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Purity #0.5
Faithless
From the moment we locked eyes, Mark Walker wanted to own me.
Rich, smooth-talking, and handsome as sin, he swept me away to his glamorous world and put a giant rock of a diamond on my finger before I could blink.
We were happy at first. We built a home, a family, and a life that seemed perfect on paper.
Until one day, I messed it all up with the first man to steal my heart.
Fifteen miserable years later, Mark still hasn’t forgiven me. Night after night, he doles out his punishment, humiliating me by sleeping with countless young women under the noses of our friends and family.
I know I’m not perfect, but even sinners deserve to keep a shred of dignity.
I can’t do this anymore. We’ve already broken our vows. Now, it’s time to break off our marriage.
Yet when I tell him my decision, his reaction is not what I expect.
Even after everything—even though he loathes me—he refuses to let me go.
Rich, smooth-talking, and handsome as sin, he swept me away to his glamorous world and put a giant rock of a diamond on my finger before I could blink.
We were happy at first. We built a home, a family, and a life that seemed perfect on paper.
Until one day, I messed it all up with the first man to steal my heart.
Fifteen miserable years later, Mark still hasn’t forgiven me. Night after night, he doles out his punishment, humiliating me by sleeping with countless young women under the noses of our friends and family.
I know I’m not perfect, but even sinners deserve to keep a shred of dignity.
I can’t do this anymore. We’ve already broken our vows. Now, it’s time to break off our marriage.
Yet when I tell him my decision, his reaction is not what I expect.
Even after everything—even though he loathes me—he refuses to let me go.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
222 people are currently reading
3660 people want to read
About the author
Skyler Mason
14 books1,176 followersSkyler is a romance novel reader first and foremost. Her books feature strong heroines who sometimes make their heroes cry, but only because they deserve it. After all, if romance isn’t angsty, is it even worth it?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
October 3, 2022
the way these characters were the trashiest of the trash, but i ate that shit up, cause at this point i need as much drama as possible.
we have Whitney (h) who cheated on Mark (H) 15 years ago with her childhood crush. Mark has not been able to forgive her since then and has revenge-cheated on her for 15 years since she confessed the affair to him. Whitney has finally had enough and wants a divorce.
Whitney is really the definition of doormat heroine, who lets the Hero trample all over her for the last 15 years, cuz she feels guilty for the affair. but honestly i just loved how she finally stood up for herself and made Mark suffer.
And Mark? y’all don’t understand how much i despite this man, but was rooting for him at the same time. 🤡 he keeps cheating on his wife, but won’t let her get a divorce, cuz he has this weird obsession with her?? my favorite scene by far is when Whitney & Mark hate fuck each other for the last time and Mark realized that Whitney is really going through a divorce, breaks down and has a whole ass panic attack. that was some balm for my soul. Mark baby, don’t be shy, keep choking on your tears <3
this book is everything i hate in a romance, but i can’t help but rooting for Mark & Whitney’s happy ending. all i know about the next book is that it takes place 3 months after Mark moves out and he is determined to win Whitney back, but she’s already met someone new. Forgiveness better gives me all the grovel + tons of OM drama .. Mark hasn’t suffered nearly enough. 🥰
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
FAITHLESS DUET SERIES
#0.5 Faithless – 3.5 stars
#1 Forgiveness – tbr
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
we have Whitney (h) who cheated on Mark (H) 15 years ago with her childhood crush. Mark has not been able to forgive her since then and has revenge-cheated on her for 15 years since she confessed the affair to him. Whitney has finally had enough and wants a divorce.
Whitney is really the definition of doormat heroine, who lets the Hero trample all over her for the last 15 years, cuz she feels guilty for the affair. but honestly i just loved how she finally stood up for herself and made Mark suffer.
And Mark? y’all don’t understand how much i despite this man, but was rooting for him at the same time. 🤡 he keeps cheating on his wife, but won’t let her get a divorce, cuz he has this weird obsession with her?? my favorite scene by far is when Whitney & Mark hate fuck each other for the last time and Mark realized that Whitney is really going through a divorce, breaks down and has a whole ass panic attack. that was some balm for my soul. Mark baby, don’t be shy, keep choking on your tears <3
this book is everything i hate in a romance, but i can’t help but rooting for Mark & Whitney’s happy ending. all i know about the next book is that it takes place 3 months after Mark moves out and he is determined to win Whitney back, but she’s already met someone new. Forgiveness better gives me all the grovel + tons of OM drama .. Mark hasn’t suffered nearly enough. 🥰
“I’m divorcing you,” I say. “You can’t stop me. No marriage counseling. This is over.”
He grimaces, and his face contorts and crumples inward.
What is going on?
He covers his face with his hands. The sound of his crying is so deep and low, I almost don’t hear it, but there’s no ignoring the rapid shaking of his shoulders. He sobs again and again. I find I can only stare at him.
“Oh God, Whitney, no.”
He sounds almost like a little boy.
“Don’t do this. I’m begging you.” The words are broken and stuttered. “No, no, no. You can’t… I won’t…”
A chill runs down my spine. I step away from him, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
“I’ll die.” He chokes out the words.”
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
FAITHLESS DUET SERIES
#0.5 Faithless – 3.5 stars
#1 Forgiveness – tbr
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
avoid
September 18, 2022Self note spoilers
Cheating hub/H.
He cheated on the h for 15 years.
He even brought a girl, the same age as his son, in to their home and fucked her in their bed.🙄
He also speaks and treats her like absolute shit. Even in front of other people and their kids.
The wife h = a huge fucking doormat for staying and ALLOWING it. 🙄
Apparently he started cheating because she did once and confessed to him. They were married for over 20 years, and he says he loved the h.😂
Yea, but a man in love doesn’t want another woman for 15 years. Only an idiot will fall for this line, or a pathetic loser/wife.🙄
She finally files for a divorce (why not wait another 20yrs?), but he wants to keep her, because he says he loves her😂.
Look at the above text. That looks like what a man in love would do?
I see how this will play out. He’ll turn on the charm, she’ll have the body betraying syndrome,he’ll say I only love you, they were all you, he was pretending they were all her even while fucking them in their bed, blah blah blah.. doormat stays.🙄 lol. Don’t even have to read this.🙄
Avoid.
This is a story of what a man not in love would do.
I would be so embarrassed to have a mom like this loser h.
Cheating hub/H.
He cheated on the h for 15 years.
He even brought a girl, the same age as his son, in to their home and fucked her in their bed.🙄
He also speaks and treats her like absolute shit. Even in front of other people and their kids.
The wife h = a huge fucking doormat for staying and ALLOWING it. 🙄
Apparently he started cheating because she did once and confessed to him. They were married for over 20 years, and he says he loved the h.😂
Yea, but a man in love doesn’t want another woman for 15 years. Only an idiot will fall for this line, or a pathetic loser/wife.🙄
She finally files for a divorce (why not wait another 20yrs?), but he wants to keep her, because he says he loves her😂.
Look at the above text. That looks like what a man in love would do?
I see how this will play out. He’ll turn on the charm, she’ll have the body betraying syndrome,he’ll say I only love you, they were all you, he was pretending they were all her even while fucking them in their bed, blah blah blah.. doormat stays.🙄 lol. Don’t even have to read this.🙄
Avoid.
This is a story of what a man not in love would do.
I would be so embarrassed to have a mom like this loser h.
September 20, 2023
I’ve read this very brief novella because I’ve read some interesting reviews (lately I’ve read reviews that are far better than the books)
It’s about a couple that has been married for 23 years, the wife is 42 and the husband is 48.
She cheated on him 7 years after they were married, when she met again her ex - an ex she had been in love before her husband and she thinks she’s not over.
- husband reacted very badly, threatening to take her children away from her and telling she would be basically his prisoner and his to do as he pleased.
- for 15 years he cheated on her with countless younger women under her nose and his son’s too.
- he humiliated, gaslighted, debased, insulted her.
- he deprived her of every freedom so she would be under his command and had to ask for everything.
- he deprived her of emotional support
- his son- god bless him- hates him and is completely on his mothers side. Smart boy
- after 15 years of this hell she sees him with one of his floozies and decides that enough is enough.
She asks for divorce. I don’t know how she could cope for so long. Maybe her affair made her feel very guilty and deserving of his abuses.
-he can’t believe she wants a divorce and is terrified to lose her. He thinks he’s always loved her, but he was angry and couldn’t forgive her betrayal so he kept on abusing her FOR 15 FUCKING YEARS.
- he thinks he will do anything to keep her and has a panic attack when she, after angry goodbye sex, tells him that it was really a goodbye and she wants a divorce.
End of the first part.
Ok. My professional and personal opinion are basically the same.
There’s no redemption here and it’s no joke.
The man is a violent abuser.
He’s got all the signs.
His behavior is just that.
His pattern of behavior is typical of an abuser.
- an abuser will justify his abuses and will blame the victim for them. Check.
- he will ask forgiveness when the victim threatens to leave him, he will promise change, will bring flowers, will woo, will go counseling. This phase has also a very ironic name, it’s called honeymoon phase. Check.
- he will start the abuses again at the first sign of distress with the same pattern.
This behavior is not normal of an angry person who feels betrayed by the love of his life. A normal person would be angry, would go away, shout, would also do wrong things but it will always be in a definite short period of time.
This man abuses his wife for 15 years.
His behavior affects also his children, his son hates him and this may also be considered as an abuse to his children.
So the environment in this family is extremely toxic, with the wife being abused, the children witnessing these abuses and the husband going scot free because he’s the breadwinner.
The only thing to do here is to break the cycle of abuses.
- the husband has to go away.
This is a first part of two.
It’s obvious that the author wants to give a happy ending with the wife forgiving 15 years of cheating and humiliations and abuses and emotional deprivation and all is well in the end.
If it’s so, the author will have to advise that it’s a horror book.
Yes, in a horror story a wife will continue being under her monster of husband’s influence for all her life and be happy.
- or it will be a paranormal fantasy where the husband changes because he wants to keep the wife and all will be well. In your dreams maybe. Or nightmares.
This one has only one happy ending.
-The wife dumps his sorry ass, divorce him, he realizes he’s a monster, he loves her and he has lost her for his monstrous behavior and dies in a car accident leaving his wife rich and happy. She marries a younger man who loves her like crazy.
- yes, the wife cheated and is not innocent party, I’m not saying that. But we don’t discuss her mistakes here, mistakes she recognized and for which she apologized to the hero telling him she realized she loved him and not om.
Its not a matter of deserving his behavior because nobody deserves to be treated as he did his wife. The hero was not forced to stay married if he didn’t want her. He could have divorced her. He could have asked her to go counseling if he wanted her back. His behavior was not retaliation or revenge it was abusive, stop.
- of course he doesn’t love her. He never did. And one thing the author understands: this was not about love but about dominance. His wife is his possession and he, little worthless man that he is, needs her to feel himself powerful.
- I don’t need to tell you he didn’t love her because he has cheated on her for 15 years or he has done nothing but criticize her and ignore her and humiliate her and this is never love.
- I don’t need to tell you that his explanations are only excuses. That his threats are very common for abuser, threats of killing themselves, to kill their wife, they do that.
It’s in the books. They all this all the time.
- I hope the author won’t try to make this story a love story because it’s not.
- there’s no redemption, no possible going on with the marriage if the heroine wants to keep a self esteem as a woman.
- if the author will make the husband be all regretful and wooing his wife and the wife will accept his behavior and forgive his 15 years of abuses and they will be together this will be another very very sad case of validation of abuses on women. And in these days and time I think we just don’t need this. The husband is deranged and dangerous. He already did severe damages to his family all of them.
- I don’t know if I’ll read the second part, as usual I’m very disappointed with the degree of shallowness with which such a serious issue is dealt with. People abused for years simply don’t recover from their abuses with some months of dates, flowers and nice compliments. Years of the marriage from hell are not erased with such case. It’s an insult to women who are really abused in real life. They often never recover. I hope the author won’t do the mistake of believing that this can be amended.
- there’s no need to make a fool of readers letting them believe in something that is actually impossible and IMO- useless. It’s useless that the wife and the husband here go back together because there’s nothing healthy to save. They have children that will be happier if they separate. The husband must go counseling or better- therapy for years and only then he will be able to overcome his antisocial behavior. Because it’s actually this: antisocial and without empathy. He callously uses women, he disrespects his wife and his children. I don’t think it will be easy for him to change.
-the wife was wrong to cheat on his husband and she treated him badly the first years of marriage when she still thought of another man and had an affair with him. And No she doesn’t love her husband she only felt guilty. You can’t love a man who mistreated you for 15 years. It’s not possible. She has issues too and has to go counseling too.
- I don’t know if I’m more angry or disappointed. If the following book will have an happy ending, the only happy ending possible here I will read it and I will give more stars. Here I couldn’t even feel the angst.
- my professional opinion for a happy ending in the following book: they go separate ways, he goes to therapy for years and tries to make amends for his sins against his wife and children being a sober and celibate man. She goes to counseling and learn how to grow a backbone and to be emotionally independent, then she finds a good and loving husband (not the hero)
- my personal opinion. I’m a feminist bitch, very nasty and vindictive. The perfect ending will be that she divorces him, her hot sexy lawyer falls in love with her and they get married. She also has twins with him and eventually she can have a happy family. The husband realizes he lost the love of his life and is desperate. When he sees her out with her new husband celebrating her pregnancy with both his children, he goes out and has a nasty accident that leaves him paralyzed and insensitive from the neck. He will live a long life of regrets in a private clinic while his wife and children prosper outside, with his money.
It’s about a couple that has been married for 23 years, the wife is 42 and the husband is 48.
She cheated on him 7 years after they were married, when she met again her ex - an ex she had been in love before her husband and she thinks she’s not over.
- husband reacted very badly, threatening to take her children away from her and telling she would be basically his prisoner and his to do as he pleased.
- for 15 years he cheated on her with countless younger women under her nose and his son’s too.
- he humiliated, gaslighted, debased, insulted her.
- he deprived her of every freedom so she would be under his command and had to ask for everything.
- he deprived her of emotional support
- his son- god bless him- hates him and is completely on his mothers side. Smart boy
- after 15 years of this hell she sees him with one of his floozies and decides that enough is enough.
She asks for divorce. I don’t know how she could cope for so long. Maybe her affair made her feel very guilty and deserving of his abuses.
-he can’t believe she wants a divorce and is terrified to lose her. He thinks he’s always loved her, but he was angry and couldn’t forgive her betrayal so he kept on abusing her FOR 15 FUCKING YEARS.
- he thinks he will do anything to keep her and has a panic attack when she, after angry goodbye sex, tells him that it was really a goodbye and she wants a divorce.
End of the first part.
Ok. My professional and personal opinion are basically the same.
There’s no redemption here and it’s no joke.
The man is a violent abuser.
He’s got all the signs.
His behavior is just that.
His pattern of behavior is typical of an abuser.
- an abuser will justify his abuses and will blame the victim for them. Check.
- he will ask forgiveness when the victim threatens to leave him, he will promise change, will bring flowers, will woo, will go counseling. This phase has also a very ironic name, it’s called honeymoon phase. Check.
- he will start the abuses again at the first sign of distress with the same pattern.
This behavior is not normal of an angry person who feels betrayed by the love of his life. A normal person would be angry, would go away, shout, would also do wrong things but it will always be in a definite short period of time.
This man abuses his wife for 15 years.
His behavior affects also his children, his son hates him and this may also be considered as an abuse to his children.
So the environment in this family is extremely toxic, with the wife being abused, the children witnessing these abuses and the husband going scot free because he’s the breadwinner.
The only thing to do here is to break the cycle of abuses.
- the husband has to go away.
This is a first part of two.
It’s obvious that the author wants to give a happy ending with the wife forgiving 15 years of cheating and humiliations and abuses and emotional deprivation and all is well in the end.
If it’s so, the author will have to advise that it’s a horror book.
Yes, in a horror story a wife will continue being under her monster of husband’s influence for all her life and be happy.
- or it will be a paranormal fantasy where the husband changes because he wants to keep the wife and all will be well. In your dreams maybe. Or nightmares.
This one has only one happy ending.
-The wife dumps his sorry ass, divorce him, he realizes he’s a monster, he loves her and he has lost her for his monstrous behavior and dies in a car accident leaving his wife rich and happy. She marries a younger man who loves her like crazy.
- yes, the wife cheated and is not innocent party, I’m not saying that. But we don’t discuss her mistakes here, mistakes she recognized and for which she apologized to the hero telling him she realized she loved him and not om.
Its not a matter of deserving his behavior because nobody deserves to be treated as he did his wife. The hero was not forced to stay married if he didn’t want her. He could have divorced her. He could have asked her to go counseling if he wanted her back. His behavior was not retaliation or revenge it was abusive, stop.
- of course he doesn’t love her. He never did. And one thing the author understands: this was not about love but about dominance. His wife is his possession and he, little worthless man that he is, needs her to feel himself powerful.
- I don’t need to tell you he didn’t love her because he has cheated on her for 15 years or he has done nothing but criticize her and ignore her and humiliate her and this is never love.
- I don’t need to tell you that his explanations are only excuses. That his threats are very common for abuser, threats of killing themselves, to kill their wife, they do that.
It’s in the books. They all this all the time.
- I hope the author won’t try to make this story a love story because it’s not.
- there’s no redemption, no possible going on with the marriage if the heroine wants to keep a self esteem as a woman.
- if the author will make the husband be all regretful and wooing his wife and the wife will accept his behavior and forgive his 15 years of abuses and they will be together this will be another very very sad case of validation of abuses on women. And in these days and time I think we just don’t need this. The husband is deranged and dangerous. He already did severe damages to his family all of them.
- I don’t know if I’ll read the second part, as usual I’m very disappointed with the degree of shallowness with which such a serious issue is dealt with. People abused for years simply don’t recover from their abuses with some months of dates, flowers and nice compliments. Years of the marriage from hell are not erased with such case. It’s an insult to women who are really abused in real life. They often never recover. I hope the author won’t do the mistake of believing that this can be amended.
- there’s no need to make a fool of readers letting them believe in something that is actually impossible and IMO- useless. It’s useless that the wife and the husband here go back together because there’s nothing healthy to save. They have children that will be happier if they separate. The husband must go counseling or better- therapy for years and only then he will be able to overcome his antisocial behavior. Because it’s actually this: antisocial and without empathy. He callously uses women, he disrespects his wife and his children. I don’t think it will be easy for him to change.
-the wife was wrong to cheat on his husband and she treated him badly the first years of marriage when she still thought of another man and had an affair with him. And No she doesn’t love her husband she only felt guilty. You can’t love a man who mistreated you for 15 years. It’s not possible. She has issues too and has to go counseling too.
- I don’t know if I’m more angry or disappointed. If the following book will have an happy ending, the only happy ending possible here I will read it and I will give more stars. Here I couldn’t even feel the angst.
- my professional opinion for a happy ending in the following book: they go separate ways, he goes to therapy for years and tries to make amends for his sins against his wife and children being a sober and celibate man. She goes to counseling and learn how to grow a backbone and to be emotionally independent, then she finds a good and loving husband (not the hero)
- my personal opinion. I’m a feminist bitch, very nasty and vindictive. The perfect ending will be that she divorces him, her hot sexy lawyer falls in love with her and they get married. She also has twins with him and eventually she can have a happy family. The husband realizes he lost the love of his life and is desperate. When he sees her out with her new husband celebrating her pregnancy with both his children, he goes out and has a nasty accident that leaves him paralyzed and insensitive from the neck. He will live a long life of regrets in a private clinic while his wife and children prosper outside, with his money.
not-interested
October 4, 2022Justify it however you want, but the hero fucking OW (lots) for 15 years is a bit ridiculous to still call it revenge cheating 🙄
No coming back from that bullshit.
No coming back from that bullshit.
January 12, 2025
🚩I forgive him.
🚩Her, not so much.
Nts: neaten review
For once an author who sticks to her word and has given us a story exactly as she promised:
Previous:
Free in Smashwords store until 31 July 2023 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
⛔️Spoiler shelves and somewhat spoilers below⛔️
🔺Hxh are the parents of H in
by Skyler Mason 🚩
🔺Cheating scenes in 👆🏽book
🔺Sounds like a scenario I can handle if there’s no emotional connection between H x ow)
🔺If there’s no 3rd book
🔺And no surprise ow babies/miscarriages
💔What I know from Purity:
🔺They're married for about 23 years
🔺He says he loved her so much but realizes she didn't love him back so in hindsight......
🔺She cheated on him about 7 years into their marriage
🔺He's angry and broken and a pos and kinda lost and sad and bitter
🔺He cheated on her over the next 16 years - its not mentioned exactly how often
🔺He's a 48 year old DILF now
🔺One of the ow is his son's age - 22 - Sophia
🔺He had drunk sex with Sophia (who initiated it) in his and h's guest house on the anniversary of the day the h told him about her cheating
🔺Sophia says he was upset and thinks he cried; she got the impression that he loved his wife
🔺Hxh's son caught him in flagrante with some ow
🔺The h seems a bit prim and proper; doesn't come across as if her life is falling apart, but we don't see things from her pov in Purity so that doesn't count for much
📌What I know from auth comment in fb:
🔺There are flashbacks in Forgiveness of him with his OW
🔺Next book, Forgiveness “will also be a novella but may be longer than Faithless”
🔺”He is mostly upset that he thinks she doesn't love him. He felt like he had won her love after 7 years of marriage and then found out about her affair. He went into despair thinking that making her love him was hopeless. He was upset about the affair, but mostly that he felt like he could never have her heart.”
🔺”…I can't say for sure that he will be redeemed, but I can promise he will be utterly miserable which should be satisfying…”
🚩Her, not so much.
Nts: neaten review
For once an author who sticks to her word and has given us a story exactly as she promised:
Previous:
Free in Smashwords store until 31 July 2023 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
⛔️Spoiler shelves and somewhat spoilers below⛔️
🔺Hxh are the parents of H in
by Skyler Mason 🚩🔺Cheating scenes in 👆🏽book
🔺Sounds like a scenario I can handle if there’s no emotional connection between H x ow)
🔺If there’s no 3rd book
🔺And no surprise ow babies/miscarriages
💔What I know from Purity:
🔺They're married for about 23 years
🔺He says he loved her so much but realizes she didn't love him back so in hindsight......
🔺She cheated on him about 7 years into their marriage
🔺He's angry and broken and a pos and kinda lost and sad and bitter
🔺He cheated on her over the next 16 years - its not mentioned exactly how often
🔺He's a 48 year old DILF now
🔺One of the ow is his son's age - 22 - Sophia
🔺He had drunk sex with Sophia (who initiated it) in his and h's guest house on the anniversary of the day the h told him about her cheating
🔺Sophia says he was upset and thinks he cried; she got the impression that he loved his wife
🔺Hxh's son caught him in flagrante with some ow
🔺The h seems a bit prim and proper; doesn't come across as if her life is falling apart, but we don't see things from her pov in Purity so that doesn't count for much
📌What I know from auth comment in fb:
🔺There are flashbacks in Forgiveness of him with his OW
🔺Next book, Forgiveness “will also be a novella but may be longer than Faithless”
🔺”He is mostly upset that he thinks she doesn't love him. He felt like he had won her love after 7 years of marriage and then found out about her affair. He went into despair thinking that making her love him was hopeless. He was upset about the affair, but mostly that he felt like he could never have her heart.”
🔺”…I can't say for sure that he will be redeemed, but I can promise he will be utterly miserable which should be satisfying…”
September 12, 2023
This boook brought so much conflict insight of me, i have such a hard time rating it and reviewing it!!!! So i will take the things from the begining and try to explain all my views and feelings about it!!
I saw a tiktok of it some months ago, i didn't like the blurp so i didn't write down the title but something in my stirred and i couldn't stop thinking about it! You can't imagine how many hours i spent making scenarios based on that blurp! So yesterday after binging another book by this author, i stampled upon it and i needed to satisfy my curiosity and get it out of my system! And OMG! I binged the duology in one sitting and as soon as i finished i went back and reread it! So i can't rate it low, but at the same time I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! i will elaborate below
The blurp: they are a married couple for 6 years, together for 7. They have 3 kids. The wife confesses to her husband that she has been cheating on him for 2 months with her first love! He gets crazy with jealously and heartache. For 15 years he can't forgive her, he is obsessed with her but thinks she never loved and never will love him so he is cheating on her to at least hurt her and humiliate her. After 15 years, she asks for a divorce, and he looses his mind! That's when the book starts, from when she asks for a divorce.
My God, I’ll be living in the deepest bitter cold if I let her get away from me.
So normally? I would hate this with a passion! I wouldn't even consider rooting for a couple with so much shit and toxicity! I totally understand everyone who hates it! But at the same time? THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS CRAVING!!! All the obsession and despair this man had, the way he would die just for a touch from her, the way he couldn't breath without her!!!!! I ate it up and left no cramps! I dont know what crack the author put in her books to make me that obsessed with things i hate! BUT OH GOD I AM OBSESSED!!!!!! I highlighted the entire book
She’s mine.
My love for her has always been dark and twisted like this—even before it became hate-filled love—but it’s never waned. [...] That scent. It’s her.
Will that change if she leaves? I don’t think I can bear it.
She moves with grace, my wife, and you can even hear it. I noticed it the night I met her. It was yet another sign that she was an angel from heaven.
She looks like one when she enters the room. The morning sunlight turns her golden-brown eyes molten. Am I getting maudlin? Is the thought of losing her making me crazy? How does she look as beautiful as she did when I met her over twenty-three years ago?
That determined set of her jaw and the way she stares at me without blinking… It’s so unlike her. And suddenly, it feels like sharp fingernails are clawing all over my skin. My throat squeezes like a vise.
This is different. She’s changed.
“Anything,” I choke out. “I can answer to you from now on. You’re in charge. And you can do absolutely anything you want with our money.”
The only reason I kept monetary decisions away from her was because I wanted her to depend on me. Because I didn’t want her to leave.
Oh God, I’m a bastard.
Now I’m paying for it.
Toxic toxic toxic. But addicting!!!!! So as i said don't be fooled by my high rating, i couldn't give it anything less based on my obsession! I DO NOT recommend! Read it only if you are as obsessed with obsessive men groveling as i am and you can forget everything else in the sight of that!!
I saw a tiktok of it some months ago, i didn't like the blurp so i didn't write down the title but something in my stirred and i couldn't stop thinking about it! You can't imagine how many hours i spent making scenarios based on that blurp! So yesterday after binging another book by this author, i stampled upon it and i needed to satisfy my curiosity and get it out of my system! And OMG! I binged the duology in one sitting and as soon as i finished i went back and reread it! So i can't rate it low, but at the same time I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT! i will elaborate below
The blurp: they are a married couple for 6 years, together for 7. They have 3 kids. The wife confesses to her husband that she has been cheating on him for 2 months with her first love! He gets crazy with jealously and heartache. For 15 years he can't forgive her, he is obsessed with her but thinks she never loved and never will love him so he is cheating on her to at least hurt her and humiliate her. After 15 years, she asks for a divorce, and he looses his mind! That's when the book starts, from when she asks for a divorce.
My God, I’ll be living in the deepest bitter cold if I let her get away from me.
So normally? I would hate this with a passion! I wouldn't even consider rooting for a couple with so much shit and toxicity! I totally understand everyone who hates it! But at the same time? THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS CRAVING!!! All the obsession and despair this man had, the way he would die just for a touch from her, the way he couldn't breath without her!!!!! I ate it up and left no cramps! I dont know what crack the author put in her books to make me that obsessed with things i hate! BUT OH GOD I AM OBSESSED!!!!!! I highlighted the entire book
She’s mine.
My love for her has always been dark and twisted like this—even before it became hate-filled love—but it’s never waned. [...] That scent. It’s her.
Will that change if she leaves? I don’t think I can bear it.
She moves with grace, my wife, and you can even hear it. I noticed it the night I met her. It was yet another sign that she was an angel from heaven.
She looks like one when she enters the room. The morning sunlight turns her golden-brown eyes molten. Am I getting maudlin? Is the thought of losing her making me crazy? How does she look as beautiful as she did when I met her over twenty-three years ago?
That determined set of her jaw and the way she stares at me without blinking… It’s so unlike her. And suddenly, it feels like sharp fingernails are clawing all over my skin. My throat squeezes like a vise.
This is different. She’s changed.
“Anything,” I choke out. “I can answer to you from now on. You’re in charge. And you can do absolutely anything you want with our money.”
The only reason I kept monetary decisions away from her was because I wanted her to depend on me. Because I didn’t want her to leave.
Oh God, I’m a bastard.
Now I’m paying for it.
Toxic toxic toxic. But addicting!!!!! So as i said don't be fooled by my high rating, i couldn't give it anything less based on my obsession! I DO NOT recommend! Read it only if you are as obsessed with obsessive men groveling as i am and you can forget everything else in the sight of that!!
br-on-the-rocks
September 25, 2022Copy and paste this review.
I am so tired of having my reading choices morally condemned by someone who can’t come up with better reasoning than “I’m offended”
I can read about shit I’D NEVER ACCEPT IRL.
I can also tell the difference between reality and fiction.
Can you???
I am so tired of having my reading choices morally condemned by someone who can’t come up with better reasoning than “I’m offended”
I can read about shit I’D NEVER ACCEPT IRL.
I can also tell the difference between reality and fiction.
Can you???
Read
October 10, 2022I wrote a review with all the spoilers and don’t know how it was eliminated all. This app need some adjusting. Anyway, long story short:
She cheated with ex fiancé after 7 years married to H. It was after the last birth of their kids. It lasted 2 months and maybe a little more because they started talking first. H and h married super fast and he knew she was still pinning for OM. He is 6 years older than her. She was depressed after birth and have a little problem with self esteemed. Doesn’t justify it. Just giving facts.
She told him and after that he cheated on her during 15 years with a lot of ow. Super young ow. Everyone knows about this. Even their son. He found him with ow in a trip for the two of them. This son is the H of purity and he is pretty messed out for this dynamic. He doesn’t know until later that his mom cheated first. H even has a beach house to make the cheating easier and told h how he would NEVER sleep with someone of their circle. BUT she found him a couple of times with ow in bed (not in scene) and even found him with a young ow in a supermarket buying h’s almond milk. SO, he is not hiding himself that well.
She asked for divorce after the milk incident and because their young child is almost 18. He doesn’t believe her but after a little bit. He realizes that he has pushed her too much and is leaving. He feels bad because he hasn’t been able to forgive. He told h that if she doesn’t divorce him he would stay faithful. She has had enough. They have sex sometimes BUT only in the almost last chapter she asked him if he is clean. He told her that he was checked the next day after she ask for the divorce. After that he hasn’t been with anyone.
IF HE LEAVES ANY OW PREGNANT IM OUT. Hope he uses protection but that is not even 100% so…
What else?
SPOILERS OF PURITY:
Their son was making out with ow and was going to have sex but she realizes that he is H’s son bc H brought her to their house to have sex. This ow has the same age as his son. And had sex with her in their house. Maybe in h and H’s bed in the 15th anniversary of the day that h told him about affair.
END OF SPOILERS OF PURITY
I have read some rumors that h was going to have a bf in the next book. Probably the hot divorce lawyer that we met in this book. I’m here for it. There is a scene where H kissed h in front of this lawyer. He acts like a caveman.
We don’t know what happened with her ex fiancé. He was going to talk with him after she told him about it.
Also, the author has said that we are going to have some painful flashbacks scenes of H and ow. I think they are flashbacks because if he touches another after trying to bring her back. I’m out.
I found super disgusting all of the ow drama especially knowing that they are super young and that has also been super painful for her self esteem. With all this, we have to add that she doesn’t have a job and doesn’t have an income because he didn’t want that. Everyone knows about him cheating and feel petty for h. EVEN THEIR KIDS. He has messed out his own kids with all this instead of breaking up and divorcing. He thinks she doesn’t love him until the last scene where after they have sex (and he called her whore btw) and she told him about seeing him with ow in supermarket and how much her heart was breaking. How she didn’t have any heart left because he just took and took. He realizes that she loves/loved him but is leaving. He broke down and started to cry and beg but she leaves.
About the whore thing, he always thought she was an angel and all that crap. After the after he calls her whore and stopped calling her his darling girl. He called her that when they were having sex and he started to think of her with OM. It’s not the first time that he does this. She permits this during the times that they have sex. Didn’t use protection but she asked him about being clean. Does he use protection with ow?
I don’t really understand why he would sleep with so many ow. He even says that he doesn’t know why he did it. He could have avoid it. But he kept doing it over and over again. He is selfish and they are super toxic. This story explains perfectly why sometimes divorce parents are better for kids that to have to live with this dynamic just to “be a family”
For me, the worst is that all this messed up their kids, her self esteem and could have been avoid. He wants to be the only one to have her and is super mad at her.
TW: after she confessed he grab her by the neck and said that he understand why some husbands kill their wife’s after this.
Self note with spoilers
So, I have seen that the parents are going to have a book. I’m in shock. A part of me wants to read it but another is so scared. He cheated on her for years after she had a ons with her ex boyfriend. I would want to see if he is able to redeem himself after all the cheating. Especially the one in their house in their bed with a girl of the same age as his son (the H of purity)
It’s going to be a duet so, I hope to see some major grovel and maybe she moving with her life a little bit, maybe find OM (or ex boyfriend) IMAGINE A REUNION BETWEEN H AND OM
She cheated with ex fiancé after 7 years married to H. It was after the last birth of their kids. It lasted 2 months and maybe a little more because they started talking first. H and h married super fast and he knew she was still pinning for OM. He is 6 years older than her. She was depressed after birth and have a little problem with self esteemed. Doesn’t justify it. Just giving facts.
She told him and after that he cheated on her during 15 years with a lot of ow. Super young ow. Everyone knows about this. Even their son. He found him with ow in a trip for the two of them. This son is the H of purity and he is pretty messed out for this dynamic. He doesn’t know until later that his mom cheated first. H even has a beach house to make the cheating easier and told h how he would NEVER sleep with someone of their circle. BUT she found him a couple of times with ow in bed (not in scene) and even found him with a young ow in a supermarket buying h’s almond milk. SO, he is not hiding himself that well.
She asked for divorce after the milk incident and because their young child is almost 18. He doesn’t believe her but after a little bit. He realizes that he has pushed her too much and is leaving. He feels bad because he hasn’t been able to forgive. He told h that if she doesn’t divorce him he would stay faithful. She has had enough. They have sex sometimes BUT only in the almost last chapter she asked him if he is clean. He told her that he was checked the next day after she ask for the divorce. After that he hasn’t been with anyone.
IF HE LEAVES ANY OW PREGNANT IM OUT. Hope he uses protection but that is not even 100% so…
What else?
SPOILERS OF PURITY:
Their son was making out with ow and was going to have sex but she realizes that he is H’s son bc H brought her to their house to have sex. This ow has the same age as his son. And had sex with her in their house. Maybe in h and H’s bed in the 15th anniversary of the day that h told him about affair.
END OF SPOILERS OF PURITY
I have read some rumors that h was going to have a bf in the next book. Probably the hot divorce lawyer that we met in this book. I’m here for it. There is a scene where H kissed h in front of this lawyer. He acts like a caveman.
We don’t know what happened with her ex fiancé. He was going to talk with him after she told him about it.
Also, the author has said that we are going to have some painful flashbacks scenes of H and ow. I think they are flashbacks because if he touches another after trying to bring her back. I’m out.
I found super disgusting all of the ow drama especially knowing that they are super young and that has also been super painful for her self esteem. With all this, we have to add that she doesn’t have a job and doesn’t have an income because he didn’t want that. Everyone knows about him cheating and feel petty for h. EVEN THEIR KIDS. He has messed out his own kids with all this instead of breaking up and divorcing. He thinks she doesn’t love him until the last scene where after they have sex (and he called her whore btw) and she told him about seeing him with ow in supermarket and how much her heart was breaking. How she didn’t have any heart left because he just took and took. He realizes that she loves/loved him but is leaving. He broke down and started to cry and beg but she leaves.
About the whore thing, he always thought she was an angel and all that crap. After the after he calls her whore and stopped calling her his darling girl. He called her that when they were having sex and he started to think of her with OM. It’s not the first time that he does this. She permits this during the times that they have sex. Didn’t use protection but she asked him about being clean. Does he use protection with ow?
I don’t really understand why he would sleep with so many ow. He even says that he doesn’t know why he did it. He could have avoid it. But he kept doing it over and over again. He is selfish and they are super toxic. This story explains perfectly why sometimes divorce parents are better for kids that to have to live with this dynamic just to “be a family”
For me, the worst is that all this messed up their kids, her self esteem and could have been avoid. He wants to be the only one to have her and is super mad at her.
TW: after she confessed he grab her by the neck and said that he understand why some husbands kill their wife’s after this.
Self note with spoilers
So, I have seen that the parents are going to have a book. I’m in shock. A part of me wants to read it but another is so scared. He cheated on her for years after she had a ons with her ex boyfriend. I would want to see if he is able to redeem himself after all the cheating. Especially the one in their house in their bed with a girl of the same age as his son (the H of purity)
It’s going to be a duet so, I hope to see some major grovel and maybe she moving with her life a little bit, maybe find OM (or ex boyfriend) IMAGINE A REUNION BETWEEN H AND OM
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2023
faithless is giving- cry me a river
🎵 You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no 🎵
🎵 You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn't think that they would come crashing down, no 🎵
October 27, 2022
Can’t wait for the next book and I blame Phuong and L . 🤡🌚
November 17, 2022
Extremely short and I honestly don't know if this hero can be redeemed?? I'm hoping the sequel will be full length because he needs a ton of work 🥴
September 13, 2022
I've written some bad, bad, BAD boys. Some even bordering psychopaths (Camden Hayes, I'm looking at you!), but Mark Walker is my first true dark romance hero. If you're a fan of Purity, he's Cole's hot dad. If you want a grasp on Mark's personality, imagine Cole if Cole were evil.
That's maybe a little unfair to Mark. While he is over-the-top possessive and sometimes cruel to his beautiful wife, his behavior stems from a deep hurt that happened early on in their marriage.
Faithless is a complicated story. I expect many of you will LOATHE Mark, but I also expect some of you to pity him.
Here are some of the fun marriage in trouble tropes you can expect:
-Heroine asks for the divorce in the opening chapter
-Hero REFUSES to let his wife go, even when he's been treating her terribly for years
-Hero won't let any other many come near her.
-Heroine remains strong, even when the hero fights dirty to keep her
-Loving, tender thoughts underneath all the hurt
-Hero breaks down into a sobbing mess when he realizes that the heroine truly plans to leave him
Prepare yourself. This one is a tear-jerker!
That's maybe a little unfair to Mark. While he is over-the-top possessive and sometimes cruel to his beautiful wife, his behavior stems from a deep hurt that happened early on in their marriage.
Faithless is a complicated story. I expect many of you will LOATHE Mark, but I also expect some of you to pity him.
Here are some of the fun marriage in trouble tropes you can expect:
-Heroine asks for the divorce in the opening chapter
-Hero REFUSES to let his wife go, even when he's been treating her terribly for years
-Hero won't let any other many come near her.
-Heroine remains strong, even when the hero fights dirty to keep her
-Loving, tender thoughts underneath all the hurt
-Hero breaks down into a sobbing mess when he realizes that the heroine truly plans to leave him
Prepare yourself. This one is a tear-jerker!
December 29, 2022
I've been flippant about "safe" books recently. To be honest, I’ve been in the mood to read marriage-in-crisis angst books without ow-om/d. Unfortunately, majority *do* have that 😭. I did find this through a tiktok the author made to promote the book.
To avoid wasting my time with such romances, I just prefer that the author disclose those tropes, and this author does so, so again, props. I readjusted my romance expectations. Because it feels a little unfair, I’ll preface I'm not downvoting it because it was a second chance or because of the cheating. Maybe the context of the cheating itself.
Both MCs are fiercely unlikeable individuals. There is only so much depth and progression that can be presented in a 57 page novella. The heroine made the decision to have a two-month affair with her ex-fiancé, having sex with him a total of six times, after she had given birth to her daughter (her second child with her husband) fifteen years ago. She showed no consideration for her husband's sexual safety, their vows, or their children. She was an adult in a committed marriage, not a young adolescent who made a one-off call. It was a series of consistent deliberate decisions. This is reason number one for why I hate her. This was a long standing emotional affair with no information on the man she had this affair with.
Had this affair taken place at the start of their marriage where she admitted to him that she was still not over her ex and husband fiercely pursued her in spite of this, then arguably there would have been more of a favourable view of her character and potentially pulling for the relationship to recover by seeing this as a lapse in judgement on her part because she didn’t know the H enough or even having rose tinted glasses for the ex-fiancé.
Reason number two for why I hate her, is even whilst admitting to her guilt — she made excuses. Postpartum. Low in confidence. Your husband is a MILLIONAIRE. Get your self a damn trainer. Visit the doctor. Seek support in therapy. Hire a nanny. If you aren’t in love with your husband after two kids, I don’t know what to say babe 😂 Get rid. I would have respected her if she said, you were stale in bed, I found our marriage boring, and he made me feel excited again. Just own your affair at this point please, lol.
Now let’s move onto the next cretin in this scenario. The husband who has cheated for 15 years in retaliation. The retaliatory cheating itself I wasn’t mad at. She was this “angel” (supposedly) to him and his image of her shattered, because he was in “love” with her.
Given that the husband has all financial power over their family, I can understand why the heroine delayed the divorce and was in this state of penance until both her children turned 18. The reason I hated this man is because he sounded like a predator that stalked young women - borderline teenagers on onlyfans. Sleeping consistently with women that have just entered their twenties. Sounded like a slimeball. A 48 year old slimeball ain’t cute. It’s beggy, desperate, repulsive. It’s giving old man. Have an affair with a coworker or her best friend or a woman in her thirties, but nope, we learn that it was hundreds of women who haven’t fully developed their prefrontal cortex… you know, important for reasoning, judgment, and impulse control?
Wife announces her desire for a divorce and now he’s saying “darling girl” and trying to seduce her and about to collapse into tears out of fear because he supposedly loves her. CLOWN. Darling girl alone sounded so infantile. They have sex (idk how she even allowed that) and he called her a whore. And whenever he spoke about his wife, all he wax on about how she still looks good and only had botox. These trashy characters one million percent deserve each other. But god, it was so boring, that I was just skimming hoping for an iota of chemistry or decent conversation.
To avoid wasting my time with such romances, I just prefer that the author disclose those tropes, and this author does so, so again, props. I readjusted my romance expectations. Because it feels a little unfair, I’ll preface I'm not downvoting it because it was a second chance or because of the cheating. Maybe the context of the cheating itself.
Both MCs are fiercely unlikeable individuals. There is only so much depth and progression that can be presented in a 57 page novella. The heroine made the decision to have a two-month affair with her ex-fiancé, having sex with him a total of six times, after she had given birth to her daughter (her second child with her husband) fifteen years ago. She showed no consideration for her husband's sexual safety, their vows, or their children. She was an adult in a committed marriage, not a young adolescent who made a one-off call. It was a series of consistent deliberate decisions. This is reason number one for why I hate her. This was a long standing emotional affair with no information on the man she had this affair with.
Had this affair taken place at the start of their marriage where she admitted to him that she was still not over her ex and husband fiercely pursued her in spite of this, then arguably there would have been more of a favourable view of her character and potentially pulling for the relationship to recover by seeing this as a lapse in judgement on her part because she didn’t know the H enough or even having rose tinted glasses for the ex-fiancé.
Reason number two for why I hate her, is even whilst admitting to her guilt — she made excuses. Postpartum. Low in confidence. Your husband is a MILLIONAIRE. Get your self a damn trainer. Visit the doctor. Seek support in therapy. Hire a nanny. If you aren’t in love with your husband after two kids, I don’t know what to say babe 😂 Get rid. I would have respected her if she said, you were stale in bed, I found our marriage boring, and he made me feel excited again. Just own your affair at this point please, lol.
Now let’s move onto the next cretin in this scenario. The husband who has cheated for 15 years in retaliation. The retaliatory cheating itself I wasn’t mad at. She was this “angel” (supposedly) to him and his image of her shattered, because he was in “love” with her.
Given that the husband has all financial power over their family, I can understand why the heroine delayed the divorce and was in this state of penance until both her children turned 18. The reason I hated this man is because he sounded like a predator that stalked young women - borderline teenagers on onlyfans. Sleeping consistently with women that have just entered their twenties. Sounded like a slimeball. A 48 year old slimeball ain’t cute. It’s beggy, desperate, repulsive. It’s giving old man. Have an affair with a coworker or her best friend or a woman in her thirties, but nope, we learn that it was hundreds of women who haven’t fully developed their prefrontal cortex… you know, important for reasoning, judgment, and impulse control?
Wife announces her desire for a divorce and now he’s saying “darling girl” and trying to seduce her and about to collapse into tears out of fear because he supposedly loves her. CLOWN. Darling girl alone sounded so infantile. They have sex (idk how she even allowed that) and he called her a whore. And whenever he spoke about his wife, all he wax on about how she still looks good and only had botox. These trashy characters one million percent deserve each other. But god, it was so boring, that I was just skimming hoping for an iota of chemistry or decent conversation.
October 22, 2022
i would cheat on mark too if i was whitney
December 16, 2025
12/15/25 reread for only around 65 pages this packs a punch. Mark the H is madly in love with his wife Whitney. 6 years in and 3 kids she confesses she cheated with her ex fiancé. Mark then cheats a gazillion times over the next 15 years but is still crazy for his wife. The book opens after all this with Whitney finally tired of his payback asking for a divorce. Let the grovel begin.
11/22 first read I really liked this, but I hate waiting for the rest of the story!
11/22 first read I really liked this, but I hate waiting for the rest of the story!
December 29, 2022
3.5✨
that was delish. im invested. but april 2023? wouldnt remember a thing
that was delish. im invested. but april 2023? wouldnt remember a thing
July 12, 2023
3.75 Dark Angsty Stars
Who is the Faithless one here?
I've finished both the books and I think it all could have fitted into one, for one.
But yes, I will rate this novella/prequel higher because of the novelty and the shock value.
The actual book lets down a bit, the tempo at least.
Also, I don't understand why people are so shocked by the cheating, even the degree of it. The author has clearly labelled it a Dark marriage in trouble book. It's clear that such books are only for those who like/enjoy reading cheating books. So be warned.
'A toxic symbiotic life ...'
Who is the Faithless one here?
I've finished both the books and I think it all could have fitted into one, for one.
But yes, I will rate this novella/prequel higher because of the novelty and the shock value.
The actual book lets down a bit, the tempo at least.
Also, I don't understand why people are so shocked by the cheating, even the degree of it. The author has clearly labelled it a Dark marriage in trouble book. It's clear that such books are only for those who like/enjoy reading cheating books. So be warned.
'A toxic symbiotic life ...'
September 9, 2022
This gets a 31/2 star review from me.
I offered to beta read Faithless, part 1 of a 2 parts novella, and Skyler Mason was kind enough to take me up on my offer. TW- infidelity on both sides, marriage in trouble, degradation in bed (consensual on the h’s part).
Anyone who’s read Purity will know that this is Cole’s parent’s story. This is a relatively short book compared to the author’s other works, and this is perhaps where my mixed feelings for the story comes in. Both Mark and Whitney are such complex characters that I felt that their emotions needed to be explored in a little more detail, and because of the brevity of the book, things felt a bit rushed to me.
We hit the ground running as soon as the book opens, with Whitney wanting a divorce from Mark because she’s tired of his infidelity, which has been going on for the past 15 years, in their 23 years of marriage. She’s starts off as a very complacent character who has been letting his behavior slide because she feels a lot of guilt for cheating on him 15 years ago, and this is her warped way of trying to atone for imploding their marriage. From both their inner monologues we understand that initially she was not in love with him when she married him, and he was more obsessed with her and viewed her as a possession, rather than being in love. These feelings are touched upon and not explored in details, but once again it’s because of the brevity of the novella.
We know that she lived like this- complacent, kind and giving- in their marriage, but there are no instances of her showing that she genuinely loves him or when she fell in love with him; even though she ends up loving him, we don’t get to see it as readers. She wants a divorce now, but he’s adamant to change her mind, even resorting to using her physical attraction for him. He, on the other hand, goes on to have multiple affairs over a period of 15 years, because he loves his rage and anger, and his need to still hurt her after so long. So the question is; did he ever love her, or was it always obsession with him that never turned into genuine love? At this moment, she loves him but cannot live like this, but can the same be said about him?
When she makes the confession about her infidelity, we see the self hatred and anguish she goes through, before and during her confession. However, we never get to view Mark’s feelings and thoughts, during and after this scene. I would have liked to see how broken Mark was after her confession, when he leaves the house and chooses to cheat on her the first time( at least that’s what he says he was going to do). So even though he comes across as a despicable character in the beginning, who knows that he’s in the wrong but has no intentions of changing his ways, I ended up feeling sorry for him, just because he never ever knew that she fell in love with him. 15 years in a long time to sit down and air your grievances, and confesses your true feelings, but they never did.
I guess, what held me back from giving it 5 stars, is the lack of exploration of their feelings, but once again, I have to remind myself that it’s a novella. That being said, I absolutely loved the complexity of both Whitney and Mark’s character. My review takes nothing away from the fact that this is such a riveting story, and I’m so very excited about part 2, which is all about Marks’s groveling and trying to make it up to Whitney. She did her penance and ‘time’ for 15 years, and now she’s ready to get her freedom and find herself, independent from her husband and children. The author has a flair for writing complex, broken and imperfect characters and she’s achieved what she was aiming for here, perfectly. I disliked Mark immensely and still do, but Whitney has her shortcomings as well. She was the perpetrator of this whole debacle, though what Mark did was worse. He took a mistake and snowballed it into a giant monster that affected his kids too.
Suffice to say, no matter what my opinion of this book, I highly recommend it to readers who want to get into the minds of cheating spouses who are looking for redemption and forgiveness.
I offered to beta read Faithless, part 1 of a 2 parts novella, and Skyler Mason was kind enough to take me up on my offer. TW- infidelity on both sides, marriage in trouble, degradation in bed (consensual on the h’s part).
Anyone who’s read Purity will know that this is Cole’s parent’s story. This is a relatively short book compared to the author’s other works, and this is perhaps where my mixed feelings for the story comes in. Both Mark and Whitney are such complex characters that I felt that their emotions needed to be explored in a little more detail, and because of the brevity of the book, things felt a bit rushed to me.
We hit the ground running as soon as the book opens, with Whitney wanting a divorce from Mark because she’s tired of his infidelity, which has been going on for the past 15 years, in their 23 years of marriage. She’s starts off as a very complacent character who has been letting his behavior slide because she feels a lot of guilt for cheating on him 15 years ago, and this is her warped way of trying to atone for imploding their marriage. From both their inner monologues we understand that initially she was not in love with him when she married him, and he was more obsessed with her and viewed her as a possession, rather than being in love. These feelings are touched upon and not explored in details, but once again it’s because of the brevity of the novella.
We know that she lived like this- complacent, kind and giving- in their marriage, but there are no instances of her showing that she genuinely loves him or when she fell in love with him; even though she ends up loving him, we don’t get to see it as readers. She wants a divorce now, but he’s adamant to change her mind, even resorting to using her physical attraction for him. He, on the other hand, goes on to have multiple affairs over a period of 15 years, because he loves his rage and anger, and his need to still hurt her after so long. So the question is; did he ever love her, or was it always obsession with him that never turned into genuine love? At this moment, she loves him but cannot live like this, but can the same be said about him?
When she makes the confession about her infidelity, we see the self hatred and anguish she goes through, before and during her confession. However, we never get to view Mark’s feelings and thoughts, during and after this scene. I would have liked to see how broken Mark was after her confession, when he leaves the house and chooses to cheat on her the first time( at least that’s what he says he was going to do). So even though he comes across as a despicable character in the beginning, who knows that he’s in the wrong but has no intentions of changing his ways, I ended up feeling sorry for him, just because he never ever knew that she fell in love with him. 15 years in a long time to sit down and air your grievances, and confesses your true feelings, but they never did.
I guess, what held me back from giving it 5 stars, is the lack of exploration of their feelings, but once again, I have to remind myself that it’s a novella. That being said, I absolutely loved the complexity of both Whitney and Mark’s character. My review takes nothing away from the fact that this is such a riveting story, and I’m so very excited about part 2, which is all about Marks’s groveling and trying to make it up to Whitney. She did her penance and ‘time’ for 15 years, and now she’s ready to get her freedom and find herself, independent from her husband and children. The author has a flair for writing complex, broken and imperfect characters and she’s achieved what she was aiming for here, perfectly. I disliked Mark immensely and still do, but Whitney has her shortcomings as well. She was the perpetrator of this whole debacle, though what Mark did was worse. He took a mistake and snowballed it into a giant monster that affected his kids too.
Suffice to say, no matter what my opinion of this book, I highly recommend it to readers who want to get into the minds of cheating spouses who are looking for redemption and forgiveness.
October 4, 2022
Angsty, mature, complex
After 23 years of marriage, Whitney presents her husband, Mark, with plans for a divorce, and it triggers a cascade of feelings, memories, even resolve that neither of them planned for. But what does a woman do having tolerated 15 years of infidelity? And what of the man who played on her guilt and partook in indiscretions? This novella captured the pain of infidelity and showcases the complexities of a relationship, the two sides of every experience. It wasn't the sensationalism of cheating along traditional trope lines, but was full of depth. There was more to their story than a man cheating on a woman. There were themes that would resonate with people.
A woman’s insecurity and a man’s disillusionment caused actions that shaped the main couples' future. Whitney wasn’t confident enough to know herself let alone be secure her feelings for Mark. Likewise, Mark was ruled by misguided reverence of Whitney, his "angel" whom he had loved and held in impossibly high regard, displacing his deep-seated mistrust. He had, in fact, fought heaven and earth to have her. Betrayal and resentment manifested in complementary toxic behaviors.
Whitney’s was sweet and warm, but strong and resolute. Mark was cold, but tense and alarmed about losing Whitney whom he had taken for granted, despite her actions. I could feel their pain, the years of hurt, guilt, penitence. Talk about being moved to tears for both in an untenable situation and self-defeating patterns of behavior. This story depicted infidelity as multi-dimensional, revealing multiple sides to a typically inflexible topic. Appearances do not always tell the whole story, and the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Told from multiple, first-person points of view and at an excellent, progressive pace, I loved the positive portrayal of an older couple (in their 40s). It was not especially spicy, but at the same time, showed their steadfast, tangible attraction to each other. There were few side characters, but sufficient enough to add insight into the main characters. Purity provides more background.
A turning point and wake-up call, the author took a "wrong" subject, cheating, and made it introspective. This was a short story that packed a lot of punch.
After 23 years of marriage, Whitney presents her husband, Mark, with plans for a divorce, and it triggers a cascade of feelings, memories, even resolve that neither of them planned for. But what does a woman do having tolerated 15 years of infidelity? And what of the man who played on her guilt and partook in indiscretions? This novella captured the pain of infidelity and showcases the complexities of a relationship, the two sides of every experience. It wasn't the sensationalism of cheating along traditional trope lines, but was full of depth. There was more to their story than a man cheating on a woman. There were themes that would resonate with people.
A woman’s insecurity and a man’s disillusionment caused actions that shaped the main couples' future. Whitney wasn’t confident enough to know herself let alone be secure her feelings for Mark. Likewise, Mark was ruled by misguided reverence of Whitney, his "angel" whom he had loved and held in impossibly high regard, displacing his deep-seated mistrust. He had, in fact, fought heaven and earth to have her. Betrayal and resentment manifested in complementary toxic behaviors.
Whitney’s was sweet and warm, but strong and resolute. Mark was cold, but tense and alarmed about losing Whitney whom he had taken for granted, despite her actions. I could feel their pain, the years of hurt, guilt, penitence. Talk about being moved to tears for both in an untenable situation and self-defeating patterns of behavior. This story depicted infidelity as multi-dimensional, revealing multiple sides to a typically inflexible topic. Appearances do not always tell the whole story, and the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Told from multiple, first-person points of view and at an excellent, progressive pace, I loved the positive portrayal of an older couple (in their 40s). It was not especially spicy, but at the same time, showed their steadfast, tangible attraction to each other. There were few side characters, but sufficient enough to add insight into the main characters. Purity provides more background.
A turning point and wake-up call, the author took a "wrong" subject, cheating, and made it introspective. This was a short story that packed a lot of punch.
December 13, 2024
I'm intrigued by the story and looking forward to know what will happen in the sequel.
September 7, 2022
I was lucky enough to recieve an early ARC copy of Faithless.
Honestly? I loved it. Skyler really made you feel what was happening. Whitney (FMC)-she made the original mistake but has spent years being punished for it. I'm glad she found her backbone.
I'm looking forward to part 2, can't wait to see how Mark redeems himself, plus I'm enjoying his guilt.
Fantastically written, with 2 very flawed but relatable characters.
Honestly? I loved it. Skyler really made you feel what was happening. Whitney (FMC)-she made the original mistake but has spent years being punished for it. I'm glad she found her backbone.
I'm looking forward to part 2, can't wait to see how Mark redeems himself, plus I'm enjoying his guilt.
Fantastically written, with 2 very flawed but relatable characters.
March 30, 2023
I love the drama and I love the smut, but this book makes no sense.
FMC cheats on MMC 15 years ago like a piece of shit.
MMC “gets back” at her by constantly sleeping with other women and revenge cheating, even bringing a girl their sons age and having sex in their bed, and is just a genuine piece of shit to her in every aspect.
FMC finally after 15 years says she’s fine being a doormat and files for divorce.
But no, no. Now the MMC admits he still loves her and is down with the other women.
The way I’d take a fucking bat to a man’s entire collection of cars if he even THOUGHT of treating me this way
FMC cheats on MMC 15 years ago like a piece of shit.
MMC “gets back” at her by constantly sleeping with other women and revenge cheating, even bringing a girl their sons age and having sex in their bed, and is just a genuine piece of shit to her in every aspect.
FMC finally after 15 years says she’s fine being a doormat and files for divorce.
But no, no. Now the MMC admits he still loves her and is down with the other women.
The way I’d take a fucking bat to a man’s entire collection of cars if he even THOUGHT of treating me this way
April 26, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
I randomly came across this book on here this morning. I loved the blurb so thought why not read it. I didn’t look at the amount of pages it has or that it’s a novella.
I wish it was longer because I loved these types of love stories. All the details, pain, love, revenge and sex were all there but with it being so short it was completely off.
I will read the second book. And I hope it’s a bit longer. Part two is meant to be set 3 months after and with mark already moved out which I hope has a lot of details with nothing missing.
I need mor Mark.!
I recommend this book 😂
I randomly came across this book on here this morning. I loved the blurb so thought why not read it. I didn’t look at the amount of pages it has or that it’s a novella.
I wish it was longer because I loved these types of love stories. All the details, pain, love, revenge and sex were all there but with it being so short it was completely off.
I will read the second book. And I hope it’s a bit longer. Part two is meant to be set 3 months after and with mark already moved out which I hope has a lot of details with nothing missing.
I need mor Mark.!
I recommend this book 😂
October 7, 2022
Compelling,but way too brief! Why split into 2 parts? Anyway, look forward to conclusion!
October 3, 2022
This is part of the Purity series however if you haven't read the first one it won't affect your understanding of the storyline. This is the start of Cole's parents story Mark and Whitney, it is a quick read and although it doesn't give any depth to the characters you get the bones of their history. If this story doesn't make you rage and scream and want to do bodily harm to Mark ... why not? For me it's just not that he cheats on her it's the way he talks to her like she is nothing and her opinions and feelings don't matter. I have never wanted a character to suffer as much as I want Mark to, I'm thinking emotional and physical torture. I don't know if Whitney is a saint or a masochist but my hope is we see her fight back and regain some sense of who she is before she let guilt rule her life.
The author has said she wants the reader to be angry and hate Mark so she nailed it. I am here stewing in anger and bitterness towards a fictional character whist anxiously waiting on book two.
The author has said she wants the reader to be angry and hate Mark so she nailed it. I am here stewing in anger and bitterness towards a fictional character whist anxiously waiting on book two.
December 24, 2023
let out the biggest sigh of relief when i realized this book ended with them separating. no i am not reading the sequel where he inevitably wins her back
July 10, 2023
Nothing gets better than Mark choking on his tears and begging on his knees after being a horse shit of a husband to Whitney. Like yes please, suffer more if you will.
February 3, 2023
Kinda felt like a TLC Drama in 70 Pages and I must admit that is my guilty pleasure. 😂
April 11, 2023
Trials of a Rocky marriage. It shows what happens after one cheats and the devastation it causes all around with even more bad choices being made.
October 19, 2022
Well , part 2 should be interesting.
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