The Dumont Diaries

The Dumont Diaries #1-4

by Alessandra Torre

A full-length book from the miniseries readers RAVED about!

Lust is a dangerous thing. It can make you believe things that are not real. It can seduce your mind and lead it blindfolded to the cliff that will be its demise.


What would you do if you could leave your life? Wake up one day and be someone else?

I signed the contract. I left Candace Tapers and her slutty, strip club life behind, abandoned every part of that life with one hesitant swipe of my pen.

The agreement was clear:
1. Sex
2. Photo ops
3. No romance

"I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops."

Sex with Nathan was easy. More than easy. Panty-melting, can-never-get-enough HOT. I had begun to think that I could live this new life, showered in luxuries, orgasms, and diamonds.

Then I started tripping over secrets.

Disclaimer: The Dumont Diaries contains a strong alpha male, super hot explicit sex, and twists and turns that might cause unnatural heart palpitations. This book does not contain BDSM elements.

*The Dumont Diaries was originally released, and is still available as a four-part miniseries. This book combines the four pieces of the miniseries into one, full-length novel.

Genres: Romance, Erotica, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Adult, New Adult

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2013

About the author

Alessandra Torre (AR Torre) is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven romance and suspense novels. In addition to writing, she is the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink - an online community of over 40,000 published and aspiring authors.

Amazon: https://goo.gl/XRr5Uc
Facebook: https://goo.gl/sJb5MN
Twitter: https://goo.gl/DwKuvo
Pinterest: https://goo.gl/eEJs9U
BingeBooks: bingebooks.com/author/alessandra-torre

Reviews

[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★! Mrs. Dumont (book 1-4). DESPAIR – PROPOSITION –SALVATION – DECEPTION – DISCOVERY – TRUTH – DESIRE – SEDUCTION – PAIN!

“But this is the first time I’ve been attracted to a patron. I don’t know if it’s the mystery, the money, the perfect features, or the cock, but I want him.”

Mrs. Dumont, formerly titled The Dumont Diaries was initially released as 4 novellas now sold in BOXSET including:
Part 1: To Have
Part 2: To Hold
Part 3: Till Death
Part 4: Do Us Part

The Dumont Diaries opens up with heroine, Candy at work. She is a stripper on the brink of financial ruin. But her life wasn’t always this way. She grew up in a two-parent home, slightly privileged. She attended College, but partied her way through. Upon her graduation as an Event planner she was unable to find a job and her bills started piling up she was forced to take this job at the Crystal Palace Gentleman’s Club.



Six words to describe Candy: Despondent, desperate, reflective, endearing, lost and flawed.

“It is a sad moment when I sit back and take a critical inventory of my life. I have never allowed myself to dwell on it.”

One night she is propositioned for more by a high-roller patron and her life will never be the same! That is all you need to know! I promise that the hero entering the scene is a to-die-for enigmatic, rich, jaded playboy, with a security entourage. But he is also cold, distant and rude.



Six words to describe Nathan: Jaded, ruthless, enigmatic, rude, detached, captivating and elusive.

“I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops. That is something you might want to consider when making your decision.”

Dumont Diaries, part four ends… abruptly, but no worries and we are provided a link and password to a bonus epilogue. For me it was a satisfactory HEA, but I can’t help feeling a bit rushed. As much as I have been crushing on the hero, I very much wanted to read about some... Nathan babies! I also might a wished that the truth about… the triangle was brought into the open, but I have decided to conclude that he was made aware and under the circumstances jealous, but with no real right to complain.

Excellent storytelling! Interesting and captivating plot! Memorable, fascinating and addictive hero! I am highly recommending this 4-part serial! This series is going on my 6-star shelf! Thanks Ms. Torre!

“He is cold to the point of being an asshole. A demander instead of an asker — expecting me to perform as instructed.”

***
Hero rating: 5+ stars
Heroine rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 5 stars
Storyline concept rating: 5 stars
Storytelling skills rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: 4.5 stars
******************************************
Overall rating: 5+ stars

Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Yes.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!



Okay Torre fans, I totally get it now. After reading two books by her that were pretty much duds for me, I decided to read this one when a friend urged me to. It also helped that this ebook was recently a freebie (awesome!). I was completely engrossed in this book from the moment I opened it and the emotions it invoked crashed over me in waves the further I read.



Mrs. Dumont is about Candace, a stripper. Leading a fairly pathetic life, she can barely pay rent and has had to resort to shameful acts. At her most desperate point, she receives an unconventional offer from Mr. Dumont: a marriage that contains only sex and publicity but not love.

I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. The papers will discuss your duties. I want nothing more from you then what is stated there. And as far as you – you should never expect that from me. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops. That is something you might want to consider when making your decision.

Candace takes the offer and is thrust into a whole new world. The sex is intense, but Nathan is cold, and she begins to stumble over weird things that make her wonder if she is safe as Mrs. Dumont.



This book was a wild ride and I loved every second of it!! How come it took me so long to read this book??? Technically it is four parts, this was originally published that way and I am so glad I was able to read them all at once because I would have died if I had to wait for the next part. Normally I'm not one for mystery because I am good at guessing (like I did for Black Lies), but this one I had no clue what was going to happen.

"I need you so badly. So fucking badly, Nathan. Please. Please give me what I need."

Parts 3 and 4 were the best ones in the book, parts 1 and 2 were really good, but I felt we really got to the meat of the story in the later parts. In those we got to know Nathan better and I lost some of my disconnect with him (and I pretty much hated his guts in the first 2 parts). There was also some intense angst and feels I wasn't expecting and I loved every second of it, even if it did have me wanting to bang some characters over the head with their stupidity.

My only wish was the end to be developed a bit more, it felt like everything came together too quickly and I wanted a little bit more explanation from it. Otherwise this book was friggin amazing! Now I cannot wait to read other Torre books and see if I like them too!

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ bookwormthoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant compelling reading.

Addictive.

A story that needs to be experienced without knowing too much, so... let me give you a snippet, a morsel; share a taste of the lovely feelings and characters in, The Dumont Diaries.....

Candace Tapers works at Crystal Palace, a slutty strip club gentleman's club. Extra services? Sometimes, but not all the way.... She has a no sex rule. She has boundaries. There's one gentleman visitor who's caught her attention, her dreams??

"....my body craving his touch - my bank account desperate for a cash infusion."

Maybe she will break her rules?


Make an agreement...???

Nathan Bane Dumont..."I am drawn to him, insanely attracted to him." Sexy, ruthless, cold, controlling, alpha male who's also very, very wealthy, needs a wife, NOTHING more. Interested? Candy needs a better life....

"I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops." How to make a girl feel good about herself??

He's true to his word and has her WHENEVER he wants, in front of WHOMEVER he wants. He's keeping her a commodity.

As much as Candy feels uncomfortable at times, she finds herself turned on. Aroused. “I know. I am as screwed up as he is.” She enjoys Nathan and the luxuries he affords her and her father.... But can she protect her heart from Mr 'in-control' Nathan, in this deal she's made?

Why the Palace?
Why her?
Why's he so different in public?
Where. Will. It. End? And with whom???
So many questions whilst reading, so many twists and turns.... BRILLIANT story telling. Drew, Jennifer, Cecile, and Rick, the other characters in this story, all have a role to play, some more than others, but what? Well, THAT would be telling....

The lovely feelings
The writing is faultless. It flows, it shows…. Beautifully subtle, yet I felt so much from the characters. Intense and powerful.



Some parts are heartbreaking, I felt so sad for Candy, just a girl trying to do her best and grab a little happiness for herself...…

Many parts are super hot, and as the blurb says, with explicit sex. It certainly was a sexy, highly erotic ride... All. The. Way. Through. Wow!!! Alessandra Torre knows how to deliciously turn up the scorch factor. The way Nathan and Candace are sexually drawn together, and satisfy each other, is palpable. It was, mmmmm, lovely

“Do you have any idea how hard I get when I see your body?”

The writer drip feeds us information, all important to the story, all pieces of a puzzle, you just have to work out how it all fits together?



Will Nathan's feelings change? Can they change?
We see the odd tiny glimpse of Nathan’s thoughts, barley snippets but they, along with his actions, reveal so much. Such exquisite, intelligent writing….. Saying so little but showing me plenty. Revealing things I hadn't seen coming at exactly the right time. Giving me just enough so I had a feeling of where the emotional developments were going…. Easing me into wanting the end to happen exactly as it did. Giving me that extra scene for closure. The scene that was so beautiful, made me shed a few tears, and gave me emotional fulfillment…… but still left me imagining future moments.

If you love extremely well written stories with interesting characters and highly erotic, sexy times that make you think and feel, than you will adore The Dumont Diaries. This author captivates my imagination...

*The Dumont Diaries was originally released, and is still available as a four-part miniseries. This book combines the four pieces of the miniseries into one, full-length novel.


♥ BR with Deanna Pink lady

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Edge of My Seat Stars

This book was recommended to me by my wonderful friend SueBee. She told me not to read any reviews or the blurb just start the book.

Being the rule follower that I am I listened to her.

Sue…

Holy freaking crap! I was literally on the edge of my seat most of the book. Many who know me know I get really into my books. This book was no different. I literally starting losing my mind at different parts.

Since I won't give any spoilers I will just say between part 1 and 2...


Part 3 had me screaming at my kindle, messaging friends for help...


Lastly part 4...I don't even want to talk about the beginning of part 4...



I hope more people will read this book the same way, it was awesome reading having no freaking clue what was going on or what to expect. This book is HOT - I mean verra hot…like go change your panties hot…have I stressed how hot this is?? It is more then smut ladies it also has a great story and will leave you guessing.

I cannot stress how much people need to read this! Again Ms. Torre didn’t let me down. I have yet to read one of her books I didn’t love.

I couldn’t imagine reading this as series, so if you haven’t read this jump in and be thankful you don’t have any cliffhangers waiting for the next book.

Thanks for recommending Sue, and Mirjana for not spoiling when I was losing my shit. You chickies are the best!

[Alba and Her Secrets..♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 'Poor Planing' Stars!


Finally decided to read the only book I had left by Alessandra Torre. Really enjoyed the story as a whole and how it ended. It was hot AF and full of surprises, as always!

Still, there were some aspects that did not agree with me: Nathan's behavior at the beginning and Drew's involvement in all this. Still, AT is an extremely talented writer and I love her writing style and love stories so much! That is why she is one of my favorites!

If you haven't, check Mrs. Dumont out, it's totally worth it!!

[Alessandra Torre]

This book is no longer available. If you would like to read an expanded version of the story, please read Trophy Wife.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

He is a drug that I have no way of resisting, bad for my soul, but so heartbreakingly perfect in its deliverance.


After reading Sex. Love. Repeat., I knew I had to go back and read every other book written by this author. After hearing so many great things about this series, I knew this would be my next read. Plus, my friend Jahy was kind enough to gift me this book (Thanks, Jahy <3)

So what did I think? There's one thing I know for sure, I am captivated by this author's writing style. It's almost poetic, the way the words flow and weave into a story that captures you from the first few pages.

Having said that, I do have a few mixed feelings after finishing this one that made rating it a bit difficult for me. Let me try to explain why.

Candace is not the good girl she once was. Desperate to make ends meet, she turns to a life that she never imagined for herself.

I am reckless on a pole, trusting my legs and arms in a way certain to cause damage. It is a lover I hate and I ride it relentlessly, caressing it in a sensual way that leaves nothing to the imagination. The beat moved through me and I got lost in its strength, pulsating against steel, spinning away only to return to it, my heels a blur of clear sparkle, my thoughts lost in the movement.

Then the answer to her financial problems appears in the form of a mysterious, blue-eyed stranger

His offer is clear, an agreement of convenience for both sides

I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. The papers will discuss your duties. I want nothing more from you then what is stated there. And as far as you – you should never expect that from me. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops. That is something you might want to consider when making your decision.

But while things may appear cut and dry, Candace struggles with keeping her feelings out of the arrangement

I'll be honest, my feelings for Nathan were all over the place. I went from

to

Plainly said, he was an asshole. The things that he said and did did not always sit well with me. But here's the biggie
I found myself forming a bigger connection with Drew. I know it wasn't meant to come off that way, but I felt more of an emotional connection from him than I did with Nathan for most of the book.
But I gotta say, Nathan did have his positive side

Do. You. Need. My. Cock?" He grunts out the words, every other dip of his cock deep, then shallow, then deeper. "Yes!" The word explodes from me, a plea for help in a deep hole of pleasure. I speak, the words quick and breathless. "I need you so badly. So fucking badly, Nathan. Please. Please give me what I need."

I do believe my disconnect came from a lack of character development for Nathan. While there are bits and pieces that we get about him, I didn't have enough to make me fully fall for him.

All that aside, I did enjoy this book immensely. I read the second half in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Allessandra has now become an auto-buy author for me. I'm pretty sure I would read anything this woman writes. She has a true gift with words.

For more reviews visit

[Shurrn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torre's writing style is perfection, her characters intriguing, her plot lines twisted, and her sex scenes delicious. I was completely captivated...

(My review contains strong language and mild spoilers if you haven't read book one of the Dumont Diaries - To Have - and you have no excuse not to. It's free)

It feels really fucking good to not be able to predict the path of the book I'm reading... I'm just along for the wild ride... Every time I pick up one of Alessandra Torre's books, I'm simply at her mercy. I had to force myself to set this book down so I could savor it. Even though every last molecule in my body was yelling "What the fuck happens next?!?"

NATHAN BANE DUMONT

“I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. The papers will discuss your duties. I want nothing more from you then what is stated there. And as far as you – you should never expect that from me. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops. That is something you might want to consider when making your decision.”

CANDACE "CANDY" TAPERS
aka Jennifer Ann Dumont

I can’t figure out this man. Or rather, I can’t figure out how I feel about this man. He is cold to the point of being an asshole. A demander instead of an asker – expecting me to perform as instructed. But that is what I am – a hired orgasm-deliverer.

Candy is a stripper, struggling to make ends meet and holding together the pieces of her pathetic life, when salvation suddenly strolls into her strip club. When the gorgeous man asks for Candy specifically *cue ominous music* she quickly realizes that Nathan Dumont is not only bad for her, he may be lethal...

Nathan is mysterious, cold, and calculating... but blazing hot in bed. As it turns out, bed is the only place Nathan has any real use for Candy. She is a wife by contract, she gets a new name, new image, and all the trappings of the wealthy life she could only dream about while dancing for strangers at the club. She has only two purposes in this new life: playing the loving wife in front of the paparazzi and sexually servicing her new husband...

The question is WHY?
Why the fake marriage?
Why the new identity?
Why is there so much secrecy?
And why did Nathan choose Candy?

I love the suspense in this book, it moves so quickly, one could easily read it in one sitting (while panting and barely avoiding a nervous breakdown)... How could you not love a book that can affect you like that?

What else do I love? When an author appreciates their fans:
How sweet was she to include a deleted scene on her website: Dumont Secret For readers who want to know just a little bit more...

That's right, I fell in love with Alessandra Torre during Sex Love Repeat... But after the The Dumont Diaries, I'm cheering goddamn fangirl.

UPDATE: 04/25/2014
And speaking of Fangirling... Look what came in the mail yesterday: An autographed copy of this wonderful book!



Thank you to Alessandra Torre, C.D. Reiss, Wendy, & SueBee for thinking of me during your epic Ladies Luncheon!

Some of My Favorite Moments:


“I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. The papers will discuss your duties. I want nothing more from you then what is stated there. And as far as you – you should never expect that from me. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops. That is something you might want to consider when making your decision.”

I can’t figure out this man. Or rather, I can’t figure out how I feel about this man. He is cold to the point of being an asshole. A demander instead of an asker – expecting me to perform as instructed. But that is what I am – a hired orgasm-deliverer.

This is electricity, sizzling between our bodies and creating heat of intense need. There is, at this point in time, no going back. If he changes his mind, pulls off of my body, I will tackle him to the ground and take his cock. I am ravenous, my body crying out for his, my mouth, fingers and skin itching for his touch, for his domination. What he demands, I will freely give, his orchestration of our sex uncontested. I don’t want to battle with him, I want to pour out my body for him to use in any way he sees fit. I have tasted submission to him and love the release of control and how it feels.

It appears to be a carefully controlled fairytale. All of the luxuries of a dream lifestyle, hold the freedom and romance. I am almost grateful for the bulleted points, the discussion of every aspect of my future life as Wife. It is all here, in these eight pages.


His looks are my weakness, his mind my undoing.

Control. It is a food that Nathan feeds on, devours with a vulgarity that clashes with his smooth exterior. He wants to control me, and he wants an audience — an audience that he controls in the process.


Affair. It sounds so dirty. I am a cheating wife. I hear the words and recognize them as truth, but still manage to deny it. Somehow, my mind justifies this twisted fucked up triangle. I don’t even know if it can be considered a triangle, the three points of us all so badly contorted, our emotions and lives too gnarled to have something so simple as a point.

He is a sickness. I decide that on lap twelve. A virus that I cannot combat. Despite his incredible talent at being an asshole, I want his touch, want his approval. I want a cure but fear I would hesitate to take the medication.

For him it is simple, a masculine, caveman need to dominate another man’s property. I see woman. I fuck woman. I own woman.
I see man. I fuck man. I desire romance.

“I got the memo, Nathan,” I interrupt him crossly. “You don’t love me. Aren't going to love me. I hear it loud and clear. A fucking cuddle session isn't going to change that.”


My time at the Crystal Palace changed me - hardened me into a survivor, shooting steel into parts of me that were previously weak and bendable.
So, even when my heart was falling, free and unrestrained, diving downward into a pool of ridiculousness, my brain knew better. My brain planned for the inevitable, for the disappointment, and the disaster that lay ahead. My brain made sure that there would be a parachute to catch me, to ensure that my weak heat wouldn't doom the rest of me.

"I didn't do much," I say, closing my eyes. "I just laid there."
"You don't have to do much," he says groggily, his mouth pressing gently against my hair. "You do me in with just a smile."

Fuck saving fifteen percent on car insurance in fifteen minutes. I became a millionaire in half that time.

There is the matter of my broken heart, and what that is worth in severance pay.

"I need you... to breathe. It's more... so much more than I had with her."

We are animals, broken down to our core needs; I am his mark, and he is feasting.

This Section is from the deleted scene on Torre's Website...
And then, our relationship continues the way it began, with me on my knees, his hard cock in my hand. But other than the wetness between my thighs, and the dominating sexuality of his too-gorgeous-for-words presence, everything else has changed. I got my happily ever after. Blue-Eyes was my golden ticket to the good life, and—much more importantly—true love and genuine happiness. If I weren't throat-deep in delicious cock, I would pinch myself.


See my other reviews in the series:
The Dumont Diaries - you're reading it
To Have - My Review
To Hold - My Review
Till Death - My Review
Do Us Part - My Review

[Deanna❤Pink Lady❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stunning Stars

After reading Sex Love Repeat, I found a new author that I loved. So not really knowing much about The Dumont Diaries, I jumped in cause I loved the author and guess what.....


This book has it all. It was super steamy, intriguing, a little bit mysterious and it had love, lust and a trio.

Meet Candace "Candy"- a college graduate, had a good life until debt and no work experience lead her to desperation to pay the bills.


Her salvation was a dark haired stranger who would come in and request her and pay handsomely.


Nathan is a ruthless, arrogant bastard. He's very rich and gets what he wants. He wants Candy but what he needs is a wife. Someone to be on his arm, play the part. There is no romance only sex and photo ops. He has a contract and it's up to Candy if she wants to accept her new life or go back to her old life, a life that holds nothing to go back too. Agreeing to being Mrs. Dumont has one big benefit, she would be able to care for her father. Something that she has not been able to do until now if she agrees. In the process of being Mrs. Dumont, Candy will assume a new identity, Jennifer Kingsley.


What I love is the writing of Alessandra Torre. She writes so beautifully, the words moving the reader to feel each and every emotion of her words.


The sex in this book is hot the charts. It is raw and intimate and very explosive. More interesting is that Nathan always has Drew,his bodyguard in the room when he is having sex with Candy/Jenny. Candy knows why Drew is there.
Control. It is a food that Nathan feeds on, devours with a vulgarity that clashes with his smooth exterior. He wants to control me, and he wants an audience--an audience that he controls in the process.



Nathan's control and isolation of Candy leads her to a relationship with Drew. But this relationship is one that is clouded. Candy can feel Drew's need for her and her connection to him. But she still craves her blue eyed indifferent husband, the man who has told her that he will never love her.

I will be honest, there is really no way to continue this review because there is a twist in the book. One that involves Candy's boredom of being just a trophy, of having Drew's eyes on her while having sex with Nathan and her curiosity of why Nathan needed a wife.

I loved all the twist and turn and the exchange of power between all the characters. The relationship between Nathan and Candy, Candy and Drew and Nathan and Cecile. It's a fabulous story, a hot and steamy story but most of all, it's a story with deeply meaningful words.
Everything I feel, everything I miss, goes into that kiss. I tell my story of heartbreak and need and desire with my tongue, with my begging strokes and carnal swipes. And his mouth speaks, with possessive, aggressive movement, his breath ragged, his mouth taking mine in a nonstop exploration and reclaiming of what was once his.

So in closing, Alessandra, you are fabulous (I loved the extra final scene too) and I can't wait to jump into the Innocence series....


BR with one of my Lovely Pinks Jxxx ♥♥

[Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

***MILD SPOILERS***



I really enjoyed the first 2/4 of this book, also reading this book has proved one definite fact: I really don't enjoy reading books where there is a triangle, or cheating involved.

I found the other 2/4 of this book depressing. For the life of me I can't understand why you would throw yourself at someone who so obviously doesn't love you, and then even though you love this person you cheat on him. I mean seriously, this woman signs a contract that says she will not cheat, and then she cheats. This infuriates me! I will say this though,the sex was freaking hot!

Change of subject
I know we're all sick and tired of reading about blushing virgins, who fall in love and get married, basically tying themselves to one man for the rest of their lives. Reading about a heroine who expresses sexual freedom and doesn't feel guilty about it is pretty refreshing. Stringing one man along while you're in love with another is just damn conceited and guess what? It infuriates me!

I suddenly understand why a woman would stay with a cheating man. It seems better to be happy with someone you love and overlook the fact that there is someone else. Better than your thoughts and heart aching for them while you live a life alone."



Are you kidding me? Have some damn dignity woman! Have you no self worth? This is gonna sound cliche but: You are better than that!

Finally I'm sorry I'm not satisfied with that ending. Everything was way too rushed. The ending basically ended on a secret, and one thing about secrets is that the longer you keep them the more they hurt when they're exposed.

I may have missed some sort of meaning hidden in this story and if I did I apologise. But right now I can't get past some of the anger I'm feeling.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't already, please join Shh… [Smut, Heroes & HEAs…], which is moderated by Alessandra and the amazing SueBee ❤️.

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[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW -mature content reader discretion is advised.
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: Romance -Erotica



I’m officially a HUGE Alessandra Torre fan!! TOTAL FANGIRL!




WARNING: DO NOT READ IN PUBLIC. This book is a panty dropper.

This is a MUST READ. It is HIGLY ADDICTIVE with a heroine you will find yourself rooting for and a hero that you will lust over.

‘I am reckless on a pole, trusting my legs and arms in a way certain to cause damage It is a lover I hate and I ride it relentlessly, caressing it in a sensual way that leaves nothing to the imagination.’ -Candy



Candace Tapers is a college grad who fell on hard times. She is currently a dancer at the Crystal Palace Gentlemen’s club while working part time at Radio Shack. Candy barely making ends meet when a high roller enters the club and requests HER.

‘Blue eyes is too young to be my love story, too handsome, too perfect to have any part in the rest of my life.’ -Candy

After just a few visits from Blue eyes a proposition is made one that changes everything for Candy in ways she could have never imagined. He needs a wife.

“You cannot rise above your current life if you are always one paycheck away from homelessness.” -Drew

Candy signs the agreement not really knowing what she is getting in to, only knowing that she needs this.

My Thoughts
This was one intense ride, Torre gives very little info about the hero yet readers will be instantly attracted to him. A man we know NOTHING about however you'll crave for more. Remember, patience is a virtue and the truth can be a BIT*H.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you prefer that your hero's and/or heroine's only perform sexual acts with one another, then this book is not for you. Torre has a free writing hand.

My Ratings
Characters- Lovable and Mysterious
Writing Style- Excellent
Plot/Storyline- A girl goes from wrapping herself around a pole to sitting in the lap of luxury. LITERALLY!
Steam Factor- HIGH/VERY STEAMY on a scale of 1-10 I say 9.5
Entertainment Level- High, every page held my rapt attention
Overall- I LOVED IT!
My Recommendation: I highly recommend The Dumont Series!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!
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[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Mr.Blue Eyes Stars



After completing the Innocence series, I knew without a doubt that I had to go read every book Ms. Torre wrote. I am in awe of Alessandra’s talent in captivating her readers. Her books and writing styles are bold, brilliant, and bewitching. Ms. Torre has a way of capturing any readers undivided attention. Right off the first page of The Dumont Diaries, I was hooked and could not put the book down. For the next three hours, I devoured this book. Alessandra does not disappoint her fans when it comes to bringing sizzling steamy sex scenes and evoking raw emotions of desires, love, lust and angst. Her books are meant to be experienced and The Dumont Diaries is another book to add to my favorites.



The Dumont Diaries is a 4 part collection of novellas combined to an omnibus: To Have, To Hold, Till Death, and Do Us Part. I love the titles of the novellas since it is associated with wedding vows and they play a big part to the storyline of the book. This book chronicles the life of Candace Tapers, a college graduate working in a slutty gentlemen’s club. Although she has a college degree, the real world has not been so kind to Candace. Financially struggling to keep her head above waters, Candace turns to stripping and “special private dances.”



The answers to all Candace problem’s are answered when “Mr. Blue” eyes comes walking into the strip club. He offers her a proposition that she can’t resist.

The agreement was clear:
1. Sex
2. Photo ops
3. No romance

"I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops."





The sexual chemistry between Nathan and Candace was sizzling and steamy. The passion and connection between them could be felt, but what Candace failed to see was how deep her growing attachment to Blue Eyes. She desired and was sexually aroused by his dominance and aimed to please him. The only thing missing in her marriage was love. Can Candace strip and tear down the walls of Nathan’s heart?



As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I wanted to know more of Nathan. I felt a little disconnected in relating to Nathan since his personality comes out a bit abrasive. I just wanted to see more character development to push me to fully love him. At the end, I must admit Nathan was able to worm his way back to my heart. Overall, I enjoyed the Dumont Diaries. Ms. Torre must have casted some magical spell because her writing and the way she has with words completely spellbound me into devouring this book in one sitting. I loved the way how this book ended. As an avid fan of Alessandra’s work, I will read and buy any books that she releases. Her books are bold, different, brilliant, and bewitching. So if you haven’t read any of her books, I suggest...no scratch that, I urge you to go read her books.



Alessandra Torre

[Pam Godwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for excellent literary writing and proficiency in craft
3 stars for plot and character development
Averaged to 4 stars

This story negotiates its way, miserable and selfish, like its characters themselves. Beyond a couple brief diary entries by Mr. Dumont, the perspective is through a single viewpoint, the clueless, doormat, stripper Candy. She's the embodiment of a low-esteem, self-induced victim. While she recognizes this, and makes makes promises to herself to improve, she doesn't. Doesn't get a job while on her own. Doesn't stand up for herself. Doesn't take control of her life. Things happen to her. She is not inspirational. She does not perform brave, selfless deeds. She's not a heroine.

Mr. Dumont is worse. While he is muscle-bound perfection to the eyes, I find him repulsive, naive, self-indulgent, and positively unaware. That said, drawing an opinion of him is done with great difficulty, because you never really get to know him. He is kept several glass walls away from the reader and the narrator. From beginning to end, I couldn't relate to her affection for him. When Mr. Dumont and Candy finally spend two days together, it is summarized. The gravity that could have been felt with in-scene connections between them is skipped over. It was an opportunity to let the reader in, develop the romance, but I was left emotionally starved.

This is one of those books that clenches your stomach, digging and twisting, through the last half. The clamp eventually releases in the end, but there are so many questions unanswered, so many things brushed aside without explanation. Even with the HEA closure, the bitterness lingers, the morale of the story harrowing: Let a man treat you like a second-class citizen, wallow when he tosses you away, and welcome him with spread legs when he wants you back.

Unlikeable characters aside, this is mouth-wateringly erotic. Lots of sensual, angsty sex scenes, written with beautiful skill. The entire story is sketched with engaging, evocative language. AT knows her craft. In fact, she spanked dat ass. I recommend for the writing alone.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ask me how many hours I slept last night the answer would be not many...all because I had to start this book just as I went to bed...



In true Alessandra Torre style this novel was both predictable and a fucking roller-coaster of I-don't-know-what-the-fuck-is-coming-next...



Well it's pretty simple...I knew that the story was going to start a little weak and pretty much uneventful (if you consider a striper being turned into a socialite over night not a big deal) and after that we would experience a full mind-fuck workout curtesy of our lovely Ms. Torre.



So yeah...from this point of view I knew what was coming...but what she actually put me through was a whole new level of brain screwing I truly wasn't ready for...



And that's how I spent my night...

[★ Larissa ~ book crusher ~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Dissapointing Stars


This is going to be a mostly spoiler-free short rant. I won't be getting into the premise as that can easily be found in the book blurb.

Right off the bat I'll admit that this book did hold my interest all the way. It was very well written and that was probably it's one saving grace. If not I would have DNFd early on. A whole star is attributed to the writing style. It was clear, crisp and flowed well.

Having said that, there were a few glaring mistakes with verbal tenses suddenly switching from present to past. Also, there was an occasion where the hero's eyes were no longer blue and instead were mentioned as green. The heroine name was once Candance instead of Candace. These are just a few examples of the many glaring mistakes I caught.

That's however, neither here nor there. I think my main problem with this book stems from the fact that I never truly warmed up to the main characters. I also never believed that they belonged together. For the most part I was convinced I was reading an erotic thriller. There was very little in the vein of romance. It tried to become one towards the end but by then it was too late. The main characters had already done too many unforgivable things against each other that made their relationship seem flimsy at best. There were lies and dishonesty and too much seediness. I didn't believe in their sudden, out of the blue professed love for each other and mainly attributed their angst to lust and possesiveness.

The heroine grated on my nerves with her constant rationalizing of what seemed like very poor decision making. She came off as having low self esteem and regarding herself as mainly a sex object. With how little she respected herself, it wasn't hard to understand why men would want to take advantage of her in any way, shape or form.

Some of the sex acts left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm a romantic at heart. I want my heroes to be crazy in love, jealous and possesive. Nathan treated Candace like a whore for the most part, and the twisted thing is that she seemed to love it. She was all down for the degradation. Any sex act with a third party, or exhibitionism is an automatic hell to the fuck no for me. It's guaranteed to ruin my impression of a real HEA.

All in all I expected more from this book. I wanted an unabashed romantic fantasy that left me breathless. Instead I got a book with no real chemistry between the main characters and very little true connection. I got a book with too much sharing and questionable sex. I would have loved to be shown why they fell in love, as opposed to being told over and over, towards the end, that there was love there.

If you want a fairly passable erotic thriller, this is not a bad choice. But if you want a solid romance, this was a FAIL for me.

BR with Cam and Claudine 17/02/14. Thanks for a fun time, darlings! Here's to many more :))

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G! I loved LOOOOOVED this book.




The Dumont Diaries is the second book that I've read by this author...and my second 5 ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ read!!

I read this book in one sitting! Thank god it was my day off...*phew*



When the mysterious --- and very HOT --- Nathan makes Candace an offer she can't refuse, she doesn't think twice and leaves her pathetic and sad life as a stripper. There's only one condition..she has to sign a contract which contains three simple rules...

• SEX

• PHOTO OPS

• NO ROMANCE




Everything is perfect at first, but then Candace starts to develop feelings for Nathan.

Can she convince him to give her more......?


-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

*...and now a little fan girling from my side*

Alessandra...


Your writing style is simply..

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Torre Star- Originally 2013
Please See Trophy Wife-You Will Not Be Sorry

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Ashleyjo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is several hits and a lot of misses. It's a roller coaster of bad to good... Good to bad... Bad to good.... And then an ending that'll leave you wanting to beat the fuck out of something!

Formatting May Vary

It's published both in serial and novel forms.

The Good ..The Bad .. The Ugly.. The This Is Fucked Up

The first episode, or roughly 1/4 of the book isn't downright horrid.



Candy is a ho with zero self-esteem and who rationalizes bad decisions and risky behaviors. She's completely unlikable.



The male MC is just a demanding douche that has so few lines as that I couldn't even recall his name 1/4 into the book.



Moving onward, it gets a little interesting. The reader 'sees' a rich asshat that gets a stripper/prostitute to sign a marriage agreement that basically makes her a Barbie sex slave that is to have ZERO emotional connection with her master future husband.

She is still dislikable. He is still an ass.

Onward...

She agrees to this marriage of fucking and showmance for the public eye.



He does some of the nastiest, perverse, degrading shit imaginable to her.



She likes it, bitches about it, and ultimately does whatever he demands... Right down to fucking him in front of someone else she is fucking and sucking some businessman off while her master husband plays with her. Eeeky shit, people!

He doesn't give a shit.



She proves to be an even bigger ho bag by the minute.

She loves him.

He is indifferent, but loves fucking her.

Blah, blah...

Twist Saves The Day



Clearly, there is more at play here as to why , and that is what saves this book from being a one star read.

The twist was completely different than what I expected, but totally made logical sense and was believable. Excellent twist!

The subject of the twist comes into play. The male mc is, as per usual, an ass.

And There's More...



Enter stage right a second little twist of money. It was a smart move on the female MC's part, and, again, a completely unexpected plot point. Color me shocked. Great job.

The End Is BS



The end is abrupt and without the transition from this love to that love that's needed for readers to buy into this HEA. Authors can't expect happy readers when they tell you X for 90% of a book and then suddenly change it to Y with no explanation, no pivotal moment, no eureka epiphany, or no other catalyst whatsoever to EXPLAIN why the change!!!!

Worst Mfing Epilogue Ever!!!!!

The epilogue has to be one of the most unfulfilling out there and is the worst that I've ever read.



My pet peeve is an author that leaves her readers to "use their own imagination" to sort out the details & how things ultimately play out. No, if I wanted to use my own imagination, I'd write my own book. Do I need to know every facet of their lives till death? Why, no! But, I do EXPECT all the issues brought up in the book to be CONCLUDED! I do expect some degree of CLOSURE! You are the author, not me! You are being paid for a book, not me! It's your story to imagine, not mine!



I noticed a side note from the author that readers could go to a separate site and get an alternate ending, an ending that gives reaction to the cliffhanger the book was left on. Nah, finish the fing book. Paying readers shouldn't have to go elsewhere to finish a book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this serial series and beyond wanting to dress up the review a bit, I wanted to revisit the first Alessandra Torre read that I experienced to look at with new eyes.



NOTE: As this is the review for the full four part book, I will keep this as spoiler free as possible. But one thing I've learned about books by AT, is that going in blind is often part of the joy of experience - so if you want to be completely surprised, just one-click this baby now and read no further.

To Have.
Candy has fallen on hard times. Not just the kind that make you not want to get out of bed in the morning - but the kind that results in giving some creepy guy a handy-j in the backroom. Working at the Crystal Palace as a stripper, only one client has caught her attention. He's come in before, demanded a private show and left Candy wanting more. But now he's back and this mysterious stranger wants far more than a private dance and after a night with this man, it's all spelled out for her in black and white just waiting for her signature.



To Hold.
Candy has agreed to the terms that Nathan has laid out. She'll give up every part of her past except for one connection and live the good life, well as good of a life she can manage while feeling like a caged prisoner in her new setting. Nathan has his demands of her body and those are the moments that she can't get enough of - but these encounters push her to her breaking point. Longing for comfort and not just the cold shoulder, she begins to look at her surrounds with a new outlook - one that could backfire on her.

As she attempts to piece together the reasons why he came to her - why he wanted her, she fears something far more dubious in being planned.



Till Death.
Now that the thoughts of danger have entered her mind, she must find out what Nathan is hiding. But what she finds is not what she was expecting. As she discovers the true reasons for Nathan's request the game changes and she now holds the cards, able to make her own demands. Demands that she hopes will shift the way that Nathan sees her.



Do Us Part.
Nathan has one piece of everything he's been wanting. Just one final piece must fall into place for him to have everything he's desired for so long. As Candy struggles with losing her heart to a man that still hasn't let her in fully - she realizes that things might not work out the way she wants them to. As these two both have to face the reality of what they truly want, what they want to fight for and what they are willing to give up - their story is brought to a conclusion with the twist that could change everything.



Alessandra Torre hands down is one helluva writer, she has this knack for creating some of the most erotic and down right dirty sex scenes while still ensuring that the story can stand on its own. This series, when thinking back to my first read left a slightly different taste in my mouth. But upon revisiting it, I hit parts in the story and aspects of Nathan that I had not remembered and those rose colored glasses certainly had to come off. It's not that he was ultimately an ass throughout the story - he had moments where he was spectacular (and some of those even occurred when he still had his pants on), but there were a few were his coldness like a punch to the gut.

This little series is a fantastic read for those lazy afternoon where you want to get lost in a book.

[mich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it funny that the MC makes a reference to Pretty Woman in this book but quickly discards it as not applying to her situation. Because c’mon, who are you kidding? This is Pretty Woman. Not exactly down to every detail, but close enough. A stripper slash hooker (ok, not a hooker hooker - she only gave hand jobs and blow jobs so the girl did have standards), is propositioned by rich hunky dude and is paid for sex and the opportunity to live in the lap of luxury and then, despite herself, the girl begins to hope for love from the guy? Yeah, I get that this tries to be darker and more jaded, but whatever. It’s Pretty Woman (minus the charm, character development, and likeability of any of the characters). Actually, I think that was the biggest fail of this book - the characters.

The thing is, Torre doesn’t try too hard to make Candace a sympathetic character -- but she does try a little. And if you ask me, this half-assing just doesn’t work. Either make me care about her, make me believe her situation is desperate, make me agonize over her choices with her...or make her take a hold of her situation by the balls. Make her own her shit, make her unapologetic. Cuz this in-between thing? It don’t work.

And Nathan. I’ve got one thing to say about Nathan: I. Don’t. Buy it. Not even a little bit. The 180 done to his character still failed to make me like this asshole, and did nothing except give me whiplash and convince me that this author has no sense of flow in her ability to convey her story. First Half Nathan and Second Half Nathan were like two completely different characters and the explanation for this simply did not work in reconciling the two. And just for the record, I hated BOTH Nathans (Second Half one slightly more, what a fucking pussy).

Oh yeah, and the love triangle was stupid.

This was a quick read and I zipped through the first half pretty quickly. A lot of it had to do with the suspense I suppose -- there was a mystery in that I wanted to know exactly what Nathan’s motives were. We find out about halfway through, and guys? It was pretty lame.

But the writing is decent and the sex is super hot and steamy and I only cringed a couple of times at some cheesy wording, which already puts it above a lot of the erotica out there. I’ll give this author one more shot, since I had already bought Sex Love Repeat back when I saw everybody else reading it (yeah, I’m a follower like that). If that one sucks too though, then I’m done.

[Myla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!! Satisfaction guaranteed once you finished reading the story of Nathan & Candy!

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read these books as each part came out - awesome read - do not pass up the chance to read this! You can see my reviews on each individual stand-alone

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5 “Blue Eyes” “Candy” “heartbreakingly lovable” “I was lost to him the moment I saw him…” Kisses

Wow…yeah, how do I talk about this book? I read it when it was four separate novellas (To Have, To Hold, Till Death, Do Us Part) and then I re-read it as The Dumont Diaries to get the full effect…because after each novella, I had to stop to write my reviews so I wouldn’t get confused. As a whole, all the emotions that I initially experienced in the four novella’s, I felt the same – times ten because there was no pause, no break – just a straight hit to my emotions. The plot, the characters, the writing – it’s all a mind fuck and I was 100% hooked.

Candace Deanna Tapers is living a shitty life. She graduated college with high hopes only to come to the realization that while you may have the best plans and intentions those don’t always work out. Candy is 26 years old and stuck working as a stripper, renting a disgusting room from an even more disgusting guy, barely living and struggling to make ends meet. But it’s thru those circumstances that leads her to her new life…because Candy no longer exists...in her place is Jennifer Kinsey...or Jennifer Ann Kinsey-Dumont. In the span of a few weeks her entire life has changed. While financially she doesn’t have a care in the world...emotionally that's not so true. She knew what she was signing up for but I guess you never know what the real price will cost you. Candy...the more I read her, the more I like her. She's got spunk and she's throughout the book she got gutsier...I was definitely impressed. She grew and changed…in positive ways, in my opinion. Towards the end of the book she held my heart! Usually (and for obvious reasons) it is the guy that I’m 100% hung up on, but I was fist pumping every word she said, every decision she made - if there ever is a head cheerleader for the ‘I love Candy’ team - it's me! This girl is aaaaamazing! Blew my socks off completely.



‘My view of love is an unfair one, created by Nicholas Sparks novels, Lifetime movies, and Michael Buble love songs. I recognize it for what it is – a fairytale fantasy, at least for a girl like me. Maybe I will be Julia Roberts, and a dashing, dignified Richard Gere will fall madly in love with me and whisk me away to a lifetime of diamonds, caviar, and True Love. But it is a long shot, and the last few years have proven that I carry poor odds.’

Nathan Bane Dumont...Mr. Blue Eyes. He's an enigma. A man of very few words but the words he uses...Mmmm...he knows what he wants and he usually gets what he wants. And turns out...he wants Candy! He’s strong, silent, hot, demanding, alpha, brooding, mysterious and I want him badly. I don’t know what it is about him, maybe the fact that I had so many unanswered questions throughout the book and not knowing drove me insane! And every time I got answers to some, I would then have more! Why he is so closed off, why he needed Candy/Jennifer so badly, why all the walls...he's a tough nut to crack. That’s part of the intrigue know…not knowing makes me crave it that much more. By the second half of the book he became more human, which scared me...a lot! I started to like him more...a lot more. More than I thought I would. I understand him more, which is tough...because I was enjoying thinking that he was just an ass hole! Lol He’s a very loveable ass hole…and I mean that as a compliment. And then, by the end…oh boy...I loved him, I wanted him, in my brain I molested him - but he liked it, so it's okay, right? Then the last few chapters…I wanted to choke him...throttle him...cause him bodily harm for being a dumb ass...but I didn’t. Because I had faith he would pull his head out of his ass...and he did. Thankfully…he did have me worried for a little bit there.



‘I love his eyes. They are the only way I can read him. His body gives so little away; he controls his emotions so well. But his eyes are traitorous to his carefully maintained control. They blaze when he is angry, they soften when he is yielding, they grow heavy with need when he is aroused.’

I will mention Drew because...he piqued my interest from the beginning. He is one of Nathan's bodyguards and basically watches over Candy since she arrives at Nathan's house. Well...there were a lot of things about Drew that made me wonder...made me raise my eyebrow...I predicted early on there was more to Drew…that he was very important to whatever might be going on, and I was right. I call him the unforeseen complication, if you will. I can't disclose more or else it will spoil things but he is a huge part of the story. If Nathan is closed off and surly, Drew is kind and open and patient. I really liked Drew…Nathan just gets me all fired up and Drew is this calming spirit. Hard to explain really, but I just get ‘good guy’ vibes from him. And honestly, at the end, I felt bad for him! And once again I don't even know him that well but I guess it’s the whole 'good guy' thing...by default he's got a soft spot in my heart. I do love his relationship with Candy though…I know I shouldn’t and it makes me feel all conflicted inside, but I can’t help it.

‘His whispered voice is so thick, so full of emotion and need. It matches the need in my heart. I need this so bad. I need to be held, to be protected, to be embraced. He nuzzles the skin on my neck, placing a soft kiss there before continuing. “I just…I couldn’t go to sleep without touching you.”’

This is a quintessential Alessandra Torre book for me. Gorgeous writing...captivating and alluring characters and a plot that keeps me on my toes the entire time. Another thing I have come to expect from Alessandra is completely delicious, eyes rolling in the back of your head fabulous, need to change your panties, hot sex. Super hot. Like...damn...I wish I wasn't reading this book in public hot. I mean…yes this is an erotica but this book is more than just sex, it has substance and plot...works for me! And speaking of the plot, there is no way to explain this plot without spoiling it...but it's an on the edge of your seat, white knuckling your kindle, never know what's going to hit you next story line. There were so many huge twists that I did not expect, didn’t see coming or really how I felt about it! I'm was torn and my emotions were on high alert because every time I thought I knew how I felt about something...something else would happen and then I really didn't know how I felt. It might sound very confusing...but I loved it! I remember thinking when I was reading each book separately how well each one built off the other…and it was the same here, if anything it might have been a little more powerful, because like I said with the four novella’s, I broke off between each book rather than reading straight through.



‘Even if he doesn’t fall in love, being with him, feeling his hands on my body, his eyes on my soul, his laugh on my lips…that will be enough.’

The characters and original story line of where the book was taken is what completely held my interest...it's rare for a book to catch me so off guard but this one did it and did it very well. If there was anything that left me wanting more it would be two things, and it’s more a ‘resolution’ factor if you will...Drew and Cecile. I feel like the way things were left with Drew were very open ended - there was no final 'talk' and I think there should have been, just for closure. Now Cecile - I have soooooo many questions...I get the relationship, I understand the dynamics and all that but there are a lot of unanswered questions - the who, what, when, where and more importantly the why!!!! I am sad that I will never know that...would ease my poor little battered and bruised heart.



‘A woman’s desperation is most clearly spoken in a kiss. And I’m afraid, in this moment, that I bare my soul to him. Everything that I have contained, held back, lied to myself about, comes to the surface, all of my emotions revealed at once, both to me and to him.’

Still even with those two factors I completely loved this series. Alessandra has a knack for beautiful writing...it's effortless and catches me off guard with how she can bring out such emotion and power with her words. I can't explain it but she just has a way of taking something that would seem very mundane and making it amazing. I loved Candy and Nathan's story...I will always hope for more and maybe someday we will get that - she did throw me for a loop at one point and gave me a tid bit from Nathan's journal - would LOVE some more of Mr. Blue Eyes POV. A Drew spin off would be awesome too because he is another nut that needs to be cracked. The Dumont Diaries is a heart gripping, panty melting, and hands down fabulous series – an absolute must read!

[Writer · Rating 1 out of 5]

REPULSIVE TO SAY THE LEAST!!!

Everyone has their own definition of what makes a story a great book. What I think of this story makes me feel like a minority amongst the sea of the reviewers gushing and the overwhelming 5 star reviews.

I am a big fan of Ms. Alessandra Torre, so far all the books I've read of hers are exceedingly good. She has an incredible talent and a great imaginative mind that captures the readers in awe. Her writing style is bold, different but brilliant and I've enjoyed reading them! It is for this reason and the astounding rave reviews it has received that I was so excited and couldn't wait to read it, only to be stunned to find the content and the plot repulsive. I couldn't fathom what part of Nathan's character some reviewers find amazing, the old saying "what one man's trash is another man's treasure" easily come to mind. How can a pig of man like Nathan Dumont and a slut like Candy can be called romantic and amazing story is beyond me! This disgusting man only got to be like a normal person at the last remaining 18% of the book, the rest he was indecent and a complete jerk. Insisting to have sex in the open while his bodyguards are there watching made me cringed. The author's attempt to redeem Nathan's character in the last few pages doesn't hold merit, the bottom line is, Nathan treated Candy lower than dirt.

Candace/Candy has been a stripper in a seedy men's club and although she has a bachelors degree, oddly she chose to be one and has been a stripper for three years, when she was singly picked by Nathan Dumont. A handsome sophisticated self made millionaire who's idea of having sexual satisfaction is to have Candy perform for him and suck him while his bodyguards watches. One night he pays the club's owner an extra amount of money so he can take her out of the club, orders her to give him a blow job in the back of the limo, then drugs her, takes her to his home, orders her to strip, then had sex with her again and insist they do the nasty in front of his bodyguards, they will have to be present each and every time, standing there watching. The next morning he makes an incredulous offer to Candace to marry him in papers only, in turn he'll foot the bill of her ailing father's hospital care and up keep. He doesn't give her money but a monitored and controlled credit card to use. However, she's never allowed to sleep or even stay in the main house with him, she's prohibited to spend time there unless he's screwing her. She can only stay and live in the guest house which walls are made of glass, where everyone and anyone can see her doing anything and everything, including while having sex with Nathan Dumont. She is summoned to the main house by one of his guards whenever he's feeling horny ( which is frequent ) and again, sex her up while his guards are watching. Anytime and every time they have sex, his bodyguards or anyone around gets to watch, how SICK is that? The fact that this has received a staggering rave reviews is very disturbing! No self respecting decent man would have sex while his whole staff are in the same room watching.

Candy has a college degree but ended up being a stripper, she says it pays her bills and keeps her off the street. So it doesn't make any real sense for her to be running behind the rent of a tiny room in an unsavory neighborhood every time it's due. She could barely make both ends meet, it defies the logic on her reason why she chose to be a stripper. Candy says she doesn't ever do the nasty with clubs clients, the most she's done is give them a lap dance or a hand job, yet she went with Nathan Dumont easily and willingly, have had sex with him in the open where his bodyguards watches. She had had sex with Drew, Nathan's right hand man more than once, then claims she's fallen in love with Nathan while obsessing and thinking about Drew, how perverse!

Nathan's insistence on having them photographed when they attend functions as a happy loving couple is to flash out his over jealous ex fiancee out from hiding, who run out on him taking 50 million of his dollars. He'll do anything and use Candy in all ways he can to get his ex fiancee back, the only love of his life.

So Nathan and Candy continues having sex in the presence of all the bodyguards around, he would kick her out of the main house and sends her back to the glass guest house when he's done with her. And he has the guts and audacity to tell her he's purposely degrading and humiliating her so she doesn't get any wrong ideas and form any attachment to him. I guess to others, as long as the story has an HEA, it didn't really matter how sleazy and low life the hero is. Such as Nathan Dumont who pandered his own wife services, to his business associate who asked to find him a whore for his own sexual pleasure, Nathan tells him no need to look for one since Candy is a great f***! he offered Candy's services.**spoiler** He ordered her to suck this man's penis in the back of the limo, while he and his bodyguards watched, including his right hand man Drew, whom Candy has been having sex with.**spoiler** My GOSH! how much more SICK can this plot gets? It's OBSCENE! I guess some reviewers who rated this story "AWESOME" and "WONDERFUL", didn't matter how low and degrading he's treated Candy, as long as in the last few pages the hero gets the heroine and they end up together, it didn't really matter how sleazy, no moral values and indecent the hero is. I was so repulsed of the plot I returned this book for a full refund!

[Shannie's ⭐️Lookin' 4 My Next BBF⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Mrs. Jennifer Shannon Dumont Stars!!
I loved this story!! There are already such fabulous reviews posted leaving me with only this one thought to add:
Mr. Nathan Dumont......

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞]

kindle freebie 6/11/16

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this series was pretty good, there was lots of hot sex, a bit of intrigue, and sort of a love square (not a triangle!). I liked Nathan only marginally more than I liked Drew, I felt like each of their characters needed more “screen time” if you will, I didn’t get a very extensive look at either of these characters so I wasn’t able to really have a preference for Candy. I did like Candy’s character. She was opportunistic but not in a bad way, she looked out for herself as best she could and realized that the offer she received from Nathan could help her out considerably. I liked her evolution and her slow simmering feelings for Nathan. Overall, this series was enjoyable but I wished we’d had more time with Nathan and Drew to really get a feel for them and how they felt about Candy.

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn that was an excellent, all consuming read. Wonderful twists and turns. I disliked, hated, tolerated, liked, hated and grudgingly liked Nathan at various junctures. Candace's character was excellent. I loved everything about her, even her weakness.

Just fantastic writing from Alessandra Torre. I will never tire of reading her and I'm adding this to my favourites bookshelf.

[Janey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Blue Eyed stars

Fell into this story hook, line & sinker...blinding!

Candance Tapers is a stripper, and has been since leaving college with a big, fat certificate, but finding it hard to get it to work for her. Her Mother has died and her Father is in very poor health. Her current choice of work enables her to fund her lifestyle, just about, whilst helping to care for her Dad and rent a grotty apartment.

”Despair is a drink best served never”

On a few occasions, Candy has been requested by an enigmatic, broody, Blue eyed character..her “extras" are way below her peers, but this man has the ability to draw whatever he wants from her.

One particular night, he requests to take her out of the club, and on arriving at his sprawling mansion, presents her with a proposal. All tied up in a neat contract..

The agreement was clear:
1. Sex
2. Photo ops
3. No romance

With deliberation, she ends up signing her life away, even changing her name.

”…having spent 26 years straddled with the girly disaster that was Candy. If I am going to get a new name, I want it to be strong, with a backbone. Like Alexis. Or Jinx. Shit. I’ve obviously spent too much time in a strip club.”

Her new life, as a trophy wife, is not all it’s cracked up to be, but the rewards are beneficial for her Father. All she wants is to be noticed, and whilst playing the game, she struggles hard to protect her heart.

”What he demands, I will freely give, his orchestration of our sex uncontested.”

Quite quickly, things start to change as secrets become uncovered.

This story surprised me with it’s journey..I wasn’t expecting to read this delicious prose so quickly, nor enjoy the paths the author took us down.

Candy’s character was full of fight and resolution, and we got to see the depth of her very easily. I initially felt a great pull for Mr Dumont..the author enticing me with this exquisite, unknown character. But then his coldness and indifference pushed me away, all part of the story though.

I love this author’s writing and have already lined up the next series of hers that I will be leaping into.