At His Mercy

Beasts In The Dark #1

by S.S. Richards

She’s the niece of my biggest enemy. She begged for death as I held her captive in my own house.

I shouldn’t feel bad for her. I shouldn’t crave her the way I do.

But as days go by, I realize that she’s changing me.

For better or for worse? The beast in me isn’t sure. It craves her and the darkness that lives inside of her.

Because that same darkness lives within me.


*Suitable for ages 18+*
Note: This is a dark, mafia romance with intense and dark sensual scenes. It is the first in a duet.

Genres: Dark, Dark Romance

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2019

About the author

Contemporary/Dark Romance Author.

Reviews

[Fre06 Begum]

I had to dnf. Everyone that knows me knows I LOATHE the “betraying body syndrome” I hate it even more when it’s a dark book and h gets kidnapped and abused but as soon as he touches her her body goes weak. I can’t understand books like this when realistically in real life when kidnapped your life and what’s going to happen to you should be the only thing on your mind. That fear alone should keep your libido in check!!

[RCK *don’t be all, like, uncool*]

Stopped at 13% when Heroine, who has been raped by her bodyguards for YEARS suddenly grows a pair of lady balls and spits at the man her uncle sold her too.. then is getting aroused by said man after he slapped her and is running his hands through her hair.

[Athena D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 STARS

This book is a lot darker than I'm used to from S. S. Richards, but it was well written and captured my attention from the first page. I do love a great dark romance, and the author did amazingly by creating such alluring characters. Elena, though a prisoner is still fierce and Maksim, may be an alpha male, but his softness shows through with Elena. Both, Elena and Maksim have something in common, a dark side they try to keep hidden, but they see it within each other.

"Just like you said before, we are beasts, beasts in the dark."

I can't wait to find out what happens in the next instalment to the Beast In The Dark Series. If you enjoy dark romances, I highly recommend reading this MUST read romance. At His Mercy by S.S. Richards will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!!!

[Bella Emy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything author S.S. Richards writes, but this one even more so! This book is EVERYTHING and you all need to put it on your Must Read List of 2019!!! I can't wait for more!

[Judith/books.series.forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spanish:
“At His Mercy” de S.S. Richards es el primer libro perteneciente a la serie “Beasts In The Dark”. Es un romance dark con muchísimos momentos sensuales que te dejaran con la boca abierta. Además, la intriga está asegurada y no querrás dejar de leer.

Elena Romano sobrina de Leonardo Romano cabeza de la mafia italiana es vendida a un hombre desconocido. Por fin puede salir del lugar donde esta viviendo una pesadilla, pero en el intercambio Maksim Pavlov, jefe de la mafia rusa, se pondrá en medio llevándose consigo a Elena y encerrándola en su fortaleza. Ella es sobrina de su mayor enemigo, del hombre que le robo la felicidad, pero será incapaz de culparla por ello.

Mi querida S.S. Richards se ha pasado al lado Dark con un libro que devoré en nada. Este libro muestra a unos personajes que pueden parecer que son diferentes, pero hay muchas cosas que los unen, y al ser dark, también hay sangre derramada.

La vida de Elena ha sido un infierno y cuando cree que ha salido de ello, va directa a otro mayor, aunque habrá un cambio de planes. Y con ello Maksim y Elena se encontrarán, pero el comienzo va a ser muy complicado, aunque la química y la pasión surgirá en ellos. Además de unas escenas muy hot que te dejan con buen sabor de boca.

"Voy a follarte hasta que olvides tu pasado y a cualquier hombre que haya intentado complacerte. Eres mía y te usaré cuándo, dónde y cómo decida".

También la confianza que tiene Elena y s es muy buena, y no sentirse sola y perdida en esa casa donde no todos la ve con buenos ojos. Aunque sinceramente, yo solo quería que Maksim, alfa, protector y descarado, se diera cuenta de cómo es en realidad Elena no temiera que pudiera huir.

"Así es. Esta es tu última advertencia, lo dije antes y lo diré de nuevo. Mientras yo viva, nadie te tocará. ¿Comprensible?

Ahora me he quedado con unas ganas enormes de saber lo que pasará con ellos, y como su unión hará que derriben a su enemigo común. ¡Cuánta intriga!
⚜Rate: ★★★★★

English:
"At His Mercy" by S.S. Richards is the first book in the series "Beasts In The Dark". It's a dark romance with many sensual moments that will leave you breathless. Besides, the intrigue is guaranteed, and you won't want to stop reading.

Elena Romano niece of Leonardo Romano's head of the Italian mafia is sold to an unknown man. At last, she can leave the place where she is living a nightmare, but in the exchange Maksim Pavlov, Russian Mafia Don will get in the middle taking Elena with her and confining her in her fortress. She is the niece of her greatest enemy, the man who stole her happiness but will be unable to blame her for it.

My dear S.S. Richards has written a dark book that I devoured so fast. This book shows some characters that may seem different, but many things unite them, and being dark, there is also blood spilled.

Elena's life has been hell, and when she thinks she's out of it, she goes straight to a bigger one, although there will be a change of plans. And with that, Maksim and Elena will meet, but the beginning is going to be very complicated, although chemistry and passion will arise in them. In addition to some very hot scenes that leave you with a pleasant sensation.

“I’m going to fuck you until you forget your past and any man who’s ever tried to pleasure you. You are mine and I Will use you when, where, and how I decide”

Also, the confidence that Elena and s have is very strong, and not to feel alone and lost in that house where not everyone sees her with good eyes. Although honestly, I just wanted Maksim, alpha, protector and shameless, to realize what Elena is like and not be afraid that she might run away.

“That’s right. This is your final warning, I said it before and I’ll say it again. As long as I’m alive, no one Will ever touch you. Understandable?

Now, I have a huge desire to know what will happen to them, and how their union will bring down their common enemy. How intriguing!
⚜Rate: ★★★★★

[thehotmesslibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book was an intense read! Elena is trapped in the Mafia world with no way out. Being kidnapped by Maskim (part of the Russian Mafia) as he knows that she is the niece of his sworn enemy, you know that he isn’t going to let her go. Having lived in a world where she is treated like a princess, Elena’s world is thrust upside down and she will have to fight the passion that she feels for Maskim whilst trying to save herself.

This was a very exciting read from a new author. The words just seemed to flow off the page and I enjoyed the interaction between Elena and Maskim. Elena is not as sweet as she would like everyone to think but she is naive, especially when it comes to her Uncle and what he has done and what he does to her. She has some really snarky moments throughout the book which is good to see and she isn’t a complete doormat which I was worried about when I first started reading.

Maskim on the other hand is a purely dominant male, after all, he is part of the Russian Mafia and heaven help anyone who gets on his bad side. There was something very likeable about him as a character even though he is dark and brooding. You can see his opinion of Elena change and the steamy scenes between them are really good.

If you like a good Mafia romance with some darker elements and sexy scenes with great characters then this is one for you!

ARC received for a fair and honest review.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com

[Britney Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything S.S. Richards writes and this one was no different.
It is a darker story for her, nothing like her other books but it isn’t too dark. I am normally not a dark romance reader but I like some and this one just was added to my top 5 dark romance reads!

The storyline with Elena and Maksim got me hooked right away. With everything in Elena’s past and who her family is and what they do and have done to people and to her just broke me.
Then when Maksim gets into the picture I was worried how it was gonna turn out. But I was surprised with how he turned out. I loved how he was with her and how he took to her so fast.

Everything about this book was just amazing but it ends in a cliffy and I am not too excited about having to wait but I will!!

5️⃣🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥🔥🔥🔥
💯recommendation

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

At His Mercy by S.S Richards
This is Maksim and Elena's story.....
Elena was a prisoner in her uncle's brutal Italian mafia world. She always remained strong even at the lowest point where she wanted die.  The her uncle sold her.... something happened during transport to buyer....
Because her uncle had done wrong to the Russian Maksim.... he killed 2 of her uncle's men and took Elena.
Maksim felt something towards Elena from the very beginning. Elena herself felt it too.... but they both wanted to ignore it, there's also some people who want to break their connection up. That's when the intense twists and turns begin.

Elena and Maksim's story grasped me from the very beginning. 
It's a very dark and intense story. I felt every emotion the characters felt that's how strong this author's writing is. Maksim and Elena's connection when their inner darkness came out in "bedroom" was so hot, hard and intense.
Their story left me wanting more of them .... be warned it's a cliff ending! We will be getting more....

S.S Richards another hit! 5 stars

[Sybil-Ann’s Reading Journey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing story.

A solid 3.5 star read for me.
Intriguing plot and story but I haven’t felt wholly connected to the main characters as I would have liked to.
Elena’s story is heartbreaking and she has a lot of strength. I wanted feel the chemistry and connection between her and Aleksandr more. I love strong heroines but Elena felt too much in charge and a tad bit more Alpha than Aleksandr.

[Gabrielle G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.S Richards dark romance is on point. At His Mercy had me hooked from the first pages. This intense and sexy read will have you turn the pages. Sprinkle some darkness and a little bit of Beauty and the Beast and you'll have a mafia suspense that you won't put down.

[it.sgottabethebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

S.S Richards brings us a darker romance with At His Mercy. The author had me hooked from the opening pages. Elena and Maksim are hot together. Both with darkness in their veins they found a connection that no one but them understood. This is a dark, intense and sexy read that will have you devouring the pages. S.S Richards nailed the mafia suspense dark romance read with this one. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[QueenOfBooks88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was intense and had me on the edge of my seat! I loved this story. Elena trapped in a cruel maffia world with no escape from any of it yet she remained a strong woman despite constant fear. Maksim - even though i didn't want to i was really drawn to him, i feel something different in him as a character. S.S Richards you never fail to capture the imagination of your reader and bring a story that sticks long after finished 😊

[Amy M. (Amy Loves Reading Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is still fairly new to me but she swept me off my feet with the intensity of this book! Some parts were a bit rough to read but it spoke to my darker side!

Elena is so broken and just waiting for death. You can’t help but feel horrified for this young woman who hasn’t even gotten to live. Just as it gets even worse she becomes her true self and makes you crave more.

Maksim is completely dark and dreamy and sex walking. Some moments he’s a bit naive but he learns his lesson.

Everything about this book just screams darkness and it made me a bit giddy. In a book funk for a few weeks but then dove into this and now I wish I had more!! I truly can’t wait to see the murderous looks on each of their faces!!

[Charlene Gaskins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story. The characters pulled you in immediately and the chemistry that grows between these two was a page turner. This book captivates you from the first page and keeps you in suspense to the last page. This author took two damaged characters and developed a story that kept you intrigued and wanting more, throughout this book. Some novels have moments where they become redundant or repetitious but this author kept your attention and stayed on point throughout the entire novel. This author is definitely on my future watch list.

[Tracy Fritts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful dark, intense, and a mafia romance read. It kept my interest and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout this story. I enjoyed reading about Maksim and Elena. It's a well written story. I enjoyed the storyline. I look forward to the next book in the series.
I read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a really good book! At first, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too fond of Maksim and the way he treated Elena. But eventually she broke down his walls and he woke up something inside her and they melded into a great couple. Parts of the book absolutely broke my heart but then put it back together again. I really enjoyed the elements of suspense included in the story. I think it took a major event before Maksim realized he really couldn’t leave without Elena. I absolutely can’t wait until Book 2 to see how the story continues to play out!

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this author's and I loved this story.
It's a Mafia Dark book, that catch your attention on the first page.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit to dark for me and honestly just couldn’t get in to characters at all

[Elizma Heckroodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy the story as there was a good story line with just enough steamy scenes to not feel like it is a porn movie on paper. Loved the characters. Excited to read book 2.

[Tegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up till 3 am waiting for this book to land in my Kindle. I didn't sleep. I stayed up for four hours until I finished it. Hooked from the first page and now I need more but I need to wait till January. Not the first book I read by this author. She's so good only she has the power to take me to other places! The writing, the story everything about this book is amazing. I always buy her books and it all started with The Agreement. Thank you S.S. Richards for this book.

[Carrie Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.S. Richards is officially my favorite romance author. She's a one click author for me. She releases a book and I purchase it. Maksim and Elena's story is so dark but I don't even know what to say anymore. The author did an amazing job with this book. I didn't want it to end. But book 2 releases January. I cannot wait. I love the writer and her books.

[Hooked On Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I'm a huge fan of S.S. Richards. I read all of her books and this one just killed me. I loved it so much. The writing, the story and the character's chemistry is amazing. There was a scene in this book that I read five times... that's how much I loved it... I cannot wait for book 2.

[Juliann Guerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mafia isn't to be messed with in this novel. The novel starts with Elena's uncle selling her to another mafia boss. This part threw me by surprise at first because, in my general (stereotypical) knowledge of mafia families, blood relatives are often held at the highest regard. However, as the novel continues, you learn that her uncle never really liked her and had an affair with her mom, so his idea of family is a little less moral than others. During the car ride to her new mafia boss, she gets taken by a third mafia family. The novel then follows her as she and Maksim start to fall in love with each other while she is also technically his slave. The biggest thing I found as an issue with this novel was that Maksim allows Elena to get revenge on one of her uncle's men who raped her multiple times. Maksim hates him for what he did to Elena, but Maksim did the same thing to her, which threw me off a little bit. Elena seemed more okay with Maksim than she did with the other guy, which at that point in the book, I thought was a little weird. As the book goes on, the two of them, get closer, and Maksim sees her more as an equal, which I liked better. By the end, he is actually very selfless and lets her leave so she can be safe from her uncle. It was interesting to watch the two of them grapple with what they want versus what they think is right, instead of considering a compromise. But then there's a bit of a twist, and now I'm excited for the second novel to see how it all comes together in the second book, which will be released in January.