Conception

The Others #1

by Sarah McCarty

An unwilling victim of an experiment gone wrong, mother to a child who shouldn't exist, Eden Lavery knows only one person strong enough to stand between the Coalition's fanatical quest for immortality and their threat to her daughter- Dusan Knight. Six-foot-three-inches of solid muscle, Deuce wears his power with the easy confidence that comes from six centuries of commanding the Chosen, the inspiration for vampire lore.

But Deuce isn't just a source of legend. He's the man she loves. The man she had ultimately betrayed.

From the moment Eden reenters his life, holding the miracle of a Chosen child in her arms, Deuce burns with the need to complete their joining.

Everything about Eden, from her sassy sense of humor to her delectably stacked body, was made for him. But some things are easier decided than done. Amidst a race for survival, against an enemy that cannot be destroyed for fear of extinction, Deuce must fight for the future of his people, and to convince Eden the passion between them is more than illusion. She is his Chosen mate and nothing- not her fears, the Coalition, nor death itself- will take her away from him.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Erotica, Vampires, Romance, Erotic Romance, Fantasy

387 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(1)romance author

Sarah has traveled extensively throughout her life, living in other cultures, sometimes in areas where electricity was a concept awaiting fruition and a book was an extreme luxury. While she could easily adjust to the lack of electricity, living without the comfort of a good book was intolerable. To fill the void, she bought pencil and paper and sketched out her own story. In the process, Sarah discovered the joy of writing.

Sarah writes what she loves to read; fast paced stories with vivid dialogue, intense emotion and well developed characters. Her attention to detail in her stories has earned her multiple awards and a reserved spot on Keeper shelves everywhere.

Sarah writes for Ellora's Cave, Harlequin HQN, Harlequin SPICE, Berkley HEAT and Berkley SENSATION.

Reviews

[Yashika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where are the sequels? I absolutely loved this book and never read anything by this author previously. I heard about it on a Amazon forum talking about shocking sex scenes. The bedroom scenes were graphic and descriptive, just the way I like them. I really hope she writes a sequel soon I would love find out who is mated next.

[Varied Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re reading b/c I Love the j/p alpha H. Edie is an awesome h.
It sucks that McCarty didn't continue this series w/ the OC. Such potential.

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Re-read in 2018 I stand by my words. There's a interesting story somewhere or there might have been one, if the author hadn't chosen to drown everything in sex. And again I skipped most of it as, contrary to some people's thoughts, sex isn't plot nor story. It can be a necessary part of them, but not take their place.
My rating is still <2.

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Updated to add this link with a snippet: http://thebookpushers.com/2012/08/28/...
Forewarned is forearmed, or so they say.
****************************************************
<2

I had not realized this was a former Ellora's Cave book, now self published by its author. The new cover is way better than the original, by the way.

The cover is also, unfortunately, the only thing salvageable in this story. I bought it after reading the blurb and the sample which really hooked me. A man and a woman facing each other a year after she has betrayed him to hunters. She survived torture and is here to ask for help (begrudgingly too). A strong woman, too. Yes. It seemed my kind of story.

Lord, was I wrong. After a very nice beginning (lasting a few chapters), this book turned in the most boring, gross, flat (did I say boring and gross?) sexfeast I ever read. Maybe sexfeast isn't the right term, it seems good. There's nothing good in 300 page long sex scenes. It goes beyond boring. (And someone please can explain to me why submission equals humiliation, or women turning into puppets, and to the author the idea of equality? As in where is the mistake in: "You suck my balls as a form of cherishing me. I cherish you giving you the right to suck my seed in your mouth"?)

There was absolutely nothing else. I'm not kidding. With the exception of a few pages next to the end, all of the story was some form of sex. And I use the term with trepidation, as I'm not sure it's the right word. (If you are so... bold as to read it you might understand. Hopefully not. My stomach is still upset... < grin >)

I skipped so many pages I'm not sure I qualify as reading it...:P

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO good. I LOVED it. I SO want a sequel.

[Netanella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the author, and selected this book simply for her name alone. However, I was largely disappointed with this book - the characters were flat, one-dimensional creations that kept doing or saying the same thing over and over again. I felt like I was stuck in a loop for most of the book. Deuce: "It is my duty to Eden: "I must leave; they will catch me." Over and over ad nauseum. I was glad when the book ended.

[HJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just not for me AT ALL. Second attempt 2 years later to get through, and failing. Not the author''s best work, and I can understand why the series didn't continue.

[Halcyon · Rating 1 out of 5]

(This review contains my thoughts during the reading of this book, with additions later on.)

As you can see from my rating, I did not really enjoy this book. I did fully finish it, but my thoughts on it, to put it quite bluntly, is that this book is too ridiculous for words. (Which is a darn pity because I like the writing style of the author, just not what is being written, I suppose.)

The main guy, Dusan, or Deuce, is a 600+ year old vampire who found his mate in Eden, or Edie, a young human girl. Before the bulk of this story, Dusan was captured by Eden’s grandfather – who is on a quest for immortality – but thanks to a vamp-napping Eden, who didn’t crack under the torture of whipping, she managed to stall until Dusan’s associates came to rescue him.

She was presumed dead after this. In truth, she underwent probably a whole year or more of tortures done by her grandfather; whipping, punishments for failed attempts at escape, very painful cellular manipulation so he can achieve immortality, forcibly having to give up her independence, with cutting of the hair to try to make her no one, forced pregnancy by material he took from her mate, only to have them cut the baby out of her and take her milk away from her…

Now, despite all of that, Eden is still a very fierce, stubborn, independent, humorous girl. One might say there’s little signs of her actually undergoing all that torture. At this point I’d say that’s because if you take all the resisting, stubbornness, cries for her independency out, nothing remains but the endless blowjobs. Cut those out, and there’s no story.

So Eden, after having her baby removed from her insides, escapes with her daughter and goes straight for the protection of her future mate. Arriving there, however, it is clear that she is a very sick girl, thanks to all that cellular manipulation.

This far, the story isn’t bad, but sadly we’re only a few pages in. The ridiculous part starts here.

Edie, from here on out, is basically always dying with a few ‘good moments’ (for him) in between. You see, the only way they can seem to cure Eden is by introducing Dusan’s bodily fluids into her. The first stage of that is his blood. Now, she can only have a bit of it to stabilise her cells, and after that they’ll need to get another body fluid into her: his semen. Great, right? When dying? Bummer, though, is that she’s so weak and has never given a blowjob before that Deuce just wants to block what’s going to happen from her mind. Mind rape and mouth rape. Sexy. She doesn’t take the offer, though, and ends up mentally straining herself by pushing him from her mind. A nosebleed later he accepts she wants to be conscious for it, since it would make her a victim again otherwise, and ensures her she’ll have pleasure from his mouth rape.

What I just do not understand, because I find nothing of this hot at all, is why be so desperate for sexual scenes at this point, to write this mess? We’re not even 1/4th into the book, so there’s at this point still plenty of time left to get the girl to heal of different things so they can start working on their mating bond later. Why this mess? (Edit: this scene has basically not yet stopped half way into the book. This, truly and sadly, is the story.)

Also, to give some more information about this healing stuff: Edie’s cells are basically screaming out for those fluids. They crave it. She begged Dusan for what she needed of him, but didn’t yet know to call it blood, and then suddenly she bit him in his chest and started sucking it up. After that was done, he presented the next fluid. Now, small remark here: would a guy really bring himself closer to a girl when right before she uncontrollably craved blood and bit down in his chest for it? He could end up being a head shorter there!


When one is getting irritated by a book, more things start to flag as being silly. These are a few of those:

Her breasts stretched with the pull of gravity, bouncing with the effort she put into covering herself, drawing his eyes and his desire.

How do breasts stretch with the pull of gravity and then bounce? Was she trying to sit up straight? If so, just say so? Jesus…

It went against everything he believed in to deny her anything, least of all his come.

I bet.

His fingertips lid into the crease, riding it down before snagging on the slight indentation of her anus. Her knees buckled. He caught her weight on his middle finger. Shock and a dark desire held her immobile as her muscles parted the tiniest bit. Red lights flashed in his dark eyes. He tugged her up against him, so the hard ridge of his cock bit into her stomach. “See that you do.” The baby whimpered. He stepped back, his hand gliding away from her ass. Eden grabbed the bedstand to steady herself.

This is right after she felt better from cure 1 and 2. She suddenly needed to see her baby and they brought her back to their room. It’s the first time they’re standing together as new parents in front of their newborn baby, in fact they just named her, and he can’t help but feel up her anus right then and there. Nice. Sexy. Not.

She could feel the tension in his grip as she opened her mouth and took one of the soft-hard balls inside. It was a totally submissive posture, and it was turning her on like hell.

Yes, the girl who has been screaming murder at being treated as a thing that needs to just listen to her mate now since the first page suddenly likes being submissive after all. *shakes head*

Actually, when I think on it some more, perhaps it makes sense. How else is a girl supposed to come almost unharmed out of all that torture (whip, cellular level alternation while screaming in pain, tied down for a year) and still have her mind intact. She secretly loved it!

She licked her lips as a bead of come welled in the tip.

He shook her head slightly to get her attention. She reluctantly switched her focus to his face. “Women of the Chosen attend their mates this way after mating and when a need to pay tribute is required by their mate.”

The haze left her world. “Pay tribute?”

“It is an ancient custom.”

More forced sucking?

“Chosen women are honored above all others. They in turn honor their mates this way.”

So the true reason why Chosen want their mates found: 24/7 access to blowjobs.

“Open your mouth.”

She barely parted her lips.

“Wide enough to receive my tribute.” Her eyes popped wider than her mouth. “Did you think only women paid tribute?”

Her narrow-eyed glare spoke volumes. He shook his head at her lack of understanding. All things required balance. Even mating.

“I am forbidden to spill my seed other than for your pleasure. Not by my own hand, or by another’s, can I be delivered relief from the desire you create. In this way I honor you.” He tapped her lip with the tip of his penis. “Stick out your tongue.”

Not being allowed to come if she’s not around isn’t really a hardship when the guy gets blowjobs all the time, though, right?


After 1/4th a book of blowjobs, it appears that Eden is even closer to dying than before, as she has now taken in too much semen. Oh no. But wait, there’s a cure that when used, though, can kill a few people: he has to suck out all her blood, let it filter through his dead body and then give it back, or something like that. Now that we’re past that (we don’t see it), the next round of sexcapades can begin, in which she wants Deuce but is afraid to lose herself in want, so she closes herself off again in defiance like the toddler that she is (why are women, when wanting to portray a strong one – and that doesn’t even fit after all this torture – always way over the top in these kind of fics? Is believably strong overrated?)

The rest of the book is once more about sexcapades, there’s even anal worked into it in the end stretch, and bone dry, too! If you think about it, this girl learned to take a lot in this fic. In the beginning, with her first, normal penetration, Dusan took her pain into himself so she’d enjoy his monster cock without the pain that would come from him taking her virginity, to her begging for him to let her feel it all, and then his penetrating her in her rear with that same XL cock, unprepared, and her liking it and begging for it. *applause*

One of the most bummer-moments of this work must be that in the end pages the porn has to step down to make room for something that has been forgotten since the beginning pages: the plot. Yes, the plot. Dusan and Eden sometimes had interactions with a third person weaved in between their – er – personal time, but now the grandfather plot is to be revisited. But fear not, if you thought we were going to actually see part of the fighting that went on outside, you thought wrong. Deuce and Eden nicely stayed together and that means we only got the ‘we won’ in the end. Though there was no trace of her grandfather, who they now decided they wanted alive since he was able to impregnate Eden with a miracle baby (they are very rare and therefore wanted).

Oh yeah, forgot to mention: the males in this supernatural world are immortal, live forever if they don’t die in battle or in another way, but the females die when they turn 100 if they haven’t found their mate. Ugh. Can’t believe a woman would write that, really.

And I’m not even going to address that semen-filled belly.

The last thing I will say about this work is that I had a good laugh when it turned out macho Dusan, the 650+ year old dominant, possessive vampire, was wearing socks. I will always imagine they were white. :-P

[Jaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book some time ago, when I first discovered Sarah McCarty's writing, and I loved it completely. I just completed a re-read, and the spark is still there...

I have been hoping ever since that first read, that a new book would add to the series...or a couple of books might complete it. Certainly Bodhan is worthy of his own story, and there are a few "Others" (pun intended) who need some exploration.

Very disappointed in how little we've heard form Ms. McCarty in past few years...hope all is well...

[Karen Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the sublime to the beyond dull. This was the worst Sarah McCarty book, probably due to the fact that the author was trying out a new genre after having written westerns for the majority of her career. Sometimes a change is not a good thing as this reader can attest to, after reading this book. Ms McCarty is a strong writer, but unfortunately, if this had been the first book of hers I'd ever read, I'd have probably never read her again.

[Rinou · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot would be interesting if it was more present, but most of the time we're told something happened without witnessing it, and the universe is not explained. The sex scenes seem more painful than exciting, and once the hero even goes through the cervix into the womb to "seed" the heroine to the point her belly stays swollen. And don't forget the machismo of every male around and the submissiveness expected from the women in every way.

[Stacie]

This book was erotic and the couple rarely left the bedroom setting. It was an intense read but after a while I was waiting for more plot line. The steamy scenes were very long and a little more "info" than I like in my reads.

[Scooper Speaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. It's really outrageous at times and I got so tired of the heroine "paying tribute" to her man by giving him head. Way too much oral sex, but I liked the idea of the story and I didn't hate anybody so.

[Saucy Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is now one of my favorite books. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any issue of continuing the series right now. I am giving this book 5 stars for content but I am disappointed there is no sequel being prepared.

[Mitzi]

Yippee!!! Sarah just self-pub'd this book and it is finally available on Kindle....here is the link @ 3-29-2012: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007...

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really thought there was no story or character development the heroine was extremely annoying I just couldn't finish it ...and the sex was ridiculous, pages and pages of the same thing.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't Work for Me

Before purchasing this book, I had read several reviews. They all mentioned the frequent sex that lasted for pages. These reviews were also from readers familiar with the author's other work, so I assumed that played a part in it. I was wrong. The sex is a lot. It doesn't further the story or the relationship. After a while I just started skipping it. When I say the scenes we're pages long, I mean that. More than five pages long.

The plot is what drew me into buying, especially after reading the sample, but we don't get much of that. Eden holds off on bonding with her daughter for fear the Coalition will track her. At the end we find out they know where she is, but we still don't get a bonding moment between mother and daughter. In the sample, she gets to the house, and except for two scenes, that's all we see. In one of those scenes, Eden isn't even present. Actually we only see her outside of the bedroom the one time she was outside and twice where she was in other rooms in the house. That was boring

There's no real progress with the Coalition. Someone comes after her and is defeated. The scene to do that takes few pages than most of the sex scenes. Then it's over. No battle. No major intelligence gathered.

I'm doing two stars because it just doesn't feel like a one star read, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Nicole BHam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

The h drive me nuts. It was just too predictable that everything happens to this women. But the idea behind it makes it very interesting and I’d like to see where this goes but it lagged a lot too. I was falling asleep at times during scenes that I shouldn’t be sleeping during.

[Barbie Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent addition to my kindle library. Alpha male, the h was just the right amount of sass without getting on my nerves and I adore PNR with plenty of hot sexy scenes. With that being said this book does have an ending but the lead in for the next book doesn't go anywhere since the author hasn't published anything since 2018. Very disappointing but I did really enjoy this book!

[Danielle Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Ms. Susanne for such a gift. I have really enjoyed these books you've shared with me.

This is another book that was hard to put down. Although the ending kinda made me made....I wasn't ready for this to end.

[Gigi Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was a little too stubborn to me but liked it over all very much.

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, For an erotic novel this had a very interesting plot, scenes were steamy and well written!

[judesfrqncis · Rating 3 out of 5]

700 pages in and it still felt like nothing had happened

[Mollie *scoutrmom* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating plot, enjoyable characters, and a feeling of fast-paced action through to the final pages. The love scenes were not the most imaginative I've read, but they serve to forward the action in more ways than those in any of the other thousands of books I've read.

Want to go back to page one right away and start it again.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange read at times. I didn't know whether to wince or giggle at the bonding scene. Never mind the ring *eye-roll* ceremony. Really??? I can see where a guy might like to read this. I like her Promises series much better than this one. Not sure I want to continue it.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Halfway through and I just can't finish it. It's like a Christine Feehan Dark book on steroids. It started out pretty good and devolved quickly in to a repetitive, annoying mess. I didn't like the h, I didn't like the H and by half-way through I didn't care what happened to either.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid read

The opening was so intense, you are drawn in to the suffering and hope. Very intense story,and good characters, distinct and well developed. Vampires, others and humans battle a man seeking immortality.

[Melanie♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this was written 4 years ago, I wonder if she plans to continue the series?

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dark story but it jumped around and really did not give you a clear view of the villain it left you on a cliff hanger with no real resolution