WARNING: This book contains some dark, dirty and dangerous situations before ending in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The debauchery will continue in the second book in the series, Redeemed.
I’m going to hell, and my angel’s about to lose her wings.
For years I’ve left a path of death and destruction wherever I go. I promise myself that after one last job I’ll have the money I desperately need to quit taking lives. That’s how I find myself back in my hometown of Lexington.
So beautiful and innocent, I unknowingly end up saving the life of the one girl I was supposed to keep silent…the one girl I was supposed to end.
She’s my fallen angel sent from above.
I can’t resist staining her pure white wings with my darkness when I use her. Defile her. Deceive her.
The two of us were both ruined by our pasts when they intersected. Pasts that we’re still trying to escape with the hounds of hell on our heels.
Fate brought us together. Now, I’ll do anything to protect my angel from the demons that haunt her. I won’t stop until I slay the devil himself to keep her safe, the man who ruined both of our lives.
The only problem is, my silent angel is keeping secrets from me – the biggest of which is that I’m not the only one who wants to exploit her.
Lane Hart is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, D.B. West, and their two children. She loves all things beach related, especially sea turtles, and is a huge fan of the Carolina Panthers.
After watching her father murder her mother, Blair was institutionalized and never spoke again. Ten years later she sets out to somehow set the record straight. With her head in a bad space and her body and mind reacting from coming off the drugs she has been kept on, she’s not sure if the man that enters the house at night is a figment of her imagination and dreams or the real thing. Add in the bearded, tattooed biker that has insinuated himself into her days and she’s in a whirl of emotions.
Brede needs one last job to help his foster parents out and set him up for retirement. He doesn’t usually take out women but it’s the only thing available and he needs the money. But when his target challenges him by sitting her innocent self on his bike and refusing to move, he’s suddenly thinking that he can buy a little time before the hit.
This is one hot steamy read with characters that each have their own secrets, some of them we know and some won’t be revealed for a while yet. I thought I knew what was going on but as the author slowly drops little clues I realized I didn’t know a thing. There’s a lot going on here and in the middle of it all is Blair and her secret. One that has kept her from speaking for a decade.
This has a great pace to it with a shade of dark as well as some of the steamiest scenes I’ve read in a while. While some of the smexy times have an element or two that I’m not a fan of, I absolutely know others are getting to gobble them up. This ends in a huge cliffhanger and I don’t have a clue how things are going to play out.
I rated this book 2.5, but 3 star for publishing purposes.
I seen this advertised in one of my groups, once DARK was mentioned, I wanted to read this as it's my preferred genre. I wouldn't so much call this dark with it being book 1/2. I would say more erotic/thriller. Dark books go into explicit detail of depraved and brutal things. This has brief mention, but nothing to make you turn a page as it's only two sentences. If you're not into triangles, this book may not be for you.
We have Blair. She's being hunted down by her father for a crime she witnessed as a child. Brede (pronounced breed) he's being paid by the father to hunt and kill Blair. Then we have the masked man that's climbing through Blair's bedroom window to help her, and himself.
This book started out well enough, but from there just became to rushed with no development. I mean Blair is 18, a virgin, and been secluded all her life. With in hours of meeting Brede, he has his hands down her pants, putting on a show in a biker bar parking lot. Then orders her to her knees (of course she obeys) and gives him oral sex right there. When he drops her off at her house, a few hours later the man (she met the night before), that climbs through her bedroom window, she gives him a hand job while he gets her off. The story continues like this from afternoons with Brede to the nights when the man comes through the window. Until a whole three days later and one of them gets her cherry. Also when you find out his age and profession (I know it's fiction), it's not possible as you must be 23 to even be considered to work there. Just stating as a fact on the under development of the characters. There is very little time for these character's to even develop and become involved with them.
It's face paced, and well written. I skimmed through most of the sex scenes to get to the real story, which wasn't much. With a book this short, all that sex could of went into characters and story build up. As this is the first time for me reading this author, I will still give book two a go and hope to get the story and character connection.
The Insta love and execution of this book just didn't make it stand out, everything was just thrown at you. No real build up. If you're looking for a quick read with lots of steam, this book maybe for you.
This was my first book by this author and I quite liked it. It's quite a tame dark read compared to some of the really dark stuff I've read. Most of it is in past tense explaining in the story but with some of the content/explanation there's no way it could be categorised as anything else especially with events towards the end of the book. I'm not going to rehash the story as its all in the blurb and anything more would maybe spoil it for some. Blair has me curious as at the moment her head is all over the place and she struggles to know what she wants. However her character is developing and I can only see that getting stronger as the next book unfolds. Brede and Aiden I'm still trying to work out but they were arses at the end which has made me want to slap them both. The Cliffy at the end didn't bother me either as it was one of those endings that was abrupt but you also knew what was happening at the same time. I look forward to book 2 and I will definitely check out more of this authors work.
This is one of those books that will keep you guessing from the very first page! I loved all of the characters, and I can't choose which one of the "bad boys" I like best. Lane is a great author with her own unique style, and her books always seem to pull you in right away and leave you wanting more. I can't wait to read book two!
This was an addictive book for me. The suspense and intrigue had me hooked from the start. It’s intense storyline had me guessing and gasping through out the thrill filled pages and the characters were phenomenal, the two bad guys were fighting for the top post, it was pretty hard to choose the worse guy, and I was captivated by the heroine, she showed her many strengths. It’s a dark read, there’s violence, bloody murder, erotic sexual play and abuse. I was enthralled with this exciting story, it was well written with a cliffhanger which had me gasping for book two!
"Exploited" may not be for everyone, as it deals with a lot of dark twists, but I did enjoy Blair and Brede's story. The story is suspenseful and twisted as it deals with Blair as a child seeing her father kill her mother. Add in two brothers, Brede and Aden, and the story gets more twisted. Ending on a cliffhanger, up next is 'Redeemed' which finds a conclusion for them all. **I was gifted "Exploited" as a duet in the 'Dark Redemption Box Set' via Booksprout, leaving my review based on my reading.** 4 Stars! Note: Dates are not accurate as to the reading date. I must apologize to the author for not getting a review in when I received this in "The Dark Redemption Box Set".
Oh My God Lane Hart the way you started this book!!!! Dayum Girl!!!!! You really know how to captivate your readers and I knew I would found an intense, captivating and suspenseful reading. “Exploited” starts with a traumatic event that little Blair had witnessed. She watched her mother being brutally killed and you can feel her pain, the way she's scared. No child should witness this traumatic scene. This book explores the story of Blain, Brede and Aden, and this story is alternated throw their points of views. Blair is an 18 year old girl, haunted by her tragic childhood. She lives constantly in fear of being caught and isolated from the world. She returns to her childhood home after 10 years away because she wants to recover her memories, she wants to remember the only person who ever loved her, her mother and then she intends to end her life because for her there is no purpose to continue to live. "Brede" is a military man already discharged from military service. Service who trained well in the art of killing and survive. He's a hired killer, he gets paid to kill mainly bad and cruel people. He only do this because he needs the money to save the couple who had saved him. Until one day he gets the call that will change his life. Will it be for the better or worse? Aden is the mystery man that only have on purpose: Prove the author of a crime and with that save the person who was arrested unfairly and for that he has to get the help from Blair. When the three of them know each other something about her awake them and they cannot remain indifferent to her innocence and beauty. A lot will happened that will leave you on edge. This book is bathed in suspense and mystery. We have some hot scenes in the mix that will leave you flabbergasted, believe me. Do you already know Lane Hart work? You don’t? What are you waiting for? Each book reveals the fantastic author she is, because we can see the story flow without becoming bored, quite the opposite, you will want to keep reading. The way she writes captivate you from the beginning and you can't stop reading. Now I am truly upset. Do you want to know why? The way this book ended had left me furious. So many questions that remain unanswered! So curious that left me hallucinating. Please, please, please I need book 2, asap because the unknown is killing me.
OWN REVIEW - Exploited (A Dark Redemption Novel) by Lane Hart
5 Stars
Reviewed by Vivienne Kauffer
A simple, terrified, silent girl returns home, but it hasn't been a home for years and the memories and nightmares plague her daily.
There's so much that happens in this story that it's quite hard to review without giving anything away. What I will say, is that it's dark but not the darkest of books out there. More than one life hangs in the balance and things can so easily crumble and end in ruins.
This book is well written and quite honestly, I'm torn as to who my favourite character is. I'm not sure even Blair knows where her head is.
It's a great book that holds your attention. It ends on a cliffhanger and I'm desperate to get my hands on book #2, Redeemed.
*************************************** Synopsis:
I’m going to hell, and my angel’s about to lose her wings.
For years I’ve left a path of death and destruction wherever I go. I promise myself that after one last job I’ll have the money I desperately need to quit taking lives. That’s how I find myself back in my hometown of Lexington.
So beautiful and innocent, I unknowingly end up saving the life of the one girl I was supposed to keep silent…the one girl I was supposed to end.
She’s my fallen angel sent from above.
I can’t resist staining her pure white wings with my darkness when I use her. Defile her. Deceive her.
The two of us were both ruined by our pasts when they intersected. Pasts that we’re still trying to escape with the hounds of hell on our heels.
Fate brought us together. Now, I’ll do anything to protect my angel from the demons that haunt her. I won’t stop until I slay the devil himself to keep her safe, the man who ruined both of our lives.
The only problem is, my silent angel is keeping secrets from me – the biggest of which is that I’m not the only one who wants to exploit her.
WARNING: This is the deepest, darkest, dirtiest romance I've ever written.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As usual, this is another amazing, hot and angsty book from one of my favorite authors! But I don't feel that this is a "dark" book. I would consider it an erotic, psychological thrill. But other than that I think this book was well written and I was sucked completely into the story and could not put the book down! And as for the erotic part, WOW! It's sexy, hot and the sex scenes will leave you breathless and panting for more! I will say, that if you do NOT care for cliffhangers, you might want to wait until Redeemed, book 2, is released, before you read Exploited! Because when I got the the words, "To be continued in Redeemed...", I wanted to strangle Lane! I thought, "How the hell can she do this to me?" It's a good thing that she is one of my favorite authors, or I might have had to hunt her down. Instead I will be waiting "impatiently" for Redeemed to be finished so I can see how this is going to end. In the meantime, my mind will be thinking up all the different ways that this story can play out. Thanks again Lane, for another amazing read.
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS - Great dark book, had me guessing all the time, became very uncomfortable with two brothers screwing with Blair's affections but at first I wasn't sure if these were in fact two separate man or the same man or possibly a figment of Blair's imagination - she had just spent the last ten years in a mental institution after all. Blair watched the brutal murder of her mother when she was a little girl, sworn to secrecy, and now that she is over 18 and out of the mental hospital the murderer wants to make sure Blair stays quiet, permanently. Great mystery to figure out who these two men are that suddenly enter her life, one who seems to want to save her, the other one hired to kill her but instead becomes obsessed with her. It got a little creepy really, this love triangle that Blair didn't know how to control, until she overhears the two brothers confronting each other & assumes she is simply a pawn. Can't wait to find out if Blair can break free on her own & leave both the brothers behind!!
This was a hot yet confusing in places read that once I started I was compelled to finish in one sitting since I could not wait to see what happened next! The story told from multiple POV (Brede, Aiden and Blair) kept in the minds of the characters as events unfolded in this fast paced book. The story ends on a cliffhanger and I can not wait to see how it ends in this action packed steamy read! I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I always enjoy reading Lane's books they are the type of books that's you can't put down and must read till you see the words the end. As always I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from the very start. I loved how it had the other characters POV as well. I can't wait to find out how this story is going to go. I was lucky enough to get an Arc of this book and will be buying it when it comes out
I know that’s the main point of these books, but goodness. This book really throws it in your face every chapter. The sex scenes are quite tantalizing, but most of them weren’t the right kind of kinky for my tastes. There was also a fair bit of exhibitionism, which I’m not into.
It was worth the three hours it took to read it, and the last 30% really had me hooked, but after reading the teaser for the follow-up, I’m not interested enough to finish it cause I can kind of tell where it is going, and most of the main plot points have already been revealed.
I would’ve given this book 4 stars except that some of the reveals were rushed and fell flat, and in general the author just seemed to be filling in the holes between each of the sex scenes. Which is a shame because I think with proper flushing out, this could’ve been a really interesting read.
The other frustrating thing was the Mary Sue-ness of the main character. Of course, she’s the most beautiful girl in the world. So beautiful she makes two men almost instantly fall in love with her. That I would actually be willing to accept... If she wasn’t also just immediately amazing at sex and apparently can deep throat a guy on the first try. She’s also super down to do almost anything (except receive oral sex... what?) despite being a virgin who literally hasn’t ever touched someone sexually. She also climaxes super easily with maybe 1-2 minutes of stimulation. Are there people like this? I am not like this.
I’m not asking for realism in my dark romances, but if I’m literally scoffing and rolling my eyes at some parts... that’s a problem.
Blair has just escaped an institution she was locked away in after she witnessed the brutal murder of her mother. A late night prowler finds her sleeping in her childhood bedroom closet. But he's not just a thief, he knows her secret and is searching for information. Murder is in his blood, or so Brede thinks. So being a hired assassin comes easy, until he's hired to kill Blair, the girl who doesn't speak, but makes his heart race and his dick hard.
Two men want her. Two men want answers. Two men who are so different, yet very much alike that they cause Blair to feel things she's never felt before. So much happens in this book! Brede is sexy as hell, but he's not very warm. Aden is mysterious and sweet, until he's not. I honestly didn't know which man I was rooting for until Aden revealed his identity. At that point he became kind of creepy and his actions toward Blair afterwards were disgusting. He's very messed up in the head which is no surprise given his horrid upbringing. What's surprising is the occupation the two men wind up in after the very different environments they grew up in. It almost seems backwards. But at the end, Brede's true nature comes out and you can't help but fall for him a little.
This book ends on a cliffhanger! Ugh!!! Will Blair be ok? Which man will she choose? Does she choose? Does she come clean about her secret? So many questions left unanswered, but I can't wait to read the next installment! Awesome book!
This was a bit long and I had trouble getting into the book at first and then, WOW, it took off. Blair is an 18 year old virgin that has been hidden away in a mental institution because of something horrible she witnessed ten years prior. She escapes because she wants to right the wrong she caused ten years prior. Brede has been hired by Blair's father to "silence" her despite the fact that Blair has no spoken a word for the past ten years since she was told if she said anything, she would be killed. Brede breaks into her childhood home where Blair has been hiding since her escape and is immediately overcome by her beauty, spunk an innocence. Things get tricky when not only does Blair have Brede visiting her, there is another mysterious stranger that also breaks into her home and is also captured by the innocent young virgin. The book keeps you guessing how who the mysterious 2nd stranger is as you are exposed to some very hot scenes between Blair and Brede and Blair and her stranger. I guessed at identity of the mysterious stranger but the that did not diminish my enjoyment of this book. As stated, there is a cliffhanger at the end and I was left on pins and needles and cannot wait to read the ending in Redeemed.
I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and totally voluntary review.
Truthfully, this one had me confused for a couple of chapters. We have Blair who was a witness to her mother's throat being slit when she was eight years old and then told to shut up and never say a word or she would be next. Needless to say we find out she's later been highly drugged and put in a mental institution for the past ten years. Then we have Brede who is a paid assassin who's vices of women, booze, and gambling have taken most of his money. He wants just one more big job to help his foster parents financially for all they've done for him. His foster mom needing a transplant but she's up in years and not at the top of the list. And then last of all, we have Aiden who has been researching and following information on Blair's father, a crooked DA, trying to find tangible proof and ultimately the justice he needs. Lane Hart has given us three flawed characters, all with their own agendas, colliding into a world of mystery, angst, and sexual chemistry. It's well written and flows easily. Oh, and it ends with a HUGE cliffhanger, so be prepared. Now I'm wanting to find out how she ties everything together and what the final outcome is.
Exploited by Lane Hart a five-star read that will break you. This is the first book in the Dark Redemption series and it comes with a warning that you will want to have book two ready and waiting as there are some major cliffs in this book and I usually hate cliffy endings but this book has been amazing, and I have every faith that the second one will be just as good as Lane Hart is an author who will break you, but she also has the talent to put you back together again. Each of the three main character’s in this story have their own unique story to tell and they use their own voices to tell us, not all of the stories have happy endings or happy beginnings, and some of them are hard to read, but the thing about Lane Hart is that even the hardest of things to read still have a poetry to them that make them more palatable. This was one of the hardest reads I’ve read for a while, but in the same breath I can’t wait till I’ve finished writing this to get to reading the second book. Thank you again Lane for being amazing.
okay so this book is way different than the usual book Blair is a young adult just getting out of the mental institute along with a stolen car and a thought to blow your brains out when she gets the oopportunity. When it comes to Brede and Blair, there's a mystery to solve, but this is where it gets tricky it's not only her and Brede, it's her and her midnight Prowler too so to speak.. In the beginning of the book I had thought it was Brede disguised under a ski mask coming into her bedroom at night but I was wrong it's someone else and it all ties together at the end but the end comes to a cliffhanger will you'll have to read the next book to know what happens next. With Blair's character knowing that she doesn't give a shit about her life anymore she ends up taking risks that make me cringe, and the way Breda and her midnight prowler treat her and think of her in the book is insulting, talk about ruthless, egotistical, sex crazed fucking dicks for men. she has two of them she's not off to a good start.
Holy Suspense!! This is book one of two book series. It ends on major cliffhanger. I HATE cliffhangers, but I already own book two and will start it immediately! Told in multiple POV and can not be read as stand-alone must know the ending. This story begins with a bang and does not slow down! The story revolves around a tragedy that took place 10 years ago and the lives it has affected and how those lives are intertwined. Without giving spoilers this is a wonderfully woven story that draws you in and keeps your attention and leaves you wanting more. Not a sweet romance but a knock your socks off and hold on for the ride story full of twists and suspense I LOVED it and would highly recommend
A fast read that will dismay and delight you. I can't imagine what she must have gone through during her short life. I wasn't sure about the nightly visitor or the daytime encounter. I disliked Aden immediately. I had thought something was going on but I did not get it totally right...you got me when usually I've figured it out. I was immensely turned off by Aden and when he discussed everything with someone later, I was even more upset. Then later on his discussion with B was very upsetting. Another clue that you can't trust people because they might have an agenda. Neither of them can redeem themselves as far as I'm concerned. I would have done what she did too. I need to read Redeemed now.
Heart stopping, dirty, dark romance ending on a cliffhanger!!!!
Wow this heart stopping, dirty, filthy dark romance is intriguing and completely messed up (in a good way). This story takes you on a wild journey where Blair doesn't know who to trust and is so innocent and gorgeous that it's hard for the male characters to stay away from her. Aden is trying to get his dad out of prison because he knows he didn't murder anyone. Brede is a hitman for hire and he's been hired to kill Blair, but little does Brede know that their pasts are interwoven together and when the truth starts coming out things are really going to explode. This book ends on one neck of a cliffhanger and Redeemed which is book two is available to continue this wonderfully dark romance.
The book is a little on the weird side. Mother murdered by father. Father is a big wig asshole that sends his daughter to a mental institution so she doesn't say anything. Twin brothers separated when there father goes to jail for said murder. Both to different foster homes. One goes in service and becomes a paid assassin and one ends up working for FBI. Both looking for girl that knows everything but was told not to tell. So she hasn't spoke since then. She can just scared to. Both brothers find the girl about same time. One wants the story to save his dad , the other bad big is paid to kill her, but he doesn't realize that he's falling for her yet but he knows he can't kill her..........as ahhh huh cliff hanger.... Find out in next book
This is a dark book Blair is eight when she’s the most horrendous thing happen to her mother. She’s told to never open he4 mouth about it. Go forward ten years and she is still so broken. Brede has come to take care of a job he’s been paid to do but everything changes when he finds Blair. She has her masked mystery man at night. How she doesn’t go more crazy is unbelievable. This book is great and it will have you pulling for the bad guy. Excited to read the next one because it definitely leaves you hanging off a cliff..
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dark, intense and edge of your seat suspenseful, this book quickly ensnares you in its web. Be aware that this is book one of two and it does end on a big cliffhanger. Brede, Blair and Aden are complex and complicated characters. With drama, action, danger and violence all tangled up with secrets, lies, twists and stunning shocks along the way to make sure your interest never gets sidetracked. This gritty and raw read will leave you desperate for the next book. I'm voluntarily posting a honest review.
This book starts out with a violent scene. That's when the ride begins. Blair is just a young innocent girl who's been victimized by the one person who should have been her protector. Instead, he's the one who wants her dead. He hires Brede to do the dirty work. Little does Brede know just how Blair is entwined in his past. Throw in a very sexy FBI agent named Aiden, and you have the makings of a great book, that keeps you guessing! Of course it's got a cliffhanger ending, that I'll be reading right away. Can't wait!
I am not into cliffhangers but this story has a lot in it that is worth the read. It has a nice storyline and plot. It is well written with well described characters. The blurb described it as dark but that is not the case. It is an erotic story that has a bit of thriller in it and a very small hint of darkness. But it suits the story. I has triangles, emotions, twists and all is thrown right at you from the first page. No introduction just a jump into the story. Enjoyable read with unexpected turns.
This book was really good. I was starting to think it was a standalone but then towards the ending too much started to happen. So this book does end with a cliffhanger and there is more to the story. I did not want to put the book down. The story was dark, intense and interesting. I really do not want to spoil this for anyone so I suggest you just pick it up and start reading!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I've recently read and very much enjoyed a couple of great romcoms by Lane Hart but Exploited is my first experience with her darker books. I was hooked from page one. There's an intensity about the characters and the riveting story that had me under it's spell as the story unfolded. Suspenseful, steamy, and compelling, are just a few words that come to mind. I can't wait to see what happens in book two.