was a daughter with her btw), so the heroine being so submissive towards him was a bit of a turn off. And adding in his head of a daughter, her scenes got old real' quick. On the flip side, it never dragged for me (even though it felt like literally nothing happened the whole book🤔), but I was entertained at least🤷

NO SPOILERS!!!!!Get ready and hold on tight. This is going to be a suspenseful, bumpy and adrenaline filled read. I FLOVED Dubious. My heart broke and my stomach clenched for Valentina Hayes and her brother Charlie and the predicament she found herself in being held captive by Gabriel Louws & his sick and very twisted gangster family.I despised Magda, the Matriarch of the family who orders the hit on Valentina and Charlie and wanted to b***h slap Gabriel’s daughter Carly and her conniving mother Sylvia (ex-wife of Gabriel) and wanted to celebrate Tiny’s demise. I absolutely adored Charlie. I mean, who wouldn’t????? I mourned Puff, I loved Kris’s support, and Bruno and Quincy are growing on me.And last but by no means least, what started out as a love/hate relationship with Gabriel has now turned into full blown swoony lust. My Lord that man is love. Pure love with evil mixed in, in the most delicious ways. I sighed more times than I can remember counting.What started out as a contract killing, turns into obsessive love in the best possible way. He was supposed to end her life but when he sets his eyes on Valentina, the game plan changed and it was up to him to make sure Valentina was safe. Even if that means taking her to his home where he lives with his mother and daughter.That’s not to say he doesn’t make Valentina suffer while in captivity. Gabriel is the devil in disguise and he pulls no punches with Valentina to keep her in line. But oh how it hurts so good. I loved how he takes care of Valentina, who I just absolutely love. Her character is strong and doesn’t hold back her tongue which gets her into more even trouble. Mix that with her submissive nature and sparks will fly between her and Gabriel…..But time is not on their side and Magda is demanding the debt be paid with Valentina’s life. When unforeseen events take place, the tables turn, Valentina takes matters into her own hands.What happens next…. Well that I can’t tell you but stay tuned… This book ends in a cliffhanger but no worries… Book 2, Consent is out. So grab your copy of Dubious and follow the first part of Gabriel’s and Valentina’s story. Then, grab book two, Consent the stunning conclusion to this fantastic, swoony and dangerous tale of lust betrayal and love….I loved the storyline, suspense and let’s not forget to mention the SIZZLING HOT SEXY TIME! WOWZA!!! Dubious by Charmaine Pauls is one of my top 10 for 2017…..

It was is a beautiful storySo emotional, interesting, enjoyable.I loved every moment of reading.You can actually feel the emotion of Gabriel and valentina.Mast read!

Not bad,worth reading

Loved it great series

The most salacious yet beautiful, tragic story I have ever read, I can’t wait to read Consent book two in the Loan Shark Duet. The two main characters Gabriel and Valentina have tragic haunted pasts that have been so wonderfully told with such beautiful prose. Only Charmaine Paul’s can write such beauty in tragedy. A for sure modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast with an adorable man child, the brain damaged brother of Valentina! Will it be 9 years of hate for Valentina? Will she be able to pay anything of Charlie’s debt he owes the Dangerous Loan SharkGabriel Louw aka ‘the breaker’ and will she ever see Charlie again? The cruel, evil Magda the mother of Gabriel wants both Valentina and Charlie dead no matter what! Or will Valentina’s bravery and loyalty to Charlie save her? The answer to all my questions will be in the much deserved and highly recommended book that you simply must one-click today.

An absolutely fantastic story once you start reading it sucks you right in , it’s very dark and somewhat twisted but it’s totally compelling . Valentina hasn’t had much of a life her father was involved with the “Mob” and after being involved in a car accident which kills her parents thankfully she survives but her brother Charlie is left with brain damage . Struggling with her studies and working part time she has no choice but to leave her brother in the care of a neighbour ,Jerry when she’s out , but he doesn’t take his responsibility seriously enough and he gets Charlie into a poker game where not understanding what’s he’s doing Charle signs for a hefty loan from the notorious loan sharks the Louw family .Unable to pay anything of the huge loan a “hit” is ordered on Charlie & his sister by the matriarch & boss Magda Louw ,she sends her son Gabriel and two other hench men to carry out the deed . When they get to Valentina’s flat things don’t go as per Magda’s instructions, Gabriel has seen Valentina before and feels strongly attracted to her and wants to make her his so he comes up with a plan he gives her a choice to go with him be his “ property “ for 9 years to pay off her brothers debt or die . Faced with the options Val decides she doesn’t have a choice so she agrees to go with Gabriel she calls her freind to look after Charlie and makes her way to the home of The Louws . What happens next well I’m not going to say as I don’t want to spoil the story but quite honestly Gabriel’s mother is a one nasty evil b***h I’ve never hated a character like I hate her ,I’m looking forward to reading the second book I do hope that there’s a happy ending .