I'm used to selling my body, but now they want my soul.
When we reached Hollywood, I imagined fame and excess. And after I landed an agent, I thought our lives would change for the better.
But it hasn’t, and I’m stuck with trying to pay my bills by working at the local strip club. I’m doing all this to put my twin brother through college. I’d sacrifice anything to keep him safe.
So when three demons show up and rip Jared from me, I hate them with a fervor that’s hard to put in words.
And they have the gall to offer me a contract for my soul.
They’re nice to look at, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re devils.
When making deals with lords of the Underworld, tread gently.
4.5 Stars I really liked this book and it will be difficult to say why without giving away too much so this will be deliberately vague. I liked all of the characters - the heroine has a tough exterior with a soft heart; she is the realist to her twin brother's optimist. They both have unexplained powers, but have no idea why. When three demons come for her brother - they take her for leverage. I love that despite the sexual attraction she feels for them she is fighting the good fight against it because hey, they stole her and her beloved twin against their will. The three heroes are distinct from each other and I liked each one of them equally. There are some sexual situations/scenes but I like that we are building from a lust to (presumably) love relationship in a slower manner - which is appropriate for who these characters are and the situation they are in. The book also has some good action with cool magic/powers and bits of humor. The ending isn't what I consider a cliffhanger but I'm definitely really looking forward to exploring what happens next based on where this book ends.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!
It pains me to say it, but I'm a bit disappointed by this one.
Valerie has spent her life looking after her twin brother Jared - she even became a stripper to get them money, while he spends his time doing a metaphysics degree at uni. But it turns out that he's a cipher, some kind of powerful person that IMO wasn't fully explained beyond 'it's a good thing to own the cipher'.
To that end, there are three demons after the twins: Xeres, Vickal and Sylver. They meet. They fall into lust with Valerie. She falls into lust with them. There's lust all around. There's a bit of sex. There are battle scenes with the angels and other demons, both of whom are also after the cipher.
The end.
If this review strikes you as a little bit stilted, that's probably because the writing felt stilted too. Clara's other RH series, Sera's Curse, is great - funny, romantic, sexy. This one was a lot more explicit but lacked the genuine emotion that underlies the other books.
I'll be reading the sequel, but I'm not too fussed.
Valerie (a stripper) who’s been looking after her twin brother since they were kids, has her life turned upside down when Xeres, Vickal and Sylver technical kidnap Valerie and her brother Jared. Jared is the cipher to the Orb of Jehovah who both the angels and and demons are looking for and Valerie finds out she’s a half Demon, which explains the little creatures they’ve been seeing (aka lesser demons) and powers they have. Valerie is offered a contract that she’ll refuse. But will this be too good of an offer for her to continue to refuse and will she fall for these 3 demons...
This is my favourite book from Clara Hartley and I can’t wait to continue with this series.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Incredible start to an amazing new series!! We meet Val who works as a stripper while supporting/protecting her lazy twin brother. Life takes a turn when some demons show up claiming her brother is someone important and she will be taken as essentially a hostage to ensure his cooperation. Little did they know they would fall for her and while he may be important I do believe she is to. Great development, world building beyond my imagination, and snarky characters to totally love. What more can you really ask for? I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Val is used to selling a dream with her body, but she wants more for her life. She wants to help put her twin brother through college and to become a movie star, but things just aren't going their way. She and her brother are special. They have unique abilities and can see things that others cannot. Of course, they don't talk about it because people would think that they're crazy. But one night/morning...all of that changes. Her brother has something that both angels and demons want, but the demons get them first. They are intent on getting what they want from her brother no matter the cost...and that makes Val burn to make them pay. Question is though...can she resist her attraction to them? Harem of Sin by Clara Hartley is book one in her Secrets of the Fallen series and this book kicks off with a punch! Hot and steamy turns to downright deadly in the flip of a switch. I'll give the author this...that was some serious shock factor! That's one way to go from hot to cold in no time flat. These characters are engaging from the beginning. I went into this story open-minded and expecting anything and everything and was not disappointed. The cruelty of the demons is to be expected and I was not disappointed for that fact. The angels seem to be just as ruthless, too. I love the balance of the characters and how unexpected certain things are. There honestly isn't anything that I didn't like about this book. There were moments when I wanted to complain about Val's reactions to the men, but it wasn't like she was professing her love from the beginning so I got over it. Haha! I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. This is one of those books that you might not start out liking because of the shock in the beginning, but trust me...this book will lure you in and keep you wanting to know what happens next and throw a good dose of steamy at you while it's at it. If you're a fan of Clara Hartley...grab this book. If you're a lover of reverse harem books and looking for something new...grab this book!
Almost a 3 but I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. The premise was hugely interesting and I liked the FMC but I just couldn’t get past her insta lust to her captors especially after they tortured her brother.
Plot wise I liked the story. There is a war between heaven and hell, and both sides are fighting to possess an orb that allows free travel between all three realms. Heaven, hell and earth. The cipher is led to the orb through visions. Our FMC and her twin brother (the cipher) are captured by demons to get the orb. Our FMC and her twin however aren’t human however they are something more. Very interesting so far however it just goes haywire for me because during the scenes despite being treated like crap and her brother tortured to awaken the visions she is constantly lusting for them. It’s just kind of awkward to me and I don’t think it fits the situation. Maybe if the demons had “rescued” them from the angels or something I don’t know I just feel it needed to be spun a little differently.
On the positive side the cover is gorgeous. I may give the next book a try to see if there is some balance because I’d really like to know what the twins turn out to be but the Stockholm syndrome thing kicked in a little to early for my tastes.
Después de casi un año de bloqueo lector, voy y me encuentro con este libro, que no sé si era porque tenía ganas de leer algo distinto (a pesar de que se encuentra dentro de mi género literario favorito - fantasía), o que pasó, que es como si algo se hubiese desbloqueado en mi interior; aunque tengo novelas pendientes, como es el caso de “Lo que recuerdo de ti”. En este caso se trata de la lectura erótica, que de hecho no es que no haya leído este género anteriormente (y aquí cito la trilogía de “Sons of Wanderland” de Kendra Moreno) pero aquí nos encontramos con que la protagonista es “compartida” entre los tres protagonistas masculinos y a esto se le conoce como “Harén inverso”. Desde que leí esta novela hace unos días ya me he leído otras más de la misma autora y todas pertenecen a este mismo género fantástico-erótico basado en el harén inverso. Creo que lo que más me ha gustado de estas obras es el hecho de que la protagonista a pesar de aceptar la ayuda de sus coprotagonistas no significa que ella sea precisamente una damisela en apuros. De hecho, y como es en este caso, la protagonista (Valerie) tiene una historia detrás bastante problemática y profunda, de la que ha tenido que huir junto con su hermano gemelo, sin la ayuda de nadie. Y haciendo referencia a esto anterior, sí que me resultó un poco molesto que estuviese continuamente pendiente de su gemelo, y obcecada con protegerle, no es que eso sea algo malo, sin embargo, es algo que se vuelve bastante repetitivo a lo largo de la trama y me ha llegado a aburrir. Por el contrario, su hermano gemelo, Jared, ni siquiera es consciente de lo que ha tenido que vivir su hermana para que él tenga ciertos privilegios, como puede ser el hecho de que él vaya a la universidad. Aunque es un personaje muy necesario para el desarrollo de la historia, a mí me ha parecido un chico mimado, insulso y bastante infantil. En cuanto a los coprotagonistas, nos encontramos con tres demonios, Xeres, Vickal y Sylver. Debo admitir que los nombres son bastante originales. Cada uno de estos demonios tiene una personalidad distinta, siendo Xeres el más serio y además el jefe de su clan demoniaco, Vickal es el más tranquilo y por último, pero no menos importante, tenemos a Sylver que es el más desenfadado de los tres. El “romance” entre los tres demonios y Valerie, avanza a pasos agigantados teniendo en cuenta que tanto la primera entrega como la segunda apenas tienen poco más de 220 páginas cada una. En el primer libro, a pesar de ser bastante introductorio, sí que nos permite ver pinceladas, o por lo menos imaginarnos el “background” de los gemelos; que además tienen poderes que se manifiestan desde el inicio de la trama; y cuál puede ser el verdadero origen de los dos. En la segunda entrega, nos aclaran este asunto sin tapujos, a pesar de que se veía venir. Sin embargo, sí que me ha dejado con la boca abierta (en parte), el final de la segunda novela, puesto que deja sin resolución una situación en la que implica que los tres demonios están en peligro, y Valerie no sabe qué hacer. Pero tendremos que esperar a que la autora decida sacar la tercera parte para saber qué pasa. Aunque desde el 2018 que no tenemos noticias, de esta trilogía (o saga, aún no se sabe), sin embargo, la autora sí que ha sacado más novelas después de estas con las que podremos entretenernos. Básicamente, es una novela bastante bien escrita, con un argumento bastante interesante, aunque previsible, con que se puede pasar un buen rato leyendo en inglés, puesto que no existe su versión en español.
I picked up Harem of Sin mainly because I really enjoyed Hartley’s other series, Sera’s Curse. However, Harem of Sin is nothing like Sera’s curse. It is more explicit, which is both expected and warranted due to the nature of the characters, and it is no where near as good.
Valerie appears to be a bit bipolar in both her personality and what she wants in life. She lives solely for her brothers needs, safety, naivety etc. and yet she wants fame, money and power, all while she works at a strip club and dodges the repayments of her gambling debt. I guess that’s life, but Valerie’s brother - who is her twin, so same age - is insufferable in his stupidity and optimism. I was actually hoping that he would be killed off during the book, I know that’s a terrible thing to want to happen to one of the main characters and the main drive behind the plot.
The guys were okay, they��re demons so they are not going to be the good guys, even though they’re the good guys. Huh...? At least they knew what they wanted and they were distinguishable from one another which is always a good thing when it’s a harem. What I didn’t like about the guys was their dialogue. I don’t just mean between themselves but with other characters as well. It was forced and stilted and did not match their personalities. I think maybe Hartley was trying to inject some humour and show a more softer side to the demons but it just fell short.
My other main issue with this book was that it sets feminism back 50 years. I’m not talking about the stripping and strip clubs, although it adds to the overall anti woman feel. No it was Valerie herself. She hates the demons for what they’ve done to her and her brother but her feminine parts do not feel the same - I kid you not, this is mentioned more than once. Also, she’s offered a contract by the demons for her body, because women are objects of course.
This is a medium burn Reverse Harem with streamy scenes. There’s a semi cliffhanger and plenty of action. I enjoyed Harem of Sin enough to finish it but I doubt I’ll read the next book in the series.
I received an advanced/review copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content and honesty of my review.
I love Clara Hartley. Everything I've read of hers so far, I've immensely enjoyed, so when the opportunity arose to read and review an ARC of her newest release, I jumped at the chance. Also, I've had a thing for reading books with demons in them lately, so I was down.
I certainly wasn't disappointed. I loved just about everything about this book. The insta-lust kind of drove me nuts, particularly since these guys straight up captured her and her brother, and then tortured him. BUT. It's a story, so I kind of looked beyond that. Also, the heroine is totally money hungry and that was annoying...but not enough to turn me off from this book.
Anyway, I digress.
This was such a unique story and I'm excited to get to know the characters more in book two. <3 There was a fantastic amount of sexual tension and chemistry, and I loved that the heroine's brother is involved in this whole prophetic storyline. It's made even more interesting that they're twins. It was kind of refreshing to read a story where the heroine isn't the "chosen one" and showcasing how she deals with that, along with all the sudden changes in her life that these new powers and her demon companions bring.
As no surprise at all, I greatly enjoyed this story and I can't wait for the next one!! Highly recommend for paranormal romance fans. :) 3.5/4 stars.
HATED THIS BOOK. I hated our heroine, her inner battles were ridiculou, no! ..as a matter of fact she was ridiculous.... She and her odd brother get taken, he's tortured by these 3 demons, I mean they are burning his skin off letting it heal, then repeating the process. Of course she's mad about it, anyone would be especially twins!!! But no our girl is a totally horny teenager who's vagina is making all the moves I'm guessing. She likes them, saves them even though they want to continue to torture him. She has a chance to run, doesn't! goes back to save one, Gets compelled to stay with them again, stupid seriously? Then this weird thing with her brother seems to get weirder. I swear he might as well be part of this Harem, it really creeped me out. Anyways her brother is a dumbass and is totally digging these guys who hurt him, and his sister is like " you can't trust them! But turns around and is kissing them, then she gets this idea to kiss them first to have them crave her and get control over them, how does she do it, by giving a blowy of course "duh" and it doesn't work and the guys start fighting over her, and she's like, oh..I feel so cheap and used! I mean you did just out of know where blow the guy who tortured. your.twin.brother. The whole book was her inner battles of wanting these guys, I rolled my eyes so hard throughout this crap, skip this rollercoaster of complete stupidity
This book had a few things going for it: namely, the MC isn't the chosen one with a traumatic past for once; it's her brother instead. I wasn't a fan of much of the rest though. The book has typos, and 90% of the book is telling instead of showing. This gem is a pretty good representation of the writing: "We enter the mansion. It’s cobwebbed."
My biggest complaint about the characters/plot is that we get plot progress without any character progress to back it up. For example, the characters didn't have sex because they grew closer; the MC just couldn't control her lust.
I thought the first chapter could have been cut entirely because the first sentence of chapter 2 was much more attention grabbing , and chapter 3 repeated most of the exposition that chapter 1 gave us.
I'm a sucker for when Character A finally learns that Character B has spent a long time sacrificing/suffering for Character A even though Character A didn't know and took Character B for granted. I thought I was going to get that in the form of the MC's brother learning that she became a stripper to take care of him, but that revelation never came, so I was disappointed.
It looks like Book 2 should be out by now, but I currently have no plans to read it. Maybe I will if I run out of other things to read, but I doubt I'll remember this one then.
This is the first time I've read this author and I'm pleased with her writing style. The prose is smooth and the dialogue is witty. Too many times I come across an author where the dialogue is stilted and the reading is awkward. The FMC is fiesty and smart. She can be reckless, driven by her emotions. But she is also stead fast in her devotion to her brother and to others in need. The harem men... well, this isn't love at first sight. More lustful, but something about Val's fiestiness and stubbornness excites these demon-men. They've been immortal for too long and have grown bored, empty and un-empathic. But being around Val has ignited a spark in them. It's very clever writing, where the reader starts to see the mens feelings awaken through their POV. If you love hard, broken, anti-hero's who develop a soft spot for their woman then you'll love this book. There are a couple of sexy times, but again, at this point it's more lustful than love. But I'm ok with this because insta-love with these type of characters wouldn't make sense. I'm enjoying this ride and look forward to the sequal(s).
I haven’t read much by this author before, but I saw the blurb on this book, and I couldn’t resist. Strong, female main characters are a big draw for me, and I really like Val. The plot was really interesting, and the demons are all broken and intriguing in their own right. Definitely steamy. They could have been a bit more developed, but they’re demons, and it’s only book 1. The only reason I didn’t rate this as five stars is because the language of the book felt awkward in places, and it led to dialogue feeling forced instead of natural at times. That’s just me, and I’m sure that plenty of people wouldn’t have a problem with it. It didn’t detract from the book for me; it just would’ve been a stronger book, in my opinion, if the author had used some different phrases and tone in places. I still found it to be a really good read, and I’m really looking forward to book 2 and seeing what happens to the characters in their journey.
I enjoyed this book from a new to me author. I like the characters, Valerie, the FMC I adore. She’s fierce and protective, sometimes to her own detriment, particularly when her brother’s involved. Her brother, Jared, eh, he’s alright...naive and just a bit self absorbed, though I imagine that’s due to Val’s hovering and constant shielding. I like how the author has written the three demon love interests. They’re not “good” demons, but believable in their actions to be true leaders in hell. They do awful things in the name of getting what they want and make no apologies....until Val at least and she has them curbing some of their tendencies towards the end of this book. I’ll continue the series and look forward to the next book.
I almost put this down in the very first chapter but I'm glad I didnt. I started off hating the Hs in the beginning. Like I seriously wanted all three to die and the h and her brother to run away to safety. But...somewhere around halfway I slowly stopped hating them. Then with about a third left to go, I decided I might actually like them. By the end I was freaking out when one got hurt and I was so scared he would die. So, yeah. Didn't see that coming but it was kind of awesome. Not going to lie, there were still a lot of things I disliked about the plot and the characters but I just kept reading. In the end, it was one of those books you swear you're going to put down 10 times and yet you still finish it and ask for more. To anyone considering it I'd encourage you to stick with it at least till halfway.
I really wanted to give this 5 stars but I just couldn't, the book is an all round pleaser for its genre however there were a couple of things that niggled at me. I think Val is awesome and I love the trio of demons, but oh how her brother annoys me! He comes across immature, weak and beyond naive, this may well be an essential part of the story arc but he just grated on me everytime he had anything to say. All in all it was a good book and a quick read of around an hour, I'll definitely be purchasing the second and fingers crossed Jared develops past the annoying stage. Oh btw Val rocks!! Independent, sassy and a take no shit woman, you've gotta love her.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. And I definitely was not disappointed. Demons, demons, more demons and angels. Val is one tough and protective woman. Don’t mess with her brother should be the first rule for anyone to learn. But when three demons decide to use her as a bargaining chip to keep her brother in line, well things won’t stay that way. Lots of fighting and action. And the build up between Val and the demons gets pretty strong. Can’t wait for the next book because things are going to go from hot to scorching.
DNF- xeres is evil and should not be a love interest
Xeres sexually tortures an angel in the first chapter and then kills her. I understand they are at war, but the callous way he tortured the angel and then disposed of her is not someone I would want my heroine to fall in love with.
I am supposed to believe that this is a reverse harem. Xeres would make a great villain, but not a love interest for the heroine. Killing the angel in battle would have been fine, but he went too far with sexual torture.
Harem Of Sin is a good start to the Secrets of the Fallen series. Valerie is a strong FMC that will do anything that is needed to take care of her brother. Even working as a stripper. Her brother Jared is the typical entitled brother that does not take the time to realize what all Valerie does to give him opportunities and take care of him. The three sexy demons are intriguing. Can't wait for book 2 in this series. Hopefully some of the hanging questions will be answered.
Clara Hartley is one of my favorite authors. All her books are a must read.
Totally addictive read from beginning to end! Not gonna lie I binge read this in one sitting!!! Val is a badass FMC who has spent her life doing everything to care for her twin brother. Always putting him first and doing her all to protect him. And now finds them both in the hands of demons because he’s the cipher to the orb of Jehovah. I love reading from both Val’s POV as well as the demons. You better understand the pull they have towards her, almost like an addiction, which is the same with her towards them. That ending though!!! Totally hanging out for the next book already!!!
Valerie is trying to keep her twin brother safe after having been on there own for too long. Suddenly 3 demons come along looking for them. Some things begin to make sense for Valerie while others have her completely flabbergasted. I really enjoyed this book. Valerie is a strong character who fights for what she believes in and doesn't give up easily. I can't say much without giving away parts of the story. It's a really good book and you should definitely read.
The life of a stripper is not for Val it seems. I adore this book. I live the emotional aspect of the way she looks after the ones she cares about. Mainly her twin brother. I love the love-hate relationship she has going on with Xeres and company. I’m so excited to see how this story unfolds and the truth behind Val and Jared’s past and heritage!
Paranormal. Rh. 3 Demons. Cliffhanger. Val and Jared find themselves captured by demons demanding the Orb of Jehovah. Jared, being the cipher, is the one they truly want but they are drawn to Val, So they use compulsion to make her stick around.( not that she'd leave her twin) This tale is hot, sexy and filled with action. Never a dull moment. Bring on the next book!
This book is completely amazing leaves you pumped up with adrenaline and full of emotion right from page 1. You feel everything that each character goes through and you cannot put it down. The sins are amazing and it is completely hot and steamy from start to finish. The men are so tempting and evil yet are heroin still tries to stay good-hearted and truly loves her brother. Her twin brother is like a naive little boy brings laughter to you throughout the book.
I really enjoyed this book. Super hot Demons fighting Angels to find the cipher and ultimately the orb.
I personally love the fact that the demons are changing based on their attraction to Val.
I absolutely can't wait for the next book to see if we discover exactly what Valerie and Jared are. I also can't wait for Valerie's relationship to progress with all three demons.
I loved this. It was written so differently to how I expected so was pleasantly surprised. The brother is irritating, he's so excited about being kidnapped and I can completely understand the frustration the MC feels throughout. The coming into the powers is exciting and way more realistic than other books. It happens slowly and when you least expect it. I'm looking forward to seeing if the dynamic changes or if it will continue the way the same way whilst they're in Hell. Bring on book 2.
Harem of Sin is definitely different and unique. I liked the dynamic of the characters and the progression of the story line. It was fast paced and kept me wanting more. I love Val as a character, but I might despise Jared just a little bit. His sister does so much for him, yet it seems like he doesn't really appreciate it. I am excited to see where the story goes in the next book.
I love all supernatural romance books, but demons are my favorite ones. Because no matter how good you are we all have a little dark side to us. This was a very good read I would recommend it to anyone. A lot of sexual tension but not bogged down with sex scenes. Can't wait for the second book.
This was a great start. I like Valerie and I like what I read of the 3 guys, especially Sylvar and Vickal. The only reason why it was 4 stars is that there were several grammatical errors that a few times I had to reread a sentence to see what happened lol. Just needs better editing, otherwise great read.
This was definitely a different Dynamic than what I am used to reading. I'm so used to the female lead character being the one with all of the abilities and the. so this was a little different for me but so different. I read it all in one night and I immediately got the next one!