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Only Pretend
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A #1 Romance/Suspense bestseller on Amazon!
From USA Today Bestselling Author Nora Flite:
If you hated your life—wanted to prove to the world that you could change—how would you do it?
I had a plan. I also had no family, no friends, and definitely no jerk of an ex-boyfriend who thought I was boring.
I was tired of being me.
In Vegas, I could be anything.
And then I sa ...more
From USA Today Bestselling Author Nora Flite:
If you hated your life—wanted to prove to the world that you could change—how would you do it?
I had a plan. I also had no family, no friends, and definitely no jerk of an ex-boyfriend who thought I was boring.
I was tired of being me.
In Vegas, I could be anything.
And then I sa ...more
Kindle Edition, 285 pages
Published
June 9th 2014
by Silver String
(first published May 28th 2014)
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Jun 02, 2014
Duchess Nicole
rated it
did not like it
Shelves:
genre-erotica,
z-no-bueno,
recommendations,
read-in-2014,
heroine-tstl,
stand-alone,
1-star-read
If you loved this book, I 'm sorry! In no way, shape, or form am I laying down judgment on people who liked the story. I gave this a shot, hoping to glean some insight into what these dark romances are all about and why they are so popular lately.
I was prepared to have to fight with myself, battling inner demons about not falling for the bad guy, the slave trader, the kidnapper, the beater of women and raper of souls. Turns out, I didn't have to fight hard at all. This guy was just a douche. Sur ...more
I was prepared to have to fight with myself, battling inner demons about not falling for the bad guy, the slave trader, the kidnapper, the beater of women and raper of souls. Turns out, I didn't have to fight hard at all. This guy was just a douche. Sur ...more

3.5 pretending stars!
Only Pretend is a dark read. The main man in the story rides the line between villain and antihero. It was different than a lot of the other capture books I’ve read and I liked that. I would consider it a dark erotica read, maybe? Romance would be pushing it a little in my opinion. A majority of the book lacked in the romance department, but I expect that from most of my darker reads.
Celeste is a girl with no family and few friends. After a breakup, she decides to chang ...more

Only Pretend is a dark read. The main man in the story rides the line between villain and antihero. It was different than a lot of the other capture books I’ve read and I liked that. I would consider it a dark erotica read, maybe? Romance would be pushing it a little in my opinion. A majority of the book lacked in the romance department, but I expect that from most of my darker reads.
Celeste is a girl with no family and few friends. After a breakup, she decides to chang ...more

Amazon Link to Ebook: http://amzn.com/B00KPEW1XA

Oh my word Nora... Can I please get a signed copy of this one when you release it in paperback???? I am 100% certain that I haven't LOVED a dark villainous captor this much since Caleb in The Dark Duet. This was written so well... all the things, the traps, that I hate when some try to write this kind of story and fall into were avoided here. Celeste was a strong-willed woman. Though she had nothing and came from nothing she was a constant remin ...more

Oh my word Nora... Can I please get a signed copy of this one when you release it in paperback???? I am 100% certain that I haven't LOVED a dark villainous captor this much since Caleb in The Dark Duet. This was written so well... all the things, the traps, that I hate when some try to write this kind of story and fall into were avoided here. Celeste was a strong-willed woman. Though she had nothing and came from nothing she was a constant remin ...more

* * * * * 4.5 Capture Me Stars * * * * *
Celeste is down on her luck after losing her job and boyfriend in one day. When her ass of an ex calls her boring she decides to show him. She takes the limited funds she has and gets a makeover…I would say this was unbelievable, but I am girl who has been through a breakup and yeah her actions are right on target.

Hell bent on proving to herself she isn’t boring she takes an impromptu trip to Las Vegas, and meets the sexy Leonide. He is my very type of ma ...more
Celeste is down on her luck after losing her job and boyfriend in one day. When her ass of an ex calls her boring she decides to show him. She takes the limited funds she has and gets a makeover…I would say this was unbelievable, but I am girl who has been through a breakup and yeah her actions are right on target.

Hell bent on proving to herself she isn’t boring she takes an impromptu trip to Las Vegas, and meets the sexy Leonide. He is my very type of ma ...more

**3.5 stars**
Only Pretend flirts on the edge of darkness.
Vegas, the city of sin, becomes the playground for Leonide to find his clients their ideal woman. While newly dumped, Celeste, decides to change her boring looks and attitude she heads to Vegas to show her ex that she can be someone exciting.
Under the guise of matchmaking a tradition is passed down from father to son. But when questioned about this tradition Leonide must look deep in himself to understand why this tradition is important to ...more
Only Pretend flirts on the edge of darkness.
Vegas, the city of sin, becomes the playground for Leonide to find his clients their ideal woman. While newly dumped, Celeste, decides to change her boring looks and attitude she heads to Vegas to show her ex that she can be someone exciting.
Under the guise of matchmaking a tradition is passed down from father to son. But when questioned about this tradition Leonide must look deep in himself to understand why this tradition is important to ...more

May 28, 2014
Kelli C
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
mindfuckery,
steamy-read,
arc,
bad-boys,
kick-ass-female,
erotica,
thriller,
taboo-love,
all-alpha,
dark-romance
4.5 Dark Twisted and Captured Stars
*ARC Provided in exchange for honest review*
This is my first experience reading Nora Flite, and I am now questioning why? I have found an author whose style and substance I truly love. If you are a fan of dark tales filled with suspense, conflicting fear and lust, and taboo romance then you will devour this read as I did. For you will meet Leonide...a man who may be a one of many among...

You will also meet Celeste Barstow who has no real life...no longer emplo ...more
*ARC Provided in exchange for honest review*
This is my first experience reading Nora Flite, and I am now questioning why? I have found an author whose style and substance I truly love. If you are a fan of dark tales filled with suspense, conflicting fear and lust, and taboo romance then you will devour this read as I did. For you will meet Leonide...a man who may be a one of many among...

You will also meet Celeste Barstow who has no real life...no longer emplo ...more

Nah sorry, this one didn't work for me. At all.
Basically, this chick gets captured and the 'hero' trains her to be the perfect submissive man-fearing housewife.
The hero is abusive, and not just in the whips and chains kind of way. In the bash-her-skull-on-the-floor kind of way.
The romance was almost non-existent and when there was some, I couldn't really believe it.
In fact, I didn't believe any of it. The apparent progression of Stockholm Syndrome was unrealistic. So was the whole hair dye thing ...more
Basically, this chick gets captured and the 'hero' trains her to be the perfect submissive man-fearing housewife.
The hero is abusive, and not just in the whips and chains kind of way. In the bash-her-skull-on-the-floor kind of way.
The romance was almost non-existent and when there was some, I couldn't really believe it.
In fact, I didn't believe any of it. The apparent progression of Stockholm Syndrome was unrealistic. So was the whole hair dye thing ...more

It's live and on sale for .99 on AMZ!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPEW1XA/r...
4.5 Dark, Suspenseful Stars!
Celeste Barstow has had the mother of bad days. She shows up to her greasy job at Jones' Food Truck and gets not only fired by her boss/boyfriend Jones, but also dumped. His reasoning...wait for it...she's boring. Boring? He gives her time to pack up her stuff, a few bucks for a hotel, and off she goes...jobless, boyfriend-less, friendless and no family. Great.
Boring boring boring
Celest ...more
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KPEW1XA/r...
4.5 Dark, Suspenseful Stars!

Celeste Barstow has had the mother of bad days. She shows up to her greasy job at Jones' Food Truck and gets not only fired by her boss/boyfriend Jones, but also dumped. His reasoning...wait for it...she's boring. Boring? He gives her time to pack up her stuff, a few bucks for a hotel, and off she goes...jobless, boyfriend-less, friendless and no family. Great.
Boring boring boring
Celest ...more

This book was alright...but just alright. I didn't hate it, but could have done without it easily.
Having read the entire book, I can look back and honestly say that I didn't feel the slightest connection to either of the main characters. Celeste, our damsel in distress, is first introduced while she is getting dumped by her loser boyfriend. Off to Vegas she goes! Mission: Be Less Boring. Since I was pretty bored just reading about her sucky life, I was really hoping she'd spice it up as well.
To ...more
Having read the entire book, I can look back and honestly say that I didn't feel the slightest connection to either of the main characters. Celeste, our damsel in distress, is first introduced while she is getting dumped by her loser boyfriend. Off to Vegas she goes! Mission: Be Less Boring. Since I was pretty bored just reading about her sucky life, I was really hoping she'd spice it up as well.
To ...more

2 stars
I was so excited to read this coz it's a dark novel! I had so many novels to choose from but I chose this, coz who's gonna pass up reading a dark novel? well, not me!
Am I happy that I chose to read this first? heck no! it was kind of a waste of time...arghhh
Around 80% of the story, I feel nothing, I don't even like the characters, maybe a little but still, I'm almost done and I'm supposed to feel something towards them...but..nada..
This is a dark novel, abduction, rape etc. but the sex pa ...more
I was so excited to read this coz it's a dark novel! I had so many novels to choose from but I chose this, coz who's gonna pass up reading a dark novel? well, not me!
Am I happy that I chose to read this first? heck no! it was kind of a waste of time...arghhh
Around 80% of the story, I feel nothing, I don't even like the characters, maybe a little but still, I'm almost done and I'm supposed to feel something towards them...but..nada..
This is a dark novel, abduction, rape etc. but the sex pa ...more

May 25, 2014
KitReads (a.k.a. nd)
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to KitReads (a.k.a. nd) by:
Nora Flite
Advanced reader's copy received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Celeste whose boyfriend has just not only dumped her, but fired her from her job, telling her she was "boring".
Boring?! Hmmm, well Celeste strikes out to prove not only to him, but to herself that she's anything but!
On a whim and out of a place to even stay for the night, she colors her mousey brown hair to a sexy blonde, gets her nails done, packs what few belongings she has left and strikes o ...more
This is the story of Celeste whose boyfriend has just not only dumped her, but fired her from her job, telling her she was "boring".
Boring?! Hmmm, well Celeste strikes out to prove not only to him, but to herself that she's anything but!
On a whim and out of a place to even stay for the night, she colors her mousey brown hair to a sexy blonde, gets her nails done, packs what few belongings she has left and strikes o ...more

I really enjoyed this book. It certainly wasn't the darkest I've read but the non con and M/s aspect was good. It was well written and I liked the characters.
The plot is something I've read quite a few times over now; man kidnaps woman to sell into slavery, decides to keep her for himself. There's really no such thing as a completely original idea and I enjoy reading this type of story so the fact that I've read a few very similar books didn't bother me at all, in fact it's one of the reasons I ...more
The plot is something I've read quite a few times over now; man kidnaps woman to sell into slavery, decides to keep her for himself. There's really no such thing as a completely original idea and I enjoy reading this type of story so the fact that I've read a few very similar books didn't bother me at all, in fact it's one of the reasons I ...more

It didn't work for me.
The romance aspect wasn't developed enough and everything happened to fast between them at the end.
Leonide wasn't alpha enough for this type of story and I found him lacking of charisma. ...more
The romance aspect wasn't developed enough and everything happened to fast between them at the end.
Leonide wasn't alpha enough for this type of story and I found him lacking of charisma. ...more


4.5 dark and sexy stars!
Celeste was just dumped by her boyfriend. She has no friends, no family, and was called "boring" by her ex.
Determined to revive her life, she heads to Vegas for a fun night and adventure.
There, she meets Leonide. After a steamy meeting and night, she wakes up drugged, confused, and told to obey.
Okay, so I really loved this one. You all know I'm a sucker for the dark.
Both of them were really good characters. I wish I had more of Leonide's POV though. (Only 2 chapters ...more

I honestly don't see how this book could get a bad review. It was well written and very easy to read. It was a deal when I purchased it for.99. It kept me interested throughout the book. I enjoyed how the Author was able to take the captor's torment to a mental level. Much of what he did was not so much physical but mental. I will definitely be reading more of this author's work.
...more

❝He gives me things, but every gift is meant to torment. ❞ONLY PRETEND is not your typical romance. It’s dark-ish, but not terribly disturbing. Disclaimer: I read a lot of dark romance novels, so “dark and disturbing” are relative, but I definitely think it would be a great starter book for someone considering diving into the realm of the dark side of romance – it is totally delicious!
Celeste pretty much hates her life. Desperate to prove her ex-boyfriend wrong and show him she is not the bo ...more

4.5 outstanding stars!! I was warned by the author that the book is on the dark side and to have an open mind. So of course, after that, I was all excited to dive into the story of Celeste and Leonide.
It begins with Celeste being dumped by her boyfriend after being told she was "boring". She has no family or real friends, so she's basically left with nothing. Her ex has graciously given her enough money for a few nights in a motel. Celeste decides to get a makeover and drastically changes her h ...more
It begins with Celeste being dumped by her boyfriend after being told she was "boring". She has no family or real friends, so she's basically left with nothing. Her ex has graciously given her enough money for a few nights in a motel. Celeste decides to get a makeover and drastically changes her h ...more

STORY: 4 stars
PERFORMANCE: 4.5 stars
OVERALL: 4 stars
STORY:
If you are craving something decadently disturbing and depraved, this is not the book for you. However, if you're a dark erotica lover in the mood for a break from the more sick and twisted stories we typically devour, this may be the right pick.
I have read many books about women being abducted yet this one is different from the rest. It's impossible to explain exactly how this book is different without spoiling the story; all I can sa ...more
PERFORMANCE: 4.5 stars
OVERALL: 4 stars
STORY:
If you are craving something decadently disturbing and depraved, this is not the book for you. However, if you're a dark erotica lover in the mood for a break from the more sick and twisted stories we typically devour, this may be the right pick.
I have read many books about women being abducted yet this one is different from the rest. It's impossible to explain exactly how this book is different without spoiling the story; all I can sa ...more

I really liked this one! I am a sucker for dark romances, I love the kidnapped, stolen reads. There are a lot of other books out there on this subject and a lot of them are better. I guess no one can take Aiden and Caleb's places in my heart.
There are mixed reviews on this one, which made it hard for me to decide if I wanted to actually read it, and I'm glad I took the chance.
Celeste is down on her luck when after her boyfriend breaks up with her and kicks her out. She decides to take a trip to ...more
There are mixed reviews on this one, which made it hard for me to decide if I wanted to actually read it, and I'm glad I took the chance.
Celeste is down on her luck when after her boyfriend breaks up with her and kicks her out. She decides to take a trip to ...more

May 27, 2014
Nicole
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
erotica,
2014-rlftci-challenge,
arc,
2014-rrrc-birfacc,
2014-botb,
2014-dhasg-hero,
dark,
author-provided,
twisted-love,
abuse
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Full review is up here My Book Filled Life
All Celeste wanted to do was prove to herself that she wasn't boring like her ex claimed her to be; she decides to step outside her comfort zone in an effort to prove that she's not boring. After a makeover, she decides to live it up in Vegas; it doesn't take long before she captures the attention of a handsome gentleman, but is he the man of her dreams, or her worst nightmare?
I loved this book; def ...more
Full review is up here My Book Filled Life
All Celeste wanted to do was prove to herself that she wasn't boring like her ex claimed her to be; she decides to step outside her comfort zone in an effort to prove that she's not boring. After a makeover, she decides to live it up in Vegas; it doesn't take long before she captures the attention of a handsome gentleman, but is he the man of her dreams, or her worst nightmare?
I loved this book; def ...more

I love non-con slave books and was really excited to read this one. I was expecting some exciting moments of forced submission and training scenes that set my heart to pounding but... I didn't get it.
Sorry, I can't even pretend that I liked this story. The slaver- oops- the matchmaker who is really only kidnapping women so that they can have a better life **blech and eye roll** was so conflicted and uncertain I was ready for the "groom" to show up and take her away so that the story would get i ...more
Sorry, I can't even pretend that I liked this story. The slaver- oops- the matchmaker who is really only kidnapping women so that they can have a better life **blech and eye roll** was so conflicted and uncertain I was ready for the "groom" to show up and take her away so that the story would get i ...more

FIVE STARS
Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse Nuttall for Kindle Friends Forever
The author kindly gave me the ARC for an honest review. She warned me to have an open mind. I did! This is probably one of the most erotic dark reads which didn't shock me that much. This unusual story is absorbing from the first page and not easy to put down. I liked the fact that it’s a standalone immensely and it’s the kind of book I would take to the beach with me. It’s not too long or too short and even though it’s categ ...more
Reviewed by Sharon Thérèse Nuttall for Kindle Friends Forever
The author kindly gave me the ARC for an honest review. She warned me to have an open mind. I did! This is probably one of the most erotic dark reads which didn't shock me that much. This unusual story is absorbing from the first page and not easy to put down. I liked the fact that it’s a standalone immensely and it’s the kind of book I would take to the beach with me. It’s not too long or too short and even though it’s categ ...more

A solid 4 stars for this steamy, dark read.

My full review
Thanks so much Nora for offering me the ARC!
(I guess that begging helped!)
Yes, yes, yes!!


http://cariads-sizzling-pages.blogspo... - come visit me!
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
...more

My full review
Thanks so much Nora for offering me the ARC!
(I guess that begging helped!)
Yes, yes, yes!!


http://cariads-sizzling-pages.blogspo... - come visit me!
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
...more

I'm not sure how I should feel about this book.....I cringed, I laughed, I cried...and finally heaved a happy sigh.
Some of the content was very dark and made for uncomfortable reading but I persevered because of the quality of the writing...I really couldn't put the book down...I HAD to know what happened next.
The main characters were very well written. They were complex and flawed not stereotypes or cookie cutter "goodies and baddies".
I loved the way the relationship between Celeste and Leonide ...more
Some of the content was very dark and made for uncomfortable reading but I persevered because of the quality of the writing...I really couldn't put the book down...I HAD to know what happened next.
The main characters were very well written. They were complex and flawed not stereotypes or cookie cutter "goodies and baddies".
I loved the way the relationship between Celeste and Leonide ...more

More like 2.75 stars
Sin and Insanity and a hint of scotch; that was how he tasted
Surprisingly, this book turned out to be a nice read. I'd thought initially that it would be the same awful dark-read as the billions of other books that come out nowadays. Sure, the plot was similar to almost all other dark reads but there was something about this book that made me not hate it.
I think everyone should read the books written by this author purely because of her talent. She's amazing at weaving w ...more
Sin and Insanity and a hint of scotch; that was how he tasted
Surprisingly, this book turned out to be a nice read. I'd thought initially that it would be the same awful dark-read as the billions of other books that come out nowadays. Sure, the plot was similar to almost all other dark reads but there was something about this book that made me not hate it.
I think everyone should read the books written by this author purely because of her talent. She's amazing at weaving w ...more

What a sexy, confused, kidnapper was Leonide.
At the beginning you really don't know whether to like Leonide or not.
Poor Celeste, just because she dyed her hair blonde all this became reality.
I really didn't see the book ending the way it did. I had hoped it would but Leonide was so determined that what he was feeling wasn't real.
It was so exciting when you got to read his pov that Celeste was right, he did feel something for her, whether they were and obsession with her lack of will to do what h ...more
At the beginning you really don't know whether to like Leonide or not.
Poor Celeste, just because she dyed her hair blonde all this became reality.
I really didn't see the book ending the way it did. I had hoped it would but Leonide was so determined that what he was feeling wasn't real.
It was so exciting when you got to read his pov that Celeste was right, he did feel something for her, whether they were and obsession with her lack of will to do what h ...more

Eh...
Truth is it was just so kinda there. I wouldn't call it dark though it dealt with a dark subject matter and there was some smacking around... it definitely doesn't get your heart rate up with the sex scenes or the action. It was an interesting storyline but whatever chemistry these two had wasn't capitalized on. I felt like this story could've been so much hotter and in the end, the h came off weak and we're left with more questions than answers about the H. I wasn't impressed but I wasn't ...more
Truth is it was just so kinda there. I wouldn't call it dark though it dealt with a dark subject matter and there was some smacking around... it definitely doesn't get your heart rate up with the sex scenes or the action. It was an interesting storyline but whatever chemistry these two had wasn't capitalized on. I felt like this story could've been so much hotter and in the end, the h came off weak and we're left with more questions than answers about the H. I wasn't impressed but I wasn't ...more

LOVED IT!!! Total 5 stars *****
Recommend this book for any fan of dark erotica.
I could not put this book down. I devoured it in 4.5 hours... It is that freaking awesome. You can feel the anguish, anxiety, and emotions fly off the pages. This would definitely be a book I will read again and I can't say that about too many books. I loved how Celeste proved that having the "choice" made all the difference, no matter what the circumstances.
...more
Recommend this book for any fan of dark erotica.
I could not put this book down. I devoured it in 4.5 hours... It is that freaking awesome. You can feel the anguish, anxiety, and emotions fly off the pages. This would definitely be a book I will read again and I can't say that about too many books. I loved how Celeste proved that having the "choice" made all the difference, no matter what the circumstances.
...more
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A USA Today Bestselling Author, Nora Flite lives in SoCal where the weather is warm and she doesn't have to shovel snow—something she never grew to love in her tiny home-state of Rhode Island.
All of her romances involve passionate, filthy, and slightly obsessive heroes—because those are clearly the best kind! She's always b ...more
A USA Today Bestselling Author, Nora Flite lives in SoCal where the weather is warm and she doesn't have to shovel snow—something she never grew to love in her tiny home-state of Rhode Island.
All of her romances involve passionate, filthy, and slightly obsessive heroes—because those are clearly the best kind! She's always b ...more
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